Monday, April 13, 2020
What Does Conclusions Essay Sample For Science Experiments Do?
What Does Conclusions Essay Sample For Science Experiments Do?A conclusion essay sample for science experiments is very important to illustrate the conclusion you are going to give to the reader. The type of the essay is based on the topic of the experiment, but this may be an excellent opportunity to give a great essay topic for other reasons as well.A conclusion essay sample for science experiments can highlight the outcome of the study as well as the various parts of the study. You should know exactly how you will conclude the essay. Be sure to include these parts in your summary. This will help you make a compelling conclusion that you will want to inform the reader.If you have written a great conclusion essay sample for science experiments, it will show that you are an organized writer. It is a personal decision if you will include your own thoughts or if you will include your conclusion from the text. There are times when you may decide to use other people's thoughts.These type s of essays are very motivating for the reader, so they need to be written with just the right amount of style. You will want to keep in mind that every conclusion has to be intriguing and attractive enough to get the reader to read through it.Completion of the essay is very important to be sure that the essay is well written. This means you should only include the essay outline and not the actual essay content. When the essay is completed, you should consider having an editor to edit the essay to make sure it is correct.Another important part of the essay is the introduction. This serves as a summary of what you want to say and how you will begin the essay. You may choose to make a summary of your research findings in your conclusion.Of course, the first thing you want to do is check the structure of the essay so that it is formatted correctly. You can find a number of editing services to help you write a professional conclusion for science experiments.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Managing Diversity at Workplace
Outline Workforce diversity should be treated as a business initiative and not a human resource or personnel department function. There is a strong business case for diversity in the workplace. The 21st century enterprises have a felt need to value, and leverage diversity. It is top agenda item for successful CEOs. It is commonly accepted business reality that heterogeneous groups outperform homogenous groups.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Diversity at Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Heterogeneous groups are better at problem solving, effective at decision making, and they are particularly well equipped in generating creative ideas. The advantage comes from the fact that the diversity of the workforce background itself imparts a fertile launch pad for creativity to work at its best. Two brains are better than one is a truism aptly applicable to business situations. The power of brainstormin g to create a dramatic impact in finding creative solutions to business problems is enormous. Modern work teams can do wonders in workplace. Productivity, and work quality significantly go up when employees have, or perceive they have, a full opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. 3M typifies such philosophy abundantly. There is a sense of job ownership, project ownership, ownership of the outcome. Even the most die-hard critic of workforce diversity will be unable to refute the obvious benefits of diversity. Introduction We live in a society that is known for its differences. Diversity in terms of multiculturalism, gender politics, affirmative action, preferences, and mandates have become part of our existence. We are today more actively dividing ourselves by race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, cultural norms, physical ability, and socioeconomic status, than in the past (George, 1961). Though diversity is in existence since long, it is only recently that it has attracted greater attention from the corporate mandarins. Managing diversity is nothing but changing the organisational culture or its standard operating procedures. The fostered culture should enable employees to closely examine their values and beliefs and question themselves as to why others look different for them. Diversity management must essentially create an environment that works naturally for the total diversity mixture. Keeping this in view the present paper attempts to clarify some of the real life business challenges in an environment characterised by diversity in workforce.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Why Diversity Management? Human beings tend to see through their own views and interpret the views by what is accustomed to them. There is an addiction to seek the aggregation of those makes a lot of agnate to them for the acquisition and assurance in similarities. It is difficult for humans to conceive power, and history shows that it is rarely done voluntarily. They abide by the external changes and always strive for an accompaniment of homeostasis. This amusing absoluteness makes an atmosphere appropriate for diversity, which includes anybody; adolescent, old, abandoned and affluent, Hindu or Muslim or Christian. Assortment calls for anniversary being advancing to agreement with his or her attitudes, beliefs, and expectations about others and accepting abundance with the differences. To achieve from the affluence of talents and perspectives that can alone appear from accepting an advanced array of humans in adjustment of authoritative roles, managements accept to alternation advisers to accept the differences that abide aural cultures and as well amount the similarities that abide amid capricious cultures. Even to absorb humans with altered backgrounds and characteristics who are able with appropriate skills, organisations acc ept to ensure that such advisers are not appropriate for their different claimed and cultural ancestry as the amount of inclined behaviour in the organisation; they may acquire their own way to other firms who wish them on their own terms. Different organisations are viewing diversityââ¬â¢ in different ways. By diversity, we commonly mean differences based on ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, national origin and sexual orientation. But technically speaking, ââ¬Å"diversity goes beyond these visibilities and encompasses an infinite range of individualsââ¬â¢ unique characteristics and experiences including communication styles, physical characteristics such as height and weight, speed of learning and comprehension, socioeconomics, and educationâ⬠(Anthony, 2005, p. 1). The diversities associated with education, socioeconomic and work experience are, of course, considered more critical for organisational success today. In this context, diversity has become a res ource for organisations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Diversity at Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the workplace, diversity, if properly managed, optimises the willingness and ability of all employees to contribute to the organisational success by encouraging each employee to draw fully on the talents, different points of view, skills, and practices that have been brought into the system for the benefit of both the individual and the organisation. Today, flourishing companies are taking action to appeal people who are blessed with talents, adventures and perspectives, socioeconomic accomplishments and again to alone and aggregately empower them to accord aggregate they accept in adjustment to attain business objectives. The ambition of assortment is not to calculate humans by category, but to account from the best mix of humans of such a category. It is the organisations that could ins til variety into the organisation in tune with their eyes and cardinal objectives accept reaped added benefits. Different Dimensions People exhibit abundant differences in how they recognize changes in the organisation based on claimed characteristics. Of course, there is a hypothesis in psychology, which says that behaviour of an individual is an action of the being interacting with his or her environment. For example, an annoyed worker gets balked while alive for a close that requires approval of place from abounding levels. That is how assortment in the workforce fosters mixed responses, ideas, and outputs in the organisation. Researchers observe particularly seven major differences: Humans alter in productivity; humans alter in adeptness and talent; humans differ in their ability for accomplishing top superior results; humans alter in how abundant they wish to be empowered and involved; humans alter in the appearance of administration they adopt and need; humans alter in their c harge for acquaintance with added people; and humans alter in their bulk of charge and adherence to the firm. Personality differences are another source of diversity. The personality factors such as sociability, affecting stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, artlessness to experience, self-monitoring of behaviour and affecting intelligence make an impact on employeeââ¬â¢s achievement at work places. It determines how an employee gathers and evaluates information. Sensation displays individualsââ¬â¢ ability to accept and orderliness in their job action area as employeesââ¬â¢ admiration to accept an all-embracing viewpoint and as well adore analytic new problems. Feeling blazon humans are about conformists and by all agency try to abstain disagreement. Contrarily, cerebration blazon individuals await added on their ability rather than affect to break problems.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is believed that a diverse work force is always superior to a homogenous group. A heterogeneous group is proved to be capable of producing higher-quality ideas and is likely to take quality decisions for greater the diversity, greater will be the innovation in the organisation. A companyââ¬â¢s mere willingness to employ diverse workforce such as people from different races, genders, cultural backgrounds, the disabled, etc., may make it a darling of the market and thus give a boost to its market cap and sales volumes (Gregory, 1980). Organisation image: The image of an organisation follows same connotations and meanings as that carried by an individual in real life. The organisations also exhibit same traits and behaviour as exhibited by individuals. So organisations must create a culture that values diversity; practices policies that foster mutual respect, a sense of belonging for all, and the acceptance of differences, promote a culture where diversity is valued; and corporat e wide diversity training serves to promote this image. Concern for equality: In their practices, organisations must demonstrate equal respect for minority and majority group members. To achieve this, companies must develop performance expectations and reward systems that are unbiased. Often, minority-group members feel that they work harder than majority group members, but still are not compensated equally (Orlando, 2000). Career development: Companies that want to create a climate where diversity is valued must promote minority group members with the opportunity for development and promotion. Most important, they must provide minorities an access to top-level management positions. Minorities who hold high-level positions can send a message to those in the lower ranks that this is a company that values diversity. Hiring practices: Organisations must work hard to recruit and hire multicultural employees. At the same time companies must provide those prospective workers with an oppor tunity to be hired into well-paying positions, equal to the opportunities extended to majority groups. Companies can benefit from setting goals and guidelines for minority hiring. Unfortunately, some organisations seek to build a diverse work group by hiring many minority group workers into low-paying, unskilled positions. Rather than creating an image of a positive multicultural environment, however, this crowding of minorities at lower positions fosters negative feelings. Minority members sense that they must do the ââ¬Å"dirty workâ⬠and feel they are being used by the organisation (John, 1982). Benefits of Workplace Diversity In the global economy, lack of cross-cultural understanding among the business people may lead to delays in getting the job done right, poor performance, decreased revenues and lost opportunities. Similarly, the need for adaptability is found to be quite essential for success in the globalised economy and diversity enhances adaptability. It is only by employing a wide assortment of people; richness of talents and perspectives can be brought into organisations. There are thus more than one reason why companies deliberately take initiatives to build diversity among its employees, of course, in tune with its stated vision and mission statements. Organisations that manage their diverse workers can increase their productivity substantially through many ways, one of which is increased problem-solving ability. Such productivity may result from increase in creativity that has been hypothesised to be related to heterogeneity. For example, bilingualism and biculturalism have been found to be related to divergent thinking, which in turn has been hypothesised to be associated with creativity (John, 1995). Recently, it has been demonstrated that ethnic heterogeneity in small groups is associated with increased quality of ideas generated for solving problems. Increased heterogeneity also brings in another benefit the prevention of group think phenomenon that occurs only in cohesive groups. Such factors however depend on how factors such as amount of diversity, ease of discussing differences, cultural awareness training, and background information on group members affect the quality of idea generation. With the advent of digital economy one of the greatest