To what extent can Lady Macbeth be seen as a female gothic protagonist at the start of the play?

At first meeting, Lady Macbeth appears to us as a ruthless predator, an emancipated woman driven by an all-consuming passion and displaying perfectly, the antithesis of womanhood. She has, it seems, acquired all the necessary requirements to fill the role of a female gothic protagonist. Whether or not she utilises these factors to the full extent and can really be called the protagonist will be discussed in further detail. Her character is not unveiled until Act I Scene V where, with the use of three speeches, she exposes the workings of her mind and lay it out for the audience. Her second speech displays perfectly the idea of Lady Macbeth as a ruthless predator. She calls on the supernatural to ‘unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty!’ She asks them to ‘Stop up the access and passage to remorse’ and to ‘make thick’ her blood. Here she displays a woman incapable of any feelings of love or amity, but it is important to think of her before she makes this request. If it is necessary for her to ask for the remittal of her remorse, then she must have had the ability to feel such feelings beforehand. We are given no background information on this woman and it is therefore difficult to say if she was always like this or whether it was Macbeth’s letter that changed her; this appeal she makes is one of few insights into her p ossible mind-set as Lady Macbeth before the play. Her status as a woman who displays the antithesis of womanhood can hardly be doubted, but Lady Macbeth would not have publicised these feelings. We know this from her relation with Duncan who refers to her as ‘our honoured hostess.’ The King of Scotland would hardly encourage a woman to act the way Lady Macbeth does on the audience’s initial meeting with her. Indeed, Lady Macbeth is a woman changed entirely when in the presence of people of such high status. She appears to be a domesticated woman, one happy to be at home while her husband goes out to war to serve as a loyal citizen. And yet, we know otherwise. In her second speech, she refers to her home as ‘my battlements.’ This presumption of hers, this idea that she should own her home and not her husband would have been a farcical one. The most menacing speeches uttered by Lady Macbeth occur not just when she summons iniquity, but when she does so with a language that refutes and distorts her maternal nature. In her second speech, she speaks to these ‘spirits’ and asks that they ‘come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This line turns this universally natural feature of womanhood into something dark and troubling. Adding to this, the suggestion of changing a mother’s milk, what she feeds her children on, to poison, is a disgusting one. Further on in the play, Shakespeare manipulates this perversion of motherhood again when Lady Macbeth conveys a fantasy of infanticide: ‘I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This horrific image is so against the searing love a mother feels for her child, that it is impossible for the reader to accept that Lady Macbeth fully comprehends firstly, what she is saying and secondly, that maternal love despite her previous statement of ‘I know how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ However, Shakespeare has allowed the reader room for doubt. While we are certain that Lady Macbeth is a woman depraved of all the typical qualities of a homemaker, we do see a potential insight into the Macbeth’s sexual relations and Lady Macbeth’s ‘duty’ as a wife. Here, it appears she abides but it does become apparent that it is her who leads the way. Our insight into this idea is in her first speech where she talks of ‘pour[ing] my spirits in thine ear; And chastis[ing] with the valour of my tongue.’ The suggestion here that Lady Macbeth can impress things on her husband through the use of sex, would have been a shocking one. So while these sexual insinuations suggest the ‘wife’ side of Lady Macbeth, the knowledge that she can manipulate him as such, is once again the perfect display of the antithesis of womanhood. The gothic impact of Lady Macbeth’s indiscretion has less to do with her demonic entreaties, but rather more so with the reversals of her female nature, which show how willing she is to contemplate and fulfil her ambition for power. While certain aspects of her speech allow the reader to imagine her, for a second, as a woman happy to live and serve as a reclaimed wife, her ability to twist and distort words and ideas disallow the audience to hold these thoughts for long. This amalgamation of supernatural desires and her willingness to abandon her sex create, for the reader, a potent force of evil and the perfect female, gothic protagonist. disparagingly of her husband’s ‘human kindness’ but she summons demonic powers with her invocation: ‘Come, you spirits, / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty’ (1.5.38-41). She continues in similar vein: ‘Come to my woman’s breasts, / And take my milk for gall’ (1.5.45-46). Her communing with the forces of darkness is expressed in terms that seek to remove the ‘compunctious visitings’ of her female nature. Later, in one of the play’s most disturbing images, Lady Macbeth expresses a fantasy of infanticide: I have given suck, and know How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out However, when it comes to her manipulation of Macbeth, she adopts the powerful weapon of sexual taunting: Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? When you durst do it, then you were a man. Lady Macbeth’s evil allows her at one and the same time to deny her maternal nature and to control her husband by invoking her sexuality. It is this capacity to distort her female identity to gain her political ends that makes Lady Macbeth at once a potent force for evil and a transgressive figure of the female gothic.

Book of the Courtier Essay

â€Å"Whatever character an individual has determines how successful the community he belongs to will be†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ these lines are indeed true with what the â€Å"Book of the Courtier† suggests. Authored by an Italian soldier, and a statesman attached to the court of the duke of Milan and later in the service of Duke Urbino, Baldassare Castiglione, the entire book dwells in a central theme which includes having graceful behavior, especially that of the impression of effortlessness or referred to by the book as â€Å"sprezzatura. † This series of four books deals so much on how an individual should train himself in discipline so as to be able to reach the best person he could in a way that he could contribute so much to his own community. In the case of this book, Castiliogne puts it in the personification of a perfect courtier. On the third book though, the story evolves on how a court lady should carry herself and thus be able to serve her master in a way that they will never have any point of despising her service. Being clever is quite a clear attitude pointed in this part of the book. In addition to this, the wide differences between male and female genders is shown with emphasis. One part of these series of stories talks about the individuality of each men as I may quote: â€Å"I don’t want to be like the man who stripped down to his shirt and then jumped a shorter distance than he had in his greatcoat. So as far as I am concerned it is very fortunate that the hour is late, because as there is little time I shall have to say far less, and not having given the matter any thought, I will be excusable and allowed to say without being censured all the things that come to my mind. And now in order not to have to carry the burden any longer, let me start by saying that to recognize true perfection in anything is so difficult as to be scarcely possible; and this because of the opinions vary. Thus there are many who like to hear someone talking a great deal and who will call him an agreeable companion. Some will prefer reticence; others an active and restless man; others one who always acts with calmness and deliberation; and so everyone praises or condemns according to his own opinion, always Importance Placed on Individual or Society Page #2 camouflaging a vice under the name of a corresponding virtue; or a virtue under the name of a corresponding vice. † This lines shows how individual opinions affect how one person chooses to conduct himself in front of the other people in his community. Sometimes held in hindrance to what he really likes to do, a person chooses to succumb to what his society considers to be right and acceptable. Yet some choose to stick to what they believe in and dares to be different in some ways thus facing the judgment of his community men regarding his rather different being. Indeed, however a man chooses to deal with his own life defending his own beliefs as such, it will strongly influence his society’s views on things. A real â€Å"perfect courtier† is referred to as someone who can direct his own way. Someone who would not allow his principles be cracked by people who aims to put his â€Å"service to his master† into a lower state of excellence. A real noble man is the one who can decide for himself. From the smallest detail of how he should dress to the most complicated issue of how he should deal with his life. He that continuously struggles for his goals toward aspiring people. Someone who is able to measure his accomplishments with those of other people is the one considered to be truly successful. Everything must occur in such a reasonable way and with purpose. It is very important for each and every one of us to continue on pursuing our own goals to attain self excellence. As Sydney Bremer says in his book Successful Achievements: â€Å"In the assurance of strength, there is strength, and they are the weakest, however strong, who have no faith in themselves or their powers. Men often conquer difficulties because they think they can. Their confidence in themselves inspires confidence in others†. This is indeed true specially in connection with the theme of the book of Castiglione. It is thus true that what a person does as a separate part of his community is directly linked to other people living with him. Man, as the very basic part of a certain society determines both the norms and the idealism a community considers to be true and acceptable. On the other hand, aiming for the best, as suggested by the ideas of Castiglione is concerned with how we embed ourselves with the positive traits that lead to self excellence and also eliminating negative characters which may Importance Placed on Individual or Society Page #3 hinder us from doing what we are supposed to reach as our aims in life. One of which is â€Å"sprezzatura† which was translated in the modern English as â€Å"recklessness†. It came from an Italian root-word â€Å"sprezza† meaning contempt, disdain, or scorn. Having such attitudes wouldn’t make any young courtier a successful one at that. On the contrary, it will just lead him to failure and distress. His goals of giving his best service will surely be a waste if he continues to cultivate this character in his everyday dealings. This is so much true even to an individual who strives to be the best in what he does. As a whole, as we could closely see, the â€Å"Book of the Courtier† shows so much emphasis on the kind of living of an individual person. From the positive traits he must posses to the negative attitudes he must omit from his system so as to be able to meet the goal of self excellence. Women also were given emphasis to have certain independence from the authority of men in some ways. Giving them the free will, freedom of speech and freedom in deciding for what they want with their lives. Yes, as this book has been set at a long time past in England, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t have any practical advise to the modern times we are presently living in today. Apparently, the contents of this book has a lot of advise enclosed for these generation which we are living in. As to what we could actually observe, many young people today lack the enthusiasm of actually establishing their own purpose in life. Sadly, only a few of the youth today endeavor to influence the community they are living in with positive contributions to the moral, spiritual, and even secular aspects of life in the society. Only a fewer percent of today’s population really strive for the aim of having self-excellence. Yes, sometimes, its not bad to be a bit perfectionist with ourselves. Knowing our limits of course, perfectionism usually lead us to self-excellence. As one saying implies : â€Å"Make perfection your aim and be satisfied with nothing less†. Yes, we must always remember to ask ourselves of what we ought to do as an individual, what we could improve on ourselves and thus be able to make a difference on the community we are living in. Not to be praised or to be renowned as a noble man, but to reach the reality of self-excellence. Sources: Castigliogne, Baldesar. The Book of The Courtier. Penguin Classics. 1967.

