The Bloody Chamber Notes

The Bloody Chamber Quotes – ‘like an extraordinarily precious slit throat’ – ‘bright as arterial blood’ – ‘faery solitude’ – ‘so many mirrors’ – ‘as if he were stripping the leaves off an artichoke’ – ‘instruments of mutilation’ – ‘the walls†¦gleamed as if they were sweating with fright’ – ‘an armful of the same lilies with which he had filled my bedroom’ – ‘the trumpets of the angels of death’ Characters – Heroine – ‘seventeen and knew nothing of the world’ – ‘the white-faced girl from Paris’ – ‘I was only a baby’ – Marquis – ‘dark leonine shape of his head’ – ‘opulent male scent’ – ‘dark mane’ – ‘waxen face’ Mother – ‘indomitable mother ’ – ‘wild thing’ AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning – Language – Juxtaposition – ‘lascivious tenderness’ – Metaphor – the Marquis as a beast, or as God – ‘the eye of God – his eye’ – ‘Subterranean privacy’ of the chamber – likening bloody chamber to Hell – Form – Castle is a Gothic reinterpretation of the fairytale template – Reworked fairy tales – Carter called them ‘new stories’ not ‘versions’ – Short stories maximise the impact of Carter’s messages – Novelette – the slow pace of which mirrors the brief lifestyle of the heroine in her new life Structure – Long descriptive paragraphs followed by very short sentences e. g. ‘Dead as his wives. ’ – isolated simile – Longer sentences with commas increase the sus pense, short sentences create a sense of fear – Ellipsis also used AO3 – connections between texts and different interpretations – Child like language – ‘Baby mustn’t play with grownups’ toys’ (see EK, COW) – Fairy tale motifs – ‘All the better to see you’ – links to fairy-tale form (see EK, LOTHOL) – References to the modern world – ‘shrilling of the telephone’ (see COML) – Aggressive male language – ‘pistons ceaselessly thrusting’ (see EK)Gothic Features – Weather/setting – Castle is isolated, heroine sees its ‘faery solitude’ – how she chooses to view it, away from reality – Walls of the chamber ‘sweating with fright’ – as if guilty themselves – Marquis calls bloody chamber his ‘enfer’ – French word for Hell, ‘subterranean privacy’, ‘ like the door of Hell’ – Carter contrasts light and dark – ‘Lights! More lights! ’ – Foreshadowing – ‘the necklace that prefigures your end’, ‘bright as arterial blood’, ‘like an extraordinarily precious slit throat’ – all foreshadow the heroine’s decapitation Heroine escapes her fate – makes her an even stronger character – Dominant males – Marquis likened to God and a lion/animal – Passive females – Heroine accepts her fate quickly – Religion – Marquis is placed in the role of God – Refers to the heroine as ‘my little nun’, pornography referred to as ‘prayer-books’ shows Marquis’ lack of religion – Bloody chamber as Hell – see setting – Supernatural – ‘as if the key itself were hurt, the bloody token stuck’ AO4 – contextual factors and how they af fect the text – Angela Carter was a feminist – Published in 1979 – after the sexual revolution of the 1960s ‘Carter flirts with elements of the Gothic in many of the tales’ – S. Roberts – Same for all texts The Courtship of Mr Lyon Quotes – ‘one white, perfect rose’ – ‘there was no living person in the hall’ – ‘a lion is a lion and a man is a man’ – ‘there was an air of exhaustion†¦ in the house’ – ‘her own image reflected there’ (in the Beast’s eyes) – ‘Fast as you can’ – ‘an attic, with a sloping roof’ – ‘the roses†¦were all dead’ – ‘as if, curious reversal, she frightened him’ Characters – Beauty – ‘looked as if she had been carved out of a single pearl’ ‘she smiled at herself with satisfaction’ â₠¬â€œ ‘Miss Lamb, spotless, sacrificial’ – Beast – ‘some kind of sadness in his agate eyes’ – ‘a man with an unkempt mane of hair’ – ‘he was so different from herself’ AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning – Language – Extensive imagery of snow symbolises Beauty’s purity – ‘white and unmarked as†¦ bridal satin’ – Personification of the house – ‘the chandelier tinkled†¦ as if emitting a pleased chuckle’ – ‘Pearl’ – pure, beautiful, valuable – Form – Reworked fairy tales – Carter called them ‘new stories’ not ‘versions’ Carter extracts ‘latent content’ – Short stories maximise the impact of Carter’s messages – Beauty and The Beast – both characters change, not just the Beast – rol e reversal of princess in the tower – Structure – ‘I hope he’ll be safe’ – no speech marks, highlighting Beauty’s lack of a voice AO3 – connections between texts and different interpretations – References to the modern world – ‘the snow brought down all the telephone wires’ (see BC, LOTHOL) – Fairy tale references – she reads ‘elegant French fairy tales’, ‘Fast as you can’ (see BC, EK, LOTHOL) Gothic Features – Weather/setting ‘Palladian house that seemed to hide itself shyly’ = ‘he forced himself to master his shyness’ – ‘Thin ghost of light on the verge of extinction’ – no signs of Spring at the Beast’s house – reflects what has happened to him – Bloody chamber = Beast’s attic – he is trapped and dying, claustrophobic setting – Roses die as the beast dies: â₠¬ËœThe roses†¦were all dead’ – Countryside = place of purity and femininity, town = masculine place of corruption – Foreshadowing – ‘she smiled at herself in mirrors a little too often’ – pride comes before a fall – Dominant males – no longer dominant ‘a cracked whisper of his former purr’ – ‘I am sick and I must die’ – Passive females – Objectification of women – she is called ‘Beauty’ but gets an identity at the end – ‘Mrs Lyon’ – Supernatural – Magic of the house – her father can call the garage even though the phone lines are down – ‘All the natural laws of the world were held in suspension here’ The Tiger’s Bride Quotes – ‘my father lost me to The Beast in cards’ – ‘I have lost my pearl’ – ‘the lamb must learn to run with the t igers’ Characters – Heroine – ‘always the pretty one’ – ‘Christmas rose’ – ‘no more than a king’s ransom’AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning – Language – description of â€Å"glossy, nut-brown curls† and â€Å"rosy cheeks† is repeated to highlight the similarities between the narrator and her â€Å"clockwork twin – Structure – Heroine is given a voice unlike Beauty in COML – objectification of women in a different way – Written in the past tense but changes occasionally to the present to suggest continuity The Erl King Quotes – ‘Erl-King will do you grievous harm’ – ‘the wood swallows you up’ – ‘the stark elders have an anorexic look’ – ‘everything in the wood is exactly as it seems’ ‘easy to lose yourself’ – ‘ What big eyes you have’ Characters – Erl-King – ‘an excellent housewife’ – ‘came alive from the desire of the woods’ – ‘tender butcher’ – ‘skin the rabbit, he says! ’ – ‘Eyes green as apples. Green as dead sea fruit’ AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning – Language – Oxymorons such as â€Å"the tender butcher† and â€Å"appalling succulence† highlight the narrator’s conflict – Isolated similes such as â€Å"green as dead sea fruit† add emphasis to the comparisons – Metaphor is used to link sex to drowning e. g. his ‘dress of water’ that ‘drenches’ her Structure – ‘Erl-King will do you grievous harm’ – one line paragraph to emphasise significance – Switches between tenses and points of view in order to disorient the reader, cre ating a Gothic sense of uncertainty, and reflecting the feelings of the protagonist AO3 – connections between texts and different interpretations – Fairy tale references – ‘What big eyes you have’ (see BC, EK) – Superstition – ‘he says the Devil spits on them at Michaelmas’ (see W, COW) – Aggressive language – ‘he could thrust me into the seed-bed’ (see BC) Gothic Features – Weather/setting Wood is personified and isolated – ‘the wood swallows you up’ – More fairy-tale than Gothic – Bloody Chamber = Erl-King’s dwelling – Idea of confinement – ‘vertical bars of a brass-coloured distillation of light’ look like bars of a prison/cage – Erl-King can tie ‘up the winds in his handkerchief’ – Dominant males – childlike, less predatory – Romantic hero, she falls in love with him – Pa ssive females – none, she is mature and purposeful – Supernatural – ‘magic lasso of inhuman music’ – He has a ‘bird call’ – Religion – ‘he says the Devil spits on them at Michaelmas’ The Snow ChildQuotes – ‘midwinter – ‘invincible, immaculate’ – ‘the Countess hated her’ – ‘a feather†¦a bloodstain†¦and the rose’ – ‘It bites! ’ – ‘the whole world was white’ – ‘a masculine fantasy’ – Cristina Bacchilega Characters – Snow Child – ‘as white as snow’ – ‘as black as that bird’s feather’ – ‘as red as blood’ – ‘the child of his desire’ – ‘high, black, shining boots with scarlet heels’ AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning – Language – Alliteration of ‘invicible, immaculate’ exaggerates the extremity of the weather – Rose is a symbol of femininity or the vagina Snow Child bleeds, symbolising menstruation – Bite symbolises the suffering that accompanies being female – childbirth, hymen breaking, menstruation – Form – Vignette – a small, literary sketch – Structure – Written in the 3rd person but from the perspective of the Count – ‘So the girl picks a rose; pricks her finger on the thorn; bleeds; screams; falls. ’ – isolated paragraph, one sentence, uses idea of ‘three’ AO3 – connections between texts and different interpretations Gothic Features – Weather/setting – Bloody Chamber = Snow Child’s vagina – ‘White’ setting and snow symbolises purity and virginity, Dominant males – Masculine control of female identity – Coun t = Marquis from BC – Creates both women – Countess cannot exist without a Count – Passive females – Countess belongs to Count – she is only a Countess because of him – Price of being the Countess – subservience and a loss of identity – Neither female can exist without the Count – he gives them their power – One must die for the other to survive – Literal objectification of women – Count undresses and dresses Countess as he pleases, creates Snow Child – Incestuous rape – she was not expected to receive pleasure in having sex, she was his sexual objectThe Lady of the House of Love Quotes – ‘Vous serez ma proie’ – ‘Too many roses’ – ‘Now you are at the place of annihilation’ – ‘Fee fie fo fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman’ – ‘A single kiss woke up the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood’ â₠¬â€œ ‘wisdom, death, dissolution’ – ‘chinoiserie escritoire’ – ‘this ornate and rotting place’ – ‘Can a bird†¦learn a new song? ’ – ‘the bicycle is the product of pure reason applied to motion’ Characters – Countess – ‘her beauty is an abnormality’ – ‘hunger always overcomes her’ – ‘white lace negligee stained a little with blood’ ‘the fangs and talons of a beast of prey’ – ‘a cave full of echoes’ – ‘the fragility of the skeleton of a moth’ – Soldier – ‘pentacle of his virginity’ – ‘youth, strength and blonde beauty’ – ‘symbol of rationality’ (bicycle) – ‘the trenches of France’ AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning – Language – Foreign wo rds are slipped into the narrative – allows reader to enter Countess’s bilingual mind e. g. ‘chinoiserie escritoire’ meaning Chinese-style desk/cabinet – Form – Reworked fairy tales – Carter called them ‘new stories’ not ‘versions’ Short stories maximise the impact of Carter’s messages – Structure – Broken up by inset couplets of thoughts, either fairy tale villains’ famous lines, or menacing French phrases, which suggest this is the inner voice of her predatory nature – increase ambiguity – Story is divided in two – first half is present tense, second half is past tense – more fairy-tale like AO3 – connections between texts and different interpretations – References to the modern world – ‘the trenches of France’ (see BC) – Humour – ‘you will be led by hand to the Countess’s larder’ (see PIB, COW) Gothic Features Weather/setting – ‘cracked mirrors’ – the Countess does not bear a reflection – ‘Too many roses’ – roses are beautiful and dangerous like her – Bird in the cage symbolises her entrapment in her vampiric body – ‘she likes to hear it announce how it cannot escape’ – Predatory females – ‘the fangs and talons of a beast of prey’ yet she evokes sympathy as she tries to change her fate – ‘Fee Fie Fo Fum’ places her in the role of the villain, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ places her in the role of the victim – Supernatural – Soldier does not believe in supernatural: ‘this lack of imagination gives heroism to the hero’ Foreshadowing – The Tarot cards change for the first time ever The Werewolf Quotes – ‘they have cold weather, they have cold hearts’ – ‘supernumerary nippl e’ – ‘Harsh, brief, poor lives. ’ – ‘she prospered’ – ‘they stone her to death’ Characters – Child – ‘good child’ – ‘coat of sheepskin’ – Wolf – ‘grizzled chops’ – ‘less brave than they seem’ AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning – Language – Very unemotional in places – ‘they stone her to death’, ‘she prospered’ – detached narrator – Tricolons emphasise repetition and simplicity of their lives – ‘harsh, brief, poor lives’ Extensive description of superstitions highlights their importance – also seen in Company of Wolves – Pathetic fallacy – ‘cold weather†¦ cold hearts’ – setting mirrors personalities of inhabitants – Very simple language – fairy tale lang uage, childlike, simple to understand – Structure – Isolated paragraph with one sentence – ‘Winter and cold weather. ’ AO3 – connections between texts and different interpretations – Superstition – ‘wreaths of garlic on the doors’ (see COW, EK, LOHOL) Gothic Features – Weather/setting – Pathetic fallacy – Supernatural – Superstitions – wolves, witches, devil – Foreshadowing Descriptions of superstitions at the beginning The Company of Wolves Quotes – ‘you are always in danger in the forest’ – ‘a man who vanished clear away on her wedding night’ – ‘the forest closed upon her like a pair of jaws’ – ‘they are grey as famine’ – ‘you will suffer’ – ‘we try and try’ – ‘blood on snow’ – ‘Quack, quack! went the duck’ Characte rs – Heroine – ‘she is an unbroken egg’ – ‘she knew she was nobody’s meat’ – ‘she has just started her woman’s bleeding’ – ‘so pretty’ – Wolf – ‘the tender wolf’ – ‘fear and flee the wolf’ AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning Language – Narrator addresses the reader – ‘you are always in danger’, ‘you will suffer’, ‘we try and try’ – Written as if to recreate the oral tradition of fairytales – ‘Quack, quack! went the duck’ – ‘hurl your Bible at him’, ‘call on Christ†¦but it won’t do you any good’, It is Christmas Day, the werewolves' birthday’, ‘canticles of the wolves’ – undermining religion (canticle = short song/hymn) – ‘The forest closed on her like a pair of jaws’ – isolated simile, only sentence in paragraph, highlight isolated setting – typically Gothic (see ‘Dead as his wives’ simile in BC = isolated) Fairytale – ‘What big eyes you have’, ‘All the better to see you with’ (‘All the better to see you’ = BC) – Metaphor – ‘night and forest has come into the kitchen’ – Structure – Lengthy introduction highlights importance of superstitions and wolves in the lives of the people – Opens reader’s mind to the supernatural – it is common here – No speech marks increase the strangeness of the story – also, there would be no speech marks in oral tradition AO3 – connections between texts and different interpretations – Fairy tale motifs (see BC, EK, LOTHOL) – Personification of the woods (see EK) Gothic Features Religion – ‘you must run as i f the Devil were after you’ – Weather/setting – Personification of the forest ‘like a pair of jaws’, also simile, similar to EK – Night time setting – typically Gothic, increases ambiguity – Dominant male – wolf – Non-passive female – she laughs at him, ‘she knew she was nobody’s meat’ Wolf Alice Quotes – ‘the corners of his bloody chamber’ – room of clothes where Duke’s prey live – ‘it showed us what we could have been’ – ‘her pace is not our pace’ – ‘the wise child who leads them all’ Characters – Duke – ‘his eyes see only appetite’ – ‘he is white as leprosy’ Wolf Alice – ‘not wolf or woman’ AO2 – language, form and structure and how they shape meaning – Language – Carter quickly allies herself with the read er and separates Wolf-Alice – ‘her pace is not our pace’ – Religious reference to Garden of Eden – ‘wise child who leads them all’ – Duke is ‘cast into the role of the corpse-eater’ – not the whole truth? – ‘She could not put her finger on’ – finger in italics, reminds us she is human AO3 – connections between texts and different interpretations Gothic Features – Weather/setting – Duke’s castle – Gothic reinterpretation of the fairytale castle ‘Moony metamorphic weather’ – setting mirrors Duke – Presence of the moon – time, menstruation, Gothic night time, when the Duke is awake – Graveyard settings – Dominant males – Duke – not a real man, doesn’t cast a reflection, doesn’t have a soul, does have physical strength, doesn’t talk to her – ‘separate solitud es’ – Passive females – Wolf-Alice is a strong female, physically, and becomes intellectually stronger throughout the story – Supernatural – Duke is a werewolf/vampire – Superstition/religion – ‘Young husband’ fills a church with silver bullets, holy water, ‘bells, books and candles’