challenges facing the organisations is the increasing diversity of workforce. It has become an essential business concern. There is a talent war raging among companies to retain their best talent in a bid to retain their competitive advantage. Diversity management and change management go hand in hand. They mutually support each other (Anton, 1970). Organisations that adapt themselves to change are more likely to be comfortable with managing diversity better. Likewise, organisations are comfortable with diversity and are more likely to be able to anticipate and adapt to changes in the globalised business environment. They will be nimble footed to react instantaneously to the situational demands. It is known that organisations that are ready to accept changes can be stronger inherently as it would benefit them in terms of achieving adaptability to manage complexity, contradictions, and paradoxes. Office technology has felt the revolutionary nature of change the most. The technological sophistication is a natural enabler to the manage diversity in a planned and systematic manner. Technology offers a level playing field to each individual regardless of gender, race, age, and so on. It is a great equaliser (Bertallanfy, 1968). It eliminates the human bias. Electronic meeting is case to point as an example. It is a way of exchange ideas for free. Everyone has an active participative role shot. An electronic meeting paves the way for a secured atmosphere in which ideas and suggestions can be shared and proposed easily. As a marketing strategy in todayââ¬â¢s global economy it makes eminent sense to make the workforce represented by people from all wa lks of life covering a broad spectrum like different ethnicities, races, ages, abilities, genders. To ensure that their articles and casework are advised to address to this assorted chump base, advancing companies are hiring people, from those walks of activity for their specialised insights and knowledge. Similarly, companies having direct interface with the clientele are finding increasingly important to match the profile of the workforce with the profile of their customer base. Homogeneous workforce always result in less external interaction and communication and companies that retain such a workforce would not be effective in framing policies and programmes in consultation with people of different tastes and preferences. To stay competitive the workforce diversity helps the companies as a capacity-building strategy. They need to sprint in order to stay where they are. The dynamics of change is no more evolutionary in nature rather it is revolutionary. Companies that advance acce pt the accommodation to actually break problems, bound acclimate to new situations, readily analyse new opportunities and capitalise on them instantaneously. The scope of talent, experience, knowledge, insight, and acuteness accessible in their workforces can go a continued way in architecture the accommodation for the enterprise. Whatever may be reasons that prompt companies, it is an obvious fact that companies that diversify their workforces will have a distinct advantage over those that donââ¬â¢t. The huge allowances of workforce diversity will be experienced, not by the companies that accept abstruse to apply humans in animosity of their differences, but by the companies that accept abstruse to apply humans because of them. Diversity Management and implementation of diversity policy The acceptation of workforce diversity has been a cause for worry in contemporary years. Not continued ago, diversity referred to a personââ¬â¢s gender or indigenous group. Diversity today enc ompasses differences in age, administration in an organisation, educational background, human acclimatisation or preference, concrete abilities or qualities and amusing status, bread-and-butter status, lifestyle, religion, ethnicity, and genders a part of abounding added characteristics (James, 2001). Also the abstract suggests that diversity administration refers to efforts to animate a amalgamate workforce to accomplish up to its abounding abeyant in an candid plan ambiance area no one accumulation has advantage or disadvantage. Its focus is on alone differences rather than ability differentials. The main arguments identified in these definitions can be summarised by defining diversity as: Diversity is an authoritative behaviour, which acknowledges and ethics differences and similarities a part of humans and how the differences can plan to advance the organisation. It as well agency compassionates the authoritative environments with an acknowledgment for gender, culture, and indig enous lifestyles. Developing and maintaining programs that foster diversity have proven difficult for companies in which embracing diversity amounts to a cultural change. Because, company cultures are deeply rooted and the resulting beliefs are widely held, and culture is difficult to change. Many organisations have attempted to find quick fixes for diversity enhancements, but sooner or later those firms have learned that there is no such thing as a quick fix. Fostering and managing diversity requires a comprehensive and carefully planned approach. Given below is a diversity management model that the authors have developed through extensive literature review and issues raised by researchers and scholars in the field. The differences in ethnicity, culture, gender, age, and lifestyle impart variety of perspectives to the workplace. All perspectives are not only essential but should be actively sought. The spirit of alternate regard, cooperation and investment through acquainted accomp lishment to advance development of agents leads to synergy the action in which alive calm yields after-effects greater than the sum of alone efforts. Proactively create and sustain an internal climate of equal opportunity for all through work force development initiatives such as job growth opportunities, through mentoring, job shadowing and training, tuition reimbursement, employee recognition, and improved communication on relevant issues and activities. The link between workplace diversity and good management The organisations are also waking up to the fact that managing workplace diversity is imperative. Though organisations acknowledge the importance of maintaining a diverse workforce, efforts are not in tandem with the prominence given to the issue. Workforce diversity is throwing up complexities no doubt, but looking at the broader picture, we see that there has been a movement from simple to complex in all realms of the workplace. System thinking has replaced a simplistic ca use- effect relationship. Managements are trying to integrate and benefit from a diverse workforce by coming up with options like flexi time benefits. Gender diversity training programs aimed at highlighting the politically correct work practices and individual behaviours are gaining popularity worldwide (Christopher, 2000). The flip side is that some managers feel that increased workforce diversity may cause management problems. Diversity