Cultural communication in relation to the culture of India Essay

Cultural communication in relation to the culture of India - Essay Example Cultures have individual perceptions of society, and norms and values affect the manner in which people of varying cultures communicate and understand the world. Inability to understand the difference in culture may cause misunderstanding or hinder communication between people of varying culture. The culture of India is one of the most unique since there is cultural diversity throughout the country. The North, south, and Northeast have unique cultures and their combination has led to development of the Indian culture.It is vital to note that tourism is the most apparent method of intercultural meetings since people of diverse cultures travel to far away lands such as India to learn different cultures. There is normally a difficulty in intercultural communication not only because of the difference in language but also because of the varying attitudes of people of varying culture. Through speech humans are able to communicate with each other and to do so they use language. Humans use s ystems of symbolic communication to pass across messages and the variety in language makes human communication very complex. Language is the most important tool for the transmission of various cultures. It is also the greatest barrier of communication between individuals of different cultures. In India, different states have various official languages identified by the central government. For example east India speaks Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali. English is considered globally as the language most understood.

Is Marx a moral philosopher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Is Marx a moral philosopher - Essay Example As Cohen (1978, cited in Joshua, Cohan, 1982) rightly points it out; Marx was unaware of the element of morality in his philosophy. So, he failed to discuss morality. Thus, it becomes evident that morality is not at all explicit in Marxian philosophy. So, this work intends to analyze what implicit morality is inherent in Marxian philosophy. The first question addressed here is why Marx explicitly denied the applicability of morality in his philosophy. In order to understand the reason, one has to go back to the nineteenth century where, according to Marx and other critical philosophers, ‘exploitative economic arrangement’ was the major facet of the society. In that situation, morality and ethics were just false consciousness that was well-molded to fit into the exploitative regime of capitalism. So, it was necessary for him to declare that morality (as it existed in the capitalist society) does not deserve to be preserved. Instead, he declares that he would constitute morality on a new basis. Thus, it becomes evident that morality in Marxian philosophy can only be understood from the reasons he uses to declare capitalism as unjust and communism as just. As Rawls and Freeman, 2007, p. 320) describes, the very first argument put forward by Marx against capitalism is that it is based on the exploitation of the worker. In other words, he declares that capitalism is not an arena that offers mutual benefit but it involves systematic extraction of profit from one group (ibid). However, the trouble at this juncture is that Marx does not declare in clear terms that such an exchange is unjust. Instead, he declares that it is ‘by no means an injustice’ in his Capital (Marx, 1939l). In the words of Wood (1981, p.91), it is natural to see such an attitude from the part of Marx because he could not achieve a trans-epochal standpoint from where he could comment on the justice of that economic system. In other words, he was not free from the bounds of historical materialism. So, according to him, morality purely involved the stabilising of economic structure (ibid). However, a more rational explanation seems to appear from Husami (1978 ) who argues that it is possible to see that Marx thought capitalism unjust even in the absence of explicit words. It is pointed out by the scholar that for Marx, there are two sets of ideas; that of the ruling class and that of the non-ruling class. In a capitalist society, the ideas of the ruling class receive attention and approval. On the other hand, in a communist society, the ideas of the proletariat receive more attention. According to Marx, the latter is the right way (ibid); and capitalism is unjust. In addition, one can see the use of words like ‘embezzlement’, ‘robbery’ and ‘exploitation’ to explain capitalism. According to Cohen (1978, cited in Joshua, Cohan, 1982), these words are sufficient to reach the conclusion that for Marx, capitalism was unjust and hence against morality. Thus, the scholar points out that Marx, like many others, did not have adequate knowledge about his own mind. Thus, throughout the explicit response, he ma naged to avoid calling capitalism as ‘unjust’. In the words of Hampsher-Monk (1992, p. 487), the idea comes more than evident through the overall sense of the texts. At least, the analysis is sufficient to rea

Assignment 1 Small Business Opportunities Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

1 Small Business Opportunities - Assignment Example Lending fund to small businesses and to the consumers at low rates is more profitable since more businesses will borrow thus providing fund to more small business (David, 2007). Lending of fund will expand the small business and the consumers and other retailers will benefit thus generating income and the economy becoming healthy. The federal government can use tax toolkit to consider my business and other type of businesses to boost the businesses in the market. Lower tax cut can be a powerful boost of the small business as an encouragement to ensure its continuity in the market. Another booster of small businesses is to give direct contract to them which will make it easier for the businesses not to compete with other large companies in the area (John, 2013). The federal government should advocate for direct contracts to small business so that they can encourage it and boost it. Historical underutilized business zone (HUB Zone) increases the chances of landing a government contract (Michael, 2004). The program encourages small businesses which are designated in high unemployment, where low income earners are granted contracts by the federal government. One of the criteria that I need to meet for my small business to be under Underutilized Business Zone is that the business must be owned and controlled by 51% of United States citizens. Again the business must have an office in HUB Zone and the employees of the small business must be living in the HUB Zone. The federal government has set a side $2,500 to $100,000 to small businesses. Since the business is in United States, I have the opportunity to get the contract from the federal government thus boosting the business. Since I have qualified to submit the relevant document for my business to become a HUB Zone company, then the federal government can offer HUB Zone contracts. The use of Smart Pay program manages a set of master contracts through

Managing People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing People - Essay Example This capital was calculated as the cost of acquiring those skills through education, apprenticeship, and maintenance during this acquisition period. These represented a fixed cost akin to other fixed costs. This too repays itself by way of profits as does a machine. This productive power of labour is again dependant on the division of labour as different skills are involved and each individual possesses a variety of them. The agility and nimbleness employed by the labour results in improved production and is his contribution towards profitability. Thus human capital was seen as skills, dexterity, and judgment combined. This concept has remained intact over two centuries and it has become central to most organizations as the most important ingredient. The Human Resources division has assumed greater significance in comparison with other areas. In the present day service oriented economies where a large part of GDP consists of services instead of manufacturing Managing People is of paramount importance. All companies irrespective of their size have Human Relation Departments (HRD). It is the function of this department to hire appropriately qualified people for working n various departments of the company. Qualifications are defined according to their usefulness for the company and often experienced people are preferred over others. A successful HRD exercise just begins with the hiring as it now extends to laying down policies for the individual and groups of employees and periodically evaluating performances. Of late it has been realized that just orientation of the employee in their jobs ror environment is not enough and some training both at the intial stage as well as later for upgrading is equally important for the organization. Organizations keep evolving. In order to survive the continuous onslaught of competition and innovations, a company has to keep changing its strategies to for keeping itself on track in working

Communication Satisfaction in the Virtual Workplace Coursework

Communication Satisfaction in the Virtual Workplace - Coursework Example Such innovations are capable of engaging, encouraging and supporting employees in their commitment to duty, which ultimately improves performance. By facilitating different approaches towards employees, innovations in employee benefits help the organization improve its overall competitive compensation strategy by enabling it to present itself uniquely from other organizations. Organizations can tie innovative benefits to specific jobs by primarily considering factors such as what the job description of each group of employees entails. Age is also a critical factor. This stems from the understanding that a certain innovative plan may be significant to one group and meaningless to another. For instance, fitness group membership would not be considered as a priority for field officers who traverse the width of the state while on duty as it would be for those who spend long hours behind computers. Similarly, young adults below 30 would consider mortgages and car loans or grants to be more significant than healthcare or retirement packages while in contrast, the elderly and less active would be tied to retirement benefits (Swanberg, McKechnie, & James, 2011). Critically assessing the effectiveness of equity-based versus creative-approach reward systems reveals that they both depend on an organization’s communication strategy as well as employees’ personal perceptions. Employees have a right to equity-based rewards since it is basically what they enter into a contract with employers to earn. The effectiveness of equity-based rewards is reflected in the manner in which they incorporate the interests of shareholders, organizations, and employees (Worldatwork, 2010). The key objectives of equity-based rewards include obtaining tax advantages and conserving resources while motivating optimum performance by employees.  

