Women as Commodity

WOMEN AS COMMODITY Women As Commodity Since ancient times, There people who are being sold just like a mere things sold in a market to be slaves, pimp, and it's quiet alarming that even naive child is a victim of this kind of discursive life. Women have been also analyzed to be part of those bundles of things paraded, bidded for, sold, and traded off despite the fact that women are making huge contributions for the development of their countries in different aspects today, still women are being tricked as commodity.In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, not only focused on the love story of Claudio and Hero; the volatile relationship of Beatrice and Benedik but it also goes much deeper in exploring the tensions between the sexes in a society where female chastity is equated with virtue, and that virtues serve as the measurement of a woman's worth. In women in the story interprets Shakespeare's viewpoint about women state before. â€Å"That women were treated as commodities on the early modern marriage exchange has, of course, been well established.Numerous social historians of the early modern period have documented the value attached to daughters as a means by which to advance family name and social position. Although marriage formations differed widely according to social ranking, as B. J. Sokol and Mary Sokol note in Shakespeare, Law, and Marriage, â€Å"the convention among the gentry and aristocracy was for marriages to be arranged by families with a view to securing advantages or alliances, conforming to a patriarchal model. †Numerous early modern conduct manuals and sermons, in fact, warn that a woman’s worth was linked to her chastity, a worth which could be lost or diminished due to real or, in the case of Shakespeare’ Hero, perceived sexual indiscretion. Commercial Surrogacy and the redefinition of Motherhood The childbearing days are no longer a required element in the reproductive period for some. Commercial surrogacy has ope ned the doors for many who can’t bear children of their own. Surrogate motherhood has increased notoriety as means for obtaining children.A commercial surrogate mother is paid to produce a child for someone else and then has to give up all parental rights and love for the child, she then, has to allow others to raise the child as if their own. This behavior has raised many concerns about the suitable scope of the market in commercial surrogacy. Some totally object to commercial surrogacy because the children and women’s reproductive ability are treated as a commodity like children as buyer durables and women as baby factories. Since the 1970s, there has been rapid and wide ranging development in the field of new reproductive technologies (NRT).With donor insemination (DI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), previously infertile couples have been given new hope and the chance to have children. A more recent addition to these new methods of reproduction has been the combin ation of DI and IVF with surrogate mother arrangements. This technique has subtly changed the realm of reproduction, for with the addition of a third party (the surrogate) to the reproductive environment, the nature of motherhood, fatherhood, and the allocation of parental rights and duties has come into question.Before the advent of NRTs, there were essentially two forms of motherhood recognized in Western society, the biological and the social mother. Except for adoption, fostering, or step parenting, the biological mother was assumed to also be the social mother. This is not surprising, as motherhood has never been ambiguous; one might not know who one’s father was, but one’s mother’s identity was rarely in question.However, before women were granted legal personhood (1929 in Canada), a child’s legal guardian or parent was the father (based on property rights arguments); historically, illegitimate children were not considered to have a legal parent, ei ther mother or father. Surrogate Mothers Assisted reproduction has contributed to the fragmentation of motherhood. Historically, the social and biological aspects of motherhood resided in one person. Maternity is now divisible into genetic, gestational, and social otherhood, and these roles can be spread among a number of women. This division is most apparent in the case of surrogate mothers, where at least three (and possibly as many as five) women can attempt to claim parental rights over a child. â€Å"If Mrs. A is infertile and Mrs. B agrees to provide ova to be fertilized in vitro with semen from Mr. A, and embryos are transferred to Mrs. C, who agrees to carry the baby to term and hand it over to Mrs. A and her husband after birth, the situation becomes extremely complex and the basic tenets of family law uncertain. This situation creates the potential for enormous conflict over who should be considered the ‘mother’ and has the concomitant parental rights and res ponsibilities for the child. For example, in the Baby M case, there was a conflict between two conceptions of ‘motherhood’, the legal (commissioning mother) and the biological (surrogate mother). Surrogacy breaks down and devolves the role of mother, separating the social and nurturing part of motherhood from the genetic contribution and the birthing process. Commercialization and ExploitationWhile surrogacy in general raises a host of social and ethical problems, I believe that commercial surrogacy in particular can crystallize the difficulties that many people have with surrogacy, and help us get to the core of how surrogacy affects our understanding of motherhood. Commercialization, and its use of market rhetoric, treats surrogacy as a service arrangement between a number of individuals, leading to the creation of a product and the transfer of rights to that product. In the law in the U. S. , this is represented in the form of contracts signed by the commissioning co uple and the surrogate mother.In exchange for between $10,000 and $15,000, the surrogate mother (and usually her partner) agree to abstain from intercourse for a number of months, submit to regular and extensive medical exams, and agree to transfer parental rights to the couple once the child is born. Women As Commodity Moral Issues A Korean movie, Surrogate Mothers, told of a young poor girl chosen by the members of the nobility to be the bank for the sperm of the noble son who could not impregnate his barren wife. Her mother was also a surrogate mother before.After delivering the baby, she developed that material attachment to the child. However, she was not allowed to experience cuddling that baby as she had to be banished right away from the palace to keep the deal a secret from the public. She was paid with each and an acre of land for her service. She commits suicide for she can't accept her situation. In India,many women are being burned by their mothers-in-law and husbands f or not being able to pay the dowry completely. The dowry is the amount of money paid to the groom's parents for allowing him to marry the girl.The costs of marrying off daughters have become so expensive in India today reaching as high as 500,000 rupees. Thus amniocentesis or sex determination of t he child in the womb is being sought by couples to know if it is female or male. Many female fetuses have been killed because of this method as couples whom prefer sons. One Indian said: â€Å"It is better to spend 500 rupees (for amniocentesis) now than to spend 500,000 rupees later for a daughter's marriage dowry. † Japenese women feminists have decried thir countrymen who leave their wives walking ten feet behind him, thereby also treating them like commodities.Here in the Philippines, we have a history of various types of commodizing women too. Some landlords require their tenants to make their daughters or wives work in their mansions to render domestic services, maybe sometim es sexual services too, in cases when the tenant fathers are sunk in debt to them and cannot pay back. Wilhelmina Orozco learned on a research how some prostitutes in Olongapo suffer double exploitation when they cannot refuse their manager's demanding sexual favors for them, lest they lose their chances of working in his nightclub.Even some orphanages engage in commodizing women. Their administrators trick the parents of rich pregnant women, ashamed of the stigma attached to unwed mothers, or those poor women into donating their babies to them which they then sell off to rich donors abroad. The term donation instead of payment for the baby becomes a smokescreen to cover up the commerce. Conclusion The concept of surrogate motherhood is becoming very accepted way of infertile couples to have a child of their own. Although it is an act of love, it also involves financial aid.Surrogate mothers are obviously paid for bearing a child inside their wombs. A couple who wants to hire a serv ice of a surrogate mother must also consider the kind of personality of the surrogate mother. We all know that the genes have larger effect on the baby’s personality someday. Women are now expected to function merely as reproductive vehicles, birth mothers with no identity apart from being a suitcase to carry the child, how far can they be pushed into invisibility? How far can we ignore their moral status? It is not the intention of this report to suggest that surrogacy is wrong or unethical.There are serious problems involved, and these are partly moral, legal and partly ethical. Any attempt to legalize surrogacy, commercial or otherwise, must take into account the above implications. A failure to consider the ethical implications of surrogate motherhood, commercial or otherwise, are to show a lack of concern for another being (a surrogate mother). HUMAN TRAFFICKING Human Trafficking Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world, a phenomen on that has been said to be driven by the same forces that drive the globalization of markets.The breadth of the problem is immense and the statistics that outline the prevalence of trafficking in the world today give significant cause for concern. The scope of this global problem is exponentially increasing, and this has been recognized to be in part due to the worldwide increase in poverty that has been caused by the global financial crisis. Slowly and painfully a picture is emerging of a global crime that shames us all. Billions of dollars are being made at the expense of millions of victims of human trafficking. Boys and girls who should be at school are coerced into becoming soldiers, doing hard labor or sold for sex.Women and girls are being trafficked for exploitation: forced into domestic labor, prostitution or marriage. Men, trapped by debt, slave away in mines, plantations, or sweatshops. How can such a trade in human beings occur in the 21st century? Because it is a low r isk reward crime. In many countries, the necessary laws are not in place, or they are not properly enforced —too often traffickers are let off with a slap on the wrist, and victims are treated as criminals. Unscrupulous traffickers exploit the poverty, hope and innocence of the vulnerable.Victims become dehumanized and enslaved—forced to produce cheap goods or provide services over and over again. They live in fear, many become victims of violence. Their blood, sweat and tears are on the hands of consumers in the developed world. What Is Human Trafficking? Human Trafficking is defined in the Trafficking Protocol as â€Å"the recruitment, transport, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a person by such means as threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation. † The definition on trafficking consists of three core elements: ) The  action  of trafficking which means the recruitment, transporta tion, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons 2) The  means  of trafficking which includes threat of or use of force, deception, coercion, abuse of power or position of vulnerability 3) The  purpose  of trafficking which is always exploitation. In the words of the Trafficking Protocol, article 3 â€Å"exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.To ascertain whether a particular circumstance constitutes trafficking in persons, consider the definition of trafficking in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol and the constituent elements of the offense, as defined by relevant domestic legislation. How Is Human Trafficking Different From Migrant Smuggling? †¢ Consent – migrant smuggling, while often undertaken in dangerous or degrading conditions, involves consent. Trafficking victims, on the other hand, have either never consented or if they initially consented, that consent has been rendered meaningless by the coercive, deceptive or abusive action of the traffickers. Exploitation – migrant smuggling ends with the migrants' arrival at their destination, whereas trafficking involves the ongoing exploitation of the victim. †¢ Transnationality – smuggling is always transnational, whereas trafficking may not be. Trafficking can occur regardless of whether victims are taken to another state or moved within a state's borders. †¢ Source of profits – in smuggling cases profits are derived from the transportation of facilitation of the illegal entry or stay of a person into another county, while in trafficking