Saturday, August 31, 2019

In 1954 Herbert Morrison said that a ‘minister is responsible for every stamp stuck on every envelope’ in their department. Using examples, critically discuss whether the above statement is accurate today

Introduction Herbert Morrison’s comments represent an ideal of Ministerial Responsibility which his political heirs and descendants have, in truth, abandoned to a large degree. In part this reflects new political realities and a change in the behaviour of politicians who strive to protect individual reputation at the expense of what was once a sacred principle of Government[1]. The responsibility to which Herbert Morrison alludes to arises often in the context of when a minister should resign which has undergone some marked transformations over the years as the apparatus of Whitehall has exploded and powers have been invested in individual ministers: non-departmental bodies, public corporations and other agencies such as quangos[2] now complement ever growing departments. As Diane Longley & Norman Lewis observe the roots of the principle stretch far back before Morrison’s time to the days of Dicey where the liability to loss of office was extended to â€Å"all official acts† [3] which invariably covered departmental maladministration to more serious matters. The principle, as a means of holding the executive branch of the government to account, has been justifiably described as â€Å"hollow†, a â€Å"ruling fiction† [4] and leading constitutional scholars have called for reform in this area as far back as the year 2000[5]. Even back in 1956 Professor Finer cast doubt upon its very existence in the wake of the Crichel Down affair[6]. No such reform or replacement has ever arrived, however, and despite notable episodes such as the Hutton inquiry, the cash for questions probes and the recent expenses scandal in Westminster no alternative theory or principle has surfaced[7]. The operation of the principle has also been seen as not aiding government accountability but hindering it by many commentators: â€Å"Many students of public administration, including the authors, have long taken the view that ministerial responsibility/accountability (M.R.) as the ruling convention for calling the executive to account is hollow. Indeed, operating at its most pernicious, it is a system for the mutually-reinforcing active concealment of government action and public purposes.†[8] This essay will focus on whether the principle of ministerial responsibility, as described by Herbert Morrison, is still accurate in the political climate of 2012. In part 1 this essay will look into the Crichel Down affair of 1937 to establish the supposed convention and then in part 2 the Scott Report, which was commissioned after it emerged that Britain had sold arms to Iraq, will be analysed. The inescapable conclusion is that Morrison’s statement reflects a nobler and purer vision of politics than now endures and that the principle has been so eroded by time as to be virtually unrecognisable: if indeed it existed in the first place. Part 1: Crichel Down affair As Bradley & Ewing point out the Crichel Down Affair of 1937 is the acknowledged starting point in any discussion of ministerial responsibility[9]. Farmland in Dorset, which was called Crichel Down, was acquired under compulsory purchase powers[10] by the Air Ministry in 1938 prior to the outbreak of war for a new bombing range[11]. Lieutenant Commander Marten asked that the land be sold back to his family (who had previously owned most of the land) but what followed was, in the opinion of the subsequent inquiry setup to investigate the affair, â€Å"muddle, inefficiency, bias and bad faith on the part of some officials named in the report†[12]. In particular an inaccurate report was drafted by a junior civil servant that led to the Ministry of Agriculture adopting a scheme which deprived the former owners of rights in the land or as Wass succinctly puts it, â€Å"bona fide applicants for the land had not been given the opportunity they had been promised to bid for a rental o r for possession of the land†[13]. Wass highlights the two senior civil servants identified by the inquiry who did attempt to cover their own tracks once the facts were apparent: â€Å"The one [mistake] on which everyone seized was the impropriety of the two principal officials who, realising that applicants to rent or buy the land had not been given the opportunities they had been led to expect, sought to appear retrospectively to have considered their case. This was manifestly wrong and would have been a suitable subject for a mild criticism by the Ombudsman, if he had existed at the time and had the case been referred to him. But it is pretty clear from the papers that, even if the applicants’ cases had been considered, the outcome, viz. a decision to continue to farm the unit as a single unit by a farmer of proved ability, would have been the same.†[14] The end result was that the Minister of Agriculture, Sir Thomas Dugdale, resigned and the two civil servants were moved to other duties[15]. The constitutional legacy of Crichel Down was that it is now cited as â€Å"the last example of a minister’s acceptance of responsibility for all the acts of his department†[16]. In the subsequent debate in the House of Commons Sir David Maxwell’s Fyfe, the then Home Secretary, sought to clarify four situations in which a Minister must vicariously â€Å"accept responsibility† to varying degrees for the actions or inactions of his civil servants ranging from where an explicit order is given to where action is taken by a civil servant of which the â€Å"Minister disapproves and has no previous knowledge†[17]. This continuum of responsibility did not contain any mention of resignation and the topic remains wedded to circumstances: â€Å"there is no duty on a minister to resign when maladministration has occurred within his or her department†[18]. The key factors which influence a resignation are for the most part political: a fact which is corroborated by Professor Finer[19] and Bradley & Ewing’s seminal work on constitutional law[20]. Part 2: Arms to Iraq By the convention supposedly crystallised in the aftermath of the Crichel Down affair the Ministers responsible for exporting arms to Iraq would have had to have resigned in the wake of the Scott Report into the affair in 1996[21]. Ultimately there were no resignations despite a close vote in the Commons during the debate on the report. The conclusions of the report were, however, devastating in finding that there were numerous failings by ministers to keep Parliament appraised of their arms exporting policy and, fundamentally, they had misled Parliament, albeit not intentionally[22]. Instead the ministers involved managed to slip into what Margaret Liu has called an â€Å"accountability gap† which exploits the definitions given to responsibility and accountability respectively[23]. As Liu explains: â€Å"A minister is ‘accountable’ to Parliament for what had occurred in his department without that implying personal blame on the part of a minister if things had gone wrong. By contrast, a minister is said to be ‘responsible’ for broad policy, and the issues that he/she has been personally involved, not for all department affairs. In other words, the minister is not responsible for what is done by the civil service in the Next Steps agency where he has delegated the accountability for administration from parent departments.†[24] This relatively new artificial distinction allows ministers to escape responsibility for actions in their department carried out by civil servants and ultimately leads, as Liu rightly observes, to â€Å"potential areas of government for which no one is ‘responsible’ to Parliament, even though a minister remains ‘accountable’†[25]. Thus despite all of the furore created by the report the ministers were ultimately able to hang onto their jobs and there was to be no supreme sacrifice a la Sir Thomas Dugdale in the Crichel Down affair. This distinction appears to have fuelled the practice of misleading Parliament and being creative with the truth to avoid liability in respect of departmental maladministration. As Liu points out individual ministerial responsibility essentially involves the private conduct of a minister, the minister’s conduct of his/her department and vicarious acts of civil servants[26]. Personal conduct seems to be the exception with many ministers resigning because it was impossible to conduct their duties in the media glare[27] but as Bradley & Ewing note â€Å"there have been very few resignations by ministers taking vicarious responsibility for the errors of civil servants in their departments†[28]. The level of culpability was high in the Arms to Iraq case and the fact that no minister lost their jobs is reflective of modern political times where no minister resigns unless the matter is exceptionally serious or private conduct is preventing them doing their jobs. As Longley & Lewis conclude: â€Å"If the minister is indeed responsible for systems, then he is responsible for their failure either directly or through the identification of those who are. If this is not the case, then plainly ministerial responsibility is a myth. Slowly the effectiveness of the convention has been eroded†¦Scott may have been successfully defused in the party-political arena, but if his report is left to gather dust when it is an indictment of the deep-seated failure of parliamentary government, then the fabled British system will deserve all the disapprobation which it is bound to receive.†[29] Conclusion In conclusion Herbert Morrison’s statement was inaccurate even back in the political climate in which it was created: a time when a minister would supposedly fall for the actions of any civil servant and would do the right thing by standing down[30]. As Professor Finer justifiably notes, the cases which precede the Crichel Down affair do not even lend substance to the convention and the principle in fact relies upon factors such as the mood of the Prime Minister and the will of the minister concerned rather than an overriding sense of accepting responsibility for the actions of others[31]. Applied to the modern political climate the statement is wildly inaccurate with various commentators rightly alleging that it is a â€Å"myth† in the British constitution[32]. The Scott Report demonstrates the pliability of the principle well and the artificial distinctions between ‘responsibility’ and ‘accountability’, inextricably linked, serve only to furt her consign the principle to the dustbin of history save in the most serious of cases. Now creativity is used in giving answers to Parliament and all responsibility is to be evaded until the eleventh hour. This is, as noted in the introduction, a reflection of the growth of the apparatus of the state and the unelected power of ministers. Professor Finer’s four categories are more realistic even in 2012: â€Å"There are four categories of delinquent Ministers: the fortunate, the less fortunate, the unfortunate, and the plain unlucky. After sinning, the first go to other Ministries ; the second to Another Place ; the third just go. Of the fourth there are but twenty examples in a century†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [33] Bibliography Journals Finer, E.S. (1956) ‘The Individual Responsibility of Ministers’ Public Administration 377 Liu, Margaret L (2002) ‘Ministerial Responsibility and Constitutional Law’ Coventry Law 7(2) pp25-37 at p.29 Longley, D & Lewis, Norman (1996) ‘Ministerial Responsibility: The Next Steps’ Public Law Autumn pp490-507 Wass, Douglas (1988) ‘The Mystery of Crichel Down’ Public Law Autumn pp473 – 475 Books Bradey, AW & Ewing, KD (2007) Constitutional & Administrative Law Pearson: worldwide Tomkins, Adam (1998) The Constitution After Scott: Government Unwrapped Oxford University Press: Oxford Turpin, Colin (1994) â€Å"Ministerial Responsibility: Myth or Reality?† in J. Jowell and D. Oliver (eds.), The Changing Constitution, (3rd ed), pp. 114-115

