A Fan is an Obsessive Individual

A fan is an enthusiastic devotee of something. The object of adoration could be sports, a famous person or an entertainer. This enthusiastic devotion is sometimes obsessive and far removed from reality. Fans often organize themselves into groups based on the interests they share. This has given rise to a phenomenon known as fandom. Historically fans were seen as obsessive individuals with little rational control over their actions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Fan is an Obsessive Individual specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Recent research has proven that not all fans are rabid individuals. Costello (124) found out that the contemporary audience is sophisticated. The study reports that the modern fans are devoted to programs which make them think and generate meaningful discussions. This paper will critically examine how current cultural and media practices challenge the notion that the fan is an obsessive in dividual. Historical descriptions of the fan led to difficulty in differentiating the fan from the fanatic. It is important to note that the fan with an extreme enthusiasm is different from a fanatic. The fanatic violates established social norms. Extreme fanatics may believe in something that is totally false. The fans behavior is often judged by society as abnormal. But it is crucial to state that the fan’s behavior does not violate prevailing social norms. It has been argued that media influence on the audience is not uniform. Different individuals respond differently to media content. Media has been implicated for fueling and aiding the emergence of fandom. Response to media text is influenced by various factors including interpersonal relationships and situations. The idea that a fan is a member of a hysterical crowd is not entirely accurate. Some individuals who fit into the widely accepted description of a fan have not joined any fan group. Fan groups are known to enga ge in extreme display of affection for their object of adoration. Within a hysterical group space is provided for individual expression of adoration. Fan crowds are known to display this extreme affection in public. Perhaps it is this public display by the extreme enthusiasts that led to the notion that the fan is a member of a crowd. The fan who prefers to follow programs at home alone has been erroneously grouped with the obsessive fans. What qualifies as obsessive is relative. Media has greatly contributed to the propagation of this idea. This view holds that what passes as abnormal behavior in one culture or setting may be regarded as normal in another. This positively reinforces the behavior. In some settings extreme behavior is acceptable while the relevant event is on. It is not uncommon to see football fans for example, removing their tops after their favorite team scores.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first pap er with 15% OFF Learn More Audiences have been classified based on activity level. This categorization gives rise to two types of audiences. There is the active audience and the passive audience. The active audience is regarded as independent. This audience does not indulge so much in obsessive behavior. An active audience is capable of making its own meaning out of television content. The passive audience on the other hand is considered to be composed of irrational individuals who can easily be influenced (Fiske 15). They are seen as helpless victims of media producers (Costello 124). In many ways we are all fans of some sort. We all have something that we enjoy doing. We go beyond the ‘normal intensity’ of endurance to enjoy such an activity. Fans have been labeled as deviant individuals and negative stereotypes of the fan are displayed by the press. In any audience fans are the most dedicated and visible individuals. When it comes to sports, fans are the dri ving force behind the success of many teams. Without them the financial success witnessed by some football teams may not be possible. Intense admiration of a team, a player or a musical band is maligned and stigmatized yet fans are an important part of sporting success. Instead of maligning them, they should be recognized as creative and energetic individuals out to entertain themselves. In their own right fans are producers and shapers of culture. The society’s obsession with the rich and the famous is fueled by the media. There is a lot of material in the media about celebrity lifestyles. Media has made this information very accessible. It can be said that the audience has no control over what it consumes. There are daily celebrity discussions in the media. Some magazines and electronic media have dedicated sections for celebrity gossip. People are therefore primed by the media towards fandom. Much of what is said about celebrities is not very useful to the consumer if any useful at all. The consumers are provided with what they do not need. This is done repeatedly until the consumers get the impression that they cannot do without the celebrity talk and gossip. All this hype is aimed at increasing revenue. In the end the consumer ends up purchasing unnecessary goods and services. Continued supply of this information is a fertile ground for the development of celebrity worship. On the flipside, fans can indeed be obsessive individuals with little restrain. Excessive enthusiasm has been associated with many negative outcomes. The crazed fan has no room for opposing support. This group of fans is often aggressive. If their object of admiration is attacked, they often hull expletives or throw objects at the perceived aggressor.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Fan is an Obsessive Individual specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is true regardless of the object of admiration. Extreme enthusiasm may drive its ‘victims’ into undesirable conditions and states. Many syndromes associated with extreme zeal for certain objects, persons or activities have been described. The most described is celebrity worship syndrome. Many researchers have studied celebrity worship. For instance, McCutcheon et al. (85) studied it and made a single scale for measuring celebrity worship. Higher scores are indicative of a higher level of worship. The identifying features of this level include over-identification and obsession with the celebrity. Lower scores are generally associated with less risky individual behavior such as watching and reading about a celebrity. Other researchers like Maltby (1156) reported that celebrity worship can happen at more than one level. They suggested that it is in three dimensions. Entertainment social: this level theorizes that fans are drawn to a certain celebrity or individual by their ability to entertain and become a social icon. Fans wh o fall under this category love to talk about their favorite celebrities in public. They also love to watch their celebrities in public. Intense personal: this involves extreme feelings about the celebrity. Fans may claim that when something bad happens to their favorite celebrity, they feel as though they were also affected. Borderline-pathological: this dimension represents an extreme obsession with the celebrity. The fan experiences uncontrollable fantasies involving the celebrity and him. The fan may feel completely helpless. Poor mental health has been associated with celebrity worship. Celebrity worship has been associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety (Matby et al. 112). The study also found out that there is a correlation between celebrity worship and negative affect. Celebrity worship can also increase reports of illness. Celebrity worship may shape perception of body image. An individual fan may want to dress like a certain celebrity. In some cases a fan ma y desire a body shape similar to that of a favorite celebrity. If the fan does not achieve this, it may lead to undesirable mental states like depression. There is a reversed form of celebrity worship in which admiration is substituted for hate. The fan usually fantasizes about changing the life of the celebrity. This often comes in the form of malicious rumors and character assassination. The object of such ‘admiration’ does not have to be the usual celebrity. Any person who is charming, charismatic, and likeable can be a victim of such hate. It is not easy to predict the course and pattern of such hate. This twisted admiration is directed at members of society who seem accomplished. The perpetrators are often mentally ill.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fan activities are varied depending on the group. Fans often carry out activities as a team. These activities require time and money. The enthusiast is often carried away by the activities and begins to spend more time away from the usual daily activities. At this extreme end the fan cares more about self gratification. Some notable examples of fan activities include travelling together, purchasing team merchandise in the case of sports, purchasing items previously owned by a celebrity and getting celebrity autographs. All these activities move the fan closer to the object of enthusiasm. Writing has also emerged as one of the activities fans love to engage in. This gives fans a chance to express their admiration in a creative manor. They can write based on either their experiences or fiction. Extreme behavior can be seen as a way of exerting dominance. Public display of extreme behavior may give fans a false impression that they are more superior to others. Some fans resort to physi cal aggression to affirm their dominance. Such fans may have a higher risk of developing mental illnesses. Aggression could be an external pointer to changes in the mental health of the individual. Bullying is especially common in football. This aggression is directed at both the opponents and players who are perceived to be a letdown. This analysis looked at the idea that the fan is an obsessive individual in detail. It looked at the categories of audiences in detail. An active audience participates in media programs and can find its own meanings in the text. The passive audience on the other hand is at the mercy of the media producers. The fan is not always an obsessive individual. Active audiences love participation. However, some fans may be controlling. Some may want to have too much power over what is presented to them. The extremely enthusiastic fans may have an uncontrollable urge to share their favorite programs with other fans. This, as was discussed in the paper has a ten dency to predispose to mental illness. Some aspects of fandom like celebrity worship have been created and disseminated by the media. Works Cited Costello, V. and Barbara, M. â€Å"Cultural Outlaws: An Examination of Audience Activity and Online Television Fandom†. Television New Media. 8(2007): 124. Web. DOI: 10.1177/1527476406299112. Fiske, J. Television culture. London: Methuen, 1987. Print. Malby et al. â€Å"Thou Shalt Worship No Other Gods – Unless They Are Celebrities†. Personality and Individual Differences. 32(2002): 1157-1172.Print. McCutcheon, L. E., Lange, R., Houran, J. â€Å"Conceptualization and measurement of celebrity worship†. British Journal of Psychology. 93(2002): 67-87. Print. This essay on A Fan is an Obsessive Individual was written and submitted by user Conner Davidson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Shanty Towns essays