brings with it the need for more flexibility, which makes management more complicated (e.g., scheduling, compensation plans, interpersonal communication, ethnic differences) (Philip, 1974). The crux of the issue lies in the fact that women in workforce is a reality and the aim of organisations must be to think of how best to harness this vast pool of talent and not glorify the issues as complications. The boards of companies, which expressed faith and backed their women employees, have been rewarded handsomely. Management research is now focusing on a feminine style of management that highlights the success of adopting a feminine or a softer approach to managing people. Many studies have shown that women in fact can make better managers. Workforce diversity can be managed only through a change in the mindset. Integrating the people working in an organisation successfully should be a product of the organisational culture and not a stand-alone training program. The day the women in organisations are accepted as being indispensable, just as in a family, that will be the day the term gender diversity with its negative connotations will cease to exist. Efforts to build a diverse climate and creation of multicultural opportunities will not by themselves create an organisation that values diversity unless management practices reflect this commitment (Robert, 2001). If diversity is to be optimised, top managers must recognise the capabilities of all employees, take their ideas seriously, and support both minority and majority-group employees. Managers must communicate effectively and accept employees who do not speak the local language. Finally, managers must respect the cultural beliefs and needs of employees and truly value the diversity of the workforce. Strategies that can lead to diversity include diversity-awareness training and the hiring of managers and top executives who reflect variety in gender, race, and ethnicity. The role administration practices plays in acknowledging assortment highlights the charge to appoint and advance top-level agents associates who are acute to the apropos of multicultural employees. The management can do this by incorporating this in their hiring practices to hire people who are sensitive and can relate to multicultural workforce. Conclusion Diversity among workforce becomes an asset business. It enables organisations to have a command over choice. Diversity brings to organisations unique perspectives. Understanding the demographic differences among the workforce can help organisations capitalise on diversity and avoid negative stereotyping. If managed properly, diversity optimises the willingness and ability of all employees to contribute to organisational success besides, encouraging each to draw fully on the talents, different points of view, skills, and practices that have been made available by diverse workforce. Diversity, if managed badly, can become a liability. References Anthony, Ferner, Phil Almond and Trevor Colling (2005), Institutional Theory and the Cross-National Transfer of Employment Policy: The Case of ââ¬ËWorkforce Diversityââ¬â¢ in US Multinationals. Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 36, pp 1- 86 Anton, C. Zijderveld (1970), The Abstract Society-A Cultural Analysis of Our Time, Penguin Books, Middlesex, England Bertallanfy, Von Ludwig (1968), General System Theory: Foundations, Development and Applications, George Braziller, New York Christopher, Earley P. and Elaine Mosakowski (2000), Creating Hybrid Team Cu ltures: An Empirical Test of Transnational Team Functioning, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No1, pp-26-49 Gregory, Bateson (1980), Steps to an Ecology of the Mind (chapter on Double Bind Theory of Schizophrenia), Ballantine Books, New York George, H. Sabine (1961), A History of Political Theory (Chapter Hegel: Dialectic and Nationalismââ¬â¢pp-620-668), George G Harrap co. Ltd., London James, Collins et al (2001), Good to Great, Why Some Companies Make the Leap and others Donââ¬â¢t, Random House, New Zealand John, Naisbitt (1995), Global Paradox, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London John, Naisbitt (1982), Megatrends, Warner Communications, New York Orlando, C. Richard (2000), Racial Diversity, Business Strategy, And Firm Performance: A Resource-based View-Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 164-177 Philip, Herbst (1974), Socio-Technical Design, Tavistock Publications, London Robert, J. Keller (2001), Cross Functional Project Groupsin Research and new Pro duct Development-Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 44, No 3, pp-547-557 This report on Managing Diversity at Workplace was written and submitted by user Kaylynn Hebert 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.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
How to Write a Formal Business Letter in English
How to Write a Formal Business Letter in English A formal business letter requires not only strong grammar and vocabulary, but also appropriate tone, format, and sequence. Learning how to write a professional letter in English can be difficult for non-native speakers learning how to write in business English. In this article, we will show you what to include and avoid when writing a formal letter. Finding The Correct Tone in English Formality is a tricky thing in English since it isnââ¬â¢t built into the grammar like in Spanish, French, or Japanese. Instead, it is built into our tone of voice (when speaking) and in the vocabulary we use. You can see some good examples of different levels of formality here.(The first example demonstrates the proper level of formality for a business letter.) Here is a quick tip.In general, a good rule to remember is that formal writing is a bit longer. For example: INFORMAL: Thanks! FORMAL: I appreciate â⬠¦ **Remember! This is a general rule. It is not always true. What to avoid in a formal english business letter Here are some things you should avoid in a formal letter: Emojis ââ¬â as much as I love these because they ââ¬Å"humanizeâ⬠writing, they donââ¬â¢t belong in anything formal. Exclamation points ââ¬â These make you sound like a teenage cheerleader. Acronyms like LOL or ICYMI ââ¬â these are often inappropriate (in the case of LOL) or better spelled out (in the case of ICYMI). They are also easily misunderstood (I knew someone who though LOL meant ââ¬Å"lots of loveâ⬠instead of ââ¬Å"laughing out loud.â⬠It seems like a small mistake, but it resulted in some hurt feelings when she sent LOL to someone who had just lost their grandfather. Idioms (a full list of English idioms can be found here) ââ¬â Itââ¬â¢s always better to write what you need to say plainly and directly. Idioms are also cultural and easily misunderstood or misused. Anything that sounds too friendly or intimate. Example: Nice chatting with you yesterday! Instead, write, ââ¬Å"It was good to talk with you yesterday.â⬠Sentence fragments ââ¬â Example: Looking forward to your reply.