Friday, August 30, 2019

Compare and Contrast of the The Shang-Zhou River Valley and Egypt

Egypt and the Shang-Zhou Dynasty were both powerful and influential civilization who faced similar ideas in their government, and defense strategies, but differed when it came to cultural rituals, and the use of natural resources.A solid form of government is essential to any civilization, and although Egypt and Shang-Zhou were both successful, they both used different and similar methods to conform to their religious and social standards.Egypt used a Pharaoh as their king, which they claim the pharaoh was sent from a god in order to maintain ma’at, the distinctive order of the universe. On the contrary, the Shang- Zhou Dynasty followed their own theory of the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven served as a foundation for the Chinese government for three thousand years, and was used when a ruler had neglected his duties such as dishonoring gods, expressing tyranny, or ignoring warning signs of disasters; heaven could remover this â€Å"mandate† and put it in the po ssession of a more worthy ruler or family.After a ruler has fulfilled their duties and depart the physical world, both Egypt and the Shang-Zhou dynasty honor them in every way possible, however both have separate rituals and beliefs in how they should be honored. In Egypt, the Pharaoh is built a remarkable pyramid in which their body is mummified, and buried deep down in the structure. During the Shang-Zhou Dynasty, the royal family and the elite families were not buried in a pyramid, but rather in tombs with many of possessions they might need in the afterlife.To run a successful government, there has to be order and record keeping to keep from conflict and having all property, belongings, etc. needs to be officially stated. The Egyptians developed their own writing, known as hieroglyphics, on papyrus to records all their statements. Instead of hieroglyphics and papyrus, the Shang-Zhou also developed their own writing of symbols which they wrote on oracle bones to keep order in the ir society. A significant connection between the two is that both civilizations were a theocracy because they both believed that their leader was divine and the closest to God. Both Egypt and the Shang-Zhou Dynasty shared the idea of charging taxes in exchange for landowning and service in the military.Charging taxes influenced many civilizations because in order to be a resident, some sort of service or duty had to be given in exchange. In retrospect, Egypt and the Shang-Zhou dynasty both shared similarities in their government which helped them grow as a large, powerful society, but also varied in some methods mostly because of religion beliefs.Environment plays an intense role in any region of the world because it determines the lifestyle for how that civilization will prosper over time. Being located in Africa, near the equator, Egypt has the consistent face of a hot, dry, and sunny climate. The Shang-Zhou dynasty territory is located  east of Africa and slightly towards the n orth. Therefore, Southern China gets heavy rainfall due to the monsoons in India and surrounding areas, and the northern part of China gets rainfall as well, but is inconsistent. Being that China gets a fair amount of rain, most of their agriculture is dependent on that rainfall. Instead of depending on rainfall, Egypt is primarily dependent on the Nile River which is the longest river and provides the best source of irrigation.A benefit to both the Shang-Zhou Dynasty and Egypt is that they both are in some way surrounded by natural barriers which serve as a mechanism for defense. Egypt has the Nile River which makes it difficult for invaders to get across to attack. The Shang-Zhou area has the Himalaya mountain range to the southwest, the Pamir and Tian Mountains and the Takla Makan Desert to the west, as well as the major rivers, the Yellow and the Yangtze, to also help to protect their society. Natural barriers are a huge advantage and blessing because they can distinctively mark territories as well as serve each civilization in a way as to help them advanced and develop while lowering the likelihood of getting attacked and weakening a civilization.The natural elements are what make a society capable of flourishing and both Egypt and the Shang-Zhou Dynasty used all of their resources to their advantage to prosgress into a sophisticated and highly respected culture and society.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Advanced Technologies in Ancient China and Egypt

Egypt is raining hardly and it has a dry, hot weather. Most of Egypt is covered in the desert. However, the Egyptians can cultivate crops to surplace food as the Nile River across Egypt is hit by the flood every year. Meanwhile, China has deserts, forests and mountains, and many Chinese people adapt to the environment through the establishment of irrigation systems, fishery, and cultivation of crops. Ancient Egypt and Ancient China were in two different places, but their industries, agriculture and weapons technology have similarities and differences. Ancient civilization of children - Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, Ancient porcelain. Comparison of Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egyptian Civilization: Ancient Comparison and Control of Mesopotamia and Egypt: Comparison of West Hill University Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China and Early Central American Civilization Development 20. The difference between ancient Egypt and ancient China, they ate something similar to the arc hitecture of Greek and Roman in ancient India. Similarities between ancient civilizations of ancient Egyptian civilizations such as China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome are progress Between Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China, I need three political similarities or differences between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt: The similarities and differences lie in the early civilization of China, agriculture related research of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Do you think there is somewhat similarity between the two documents you read about early civilization in the prehistoric times of India, China, Egypt? There are many similarities between China and India, but Egypt and Mesopotamia grew when comparing the politics of ancient India and Egypt. There are many similarities in the differences between the Egyptian and Mesopotamian ancient religions in the Near East, but there are many similarities. India and Egypt compare facts, figures, measurements, and indicators side -by-side to quickly review similarities and differences. How this technology is spreading in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Cambodia building, 10 important similarities between ancient civilizations There are four major civilizations in the Furukawa Valley: the fertile New Moon in Mesopotamia, the Nile River in Egypt, the Indus River in India, and the Yellow River in China. These civilizations show specific similarities and contrast differences. Many of these differences and similarities occur in three categories: technology progress, government type, civilization. In-depth research and research on China and Egypt contrast the two very interesting civilizations in society. As China and Egypt are isolated from the outside world, their development is very concentrated in technology and learning, and with a powerful government to unite the country. Similarity ... Read more

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Social Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Policy - Assignment Example 65). World Wars I and II brought many changes in Britain. During the war, societal roles had to change. Women had to take up the roles that were previously played by men because most men were at war. The course of the war is also characterized by the industrial revolution. The revolution was a radical change in industrial activities that saw the improvement of production processes. The Industrial revolution was strategic for the war because Britain depended greatly on the industrial manufacture ammunition like war aircrafts and wars ships. The war changed the social setting in Britain. A good example is the fact that lot of men died, some others injured, and this changed the status of women, as they rose to be family heads. Politically, Britain remained a monarchy but many people were pushing for the establishment of a democratic government. Economically, the immense capital invested in the war led to an increase in tax after the war. It changed from 6 percent in 1914 to 25 percent in 1918. The industrial revolution was also a major boost for industrial activities. Social democracy is a politically based ideology that aims at establishing democratic socialism through the formulation of reforms and gradual methods. Therefore, Social democracy is a system of governance based on an economic and socialist theory with the aim of establishing equality among all people in terms of wealth and opportunities. The equality is achievable through collective or public ownership of national endowments such as local resources. Liberalism is a political ideology whose main ideas are liberty and equality. Liberty refers to freedom for example to express political views. It is founded on the concept of classical liberalism, which pushes for political, and civil liberties to be respected and granted by the presiding authority. Classical liberalism also emphasises on the need for a democratic system with a well-established representation

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Taj Mahal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Taj Mahal - Essay Example This is to take advantage of the waterfront situation in the garden. The garden around the Tomb has two major sections; the cross-axial and the four-fold garden. The waterfront was a chief element in the design of the whole complex. At the southern far corner of the garden is the Taj forecourt, at both of its widths, are framed by two smaller courts (tombs of lesser wives of Jahan and courtyard for the tomb attendants). The mausoleum also has additional complex of quarters for merchants and tourists. This was to ensure its accessibility to the whole world. The upkeep and maintenance of the Taj Mahal was financed by the taxes from thirty villages in Agra and income from bazaars and caravanserais as ordered by imperial command. According to Koch (2005), â€Å"The Taj is built architectural theory and can be read like a literary text, once we have mastered the architectural language† (p. 137). Even though there are no texts to prove that the Mughals had written architectural theory, Koch states that his investigations have shown that the theory was laid down in the planning itself. In conclusion, the principles of Shah Jahan’s architecture, which resulted in the building of the monument, are geometric planning, symmetry, hierarchy, proportionality and uniformity, attention to details, naturalism, and symbolism. These principles and their astonishing results can be clearly seen in the complex. For instance, asymmetrical planning with a focus on bilateral symmetry can be seen in the central axis in which the main features are placed. In addition, the building was built to symbolize the power and glory of Shah Tahan. The naturalism principle can be seen through decorations of walls, ceilings, and the tombs; they are mostly decorated with flowers of different colors (Koch

Monday, August 26, 2019

Impact of Kyoto Protocol Across Countries Research Paper

Impact of Kyoto Protocol Across Countries - Research Paper Example It is now an incontrovertible fact that the climate of the earth will get warmer. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change located at Geneva has published several estimates regarding the extent to which the global climate will become warmer. These estimates have been based on the assumption that increased energy use will be the prime outcome of increased economic growth (Moore S41). Such energy is derived from fossil fuels; hence, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is bound to increase. Some of these estimates had stated that there will be an increase of 2 ° to 3 ° Celsius, by the year 2000. A very disquieting feature of these predictions has been the contention that the maximum temperature increase will be experienced at the polar ice caps (Moore S41). During the past six decades, there has been a significant and disturbing increase in the proportion of greenhouse gases to the other gases in the atmosphere. This unwelcome trend commenced with the advent of the Industrial Revolution that transpired around two centuries ago (Geisel 1465). However, this increase has been pronounced from the 1950s. The cardinal increase has been with regard to carbon dioxide. This gas has its origins in plant and animal respiration and decomposition, natural fires and active volcanoes. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide converted to oxygen, via photosynthesis is replenished by these natural sources of carbon dioxide (Geisel 1465). The increase in carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases has been established by scientists, who drilled holes in the earth’s geographical poles and procured ice core samples that clearly indicated this enhancement. In a manner that is akin to the rings found in trees, ice core samples exhibit rings, which permit accurate dating.  

Marine biodiversity conservation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marine biodiversity conservation - Essay Example The main externalities from impure goods are: Limit to growth problems: some impure goods are non-replenishable and could fall within a given geographical area posing problems that influence the whole world or the region for example forests, natural gas, and endangered species of plants and animals. In this regard, exploitation of these natural resources in a given country have to take into consideration externality effects beyond the borders otherwise result in international tension as exemplified by the Arab Israel conflict through the sharing of water from the Golan Heights and Mount Sinai. More benefits than the costs: the payment for an impure good does not cover the positive effects of having the good for example payment to visit a park are minimal for payment of benefits delivered by the park. This shows that impure public goods have more positive externality than negative. There are three main technologies for the supply of public goods for analysis in this study, which are additive, weakest link and best shot impure goods supply technologies. There are factors that affect supply of impure public goods like marine biodiversity due to the characteristics they posses. There is a need to ensure socially efficient supply of impure public goods like marine biodiversity, but currently there is undersupply. Marine biodiversity conservation is an important factor to the local and the international environment and there has to be participation between more than one country for the realization of the optimal supply amount for the benefit of the current and the future generations. This is due to the benefits of marine biodiversity conservation that span beyond the national borders opening the need for the collaboration between national, regional, and global partners for the conservation of marine biodiversity. The additive supply technology

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Interview - See details Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interview - See details - Essay Example Finally, the interview with the parent revealed a perspective greatly varying from the previous internal perspectives. The parent placed most emphasis on student success on the actual student. Introduction The 21st century has ushered in a new host of challenges. While globally there are emerging concerns over energy and the environment, some of the most prominent domestic concerns involve education. If the United States is going to remain successful in this increasingly competitive global world education will undoubtedly play a major role. As a means of investigating some of the challenges and perspectives in education this essay constitutes an analysis of perspectives gained from a teacher, administrator, and parent. To ensure confidentiality the names and personal information of these individuals have been withheld. Analysis The first interview that was conducted was with a teacher. There was a large amount of significant information gained from this interview. The specific teache r works at a high school. They informed me that they currently teach junior and senior level English classes. They have an Advanced Placement class, as well as classes at different ends of the educational spectrum; in this way they indicated that they gain a broad view of the different students at the school. In terms of specific background information they stated that they had a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and had worked for a period in instructional design. They indicated that there were a few difficult parts of the job. To a large extent these challenges seem to be indicative not simply of this teacher’s classrooms, but endemic of the larger school environment. In this way one of the greatest challenges is motivating the lower-tier students. Many of these students refrain from completing any after school work. This makes reading novels or any engaging in any extended material difficult. Additionally, classroom behavior in these environments oftentimes suffers as the students are disengaged from the lesson plan. While the teacher expressed a great amount of joy he received from his profession, it’s clear that he was also disenchanted with much of the process. For instance, he found some of the administration at the school lacking. He indicated that while he recognizes the importance of a strong administrative staff, many of the administrators at the school had not been inside of a classroom in many years. He believed then that there was a significant divide between what their perceptions were and the actual occurrences of the classroom environment. This perspective seemed to be thematic throughout the interview. In this way he believed that innovation and lesson plan development at the school was highly difficult to achieve because of an administrative staff that was chained to antiquated methods of instruction. One notable point he made was that with the onset of the Digital Age students are increasingly engaged with digital technology; still the school environment remains committed to traditional teaching practices. He believed that much of the behavior problems he had in his lower-level English classes can be attributed to students who were rejecting these traditional teaching methods. There is the recognition that research literature has supported this teacher’s position. For instance, Kember (2008, p. 249) indicated that one of the primary determinants of student motivation was perceived relevancy. In these regards it seems

