Death of Salesman Analysis Essay

Women assume various roles in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Mainly we find them in the home, or the â€Å"workplace†. For us, they serve as windows to observe and formulate an opinion of the main character, Willy Loman and his boys Happy and Biff. For reference, the women include, Linda Loman (Willy’s wife) the boy’s childhood and current girls/women, â€Å"The Woman† (Willy’s mistress), and Jenny (Charley’s secretary). Notably, there are several aspects that unify these women. First, they are subordinate to the men; second, they are emotionally or materially dependent; third, the men are mutually dependent on the women for emotional or physical needs; and fourth, they serve as male ego supporters. Moreover, the women are portrayed as weak. Granted, societal views of women’s roles have drastically changed over the past seven decades, the women’s characters in Death of Salesman have not. Miller skillfully navigates us through the past and present in order to capture a complete image of Willy’s life. I will attempt to do the same with Linda Loman. I selected her because of her distinctive propensity to be overly protective of Willy. My intention is not to understate the relevance of the other women. Yet, my focus on Linda is based on my opinion that she is the central female figure and best ambassador to reveal Willy’s dynamic nature. Willy: â€Å"You’re my foundation and support, Linda.† (1216) We are introduced to Linda in the present. For the time and even for today, she is the ideal American wife. Caring, nurturing, supportive, and loyal to her husband and children. Yet, today, one may say overly supportive. A captive of the time period, she is limited; and therefore, emotionally and financially dependent on her husband. While here, we are able to feel her comforting and sheltering nature. She selflessly protects Willy from his insecure thoughts, his children, and acknowledging his financial failures. Yet, she cannot guard him from his depression and suicidal attempts and ideations. The scene opens with Willy prematurely returning from a sales trip. He is explaining to Linda that he could not maintain mental focus and that the car kept veering off onto the shoulder of the road. As we will come to know, she is well aware that Willy’s mental status is declining. She deflects the blame by saying, â€Å"Oh. Maybe it was the steering again. I don’t think Angelo knows the Studebaker.† (1213) Willy accepts responsibility, â€Å"No, it’s me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1214) Nonetheless, she continues to divert the cause by saying, â€Å"Maybe it’s your glasses†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (1214) Her well-intended effort to be supportive is unfortunately enabling Willy’s serious â€Å"nervous breakdown† to be ignored. In the literary sense, it is an example of situational irony. Her intention to be helpful is not actually helping. For us, it is in this moment with Linda, that we immediately realize that Willy is undergoing serious internal and exter nal stress. It is manifesting into depression, mumbling, mental and physical wandering, and severe depression. It will proliferate throughout the play, and tragically, be the cause of his final decision. During their conversation we are also introduced to the adult boys, Biff and Happy. Linda informs Willy that the boys are both sleeping, and that, â€Å"Happy took Biff on a date tonight.† (1214) The report automatically generates interest in Willy. Which, we can translate to mean, Willy is in favor of his boys being in the company of women. As the conversation continues we are made aware of the tension that exists between Willy and his oldest son, Biff. As well, Linda let’s us know that Willy has a temper. She tells him, â€Å"You shouldn’t have criticized him, Willy, especially after he just got off the train. You mustn’t lose your temper with him.† (1215) For me, his temper is validated by his response, â€Å"When the hell did I lose my temper?† (1215) Typically, a non-temperamental person would not respond in that manner. As they continue on the topic of Biff, we get the first glimpse of Willy’s contradictory nature. At one moment Willy says, â€Å"Biff is a lazy bum!† (1215) While in a follow up comment he says, â€Å"Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such—personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff—he’s not lazy.† (1215) Well, which is it? Is Biff lazy, or not? Willy’s contradictory tendency will be further exemplified. I find a touch of comical irony, when prior to going to the kitchen, for a glass of milk, he asks, â€Å"Why am I always being contradicted? (1215) While in the kitchen, we go back in time with Linda and Willy. We see that her support of Willy has endured the test of time, as have his inconsistencies. The younger Linda asks, â€Å"Did you sell anything?† (1224) At first Willy says, â€Å"I did five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred gross in Boston.† (1224) Linda wants to tabulate his commission so she retrieves a pencil and paper from her apron pocket. She â€Å"number-crunches† and replies, â€Å"Two hundred—my God! Two hundred and twelve dollars!† (1225) Once he realizes that there will be an expectation to produce that money, he back-peddles and says, â€Å"Well, I didn’t figure it yet, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1225) She is persistent, â€Å"How much did you do?† Then a more realistic figure emerges, â€Å"Well, I—I did—about a hundred and eighty gross in Providence. Well, no—it came to—roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip.† (1225) As easily as Linda can do the math, so can we. Willy’s original report claims approximately 1,200 gross. When realistically his entire trip probably netted 200 gross. If we are inclined to believe that estimate as honest, he has overinflated his sales by six times the actual amount. After realizing that the actual commission amount is not enough to cover the monthly expenses, a dialogue ensues that reveals another incongruence and his insecurity. Willy states, â€Å"Oh, I’ll knock them dead next week. I’ll go to Hartford. I’m very well liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is Linda, people don’t seem to take to me.† (1225) Again, in the same sentence he contradicts himself. I think we can all relate to feeling â€Å"less than† at some point in our lives. Since, I know I can, his previous and following statement elicits empathy on my part. He claims that people are laughing at him when he goes to his sales calls. He doesn’t know the reason, he is just aware. Linda’s perpetual support of Willy continues, â€Å"Oh, don’t be foolish† and â€Å"Why? Why would they laugh at you? Don’t talk that way, Willy†. (1225) She continues to console him and coddles his fragile ego by replying, â€Å"But you’re doing wonderful, dear. You’re making seventy to a hundred dollars a week.† (1225) There is something to admire about her positive outlook. Willy continues to share his feelings about his diminished sense of self-worth. This time, it comes from his critique of his physical image, â€Å"I’m fat. I’m very foolish to look at, Linda. I didn’t tell you, but Christmas time I happened to be calling on F.H. Stewarts, and a salesman I know, as I was going in to see the buyer, I heard him say something about—walrus. And I—I cracked him right across the face. I won’t take that. I simply will not take that. But they do laugh at me. I know that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1226) I would like to draw your attention to the opening scene where Linda cautions Willy about his temper. We are now in the past, and we have a tangible example of Willy’s temper. In this case, it has even erupted into violence. Linda doesn’t even bat an eye when he tells her that he hit someone. Instead, she is the constant pillar that supports his ego, â€Å"Willy, darling, you’re the handsomest man in the worl d—† (1226) Really, Linda? I can’t imagine my husband telling me he hit someone and not be compelled to probe him further about the incident. Through Willy’s reminiscent daydreams, we hear the laughter of a woman, who will later be revealed as â€Å"The Woman†, his mistress. (1226) Willy has just added another criteria to analyze him against. He is unfaithful to his committed and loving wife. Until now, I could sympathize with Willy’s insecurities, even understand his need to overinflate his earnings and maybe even relate to his temper. But, positioned against my own moral standards, I don’t care for a womanizer. Nor would I make an exception if the roles were reversed. He pulls away from the memory and declares, â€Å"You’re the best there is, Linda, you’re a pal, you know that?