Tourism Impacts Of Resort Operations In Talisay, Batangas

In this tropical country, resort is one of the most leading establishments preferred by the emerging number of tourists in the Philippines for it offers a pleasant environment and ambiance that is conducive to comfort and healthful relaxation and rest. It is a very convenient destination for the tourists since it also provides food and dining, reception, accommodation, lodging, business facilities and other services. It is almost an all-in-one destination that can suffice the need and wants of the tourists. Stress and pressure that was brought by the monotony of everyday life have become a great factor in the trend of the tourism industry and they both laid the foundation for so many establishment and recreational facilities for the tourists’ enjoyment and sensual experience.In Region 4-A, particularly in Batangas, many resorts are already established and known. This province is recently emerging as one of the top providers of class resorts. Talisay, bounded on the north by Ta gaytay City, Laurel on the west, Tanauan on the east, and Taal Lake on the south is one great contributor to the tourism of the province. Of all the caldera towns, Talisay is the most direct access from Manila to the Volcano Island via Santa Rosa – Tagaytay. A slightly longer route, but equally good road condition, is via South Expressway – Tanauan.Tourism has been considered by Talisay as their economic focus. The natural attributes of the town as well as the very limited availability of land for  other economic ventures such as agriculture and other land based activities influence the focus of economic activity for the town. The advantage of tourism as a conceivable direction for the town lies in its natural beauty, engaging landform and favorable climate. Comparable developments have been proven that tourism thrives primarily because of varied activities and interesting culture with natural endowments serving as the initial lure.Because these elements are present in Talisay, it would be in a favorable position to explore its possibilities. It has recently reinvented itself into a resort town, making use of the outstanding view and access that they have to Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. The said lake and volcano is one of the major tourist destinations in the country that is why many investors have been interested to venture into operating resorts within the municipality of Talisay.As the arrival of international and domestic tourists in the area grows, number of resorts in Talisay also increased. Rise of the tourists’ need for satisfaction and quality made competitions among these resorts become tighter. Because of the tourists’ preference in choosing a resort, many resorts raised their own standards and different themes have been made. Such actions and innovations must be clearly monitored as well as its impacts to the tourism industry of Talisay, Batangas. Sustainability of the resorts and its operations must also be given adequ ate attention. Problems rising from these operations must be significantly studied and essential research must be done to arrive at possible solutions and feasible recommendations.Conceptual FrameworkThis study aimed to delve the tourism impacts of the resort operations in Talisay, Batangas. This was based on the data gathered from the resorts in Talisay as well as information congregated from the local government of the said municipality.Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the relationship of the research variables.The paradigm shows the factors that must be thoroughly researched and studied to achieve the understanding of tourism impacts of resort operations in Talisay, Batangas.Statement of the ProblemThe primary purpose of this study is to state the tourism impacts of resort operations in Talisay, Batangas. Specifically, this research study will answer the following questions: 1.) What are the profile of the respondents in terms of: 1.1 years of residency 1.2 family income? 2.) What are the benefits of the community of Talisay from resort operations in terms of: 2.1 employment opportunities 2.2 infrastructure development 2.3 safety and security 2.4 recreation opportunities 2.5 environmental protection? 3.) What are the corporate social responsibilities of all resort owners to help sustain a healthy environment for the residents? 4.) Is there a significant difference on the benefits of the community of Talisay from resort operations when grouped according to their profile? HypothesisAfter conducting surveys, interviews and research, the proponents of the study realized that the resort operations in Talisay, Batangas do not have an impact on the tourism of the said municipality.Scope and LimitationThe study is limited only to the population of Talisay, Batangas. The information that will be needed for the research will be acquired through the local government of the municipality and from the resorts that are operating in the area. The proponents will conduc t an interview to the resort owners or operators as well as to the residents in the local community. The data that will be gathered through these sources will serve as the basis of this study.The study covers the marketing, management, financial, social, economic and  environmental aspects. The study will help the researchers respond accurately and appropriately in the burdens the resort owners should face in the future. It intends to provide information regarding the tourism impacts and how the resort operations will be sustained through time. It will also provide additional knowledge to the Talisay’s local government in developing the sustainable tourism in their locality.Significance of the StudyThis study was significant in understanding the tourism impact of resort operations in Talisay, Batangas. Furthermore, it will be beneficial to the following:Academe; With the aid of results that can obtain in this study, different techniques and strategies can develop in underst anding tourism impact of resort owners and its sustainability, particularly in Talisay, Batangas.Resort owners; The results that will be taken in this study can provide resort owners information and assistance in case they are in the same line of industry.Tourists; The contents of the study will give every tourist insights and knowledge about Talisay as tourist destination.Local government; The accomplishment of the study will endow supplementary information that can contribute in the improvement of their locality.Lastly, to Future researchers; This study will provide useful information that can be used as a basis to their would-be researches particularly those that will focus on topics related to sustainability of tourism industry.Definition of TermsFor the meaningful interpretation of this research study, the following terms were defined operationally and conceptually with basis from authorized sources. Resort. It is one of the most leading establishments preferred by the emerging number of tourists in the Philippines for it offers a pleasant environment and ambiance that is conducive to comfort and healthful relaxation and rest. Tourism. This comprises the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not  more than that one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. Tourism Impact. It is the effect of tourist destinations, including resorts, to the community where tourism occurs.

Informative Speech: Alfred Nobel

What would you say if one morning you wake up, read by mistake your own obituary, and see what people think about you? How would you like to be called:† the merchant of death, who built a fortune, by discovering new ways to mutilate and kill, is dead†. This happened to Alfred Nobel. The story is that when Alfred Nobel’s brother died, a French newspaper mistakenly published an obituary of Alfred. When he read this, he remained pained all of his life. The purpose of my speech is to inform you who Alfred Nobel is.Although, I have not known Alfred Nobel in person, by reading his biographies, along with my great interest in history of inventors qualifies me to speak on this matter. Today I would like to inform you, who Alfred Nobel is; what he had done to be famous, and how he affected our world/society. In the beginning, I will start with some background information, including place, family and education. Alfred Nobel was born on October 21, 1833, Stockholm, Sweden.He was the forth son of Caroline and Immanuele Nobel, a manufacturer of torpedoes, mines and explosives. In order to achieve better life conditions, when Alfred was nine years old, the family moved to Petersburg, Russia, where Alfred received private education. From the beginning, Alfred proved to be a genius. He was not only a brilliant student with vastly laboratory skills, but also a competent chemist. By the age of seventeen, he was fluently writing and speaking in five languages: English, French, German, Russian, as well as Swedish.According to Kenne Fant in a biography called â€Å"Alfred Nobel†: â€Å" All his life he derived nearly as much pleasure experimenting with language as he did experimenting with acids and powders in his laboratory(p. 5, ch. 13). † Trying to sum up his life in one sentence, he offered the following: â€Å" I am a misanthrope and yet utterly benevolent, have more then one screw loose yet am a super-idealist who digest philosophy more effic iently than food. † Today, since 1902, we mainly recognize Alfred Nobel as the founder of the Nobel Prize.Today, since 1902, most of the people recognize Alfred Nobel as the founder of The Nobel Prize. Now that I gave you some brief information about who Alfred Nobel is, I will tell you how he became famous. Fascinated by the speculative and experimental elements of chemistry, Alfred transformed his kitchen into a small laboratory. From the beginning, he became very interested in the inexplicable behavior of an explosive substance called nitroglycerine. Nitroglycerine is a yellow liquid that is explosive near sudden heat; also today, it is used as a vasodilator medicine.Therefore, in 1863, Alfred Nobel was the first to solve the mystery of detonating NG in a practical useful way. This detonator marked the beginning of Nobel’s reputation as an inventor. According to British historian F. D. Miles, â€Å"the introduction of a detonating cap is without doubt the greatest d iscovery that has ever been made, in the theory and practice of explosives. On this discovery all modern application of explosives is based (p. 57, ch. 12). † However, due to its dangerous properties, NG was very risky to handle and transport.In fact, it was so dangerous, that Nobel’s factory blew up killing his younger brother and other innocent people. After this incident, Alfred became even more determined in finding a new foolproof way to transport NG, but without diminishing its blasting power. Therefore, in 1867, once again Alfred proved himself the inventor of the impossible – a reddish-yellow plastic mass, called dynamite, established his fame world wide, for the second time. In his experiments, he experiment in search of better ones, so in 1875 he invented a more powerful form of dynamite, called blasting gelatin.Now that you know how Alfred Nobel became famous, I will tell you how the result of his experiments along with the legacy he left behind affect ed our society. First, critics believe that Alfred Nobel created his explosives for peace purposes only. His explosive substances were critical to mining operations and communication systems, such as the construction of the railroads and tunnels. Secondly, Alfred, himself said, â€Å"There is nothing in our world that can not be misused†. Thus, ballistite, recognized as one of Nobel’s most disturbing inventions, revolutionized the munitions industry.Moreover, three decades later, Krummel, one of his explosives factories became the site of Germany’s largest atomic reactor. In addition, the dynamite had its first use in 1870 when the Franco-Prussian war broke out. At his death, in 1896, ninety factories of manufacturing explosives and ammunition already existed. However, instead of all his â€Å"demonic devices† that he created, Alfred never wanted to be remembered as the â€Å"merchant of death who kills and mutilate†, thereby he rewrote his will, c reating the Nobel Peace Prize.Since 1902, every year in Sweden, the Nobel prize is awarded for achievements in chemistry, physics, psychology, medicine or literature and of peace. Today I had the pleasure to inform you about the life of Alfred Nobel, by also mentioning how he became famous and how he changed our world. According to Kenne Fant, â€Å"Alfred Nobel left a legacy of lasting importance. Through his prizes, this restless, eternal wanderer, has forever etched his name in human memory (p. 7,ch. I). †