Living in Families Essay

How does the average person view the common family? In the picture of â€Å"a happy family† on commercials, conflict and hatred are replaced with sweetness and adoration – qualities that are apparent on the family members’ smiling faces. Pure happy days are simply not realistic. In real life, families have good reason to frown occasionally, which leads to a statement by the author Willa Cather about a family relationship. She comments that the seed of the family conflict is from the clash of each members’ individual personality, or identity. As one builds own identity, there is no choice but to struggle for appealing his or her ego to other family members; even though they are a family who is supposed to understand and concede to one another, ideally speaking. Cather also says that family members pursue the sense of security from mutual existence, and they want to eschew from the restraint and infringe on individual privacy at the same time.      Ã‚  Three works of literature which support Willa Cather’s idea about family relationships are: â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† by Tillie Olsen, â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan, and â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin. Through the eyes of these characters, we can see how the development of identity causes conflicts between family members. Ironically, they continue to pull away from each other even though they need each other. We should explore how the characters get over the â€Å"tragic necessity† (Cather 107-120).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though the main conflict in â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† doesn’t seem to appear on the surface the author shows that the conflict occurs inside narrator’s mind. When the narrator has Emily, her daughter, she â€Å"is nineteen and it is the pre-relief, pre-WPA world of the depression† (341).   Living in the new era as a nineteen-year-old single mother, she has to confront her new identity. In other words, there is a struggle between two identities inside her, as an individual who tries to survive in tough circumstance and as a mother who tries to love her daughter. As she confesses that she â€Å"was a distracted mother† (345), her unstable identity does not allow her to take superior care of Emily. This is the situation which Cather referred to as a â€Å"double life† (107-120). The narrator has suffered from â€Å"the real life that stamps the faces and gives character to the voices of our friends† (Cather 107-120).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In laborious circumstances, her only family, Emily, is the reason why she is still alive, but also the burden from which she wants to escape. This is shown in â€Å"what was in my face when I looked at her,† the scene in which she realizes her frown face at her daughter saying â€Å"there were all the acts of love† (341). Because of her desperate fate, the narrator unconsciously tries â€Å"pulling away from† her daughter even though she â€Å"seeks† to feel (Cather 107-120) maternal affection for Emily. This irony is represented by Cather’s idea of â€Å"the tragic necessity of human life† (107-120).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the end of the story, the narrator shows her will to finish the conflict she has endured. According to Emily who never believed herself to be special, finds her identity and path, which concludes with her mother lightening the pressure about being a role of breeder by â€Å"letting her be† (345).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contrary to â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing,† the main conflict between family members in â€Å"Two Kinds† is revealed clearly; it is about the relationship between a mother and daughter. The peculiarity of this story is that the basis of the conflict is a clash of two different cultures, which can be interpreted as a clash of two identities; the Chinese mother who wants â€Å"obedient daughter† and the Americanized daughter, named Mei, who wants to â€Å"follow her own heart† (353). Her mother’s wishful thinking is clear on this quote; â€Å"you can be anything you want to be† (346), which means actually â€Å"you can be anything I want you to be.† This attitude is very different from the mother’s attitude in â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing.† On contrary to â€Å"letting her be† (345), Mei’s mother keeps pushing her daughter to do what she wants, not what her daughter wants – this is Mei’s mother’s personality. Mei’s response is:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"I won’t be what I’m not† (348). As a result, the conflict in this story is caused by the clash of individual identities, as Cather describes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, the trouble reaches a peak at their quarrel following the piano recital. In this scene, Mei pretends to â€Å"pull away† (Cather 107-120) from her mother by saying â€Å"the magic words† (353). What Mei says was not from the bottom of her heart: it could be seen when Mei gets the piano as â€Å"a sign of forgiveness† (353), she â€Å"feels proud, as if it were a shiny trophy† (354). In other words, she cannot deny that she misses her family even though she wants to get away from them. After all, the daughter seeks to get out of the â€Å"tragic necessity† (Cather 107-120) by realizing that the two piano pieces â€Å"pleading child† and â€Å"perfectly contented† (354) is one song, which means that the pleading child has become perfectly contented.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Compared to the other two works above, the conflict in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† occurs between a sibling relationship, not between parent and child relationship as in the preceding examples. The origin of the conflict is the same; the clash of identities. At the beginning of the story, the fact that the narrator, Sonny’s brother, gets Sonny’s news from the newspaper shows that the relationship between two brothers is not secure; their relationship as a family has already been â€Å"pulled away† (Cather 107-120). The reason why they have been separated from each other for a long time was the lack of comprehension of the other’s individual personality. To overcome â€Å"the darkness outside† (384), which describes the discrimination in that era, both brother have to develop their identities which helps them as they endure hardships. Unfortunately, the identities they developed are very different; the narrator is practical and conservative, and Sonny is emotional and unconventional.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The clash of the identities has divided the brothers and causes Sonny to pursue â€Å"escaping, running away, and trying to break the net† (Cather 107-120) which leads to his addiction to heroin. In fact, Sonny â€Å"had always been a good boy† (377) as a member of the family. In his subconscious, he had â€Å"another secret, passionate and intense† (Cather 107-120). Though the narrator tries to care for Sonny in order to fulfill the promise made to his mother, He cannot understand Sonny’s â€Å"another† (Cather 107-120) aspect. This conflict is the reason why they keep pulling away each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nevertheless, at the end of story, they get back together with perfect comprehension. Listening to Sonny’s play, the narrator â€Å"understands, at last† (398), his brother’s identity and why they were pulling away from each other; he realizes that the root of the conflict the brothers had was not because of Sonny’s rebellion but of his own misunderstanding of the suffering Sonny has endured. The brothers prepare to overcome the â€Å"tragic necessity,† which initially separated them, with â€Å"a Scotch and milk† (399) in the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, through the analysis of the three works of literature, Willa Cather’s idea of â€Å"the double life† and â€Å"tragic necessity of human relationship† (107-120) can be seen as a universal theme in various stories. The development of identity causes the conflicts between family members, and the irony is that they continue to pull away from each other even though they need each. In Cather’s view, family members have a chance to overcome the conflicts they have had, as demonstrated by the narrator of â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing,† Mei from â€Å"Two Kinds,† and Sonny’s brother from â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†. Each character gets the better of his or her own conflicts to a certain extent. As they should; families are supposed to stick together. References Cather, Willa.   â€Å"Katherine Mansfield.†Ã‚   Willa Cather on Writing. Lincoln, NE:   University of Nebraska Press, 1988.   107-120. Schilb, John, and Clifford, John. Making Literature Matter. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006   