Ã'  On the road—on the road I want to grab you sometimes and just kiss the life outa you.† (1226) Anyone who understands simple psychology realizes that it is guilt that moves him to profess affection for his wife. Yet, a key term he uses provides insight to how he actually views her, â€Å" you’re a pal†. These words cannot be misconstrued to mean: I love you, you mean the world to me, and I can’t wait to rush home to you. As a matter of fact, he retreats into his memories and we spend time with â€Å"The Woman†. In this brief moment we can conclude that his mistress provides an outlet when he’s on the road, she fuels his ego, and she suits his purpose by being able to send him directly into the buyers. In return, he fulfills her material need for stockings. (1227) Back from his memory of â€Å"The Woman†, we are still in the past where he is remembering a scene of Linda mending her stockings. He commands her to throw them away. Although we already know Biff and Happy from their own earlier dialogues and Willy’s memories (which I did not address), it is here that Linda provides insight into younger Biff. She tells Willy that Biff must return a football that he stole from the school, and that he is also too rough with the neighborhood girls. (1227) Willy is annoyed with Biff and he explodes at Linda when she urges him to do something about Biff’s behavior. (1228). It is important to know, all of Willy’s past memories and mumblings have occurred while he went down to the kitchen for that glass of milk. Finally, we arrive at the kitchen, in the present. This part does not include Linda. Yet, I find it important to include because this exchange contains a missed opportunity. Not that there weren’t several others. Happy comes down to check on Willy. He finds his father mumbling, and out of concern and sadness, Happy tells him that he will financially provide for the rest of Willy’s life. In expressing his frustration with Happy’s claim to â€Å"retire† him for life, Willy makes an explicit cry for help, â€Å"You’ll retire me for life on seventy goddam dollars a week? And your women and your car and your apartment, and you’ll retire me for life! Christ’s sake, I couldn’t get past Yonkers today! Where are you guys, where are you? The woods are burning! I can’t drive a car!† (1228) And there it is! A desperate, agonizing plea for attention, ‘Where are you guys? The woods are burning!’. He realizes his condition, he is begging to be acknowledged, begging for attention, and begging for help! He feels alone in his suffering. I could imagine his desperation, and we would not be human if we too did not feel his pain. The neighbor, Charley enters, and Happy is sent away. In the interest of focusing on Linda, we will fast forward through this part. Yet, during Charley’s visit and through Willy’s memories, we meet an influential character in Willy’s life (his successful brother Ben). Charley leaves after a heated round of cards. Yet, we remain in the kitchen while Willy heads outside. Linda comes looking for Willy in the kitchen. Both boys come down to discuss their father’s apparent troubling condition. Instead of addressing it, she scolds them both for being judgmental of their father. Happy transfers his anger onto Biff and blames his father’s condition on Biff’s failures. This scene foreshadows the underlying trouble between Biff and his father. Linda asks Biff, â€Å"Why are you so hateful to each other? Why is that?† (1235) Biff is reluctant to admit that he is resentful towards his father. She cautions that one day the boys will try to come home and there will be strangers in the house. Biff replies, â€Å"What are you talking about? You’re not even sixty, Mom.† She reminds him that his father is not doing well and goes on to say, â€Å"Biff, dear, if you don’t have any feeling for him, then you can’t have any feeling for me.† (1235) This is an endearing symbol that all families are interconnected, and we each play an integral role. In a passionate plea she proclaims, â€Å"You can’t just come to see me, because I love him.† She goes on to acknowledge Willy’s character flaw, â€Å"I know he’s not easy to get along with—nobody knows that better than me—but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (1235) Willy enters the kitchen and he is delighted to see Biff. His erratic behavior is puzzling, and Biff asks, â€Å"What the hell is the matter with him?† Linda defends Willy, as if from a physical threat, â€Å"Don’t—don’t go near him!† Out of disgust, Biff snaps, â€Å"Stop making excuses for him! He always, always wiped the floor with you. Never had an ounce of respect for you.† (1235) This is a loaded, emotional and hurtful comment. But, we will easily unpack why Biff feels that his father has not cherished his mother. Another scene, that does not directly involve Linda, is a mandatory addition. Nearing the end, we come to know that the younger Biff caught his father with â€Å"The Woman† in a hotel, while his father was on a business trip. (1267) The experience grants Biff a moment of clarity, it also permanently shatters his image of his father. Ultimately, she is the measure that Biff judges his father by. In that hotel room, the reality of his father’s pretentious persona crystallizes. He calls him a liar, and a fake. (1268) We will come to understand that this pivotal moment created a fissure that could never be filled. Inevitably, it altered the chain of events in Biff and Willy’s lives, not to mention Linda’s. They remain distant from that moment forward. Poor Linda is never directly told about the affair, which is the sole reason of why Biff resents his father, and the ultimate reason that has caused Willy to be so depressed. The most important detail I have saved for last. As I first claimed, I found Linda to be the most important woman that brings Willy into perspective for us. Early on, Linda confesses to her boys that Willy has deliberately smashed the car on two separate occasions, (1237) and that she has found a hose in the basement that he intended to connect to a gas line. Just prior she delivers a very heartfelt command to her boys. For us, Linda sums Willy up, â€Å"Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He’s not the finest character that ever lived. But he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He’s not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person.† (1236) There we have it, Willy has attempted suicide and continues to be tormented with his ideations. Unfortunately, his final suicide attempt is successful. What a strange word, ‘successful’ can be when used to describe death by suicide. But, in Willy’s mind, through death he could attain financial success, make a lasting impression with his sons (mainly Biff) another form of success to Willy, leave 20K for Linda (huge success), and have everyone acknowledge him with a big â€Å"send off† (success in the form of recognition). As we know, in the end, it did not play out that way. The few people in attendance did not view his death as a success. What he left behind was pain.