â⬠(More info here.) These are used often in speech and are usually ok in informal writing, but they donââ¬â¢t work in formal writing because the subject is of the sentence is missing. (I am looking forward to your reply.â⬠Instead, keep your focus on: Meeting your audienceââ¬â¢s needs and expectations. Remember, the receiver of your letter might not be your only audience. Other people, particular those above your intended receiver, may also see your letter. Direct, simple language. Strong, appropriate grammar. Know your grammar weaknesses and proofread carefully. If you have trouble with this, use Grammarly. Format Use block formatting. Every item is left aligned, with no indented paragraphs. There is one line of space between each item/paragraph. You can see block formatting here. Sequence Senderââ¬â¢s Address ââ¬â The first item should be the senderââ¬â¢s address without the senderââ¬â¢s name. Date ââ¬â Make sure to use the date format common to your audience and always spell out the month. More info on global date formats here. Receiverââ¬â¢s Address ââ¬â Here you need to include the receiverââ¬â¢s name, title, and company, as well as the address. Salutation ââ¬â Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. Last name: (Ex. Dear Ms. Jones:) Body text ââ¬â This is where you include the bulk of your content. Make sure to start with the main point of your communication in the first paragraph, then include more details in the second paragraph, and close with an action eliciting conclusion in the final paragraph. Closing ââ¬â Sincerely or Best regards followed by a comma is appropriate for most formal situations. (Ex. Best regards,) Four lines of space to sign your name Your First and Last Name
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12
Marketing - Essay Example Here all the unattractive ideas and unfeasible ideas are weeded out leaving only the ideas where future action is possible. Concept Development and Testing: Here in this stage the idea is presented to the customers and their views and opinions of the ideas are documented. This eliminates the risk of any losses if the ideas are not accepted by the customers (Kahn). Business Analysis: This stage involves the business and financial analysis of the ideas and here the financial risks and the other business related analysis are completed. Prototype Development: Here the idea is developed and the product is developed in the physical form and the basic marketing strategy is developed. Test Marketing: At this stage the company puts the product up for sale in a few areas to check for the performance under the marketing plan (Jobber). This provides an insight to the company for the effectiveness of the marketing strategy and the demand of the product. Commercialization: The last stage of the ne w product development stage is the commercialization, where the complete marketing plan is developed and the full production is set into action
Monday, February 3, 2020
Is Adolescence a time of 'storm and stress' (individual development Essay
Is Adolescence a time of 'storm and stress' (individual development module) psychosocial study degree - Essay Example The adolescent is confronted with many different changes and is able to adapt to these changes in a constructive fashion, and in a way that results in developmental advance. Considering the large variety of tasks and problems encountered, adolescence is characterized by impressively effective coping in the majority of young people, a fact that has been widely neglected. Coping is the effort to manage (i.e., master, reduce, minimize) environmental and internal demands and conflicts which tax or exceed a persons resources and this shows that coping is a hypothetical construct that is sufficiently complex to take into account both person-specific and situation-specific aspects. Stressors and social resources are also two important concepts. The significance of coping behavior is evident in resiliency research showing that it is coping that makes the difference in both the adaptational outcome and in research on symptomatology, illustrating that the most reliable predictor for mental health is not so much a lack of symptoms, but the competence with which age-specific developmental tasks are handled (Compas & Hammen 1993) More than any other developmental period, adolescence has been characterized in the psychological and sociological literatures as fraught with struggles that are both intrapersonal and interpersonal in nature. In the intrapersonal domain, adolescence has been described as a period in which identity formation is a central developmental task. Achieving a sense of personal autonomy and an identity that is separate from the family is of utmost importance. Significant interpersonal tasks during adolescence are thought to include increased involvement with the peer group balanced against continued attachment to the family. Adolescence is a period in which relationships outside of the family multiply, take on new meanings, and deepen in intensity. These new bonds broaden and enrich the
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Manifestation of Anorexia Nervosa in East-Asian Culture
Manifestation of Anorexia Nervosa in East-Asian Culture Tharushi Kaluarachchi Mental illnesses do not exist independent of their social and historical context. Although it is generally accepted that sociocultural factors are key in the development of Anorexia Nervosa (AN), presently, it is bound by Western notions of disease as its criterion is focused on the obsession with thinness for women with the disorder. However with its evolution being mirrored in East-Asia, it has been hypothesised that an increased risk for eating disorders in those countries arises from a greater exposure to Western popular culture, diets and values. However this in itself does not explain the spread of the disorder as a more complex historical view is needed to explain its conception in East-Asia. Being complex in aetiology, there is much debate centred on the motivation behind food refusal in being the most challenging factor to interpret (Keel Klump, 2003). In Western countries, the promotion of thinness as the ideal female form today has forged a template for the diagnosis of AN as eating disorders have become more common among younger females with a period of icons of the American beauty becoming thinner during the late twentieth Century (Keel Klump, 2003). As a result of this campaign, Lee (1995) claims that modern biomedical views of AN have attributed the avoidance of food purely to a fear of fatness while the sufferer becomes emaciated. The essential criteria for Anorexia Nervosa includes an intense fear of weight gain even with a significantly low weight (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSMââ¬â5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Hence it is insisted that the resolution of this fat phobia needs to presuppose recovery. However this explanation is inadequate as East-Asian cultures have a historically unique evolution essentially apart from modern Western culture (Keel and Klump, 