Alzheimer’s Essay

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities, to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend completely on others for basic activities of daily living. What are the stages of Alzheimer’s? There are five stages associated with Alzheimer’s disease: preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s, moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s and severe dementia due to Alzheimer’s. 1.Preclinical Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease begins long before any symptoms become apparent. This stage is called preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. You won’t notice symptoms during this stage, nor will those around you. This stage of Alzheimer’s can last for years, possibly even decades. Although you won’t notice any changes, new imaging technologies can now identify deposits of a substance called amyloid beta that have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The ability to identify these early deposits may be especially important as new treatments are developed for Alzheimer’s disease. 2.Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease People with mild cognitive impairment have mild changes in their memory and thinking ability. These changes aren’t significant enough to affect work or relationships yet. People with MCI may have memory lapses when it comes to information that is usually easily remembered, such as conversations, recent events or appointments. People with MCI may also have trouble judging the amount of time needed for a task, or they may have difficulty correctly judging the number or sequence of steps needed to complete a task. The ability to make  sound decisions can become harder for people with MCI. Not everyone with mild cognitive impairment has Alzheimer’s disease. In some cases, MCI is due to depression or a temporary medical complication. The same procedures used to identify preclinical Alzheimer’s disease can help determine whether MCI is due to Alzheimer’s disease or something else. 3.Mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease is often diagnosed in the mild dementia stage, when it becomes clear to family and doctors that a person is having significant trouble with memory and thinking. In the mild Alzheimer’s stage, people may experience: Memory loss for recent events. Individuals may have an especially hard time remembering newly learned information and repeatedly ask the same question. Difficulty with problem-solving, complex tasks and sound judgments. Planning a family event or balancing a checkbook may become overwhelming. Many people experience lapses in judgment, such as when making financial decisions. Changes in personality. People may become subdued or withdrawn — especially in socially challenging situations — or show uncharacteristic irritability or anger. Decreased attention span and reduced motivation to complete tasks also are common. Difficulty organizing and expressing thoughts. Finding the right words to describe objects or clearly express ideas becomes increasingly challenging. Getting lost or misplacing belongings. Individuals have increasing trouble finding their way around, even in familiar places. It’s also common to lose or misplace things, including valuable items. 4.Moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease During the moderate stage of Alzheimer’s, people grow more confused and forgetful and begin to need help with daily activities and self-care. People with moderate Alzheimer’s disease may: Show increasingly poor judgment and deepening confusion. Individuals lose track of where they are, the day of the week or the season. They often lose the ability to recognize their own belongings and may inadvertently take things that don’t belong to them. They may confuse family members or close friends with one another, or mistake strangers for family. They often  wander, possibly in search of surroundings that feel more familiar and â€Å"right.† These difficulties make it unsafe to leave those in the moderate Alzheimer’s stage on their own. Experience even greater memory loss. People may forget details of their personal history, such as their address or phone number, or where they attended school. They repeat favorite stories or make up stories to fill gaps in memory. Need help with some daily activities. Assistance may be required with choosing proper clothing for the occasion or the weather and with bathing, grooming, using the bathroom and other self-car e. Some individuals occasionally lose control of their urine or bowel movements. Undergo significant changes in personality and behavior. It’s not unusual for people with moderate Alzheimer’s to develop unfounded suspicions — for example, to become convinced that friends, family or professional caregivers are stealing from them or that a spouse is having an affair. Others may see or hear things that aren’t really there. Individuals often grow restless or agitated, especially late in the day. People may have outbursts of aggressive physical behavior. 5.Severe dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease In the severe (late) stage of Alzheimer’s, mental function continues to decline and the disease has a growing impact on movement and physical capabilities. In severe Alzheimer’s, people generally: Lose the ability to communicate coherently. An individual can no longer converse or speak coherently, although he or she may occasionally say words or phrases. Require daily assistance with personal care. This includes total assistance with eating, dressing, using the bathroom and all other daily self-care tasks. Experience a decline in physical abilities. A person may become unable to walk without assistance, then unable to sit or hold up his or her head without support. Muscles may become rigid and reflexes abnormal. Eventually, a person loses the ability to swallow and to control bladder and bowel functions. Treatment: Alzheimer’s disease is complex, and it is unlikely that any one intervention will be found to delay, prevent, or cure it. That’s why current approaches in treatment and research focus on several different aspects, including  helping people maintain mental function, managing behavioral symptoms, and slowing or delaying the symptoms of disease. Maintaining mental function Four medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Alzheimer’s. They may help maintain thinking, memory, and speaking skills, and help with certain behavioral problems. However, these drugs don’t change the underlying disease process, are effective for some but not all people, and may help only for a limited time. Managing Behavioral Symptoms Common behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s include sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, anger, and depression. Scientists are learning why these symptoms occur and are studying new treatments—drug and non-drug—to manage them. Treating behavioral symptoms often makes people with Alzheimer’s more comfortable and makes their care easier for caregivers. Slowing, Delaying, or Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease research has developed to a point where scientists can look beyond treating symptoms to think about addressing underlying disease processes. In ongoing clinical trials, scientists are looking at many possible interventions, such as immunization therapy, cognitive training, physical activity, antioxidants, and the effects of cardiovascular and diabetes treatments. Alzheimer’s References http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/alzheimers-stages/art-20048448?pg=1 https://www.alz.org/what-is-dementia.asp http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/alzheimers-disease

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - Essay Example he brains behind the business including the friends of Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish have had a wealth of experience in marketing and the media industry, having worked with big brands including the top five advertising agencies, major magazine houses, the Boots and L’Oreal. This must have injected a lot of skills and knowledge into the business successfully making it one of the awards winning online market places whose popularity cannot be overemphasized across the globe. The reputation of these brains has gone unchallenged. It follows then that they must have contributed immensely to the success of the business (Press release, 2010). The fact that the business has a variety of products ranging from garden to gourmet, bracelets to handbags, lingerie to linen, cushions to kid’s clothes, and scarves to stationery has also contributed a great deal to the success of the business. Furthermore these products are originally made (Gilmour, Matthews & Holden, 2011, p.103). This has boosted the business attracting customers from across the globe. Indeed, fantastic is the word to describe the products. People love beautiful things; they want to be associated with such fantastic products. These products are found in notonthehighstreet.com. As such people come flowing for the products that are largely seen to enhance their individual happiness and social well being. Another factor that is likely to have contributed to the success of this high profile business is the early realization of the importance of the modern information and communication technologies. The business has significantly taken advantage of the modern technologies thereby enhancing its marketing. The use of the internet for the promotion of the services, online marketing is a fundamental tool that this business has used to get to the point where it is. Companies like notonthehighstreet.com are likely to face certain challenges especially during the first years of operation. One of such major