Gendering World Politics Essay

Gender analysis of international relations can no longer be considered new. Both in history and political science, scholars of women and gender and foreign relations have carved out what is now robust subfields. In Gender in World Politics, Tickner’s first chapter explores the encounter between feminism and international relations sub-field of political science. She first establishes the debates within each. Feminism has been the subject of a debate between liberal feminism and its rivals, while IR has seen three: science realism versus idealism, realism vs. social. It is in the context of this policy, â€Å"third debate† means the meeting Tickner feminism and infrared. More specifically, feminism is expanding IR agenda on several fronts, including normative theory, historical sociology, critical theory and postmodernism. In this context, Tickner investigates â€Å"Gender Dimensions of War and Peace and Security† in Chapter Two. In the 1990s, feminists began to question â€Å"realistic† outlook on security, most of which have had a top-down, state-centered, the structural approach. Feminists , however, mostly come from the bottom up, starting at the micro level. For example, feminists attacked the premise that wars have been fought to protect women and children, in fact, in his opinion, to the extent that wars tend to generate massive refugee crisis, violations and rampant prostitution, are disproportionately women wild. In Chapter Three, Tickner moves on to the global economy. Here, feminists have joined the debate on globalization, especially questioned the boosterism often seen in the industrialized West. For example, they use gender analysis to reveal the unpleasant realities of home-based labor in the developing world. What multinational corporate managers would call â€Å"flexibility† and â€Å"cost containment,† the overwhelmingly-female workers would see as lower-paying, less-sta ble, and less-regulated labor. Gender perspectives on democratization, state and world order are the focus of chapter four. In contrast to conventional IR, ignorant of democratization, and more recently â€Å"democratic† peace theories, feminism IR-examining the micro level, where democratic transitions can exclude women or even leave them materially worse. Tickner then looks at women and international organizations (both the United Nations and non-governmental organizations) and norms (such as human rights). In the fifth and final chapter, Tickner suggests â€Å"Some Pathways for IR Feminist Futures.† Clearing these routes involves â€Å"knowledge traditions† that, for example, challenge prevailing gender laden dichotomies such as rational / emotional, public / private and global / local. It also includes new methodologies for IR, such as ethnography and discourse analysis. In the end, Tickner IR urges feminists to remain connected to the broader discipline even when they question their basic assumptions. Tickner synthesizes a wide range of recent literature and thus provides us with a solid understanding of the subject. His is not the only introduction to feminist IR but is a very good. Tickner is careful not to claim too much for feminist IR or fire other approaches. It also takes little for granted, holding such basic terms as â€Å"globalization† and even â€Å"gender† to scrutiny. And finally, this is a nuanced work. Tickner presents fairly represents and disagreements among feminists as well as the geographic and methodological. Similarly, captures the dilemmas facing IR feminists. For example, feminists must work within existing state structures or face them from the outside? If based on the state of progress or in the market. If the book has a weakness, it is one of style. . The writing, moreover, is better and more accessible than in many other political science texts. However, I often find difficult to tackle prose. In part, this is a matter of style, writing Tickner most lack color and verve, interesting anecdote or a vivid illustration. And partly it’s a matter of using the political scientist. â€Å"This language is understood by those inside†, as she says Tickner in another context, â€Å"but can seem quite bewildering, and sometimes even alienating to those outside, making communication very difficult transdisciplinary. Again, the language is typical of the field and could be much worse, but the repeated occurrence of terms such as â€Å"epistemological†, â€Å"postpositivist†, â€Å"problematize† and â€Å"privilege†, as verb , tends to swell the sentences and make the book seem longer than it is. In the end, however, a minor weakness, and definitely should not be allowed to deter non-specialists. In addition to the contribution of the book itself feminist IR, this is one of its great virtues brings relevant trends in political science historians who study women and gender and foreign relations. For many historians have discovered that, in the words of Cynthia Enloe fine, â€Å"the personal is international â€Å". This discovery is facilitated and enriched as Tickner helps us to cross the disciplinary divide. J. Ann Tickner, Gender in International Relations: Feminist Perspectives on Achieving Global Security (New York: Columbia University Press, 1992). Cynthia Enloe, Bananas Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics (Berkeley and London: University of California Press, 1990) Jan Jindy Pettman, Worlding Women: A Feminist International Politics (London and New York: Routledge, 1996)