Shanty Towns essays Shanty towns are a huge problem all around the world. The persistent poverty, rapid industrialisation and the burden of urban shanty towns general massive social and economic impact. The many problems include - Prostitution, Social Injustice, Death by preventable diseases, Infant mortality and Child labour. One of the worst examples is Sao Paulo in Brazil. Migrants who move in every year amount to about half a million people who live in the poverty stricken areas and temporary accommodation. Approximately 40% of Brazilians live in these sort of areas and most have a lack of or a limited supply of water and other basic essentials. Houses are made of any available materials some have two rooms, one for living, one sleeping. There would be about six children and no running water, sewage pipes, gas, electricity and others. Disease is also a huge problem, 15-18 million children are effected by high levels of lead in their blood and AIDS is a huge killer in shanty town areas. Six hundred million urban residents in third world countries many India and Africa live in dwellings "of such poor quality and with such inadequate provisions of water, sanitation and drainage that their lives and health are under continuous threat." The graph below shows levels of pollution in Brazil and shows that these levels are above normal and safe levels. Another of the problems is unemployment. Most are self employed and use cheap or recycled materials. Many are unskilled and are no use to society as there are no educational services for the shanty town dwellers. Women and children work as street peddlers or to work in services e.g. shoe cleaners, selling clothes. Much of the work is labour intensive with use of few tools for those who can't afford them. Many people have access to piped water however it is not uncommon for up to 45 families to share one tap or well. The Brazilian government estimates that app ...

