Nehemiah’s Upset and Relationship with Money

Anemia Is upset because In the midst of alluding the wall of Jerusalem and dealing with those outside of the people of God, he dealt with the morality of the people of God. Men could not feed their families. They mortgaged their property to get money to feed their families. They took loans to pay the taxes on the property. Some had to sell their children In to slavery. They were not able to get their children back because they could not pay the taxes on the property. All were descendants of Jacob, so they were forbidden by law to charge taxes to other Jews.The Jews were not following the law of how to treat fellow Jews. Instead of helping each other they were taking advantage of the people. They sought gain at the loss of others. Anemia became angry that the people were taking advantage of each other that he intercedes before God for each of them. He would pray to God passionately because he loved them so. Anemia was trying to teach the people that if they didn't handle their money w ith the right heart it will affect the will of God in their lives. We should all be givers to the will of God.Corinthians 16:1-4 states â€Å"now regarding your question about the money being collected for God's people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week; you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don't wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me. † .Corinthians 9:9 says As the Scriptures say, â€Å"They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. † Which Is private, regular, thoughtful, generous and freely given per the above scriptures. Our money problems per Anemia chapter 5 are based on how we glorify God, p utting our own needs first. The greed that we all have to profit off the problems of our brothers Is detestable. Amnesia's Upset and Relationship with Money By muzzle Why is Anemia so upset? Explain should Amnesia's example change the way we Vernon and begins to rebuild.The wall was built in 52 days with money and that did not want Jerusalem rebuilt. Anemia is upset because in the midst of building the wall of Jerusalem and dealing with those outside of the people of God, he dealt with the morality of the people of God. Men could not feed their families. Pay the taxes on the property. Some had to sell their children in to slavery. They were will be remembered forever. † Which is private, regular, thoughtful, generous and have to profit off the problems of our brothers is detestable.

William Faulkner His Life and Stories

A renowned novelist, William Cuthbert Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi in 1897 (The Columbia Encyclopedia). Eight years prior to his birth, his grandfather was killed by an ex-partner in business. William Faulkner was the eldest of the siblings. During his school life, William loved sports and was a quarterback in the football team and his passion for writing poetry existed since he was only 13 years old. However he lost interest in school and before he could graduate, he dropped out. Faulkner tried to get enlisted in the army but due to his short height, he was refused and thus enlisted himself with the Canadian Air Force after lying about facts and figures and convincing them that he was British. Although Faulkner did serve with the Canadian Air Force in World War I, the war was over before he could experience any action. However he still related tales of his action in war and injuries to people when he came back after the war. At the University of Mississippi, Faulkner studied literature for a brief period of time and wrote poems as well as drew cartoons for â€Å"The Scream† which was the university magazine. Again Faulkner lost interest in studies and soon left the university before he could graduate. Phil Stone, Faulkner's friend had helped with the publication of his poetry â€Å"The Marble Faun† in 1924. In 1925, Faulkner moved to New Orleans and published many sketches and essays in a magazine by the name of â€Å"The Double Dealer†. His stories which he related to people about how he fought in World War I were seen to be reflected in his first ever novel called â€Å"Soldiers' Pay†. Later on he traveled to Europe where he visited Italy, France and England and soon returned back to the United States. Soldier's Pay† was published in 1926 and Faulkner began writing another novel by the name of â€Å"Mosquitoes† which is taken today to be one of the worse works presented by Faulkner. Sartoris, which was later republished as â€Å"Flags in the Dust† in 1973, was written in 1929 and it was set in a fictional made up part of Mississippi. In the same year, Faulkner married Estelle Oldham. Estelle had divorced Franklin, her first husband who was a lawyer. The following year, after marriage, Faulkner purchased a new house in Oxford. Many of his works were named after buildings which showed the importance of architecture in the eyes of Faulkner. Faulkner completed his work on â€Å"As I Lay Dying† in six weeks and relates in it the life of Addie Bundren till death (Anonymous). 1931 brought good news to the Faulkner household with the birth of a daughter who was named Alabama. However happiness was not to stay with the Faulkners for long and the child who was a case of premature birth, died after a couple of days. Faulkner also worked for 20th Century Fox, in Hollywood as an on-screen writer. In 1939 his mistress left him and went to Germany with her newly wedded husband. â€Å"Bailey's Woods† was purchased by Faulkner which a wooded land and he gave it to one of his brothers for management. Faulkner also related the death of his grandfather in one of the later books where we find a character called Bayard Sartoris who was murdered in the exact same way. Much of Faulkner's life was spent writing various novels which proved to be a remarkable piece of literature. In November 1949, Faulkner was voted to receive the Nobel Prize but due to the votes not being unanimous, the award was delayed to be delivered the following year. Faulkner died from a coronary occlusion in 1962. Barn Burning is one of the short stories written by William Faulkner. It was written in 1939 which was the mid point in the career life of William Faulkner. Faulkner is known to have related real life incidences in his stories and they closely relate to him and his life. Similarly Barn Burning has this association prevalent throughout it. It is a sad story and shows the struggle which the unprivileged had to undergo with the privileged people of the society. The two main characters of this story are Colonel Sartoris Snopes and his father Abner Snopes. In the feudal system shown in the story, Abner Snopes is a sharecropper and has to share the majority of his produce with the landlord. This left Abner and his family in a state of hard work and major profits going to the landlord while they received the meager share fit only for survival. The elements of love and respect are missing in the relationship between Colonel Sartoris and his father. The story begins with a scene in the courtroom where a case is under hearing against Abner Snopes. Mr. Harris has accused him of burning his barn and due to lack of evidence Abner is released. However the judge asks him to leave the country. For the first time Abner replies and the reader comes to find out the Abner has a voice â€Å"cold and harsh†. He states that he wishes to leave the country himself. Abner is seen to be referred by people as the â€Å"Barn Burner†. Privilege to education was not for Colonel Sartoris or his siblings to enjoy and nutrition was another factor missing from their lives. They â€Å"could smell the coffee from the room where they would presently eat the cold food remaining from the mid-afternoon meal. † William Faulkner stresses on these two missing factors to show the low morale of the people in the book. This is closely related to the low morale of the people of his time that belonged to the middle class. In â€Å"Barn Burning† Abner Snopes is also depicted as a man who is loyal to no one other than himself or his family (which is a mere extension of himself)† (Max L. Loges, p. 44). The family is forced to shift from one farm to another as Abner's behavior is considered unacceptable by all the landlords. Eventually Abner ends up burning his landlord's farm. Colonel Sartoris feared that he might end up becoming like his father and he detested this thought. He disliked his father but did not want to be disloyal to his family and thought â€Å"our Enemy he though in that despair; ourn! ine and hisn both! He's my Father! † Sartoris wanted to become a better man and a man of truth, something which his father was not. Although Sartoris felt that his father had faced enough hardships during war and now he was just taking what was rightfully his. Sartoris did not know that Abner ran away from the war and deserted the troops. After burning the farm of Major de Spain, Sartoris had to decide now whether he was going to tell everyone the truth or lie to protect his father. It was time for Sartoris to make himself the better person he wanted to. The economic conditions presented in the story relates to the economic conditions of William Faulkner at that time. Therefore William Faulkner wrote against the economic injustice which he himself went through. The mansion and woods are what attracted Faulkner a lot and in his life he does purchase these after marriage. In all the story does not closely relate to the life of Faulkner but one can see its reflection in it. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† has a very long opening sentence that is of 56 words and the setting is at the funeral of Emily Grierson. This story was originally published in 1930. The circumstances of Emily's life are narrated by Faulkner and her relationship with her lover, father and the townspeople. â€Å"‘Rose for Emily' has been ‘read variously as a Gothic horror tale, a study in abnormal psychology, an allegory of the relations between North and South, a meditation on the nature of time, and a tragedy with Emily as a sort of tragic heroine'† (Anonymous). The narrator informs the reader that the men of the town attended the funeral of Emily due to an obligation which they felt. The women go inside her house because no one has seen the inside of Emily's house for a long period of time measurable by years. â€Å"The men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant–a combined gardener and cook–had seen in at least ten years†. Emily was more like a mystery to the town and people were inquisitive about her house and herself. In this take we once again come across the character called Colonel Sartoris who was shown to be a former mayor of the town. Emily was a beautiful young girl whose father had to force away everyone who fell in love with her. This behavior was partially in effect due to the high praises that her family would receive by the town and this affected her life a lot. After the death of her father, when Emily was free to choose and do what she willed, she came in contact with a man who Faulkner has named Homer Barron. Mentally immature, Emily clung onto him and fell deeply in love with him. The whole town was aware of their affair and wondered if they were already married to each other. Soon Homer disappeared and it was assumed that he and Emily were married. When the women went to explore Emily's house they came across a room which was not opened and the townspeople went to open that room. The room was full of dust and was â€Å"decked and furnished as for a bridal. † Male clothing was found there which included shoes, collar, suit and a tie. â€Å"Then shockingly, laying right there in the bed was the man†. The townspeople were in state of astonishment and they remained motionless for a while. Homer was killed by Emily so that he would never leave her again and be with her till eternity. Faulkner presents a psychological condition in Emily and the effects imprisonment can cause once a person is free. The bisexual possibilities housed in the narrator of â€Å"A Rose for Emily† reflect just such capabilities in Faulkner and attest to his attempts to interrogate the gender control inherent in authorship† (Renee R. Curry, p. 391). He describes Emily's house as an intimate space. Faulkner portrays in this story his personal stance regarding the patriarchal societies. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† shows that in a male dominating society, man controls the women but they do not realize the negative effects which this forceful control can bring about and indeed such actions soon gave rise to feminism. Dry September is another one of the great works in English literature in the field of short stories. William Faulkner knew how to write and exhibited a classic style of writing. The story is about Will Mayes, a black man falsely accused of sexually assaulting an old white maid known in this story as Minnie Cooper. The story relates to the different classes and social standards practiced by the then southern society. Minnie Cooper is a victim of such elements in the society. The bulk of the story is about the black man, Will Mayes, being wrongly sentenced to death. The story however also outlines the social and moral plummeting of a woman. Although in this story a woman is the cause of the death of an innocent man, Faulkner with his amazing style of writing makes it seem like an understandable event. This short story was first published in 1931 and Faulkner was paid $200 for this remarkable piece of writing (Anonymous). The story starts with the words â€Å"through the bloody September night†. These words are carefully chosen by Faulkner and not only do they describe the sunset but also the murder of the innocent black man. A rumor had spread â€Å"like a fire in dry grass† and the aftermath would be the death of a man who was innocent. So the story starts off with the image of murder, injustice and violence and this is the main theme of the story. â€Å"Stale pomade† and â€Å"stale breath and odors† are the expressive words used by Faulkner to present to the readers the barbaric unjust ambiance. Faulkner further states that no one really knew what happened and thus he takes a step further in portraying the extent of injustice that was about to take place. No one knew yet a man was about to be sentenced to death. The story has been divided into sections where the first section is in the barbershop and the following one deals will Minnie and her life. The part where Faulkner deals with Minnie and her life, the reader comes to learn that Minnie herself is a victim of the society and she lives in a place where she is constantly ignored. The last section shows the male dominated society and the helplessness of women when McLendon physically abuses his wife. Faulkner is seen to bring out the wrongness in a male dominated society and thus expresses the ugliness of it in many of his stories including â€Å"Dry September†. In that male dominated society, a woman was noticed and given importance only if she was sexually appealing and good looking. Minnie was no longer attractive and â€Å"the sitting and lounging men did not even follow her with their eyes any more†. This made Minnie feel not important and nonexistent. She probably even doubted her being a female. The town felt sorry for Minnie and a mob killed Willie assuming that Willie had raped the old maid. Faulkner expresses in the story the prejudices that existed in his own surroundings. He censored the description of the killing of Willie so that the reader does not wander off the actual point that Faulkner is trying to convey. He wanted his audience to know the reasons for such injustices and to cure them. â€Å"Faulkner's views are revealed to the reader with the help of numerous details: the society where people commit a crime is cruel† (T. Fedorova). While Willie is a victim to people like Millie, Millie herself is a victim to the male dominated society where the importance of a woman is only till the time she is young and beautiful. Faulkner wishes such elements to be eradicated from the society in which he lives.