cases profits are derived from exploitation.The distinctions between smuggling and trafficking are often very subtle and sometimes they overlap. Identifying whether a case is one of human trafficking or migrant smuggling and related c rimes can be very difficult for a number of reasons: Some trafficked persons might start their journey by agreeing to be smuggled into a country illegally, but find themselves deceived, coerced or forced into an exploitative situation later in the process (by e. g. being forced to work for extraordinary low wages to pay for the transportation). Traffickers may present an ‘opportunity' that sounds more like smuggling to potential victims.They could be asked to pay a fee in common with other people who are smuggled. However, the intention of the trafficker from the outset is the exploitation of the victim. The ‘fee' was part of the fraud and deception and a way to make a bit more money. Smuggling may be the planned intention at the outset but a ‘too good to miss' opportunity to traffic people presents itself to the smugglers/traffickers at some point in the process. Criminals may both smuggle and traffic people, employing the same routes and methods of transporting t hem.The relationship between these two crimes is often oversimplified and misunderstood; both are allowed to prosper and opportunities to combat both are missed. It is important to understand that the work of migrant smugglers often results in benefit for human traffickers. Smuggled migrants may be victimized by traffickers and have no guarantee that those who smuggle them are not in fact traffickers. In short, smuggled migrants are particularly vulnerable to being trafficked – combating trafficking in persons requires that migrant smuggling be addressed as a priority.What Is The Role Of Transnational Organized Crime Groups In Human Trafficking? Trafficking is almost always a form of organized crime and should be dealt with using criminal powers to investigate and prosecute offenders for trafficking and any other criminal activities in which they engage. Trafficked persons should also be seen as victims of crime. Support and protection of victims is a humanitarian objective a nd an important means of ensuring that victims are willing and able to assist in criminal cases. As with other forms of organized crime, trafficking has globalized.Groups formerly active in specific routes or regions have expanded the geographical scope of their activities to explore new markets. Some have merged or formed cooperative relationships, expanding their geographical reach and range of criminal activities. Trafficking victims have become another commodity in a larger realm of criminal commerce involving other commodities, such as narcotic drugs and firearms or weapons and money laundering that generates illicit revenues or seeks to reduce risks for traffickers.The relatively low risks of trafficking and substantial potential profits have, in some cases, induced criminals to become involved as an alternative to other, riskier criminal pursuits. With the adoption of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplemen ting the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in November 2000, countries have begun to develop the necessary criminal offences and enforcement powers to investigate, prosecute and punish traffickers and to confiscate their profits, but expertise and resources will be needed to make the new measures fully effective.Risks are further reduced by the extent to which victims are intimidated by traffickers, both in destination countries, where they fear deportation or prosecution for offences such as prostitution or illegal immigration, and in their countries of origin, where they are often vulnerable to retaliation or re-victimization if they cooperate with criminal justice authorities. The support and protection of victims is a critical element in the fight against trafficking to increase their willingness to cooperate with authorities and as a necessary means of rehabilitation. Is There A Legal Instrument To Tackle Human Trafficking?The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000 and entered into force on 25 December 2003. The Trafficking Protocol, which supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, is the only international legal instrument addressing human trafficking as a crime and falls under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). 1) The purposes of the Trafficking Protocol are: 2) To prevent and combat trafficking in persons 3) To protect and assist victims of trafficking, and ) To promote cooperation among States Parties in order to meet these objectives. The Trafficking Protocol advances international law by providing, for the first time, a working definition of trafficking in persons and requires ratifying States to criminalize such practices. What Are The Major Challenges Faced In The Battle Against Human Trafficking? A number of points can be made: †¢ It is important that every effort is undertaken to establish the gravity of the problem and tackle the issue from the source to destination. What numbers are available show the problem has not abated and is not likely to.One of the challenges relates to the gathering of accurate information in order that a true picture of the phenomenon can be gauged. In this respect, some progress has been made but more needs to be done. †¢ From UNODC's work across the criminal justice sector, we are fully aware that human trafficking is often only one activity of extensive and highly sophisticated international crime networks. †¢ We need to ensure that, despite the many conflicting priorities faced by member states that the issue of countering human trafficking is clearly given a high priority and focus by the international community. We need to consider the type of action that can be taken to raise awareness of the problem and take steps to prevent trafficking at source (reference to UNODC public service announcements). †¢ A major challenge is to ensure that action is taken to ratify and effectively implement the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. †¢ Improving international cooperation and coordination, particularly in relation to developing information exchange and operational cooperation between law enforcement agencies needs to be strengthened. There is a need to take a more holistic and partnership approach to tackling the problem. In this respect, UNODC fully recognizes the importance of mobilizing the support of NGOs, IGOs, governments and the community at large. Moral Issues 1. A human trafficking victim was rescued after of the tedious and mazy years of being slaved after his mother sold him for money. He was interviewed by the UNODC Country officer of Columbia. â€Å"When you’re a kid, it’s easy to be deceived.Each Su nday when I walked down from the town, where my mum had a business, they would urge me to go with them, telling me that I would have a really good time, that it was better to go with them than to keep on working. On my 12th birthday, they came back for me. My mum was away at work, so I took the chance and escaped with them †¦ Five months later I regretted being there, but there was no chance of leaving. Besides, they told my mum that I was dead, that they had already killed me †¦ just like happened to my cousin who went with the [military], and when she tried to escape, they caught her, sent her to the war council, and executed her.I had been on the 40th front for two months when I got wounded. It was very hard. I was †¦ in the middle of a combat situation, and I had to assemble a bomb to throw at the army, but I grabbed it with the wrong hand. The soldiers were burning me [shooting too close] and I changed the bomb from one hand to another, and it exploded and blew m y leg off †¦ In that moment I felt blood coming out of me, very fast, and I screamed when I saw it. I was legless. I screamed again, and then a guy †¦ grabbed me, but I fainted †¦ We surrendered on 20 July.We were very afraid because they warned us that the only thing we couldn’t do was to let ourselves get caught alive, or surrender to the military, because the first thing they would do to women was raping and torturing us, penetrate us with a wooden stick and then kill us †¦ Now my dream is that they help me to get back my leg, so I can walk again. After that I’d like to go to high school and then to the nursery school †¦ I’d like that. † Ximena, trafficking victim 2. Luana and Marcela are trafficking victims rescued by Brazilian NGO from a discursive life , they experienced being trapped by criminals and forced to prostitutions..Luana: â€Å"A friend of mine told me that a Spanish group was hiring Brazilian girls to work as dan cers on the island of Lanzarote. My friend Marcela and I thought it was a good opportunity to earn money. We didn? t want to continue working as maids. For a short while we only danced. But later they told us there had been too many expenses. And we would have to make some extra money. † Marcela: â€Å"We were trapped by criminals and forced into prostitution in order to pay debts for the trip. We had up to 15 clients per night. The use of condoms was the client? s decision, not ours.The criminals kept our passports and had an armed man in front of the ‘disco’ to make sure we never escaped. But a woman helped us. We went to the police and told everything. † Luana and Marcela, trafficking victims, interviewed by the Brazilian NGO Projeto Trama Maria Feranda is a victim of human trafficking in Colombia. â€Å"At that moment, my nightmare began. I was terrified when they showed me what I was expected to do—I felt I just couldn’t do it. I’ ve been through many things, but never something like that, so I told them that I wasn’tgoing to and that I was going back home.I was shocked when they told me that wasn’t possible—they said they had invested a lot of money in me, and I hadto work to pay them back, because I now belonged to the network. I thought about escaping, but I was afraid of being physically hurt or killed. I worked hard for six months, but they have no mercy on you †¦ they’re just demeaning. During this time, I was sold many times, and this happened every 10 days—sometimes I just didn’t know where I was. You’re like a commodity to them. † Maria Fernanda, Trafficking victim, interviewed by theUNODC Country Office in Colombia Conclusions Trafficking admits women, children and men basic freedom. Trafficking robs communities of potential productive members of society, and exposes victims to violence, injury, disease and death. Trafficking is a detriment to public health, both economically and in the potential for widespread health issues. The work of cutting off demand for human trafficking is complex and requires a range of partners working together around a shared rejection of products and services obtained by force, fraud, or coercion.While technology and social media is being leveraged in innovative ways to provide consumers with information and a way to connect with companies, for example, there remains a need to explore new methods of raising awareness about the nature and proximity of human trafficking. With greater understanding of the crime, and a clear tool or means to make a difference, consumers and businesses alike will be more likely to take steps to diminish the demand for forced labor. PROSTITUTIONS Prostitutions What is Prostitution? Prostitution  is commonly defined as the custom of having sexual relations in exchange for economic gain.Although the sex is traditionally traded for money, it can also be bartered for jewelry, clothing, vehicles, housing, food—anything that has  market value. It is typically seen as an aberrant way to make a living and is illegal in many countries. The word  prostitution  can also refer to any act that is considered demeaning or shameful. The term prostitute is customarily used to refer to a female person who engages in sex in exchange for money as a profession. Depending on the culture, the attitude toward the job, and the socio-economic region in which the business of  prostitution  is conducted, other terminology is often used.These monikers often include streetwalker, sex worker, hooker, escort, sex trade worker and commercial sex worker. Male prostitutes are generally considered less prevalent in the occupation. They are typically referred to as escorts or gigolos if their clientele is female. If they specialize in providing their services to men, rent boy or hustler are terms frequently used to describe them? Similar to most occupations , a prostitute may have an employer or work as an independent contractor. Men who market and sell  prostitution  services are usually referred to as pimps.Women with the same job description are commonly called madams. Both normally take a percentage of the prostitute’s income as payment for their promotional services. Prostitutes who work independently have the advantage of keeping all of their earnings. The presumed advantage of having representatives such as pimps and madams involved in the process are safety. These agents are generally expected to screen prospective clients to ensure the safety and security of their staff. Pimps, however, are frequently portrayed to be less than forthcoming with the agreed upon pay for prostitutes who work for them.In a significant number of cases, pimps have been known to physically and psychologically abuse their employees. Madams are less known for abuse, but are often accused of mishandling the funds of call girls in their employ. Depending upon the country and the culture,  prostitution  may be considered a legal or illegal profession. In areas where it is lawful, there are commonly rules imposed by governments to ensure local prostitutes practice safe sex in their business activities to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).The workers are also generally required to have regular physical exams to ensure they are healthy and pose no threat to their customers’ well-being. In regions where  prostitution  is deemed a crime, the punishment ranges from simple fines or short stints in jail to death. Some jurisdictions recognize the business transaction of prostitution  as legal, but make it difficult to lawfully practice by imposing restrictions on how and where it can be conducted. These controls commonly include the prohibition of pimping, running a brothel and publicly offering  prostitution  services. pic] [pic] â€Å"What does the Bible say about prostitution? Will God forgive a prostitute? † Prostitution is often referred to as the â€Å"oldest profession. † Indeed, it has always been a common way for women to make money, even in Bible times. The Bible tells us that prostitution is immoral. Proverbs 23:27-28says, â€Å"For a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well. Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful among men. † God forbids involvement with prostitutes because He knows such involvement is detrimental to both men and women. For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell† (Proverbs 5:3-5 NKJV). Prostitution not only destroys marriages, families, and lives, but it destroys the spirit and soul in a way that leads to physical and spiritual death. God's desire is that we stay pure and use our bodies as tools for His use and glory (Romans 6:13). First Corinthians 6:13says, â€Å"The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Although prostitution is sinful, prostitutes are not beyond God's scope of forgiveness. The Bible records His use of a prostitute named Rahab to further the fulfillment of His plan. As a result of her obedience, she and her family were rewarded and blessed (Joshua 2:1;6:17-25). In the New Testament, a woman who had been known for being a sexual sinner—before Jesus forgave and cleansed her from sin—found an opportunity to serve Jesus while He was visiting in the home of a Pharisee. The woman, recognizing Christ for who He is, brought a bottle of expensive perfume to Him.In regret and repentance, the woman wept and poured perfume on His feet, wiping it with her hair. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for accepting this act of love from the â€Å"immoral† woman, He admonished them and accepted the woman's worship. Because of her faith, Christ had forgiven all her sins, and she was received into His kingdom (Luke 7:36-50). When speaking to those who refused to believe the truth about Himself, Jesus Christ said, â€Å"I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him† (Matthew 21:31-32). Just like anyone else, prostitutes have the opportunity to receive salvation and eternal life from God, to be cleansed of all their unrighteousness and be given a brand new life! All they must do is turn away from their sinful lifestyle and turn to the living God, whose grace and mercy are boundless. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! † (2 Corinthians 5:17). Moral Issues There was a lot of hue and cry about the statement of US Ambassador Harry Thomas at a recent judicial conference on human trafficking that 40 percent of foreign male tourists visit the Philippine for commercial sex. At first the ambassador refused to change his statement when asked by Philippine officials to apologize for it, but on Oct. 7 he relented and said he should not have used the â€Å"40 percent’’ statistic without the ability to back it up.But his statement has once again focused attention on the problem of sex trafficking and the sex trade in the Philippines. The fact is that the problem exists although right now we may not have accurate, verifiable statistics. Conclusion Prostitution is always going to be a pressing issue, and politicians will always have different opinions about it. Politicians are the ones who decide how their country stands in different questions, and that might cause misunderstandings. The laws and official opinions of a country do not always agree with the popu lation’s point of view.An example of that is Germany. The facts and the survey do not agree, and the facts are based on politicians, while the survey is based on regular people from Germany. That gave me an answer to my question. The question was: Why do Germany and Sweden have such different views on prostitution? And the answer simply is: Germany is not more liberal than Sweden concerning prostitution. They are more liberal concerning strict laws, and that is because of their history that they do not want to experience again. That also affected the politicians and their way of handleing their inhabitants.What is right and what is wrong is something you have to decide with your own moral and opinion. How society should hand’s prostitution is one of the issues I've been highly inconsistent on, flip-flopping between having strong opinions either way, to more ambivalent positions in the middle. A super-short summary of my process (chronologically) over the last two decad es: 1. It should be illegal because it is wrong to exploit people 2. It should be legal because the prohibition actually hurt the prostitutes 3.It should be illegal to consume, but not provide, since that would give the prostitute more power and enable persecution of the exploiters 4. It should be legal because regulation is more effective in minimizing harm, and at least consumption may be ethically defensible 5. It should be illegal because even though regulation helps some, it also increases the black market and causes more suffering as a whole, and is an expression of a structural oppression of women and homosexual men in our society. SLAVERY OF WHITE PEOPLE SLAVERY OF WHITE PEOPLEIn the history of mankind, slavery has been very common. Slavery can trace its history back in the ancient times. In the ancient times, slaves were sold to the highest bidder and they were employed without any compensation. Punishments were so savage for those slaves who went against their master's dem ands. Over the centuries, slavery has been very prominent. There was a time in history were Black Africans and Black Americans became domestic slaves at home. However, they were able to achieve their freedom against slavery. Nowadays, slavery is still commonly practiced in some countries.It is not completely abolished but it is less identifiable. It exists in many cultures. So, what is slavery? What is Slavery? Slavery is a condition in which people are forced to work and treated like the lowest form of creature. There are different types of slavery. You have the chattel slavery. This is the most traditional type of slavery in which people are treated like property. Slaves are sold and bought like goods. However, in this modern age, this type of slavery is the least common. Another type of slavery is forced labor.This type of slavery is very common in the past and even up to these days. An individual is left with no choice but to work against his will. This type of slavery used puni shments and violence against any slaves. Slavery of white People David Brion Davis writing in the New York Review of Books, Oct. 11, 1990, p. 37 states: â€Å"As late as the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, continuing shipments of white slaves, some of them Christians, flowed from the booming slave markets on the northern Black Sea coast into Italy, Spain, Egypt and the Mediterranean islands†¦From Barbados to Virginia, colonists.. , showed few scruples about reducing their less fortunate countrymen to a status little different from that of chattel slaves†¦ The prevalence and suffering of white slaves, serfs and indentured servants in the early modern period suggests that there was nothing inevitable about limiting plantation slavery to people of African origin. † L. Ruchames in â€Å"The Sources of Racial Thought in Colonial America,† states that â€Å"the slave trade worked in both directions, with white merchandise as well as black. † (Journal of Negro History, no. 52, pp. 251-273).In 1659 the English parliament debated the practice of selling British Whites into slavery in the New World. In the debate the Whites were referred to not as â€Å"indentured servants† but as â€Å"slaves† whose â€Å"enslavement† threatened the liberties of all Englishmen. (Thomas Burton, Parliamentary Diary: 1656-59, vol. 4, pp. 253-274). Foster R. Dulles in Labor in America quotes an early document describing White children in colonial servitude as â€Å"crying and mourning for redemption from their slavery. † Dr. Hilary McD. Beckles of the University of Hull, England, writes regarding White slave labor, â€Å"†¦ ndenture contracts were alienable†¦ the ownership of which could easily be transferred, like that of any other commodity†¦ as with slaves, ownership changed without their participation in the dialogue concerning transfer. † Beckles refers to â€Å"indentured servitude† as â€Å" White proto-slavery† (The Americas, vol. 41, no. 2, p. 21). In the Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series; America and West Indies of 1701, we read of a protest over the â€Å"encouragement to the spiriting away of Englishmen without their consent and selling them for slaves, which hath been a practice very frequent and known by the name of kidnapping. (Emphasis added). In the British West Indies, plantation slavery was instituted as early as 1627. In Barbados by the 1640s there were an estimated 25,000 slaves, of whom 21,700 were White. (â€Å"Some Observations on the Island of Barbados,† Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, p. 528). It is worth noting that while White slaves were worked to death in Barbados, there were Carib-bean Indians brought from Guiana to help propagate native foodstuffs who were well-treated and re-ceived as free persons by the wealthy planters.Of the fact that the wealth of Barbados was founded on the backs of White slave labor there can be no doubt. White slave laborers from Britain and Ireland were the mainstay of the sugar colony. Until the mid-1640s there were few Blacks in Barbados. George Downing wrote to John Winthrop, the co-lonial governor of Massachusetts in 1645, that planters who wanted to make a fortune in the British West Indies must procure White slave labor â€Å"out of England† if they wanted to succeed. (Elizabeth Donnan, Documents Illustrative of the History of the Slave Trade to America, pp. 25-126). â€Å"†¦ white indentured servants were employed and treated, incidentally, exactly like slaves†¦ â€Å"(Morley Ayearst, The British West Indies, p. 19). â€Å"The many gradations of unfreedom among Whites made it difficult to draw fast lines between any idealized free White worker and a pitied or scorned servile Black worker†¦ in labor-short seventeenth and eighteenth-century America the work of slaves and that of White servants were virtually inter-changeable in most ar eas. † (David R. Roediger, The Wages of Whiteness: Race and the Making of the American Working Class, p. 5). In the Massachusetts Court of Assistants, whose records date to 1633, we find a 1638 description of a White man, one Gyles Player, as having been â€Å"delivered up for a slave. † The Englishman William Eddis, after observing White slaves in America in the 1770s wrote, â€Å"Gener-ally speaking, they groan beneath a worse than Egyptian bondage† (Letters from America, London, 1792). Governor Sharpe of the Maryland colony compared the property interest of the planters in their White slaves, with the estate of an English farmer consisting of a â€Å"Multitude of Cattle. The Quock Walker case in Massachusetts in 1 783 which ruled that slavery was contrary to the state Constitution, was applied equally to Blacks and Whites in Massachusetts. Patrick F. Moran in his Historical Sketch of the Persecutions Suffered by the Catholics of Ireland, re-fers to the transp ortation of the Irish to the colonies as the â€Å"slave-trade† (pp. 343-346). The disciplinary and revenue laws of early Virginia (circa 1631-1645) did not discriminate Negroes in bondage from Whites in bondage. (William Hening [editor], Statutes at Large of Virginia, vol. I, pp. 74, 198, 200, 243, 306. For records of wills in which â€Å"Lands, goods & chattels, cattle, moneys, ne-groes, English servants, horses, sheep and household stuff† were all sold together see the Lancaster County Records in Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Beverly Fleet, editor). Lay historian Col. A. B. Ellis, writing in the British newspaper Argosy (May 6, 1893): â€Å"Few, but read-ers of old colonial State papers and records, are aware that between the years 1649-1690 a lively trade was carried on between England and the plantations, as the colonies were then called, in politi-cal prisoners†¦ here they were