Supply Chain Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Supply Chain Management - Term Paper Example In addition to customer satisfaction and company success, supply chain management can also have a great influence on societal settings such as medical missions, disaster relief operations, and other emergencies and cultural revolution (University Alliance). Considering the crucial effect of supply chain management on organizational success, today even small business enterprises hire employees having abundant SCM skills and knowledge. Effective supply chain management will improve the bottom line of the business and enhance the cash flow by expediting the delivery of products. The most fascinating feature of SCM is that it plays inevitable role in meeting customer satisfaction making sure that right quantity of products is delivered to customers in a timely fashion. This paper will analyze the supply chain management of Hsuh Ta Enterprise Co., Ltd giving particular focus to the firm’s purchasing and material management and supply chain integration. Hsuh Ta Enterprise Co., Ltd is a Taiwanese plastic forming and molding company operating in the plastic industry. Although the company is in its initial phases of growth, it is known for its eco-friendly business model and a fast market growth rate. The sustainable business model assisted the company to survive the dreadful impacts of recent global recession successfully. The Hush management strongly believes that focusing particularly on the environmental notions of the society would benefit the organization to gain a set of competitive advantages over its market rivals. The company enjoys great governmental and public support on the strength of its sustainable business model. The concept of supply chain management has been well documented in the academic literature and is commonly regarded as the streamlining of a business’ supply chain activities for maximizing customer values and gaining competitive

Bullying in schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bullying in schools - Essay Example Before anything can be proactively done about bullying in the schools, the problem must first be fully recognized, its magnitude must be realized, its process of development must be identified and adults in key positions must be aware of potential effective strategies to reduce or eliminate bullying behavior in the schools. The word ‘bullying’ as it is used in this context describes a specific behavior pattern of intimidation and varying, sometimes escalating, use of violence. The objective is often nothing more substantial than the feeling of mastery over another individual making the behavior traditionally associated more with boys than with girls. â€Å"Bullying is characterized by bigger and stronger youngsters’ ‘victimizing’ their peers through the repeated use of negative actions, such as physical, verbal or relational aggression† (Pellegrini & Bartini, 2000: 700). While there remains a marked difference between the number of male versus female bullies, this is changing with the increased number of women expected to enter into the competitive social sphere. According to Maccoby (1998), the traditional gender difference was determined to have been largely the result of a culturally stronger male association with physical aggression as an appropriate means of establishing and maintaining peer status or dominance. Whether victim or bully, though, the patterns for an individual’s later social treatment and behavior in school are typically first established in the home. A study conducted by Schwartz, Dodge, Pettit and Bates (1997) discovered children who grew up to be aggressive victims in elementary school had usually experienced punitive, hostile and abusive family relationships during their preschool years. Children who become involved in aggressive acts have usually witnessed greater incidences of adult aggression at home and act out what they’ve seen as they