Business & Marketing Management Marketing Channel Essay

Business & Marketing Management Marketing Channel - Essay Example At the same time customers and other stakeholders will only have confidence in a company with sound financial and credit management. (Louis, et al, 2006) Louis et al (2006), states that, a channel member will only be effective if customers can easily obtain goods or service from him/her. Consequently, before selecting a channel member I will have to ensure that the channel member can easily be accessed by the prospective customers. The level of distribution and coverage of the channel member will have to be considered to know how effective it is. I will have to note the intensity at which the Wal-mart products can reach its customers; this is a very important aspect to ensure that sales are made. (Louis, et al, 2006) The type of the product will definitely dictate the kind of channel member to recruit. As pertaining the channel member for Wal-Mart supermarket chain, the member will have to be able to stock a large number of various products that the supermarket deals in. at the same time the channel member has to be able handle a large volume of products both perishable and durable. Like any other marketing decision, choosing a channel agent require a lot of thoughts and vast research in order to determine who can qualify the distribute the company's products more effectively and efficiently in a way that it will meet the company's sales objectives and overall revenue collection. (Louis, et al, 2006) A company has to consider some major factors before choosing its channel agents which are financial stability, product line and sales strength among others. (Louis, et al, 2006) Question 1b; discuss the concept of leadership The concept of leadership and it's relevance to motivating the channel members. Introduction Leadership is all about motivating people or a group towards achievement of the organizational goals. In this case, it is not just about motivating employees in the organization, but is about motivating channel members. It involves mutual influence between the company and its channel members. Channel members can be influenced through incentives, teamwork, individual dynamics and discipline. The main reason is to channel all the channel members' efforts towards the attainment of the organizations' goals. Leadership behavior in an organization include; directive, supportive, participate and achievement oriented. They are concerned with people feelings and making things pleasant for the followers and defining tasks requirements and other aspects of the work agenda. Kotler (1991) observers that type of leadership adopted will highly influence the relationship between the leader and the followers who are channel members. (Kotler, 1991) In case of channel members' leadership, every channel member is expected to have high degree of interdependence geared towards achievement of complexion of its business objective that it has set. Wal-Mart has stood apart from the channel member by virtue of its position held and helps channel members in clarification of issues, finding solutions, the company is clearly understands the issues and offers possible solutions. These are then formulated and address to relevant authorities for action to taken. This is characteristics of

Leader Follower Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leader Follower Communication - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that a leader is expected to be honest, and manage to gain his followers’ trust, as the latter determine if the leader is effective or not. Moreover, followers are in a position to determine whether a leader should be followed or not. Followers are different and hence require different forms of leadership. For instance, new employees may require more supervision compared to experienced employees, while an employee who is de-motivated may require a different form of leadership compared to the motivated employee. The growth of followers is determined by the effectiveness of a leader. Generally, there exist several types of followers, including the effective follower, who is independent and active, the conformist follower who is dependent of the leader but also active, and the alienated follower who is independent but not much of a team player. In addition, there is the passive follower who is prone to resistance and therefore requires a high level of super vision, and the pragmatic follower who is normally stuck in the middle, as he is not sure on his stand and sometimes maximize on their self-interest only. In addition, leadership varies with situations, such that a certain type of leadership may be applicable in one situation but it may not be applicable in another. Leaders and followers differ in that everyone can be a follower but not all can be leaders since leadership is not only a position defined by a state of mind and character. Followership is the willingness to follow a leader or to be led; however, a leader can as well be a follower, as he has to follow his superiors and his followers. For instance, in the case of a flight captain who gives orders to his crewmembers, if the crew does not understand, he goes ahead and teaches them on how to attend to that particular matter, thereby becoming a follower since he reacted to the actions of his followers. In this research, a selection of followers was made from nurses who report to doctors, a clerk who reports to the manager, a personal secretary who reports to the managing director and technician who reports to the head engineer.

Progressive Era through the Great Depression Essay - 1

Progressive Era through the Great Depression - Essay Example senators (Anderson, 2006). The nation struggled with difficulties because of industrialization and development, in the period of Progressive Era (1900–1920). City and middle-class reform crusade reinforced the administration having a superior role in managing such matters as the control of large trade and the well-being of the community. Several of its attainments were created on struggles of previous restructuring activities. For instance, the federal income tax policy and the direct election of senators were a part of the Mainstream package, and Ban on liquor production and its use. The program had received support from both Democrats and Republicans. Theodore Roosevelt became US President in 1901 even though he was the youngest one to hold the Presidential office. He had substantial political knowledge and served in various high level offices. During his administration from 1901 to 1909, 44 antitrust activities were filed counter to the nations major companies, comprising the Northern Securities Company. However, the principle of the presidents approach was that he noted among ‘good’ and ‘bad’ trusts and sturdily chosen to control companies for the wellbeing of people rather than causing damage them. The procedure of rebating was removed through the ‘Elkins Act’ (1903), and the ‘Hepburn Act’ (1906) permitted the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to set maximum railroad charges. Americans expressed the fear that meat infected or covered in rat stools was treated and sold to the public. Senate responded to the disclosures by passing the ‘Pure Food and Drug Act’ (1906) that banned the production, sale, or carriage of food or drugs in interstate trade that had been infected. President Roosevelt vigorously endorsed the preservation of the nations natural resources. Roosevelt’s government set aside

Merits & Demerits of EC Essay Example for Free

Merits Demerits of EC Essay The Electoral College is a process by which the voters elect representatives known as electors that in turn elect the president. It is governed by the laws and constitution of United States of America. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the Electoral College the advantages include it is the foundations of federalism and democratic principles that does not allow central government to be in place. It distributes popular votes; enhance country cohesive nature and helps in political stability. The disadvantages are it gives room of electing president with simple majority, voters democratic rights are violated; the president may not show the will of the people and inability of some electors voting for the respective leaders they were elected for. The matters raised are weighty on either side but we conclude this by saying it is worth amending the Electoral College to correct its defects rather than changing to direct voting. MERITS AND DEMERITS OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE The electoral college of the United States of America is a process of electing presidential candidates based on the number of popular votes and representatives of congress. The voters elect the electors or representatives who will in turn elect the president candidate. Each state is allocated 2 senators irrespective of vote population while the members of the House of Representatives are elected based on the population of the states. The history of Electoral College dates back to the Roman Empire. It has been used in United States for over 200 years. It is considered a moderate way of checking the election by popular vote and congress (Electoral College, 2008) The Electoral College system is governed by several laws which include the Article 2 section 1; 12th amendment and US Code Title 3 Chapter 1 of the Constitution. There have been arguments for and against the Electoral College system since its introduction. Opinion polls have been conducted to determine its popularity over the years for example 69 percent of lawyers favored its abolition in 1987. It was earlier reported that 58 percent of voters in 1958 agreed to eliminate it. Similar results were recorded in succeeding years where 81% and 75% were obtained in 1968 and 1981 respectively. These opinion polls were associated with the system favoring biparty system and excluding third party (Electoral College, 2008). Leip (2003) discuss explicitly merits and demerits of the Electoral College system. We will highlight the merits of the Electoral College in the United States of America. First the Electoral College had significant contribution in ensuring there is fair distribution of support of the populace to each president thus bringing a cohesive country. This restrains highly populated states from determining the president elected every time. However this may favor election of president with votes slightly above the opponent even though it is checked by the requirement of popular distribution of votes against the support by popular votes. Indeed the EC system works to correct the defects arising from popular votes. Murphy (2003) adds by saying that the defects in EC are intentional and have a purpose because without it the smaller states will not be heard in national issues. Secondly the EC is ensures the status of smaller groups and minority interests are maintained such that the presidency is seen as an institution that takes account all interests of people and special groups in the country. Hence smaller states will also have a say in expressing their presidential choice (Leip, 2003). Third, EC help in stability of political parties by encouraging biparty system and excluding third party parties from unseating the majority. Although third parties are present in America they cannot raise the masses that cause national imbalance in the political climate. Hence the presidency is guarded against metamorphism of radical policies from third party. It then dictates the political coalitions at political level rather than governmental level. Otherwise if popular electorate is allowed there will be situations of regional and extreme divergent demarcations (Leip, 2003). Fourth, the federal system is essentially captured in the democratic principles which require sharing of power at all levels of government. With these we see the House of Representatives representing interests and issues of states based on the population strength while the Senate has equal number of representatives in the congress that articulate issues of the state on equal footing. The Electoral College then represents the institution of presidency and echoes the values and interest of minority and special interest groups. To eliminate the EC is like democratizing the political system and essentially rendering the structures of federal and letting the re-genesis of central government (Magleby, Light, Peltason, 2008). It worth to note that the political parties would not allow the change of the system to because of the interest they hold in it (Mmarks, 2000). This is reinforced by Murphy (2003) sentiments insisting that vote irregularities can only be halted by EC since it will only deal with states in question rather than the whole states which pose the question of financial and legal constraints. On the contrary opposition to the elimination of the Electoral College continues to mount fro example it was termed as either anchoritic or archaic or ambiguous because it allows for the winner to bag all votes thus the need for reforms or abolition of it all together. These are some of the reasons for eliminating the EC and allow the electorate popularity. One is that a president can be elected by minority votes for instance where three candidates or more share votes and cause a situation which no candidate is able to garner more than 50 percent of the votes like the elections of 1824, 1948 and 1968. This can result to cases where one candidate votes are given to another or absentee of significant votes in the Electoral College. The resultant scenario will cause the EC to use the 12th Amendment. This may lead to conflict of interest (Leip 2003). Second, the EC has given leeway to voters transferring their rights to electors who later do not vote according to their wishes commonly referred as faithless fathers. For example in 1988 Lloyd Benson was voted for by a democrat elector from West Virginia. Although past experiences has shown that the votes of faithless fathers do not have significant impact on the presidential election but sends negative signals to the electorate. Mmarks (2000) states that the American government has violated the basic principle of democracy of vote counts similarly the EC makes other votes irrelevant. For instance in it gives too much power to local constituencies than other others. Third is that the EC has an element of disincentive to electorates because there is no difference between populous state and low populated states. Hence voters are likely not to turn out in large numbers. However this fact does not take account other elections in the states such as governors and legislators (Leip 2003). Fourth the Electoral College does not reflect the will of the voters because it seems to under represent other regions especially urban than the rural. For example the electoral voters of six states in 1988 had same 3. 1 million votes and 21 electors’ similar to 9. 6 million votes from Florida. This shows discrepancy in representation making votes from this populous state less significant (Magleby, Light, Peltason, 2008). In the same line Electoral College seems to have bias towards the exclusion of third party making it difficult to rise above regional or state precincts. This is because it cannot garner majority votes to give it the strength to be allocated electoral votes. The mechanisms applied gives the winner of majority votes to walk way with all votes rendering this party irrelevant. In order to be able to articulate its issues it has to relax its divergent views and collaborate with popular political party. Maxwell Hardaway (2004) argue that during the writing of the constitution by the founding founder in the 18th century most voters were illiterate, but at the present time the citizens are educated and well informed to make a choice of their own so it is better to have direct counting. They also add their sentiments on the need to reduce the due advantage of small states over big states instead all votes should count in the elections. This will make candidates to value each vote and concentrate of pulling gaining support of all voters (Maxwell Hardaway, 2004; Magleby, Light, Peltason, 2008). However the supporters of the EC argue that despite the few defects noted during 2000 presidential elections the EC does not need to be abolished but strengthened. This is because it has stayed for long time and had the principle of unifying the country able to rally a broad support and gain extensive roots of political parties. This in turn gives reduces the time which could have been used for vote recounting as in the case of 2000 presidential elections (Maxwell Hardaway, 2004). CONCLUSION The Electoral College is a process by which the voters elect representatives known as electors that in turn elect the president. The Electoral College is governed by the laws and constitution of United States of America. Although defects have been sited in the application of the Electoral College arguments have been raised in support and against it. Propositions for its abolition include chance of electing president with simple majority, voters democratic rights violated; the president may not show the will of the people and inability of some electors voting for the respective leaders they were elected for. While supporters for not abolishing it reason that it is one of the foundations of federalism and democratic principles that does not allow central government to be in place. It distributes popular votes; enhance country cohesive nature and helps in political stability. The matters given are weighty it can be concluded that amendment to the Electoral College is necessary to correct its defects rather than changing to direct voting. REFERENCES Electoral College. (2008). U. S. Election College. Retrieved April 21, 2008, from http://www. archives. gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq. html#qualifications Leip, David. (2003). Pros cons of EC. Retrieved April 21, 2008 from: http://uselectionatlas. org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_procon. php Magleby, O. Light, B. , Peltason, C. (2008). Government. 7th ed. USA: Pearson. Maxwell, K. J. , Hardaway, R. (2004). 2000 aftermath. New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2008, from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0BUE/is_3_137/ai_n17207622 Mmarks. (2000, November 17). Princeton news. Retrieved April 21, 2008 from: http://www. princeton. edu/main/news/archive/A94/81/30Q00/index. xml Murphy, K. (2003 December 11). EC is necessary. Retrieved April 21, 2008, http://www. interocitor. com/archives/000159. html