Twelfth Night: How does Act one, scene 1-3, serve as an effective opening to the play?

1. How does Act one, scene 1-3, serve as an effective opening to the play? Comment especially on the way in which Shakespeare establishes the overall atmosphere, main characters, important relationships and key elements of the main plot and subplot. In Act 1, scenes 1-3, there are many ways to which these scenes provide an effective opening to the play. Individually, these scenes each serve a different aspect, which contributes to an effective opening. In Act 1, scene 1, Orsino is introduced into the picture, with his whining and pining towards this love for Olivia, with much exaggeration, due to the excessive use of imagery, and gives us one of the central theme of the play – transient and complex love. Act 1, scene 2 displays Viola and the Captain, and how Viola appears naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, but is actually a strategist, and plans to disguise herself to get protection and also get closer to Orsino – causing a confusion in gender, identity, and intention. Scene 3, however, gives us another side of the play, where minor characters are introduced, vulgarism used, coarse jokes cracked, simply having this crude addition to the play. Henceforth, we can see that these 3 scenes at the beginning of the play serve as an effect ive opening to Twelfth Night. Scene 1 is set in Duke Orsino's room, who is the Duke of Illyria, a fictional place. This creates a fairy-tale like impression, with an anticipation that the ending would be like in fairy tales – happily ever after. This brings forth an exotic, unknown feeling towards the play, a fairy-tale like atmosphere. In scene 1, the scene starts with Orsino's cries of how love is torturing him, using a series of imagery, such as extended metaphors, personifications, and similes, characterising this play by rich language, and immersing us into the romantic mood of love, and the central theme of fickle love in this play. The speeches he delivers are in verses, and the ending speech ends off effectively with a rhyming couplet. The poetry and music, the use of rich, sensuous imagery of beauty and nature, set a romantic tone of the play. This can be seen evidently from how he begins with ‘If music be the food of love, play on'. This line creates a mood that is suitable for what he is talking about – love. In addition, scene 1 is the introduction scene, in which we can gather many first impressions, be it for the characters, or the theme of the play. Hence, from scene 1, our first impression is formed that the main theme of this play is love that is uncertain, ever changing, unpredictable, fickle, inconstant and transient. This impression is formed from how Orsino is dependent on the mood and feels that the right atmosphere is integral to love. Henceforth, we get an implication that he is more in love with being in love than in love with Olivia, the real, true person, showing that love can c hange in the twinkle of an eye, an important point in respect to the theme of this play. In scene 1, we are also given an idea of the character traits of both Olivia and Orsino. This serves as an effective opening to the play as, the mood of the play is exaggerated and unrealistic. Hence, as both Olivia and Orsino are exaggerated people who indulge in their own feelings rather than genuine feelings for others and Orsino is one who is exaggerated in his use of language, with similes, puns, metaphors and personification, they set the mood straight and prepare us for the type of play we are going into – a comedy that is amusing and unrealistic. Olivia is seen as exaggerated and highly emotional as she announces that she is going to mourn for 7 years, due to the unfortunate death of her dear brother. This public display of mourning gives a sense of the fact that she is wallowing in self-pity and at the same time, enjoying the attention. This contributes to the theme of exaggeration and gives a superficial view to the play. Furthermore, Orsino's cry of despair is filled with emotion, desire and dejection, and allows us to pity him, yet be ridiculed by how he is in love with being in love. This adds to the humour and light-hearted, comic tone of the play, as Orsino is an exaggerated character, and sets us to indulge in this mood of romance, from the ending rhyming couplet Shakespeare uses to add a tone of romance, and show that love is not dependable, and is always changing, inconstant. This is shown in the rhyming couplet, ‘Away before me to sweet beds of flowers! Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers.' This romantic couplet shows how Orsino is dependant on the external environment, thus bringing forth the theme of transient love. Also, Orsino begins his exclamations with the word, ‘O'. This brings about a sense of dreaminess, and reinforces the unrealistic and comic theme of this play. In addition, both Orsino and Olivia's names start with the letter ‘O'. This gives a re-emphasis on the dreaminess of this play. Orsino's speech in scene 1 proves to be an effective contribution to the opening, firstly, to bring forth the themes of this play, and secondly, to display Orsino's personality, and reinforce the themes of this play, to prepare us for a play that is full of humour and unexpected happenings. Through this scene, Olivia is compared to Orsino, and evidently, they are similar in that they are both exaggerated and emotional, adding to the touch and theme of this play. Inclusive in this play is the start of love in the plot. In this scene, we are told that Orsino is in love, or rather, infatuated with Olivia. Hence, we are informed that the overall atmosphere of this play is that of romance, and u ncertain love, love that seems to change at the snap of a finger. In the following scene, Viola is introduced into the scene. An effective opening it is, as in this scene, Viola's personality wins over one's heart, for she is straightforward, and witty, and though manipulative, yet gives us an impression that she is a person of action, and intelligence, and is rational and practical, in a huge contrast to Orsino, who is irrational and emotional. This scene contributes in developing the character, Viola, who is the protagonist of the story, as this scene gives us a clear perspective as to what kind of a person Viola is. Disguise and deceit is also entered in this particular scene. In addition, act 1, scene 2, is set in the outdoors, near the sea. This creates a mood of activeness, and perhaps adds to the theme that love is ever changing, full of action. This could also display the dramatic, stark change, full of impact, adding to the fast and active pace of the play, hence giving a light-hearted, lively, almost ‘bouncy' mood of the play. There after, it emphasizes on how the events and happenings of the play are unpredictable and full of variety, and not monotonous, slow-moving ones. This also sets a contrast between scene 1 and 2. Also, scene 2 is in a rather heavy tone, in comparison to scene 1, as there is a sense of uncertainty here. Viola does not know whether Sebastian, her twin brother is alive. She shows optimism, and this serves as a contribution to the effectiveness of the opening of the play, to allow us to show interest and look forward to what's happening next in the play, and anticipate it. In addition, in scene 2, Viola introduces one of another central theme of the play – disguise and identity confusion. This adds to the opening as a good introduction to the play, as we are immediately set with the main themes of this play, in scene 1, of uncertain, ever changing love, and in scene 2, disguise. Disguise is an important aspect of the play, and plays an important part in adding suspense, tension, and climax. It generates several interesting situations to advance the plot, and adds to the comic aspect of this play. Furthermore, it creates confusion and adds to the plot to create and contribute to the overall uncertain and unrealistic theme of the play, and causes one to wonder about the rest of the play, and continue reading it, due to interest in the plot. Also, at the end of scene 2, Viola is going to be disguised as a eunuch. This is a symbol of gender uncertainty, and shows forth another aspect of the play – confusion over gender. This gender uncertainty is another part that adds to the development of an interesting plot. Moreover, in scene 2, a good testimony of Olivia is described in the speech between the captain and Viola. In this manner, Shakespeare builds credibility for his characters, and displays the fact that main characters must be essentially good to fit in to the light-hearted tone of a comic play. This is an important contribution to the opening of the play, as we do not have a bad impression of the main characters for long, but actually grow to like them due to certain characteristics they display. A meaningful part is within scene 2, which is how the nature of human greed is displayed in the speech exchange between Viola and the captain, as the captain is overwhelmed by flattery and agrees to help Viola. Overall in scene 2, we are given an idea that Viola is interested in Duke Orsino, and tries to get closer to him, creating this love triangle, which moves the plot forward. This impression is formed from â€Å"For such disguise that shall become/The form of my intent†. The intent here refers to how she wants to cover up her true identity and gender, and at the same time, cover up the other hidden intention of getting closer to Orsino. All these emphasize on the main theme, and give us a better perspective of disguise in the play, contributing both to the plot and effectiveness of the play, with a sense of excitement and gives variety to the plot of the play. Going on to scene 3, we have been introduced to the main characters of this play – Orsino, Olivia and Viola. Finally, we are introduced to some of the minor characters of this play – Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria. A change from speaking in verses and poetry, to thus in prose, sets us right away to the fact that, these characters we are going to be introduced to next would be minor characters, those of a lower class or position, more unimportant. This is an effective part in the opening, to prepare us well for the play, and inform us that, since these are characters of a lower position, some of their jokes could be more coarse and vulgar, and prepares us for it. This can be seen in many areas, for instance, â€Å"What a plague†, a slang, and â€Å"accost is, front her, board her, woo her, assail her†, in this case, a sexual word play, directing towards Maria and Sir Andrew. Sir Toby does this publicly, in front of Maria, showing his uncultured and unrefine d nature. This is all expected, as they are of a lower class, and less refined, and more barbaric in a way. This scene is also a much more light-hearted toned scene compared to many other scenes in this whole play. There is a smart exchange of puns and word play between Maria and Sir Toby, as they add to the humour of this play, quarrelling and giving their different opinions toward Sir Andrew. This brings forward the subplot, giving us an idea that Maria and Sir Toby are witty characters, though unimportant, being the minor characters, and more unrefined, uneducated, yet they are clever, and are able to change a word, to their own benefits. For instance, Sir Toby, when being insulted by Maria, says â€Å"Why, let her except, before excepted†. He plays with the word except, and puns. The word ‘except' being seen in two ways, in the first manner, ‘let her disagree, before giving me an exception' and next, except and accept, sounding the same. This could mean, ‘let her disagree, before accepting me'. This is an interesting and witty part in the play, and particularly in this scene, we can tell that humour is being brought forth, and adding to the comical purpose of this play, an important setting of mood in the beginning, to tell us that the play we are about to go deeper into, is light-hearted, and comical. Besides these points, scene 3 introduces Sir Andrew, a gullible, stupid, dim-witted man, who foolishly thinks that he is a suitable suitor for Olivia. He creates a comical scene, and brings the play closer to our hearts, as we laugh heartily at how Sir Toby and Maria poke fun of Sir Andrew, and insult him, making use of his stupidity and denseness. This is an attractive contribution to the opening of the play, as we are immersed in the light-hearted scene of the play, and immediately get a feel of the whole play's atmosphere. We are humoured by the comic display of the three minor characters, Maria, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, and this brings forth the importance of the minor characters in the subplot of the play, and gives us an idea of both the subplot and how it gradually develops in telling us a theme, and sets as a good opening to the play, to prepare us for the play ahead. They give us a good start in bringing out one of the central themes of the play, breaking apart conventional definitions of identity and status, where Sir Toby actually publicly makes fun of both Maria and Sir Andrew, at their expense, and Maria is able to quarrel with Sir Toby, though she is a lowly maid. All in all, the initial three scenes of Act I are very useful in serving as a good and effective opening to the play, and truly prepares us for Twelfth Night – an irrational, improbable plot and play, focusing more on the essence of comedy which have elements of philosophical depth and melancholy, and the themes of love and disguise, full of twists, changes and confusion. With each scene complementing each other, we are welcomed into the play, with an outstanding opening. 