The Importance of Strategic Management and its Key Elements Essay

The Importance of Strategic Management and its Key Elements - Essay Example Strategy is formed at both corporate level (what industries/markets should we operate in) and business unit level (in what segments should we compete - and how). In their research, Strategic Management: Awareness, Analysis and Change, they focus on corporate level strategic considerations. The pace of change has significantly increased in recent years and the competitive arena has enlarged, driven by, for example, larger international corporates with an appetite for new markets, reduced barriers to international trade, and technology. It is possible to say that it will be difficult to apply these strategies because they focus on the process of strategy and analysis of the environment but do not involve recommendations and clear structure of strategy development. Thompson & Martin (2005) summarize some of the key shifts' in strategic management. Both researches state that the structure of the industry will significantly effect the profit potential of the business operating in that industry. The strategy and actions of a business operating in the industry may improve or destroy the industry structure. Each business (and the relevant decision takers) must recognize and evaluate the impact, short term and long term, of actions taken on the overall industry structure and attractiveness. The resource based view of the firm is currently the dominant conceptual paradigm in strategic management, and as such would appear to offer great potential to the study of the modern organization (Dobson & Starkey 2004; Gardiner, 2005). It argues that under certain conditions a firm's unique bundle of resources and capabilities can generate competitive advantage (Cole, 1998). There are also related schools of thought that focus on the development of dynamic capabilities and knowledge as drivers of competitive advantage. Curiously, there has been little explicit attention given to the resource based view of the firm in the literature, though Pittengrew et al (2000) are recent exceptions. "The multi-business firm has the potential to create the efficient sharing and transfer of core competences across divisions so that the divisions can accommodate new strategic management tools" (Pittengrew et al 2000, p. 21t of the reason for this is again the level of analysis. The resource based v iew implicitly assumes that resources and capabilities are developed and held in a monolithic firm, whereas the reality in the organization is that some are likely to be held at a firm level while others are held at a corporate level. Thus, rather than simply analyzing corporate-level resources in terms of their potential for competitive advantage, the issue is more one of combining or leveraging them on a global basis. Strategic thinking is defined as the positioning of the firm vis--vis its competitors and its customers, and with regard to its underlying resources and capabilities. For Whittington (2000), strategy is about how those two components are brought together. The organization is a value-adding unit. Thus, it is important to realize that many of the customers and even competitors will be other units within the