Human Resources Management Essay

The present state of recession in the IT Industry – as a Human Resource Manager how are you going to undertake Human Resource Planning at Macro Level to tide over this crisis? Human capital formation is acknowledged as one of the most potent sources in contributing directly and significantly to economic growth. As a result even the objectives of economic planning and priorities thereof, began to be shifted away from purely growth oriented development strategies to those that recognize and partly remedy the past neglect of such social sectors like population, planning, health, education, housing, social security and other social services. The objectives of HRP at macro level are to ensure that the organisation: a) Obtains and retains the quality and quantity of human resources it needs at the right time and place; and b) Makes optimal utilisation of these resources. Human resource planning is the formal process of linking organizational strategy with human resource practices. It is about perceiving organizational practices as a whole and not piecemeal. In a competitive climate, organizations need to use models and approaches that secure ‘uniqueness’ of operations along with enhancing ‘organizational capability’. Today, the world is going through, a global economic turmoil. This recession affects almost all the fields especially IT field. To overcome the adverse effect of the economic slowdown, we should plan an effective human resource policy at macro level. Human resource plan is designed to pay attention to shaping the priorities of the H R function than on supporting activities relating to the organization’s functioning as a whole. The economic crisis of 2008/2009 has touched every industry and profession,  radically altering the hiring landscape. Major layoffs, rising unemployment, and lowered profits have reshaped the way workers are hired and fired, and dramatically highlighted the need to rethink workforce planning. Now, the question lingering over the heads of business leaders everywhere is: What will the successful post-recession business look like? Here, we wanted to find out how what steps they are taking in response to the crisis, how their priorities and practices have changed, and what they predict the HR landscape will look like as the economy recovers. This study is focus on the following objectives: 1.How HR Processes got affected by Recession? 2. What was the Reactions of Recession? 3. What HR steps Companies are taking to prepare for Recovery from Recession? 4. What are the Envision on post-recovery staffing model? 5. What are the Roles of Temporary Workforce? 6. What are Managed Serviced Program & its Benefit? First let us brief about Recession. A recession is a contraction phase of the business cycle where significant decline in economic activity lasts more than a few months, which is normally visible in real GDP real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. The current economic recession has hardly spared any country on earth. Rich countries like USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Canada almost all the rich countries have got badly hurt from the recession. So, there is no reason to be surprised to know that Indian economy is also getting hurt from the global economic recession. As a Human resource manager planning is one of the most important sources in contributing the economic growth. To overcome from the recession in IT industry I would like to retain and obtain pure quality of human resources all ways at the right time and at the right place. I ensure that all the resources are utilized properly .I as a human resource manager responsible  for corporate plan along with organizations purpose as the top most priority. The KRA at macro level are: 1- Determine the requirement level in the organization keeping recession in mind. 2- To get the best from the resources available within the organization. 3- Assist productivity bargaining. 4- Evaluate cost of man power in any upcoming new projects coming. 5- Analyze the cost of all the overhead and value associated with it with the function 6- Need to decide whether certain activities need to be sub contracted. 7- Need to provide best training in order to retain talent. 8- Anticipate redundancies. 9- Need to forecast future requirement. 10- Serve as a basis of management development programme The human resource planning is one of the most crucial, complex and continuing managerial function. It is a multi step function with various issues. The issue which needed to cater first are 1- Deciding objective and goal.2- Estimating future organizational structure ,3- Auditing human resources,4-Planning job requirement and job description.5- development of human resource plan. In the recession time in the IT industry it is very important to relate future human resources to future enterprise need so that the return on investment on human gets maximized. The company’s human resources mamager is as much an advocate for the organization as it is for the employees. The responsibility to serve the interests and needs of both can be challenging, especially during a recession when it could difficult to sustain both the company and its workforce. The HR issues during a recession demand an even greater commitment to achieving stability for the company and assuring employees that they won’t endure the harsh effects of a recession. Strategy Strategic direction is an ongoing discussion between HR and company’s  leadership. During a recession, HR Manager’s involvement in developing the company’s strategy should be a priority. Workforce planning, compensation structure and employee satisfaction aren’t just HR goals — they’re organizational goals because the workforce is company’s most valuable resource. Sustaining company’s operations and its profitability largely depends on employee productivity. The communication between HR Manager and the company’s leadership should be candid, frequent and must include communication with employees about the company’s direction. Company Status If the company is recession-proof, meaning it provides necessary products or services, the role of HR manager is to remind employees that the company is forging ahead despite an economic meltdown. As the saying goes, the only sure things in life are death and taxes; therefore, the most recession-proof businesses are likely mortuaries and accounting firms. On the other hand, if the company will be affected by a recession, HR manager’s role is to assist company leaders in describing the business strategy for staying afloat and keeping employees apprised of the company’s status and direction. Employee Communication The employee turnover during a recession could be minimal simply because companies that aren’t recession-proof are closing, which means there are fewer job market opportunities. Leaving a job with a company that is surviving the recession for another one that might not survive could be a bad decision. Therefore, HR’s primary job includes communicating with employees about the company’s status, what it’s doing to be profitable and what it needs the employees to do to ensure the company’s survival. This conveys two important messages. It says you care enough about your workforce to keep them informed and you value their contributions in helping the company make it through the recession. Job Security If I am in a position where I need to hire additional staff, ensure that I am not making any cuts to current employees’ wages. That is likely to make employees wonder if their livelihood is a priority or if the company places more value on input from outsiders. Provide training for employees to take on new responsibilities instead of recruiting an external candidate to do the job. Effective crisis management doesn’t mean eliminating training for employees, according to The Boston Consulting Group 2009 survey of HR measures. In fact, the joint survey conducted with the European Association for People Management revealed that more than 30 percent of the companies that scaled back training — individual and special training — was less effective and demonstrated lower commitment levels during a crisis, such as a recession. Training also conveys the important message that you’re investing in your existing staff, training them to work cross-functionally an d thereby preparing them for continued employment in case their current jobs are eliminated because of the recession. Layoffs If HR must lay off workers, establish a communication strategy that gives employees plenty of notice before the actual layoff. Consult the U.S. Department of Labor Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, WARN, to determine if you meet the criteria for complying with WARN regulations. Ease the blow of unemployment by scheduling the layoff so it doesn’t coincide untimely with periods such as the year-end holiday season. HR should offer outplacement services to employees who are forced to seek employment elsewhere. Outplacement services can range from career counseling sessions with experts to resume-writing services or time off from work for interviews. Compensation and Benefits HR might not be able to guarantee that employees will get year-end bonuses or even a wage increase, but HR can help employees figure out ways to increase their take-home pay. When employees have questions about their wages, tax withholding and liability or the cost of benefits, such as health insurance premiums and retirement savings ensure the company can provide answers. An HR benefits specialist can guide employees through the decision-making process by advising them to cut back on, say, charitable contributions that are being deducted from their net pay. The benefits specialist also can  refer employees to resources for managing their finances, such as an employee-assistance program. Summary HR managers reported opting for a wide range of practices to respond to the severe pressures presented by the recession. These practices range from changes to pay and pensions, staffing and HR systems, to changes in working time arrangements. While pay freezes for some or all employees were common, pay cuts too operated in a substantial number of firms. Other pay-related measures adopted include lower pay or salary scales for new entrants, bonus cuts and changes in pension arrangements. In terms of headcount and staffing arrangements, changes were also pronounced in that most firms in the survey experienced redundancy (compulsory and voluntary) for some employees. Freezes on recruitment were also commonly instituted. The effects of the recession on a wide range of business and the subsequent pressures experienced by HR managers, was examined next in chapter four. The HR managers present at the focus groups outlined in detail the ways in which they were required to cut and control employee costs in response to deep and acute commercial pressures. Where participants had been taken up for much of the previous boom years with recruiting and retaining staff, the main hub of activity now for most of the participants was on finding ways to control and reduce pay and headcount. Relative to the difficulties of doing this, other areas of HR practice received less attention, although some firms reported continued recruitment efforts for specific positions or new skills sets. Some firms also took measures such as selective pay rises or promotions to retain valued staff. Others operated formal talent management programmes, though these generally predated the recession. Staff redeployment was presented as a routine measure in responding to the recession in non-union firms, but appeared to be more problematic in unionized firms, where it sometimes cut acros s agreements with unions or lines of demarcation between different jobs.

Knowledge management questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Knowledge management questions - Assignment Example People establish knowledge through observation, patterns of recurrence and finally generalizing and abstraction. He also explained the phenomena in nature which cannot be perceived by the senses as those which can be explained by the intuition (AMDS 8800 Study Notes; Barnes 72-74). Aristotle’s objective to establish and to define the different knowledge is related to epistemology, a branch of philosophy that if focused on the establishment of knowledge. This is important for knowledge managers to be able to know and be conscious of the importance of the knowledge they manage. Specifically, Aristotle’s view helped the knowledge managers appreciate and then segregate the different forms and classification of knowledge. His focus on the rules of the inductive and deductive thinking established the rules and guidelines for critical analysis of the different knowledge systems. Aristotle’s contribution in the foundations of scientific method specifically the importance of empirical basis in the establishment of knowledge is essential on the development of the body of knowledge presently used (AMDS 8800 Study Notes; Barnes 72-74). The message of Aristotle’s view then is for knowledge managers to be conscious of the different types of knowledge, skills and capabilities generated by different people and to appreciate and analyze them through critical study of important empirical evidences. Knowledge Management (KM) is a business model that is focused on the interdisciplinary management of knowledge in an organizational framework and objectives on the basis of disciplines such as business, economics, psychology, and information management. It is focused on the different issues related to people, technology, and processes. The process of KM involves accessing â€Å"knowledge from outside sources, then embedding and storing knowledge in the business processes, products and services.† These are then translated to the databases and documents,