Ethics and Corporate Responsibility in the Workplace and the World Essay

Ethics and corporate responsibility in the workplace and the world is becoming a center of attention. There are many things going on in the workplace that different agencies and people are looking into while placing the blame on the appropriate source. In this paper, a scenario is presented. The scenario involved PharmaCARE and its subsidiary, CompCARE are reviewed and certain questions are being asked for clarity. The paper will look at the stakeholders in this scenario. The paper will do it best to analyze the ethics of PharmaCARE’s treatment of the Colberia’s indigenous population and its rank-and –file workers versus that of its executives. In additionally, the paper will look at the situation concerning three workers, Donna, Tom, and Ayesha under the supervision of Allen. The study of how whistleblowing, opportunities, and protection could help Allen stop the unethical of CompCare. An assessment of PharmaCARE’s environmental creativity with the Colberian activities. The paper will address the original purpose of and changes to Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The paper will now look at the shareholders in this scenario. The shareholders are major players in an organization or corporation. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a â€Å"shareholder as one that holds or owns a share in a company† (Shareholder, 2013). A synonym of a shareholder is stakeholder and this is someone who has interest in the company. Therefore, the shareholders of this scenario are Allen, Donna, Ayesha, Tom, CompCARE, PharmaCARE, WellCo, and the Colberians. Allen, Donna, Ayesha, and Tom are employees of CompCARE. They are stakeholders in this scenario because they work for CompCARE and this is how they make their living. They want the company to be successful, but at what cost will it cost them. The Colberians are the people who labor to make the drug, while getting paid $1.00 a day and living in poverty. PharmaCARE is the mother company of CompCARE and its goal is to profit off of CompCARE by any means necessary. WellCo brought the  CompCARE from PharmaCARE seeing the profit it could make in this deal. Each shareholder plays a significant part in making sure the CompCARE is successful. The paper will now look analyze the ethics of PharmaCARE treatment of the Colberians. PharmaCARE has a company in African and found people there willing to share information about local remedies and could supply workers willing to work for $1.00 a day. PharmaCARE probably look at this as a coal mine and struck the deal. This process is unethical in every way. One reason it is unethical, the employees at PharmaCARE is not working for a $1.00 a day wage nor are they living in primitive huts. The employees of PharmaCARE have electricity and running water while the Colberians do not get to enjoy this luxury. The World Trade Organization, WTO established guidelines concerning labor rights and standards. â€Å"Moreover, precisely because third world workers are terribly exploited, their employees will pass on much of the cost of improvements in labor standards achieved through international trade treaties to their employees in the form of lower wages† (Global Issues, 2013). PharmaCARE knew the way it was treating the Colberians was not ethical; the company could not behave in this fashion in the United States. PharmaCARE teamed with some toxic leaders in fatting its profit margin. The welfare of the Colberians did not concern them in any way. Hellriegel and Slocum noted a concern for a global team. The global team would have benefited PharmaCARE tremendously. â€Å"The global team helps to define common features of goods and services that will appeal to customers in different countries. The global team members from different countries can provide insight into an input about these unique market needs and requirements for specific attributes of goods and services† (Hellrigel & Slocum, 2011, p.360). A company wants to be correct in dealing with foreigners because if anything is done wrong eventually the world will find out. In this scenario, the executives profit, while the workers receive scraps. The paper will now turn it focus on the workers insi de CompCARE and could termination be consider legal in this scenario. The workers are Allen, Ayesha, Donna, and Tom. Allen is the manager and was responsibility to make sure his staff was not in any health nor safety  threat. In the case with Ayesha, she wanted to be promoted and nothing happen. She filed a complaint with the EEOC. â€Å"The EEOC was created to increase job opportunities for women and minorities and to help end discrimination based on race, color, religion, disability, gender, or national origin in any personnel action† (Boone & Kurtz, 2012, p. 61). Allen could have avoided this by putting Ayesha on a supervisor track. Allen could have been a role model for Ayesha, while showing her the responsibility of a supervisor. Allen should have talked to Ayesha and giving her pointers on what she needed to do to be considered for a supervisor job. In the case of Donna, she never was one to stay out of work. She had a perfect attendance until the discovery of mold was found. She became ill because nothing was done to rectify the mold problem. Therefore, Allen do not have a just cause to fire Donna knowing the reason of her illness. She continued to work until she could no longer and filed for worker compensation. â€Å"Any employee, irrespective of their length of service, who is dismissed or subjected to a detriment for certain health and safety reasons, would have a potential claim against their employer† (Calcott, 2011, p.12). In the case of Tom, he wanted something done about the mold problem. Tom was a supervisor at CompCARE and he reported to Allen. Tom noticed how all the workers were getting sick and took action. He informed Allen about the sir quality in the lab. Tom did the right thing in reporting all problems to his superior. The assumed Tom waited and went to Allen again to do something about the air quality. The problem gotten worsen and Tom threatened to turn the company in to OSHA. Tom would be consider a whistleblower. â€Å"A whistleblower exposes the misdeeds of others in organizations† (Schermerhorn, 2010, p.100). The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 prohibits an employee from getting fired for telling on unethical conduct. The paper will now look at how Allen could have benefit by supporting his employees and himself. Allen knew something was not right and yet he did nothing when the problem was not fix. â€Å"Employers are well aware of their extensive responsibilities to employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974† (Calcott, 2011, p.12). In the role Allen have, he was obligated and held the responsibility to protect his staff. Allen reported to his boss as to what was going on, therefore he should took the next steps in finding help for his employees. Allen could have benefited himself by having a clear conscious he did what was right.  He would have been free from any prosecution the employees would have filed on the company. He would have been protected under the Whistleblower Act as well. Allen’s health was just as much danger as his staff and this should have been enough to make him tell authority. PharmaCARE’s renders a purported environmental stewardship is worst and the company’s public stance should carry an obligation to be a leader in environmental matters. PharmaCARE should be more concern about Colberians’ environment. PharmaCARE should want to help the people who is producing their product. They could help with building homes for the Colberians, by knowing their conditions. The executives live in nice places with running water and electricity. PharmaCARE can set up a fund in order to educate the people of Colberia. Teaching and showing people how to be more efficient will help PharmaCARE profit more. The people will be loyal to the company helping them. PharmaCARE can help the Colberians to be more productivity in everyday life. When a company goes in a foreign country to do business it should make sure of the country’s policy. Companies move their business to foreign countries are still liable if something happen. The company should be willing to help build the area up the workers live in. Building roadways to carry PharmaCARE’s drugs is a significant matter. The WTO is cutting down on companies that are no treating foreigners’ right. This is in health and safety as well as in the United States. The WTO is an advocate for under privilege countries. It protects the right of the workers in poverty countries. There seem to be a big issue regarding children workers but this does not seem the case. However, WTO will not allow any injustice to come to workers in third world countries. â€Å"The WTO’s agreements permit members to take measures to protect not only the environment but also public health, animal health and plant health. However, these measures must be applied in the same way to both national and foreign businesses. In other words, members must not use environmental protection measures as a means of disguising protectionist policies† (WTO, 2013). The author believes now things are getting better because companies know someone is watching them. The next concern to look at concerning this scenario is the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) à ¢â‚¬Å"is a liability scheme rather than a monitoring program† ( Halbert & Ingulli,  2012, p.207). According to the Environmental Protection Agency â€Å"the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) commonly known as Superfund, was enacted by Congress on December 11, 1980† (CERCLA, 2013). The CERCLA’s function were to assist others when a hazardous substances might endanger others or the environment. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act provided accountability of persons accountable for discharges of hazardous waste. It also established a trust fund to make available for cleanup when no guilty party could be acknowledged. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act do not support the PharmaCARE scenario. The PharmaCARE is a pharmaceutical company and CERCLA’s target is chemical and petroleum industries. CERCLA will assist when the responsibility people cannot be located. In this scenario the responsible party is known and could have done something about the matter before it got out of hand. The cleanup should fall on PharmaCARE and not CERCLA. There were signs and people to tell the story of what happen and how nothing was done to cease the problem. There were no transporters bringing the mold into the company. The mold grew and causing the air quality to be tamper with. PharmaCare is fully blame for this and should pay for the cleanup and compensate the workers on their health issues. PharmaCARE was bogus and should be made to buy back CompCARE from WellCo. WellCo is an innocent party while things were being withheld from the company. References Boone, G., & Kurtz, D. (2012). Contemporary Business (14th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Calcott, J. (2011). Don’t stumble over safety. Works Management, 64(8), 12 CERCLA. (2013). Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://www.epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.html EEOC. Retrieved July 26, 2013from http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/internal/eeo_policy_statement.cfm Global Issues. (2013). Retrieved August 16, 2013, from http://www.globalissues.org Halbert, T., & Ingulli, E. (2012). Law & ethic in business environment (7th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning Shareholder. (2013). Retrieved August 16, 2013, from www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J., W. (2011). Organization Behavior. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning WTO. (2013). Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://www.wto.org