The Benefits Of Music Education Education Essay

The Benefits Of Music Education Education Essay Imagine yourself waking up in the morning to your iHome playing a song from one of your favorite playlists. While you are getting a shower, preparing yourself for the day, you start to sing a song that has been stuck in your head for days. As you are driving to school, your favorite radio station plays a continuous set list of the popular songs by your favorite artist that you enjoy listening to so much. You and your friend both meet up to talk about how many times you both have listened to the new Lady Gaga single. Because of your common interest in music with your best friends, during a free period all you are able to discuss is music and what your favorite songs are. Even while you are leaving school later on that afternoon, your favorite station is playing yet another smash hit. Something that is highly essential to everyday lift must be understood, and utilized, as frequently as possible. The positive effects of instrumental training as well as aural training, in the younger gen eration, have been widely acclaimed. Therefore, these components to an individuals development should be carried throughout all levels of secondary education in order to offer a well-rounded artistic and musical appreciation that will be of great aide to the student during their present lives and continuing through later adulthood. Out of the fine arts programs, music education is most beneficial to all aspects of an individuals development and should be made available to students.In order for a student to truly enjoy the value of precise musical training in the secondary levels of education, the several benefits of this specific training must be first established. Music education is a creative outlet for adolescents to be passionate, emotional and heartfelt. Music is a way for students to express themselves, and in a greater focus, the emotional benefits that it provides for them. Many adolescents used music as their creative outlet from the academic and social pressures of middle and high school life along with the added stress and pressure caused by home life and family authority. Music is an expression of the heart (Girl, age 15), Music is awesome! Thats what makes my world go round! (Girl, age 13), and the shouted message I LOVE MUSIC. ITS A WAY TO EXPRESS MYSELF! (Boy, age 14) were all commentaries taken from essays on music and what it means to the students. (MENC 6). The overall concept that had emerged was that the art of music education provides students with the freedom to just be who they are, whether that is to be different, be a person they had no idea they could become, to be accepted and feel at ease and stress free in school and through their everyday lives (MENC 7). Students have noted in academic essays that music was a greater source of a get-a-way for them. A typical answer came from a girl who stated When I am angry or everything seems like its spinning out of control, I write a song. It calms me down and gets my feelings out. As for another student who stated that The only way for most teenagers to express their angerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in a nonviolent way is through music. Music also can act as a coping mechanism for an adolescent who is dealing with the pressures of society, family life, and the aspects of friendships and social status. Song lyrics are realized as a message that act as a hope, that you do you not need to feel alone b ecause people have experienced the pain and struggles that you are feeling. Students have wrote and explained that music was a great factor of coping for them, and without it being present in their struggles, it would not of been possible to endure the struggles and obstacles of the teenage life. As well as the emotional benefits which music has to offer to teenagers, it also has social benefits which are essential for social interaction and influence of peer pressure.Secondary students, who participated in band or orchestra, reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs.) (CMW 1). On the same side, the MENC newsletter also stated that Students spoke of musics social benefits in relation to its function as a distraction from involvement in spurious activity such as drugs, alcohol, smoking (cigarettes), gang life, and promiscuous sex-in their own lives or in the lives of adolescents in general.(MENC 8). Music has a strong influence on teenagers and also has the ability to deter teenagers from suicidal tendencies, by allowing the singers and instrumentalists meaning in their young lives. Being involved in orchestra, band or even choir, provides students with the means of interacting and meeting new people, along with creating ne w and lasting friendships. Being involved in musical ensembles allows a person to step outside their comfort zone and interact with new people. It also enables a student to feel secure within the group. Images of families have been chosen to illustrate this feeling of security that they were experience as the result of taking part in the musical ensembles at their school including: band, orchestra or choir. Along with the numerous benefits that music provides an adolescent with, it also has an impact on how a persons intelligence and development is affected. The question of Can music make us more intelligent, is in the process of being explored in a series of ongoing experiments under the supervision of Frances Rauscher of the University of California, Irvine. In 1993, it was noted that, in contrast to students who merely sat in silence or listened to relaxation instructions, thirty six college students who listened to only ten minutes of Mozarts Piano Sonata K.448 successively experienced a substantial growth in their spatial IQ scores. Another experiment was conducted later on this year, using seventy nine students and additional test situations, which confirmed that the Mozart Effect is without a doubt a real phenomenon. Last year, a pilot study was conducted by a group of researchers where a group of three year old children were given music training, whether it was singing or keyboa rd lessons. The scores of each individual child improved significantly on the Objects Assembly Task, which was a section of the Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised that could measure the spatial reasoning of a child. According to the results which were found at the American Psychological Associations annual convention, it was reported that the results of a follow-up experiment which concluded that the spatial reasoning performance of nineteen preschool children who received eighteen months of music lessons greatly exceeded that of a comparable group of fifteen preschool children who did not receive music lessons (Rauscher 1). Because it draws on various attributes, music develops flexibility in thinking. Music training is a very effective way, not only to boost the conceptual-holistic-creative thinking process, but to also assist in the melding and merging of the minds capabilities. Although most musical capabilities seem to be represented initially in the r ight hemisphere of the brain, as a person becomes more skilled, capabilities that were stored in the right hemisphere are located increasingly in the left. (Ponter 112). Music is a very noticeable asset in the lives of the youth, and they appreciate its effectiveness in leading the course of their daily routines, along with their long-term hopes and dreams. During a free-flow of ideas, students in American secondary school wrote into their essays their individual reflections of musics roles and meanings for them in their academic studies at school and in their involvement beyond school, not only as performers but as composers and listeners as well. (MENC 11). Some of these students wrote with very cultured vocabulary, while other individuals wrote as if they were talking to a friend through an informal chat application. Each student described music as a knowledge area and an enormous set of skills that bring together their notational literacy, listening awareness, motor ability, eye-hand coordination, and rational hold of musics meaning in the past and in society. (MENC 11). The performance skills of instrumental and vocal nature, were described as g oals to be attained by musical study, and the sense of achievement and superiority that music education had given students, allowed them to progress their skills while performing a various range of musical repertoire and committing to the score, not only melodically but stylistically as well. According to essays that were conducted in American secondary schools, students desire more study of their specified area that is pertinent to their needs, interests, and appropriate rehearsal spaces. However, a few of the same students also wrote negatively about their emotions, while some spoke passionately of their needs of more musical study in school, lack of proper rehearsal space, appropriate practice time, and instruments that could be made available for use. Students are highly particular when it comes to the extracurricular activities which they are involved with. Some students prefer to be involved with things that are beneficial to them and not just activities that are not going to help them in their lives. Some of these students are on the fence of the schools music programs, having once participated in various instrumental and vocal ensembles, but dropped them, would prefer to have curricular developments in the study of popular music styles, including rock or pop music ensembles which could be taught by music teachers and professional musicians. For these students, the typical jazz ensemble was simply not cutting it for them. Even within the scope of what should have been an invitation to adolescents to describe the favorable assets of school music programs that should not be BAN-ned, these programs may not yet be fully in touch with the needs of a considerable population of young people in secondary schools. (MENC 11). The lack of student participation in musical ensembles is due to their self-consciousness of being labeled as band geek. Most students in high school have this notion in their head that if they play an instrument such as the clarinet or trumpet, they will be labeled by their peers. On the other hand, students do not become involved with musical activities due to the simple fact that the music is not what they would like to be learning. According to the MENC newsletter, it states that Music should be a mandatory course just like Math, Science, and English, in all schools not just high schools. The lack of funding for the arts also has a big portion of influence to what courses are placed into the schools curriculum. Other clubs and activities such as football, basketball, and cheerleading are given greater quantities of funds which are unfair to music departments which are always being questioned for their purpose.