Leadership DQ 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership DQ 2 - Essay Example This is an attitude that needs to spread in order for businesses to remain successful in the new economy. A new leadership criterion is something that is somehow easy to understand but shows some of the loop holes if not managed properly. It is hard to deliver the same idea of management to all employees. Some will insist in continuing to manage as they always have. The ideology teaches that collaborative leadership is an art of trust between coworkers, even if they work quite differently from each other. It may be that each one has to share the control of their authorities as these business relationships are beyond boundaries (Archer & Cameron, 2009). Yet, it is possible for diversity to co-exist. This brings a deeper understanding of the term ‘team work’ and justifies efforts to promote tolerance. LITERATURE RIVIEW: Different theories have different approaches and perspectives but it is never easy to implement them practically within business relationships. Implementat ion of these concepts can be quite difficult. Supposedly, as consultant, the Block’s Flawless Consulting Phases would provide the best way to deal with and win a business client peacefully. This theory is based on five phases which is a systematic approach to deal a client: Registration of a client and contracting a client. Discovery of the real issue and a thorough discussion. Getting a feedback and a final decision to act. Implementation of the possibilities and engagement. Extension to a workable solution, revision or terminating a task if not workable. All these steps are according to a natural phenomenon of human behavior. Using a scientific approach is supposed to improve the chances of success. Block explains that consultation is done when a client has a second option and a consultant has no direct authorities to implement the solutions until and unless a client wishes for something else (Block, 2011). According to the Leaderful Field Book, collective judgments and col laborative approach can often end up with disagreements among qualified managers which could lead to other indirect problems. Though a thorough examination and scrutiny of a case could be done on different levels, but at the time of deciding a solution, all hard work could be wasted in the absence of a single agreement. PHENOMENON OF RESISTANCE: The phenomenon of resistance tells that it is unlikely for a mass of people to agree upon the proposed deal or idea presented. This concept can be witnessed in almost every organization, but the most important part is figuring out how to deal with this phenomenon in order to produce the best possible outcomes. Some administrations are not flexible enough to absorb the resistance of their own workers. They often announce that critical measures will be taken if they do not receive a majority votes in favor. Here comes the role of managers. It is their duty to control the situation and stop it from getting worst. Both dialogue and patience can bring a brilliant outcome. Managers should think collectively and view the real problems regarding all sides. They must consider the perceptions of both administration and the employees and try to give the solution while supporting their decisions with facts and figures. In this process, patience counts for a lot, as any furious reaction can collapse the whole structure of a system. Sometimes it is valuable to think positively in consideration of the workers and acknowledge that they are the

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of European Union (EU) as a Essay

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of European Union (EU) as a foreign policy actor - Essay Example f measuring the EU’s external behavior and its policymaking in order to conclude if there is or not an European Foreign Policy, the theoretical interest has been mainly centered in the theoretical capability-expectations gap and in categorizing and defining not the EFP but the EU’s international role. It is only lately that some studies have pointed out the relevance and the need of a Foreign Policy Approach (FPA) to help explain the complex arena of the European Union’s Foreign Policy. To adapt FPA to the European Union, an original and unique political organization, poses no insuperable problems. The difficulty is to apply an FPA approach to â€Å"European Foreign Policy†. In my view the concept of â€Å"European Foreign Policy† is the problem. For some analysts EFP is synonymous with EU’s Common Foreign and Security policy (CFSP) which should be differentiated from the European Community external competences (the traditional trade policy and the new development policy complementary to those of the Member States). Recently Hill (2002: 2-3) employs the term â€Å"European Foreign Policy† to the ensemble of the international activities of the European Union alone, not only CFSP activities but also including outputs from the other two EU’s pillars, considered as a â€Å"mass of activity† which cannot be pretended to be in itself coherent. Others find the former definition to restrictive and consider that EFP takes three forms: member states Foreign Policy, Community external relations and Union’s CFSP. In this context EFP is understood as a system of external relations or a Foreign Policy system where these three strands can be differentiated for analytical purpose. Although these perspectives stress that a key research task for the analyst is to establish the extent to which these forms have become interwoven over time, the fact is that this notion of EFP emphasizes the distinct sets of activity more than their interaction. These definitions of EFP tend

Niklas Luhmanns theory of the Mass Media System Essay

Niklas Luhmanns theory of the Mass Media System - Essay Example It reveals the twofold reality of the media between its own internal system and the reality it provides for the society externally. According to Luhmann, the mass media is made up of recursive, self-referencing communication programs whose functions are not directed by external values of knowledge, truthfulness or objectivity, political directives or specific social interests. Instead, Luhmann agrees that the functioning of the mass media is directed by the internal code information/non-information which allows the system to choose its information/news from its own environment. The mass media then communicates this information depending on its own reflective criteria (Luhmann 36). The basis for Luhmann’s theoretical construct was public suspicion of the mass media. According to Luhmann, we get to know about our society and the world in general through the mass media. This also includes our knowledge on nature. However, we are not in a position to trust this information because of the many things that we know about the mass media. This creates a contradiction which basically forms the unique modern and productive features of the mass media. First, the mass media can be compared with other social systems like science, law, business and politics which form operationally closed systems. Secondly, the cognition of mass media is self-referencing and closed. This is a feature that is only found in systems. This means that they have not distinguished the reality which they communicate daily reports, news and advertising as expected from the image they present. Instead, they create it. Although the created reality arises selectively, it is socially relevant and maintains its validity as long us we understand how it is developed, produced and consumed. The usual way of dealing with the contradiction in the mass media is to suspect that there is some form of manipulation in the

Understanding Organized Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding Organized Crime - Essay Example Organized crime has existed in the ancient world with bands of pirates and thieves attacking remote areas of the countryside. Crime in the ancient world was mostly prevalent in the rural areas because of the remoteness and wilderness of these regions. Thugs were considered to be one of the earliest organized crimes which operated in India. Piracy was a recurrent problem that plagued the ancient world as ships carrying goods and people were attacked and plundered (Albanese, 2003). The nobility in the middle ages displayed characteristics that were typical organized criminals. Their domination and subordination of the modes of production, legal structure, and armies ensured that they could repress and violently engage in criminal activities. Modern criminal gangs began to appear in the urban areas. Ethnic minorities living in countries like the United States set up their own gangs which engaged in criminal activities. Organized crime has become sophisticated because of the advent of te chnologies like the internet to perpetrate their crimes (Albanese, 2003). Organized criminal groups flourish in areas where they have local support. Criminal members use a number of tactics to influence businesses, police, and legal establishment in order to maintain their activities. Blackmail and bribery are some of the methods which are used to intimidate or scare opponents. Criminal groups have shown remarkable resilience in their ability to respond to crisis (Berdal, 2002). They have shown amazing ability to adapt according to changing situations. New opportunities are quickly grasped with the criminal group moving into the market. Modern organized crime uses the internet, shadowy bank accounts, and links with other groups to engage in illegal activities. Internet fraud and stealing of information are some of the newest activities promoted by organized criminal groups. The internet makes it safe for criminal