sold by auction to the colonists for various terms of years, sometimes for life a s slaves. † Sir George Sandys’ 1618 plan for Virginia referred to bound Whites assigned to the treasurer’s of-fice to â€Å"belong to said office for ever. † The service of Whites bound to Berkeley’s Hundred was deemed â€Å"perpetual. † (Lewis Cecil Gray, History of Agriculture in the Southern United States to 1860, vol. I, pp. 316, 318). Certainly the enslaved Whites themselves recognized their condition with painful clarity.As one White man, named Abram, who was accused of trying to agitate a rebellion stated to his fellows, â€Å"Wherefore should wee stay here and be slaves? † In a statement smuggled out of the New World and published in London, Whites in bondage did not call themselves â€Å"indentured servants. † In their writing they referred to themselves as â€Å"England’s slaves† and England’s â€Å"merchandise. † (Marcellus Rivers and Oxenbridge Foyle, England’s Slavery, 1659).Eyewit nesses like Pere Labat who visited the West Indian slave plantations of the 17th century which were built and manned by White slaves labeled them â€Å"White slaves† and nothing less (Memoirs of Pere Labat, 1693-1705, p. 125). Even Blacks referred to the White forced laborers in the colonies as â€Å"white slaves. † (Colonial Office, Public Records Office, London, 1667, no. 170) Sot-Weed Factor, or, a Voyage to Maryland, a pamphlet circulated in 1708, articulates the plight of tens of thousands of pathetic young White girls kidnapped from England and enslaved in colonial America, lamenting that:In better Times e’er to this Land I was unhappily Trepan’d; Not then a slave†¦ But things are changed†¦ Kidnap’d and Fool’d†¦ † The height of academic and media fraud is revealed in the monopolistic trademark status the official controllers of education and mass communications have successfully established between the defini-tion of the word â€Å"slave† and the negro, while labeling descriptions of the historic experience of Whites in slavery a fallacy. Yet the very word â€Å"slave,† which the establishment’s consensus school of history pretends cannot legitimately be applied to Whites, is derived from the word Slav.According to the Ox-ford English Dictionary, the word slave is another name for the White people of eastern Europe, the Slavs. (Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, p. 2,858). In other words, slave has always been a term for and a definition of a servile condition of White people. Yet we are told by the professorcrats that it is not correct to refer to Whites as slaves but only as servants, even though the very root of the word is derived from the historical fact of White slav-ery. ConclusionSlavery is not something to be proud of but it is a fact that happened to every country, kingdom and empire that has been on this earth. Each of us needs to search our hear ts and find the answer to stop racial hatred. One place to begin; realize that the black race was not the only race in the last 400 years that was in bondage. PORNOGRAPHY Pornography What is Pornography? Pornography is the ‘explicit representation of sexual activity in print or on film to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.    The following advice and help refers only to heterosexual pornography – that is men looking at women and, more rarely, women looking at men. Pornography is often distinguished from  erotica, which consists of the portrayal of sexuality with high-art aspirations, focusing also on feelings and emotions, while pornography involves the depiction of acts in a sensational manner, with the entire focus on the physical act, so as to arouse quick intense reactions.A distinction is also made between  hardcore  and  softcore pornography. Softcore pornography can generally be described as focusing on nude modeling and sugge stive, but not explicit, simulations of sexual intercourse, whereas hardcore pornography explicitly showcases penetrative intercourse. Pornography has often been subject to  censorship  and legal restraints to publication on grounds of  obscenity. Such grounds and even the definition of pornography have differed in various historical, cultural, and national contexts.With the emergence of social attitudes more tolerant of sexuality and more specific legal definitions of obscenity, an industry for the  production  and consumption  of pornography arose in the latter half of the 20th century. The introduction of  home video  and the  Internet  saw booms in a worldwide porn industry that generates billions of dollars annually. History Depictions of a sexual nature are older than civilization as depictions such as the  venus figurines  and  rock art  have existed since  prehistoric  times. However the concept of pornography as understood today did not exist until the  Victorian era.For example the French  Impressionism  painting by  Edouard Manet  titled Olympia  was a nude picture of a French courtesan, literally a â€Å"prostitute picture†. It was controversial at the time. Nineteenth-century legislation eventually outlawed the publication, retail, and trafficking of certain writings and images regarded as pornographic and would order the destruction of shop and warehouse stock meant for sale; however, the private possession of and viewing of (some forms of) pornography was not made an offence until recent times.When large-scale excavations of  Pompeii  were undertaken in the 1860s, much of the  erotic art  of theRomans  came to light, shocking the Victorians who saw themselves as the intellectual heirs of the  Roman Empire. They did not know what to do with the frank depictions of  sexuality  and endeavored to hide them away from everyone but upper-class scholars. The moveable objects were locked away in the  Secret Museum  in  Naples  and what could not be removed was covered and cordoned off as to not corrupt the sensibilities of women, children, and the working classes.Fanny Hill  (1748) is considered â€Å"the first original English  prose  pornography, and the first pornography to use the form of the novel. † It is an  eroticnovel  by  John Cleland  first published in  England  as  Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure. It is one of the most prosecuted and banned books in history. The authors were charged with â€Å"corrupting the King's subjects. † The world's first law criminalizing pornography was the British  Obscene Publications Act 1857  enacted at the urging of the  Society for the Suppression of Vice.The Act, which applied to the  United Kingdom and Ireland, made the sale of obscene material a statutory offence, giving the courts power to seize and destroy offending material. The Act did not apply to  Scotland, where the  common law  continued to apply; however, the Act did not define â€Å"obscene†, leaving this for the courts to determine. Prior to this Act, the publication of obscene material was treated as a  law misdemeanor   and effectively prosecuting authors and publishers was difficult even in cases where the material was clearly intended as pornography.The Victorian attitude that pornography was for a select few can be seen in the wording of the  Hicklin test  stemming from a court case in 1868 where it asks, â€Å"whether the tendency of the matter charged as obscenity is to deprave and corrupt those whose minds are open to such immoral influences. † Despite the fact of their suppression, depictions of erotic imagery were common throughout history. Pornographic film  production commenced almost immediately after the invention of the motion picture in 1895. Two of the earliest pioneers were  Eugene Pirou  and  Albert Kirchner.Kirchner directed the earl iest surviving pornographic film for Pirou under the trade name â€Å"Lear†. The 1896 film,  Le Coucher de la Mariee  showed Louise Willy performing a  striptease. Pirou's film inspired a genre of risque French films showing women disrobing and other filmmakers realised profits could be made from such films. Sexually explicit films were soon characterised as obscene and rendered illegal. Those that were made were produced underground by amateurs starting in the 1920s, primarily in France and the United States. Processing the film by commercial means was risky as was their distribution.Distribution was strictly private. Denmark  was the first country to legalize pornography in 1969, which led to an explosion of commercially produced pornography. It continued to be banned in other countries, and had to be smuggled in, where it was sold â€Å"under the counter† or (sometimes) shown in â€Å"members only† cinema clubs. A Biblical View of Pornography God crea ted men and women to be together – exclusively and happily. God created sex as a good gift in the security of a loving, committed marriage relationship. He ‘saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Sadly in the fallen world, pornography sends clear messages, generally to men, that faithful sexual attention to one woman is not necessary. There are many other women to look at: why only be satisfied with one? We can go to an art gallery and see a beautiful woman in a picture and admire her beauty. But that is not the message of pornography. Pornography seeks to stimulate sexual attraction to the image of a woman – any woman, saying, ‘This beautiful woman, whom you know nothing about, is there for you to satisfy your sexual desires – whatever they might be – at any time. Pornography uses the strong visual senses of men to promote lust, but promises the unreal, promoting false expectations of relationships and ignoring the realities of daily living for most men and women – the shopping, washing, ironing, and crying children. By ignoring the woman’s character and instead focusing on her body, pornography ‘exploits and dehumanises sex so that human beings are treated as things, and women, in particular as sex objects’ .Of course, pornography is packaged cleverly as glamorous, but in the cold light of day the Bible warns strongly about looking at other women (Proverbs 6:25, Matthew 5:28, Colossians 3:5) and being faithful in marriage (Hebrews 13:4). There are those who would see the Bible’s strong warnings on sexual purity as God being a killjoy. We need to remember that it was God who created the universe: He knows how it works and that what we see and think about is important. The warnings are given for a reason: the destructiveness of pornography on children and on human relationships.CARE regularly receives telephone calls and emails from people who themselves have a problem with porn ography or are seeing it in their family. Some would say ‘pornography is harmless fun’. How would they respond to a woman crying on the phone convinced that her husband’s use of pornography had led to the breakdown of their marriage? Or to another woman who said that she felt mentally abused by her husband who used pornography and wanted her to act in the same way as the women in the magazines, DVDs and videos? Pornography can seem far from harmless fun for the men (Christian and non-Christian) who feel trapped in a cycle of addiction.If anyone is a killjoy it is not the God of the Bible, but the publishers of pornography. The Issue of Pornography With more than 300,000 websites pertaining to pornography and new sites uploaded daily, any parent can see that we have a growing problem. The Internet is the cheapest, fastest way to get pornography out into an open market that is why it is considered the electronic playground. Before the Internet pornography was found in magazines behind the store counters, on movie channels, and was found in movies. Take a look at your favorite television show and see how many times a sexual situation comes up.The â€Å"sexual revolution† as some call it has taken off with the Internet. For example, try typing in www. whitehouse. com and see what pops up definitely not the White House. Students working on a history paper in school recently went to this site and found pornography instead of history. What a surprise for the students. This happens to more people than we think. If you accidentally click on a porn site several other pornographic sites also show up. In some cases these pornographic sites contain computer viruses which will attack your hard drive.At times, legislation drafted under the guise of protecting children, includes adults which infringes on freedom of speech. In addition to infringing on a legal adult's rights, it also impedes the on the economic gains related to the industry. Thus, co mmercialism and the economy are impacted as well. With the onset of new pornographic websites, most sites are beginning to charge their consumers. Not only does this lead to economic gain within the industry, but it also assists in minimizing the access of children to questionable material.Conclusion Virtually every man will struggle with pornography. Regardless of how hard we may want otherwise we are visual creatures by nature and with easy accessibility to porn it’s a battle that will keep men in the trenches their entire lives. And if we hope to end this cycle of addiction and sexual impurity not only must we heal ourselves it is up to us to raise the next generation of men to view sex, women, and pornography differently that what society says today. And my own son is a foremost constant reminder of that obligation.