8. As an audience, how does Scene 1-3 serve to arouse our interest and expectations? Throughout Scene 1-3 of Act 1, there are many ways as to which they serve to arouse our interest and expectations, and lead us deep into the play, and keeping us there, to look forward to the following scene, and on, keeping us fired up, and interested to go on. This is made possible, due to the building up of tension, and the plot, inclusive of the subplot, which arouses our interest, and allows us to await the next scene, with much anticipation as to what is going to happen next. The characters described also serve to arouse our interest and expectations by having special personalities, which we do not see day by day. Also, their character traits are special, and somehow, cause us to like and admire them, and at the same time, quite dislike them. This is an interesting and complex idea in the play, and attracts our attention, and causes us to wonder how these characters would end up, and what would happen to them, and their lives. The imagery used also amazes us and cause us to read deeper into the play, and understand more about it. The relationship formed between characters creates many different twists to the plot, for instance, the love triangle between Olivia, Viola and Orsino. The confusion of the relationships and plot adds to the plot and keeps us interested. Also, we are not yet told as to whether Viola's brother, Sebastian is actually alive, from, â€Å"O my poor brother! and so perchance may he be†, she is more hopeful than sure. This gives us a sort of anticipation, and we try to guess whether or not Sebastian is alive, in fact, hope sincerely that Sebastian is alive, as we can feel the hurt of someone losing a loved one. Initially, when Orsino, one of the protagonists of the play is introduced, we get an impression that he is emotional, and wallows in his own emotions, being egoistic and superficial. He is more in love with himself, and the idea of being in love, much more that being truly in love with the person Olivia. This can be seen from how he is very much dependant on the external environment of the surroundings to get into the mood of love, and feels that the right mood is essential for love. This is seen from, â€Å"If music be the food of love, play on† and â€Å"Away before me to sweet beds of flowers/Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers†. From thus, we are curious as to how, Orsino, such a person who likes to whine, and fickle, guided by emotions, could be one of the main characters of the play, henceforth, we go on to grow in interest towards the play. We are also amazed at his level of intellectual abilities, and how he is cultured, using descriptive imagery, to express his indulgence in love. His use of flowery language emphasizes on a tone of exaggeration, towards the play, and enacts his nature of being exaggerated, which we later realize in the same scene (scene 1), is similar to Olivia. From this, we can see that Shakespeare arouses our interest by giving us an opportunity to have our own stab at analyzing and comparing the main characters. We are drawn into the play by this, and go deeper into the play, to find out more about these interesting characters. Furthermore, in scene 1, we are introduced and immersed into the atmosphere of love, and romance. This is set in by Orsino's speech, always revolving around love, and his rich use of imagery, his exaggeration in his speech. All these provide comical devices, for instance, the exaggeration in language. Orsino exaggerates what he says, and â€Å"These sovereign thrones, are all supplied, and fill'd/Her sweet perfections with one self king!† sends forth this impression that Orsino is egoistic, and exaggerative. This sets the tone of amusement, of the unbelievable, the unrealistic. The imagery also adds to the mood of sentimentality and romance, atmosphere of love and emotions. Thus, we are attracted by the use of language, the exaggeration of it, and drawn by the character Orsino, his infatuation toward Olivia, and we start to wonder, whether this unrequited ‘love', or infatuation, would get any results, or end up to be anything good. Also, the similarities between Orsino and Olivia stirs up our interest and curiosity towards them, and we have an urge to know more about them, and learn more about how the plot slowly develops. From initially, we know that Orsino loves Olivia, but Olivia does not wish to show any affections for men at this moment, as she has lost both her father, and her brother, males who were her most loved ones. This is a development of the plot, and we slowly comprehend how the relationships between characters are, and their nature surfaces, and we grow to admire or dislike or like them. In scene 1, the conflict and struggle within Orsino himself is evident, as he feels strangled, tortured by this love, and wants the love to die so it would no longer torment him. We, however, pity him, as he believes himself to be really and totally in love with Olivia, when actually, he is more in love with himself and the idea of love. We sympathise with him, but at the same moment, cannot seem to convince ourselves, that Orsino is a gullible and blind lover. This is shown from how can clearly say that â€Å"O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou†, yet not be able to realize that his own love for Olivia is merely an infatuation, and at any point of time, could just die, and disappear, within the snap of a finger. From this, we are further indulged in Twelfth Night, as our interest towards the plot and characters grow. The use of word play in scene 1, â€Å"hart† and â€Å"heart†, adds to the wit and comical display of the play and arouses our interest. Besides this, the many references to nature in his speech, with â€Å"beds of flowers†, and â€Å"music†, we are reminded of images of true nature and beauty, overwhelming, and sets an underlying tone, of optimism, and allows us to be light-hearted, and look forward to the rest of the play. Also, the play is set in the land of Illyria, which is a fictional place, hence giving room for our imaginations to run wild, and imagine this place to be similar to that of fairy tales, and allows us to float in our dreams of a perfect place, where such situations seem to happen very often, and love and romance surrounds the land. This brings us back fond memories of fairy tales, and our hopes are rekindled, as we enter into an unrealistic play, where things that happen are more improbable, and certainly, very unlikely to happen to us in everyday lives. Valentine, one of Orsino's servants, as we can tell from his name, is a contribution to the romantic tone and atmosphere of the play. Olivia, another protagonist of the play, is introduced into the play, through Valentino, and we are given an idea that she is also a highly emotional and sentimental person, rather superficial, trying to earn attention and pity in her mourning towards her dead brother, as she is said to be â€Å"In her cloistress, she will walk veiled† and â€Å"eye-offending brine†¦all this to season a brother's dead love†¦keep fresh in her sad remembrance†. From here, we are told that she wants to always remember the feeling of losing her brother, which shows her superficial understanding towards true love, and feels that the external mourning, would provide a true sense of sincerity and genuine love, which as we can tell. This is a contribution towards the main plot of the story, as another main character of the play is introduced to us, and we are given an idea of the protagonist, and we start to desire to know more about these characters. In scene 2, Viola, the main character of the play is clearly introduced into the play of Twelfth Night, set in the coast, contrasting between the settings of the previous scene – Orsino's room. There is a change in speed, from one of slow moving, to one that is active, and not passive. This is a vast change, and hence, we are pushed forward towards the fast pace of eh play, and we are drawn towards the unpredictability and variety of events. We, as the audience are affected by this change, and are excited, and are interested towards the play, and the plot. Also, in this scene, the theme of disguise and uncertainty in gender, identity and intentions is entered. We are quickly accustomed towards this theme, as Viola decides and plans to disguise herself as a eunuch, a symbol of uncertainty towards gender. All these draws us towards the play as we learn more about the characters, and in fact, go deeper into the play, and start to appreciate the use of words, the way they speak, and the themes they bring out. There is also a contrast between scene 1 and 2, as scene 2 is set in a more heavy tone, more serious. Viola begins the scene by asking about the foreign land she is in, before asking the captain about her brother, to find out whether he is alive. We are thrown into a fit of guessing within ourselves, and wondering whether Sebastian, Viola's twin brother is alive. Also, we are given an idea that Viola is interested in Duke Orsino, from, â€Å"Orsino!†¦He was a bachelor then†, as she mentions nothing else, but the fact that he was single and available then, suggests her previous interest in Orsino. Hence, she tries to get closer to him, by disguising herself, and creating this love triangle, which moves the plot forward. We are henceforth attracted to these building up of the plot, and stay interested in the play. Scene 3 follows to provide us with an idea as to who the minor characters of the play, the people of the subplot are, and how they are like. Sir Toby, Maria and Sir Andrew are thus introduced into the scene, with Sir Toby and Maria with differing opinions towards Sir Andrew. They play with each others' words, and we are attracted by their witty nature, and grow to like them, although Sir Toby is a rather rough person, less cultured, and more vulgar, and rough, from how he uses slang like, â€Å"What the plague†. We are also, prepared for the roughness of language, for they are speaking in prose, and hence we can tell they are of a lower position and class. The jokes Sir Toby cracks are coarse, and at the expense of others, and some, sexual puns, catering to audience of less educated families, and people, who are less cultured. In addition, Sir Andrew, a dim-witted man, is the laughing stock of the scene, as he is dense, and slow to understand the puns and word play Sir Toby and Maria wittily speak. He is poked fun at, and still, does not know what is going on. We are ridiculed at his stupidity, but at the same time, can't help laughing and enjoying his existence in the play, to create the comical effect of the play. Another theme of the play, the overturning of positions, of how Sir Toby can overturn Olivia's quiet home, to that of a place of uncivilized behaviour. Therefore, the 3 initial scenes each have their own ways of arousing the attention of the audience, and keep us glued to the play, and not lose interest in just a moment, due to the comical effect of the play, and the different interesting and amusing characters of the play, and the gradually developing plot and subplot of the play.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol's Role in Information Security Essay

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol's Role in Information Security - Essay Example   Since a long time the Congress has identified that there is a requirement of a border security system which would gather data regarding the overseas citizens coming in and out of the United States and which would also recognize the persons who are overstaying their visits. In 1996 there was the implementation of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) (Newton, 2008) in the United States which was one of the legislative attempts for the creation of an entry-exit control mechanism which were to be used for recording and matching entries and exits of the overseas citizens who travelled to the United States. One of the requirements of this act is to see that there is integration by the entry-exit system of the foreign entries and exit data that is recorded in the databases of the Department of Justice and State Department. Following the attacks of 9/11, there have been more laws addressing the use of biometric technology within a foreign arrival departure control mechanism. For instance, there is the USA Patriot Act (Scheppler, 2005) which authorizes that such a mechanism should have the ability of interfacing with other law enforcement associations, and also that the system makes use of biometric technology and files which are tamper-resistant. Other than this, there is a requirement by the Aviation and Transport Security Act for the airplanes to electronically transfer apparent data for each of the intercontinental flight passengers and the crew members to the Commissioner of Customs prior to the plane landing at an airport in the United States. Additionally, there is the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act which has the requirement of using biometrics in the files for traveling and this act expands the passenger entry apparent needs in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act to t he ships as well as to the air and sea exits.   