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Shouldice Hospital Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Shouldice Hospital Case Study - Essay Example Shouldice Hospital presents a classic example of a case study of this concept of hospital management. Shouldice Hospital is a specialty hospital in Canada dealing with hernia repair. Over the past years, the 90 bed capacity hospital has experienced immense success recording over 7,000 patients being treated at the hospital. However, a number of notable features attribute to this success. First, the hospital has a policy of admitting patients who only have uncomplicated external hernias and uses the best technology developed by Dr. Sholdice to treat the patients. Secondly, patients are subjected to early ambulation that promotes healing during the three-day stay at the hospital. Thirdly, the hospitals inbuilt structures and the welcoming nursing staff, as well as the activities incorporated for patients, provides the patients with a pleasant environment to recover. Regular times are set for eating, drinking and socializing with the patients. The patients are also paired with a roommat e who has similar interests and traits. The hospital has a well-structured production system detailing the process from when a patient is admitted to the hospital for the three days period at the hospital. The production system is well managed with 12 full-time surgeons who conduct 150 operations per week from Monday to Friday.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Anger, Hatred, Powerless, and Connection Term Paper

Anger, Hatred, Powerless, and Connection - Term Paper Example In this paper, I address the conflict between the view that anger is different from hatred and that anger and hatred are one and the same thing. In the following, I assume that there is temporal hatred that comes when one acts emotionally out of anger, which may not be distinguished from hatred that may cause a conscious anger and is remarkably different from anger itself. If Buber were to personalize the two terms and fit them into his dual system, he would group the temporal hatred and anger in I-Thou set where the entities consist of, specific isolated qualities, but engages in the same realm of unconsciousness. The permanent-conscious hatred and anger would be classified as I-It where they are different and exist independently. Anger can lead to temporal hatred or permanent hatred. This relationship can be clearly explained by the following scenario. Mike is mired on the highway by a traffic jam. He is supposed to attend a staff meeting, but the traffic is moving at a snailâ€⠄¢s pace. While on the traffic jam, another car keeps intercepting and flouting traffic rules. At some point, the car attempt to fix itself ahead of Mike and it slightly collides with his car. At this point, Mike rushes out with a metal bar, with eyes dilating, red and his heart thumping, and smashes the windscreen of the offending car. At this particular point, Mike is angry! Mike was angered, and he developed a temporal hatred for the offending driver and the driver’s action. Suppose on arrival, Mike find that his former manager, whom he hated for being un-understanding is chairing the meeting, and he decides to punish Mike by suspending him. On trying to explain his case, the chair interrupts and claims that Mike has always been late and that his actions are deliberate. Mike is angry again, and this time round he may not take action. Thich Nhat Hanh warns that, in our daily lives, we must practice mindfulness so as to identify anger, analyze the effect of anger that comes from within us than that, which comes from without. This is because the primary cause of anger is the anger within us or the hatred within us, like the case of Mike and his manager. Thich quotes the Buddha who asked â€Å"How can anger arise in one who has no anger?† Anger, being an emotional state of soul, could not arise if we had no seeds of anger in our store of consciousness because events and words act as catalysts of what is already within us. This is the reason as to why, two people can experience the same event or hear the same words, but one gets damn angry and the other one not. Therefore, in Mike’s scenario, one person can be said to have self awareness of his state of emotion unlike the other. Since anger can lead to either noble actions or disgraceful ones, it means that we have discretion to choose what to do. Gould quotes Hanna and Brown (2004) lengthily regarding this self awareness thus; Self-awareness entails individuals’ ability to label thei r emotions, whether pleasant or unpleasant, and to accept them as part of being human. Self-esteem involves an acceptance of emotions as pertinent information about the self and an ability to act responsibly on those feelings. When individuals are not able to tolerate their fears or anxieties, they develop controlling, or addictive behavior intended to numb unpleasant emotional states. (p. 81-82) Thich analyzes that one should master his or her own anger, so as to help others manage theirs. This self mastery emanates

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Life Cycle Stages Essay Example for Free

Life Cycle Stages Essay There are four stages in the financial life cycle of an individual. The accumulation, saving, pre-retirement and retirement stages. Judging from the financial ratios of Winston and Yvonne, we concluded that Winston and Yvonne are in stage 2: the savings stage of the financial life cycle phase. This stage of the life cycle is usually characterized by the increase of assets, net worth and the decline in the use of debts, as by this stage Winston and Yvonne have already accumulated more assets over the years and would seek to protect their wealth and priorities and at the same time seek to be more risk adverse than before. People in this stage are usually concerned in saving for the future like children’s education, retirement etc. As the savings Ratio can be easily explained by the amount of money a person saves as a percentage of their total income. The level of savings as a percentage of Winstons and Yvonnes income is 60.41% as calculated is expected of the couple in their mid 30s falling in this stage of the life cycle as it portrayed high savings planning for the future of their children’s education. In the savings stage of the life cycle, we could expect an increase in net worth and assets as those had been accumulated before reaching conservation phases in that cycle. The increase in assets meant that Winston and Yvonne have a relatively high net worth as calculated at 74.51%. As Winston and Yvonne have a relatively high net worth ratio, their financial solvency is lower as most of their funds are being tied up with their fixed assets and their high net worth ratio also showed that their investments and commitments are being funded by debts and trade payables that are not proportionate. Winston and Yvonne might also face problems such as liquidity problems as their high ratio meant that they do not have immediate access to their cash. Therefore any decline in value of their investments or in any aspect that is relevant to their assets would cause them to have the inability to pay back their debt, thus lead to bankruptcy. Winston and Yvonne should seek to lower their net worth ratio by diversifying their funds in lesser fixed assets like property, home contents and education funds as lowering the ratio of their net worth would help them have more f inancial flexibility and ability to meet their financial payment obligations. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/interpret-assetstonetworth-ratios-57281.html. http://www.accountingtools.com/net-worth-ratio. As Winston and Yvonne are in their wealth protection phase, we explained that there would be an indication of a high net worth and a decrease in the use of debts. The debt Service ratio is the monthly debt commitments in comparison to total income and expressed in a percentage. In other words it is the ratio of the ability to repay loans over a period of time. If a debt service ratio is too high it would mean that one is too highly leveraged and has a high amount of loan and in the long run might run into difficulties in repaying off the loan commitment in the future. In this stage we expected financial prudence and a high risk adversity. The low debt service ratio of Winston and Yvonne at 14.21% indicated the low dependability on debt and increases their ability to service their debt, reducing the risk of them not being able to continue going in the long run. This could be expected of them as they are seeking to save for the future and make sure that they are able to service their l iabilities in the long run and not exhausted halfway through by limiting their commitments and slowly getting a debt free approach when it comes to their retirement. http://www.e-conomic.co.uk/accountingsystem/glossary/debt-ratio.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Why Marriage Fail Essay Example for Free

Why Marriage Fail Essay Marriage is something very beautiful you get to enjoy the rest of your life with the person yo love and share lots of nice things together, however there are some negative things about getting married and most of them are lack of time, addiction, and money. Work, home, schedules, time spent apart and time spent together are equally important for maintaining a marriage. People that spend time alone without making an effort on spending quality time together puts a lot of stress on a marriage. In a magazine â€Å"Time Plus Marriage† they state that 65% of the couples that do not spend time with each other always have an excuse on why they can not for insistent they had to stay late for work or their friends invited them out. Most of the couples that get a divorce is because of addiction problem, drugs, alcohol, and gambling all affects marriage. The behavior of an addicted spouse make their life difficult to because they are only worried if he/she would come home safe. According to â€Å"New York Times† most of the accidents and death on the year 2010 has been because of drunk driving or drug uses from their spouse which leaves them traumatized. One of the major reasons why marriage fail is because of the communication about money. Everyone has financial issues concerning bills, dept, spending, and budgets. Majority of the human being has a problem splitting their expenses individually to make things easier on their end. Those issues can make or break a marriage. Understanding each other and following the simple steps you would have a long lasting marriage. What comes in between is time, addiction, and money majority of the couples do not know how to manage these specific things when married.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Postmodernism and Hyper-Reality in Architecture