2003). Hence in East-Asian countries AN was previously noted to be unknown with the fear of fatness noted to be frequently absent among these rare anorexics. A culturally sensitive study of AN in Hong Kong revealed that although they bore a convincing resemblance to Western Anorectics in terms of physicality, a large portion, 59%, did not exhibit any fat phobia, instead rationalising their food refusal through bloating and oesophageal blockages (Lee, Ho Hsu, 1993) . Hence these East-Asian Anorexics resulted to organic causes for self-starvation, endorsing the body as a social response to illness (Watters, 2010). Thus, an individualââ¬â¢s distress is culturally defined, as these bodily sensations indicate psychological distress carrying as much meaning and impact as a Western complaint of anxiety or depression (Lee, 1995) . Regarding a case study by Lee (1995), a thirty-one year old patient from Hong Kong began complaining of abdominal discomfort and reduced her food intake due to her boyfriend deserting her. Despite seeing doctors, her weight continued to decrease with her attributing it to abdominal problems, denying any fear of fatness or intentionally restricting diet. Clearly this patient did not fit the diagnostic criteria for AN according to the DSM due to the discrepancy between the biomedical explanation of fat phobia and the patientââ¬â¢s personal explanations (Watters, 2010). Aetiological explanations that were sought through Chinese herbalists attributed the self-starvation to imbalances with bodily organs being devoid of normal hunger sensations, yet was found to be ineffective in treatment. As a result, what was needed was a more local understanding of the personal and cultural forces at play instead of relying on a global template driven by the use of Western diagnostic categories as n either Western nor Eastern healing modalities were having an impact. It is imperative to document that cultural forces are often mediated throughout history to mould the contextual factors which result in the mental illnesses of that time. Hence in pursuing an aetiological explanation for atypical Anorexics, hysteria is of particular interest as its symptoms tend to be shaped by the surrounding culture which is constantly changing in accordance with what is deemed to be female by society. (Shorter, 1986:1). Although the patientââ¬â¢s condition cannot be explained through modern conceptualisations of AN, the symptoms exhibited can be traced back to nineteenth century hysteria. This was an extremely popular form of illness manifesting in a variety of symptoms such as convulsive fits, paralysis and muscle contractions, which the patient believed was physical in origin and perceived as being beyond the control of their conscious mind (Shorter, 1986). Lasà ¨gue (1873 as cited in Malson, 1998) presented hysterical anorexia as a form of hysteria caused by the ââ¬Ëmental perversenessââ¬â¢ of the patient regarded as an illness of female nervousness. Lasà ¨gue (1873 as cited in Malson, 1998) constructs the typical patient to be a young woman who is mentally weak, aged fifteen to twenty years suffering from a personal trauma who is unable to voluntarily resist ascending to the illness. Hence in failing to differentiate between a typical patient and other young girls, he pathologized all young girls, depicting them as being incapable of controlling their symptoms. Hence his report inadvertently enabled a dialogue between the medical society and Victorian middle class females (Brumberg, 1985). Sir William Gull (1873) who shortly succeeded Lasà ¨gue drew the conclusion subsequent to observing similarities across a number of cases, due to the consistent absence of gastric dysfunction which he used as evidence to attribute the loss of appetite to a morbid mental state. Hence Gull defined the loss of appetite as Anorexia Nervosa with the motive for self-starvation being as a result of mental wilfulness differentiated form hysteria which had an organic cause (Gull, 1873). In constructing a weak minded, young nervous girl, Gull (1873) and Lasà ¨gue (1873) presented AN to be viewed as a characteristic or archetype of all young women (Malson, 1998). The ensuing public debate established AN as a distinct disease entity reifying it as a common female disorder which was typified by an aversion to eating food with the patient reporting abdominal pains (Mackenzie, 1888 as cited in Malson, 1998). Yet, as found with the case of atypical East-Asian anorexics, it was repeatedly asserted that careful examinations found no sign of any organic causes that could be attributed to the disorder (Marshall, 1895 as cited in Malson, 1998). Hence a phobia of gaining weight is not the reason for extreme self-starvation, as gastric discomfort was legitimized by physicians, instead attributing anorectic patientsââ¬â¢ starvation as the wish not to eat or loss of appetite with the behaviour being as destructive as patients today with anorexia nervosa (Shorter, 1985 as cited in Lee, 1995). Hence non-fat phobia anorexia displays no particular cultural features as it was found in early conceptions of hysteria and atypical anorexics in East-Asia. Oppenheim (1991 as cited in Watters, 2010) documents the influence of hysteria in Victorian culture in the early twentieth century that led to the rise of the disorder as it was mentioned in not only medical literature but also in popular magazines and newspapers that were easily accessible to lay people. Hysteria was encountered everywhere in the public, seen in an ad in Modern Mechanix ââ¬â Physical Culture that promoted devices such as body braces to remedy ââ¬Å"female weakness, backache, stomach troubleâ⬠¦the result of incorrect posture, misplaced organsâ⬠(Stop Suffering, 1934). Further an ad in Photoplay generalised woman as having ââ¬Å"no control of herselfâ⬠with ââ¬Å"constant headache, backache and dizzy spellsâ⬠prescribing tablets that would give women back their youth, beauty and health (These Hysterical Woman, 1932). Hence this reification of disease by medical professionals and consequently the media can have an unconscious yet powerful effe ct on people as the psychosomatic symptoms of anorexia nervosa were shaped by their beliefs of what constitutes a disease (Shorter, 1986 as cited in Watters, 2010). Shorter (1986) claims that as these expectations change, it targets a specific population and provides patients with a model of how to behave and which symptoms to present. Hence as seen with hysteria, this rapid increase in incidence of a pattern of symptoms coming into vogue through a public interest in medical discourse presents with a problem of incidences of diseases rising (Shorter, 1986). As a result the illness manifested in the population at large and the incidence of the disease drastically rose as self-starvation which was once a rare symptom became common. Shorter (1994:268 as cited in Malt, 1996) postulated that the medical society stimulated the eating disorder behaviour as it influences patientsââ¬â¢ ways of communicating their distress