Ecotourism & people Essay

Ecotourism is a branch of tourism which seeks to extend the concept of sustainability to the tourism industry. In recent years, concerns such as the planet’s sustainability, preservation of its natural resources, balancing human activities with Mother Nature’s needs and so on, have reached all-time highs. It is exactly concerns such as these which have led to the development and growth of ecotourism. There is no single universally accepted definition of ecotourism. Indeed, several researchers, tourism providers, environmental agencies and local bodies have formulated different definitions, which vary slightly in their scope and breadth. However, three key elements are central to most of the definitions encountered in a review of the existing literature, namely: sustainability of the ecotourism location; creating an appreciation among ecotourists of the need to preserve the natural environment; creating respect and/or contributing to the development of the local cultures (Eastwood, 2009). These characteristics of ecotourism quite obviously place it into sharp contrast with traditional mass tourism. Mass tourism often attracts tourists to locations that have been extensively developed in terms of infrastructure, facilities, communication networks and so on. In doing so, the natural and physical environment of such locations is dramatically altered, in ways that are irreversible. Moreover, large amounts of energy may be consumed to sustain such establishments. In contrast, ecotourism seeks maximum preservation of the natural environment of designated locations. Indeed, the very charm for an ecotourist lies in visiting a location that still remains largely untouched by modern development. Mass tourism also makes no claims to educate tourists with regard to the environment. The main offering of mass tourism is typically entertainment and leisure. Individuals availing this form of tourism typically use their holidays to take a temporary break from their commitments, choosing to relax and unwind during the interval before returning to their routine lifestyle. Unless the tourists specifically choose to embark on an educational journey in areas of personal interest, most journeys do not have serious objectives, and this factor is reflected in the marketing appeals used by mass tourism providers. Finally, while tourists in the realm of mass tourism are most certainly exposed to different cultures and people, this interaction is generally viewed as more of an exotic exposure rather than anything more meaningful or substantial. There is no pressing need felt by the tourists or the mass tourism providers to contribute to the different communities visited or to be concerned about their development. On the other hand, most genuine ecotourism initiatives are geared to the development of host communities, with long term planning and financial resources being channeled towards this objective (Schellhorn, 2010). Part Two: The Ecotourist Experience The unique aspects of the ecotourist experience and its implications for host communities are explored next. Motivations are not homogenous: It would be misleading to assume that all tourists visiting ecotourism locations have the same motivations. An analysis of tourists at Al Maha, an ecotourist resort in Dubai, revealed that the average tourist is simply motivated to come and enjoy the desert setting more than anything else. Many of the tourists are rich individuals, primarily businessmen and women, who simply desire an exotic temporary accommodation as an alternate to hotels in the city. While at the resort, such individuals do not sever ties with their corporations, or typically immerse themselves in the indigenous culture as the ideal ecotourist is expected to do. Another segment of tourists at this resort consists of honeymooning couples looking for a romantic getaway – again, not the stereotype of the dedicated ecotourist (Ryan & Stewart, 2009). Since the motivation itself is lacking, the Al Maha ecotourist resort is hardly able to change the tourists perceptions regarding sustainability or the need to preserve and appreciate the natural environment and local cultures. Scale of development: The Al Maha resort example discussed above also raises an import concern: the scale of development within ecotourism locations. Al Maha is extensively projected as an ecotourist destination; however, it has been extensively developed, almost resembling a luxury resort! The resort also consumes vast amounts of energy in maintaining its facilities, which runs somewhat contrary to the concept of sustainability of resources. Those in support of large scale ecotourist destinations claim that expansion of such projects is almost a prerequisite if such projects are required to have a substantial impact globally (Buckley, 2009). Tourist behavior may be counter-productive: A study conducted at three ecotourist destinations in the Himalayas revealed that, in some instances, so called â€Å"ecotourists† were actually creating compounding problems of pollution by littering and improper disposal of non-biodegradable items. Ironically, the management of hotels was doing no better either – discharge of untreated waste water was rampant (Batta, 2006). Such behavior is in complete violation of the spirit of ecotourism. It not only spoils the experience of true ecotourists who may also be frequenting such resorts, but is also a social issue since it creates discomfort for the local residents. New income may not be channeled in sustainable activities: Whereas income generation for the local community members at ecotourism locations is an expected and desired outcome, this new income may defeat the objectives of sustainability if it is channeled in undesired activities. For example, a case study conducted in Brazil and Peru revealed that locals used the income generated from employment at ecotourism locations to engage in needless, extravagant consumption of goods. Moreover, earning income from this means did not deter them from engaging in activities such as hunting or unsustainable exploitation of natural resources (Stronza & Pegas, 2008). This study highlights the need to educate the local communities involved in ecotourism initiatives if the full benefits of these initiatives are to be realized. The negative impacts of overcrowding: The ecotourist’s experience is most fulfilling if the location is perceived to offer a serene, calm environment, where one can get away from hustle-and-bustle and really connect with nature. This is precisely the reason why overcrowding can seriously deter the ecotourist’s enjoyment of his/her experience (Ormsby & Mannle, 2006). Managers of ecotourism locations are placed in a quandary, particularly if they are aiming to generate significant amount of funds from attracting tourists. On the one hand, they want their destination to become popular and attract the optimal level of tourists; on the other hand, if overcrowding occurs, then the destination loses its appeal for true ecotourists. Ethical dilemmas: In her article entitled â€Å"Ethics and ecotourism: connections and conflicts†, Stark (2002) proposed a series of questions pertaining to ethical concerns in the realm of ecotourism. A few summarized questions, pertinent especially to those in the tourism industry who provide travel packages claiming to be ecotours, are as follows: What is the â€Å"carrying capacity† of a specific site (or in other words, how many tourists it can support), beyond which the local environment would be prone to harm? Is ecotourism simply being projected as a fashion statement or something which is â€Å"in†? Are local cultures simply being objectified rather than truly appreciated? What are the net costs and benefits of ecotourism activities? Do local communities benefit, and are they involved at each level of implementation? Is care being taken, particularly in developing countries, that sites which have rich traditional or cultural heritage are not being exploited for commercial purposes? These are just some of the numerous questions which come to the fore when choosing a destination for ecotourism and designing and implementing a strategy which is ethically sound. It is an accepted fact that the development of any form of tourism, even ecotourism, has long-lasting impacts on local communities. Therefore, it is vital for ecotourism development agencies to take the locals on board and determine in advance what nature and level of changes are acceptable to them (Butcher, 2006). Unsuitable nature of education provisions: Stem et. al (2003), in an article entitled â€Å"Ecotourism and education for sustainability: a critical approach†, that most of the insights and educational experienced provided at ecotourism locations currently are not up to par and sufficient to generate a proper understanding of sustainability and environmentally friendly activities among tourists. Some tours provide theoretical data, others provide adventure and thrill, whereas still others merely encourage tourists to immerse themselves in their surroundings and appreciate natural beauty. What is lacking is the kind of education which would motivate attitudinal and behavioral change among tourists, not only while they are on tour but something which they can appreciate, act upon and tell others about as well once the tour has ended. Longitudinal studies could be employed to find out whether ecotourists actually change and maintain their changed behavior over an extended period of time after a given trip, but such studies have largely been lacking to date (Buckley, 2009).

Confidentiality Is an Important Issue

Confidentiality is an important issue because without it, professionals would find it difficult to build relationships with their clients. Trust in a carer/client relationship is important, as a client would not want to share personal information with someone if they felt it was not confidential and Fulford (2001) agrees that confidentiality is a function of relationships.This could be why new employees in the caring profession find it difficult to relate to their clients until a relationship has been formed. When a person gives information about themselves to other people such as doctors or carers, that person is giving their consent for the professional to share the information given. This kind of consent is known as ‘implicit consent'.It is when a person gives consent with out realising they have and unless they specifically ask for the information to be strictly confidential, then that information will be shared amongst other professionals within that profession (Unit23, p6 7) This kind of consent is usually present when a client or resident can not make decisions about their information being shared, maybe the client is unconscious or has learning disabilities. The Department of Health (1996) states those professionals in this position must be trusted to act in their patient's best interests.Another type of consent is known as ‘explicit consent. This is consent given with the patient or client knowing about it. For instance, if a person was filling out a form and it stated that the information provided on the form is shared among other professionals, it would then ask for a signature to allow for this sharing to occur. In today's working environment, it is common place for people, other than professionals, to have access to their employees' records. Having access to these records can help management to promote a person's professional†¦