Group dynamics working in teams (apply Belbins Theory) Essay

Group dynamics working in teams (apply Belbins Theory) - Essay Example s are effectively performed at the Community Stroke Team such that both Nursing Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist play various different roles. Nursing Occupational Therapists play the roles of resource investigator, coordinator and monitor-evaluator. Being a resource investigator, he/she seeks out the issues which are causing problems to the patients and he/she searches for resources as how to help out and treat those patients. Being a coordinator, he/she coordinates with other team member in providing the appropriate treatment to the patients. As a monitor-evaluator, he/she keeps monitoring the condition of the patients as well as evaluating the performance of other team members. According to Charles Handy’s theory of organizational culture, the culture of Community Stroke Team comes under the role culture. In this culture, the nature of jobs of the team members is not so dynamic and the effectiveness of the performance of the overall team lies on the efforts of every individual working under this team. NHS Leeds Community Healthcare, 2012. Community Stroke Team. [online] Available at: [Accessed 19 February

Case Study 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

1 - Case Study Example GE Company, in its effort to remain relevant in the last century, has resorted to modest management practices as a strategy to remain competitive in the business market. This article seeks to examine the management developments that GE Company has applied in the last century. According to Cole (5), the traditional management practices have been phased out by modern management practices. In his theory of management, Cole (7) regards innovation as the core value in modern management strategies. To a large extent, GE has remained innovative in modeling its strategic goals and objectives in the last century. One indicator of innovation in this company is the adoption of employee empowerment stages, which is a dominant strategy in modern management. For instance, the organization has upheld employee training as a way of keeping to at par with changes in worker environment, and apart from planning, the organization has exercised expertise in the implementation of its innovations. Another a ttribute of modern management theory that can be identified in this organization is the use of research management as a tool for overcoming business threats and taking advantage of opportunities. Cole (76) points out that business in the last century has been phased by the forces of competition, and that the only way to survive in the dynamic market research strategies should be employed to identify market opportunities and to initiate differentiation strategies. GE has embarked on corporate research to identify possible areas of business development, which has helped it to remain unique in the energy provision sector. In this regard, it is possible to regard the management development patterns adopted by GE as relevant to the pattern proposed by the management theories. Which of GE’s management innovations seems to draw on a classical management perspective? Which seem to draw on a behavioral management perspective? How does the contingency perspective explain the management changes that GE has made over the years? Explain each of your responses. Classical and Behavioral strategies of management are different schools of thought that seek to optimize productivity in an organization. In classical management, managers seek to maximize output by optimizing the productivity characteristics of employees. GE has employed classical perspective in their innovation strategies by capitalizing on marketing strategies to enhance product flow to the customers. Marketing is a push strategy that aims at rolling out business products to the target customers and is crucial in optimizing organizational productivity. In addition, the organization has capitalized on worker experience to improve their productivity. In fact, the CEO of GE points out that employee in this organization relies on ‘past experience’ to improve their efficiency within the organization. As Griffin (13) explains, the use of classical perspectives is still superior in modern strategic ma nagement strategies. Behavioral perspectives are part of organizational management strategies that pay attention to employee empowerment as a way of aligning employee goals to the organizational goals and strategies. Griffin (14) regards behavioral management as a modern approach to organizational management that is relevant in the dynamic business environment. GE has

The Health Care Industry in the Business World Essay

The Health Care Industry in the Business World - Essay Example This essay stresses that NHS is a company that has to improve its communication and intergration of accounting techniques and procedures to improve their level of understanding of how different variables can affect the financial bottom line of a company and how these techniques are able to measure precisely the performance of a company in different operational areas. A conglomarate health care organization which has many units performing different and similar type services has to receice support from all business departments to produce information that enables a company to support the decision making process of the company which is perform by the executive managerial staff of NHS. This paper makes a conclusion that it is difficult for a company to succedd if teamwork and productive synergies are not developed about the varios business units and operation departmetn of a company. Providing supporting services is the responsibility of professionals who work as business adminitrators. Within an organization one of the most influenctial deparments that prepares information regarding the economic activity in a company is the accounting staff. There are many techniques that manipulate information to convert raw data into valuable business reports and information that provides a compilation of the internal financial behavior of an organization as well as other information regarding the industry in which a company operates.

Canadian Imperal Bank of Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Canadian Imperal Bank of Commerce - Essay Example It also has a business segment offering financial services to its customers. Wal-Mart Canada is one of the international divisions of Wal-Mart Inc. in USA. It is considered to be the largest retail group in the world and offers wide range of products and services to its clients through its retail stores. Different cost management practices followed by these three companies have been studied here. All the three companies have been observed to follow expansion strategies. It results in the growth of sales at a higher pace than the increase in operating expenses of the companies. CIBC and Canadian Tire have been following the Activity Based Costing (ABC) system. JIT, wage management strategy while Wal-Mart has also effectively implemented other cost minimization strategies. Following these management accounting practices, all the three companies are expected to have a sustainable growth in future. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (C IBC) 4 Canadian Tire 6 Wal-Mart Canada 7 Conclusion 8 References 10 Introduction Accounting relates to a process of recording of business transactions carried out by an organization. The information related to the business activities followed by an organization are first identified, evaluated and then communicated to the various users in order to facilitate the decision making process. Accounting can be divided into three parts, namely cost accounting, financial accounting and management accounting. Management accounting refers to those accounting information which is utilized by the managers of the company to perform their managerial activities within the organization (Khan, & Jain, 2006, p.1.3). Hence, management accounting is an integral part of any organization. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart Canada are three of the large organizations operating their business activities in Canada. Some of the key management accounting practices followed by these three companies has been discussed in this study. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) CIBC is involved in the business of providing different kinds of financial services to various individuals, corporate, etc. in Canada and outside. It has in offer both retail and wholesale banking products for its clients. CIBC is headquartered at Toronto and was founded in the year 1867. There has been a recent change in the organizational structure of CIBC in the year 2011. As of now CIBC has three Strategic Business Units (SBUs), namely Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking and Wealth Management. Each of these SBUs is considered to be the profit centers of the company. The treasury activities associated with each of these SBUs have an impact on its financial performance. The revenue performance of each of the SBUs are affected because of the policy of using cost of funds based on market prices adopted by the company's management. Transfer pricing system is also prevalent in CIBC (CIBC, 2012, p.41). If we look at the overall cost structure of CIBC, it can be found that it has both interest and non-interest expenses. The interest expenses of the company mostly include interest on deposits. On the other hand its non-interest expenses include employee benefits and compensation, occupancy costs, advertising costs etc. In addition to this the company has a provision for credit losses. The provision for cre

Case study Memo Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Memo - Case Study Example The analysis used the average return (AR) as the dependent variable and four other independent variables two of which were converted to dummy variables in order to capture their effect on mutual funds returns. There were forty-five funds analyzed with an average Net Asset Value of 28%, an average ER of 0.9%, and an average AR of 2.4%. The value of NAV after the first regression disqualified it as being statistically significant in influencing the variability of AR. After the second regression, which excluded NAV, the six variables had a 95% confidence interval and thus were statistically significant in explaining the variability of Average Returns of a mutual fund. Using the six independent variables, an equation that explains the following was obtained, and it helped to explain the following: The above results point out that the company should emphasize on the six funds that have a significant effect on mutual funds and that the most suitable found to invest in is the four star fund which has the highest amount of

Assault on women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assault on women - Essay Example This is because the victims of assault, either women or girls are in most cases not willing to report the perpetrators and in other cases they dont show signs of abuse. This is usually due to the social norms of a said society or the dependence that these women have on the men who victimize them. Taking India as an example, the society as well as the economic dependence that women have on men have allowed men to continue discriminating and abusing women and girls. Reports have been made of women been assaulted to the point of death in some Indian communities that have raised several questions concerning the protection of women rights by the law. This paper will discuss some of these inhuman assaults to women that have been taking place and still go on even at this age. The issue of rape is the most disturbing and prevalent form of assault against women. With cases of rape around the world rising, this has become a problem in most societies and the victims are innocent women and girls. Taking the example of Canada, the number of women that reported having been sexually assaulted in 2009 were a staggering 472,000. As mentioned in the introduction, this number could be greater since this figure only counts for the self-reported victims. Statistics shows that most of the victims are women of ages between 15 and 24. This problem has proven difficult to curb for women, in most cases, lack the confidence to talk about the traumatic events that they go through such as rape (Renzetti, 2011). With rapes case being reported to happen almost everywhere, be it at homes, streets or workplaces, women have been left insecure and almost powerless. Gang rape is an even worse for victims since some have been reported to die after such horrible experiences or suffere d irredeemable trauma. Another form of assault that is close associated with rape is physical abuse. Most rape cases follow as a