Suicide terrorism

Suicide terrorism Suicide terrorists are said to be fanatics. Discuss this statement with regard to the analysis of suicide terrorism and Asymmetric warfare. This paper is a discussion on modern suicide terrorism, starting with a brief history of suicide terrorism, moving onto definitions, characteristics, theories and the asymmetries of suicide terrorism. Suicide terrorism can be dated back to ancient times; it is the evolution of the suicide bomber that brings the most notoriety. With many analysts such as (Gunaratna, 2000; Winkates, 2006), trace the evolution of modern suicide terrorism to Sri Lanka and Lebanon in the 1980s. Acts of suicide terrorism in the past have been relatively confined and their use limited to a small number of locations around the world. In the last decade there has been a significant expansion in the scope and frequency of suicide terrorist attacks. The number of terrorist attacks fell from 660 in 1988 to 250 in 1998; the number of suicide terrorist attacks was climbing rapidly (Clayton, 2003, p. 18). This increase in suicide attacks during the period 2000-2005 is 2.7 times greater in comparison to the period b eginning in the 1980s and lasting until 1999 (Pedahzur Perlinger, 2006, p. 1987). During the period 2000-2009 the scope of suicide terrorism expanded dramatically, with suicide terrorist attacks in Indonesia (Bali), Sri Lanka, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United States, England, Spain, Russia, Chechnya and Bangladesh. Although there have been suicide attacks within the west, it is the rapid increase of attacks within countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq that is the notable with a year on year increase. Saudi Arabia became so alarmed with the rise in suicide terrorism that in April of 2006 the Saudi government announced plans to build a multibillion-dollar electrified fence along its 560 mile border with Iraq (Dreazen Shiskin, 2006, p. A1). According to ISAF, in 2008 suicide bombings increased 26 percent from 2007(ISAF, 2009, toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, January 2009). There has also been a noticeable change in the individuals who carry out suicide attacks, once seen as mainly carried out by you ng men for either Religious or political reasons and yet there has been an increase in the number of women and children now playing an increasing part in suicide missions . One of the latest attacks took place on the Moscow subway, killing 35 and wounding many more; both of these attack where carried out by female suicide bombers. Suicide terrorism can be seen as inexpensive, deadly, and especially effective in accomplishing terrorists goals (Hoffman, 2003, p. 1; Jalalzai, 2005, p.110) attacks have also become increasingly effective in terms of the destruction they cause and the number of people they kill, as the suicide terrorists adopt new innovations such as explosive vests (Gall, 2006, p. A15).There is an asymmetry within suicide terrorist attacks, western countries have a reliance upon smart weapons in the conflict against those seen as terrorists. These weapons can cause huge amounts of damage without the need to directly attack the enemy with ground troops, thus lessoning the casualties sustained during combat operations. The use of a suicide bomber in effect becomes the human equivalent to the smart bomb. The weapon is self directing to the target, it can make changes to the target location, timing and delivery method on an ad hoc bases making the suicide bomber the ultimate smart bomb (Hoffman 2003). The use the human body as a weapon is not a new phenomenon being well documented through the ages. Pape (2005, p.11) calls the Zealots and the Sicarii the worlds first suicide terrorists. The name sicarrii means dagger-men, who would infiltrate Roman-controlled cities and stab Jewish collaborators or Roman legionnaires with a sica, kidnap the staff of the Temple Guard for ransom, or poison their enemies (Bloom, 2005, p. 8). The Zealots and Sicarii used violence to encourage public uprising, including the Jewish War of AD 66. They would attack their victims in broad daylight and in highly public places with little apparent regard for their own safety or escape. Pape (2005) notes that many of these attacks must have been suicide missions, since the killers were often immediately captured and put to death typically tortured and then crucified or burned alive (p. 12). Assassins were an 11th 12th century Shia Muslim sect from the Nizari state, their name, the assassins comes from the Arabic word hashishiyyin. According to Pape (2005), the Assassins created an effective organization f or the planned, systematic, and long-term use of political murder that relied on suicide missions for success. Pape (2005) reports that between 1945 and 1980, suicide attacks temporarily disappeared from the world scene (p.13). Pape (2005) and others (Laqueur, 2003) note the occurrence of politically- and/or religiously driven hunger strikes and suicides (particularly self-immolations) during this period but Pape (2005) claims there is not a single recorded instance of a suicide terrorist killing others while killing himself (p. 13). Reuter (2004) disagrees, citing a pro-Palestinian Japanese Red Army-sponsored attack on Israels Ben Gurion International Airport on May 20, 1972. In what Reuter (2004) notes as the first suicide attacks in the Middle East, on this day three Japanese gunmen with machine guns killed twenty-four people at the airport. They made no effort to escape, and two were shot dead by the airport guard (Reuter, 2004, p. 136). Inspired by Irans use of human minesweepers against Iraq, Hizbollah, launched a series of attacks against Western and Israeli targets in Lebanon (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). Hizbollah suicide attackers killed 80 and wounded 142 in its April 1983 attack on the American Embassy in Beirut, killed 241 and wounded 81 in its October 1983 attack on the US Marine headquarters near Beirut and its attack against the French Multinational Force, killed 58 and wounded 15 (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). In November 1983, Hizbollah suicide terrorists killed 88 and wounded 69 in an attack on the Israeli Defence Force headquarters in Tyre and a month later killed four and wounded 15 in an attack on the American Embassy in Kuwait (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). Sprinzak (2000) notes that Hizbollah leaders were initially very uneasy about the decision to launch suicide attacks, under the reasoning that Islam does not approve of believers taking their own lives. Hezbollahs spectacular success at achieving its goals of ex pelling foreign forces from all of Lebanon inspired other organizations such as Hamas, Tamil Tigers and al-Qaeda to adopt the suicide terrorist method of attack (Pape, 2005, p. 14). The Tamil Tigers were founded in 1972 as a Marxist, ethnic Tamil, Hindu separatist group seeking independence from the Sinhalese Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka. Their Black Tiger division trained to launch suicide attacks against Sri Lankan political leaders, military targets and civilians (Pape, 2005; Winkates, 2006). Hafez (2006) observed that outside of the Middle East, the Tamil Tigers have led the pack in the number and sophistication of suicide missions. It is estimated that the organization completed some 250 successful suicide attacks between 1987 and 2006 (Hafez, 2006, p. 5). In the early 2000s, ethno nationalist and Islamist Chechens began launching suicide attacks against Russian targets (Hafez, 2006, p. 5). Al Qaeda began launching attacks against American and Saudi targets in the Middle East in the mid-1990s. Al Qaedas spectacular entry into the suicide terrorist hall of fame occurred on August 7, 1998 when suicide terrorists used two delivery trucks loaded with explosives to blow up within minutes of each other, the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing a total of 224 people and injuring more than 4,300 persons (Reuter, 2004, p. 142). A little more than two years later, in October of 2000, Al Qaeda suicide bombers detonated 225 kg of explosive charges alongside the American destroyer, the USS Cole on a refuelling stop in the Yemeni port of Aden, killing 17 American sailors and injuring forty. A year later, Al Qaeda suicide terrorists launched their principal suicide operation and what is described as one of the big gest single suicide terrorist action to date, the 9/11 attacks in the United States, killing about 3,000 (Reuter, 2004, p. 144). This attack lead to explanations of suicide terrorism becoming defined as, first, that the suicide terrorist was irrational and/or mentally ill (Brym Araj, 2006; Pastor, 2004; Wintrobe, 2003).Secondly that the deprivation hypothesis this theory uses the explanation that that suicide terrorists were educationally, economically or otherwise deprived compared to their peers (Brym Araj, 2006; Krueger Maleckova, 2002 .In recent years the Bush Administration has advanced both of these theories in some of its anti-terrorist expression. President Bush repeatedly spoke out against the evil and irrational terrorists who commit these actions. The Bush Administration argued that poverty reduction programs in terrorism-prone regions will reduce the incidence of suicide terrorism (Pastor, 2004; Pape, 2005). Numerous studies have found little or no support for these t wo theories of suicide terrorism, recent studies have provided evidence which directly refutes these theories. Krueger Maleckovas, study in 2002, on the economics and education of suicide bombers directly refutes the deprivation hypothesis of suicide terrorism. Krueger Maleckova 2002 concluded that, the evidence that we have assembled and reviewed suggests that there is little direct connection between poverty, education, and participation in or support for terrorism. Indeed, the available evidence indicates that compared with the relevant population, participantswere at least as likely to come from economically advantaged families and to have a relatively high level of education as they were to come from impoverished families without educational opportunities (Krueger Maleckova 2002 p. 9). Numerous studies have established that overall, suicide terrorists do not suffer from personality disorders or mental illnesses which would explain their participation in suicide terrorism (Berko Erez, 2005). As Wintrobe 2003 argued, it is possible to explain suicide terrorist acts in rational choice terms, and that, while such acts are indeed extreme, they are merely an extreme example of a general class of behaviour in which all of us engage (Wintrobe 2003 p. 