Henrietta Lacks

The characters from the book, â€Å"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks† become attached to objects that are meaningful to them. It is noticed that a certain object had a significant meaning by analyzing the scene and the character. Dr. Geys assistant, Mary described Henrietta Lacks red nail polish on her toes. She described Henrietta being an actual woman, something Mary never thought of. Henrietta’s relatives described Henrietta with her red nail polish. The red nail polish was a meaningful object to Henrietta because it completed her. Dr.Gey was attached to Hela cells once he made the incredible observation. He didn't experiment for money, he genuinely did it for science. He sent the Hela cells for other scientists to experience the cells for themselves. He changed science for his genuine passion for it. Perhaps the most interesting character, Deborah Lacks, was attached to a few things. While Deborah was with Rebecca, she showed her the contents in her purse. She c arried everything she had about her mother with her. There were videotapes, documentaries, articles, and a few birthday cards that Deborah bought for her mother, Henrietta.Deborah was attached to these items because that was all she knew about her mother. In a way, that was how she felt connected to Henrietta. A few days later when Rebecca was with Deborah, Rebecca noticed a folder on her pillow. They were Henrietta's medical folders. Deborah wouldn't let Rebecca touch her mothers medical folder. Unlike all the other items Deborah let Rebecca see, Henrietta's medical folder was different. And it clearly had a different, more significant meaning than the other items. Henrietta Lacks Henrietta Lacks Cells taken from a young African American woman in 1951 helped scientists cure polio. Cells from the same woman contributed to scientific advantages in cancer, gene mapping, and even the atom bomb. The mother of five did not life to know her cells had such importance. She never knew, in fact, that they were being harvested. Today’s medical advances are based on practices that people now consider unethical, whereas back when Henrietta live, they did not even think twice about ethics. Henrietta Lacks did not know the cells taken from her could possibly be used to develop a multimillion-dollar medical industry.In an even crueler twist of fate, her descendants lived in poverty without access to affordable health care. The book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, tells the story of a women, Henrietta Lacks, and her family. Ms. Lacks was treated for cervical cancer at John’s Hopkins Hospital in 1951. Her malignant cervical cells were harves ted and distributed to become the first â€Å"immortal† cell line widely used for scientific research, including their use in the development of the polio vaccine. The story tells what happened after Ms.Lacks’ death to her family, a poor African American family living in Maryland. A family who, today, would be considered poor. The story brings up key ethical issues of biomedical research, which were evolving during that era (Skloot, Rebecca). Henrietta Lacks died of an aggressive cervical cancer that invaded virtually her entire body in 1951. A common practice at the time, samples of cancer cells were taken for study. Some cells were taken by a researcher who was attempting to develop immortal cell lines for scientific purposes.In the 1950’s, the practice of taking routine tissue samples without consent from patients was not uncommon, and anonymising the source wasn’t a main concern. HeLa cells and the concerns that surrounded them touched on several issu es in medicine. One was the issue of using tissue samples without consulting patients, many of whom would freely donate if asked. Changes in how such samples are taken and handled, and in the processes used to collect consent, have improved the use of informed consent in research.Patients submitting biopsies for diagnostic purposes, for example, might be asked if they are willing to donate cells to research (Smith, S. E. ). if a doctor wanted to diagnose, treat, experiment or keep body parts, that’s what he did. Patients never questioned doctors they were trusted implicitly. Consent was conferred by the simple step of showing up in a doctor’s office. Today, we know we need to understand and ask questions, and then our consent is necessary legally. Further, we understand the importance of withholding consent until we feel fully informed about the benefits and consequences of what that consent will mean.There were not conformed consent laws until recently. Informed conse nt is more than simply getting a patient to sign a written consent form. It is a process on communication between a patient and physician that results in the patients’ authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention (Informed Consent). Since everyone has different preferences, there will always be differences in the treatment of care among people. This becomes a problem when physicians have a bias against certain races and ethics.As a physician, all treatment options should be discussed and equally available to patients, regardless of their race or ethnicity which results in informed consent on the patients’ behalf. There was a lack of respect, or an inability to communicate, in both directions, between blacks and doctors back in the 1850’s. Skin color, and the problems that can result from low income, lack of education, and illiteracy; the inability to read, and/or understand the English language also contributed to the mistreatment of bla cks.Patients overcome those challenges by finding a respectful doctor, or a supporter to help the,. Back when Henrietta lived, that was not easy to fins. Differences in healthcare outcomes can result from the history of different races too. Henrietta was treated with radiation, which left her body burned and blackened. She and her family asked themselves many times whether the treatment was really helping her – but they never considered asking the doctor to do something different, make a different recommendation, or even just to stop. Skloot, Rebecca) today, empowered patients know that they can insert themselves into all decision-making about their own medical care. They can and should discuss any and all protocols to make decisions as part of their own healthcare team. And, empowered patients know that if they want to, they can say, â€Å"No. † In conclusion, informed consent was not needed when Henrietta lived; therefore scientists took her cells without her knowing . A doctor did what HE wanted to do. But today, we now know that consent is legality.Any treatments should be discussed with the patient regardless of their race or their illness. Henrietta was mistreated, her body was burned, but her and her family did not want to question the doctor in fear or being looked down on. But today patients know that they have the right to know exactly what is being done to them, and can ask any questions they feel necessary. If it were not for the doctors and scientists that had taken Henrietta’s cells, we today, would not have the advancements in healthcare that we do. Henrietta Lacks The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Introduction The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is written by Rebecca Skloot, who is an award winning science writer. The story is of a young black women, Henrietta Lacks, who was diagnosed with cancer in 1951, at the John Hopkins Hospital. Cells were taken from her body during her examinations, without her knowledge. They were used to develop the first immortal cell line. Her cells became very important for the development of vaccines. Her family, however, has not received any benefit and still cannot even afford health insurance.They do not even know that the cells belong to Henrietta. This has raised many ethical questions on the research that has been done using Henrietta's cells. Discussion Henrietta's life had not been an easy one. Long before she got ill with cancer; her father abandoned her in childhood. She was married at a very early age. At the age of 14; she was a mother. She then moved to the Turner Station with her husband, who was not so faithful to her. At Turner Station, she and her family faced a life of segregation and poverty. Despite all the difficulties that she faced in her life, she still remained an enthusiastic person.She had a spirit that was not able to break. She was described by her friends as a person having a cheerful disposition. She was an also a person who was quick to laugh. She would also go out dancing with her cousin Sadie. The most important and strong side of Henrietta was her motherhood. Her cousin, Sadie also suspected that she delayed seeking medical attention, because she was afraid that it might affect her fertility and prevent her from having more children. She was extremely heart broken when she realized that the surgery has made her infertile.She was angry and sad at the fact that the doctors did not tell her beforehand that what the surgery would do to her. When her condition worsened, the doctors told her husband not to bring her children to visit her. This made her even m ore heart broken and devastated. She and her family, especially her children, led a very difficult life. Even after her death, her family and her children were not told about the cells of Henrietta being used in research. They were not given nay benefit, whatsoever, of the research on her cells and the huge mounts of money generated from it. The Lacks family is so poor even now that they cannot afford even life insurance. Henrietta's daughter, Deborah, did not know anything at all about the importance and the use of her mother's cells. She was devastated to learn about the cells of her mother. She was filled with many questions that nobody was able to answer. She was curious to know that if her mother's cells were so important and have helped medical science so much. Why were her children not even able to afford health insurance for themselves?Henrietta was a very sociable person. She would have allowed the John Hopkins institute to carry out research on her cells. She was a person who was very close to her family. She would have wanted the John Hopkins Institute to take care of her family and children if they used her cells. She would never have wanted her family to be treated the way they were treated back then and even now. Conclusion Henrietta was a very strong woman. Her contribution to medical science has been exceptional. However, her family should also have been given benefits. Henrietta Lacks Racist Experiments Racism is immortal just like Henrietta’s cells it will always be around. People would do anything to be the first to discover something. At the end of the day it’s all about the money. The Mississippi appendectomies and the Tuskegee experiments were similar in the way that the government forced treatment upon minorities without consent. Henrietta’s case was different than Mississippi and Tuskegee because the doctor in Johns Hopkins didn’t experiment on her actual body but on her cells without consent.Henrietta’s case the Tuskegee experiments and the Mississippi Appendectomies are all different cases in different locations but serve the same purpose which is to take advantage of poor and uneducated minorities to further medical research. The Tuskegee Experiments and the Mississippi Appendectomies were both horrible cases and dealt with lots of racism and ignorance towards people who didn’t know any better. The purpose of The Tuskegee experiments was to see how syphilis affected blacks as opposed to whites.The treatment was to basically come in get injected with syphilis if you didn’t already have and the doctors would watch how you die. The people in these experiments were poor and uneducated black males who were coned into giving their life away. The doctors in this experiment lured the test subjects in the saying they were getting treated for â€Å"Bad Blood†. These racist and disturbing experiments lasted for 40 years between 1932-1972.The purpose of the Mississippi Appendectomies was to sterilize America of bad genes meaning anyone women who was mentally challenge, a criminal, Black, Alcoholic, etc†¦ would get sterilized so they couldn’t reproduce anymore. Doctors figured that in order to stop mentally challenged blacks alcoholics etc†¦ from walking this earth is to sterilize them and make sure their genes don’t flow in the gene pool. The treatment for these ap pendectomies was horrible it was just blacks that were treated it also Indians and poor whites.The test subjects were all sterilized against their will and without their knowing. These appendectomies were racist and cruel. More than half of the women in Mississippi were sterilized. These treatments lasted for about 33 years between 1930s and 1963. Henrietta Lacks case was different than Mississippi and Tuskegee in some ways. In Henrietta’s case the doctors took her cells from her cervix but like in the Mississippi and Tuskegee cases they took them without Henrietta’s permission and launched a multimillion-dollar medical industry after she died.The purpose of taking Henrietta’s cells was to just run a couple tests until they died but they ended up living and growing. Instead of telling Henrietta and her family what they have been doing the doctors kept the discovery to themselves. When the discovery of the immortal cells because known every doctor got their hands on them and started running experiments on them, sending the cells to space, running test on the cells to find a cure to aids and cervical cancer etc†¦Racism wasn’t far from this case the doctor in Henrietta’s case figured that telling her what they were doing would only confuse her and her family even more so they just figure to not tell her or her family at all. This case started in 1951 and the research on the cells still goes on till the present. Racism hovers of this country and is always in the backs of everyone’s minds. Henrietta’s case the Tuskegee experiments and the Mississippi Appendectomies are all different cases in different locations but serve the same purpose which is to take advantage of poor and uneducated minorities to further medical research.In Tuskegee doctors took advantage of uneducated black males to find an answer to a question. The Mississippi appendectomies sterilized innocent uneducated and poor females because the gover nment was trying to wipe out â€Å"bad â€Å"genes† and in the Henrietta lacks case doctors took her cells without consent, found out they were immortal and launched and multimillion-dollar medical industry. In the end it is indeed all about the money.

Reactions and Reasons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reactions and Reasons - Essay Example This piece is quite impressive due to the number of feelings and associations it triggers by its sounding and instrumentation. It is visibly divided into 3 sections, which structure perceptions regarding music. The first and the third parts dwell on the same idea; however, they represent it differently. In this way these two sections are not perceived as identical. The second section of the piece is aimed at opposing the fist and the last sections. A number of binary oppositions characterize the differences between the second and two other sections of the piece. All of them create unforgettable atmosphere of the piece and help to reveal the meaning each part displays. From the very beginning the piece engages listeners by its full and brings sounding. This piece is composed for the orchestra; the music has rich texture and polyphony, which is visible from the first chords. The first impression of the music is that the part 0:00-0:51 has slight oriental tints in its sounding, as they have elements of pentatonic scale in string arpeggios. Such a confident beginning (forte, allegro), reminds of an overture – an introduction to opera or ballet. High contrasts in pitch, switches from major to minor element in music and rich instrumentation associates this piece with parade or celebration where many people are involved. It contains a controversy; reiteration of major arpeggios in minor in this part creates ambiguous and tensed feelings as music is unstable and highly changeable.