Bright Light Innovations SWOT Analysis Essay

A group of professional members of Colorado State University excited about developing and marketing the product The Starlight Stove consumes 50 to 70 percent less fuel than regular stoves The stove generates electricity from a thermoelectric generator. Competitors do not offer the same features as the Starlight Stove. Increase household income because Starlight Stoves allows families to focus more on earning more money rather than collecting fuel or wood to generate electricity The Starlight Stove costs less than the competition Weaknesses The university is a non-profit organization, making it harder to find funding Working adults in Nepal make between $1 and $3 per day Less than half of the Nepalese population can read Marketing campaign needs to be adjusted based on technology limitations Management is launching its product in a very unique culture with economic uncertainty that can bring many challenges to the team Opportunities Offer an innovative product, Starlight Stove, where consumers can safely cook Expand to the Nepal market as the climate is accessible to promote the new product There is a target market of 89 percent of households that need electricity in Nepal The Starlight Stove will directly contribute to the reduction of erosion and flooding in Nepal Starlight Stove technologies can increase household efficiency by more than 20 percent per day Children can focus more on education because Starlight generates more hours of light Threats Streams and rivers can create micro-hydropower, allowing households to generate electricity at no additional cost Solar panels can offer electricity to many households Nepal’s division into 75 districts creates a market segmentation that become a true challenge when introducing the new product The management team not  being able to find a funding institution that can provide loans to the Nepalese people Evaluation of Alternatives Bright Light Innovations has a series of considerations that need to be reviewed before making final decisions. Introducing a new product on such a unique market can represent a lot of challenges for management (Mckeever, 2005). Culture and population are important factors for management to evaluate before reaching onto this market (refer to Appendix A). There are good factors such as climate and social needs that make Nepal a strong market to introduce the stove business. However, funding and household income are big concerns for management because even though there are a lot of strengths and opportunities for Bright Light Innovations in Nepal, treats and weaknesses can negatively impact the launching of the Starlight Stove in the Nepalese market. Management wants to be a for-profit business and in order to make a profit they would have to sell the Starlight Stove for $80 per unit. As described in the case, there are about 9.2 million households in Nepal, but the GNI per capital is approximately $400. Nepalese people do not make more than $3 per week, which limits management when making pricing decisions. Micro-financing might be a possibility but they have to consider that not all households have a fixed income. Consequently, finance institutions might be hesitant to provide loans to some of the families. Since management does not want to look to donations, grants, or government relief, they will have to reach onto business leaders, government members of Nepal, and other institutions to expose the product and all the benefits it can bring to the country. As described above, some of the benefits of the Starlight Stove are: offers an innovative technology where consumers can safely cook, contributes to reduce erosion and flooding in the area, increases household efficiency by more than 20 percent per day, and generates more hours of light which can help children focus more on education. If Bright Light Innovations decides to manufacture the Starlight Stove locally, it can represent an increase in local jobs, income per capital, and children’s education. In addition, it can drastically decrease deforestation and indoor air pollution (top ten causes of mortality). Therefore, strong marketing strategies and decisions have to be introduced to effectively promote the Starlight Stove throughout the 75 districts (60  villages consisting of 450 villages). Management needs to carefully consider the marketing plan for this product since there are technology limitations and only half of the adults can read in Nepal. Support of Recommendations Market segmentation allows marketers to understand customers’ needs and identify target markets (Peter & Donnelly, 2011). Bright Light Innovations will be able to evaluate different segments to determine differential advantages in each of those segments. Furthermore, management will be able to determine any of the particular marketing mix for a more successful strategic plan. Market segmentation can be obtained by researching geographic data (zip code, region, etc), demographic data (age, occupation, nationality, etc), psychographic data (social status, personal type, etc), behavioral data (customer behavior), or any other data that can be beneficial to the research (Kawasaki, 2004). According to Hyman and Sierra (2010), before a service or product is introduced into the market, the marketer needs to have a good understanding of the consumer’s needs and preferences. For that reason, it is recommended that management considers all of the limitations and challenges that t he Nepalese market has for the Starlight Stove. Major decisions need to be made by management to effectively make profit on this product. Therefore, since there are similar characteristics in northern India, management should consider this other market as another possible option (see Appendix B). India is a far more developed country than Nepal. India is ranked in the lower-middle-income group with a GNI per capital of approximately $1500 (The World Bank, 2014). On the other hand, Nepal is ranked in the low-income group. There are other possible markets in South Asia that can be consider and might represent a less challenge, especially since management is looking to make profit. Bright Light Innovations needs to consider GNI numbers before deciding where this product will be launched. Because there are technology limitations in Nepal, management will need to create a marketing campaign that can be clear and easy to understand by the Nepalese citizens. Magazines are always a great source of marketing, but these can represent a chal lenge in Nepal since only half of the adults can read and 11% of the households have electricity. Therefore, visuals and signs can be strategically placed among the different villages to target the corresponding districts. Bright Light  Innovations can go to the schools and educate the children about how the Starlight Stove can benefit their families and their lives as they represent the future generations in Nepal. In this way, children can speak to their parents about everything they have learned about this new innovative and affordable new product. Management can also arrange meetings with each of the local governments to introduce the product and explain all the benefits that can bring to the local communities. In this way, local government officials can help Bright Light Innovations hold local gatherings with audio-visual systems that can attract as many villagers as possible. Management can speak to the crowd about the benefits of the Starlight Stove and demonstrate its features through a live demo or lively entertaining video. The audience will get to know the product and understand the positive impact that can have for their families and environment. A market segmentation process has to be created to determine the households who have electricity and target the appropriate market to obtain an analysis of consumer’s needs and preferences (Fiore, 2005). Management will have to create a strategic marketing plan to reach those customers who already have electricity (e.g. solar panels) and might be interested in saving money. According to Perreault, Cannon, and McCarthy (2013), marketers need to do a competitor analysis to â€Å"compare the strengths and weaknesses of your current (or planned) target market and marketing mix with what competitors are currently doing or are likely to do in response of your strategy† (p. 63). For example, promotional materials are important factors in the success of a marketing plan (Horvà ¡th, Mitev, & Bauer, 2014). Management need to create advertisement with lots of visuals that provide information about the Starlight Stove to attract villagers from different areas. Bright Light Innovations needs to find a financial institution that can offer flexible loans to the Nepalese villagers as household incomes vary from district to district. If the product is manufactured locally, which can save a lot of import taxes, management might consider establishing a discount program for the employees. As a result, more locals will be able to afford buying the Starlight Stove, increasing brand name and brand loyalty throughout the villages. In today’s economy, marketing strategies have to be flexible enough to accommodate market needs and preferences. The long-term success of a product comes from strategic marketing plan ideas and â€Å"long-term marketing  and brand building that can directly impact the competitiveness of a company, especially by differentiating it from competitors, and product placements part of long-term marketing and brand building† (KramoliÃ… ¡ & KopeÄ kovà ¡, 2013, p. 98). References Fiore, F. F. (2005). Write a business plan in no time. Que Publishing. Hayrynen, K. L. (2014). It’s all about marketing. International Journal Of Metalcasting, 8(3), 7-12. Horvà ¡th, D., Mitev, A., & Bauer, A. (2014). Winning media strategies in the time of the economic crisis. Vezetà ©studomà ¡ny / Budapest Management Review, 45(2), 46-52. Hyman, M. R., & Sierra, J.J. (2010). Marketing research kit for dummies. Wiley Publishing, Inc. Kawasaki, G. (2004). The art of the start. Palo Alto, CA: Portfolio. KramoliÃ… ¡, J., & KopeÄ kovà ¡, M. (2013). Product Placement: A Smart Marketing Tool Shifting a Company to the Next Competitive Level. Journal Of Competitiveness, 5(4), 98-114. Perreault, W. D., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic Marketing: A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach. (19th ed). McGraw-Hill Irwin, Chicago, IL Peter, J. P., & Donnelly, J. H., Jr. (2011). Marketing management: Knowledge and skills (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Sapkotas, C. (2013). Economic growth, trade & development policy. Retrieved from: http://sapkotac.blogspot.com/2013/09/will-nepal-graduate-from-ldc-category.html The World Bank. (2013). Retrieved from: http://data.worldbank.org/country/india Mckeever, M. P. (2005). How to write a business plan. (7th ed). Berkeley, CA: Delta Printing Solutions, Inc.