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Marketing Communication - Essay Example These marketing strategies includes the slogans â€Å"How are you† and â€Å"Power to who†, video, television, newspapers, banners and magazines, Vodafone VIP, Freebee rewardz, corporate social responsibilities, company website, social media and Sponsorship of racing competitions. On the other hand, T-Mobile emulates social media sites including MySpace, Twitter and You Tube and the slogan ‘Life is for sharing’ to attract its customers. The marketing campaign of the Vodafone has created a positive image on the public thus increasing the company sales and profits. This paper provides recommendations as to how T-mobile can employ various marketing strategies with an aim of enhancing its IMC thus increasing its competitiveness. Introduction Based on stiff competition that companies are faced with in the local and international markets, marketing and brand managers are using all the means to ensure that they attain strong relationship with their consumers. Some of the major strategies that firms emulate in order to attain a competitive edge include improvement of quality of their brands, effective distribution of their products, appropriate pricing of products and effective communication with their customers. Based on the improved technology and the cut-throat competition in the business arena, companies have started to emulate the improved communication system to lure their customers and retain strong positive customer-brand relationship. Integrated marketing communication (IMC) refers to the marketing strategies that are undertaken by marketing managers involving various disciplines such as promotion, advertising, public relations and social media among others to attain to increased customer awareness and loyalty. Other vital aspect of IMC is that it entails effectively coordinating different means of promotion to attain a competitive edge and face off the company rivals. This paper seeks to keenly discuss the marketing communication st rategies and mix adopted by Vodafone and T-Mobile, two of the major mobile service providers. Additionally, the paper will provide recommendation on the strategic marketing and branding tools that T-Mobile can emulate to effectively face off Vodafone in the market. Market Review As the demand for communication among local and international companies increase, mobile services market has attracted large number of telecommunication firms as each one of them is geared towards expanding is customer base. With the growth in the mobile telecommunication industry, competing firms have taken initiatives to control their local market and then adopt more extensive marketing strategies to enter the global market. Some of the main competitors in the mobile services market include Vodafone, O2, Orange, Virgin and T-Mobile among others. Being the second largest mobile telecommunication company after China mobile, Vodafone is a British based company with over 440 million subscribers. Apart from bei ng a leader in the UK market, Vodafone operates in more than 30 countries. Some of the notable services that Vodafone has introduced in the market include Vo

Week 2 discussion 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 2 discussion 1 - Assignment Example Fixed incomes are also invested in the forms of bonds, where investors are paid a set rate of interest on their principal over a given period of time (Farris, Neil, Phillip and Reibstein, 2010). Depending on the period of investment, fixed income has been used for both short term and long term investment and also as important methodologies for maintaining portfolio risks (Kane and Marcus, 2011). Once this is done, the major concentration of investors is on currency shocks, when bond investments are made in foreign currency. Given how diverse the business environment that exists in Kuwait is, diversification is something that is very possible for investors. This is because there are as many investment avenues as possible that investors who prefer diversification may look into. In all cases, there are two major options. The first is for those who want to undertake cross-sectional diversification, where they engage in investments in two different asset areas (Khan, 2013). There also exists longitudinal diversification, where investors may choose different forms of investments in the same asset area. In comparing the use of equity to fixed income, it would be noted that those engaged in equity have more opportunity to longitudinal diversification as compared to those engaged in the use of fixed income. This is because with those engaged in equity, there continues to be impressive performances of companies on the stock exchange that command investor confidence and making diversification strategies optionall y abundant. Money market may not be considered as totally missing in Kuwait but its popularity is very minimal, less preferred and relatively unpopular. This is not because the money market does not have the needed potential to guarantee return on investment, as money market is noted to be one of the safest liquid investments (Kotler, 2006). Money market is rather not popular in the country because of its short term nature. In the country, most investors have been