Ordovician Mass Destinction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ordovician Mass Destinction - Essay Example This time period was witness to a number of conditions and events which were responsible for giving rise to a number of bioevents during this time. Ordovician time period is characterized by â€Å"rapid replacement of the Cambrian fauna with the Paleozoic fauna† (Barnes et al ,pg 140). The biota during this period was modifying itself and adapting to the changing physical and chemical changes in the oceans. Most of the life forms of this period that adapted and existed successfully were the ones that were most severely affected by this extinction event. Almost 26% of all marine families and almost 85% of all genera went extinct. Today, there is a big scientific debate about how man’s activities is leading us towards the 6th mass extinction .Anthropogenic activities have affected the Earth and all living beings adversely such that the current rate of species extinction is much higher than the background extinction rate. Interaction between environmental and ecological factors has contributed significantly to the extinction event. One of the major culprits that contribute towards this is global change in climate while others include habitat destruction, pollution etc. But if we take the Ordovician mass Extinction into account we will see that it occurred not due to anthropogenic activities but by Nature’s own course. This vindicates the fact that even Nature plays a pivotal role in destruction and extinction. Climate change and habitat destruction occurred during the Ordovician-Silurian period which vastly affected the marine species and led to their extinction. After this most of these extinct species could not recover from the effects and hence led to permanent loss Research has tried to pinpoint the exact events that led to mass destruction of most marine life forms during this event however a few possible explanations have surfed even though the

Europe and Asia Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Europe and Asia - Annotated Bibliography Example ecause it portrays the events that have characterized the buildup of the labor party and how its governments have fared on in the last one hundred years. Perhaps as a surprise to many people, Keith actually spells out the fact that initially the labor party was not a political party but as a trade union. Throughout the one hundred years, the labor party has managed to from governments for about four times. The first one according to Keith was in 1924 to the 1931 due to the strong membership of the workers at that time. Through various ups and downs, the party was able to create a huge impact not only Britain but also in the globe more especially when Tony Blair took office in 1997 landslide victory. The writer takes the mind of his readers in a step by step journey through which the party has evolved over time to become what it was at the beginning of 2000. Perhaps other writers can take a cue from Keith to document what has happened to the party since then to date. The writer is a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin with a vast experience in political parties and individuals throughout the world. In this work he looks at various aspects that makes Mao Tse Tung (Mao Zedong) one of the most respected historical figures in Chinese History. In this 222-page read, Meisner also portrays some information about Zedong which are rarely told hence a balanced account of the happenings. The book depicts the early life of this great life by showing the picture of a young man of a poor peasant farmer in Hunan province of china who rose to become a successful politician to the extent of being equated to a cult of a person. His political ideologies that were aimed at balancing the aspects of imperialism and feudalism in both the social and political environment gave him a liking amongst his people. However, this did not come on a silver platter because at one point he is said to have fled the place because of his radical views. As matter of fact, he had

The Change in Business Office Manager - Problem Solving Case Study

The Change in Business Office Manager - Problem Solving - Case Study Example There could be diverse reactions from the business office staff upon hearing of the change that ranges from anxiety, confusion, relief, and a lot of questioning. Changes are often met initially with resistance as new processes or, in this situation, a new business office manager, could be perceived as threatening to disrupt equilibrium and the status quo. 3. What do you believe would have been the level of stress among the department’s staff before the change was announced and immediately after the change was announced? Why the difference, if any? I believe that the level of stress among the department’s staff before the change was announced was significantly high because lack of information would cause anxiety and fear on their job security and status. However, immediately after the change was announced, the level of stress is potentially lowered, especially when it was noted that a new manager is ready to assume the position. 4. What can the two working supervisors do to help control the stress level in the group during the week spent waiting for the new manager? The two working supervisors could assure the group that a new manager would already meet them on Monday and so, in the meantime, they could advise the staff to prepare to complete all responsibilities and tasks, as expected. This is important so that when the new manager comes, their department is ready to address whatever issues or concerns that could possibly be asked by the new manager within their department. The problem with the situation is the increasing workload within the department. The facts that were noted are increasing workload causing stress within the current staff; one staff is currently on leave making them undermanned; and the present number of personnel trying to keep up with the expanding workload. This is the identified problem because the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and growing work demands all come from this root cause.  Ã‚  

Mobile Development Languages Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile Development Languages - Research Paper Example But, nowadays, the main concerns are starting to move somewhat in a diverse way. In this regard, a mobile phone is a wide purpose device that facilitates not simply to converse however as well to earn, discover, communicate with friends or relatives and entertain themselves by using different utilities offered by the mobile manufacturers. All these features and facilities are accomplished particularly through the development of mobile applications (gfmstudio, 2011). This report presents a comprehensive analysis of some of the main aspects and areas of the mobile programming languages paradigm. The basic aim of this report is to analyze some of the prime areas regarding the evolution of mobile programming languages paradigm, discuss its main qualities, comparison with the traditional programming languages in addition to popular operation systems applications of the mobile programming languages. ... It is estimated that in January 2011 there were over two hundred mobile trademarks internationally as well as that is predictable to raise over the subsequent three years. In addition, at present most powerful mobile application is Google’s Android mobile operating system that executes over a huge variety of Android facilitated devices plus a rising variety of Tablets. Android application is offered by Google as an open source framework as well as is able to be integrated with Mac OS X, Windows plus Linux and an application developer is able to select his Integrated Development Environment, diverse plug-ins offered for Eclipse (WanaRUA, 2011) and (LMU, 2005). Mobile application development is the procedure through which mobile applications are designed and built for small low-power handheld systems like that enterprise digital assistants, PDAs or else personal digital assistants, otherwise mobile phones. In addition, these mobile applications are either already installed on co mmunication phones system in the course of downloaded or manufactured for clients from the application and other mobile applications system distribution platforms. In view of the fact that mobile devices have become pervasive items the moment people utilized mobile phones, PDAs and smart phones wherever and at anytime. On the other hand, the design and development of mobile applications is not a simple job since the development of mobile applications is completely different from the traditional software development processes. Additionally, the project managers are not able to without difficulty judge the risks and challenges of a mobile application development project because of the troubles to match up to a variety of

Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide in India Essay

Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide in India - Essay Example The violence that broke out was patterned on the themes of political/religious intolerance and ethnic cleansing. Pertinent issues of concern include the lack of proper police response, as well as organized perpetration of crime that went unabated by concerned security agencies (in Delhi). The involvement of government officials will be discussed, as well the Indian Army’s role-play. The massacre of the Sikhs in Punjab, India was an organized crime that was supported by the government following the assassination of Indira Gandhi who was Prime Minister at the time of her death, having had a massive influence on India’s political landscape because of her relation to Mahatma Gandhi, India’s most revered personality. The massacre led to the death of many people and destruction of a lot of property following the effective organization of the massacre. It is during her administration that the Indian Emergency (the 1970s) was imposed with this subsequently resulting in the detention of thousands of Sikhs who were politically agitating for some form of autonomy (Deol 78). During this era, sporadic violence was present, resulting from the increased armed activity of an armed Sikh separatist group. The Indian government’s apt designation of this separatist group as a terrorist entity further worsened the already tense political atmosphere (Deol 75). This culminated in the commencement of Operation Blue Star, where Prime Minister Indira ordered an attack on the Golden Temple by the Indian Army. This was in response to the violent occupation of the Temple by Sikh separatists, who being viewed as insurgents, were reported to have been stockpiling weapons (Singh). Her tough stance towards the group resulted in this direct order that was to focus on eliminating any insurgents founds, with later armed operations initiated in the larger Punjab state’s countryside.Indian paramilitary forces were commanded to clear any separatists that were hosted in the countryside with no option of negotiation (Rana).

The history of African-Americans Research Paper

The history of African-Americans - Research Paper Example The paper will use the works of different Historians in understanding why Reconstruction Era efforts did not immediately guarantee civil rights and equality to African-Americans. The paper will highlight significant events that contributed to racial violence, cultural identity and black organisations that advanced the movements for social justice and civil rights to African-Americans and ultimately attainment of post-racial American society. The main events that the paper will focus on include the enactment of 13th amendment, Colfax Massacre, Wilmington race riots, Harlem Renaissance, Black power movements and recent election of an African-American as the President of United States. African Americans Introduction A majority of African Americans are the descendants of African slaves that were held in the US from 1600 until 1865. African-Americans were at times referred as the Negro, Blacks, colored Americans and Afro-Americans. African-Americans trace their ancestry from native Africa n tribes in Sub-Sahara Africa (Turner-sadler, 2009). African-Americans mainly came to the US as slaves working for both Portuguese and Spanish settlers. Most of the African-Americans were concentrated in the Southern states and a significant majority worked as slaves in the Southern plantations (Bair, 1997). According to Hornsby (2008), African-Americans history is characterized with racial struggles, violence, agitations for self-identity and determination and ultimately eventual integration in to the mainstream U.S political and social life. Thesis: the history and struggles of African-Americans have greatly contributed to the current civil rights in the United States. Enactment of 13th Amendment and commencement of Reconstruction Era There are numerous significant African-American historical events that shaped the current US bill of rights and social relations in the US. In 1865, American Civil War came to an end after Confederate forces conceded defeat to Union forces (Hornsby, 2008). Accordingly, Freedmen’s Bureau was also established in order to provide education and health services to the emancipated African-American slaves. The first significant event in African-American history was the enactment of the 13th amendment of US constitution in 1865 (Hornsby, 2008). The 13th Amendment effectively ended slavery and involuntary servitude across the United Slaves. McPherson (1971) is of the idea that President Lincoln was concerned that Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 had not effectively prohibited slavery since it had been declared only for Ten Confederate States and not the Border States. McPherson analyses the numerous House of Representative meetings that were geared at enacting the 13th amendments and the intentions of the legislators. According to McPherson, the 13th amendment offered the best opportunity for Reconstruction and end of slavery after the Civil War that had claimed lives of thousands of African-Americans. However, some states did n ot ratify the amendment the same year while others continued to subject blacks to involuntary servitude (Turner-sadler, 2009). The amendment contributed to the end of African-American slaves and later demand for equal human rights with White counterparts (Turner-sadler, 2009). The 13th amendment also paved way for subsequent reconstruction amendments that provided for equal protection under the law and due process in legal proceedings (Turner-sadler, 2009). Colfax Massacre of 1873 The Colfax Massacre that occurred on Easter Sunday 1873 is regarded as another critical event in the history of African-Americans since the end of the civil war (Laird, 2009). During the riots, more than one hundred African-Americans were

Models of art and self-management practices Essay

Models of art and self-management practices - Essay Example Modern art deals with money. For centuries artists earned money when they sold their paintings. Nevertheless an image of a ‘poor artist’ can hardly disappear from our consciousness. Artists die and only after their deaths greatness of their talents was acclaimed by public. Currently, researchers claim that â€Å"the irrational exuberance of the contemporary art market is about the breeding of money, not the fertility of art, and that commercially precious works of art have become the organ grinder's monkeys of money† (Kuspit). This apt expression characterizes a shift of the primary objective of art, which is aesthetic pleasure, to a means of enrichment. We live in the epoch of art parody. It is very hard to distil art from a mixture of different stereotypes and concepts around it. In the majority of cases, art issues are mixed with issues from political, economic or technical spheres. Opponents of this point of view may claim that art and money have always been i n interdependence. It is possible to claim that nowadays ‘art has become a dependency of money’ (Kuspit). Huge investments in art in a modern society are directed on art overwhelm. Thus a modern paradigm of art is the following: ‘money is superior to art’ (Kuspit). This can be confirmed by a steady growth of auctions. From the very beginning of history of art, its main function has always been in coding human beliefs, goals and interests. Next to correlation of art and economics, political context of art is also widely discussed. Even museums are compared to â€Å"exhibition ventures like, which contribute to the shaping and promotion of the ideas that govern our social relations† (Haacke). Consequently, artists are considered to be agents, who exert influence on the society. Different political structures, sponsors from political institutions witness the fact that there is an intention to establish relationship between politics and art. If we restor e in our memories socio-critical art of previous years, especially after revolutions, we can clearly see that art was a tool of political manipulation. For example, Vladimir Tatlin, a representative of Russian Realism, developed a project The Monument to the Third International (1920). This project has never been embodied into life, but a spirit of technical progress, a huge power of Russia after revolution was transferred by this artist. Socio-critical art has always been a powerful trigger of society ideological behavior formation. Consequently, this type of art can be saved only at times of great revolutions or turbulent historical events, when politicians involve all possible means in order to create necessary social moods in their countries. Rosler (2010) in her article confirms politicized air of socio-critical and political art: such type of art is a â€Å"robust support for revolutionary ideals or displaying identification with provincial localism, with the peasantry or wit h the urban working classes, especially using fairly ephemeral forms (such as the low-cost prints available in great numbers)† (Rosler 2010). On the one hand, the author criticizes this type of art, but on the other hand we can think about a propagation of art among public (Rosler 2010). Nowadays in spite of a high-speed technological progress and availability of technical means of communication, participants of auctions have an ability to look at masterpieces, but all the rest of the society can be satisfied by