2). Explaining that, suicide terrorist is not necessarily irrational. A third theory of suicide terrorism focuses on the influence of culture, especially religious culture, on suicide terrorists (Brym Araj, 2006). These explanations have often been used to explain suicide terrorism among Shia Muslims, based on the tradition of the cult of sacrifice (Hafez, 2006; Bloom, 2005). Although this fails to explain the existence of suicide terrorism among cultures and religions with no established cult of sacrifice and it cannot suff iciently explain suicide terrorism among secular, nationalist groups (Pape, 2005; Hoffman, 2003). Furthermore, as Brym Araj 2006 point to, while such cultural resources likely increase the probability that some groups will engage in suicide attacks, one must be careful not to exaggerate their significance. One difficulty with the clash of civilizations argument is that public opinion polls show that Arabs in the Middle East hold strongly favourable attitudes toward American science and technology, freedom and democracy, education, movies and television, and largely favourable attitudes toward the American people. They hold strongly negative attitudes only toward American Middle East policy. This is less evident of a clash of civilizations than a deep political disagreement (Brym Araj 2006 p. 1973). A more recent theory of suicide terrorism has been offered by Robert Pape (2003, 2005). Based on his analysis of suicide terrorism from 1980 through 2004, Pape presented a three-part model describing the causal logic of suicide terrorism. Papes theory de-emphasizes the role of religion including Islamic fundamentalism and focuses on the role of terrorist organization strategy and secular nationalist objectives. Pape argues that suicide terrorism follows a strategic logic aimed at political coercion (Pape, 2005, p. 21). Pape argues that suicide terrorism is part of an organizations broader campaign to achieve political objectives, usually in response to a foreign occupation. Pape goes on to argue that suicide terrorism also follows a social logic since terrorist organizations often command broad social support within the national communities from which they recruit (Pape, 2005, p. 22). A number of analysts, including Bruce Hoffman (1998, 2003) have advanced explanations of suicide terrorism which propose rationale-choice models emphasizing the role of organizational factors that support Papes theory. Theorists have argued that Papes theory is overly simplistic (Atran, 2006; Bloom, 2005; Brym Araj, 2006). Brym Araj 2006 argues that strategic thinking is only one element that may combine with others in the creation of a suicide bomber (Brym Araj 2006 p. 1972). Atran has recently challenged Papes theory on a number of points, including Papes sampling methods which completely discount the explosion of suicide terrorism in Iraq (Pape 2005, p. 130). Atran calls into question Papes dismissal of the role of ideology and religious fundamentalism as well as his assessments of the effectiveness of suicide terrorism (Atran, 2006, p. 132). Other recently emerging theories of suicide terrorism include Pedahzur Perlingers 2006 social network perspective explaining suicide ter rorism in terms of social motivations and Blooms multi-factor model of suicide terrorism (2005). There is a development towards more complex models of suicide terrorism accounting for the role of individual, social, cultural, strategic, ideological, and organizational motivations and factors in suicide terrorism (Smith, 2004). Defining terrorism especially the suicide terrorism will never be an easy task, as Dershowitz (2002, p.4) observes, there is difficulty in a definition that everyone can agree upon is illustrated by the catchphrase, One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. Dershowitz (2002, pp. 4-5) breaks down most definitions of terrorism into three main elements: 1) the nature of the targeted victims; 2) the nature of those who commit the violence; and 3) the method by which the terrorist seeks to influence their audiences. Atran (2003, p.1535) observes that the concept of terror as systematic use of violence to attain political ends was first codified by Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution. Robespierre saw terror as an emanation of virtue that delivered swift justice (Atran, 2003, p. 1535). Another major difficulty occurs in separating the concepts of terror and terrorism. Pape (2005, p. 9) explains that terrorism involves the use of violence by an organization other th an a national government to intimidate or frighten a target audience. Pape (2005, p. 9) explains further that most terrorist strikes or campaigns have two general purposes: to gain supporters and to coerce opponents. While Papes (2005) definition excludes the possibility of state-sponsored terrorism, numerous other definitions are wide enough to include terrorist acts conducted by or on behalf of a nation state as well as those conducted by private organizations or individuals (Dershowitz, 2005; Winkates, 2006). Winkates (2006,pp. 88-99) defines terrorism as the premeditated threat or use of violence against persons or property, designed to intimidate non combatant victims, the object of which is to change or to stabilize private or public policy. Definitions of suicide terrorism combine the concepts of terrorism and suicide. As with definitions of terrorism, the definitions of suicide terrorism found in the literature vary. Hafez notes, one problem in defining suicidal terrorism concerns the various possible perspectives on the act: how one describes acts of self-immolation committed in order to kill others is a task fraught with controversy. Those whose support these acts of violence prefer to call them martyrdom operations, and their perpetrators heroes and freedom fighters. Those who oppose them prefer to call them homicide bombers, suicide terrorists, or suicidal murderers (Hafez, 2006, p.4). Hafezs own definition of suicide terrorism relies on the more descriptive term of suicide bomber or human bomb which is defined as an individual who willingly uses his or her body to carry or deliver explosives or explosive materials to attack, kill or main others (Hafez, 2006,p. 4). Blooms definition of suicide terrorism is defined as a violent, politically motivated attack, carried out in a deliberate state of awareness by a person who blows himself or herself up together with a chosen target. The premeditated certain death of the perpetrator is the precondition for the success of the attack (2005, p. 76). In terms of the objectives of suicide terrorism, Bloom describes this as, although a suicide attack aims to physically destroy an initial target, its primary use is typically as a weapon of psychological warfare intended to affect a larger public audience. The primary target is not those actually killed or injured in the attack, but those made to witness itThrough indoctrination and training and under charismatic leaders, self contained suicide cells canalize disparate religious or political sentiments of individuals into an emotionally bonded group (Bloom, 2005, p. 77). Pedahzur states that suicide terrorism includes a diversity of violent actions perpetrated by people who are aware that the odds they will return alive are close to zero (2005, p. 8). Pape agrees in that , What distinguishes a suicide terrorist is that the attacker does not expect to survive the mission and often employees a method of attack such as a car bomb, suicide vest, or ramming an airplane into a building that requires his or her death in order to succeed. In essence, suicide terrorists kill others at the same time that they kill themselves (2005, p. 10). Pape further argues that a broad definition of suicide terrorism could include any operation that is designed in such a way that the terrorist does not expect to survive it, even if he or she is actually killed by police or other d efenders. Pape also argues that We might call such operations suicide missions instead of suicide attacks (2005, p. 10). Winkates argues that the best litmus test for definitive suicide terrorism is the intentional and successful sacrifice of a human life to achieve a terrorist objective (2006, p. 89). Hoffman (2003) argues that two key characteristics of suicide terrorism explain its growing popularity with terrorists groups around the world: suicide bombings are inexpensive and effective (p. 2). While coordinated multi-target attacks such as the 9-11 attacks and the London bombings may require extensive planning and considerable investment, even these types of suicide terrorist attacks are less expensive than many conventional terrorist attacks and definitely less expensive than funding an army. The majority of suicide attacks are carried out by individuals, minimizing the amount of investment and administrative overhead. The reliance on human bombs provides terrorists with the ultimate smart bomb (Hoffman, 2003, p. 2). Such smart bombs can be extremely efficient and effective. One of the characteristics of suicide terrorism is its effectiveness against the selected target. As of 2003, suicide terrorism accounted for just three percent of all worldwide terrorist acts, but for 50% of all terrorism-related deaths (Clayton, 2003, p. 18). This is another factor contributing to its effectiveness. The high-kill rate of suicide terrorism increases the amount of terror such attacks instigate in target populations. As Furedi 2007 notes, The threat represented by mass-casualty terrorism is not confined to its capacity for destruction. Public dread of this phenomenon is underpinned by the assumption that this is a treat that is unpredictable and random and its effect incalculable (Furedi, 2007, p .7) adding further to the overall result; suicide terrorism becomes effective in producing fear, justifying its deployment in conflict, by highlighting the unpredictable ability of the act, to produce more fear than the actual act. The act of suicide terrorism highlights an important asymmetry; terrorist need to be successful only once to kill Americans and demonstrate the inherent vulnerabilities they face, (US Congress, 2002). The asymmetry of suicide terrorism is not only the causation destruction, but to seize the attention of Governments and the population of the nation it targets, as Laqueur (1999) notes;Terrorism has been with us for centuries, and it has always attracted inordinate attention because of its dramatic character and its sudden, often wholly unexpected, occurrence. (Laqueur, 1999: p, 3) Asymmetric terrorism reaches out not merely through the use of physical violence but through the symbolic transgression of social morality and national security. Terrorism, as