Postmodernism and Hyper-Reality in Architecture Introduction This essay will address architecture’s position in a consumer society. Consumer society can be described as the outcome of modernism where consuming material goods is the paramount feature of its balance and values. It is the result of the escalation in manufacturing and rapid industrial developments. It is also the outcome of the immense pace of diversification and growth of culture, creativity, technology and urbanism as a way of life. I will use the concepts of semiotic philosopher Jean Baudrillard’s as a basis in understanding the implications of this culture on the built environment, urban design and technology. I will also examine the desire for fantasy realms that mirror reality by examining Baudrillard’s three orders of simulacra and the â€Å"hyperreal†. To understand the expression of this phenomenon in our consumerist culture I have chosen to examine its manifestation in the urban context of Montecasiono and also virtual environment of Second Li fe. My aim is to better understand the architects’ position in this current culture and what it could mean for the future of architecture. Postmodernity and Hyper-reality The postmodern condition does not simply replace modernity but it rather opens up a new and complex layer of meaning of the modern by emphasizing its paradoxical aspects. Modernity has become deeply rooted in contemporary societies and thus it is almost impossible to find a condition where it has had no influence. Post-modernity by default cannot be separated from modernity as emancipation and liberation are inherent to the modern. In the post-modern era the electronic picture is the predominant force defining its figurative character. It is saturated with pictures in the degree which was not observed in history. (Asanowicz, 2014) To understand some of the complexities of our image driven culture I will first be exploring the writings of Jean Baudrillard. According to â€Å"Simulacra and Simulation† (Baudrillard, 1994) in our post-modern society, â€Å"It is no longer a question of imitation, nor duplication, nor even parody. It is a question of substituting the signs of the real for the real†. Baudrillard suggests that postmodern culture is not merely artificial, because the notion of artificiality still involves some sense of reality against which to identify it. What he conveys is that we cannot recognize the distinction between artifice and nature. Baudrillard then argues that there are three orders of simulacra. Simulacra (Simulacres in French means: stereotype, a pseudo-thing, an empty form, a blank form) is one of the key concepts of postmodern aesthetics. (Asanowicz, 2014). The first order of simulacra is related to the pre-modern period where the image is a clear imitation of the real. Baudrillard associates the second order of simulacra with the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century where mass product ion and the increase of copies break down the differences between the representation and the image. The third order of simulacra is specifically associated with the postmodern age. It suggests that the representation precedes and determines the real. The distinction between reality and its representation is has disappeared and there is only the simulacrum. Baudrillard defined this distortion of the lines between the original and its copy as the ‘hyperreal’ (Baudrillard, 1994). Not only does the simulacrum simulate the original but the simulacrum of truth is truer than true and thus the hyperreal is realer than real. (Horrocks Jevtic, 1999) This kind of simulated image is all around us, nature reserves are constructed to disguise the absence the natural environment in urban areas. Reallity TV programs are edited to romanticize the mundane. Baudrillard uses the example of Disneyland, â€Å"Disneyland is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real, whereas all of Los Angeles and the America that surrounds it are no longer real, but belong to the hyperreal order and to the order of simulation. It is no longer a question of a false representation of reality (ideology) but of concealing the fact that the real is no longer real, and thus of saving the reality principle.† (Baudrillard, 1994). To relate this theory to a South African context I will use the example of Montesasino. While the simulated environment is patently false, guests at Montecasino buy into the â€Å"reality† of fantasy because society will continually absorb simulacra and its preference for it over reality. Offerin g a surplus of services and entertainment options in a Tuscan themed environment, Montecasino disorientates and mesmerises its guests in a world of fantasy where spending money enhances participation in, and enjoyment of the retail and leisure experience. Baudrillard comments on the blurred distinctions between culture, consumerism and identity: â€Å"Work, leisure, nature and culture, all previously dispersed, separate, and all more or less irreducible activities that produced anxiety and complexity in our real life, and in our ‘anarchic and archaic’ cities, have finally become mixed, massaged, climate controlled and domesticated into the simple activity of perpetual shopping. All these activities have finally become desexed into a single hermaphroditic ambience of style† (Baudrillard, 2001). Another example of hyperreality is that of Multià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ User Virtual Environments. This has fascinated me since I engaged my first multi-player role-playing computer game and recognized the addictive qualities it stirred. Today these virtual environments are much more sophisticated with virtual worlds like World of Warcraft and Second Life simulating not only of our physical world but also of our social, political and economic condition. Second Life has an active socialist party, an opposing Marxist party and even an anarchist group. Prostitution, gambling and consumerism are central to the simulation. Users of these environments create avatars which they define as the most accurate reflection of theirrealself. Aside from hyperreality, many of the concepts Baudrillard postulates in Simulacra and Simulation are present. It is a semiological perfect world, where the users are deprived of the ability to move, eat and drink. The avatars have nothing else to consume but â€Å"sign s† of the real. Avatars can rent prostitutes to have sex which is devoid of human contact or experience consequently consuming the â€Å"sign† of having sex. The avatars buy expensive virtual clothes to express the distinction against the avatars wearing free clothes. No actual clothes have changed hands, but people spend real that they have actually earned to consume â€Å"signs† of goods. From a modernist this would seem irrational but Baudrillards states that, â€Å"Nothing resembles itself, and holographic reproduction, like all fantasies of the exact synthesis or resurrection of the real (this also goes for scientific experimentation), is already no longer real, is already hyperreal† (Baudrillard, 1994) , therefore it could be argued that there is no difference in consuming something â€Å"real† or a â€Å"sign of the real†. The newest phase of consumer society is accordingly concerned with the effect of digital consumption. This is intensified by globalisation, new information technologies and real-time communication. In the next section I will discuss the implications of society’s preoccupation with consumption and hyperreality on Architecture. Post-Modern Architecture in a consumer society Frederic Jameson suggests that Postmodernism replicates or reproduces and reinforces the logic of consumer capitalism. Thus when we study a consumer society we should focus on the seductive and alluring as this is inherit to the consumer lifestyle. In architecture terms such as image, ambience and enchantment of appearance are more important than modern notions of individualism, rationalism, naturalism and functionalism (Jameson, 2002). Few contemporary architects have consciously thought of their works with consideration to our image driven culture. In â€Å"Visions’ Unfolding: Architecture in the Age of Electronical Media†, Peter Eisenman postulates that by using computer programs which randomly fold surfaces and connect the building and landscape into one continuous whole, the architecture does not surrender to any particular explanation, but continuously disrupts what is defined as architecture (Eisenman, 1999). This does address the idea of surface being the most important aspect of design but the problem is that the works is possibly not seductive enough, rather the work is merely fascinating. On the other hand the work of Jean Nouvel is shrouded in the enchantment of appearance. In Jean Nouvel in Conversation: Tomorrow Can Take Care of Itself, he says that â€Å"image is the matter of architecture and thus the future of architecture is not architectural in the tectonic senseâ€Å". Nouvel emphasises that his architecture is not composed of space but of communicative surfaces, which he calls interfaces. He is not interested in details but only in images. Koolhaas and Tschumi are two other architects that have based their works on a conscious study of atmosphere rather than functions or meanings in architecture. Lastly one cannot forget to mention Bernard Tshumi. After the vertical, modern, in La Villette we have the horizontal, minimal, conceptual and postmodern hyperrealism. The â€Å"cinematic† adaptations in the architecture enable â€Å"events† and are said to provide new freedom for the visitor when choosing routes and viewpoints. Lastly the famous â€Å"congestion† in Koolhaas’ works can be recognised as an atmospheric effect created by â€Å"programming†. Koolhaas tries to create architecture congested with the masses in diverse actions. These actions have typically not been assigned a specific place. Rational individualism must be abandoned when interpreting mass society. Conclusion In its most recent forms, architecture is already becoming transparent, mobile, flexible and interactive. It almost tries to disappear in order to let a hypothetical mass creativity show through. It replaces the immaterial with floating rules of the game, a screen of deconstruction which leaves the subjects quite free to invent their own game rules. Besides, architecture is not the only thing to give way to this interactive utopia of exchange and playful recreation: all art, politics and virtual technology is going in this direction. These tendencies manifest themselves in contemporary architecture in the new possibilities for pluralism, â€Å"open† architecture, the flexible interrelationship between producers and consumers, interactivity, and â€Å"the innovative consumers†. Moralism against consumer society and commercial architecture does not work because it is characteristic of consumer society itself that it spreads moralities concerning how people should live and which kind of buildings they should have. These moralities concerning consumers are disguised in the form of â€Å"choices†. Neither building without architects nor pragmatist architecture can make the position of architects better in society, because these phenomena are already included in the mythologies of consumer society. As concerns the relevance of Baudrillard’s theory in architecture, it has become apparent through my theoretical work that this makes impossible such traditional architectural concepts in general as creativity, the fulfilling of needs and functionality. Architects can only speed up or slow down interpersonal socio-economic processes and in this way increase social reciprocity and cohesion. According to Baudrillard’s analysis of the present socio-economic patterns in society, it has become almost impossible to make truly seductive and reciprocal architecture. Baudrillard’s theory does not leave very much for architects to lean on, up to the question of asking whether architecture can at all be designed under Baudrillard’s terms, however believable he is in pointing out the crucial problematics of culture in consumer society. Source List HILDE HEYNEN, 2000, Architecture and Modernity: A Critique, Massachusetts, MIT Press, 8-24 JEAN BAUDRILLARD, 1994. The precession of simulacra, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press, 1-42. JEAN BAUDRILLARD, 1982, Modernità ©,† in La modernità © ou l’esprit du temps, Biennale de Paris, Section Architecture, Paris, L’Equerre, 27-28. PETER EISENMAN, 1994, Visions’ Unfolding: Architecture in the Age of Electronical Media, Michigan, A+U Publishers, 2-5. REM KOOLHAAS SANFORD KWINTER, 1996, Conversations with Students, New York, Princeton Architect ural Press, p 5-6.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Alice Walkers Journey with Self-Esteem Essay -- essays research paper

Many writers choose to write memoirs about terrible incidents that changed their lives. Alice Malsenior Walker is one of those writers. She was born on February 8, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia. She considers her life to be very successful for several reasons. Walker graduated from high school as valedictorian. She was involved with the civil rights movement in Mississippi where she lived for seven years. During that time she also got married to a lawyer and had her daughter Rebecca. From an early age she was introverted and quite shy, most likely due to a terrible accident. She immediately retreated into solitude, reading poems and stories and then finally writing. â€Å"Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self†, by Alice Walker, is an essay that reflects on her ideas of beauty as a child, a teenager, and as an adult. Walker spent a great deal of time outside, due to the overcrowding in a small house with eight children (St. James). While playing outside at age eight, she was sh ot with a BB gun in the eye, causing her to lose not only her vision in her right eye, but her self esteem as well. She describes several events in her life that are significant in the formation of her identity. Alice Walker’s past reliance of being a physically cute girl, how confident she feels both before an after her surgery, and her constant feeling of being criticized are all factors that make her the woman that she is today. In order for Alice Walker to know the difference between the positive stares that she got when she was younger and the negative glances that she got when she was older, she had to experience that there was a difference between the two. Before the terrible BB gun accident, there was not a doubt in her mind that when people looked at her they saw an adorable little girl. She said, "It was great fun being cute." Afterwards, she believed that all they saw was "a glob of whitish tissue, a hideous cataract† (Walker 3). She compared the beautiful child that she was, to the ever-growing adult that she grew to become. She had a constant inner struggle between the person that she knew she was and the person that she appeared to be. â€Å"Now when I stare at people—a favorite pastime, up to now—they will stare back. Not at the ‘cute’ little girl, but at her scar† (Walker 3). Years later in her home, a woman arrived to take the photo for the back of Walker ’s book. The woman as... ...all that she could with her vision, while she still had it. Although many of us take our physical normalities for granted, Alice Walker choose to share her personal hardships and experiences to show how she has grown to become the writer that she is today. Her positive memories of being an adorable child have shaped her to realize what both ends of the spectrums are like, and what she will never be again. Low self-esteem soon followed, and as Walker grew, she also learned how to cope with the abysmal comments that she was destined to hear. However, as she grew into womanhood, her knowledge that she was still the same person thrived. Although being constantly judged, Alice Walker made light of the situation and realized that she loves the woman that she has become. Works Cited â€Å"St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture: Alice Walker.† Gale Group: 5 pars. On-line. Internet. 25 Jan. 2004. Available http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/g1epc/bio/2419201268/p1/arti cle.jhtml Walker, Alice. "Beauty When The Other Dancer is the Self." The Blair Reader Second Edition. Ed. Laurie Kirszner, and Stephen R. Mandell. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. 1-7.