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Essay Example for Free

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Essay I.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract Stoked by an adversarial media and the run-up to Presidential elections next year, the trauma afflicting our body politic often seems more important than the deaths, physical disability and post-trauma stress disorder that afflict servicemen on the frontlines. In this paper, I review the historical origins and verify the prevalence of what was whimsically called â€Å"soldier’s heart† in the Civil War and â€Å"disordered action of the heart† (DAH) or neurasthenia at the turn of the century and has now gained cognizance as â€Å"battlefield fatigue† or PSTD.    The etiology is vast, since combat stress seems to provoke a great many physical, physiological and anxiety-related disorders.   Lastly, I investigate the treatment options.   War is ever a violent business.   If the North-South Civil War shocked Americans with unheard-of casualty counts and the violence of battles waged at the dawn of the industrial age, World War I traumatized the world with the unremitting violence brought to bear in hopes of breaking the stalemate that was the Western front.   Poison gas, the machine gun, barbed wire, and massed artillery bombardment sent casualty counts sky high.   Besides the United States, 17 other countries on both sides of the â€Å"war to end all wars† suffered no less than 5.7 million soldiers killed and another 12.8 million wounded. Soldiers at the frontline were brutalized by the sheer violence of artillery bombardments, the random deaths these caused and the experience of seeing an unceasing number of their fellow soldiers slaughtered by gas or machine gun fire.   It was then that the nervous condition first termed â€Å"war neurosis† or â€Å"neurasthenia† manifested in great numbers.   Eventually, the equivalent term â€Å"shell shock† came into wider use. Combat stress reactions first came to the attention of the medical establishment (psychiatry was in an embryonic stage then) in the second half of the 19th century and early in the 20th when physicians came to recognize adverse reactions that had more to do with sustained exposure to battle conditions than any physical injury.   In retrospect, the Civil War condition then termed â€Å"soldier’s heart† was really a form of â€Å"combat stress reaction†. During the Boer War waged by the British in South Africa (1899-1902), due notice had already been given to either â€Å"disordered action of the heart† (DAH) or neurasthenia/shellshock.   Retrospective analysis of British soldiers who had been pensioned off for these conditions (Jones, Vermaas, Beech, Palmer, et al. 2003) found no especially significant difference in mortality compared to comrades who filed for disability owing to bullet or shrapnel wounds. The Russia-Japanese War of 1904 and 1905 gave Russian physicians their first reported exposure to, and the opportunity to try and treat, nervous breakdowns owing to the stress of warfare, compounded by the demoralization of losing to the Japanese. Later in the 20th century, the evolving nature of the battlefield and the enemy – World War II, the Vietnam War, the Iraq and Afghan occupations being the more prominent examples – created unexpected new sources of stress that complicated the combat fatigue syndrome and led to the broader â€Å"post-traumatic stress disorder† coming into wide use.   So whereas â€Å"combat fatigue† referred to â€Å"a mental disorder caused by the stress of active warfare†, â€Å"PTSD† revolved on post-combat â€Å"fatigue, shock or neurosis†. V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Statement of the Problem: In this research paper, we review the available authoritative sources to assess: The continuing prevalence of PSTD in the varied conditions of modern warfare. Short- and long-term therapy employed to resolve the disorder. The extent to which familial and community support ameliorates PSTD and improves patient outlook. For a world that has experienced unremitting conflict since World War II, whether orthodox warfare, low-intensity conflict or insurgency, chances are that anticipating and providing therapy for stress disorders will be a continuing concern. VI.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature Review A.  Ã‚   The Character of Modern Conflict In the aftermath of the Great War many people believed that they had seen the most terrible war the world will ever see. History would prove them wrong. In the century that followed, war became even more traumatic and horrifying in its brutality. From the Russian civil war to the present conflict in Iraq, war took an ever-heavier toll on the human psyche. Technology improved the methods by which death might be delivered but it has done nothing to strengthen the minds of those who had to bear it. The Russian civil war that succeeded until after World War I was a horror to behold. Thousands died in the fighting between the White Russians and Red Russians. Thousands more froze in the winter for lack of appropriate gear. Worse, many civilians were murdered by both sides on mere suspicion of being collaborators. World War II was a litany of terrors. Whole societies were brainwashed into supporting the war from an ideological standpoint. Millions of Jews were gassed and burned in the holocaust simply being Jews. The SS, the KGB and the Kempetai would murder anyone at whim. Thousands of women were kidnapped and raped as â€Å"comfort women† by the Imperial Japanese Army. More than the individual or large-scale slaughter of men, the true horror of WWII was the torture it inflicted on societies. Entire cities were razed to the ground in terror bombing. Cities became prison cells where starving denizens were forced to labor endlessly. Men went off to war leaving women to tend the factories and leaving no one to care for the children. Then there was the Atomic Bomb. A scant few scores of thousands died. Both cities were leveled to the ground. The radioactive damaged would endure for years. Even those who tried to help the victims were themselves victimized by the radiation. In Korea and Vietnam, millions were fielded in grueling civil wars. Korean fought against Korean backed by Communist and Imperialist masters. The same would be true for Vietnam but with the inclusion of terrible chemical weapons that defoliated forests and would cause harm for generations to come.   In turn, the Viet Cong and Khmer Rouge executed savage campaigns against their own people. The Arab-Israeli and Iraq-Iran wars would institutionalize child-soldiery. Israel had a scant 4 million citizens to oppose over 200 million Arabs. When attacked by the Arabs, Israel would be forced to deploy all its manpower, along with women, to help fight off the invaders. Chemical weapons were also used. The Israelites were left to defend their small nation against all their neighbors. Iraq and Iran would field child soldiers in countless thousands. They would be given rifles then thrown into battle against hardened veterans in the hope of at least slowing down the enemy. Muslim killed each other over essentially religious disputes. But perhaps the worst war of the 20th century would be the War on Terror. In the past the enemy was a specific country or group of countries. If they bomb our territory we can bomb theirs. But today, the enemy is not a nation. Today, servicemen in Iraq or Afghanistan do not know where or when the enemy will strike. All they know is that the enemy is out there lurking amongst a hostile population. The war on terror also has another unsavory aspect. The ‘enemy’ resort to bombing civilian targets back home. Worse, the soldiers know that their victories will only make the enemy more desperate and make them retaliate more against innocent civilians. As if the violence of outright warfare and low-intensity conflict were not enough, American and British forces of occupation as well as the soldiers of every nation that serve in U.N. peacekeeping forces confront at least equal prospects of PTSD.   Whether in the Korean DMZ, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Ireland, or Timor, every soldier on such assignments faces a multitude of perils. In many cases, peacekeeping forces are in a low-intensity-conflict situation but hampered by rules of engagement that deny them the right to shoot first and shrug it off as a mistake.   The potential for battlefield fatigue climbs higher with alien cultures and religions, a seemingly ungrateful, resentful and even hostile native population, suicide attacks, well-armed guerillas, booby traps, mortar and improvised missile attacks.   Such occupying forces are also apt to lose the public relations war for being unable to stop factions from slaughtering each other such as happened in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Lebanon, East Timor and Rwanda.   And perhaps the unkindest cut of all is when their own country’s media deliberately distort the casualty count from fratricidal or genocidal conflict as having been caused by the occupying or peacekeeping forces! B.  Ã‚   Incidence of â€Å"Shell Shock†, PTSD and Precipitating Events When â€Å"shell shock† came to be widely recognized in World War I, the initial hypothesis was that it was induced by an inordinate number of fatal casualties.   In fact, about 10% of all military forces then engaged succumbed on the battlefield, double the rate in World War II (less than 5%, in great part because the wide availability of sulfanilamide averted more deaths from battlefield infection).   Later came the realization that it was total casualty count that really mattered.   Historical research shows that around 56% of soldiers on the Western Front were either killed or wounded.   When every other fellow in one’s platoon gets hit, fatally or not, it is no wonder that stress casualties were as numerous as battle casualties. The term itself, â€Å"shell shock† reveals the ingrained belief that psychiatric casualties from the horrors of the battles of the Somme, Marne, Ypres, etc. had suffered concussion (physical trauma to the head or brain) from a close call with an exploding artillery shell.   Nearly a decade elapsed before a British War Office Committee realized (Military History Companion, 2004) that battle exhaustion and other varieties of war neuroses accounted for a far greater proportion of cases than concussion did. Great Britain having entered the fray early, the numbers of servicemen afflicted with â€Å"shell shock† and assorted neuroses were significant. By 1939, some 120,000 British ex-servicemen had received final awards for primary psychiatric disability or were still drawing pensions – about 15% of all pensioned disabilities – and another 44,000 or so †¦ were getting pensions for ‘soldier’s heart’ or Effort Syndrome. (Shephard, 2000) In the post-World War II era, the Vietnam war can be counted the most traumatic for the U.S. military, not least because of the failure to achieve a clear-cut victory and the dissatisfaction of the American public with a war that dragged on so long.   Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, estimates of the long-term incidence of â€Å"post-Vietnam syndrome† (now recognized as PTSD) among veterans varied from a high of 30% in 1989 and a slightly lower 21% in 1996 (Allis, 2005). The most authoritative review in recent years, by researchers from Columbia University and other institutions, suggested that the lower end of the range was the more realistic figure: nearly 19 percent of Vietnam War veterans succumbed to PTSD as a direct result of military combat.   In addition, The more severe the exposure to war zone stresses, the greater the likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder and having it persist for many years, said Bruce P. Dohrenwend, an epidemiologist at Columbia University. (McKenna, 2006). Fast forward to the current occupation of Iraq.   The Defense Department reports, based on a sample survey of over 1,600 Army soldiers and Marines, that around one-third (30 percent) of those who had been in â€Å"intense combat† were diagnosed with such mental health problems as PTSD and depression.   Incidence appeared higher among soldiers deployed to Iraq at least twice and for more than six months at a time (Bookman, 2007).   So distressing is the occupation, according to an Army study, that one in six of close 1 million soldiers â€Å"surged† to Afghanistan and Iraq will very likely be afflicted with PTSD (Allis, op. cit.). The reality turned out to be worse.   Even more appalling estimates of incidence were reported by what has to be the most thorough accounting of the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and conditions resembling chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a survey by Kang, Natelson, Mahan, Lee, Murphy (2003) on the entire population of 15,000 Gulf War and 15,000 non-Gulf-War veterans.   