HOW DOES INTERPROFESSIONAL WORKING IMPACT ON PROFESSIONAL Essay

HOW DOES INTERPROFESSIONAL WORKING IMPACT ON PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE CLINICAL SETTING - Essay Example The patient will be referred to as Mr. X to maintain confidentiality as stated in the nursing and midwifery code of professional conduct (2007). The author’s interest in Mr. X is based on his clinical experience and reflection of his involvement in the delivery of his care. The positive and negative aspects of inter-professional team will be discussed. Also, the author will use appropriate literature to examine how responsibility and accountability can be enhanced through inter-professional working. According to Alan (2007), Inter-professional working is defined as a practice where a number of professionals with different qualifications come together to meet a particular target. Some of their characteristics include direct service delivery, good professional relationship, collaboration and communal trust. Further, Matrix and Weeds (2007) describe Inter-professional working as a group of professionals with complementary skills, who are committed to a common purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for its achievement. Inter-professional working includes collaborative practice, multi-professional working and team working. This is supported by Mickan and Rodger, (2000a) who describe teamwork as shared and agreed responsibilities, decision making and problem solving. The members of an inter-professional team communicate effectively in order to provide quality patient care. According to Braine (2006), clinical governance should be viewed as an opportunity to improve care delivery in the aftermath of some highly publicised failures in the NHS in the 1990s. The most notable of these was the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry (2001) which accounts for 23 deaths of cardiac surgical paediatric patients. Other notable cases were the Royal Liverpool Children’s Inquiry (Alder Hey Inquiry), the case of the GP Harold Shipman (Smith 2005), and the trial of the nurse Beverly Allitt in 1993

Amusement park Essay Example for Free

Amusement park Essay I am relatively small in stature at about 4’11† with dark brown, naturally curly hair and hazel eyes that seem to change color with different lighting.. I currently wear thin, black glasses due to my nearsightedness. I apply cover up everyday to hide my freckles and blemishes on my skin while also wearing black mascara and black eyeliner to bring out my eyes. I dress in a more conservative style with not many outfits accessorized and simple patterns. I tend to wear a majority of name brand clothing because of the quality of the material and the styles. I don’t have a very broad arrangement of shoes and I typically wear one or two different pairs of shoes a week. I also like to wear simple earrings everyday and the necklace I got for Valentine’s Day from my boyfriend. I also typically paint my nails a bright pink on my toes and blue or silver on my fingernails. I enjoy to do many activities. For example: I play softball, flag football, ultimate Frisbee, read, volunteer at the library, hang out with friends, spend time with family, and many other things. Other things I like are friendly people, honest people, school events, summer, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, holiday parties, and birthdays. Things I don’t like to do are clean, do homework everyday, drive small cars, being too busy, and feeling overworked. Things I don’t like are liars, rude people, winter, the color orange, not having access to the internet, being cold, and more. For example, I find myself cold often so I buy blankets, long socks, and anything I can use to stay warm all the time. I’m good at schoolwork and having plenty of fun. I do well on state testing and I learn a lot when it comes to school and other subjects I can use in my life. I’m always busy having fun with friends and family. I like to make sure everyone has a good time together and that we are never bored. When I’m with my friends, we always use our imaginations to find some way to spend the time. I’m not as good at getting everything done on time and prepared for when I need it; Also, I do not have the motivation to do things I do not want to do but have to do. My description does sound like someone I would like to know because I believe I am, generally, a good person. I try and be someone people wouldn’t mind being around so I’m not a problem to anyone and so I’m someone people can get along with. I care about my personal image and I hope people agree with me. I would change myself by making myself more friendly and outgoing. I believe I’m not as outgoing as I could be and I could make more friends by changing that. I also wouldn’t let my emotions drive what I do; I would use my brain to make a decision before I use my feelings about the subject. I would start putting my happiness into consideration when I try and help others out; however, I wouldn’t become selfish. Personal happiness is just as important as anyone else’s. I would like to be a person who does not worry about problems but puts forth action to eliminate them. I would be more proactive about my problems and make sure I follow through with my decision on how to solve it without letting emotions change my mind. And also, I would stop worrying and accept the things I cannot control. I can bring my wish closer to the now version by having more self motivation and self discipline. I envision my future where I am a happy, educated, person with a successful career and a happy family who has everything they need. I want to supply them with everything they need to become successful individuals and create the best future for themselves.

Regional Security Complex Theory

Regional Security Complex Theory This chapter will provide an in-depth look at a range of theoretical approaches to the concept of energy security. It is expected by examining several theoretical approaches we will be able to determine a comprehensive understanding of what constitutes energy security. A range of academic approaches exist which can be utilised in order to understand the origins, prerequisites, and consequences of any given type of security. Throughout this chapter we will be taking the concept of energy security and firstly examining approaches to understanding it as part the existing theoretical framework. Secondly, efforts will be made to comprehend the securitization of energy as a part of broader and more contemporary political architecture. The scope of this literature review will extend to the work of founding theorists, as well as contemporary literature, journals, and reviews. 2.1 Understanding Security Since the eventful oil disruptions of the 1970s, energy security has slowly but surely assimilated itself into the key debates of IR theory (Bohi and Toman, 1996: 32). Energy security discourses are varied and volatile at the best of times. If we are to comprehend energy security, we must first have a clear understanding of how security can be approached and conceptualized. Is it a response to threat or a strategy to evade threat? Or perhaps neither? Security is a both a highly contended and heavily debated concept. Owing to its inherently multifaceted premise, it is rare now for a political article not to refer to security in some form or another (Neocleous, 2000: 11). Irony lies in the fact that our present inability to define security has, as a result, caused the international society and our interpretation of it to be less secure as a whole (Booth Wheeler: 2007: 94). What is exceedingly clear, however, is that our understanding of security and what it entails has moved well beyo nd the claim that security studies should focus only on the threat, use and control of military force (Nye and Lynn-Jones in Walt, 1991: 212). It is interesting that our understanding of security has only relatively recently been contested. We can classify security either as defensive (a response to a threat) or offensive (interaction with other actors for state gain) (Grafstein, 2002: 139-165). Traditional thinkers have conventionally classified security primarily as a defensive mechanism (i.e. power measured by war and military strength). Kenneth Waltz built further on this assumption in his book, Theory of International Politics. By suggesting that, in an anarchic international system, the incentive of every state is to put itself in a position to be able to take care of itself since no one else can be counted onto do so, he suggests security will remain an inherently defensive mechanism. Barry Buzan, on the other hand, took this further and attempted to dissect this highly complex term by questioning the very legitimacy of security itself (1997: 5-21). Buzan, Ole Wà ¦ver, and Jaap de Wilde form the foundations of the C openhagen School of security studies, which focuses on the process of securitization, regional security complexes, and sectoral security. This has conversely been criticized by those of the Critical Security Studies school of thought, which itself is set in contrast to the assumptions of neo-realism and realism. As such, we can see how security has undergone and will continue to undergo analytical re-evaluation thanks to recurrent contestation of this concept within the field of IR. As a result of this unremitting confrontation, the scope for what constitutes security has broadened significantly and developed into a dynamic yet still unbalanced concept. Thus, how might we define begin to security, and at what point does a states action, agenda or thinking become a security concern? It is useful here to refer to Buzan et al.s definition of security: It is when an issue is presented as posing an existential threat to a designated referent object (traditionally, but not necessarily the state, incorporating government, territory, and society). The special nature of security threats justifies the use of extraordinary measures to handle them (1998: 21). Conceptualizing security as such posits that if a concern is deemed to be a security issue, it must be presented to and subsequently accepted by an audience: indeed, Buzan, Wà ¦ver and de Wilde further clarify that securitization is not decided by the securitizer but by the audience (1998: 31). In adopting their understanding of securitization as a speech act, we can see how this process creates rights, obligations and responsibilities which are decided not by the securitizer but by an audience (Buzan  et al. 1998: 25-31). Taking this approach, we can apply this framework in understanding why the need to find, secure and diversify energy supplies has been construed as a leading security concern for many states. As Luft and Korin note, energy security is very much in the eyes of the beholder (2009: 1). By having a succinct critical framework for analysis, we are better able to understand the actions, reactions, and needs of states who consider their energy security to be threatened. What follows is a range of theoretical and analytical approaches for conceptualizing energy security. 