Managing People ,Info & knowledge Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Managing People ,Info & knowledge - Assignment Example An example of this is the observation that Terry Cole makes that Veronica has a tendency to talk in ‘management terms’ when she does not know what she is talking about. Because she is not aware of what she does not know (as Terry puts it), Veronica risks being blind to alternatives and considering only her own opinion. She also generates conflict with other members of staff, as she is attempting to gain power for herself and her department through the proposed changes. She would like to see the HR department have a bigger role and be more integrated into the company; however, not everyone else agrees that this is desirable. Another person in the case study who exhibits expert power is Terry Cole. Terry is the head of information systems and acts as a liaison to external contractors as well as being responsible for the information and networking systems within the company. Like Veronica, he is very knowledgeable about his field of expertise. He has a tendency to confuse o ther managers by excessive use of technical language, and does not speak up about his own opinions. For example, he is concerned about the project that Veronica is proposing, as he does not believe that she knows the entire situation, and has not throughout about how her proposal will affect other systems within the company. He considers that Mike is too easily influenced into decisions; however, he is not prepared to confront Mike concerning this. Although both Terry and Veronica could be considered to have expert power, the differ in personality and in leadership styles. Veronica is more active than Terry in trying to gain power for herself, and she is also more confrontational in general.... The present study would focus on power as the ability that one individual or group of individuals has to affect control or change over a second individual or group of individuals. This control or change can come in the form of behaviour, attitudes, objectives, needs, opinions or values. Five general types of power are recognised, legitimate, expert, referent, coercive and reward. One issue that arises when any type of change is occurring is that the power of individuals comes into conflict. Each person aims to protect their position of power, and in many cases gain more. Because of this, the types of power that are exhibited in a corporation can have a substantial impact on leadership and the way that changes are implemented. A business has many different components that work together collectively to produce the products and services that the company offers. One aspect of the development of information systems is that each person views the problem from a different perspective. Becaus e of this, they see different approaches as being optimal. In order to understand, and then solve the problem, it must be examined from all potential perspectives. Selective attention is a psychological approach that considers why people pay attention to some factors and not others. There are many different factors that affect selective attention, some of which are external and others are internal. External factors are the stimulus and the context.

War on Terror Essay Example for Free

War on Terror Essay I, myself, before September 11, 2001 did not know what terrorism was. It is completely a new term for me, and I could never figure how terrible it is. But then, experiencing and witnessing the feeling of losing the one you loved who was a victim of that disaster, I recognized that the world is no longer as safe as before. Today, not only America but also Britain, Spain, Indonesia†¦became the target of terrorists. The terror tissue is the most challenged thing for all the governments to solve. Even though after September 11, 2001, US has attacked and destroyed a lot terrorists’ bases in over the world, the terrorists still survive and keep aiming to US and its allies. There is an old proverb of ancient Asian military: â€Å"understanding yourself and your enemies is the key to win every battle.† Thus, in order to annihilate terrorism, we need to comprehend what it is. From the book â€Å"War on Terror† of Patrick Coaty, we will be able understand deeply how and why terror has an influence in our society by basing on 3 perspectives: terror and international environment, terror and state, and terror with individual. Terror was first used From the French revolution to the end of World War II as a tool to clean the monarchy in a society by the Jacobins, terrorist groups of French revolution. Then terror was developed when the Soviets threatened and exploited people. Opponents were starved to death. The state controlled what a person ate, wore and even drank. It was evaluated as reliable for Soviet society. The Soviets used terror to break the traditional societal structure that evolved during the Czars ‘reign†. Under the time Soviets ruled the country, the gap between the poor and the rich became larger. The rich became richer and they hide the poor to work for them. Later on, that created the food shortage in the urban of the society because the rich only produced what they needed for life instead of what society needed. The duty of the Soviet Union is to maintain the balance of entire society by control the products of rich peasants. However, they did not success, and that was also the reason why the Soviet Union is collapsed later. Eventually, terrorism evolved under Hitler’s reign to basically killing people to take control and gaining power by combining it with the police power of the state. Hitler learned from the experience of Stalin of Russia he killed all of the people that helped him to become a leader. The Military Organization combined with the Gestapo which was one of the four organizations of the German Workers Party, and was responsible for the killings of millions people. As a result of World War II, the United Nations, which were the permanent members of the U.N Security Council include Great Britain, France, Russian and the Soviet Union, China and the United States, was established to prevent future wars and genocides. The United Nation has an obligation to provide international peace and security. Unfortunately, each member has different perspectives and ways to maintain their influences over the world, and that led to the forming of a favorable environment for terrorist groups and their state sponsors. The nation liberation is another type of terror. During the cold war, many countries were established by using the violence to gain the power. We saw the connection between Soviet Union and groups that used terror as an expression of national revolutionaries to destabilize the government like revolutionaries in Vietnam, Cuba, and Korea. These attacks have these similarities: support from the state, the element of surprise and the access to international media. To gain more power and more influences to other half of the world, Soviet Union and its allies such as Syria, Libya secretly supported the terror group and used them as a political tool to break down the Western countries. The terror groups such as PFLP and the PLO usually targeted to citizen of Israel, and US allies. Although the ending of tension and completion between the Soviet Union and the United States led to the termination of the Soviet Union, and many of the terrorist of groups based in the United States and Western Europe began wither after Communism fell, terrorism did not disappear. In order to maintain and survive, terrorism needs to have a sponsor. The state sponsors of terrorism are between Iran, Syria and their sponsorship group Hezbollah. Iranians have expanded their impact through the Middle East and mainly in Lebanon by helping with the founding of Hezbollah. The Iranian administration has taken part in direct kidnapping and slaying of hundreds of Americans starting with the U.S. Marine barrack attack in Lebanon in 1983. In the meantime, while not directly responsible for the killing of Americans, the Syrian made the terrorist attacks possible by letting the Iranian provide Hezbolla h with military needs that the United State Department has approximately calculated is about 80 million dollars a year. After the attack of 9/11, the US government has discovered that Al-Qaeda was behind. September 11th, an important event for al-Qaeda, marked the change of al-Qaeda from an organization to a movement. The U.S. pushes the September 11th attacks, issue of the counter-terrorism to the top. Unlike the other groups of terrorist like Hezbollah which require a sponsor to make their move, Al-Qaeda has their own financial system. Al-Qaeda makes profits from our needs for drugs and oil. Another way to earn money quickly of Al-Qaeda is trading heroin for money and weapons; it is hard for US government keeps an eyes on what Al Qaeda did to prevent them on time in the future. Moreover, Al Qaeda also used charities as a cover to raise the fund for the attack their enemy, Americans. Bin Laden, a leader of Al Qaeda, made a speech that all Americans will be the target of attack because they pay tax for the government. Before 9/11, Al Qaeda has successful bombed World Trade Center of US, but US government failed to destroy all terrorists at that time. There are three different levels of plans to fight the counter-terrorism. The three are: criminal justice, preemptive strategy to counter-terrorism and targeted killing. Like criminal justice, the domestic police power of the state treats terrorist the same way one would treat kidnappers, bank robbers or murderers. Although international public opinion is generally in agreement that those that preach and actively use terrorist tactics to spread their ideas must be stopped, there is a problem when the U.S. uses means that go against the idea of humane and fair treatment of those being pursued. This is shown by the negative reaction of many Americans to the length of time suspected terrorists have been imprisoned on Guantanamo Bay and the mistreatment of suspected terrorist in the prisons of Iraq. However, to wait for the terrorists to come to U.S. soil is to play with fire. It does not know when and where their next attack will be. How to prevent terrorism is one of the most concerning problem of the government. Supporting the terrorists’ group is one way helps them gain more power and influence. Therefore, the government had better find a way to cut off all the connection between them and their sponsor than trying to rummage everywhere and destroy terrorists one by one. The government has to tighten the security. The lack of security along our borders has also made it possible for terrorist to live among us and to train and organize without our consent. It is the best to let the police and army always be prepared and practice every single day. Protecting and checking status and biography of every citizen cannot be neglected. As a citizen, we should and have to report some suspicious actions of stranger to police. There are a lot of plans being given, but it is said above that we will not know when and where their next attack will be. All we can do is being prepared and knowing how to protect not only ourselves but also people we cherish. Our government needs our help and cooperation. . Although we don’t know that the attack like 9/11 would happen in the future or not, it would be a good start in letting the average individual improves their understanding the elements in the War on Terror.