The Character of George in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay

Of Mice and Men character essay George Character : George George, a character in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck was â€Å"small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.† (Steinbeck, Pg.2) George was Caucasian and it looked as if he had stepped out of an old movie containing drifters, better known as migrant workers. Although physically George was very small, he had complete control over his companion Lennie, the way a father controls a son. George not only controlled Lennie but he also looked out for him and he wanted him to be happy. An example of this is how he constantly reminds Lennie of their dream, to work on their own farm, much like the dreams of other migrant workers. â€Å"Sure, we’d have a little house an’ a room to ourself, little fat iron stove an’ in the winter we’d keep a fire goin’ in it. It ain’t enough land so we’d have to work too hard. Maybe six, seven hours a day. An’ when we put in a crop, why, we’d be there to take the crop up. We’d know what come of our planting.† (Pg. 58) George had taken care of Lennie, every step of the way, just like his Aunt Clara told him to. â€Å"He ain’t much of a talker, is he? No he ain’t but sure is a hell of a good worker.†(Pg. 21-22) George even went as far as talking for Lennie to get him a job at the ranch, something not many workers would have done for eachother. Ev en though George acted like ... The Character of George in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men Essay Of Mice and Men character essay George Character : George George, a character in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck was â€Å"small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.† (Steinbeck, Pg.2) George was Caucasian and it looked as if he had stepped out of an old movie containing drifters, better known as migrant workers. Although physically George was very small, he had complete control over his companion Lennie, the way a father controls a son. George not only controlled Lennie but he also looked out for him and he wanted him to be happy. An example of this is how he constantly reminds Lennie of their dream, to work on their own farm, much like the dreams of other migrant workers. â€Å"Sure, we’d have a little house an’ a room to ourself, little fat iron stove an’ in the winter we’d keep a fire goin’ in it. It ain’t enough land so we’d have to work too hard. Maybe six, seven hours a day. An’ when we put in a crop, why, we’d be there to take the crop up. We’d know what come of our planting.† (Pg. 58) George had taken care of Lennie, every step of the way, just like his Aunt Clara told him to. â€Å"He ain’t much of a talker, is he? No he ain’t but sure is a hell of a good worker.†(Pg. 21-22) George even went as far as talking for Lennie to get him a job at the ranch, something not many workers would have done for eachother. Ev en though George acted like ...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Importance of Preserving the Union in John Milton’s Paradise Lost Essay

The Importance of Preserving the Union in Paradise Lost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Critics have long argued over the power structure operating in the gender relations of Milton's Paradise Lost. However, to really understand Adam and Eve and the intricacies of their relationship, it is necessary to view them in terms of a union, not as separate people vying for power. Because they are a union of contraries, the power dilemma is a moot point even though a hierarchy exists; it is a hierarchy of knowledge, not of power, and it in no way implies that Adam needs Eve any less than she needs him. Actually, they both need each other equally as much because they each have strengths and weaknesses that are complemented by the other&emdash; this necessarily leads to their interdependency. They are opposites, each with their own limitations (which Milton makes clear particularly through their creation narratives and their pre-fall relationship), who come together to form a very powerful and cohesive union. Everything that Adam and Eve do throughout the story of Par adise Lost, most obviously during and after the Fall, is directed at preserving their union. The balance of their relationship changes after the Fall and allows for the redemption of the union as well as humankind. Milton shows the opposite natures of Adam and Eve throughout their creation narratives. Adam is created during the day, and his creation emphasizes the heat of the sun: As new wak't from soundest sleep Soft on the flourie herb I found me laid In Balmie Sweat, which with his Beames the Sun Soon dri'd. (8.253-56) The sun is both light and heat, and it plays an important role in Adam's creation: "The sun helps creation by drying Adam" (Flannagan 441). Conversely, Ev... ...woman: they are two forces which must remain in balance, or if they change, they must change according to each other and come to terms with a new union. The relationship of Adam and Eve changes greatly in the course of Paradise Lost and though they lose much of what they begin with, they end with what they need: each other and a newly defined union whose terms they both accept.    Works Cited Froula, Christine. "When Eve Reads Milton: Undoing the Canonical Economy." John Milton. Ed. Annabel Patterson. New York: Longman, 1992. 142-164. McColley, Diane Kelsey. Milton's Eve. Chicago: U of Illinois P, 1934. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Roy Flannagan. New York: Macmillan, 1993. Webber, Joan Malory. "The Politics of Poetry: Feminism and Paradise Lost." Milton Studies. Vol. 14. Ed. James D. Simmonds. Pittsburgh: U of Pittsburgh P, 1980. 3-24.   