Effects Of Women Incarceration On Young Children Essay Example for Free

Effects Of Women Incarceration On Young Children Essay Women incarceration has been on increase since the nineteenth century. This has had various effects on children of these imprisoned mothers. When a woman is incarcerated, whatever happens to their children is a matter of great concern. This paper aims at showing the impacts of women incarceration on children. This is in relation to their development and well being. (Beckerman, 1994) It is good to consider the family networks when looking at the impact of women incarceration on young children. A child’s development level has to be considered too when looking at the effects of women imprisonment. Parental incarceration has been increasing at an alarming rate since the year 1991. In the year 1991 there were approximately 450,000 parents imprisoned and by the year 2000 this number had increased to 437,400. The number of children that were affected also rose from 930,000 to 1,530, 500 during the same period. The number of women prisoners has continued to increase at a very fast rate as compared to men. From the year 1991 to the year 2000 there has been an 87 percent increase in the number incarcerated women as compared to 61 percent increase in number of incarcerated men. Research shows that fifty eight percent of the children that have incarcerated parents fall below the age of ten years. The mean age is eight years. Research indicates that forty eight percent of the women in prisons have never been married. This means that they are single parents. Twenty five percent of incarcerated women were separated or divorced. Approximately twenty three to thirty six percent of the women were married. Research shows that women incarceration can have different impacts on young children whether they were residing with the children or not when they got imprisoned. It is very obvious that in case the women were not staying with their children, then there are great chances that there was no meaningful social relationship between the two parties (children and mothers). Research shows that women incarceration has multiple effects on young children because when men are imprisoned, it is the women who take care of the children. When this happens mothers use ninety percent of their time in care giving. Now the case is the other way round, that is, when women are imprisoned. (Pollock, 2002) Research indicates that in the case of women incarceration the men only use twenty three to thirty one percent of their time to take care of young children. Friends can use approximately ten to twelve percent of their time to help while relatives assume the parenting role in approximately twenty six to thirty four percent of the cases only. These disparities in parenting responsibilities show the exact picture in the society that mothers play big roles in parenting especially in intact families. (Boudin, 1998) Women in most cases are more likely to be imprisoned because of fraud and drug offences. The type of offence always determines the period that they stay in prison. Women incarceration has got greater impacts on young children than men incarceration. According to various scholars, incarceration is not just a discrete or single event but it is actually a dynamic process that normally unfolds with time. (Chesney, 1983) Arrest phase The whole impact of women incarceration on children during this phase is indicated in an incomplete picture. Research shows that one out of five children is normally present at the time of arrest. The child normally witnesses the mother being taken to prison by policemen or the relevant authorities. Statistics show that in most cases, the other children are out playing or in school or doing other leisure activities. Research carried out in the year 2005 in United States shows that more than half of the children who witness this scenario are adversely affected. (Boudin, 1998) In most cases these children are normally below seven years and are care of their mother only as per that time. Surveys carried out in nine states in United States, that is, Chicago, Mississippi, Oregon, New Mexico, Texas, New Jersey, Boston, Florida and Washington D. C reveal this. Forty percent of the children who had ever witnessed their mothers being arrested were interviewed. Thirty eight percent of the children respondents admitted that they constantly suffered flashbacks and nightmares in relation to the incident. The occurrence was more prevalent during the first month that their mothers were arrested. Overall management of explanation There are so many controversies that enfold the issue of providing young children with the information concerning their mothers undergoing incarceration. There are those who argue that children should not know that their mother has undergone such a bad thing. This according to the assertions helps in minimizing the trauma that goes hand in hand with this separation. (Covington, 1997) On the other hand, other scholars argue that failure to disclose this important information can increase the emotional distress of the child. This is termed as conspiracy of silence. Regardless of whether women are the ones incarcerated or not, they are charged with the responsibility of explaining the whole situation to the children. Research carried out in the year 1997 indicates that out of thirty five cases only eight of these cases did the fathers offer their children an explanation concerning their mother being incarcerated. (Chesney, 1983) In most of the cases the explanation provided is quite general and vague. Many relatives and fathers lie to their children concerning the departure of their mother. There are variations such that some families use total deception while others use partial deception when explaining why the mother is missing. This conspiracy of deception has got various impacts on the children’s ability to cope with the whole issue. Children who are not well informed about their mother’s absence are very fearful and anxious. Inmost cases women incarcerations occur when the attachment of the children to their mothers has already developed. This can lead to adverse effects on the child because he or she could have spent the first nine to twelve months with the mother. (Covington, 1997) This normally results in insecure attachments. This is just but a consequence of the adverse shifts in life circumstances. This in most cases makes the child to have very poor relationships during his or her adolescent years. Another adverse effect of the child’s mother undergoing incarceration is that it makes the child to develop diminished cognitive abilities. This is very common to young children between two to six years of age. (Enos, 1998) The effects of women incarceration on young children are quite diverse. Young children with incarcerated mothers also tend to suffer from psychological or emotional problems. This is exhibited through withdrawal. In this case the children never want to associate with others and prefer being on their own even during play time. Psychological problems are also exhibited through depression, hyper vigilance and anxiety. In the case of hyper vigilance, the children are just too cautious or alert. The children whose mother has been incarcerated can also exhibit externalizing behaviors. They include great hostility towards siblings and caregivers, aggression and anger. Research in United States prisons shows that very few prisons permit women prisoners to keep their infants. In most of the cases the mothers are just permitted few days of contact with their babies. (Henriquez, 1996) This makes it very hard for the mother and baby to bond. This does not give the baby the opportunity to be familiar with the mother. When the mother is finally released from prison, she comes back home when the child has already developed and is not emotionally attached to her. This just results in children having behavioral and emotional problems later in life. (Pollock, 2002) In case the mother’s incarceration occurs when the children are in the school going age, they automatically get affected in their academics. These children also have problems with their peer relationships. Research shows that more than forty five percent of children with incarcerated mothers have school problems. This can result the children performing poorly at school. For young children between the ages of six to eight years old whose mothers were incarcerated, there was much unwillingness to go to school. This can be termed in other words as school phobias. This was in most cases for the up to six weeks after the mother being imprisoned. Other reports show that seventy one percent of 170 children of incarcerated mothers had very poor performance in their academics. They also had behavioral problems while in school. When other students know of the issue concerning the incarceration of the child, they tend to tease the child and he or she may become ostracized by peers. This can even lead to drop out from school if not suspension because of behavioral problems. (Enos, 1998) Boys and girls While the effects of women incarceration are expected to adversely affect girls more than boys, there is no adequate evidence to back up these allegations. Both boys and girls are normally adversely affected by the incarceration of their mothers. The only difference is that they generally express their reactions quite differently. Girls in most instances exhibit internalizing problems while boys exhibit externalizing behavior problems due to incarceration of their mother. (Owen, 1995) As illustrated earlier on, some of the women that are incarcerated are single parents. They may never have gotten married or they could have gone through a divorce. When arrests are made either to a man or a woman, there is normally no prior information that this act will be carried out. Therefore in most cases the woman is found off guard when she is not prepared to leave her family. This is in relation to who will fend or take care of the children. Children may have gone to school only to come back to an empty house without a mother. This can really cause distress to children when it is a single parent family as they have to fend for themselves. The impact is what we currently see on the streets-street children who were left behind by incarcerated mothers. This causes a lot of destabilization to young children because they are not old enough to work. They cannot afford to pay rent and therefore they just have to beg on the streets. Other children become house helps so that they can cater for their basis needs. They even carry work as baby sitters. Children whose mothers have been imprisoned can have eating problems. This is a result of the stress or depression of not having their mother around especially during meal times. Other children whose mothers have been incarcerated normally have clinging behavior. They also exhibit truancy in church attendance. When mothers are imprisoned the health of the children is known to automatically deteriorate. This is according to the recent studies carried out in Florida, Boston, Mississippi and New Jersey. Women are normally concerned with the health of the children a great deal more than men. There are instances when children have health problems and women because of their concern, take care of them. (Sobel, 1982) Most men come back late from work and leave early and therefore may not know so much in relation to the health of the children. Little things like allergies to foods are better known to the mother. When there is incarceration of the women the health of children declines because men or fathers care less. They may leave the duties to house helps who may not give maximum attention to the child as required. This results in health deterioration of children. Conclusion Incarceration of women has been on increase and this has got various effects on young children. Children who witness their mother being arrested have nightmares and flashbacks of the whole scenario. Fathers and relatives normally withhold information concerning the incarceration of the mother. This is conspiracy of silence and it increases fear and anxiety in children. A mother’s incarceration makes a child to have emotional or psychological problems which are exhibited through depression, hyper vigilance and anxiety. In case the child is of school going age it results in poor performance in his or her academics.