Thoreau and Transcendentalism Essay -- Civil Disobedience, Transcenden

Followers of the Transcendentalist movement stressed the religious, philosophical and ideological importance of life. Henry David Thoreau was a staunch supporter of the movement. Thoreau felt that a person lived a good life by following his conscience and instincts. He also felt that materialism was a sure way to distract a person from leading a good and moral life. Thoreau proposed for the government to be involved in as little of a citizen's life as possible; he felt too much government control just complicated a person's life. Like most Transcendentalists, Thoreau believed there was a direct connection to God through nature. If a person appreciated nature he would gain a higher understanding of God. Finally, Thoreau encouraged individuality versus conformity to the status quo. Thoreau challenged his readers to experience nature first hand; he felt to truly experience nature was a way of experiencing God and marveled at the happiness it can bring. In his novel Walden he writes of the happiness and contentment he feels while listening to the birds in the chapter titled "Sounds." His happiness is short-lived when it is interrupted by the sound of a train driving through the countryside. The reader gathers that, like many Transcendentalists, Thoreau is against the Industrial Revolution taking place in America. He felt this industrialization would poison nature and complicate life even more than it already was. The poisoning of nature would effect the connection a person could have with God as well. Thoreau wrote about living a simple and uncomplicated life in Walden. He argues against the things that mark status in American society, owning land, dressing in fashion, and earning a high pay. Thoreau reasoned th... ...be content with just being average. He states that each person who explores themselves will be individual from one another. Each person should be concerned with only his business and motivations. Individuality was important to Thoreau. He had no concerns of what other people thought about his actions or ways of living and felt this made his life less complicated and simpler to concentrate on more important things. Thoreau was truly a Transcendentalist. He focused on the individual and the relationship he has with himself, nature, and God. He felt living simply and plainly would free him to gain a greater understanding of the world around him. Understanding of the world around you could only come after gaining a greater understanding of yourself. Once a person let get of the constraints of society were they free to begin to explore themselves and the world.

On Being Sane in Insane Places Essay

Have you ever been in a confrontation with someone where they ended with calling you a lunatic, crazy, or insane? It does not feel too great. But at least you know you are sane, and to everyone else around you, you seem â€Å"normal.† Can you walk down the street and visibly see a difference between a sane and insane person? There are some people however that are permanently labelled as â€Å"abnormal† or â€Å"insane.† These people are diagnosed as â€Å"mentally ill† and are forever stigmatized and in some cases, dehumanized because of such labeling. Is it easy to distinguish the sane from the insane, or is it in fact the environment and contexts in which observers find these people? David L. Rosenhan formulated an experiment to investigate if psychiatrists could identify the difference between people who are mentally ill and those who are not. According to Rosenhan, â€Å"there are a great deal of conflicting data on the reliability, utility, and meani ng of such terms as â€Å"sanity,† â€Å"insanity†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ normality and abnormality are not universal† (Rosenhan, 1973, pg.310). Rosenhan formed a group of 8 people who attempt to gain admission to 12 different hospitals across the United States. The psuedopatients each claimed of having textbook symptoms of schizophrenia. Once admitted, the psuedopatients each described their histories truthfully, and â€Å"they strongly biased the subsequent results favor of detecting sanity† (pg.313). Each psuedopatient â€Å"ceased simulating any symptoms of abnormality† (pg.313). Nursing reports obtained that each pseudopatient â€Å"exhibited no abnormal indications† (pg.313). The average length of hospitalization was 19 days, and upon discharge, each psuedopatient had a case summary written. All of the summaries were â€Å"unintentionally distorted by the staff to achieve consistency with a popular theory of the dynamics of schizophrenic reaction† (pg.316). Each psuedopatient upon discharge was reported as in remission, not cured, which perpetuates the negative label. These ascribed labels are permanent, and puts the diagnosed person at a disadvantage forever. People diagnosed as mentally ill are treated dif ferently, in most cases they are treated as if  their thoughts and opinions cannot be trusted or taken seriously. This is not fair, nor is it accurate. There is an â€Å"enormous overlap in the behaviors of the sane and the insane†(pg.318). The sane are not always sane, similarly, â€Å"the insane are not always insane†(pg.318). While reading this article, I was reminded about the homeless, and that many people assume that just because they are homeless, they are likely to have a mental illness. Now I see why many people assume this; the reason is the environment and contexts that civilians see these homeless people in. It is possible that some of these people are mentally ill, but it is more likely that they are in their position because of other reasons. From a sociological perspective, this experiment highlights the conflict perspective. In class, we have discussed how power is the core of all social relationships, all social systems feature a superordinate group and a subordinate group. In mental institutions, as well as in the public, conflict perspective is conveyed via sane people discriminating the allegedly insane people. Psychiatrists, nurses, and even civilians are above the mentally ill, because they are â€Å"sane† while the â€Å"insane† are incapable of having valid opinions. Pow er is scarce, and everyone wants some of it, and unfortunately this permanent label is debilitating for the person who is marked with it, leaving them with little hope of upward mobility in our society. References Rosenhan, David L, (1973). On Being Sane in Insane Places. 310-321