Townshend, (2000); Laqueur, (1999); Chomsky, (2001) have suggested, goes right to heart of what makes us safe; it forces us to pay attention to it whether we want to nor not. The proliferation of video taped messages from leaders of suspected terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda is a testament to the symbol over the actual act of physical violent; there is nothing violent in the images of Osama bin Laden addressing the world through the Aljazeera television networks but it has symbolic presence in a world that is dominated by media and communication technology, as Van der Veer and Munshi (2004) suggest, one of the major successes of modern terrorist organisations is their ability to use the resources of their enemies: the Internet, satellite television, mobile phones and the mass media. Even the condemnation of t errorists in the media, can aid the cause of terrorist organizations; by describing physical acts of violence through the duality of good and evil or right and wrong, the Western media merely serve to elevate and obfuscate the real nature of terrorism which, as research has shown[1], is far more fractured and complex. In this sense, much of the terrorist organizations aim, of seizing attention, is actually carried out by the opposing media; eager for a story and for a simple answer. Suicide terrorism has become a relatively successful military and political strategy; the 9/11 attackers commanded the attention of the world not only through their own efforts but through their targets media; the American television companies, the European press and the global media conglomerates all shared in the process of captivating the publics imagination that, as Towshend(2000) notes; dramatically amplifies the anxiety about security which is never far from the surface of society. (Townshend, 2000 : 8), the communication of the message and the success of this are inextricably linked to the terrorist organisation itself. A highly ordered group with distinct political aims is likely to be more successful in delivering its message than a disparate, non-focused organisation whose aim is to spread confusion and fear. Douglass McFerran(1997) details that many of the IRA campaigns of the 1970s and 80s had distinct short term as well as long term political aims, very often terrorist attacks on mainland Britain were specifically concerned with achieving a specific political target such as protesting over the widespread imprisonment of suspected terrorists or the treatment of those all ready in prison. As Townshend details this is not the case in every terrorist act; the PanAm flight 103 attacks for instance that saw a plane explode over town of Lockerbie in 1988 had no prior demands or message attached to them and very little admission of guilt after (Just, Kern and Norris, 2003: 285).The nature of the attack is likely to influence the success of the communication of demands; Dobkin (1992) details that in 1970 members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked three airliners in order to not only secure the attention of the worlds media in which they were successful, but to demand the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners in British military jails. Their demands were largely met and most of their hostages were released; however when compared to the contemporary Munich terrorist kidnapping where members of the Black September group killed eleven Israeli athletes in an attempt to secure the release of 236 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.Hoffma n (1998) details that the Munich kidnappings were not only failures in terms of communicating and achieving recognisable demands but also in media manipulation: The Palestinians had not only failed to obtain their principal, stated demand the release of terrorists imprisoned in Israel and West Germany but, to many observers, had hopelessly tarnished the morality of their cause in the eyes of the world. Indeed, international opinion was virtually unanimous in its condemnation of the terrorists operation. (Hoffman, 1998: p, 72). But, again, this can often have the opposite to the desired effect. Robert Singh (2003) suggests that the 9/11 attacks merely served to strengthen the socio-political position of the American people, the very group that came under attack; he also suggests that the security systems around the globe became more vigilant and aware of any gaps in their processes: Rather than initiating a transformation, 9/11 accelerated trends, policies and approaches that were well established. If the attacks most immediate political effects were certainly dramatic the Bush administrations approval ratings soared and public confidence in the federal government attained levels unseen since the early 1960s (Singh, 2003: p,52). Al-Qaeda, built upon this position when coalition forces invaded Iraq and later Afghanistan, the fear that is produced by asymmetric warfare attacks is sometimes seen as the main outcome, Somali rebels succeeded in influencing the American public, after pictures of dead American soldiers where broadcast on CNN, in the same way as the Madrid Suicide bombings had on the Spanish public, directly influencing government policy and leading to the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq, the American government forced by the public outcry pulled troops out of Somalia. With limited resources and limited damage to western societies al-Qaeda, has managed to change the very ideals for which it is said the war on terror is conducted. It has become a norm in Europe that after a terrorist attack, new security legislation and other measures are established to combat the threat of terrorism; however most of these policies seem to neglected the human rights of the citizens. These changes are highlight ed by Arce (et,al 2009) the traditional treatment of terrorism-as-asymmetric-conflict in terms of the relative resource disparity between terrorists and their ultimate targets, an additional asymmetry exists through the definition of success. For the target government, success is defined in terms of security against all possible attacks; whereas for terrorists one success is often enough to alter the political landscape, airways, etc. If one target is successfully attacked, then counter terror policy and the competency of the government itself can be subject to public scrutiny.(Arce, et,al, 2009). Thinking and organizing in a different manor than an opponent in order to amplify advantages and by doing so also exploit an opponents weakness. Changes to asymmetrical warfare have been greatly affected by the digital age, no matter the policy initiatives in trying to undermine the terrorists propaganda and promote its own; the forum of the internet allows suicide attacks to be displayed to a world audience. The filming of Martyr videos and attacks can serve both as a recruitment campaign reaching to all corners of the world and a forewarning to those who oppose terrorism. Understanding and defining suicide terrorism is open to debate; there have been a number of successes in terms of securing specific demands in the past not least of all the 1970 skyjacking operation by the PFLP. However, we have also seen how terrorism can be divisive, how it can engender the very opposite of what it sets out to do. As we saw with the London bombings, a post 9/11 society is one that treats the threat of terrorism as a consequence of modern city living. This is perhaps the one main reason why terrorism may become considered a strong military strategy: today the more terrorist activity there is, the more political value it has, yet the less it affects every day individual life. However, of course, terrorism is perhaps the only strategy that many disenfranchised groups have which may account for its constant presence on the global political stage. Ultimately, however, terrorism is a symbolic act, an act that depends upon fear for its meaning; as the public becomes more and more exposed to images and symbols of terror they also become more and more immune. As Baudrillard suggests (2003) the violence of the terrorist is likely to become merely just another image in the media and the terrorist themselves just another face on the television screen and it is this, ironically, that provides its greatest counter measure. In this essay the difficulty in defining, theorising and understanding has been discussed. The asymmetries involved within terrorism have also been discussed, showing that with the use of digital media and little resources the ability of the target to respond to attack within its own borders can become limited to the change of political policy, which in turn may undermine the authority of the government within its own borders. The September 11 attacks and during the post Cold war era, the world has seen no greater power than the United States. International Relations have seen the control and dominance of the United States over the worlds structure. However, after the Twin Tower attacks, the world started realizing the role of others inside the international arena, these others preferably labeled terrorists; questioned the validity of several theories that were formulated as soon as the end of the Cold War was announced, these theories were trying to predict the shape and attitude of the world as it entered a new era. It has always been known that every era in history adapts an indication that will mark it as distinctive, and therefore all of those theories were simple speculations on the nature of what could be such an indication. Theories valid, some predicted the rise of democracy and liberalism, others feared the return of barbarism and anarchy. Also, other theories predicted a clash that will divide the borders of the world according to culture, civilization, ethnicity, and most importantly religion. The world has dramatically changed with terrorism as the key player. It is also very clear that the asymmetries involved in terrorism are very powerful, as it was able to question the strength of the United States, and was able to reform the political policies of many world countries. Terrorism is the worlds most fearful enemy, an enemy that is powerful, aggressive, and most importantly ambiguous. There is no concession within society on terrorism, for many it is not a problem and life continues, for others it has change their view of world order and politics. BIBLIOGRAPHY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (Section 1230, Public Law 110-181) http://www.defense.gov/pubs/OCTOBER_1230_FINAL.pdf Accessed 06/04/2010, Arce, Daniel G; Kovenock, Dan; Robertson,B, Suicide Terrorism and the Weakest Link, CESIFO WORKING PAPER NO. 2753,CATEGORY 2: PUBLIC CHOIC