Understanding The Concept Of Depression Sociology Essay

Understanding The Concept Of Depression Sociology Essay A comparison of the social constructs of emotion in Asian and Western cultures shows that Asians are more prone to experience depression and suicidal behaviors than are Westerners. Studies highlighting the cultural similarities and differences in display rules, the emotion regulation norms, and the physical and emotional expression of depression in these two cultures are cited to support this claim. The Basic Emotion, Component, Appraisal, and Neo-Jamesian theories show that only elements from each provide a complete explanation of why Asians are predisposed to depression because of culture. The Social Constructionist Theory offers a thorough explanation of this phenomenon. The problems and possible remedies facing Asian cultures and the heightened risk of depression among its members are also addressed. Culture and the Understanding of the Concept of Depression Through numerous studies on cultural relativism and cultural categorization of emotion, emotion is shown to be, to a degree, contingent on cultural factors such as display rules, social roles, and culturally determined appraisals. The interpretation of depression eliciting stimuli and situations and expression of depression, in particular, is also influenced by these cultural factors. Furthermore, the social constructionist view of depression makes it possible to compare the concept of depression in Western and Asian cultures. The contrast between the relatively individualistic nature of Western cultures and the collective nature of Asian cultures, and their associated norms for emotion regulation, may offer differing perspectives of depression and therefore help form a cultural observation of depression within the two cultures. The cultural display rules, socially learned performances, and emotion regulation norms that guide the interpretation of and behavioral responses to depressi on in these cultures reveal that Asians are more prone to depression and suicidal behaviors than are Westerners. Cultural differences between Western and Asian cultures in individualism-collectivism (I-C), a dimension of cultural variability, show a strong possibility that Asians are predisposed to more negative emotions than are Westerners. Individualistic cultures, most of which are Western, promote individual needs, wishes, desires, and values over group and collective ones (Matsumoto, 1990). Consequently, hierarchical differences in status or power are minimized while equality is emphasized (Matsumoto, 1990). In contrast, collective cultures, many of which are Asian, promote the opposite; they stress the needs of a group, individuals identify themselves as members of a group, and ones social role is defined by an entrenched system of hierarchical differences and vertical relationships (Matsumoto, 1990). The I-C difference is also related to the social distinction between ingroups and outgroups (Matsumoto, 190). Members of individualistic cultures tend to display more negative emotions to in group members and more positive emotions to outgroup members. Conversely, members of collective cultures tend to display more positive emotions to members of ingroups and more negative emotions to those of outgroups (Matsumoto, 1990). These display rules should predispose Asians to more negative emotions, which may result in depression, at least in the social interactions with outgroups. Power distance, another dimension of cultural variability, which refers to cultural differences in status and power, is positively correlated to cultures that are more individualistic and negatively correlated to those that are more collective. This dimension may already show that Asian cultures foster more opportunities for the occurrence or passive harboring of negative emotions, while Western cultures seem to dissipate many of these potential risks. The importance of equality and the needs of the individual in Western cultures may make it less likely for people to experience depression on a large, societal scale. On the other hand, the vertical relationships encapsulated in collective cultures may make it more likely for people to acknowledge their differences from one another and any perceived inadequacies with those higher in power and status may contribute to the occurrence of depression. A Japanese-American comparison study by Matsumoto (1990) explored the relationship between I-C and PD cultures and the display rules of the members of those cultures. The study was conducted in two sessions; the first measured display rules through the subjects judgment of the appropriateness of displaying emotions in different situations, and the second measured how they judged the intensity of the same emotions. The results of the experiment supported the views that Japanese display rules made it appropriate to show negative emotions to outgroups and lower-status others while American display rules allowed people to express negative emotions more openly in ingroups (Matsumoto, 1990). In addition, Americans rated happiness in public and to outgroups as more appropriate than did Japanese. The Japanese display rules, indicative to some degree of Asian cultural display rules at large, show that in order to foster ingroup harmony and maintain the hierarchical differences in power and st atus, people find negative emotions to be appropriate when interacting with outgroups and lower-status others but not with ingroups and higher-status others. These display rules may reveal that Asian cultures are less tolerant than Western cultures of negative emotions in ingroups, which discourages them to express and share their negative emotions with their ingroups. A further finding from Matsumotos study suggests that although Asians may be more likely to express negative emotions to outgroups, they mask their negative feelings in the presence of others (Matsumoto, 1990). Overall, Asian cultures seem to discourage any expression of negative emotions whether with ingroups, outgroups, or those of different status. Emotion regulation norms for Asian and Western cultures also demonstrate a greater likelihood for depression among Asians than among Westerners. Since emotion regulation refers to the ability to manage and modify ones emotional reactions in order to achieve a desirable outcome, it reflects the different ways that culture tries to achieve social order (Matsumoto, Yoo, Nakagawa, 2005). Two aspects of emotion regulation, reappraisal-the way individuals appraise an emotion-eliciting situation to change its impact on the emotion-and suppression-the inhibition of emotional expressive behavior-can be used to compare Asian and Western cultures. Individualistic cultures are associated with more reappraisal and less suppression because these cultures value emotions and free expression more than collective cultures, which are associated with less reappraisal and more suppression in order to maintain ingroup cohesion and harmony (Matsumoto et al., 2005). Studies have linked emotion regulation t o different types of adjustment. Individuals high in reappraisal and low in suppression experienced more positive and less negative emotions, were more open in sharing their emotions with others, had better social support, were less depressed, and reported higher self-esteem, optimism, and life satisfaction; in essence, reappraisal has been associated with positive outcomes and suppression with negative emotions (Matsumoto et al., 2005). These conclusions can also be applied to individuals from Asian and Western cultures at large-Asians may feel more negative emotions, have less social support, and be more depressed than Westerners. Although suppression has been associated with negative consequences on the individual level, a study by Matsumoto et al. (2005) shows that it may have positive consequences on the social level. Suppression may play an important cultural function in organizing and maintaining cultural systems and groups. Thus, the social order is preserved at the expense of the emotional well-being of the individual. Part of their study, which held data about country-level emotion regulation, reveals that emotion regulation is positively correlated with both positive and negative indices of adjustment (Matsumoto et al., 2005). In other words, while individualism may promote high levels of both positive and negative adjustment because it values free, uninhibited emotional expression, collectivism may promote only either positive or negative adjustment. Despite the fact that suppression in collective cultures may lead to greater social harmony and a high level of positive adjustment, individuals may sti ll experience negative consequences. Therefore, while Asian countries and cultures may report a relatively positive adjustment for society in general, individuals themselves may report negative adjustment. This phenomenon may very well show that Asians who suffer from depression are stifled by cultural emotion regulation norms from receiving psychological or emotional help and support. The Social Constructionist Theory has helped define the social constructs of Asian cultures that make Asians more prone not only to negative emotions but also to social anxiety, a precursor to depression. Cultural display rules, social roles, and emotion regulation norms have effectively contributed to the predisposition of Asians to be more passive, non-assertive, and anxious in interpersonal situations than Westerners (Okazaki, Liu, Minn, 2002). The results from a study that examined differences between Asian American and White American on a trait measure of social anxiety and self-reports of anxiety-related emotions during a 3-min social performance task indicated that Asian Americans reported more anxiety than White Americans (Okazaki et al., 2002). Their data also revealed that some differences among Asian Americans of various ethnicities in their levels of social anxiety are related to their levels of acculturation. If there are indeed significant differences among Asian Ameri cans depending on their level of acculturation to American culture, they would be due to whether Asian Americans still prescribe to Asian social constructs of emotion. Although Asian Americans reported more social anxiety, they did not behave in an observably different manner than White Americans during the anxiety-provoking social task (Okazaki et al., 2002). In light of the emotion regulation norms that guide behavioral responses, both Asian Americans and Asians may be less willing to express any type of strong emotions, positive or negative, in front of people. This observation may support the view that Asians are exposed to social rules that