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Assignment Example The payoff for SS will be .1 and .03, if it chooses to reduce the price in conjunction with two different strategies by SIA. Ans 3) Yes there exists Nash equilibrium (Non-cooperative equilibrium) as the firms will not cooperate or collude as there can be no legally binding contract among them to keep the prices same and in absence of which each firm would fear that even if keeping price normal offers highest pay out overall and higher than what they would get in case they don’t cooperate, the other firm may cut the price an take the market share away from the firm keeping price normal. Thus both firm fearing this would play safe and reduce the price. The combination of these two price cutting strategy by both the firm will entail a Nash equilibrium which is represented in cell D. Ans 4) No they are not likely to achieve their best outcome which would have been in cell C and B for SIA and SS respectively. In fact they would have been happier in cell A also but the irony is, fearing that they might be suckered by their competitor, they will avoid reaching such outcome and settle for the one that offers them utmost safety and not payoff. Ans 5) Repeated games can be classified in two categories finitely repeated and infinitely repeated. In the former case the number of games is fixed and each player is aware of such number, while in the latter the number of such repetition is not known. In repeated games the firms may achieve cooperative equilibrium as each firm can punish the other one for suckering it in the next game and thus â€Å"Tit for tat† plays out which leads to cooperation in repeated games. Each firm over a period builds a reputation and they start trusting each other. But in case of finite games the theoretical understanding says they will not cooperate as in the last game both would like to defect and since in the last game no cooperation is expected in the second last game both would also like to defect and working backwards in

Shwood Eyewear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Shwood Eyewear - Essay Example Artists combine precision technology and exceptional artistry. The business operates in the apparel & fashion industry (Shwood, 2014). Its location is along Arctic Dr. Beaverton in Oregon, US. It is a privately held business started in 2009 (Shwood, 2014). It manufactures and supplies naturally simple sunglasses to the highly populated city of Portland. The city has a neighborhood of a large population that ensures it has a good market base. The business mission statement is â€Å"Experiment with Nature† (Eyes+ Edge, 2012). It aims at producing leading and unique products that make clients feel elegant and stylish. Innovation and creation constitute key aspects of the business’s production methods. The business has eleven to fifty employees (Shwood, 2014). The employees are mainly engaged in cutting lenses, shaping and finishing sunglasses. Shwood business acquired its capital from the family savings and donations. The business values creativity and innovative ideas that are unique to the demands of its clients. Shwood Eyewear products are unique wooden sunglasses. The artisans serving as the business employees are highly skilled that makes them competent in their work. Besides the production of sunglasses, Shwood business also offers quality services to its clients. The services it offers include replacement of broken and worn out glasses. The business also distributes wooden glasses to homes of its clients on order and new sales missions. The idea of creating uniqueness that blend with the environment has prompted the use of wood to make the sunglasses. Shwood capitalizes on the originality of its production that most of its competitors do not have. Using wood and stones to make sunglasses renders it an environmentally sustainable business. It also majors in cost effective production that do not burden consumers of its final products in terms of cost. The business promotes its products through online marketing, display, and exhibition.

Law of Tort, Fundamentals of Business Law Essay

Law of Tort, Fundamentals of Business Law - Essay Example In the fair child's case, the industrial employers had a duty of care towards the employees in ensuring that:- A man purchased a bottle of ginger-beer from a shop to be used by his girlfriend. But the bottle in which the beer was contained was opaque and it was impossible to clearly see its contents. It was later found that the beer contained remains of a snail on pouring out the beer. The girlfriend got sick and sued the manufacturer for damages in tort. It was held that the defendant was liable since he owed her a duty of care to ensure that the bottle should contain any other objects apart from the beer itself. Under the tort of negligence, the plaintiff cannot successfully sue the defendant unless he/she proofs that he was injured. Even if damage is evident, the plaintiff must also proof that he suffered injury directly attributable to the damage. The plaintiff might suffer injury not directly attributable to the damage. If this is the case, his action will fail. 2 In Fairchild's case, the workers inhaled excessive asbestos and contracted mesotheliona, a cancer associated with the inhalation of such substances. The injury here is this disease suffered. This would give the worker an automatic a way to sue their employers for damages. The situation would have changed had the workers not contracted the disease or any injury of a similar nature. The employers know very well that excessive inhalation of the asbestos would cause the disease but they did not take reasonable steps to avid it. Standard of Care Apart from just the duty of care that one owes his neighbour in his actions that he ought to have him in contemplation, there are cases where standard of care need to be shown. The courts have the burden to proof whether the defendants had standard of care. A standard of care is thus expected from an ordinary prudent person in a given situation. If a person has placed himself or made others believe that he can execute a given task, then he owes his clients a standard of care to do such a task without harming the client. A doctor for instant in a reputable hospital owes a patient a standard of care and should carry out his work expected of a doctor from such a hospital and expect to be given such a standard of care. 3 Causation of Damage under Negligence The general rule under negligence is that the burden of proofing negligence would lie on the plaintiff. But in case of accidents in the workplace, the plaintiff need not proof negligence if that accident could not have occurred were the defendant not negligent. In such cases, the plaintiff relies on the principle of 'Res Ipsa Loquitor" i.e.; let the facts speak by themselves. The burden of proof then shift to the defendant. The defendant would then convince the courts that the accident would still have occurred without his own negligence. 4 If the defendant successfully argues that he was not negligent or convinces the world

Nutrition on a Patient with Acute and Recurrent Pancreatitis Essay

Nutrition on a Patient with Acute and Recurrent Pancreatitis - Essay Example The nurse is responsible in coordinating the orders by the health team. Evaluation should focus on the patient’s tolerance of the interventions implemented and reassessment of the overall nutritional status. Anthropometric measurement is part of every nutrition status assessment. In the patient’s case, it provides a notable impression of weight loss (approx. 20 lbs.)in the past two months based on the difference between the UBW as reported by the patient and his current weight. His present BMI is 20.7 (within the normal range). On the other hand, weight itself cannot be regarded as reliable since various factors may affect its accuracy, such as third spacing usually associated with pancreatitis (Lugli, Carli & Wykes, 2007). Thus, other tests should be considered to obtain the most accurate data on his nutritional status. Patient remained at NPO status 24 hours after admission. To maintain/ improve nutritional status, options for this patient include Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) or Enteral nutrition (EN). Both options are based on the â€Å"pancreatic rest† theory, in which the pancreas should be allowed to rest to regain functionality (Ioannidis, Lavrentieva & Botsios, 2008). TPN was considered as the gold standard of management in acute pancreatitis, but the risks of complications associated with this therapy lead to the change of intervention to the use of Enteral nutrition (McClave et al., 2006). When the patient’s condition does not improve, tube feedings might be ordered by the physician. According to Ioannidis, Lavrentieva and Botsios (2008), initial amount of nutritive solution administered should be 25 mL/h. This should gradually increase until the desired quantity (25 kcal/kg/day) is achieved in 24-48 hours. The formula for feeding should minimize the pancreatic secretion of digestive enzymes as much as possible. Thus, a fat- free elemental diet or

Analyse Hills Like Elephants and Everyday use Essay - 1

Analyse Hills Like Elephants and Everyday use - Essay Example The stories take different paths to achieve the delivery of the main message, as is mentioned above. Hemmingways tale relies heavily upon inference from the reader to account for brevity, but the short length is also a benefit as it helps to intensify the quick process of tension development to deliver the maximum impact. Walker has more time to establish and support the conflict, and utilizes it quite effectively though there is a noticeable drag at moments that weakens the sense of urgency. Luckily the loss of immediacy is countered by the benefits that time presents for character investment. Readers may find it easier to connect to the characters in Walkers story given the extra development time, but this is a necessary measure to account for the relatively benign symbol of focus. This is an observation and not a judgement. Quilts are great, symbolism is great, but the extra thought that can be associated with the technique can sometimes prove to be a distraction. There are two nameless characters in Hemmingways brief story, making it easy to feel cold toward them, but empathy is almost guaranteed to materialize as soon as the conversational topic becomes apparent to the reader. Overall, both approaches to character development provide a suitable vehicle for delivery of the main theme. Two cultural divides are explored within these stories. In Walkers story, the issue is an African American woman losing touch with her slavery-connected roots. Not only does she reject her heritage, she eventually returns to unwittingly mock it by disrespecting the quilt after adopting the culture of the modern (at the time) African American activist. Hemmingways two subjects can be interpreted as discussing a pending abortion, and the conflict lies not in the decision to abort, but in the males inability to connect with the females cultural perspective. He cannot seem to comprehend the biological, social, and psychological implications of the experience or to

Islamic Politics and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic Politics and Culture - Essay Example The main internal and external issues to be explored or followed by the Muslim societies to bring programmatic changes are: low status of women, low development investment, lack of secular education, emergence of political Islam and religious fundamentalism. Most of the Muslim societies are male dominated and this limits the upward mobility of the women in these societies. For instance, most of the Muslim societies in the Middle East are male dominated. This limits the women from entering the public domain and confines them within their private domain or family. This is an important problem to be solved because it is totally against individual freedom and liberty. The problem of low status of women is most critical in Islamic Republics like Iran. The Islamic societies show reluctance towards foreign investment and it curbs the development of these societies. To be specific, the Islamic societies, especially the Middle Eastern nations, consider that foreign investment may lead to the influence of Western culture and lifestyle over Islamic way of life. Besides, stories about the influence of extremism over the Muslim societies create much tension among the foreign investors. The multinational corporations are not ready to invest in the Muslim societies. This leads to low development investment and underdevelopment. The Muslim societies consider religious education helps an individual to live according to the Islamic way of life. Within this context, more importance is given to religious education and it leads to the negative attitude towards secular education. One can see that secular education is helpful to have a broader outlook of the world. On the other side, education based upon a specific religion hinders the development of an individual. So, lack of secular education leads the Muslim societies to consider that other religions are their enemies. The emergence of political Islam is another issue to be