2.2 A Realist Scope No IR theory accentuates the position of security more than realism, yet there is rarely a critical analysis by realists to explain what security actually means (Baldwin, 1997: 21). The presence of realism simply cannot be ignored when trying to frame the concept of energy security, and although it fails to address some of the key reasons as to why energy is a contemporary security concern, it is nonetheless a theoretical standpoint which has been synonymous with mid-twentieth century security studies (Baldwin, 1997: 9). Sustained by centuries of progressive and traditional thought, the realist stance is backed by great intellectual contributions from Rousseau, Thucydides, Hobbes and Machiavelli to name but a few (Deudney, 2011: 18). Realism is not a single theory, but a cluster of progressive theories with shared core values: Realism focuses on power struggle, national interests, competition between states, and conflict over resources. To realists, international politics is characterised by a zero-sum game: one sides gain is the other sides loss. Therefore, relations between states can only produce competition and conflicts (Bathily, 2009: 185). Realism is a state-centric theory, the classical premise of which declares that the international system is anarchic and within this system states strive for survival and cannot rely upon other states, since every state has the potential to harm through use of military force (Mearsheimer: 1994/95: 9-10). Hans Morgenthaus contributions to the realist paradigm discuss the inherently flawed nature of humans, suggesting that our innate selfishness and desire for power leaves no room for moral principles when understanding the behaviour of states (Morgenthau in Donnelly, 2000: 15-16). Donnelly further emphasises that, realism emphasizes the constraints on politics imposed by human nature (2000: 9), demonstrating that if energy security is accepted as a realist security concern, states will strive for survival by resolving this issue without concern for moral or human principles. Kenneth Waltzs development of structural realism (also referred to as neo-realism) explains the international system by identifying a central and anarchic state, then subsequently relating this object to the interaction between constituent elements of the system (e.g. states in search of survival). These components are further characterised by the balance and distribution of power; in this context, their capability and proficiency in terms of seeking survival and energy security (Waltz in Booth, 2001: 5). The fundamental approaches to energy security under Waltzs structural realism are summarised by Luft and Korin as follows: 1) States are inherently predisposed to egotism, and will therefore pursue hegemony through use of whatever powers they may possess. 2) Structural realists stress that energy commodities have historically held value beyond simply that of commercial pricing they emphasise how resources have repeatedly been used strategically as means of directing foreign policy and asserting dominance. 3) Although realists will take into account the influence of mutual cooperation and independent institutions, they also maintain that culture, history, and economic tendencies and trends do play a crucial role and cannot be ignored when understanding energy security needs and concerns (2009: 340). Approaching energy security in such a manner allows us to see why states might prioritise energy security over other concerns; however the realist paradigm has always prioritised military security in their understanding of security as a whole. Engaging with strands of realist though explains why self-interest of states and the struggle for dominance is an occurring theme in the international system, but the critical flaws of Waltzs structural realism lie in the fact that he largely discounts the importance of geography and geographical regions, while also paying little attention to technology as an influential shaping force (Deudney, 2011: 29-30). When endeavouring to find a position for energy security in a theoretical framework, it is evident that realism does not offer a fully logical and explanatory approach to the concept. As mentioned earlier, Buzan (of the Copenhagen School of security studies) deems anarchy to be the key feature within the international system, and splits security concerns into 5 categories (political, military, societal, economic, environmental); energy security, however, is not explicitly identified within these categories (Buzan, 1991: 19). Although this categorization is evidently broadening the approach to security, a prominent weakness of the theory is its inability to account for the impact of other actors and structures on securitization, while giving too much attention to how international anarchy is constructed politically. The main critic of Buzans work is Bill McSweeney, who claims that the key flaw within Buzans work is his inability to break away from the neo-realist assertion that the state is always the main object for analysis (2004: 123). 2.3 A Liberal Understanding Liberalism and security are concepts which have in recent times both clashed and contradicted each other. Hyde-Price understands this to be a result of liberalism misunderstanding the nature of power (2007: 16). The core value of classical liberalism are neatly summed up into four components up by Kelly: All individuals are of equal and ultimate moral value. This individualism is ethical and not sociological or psychological. Equality of concern and respect is cashed out in terms of a set of basic rights, civil liberties and economic entitlements. These rights entail accompanying responsibilities and duties. Ethical individualism and equality of concern and respect does not entail moral scepticism about objective values. It is instead concerned with the moral limitation of coercion or political power (2004: 13). What can liberalism offer in terms of conceptualizing energy security? Bathily forms a coherent and persuasive argument for approaching it from a liberal perspective. They assert that liberalism in fact challenges the very notion of security in any form and suggest that the realist egocentrism, struggle for survival and innate fear of external threat could be substituted by a so-called liberal logic, wherein states maximise absolute gains and generally prioritise economic development over that of political. In doing this, they predict that traditional elements of security will become sidelined and therefore the security agendas will eventually become redundant. Liberals view naturally occurring resources such as oil to be strategically unimportant, given the frequent rate of discovery around the world. This consequently turns oil from an economic fortune to an ordinary commodity. They further believe that resource management is not the responsibility or the right of the governing bod y, and that management should be decentralized and democratised to multiple, non-governmental actors (2009: 183-184). In some ways, the liberal take on energy security is a valid and applicable one. It explains why actors controlling the resource industry have freedom and independence from government decree which is true in many states and explains why the need for peaceful cooperation and mutual reliance is present in the international system today. What is fails to address, however, is the rising concern for resources in resource poor nations, which in turn has caused political instability, egocentric policy making, and the rise of resource nationalism (this will be examined further on). When trying to understand energy security, liberalism places too much emphasis on the importance of moral human nature in relation to political and resource-based relations, and does not provide enough focus on the importance of geographic, economic, regional and political involvement. 2.4 Energy Security and the Regional Security Complex Theory Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) offers a somewhat more contemporary and relevant approach to conceptualizing energy security. The founding academic linked to this particular theory is Buzan, with further contributions from Wà ¦ver. A regional security complex has been defined as a group of states whose primary security concerns link together sufficiently closely that their national securities cannot realistically be considered apart from one another (Buzan, 1991: 190). It is argued by Buzan and Wà ¦ver that the security complexes of states depend primarily on the pressures deriving from geographic proximity, and the interplay between the anarchic structure and how balances of power play out in the system. They view the world as regional clusters, whereby security complexes are magnified within these clusters (2003: 45-46). Buzan and Wà ¦ver further clarify the central ideas of RSCT as follows: The central idea in RSCT is that, since most threats travel more easily over short distances than long ones, security interdependence is normally into regionally based clusters: security complexes. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Process of securitization and thus the degree of security interdependence are more intense between actors inside such complexes than they are between actors inside the complex and outside of it (2003: 4) Here, it is supposed that both mutual and rival interests can contribute towards the formation of such a region, and in this case, ensuring energy security would be one of those interests. A major benefit of RSCT is that it allows analysts to confront common conceptions and thus discuss security concerns between members of a given security complex this dispels the overly generic assumptions of liberalism and realism, and suggests that the concept of energy security can be analysed and approached by varying methods, but all within the scope of RSCT. Furthermore, applying Buzans theory gives an explanation as to why security concerns vocalized by one state are frequently echoed around neighbouring states with a relatively short time frame (Sheehan, 2005: 49-50). The strengths of RSCT also lie in its ability to be adaptable and logical RSCT, unlike the traditional theoretical approaches, does not rely on sweeping generalization of defining concept such as human nature. RSCT confidentl y explains the occurrence of energy complexes and relations between two or more states within a region, and further demonstrates how energy has become securitized within a given geographical area (Buzan, Wà ¦ver and de Wilde, 1998: 31). To classify an energy security complex, however, it is necessary to understand the nature and level of energy dependencies through studying the energy profile of a given state: e.g. the extent of external dependence, diversification possibilities, trade levels, domestic supplies etc. This in itself highlights the problematic nature of RSCT if a state is said to have 100% dependency for, say, oil, this contributes to the securitization of energy. On the other hand, if oil only constitutes 10% of the states energy profile, this brings about an entirely different view. Therefore, in order to analyse energy security from this standpoint we must choose whether it is more beneficial to group together major energy sources, or to base our understanding upon aggregate energy reliance of a given state. Further to this, it is crucial to acknowledge that energy security also entails a need for supply security and demand security. In addition, dependence can be both positive and negative between two or more states. While RSCT presents a plausible and applicable framework in terms of understanding energy security, it is limited in that it does not address the interaction of states at a global level. With the possibility and indeed reality of constructing long energy export pipelines and transport energy by land and sea, we can see that energy (inter)dependence between states from different regions is both real and developing. Furthermore, it is undeniable that with the rise of globalization, the integration and transfer of knowledge, and the power of technology, energy security is not confined solely within regional complexes. 2.5 Critical Security Studies (CSS) Increasingly, IR theorists have been left searching for a concept to shed light on why structures and responses within the international society are increasingly determined by shared ideas rather than material forces, and that the identities and interests of purposive actors are constructed by these shared ideas rather than given in nature (Wendt, 1991: 1). In contract to the realist and neo-realist assumption that security is primarily defensive, traditional and in pursuit of hegemony, CSS significantly broadens the concept of security. It brings in the notion of instability-of-the-object within the international system, and conceptualizes security not as an absolute feature but as a constructed quality which is dependent on shared ideas rather than state-centric gain (McSweeney, 1991:1). CSS has already been subject to diversification since its appearance in the 1990s, but several key aspects characterize this school of thought. They are summarised by Vaughan-Williams below as foll ows: The focus of analysis within CSS is called the referent object this can be an actor, sector, or concept which requires securitization The broadening of security. This refers to the move away from narrow and traditional views of security defined in terms of military strength, and posits concerns within other sectors as security issue The normative approach suggests what must or ought to be secured and analysed. The derivative nature of security. This idea speculates that our methods of understanding the world have a profound effect on the way we approach and conceptualize security (2010: 4).