to be more recognized and accepted as it offers a person who can no longer cope with their situation to be free of blame through a non-stigmatic label corresponding to medical diagnostics. Hence this rise in hysteria symptoms in early nineteenth century can be matched with atypical anorexics in East-Asian countries in the late twentieth century, with the speculation that the lack of public awareness in East-Asia correlated with the rarity of the disorder, as distressed individuals were less likely to select AN as the illness of choice (Watters, 2010). In the late 1990ââ¬â¢s the cultural and individual differences in diagnosis became blurred as the influence of the Western diagnostic manual grew and wouldnââ¬â¢t be confirmed as AN unless the patient fulfilled the DSM criteria which presents a large problem in treating them (Watters, 2010). Although increasing industrialisation and fraying of traditional forms of family occurred in the 1990ââ¬â¢s, this Westernisation is inadequate in describing the rise in the incidence of eating disorders in Asian countries (Pike Borovy, 2004). This clash between traditional and modernism formed a belief system suspended between East-Asian and Western conceptions at the point where modern attitudes have fragmented families yet not enough to overturn the traditional familism (Chan Lee, 1995). As a result, Cummins, Simmons and Zane (2005) criticise DSM as a diagnostic tool as it requires endorsing specific symptoms, yet it presents as less relevant to East-Asian populations as they may exhibit a different pattern of symptom presentation. However Rogler (1992 as cited in Aderibigbe and Pandurangi, 1995) claim that when translating international instruments such as the DSM, they should be culturally sensitive to ensure an accurate assessment of symptoms as they should be described freely without any Westernised prejudice. Further, Aderibigbe and Pandurangi (1995) call for more flexibly structured diagnostic systems where the diagnostic inclusion and exclusion criteria is applied in the context of the local culture as diagnosis would be improved if there are alternate classifications of disorders that were more suitable to East-Asian countries. Western conceptualisations often neglect the conception of AN in contemporary East-Asia is affected by the dominant cultural expectations for young woman as traditional notions of love, marriage and adulthood create a context which offers financial stability whilst simultaneously limiting their social lives (Pike Borovy, 2004). As a result of this culture, Pike and Borovy (2004) suggest that eating disorders may reflect the individualââ¬â¢s distress in negotiating these constraints which still values women in their traditional roles of domesticity. This is contrasted with Western cultural valuation of women where the tension arises from a result of striving for achievement and autonomy in being required to negotiate the demands of competitive worlds with a devaluation of traditional dependency work (Pike Borovy, 2004). Western societal standards of beauty often overvalue size and weight, expressed through a general distorted body image and fat phobia of the population. Although this pursuit of thinness has been absorbed by East-Asian culture, it is not the central causing factor of East-Asian AN. Instead there is a need to recognise that this fear manifests as a loss of control, which is the more critical factor in developing AN (Lee, 2001 as cited in Pike Borovy, 2004). This is where the culture acts as a guide for the individual by providing a range of symptoms to express distress as it provides a range of physical symptoms for the unconscious mind to physically express the psychological conflict (Shorter, 1986:1). Hence it is important that the aetiological model of AN integrates the local East-Asian culture and the universal need to express distress and global Westernisation. The rise in incidence of fat phobia anorexics can be ascribed to the popularisation of the DSM essential criteria of a fear of fatness in Hong Kong through the media. Instances such as the death of a young anorexic girl, Charlene Hsu Chi-Ying sparked the attention of the media with newspaper headlines from local Chinese-language daily papers such as ââ¬Å"Schoolgirl Falls Dead on Street: Thinner than a yellow Flowerâ⬠(Watters, 2010). With little local professional knowledge, Western experts were quoted, ascribing her demise to weight loss and dieting (Watters, 2010). Hence this media attention not only generated public interest resulting in the rise of this disorder, but especially a rise in the Westernised form of AN in a different subpopulation, modelling DSM symptoms. A newspaper article in The Nation claimed that eating disorders were estimated to afflict ââ¬Å"one in 100 young Japanese womenâ⬠(Effron, 1997:14) similar to the incidence rate in the United States. The extent of Western acculturation in Asian countries can be seen as Effron claims that ââ¬Å"a weight-loss craze has swept the developed countries of Asia, sending womenâ⬠¦scurrying to exercise studios and slimming salonsâ⬠(Effron, 1997:14 as appearance and figures became very important to young people. Hence raising awareness of AN in Asian culture inadvertently became a double-edged sword as it could draw a susceptible reader in, with Shaw (2006) finding that adolescents tend to respond more to fashion images. Further, vulnerable adolescents who were dissatisfied with their body and perceived the pressure to fit in were adversely affected by exposure to images of thin models (Stice, Spangler and Agras, 2001). Therefore, there is a need to change the perception of AN portrayed in the media as it has become a culturally manipulated syndrome in East-Asian societies, leading to mimic anorexics as they regard the process of self-starvation with veneration rather than pain (Brumberg, 1985). Hence this proliferation of the promotion of starvation as glamorizing the disease for girls who seek it as an outlet of distress can encourage imitation. As a result, Psychiatry today in East-Asian cultures are treating the subpopulation affected by Western manifestations of AN which is inadequate a s it dismisses the genuine atypical anorexics. In summation, it is important to consider AN as cultural artefact which has been refined over time, as well as integrating a biomedical and personal subjective models. Hence there is no single adequate suggestion that media and advertising or society alone have increased the incidence of AN. It is rather that culture is a layered process of history and social expectations which put modern adolescents at a greater risk for developing the disease such that a deeper historical view, as pursued here, can be sought to explain how expectations of AN have changed. However, the mediation of factors such as media, which help form a dialogue between the disease and the public need to be controlled and take into account the local culture in order to aid in treating and restricting the rise of the incidence of AN in East-Asian countries.