Classification of the human senses

Classification of the human senses Abstract All known human senses are of extreme importance and relevance during employee selection. In this paper, a brief depiction of each sense is presented; the importance, relevance and influence of the sense of sight and hearing in employee recruitment is addressed, specifically in correlation to the screening of cabin crew for a major international airline. Introduction A wide body aircraft flies across the large projector screen followed by images of well known landscapes, happy passengers and smiling crew members. The music is soft but with a contagious upbeat. The room is bright with chairs neatly arranged in auditorium format, ready to receive the entering candidates. Excitement, anticipation and expectation fill the air. Greeting them, two recruiters in their business attire and attitude have already started their task: a recruitment day in about to begin. Everyone, throughout the course of their professional lives, has experienced some type of employee screening or recruitment process. Being an informal one-on-one interview or a highly complex assessment centre; in todays marketplace, selection of candidates and competition for the best positions are everyday occurrences. All of our everyday tasks, from the simplest to the most technically demanding requires using our senses; and translating, analysing the information to attain the desired results. The interpretation of our senses is a detrimental component of our perception (Gerow, 1994). Making sense of the senses Since Aristotles De Anima and his attempted definition of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste) great developments in research have shed needed light in the functionality and interrelation of our senses (Boernstein, 1955; Gerow, 1997; Orlady Orlady, 1999). Currently, some authors consider the existence of other senses such as kinaesthetic, acceleration, pain and balance within the five senses mentioned above (Gerow, 1997; Orlady Orlady, 1999). In brief words, our senses are: Sight Light rays enter the cornea making its way into the retina where conversion of physical energy into neural impulses occurs. These impulses are then sent to the brain for decoding and analysis. The perception of colour, brightness, form and depth is done by specialized cells (Gerow, 1997). Hearing Vibration creates waves and those waves travel into the ear where they set the tympanic membrane in motion, passing through various inner areas until reaching tiny hair cells where hearing takes place (Gerow, 1997, p.91). Our sense of balance is directly related to our inner ears (Orlady Orlady, 1999). Touch Identifiable as anything that triggers sensation on the skin, mucosa or tongue. One can categorize different sensations such as tingles, tickles, itches as well as differences in pressure, temperature, and the sensation of pain (Gerow, 1997). Smell It is a chemical sense. The odours molecules when in contact with the tiny hairs in our noses cause them to send impulses to our brain that interprets smells. Some studies suggest it to be the closest linked to memory (White Treisman, 1997). Taste A chemical sense that uses a combination of taste receptors capable of identifying four different states: sweet, sour, salt and bitter (Gerow, 1997). Although all senses are somewhat implicated in employee recruitment, perhaps the most intensely involved ones are sight and hearing. Sight and screening When you meet a candidate, sight is the first sense involved, followed by hearing, touch (shaking hands), and even smell (noticeable body odour). In cabin crew recruitment the first analyses done by the recruiters is a visual one. The recruiters visually analyse the candidates suitability according to the pre-established requirements and criterion: candidates are expected to be physically fit to best perform on board of an airliner; candidates must have a certain arm reach, which translates into a minimum height; and why not to mention that their overall displayed behaviour must entail a strong team work capability. In other words, the way that a candidate walks, talks, relates to others, his/her facial expressions and body language (non-verbal communication) are all taken into consideration. During this first visual analysis of the candidates suitability, recruiters must quickly forecast his/her adjustability to the job per say. The cabin crew job requires a combination of physical and mental tasks to be accomplished daily. Physical tasks are directly related to in-flight service and overall wellbeing of passengers and other crew members, in addition to performing optimally should an emergency occur. Cabin crews mental tasks are directly related to their capability of learning across several areas. From service delivery to (most importantly) safety and the use of safety equipment if needed. It is required of them to visually check emergency equipments in the assigned station, and these checks include continuous use of the human senses such as sight, hearing, touch and even smell. In addition, cabin crew must maintain alertness and situational awareness during the entire flight to ensure safety compliance (Helmreich Merritt, 1998). From the candidates perspective, sight is also the first sense used as they come into the venue, meet the recruiters and gather information about the company by printed material and/or video presentation. Their first impressions of the corporate image are created at this moment arousing or diminishing the interest for the position offered. Sound and screening Hearing follows the visual contact. Through hearing is when another crucial part of the recruitment process takes place: the evaluation of the candidates potential in verbal communication, and the interaction with his/her peers during all the presented group or individual exercises and personal interview. The candidates ability to understand speech and coordinate it with proper physical response and verbal communication are imperative for his/her continuance in the recruitment process. Since communication is a key element of aviation safety (Kanki Palmer, 1993), the candidates ability to properly communicate even at this early stage is essential. The evaluation (visual and verbal) of group interaction and aspects of decision making are another decisive aspect to look into during employee selection. In aviation, being in the cockpit or in the passenger cabin, positive group interaction that facilitates the assessment of a given situation followed by proper decision is essential to ensure safety is achieved (Oranasu, 1993). Others senses and screening Present at a much smaller scale are the senses of smell and touch. Physical touch during screening is limited to handshakes. In such brief contact however, recruiters can only guess how affected by the process a candidate is. If candidates display sweaty or trembling hands, it might signal them as nervous and tense (rather normal under the circumstances). The sense of smell is an interesting one; it ranges from identifying the presence or not of a pleasant or unpleasant odour to interpreting and reacting to it. In employee selection, only cases of offensive body odour are of concern as it has been widely suggested that odour can affect performance in the workplace (Kroemer Kroemer, 2001). Perception and screening Perception is broadly defined as the interpretation of the several stimuli that we are exposed by at any given time. Perception in itself is selective and directly linked to the intensity of a given stimuli, and its importance to the receiver of these stimuli (Gerow, 1994). Every recruitment campaign is unique and so must be the perceptive approach of the recruiters to avoid biased decisions. Purkiss, Perrewee, Gillespie, Mayes and Gerrald (2003) suggest that the evaluation of candidates performance as being related to positive or negative stereotyping, cultural misunderstanding or even inadequate application of recruitment techniques. All of these elements are primarily understood and processed as part of ones perception. Further discussing bias in recruitment and its implications is far beyond the scope of this paper. Playing an important role in the recruitment process is the venue in which it occurs. Our senses are stimulated and influenced by the surroundings, and so is our perception or understanding of the messages that our senses send to us (Gerow, 1994). External factors such as noise, temperature, lighting, smell among others; and, internal factors such as fatigue, stress, culture, and mental state (of candidate and recruiters) should be factored in for optimal performance (Orlady Orlady, 1999). Conclusion Although all senses are involved in everyday activities, when it comes to employee recruitment and selection process of any company, mostly sight and hearing are engaged. Sight is the first sense to be used followed closely by hearing. Perception and understanding of all received information during the recruitment process is greatly influenced by internal and external factors such as cultural traits; physical and mental state of the recruiters (stress, fatigue); and personal (or bias) understanding of the given criterion. In addition, perception from the candidates point of view also affects the outcome of any screening. Lastly, recruitment officers do not only rely in their senses or their perception to form a final decision on a candidates application. There are written tests; psychometric and aptitude tests; and even medical tests performed that help create a more accurate picture of every applicant before a final decision is reached. Further investigations into the interplay of senses within human resources, specifically its influence during employee selection are needed to enhance understanding on both sides. References Boernstein, W. (1955). Classification of the human senses. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 28, pp 208-215. Kanki, B.G. Palmer, M.T. (1993). Communication and crew resource management. In E.L. Wiener, B.G. Kanki, R.L. Helmreich (Eds.), Cockpit Resource Management. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Helmreich, R, L. Merritt, A. C. (1998). Culture at work in aviation and medicine: National, organisational and professional influences. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate. Kroemer, K.H.E. Kroemer,D . (2001). Office ergonomics. New York, NY: Taylor Francis Inc. Orasanu, J.M. (1993). Decision making in the cockpit. In E.L. Wiener, B.G. Kanki, and R.L. Helmreich (Eds.), Cockpit Resource Management. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Purkiss, S.L.S., Perrewee, P.L., Gillespie, T.L., Mayes, B.L., Gerrald, R.F. (2003). Implicit sources of bias in employment interview judgments and decisions. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 101 (2006) 152-167. Retrieved on 3rd July 2009, from doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2006.06.005 White, T. Treisman, M. (1997). A comparison of the encoding of content and order in olfactory memory and in memory for visually presented verbal materials. British Journal of Psychology 88, n3 459-469.