A History of Elizabethan Theatre Essay

* Stage Shape and Configuration: The size of amphitheatre varied up to 100 feet in diameter. The stage shape was octagonal, circular in shape having between 8 and 24 sides. The open air arena, called the ‘pit’ or the ‘yard’, had a raised stage at one end and was surrounded by three tiers of roofed galleries with balconies overlooking the back of the stage. The stage projected halfway into the ‘pit’. The Stage dimensions varied from 20 foot wide 15 foot deep to 45 feet to 30 feet. The height of the raised stage was 3 to 5 feet and supported by large pillars. The floor of the Stage was made of wood. The rear of the stage was a roofed house-like structure, supported by two large columns. * Scenery: Elizabethan stages were sparser in terms of decoration when compared to the equivalent in later eras, but items such as furniture, including pieces like tables and thrones, were used to embellish a scene. In some cases, more elaborate sets were used; these included grassy banks, gallows frames and caves * Costumes: The costumes used in Shakespeare’s theater companies were perhaps one of the most effective forms of props employed, allowing actors to reflect changes in character and even gender with relative ease. Many of these costumes captured the historical setting of specific Shakespearean plays; for example, togas and breastplates were worn in performances of â€Å"Titus Andronicus.† Make-up, along with female clothing was used to depict women characters, since Elizabethan laws forbade women to act on stage. * Lighting: There was natural lighting as plays were produced in the afternoon. However there was some artificial lighting mainly intended to provide atmosphere for night scenes. * Sound: Musicians were used for music. Music was an extra effect added in the 1600’s. The musicians would also reside in the Lords rooms (best seats in the house). * Special Effects: Sometimes stage props served to recreate some special effect. Examples included fireworks, which were set off to replicate lightning in outdoor scenes, and actual pistols — without the bullets — which would be shot whenever military salutes or fighting needed to be shown. Even animals, such as dogs, were brought on stage in Shakespearean plays because creating a fake animal would have been more difficult. Trap doors would enable some special effects e.g. smoke. * Other Important Conventions:

Free Essays on College Vs High School

College versus High School School plays an important role in our life. Many of us will spend more than fifteen years at school in order to get the qualifications that are required to work in a specific field. Two important steps that we go through are high school and college. Even though some people would think they are almost similar, there are significant differences between them. Throughout this essay one should see many differences in high school and college in the areas of expenses, relationships between teachers, amount of work required, and the social environment. It is true to say that college is more expensive than high school. Of course, it provides a higher level of education, but by having such high fees it does not give a chance to them. In college students must have buy their own books whereas in high school they borrow them from the school for a year. As they do for high schools, the government should pay for the books and then borrow them to students, as they do in high schools. Paying for education can get expensive, but many people have to pay even more. Many cities do not have colleges, so students who want to get a higher education have to move away to another city where they will be provided the education they need. This often involves paying for an apartment, food, and sometimes for the bus, which is not, unlike high school, free. Clearly, college is a lot more expensive than high school. However, the cost is not the only thing to consider when comparing high school and college. The relation between teachers and students is also quite different. At high school, they see their students lower than them, not as equals. To tell the truth, it is very hard for high school students to become friends with their teachers, because of the fact that they are seen as simple students who have nothing to learn from their teachers. However, at college, it is easy to have a friendly relation with a teacher because their st... Free Essays on College Vs High School Free Essays on College Vs High School College versus High School School plays an important role in our life. Many of us will spend more than fifteen years at school in order to get the qualifications that are required to work in a specific field. Two important steps that we go through are high school and college. Even though some people would think they are almost similar, there are significant differences between them. Throughout this essay one should see many differences in high school and college in the areas of expenses, relationships between teachers, amount of work required, and the social environment. It is true to say that college is more expensive than high school. Of course, it provides a higher level of education, but by having such high fees it does not give a chance to them. In college students must have buy their own books whereas in high school they borrow them from the school for a year. As they do for high schools, the government should pay for the books and then borrow them to students, as they do in high schools. Paying for education can get expensive, but many people have to pay even more. Many cities do not have colleges, so students who want to get a higher education have to move away to another city where they will be provided the education they need. This often involves paying for an apartment, food, and sometimes for the bus, which is not, unlike high school, free. Clearly, college is a lot more expensive than high school. However, the cost is not the only thing to consider when comparing high school and college. The relation between teachers and students is also quite different. At high school, they see their students lower than them, not as equals. To tell the truth, it is very hard for high school students to become friends with their teachers, because of the fact that they are seen as simple students who have nothing to learn from their teachers. However, at college, it is easy to have a friendly relation with a teacher because their st...