Theories of Compulsive Buying Behaviour

Theories of Compulsive Buying Behaviour Above all, it should be noted that shopping is big business. Shopping centers employ approximately 8% of the US workforce. These portion of the workforce helps drive the machine that creates about  ½ of each state’s tax revenues and there are currently more malls and shopping centers that US high schools (Farrell, J. 2003, pp. xi-xii). Seemingly powering this juggernaut of commerce is ever increasing and apparently insatiable appetite of the modern consumer. Behind the 4x growth in the number of shopping centers and the over 3x growth in retail square footage during the 30-year period of 1970 – 2000, is the fact that Americans (and likely other â€Å"civilized† consumers) are consuming goods at twice (2x) the rate as they did in 1950 and ten-time(10x) as just over seventy years ago (Farrell, J. 2003, pp. xii-xiii). It is also worth noting that this increase in consumption is evidenced across all income levels though not necessarily equally across all segments (Gini, A. 2003, p. 85). In fact, more severe cases are significantly correlated to a lower the level of income, a greater likelihood of having below-average income and spending a lower percentage of income on sale items, suggesting overall an inability to handle financial issues well (Black, D. 2001, p. 23) As a ‘counter-statistic’, Americans have a level of production that is currently at approximately 2x that of the same period (1950). This implies that, we could consume the same amount as in 1950 and work half as much or, as reality has it, work even more to consume over twice as much (Gini, A. 2003 p. 82). Similarly, in a predictably correlational fashion, the not only has the number of shoppers and shopping centers increased but there has been a sharp increase in the number of newproducts, particularly in the advertised â€Å"must have† category as wellas the emergence of the entirely new â€Å"disposable† category (Pooler, J.2003, p. 9). As shoppers and products have changed, the relationship that existed between them has also morphed into something new. With the proliferation of retail venues that profer an ever-increasing number of products and categories, the arrival of the â€Å"disposable† product should not go unnoticed. Though without question, many if not most products are very high quality and manufactured to very exacting standards, many products are less durable or are â€Å"designed for obsolesce†. Durability was the characteristic that was promoted while the products of today push a message of convenience. In a society rampant with such explicit and implicit messages, it is no wonder that the emotional connections to most any product are decreasing (Pooler, J. 2003, p. 10). Products such as cameras or contact lenses were highly contemplated purchasesthat were expected to last a significant period of time. Likely more important than simple the volume of shopping is its intensity†¦shopping means more than it did in the past. Previously,people shopped for items that they needed. Now, such shopping still occurs but it occupies a small fraction of the process. Studies estimate that as much as 2/3 of consumer purchases are â€Å"unnecessary†(Pooler, J. 2003 p.2). This excess is bought from a want rather than need. As an additional sign of the times, consumer research has even indicated that over half of all gift purchases are actually gifts forâ€Å"me† (Pooler, J. 2003, p. 11). Shopping â€Å"used to be† a more utilitarian and logical task in which purchases were planned and for the most part, the consumer-focused onâ€Å"needs†. Contrasted with the modern shopper for whom it has been estimated that only about 1/3 of purchases are â€Å"necessary†, it is clear that unfulfilled desire must play a very much larger role (Pooler, J.2003, pp. 2, 6). For example, as Pooler states, â€Å"†¦people have a need for a new pair of pants but a desire to buy designer-label pants is a want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pooler, J. 2003, p. 22). Today, brands are power, disposablecontacts are the norm and OTUC, â€Å"one-time use camera†, are almost always within arms reach. It is important to note these products arenot inferior†¦in many ways, they are functionally far superior toyesterday’s products, rather, simply illustrative of a pervasivementality that merits acknowledgement and consideration. Understandingthe mentality that these â€Å" wants†, in the minds of individual consumers,are likely felt to be â€Å"needs†. The eye of the would-be beholder isparticularly relevant. By utilizing the â€Å"Hierarchy of Needs†, it is possible to shed significant insight into how some of these psychological shifts are occurring. Developed by noted psychologist Abraham Maslow over 75years ago, this pyramid of hierarchically ordered needs is fundamental to many issues with psychological affect. At the base of the pyramid are â€Å"basic needs† such as food, shelter and clothing. Above the basic,physiological level are needs that could be classified as â€Å"safety† and would include anything that can provide psychological security and stability. Above this are â€Å"social† needs such as the need for friends and companionship. Nearing the top of the pyramid are needs under thelabel of â€Å"self-esteem† in which feeling such as pride and respectbecome important. Finally, the highest level of needs is characterizedas being â€Å"self-actualization† needs in which a person has the desire tomake the â€Å"most† of themsel ves and to â€Å"be† more. A key component of Maslow’s influence is his belief that higher needs can not be addressed until lower needs are satisfied. This is especially salient as most people living in â€Å"modern† civilized countries have all the more â€Å"basic† needs met. Consequently and with few exceptions, most can spend their days in pursuit of the satisfaction of â€Å"higher† needs such as self-esteem and self-actualization. As America or any modern society has evolved, psychologist and philosopher Eric Fromm indicates that society and its members have also evolved to a point at which â€Å"being† is confused with â€Å"having† (Gini,A. 2003, p. 84). Such as materialist possessive mindset will leavevacant the needs at the top of the pyramid and individuals will exhibitfeelings associated with not having these innate needs unfulfilled. Fromm further indicates that much of the symptoms of this empty questare typical of a â€Å"western† mindset and ultimately result in a mentalityof â€Å"to be much is to have much† (Gini, A. 2003, p. 82). To have a high standard of life means to enjoy a pleasure intensely and tire of it quickly. Simon Patten (Hine, T. 2002 p. 17) The fact that people, in general, are consuming more, that there are more products and more places to buy them go a long way in describing in somewhat imprecise yet accurate terms that context of modern society. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs also provides significant insight into the circumstances of the continuing patterns of increasing consumption that indicated a struggle to satisfy a need that cannot be satiated through the mechanism of acquiring things. At this point, a further differentiation between â€Å"needs† and â€Å"wants† can be drawn: a need is often physical and should be satisfied externally; a want is most likely a psychological, internally manifested desire. In the same way that you could not satisfy a real, physical hunger with psychological fish and chips, attempts to quench a psychological desire with a tangible object are likely short-lived and misguided and willend in psychological frustration. This misguided attempts to assuage one’s highest psychological needs is not unreasonable given the mixed messages in society of which there is a clear emphasis placed upon highly superficial qualities. Shopping is simply the process whereby one attempts to execute these omnipresent messages. As a cultural phenomenon, shopping is the procedural execution of economic decision-making. This decision-making takes places in a sea of in which image and emotion are perhaps more likely to take precedence of narrowly defined economic and functional utility. The price tag on an item reflects a certain value but the real value is in the eye of the consumer and is the item worth that much to me. Using economic terms such as opportunity cost and opportunity benefit are especially relevant as a purchase decision hangs in the balance: â€Å"what will my friends think?†, â€Å"does it make me more attractive?†, â€Å"does it make me happy?† are examples of what goes throug h the ‘new’ consumer mind. The fact that a product will do the job is, at best, necessary but not sufficient and, at worst, totally irrelevant. As noted above, the process of shopping along with the acquired resultant booty are a reflection of a changing culture and value system. â€Å"Shopping† is part of a manner by which a person defines who they are. What is bought, where it came from and the motives define a person for themselves and, probably in large measure, to others aswell. Just as important as what, where and why that someone bought something are the ‘facts of omission’: that they did not buy it at a certain store, etc. is as relevant as the ‘facts of commission’. Consider the following telling examples of self-expression: the shopper purchases prominently labeled Pampered Chef cookware in lieu of functionally equivalent store merchandise,the man who purchases a Polo sweater with its distinctive logo over the perhaps even pricier/better nondescript brand,the person who chooses name-brand drinks when company is expected over the undistinguishable other brand.While the rationale for purchases are intriguing issues, it is interesting to note that everyone thinks they are good at it (Pooler,J. 2003, p. 4). This is all the more interesting in light of how one might possibly define â€Å"good† or â€Å"success†. Certainly, in the mind of the â€Å"above average† or even â€Å"good† consumer, it would be a short-lived experience as the satisfaction of a successful hunt only fuels the thirst for additional quarry. That this ubiquitous activity is seldom relegated to being considered just a â€Å"functional† activity in whichâ€Å"functional† products are the goal is c onsistent with the fact that itis now something of a recreational pursuit in which objects of deep psychological desire are hunted with a relish most often associated with sports participation. As most activities in which there is the reward, shopping can go â€Å"tofar†. For many the allure of shopping can be a bit too much. The attraction of shiny products, sexy packaging, tempting displays, glamorous advertisements, ever-so-helpful service staff and the extreme ease by which one can proffer payment, it is no wonder that someâ€Å"over-succumb† to the retail sirens. Given a society that is behaviorally and cognitively conditioned respond to the stimulus of retail, it is no surprise that some spend beyond their means. Others may have the means to financially afford the habit but are continue to seek fulfillment in a venue that cannot provide anything else than transitory happiness until the cycle begins again. The idea of more, of ever increasing wealth, has become the center of our identity and our security, and we are caught by it as an addict by his drugs. Paul Wachtel (Gini, A. 2003 p. 81) The idea that shopping can get out of hand does not escape the attention of either popular press such as Essence or more scholarly tomes such as the Journal of Consumer Research or CNS Drugs [CentralNervous System]. â€Å"Behind the urge to splure† reads Essence, is often a person who some degree, find that they cannot help themselves. For some, a certain purchase is simply â€Å"merchandise†, even if a bit pricey and fashionable. For others, it may represent a conscious or unconscious â€Å"sense of entitlement† or it may be a form of self-medication that is termed in some circles to be â€Å"retail therapy†(Bridgeforth, G. 2004, p. 156). This so-called therapy is likely caused by the psychological frustration from the lack of lasting fulfillment of pasting attempts to achieve â€Å"self-actualization† via shopping as a compensation mechanism. While a problem in itself,‘shopping for psychological satisfaction’ may be masking serious is sues such as a ‘clinically-qualifying’ depression or just ‘regular’ issues for which shopping is simply a surrogate means to attain a bit of self-esteem through â€Å"good shopping†. Though many in the popular press refer to someone as being a â€Å"shopping addict†, it is important to note that there are different types of addiction. Commonly, when one refers to someone as an â€Å"addict†, the mind conjures up the person who is addicted to cocaine, methamphetamines or even alcohol. These types of addictions are undoubtedly very real and, because of their nature, are referred to as physiological addictions. The chemicals in the abused substanceshyper-stimulate certain receptors in the central nervous system and their prolonged use created a deficit in the body’s production of endogenous analog. Such a deficit is augmented by a strong desire for such chemical stimulation as well as certain psychological â€Å"needs† or perhaps more accurately, â€Å"compunctions†. If it were the case that shopping was addictive in the same way that drugs are, we might expect to find that purchases of various persons showed little trends in that the same types or categories of items did not construe a consistent purchase incidence. In actuality, items that tend to be moreâ€Å"emotional† in nature have a distinct tendency for a greater purchase frequency that items with than items with less potential for attachment(Pooler, J. 2003, pp. 24-25). For example, â€Å"duct tape† or â€Å"milk† are items that would not be likely to be on a shopping addict’s list whereas items such as jewelry, fashion items or â€Å"elegant† undergarments are strong contenders. Though not quite like a drug addiction, shopping for certain individuals can be maladaptive or pathological in nature. Though it can not be deemed a physiological addiction, as we will discuss in more detail later, there are physiological consequences and manifestations of what is otherwise a psychological presentation. For these individuals, the entire shopping experience is different: to someone who has not experienced it, it would seem almost inconceivable that a person could be â€Å"out of control† to the extent that those suffering from compulsive spending disorder report as being. As Black reports,â€Å"†¦compulsive shoppers often describe their experiences as being enhanced by color, lighting or the odor of stores, as well as the textures of clothing†¦ [with] some even describing the experience as being sexually exciting† (Black, D. 2001, p. 23). According to these same reports, 83% of compulsive shoppers report that it makes them feelâ€Å"happy† while 71% indicate a â€Å"powerful† feeling. This feeling persist in the face of the guilt and consequences following their purchases which, in many cases, are either returned or given away and not retained (Black, D. 2001, p. 23). In determining if someone should be fitted with the label layperson’s terms being of a â€Å"shopping addict† or a â€Å"shop-a-holic†, a key qualifier is the expression of consumer demand that could be considered to beâ€Å"irrational†. Such classification must be considered in the context of the consumer’s lifestyle and income. With this in mind, it is not the object of demand so much as an extreme emotional or otherwise inappropriate level of demand within a ‘reasonable’ framework of acceptability (Pooler, J. 2003, p. 26). For example, the strong desire of a comparatively wealthy person or perhaps the elite harrier who wants the ‘very latest’ in performance athletic footwear is insufficient to earn such a label. On the other hand, the individual who is not, by any stretch of the imagination, remotely athletic and whose income in inconsistent with shoe’s whose price exceeds ten hours wages would likely be labeled i rrational. Such information in conjunction with other facts and