Essay --

In the novel Lord of the Flies William Golding uses many forms of symbolism to point out the underlying conflicts in their society. By using these symbols he makes the reader not only think about the problems that arise in the book, but also hints towards problems in our society today. The story uses the conch, fire, and the glasses to reference other meanings in the story. These symbols play a crucial part in the story in which they provide the reader with information that isn’t directly stated but is inferred. The first symbol that appears in the story is the conch which was found by Piggy and Ralph early in the story. The boys believed it to be held by the person with the power to govern and speak for the people. This power was recognized early to ralph "But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch"(Golding, 22). When choosing their chief the conch appeared to give Ralph power over Jack in the decision for bringing them all together with the conch i...

pain is inevitable :: essays research papers

Pain is Inevitable Pain, a word that is always associated with getting hurt. The real question now is how it hurt. There are two different kinds of pain; physical and mental. The physical aspect of pain is like falling from something, cutting your arm, or stubbing your toe. The mental part is hurting someone’s feeling from saying something harsh or doing something to them emotionally, which hurts inside. The causes and effects of physical and mental pain are very different but can be both equally devastating and even more dramatic with emotionally disturbed people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Causes for physical pain are purely explainable. In all cases it hurts. In most cases I get hurt physically; it is from doing something really stupid. One great example is the time I was twelve and broke my leg. I was in a swing with my eyes closed, not paying attention, and my leg got caught under the swing coming back around and broke my leg. The cause was my not paying attention to what I was doing and it hurt. The actual cause for physical pain can be very different scenarios, but it can also be terribly dramatic. One of my best friend’s brothers was riding in a car with someone who was high, drunk, and tired. They had just gotten done with a party and were heading home. As they were going home, the truck went off the road and flipped on his head. He is now mentally and physically disabled and can not do anything without help from his parents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The effects from physical pain can be something easy or something very difficult to deal with. When I broke my leg the effect was I had to wear a cast for two months. The effects are always going to be different as well. For my friend’s brother, he will be a paraplegic for the rest of his life. The effects of physical pains are the broadest ranged category because anything can happen, or not happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cause for mental pain is a very complex category. Some people don’t even know that they have hurt someone mentally. It could be from saying something, doing something, or from not doing anything at all. Emotions are the most unstable and unpredictable feelings. Saying something like this doesn’t taste good can be the effect of getting slapped, or making someone cry. Driving over an animal will not only hurt the animal, but the person who owned it will definitely not be happy.

Comparison of Popes The rape of the Lock and Swifts A Modest Proposal

Although Alexander Pope's, The Rape of the Lock, and Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal are both witty satires, they differ on their style, intention, and mood. To begin, in The Rape of the Lock, Alexander Pope uses satire to invoke a capricious, melancholy mood to illustrate the absurdity of fighting over the cutting of one's hair. Hidden inside this poem is a crafty criticism of the society that helps create the crisis over the stolen lock. A Society in which appearances ere more important to a person’s sense of identity, and treats the insignificant with utmost importance. The very title of this mock- epic gives the audience a clue, the word "rape" and all its implications bring to mind a heinous crime of violation. Pope chose to utilize the heroic couplet to trivialize this mock- epic â€Å"But when to mischief mortals bend their will, how soon they find it instruments of ill!† (3. 53-54). He also employs in many instances, historic allusions to give the poem a serious feel â€Å"Fear the just Gods, and think of Scylla's fate! chang'd to a bird, and sent to flit in air, she dearl...

Focus Group Research- Reliability, Validity, Replicability, Generalisability Essay

A focus group can be defined as a group interview- centered on a specific topic and facilitated and co-ordinated by a moderator or facilitator- which seeks to generate primarily qualitative data, by capitalizing on the interaction that occurs within the group setting. The idea behind the focus group method is that group processes can help people to explore and clarify their views in ways that be less easily accessible in a one to one interview. While the focus group opens up exciting analytical possibilities, it also gives rise to a number of potentially problematic issues in this respect. Definitions: Reliability- The quality of being reliable, dependable or trustworthy. Validity- The state or quality of being valid (having some foundation; based on truth) Replicability- Property of an activity, process, or test result that allows it to be duplicated at another location or time. Generalisability- Generalizability is a process in testing and statistics theory that takes a score from a sample of behaviors and applies them to the entire possible set of observations The group dynamics which take place in a focus group are central to its success. However, these interpersonal processes may cause problems in the interpretation of focus group data. One problem is that of the ‘censoring’ of dissenting views held by less confident participants within the group. The emergence of dissonant views and perspectives — what Kitzinger (1994b) calls ‘argumentative interactions’— often contributes importantly to the richness of focus group data, but may be artificially suppressed. Certain members of the group may be more assertive or articulate than others, and their views may come to dominate the proceedings; such individuals have been described as ‘thought leaders’ ( Henderson 1995). This reflects the tendency of those who find themselves in a minority to acquiesce to the majority view ( Asch 1951, Deutsch & Gerard 1955, Carey & Smith 1994). There is a further problem here. If a viewpoint which is shared by most of the group lies in one direction or other on the attitude continuum it may be exaggerated through what is known as a group polarization effect ( Turner 1991). The prevalent group viewpoint will tend to converge on the end of the continuum in question, but will also tend to be amplified in the process. In comparison, any divergent viewpoints will tend to be suppressed. Interestingly, when the topic in question is one which elicits an evaluative response from group members, Carey (1995) suggests that this convergence of viewpoint tends to be negative rather than positive. The more homogeneous the participants (which, as previously noted, is in other respects advantageous), the greater the likelihood of polarization. Another negative aspect is that the focus group output is not projectable. If a great deal of consistency in the results from a series of focus groups have been identified and it is very likely that the results from these sessions probably can represent a larger number of people. We can’t expect focus groups to be projectable in the same way as quantitative study findings can be. My last point about the disadvantages is that focus groups are a very artificial environment which can influence the responses that are generated. This is frequently the argument that ethnographers will use when recommending their methodology versus focus groups. Because researchers using the ethnographic technique will situate themselves in the real environment, that is unreachable for focus groups. In focus groups people are collected in a meeting room thus they might behave differently from how they behave when they are not watched and it will effect the quality of research results. But there is also a high number of advantages of focus group research . First of all the authority role of the moderator. The face-to-face involvement of a qualified moderator can ensure that the conversation is always on track, and encourage participants’ engagement without one individual dominating the meeting. Another point is the dynamic nature of the methodology. Due to the dynamic environment the moderator can modify the topics, which are prepared before the session to make the topic more suitable for the purpose. The Ability to involve the client personnel in the research Process is another important advantage. In traditional focus groups it is possible for the client personnel to watch the whole discussion behind a one-way mirror. The client personnel can provide their thinking to the moderator, which may help the moderator better handle the direction of discussion, and improve the quality of output. Also the capability to utilize non-verbal behavior as a research input can be useful . The expression, attitude of individual, the intensity of the conversation etc. can be perceived by the researcher, which can modify the moderator’s decision and also can be counted in the research result. Another positive aspect is the level of participant involvement in the research. Because every participant is under observation by the moderator and everybody know the process has been videotaped, it is easy to make participants fully engage even during non-discussion time. My last point is the greater security associated with focus group research. The possibility to screen each participant, lets the researcher know who have been involved. This ensures that for example your competition is not involved. (PBWorks, 2007, P. 1) Reliability of Focus Groups Reliability is the extent to which a measure (such as a focus group) is accurate and replicable. With focus groups, this could concern whether another focus group, of similar but different people, would give similar answers. Focus groups often have problems with reliability. These can be lessened if the moderator is highly trained and if questions are relatively specific. Validity of Focus Groups  Validity is the extent to which a measure measures what it purports to measure. For focus groups, this could mean whether it is reasonably certain that people are talking about what you think they are talking about. Focus groups tend to be strong on validity. ( Peter Flom, [N. D. ], P. 1) Generalizing from focus groups There are two perspectives from which the issue of generalizing from focus groups may be problematic. The first perspective sees the focus group as a sample from a target population — and thus presumably regards generalization as a legitimate goal — but recognizes a number of methodological barriers. Because focus group participants are often gathered together through a process of non-probability sampling, this will not provide the degree of representativeness of a larger population that may be achieved in, for example, some mail surveys. Furthermore, there is a tendency for the more self-confident and articulate individuals to be more willing to agree to take part in a focus group in the first place, and it may be necessary to provide inducements to encourage less forthcoming participants to come forward. The other perspective on the external validity of focus group data raises epistemological, not methodological, difficulties. This view would stress the fact that focus group data are firmly contextualized within a specific social situation. They therefore produce ‘situated’ accounts, tied to a particular context of interaction which may not be a particularly natural one for many participants. The conclusion that would seem to emerge on this issue is that generalization from focus group data is not impossible, but is of a very different nature from that displayed by orthodox quantitative approaches to research. Conclusion  The focus group has considerable potential as a means of gathering qualitative data. This potential will not, however, be realized unless due attention is paid to the problematic methodological issues to which the focus group gives rise. In this respect, the principal conclusions to arise are the following: The skills and attributes of the moderator and the manner of data recording will exert a powerful influence on the quality of the data collected in a focus group. Focus groups explore collective, not individual, phenomenology, and attempts to infer the latter from focus group data are likely to be unfounded. Focus group data may be a poor indicator of attitudinal consensus, though they may reveal a divergence of opinion and the extent to which certain issues recur across groups. Focus groups can reveal the nature and range of participants’ views, but less so their strength. Generalization from focus group data is problematic, but is likely to be more fruitful at the level of theoretical generalization than at that of empirical generalization. The use of focus groups is increasing at a faster rate than our knowledge about these qualitative research methods. Every indication , however, is that this environment is dynamically changing and will continue to do so over the next 50 years. To keep up with those changes more research on focus group methods is needed. Ultimately the best teacher is experience . Like most other research tools , proficiency comes with practice. This provides an opportunity to see a variety of groups interact and the way the moderator handles specific problems as they arise. We also have drawn attention to the limitations of focus group interviews as well as to their advantages. The greatest of the limitations associated with focus groups is that each group really represents a single observation. In the case of focus groups , the demand effects are likely to result from the composition of the group , the presence of a particularly dominant member of the group, the actions of the moderator , or some other group related factor. Thus, focus groups share many of the same limitations as many other research tools, including survey research and experimentation. The source of these limitations and problems may differ somewhat, but the problems are the same. All in all if you do it on the right way with the right tools, focus group research can be very helpful for your business to come up with new ideas and to find out the best way to act with your target groups.