Examining The Roles Of Moral Entrepreneurs Media Essay

Examining The Roles Of Moral Entrepreneurs Media Essay There are certain powerful tools such as moral entrepreneurs and/or social control agents that are said to contribute to the development of moral panics in a society (Becker, 1963:147; Cohen, 1980:85). This essay will argue that amplitude as a news value appears to be the major tool through which moral panics are developed in a society (Cohen, 1980:31). The essay will commence with a brief background and definition of key terms such as news values, amplitude and moral panics, not necessarily in the same sequence. Then using relevant research sources, this essay will analyse the role that the news value of amplitude plays in the development of moral panics. Furthermore, the reasons for this kind of journalism will be considered by carefully analysing the issues of interest and morality. Finally, the essay will consider the effects of moral panics on society by looking into instances in different societies. Ben-Yehuda (2009:1) describes the concept of moral panic as creating a state of exaggerated fear from topics that are claimed to have a moral element. He states that moral panics have to create, focus on and sustain powerfully persuasive images of folk devils that can serve as the heart of moral fears. According to Ben-Yehuda and Goode (1994:12), the idea of moral panics developed from the earlier concept of moral crusades where a person or a group of persons where stigmatised as deviants and isolated from what was regarded as normal society. It was first revealed by Jock Young in 1971 as opposed to the thought that Stanley Cohen was the originator of the concept. Critcher (2006: ix) also concurs that Cohen borrowed the term from Young. However, though Young introduced the term, it was Cohens research on the Mods and Rockers that launched it to its present state as a still central tool of sociological and media analysis, as well as a common phrase in popular discourse (Ben-Yehuda, 20 09:1). Cohen defines moral panic in his book Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of Mods and Rockers (1980:9), as when a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylized and stereotypical fashion by the mass media This shows that every society has particular moral values and interests that define it as a society. Hence, it will not be normal for a person or group of persons to go against those moral values and interests. Becker (1963:1) states that social rules are made to be enforced and they determine what is right or wrong in a social group. Therefore the person or group of persons who breaks those rules is regarded as an outsider because such cannot be trusted to live by the rules. The outsider is then labelled by that society as a deviant or a folk devil as Cohen calls it. The outsider is isolated from normal society and this leads to more deviance (Cohen, 1980:12; 18). Goode (1993:93) also defines moral panic as a widespread feeling on the part of the public that something is terribly wrong in the society because of the moral failure of a specific group of individuals, subpopulation is defined as the enemy. In short, a category of people has been deviantized. Deviance refers to behaviour that breaks social values or upsets the expectations of society thereby attracting social penalty or punishment (OSullivan, et al., 1994: 83; Aggleton, 1987:4). Some examples of deviant behaviours that lead to moral panics are related to drug usage, homosexuality, gang activities, pornography, prostitution, and so on (Ben-Yehuda, 2009:2; Cohen, 1980:18). Cohen (1980:9; 59) observes that a type of moral panic which has kept occurring in Britain since the war has been tied to the coming up of a variety of youth culture who are either working class, middle class or students and are seen as deviants associated with violence. The Teddy Boys, the Mods and Rockers, the Skinheads, are some examples he gives of those labelled deviants or folk devils that represented youths at the time. This is also reflected in Ben-Yehudas study of the 1982 drug panic in Israel where youths were identified with the deviant behaviour of illicit drug-taking. Those who create and enforce the rules in society respectively referred to as moral entrepreneurs by Becker (1963: 147) and social control agents by Cohen (1980: 85). These are powerful concepts that are said to contribute to the development of moral panics in a society. They comprise the Police, the Courts and Civil Society or Action Groups who take appropriate action at the Federal and Local levels. Here the media also plays a vital positive role in checking the excesses of these so-called deviants. As we all know, the media is a tool through which information is dispensed to the public. The way and manner information is dispensed determines how the public reacts to such information. There are certain criteria that determine what news is and it varies from one culture to the other (Galtung and Ruge, 1965: 65). The criteria or guidelines by which events are regarded as newsworthy are referred to as news values (Brighton and Foy, 2007:1). Galtung and Ruge (1965: 70) provide a list of a number of factors that qualify for news values. An event must possess at least one of these to qualify as news. One of such news values is amplitude on which this essay will focus. Amplitude refers to how big the event is; The bigger, the better, the more dramatic, the more likely the event is to achievethreshold value (Watson, 1998: 118). It is argued here that amplitude as a news value appears to be the major tool through which moral panics are developed in a society (Cohen, 1980: 31). It was stated earlier that moral entrepreneurs or social control agents are powerful tools that are said to contribute to the development of moral panics. Cohen (1980: 166) and Becker (1963: 147) have argued that these tools create and enforce rules in order to control deviant behaviours. They intervene whenever they feel a particular value in society is being threatened by behaviours that are out of the norm. This shows that a deviant behaviour can be powerful enough as to instigate creation and the enactment of laws in a society (Ben-Yehuda, 1990: 124). However, it is important to note that these agents cannot function alone to create moral panics in the society, they need the mass media to be able to pass across what they deem as morally wrong or evil so, they take advantage of the media to be able to create a moral panic (Ben-Yehuda, 1990: 116). It thus seems that without the media, moral panics may never occur and amplitude plays a major role in such a development. Cohen (1980:1 6) describes the media as an especially important carrier and producer of moral panics. He states that information that gets to the public have already been processed by the media, that is to say that they have been subject to classifications of newsworthiness and how they are to be relayed to the audience. He argues that what is usually called news focuses on reports on deviance and its consequences and such reports create concerns, anxiety, indignation or panic. When these feelings have been created, the need to protect certain moral values arises and this leads to the definition of the problem and the creation of rules to protect societal values. All that has been said boils down to the fact that for the media to cover an event successfully as news, amplitude (as a news value) plays a very important role. As earlier defined, amplitude refers to how big and dramatic the event is (Watson, 1998: 118; Galtung and Ruge, 1965: 66) so the need for amplitude leads the media to amplify de viance whereby exaggerating the event so it becomes a very big issue through the reaction of the audience. OSullivan, et al. (1994:10-11) define amplification as the process whereby initial activity, labelled as deviant is increased or amplified as a result of social reaction which is largely co-ordinated and articulated by the mass media. Furthermore, Galtung and Ruge (1965: 71) state that there are three things the media does to manufacture news and one of them is accentuation or distortion and that is to make the event even more noticeable. Cohen (1980: 31) gives examples of this kind of distortion or exaggeration. In describing the Mods and Rockers event at Clacton, he states that a journalist from the Daily Mirror admitted that the event