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah - Assignment Example He narrates his ordeal passionately, giving all the finer details that leave your mouth agape and wondering in awe. Ishmael wrote this book to highlight the plight of child soldiers and the kind of trials and tribulations that they undergo. This was a protest letter of some sort to the various authorities, particularly in countries where there are rampant cases of very young boys being forced into the army to fight enemies. In the book, Ishmael covered death as a theme and indeed it stands out because people are being killed; Ishmael only survives by a freak of chance. Ishmael, together with the other child soldiers, experiences nothing but brutality; he faces problems which almost necessitate his death. For instance, if not for the timely intervention of UNICEF to rescue Ishmael and youths alike after three years of fighting in the army against fierce rebels, he would have been nothing but dead meat. With further assistance of Laura Simms, Ishmael travels to the United States of Ame rica, to New York City, where he proceeded to finish high school and graduate from college. Ishmael becomes an advocate and gets involved in a number of international organizations that deal with aiding children who are forced to be soldiers in their respective countries. He wrote this book to show the whole world how him and the other young boys, while in Sierra Leone, lead extremely brutal lives full of adversity. This is clearly brought out when at some point, as they see a fascinating beauty of the ocean, they are forced to get through a torture of walking on hot sand that burns their feet, a scene that reminds one of the simple truth – pain is sometimes so close to pleasure. They initially are taken care of by a Good Samaritan, a fisherman, and make a day of it. But it doesn’t take long before they get captured by some fierce villagers who are so scared of them that, in fact, threaten to kill them. Fortunately, they get saved by cassette tapes. Ishmael really want ed to show people how dangerously a child soldier lives and how seeing tomorrow to such children happens normally by sheer luck; he demonstrates that point when he recounts the incident when he was so scared of death every time that eventually it makes him wonder out loud: â€Å"how many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?† (Beah, 2008). At some point, the story becomes sad when Ishmael can’t get sleep, there are constant noises around, dogs are howling and running from one place to the other and all he can think about is how something bad is going to happen. The noises wake up one of his comrades, Alhaji, he suspects that something is wrong but ignores that feeling and goes back to sleep. When morning comes, Ishmael and Alhaji start to wake up the other friends. Unfortunately, Saidu doesn’t respond when they talk to him. They try to check if there’s something wrong with him and realize that he is dead. The two prepare his body ready for burial because in that village, it’s an abomination to let a dead body to stay unburied overnight. Another important theme that Ishmael intended to cover and successfully managed to do was enmity. He wanted to bring to the fore the fact that as a child soldier, one is exposed to real and even at

Self Assessment Essay Example for Free

Self Assessment Essay â€Å"The greatest success is successful self-acceptance† (Ben Sweet). I am a twenty-seven year old single mother to a two-year-old healthy boy. I was born in Monterey Park, California and raised in the city of El Monte. Growing up, my parents always kept me busy. I danced and performed â€Å"La Quebradita† a Mexican dance and played soccer since the age of six. I attended Nativity Catholic School then graduated from El Monte High School with a GPA of 3. 78. I was involved with student government, sports such as volleyball, soccer, and softball, and received a couple of scholarships upon graduating. I received my Associates Degree from East Los Angeles College in 2008 where I continued my soccer experience by playing for their women’s soccer team. I am the first sibling in my immediate family to try and pursue a college degree. I grew up with a younger sister and brother who look up to me dearly. My parents taught us to stay by each other’s side so we could take on the world together when times got rough. My mom is an instructional aid while my dad works in the construction industry. My parents worked hard to raise and instill good values and morals for their three children. Five of my greatest strengths, which I have acquired throughout the years, are harmony, consistency, significance, discipline, and responsibility. Regardless of my strengths and accomplishments, my greatest challenge in life is successful self-acceptance. I am always pushing myself to do my best to satisfy others rather than myself. I cannot accept myself if others do not approve. Slowly, I am realizing it is impossible to make the whole world happy if I am not truly happy. I am learning to take time for myself and follow through with tasks that make me feel skilled. Furthermore, the best word that describes me is generous. I am an individual who puts others’ needs before my own. For example, if I am driving and stop to buy food, regardless of how hungry I may be, I will kindly give my food away if I see someone who might need it more than I do. I enjoy assisting people without expecting a reward in return. A good deed is a reward within itself. It makes me feel content about my character. In fact, you will never know if one day it will be your turn on the other side of a bad situation. Time is priceless. Many people get caught up in their daily routines and forget about the little things that at one time had a significant amount of importance in their lives. I try to set up my days to make time for family, old friends, new friends, and everything else in between. Keeping open connections with many people can save your life one day. Therefore, there is no such thing as being too generous. You give of yourself what you can, when you can, and however you can in the best way possible. On the other hand, my generosity sometimes gets in the way of the important issues I might have to resolve in a day. There are a few challenges I will have to work at during this program. For instance, learning how to prioritize and stay on task in order to be able to be successful. Particularly, when studying and completing homework is at stake. In fact, I am trying to establish a routine for myself to allow a couple of hours per day on homework so it will not be over whelming. Another challenge I have to work on is my time management skills. Due to my motivation to give my son a better life, I need to learn how to balance my time with my son, schoolwork, and job. On the whole, I want to succeed in raising my son and continue to give him the attention and love he depends upon, finishing my school work so it can be acceptable at the university level, and be well rested to be able to function properly during my job hours. In addition, I would like my professor to know that I am not only motivated but can also be intimidated by the events going on in my life. I am motivated to show people who gave up on me along the way my capabilities as well as for myself. I am determined to finish this cohort with a minimum of a â€Å"B† grade average. However, I am not perfect and there will be times when I oversee an assignment or be overwhelmed. I will do my best to stay on task at all times but in case if I slack off I may need a reminder as to why I am putting in all this effort into obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree. As well as completing my Bachelor’s Degree, I am in the Liberal Studies program because I have a passion for working with children. I believe the early years of a child’s life will determine their future; therefore I want to make their time in school an amazing one they can carry on. I appreciate a child’s laugh, take in a child’s fear, and comfort when it is needed. Young children are always absorbing situations around them. I want to be an honorable role model and learn to be a good communicator. I feel I can learn these concepts by majoring in Liberal Studies. Upon my graduation, my goals are to continue in the field of education. I plan to enroll in the Moderate to Severe Credential program for children with autism. This field requires patience and compassion, which I believe I possess. Next, I am aiming towards my Masters in Education and finally my Administrative credential. I believe with the help of this excellent school, I can achieve my goals in furthering my education.