Information was gathered in 1995-97. Gulf War veterans reported significantly higher incidence of PTSD (adjusted odds ratio = 3.1, 95% confidence interval: 2.7, 3.4) and CFS (adjusted odds ratio = 4.8, 95% confidence interval: 3.9, 5.9). Furthermore, â€Å"the prevalence of PTSD increased monotonically across six levels of deployment-related stress intensity (test for trend: p 0.01). Back home, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported on an investigation of principally Persian Gulf War veterans (79%) who had availed of the National Referral Program (NRP) and visited war-related illness and injury study centers meant for combat veterans with unexplained illnesses . Over the period from January 2002 to March 2004†¦ The more common diagnoses were chronic fatigue syndrome (n = 23, 43%), neurotic depression (n = 21, 40%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 20, 38%). Self-reported exposures related to weaponry†¦ environmental hazards, stress†¦A small increase in mean SF-36V mental component scores (2.8 points, p = 0.009) and use of rehabilitation therapies (1.6 additional visits, p = 0.018) followed the NRP referral (Lincoln, Helmer, Schneiderman, Li, et al. 2006). The political furor over U.S. deployment in the Middle East has led to permutations, including what Baker (2001) refers to as â€Å"Gulf War Illness†.   The more combat exposure they had had, the greater the likelihood that veterans manifest depression, PTSD, fibromyalgia, anxiety, and have generally poorer â€Å"health-related quality of life†. For the British, a more sanguine view about involvement in Iraq may explain a finding that deployment to that strife-torn arena does not necessarily lead to increased risk of PTSD. Simon Wessely of the Kings Centre for Military Health Research at Kings College London reports that there is no evidence of anything like an Iraq war syndrome and that British troops returning from deployment were no more likely than U.K.-based soldiers to succumb to PTSD, anxiety or depression (New Scientist, 2006).   Wessely seemed heartened by the fact that PTSD casualties this time around were significantly lower than during the earlier, even less controversial Persian Gulf War of 1991. He also explained the advantage vis-à  -vis incidence of around 20% for U.S. troops on three facts.   First of all, British troops are more battle-hardened. Two-thirds of British troops have been in deployments elsewhere, compared with only 10 per cent of US troops.   Secondly the US also uses more reservists (in the form of National Guard units) and has responsibility for the worst of the hostile combat zones.   To an outside observer, the adversarial stance of the U.S. press and the inability of the American public to withstand sustained conflicts not amenable to victory over a visible enemy also count as contributing factors. It would take an Englishman to look into the topic but tongue-in-cheek analysis by Ismail et al. (2000) of U.K. Gulf War veterans revealed that the chances of falling prey to PTSD are greater with lower rank (and, presumably, lower social status) and if one leaves the service. Some research has shown that, far from being a steady state or amenable to permanent remission, PTSD has a way of recurring with the re-occurrence of the original precipitating factors or other less specific pressures, such as with serious illness or the sudden lifestyle change of retirement.   In Israel, reactivation is a constant possibility owing to the fact the nation is always in a state of war with recalcitrant enemies so this potential trigger has come under scrutiny (Nachshoni Singer, 2006).   Case studies suggested that PTSD can recur even when the call to duty is for a family member. C.  Ã‚   Symptomatology In World War I, â€Å"shell shock† was observed principally as nervous fatigue.   The famous photograph (see Figure 1, above) of a patient manifesting the â€Å"thousand-yard stare† became the enduring image of intolerable combat stress: glassy-eyed fatigue, slow reactions, indecisiveness, being detached from one’s immediate surroundings, and a certain vagueness about that needed doing first. So great were the numbers afflicted and so vividly did the novel phenomenon manifest itself that even the popular press in the U.K. could accurately report the symptoms of battle trauma: â€Å"Something was wrong. They put on civilian clothes again and looked to their mothers and wives very much like the young men who had gone to business in the peaceful days before August 1914. But they had not come back the same men. Something had altered in them. They were subject to sudden moods, and queer tempers, fits of profound depression alternating with a restless desire for pleasure. Many were easily moved to passion where they lost control of themselves, many were bitter in their speech, violent in opinion, frightening. (Shephard, op. cit.) The unfortunate circumstance of decades of unending small-scale conflict and insurgency campaigns post-World War II have enabled military psychiatrists to more fully define three key facets of combat neurosis and PTSD: fatigue, psychosomatic manifestations and neurotic symptoms. Fatigue is the common denominator behind indecision and inability to concentrate, memory loss, constant waffling about priorities, little initiative, significantly slowed reaction time, seriously downgraded alertness and thought processes, taking refuge in obsessing and nitpicking unimportant details, and, most telling of all, difficulty with even routine tasks. The element of neurosis crops up as fearfulness, anxiety, irritability, depression, confusion, paranoiac tendencies, fear of loss of control, and self-destructive behavior such as substance abuse or suicide. Consequently, PTSD patients manifest the entire spectrum of somatically-induced disorders: headaches, backaches, (see also Mayor, 2000) being constantly high-strung, shaking and tremors, sweating, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal distress, frequency of urination, urinary incontinence, palpitations, hyperventilation, dizziness, muscle and joint pain (see also Ricks, 1997),   insomnia and other sleep disorders.   Barrett et al. (2002) found this psychosomatic explanation incomplete.    In a telephone survey of 3,682 Gulf War veterans and control subjects of the same era, the authors revealed that â€Å"Veterans screening positive for PTSD reported significantly more physical health symptoms and medical conditions than did veterans without PTSD. They were also more likely to rate their health status as fair or poor and to report lower levels of health-related quality of life.† D.  Ã‚   Long-term Effects No doubt, psychosomatic disorders are of a piece with another syndrome physicians like to point to chronic multisymptom illness (CMI).   Building on earlier studies that demonstrated CMI being more common among veterans who deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in contrast with those who had never participated in that campaign, Blanchard, Eisen, Alpern, Karlinsky, Toomey, Reda, Murphy, Jackson and Kang (2006) set out to assess the situation ten years after deployment and found that veterans were twice as likely to develop CMI: Cross-sectional data collected from 1,061 deployed veterans and 1,128 nondeployed veterans examined between 1999 and 2001 were analyzed. CMI prevalence was 28.9% among deployed veterans and 15.8% among nondeployed veterans (odds ratio = 2.16, 95% confidence interval: 1.61, 2.90). Blanchard et al. noted that those who did suffer from CMI had already been diagnosed for anxiety and depression unrelated to PTSD prior to 1991.   Common CMI manifestations comprised frank medical symptoms, metabolic and psychiatric disorders.   And those afflicted were more likely to smoke, besides reporting distinctly inferior quality of life. M Hotopf, Anthony S David, Lisa Hull, Vasilis Nikalaou, et al. (2003) carried out one of the more comprehensive and authoritative studies of long-term effects, a two-stage cohort study on British soldiers who had deployed during the 1991 Persian Gulf War or on peacekeeping duties in Bosnia. The study relied on four instruments: â€Å"self reported fatigue measured on the Chalder fatigue scale; psychological distress measured on the general health questionnaire, physical functioning and health perception on the SF-36; and a count of physical symptoms.†Ã‚   Military personnel who had been deployed elsewhere served as control group. Table 1 Prevalence of Categorical   Outcomes (Values are percentages [.95 CL] unless otherwise indicated) Gulf Bosnia Era Stage 1 Stage 2 Ratio* (new cases/recovered cases) Stage 1 Stage 2 Ratio* (new cases/recovered cases) Stage 1 Stage 2 Ratio* (new cases/recovered cases) Fatigue cases 48.8 (45.4 to 52.2) 43.4 (39.9 to 46.8) 0.65 (0.45 to 0.85) 29.0 (25.6 to 32.4) 32.7 (28.6 to 36.8) 1.21 (0.83 to 1.59) 22.8 (20.0 to 25.6) 22.0 (18.6 to 25.4) 0.91 (0.56-1.26) Post-traumatic stress reaction cases 12.4 (10.7 to 14.2) 10.8 (9.1 to 12.5) 0.73 (0.47 to 0.99) 5.7 (4.0 to 7.4) 6.0 (4.2 to 7.8) 1.07 (0.49 to 1.65) 4.0 (2.6 to 5.3) 6.6 (4.8 to 8.4) 2.45 (0.88-4.02) General health questionnaire cases 40.0 (36.8 to 43.2) 37.1 (33.8 to 40.4) 0.79 (0.59 to 1.00) 29.2 (25.5 to 32.9) 31.5 (27.4 to 35.6) 1.25 (0.84 to 1.67) 25.3 (21.7 to 28.9) 23.8 (20.1 to 27.6) 0.88 (0.56-1.20) Self reported Gulf war syndrome 18.6 (16.2 to 21.1) 15.8 (13.3 to 18.2) 0.58 (0.25 to 0.90) All prevalence estimates are weighted for sampling. * Values of 1 indicate declining prevalence. Ratios are weighted for sampling. Gulf veterans evinced a higher prevalence of fatigue, post-traumatic stress reaction, self-reported Gulf War syndrome and general health compared to the other two cohorts. The difference is consistent throughout stages 1 and 2. However, the veterans in question did show some improvement on all four measures over time. Table 2 Scores (.95 CL) for Continuous Measures, by Cohort and Stage Gulf Bosnia Era Stage 1 Stage 2 Difference Stage 1 Stage 2 Difference Stage 1 Stage 2 Difference SF-36* physical function 90.3 (88.3 to 91.3) 88.7 (87.6 to 89.9) -1.6 (-2.5 to -0.7) 95.4 (94.4 to 96.4) 92.9 (91.6 to 94.1) -2.6 (-3.8 to -1.3) 92.1 (90.6 to 93.6) 90.8 (89.2 to 92.3) -1.3 (-2.7 to 0.1) SF-36* health perception 65.8 (64.1 to 67.5) 65.9 (64.2 to 67.6) 0.1 (-1.2 to 1.4) 76.2 (74.4 to 77.9) 72.9 (71.0 to 74.8) -3.3 (-5.1 to -1.6) 76.8 (75.0 to 78.6) 74.4 (72.4 to 76.4) -2.4 (-4.2 to -0.6) General health questionnaire 14.5 (14.1 to 14.9) 14.2 (13.8 to 14.5) -0.3 (0.1, -0.6) 13.1 (12.7 to 13.6) 13.2 (12.7 to 13.7) 0.1 (-0.4 to 0.6) 12.4 (12.0 to 12.8) 12.9 (12.5 to 13.3) 0.5 (0.05 to 1.0) Fatigue 17.8 (17.4 to 18.1) 16.9 (16.5 to 17.2) -0.9 (-1.2 to -0.6) 15.6 (15.2 to 16.0) 15.3 (14.9 to 15.7) -0.3 (-0.7 to 0.2) 14.7 (14.3 to 15.0) 14.9 (14.5 to 15.3) 0.2 (-0.2 to 0.6) Total symptoms 11.0 (10.4 to 11.6) 10.7 (10.1 to 11.3) -0.3 (-0.8 to 0.1) 6.2 (5.6 to 6.8) 7.9 (7.3 to 8.5) 1.7 (1.2 to 2.3) 5.3 (4.8 to 5.8) 6.4 (5.8 to 7.0) 1.1 (0.6 to 1.6) All scores are weighted for sampling. For SF-36 scores, negative differences in mean indicate a worsening in health. For other scales, negative scores indicate an improvement in health. * SF-36 scales range from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better health.   Table 3- Incidence and Persistence of Outcomes. (Values presented with 0.95 CLs) Incidence Persistence Cohort Risk Crude odds ratio Corrected odds ratio* Risk Crude odds ratio Corrected odds ratio* General health questionnaire cases: Gulf 20.2 (16.4 to 24.0) 1.0 1.0 61.8 (57.3 to 66.3) 1.0 1.0 Bosnia 21.2 (16.7 to 25.8) 1.1 (0.7 to 1.5) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.4) 58.9 (51.9 to 65.8) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.1) 1.1 (0.7 to 1.6) Era 15.4 (11.4 to 19.4) 0.7 (0.5 to 1.1) 0.7 (0.5 to 1.1) 48.4 (41.0 to 55.9) 0.8 (0.6 to 1.1) 0.6 (0.4 to 0.8) Fatigue cases: Gulf 18.8 (14.4 to 23.1) 1.0 1.0 69.7 (66.4 to 73.0) 1.0 1.0 Bosnia 19.8 (15.1 to 24.4) 1.1 (0.7 to 1.6) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.5) 59.9 (54.2 to 65.6) 0.6 (0.5 to 0.9) 0.7 (0.5 to 1.0) Era 11.2 (7.5 to 15.0) 0.6 (0.3 to 0.9) 0.5 (0.3 to 0.9) 58.2 (53.1 to 63.4) 0.6 (0.5 to 0.8) 0.7 (0.5 to 0.9) Post-traumatic stress reaction cases: Gulf 5.0 (3.6 to 6.4) 1.0 1.0 51.8 (44.8 to 58.9) 1.0 1.0 Bosnia 4.0 (2.5 to 5.5) 0.8 (0.5 to 1.3) 0.8 (0.4 to 1.5) 38.9 (24.3 to 53.3) 0.6 (0.3 to 1.2) 0.8 (0.4 to 1.8) Era 4.6 (3.0 to 6.2) 0.9 (0.6 to 1.5) 0.9 (0.5 to 1.5) 54.8 (37.8 to 71.9) 1.1 (0.5 to 2.4) 1.2 (0.6 to 2.7) * Controlled for demographic variables (age, sex, rank, marital status). Comparing scores for continuous measures, one sees that Gulf War veterans were less healthy at both stages of the longitudinal study, though they were stable as far as health perceptions were concerned and reported a statistically-significant, if slight, reduction in fatigue. One concedes that physical functioning declined for all three cohorts. Additionally, Gulf veterans were more likely to experience persistent fatigue compared with the Era and Bosnia cohorts, a finding that remained significant after controlling for potential confounders (P = 0.009). Overall, despite being less likely to manifest less fatigue (48.8% at stage 1, 43.4% at stage 2) and a lower prevalence of psychological distress (40.0% stage 1, 37.1% stage 2) over time, veterans of the Gulf War reported a decline in physical function on the SF-36 (90.3 stage 1, 88.7 stage 2).   