Research report writing (Maintenance Management) Essay

Research report writing (Maintenance Management) - Essay Example The development intent aimed at enterprise creation for people within adjacent communities, a densely populated depressed area. The front most of five warehouses which stretches 200 meters corresponding to the highway was split in half to create roadway and traffic flow into the industrial block. Roadwork and open space completes 55% of the 22,365 square meter original warehouse footprint. One of the halves of the original warehouse, which has a floor area of 5, 804.5 square meters, is fit out as a bazaar of smaller stalls. Several corridors cut from road level through entrances 3 meters wide and 3 meters high. Along the perimeter there are a total of 19 direct exit points with a total linear opening of 54.3 meters, but this includes the number of back portion fire exits. The overall effect is practically a covered open space. Common in a number of historic facilities is the practice of natural ventilation systems, which over several alterations of the facility use, these built in systems are compromised. By contentious views on energy usage and environmental issues, natural ventilation resurfaced as a method increasingly attractive for reduced energy consumption and acceptable ecological print (Walker, 2010). In the conversion of Warehouse—1, the ventilation system was reviewed of less importance since there were no recorded technical complications of difficulty in this category for the past 25—year warehouse operation. While this review provoked green build possibilities, the idea of facility conversion insofar also compromised capital expenditure constraint or reinvestment conservatism. The design approach is an application of the displacement ventilation theory by exhaust suction treatment, which relies heavily on the natural air movement in the vicinity. It occurs that the industrial block has a constant cool breeze from tree hedges that outline each warehouse zone. That is, a natural ventilation system depends on pressure differences to

Case Study in Human resources Management Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

In Human resources Management - Case Study Example He wants fast results in order to start a change management movement at Utilities Co. The downsizing plan includes two phases. Phase one gets rid of employees through voluntary redundancies. Phase two involves eliminates workers by targeted redundancies. The company is also in the middle of a labor negotiation for a new EBA. The old EBA is about to expire. The company has many problems that require immediate attention by the company. The firm faces an expiring EBA. The negotiations between the union and the company are not going well. It has gotten so bad that negotiations were suspended indefinitely. With an expired EBA friction between the union and management could escalade and lead to a strike. A strike is a very undesirable outcome because it can cause operational shutdown. .A second problem the company confronts is low employee morale. Employees that have low morale are less productive than motivated workers. â€Å"Low morale can be destructive in a business setting and can lead to dissatisfaction, poor productivity, absenteeism and even turnover† (Richards, 2013). A third problem Utilities Co. faces is an increase in mental illnesses among the staff including anxiety, sleeping disorders, and depression. Another health related problem present at the company is stress. These mental health problems are a serious affair that must be attended because these employees can become a risk factor for the company. The medical premium of the company can increase significantly due to higher usage of the employee medical plan. The company also has to protect itself against legal liability because the profile of undesirable employees has a very high frequency of older employees. A full implementation of the layoff plan could lead to a class action suit for age discrimination against the firm. A lawsuit can lead to monetary losses and it hurts the corporate image of the organization. Utilities Co. has to take some immediate action to change the organization to

Hypocrisy in The Scarlett Letter and The Adventures of Huckleberry Essay

Hypocrisy in The Scarlett Letter and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Essay Example The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, on the other hand, is a critique of the lack of consistency in the moral and spiritual standards of the people of the southern states of America before the abolition of slavery. painting a realistic picture of the antebellum south, Mark Twain manages to bring to the notice of the reader the evils of the practice of slavery and the contradictions inherent in this system. The awareness regarding this social ill among the southerners is a testimony to the remarkable hypocrisy that they demonstrated when it came to issues regarding African Americans who were discriminated against and ill-treated because of the color of their skin. This was used against them and they were required to do a lot of unpaid work for the whites who considered themselves to be the repository of a great many beliefs that they considered noble and elegant. The coexistence of these beliefs with the practice of slavery is contradictory and hypocritical; this is precisely what the author seeks to say through his novel. The theme of hypocrisy in The Scarlet Letter is explored primarily through the critique of the Puritan establishment of New England. In the very beginning of the novel, Hawthorne introduces the hypocritical attitudes of the people who live in the nineteenth centuries and profess to be owners of great virtues but are interested in the same sensual activities as the others. In the chapter titled â€Å"The Custom-house†, Hawthorne uses irony as a tool to criticize the shallowness of the Puritan establishment of nineteenth century America (Subbu, 300). He thus seeks to establish a connection between the renegacy of the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter and himself in their acts of defiance towards the hypocritical attitudes of the Puritans, who failed to employ the same standards of virtue to everybody. The gluttony and the sloth of the members of the custom-house are remarkable since they are the very people who are against this in other pe ople, at least in theory (Basu). However, it is this very discrepancy between theory and practice that is critiqued constantly in The Scarlet Letter. This discrepancy characterizes the relationship between Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale who is a priest in the Puritan establishment. Neither Hester nor Dimmesdale chooses to expose the secret behind the birth of Pearl and the puritan emblem of virtue, Dimmesdale, is fine with letting Hester bear the brunt of the punishment that is given by the society for the ‘crime’ of adultery. This exposes the hypocrisy that even people who were apparently of great moral rectitude could fall prey to in a puritan society where the appearance of virtue was more important than the actual presence of it in a person. This theme is something that Hawthorne explores even in the short stories that he has written. One such story would be Young Goodman Brown which reveals the presence of vice in the best of hearts in a puritan society that s ought to repress even the basic human desires that a person was likely to have. The

Interpersonal Commitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interpersonal Commitment - Essay Example I worked in an organization a few years ago as an administrative assistant for a firm in the financial services industry. My job duties included satisfying the needs of a staff of 50 employees. Since I had the opportunity to interact with a lot of people in the firm doing work-related tasks I had the chance to observe the behavior of the employees and how they interacted with each other in formal and informal settings. In this company employees were entitled to a 15-minute break every two hours, thus socialization among employees manifested itself lively. The first social rule I learn from my colleagues was to limit social interaction outside of work and during breaks with the managerial staff. My co-workers told me from the start that nothing good could come out of it. The rule was flexible and when the bosses would joke around with us we would treat them as friends. The second week after I started with this company I was invited to a lunch at a restaurant with a group of eight colleagues including the general manager. I was told later that this treat was an initiation tradition every new employee would enjoy and the boss would always pay for the meals of everyone. People in this firm loved the hiring of new employees. The behavior of everyone at work was internally quietly monitored by the employees for social positioning considerations. It was important for an employee to know who is who and which people can be trusted. Employees that attacked the work of others during the meeting or who kept too close a relationship with a supervisor or manager is someone who could not be trusted. The general perception of such an individual was that this person is willing to step over anyone to get ahead in the corporate world at any cost. This type of person would be ridiculed by the group on a personal level. Social interaction at work is a business variable that serves an important function. A staff that gets along and respects each other professionally are a unit that adds value to a company. The human capital of a corporation is an intangible asset that differentiates the pretender from the players in the business world. The experience I had in the financial firm showed me the value of building a work envi ronment in which the people of the company think of their colleagues as people they can trust and communicate in open fashion. When the lines of communication are open work-related problems can be solved faster. I hope my next job has an organizational culture similar to the one I had the privilege to work for in the financial services institution. Â   Â  

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

Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Nursing - Assignment Example Nursing research like any other research encompasses the content of quantitative and qualitative reports. This paper answers four questions about nursing research based on the Burns and Grove text Yes, findings from a single study may be used to change nursing practice. Findings in most instances generate conclusions which reflect the current situation in the nursing field. According to Polit and Beck (2008), nurses are expected to use the most current practice, and for nurses to determine what the current practice is, they must read research critically and if possible embrace the latest findings. According to Polit and Beck (2008) statistical significance refers to the fact that the observed mean differences may not have been caused by sampling error. Statistical significances often occur even where very small population differences are observed if the sample size is large. Practical significance on the other hand examines whether the difference between the observed mean is large enough to be practically of a value or have a real meaning. Nursing research findings should be communicated to health visitors, senior nurses, midwives, managers, educators, researchers, advanced nursing students, and the whole nursing fraternity. The mechanisms that can be used to communicate these findings to them include; the use of journals, reports, posters, online databases, memos, and through implementation of policies. Poster presentation in nursing is the art of conveying message about findings from nursing research findings (to Burns & Grove, 2009). This presentation is normally prepared after a nursing research abstract has been accepted. In conclusion, nursing research is essential to the nursing practice and the healthcare fraternity as a whole. This because it ensures that nurses offer the most current services and are able to

How does new technology affect education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How does new technology affect education - Essay Example Currently, the education sector is experiencing a rapid transition whereby different disciplines are embracing Tablet PCs as well as similar pen-based gadgets. This is to enhance both teaching and learning processes, which is contrary to the past whereby their respective modes encompassed physical interaction between the student and tutors. Evidence of the emerging impact of new technological knowhow was quite evident in 5Th workshop held in Virginia in 2010. This was through varied presentations by different intellectuals whose information comprises this book. For the past eight decades in 20Th period before 1980s, educated worker’s curve depicted an upward trend. However, the demand for them was not that high as compared to the current state, which is the contrary. Due to high education before 1980s, this prompted to the emergency of numerous people who were well off, hence becoming the richest region globally. However, that trend currently has ceased whereby due to the rapid technological change states are facing the shortage of skilled labour force. Introducing technological knowhow to children is of great importance in ensuring they are ready to tackle other varied aspects during their education. This is especially in tackling varied subjects as well as doing researches at a later period, which is more beneficial compared to when they learn of using technology later. However, this takes the effort of well trained tutors in the mode of implementing technology as per the children or student’s capability, which Casey outline in this book. Implementing in this case encompasses considering 90 activities, which Casey advocates in this research for each child starting from as early as three years. The source offers detailed information meant to equip any learning person with necessary studying and leadership skills. The former skills encompass confidence, creativity and being able to navigate the constantly evolving environment due to emergent