Saturday, August 17, 2019

A Prisoner’s Re-Entry into Society

Prisoner re-entry is a vitally important issue today which has yet to reach its full impact on the minds and lives of voters. However, with every passing year the importance of this topic becomes more evident. Since the eighties, every passing year has brought more pressure for harsher and longer imprisonment and more streamlined mandatory sentencing rules. This has not only resulted in an exploding prison population, but also in a drastic increase in the number of prisoners re-released into communities. Additionally, the push towards more punitive measures has decreased educational opportunities in prisons and the availability of rehabilitation programs. This means that released prisoners are increasingly unable to reintegrate into their communities, increasingly prone to recidivism, and increasingly violent in each release and re-capture cycle. Even the conservative Bush administration has recognized the threat posed by unprepared prisoner re-entry and responded with a series of grants to private and public organizations involved in rehabilitation and easing prisoner transitions. However, merely making government money available to private, religious, or state-based programs is not enough. These funds are only likely to reach a minority of prisoners who are already being aided by the aided programs. Prisoners whose communities and systems do not already take measures to help their rehabilitation will not be seeing any increase in re-entry programs or preparation. A nationwide set of standards is needed to assure that every prisoner eligible for re-release into the community will be inoculated against recidivism and prepared to become a useful part of the society in which they will reside. It is time for the Democratic Party to back away from the conservative model of crime prevention through fear and towards social responsible model of crime prevention through the creation of healthy communities. This can be done in large part by reforming the prison system from a gulag of social control and intimidation into a truly educational experience in which prisoners are put on a moderated track towards social responsibility, respect for the rights of others, and preparation to take a beneficial role in society. Joan Petersilia wrote an insightful book on this subject documenting a series of studies in crime and public policy, When Prisoners Come Home: Parole and Prisoner Reentry. After presenting many pages of carefully documented research, Petersilia provided four suggestions for future reform which could drastically reduce recidivism and change returning prisoners from presenting a public threat to being a boon to society. These suggestions were as follows: 1. Alter the in-prison experience. Provide more education, work, and rehabilitation opportunities. Change the prison environment to promote life skills rather than violence and domination. 2. Change prison release and revocation practices. Institute a system of discretionary parole release that incorporates parole release guidelines. These parole guidelines should be based primarily on recidivism prediction. 3. Revise post-prison services and supervision. Incorporate better parole supervision classification systems, and target services and surveillance to those with high need and risk profiles. 4. Foster collaborations with the community and enhance mechanisms of informal social control. Develop partnerships with service providers, ex-convicts, law enforcement, family members, victim advocates, and neighborhoods to support the offender. (Petersilia) These suggestions represent the best Democratic policy towards reform of the prisoner re-entry system. Petersilia's book on the subject provides documentation about the efficacy of these recommendations and their necessity in the current environment. The remainder of this paper will focus on the precise laws, policies, and programs which may be recommended to promote the implementations of these suggestions. Petersilia's first recommendation is to alter the in-prison experience. This may not be the immediately evident response to prisoner re-entry, but evidence suggests it may in fact be the most important response. As Petersilia points out in a separate article on the â€Å"Challenges of Prisoner Reentry and Parole in California,† the reason that returning convicts pose such a threat is not merely that they are dangerous criminals returning to the communities that they originally victimized, but that their time in prison has in all likelihood increased the dangers they pose to civilians! It is common knowledge that non-violent and inexperienced criminals entering the prison system are likely to emerge being both violent and experienced due to the brutal conditions that exist in most prisons. Male (and female) rape is extremely common in the prison system, with estimates placed between 13-70% of inmates suffering unwanted sexual conduct. (HRW) Such brutal experiences lead many inmates to experience post traumatic stress disorder, which has been positively linked to increased violent tendencies. The degree of dehumanization and stress common in prison can cause other problems as well. â€Å"Mental illnesses, particularly chronic anxiety and depression, may be caused by incarceration. Psychologists believe that incarceration often breeds ‘global rage,' an impulsive and explosive anger so great that a minor incident can trigger an uncontrolled response.† (Petersilia, â€Å"Challenges†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) The Human Rights Watch's report on prison rape in America recommends several measures for preventing prison rape and brutality, and it is vital that policy focus on this aspect of the prison experience. In 2003 a bill was passed establishing a National Commission dedicated to studying prison rape, and several other measures to provide information and training regarding prison rape. However, these measures did not go far enough to assure that prison rape was both prosecuted and that victims received help and counseling. Neither mandatory prosecution nor counseling was included in the bill's measures. Though some constituents might hesitate to focus on preventing brutality to prisoners (indeed, if one pays close attention to the sorts of attitudes and jokes prevalent on crime shows such as Law and Order and NYPD Blue, many consumers may think that prison rape is a justifiable punishment for child abusers and pedophiles), it is important to remember that prison rape victims are likely to emerge with HIV and equally likely to become sexual abusers after their experiences even if they were not abusers before. Thus it is a public health and safety concern to prevent prison rape and other brutality between prisoners. The following policies should be instituted nationwide: 1. Division of prison population between violent and non-violent criminals, and between those who are eligible for parole and those who are not. (Parole-eligible prisoners have more incentive for good behavior) 2. Establishment of special court systems for prison population, mandatory investigation and prosecution of all incidents of hospitalization resulting from sexual assault, availability of independent prisoner-rights advocates, and segregation of all inmates convicted of prisoner-on-prisoner sexual assault to carefully regulated wards, and automatic termination for any employee convicted of sexual impropriety or battery of an inmate. 3. Mandatory counseling and AIDS testing for all prison brutality victims and the establishment of victim-positive protective custody arrangements. (Many victimized inmates are only offered solitary confinement as a protective arrangement, which generally means loss of other privileges and any human interaction, potentially worsening the trauma and decreasing reports) Condoms and retro-virus treatment should be made available to all AIDS/HIV positive inmates, so that future consensual prison relationships will be less likely to increase AIDS transmission. Additionally, the very arrangement of prisons tends to discourage personal responsibility and the development of positive social interactions. Petersilia describes how prison systems punish individual initiative and free-thought, and fail to prepare inmates for independence and responsibility within an open society. â€Å"When personal choice is eliminated, so is personal accountability because the system makes all decisions for prisoners.† (Petersilia, 184) A nationwide study should be undertaken regarding ways that personal choice and accountability can be safely established in prisons and a set of guidelines for national and private prisons should be developed based on the results of that study. Petersilia recommends some programs which have had success in the past which allow simple personal choice from requiring prisoners to decide for themselves when/how to clean their own cells, send their laundry to the cleaners, and so forth. Involving prisoners in some of the more mundane aspects of their confinement is likely to increase the sense of personal control and encourage responsibility. These changes should not be geared so much as ameliorating the punishment of prisoners as of assuring that the incarceration does not reduce their ability to function as a free person. One more important issue regarding prison experience is the availability of vocational and academic training. It is well known by those who study these issues that prisoners who are able to be employed after re-entry to society are significantly less likely to commit further crimes. Petersilia's second suggestion was to change prison release and revocation practices. The best recommendation for policy on this issue would be to adjust mandatory sentences so that they included the completion of certain educational and behavioral requirements. These adapted sentences would require the inmate to both complete a certain length of time and a set of release requirements to be established by a panel of experts on a case-by-case basis. These release requirements must be completed before the inmate was eligible either for parole or release based on time served. Requirements should include, as determined per individual case, mandatory counseling, addiction treatment, educational attainment, vocational studies, and good behavior. Petersilia points out that, based on prison records, recidivism predictions can be made that are 80% correct. Recidivism predictors should be made clear to inmates and they should be encouraged to work towards being eligible for release and parole. A nationwide set of guidelines regarding minimum achievements requirements in addition to the current nationwide set of minimum time-served requirements would return the focus to rehabilitation rather than mere punishment. In fact, the minimum time-served should be directly related to the minimum time necessary to complete the release requirements. Part of assuring that the prison system creates parolees who do not endanger the community is assuring that it creates educated parolees. It would do well in the future for ex-criminals to speak of â€Å"graduating† from prison, as it were, and going on to lead productive lives. In 1997 the Center on Crime, Communities, and Culture reported that â€Å"inmates with at least two years of college have a 10% re-arrest rate, compared to a national re-arrest rate of approximately 60%.† This is somewhat ironic, because just three years earlier in 1994 Congress passed a bill which virtually destroyed the prison undergraduate school system. This bill eliminated Pell grants paying for the education of incarcerated individuals. â€Å"Nationally, the only higher education program that's still publicly funded is for youthful offenders.† (Banks) So it is that since 1994 recidivism has increased by almost half, going from around 60% to nearly 90%. Today a mixture of volunteers, religious organizations, and state-funded programs have moved in to provide some college education for inmates. However only slightly more than 10% of prisoners will re-enter society with a college degree. A new bill should be sponsored which would fight to prevent crime by educating prisoners and thus slashing their chances of offending again. Even if Pell Grants were not extended to prisoners, perhaps a new system of educational grants should be developed that would pay for accredited college education for prisoners as part of their pre-release requirements. Our founding fathers all focused on the necessity of a free people being an educated people, and claimed that democracy was dependent on the education of the people. If we are to prepare prisoners to reenter a democratic nation and partake in it as citizens rather than as public enemies, then a liberal arts education which both prepares them for work and prepares them to understand the rights and responsibilities of all citizens is absolutely necessary. Petersilia's third point is that we need extensive post-release services. A new set of federal guidelines should require all released prisoners to be prepared with housing and income options. Halfway housing should be arranged for those who do not have families prepared to commit to providing housing. Job-placement services should be arranged before release and continued employment should be a condition of parole with job-placement provided at any point during the parole period at which the ex-inmate becomes unemployed. Continued medical treatment and counseling for prison-related problems (including AIDS and mental illness) should be provided, as well as mandatory counseling and guidance sessions. More federal and state funding needs to be available to increase the number of parole officers and services. Nationwide there is a shortage in parole officers. In California, for example, â€Å"the ratio is now 82 parolees to 1 parole officer†¦ even parolees who are motivated to change have little opportunity to do so.† (Petersilia, â€Å"Challenges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ) According to Petersilia's research, â€Å"most inmates have a strong desire to succeed when they are first released.