By all measures used, this group also attested to worse health indicators: a higher incidence of illness and more persistent symptoms. Twelve years after helping smash the Iraqi incursion into Kuwait, the authors concluded, â€Å"Gulf war veterans continue to experience symptoms that are considerably worse than would be expected in an equivalent cohort of military personnel. However, Gulf war veterans are not deteriorating and do not have a higher incidence of new illnesses† (Hotopf et al., op. cit.) E.  Ã‚   Treatment Recommendations and Best Practice 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World War I Since little is known about the methods Russians used to treat their shock casualties during the Russo-Japanese War, the noted English psychologist Charles Myers – first University Lecturer in Cambridge (for the course Experimental Psychology) and appointed Consulting Psychologist to the Army in 1916 – is generally credited with the first systematic effort to treat PTSD (Bartlett, 1937). While espousing the benefits of a congenial environment, psychotherapeutic regimens and even hypnosis, Myers was very emphatic about the value of providing succor as promptly as possible.   Key to his proposals, therefore, was the establishment of special centers and rest homes close to the frontlines. By Christmas 1916, two developments led to modifications of Myers’ preferred regimen.   First, the British Adjutant General resisted physicians’ opinions that a soldier was a shock casualty and insisted on obtaining a certification from the victim’s commanding officer to the effect that the trauma was due to physical causes.   This attitude was shared by the eminent British neurologist Sir Gordon Morgan Holmes, CMG CBE FRS, who was put in charge of the very active northern part of the front in December.   Physicians reacted to the delays in committing victims to neurological centers by sending the men back to their units and urging their superiors to both monitor and engage with them. By 1917, therefore, treatment for â€Å"not yet diagnosed nervous† (NYDN) had evolved to embrace the so-called â€Å"PIE principles†: Proximity – treatment close to the front and within earshot of the fighting to convince the soldier there was nothing wrong with him; Immediacy treat without delay and give equal priority with wounded casualties; and, Expectancy – assure all victims of their return to the front after due rest and recovery. Reviewing the CSR toll after the war, the British War Office saw fit to recommend treatment programs that included: Physical therapy – baths, application of mild electric current (recall that medicine has advanced greatly in the eight decades since then), massage rest and general recuperation; Psychotherapy emphasizing â€Å"explanation, persuasion and suggestion†; and, Crafts and hobbies; Hypnotherapy in selected cases for inducing deep sleep and evoking repressed memories. As a rule, the British view of the time was weighted toward returning the afflicted soldier to useful employment in civilian life.   For the military establishment was gravely concerned about the battlefield dangers of patients who manifested severe anxiety neuroses, other neuroses that required confinement in a mental institution or expert treatment back in the U.K itself. Exhaustive research on combat stress reactions in the intervening years failed to prove conclusively that PIE-based programs were effective in forestalling PTSD (U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs, n.d.).   Hence, American Armed Forces are now more likely to be administered some variation of the BICEPS model: Brevity Immediacy Centrality or Contact Expectancy Proximity Simplicity 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World War II The catastrophic experiences of World War I did not   seem to adequately inform or pervasively improve Allied preparations as war clouds loomed in Europe.   A generation had passed and British army doctors had generally served in France in the earlier conflict.   Still, Shephard notes (op. cit.), they initially floundered about and it was not until 1942 that the first psychiatric hospital was even set up (for the then-beleaguered Middle East Force).   When the time came to invade Normandy in June 1944, British army physicians quickly forsook the expectancy principle and routinely returned battle trauma patients home over the Channel. For their part, the Americans initially imposed rigid screening pressures for mental ability in the rush of patriotic fervor that followed Pearl Harbor.   Soon enough, this was abandoned for having no validity.   Too many who tested well succumbed to â€Å"battlefield exhaustion†.   In late 1943, the U.S. military approved a plan to add a psychiatrist to the T.O. E. of every Army division shipping overseas but it was not implemented until March 1944, when the drive up the Italian â€Å"boot† was well underway. This late in the war, nonetheless, the Allies made an important discovery: camaraderie and unit cohesion were effective shields against â€Å"exhaustion†.   This finding naturally enough placed a premium on strong, effective leadership. The Germans were more unequivocal in placing great reliance on the quality of the officer corps.   In their view, the â€Å"war neuroses† that sapped the will of their fighting men was tantamount to cowardice and deserved to be treated as such.   Beginning in 1942, however, when the Allies started the counterattack and the Afrika Korps was stymied, hospitalizations owing to battlefield trauma became too numerous to ignore (Belenky, 1987). 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New approaches in the Post-War Period Among other developments, the Israelis simplified PIE procedures by heightening the degree of support administered but keeping therapeutic confinement short.   That this works at all is testimony to a nation of citizen-soldiers who must keep the economy working while perpetually staying on a war footing. F.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Treatment Success Rates There is some evidence that proximal treatment is successful   Despite the dual stress of fighting another occupying force, the Syrian Army, and Palestinian â€Å"refugees†, nine in ten CSR were reported fit to return to their units within three days but only 40% for those evacuated to a hospital ship cruising the eastern Mediterranean or back home (Gabriel, 1986).   In turn, the U.S. Army claims in its manual â€Å"Combat Stress Control in a Theater of Operations† a similar success rate for proximate treatment (85%) in the Korean War (U.S. Army, Combat Stress Control in a Theater of Operations, n.d.).   However, neither source tracked the long-term mental health of these soldiers, precisely the context in which one would expect PTSD to manifest. A ray of hope is, however, cast by an authoritative Columbia University study (McKenna, op. cit.) suggesting that the majority of Vietnam war veterans spontaneously recovered from PTSD over time, frequently without having recourse to treatment from mental health professionals. VII.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusions This review of the literature affirms that the advent of combat stress went hand-in-hand with the advent of industrial-era weaponry (in the Civil War) and mechanized warfare in succeeding conflicts.   PTSD has many manifestations, can recur without warning and is certainly debilitating. Even with the advent of psychotherapy, occupational therapy and tranquilizers, treatment centers still purvey variations on the BICEPS and PIE theoretical models, the latter developed by British physicians during World War I.   There remains a great deal of uncertainty about the proximity component of the PIE model – returning the soldier to combat – after suffering CSR.   It seems battlefront physicians take â€Å"successful cure† to mean being able to return warm bodies to the frontlines.   Critics assert that re-exposure to combat is likely to aggravate matters in the future and perhaps even precipitate PTSD altogether.   Though the longest available cohort study spanned just 10 years, there is no question now that PSTD has long-term effects. Future researchers need to investigate more thoroughly the psychosocial, military, and environmental risk factors that stimulate onset or, on the other hand, recovery.   One factor that bears investigation in-depth is the impact of victory or setbacks in a campaign. To the extent that high morale and good leadership have been shown to have a moderating or even protective effect, one wonders what are the effects of fighting for survival (e.g. Israel), of community and country united behind a war effort (the Korean War, the Malayan emergency), of service in prior conflicts (the British SAS), of guilt and angst over being the globe’s last remaining policeman, and of coping with feudal cultures whose people are just as willing to apply savage tactics against U.S. servicemen as against each other.   At the very least, further research might seek to determine the impact of attainable victory in sharp contrast with the ennui and self-destructive impatience over protracted conflict that mark American discourse today.   VIII.  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Allis, S. Globe Staff (2005). â€Å"Frontline† examines wars psychological toll  :[THIRD Edition]. Boston Globe, p .E.5. Baker, D. G. (2001). Diagnostic status and treatment recommendations for Persian Gulf War Veterans with multiple nonspecific symptoms.  Military Medicine,166(11), 972-81. Barrett, D. H, Doebbeling, C. C., Schwartz, D. A, Voelker, M. D, et al.  (2002). Postraumatic stress disorder and self-reported physical health status among S. military personnel serving during the Gulf War period: A population-based study. Psychosomatics,43(3),  195-205. Bartlett, F.C (1937). Cambridge, England, 1887-1937. American Journal of Psychology 50, 97-110. Belenky, G. (1987) Contemporary studies in combat psychiatry: (Contributions in military studies). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Blanchard, M.S. Eisen, S. A., Alpern, R. Karlinsky, J. Toomey, R., Reda, D. J. et. al. (2006). Chronic multisymptom illness complex in gulf war I veterans 10 years later. American Journal of Epidemiology,  163(1),  66-75. Bookman, J. (2007,  May  9). OUR OPINIONS: War strains troops, U.S. credibility  :[Main Edition].  The Atlanta Journal Constitution, A.14. Brits less fazed by iraq war.  (2006,  May). New Scientist,190(2552),  7. FM8-51: Combat Stress Control in a Theater of Operatio ns US Army Publication. Ismail K.,   Blatchley N.,   Hotopf, M.,   Hull L.,   et al.  (2000). Occupational risk factors for ill health in Gulf veterans of the United Kingdom.  Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health,54(11),  834-8. Lincoln, A. E., Helmer, D.A., Schneiderman, A. I., Li, M. et al. (2006). The war-related illness and injury study centers: A resource for deployment-related health concerns. Military Medicine, 171(7), 577-85. Gabriel, R.A., Ed. (1986) Military Psychiatry. Hotopf, M., David, A.S., Hull, L., Nikalaou, V., et al. (2003) Gulf war illness-Better, worse, or just the same? A cohort study. British Medical Journal. (International edition). London: Dec 13, 2003. Vol. 327, Iss. 7428; pg. 1370. Jones, E., Vermaas, R.H., Beech, C., Palmer, I. et al.  (2003). Mortality and postcombat disorders: U.K. veterans of the boer war and world war I.  Military Medicine,168(5),  414-8. Kang , H. K., Natelson, B. H.,   Mahan, C. M., Lee, K. Y.,   Murphy, F. M..  (2003). Post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness among gulf war veterans: A population-based survey of 30,000 veterans.  American Journal of Epidemiology,157(2),  141. Mayor, S. (1997). Gulf war research given go ahead.  British Medical Journal,314(7074),  95. Mckenna, Phil (2006). Stress syndrome affected one in five Vietnam veterans. (August 21) Boston Globe, C.3. Military History Companion (2004) The Oxford Companion to Military History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nachshoni, T. Singer, Y. (2006). Reactivation of combat stress after a family members enlistment. Military Medicine, 171(12), 1211-4. Ricks, T. E. (1997). Many military officers say gulf war syndrome results from the stress of war, not chemicals. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p. A14. Shephard, B (2000). A War of Nerves. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. United States Department of Veterans Affairs Treating Survivors in the Acute Aftermath of Traumatic Events.