Greek Mythology and Religion Essay Example for Free

Greek Mythology and Religion Essay Mythology is the study and interpretation of myth and the body of myths of a particular culture. Myth is a complex cultural phenomenon that can be approached from a number of viewpoints. In general, myth is a narrative that describes and portrays in symbolic language the origin of the basic elements and assumptions of a culture. Mythic narrative relates, for example, how the world began, how humans and animals were created, and how certain customs, gestures, or forms of human activities originated. Almost all cultures possess or at one time possessed and lived in terms of myths. Myths differ from fairy tales in that they refer to a time that is different from ordinary. The time sequence of myth is extraordinary- an other time the time before the conventional world came into being. Because myths refer to an extraordinary time and place and to gods and other supernatural beings and processes, they have usually been seen as aspects of religion. Because of the inclusive nature of myth, however, it can illustrate many aspects of individual and cultural life. Meaning and interpretationFrom the beginnings of Western culture, myth has presented a problem of meaning and interpretation, and a history of controversy has gathered about both the value and the status of mythology. Myth, History, and ReasonIn the Greek heritage of the West, myth or mythos has always been in tension with reason or logos, which signified the sensible and analytic mode of arriving at a true account of reality. The Greek philosophers Xenophanes, Plato, and Aristotle, for example, exalted reason and made sarcastic criticisms of myth as a proper way of knowing reality. The distinctions between reason and myth and between myth and history, although essential, were never quite absolute. Aristotle concluded that in some of the early Greek creation myths, logos and mythos overlapped. Plato used myths as metaphors and also as literary devices in developing an argument. Western Mythical TraditionsThe debate over whether myth, reason, or history best expresses the meaning of the reality of the gods, humans, and nature has continued in Western culture as a legacy from its earliest traditions. Among these traditions were the myths of the Greeks. Adopted and assimilated by the Romans, they furnished literary, philosophical, and artistic inspiration to such later periods as the Renaissance and the romantic era. The pagan tribes of Europe furnished another body of tradition. After these tribes became part of Christendom, elements of their mythologies persisted as the folkloric substratum of various European cultures. Greek religion and mythology are supernatural beliefs and ritual observances of the ancient Greeks, commonly related to a diffuse and contradictory body of stories and legends. The most notable features of this religion were many gods having different personalities having human form and feelings, the absence of any established religious rules or authoritative revelation such as, for example, the Bible, the strong use of rituals, and the government almost completely subordinating the populations religious beliefs. Apart from the mystery cults, most of the early religions in Greece are not solemn or serious in nature nor do they contain the concepts of fanaticism or mystical inspiration, which were Asian beliefs and did not appear until the Hellenistic period (about 323-146 B.C. ). At its first appearance in classical literature, Greek mythology had already received its definitive form. Some divinities were either introduced or developed more fully at a later date, but in Homers Iliad and Odyssey the major Olympian gods appear in substantially the forms they retained until paganism ceased to exist. Homer usually is considered responsible for the highly developed personifications of the gods and the comparative rationalism that characterized Greek religious thought. In general Greek gods were divided into those of heaven, earth, and sea; frequently, however, the gods governing the earth and sea constituted a single category. Principal DivinitiesThe celestial gods were thought to dwell in the sky or on Mount Olympus in Thessaly. The Earth, or chthonic (Gr. chtho n, earth), deities were thought to dwell on or under the earth, and were closely associated with the heroes and the dead. The lines separating these divine orders were indefinite, and the deities of one order were often found in another. The gods were held to be immortal; yet they were also believed to have had a beginning. They were represented as exercising control over the world and the forces of nature. Ananke, the personification of necessity, however, limited this control, to which even the gods bowed. At the head of the divine hierarchy was Zeus, the spiritual father of gods and men. His wife was Hera, queen of heaven and guardian of the sanctity of marriage. Associated with them as the chief divinities of heaven were Hephaestus, god of fire and the patron of metalworkers; Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom and war, preeminent as a civic goddess; Apollo, deity of light, poetry, and music, and his sister Artemis, goddess of wildlife and, later, of the moon; Ares, god of war, and his consort, Aphrodite, goddess of love; Hermes, the divine messenger, later, god of science and invention; and Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. Around these greater gods and goddesses were grouped a host of lesser deities, some of whom enjoyed particular distinction in certain localities. Among them were Helios, the sun; Selene, the moon (before Artemis came into existence); the attendants of the Olympians, such as the Graces; the Muses; Iris, goddess of the rainbow; Hebe, goddess of youth and cupbearer of the gods; and Ganymede, the male counterpart of Hebe. Poseidon, the worship of whom was often accompanied by worship of his wife, Amphitrite, ruled the sea. Attending the sea gods were the Nereids, Tritons, and other minor sea deities. The chief earth deities were Hades, ruler of the underworld, and his wife, Persephone, the daughter of Demeter. Demeter herself was usually considered an Olympian, but since she was associated with producing grain and the knowledge of agriculture; she was more closely connected with the earth. Another Olympian whose functions were likewise of an earthly character was Dionysus, god of the grape and of wine. He was accompanied by satyrs, the horsetailed sylvan demigods; Sileni, the plump, bald vintage deities; and maenads, nymphs who celebrated the orgiastic rites of Dionysus. Also among the more important divinities of the Greek pantheon were Gaea, the earth mother; Asclepius, the god of healing; and Pan, the great Arcadian god of flocks, pastures, and forests. Invocation of the GodsThe ancient Greeks had a strong sense of weakness before the grand and terrifying powers of nature, and they acknowledged their dependence on the divine beings whom they believed those powers to be controlled. In general, the relations between gods and mortals were cordial, divine wrath being reserved for those who transgressed the limits assigned to human activities and who, by being proud, ambitious, or even by being too prosperous, provoked divine displeasure and brought upon themselves Nemesis, the personification of revengeful justice. The saying of the historian Herodotus, The god suffers none but himself to be proud sums up the main philosophy that influences all of classical Greek literature. The sense of human limitation was a basic feature of Greek religion; the gods, the sole source of the good or evil that fell upon mortals, were approached only by making sacrifices and giving thanks for past blessings or pleading for future favors. In front of many a street door stood a stone for Apollo Agyieus (Apollo of the Thoroughfare); in the courtyard was placed the altar of Zeus Herkeios (Zeus as the patron of family ties); at the hearth Hestia was worshiped; and bedchamber, kitchen, and storeroom each had its appropriate god. From birth to death the ancient Greek invoked the gods on every memorable occasion. Because the very existence of the government was believed to depend on divine favor, celebrations for the gods were held regularly under the supervision of high officials. Public gratitude was expressed for being unexpectedly delivered from evil happenings or for being unusually prosperous. Organization and BeliefsDespite its central position in both private and public life, Greek religion was notably lacking in an organized professional priesthood. At the sites of the mysteries, as at Eleusis, and the oracles, as at Delphi, the priests exercised great authority, but usually they were merely official representatives of the community, chosen as other officers were, or sometimes permitted to buy their position. Even when the office was hereditary or confined to a certain family, it was not regarded as conferring upon its possessor any particular knowledge of the will of the gods or any special power to constrain them. The Greeks saw no need for an intermediary between themselves and their gods. Greek ideas about the soul and the afterlife were indefinite, but it was apparently the popular belief that the soul survived the body. It either hovered about the tomb or departed to a region where it led a sad existence needing the offerings brought by relatives. The disembodied soul was also presumed to have the power of inflicting injury on the living, and proper funeral rites were held to ensure the peace and goodwill of the deceased. Within the framework of Greek worship of many gods are traces of the belief that all natural objects are endowed with spirits. Fetishism, the belief in the magical efficacy of objects employed as talismans against evil, was another feature of early Greek religion. Examples of fetishes are the sacred stones, sometimes regarded as images of specific deities, such as the pyramidal Zeus at Phlius or the rough stones called the Graces at the ruined city of Orchomenus in Boeotia. OriginsAncient Greek religion has  been the subject of speculation and research from classic times to the present. Herodotus believed that the rites of many of the gods had been derived from the Egyptians. Prodicus of Ceos (5th cent. B. C. ), a Sophist philosopher, seems to have taught that the gods were simply personifications of natural phenomena, such as the sun, moon, winds, and water. Euhemerus (370? -298 B. C. ), a historian of myths believed, and many other shared this belief, that myths were the distortions of history and that gods were the idealized heroes of the past. Modern etymology and anthropology research produced the theory that Greek religion resulted from a combination of Indo-European beliefs and ideas and customs native to the Mediterranean countries since the original inhabitants of those lands were conquered by Indo-European invaders. The basic elements of classical Greek religion were, in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, somewhat modified and supplemented by the influences of philosophy, Middle Eastern cults, and changes in popular belief (as shown, for instance, in the rise of the cult of Fortune, or Tyche). The main outlines of the official religion, however, remained unchanged. BibliographyAncient Myths, by Norma Lorre Goodrich Meridian Books (July 1994)The Greek Gods, by Bernard Evslin (August 1995)Greek Myths, by Olivia E. Coolidge (December 1949) Greek and Egyptian Mythologies, by Yves Bonnefoy (November 1992) Gods and Heroes; Story of Greek Mythology, by Michael Foss (September 1995) Funk and Wagnalls, New EncyclopediaMultipedia CD-ROM for windows.