† (Petersilia, â€Å"Challenges†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Therefore it is vital that re-entry services are provided. Additionally, as most inmates are re-arrested within three years, it seems vital that such services are available for a period of at least five years as the inmates adjust to the responsibility and freedom of life outside. Homelessness, lack of income and opportunities, and a return to addiction are among the main reasons for a return to crime — proper post-release supervision, counseling, and provision of housing and work opportunities can prevent this. Though such supervision would be expensive, it will be far less expensive to provide ex-inmates with housing, employment, and services within the community than to provide them with housing, constant supervision, and services inside our prisons after they re-offend. In conclusion, it appears that a national Recidivism Prevention Bill is absolutely necessary. This bill should include: 1) a commitment to stop prison rape by means of the creation of a special court system for in-prison crimes such as rape, the mandatory investigation of prison rape cases, and special custody arrangements designed to combat rape; 2) the establishment of a study resulting in national guidelines for prison reform aimed at fostering social responsibility and accountability; 3) the establishment and funding of an accredited national university of correctional facilities which provides liberal arts, vocational, and technical degrees to inmates; 4) Creation of national guidelines for sentencing to include individual minimum release requirements including (but not limited to) successful completion of addiction or other counseling, charitable service, educational and vocational training, evidence of good behavior, and treatment for mental health problems; 5) national guidelines and funding for parole services including housing, job-placement and training, medical services , and mental health/addiction/family adjustment counseling, and a low parolee-to-officer ration allowing for adequate surveillance and regular check-ups. A Prisoner’s Re-Entry into Society Prisoner re-entry is a vitally important issue today which has yet to reach its full impact on the minds and lives of voters. However, with every passing year the importance of this topic becomes more evident. Since the eighties, every passing year has brought more pressure for harsher and longer imprisonment and more streamlined mandatory sentencing rules. This has not only resulted in an exploding prison population, but also in a drastic increase in the number of prisoners re-released into communities. Additionally, the push towards more punitive measures has decreased educational opportunities in prisons and the availability of rehabilitation programs. This means that released prisoners are increasingly unable to reintegrate into their communities, increasingly prone to recidivism, and increasingly violent in each release and re-capture cycle. Even the conservative Bush administration has recognized the threat posed by unprepared prisoner re-entry and responded with a series of grants to private and public organizations involved in rehabilitation and easing prisoner transitions. However, merely making government money available to private, religious, or state-based programs is not enough. These funds are only likely to reach a minority of prisoners who are already being aided by the aided programs. Prisoners whose communities and systems do not already take measures to help their rehabilitation will not be seeing any increase in re-entry programs or preparation. A nationwide set of standards is needed to assure that every prisoner eligible for re-release into the community will be inoculated against recidivism and prepared to become a useful part of the society in which they will reside. It is time for the Democratic Party to back away from the conservative model of crime prevention through fear and towards social responsible model of crime prevention through the creation of healthy communities. This can be done in large part by reforming the prison system from a gulag of social control and intimidation into a truly educational experience in which prisoners are put on a moderated track towards social responsibility, respect for the rights of others, and preparation to take a beneficial role in society. Joan Petersilia wrote an insightful book on this subject documenting a series of studies in crime and public policy, When Prisoners Come Home: Parole and Prisoner Reentry. After presenting many pages of carefully documented research, Petersilia provided four suggestions for future reform which could drastically reduce recidivism and change returning prisoners from presenting a public threat to being a boon to society. These suggestions were as follows: 1. Alter the in-prison experience. Provide more education, work, and rehabilitation opportunities. Change the prison environment to promote life skills rather than violence and domination. 2. Change prison release and revocation practices. Institute a system of discretionary parole release that incorporates parole release guidelines. These parole guidelines should be based primarily on recidivism prediction. 3. Revise post-prison services and supervision. Incorporate better parole supervision classification systems, and target services and surveillance to those with high need and risk profiles. 4. Foster collaborations with the community and enhance mechanisms of informal social control. Develop partnerships with service providers, ex-convicts, law enforcement, family members, victim advocates, and neighborhoods to support the offender. (Petersilia) These suggestions represent the best Democratic policy towards reform of the prisoner re-entry system. Petersilia's book on the subject provides documentation about the efficacy of these recommendations and their necessity in the current environment. The remainder of this paper will focus on the precise laws, policies, and programs which may be recommended to promote the implementations of these suggestions. Petersilia's first recommendation is to alter the in-prison experience. This may not be the immediately evident response to prisoner re-entry, but evidence suggests it may in fact be the most important response. As Petersilia points out in a separate article on the â€Å"Challenges of Prisoner Reentry and Parole in California,† the reason that returning convicts pose such a threat is not merely that they are dangerous criminals returning to the communities that they originally victimized, but that their time in prison has in all likelihood increased the dangers they pose to civilians! It is common knowledge that non-violent and inexperienced criminals entering the prison system are likely to emerge being both violent and experienced due to the brutal conditions that exist in most prisons. Male (and female) rape is extremely common in the prison system, with estimates placed between 13-70% of inmates suffering unwanted sexual conduct. (HRW) Such brutal experiences lead many inmates to experience post traumatic stress disorder, which has been positively linked to increased violent tendencies. The degree of dehumanization and stress common in prison can cause other problems as well. â€Å"Mental illnesses, particularly chronic anxiety and depression, may be caused by incarceration. Psychologists believe that incarceration often breeds ‘global rage,' an impulsive and explosive anger so great that a minor incident can trigger an uncontrolled response.† (Petersilia, â€Å"Challenges†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) The Human Rights Watch's report on prison rape in America recommends several measures for preventing prison rape and brutality, and it is vital that policy focus on this aspect of the prison experience. In 2003 a bill was passed establishing a National Commission dedicated to studying prison rape, and several other measures to provide information and training regarding prison rape. However, these measures did not go far enough to assure that prison rape was both prosecuted and that victims received help and counseling. Neither mandatory prosecution nor counseling was included in the bill's measures. Though some constituents might hesitate to focus on preventing brutality to prisoners (indeed, if one pays close attention to the sorts of attitudes and jokes prevalent on crime shows such as Law and Order and NYPD Blue, many consumers may think that prison rape is a justifiable punishment for child abusers and pedophiles), it is important to remember that prison rape victims are likely to emerge with HIV and equally likely to become sexual abusers after their experiences even if they were not abusers before. Thus it is a public health and safety concern to prevent prison rape and other brutality between prisoners. The following policies should be instituted nationwide: 1. Division of prison population between violent and non-violent criminals, and between those who are eligible for parole and those who are not. (Parole-eligible prisoners have more incentive for good behavior) 2. Establishment of special court systems for prison population, mandatory investigation and prosecution of all incidents of hospitalization resulting from sexual assault, availability of independent prisoner-rights advocates, and segregation of all inmates convicted of prisoner-on-prisoner sexual assault to carefully regulated wards, and automatic termination for any employee convicted of sexual impropriety or battery of an inmate. 3. Mandatory counseling and AIDS testing for all prison brutality victims and the establishment of victim-positive protective custody arrangements. (Many victimized inmates are only offered solitary confinement as a protective arrangement, which generally means loss of other privileges and any human interaction, potentially worsening the trauma and decreasing reports) Condoms and retro-virus treatment should be made available to all AIDS/HIV positive inmates, so that future consensual prison relationships will be less likely to increase AIDS transmission. Additionally, the very arrangement of prisons tends to discourage personal responsibility and the development of positive social interactions. Petersilia describes how prison systems punish individual initiative and free-thought, and fail to prepare inmates for independence and responsibility within an open society. â€Å"When personal choice is eliminated, so is personal accountability because the system makes all decisions for prisoners.† (Petersilia, 184) A nationwide study should be undertaken regarding ways that personal choice and accountability can be safely established in prisons and a set of guidelines for national and private prisons should be developed based on the results of that study. Petersilia recommends some programs which have had success in the past which allow simple personal choice from requiring prisoners to decide for themselves when/how to clean their own cells, send their laundry to the cleaners, and so forth. Involving prisoners in some of the more mundane aspects of their confinement is likely to increase the sense of personal control and encourage responsibility. These changes should not be geared so much as ameliorating the punishment of prisoners as of assuring that the incarceration does not reduce their ability to function as a free person. One more important issue regarding prison experience is the availability of vocational and academic training. It is well known by those who study these issues that prisoners who are able to be employed after re-entry to society are significantly less likely to commit further crimes. Petersilia's second suggestion was to change prison release and revocation practices. The best recommendation for policy on this issue would be to adjust mandatory sentences so that they included the completion of certain educational and behavioral requirements. These adapted sentences would require the inmate to both complete a certain length of time and a set of release requirements to be established by a panel of experts on a case-by-case basis. These release requirements must be completed before the inmate was eligible either for parole or release based on time served. Requirements should include, as determined per individual case, mandatory counseling, addiction treatment, educational attainment, vocational studies, and good behavior. Petersilia points out that, based on prison records, recidivism predictions can be made that are 80% correct. Recidivism predictors should be made clear to inmates and they should be encouraged to work towards being eligible for release and parole. A nationwide set of guidelines regarding minimum achievements requirements in addition to the current nationwide set of minimum time-served requirements would return the focus to rehabilitation rather than mere punishment. In fact, the minimum time-served should be directly related to the minimum time necessary to complete the release requirements. Part of assuring that the prison system creates parolees who do not endanger the community is assuring that it creates educated parolees. It would do well in the future for ex-criminals to speak of â€Å"graduating† from prison, as it were, and going on to lead productive lives. In 1997 the Center on Crime, Communities, and Culture reported that â€Å"inmates with at least two years of college have a 10% re-arrest rate, compared to a national re-arrest rate of approximately 60%.† This is somewhat ironic, because just three years earlier in 1994 Congress passed a bill which virtually destroyed the prison undergraduate school system. This bill eliminated Pell grants paying for the education of incarcerated individuals. â€Å"Nationally, the only higher education program that's still publicly funded is for youthful offenders.† (Banks) So it is that since 1994 recidivism has increased by almost half, going from around 60% to nearly 90%. Today a mixture of volunteers, religious organizations, and state-funded programs have moved in to provide some college education for inmates. However only slightly more than 10% of prisoners will re-enter society with a college degree. A new bill should be sponsored which would fight to prevent crime by educating prisoners and thus slashing their chances of offending again. Even if Pell Grants were not extended to prisoners, perhaps a new system of educational grants should be developed that would pay for accredited college education for prisoners as part of their pre-release requirements. Our founding fathers all focused on the necessity of a free people being an educated people, and claimed that democracy was dependent on the education of the people. If we are to prepare prisoners to reenter a democratic nation and partake in it as citizens rather than as public enemies, then a liberal arts education which both prepares them for work and prepares them to understand the rights and responsibilities of all citizens is absolutely necessary. Petersilia's third point is that we need extensive post-release services. A new set of federal guidelines should require all released prisoners to be prepared with housing and income options. Halfway housing should be arranged for those who do not have families prepared to commit to providing housing. Job-placement services should be arranged before release and continued employment should be a condition of parole with job-placement provided at any point during the parole period at which the ex-inmate becomes unemployed. Continued medical treatment and counseling for prison-related problems (including AIDS and mental illness) should be provided, as well as mandatory counseling and guidance sessions. More federal and state funding needs to be available to increase the number of parole officers and services. Nationwide there is a shortage in parole officers. In California, for example, â€Å"the ratio is now 82 parolees to 1 parole officer†¦ even parolees who are motivated to change have little opportunity to do so.† (Petersilia, â€Å"Challenges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ) According to Petersilia's research, â€Å"most inmates have a strong desire to succeed when they are first released.† (Petersilia, â€Å"Challenges†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Therefore it is vital that re-entry services are provided. Additionally, as most inmates are re-arrested within three years, it seems vital that such services are available for a period of at least five years as the inmates adjust to the responsibility and freedom of life outside. Homelessness, lack of income and opportunities, and a return to addiction are among the main reasons for a return to crime — proper post-release supervision, counseling, and provision of housing and work opportunities can prevent this. Though such supervision would be expensive, it will be far less expensive to provide ex-inmates with housing, employment, and services within the community than to provide them with housing, constant supervision, and services inside our prisons after they re-offend. In conclusion, it appears that a national Recidivism Prevention Bill is absolutely necessary. This bill should include: 1) a commitment to stop prison rape by means of the creation of a special court system for in-prison crimes such as rape, the mandatory investigation of prison rape cases, and special custody arrangements designed to combat rape; 2) the establishment of a study resulting in national guidelines for prison reform aimed at fostering social responsibility and accountability; 3) the establishment and funding of an accredited national university of correctional facilities which provides liberal arts, vocational, and technical degrees to inmates; 4) Creation of national guidelines for sentencing to include individual minimum release requirements including (but not limited to) successful completion of addiction or other counseling, charitable service, educational and vocational training, evidence of good behavior, and treatment for mental health problems; 5) national guidelines and funding for parole services including housing, job-placement and training, medical services , and mental health/addiction/family adjustment counseling, and a low parolee-to-officer ration allowing for adequate surveillance and regular check-ups.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Servicecape