Photojournalism Analysis of Hong Kong Protest

Photojournalism Analysis of Hong Kong Protest Mohammad Aqdas Qasem Photojournalism and Organizational Analysis of Hong Kong Protest Photojournalism is an ideology that many journalists now use to manipulate pictures to tell a story in a specific way (Schwartz 223). Photojournalism is used as â€Å"a medium that ‘captures’ news† and they â€Å"must insist on the objectivity of their pictures at the same time they attempt to demonstrate the mastery of the craft† (223). Photojournalism portrays a given news story, giving an illusory look of reality, whereas truly, they are manipulating various aspects of the image (such as angles, focus, and etc.) to make the story be perceived a certain way (223). An important feature of photojournalism is the simplicity of the picture; the power of the photograph is positively correlated with its simplicity (Schwartz 224). By creating an illusion of naturalism, the photojournalist is able to maintain their objectivity, which is an important aspect of the photo because they are aware that the audience relies on their â€Å"objective record of realityâ₠¬  (231). Figure 1 is a prime example of the way photojournalism is used to give details about the current news in a simplistic manner. Figure 1. A male alongside his group of protestors sitting outside a government headquarter in Hong Kong Figure 1 displays a group of people sitting outside a government headquarter in front of a fence in an evening protesting rally in Hong Kong (Wong and Buckley 2014). The protestors are dressed in protective gear as a cautionary procedure to protect themselves from the guards’ pepper spray (2014). They are protesting for their rights to change the way that China determines who their leader is starting in 2017 (2014). By applying an organizational perspective, the various methods used by the photojournalist can be understood. Organizational analysis explains the exploitations of certain items in the image and the distortions of others and how these alongside the rules and conventions of photojournalism influence the final product/image, ultimately disturbing the objective portrayal of reality in their depiction of a story through an image. It is evident that the photojournalist relied on a common practice to retrieve this picture: journalistic beats. Journalistic beats are regions in which news is expected to occur regularly, so journalists attend to these respective areas waiting to capture the news when it does occur (Blackwell 67). Figure 1 was taken in front of government headquarters (Wong and Buckley 2014), and any place of government is a regular news producer (Blackwell 67). Figure 1 exemplifies the use of informational biases to structure the story. The photojournalist used the informational bias of personalization to â€Å"emphasize human-interest angles and emotional impact† (70). Using personalization, the photojournalist allows the audience to view the story in an individualistic manner rather than one that generalizes everybody at a societal level (70). This bias is very effective because, according to Schwartz, the audience wants to see â€Å"the human side of the tragedy† (226). The use of dramatization alongside personalization further exacerbates the photojournalist’s manipulative technique in trying to emphasize the emotional aspect of the story (Blackwell 71). Although the story is about a group of protesters fighting for democracy, Figure 1 focuses primarily on one protestor (the male in protective gear) to dramatize and â€Å"heighten the audience interest† (Blackwell 71). Figure 1 shows the ‘dirty’ part of the story and this helps grab the readers’ attention because readers want to see pictures of the tragedy (Schwartz 225). The photojournalist also plays with the informational bias of authority-disorder. This bias represents a tension between one of authority (the government) and one of disorder (protesting) (Blackwell 71). By personalizing the story then exacerbating it with dramatization, it allows the photojournalist to emphasize the greater bias: the tension between authority and disorder. Figure 1 also illustrates different manipulations of the form of the image to portray the story in a certain way. According to Schwartz, â€Å"the aesthetics of photojournalism require the active manipulation of form in order to maintain the illusion of naturalism† (228). This is evident through the use of framing, selective focusing, and the use of leading lines. The ‘rule of thirds’ is the method in which framing is used as a manipulation of form. The rule of thirds is a division of the picture into three equally divided sections, both horizontally and vertically (Schwartz 229). In this division, there are four points of intersection between the lines (229). To make an image seem more dynamic and of more interest to the reader, the main purpose or subject of the image is placed within proximity of one of these four points (229). Figure 2 shows the four points of intersection surround the man wearing protective gear and he takes up a third of the whole image, making him the primary focus of the image. Alongside the informational bias of dramatization, the rule of thirds allows viewers to focus on the scandalous nature of the event (how the man is wearing protective gear) by putting the man as the primary focus. Figure 2. The image of Figure 1 divided using the framing method of the rule of thirds Using selective focusing further manipulates the way the reader perceives the story in the image. Figure 1 shows the background is not in as much focus and not as sharpened as the main subject of the image, the man in protective gear. Although, the other group of protestors are not completely taken out of focus of the image, probably to further emphasize the personalization of the protesting and to exacerbate the event, they are not the primary focus. Also, the photojournalist blurs the fence or gate that the protestors are sitting in front of and this has a strong effect towards the overall story and picture. The blurring of the gates that the protestors are sitting in front makes it look like the protestors are in a prison. This selective focusing emphasizes the authority (government) and disorder (‘criminals’) tension and seems to favour the authority side of the pull. By portraying the protestors as prisoners, through selective focusing, the photojournalist resolves the authority-disorder tension by edging towards the direction of authority. Figure 3 shows the photojournalist’s use of leading lines as a manipulation of the image to shift the focus. The photojournalist uses the method of leading lines to further emphasize the main area of interest of their image/news (Schwartz 230). The lines in this image, as shown in Figure 3, are portrayed through the bars of the gate in the picture. These lines of direction or leading lines put further attention the center protestor, strengthening his focus in the image. Figure 3. The use of the gate bars as leading lines to direct the audiences’ attention In conclusion, through an organizational analysis perspective, photojournalism attempts to convey a story through an image while trying to maintain a sense of objectivity. However, because photojournalism is an organizational culture itself, the profession follows a set of conventions and rules (Blackwell 59), thus it is not possible to maintain a sense of objectivity. Although photojournalists are taking real life pictures, they do manipulate the ways in which the photographs are taken, as explained above, and this further distorts reality for the viewer, guiding their belief in the story the image is telling in a specific direction. This is an example of a consequence of news conventions within photojournalism (76) and is shown using the above example. Ultimately, drawing on the codes of objectivity in photojournalism, as discussed by Schwartz, the photograph presents reality subjectively, guiding the audiences’ view towards a specific direction, in this case authority-drive n, that portrays the protestors as criminals that are trying to go against the government. Works Cited Ott, Brian L. and Robert L. Mack. Critical Media Studies: An Introduction. 2nd edition. Wiley-Blackwell, 2014. Schwartz, Donna. â€Å"To Tell the Truth: Codes of Objectivity in Photojournalism† in Visual Communication and Culture: Images in Action, Jonathan Finn, ed. Oxford, 2012: 222-233. Wong, Alian, and Buckley, Chris. â€Å"Police Arrest Dozens of Pro-democracy Protesters in Hong Kong.† The Globe and Mail 27 Sep. 2014. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/police-arrest-dozens-of-pro-democracy-protesters-in-hong-kong/article20819174/ >