The Barnum effect

The Barnum effect Abstract The Barnum effect is a theory that originated from psychologist Paul Meehl. The Barnum effect represents a type of subjective validation in which an individual finds personal meaning in a statement that could apply to many people (Cardwell, M. and Flanagan, C. 2012). In 1949, Forer went on to study this effect by giving his students an extract form an astrology column, finding that many students endorsed the extract and felt it was trailered to them. I therefore propose an experiment which will explore whether their are different responses in genders to a standardised personality description. The subjects participating are all college students currently studying history. The hypothesis therefore being, women will give a significantly higher accuracy rating than men on the standardised personality description. The null hypothesis is therefore, there will not be a significant difference between men and woman then asked to rate a standard personality description. The Mann-Whitney test will be used to help interpret the findings. Despite there being a minimal difference in the scores with females scoring higher than males, the experiment showed that the results where not significant thus the null hypothesis is supported. Introduction The Barnum effect is a theory that originated from psychologist Paul Meehl, in reference to to P. T. Barnum, an American showman with a reputation as a master manipulator. The Barnum effect represents a type of subjective validation in which a person finds personal meaning in a statement that could apply to many people (Cardwell, M. and Flanagan, C. 2012). If a subject is given statements that appear to have been specifically prepared for them, they often will validate its accuracy, thus giving validly to the means used to create the statement. In 1949 Bertram, R. Forer wanted to study this effect and devised a study using his students to give some incite into the appeal of pseudo-science. Students completed a personality test that he has simply copied out of a newspaper column, and that the results would produce a unique personality analysis. After this the students were asked to rate the analysis form 0 (poor) to 5 (excellent) in terms of how accurate they felt it reflected their own personality. Most of the students endorsed this statement with the average score being 4.26 (Cardwell, M. and Flanagan, C. 2012).This gives us an insight into the popularity of pseudo-science. Many people put great faith in horoscopes and personality tests the truth is that predictions like these only work because we like to hear information about our selves. Another study into gullibility carried out by N.D. Sunberg (1955) asked students to complete a standardised test used by psychologists to evaluate an individuals personality. They were then given results, either written by two experienced psychologists, or a false one. When asked which result was more accurate, 50% of participants identified the fake results as more accurate (Cline, A. 2014). This experiment identified the fallacy of personal validation, whereby an individual cannot be relied on to validate their own character or personality. The outcome of the Barnum effect can however be effected by variables such as education and gender. A study into pseudo-science and peoples beliefs was conducted by Keeports and Morier (1994). Their study looked at a group of students who were studying science and pseudo-science presenting them with a questionnaire at the beginning of the course about their beliefs. After the course the same questionnaire was given to the students and found a significant reduction in their belief of the paranormal. This shows how education can clearly have an impact on peoples belief in the paranormal. It has been generally accepted that there are no gender differences in the Barnum effect phenomenon. However, research carried out by Piper-Terry and Downey (1998) found that under certain conditions, gender could effect the results (Layne, C. 1998). They had their friends administer a personality test to psychology students then preceded to claim that they had interpreted their response based on what they were learning in class. The students rated the interpretations highly in line with the Barnum effect, however women rated these more accurately than men did. Piper-Terry and Downey concluded that woman gave higher accuracy ratings because they wanted to help out their friends whereas men where less inclined to help. Another interpretation could be that women are more open and therefore expect their friends interpretations to be more accurate. Furthermore, an argument can be made for women to be more susceptible of the Barnum effect. Studies have found 65% of church congregations in the UK are made up of women (Thackray, J. 2013). An argument that is used to explain this could be that women are seen to be more emotional, which could lead to greater spiritual openness, and a willingness to accept faith without the need of evidence. However, some simply state that because of the ageing population of the church the number of women in the congregation will increase simply because of their longer life spans. It is therefore the aim of this experiment to compare the susceptibility of men and woman. When asked by a neutral party to rate a standardised personalty description according to its accuracy. The hypothesis therefore being women will give a significantly higher accuracy rating than men on the standardised personality description The null hypothesis is therefore, there will not be a significant difference between men and woman then asked to rate a standard personality description. Method Design This experiment will be a laboratory experiment carried out in a class room with as much done as possible to help limit extraneous variables that may effect the result such as noise distractions or demand characteristics. The experiment will use an independent measure and involve a group of individuals that will conduct the experiment once. The independent variable will be the participants gender The dependant variable will be the participants response to the standardized personalty description. Participants The participants that will be used in this experiment will be students, currently studying history, aged between 19 and 31. The sample will consist of 12 females and 8 males and they will not be known the experamtor. Apparatus: 1 set of standardised instructions. 20 personalty assessment question sheets 20 standardised personalty descriptions. 1 classroom Procedure. The participants were first asked if they would consent to take part in an experiment. carried out by a fictional university into a new type of personality assessment that could give accurate information about an individuals personality. The participants then handed out a standardised questionnaire and instructed to answer each question on the paper. Once all the questionnaires were collected I told them I would return in one week with a personality description for each individual. On my return I handed out the standardised personality description informing them that it was personal and should not be shared with anyone else. I then asked them to rate the description out of 10 with 1 been not at all relevant and 10 been extremely relevant. Once these had been collected in I debriefed the participants and explained the deception. Results Descriptive Statistics Inferential Statistics Mann-Whitney U test: Discussion The results of the study showed through analysis that using the Mann-Whitney U test it was found that the null hypothesis is shown to be correct. The experimental hypothesis that females will give a significantly higher score than males to a standardised personality description is rejected. However, by looking at the mean results from the two groups we can see that females did give a marginally higher score on the personality description. Although the null hypothesis was supported the Barnum effect was clearly evident in this experiment. A large majority of the participants showed a score of 5 or higher with only one scoring below, as such we can say that the deception needed to conduct the experiment was a success. Moreover, among female participants two gave a score as high as 10 indicating how firmly they believed that the personality description had been trailered to them as individuals. This experiment therefore mirrors the results of the study carried out by Bertram, R. Foster, as the group of students he used also gave relatively high scores to a, after being told it was tailored to the individual. Furthermore, comparisons can be drawn from the experiment carried out by N.D. Sunberg (1995) in which standardised tests, real and fake, were used to evaluate personalities. Both experiments can reinforce the fallacy of personal validation, clearly showing that people cannot be trusted to validate their own personali ty. There are several reasons why the hypotheses was not significantly supported. One of these could have been that the participants used share many similarities, such as studying the same subject which could be an indicator of a certain personality type. Furthermore, the fact that they are students could indicate a certain level of intelligence. Both of these factors would make it hard to generalise the study to the rest of the population and as such lower the ecological validity of the experiment. This problem is shared by others who have been researching the subject including that of Piper-Terry and Downey (1994), who used psychology students for there experiments. One of the factors that could have affected the results is that their were more female than male participants. This could have effected the statistical conclusion that was drawn. The experiment was carried out under laboratory conditions in a college classroom which could have effected the outcome of the experiment. Although this setting allowed for many extraneous variables to be controlled, such as the tiredness of a student or their willingness to give the study their full attention could not be. Furthermore, the placement of the participants sitting around tables instead of individually could have allowed them to see each others question answers or personality description, possibly leading them to alter their answers. Both of these criticisms could lower the internal validity of the experiment. A major strength of this study is the standardised set of instructions that were given to each student. By doing this we can ensure that each of the participants fully understand what they are expected to do as well as leading to the ability to easy recreate the experiment. Furthermore, standardised instructions leads to all the participants being treated the same and so lowers the risk of experimenter effects. With regard to ethics, one of the main concerns was the creation a deception in order for the experiment to be effective. The British Psychology Society state in their guidelines that intentional deception should be avoided whenever possible (Hayes, N. 1993). As a deception was needed steps were taken to ensure participants were deceived as little as possible and that the true nature of the experiment was clearly communicated to them after it was complete . This was done by fully debriefing the participants after the study had been concluded. This involved fully informing them about the nature of the research and reassuring them about their performance within the study, as well as answering any questions that they might have about the experiment. (Lawton, J et al, 2011). Appendix 1: Personal statement While disciplined on the outside you tend to be slightly insecure at times and you have need for other people to like and admire you. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety however you become unhappy when you feel hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. Over the years you have learnt that us wise not to be to frank while revealing yourself to others and that it is best to hold onto your views until you feel that the time is right to express them. At times your outgoing, pleasant to talk to and sociable. However, there are time when when faced with a new situation that you feel slightly cautious and reserved. While some of your future plans may seem out of reach you nevertheless are willing to put in the work to try and make them a reality. Please score the accuracy of this personal statement 0 = very poor – 1 = extremely accurate Appendix 2: Questionnaire Instructions In the table below, for each statement 1-50 mark how much you agree with on the scale 1-10, where 1=disagree, 10 extremely accurate. References Cardwell, M. and Flanagan, C. (2012) Psychology AS: the complete companion: student book: for AQA A. 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Christopher Layne (1998) GENDER AND THE BARNUM EFFECT: A REINTERPRETATION OF PIPER-TERRY AND DOWNEYS RESULTS. Psychological Reports: Volume 83 Cline, A. (2014) Flaws in Reasoning and Arguments: Barnum Effect Gullibility Available at URL http://atheism.about.com/od/logicalflawsinreasoning/a/barnum.htm (Accessed on 09 December 2014) Hayes, N. (1993) A first course in psycholog. London: Harrap LAWTON, J., GROSS, R. and ROLLS, G. (2011) Psychology A2 for AQA (A). Abingdon: Hodder Education. Thackray, J. (2013) Why do more women flock to the Church? Available at URL http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10035155/Why-do-more-women-flock-to-the-Church.html (Accessed on 10 December 2014)