Spiral of Silence: Communication Theory

Spiral of Silence: Communication Theory This is a report based on the communication theory â€Å"Spiral of Silence and the aim of the report is to investigate the theory more into detail, to validate it and to see how it applies to our society, mainly in the I.T industry. The report outlines the finding that I have researched and complied with the help of books, data bases, journals and external sources. Based on the theory, Elizabeth Noelle Neumann stated that if individuals believed that they are part of the minority, the less likely they are to voice their opinion due to the fear of isolation. There were many other theorists that supported her view and others that had stated so before her. There was a variety of theory being investigated and in many different forms but the all focused on one thing which was, the â€Å"fear of social isolation†. There were many forms of research method used, based on the public view, a country as a whole and as individual view. The theory is said to apply to very delicate topics such as war, politics, misuse of authority and other views that could cause massive debate. This is the reason why people tend to think twice when it comes to voicing their views if they believe that they are in the minority group. Having a fair idea of what the theory is about, I will validate the theory with all the information that I have found and prove the theory stating if the theory has any connection to our society and individuals. Introduction Purpose This report is based on the theory spiral of silence those main purpose is to state how it can be applied to everyday situations and particularly the I.T industry. Research is an investigative process where we search systematically for solutions to problems. It is about rules to guide our research and helping us to evaluate the research of others. The function of the research is to test the theory. Research is the instrument used to test whether a theory is correct or not. It is the process by which data is gathered to generate a theory and used to test a theory. This main purpose for this report is to explain the theory in detail and outline the key issues that the theory sates. Also it helps us understand communication theory better and clearer, since communication is an important skill to have in the I.T industry and we also use it in our everyday lives, it is an important skill to have. There are a lot of topics and political problems that people are afraid to talk about and spea k out on and so I will try to prove or investigate the theory and see if the theory relates to what it states and if the theorists is credible. Scope In the report I will be investigating the theory and its relationship it has to communication. I will also evaluate the credibility of the theorists and the theory and how it can be applied to the present day situations particularly in the information technology industry. There were a lot of different views expressed and in different context. I will be focusing more in the involvement and effect that the media has on us as individuals in forming opinions. Since media is seen to play a major role in this theory, I will focus more on it but not forgetting the other factors that may cause the spiral of silence. I will also outline some of the tests and experiments that were done by some scholars and theorist and evaluate it. Limitations During the overall completion of the project I did face certain problems and ran into difficulties. Firstly although there was enough time given to complete the research I had other projects to complete, which in turn made it difficult to compile the report. There was however a bit of restriction on the amount of information that was available on the internet, in that case I had rely on the other sources like the pro-quest and the online data base. There werent many books available in the library that contained information regarding my theory so my tutor was able to issue me with some books which did help me compile my research. The computer labs on campus were usually occupied and so I had to do most of my research and the typing at home. Research Methods Searching for information and investigating the theory was a very challenging task to do especially when here were limited resources available on the internet. There were information available but most of it had similar information which made it hard to use. I had to use all resources available including library data bases, internet and old scholar journals. I wasnt really able to find any books in the library, but I was able to get two books from my tutor that contained information about my theory and it provided me with a lot of details that helped me understand the theory in details and explained the theory in detail and context. It explained a lot about the theory stating the history and how it is viewed by the public and each individual. Most of the information which I found on the internet was manly repeated and each website stated almost similar information which really stated the same information. The only relevant information that I was able to use was the information about the theory and the theorist. The Scholar journals did have a bit more information about the theory which mainly based on a research that was done. I found some journal that stated a research and the findings of the investigation. It looked at the theory in a different form in which it was applied in an investigation and research. Structure Of The Report In this report I will briefly explain and introduce the theory then explain the purpose, scope, research methods and limitations of the research. I will also do a literature review that will briefly review some of the sources where I got my information from. The main body will contain the findings, background, key issues, and application of the theory then finally evaluate it. In the final part I will summarise my report and then state my opinions and thoughts about the theory. Literature Review Book Reviews Book 1: Communication Theories for Everyday Life John R. Baldwin, Stephen D. Perry, Mary Anne Moffitt. (2003). Communication Theories for Everyday Life (1st Edition). Person: Allyn Bacon, Inc. Summary The book Communication Theories for Everyday Life (New Edition) provides us with a lot of information on the theory by Elizabeth Neumann, The Spiral of silence. The authors in this book mainly focus the theory spiral of silence based on the media which is said to play an influential role. They believe that the media plays an important role in influencing the public into making decisions or ideas. They explained how the theory provides some insight into why we might avoid contributing to some political discussions but participate fully in others based on our observation of opinion in the real world. Sports can also bring out heated opinions in certain settings with fans of a certain team will argue or debate amongst a member of the opposing teams. When issues like this arise we tend to be more careful about when and to whom we express our ideas and opinions. We are constantly surveying our environment subconsciously for trends in public opinions. Television is believed to be the most influential medium for this theory since it is everywhere. We may not own a TV of our own but we see it in stores, airports or at a friends house. Being part of the majority is what most people tend to want and we will compare our opinions with that of the majority because we desire social inclusion. Therefore if someone believes he or she is in the minority, that person will be inhibited from speaking out and expressing the minority view point. Validation After carefully reading and analysing the following abstract from the book, I conclude that the facts that were stated in this book do have some connections to the theory. They have outlined a lot of ideas to what the theory spiral of silence is about. It also points out some important facts mainly that mass media is seen to be a very important tool in changing peoples views or forming their decisions. Since people tend to base their decisions on the majoritys choice. It also provides some insight into how television actually has an impact on the people as a whole. It proves that people are double mined on speaking out as a minority and will be more comfortable if they believe that they are part of the majority. Since there is a lot of support in the majority we wont fear social isolation, but if we are in the minority there is not much support and so we fear that we are on our own and so we may be isolated. According to the theory by Elizabeth she believes that mass media does have a huge effect on the theory and so the authors have based most of their finding on Neumanns theory about the media. Most of the information in the abstract concentrates on the medias influence, changes and perceptions that it may have on our opinions. Book 2: Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis Application Richard West, Lynn H. Tuner. (2004). Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis Application (2nd Edition). Marquette University Summary The Book Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis Application, explains the theory spiral of silence by Elizabeth Noelle Neumann. It explains how the media has impacted our opinions and changed dramatically over the years. The authors stated that over the years the media has helped to shape and make us what we are today. They believe that Neumann focused on what happened when people provide their opinions on a variety of issues that the media have defined for the public. Her theory suggests that people who believe that they hold a minority viewpoint on the public issue will remain in the background or isolated. Where their communication will be constrained, those who believe that they hold a majority viewpoint will be encouraged to speak out. Neumann stated that the media will focus more on the majority views while underestimating the minority viewpoint. She believes that the media will only be focused on the minority and their views while forgetting the minority groups. The minori ty will be less assertive in communicating their opinions therefore leading to a downward spiral of communication. The minority will then overestimate their influence and will become emboldened in their opinions where the media reports on their opinions and activities. The media is seen to play a very important role in the theory. The media chooses to report on the majority groups opinions and activities and only tend to focus on them where they will be heard by the public. The minority will then be forgotten and so their opinions and view s are not heard. Validation The authors have highlighted some very important points about the theory. Mass media being the main focus, it has a lot of influence on peoples opinions. It is seen to be a very powerful tool that could change peoples views and mentality. It has the power to influence and change people beliefs, making them believe what they are told or shown. It is human mentality to go with the flow and just follow the crowd. We are easily convinced just because the majority rules. If we had to debate a topic and asked to choose an answer we tend to choose the group where there is a lot of support forgetting about the minority. The authors are just moving on from Neumanns theory to explaining more into detail the role of the media on our opinions. Thought they may not have done any research on the theory, they have research more on the theory and explained it in simple terms. Library Databases Journal 1: The Spiral of Silence is broken Jose Luis Barberia, Kel Pais Rel Pais. (March 5, 2009). The Spiral of Silence is broken. (1), (6). Summary This article was based on an experiment that was done in Taiwan which explored the relationships between inoculation and the spiral of silence theory. According to the writers they believed that inoculation strategies would be able to ease spiral of silence focusing on resistance to counter-attitudinal attack and willingness to speak out for fear of isolation. The study was based on random sampled citizens in Taiwan while he issue being Taiwans political future in relation the Peoples Republic of China. The results concluded that Inoculation treatments enhanced peoples resistance to attitude change. The study seeks to integrate the theories of inoculation and the spiral of silence. The factors featured in the spiral of silence theory might have significant implications for inoculation studies.They also stated that Noelle-Neumann initiated some original assumptions of the theory which was individual, media system and societal. They explained that individuals are social beings are afra id of being isolated from their fellow human being. Secondly, in order to avoid being isolated or losing popularity, individuals constantly observe their environment to locate proper positions to enable them to perceive the distribution of opinions. Third is that the individuals are capable of distinguishing between static and fluid opinions. Fourth is the social environment where individual notice that their personal opinions are spreading and supported by others will voice their opinions confidently in public. In contrast, if they notice their opinions losing ground they will adopt a more reserved attitude when speaking out in public or even withdraw from the public discussion. This is the chain reaction for fear of isolation. Validation This journal goes deep into context and explains the theory deeper and focuses on the human behaviour based on the theory. It was an experiment that was done in Taiwan, exploring the relationships between Inoculation and the spiral of silence theory. It was stated that Inoculation could counter the spiral of silence theory. The study focused more on the human behaviour and explains why we tend to isolate ourselves and are afraid to speak out in public. It helps us understand why the theory affects the minority groups. It examined the potential influences of the individuals construct on opinion expression as a cultural-level and the willingness to express opinions differing across two cultures. The test also saw that the lack of efficacy negatively predicts a willingness to express opinions while the lack of self-assurance of ones opinions negatively predicts a willingness to express opinions. Journal 2: The Spiral of Silence and Public opinion on affirmative action Patricia May, David Domke, Keith Stamm. (Spring, 2001). The Spiral of Silence and Public opinion on affirmative action. (78). (1) This journal was a study done to explain the key variables involved in Elizabeth Noelle-Neumanns Spiral of Silence Theory, which states that fearing isolation is what keeps the individuals from expressing their desired opinions because they are minority. The authors decided to carry out a test based on the theory but in the context of public discussion which was focused on affirmative action policies. They reviewed selected data from 217 randomly selected adults on October 1998 that indicated fear of isolation. It showed that fear of isolation indeed prevents one from publicly voicing perceived minority opinions. The willingness to speak out on a controversial ballot was predicted also by demographics, media use and the importance of the issue. In recent years, citizens have voted to repeal affirmative action laws and policies that have been enacted in the 1960s and 1970s; ensuring opportunity regards less of race and gender. It is believed that this trend caused more harm than good, while others disagreed arguing that affirmative action may be the best approach. There were a lot of public discussions about affirmative action. They believed that Neumann suggest that issues which are controversial tends to make people refrain from expressing their opinions if they believe that it will only be shared by minority. The study basically explores the factors contributing to peoples willingness to speak publicly on controversial topics, focusing on the concept of fear of isolation. Validation This journal is another research project investigating more on the theory. They researched it on the public opinions based on affirmative actions. The theory suggests that isolation from the publicly stating our opinions may occur people believe that they are part of the minority group. The study does prove the theory to some extent where they based the study on public opinions which does have a lot to do with the theory because it is mainly in public that people are double minded on raising their opinions. People are also cautious when speaking on controversial topics and topics which may raise some concerns or opinions. The study was seen to be successful and so does to some extent prove the theory correct. Overall in this case I can say that the theory is correct and the study done was successful and did test the willingness of the public on the controversial ballot. The only downside would be that they used data from the past and merged it with their research, which means that it may be old or irrelevant with the present time. Internet Sources Source 1: Wikipedia Wikipedia. (2009). Spiral of silence. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Summary This web page explains Elizabeth Neumanns theory is a theoretical way. It states that the theory is a political science and mass communication theory. The spiral of silence begins with the fear of retaliation or isolation and escalates from there. Mass media is seen to play a major role in determining what the dominant opinion is, since our observation is limited to a small percentage of the population. Neumann describes the spiral of silence as a dynamic process, where public opinion becomes a fact as mass medias coverage of the majority opinion gets more publicity, and the minority becomes less likely to speak out. The theory is seen to only apply to moral or opinion issues, not issues that can be proven right or wrong using facts. People who are highly educated, or who have greater affluence or those who do not fear isolation will speak out regardless of public opinions which means the minority is a necessary factor of change while the compliant majority is a necessary factor of s tability, with both being a product of evolution. Most research is focused on social issues such as smoking and the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The concept of isolation has a variety of definitions, depending on the circumstances it is investigated in. It could be defined as social withdrawal which means less interaction. Researchers have defined isolation as low levels of peer acceptance or high levels of peer rejection. The features of the internet could not only bring about more people to deliberate by freeing people of the psychological barriers. They have also raised another point where the internet is also another form of expressing their views without fear of isolation because it can be anonymous and there is no human contact which means that the persons identity could be protected. The internet has a lot of users because it liberates people from the social hierarchies and power relations that exists offline without any human contact. Validation Wikipedia is an online web-based encyclopaedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation which provides us with any information that we may want. The only problem is that most of the information is posted on by the public, which means they may not be proven theoretically or have any evidence. Wikipedia looks at the theory in a theoretical perspective which explains the theory in detailed and clearer view which is closely connected with the Elizabeth theory. According to the author he/she also believes that mass media plays an important role in the theory and how it works. The concept of isolation is also explained deeper into context where it has varies definitions. It explains the social withdrawal which means less interaction and isolation. It looks at the internet as another medium that has a very huge impact on people. Since it can be accessed from home or anywhere and is gives us choices on what we want to do because it does not include human contact which makes i t easier for the minority groups or any individual to express themselves and will not be isolated because it is anonymous. Findings About The Theorist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann is a German political scientist that was born on the 19th of December, 1916. Her most famous contribution is the model of the spiral of silence which is an explanation of how perceived public opinion can influence individual opinions or actions. She earned her Abitur in 1935 in Gà ¶ttingen and then studied philosophy, history, journalism, and American studies at the Friedrich Wilhelm University, the Kà ¶nigsberg Albertina University, and the University of Missouri. She lived in the USA from 1937 to 1938 andiIn 1940 she received her PhD concentrating on public opinion research in the USA. Noelle-Neumann was also the president of the World Association for Public Opinion Research from 1978 to 1980 and worked as a guest professor at the University of Chicago from 1978 to 1991. About The Theory Spiral of Silence is an innovative theory of public opinion that developed by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann. Noelle-Neumann follows the paths of past philosophers Locke, Hume, Rousseau, Goethe, and James Madison, in that she considers public opinion a physical force that controls peoples decisions. Noelle-Neumann blames the spiral of silence on fear of isolation. In other words, people who feel that they are in the minority may keep quiet because they fear ridicule from the majority. The phrase â€Å"spiral of silence refers to how people tend to stay silent when they feel that their views are in the minority. The model shows the increasing pressure which people are noticing to conceal their views when they think that they are in the minority. It is a political science and mass communication theory which begins with fear of reprisal or isolation, and escalates from there. Spiral of Silence model The model is based on three premises: 1. People have a sixth-sense, which allows them to know the prevailing public opinion, even without access to polls. 2. People have a fear of isolation and know what behaviours will increase their likelihood of being socially isolated. 3. People are silent to express their minority views, primarily out of fear of being isolated. Source: http://www.cw.utwente.nl/theorieenoverzicht/Levels%20of%20theories/macro/spiral_of_silence.doc/ Introduction Elizabeth Neumann examines public opinion as a form of social control. She believes that Individuals instinctively notice the opinions of those around them and shape their behaviour according to what is acceptable. The closer a person believes the opinion held is similar to the prevailing public opinion, the more he/she is willing to openly disclose that opinion in public. If the public statement changes, the person will recognize that the opinions loses its popularity and the person will be less willing to express that opinion publicly. In her model of opinion formation, Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann postulates a spiral of silence: to avoid isolation, people holding minority views either change their ideas to conform to the majoritys views or remain silent, thus increasing the impression of the majority views dominance. While providing a helpful integration of disparate ideas in public opinion formation, Noelle-Neumanns framework has been questioned at a number of points. Is it reasonable to assume that since people fear isolation, most fear being in the minority? Her research suggests, in fact, that many people can oppose majority views as long as they have individual or group support and that interpersonal relationships have a greater impact on opinion formation than impersonal public opinion presented through the media. Recent studies have also offered an alternative to Noelle-Neumanns view of people as simply reacting to their perception of public opinion, suggesting that instead, people use their own opinions to for m their perceptions of public attitudes. Whether peoples behaviour resembles the reaction or projection model may depend on a number of conditions, including their familiarity with the issue. Further research is needed on the many factors influencing opinion formation The Fear Of Isolation This is the main force that drives the spiral of silence. People want to be identified as a winner and therefore conform to the majoritys beliefs. The last thing that people want is to be isolated from a group or society. There are some exceptions though, as there is a time to speak and a time to keep silent which is centred on public opinion. If our view is in favour we will speak out then when our views drop out of favour, we will most defiantly keep silent. Summary In 1973, Elizabeth Noelle- Neumann articulated one of the few integrated expositions of the mass communication effects and the process of public opinion. In general she was able to demonstrate that individuals can attempt to gauge majority opinion on an issue and that some individuals appear to be influenced by their perceptions of majority opinion on some issues. In doing so she was successful in clarifying and empirically testing hypothesis about a concept that has been only vaguely defined in public opinion. In this report I will be outlining Noelle-Neumanns conceptualization of two key concepts, the climate of opinion and that spiral of silence of silence. The validity of basing the â€Å"fear of isolation† concept on social psychological literature on conformity is examined. Also the role of the media in conveying the majority opinion will be examined. The Spiral Of Silence According to Noelle- Neumann, individuals are constantly sensitive to the climate of opinion and assess the distribution and strength of the opinion for and against their own. The tendency of one to speak up and others to be silent leads to the spiralling process which increasingly establishes one opinion as the popular one. Neumanns definition of public opinion is best expressed as the dominating opinion which compels compliance of attitude a behaviour in that it threatens the dissenting individuals with isolation. There are a few individuals that are known as â€Å"hardcores† who are willing to express their opinions without feeling compelled to conform. They will not be silent in the face of the public opinion. How do individuals know which opinions are acceptable to express in public without the fear of isolation? Neumann claims that by the use of a â€Å"quasi-statistical organ†, the individual assesses the opinion environment. The individual will the specifically use the climate of opinion. The media plays an important role through agenda-setting, according to certain persons and arguments relating the urgency or share of success for various opinions. One of the main parts of the explanation to the spiral of silence is the role of mass media. Noelle-Neumann believes that with more people watching mass media, the more the minority will keep quite because they will think that they are even more of a minority that they actually are. She claims that this is so because it is becoming the only media outlet that people are using, along with the internet, so it is able to control exactly what people see or hear. The media know this and because of that, they use their powers to influence the public opinion as much as possible towards which ever beliefs they hold or want to put across. Noelle-Neumann claimed that in the early seventys, the media had powerful effects, particularly over opinion formation. She believed that it was deficient because it was conducted under laboratory conditions and not in the field. Mass media is everywhere and individuals can rarely escape accumulation of the same media message. It was also found that in any circumstance a person with low self-esteem is less likely to speak out even if they agree with the majority opinion, simply because that is what their personality dictates. She also discovered that having diverse reporting has a powerful role in the mass media and the views of those watching it. Since the media is diverse, and it shares different view points on a subject, then people will be more willing to take different sides of an argument because they will not feel as alienated as before. The elements of Noelle-Neumanns ideas can also be found in several scholarly works including Floyd Allport (1978) who described the climate of opinion. John Locke (1961) describes Noelle-Neumanns â€Å"hardcores† when he says â€Å"nor is there one of ten thousand who is stiff and insensible enough to bear up under the constant dislike and condemnation of his own club† W.Phillps Davison (1975) describes the public opinion process of conformity-induced silence occurs when an individual feels he/she is in the midst of a hostile majority. Thus the concept of the opinion climate and the spiral of silence are not new. Noelle-Neumann was able to articulate a thesis based on these concepts and generated data to support some of her contentions. When Noelle Neumann was forced to revise her theory to accommodate the other findings, the theory became much better. She added to her theory many other factors such as race, gender, age, environment, and social status. Now the theory cl aims that all of these things, in addition to whether one is in the majority of the opinion on a subject, will all matter whether a person speaks out. Fear Of Isolation Conformity Since Pressure to conform is a major portion of Noelle-Neumanns foundation for her arguments, Solomon Asch (1995) also did a study where he put one subject in the midst of seen confederates and asked each person to determine the shortest of three lines. Arch had seven confederates purposively select an incorrect line, and then examined the subjects response in light of the clearly wrong response of the confederates. He found that one-fourth of the subjects were completely independent of any majority pressure. These people, who Noelle-Neumann would label â€Å"hardcores†, selected the correct lines despite pressure to conform and select the incorrect line. On the other hand, no subjects conformed on every trial the situation did not elicit total conformity from subjects. He found that in manipulating some independent variables, pressure to agree is highly specific. There is no single â€Å"type† of individual who agrees, nor does public conformity imply inner acceptance of judgment or opinion. In analyzing different groups of subjects, Asch found that although very few yielded nearly completely to majority influence, they didnt think they had yielded at all. These people perceived the majority estimates as correct and didnt feel as though they themselves had conformed. Most of the subjects, who agreed, however lacked the confidence in their estimates and felt a tendency to go along with the majority when in doubt. Others who confirmed knew they were right but did not want to appear different from the majority. In a follow-up experiment, Asch found that if the subject had some support from some in the group, conformity to majority influence inclined substantially. Noelle-Neumann based her spiral of silence theory notion on face-to-face, small group situations that was described by Locke (1961), Allport (1937) and Asch (1951). In each of the cases the individual is isolated a midst a hostile majority and in direct contact with his antagonists. Although most of the test that were done in the past did prove the theory, there were some circumstances that were overlooked, as to the ability to apply to universal situations. For example, different ages, gender and education were left out and the very fact that the questions that were asked were about irrelevant things, raises the