Supply Chain Management and the Seafood Industry Research Paper

Supply Chain Management and the Seafood Industry - Research Paper Example This globalization has the effect of causing the corporate world to lend greater importance to supply chain management. A fish and seafood supply chain can be described as a set of fishers, agents, processors, distributors, and wholesalers/retailers/food services who together. Action taken on any level will have an effect on the others. Literature Review The retail seafood sector has experienced steady sales gains over the last five years. Rising seafood prices and greater merchandising challenges face the seafood sector as the recession eases and the population becomes more open to dining out. Manufacturers are designing items with unique, new, and innovative flavor profiles, aimed at the consumers seeking both convenience and cost. Literature is also suggesting that retailers focus strongly on in-store marketing and strategies to generate and retain loyal customers. Seasonal items should be appropriately merchandized and cross merchandizing should not be neglected. 2010 fish and se afood sales revenue reached 15.8 billion with a forecasted growth rate of 4.7% over the next five years and sales likely to reach 20 billion dollars (Mitchell, p 8). The Role of Supply Chains in the Global Seafood Crisis Consumption Issues Health/Sanity Risks Brand Image Risks Scarcity/Irregular Quality Business Loss Price Increase Increased Fish Consumption Changes of Diet Preferences; Fish Preferences Health Issues Global North Urbanization: Higher per Capital Consumption Higher Levels in Global North Rising Income Levels in Global South Meat Crisis-Shift of Consumption (Vallejo, p16). Recommendations Analysis shows that a major failure of supply chain management is the lack of traceability. To maintain sustainability supply chains need to function well and information has to flow from end to end. On a more refined level this would translate into consumers being able to make decisions that consider the sustainability of stock and also social and environmental conditions. Implement ation of traceability systems will also help to meet the ever increasing and tightening requirements regarding health and safety for food. This could possibly lead to smaller producers being excluded from International markets. The sophistication of consumers in quickly emerging economies is growing along with regional ones as well. Sustainable fisheries must depend on reducing fishing efforts and developing and implementing traceability mechanisms. In 2006 mega-giant Wal-Mart announced its’ goal to carry 100% MSC certified seafood in their stores by the end of last year. This presented a significant target to competing seafood chains and chain management if they wanted to maintain pace with competitors. Wal-Mart is the only one of 129 North American businesses that sells MSC certified products. This has created a demand in the market for suppliers to meet in supplying retail and restaurant markets with certified seafood which is a huge recommendation in today’s global environment. Conclusion The food service sector is very aware of the sustainability issues in the fish and seafood sector. Many have developed policies towards using sustainable sourcing and are focus on chain management theories in order to implement these policies in the best manner. Many are not predisposed to openly sharing information about their policies or the

How has the use of ICT enhanced the quality of learning and teaching Essay

How has the use of ICT enhanced the quality of learning and teaching across the curriculum at Key Stage 3 - Essay Example of impact of the use of ICT on teaching and learning at Key Stage 3 already existed within a wide literature on educational uses and outcomes of ICT in classrooms and out of school settings. This study is designed to investigate the issues in more detail and involves wide collection of data from the researches conducted in this context. Since Key Stage 3 is the foundation stage so special emphasis has been laid on it in this document. The main aim of this study is to : This study draws on the evidences available on the progress made in schools and the learning and skill sectors. It is based on the research done by various government agencies like Becta, Ofsted, DfeS etc. So the data has been collected through: This study would help in understanding the current challenges in realising the objective of ICT based education. It should lead to improvement in the provision and planning in the use of ICT, which has become an all school issue. It would bring forth the progress issues and challenges. This document would provide information that would help in formulating educational policies on the deployment of ICT, for key stage 3. The study reveals that initiatives taken by government has borne fruitful results. There is significant developments at pupil, teacher and school levels. But in certain cases it was observed that unavailability of sufficient resources became main obstruction in the path of progress like in the case of music departments. The pupil motivation has increased. Pupils have become increasingly independent users of ICT tools and information sources. They have become more focused, efficient and rigorous in their use of ICT, and carry out a range of increasingly complex tasks. Teachers feel more