increase the likelihood for anxiety, and subsequently depression, because those same rules prevent them sharing their emotional burdens with others. This culturally embedded formula for Asians to experience more social anxiety than Westerners is reinforced by culturally relevant risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Asian American youths. Asian American youths are at greater risk for suicide than majority group youths (i.e. White Americans and African Americans) because they experience risk factors that every youth experiences such as antisocial behaviors, substance abuse, and lack of familial stability, and those related to acculturation to the majority culture such as discrimination, alienation, and identity confusion (Lau, Jernewall, Zane, Myers, 2002). Asian American youths who fail to acculturate properly and develop an adaptive ethnic identity are prone to maladjustment, which entails life dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, pessimism, and depression. It is primarily the parents of Asian American youths that confound their efforts to acculturate and thus contribute to stress and frustration (Lau et al., 2002). Acculturat ion stress and intergenerational acculturation conflicts have been identified as factors that influence suicidal behaviors among Asian youths in Great Britain (Lau et al., 2002). A struggle between Western cultural norms and Asian cultural values can be seen in the parent-child conflicts of Asian American youths. A medical record abstraction at a mental health outpatient clinic identified correlates of suicidal behaviors in a sample of 285 Asian American youths (Lau et al., 2002). The records pointed out that adolescents were at the greatest risk for suicidal behaviors and were more prone to depression than were younger children. Consequently, depression was a strong predictor of suicidality as well (Lau et al., 2002). The data showed that youths who were less acculturated and experienced high parent-child conflict were at significantly greater risk than youths who were more acculturated and had lower conflict. Interestingly, youths who were diagnosed as suicidal displayed a higher number of internalizing symptoms and fewer externalizing symptoms (Lau et al., 2002). Perhaps the cultural sanctions against expression of negative emotions and the Asian cultural tendency to portray mental disorders as shameful and the tendency to downplay such disorders as temporary emotional states that do not r equire treatment, medical or otherwise, contribute to the prevalence of suicidal behavior among Asian American youths (Lau et al., 2002). Asian Americans as a whole, including both youths and adults, have had their mental health needs neglected by United States federal mental health policies (Nagayama Hall, Yee, 2012). This neglect is perpetuated in part by the three myths about Asian Americans: they are a small group; they are a successful group and do not have any financial or cultural problems; and they do not experience mental health disparities (Nagayama Hall, Yee, 2012). Although many, especially White Americans and the government, see Asian Americans as the model minority, they are not by any means exempt from problems surrounding their social and cultural position in the United States. The first myth is debunked by data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census showing that Asian Americans are proportionally the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. The second myth can be disproven by the sheer fact that not all Asian Americans receive the same education and opportunities to advance in society. Some groups have l ess education, greater unemployment, and higher poverty than others (Nagayama Hall, Yee, 2012). Moreover, even Asian Americans who are successful by educational, employment, and income standards encounter problems associated with their ethnicity. The stress of acculturation contributes to the occurrence of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. Their overall success in integrating with American culture belies the reality that many experience mental health disparities due to clashing cultural values and display rules; as a result, this conflict and the neglect of their mental health needs predispose them to an increased risk of depressive symptoms and behaviors and (Nagayama Hall, Yee, 2012). A specific look into the avoidance of mental therapy in South Korea further strengthens the argument that Asian cultures foster societies in which Asians are more likely to experience depression and less likely to seek help for it. Academic and corporate pressures contribute to an alarming rate of stress and suicide among South Koreans (Kim, Won, Liu, Liu, Kitanishi, 1997). Many Koreans, however, largely resisted Western psychotherapy for their growing anxieties, depression, and stress. The Buddhist and Confucian values that dictate much of South Korean society emphasize stoicism and modesty while subordinating individual problems and concerns to the good of society. In line with these ethics is preservation of face, or dignity for the family (Kim et al., 1997). If they do seek help, Koreans are compromising the dignity of their families by indirectly stating that they need mental therapy because their families are at fault. Koreans decide not to seek professional psychotherapy or c ounseling because the culture considers open expression of emotional problems as taboo. Thus, many Koreans forgo mental help and cope with their problems on their own (Kim et al., 1997). However, the suicide rate has doubled in Korea between 1999 and 2009 and it may continue to grow if Koreans do not seek therapy or some form of counseling to cope with depression and stress (Kim et al., 1997). The problem of depression in Korea is mirrored in other East Asian cultures perhaps because they all share the same cultural prohibition of expressing negative emotions to both ingroups and outgroups and the view that depression is not a serious mental health problem. A dangerous threat that can result from ignoring cases of depression and when individuals neglect or are incapable of seeking mental aid is a rising suicide rate. China, India, and Japan accounted for more than 40% of all world suicides in 2006 (Beautrais, 2006). Surprisingly then, although many Asian cultures believe that suicide is a source of personal and family shame, much of the worlds reported suicides occur in Asian countries. Problems of underreporting cases of suicides and suicide attempts such as inaccuracy of reports, prohibitions against the collection of suicide data, and the stigmatization of suicide make it difficult to assess the true numbers of suicides that occur in Asian countries. Nevertheless, limitations aside, there is still an alarming number of suicides that take place in Asian countries every year. As in Western countries, mental illness is strongly correlated with suicide in Asian countries (Beautrais, 2006). Indeed, many of the life stresses that cause dep ression-poverty and marital, family, and relationships problems-are equally shared by Asian and Western countries. However, some cultural, historical, and contextual features of suicidal behavior in Asia may show that life stresses may more often lead to suicide than in the West (Beautrais, 2006). The struggles of young rural families involving early marriage, low social status, and lack of personal autonomy; economic stresses for Asian businessmen who are pressured to work long hours and drink away their stress; and academic stresses for adolescents in Japan and Korea who compete for admission to prestigious schools may invariably lead to suicide. Not only do the societal conditions in which Asians live may engender more cases of depression and suicide, but also the social constructs of emotion particular to Asian cultures. While the Social Constructionist Theory argues that social roles, emotion regulation norms, and cultural display rules explain why Asians may be more prone to depression than Westerners, appraisal theories help highlight the role of appraisal as interpretations of emotion-eliciting situations in this phenomenon. Appraisal, which is involved in reappraisal in emotion regulation, is defined as the evaluation of an event. Appraisal, therefore, plays a significant role in emotion regulation because it allows an individual to interpret a situation as positive or negative, thereby influencing the emotion felt. Whereas in Asian cultures, appraisal is framed by values that promote embeddedness, power distance, and hierarchy, in Western cultures, appraisal is perceived through values that promote individualism, egalitarianism, and affective autonomy (Matsumoto et al., 2005). Asian cultures assess appraisal through the collective mind, or through the socially desirable outcomes of ingroup harm ony and maintenance of power distance. Therefore, Asians may tend to appraise situations as positive or negative depending on the goals of their societies. However, because Asians may appraise emotional situations under the context of social values, they may run the risk of both diminishing positive emotions and exaggerating the negative emotions for the individual. For example, if an Asian youth receives a relatively poor grade based on his parents standards, he may ignore the fact that although he did not please his parents, he scored the highest out of his class. Nonetheless, the youth appraises the situation negatively because he places the needs of the group (his family) ahead of his individual needs and concerns. In contrast, a Western youth may appraise the situation differently, seeing his performance as satisfactory and thereby feeling happier and less stressed. Appraisal theories are thus contingent on the social goals and values pertaining to culture. Component theories further elaborate how components that lead to depression occur more often in Asian cultures than in Western cultures. In addition to appraisal, subjective feeling, action readiness, expression, and instrumental behavior are all emotion components that help construct an emotion. Through Ortony and Turners conclusion that emotion components are dissociable elements and the results of the study by Okazaki et al., (2002), we can see that depression is caused by various components that by their own may not be indicative of the emotion. Asian cultures define these components in relation to social order and harmony, once again subordinating the needs and desires of the individual to those of society. Naturally, appraisals and behaviors that reflect restraint and inhibition of expressing negative emotions are more prevalent and readily used in Asian cultures. However, even if one were to experience components of