The Elevator And Escalator Industry In Sri Lanka Economics Essay

The Elevator And Escalator Industry In Sri Lanka Economics Essay I am employed at ETA MELCO ENGINEERING (PTE) LTD for the past one year and Im currently working as the Human Resource Executive. My company is a fully owned subsidiary of ETE MELCO Elevator Co. L.L.C. and has its head office in Dubai, U.A.E. which belongs to the ETA STAR GROUP OF COMPANIES. We represent Mitsubishi Elevators and Escalators in Sri Lanka and our activities cover the marketing, supply, installation and maintenance of all types of Mitsubishi Elevators, Escalators, Moving Walks and Vertical transportation equipment. Mitsubishi Escalators and Elevators has earned a reputation as one of the most advanced Elevator and Escalator manufactures in the world, offering firsts in technology. Let analyze in detail the Elevator and Escalator Industry in Sri Lanka and the market my company belongs in relation to the economic context. About the Group Company ETA STAR Group was established in the early 1973 and is involved with expertise ranging from Civil Construction to Electro Mechanical, Facilities Management and Elevator Engineering. Today the ETA STAR group involves in activities that cover 16 broad industry verticals. Namely: Construction and Engineering, Trading, Shipping, Manufacturing and Assembly, Facilities Management, Auto Mobile, Real Estate, Retail, Services, Travel and Leisure, Health Care, Aviation, Learning and Education, Insurance, Hospitality, Oil and Natural Gas. The group has a network of 140 entities and offices in 22 countries. As a group we provide employment to over 72000 people. All group companies are guided through the group companys vision, Quality is our single-minded pursuit in the application of new technologies. In our wide ranging diversity, we innovate continuously as we strive to provide complete satisfaction to our customers and shareholders. We have emerged as one of the largest corporate houses duri ng the last 37 years of operations achieving excellence. A look at the Industry The Elevator and Escalator industry in Sri Lanka is highly depended on the construction industry. The construction industry in Sri Lanka comprises of building, highway, bridge, water supply and drainage, irrigation and land drainage, dredging and reclamation and other constructions. According to the annual survey carried out by construction industries, the total value of estimated work done by all types of construction activities in Sri Lanka was Rs. 56,496 million in 2007. The building construction sector was the highest contributor to the total value of work done contributing 64.1%. This contribution to the building construction sector was made by the private and public sector. The second largest contributor to the total value of work done in the construction industry was the highway construction amounting to 25.2% of the total value of work done. The highest value of work done was reported from Colombo district amounting to 37.2% of the total output. Hambanthota and Kaluthara Dist ricts contributed 11.3% and 6.2% accordingly. Jafna District reported the lowest value of work done amounting to 0.3% of the total output. A detail breakup constriction industry for the year 2007 is as follows: Source: Annual Survey of Construction Industries 2008 To evaluate on the industry of Elevator and Escalator lets analyze the detail break up of the building construction industry. Source: Annual Survey of Construction Industries 2008 Elevators and Escalators are mainly used in Sri Lanka for high and medium rise buildings that has being developed for residential apartments, hotels, shopping complexes and hospital buildings. The demand for elevator is based on the infra structure development in the above mentioned areas. Based on the interview I had with the Sales Manager he told me that the demand for elevators and escalators have being 238, 243, 219 and 171 for the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. This clearly helps us to understand the sudden drop in the demand for elevators was due to the economic crisis that affected the constriction industry in our country in the mid 2008 and 2009. The estimated annual demand for elevators for the year 2010 is predicted to be 260 units. However the rapid development in the northern and southern province in the country after the 30 years of civil was is contributing favorably to the elevator and escalator market in Sri Lanka as many infra structure development programmes are presently taking place. Many of these projects are government owned. Population growth on the other hand too contributes immensely to the building construction industries. Due to scare resources such as land developers are compelled to put up high rise apartment buildings and complexes. Today even in the rural sector there are plans to up such building. Tourist industry too positively contributes to the elevator and escalator market as we need to develop many hotels and hotel apartments to keep up to the demand. Sri Lanka tourist board is presently focusing on areas such as Trincomalee and Puthalam in order to promote Dolphin, Wale watching and Surfing. Also areas such as Hambanthota, Jaffna, Baticalo are given preference. The Health care sector too in Sri Lanka gives high priority to the elevators and this is seeing as a sector that has been having a continual growth over the last decade. Overview of the Organization Taking into account the initial success achieved in the U.A.E. market in the early 1980s the ETA MELCO Elevator Co. L.L.C. set up branch office in Sri Lanka in the name ETA MELCO ENGINEERING (PTE) LTD and 20 other countries. The Sri Lankan construction industry proved to be during very well in the early 1980s and this influenced the management to set up operations in Sri Lanka to provide vertical transportation facilities as there was a huge demand for products such as elevators, escalators and moving walks and other related products for high rising buildings, hotels, hospitals, commercial buildings, residential apartments etc. These products are supplied by Mitsubishi Corporation. Popularly known as the Elevator People of Sri Lanka we have grown to be the biggest elevator specialist in the region enjoying a very high market share. We as a company are singularly focus on growth by keeping up with modern technological changes and advances. We have a fully fledge research and development team in Japan that keeps us updated with trends that suites the industry tomorrow. The phrase that brands our products, Quality in Motion is not just a catchy slogan but a statement of fact. We are driven by the continual evolution of technological improvement. The professionals of our company and through out the worlds practice Quality in Motion everyday. We not only pay emphasis to operational efficiency but also safety and comfort. We are embodied by our mantra Number one for Quality to ensure we exceed out customer requirements. The policies of Mitsubishi Electric has made all these possible while fostering the values necessary to harmonize our products and activities with the environment and local communities. These will vary based on customers requirement for capacity, speed, purpose, number of persons, number of stops (floors) etc. Refer appendix for more details on our product range. Market Share The industry leader in the Sri Lankan Elevator market is ETA MELCO ENGINEERING (PTE) LTD the agent for Mitsubishi Elevators in the country. We import Mitsubishi Elevators and Escalators under the HS code 84281010 Lifts and skip hoists. According to the import statistics details obtained from Data One Company our sales team analyzed the market share for the year 2009 based on the number of units ETA MELCO (Mitsubishi) secured as against its competitors. The data is as follows: With reference to the analysis carried out it could be said with much certainly that this industry belongs to the Oligopoly (Imperfect) Market Structure as it has a relatively small number of large firms. They sell differentiated products and comprise of significant entry barriers. Thus we have a few key industry players like Otis, Sanyo, Sigma, Dipra, Schindler, Johnson, Kone and Local Fabrications who deal with Elevators and Escalators in Sri Lanka. Hence we export only three types of products Elevators, Escalators and Moving Walks. We are the only local company that exports these products from Mitsubishi we have better access to architects, clients, contractors, government authorities and other developers due to the good name we maintain in safety, comfort, efficiency and superior quality. Nevertheless this industry is highly competitive as all the few players on average have to meet a demand of 175 200 elevators for a year. This leads to sever competition. We have to keep a breast of the ever changing technological advances and we need to convince our customer base on the modern products and modifications needed to existing products from time to time to avoid our products being modernized or serviced by out competitor companies. Taking in to account the over all market in to consideration ETA MELCO has grown from strength to strength enjoying the highest market share in this segment when compared to its competitors. The company has to now focus on promoting vertical transportation products such as Elevators, Escalators and Moving walkers by moving in to the northern and southern geographical areas of the country to remain as the market leader as many developments are taking place. The product alone is a luxury item and today the demand for Home elevators our becoming popular. The company also has it focus in coming up with more customized products to cater to the market. In Sri Lanka alone we have Home Elevators. Market Structures My findings indicate that this organization belongs to the Oligopoly (Imperfect) market structure since it highlights the following characteristics; Major industry players amounts to 9 competitors while there are few other mushroom companies that deals with maintenance of elevators and escalators. The firm is relatively large compared to the overall market and has a substantial degree of market control. In short there are small numbers of large firms. Firms in oligopolistic industries produce either identical or differentiated products. Identical product oligopolies also knows as perfect oligopolies produce tend to process raw materials or intermediate goods that are used as inputs in other industries. Notable examples are petroleum, steel and aluminum. On the other hand elevator and escalator falls into differentiated product oligopolies also knows as imperfect oligopolies focuses on consumer goods (mostly luxury) to satisfy the wide variety of consumer needs and wants. Barriers to entry prevail as the firm attain and retain market control. Patents, brand names, recognition, resource ownership, start-up cost, decreasing average cost are the most common barriers and the make it extremely difficult or impossible for potential firms to enter the industry. Oligopolistic firms are diverse and they posses several behavioral tendencies. The following behavioral characteristics were highlighted in my findings: Interdependency among firms as it takes in to account relative size and market control. This means that the actions of one firm will depend and make an influence on the actions of another firm. The firm keeps a close eye on the activities of the other firms in the industry. As a result the decisions made by one firm invariably affect others and are invariably affected by others. Thus a firms success will not only depend on its own action but also those of the competitor. A Rigid price strategy is followed by the firm that helps to keep the price relatively constant as the firm prefers to compete in other ways that does not involve changing the price. This is mainly because if price decreases the competitor will try to match the same and will not take in to consideration the increases in prices as the firms do not gain much from price changes. As the firm does not gain much from price competition they tend to follow non-price methods of competition which includes entry barriers, product differentiation and advertising, continuous improvement in quality, after sale services, effective distribution, guarantees as the firms objective is to get more buyers and simultaneously increase the market share while holding the line on price. Taking all firms in the industry I wish to emphasize that the firms operate in cooperation through collusion in an oligopoly market. The factories of the companies that manufacture elevator and escalators secretly agree on prices, production and other aspects in the market and behave like they are operating as one firm a monopoly. A formal method of collusion is cartel which is found among international produces. Operating in an Oligopoly (imperfect) market brings in two important advantages to the firm. It could be elaborated as follows: The firm tends to be a prime source for innovations that promotes advances in technology and economic growth. This leads to higher living standards. These firms have the motive and opportunity for innovation. Interdependent competition results in motive and access to abundant resuorses bring about opportunity. The firm is in a position to enjoy economies of scale as it leads to a reduction in the cost of production and prices. The firm can mass produce at a low average cost. Elevators and escalators will be more significantly expensive if they were produced by a large number of small firms that small number of large firms. Graphical Illustration of the Market Equilibrium A kinked demand curve is used to illustrate the short run production activity of an oligopolistic firm. To explain the price rigidity in an oligopolistic firm the kinked demand curve is used. The kink of the demand curve exists at the current quantity (Qpm) and current price (Ppm). This is because competitor firms will not match the increases in price as it will loose its customer base and market share. It is evident that a small increase in price will lead to a relatively large decrease in quantity demanded. Similarly any price decreases will be matched by competitor firms and the firms is unlikely to gain customers or market share. If a firm is to gain a small increase in quantity demanded a large decrease in price needs to take place. (This is not feasible to many firms) Conclusion With reference to my study on my organization ETA MELCO ENGINEERING (PTE) LTD I could state that we fall into Imperfect Oligopoly Market Structure. Hence I will use the following findings to justify my answer; There are small numbers of large firms (09 major industry players) in the elevator and escalator industry. The company sells a range of differentiated products to suit customer, client, architect, developers requirements and specifications taking in to account type of building, type of elevator/escalator, number of stops (floors), travel speed, capacity, and usage thus falling in to imperfect oligopoly without any doubt. Significant barriers to entry prevail due to brand name, recognition, start up cost, decreasing average cost, patent and resource ownership. Interdependency among firms exists. A rigid price structure is followed to keep price relatively constant. As any decrease in price will lead towards the same action from competitor thus affecting the companies customer base and market share. Also any price increases will lead to a reduction in quantity demanded thus affecting the customer base and market share. Due to the above reason the company follows non-price methods of competitions by promoting its brand image and reputation, quality products, customized products, guarantees, cost effective after sales services and product differentiation. The firm balances competition among others through cooperation. We can identify collusion as a method used in the elevator/escalator industry. Price cartels are experienced in the factories that produce elevator/ escalators. The company is heavily involved in innovations that promote advances in technology and economic growth. The main factory of the company enjoys economies of scale through mass production thus leading to low average cost. Finally giving all reasons, arguments and justification above like to conclude that ETA MELCO ENGINEERIN (PTE) LTD is operating in an Imperfect Oligopolistic Market Structure.