the heart of the services product is the experience of the customers which takes places in real time . The concept of services capes was developed by booms and bitner to emphasize the impact of the environment in which a service process takes places .They defined it as ‘the environment in which the services is assembled and in which seller and customer intersect , combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service In the service encounter the customers is in the factory and is part of the process production and consumption of the service are simultaneous where the firm and the customer interact (Baker and Cameron 1996 ) It encompasses several factors related to the delivery of service which includes all the physical , behavioral , and emotional aspects that surround services delivery The research is purely based on the idea of ?Servicescape? which has emerged as an important concept for understanding customers behaviour in service ind ustry. Service providers should build environments that develop environments that appeal to consumer pleasure and arousal states while avoiding atmospheres that create submissiveness. The construct environments should be such that, it facilitates the operational ease and efficiency of the firm. Today the Business thinking has changed; it has come closer to the customer or to be more apt to the consumer.It can be observed that the consumer’s decision making for purchasing a product or service is not limited to the tangibility but to the whole product including the environment of delivery. Similarly the place or physical environment where product or service is delivered is of great importance. As said by Philip Kotler â€Å"One of the most significant features of a total product is the place where it is bought or consumed. In some cases , the place, more specifically the atmosphere of the place is more influential than the product itself in the purchase decision.In some cases the atmosphere is the primary product†. The above quote signifies the importance of servicescape in selling of a product or service. Booms and Bitner defined a servicescape as â€Å"the environment in which the service is assembled and in which the seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service† It includes facilities exterior (landscape, exterior design, signage, parking, surrounding environment) and facilities interior (interior design ; decor, equipment, signage, layout, air quality, temperature and ambiance).The aim of this research is to focus on how important is servicescape in terms of atmospherics in zara that impacts consumer’s perception and attitudes to buy this service. It is quite important for this industry to concentrate on physical attributes apart from food served consumers are quite sensitive about the ambience, lighting, decor, music These factors may drive the motiva tion and decision making aspects of consumer behavior , as well as the time spending and the experiences at the end . t constantly changes in to make the experience of visiting the museum more enjoyable and fruitful each and every time the physical environment doesn t just influence customers , it influences employees as weel . idealty the business enviroment should cater simultaneously to the needs of the employees as well as the customers customers and employees perceive the environment holistically as a composite of three dimensions . ambient conditions , spatial layout and functionaity , sign , symbols and artifacts. ach dimension may affect the overall perception independently ans or through its interaction with the other dimensions . ambiant conditions: they are notable when they are extrem hot cold ect.. , when the customers spend large amount of time in them , when they don t match one s expectations spatial layout and functionality : important self service setting , complex ity of task , situation when time is short sign , symbols and artifacts re important in forming first impressions , communicating new service concepts , repositioning a service , hughtly competitive industries to differentiate from competitors . Elements of servicescape affect customers' perceptions of the service experience Main Elements According to Bitner (1992) 1. Ambient Condition – condition surrounding employees and customers that can be sensed through a human's five senses (i. e. eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin). thise carachteristique of the environement pertaining to our five enses . even not consciously noted they may still affect . they create a mood that is perceived and interpreted by the custonmers they are perceived both separately and holistically . 2. Spatial Layout and Functionality Spatial Layout – the seamless layout of furnishing which is used to achieve maximum productivity in the most efficient and effective manners 3. Signs, Symbols, Artefac ts and Branding – the icons or signals that amplify the message from the buyer to the intended customers.The music in the cinema was played at barely audible volumes , the music have a powerful effect on perception and behaviour . the music was mostly played in the place where they was the bar / restaurant and we could hear it better and then it was very light in all the other place . this kind of music low but still energetic have an effect on their pace and behavoiur as they will tend to adjust to the mmusic in this case this is made to be confortable lowering their stress level , making you want to stay and will increased their level of impulse purchase in the restaurant or the bar .An ambiant smell is one that pervades an environment , the most present smell is the one of pop corn , this smell that is often associated to cinema so it make you want to consume and to buy some . neverless the scent is mostly present in the snack area . and by passing near to it the smell mak e the customer aware of an hunger and suggest a solution . this smell is typically present on cinema . Colors have a strong impact on people feeling . he cinemawolrd is mostly based on the colors blue a dark blue , instead of most of the others cinema that are using a lot of red wich give a feeling of warm and high energy that can exited and stimulate the company choose to use the blue wich is coolest , but represent relaxation , serenity and loyalty it help for relieving headach wich is a good things as a cinema can become crowded and with full of young people it can be annoying for some customers also Great color to give that impression Blue is calm, True and Honest.It is a symbol of peace, tranquility and good will Dark Blue is Moving, soulful and compassionate. This blue has heart and emotion. .   . neverless they are using a lot of other colors in the different area , in the arcade display the color is orange wich are warm color with energy Orange calls to mind feelings of ex citement, enthusiasm, and warmth. also for the snack area the atmosfere is totally different the color whyte is the most present the ligh are more bright the flor is also whyte carrelage all of this element give a eeling of space , but white is used also to give a sense of sterility wich can be great as this is where food are served so it reassure people but with the goods that are well showed and visible to the customers it give colors to the place and can attract . the lounge area is a mix of blue and red mixing a warm color with a cool one could be a bit strange but this association is often used in diverse place tjhis association give a feeling of warmth and stimulate but in the same time relax and serenity , the parquet on the floor wich is brown add a feelin of confort .The screen room are all black with low light wich give a great feeling of warmth * Orange is often used to draw attention http://fortunerep. hubpages. com/hub/Color-and-Emotion-Association Additional elements 1 . Virtual Servicescape – where the employees or the customers are not in the same physical area, but they are interacting via an electronic media – the Internet. Read more: http://www. oxbridgewriters. com/essays/management/physical-evidence-and-servicescape. hp#ixzz2MmE4NyXX A brand of a product or service is a bond (positive or negative) between the buyer and seller Brand is also seen by customers as to perceive risk, value, and signal the quality of the product or service Branding and servicescape are inseparable Branding is something that let the product or service stayed in customers' minds http://www. slideshare. net/ahmad1957/servicescapes-presentation . http://www. ukessays. com/essays/marketing/servicescape-in-uk-restaurant-industry-marketing-essay. php http://scholarworks. umass. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? rticle=1177&context=gradconf_hospitality A servicescape plays four important roles. Package Servicescapes ‘package' the service offer and communicate an image to the customers of what they are going to get. Appropriate servicescaping is a sure shot way to create an image that the service provider is seeking to put up. It also helps moderate customer expectation and reinforces his experience and reminiscences. Servicescape is an outward appearance of organization and thus can be critical in forming initial impressions or setting up customer expectation.Facilitator Another important job of servicescape is to act as an a facilitator in assisting both the customers and service employees to make most of the opportunity it should make the service consumption comfortable convenient for the customer. Socializer Design of servicescapes aids in socialization of both the customers and employees, conveying expected roles, behavior and relationship. Differentiator Clearly the design of the servicescape differentiates one provider from its competitors, and hints at eth segment the services are targeted at.Companies adapt servicescape to reposi tion the services or identify new customer segments. Conclusion Although it is useful from a strategic point of view to think about the multiple roles of the servicescape and how they interact making actual decision about servicescape design requires an understanding of why the effects occur and how to manage them. The roles played by servicescape in a particular situation will aid in identifying opportunities and deciding just who needs to be consulted in making facility design decisions.Ambient Condition – tries to give the best premium shopping experience to the customer store is designed aesthetic and professional with high ceiling and luminous ambiance to create a sense of openness and spaciousness . indeed the with color is predominent on the store it directly give you a feeling of consumers able to sense that the premises are young with all the color but in the same time even if the price proposed are low , it doesn t show up in the store as the place is spacious white it give an imoression of upscale etail shope †¢male security guards in front of main entrances – security is also one of the elements for high-class people who prefer to have a sense of security when entering premises Staff is wearing a red shirt with black pant and other blue shirt that help reinforce the image of the company Spatial Layout and Functionality Spatial layout act on the emotional customers responses .The batiment is fully air conditioned on the summer and on the winter heater righ when the customers enter the stores wich reinforce the feeling of feeling safe and confortable main entrance made from clear tampered glass to provide spaciousness and a sense of welcome to any who want to enter , also there is a vitrine display outside that attract customers to enter by putting the commercial advertissement the first stage where †¦. is not really confortable to be in as there is huge colonne in the middle even if necessary its not aeteticke also the elevat or are in the middle of the room separating it . he bulding an original architectural shape that are differents from other bulding in its area we directly consta that this is a cinema . Escalator are a good way insrtead of using stairs like the cinema in occonel street people can just let themslef lift and as there is 4 stages it have an influence on the psychological customers responses . Also the seat are actinmg on the psychological response from the cutomers even if there are a little small comparing for exemple with some seat in the usa wich can be almost the dobble . he batiment is well decorated with a lot of advertissement for the movie , also there in each stage a pancarte helping the custoners to find its way as the cinema is really big and have 4 stage . there is escalator that are placed in the center of each stage so people dont have to look everywhere to find them and they found themlseves in the center of the room being able to decide where to go next , there is also a lift and stairs . the cinema is well equiped for handicaped people as he provide a lift and for the stairs a †¦.. to help them have access to the screen room . n each screen room there is place in the middle of the front row for handicaped people there is also 2 seat at each side so if they come accompanied they can seat with their friend . the cinema also care for the mom that came with babies as they is a changing room out of thel adies restroon so they can have theyr own place . also on the lounge area the structure of the place is well managed providing two style of place like a restaurant and like a bar the mix of the place providing to each of its customers an ambiance but in the same area . he cinema also is provided with a ticket collection machine making the process to take its tikect more easily neverless they are placed on the oposite from the guichet and on the wall wich can be hard to find as you will not think to look there , but they put a big sign signaling it to the customers . 12 guichet are placed on the left side we can see them directly from the entrance , there is a queue defined by a line that help to stay organised . the number is great when there is a lot of people . n the second floor where the snack area is there is also guichet , the menu are well display with picture showing and putting in evidence the goods and price , there is also menu before so when you doing the cue you can already choose , there is there 8 guichet disponible and accroding to the average number of customers comming there is more or less staff present wich can be an error as for example with only two guichet open but a lot of customers people will have to wait and then miss the biggining of the movie wich can have a hudge negative impact on the consumer experience . he cinema is also furnished with some arcade place that are displayed in every stage permitting to have fun and wait the movie playing with your friend . the cinema also provide banch and lit tle waiting room between the screen room . the restroom are in all the main stage 1 2 and three were there is most of the activities , neverless there are little and only two or 3 toilet are there for a big cinema like cineworld that can have a lot of cutomers that can be an inconvenient . here is also a garage for car , so people can come with there car and are in the cinema even if the cinema is weel placed in the center of dublin in a well known street car will alswys like to just have to come park and leave rapidely . the situation of the batiment is also real good has taxi are often there and can drive you right in front of the cinema . he screen room are weel equiped with a lot of seat , even if some of them especially from the side don t have a good view of the screen and be anoying to see the movie like this queuing up to obtain ticke can be long so poster of upcoming movies and entertainment news to ease perception of long wait . there is tv showing the movir that are orese nted with the hour and availability . the restroom are clean and brightly lit a hugde mirror is intalled there is a distributor of woman prodcut but there is no hand owel only one hand when the cinema is in a high peak of people it must be overcrowded and maybe , odorent. It s well designed with no bad seat sufficient lighting to locate the seat , spacious , confortable chair with one drink holder on each seat and a suitabnle temperatures . An easy exit through a brigly lit and safe surrounding The distributor that are placed all over the batiment are good Imax facility sign symbol artifacts many things in the environement act as explicit or implicit signals to communicate the firm images , help customers to find their way and convey the rules of behaviour . or exemple there is a pancarte indicating at the entrance the differente stage and what you can find in eact of them . there is one in each stage that are place next to the elevator so if the customers go up or down he will just have to llok at it to know where to go . also there is no smoking sign , the tickel collector is writted in silver and big letter to attract the attention and coorect the fact that the machine can easly be unsee . the restroom are weel indicated as weel as the changing room . the lift area is not well display . he lighting in the parking and the bulding is well its not too bright inthe inside wich give a feeling of warmt and confort and as the ceiling are high it doesnt give a feeling small place . just in front of the bulding is a lampadaire witch give a great light just in front of the cinema so people can fell safe especially at night . there is maternity and handicaped parking close to the entrance wich demonstrates a sense of caring and understanding of customers needs . this also can act on the belief of the consumer or employees and create an approach feeling . nvironmental psychologist suggest that individuals react to place with two general and opposite behaviour approach wich include all positive behaviour that migh be directed at a particular place such as desire to stay , explore , work and affiliate and avoidance behaviour wich is the opposite . clearly a company will want to developpe a approach behavior toward their business and in the same time descouraging avoidance behavoir . and per consequent building loyalty with a consumer , and this behavior is influenced by its perception of the environement . he servicescape also influence the degree of sucess consumer experience inside the service organisaion and the realisation of its goal . bu creating positive internal response that will lead to an approach behaviors . the employee and custormers interaction have a major influence in the experience of the cosummer , † all social interaction is affected by the fisical container in wich it occurs † they suggest that the surounding will affect the interaction the progression of event . rcade the environement condition will have an impact on the nature of the social interaction , the physical environement influence hightly the behviour of the customers , it is in this point of view that they have created area for customers to have fun or o enjoy some time between friend and waiting for the movie to start as this can be anoying to always have to check befor at what time is the movie will begin if you are just walking and want to see a movie you will have to either find the timetable in internet or go to the cinemas to check it but then we will have to wait there so in order to make people have a great time by waiting they created facilities in the cinamas for example we can find a lot of arcade game in the store . lso a place to eat drink a coffee are present as well as retroom . as a message creating medium : using symbolic cue to communicate to the intended audience aboutn the distinctive nature and quality of the service experience as an attention creating medium to make the servicescape stand out from those of com peting establishement and to attract customers from target segment as an effect creating medium using colors textures sound scents and soatiacl design to enhance the desired service exoerience and or to heighten an appetite for cetains goods service or experiences the servicescape cleacrly communicates and reinforces the cinama positioning . he fact that the employee are present at the end of the movie is also an important part of it , by doing this customers are able to see by themselves that the cinemas is left clean and regularly cleaned for its customers employee have an important effect to and represent the company as well so they have to do a good impression . use of seat instead of staying standing up wich help them and reduce their level of displeasure , also they are working close to each other wich give them a sensation of group and friendship so when their is no customers during a time instead of staying alone they can simply talk with their collegue and that help to spen d the day . and then feel more relaxed and happy rather that being agitated and stressed . also for the cleaning they sometime do it by group of two reinforcing the team basis . t s alway more easy to do something when you are not alone act on the emotional and psychological responses from the employye as this will have a positive affect on the moods and feeling and its comfort. The company is one of the most important cinema present in dublin its well known and have a lot of good review neverless it still could be improved For exemple the sound qualitie can have a different perception according to people some may think its to loud other to low so in some screen room audio casque could be provided like on the plane . but they will have a high quality of sound in order to give a great experience to the customers as the sound is really important in a movie and to provide people stolling them they could be ratached to the seat with a long cord .Also , even if cinemaworld provide some a rcade place theyre are small and separated , they could construct a bigger one by using one of the waiting area between the screen room like the cinema gaumon t multiplex in france that have a vast arcade place to play with distributor of snack they could install some couch and make it a good place to wait for the movie. where they could also meet other people . Cineworld could also replace some of the seat and add a holder of pop corn because usually people came with one popconr and one drink so having to hold one can be annoying sometimes like for the cinema in miami . where the seat also have a place to put there feet and can slowdown there seat to be really confortable they also use a system where the arm of the seat can be elavated giving more confort and better feeling like home . On the parking lot , they could put color coded floors to help customers remember wich alley they are or numeroted them . ike on a aerport The ligh house cinema situated in dublin is well known to pr ovide a book-club, an innovative collaboration with Chapters Bookstore (one of Dublins finest bookshops) where a different book and film adaption are picked each month for discussion. so they can associate movie and book and speak it s a good way to meet people . The cinema can have a lot of people present in the room so it will be good to place a personne that will be in charge to watch if people are too loudy and annoy other spectators and then provide a good experience . like in miami Also in some horror movie a proffesional could be placed and could help people if they are too shoked by some scene from the movie . A little cyberescape could be placed in the cinema where people