depression, the full manifestation of the emotion may not occ ur because depression and other mental health disorders are looked down upon in Asian cultures (Beautrais, 2006). The individual would likely associate an experience of depression, despite having all the components that form depression, with a general negative emotion that can be overcome by sheer willpower or other non-professional therapy; in addition, the individual can choose to ignore one or several components of depression to deny that they are depressed. Unfortunately, component theories, like appraisal theories, do not offer a full explanation of why Asians may be predisposed to depression because they do not ensure the full manifestation of depression. The Basic Emotions Theory may support the universality of depression, but does not explain why or how Asians are more prone to experiencing it. The study on social-anxiety for Asian Americans and White Americans by Okazaki et al., (2002) showed that facial expression is not a primary or even reliable indicator of emotion. Likewise, another study exhibiting display rules in Japanese and American subjects showed that while the Japanese felt the same emotions as the Americans, they did not show negative emotions to strangers (Matsumoto, 1990). Facial expressions of emotion are but one part of socially defined components that generate an emotion. Depression is interpreted differently by Asian cultures than it is by Western cultures due to differing social values and roles (Beautrais, 2006). Moreover, the expression of depression is inevitably different for Asian cultures and Western cultures because of cultural display rules. In short, the Basic Emotions Theory merely states that depress ion exists, but not to what degree individuals in different cultures experience it. There is a link between the Neo-Jamesian Psychophysiological Perspective and a study by Arnault Kim (2008) that shows that Japanese and Korean women had higher somatic distress and depression than American women. The results of the study showed that there were certain somatic distress symptoms unique to depression among the Asian women: gastric and abdominal upset, weakness, dizziness, aches and pains, and palpitations (Arnault Kim, 2008). Through a comparison with American women, Japanese and Korean women were found to experience culturally-specific somatic symptoms. This finding supports the psychophysiological perspective that each emotion has its own pattern or signature of bodily changes. Therefore, according to this perspective, depression should also have its own unique signature of bodily changes. Although the study may support the claim that emotions are equivalent to physiological changes or can be purely defined by them, it also showed that the somatic symptoms felt by t he women were culturally-specific. American women would not be able to experience the same symptoms as the Asian women did, and they would probably not label their symptoms collectively as depression. Furthermore, the Japanese and Korean women used an idiom of distress used to describe their symptoms that highlighted the importance of cultural values and beliefs. The Social Constructionist Theory is, therefore, the best theory illustrating how Asians are more prone to depression and suicidal behaviors than are Westerners. It encompasses elements from the Appraisal theory, Component theory, Basic Emotions theory, and Neo-Jamesian Psychophysiological Perspective. Emotion components that form the emotion of depression are all influenced by the social norms of a particular culture. Asian cultures, which value embeddedness, power distance, and hierarchy, evaluate emotion components and somatic symptoms according to these cultural orientations. On the other hand, Western cultures evaluate emotion components and physiological symptoms according to individualism, egalitarianism, and affective autonomy. The culturally specific evaluations of Asian cultures increase the likelihood of people experiencing depression than in Western cultures. The downplay of negative emotions may also reveal that in Asian cultures, negative emotions are relatively hypo-co gnized concepts, emotion concepts that are not so thoroughly mapped out in a cultures emotion lexicon. Nonetheless, the expression of negative emotions is confounded and inhibited by a cultural reluctance to acknowledge that people have mental health problems. Socially learned performances, syndromes, and language all contribute to create a high disposition for depression in Asian cultures. While Asian and Western cultures seem to be the primary culture groups in the world, we can observe similar cultures such as that of the Utku if we focus on the more fundamental I-C dimension of cultural variability. The Utku society shares more values and traits with collective Asian cultures than with individualistic Western cultures. The Utku value ingroup harmony over individual needs and desires, which have the potential to disrupt society. Parents show affection to their children up until a certain age around 3 and 4 years old, in order to assimilate them into the larger social context of society (Briggs, 1970). Adults expect children to eventually abandon their childish, selfish ways and adopt a communal mindset of equal distribution of food and goods. In order to maintain their social harmony, the Utku try not to exhibit anger, which would be detrimental to the carefully monitored society by causing conflict and breaking relationship ties. In their efforts to avoid anger, they have effectively made it a hypo-cognized concept, indirectly doing away with one of the precursors to depression. Because none of the Utku claim to be angry and no one can observe any signs of anger, the Utku may not even experience depression. By eliminating not only anger but also negative emotions in general, the Utku may only perceive positive emotions. Unlike other collective cultures like Asian cultures, the Utku have a relatively limited and simple emotion vocabulary and thus may not even consider depression to be an emotion concept, much less experience it. While studies on cultural display rules and emotion regulation norms suggest that individuals in collective cultures are more prone to negative emotions, this does not seem to be the case for individuals in Utku society. The only possible instances where depression may have occurred, in Raigili and Saaraks sullen moods when their mother no longer carries them, do not guarantee that the children felt depression (Briggs, 1970). Even if they felt sadness, it would have been construed and interpreted through social values; they experience emotions through the context of their society. In essence, the Utku reveal one exception to the commonly held view that individuals in collective cultures are more prone to depression. The comparison of Asian and Western cultures and their disposition for depression brings up a problem of the immutability of culture. If Asians are truly more prone to depression because of culture, then how do we rectify this problem, if there even is a solution save the complete upheaval of deeply entrenched social norms and values? Even with the evidence citing that Asians experience more depression and are at greater risk of suicidal behaviors than are Westerners in America and in their native countries, the global rates of suicide in Asia seem to increase every year. The medical findings can be a starting point to influence government health, economic, and educational policies to change or perhaps sway cultural values. While the thought of completely or irreversibly altering a cultures values and beliefs is not only near impossible but controversial, government and public awareness of depression and suicide may help decline the rampant number of suicides that occur in Asia. Ther e is an important distinction to be made between countries and cultures-countries may comprise of one or several cultures, and conversely, a culture is not indicative of any countrys beliefs or values (Matsumoto et al., 2005). Changes in other dimensions like international politics have translated into changes in public sentiment and even cultural values. There is a great possibility for governments of collective cultures to perhaps assuage the dangers of emotion suppression and allow for more open and free expression of emotion. They can also try to establish medical and mental health institutions that allow people to meet with psychiatrists privately to prevent the patient from any associated familial or individual shame for having depression. The medical records of Asian American outpatient youths and U.S. mental health policies that neglect the special needs of Asian Americans can help direct attention to the increased likelihood among Asian Americans to feel depression. The transcultural study by Kim et al., (1997) showed that even Asian students have developed coping methods to deal with stressful events. Health reforms that pair Asian patients with those of same ethnicities may alleviate any barriers to full expression of emotion and provide a chance to better diagnose and remedy depressive symptoms among low acculturated Asian Americans or immigrants. An observation that American psychiatry should be more sensitive to the relationship between the mind/emotions and the body would also help assess and treat Asian patients who experience depression and stress (Arnault Kim, 2008). Programs to help Asian immigrants to become acculturated with American or Western culture may dissipate any tension between Asian values and Western values. Understanding of emotion concepts across Asian and Western cultures could also be more easily facilitated through these acculturation programs. These civil policies and other measures may make it easier for Asian Americans to adopt American or Western culture while at the same time not relinquishing their native Asian cultures. This process of integration would ensure that they do not lose their cultural identities but rather focus on the values and emotion constructs that promote emotional well-being and health. Although Western cultures seems to be a better culture in terms of emotional expression and general individual well-being, it is far from perfect and may even be worse than Asian cultures in maintaining social order. Cultures all share the desire for social order (Matsumoto et al., 2005). Western cultures seem to promote this relatively well by emphasizing individualism, egalitarianism, and affective autonomy. Individualism ensures that the needs of the individual are met and attention and care is given to the individual who has problems. Egalitarianism promotes the idea that everyone, regardless of any actual differences in power or status, sho