the overall context would be in line with consideration for such a designation. Another consideration in the determination of the appropriateness of anon-clinical label such as a shopping addict is the overall magnitude of the behavior. A common behavior is that people, when they feel they have done â€Å"a good job† with some task will â€Å"self-reward†. This construct is could generally be termed to be a more benign presentation of the â€Å"self-medicating† label often is implemented in regards to a work-related behavior. This â€Å"psychological pat on the back†, whether a alternative compensation mechanism or a pure positive reinforcement of a selected behavior. Regardless, there is an intuitive level of reasonableness in relation to the magnitude of the reward with the degree of difficulty or relative â€Å"greatness† of task achievement. Depending on a number of factors, one employee may seek self-gratification through treating themselves to lunch while another could give them a license to splurge and run up a dispropor tionately hefty bill. All in all, though it would be exceeding convenient if there were a blood test to determine if one were an addict, it is simply not the case. Despite this, there are certain patterns that do fit the criteria for shopping being an addiction. While there are diagnostic criteria for the determination that an individual is a â€Å"shopping addict†, it is quite likely just as useful to define â€Å"addictive† behavior as occurring when there is strong irrational desire based upon a perceived need for some stimulus despite, in the long run pathological or maladaptive. The addict may likely know that the pursuit of such a stimulus is not in their best interests or they may, through ignorance or extreme desire, be blind to the negative consequences of continued consumption. Defined similarly as beingâ€Å"behavior triggered by internal psychological tension and accompanied by relief and frustration†¦ performed repeatedly despite its negative consequences† by DeSarbo and Edwards in research conducted to more accurately ascertain related psychological factors, either definition seems to adequately capture the intuitive connotation for such an assessment (DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, p. 231). If 10% of the population have a problem and 9 of your friends are OK†¦Is it YOU? While it may not, in fact, be â€Å"1 in 10†, the incidence of compulsive buying disorder has been estimated to be between 2-8% with the overwhelming majority being female and with a comparatively young( Before plunging headlong into the issue of shopping as an addiction, itis important to differentiate between â€Å"compulsive† and â€Å"impulsive† spending. The distinguishing feature between them is the source of the impetus as being internal or external. Internal motivations such as anxiety or the seeking of increased self-esteem or gratification are the motivations for compulsive spending. Impulsive spending is differentiated by the stimulus for purchase is being driven by an external mechanism such as a blinking package, prominent placement such as an endcap or a â€Å"special† (DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, p.233). Such as differentiation is important as it is not uncommon for compulsive buyers to also be impulsive buyers yet there are discernable differences in their psychological makeup. Clearly, shopping can be addictive and merits attention and possibly intervention. While there are common sense guidelines to assessing the such behavior as indicated previouly, more standard criteria have been developed to aid both a person in determining that they ought to seek professional help as well as aiding mental health professionals in making a confirmatory diagnosis. Developed under the assumption that materialism is a pervasive and global human trait, the Diagnostic Screener for Compulsive Buying Behavior (DSCB) was developed with seven key items: I made only the minimum payments on my credit cards.I wrote a check when I knew I didn’t have enough money in the bank.I felt others would be horrified if they knew of my spending habits.If I have any money left at the end of a pay period, I just have to spend it.I bought things even though I couldn’t afford them.I bought myself something in order to make myself feel better.I felt anxious on days I didn’t go shopping (Kwak, H., G. Zinkman, M. Crask 2003, p. 166).These items had an approximate overall reliability of 0.75 and were significant at the p>.05 level. Despite this, in trials with multiple samples from both the US, represented individualized ‘western culture, and South Korea, representing more a community/group-driven eastern culture, the emergence of dimensionality in the data was observed. In US samples, the premise that the seven test items capture adequately the various psychological tensions and anxieties that a person who suffers from compuls ive buying issues is supported without modification. However, South Korean samples, though supporting the hypothesis this instrument can reliably detect such issues, revealed bi-dimensionality in two constructs of: â€Å"Financial outcomes† (items 1,2 and 3),â€Å"Unfettered spending† (items 4,5 and 6) (Kwak, H. 2004, p. 167).Such a finding indicates that, in some cultures, consumers may see that an certain issue has different or distinct angles. For example, either an problem with the financial outcomes of behaviors or the fact that one may not be very restrained in spending is likely seen as the same issue by American consumers. In essence, the answers may be the same and the result the same but the meaning that a certain culture places upon one factor or another is relevant and only reiterates the changing nature and that interpretation of such instruments cannot be removed from the culture. Additional research by DeSarbo and Edwards published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in which advanced statistical controls were utilized provide significant additional insights in the both the nature of the problem of compulsive buying and the discernment of the problem itself. In this research the authors cite numerous previous studies in which the behavior of compulsive buying has been linked to a number of psychological personality characteristics such as: Dependence DenialDepressionLack of impulse controlLow self-esteemApproval-seekingAnxietyEscape coping tendenciesGeneral compulsivenessMaterialismIsolationExcitement-seekingPerfectionism In addition, the factors of family environment, childhood experiences with money and spending, family communication patterns, as well as factors such as the number of credit cards regularly used,degree of credit debt and other compulsive behaviors demonstrated have been identified as potential predictors of compulsive buying activity(DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, p. 232). Of all the factors indicated in assessing the issues that predispose an individual to compulsive buying behaviors, the â€Å"escape from anxiety† is most often labeled as the most influential factor. As multiple studies indicate, â€Å"†¦compulsive buyers react to stress with higher levels of anxiety than do noncompulsive buyers†. When ‘stressed out’, compulsive shoppers attempt to utilize purchases as a compensation mechanism or as an escape from the anxiety (DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards2004, pp. 235, 236). Additionally, the following significant contributing factors are listed below: 1. Self-Esteem– Cited as the most common deficiency in those who are compulsive shoppers, it is easy to see how the act of purchasing an item can convey a sense of power and entitlement although it is one that is short-lived (DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, p. 236). This non-durable pleasure serves to enhance the vicious cycle in which the progressive qualities of the â€Å"disease† are exhibited. This cycle is virtually identical to many physiological addictions in which there is desensitization or habituation to a certain level of stimulus: which each engagement, the person wants/needs a larger â€Å"dose† or a greater frequency of stimulation. 2. Perfectionism – This trait is frequently associated with invididuals who suffer from addiction and is characterized as being â€Å"unrealistic† expectations whose unfulfillability can result in a variety of issues such as depression, anxiety, and self-doubt. By purchasing, individuals with this trait are seeking to assuage these feelings and, for a short while, they may succeed (DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, p. 236). 3. Impulsiveness– In the scheme of medical or psychological diagnosis, â€Å"compulsive buying behaviors† are close relatives of obsessive-compulsive behavioral disorders. The inability to control impulsive thoughts and/or the related ability to defer gratification are likely important contributors to this behavior (DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, pp.236, 237). Also, as indicated earlier, there should be a distinction drawn between â€Å"compulsive† and â€Å"impulsive† buying behaviors in which the stimulation for action is internal or external, respectively. 4. Locus of Control –Much compulsive buying is likely related to a internal struggle to gainâ€Å"control† of a confounding and stressful external environment. When a person chooses to make a purchase, feelings of control are present as the person chooses the object, means, timing, location and, in some cases, the cost of their desires. This highly controlled situation could likely be contrasted to the context of the balance of their lives in which they are at the whim of others and exert no control and possibly even little influence upon the events and objects in their day. As such, those who are characterized as being compulsive consumers are likely to view themselves as â€Å"being controlled externally† as they have an inability to see themselves from the perspective that they are able to influence their lives internally(DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, p. 238). In addition, addition personality traits such as â€Å"excitement seeking†, â€Å"approval seeking† or â€Å"dependence† issues as well as environmental factors or familial factors are considered to be characteristics that can contribute to or perpetuate cycles of compulsive consumerism. An example of an environmental factors that are potentially relevant are â€Å"isolation† in which the occasion of compulsive buying may provide a social outlet or â€Å"materialism† in which ‘keeping up with the Jones’’ becomes a compelling rationale for such spending (DeSarbo, W. and E.Edwards 2004, p. 239). With regards to familial factors, there are a great many learned behaviors that are internalized as â€Å"normal† in the context of the home. Additionally, most people first experience with money and managing finances come through the context of chores, an allowance and forms of rationed spending. These early experiences have a signi ficant influence upon adult behaviors as is the case in which children learn that â€Å"money is a reward† or perhaps are not taught that saving is a very important part of earning as well as spending(DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, pp. 239,240). One of the ultimate goals of psychology is to understand, predict and influence behavior. To more fully understand the role that these personality traits, environmental and family or sociological issues plays in the expression of compulsive buying behaviors, DeSarbo and Edwards utilized advanced regression techniques to â€Å"tease out†additional insights that would otherwise be â€Å"buried† in using simpler techniques. The basic idea behind regression analysis is to plot a line which represents the extent to which a certain factor or group of factors can explain the variance of measurable behaviors within a sample group. More basic regression techniques such as linear regression utilize a formula of y=mx+b in which y is the expected behavior and x is the independent variable in which there it is posited there will be a influence y. In its most basic forms, variables are â€Å"lumped together† and one can determine only is a certain combination significantly influences the outcome. In more intermediate approaches, differing variables can be accounted for by there relative contribution to the outcome. In the more advanced data manipulations, technology enables the rapid assessment of various combinations or â€Å"clusters† of variables can be examined in order to more fully account for the observed sample variability. It was such an approach, â€Å"clusterwise constrained and unconstrained step-wise regression analysis†, that was employed by DeSarbo and Edwards to predict the maximum likelihood of compulsive buying by grouping specific combinations of these factors which each iteration testing for deviations in outcome as various factors or groups of factors are included or omitted. Results from this manipulation confirm the difference between â€Å"compulsive† buying in which the behavioral stimulation is more due to internal psychological factors and â€Å"impulsive† buying in which key drivers are more externally biased. In this analysis, the study revealed the key predictors of compulsive buying to be self-esteem, dependence and anxiety. For impulsive buying, factors yielding statistically significant influence were determined to be denial, isolation, approval seeking and coping. Additionally, â€Å"impulsiveness† as a personality trait factor displayed a significan t degree of influence over internally- and externally-driven compulsive buying behaviors (DeSarbo, W. and E. Edwards 2004, p. 248). Though the assessment devices that can shed insight on such psychological concepts as are indicated above, when utilized by a trained technician, can provide a more â€Å"clinical† means by which compulsive buying issues can be gauged, many of the same indices are often incorporated in to what might be termed â€Å"user-friendly field assessment quizzes†. Such a screening tool may be especially helpful as a guide to help one self-determine if there is a potential likelihood of an issue that may need merit professional assistance. An example of this type of quiz is given below: 1. Do you hide purchases from your partner to avoid a fight?2. Are there garments in your closet from seasons past that still have tags on them?3. Do you â€Å"forget† about purchases made and then find yourself without the money to pay for them when the bill arrives at the end of the month?4. Have you consolidated your credit card debt or rolled it into a refinance?5. Do you travel at the drop of a hat and take additional trips before past trips are paid for?6. Do you tap into â€Å"emergency† savings regularly to make ends meet?7. Are you unable to contribute the maximum to your 401(k) because you need extra dollars to pay your bills?8. Have you withdrawn from or made loans against your 401(k)? (Bridgeforth, G. 2004, p. 158) Though these â€Å"yes or no† questions are relatively unsophisticated, they can provide significant insight into the issues identified by Kwak, et al., such as the emphasis on financial outcomes, unrestrained spending and activities that might be suggestive of behavioral patterns as opposed to single incidents. Grappling with the Gray Area†¦ A Continuum Approach to Pathology One of the key features of this â€Å"disease† is that, like many psychological issue, it typically begins almost unnoticed and gradually progresses. The initial cycle is likely to begin even innocuously yet the behavior of spending is reinforced by the association of the positive feeling that one has shortly after the purchase. Though this seems reasonable, there is a pronounced tendency on behalf of most people if not medical professionals are well to see illness in terms of a dichotomous perspective. While this is a convenient method, it is indeed too convenient to model the reality of a continuum-approach to this issue. Further, there are traits that seem to predispose one to compulsive spending such as personality or familial factor