had been over reported. Cohen describes how the media grossly exaggerated its seriousness; Over-reportingthe number taking part, the number involved in violence and the amount and effects of any damage or violence. Such distortion took place primarily in terms of the mode and style of presentation characteristic of most crime reporting: the sensational headlines, melodramatic vocabulary and heightening of those elements in the story considered as news. The regular use of phrases such as riot, orgy of destruction, battle, attack, beat up town and screaming mob left an image of a besieged town from which innocent holidaymakers were fleeing to escape a marauding mob. This event was so exaggerated that the police began making preparations for the next anticipated Bank Holiday hooliganism. On the next Bank Holiday at Brighton, so many suspicious youths, though not guilty of all that they were accused of, were arrested on the beach escalating the matter and confirming the doubts and fears of the public who acted and took their local problem to the legislature ( Cohen, 1980:91-113). Another instance of such exaggeration is found in the 1982 drug scare event in Israel. Ben-Yehuda (1990:103) argues that the media played a crucial role by providing information that stimulated the panic. He states that youths in high schools in Israel were accused by the police and a member of legislature of the misuse of psychoactive drugs. It appeared in the media that over a hundred thousand students used hashish. A particular school was labelled Hashish High School because it was accused of a high rate of unlawful drug use. The principal revealed statistics showing o nly one pupil in the school was found using drugs but the release of the statistics did not help because the panic had already been created. The Ministry of Education sought for proof from the police for the outrageous statistics they released to the media but none was given. Anxious parents parents demanded that the Ministry of Education do something about the terrible drug problem. Most parents eventually withdrew their children from schools as a result of such exaggerations, turning the event into a huge story. The media used such headlines as youth drug abuse plague, How to Behave with a Drug Abusing Adolescent, The Dangers of Hashish. This event shows how active the social control agents and the media were in the development of moral panic but the media seemed to be the major tool through which moral panic began. The connection between personal and group interests to moral panics has been espoused by (Ben-Yehuda, 1990: 114; Becker, 1963:148; Goode and Ben-Yehuda, 1994: 159). Ben-Yehuda (1990:114) suggests that on one hand, moral panics reflect the moral struggle in a society and on the other hand, the issue of interests show that moral panics use moral topics to cover up clash of interests between different parties. He argues that the moral panic in Israel in 1982 was based on distorted information, clearly aimed at sharply marking the boundaries between moral right and moral wrong. However, behind the public display about morality, there were other strong interests at work as well. This shows that just as there are moral entrepreneurs who seek to truly uphold moral values for the good of the society, there are also those entrepreneurs who seek to fulfil their own interests. Young (2009: 10) states that there are three reasons for moral intervention. The first is the conflict of interest wher e he explains that interests of a powerful group are directly threatened or the group sees that the intervention would be to its advantage. The second reason for intervention is moral indignation. He explains that the deviant threatens the moral values of a more powerful group therefore an intervention is required. Finally, the third reason is humanitarianism where the more powerful group intervenes for the good of the deviant(s). This goes further to reveal a powerful economic and political relationship between those in power and those regarded as outsiders because laws, wealth and status could be created as a result of moral panics (Goode and Ben-Yehuda, 1994: 159). For instance, the legislator could create laws and have his political status established as a result of a moral panic through the media and the police could gain more funds to aid in fighting deviance. Furthermore, the media is responsible to protect the public interest through the proper dissemination of information. The public should be aware of events that affect them through the news. News that stirs up moral panics does not seem to be in the public interest because the end result is fear and anxiety (Ben-Yehuda, 2009: 1). It then seems that the media may only be interested in its business competition through the selling of a breaking story to attract more viewership and not minding how the news is presented thereby fulfilling its own interest. It could also be that the media in creating a moral panic is not aware that it is doing so and may publish or broadcast news in the public interest since its duty is to create awareness of issues prevalent in the society. Moral panics have certain effects on the society. They create stereotypes, for instance, (Young, 2009:6) thereby segregating a particular class or group of people within society. A stereotype is a social classification of a group based on a particular set of values, judgments and assumptions toward the groups behaviour, characteristics or history (OSullivan, et al., 1994:299). The Mods and Rockers were stereotyped because they behaved and did things differently from the rest of the society at the time. They dressed differently, rode scooters and motor-bikes and they were two confrontational groups. As a result they were seen as a threat to traditional, decent values of law and order (Critcher, 2006: xii). According to Cohen (1980:62) the Mods and Rockers were seen as a disease that needed to be cured or completely removed from society therefore they experienced indignation. A survey revealed that the medias reaction to the Mods and Rockers were more intense and stereotypical than the opinion of the public (Cohen, 1980: 66). In addition, moral panics create fear, anxiety and panic among members of society. Statistics show that fear is created especially among older people (Cohen 1980:70). For instance, as mentioned earlier, during the 1982 drug scare in Israel, parents out of fear and anxiety about the terrible drug problem that had invaded high schools, withdrew their children from school. The sort of presentation and language used by the media may cause its audience to think they are living in a very unsafe environment while that may not be entirely true. Also, moral panics could help establish new laws claimed to guard the moral values and interests of the society and even if it does not do so, it leaves memories that usher in the next panic (Ben-Yehuda, 2009: 3). For instance, early 1970 in America, President Nixon successfully carried out a war on drugs that later paved the way for subsequent drug panic that led to the creation of laws against illicit drug taking in America in 1986 and 1989 (Goode and Ben-Yehuda, 1994:169). All these prove that moral panics could either have a lasting or a short term effect on a society. The effect could be felt at the time of the panic and eventually fade away with the panic as it was with the Mods and Rockers or the effect could be a long lasting one as in the case of laws made to prohibit illicit drug use. In conclusion, although other strong tools such as the moral entrepreneurs or the social control agents contribute in creating moral panics, it is clear that amplitude as a news value is a major tool used by the media to create moral panics in the society. This essay has also shown that there are certain reasons why moral panics occur and those reasons could either be moral or for personal interests. Furthermore, there is a preponderance of the unhealthy effects of moral panics in the society including the creation of stereotypes, the instigation of fear among people and possibly the creation of new unnecessary laws. Practitioners in journalism and media must be careful in the reporting and dissemination of information to the general public to avoid impressing their personal or group interests on society that they may have detrimental effects in the peaceful order of society. WORD COUNT: 2,824