Saturday, January 18, 2020
The Birth of Rock Nââ¬â¢ Roll – a Case of Racial Conflict
THE BIRTH OF ROCK nââ¬â¢ ROLL ââ¬â A CASE OF RACIAL CONFLICT The term rock ââ¬Ënââ¬â¢ roll has been traced back as far as the 1920s in black music, but it became an accepted when disc jockey Alan Freed began used it to describe the character of the rhythm and blues he played on his radio program in the mid-ââ¬Ë50s. The term ââ¬Å"Rockin' and Rollinâ⬠were originally used as slang for sex, in black pop music. However, it went on to become the name for a new, salacious musical genre.Innovation in audio technology, new instruments, fresh talent, business savvy record producers, and a young population of new consumers created by post-war economic prosperity helped turn ââ¬Å"race musicâ⬠into ââ¬Å"rock and rollâ⬠. The roots of Rock & Roll can be traced back to rhythm and blues and country rock. We must note the political context of the rock n' roll movement before delving deeper into the recesses of the genre.Black people were beginning to identify and assert themselves racially supported by a series of Supreme Court judgments in favour of integration and the Black community in general Rock n' roll became a symbol of Black empowerment to the Whites, especially to the segregationists who were accustomed to and valued a separation of the races, but were now legally forced to operate against those segregationist values. The resistance to rock n' roll music, highly enjoyed by young White kids, was a culmination of all the hostility and tension of the Civil Rights movement.There was a certain White resistance to such music in the form of The Ku Klux Klan and other White-supremacist organizations that openly preached the exaggerated consequences of listening to rock n' roll music. The term ââ¬Å"jungle musicâ⬠was used to describe the rock n' roll beat, declaring it would cause the White youth to lose their sense of humanity and dignity while mixing races. This kind of resistance to the rock n' roll movement often came to physical assaults on Black performers. There have been reports of assaults such as the one on Nat King Cole, arguably one of the most docile African American performers of the time.While performing at a Whites-only venue, a mob rushed the stage and beat him. Nat King Cole not only suffered the bruising from the White audience who ambushed him, but also a tongue lashing from Black activists who reprimanded him for not demanding integrated venues. The conflicts of rock n' roll music are direct reflections of both the institutional resistances of Whites to integration and the widespread exploitations of Blacks across the country in many industries. The post-war economic boom ushered in a new era in radio broadcasting.With greater competition, national radio networks gave way to a horde of new independent, locally based stations hosting a variety of entertainment programs. White radio producers would hide Black performers from White audiences. They would often choose a tune with potential from a Black artist, and have a White singer perform the song without the provocative dancing or emotive moaning of the original version. This proved to be a multiple win for the Whites as the Black artist would be kept away from the spotlight, the White producer was making the money, and White kids were idolizing the White singer.It is widely believed that iconic artists like Pat Boone, Elvis and Georgia Gibbs began by assisting in the exploitation of Black artists who were replaced by more-polished, White impersonators. Many observers suggest that rock n' roll would never have been so controversial had it not been for the sexual revolutions and conflicts going on throughout the mid 1900s. The rock n' roll revolution coincided with the institutional revolution of acknowledging youth sex. Rock nââ¬â¢ roll music often ended up portraying sex as a new, fun activity, something that normally happens when young people fall in love.The older generations were quite averse to such music and u sed many tactics to resist the trend. Magazine campaigning became very popular among the older generations; parental guides and ââ¬Å"girl talksâ⬠were printed to show that people still valued pre-marital abstinence. The situation eventually escalated into full censorship, until disc jockeys and music hall owners refused to play Black records in general. There were petitions and requests for radio stations to not play sexually-explicit lyrics, but the response was relatively weak. The truth is that the White artists, who impersonated the Blacks, saved the movement.They cleaned up the sound and look of rock n' roll, until White parents would accept it. Parents did not want their sons and daughters listening to wild rocker Little Richard Penniman, but would let them listen to Pat Boone. Soon, White faces like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis were reintroducing the sexuality of rock n' roll music and launched it into mainstream legend. Black popular musicââ¬âeverything from jazz and blues to boogie-woogie and rhythm and bluesââ¬âstood at odds to the white pop songs and artists that epitomized post-world war conservatism. By comparison, rock nââ¬â¢ roll was raunchy, unrestrained, rowdy, and even evolutionary. That which was categorized by the record industry as ââ¬Å"race musicâ⬠stood as a powerful cultural alternative to the tight-lipped, conformist values. Black Rock n' Roll music also reflected major social and cultural changes brought on by post war urbanization, including youthful rebellion. By contrast, white pop music had ignored or watered down these transformations. American youth, inspired by nonconformist icons like James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Natalie Wood, naturally gravitated toward the more edgy black tunes which they felt spoke of their frustrations.These young whites made black music their own by learning the dances, memorizing the slang, and copying the cool swagger of African-American boogie-woogie and rhythm and blues art ists. They claimed as their own a genre scorned by most whites born before World War II. Thus, Rock n' Roll was indeed reflective of the Civil Rights movement. It stirred up a whole generation and shows that a culture conflict usually always has a deeper context to be found.
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