Unemployment Rates in Albania: An Analysis

Unemployment Rates in Albania: An Analysis INTRODUCTION Albania is one of the economically last developed countries in Europe. After the collapse of the communist regime, Albania achieved an economical growth, but poverty level is still high. There is a strong link between poverty and unemployment because the lack of employment is one of the main determinants of poverty. Albania is considered as a poor country, thats why a high level of unemployment exists. This is a phenomenon that disquiets the Albanias society, so it is important to discus about this topic. This paper gives the unemployment level and its changing during years in Albania. The period of time that we have taken into account is 1995-2009. In this paper we are going to talk about the unemployments concept at the beginning and then its effects on the economy and society in chapter 5. We are going to give the unemployment rate of Albania, during this period according to age, gender and education and its values in different cities in chapter 3. Another point that will be shown in this paper is of course the precautions taken by the government to reduce the unemployment rate given in chapter 6. And finally we are going to show the conclusions of our work. GENERAL OVERVIEW ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT 2.1. UNEMPLOYMENTS CONCEPT Unemployment is the time period when a person isnt actually working, but available for work and currently looking for work. The working age population includes people from 16 years old to 65 years old for men and 60 for women. It consists of two groups: active population (labor force) and inactive population. Labor force includes employed and those in search of employment (the unemployment people). In this assessment should be taken into account the difference between: -Individuals currently working, considered those who accomplish a payable work of residence, even if temporally absent from work. The unemployed, those considered not at work, but actively seeking employment or waiting to return to work. Outside the labor force are classified people that are in working age but they arent currently working or they dont want to. This group consists of students, the invalids, students of working age, those who perform military service, and persons not currently looking for work. The flow of movement between these categories can be expressed with the Fig.2, where: 1 shows the flow of people who change job. 2 show the flow of people who lose their job. 3 show the flow of people from the ranks of unemployed who find a job. 4 show the emergence of the unemployed out of the labor force (as unemployed who do not require work anymore). 5 show the entry or the reentry in labor force, but first as unemployed. 6 show entry or reentry in labor force, but now as busy at work. 7 show the loss of employment and the exit out of the labor force (such as pensioners, or people returning to school). The total number of losing jobs is given by the amount of movement 1, 2 and 7. The total number of finding jobs is given by the amount of movement is 1, 3 and 6. The difference between the losing jobs and the finding jobs shows the difference in employment. Changes in unemployment are given by the difference (5+2) (3+4). Changes in unemployment measured by the unemployment rate, which represents the percentage ratio of the number of unemployed and the labor force: Unemployment rate= (unemployed workers / total labor force) ÃÆ'- 100%.1 TYPES OF UNEMPLOYMENT Unemployment is an inevitable process for each country, so that we can find it among each person in different kinds. The most kind of unemployment we can find in Albania are: Frictional unemployment, which is created as a result of continued movement of workers from one job in search of another job, which is better than the first. This kind of unemployment is inevitable and economically justifiable, as leading to more efficient redistribute of labor resources. In this group are also included students who have just been graduated and are looking for a job, or women that have been away for a while from the labor market. These people are considered as volunteers unemployed.1 Structural unemployment, that occurs due to changes in demand and the supply to work as a result of fundamental changes occurring in the basic branches of economy. If an economy suffers from long-lasting low aggregate demand, it means that many of the unemployed become disheartened, while their skills (including job-searching skills) become rusty and obsolete. This means that they may not fit the job vacancies that are created when the economy recovers. This kind of unemployment can also be caused by technological progresses, since it means that fewer workers are needed to produce the same level of output every year.1 Cyclical unemployment is associated with declining demand for certain goods and services, especially at the stage of economic downturn, which leads to the decline in demand for manpower in the factories that manufacture these products or services. This is caused by a business cycle recession and wages not falling to meet the equilibrium level.1 Seasonal unemployment, which is related to seasonal nature of the product or service, for example in the branches of the construction industry, tourism, etc. It is linked to certain kind of jobs.1 Voluntary unemployment includes that group of people who choose not to work for different reasons, such as economical/financial reasons or any other.1 Hidden unemployment is the unemployment that does not appear in government statistics, due to the way the statistics are collected. Only those who have no work but are actively looking for work are counted as unemployed. Those who have given up looking, those who are working less than they would like or those who work at jobs in which their skills are underutilized are not officially counted as unemployed, though in a sense they are.1 UNEMPLOYMANT RATE IN ALBANIA The lowest rate of unemployment of these years is 12.3% in 1996, while the highest is 18.4% in 1999. From 1995 until 1999 we have successive ups and downs of the unemployment rate. This is due of the transition that in these years has been higher. While from 1999 with unemployment rate 18.4%, the unemployment rate has been decreasing gradually, reaching its lowest level in 2008 with unemployment rate 13%. However these digits are still high. Our country suffers from the phenomenon of unemployment. According to the report of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 3 official unemployment rate is rather deformed three times lower than the real rate of unemployment. There are at least three reasons that make the data on unemployment rate not to be real. The main reason is informality, which is the number of employees who arent declared from the employer. ____________________________ 1scribd: MAKROEKONOMI-Inflacioni-Dhe-Papunesia. Url: http://www.scribd.com/doc/33883062/MAKROEKONOMI-Inflacioni-Dhe-Papunesia 2 INSTAT see Instituti I Statistikes 3 CIA (2010): library/publications/the-world-factbook/Albania. Url: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/al.html Also, there are the unemployed who do not plead their self as unemployed. In this case they do not appear in official records as unemployed. This is a problem associated with lack of functionality and efficiency of office work. In the calculation of the unemployment rate also isnt disregarded unemployment in agriculture. Rural areas, in which lies the main map of poverty in the country, are supposed with full employment, since no one is registered as unemployed. According to the report, having such a large labor force in agriculture, when this sector provides 21.7% of Gross Domestic Product and almost zero unemployment rate, its explained why according the official methodology, the unemployment rate is only 12.5%. So, these are some of the reasons that make the unemployment rate not to be real. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE according to gender Throughout the years the percentage of unemployed females in Albania has been higher than the percentage of males, this for some reasons. In Albania are developed more activities oriented towards the employment of males. Specifically, trade, construction or development of hotels and restaurants, where dominate male employees. Also these years were closed enough industrial activities, in which there were employed a significant number of females. While the rural-urban movement does not give females many opportunities coming from rural areas to enter in the job market. Also females being most charged with house works and take care of everything, no firm has no interest to employ them before a male, because they often can take permissions, will require maternity leave etc. These can be some of the reasons why the level of unemployed females is higher than the unemployed males. The year 1999, in which the unemployment rate is the highest, marks the greatest number of unemployed males and females, respectively 16.4% of males and 21.4% of females in Albania were recorded as unemployed. While the lowest number of unemployed males registered in 1996, where 11.4% of males are registered as unemployed and the lowest number of unemployed females registered in 2007 where 12.2% of females are registered as unemployed. The number of unemployed people observed that has ups and downs, both in females and males until 2000, while after 2000 till 2007 is observed a general reduction of unemployed males and females. In 2008 is noticed an increase in the number of unemployed females from 12.2% to 13.5%. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE according to age Unemployment also varies according to age groups population. Three main age groups are: 15-19 years old, 20-34 years old and over 34 years old. Unemployment appears in higher rates for the first age group because young people are less able to adapt to the labor market. These rates have been high till 2001 and after this period dominates 20-34 year old age group as unemployed. Whereas all persons over 34 years old represent lower values in the unemployment rate since the majority of them are busy to work. This rate has been higher in the period 1998-2001 and since then has maintained a constant level. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE according to education According to the education level of unemployment, the major part of unemployment rate consists of people who have octennial and high-school education. This may come from different reasons such as the low level of intelligence, or any other. The difference rate between unemployed people with octennial and high-school education is low. In the period of time 1998-2000 there were more unemployed people who had high school education than with octennial education, but since 2001 this ratio has changed. From 2001-2009 there are more unemployed people with octennial education. Whereas people with university education have fewer chances to be unemployed since they have more opportunity to find o job. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE in different districts Unemployment rate varies in different districts of Albania. During 2008 this rate was different in different districts. Its values are shown in Fig 6, which represents the ratio of unemployment to the all districts of Albania. According to the data set, the highest rate for the unemployment this year has been in Kukà «s with a value of 30.9%, a high value compared to the other districts. It is followed by the district of Shkodra with 24.2%, then Lezha with 22.1% and 17.7% in Vlora. The lowest rate is given for the district of Tirana, around 7.3%. It probably comes from the fact that, Tirana is the capital and so on is a developed city, where employment opportunities for citizens are higher. Therefore this rate is lower in this city. As for other districts this rate varies with small values. CONSEQUENCES OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN ALBANIA Unemployment causes a lot of individual and social costs. A long period of unemployment reduces the human capital value and increases to malnutrition, illness, mental stress, and loss of self-esteem, leading to depression. Also another consequence of unemployment is that the unemployed people may lose their skills. At another point when a person is unemployed, he has lack of income. This causes less leisure. As some other serious consequences of unemployment we can mention the increasing number of divorces, crime and greater alcohol abuse. So the unemployment influences in the every-day life of the unemployed people. Unemployment causes reduction of incomes level and this brings the reduction of the countrys economic growth. The GDP is lower than it could be if the unemployed people were employed. As a result the whole economy and society suffer from people being unemployed. Also high levels of unemployment bring consequences at the level of taxes and government borrowing, and at the expenditure of government. Because of the existence of a high level of unemployment, the income that could be taken from taxes will fall. While unemployed people do not work, do not earn, and thus they do not pay taxes. This affects in the decrease of the level of income that the government collects. On the other hand, the government should help the unemployed by giving them economic assistance.4 In Fig 7 is presented the number of families receiving economic aid versus the total number of households in all districts of Albania. It is noted that the highest percentage of the families that profit economic aid is in Kukà «s. As we said before, the unemployment rate in this district is also the highest of all districts in Albania. Dibra, Shkodra and Lezha have also high percentages of families with economic aid and the levels of unemployment in these districts are high. Durrà «s, Fier, Tirana and Vlora have the lowest level of families in economic aid. But we have seen that Vlora had a high level of unemployment, although the percentage of families in economic aid is in lower levels. So the government loses as a result of the decline in tax collection and higher spending on families who have unemployed members. As a result the budget deficit may be increased, which increases and the risk of the government. These are some reasons that the level of government borrowing may increase. So we can say that all the society and the economy suffer from high levels of unemployment. PRECAUTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT The government has to interfere continually to reduce the unemployment rate. The Albanias government has taken some precautions to low-down the level of unemployment. We can mention the opening of new workplaces, such as in infrastructure. The last years the government has realized a lot of projects in infrastructure and in this way, there are opened new workplaces. Also the government has practiced training and program applications to boost employment. As we have said in Albania the number of unemployed females is greater than unemployed males, and so the government has practiced free vocational training for women heads, victims of trafficking and roma women. Reforms in the fiscal system, in the improvement of the business environment by lowering taxes significantly, investments in infrastructure and the attracting of foreign investors to invest in Albania, encouraging investors to employ staff from Albania are the main factors that has contributed to the economic growth and, consequently, to the creation of new workplaces. So these are the main precautions that our government has taken to prevent and reduce the unemployment in Albania.5 CONCLUSION Unemployment is an inevitable process that happens in every country. It is found in different types such as frictional, structural, cyclical, seasonal, voluntary and hidden unemployment. This phenomenon is visible in every society, but it appears in different values. __________________________ 5 Ministry of Social Work and Issue and Equal Opportunity (2007): Strategji-Standarte/Strategjia e Punesimit. Url: http://www.mpcs.gov.al/images/stories/ministria/downloads/strategji-standarte/plani_i_veprimeve_per_zbatimin_e_strategjise_se_punesimit2006-2013.zip Although Albanias recent economic growth has reduced poverty level, it is still a country with a higher rate of unemployment. This rate has been changing over years. It has been in its lowest levels in 1996 with 12.3%. The highest rate has been in 1999 with a value of 18.4% and from then it has been reducing continually. In 2008 this rate was 13%. Its not a low level, but anyway is the lowest level Albania has ever had in the last 10 years. According to gender the percentage of unemployed females in Albania has been higher than the percentage of males. According to age, the level of unemployment has been higher for the age group 15-19 years old till 2001, and since then it has been higher for the age group 20-34 years old. Whereas the age group over 34 years old is always characterized of lower levels of unemployment according to the other age groups. Unemployment rate according to education has been higher for people with high school education till 2001, and from then it has been hi gher for people with octennial education. Whereas people with university education are characterized of lower levels of unemployment. In different districts are recorded different values. Its value is higher in Kukà «s and lower in Tirana. The unemployment brings a lot of affects in the society and the whole economy. It reduces the human capital value and increases to malnutrition, illness, mental stress, and loss of self-esteem, leading to depression. It increases the number of divorces, crime and the level alcohol abuse. The unemployment brings the reduction of the countrys economic growth. It reduces the level of the incomes that could be taken from taxes and increases the expenditure for economic aid given by the government for the unemployed people. The government has taken some precautions to reduce the level of unemployment; such are the reforms in the fiscal system or by opening new workplaces. It has practiced training and program applications to boost employment. The percentage of unemployed females is in high levels, so the government has practiced free vocational training for women. Also it has taken reforms in the fiscal system, in the improvement of the business environment by lowering taxes significantly, investments in infrastructure and the attracting of foreign investors to invest in Albania, encouraging investors to employ staff from Albania.