The Management Skills Of A Farm Manager Management Essay

The Management Skills Of A Farm Manager Management Essay My position for this assignment is as a farm manager. Farm management deals with the organization operation of a farm with the objective of maximizing profits from the farm business on a continuing basis. The farm manager needs to adjust his farm organization from year to year to keep abreast of changes in methods, price variability resources available to him.   Topic 1.   Management skills As a farm manager I discussed leadership as management skills. Leadership means knowing when to lead and when to allow others to lead. Farm managers are employed by farm owners or tenants to make sure the farm runs efficiently and profitably. They may run a whole farm or just part of it, such as an arable (crops) unit. As a farm manager, you could work on one of three main types of farm livestock (animals), arable (crops) or mixed (animals and crops). Your work would depend partly on the type of farm, but could include: planning the running of the farm setting budget and production targets buying and selling animals or produce keeping financial records and records of livestock and/or crops Recruiting, training and supervising staff. Farm managers must know what crops will be profitable during a growing season based on factors such as disease, weather projections and market fluctuations in prices of domestic farm products, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. They then must develop planting and harvesting schedules and supervise farm employees. Farm managers also must know how to apply fertilizer and pesticides to crops, or they must care for  animals  and lead breeding activities if they manage livestock farms. Farm management training programs teach students how to perform these many critical responsibilities. A farm leader is persistent in achieving the goal that will benefits others (as well as him- or herself). A farm leader is patient in their persistence; although the leader wants to achieve the goal as quickly as possible, the farm leader will not abandon the effort just because the goal is not achieved immediately. Instead, the leader will explore alternatives if one strategy did not lead to fulfilling the goal, a leader will look for another strategy. A farm leader develops their successor; no one will last forever but a person who is committed to the goal that benefits a group, will take steps to assure the group continues to strive for the goal even after the farm leadership has transferred to other people. Topic 2.   Strategic planning What are some of the basic questions to be addressed in a strategic plan?   Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an organizations future course. All strategic planning deals with at least one of three key questions: What do we do? For whom do we do it? How do we excel? How might a manager facilitate strategic planning?  Ã‚  HINT Review the decision making process addressed earlier in the semester.   The preparatory phase of a strategic business plan of a farm manager relies on planning. The first phase of a strategic business plan include: Analysis of the current situation past year Business trends analysis Market analysis Competitive analysis Market segmentation Marketing-mix SWOT analysis Positioning analyzing perceptions Sources of information Marketing plan strategy objectives next year Marketing strategy Desired market segmentation Desired marketing-mix TOWS-based objectives as a result of the SWOT Position perceptual gaps Yearly sales forecast What are some of the similarities and some of the differences between strategic planning and the decision making process? Strategic planning is the process that clearly defines business objectives and assesses both the internal and external situation to formulate and implement the strategy, evaluate the progress, and make adjustments as necessary to stay on track. On the other hand decision making can be regarded as an outcome of mental processes (cognitive process) leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion of choice. Topic 3.   Information  management:   address the following questions.   Many of you are involved or will likely be involved in a business.   In one sentence, identify the type of business, such as an agricultural supply firm, or a grain farm, or a feedlot operation, or a food processing plant. As a farm manager I would like to involve in agricultural supply firm. What type of market and production information is needed to operate that type of business and where will that information be found?   Is the market and production information  likely to be public  or private?  Ã‚  How do you know it will be public or private information?   How does the answer to this question relate to the level of competition the business faces? (HINT:   consider and apply relevant economic theory to the business you are considering (characteristics of competition).)   The type of market and production information which is needed to operate aggrictural suppy farm is An  agricultural cooperative. It also known as a  farmers co-op, is a  cooperative  where  farmers  pool their resources in certain areas of activity. A broad typology of agricultural cooperatives distinguishes between  agricultural service cooperatives, which provide various services to their individually farming members, and  agricultural production cooperatives, where production resources (land, machinery) are pooled and members farm jointly.[1]  Agricultural production cooperatives are relatively rare in the world, and known examples are limited to  collective farms  in  former socialist countries  and thekibbutzim  in Israel.  Worker cooperatives  provide an example of production cooperatives outside agriculture. The default meaning of  agricultural cooperative  in English is usually an agricultural  service  cooperative, which is the numerically dominant form in the world. There are two primary types of agricultural service cooperatives,  supply cooperative  and  marketing cooperative. Supply cooperatives supply their members with inputs for agricultural production, including  seeds,  fertilizers,  fuel, and  machinery services. Marketing cooperatives are established by farmers to undertake transformation, packaging, distribution, and marketing of farm products (both crop and livestock). Farmers also widely rely on  credit cooperatives  as a source of financing for both working capital and investments. Where will you find the information; that is, what type of sources willl you use  (e.g., government agencies, private firms, your own research)?   What type of data banks will you use?   Be sure to cite appropriate examples of data sources, such as government web sites. The information must be private. Topic  4.  Risk Management  Ã‚   Address the following questions in this  part of the  memo.  Ã‚   What risks or  uncertainties does or will your business face?   Why do you consider them risks or  uncertainties?   How did  you identify or recognize them?   How do you assess them or measure the amount of risk or uncertainty?   How do you prepare for them?   What is the rationale for your risk management decision? Consider the ideas on risk management presented in the Kay text. Risk can be described as  the uncertainty  or  the unknown  relating to an action or an activity. For example, the outcome of an action or event could be better than expected or less than expected. As a farm manger the risk or uncertainties the business face/ identify/ recognize and prepare are: Production/technical risk Price/market risk Financial risk Legal risk Personal risk Availability of labor Availability of capital Equipment breakdown Health of the business owner Natural disasters such as rain, drought, storms, floods, etc. Power outage following a storm or other natural disaster Natural event that damages your product, such as e-coli entering the food system Availability of transportation Changing government regulations Business activity or event that violates an environmental regulation Availability of a market in which to sell our product or service Topic 5.   Position description and performance review Farm manager Position description Farm managers raise animals, tend crops, plan strategies for maximum yield, organise farm administration, work machinery, organise associated businesses and manage staff. They need to have technical and practical competence, coupled with the ability to make sound business decisions. Farms are generally arable, dairy or livestock, run by management companies or single-owner farmers. Crops range from cereals, oil seed rape and potatoes to vegetables and salad crops. Livestock are usually pigs, cows or sheep. Farm managers must appreciate the need to satisfy regulations set by the  Department for Environment, Food Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (http://www.defra.gov.uk)  for safe, high-quality produce farmed in an environmentally sustainable manner. Typical work activities Farm managers are responsible for planning, organising and managing the activities of a farm to meet the objectives of the owner. Typical work activities include: planning finances and production to maintain farm progress against budgeted parameters; practical activities, e.g., driving tractors, operating machinery, feeding livestock, spraying fields, etc; marketing the farms products; buying supplies, such as fertiliser and seeds; arranging the maintenance and repair of farm buildings, machinery and equipment; planning activities for trainee staff, mentoring and monitoring them; maintaining and monitoring the quality of yield, whether livestock or arable crops; Work conditions An assistant or trainee farm manager can expect to start on around  £22,000 (salary data collected Sep 09). After two years training, salaries rise to around  £28,000. Experienced farm managers earn in the region of  £60,000. Senior posts, including those in a consultancy or advisory role, can pay in excess of  £70,000 (salary data collected Sep 09). Salaries are usually dependent on experience and the size of the farm. Other benefits usually include farm produce, a pension scheme and private health insurance. Continuing professional development (CPD), e.g., in crop management is now available. Farm managers may also have accommodation included as part of their salary package, and/or the use of a vehicle and phone. Entry requirements Previous hands-on farming experience and technical knowledge are as important as academic qualifications, and some employers may appoint candidates on the basis of their experience alone. However, a degree is greatly valued and most farm managers hold at least a degree or HND/Foundation degree in agriculture, or a related subject. In particular, the following subjects may improve your chances: agriculture; farm business management; crop management; horticulture; land/estate management; agricultural engineering. Training Lantra: The Sector Skills Council for the Environmental and Land-based Sector (http://www.lantra.co.uk)  runs a variety of regional and national courses. These include short courses at all levels, from training on specific kinds of equipment, such as chainsaws, through to assessing and validating NVQs up to level 5   a trainee assistant farm manager would be working towards NVQ Level 4 in the first instance. Career development Most beginners in farm management expect to start as an assistant or by managing an enterprise, such as a pig unit, depending on their interests. After that, experience can progress to more responsibility and management. Most farms now are focused on a single activity so, in order to gain a broad range of experience, a farm manager may move from one farm to another. Different areas of the country specialise in different types of production as the climate and soil Farm manager Performance reviews are often used as a tool for evaluating employee raises, potential layoffs, productivity metrics and  job  security. Therefore, farm manager job performance reviews naturally create stress on the part of the manager reviewing an employee and the employee being assessed. With farm manager review, planning and inclusion of detail, farm managers can create job performance reviews for their employees that foster increased productivity, ensure clarity of goals and simultaneously lower the stress of the review process.

A Therapeutic Relationship Essay -- Health, Nursing

A therapeutic relationship is a key component in the nursing profession. Without therapeutic relationships, the best possible care can never be provided. The foundation in which trust is built upon is created from the nurse’s ability to truly listen and respond appropriately. Listening creates the base in developing a strong, trusting relationship. Sometimes it is simply hearing what a patient says that makes all the difference, empowering them to open up and become more comfortable with the nurse (Hawkins-Walsh, 2000). The framework for creating a therapeutic relationship is built on the nurse’s ability to show empathy towards the client. Empathy is being able to put oneself in the patient’s shoes, to feel the same things they feel and to explore what it means to them (RNAO, 2002). Without the ability to relate to Irene, a trusting relationship cannot be developed nor can mutual respect be earned. Trust is the foundation for building a relationship; once created, the client feels more comfortable opening up. Trust is established in many ways; such as keeping confidentiality, be...