Determinism and free will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Determinism and free will - Essay Example The contrast of determinism is free will. The text was quite interesting, which provoked my decision of choosing it. The text talks about the free will and the truth of determinism. Many occasions human beings find themselves in agony when they are making decisions. The text gave me an insight of understanding that there are provoking factor when human being making choices in life and the decision that they make are sometimes determined by other occurrences. Since before I took this course and read a text about the free will and determinism. I had a thought that we human beings being the superior creatures in the beautiful world we are at liberty to choose to undertake what we wish to. This notion was erased by the knowledge that I got from the text about the Holbach and Taylor on determinism/free will (Holton 415). This reality was quite impressing to me that it motivated me to write about it from my primary course. When I first read the above text, my initial thoughts were diverse. First, I thought that if all human being were considerate and humane enough then it will be of no essence to have rules and regulations governing them. Since if one does everything while back in mind having the idea of the probable consequences to him or her also to the surrounding. Secondly, the other thought that I had was that if people were always driven by necessity. When they are in a position to recognize it, then they would not have been pushed into doing what they are expected of them. For instance, we as students recognize what we are expected to achieve in this course, and then would not have waited up to when we are given assignment to do it. If necessity were a guiding principle, then we could have done the assignment earlier and achieve what our course is set to give us. Finally, the last thought that I had was that if all humankind were conservative enough to the others as they are to themselves. Thus , the issues of having ill

The Vigilance Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Vigilance Project - Essay Example Being in a group, an individual feels as integral part of a team which enhances his or her self-worth. 4. Realistic is conflict â€Å"based on scarce resources†; symbolic conflict is conflict â€Å"based on values and beliefs†. Realist conflicts take place between groups over scarce resources in a competitive environment. Symbolic conflicts occur due to different perspectives regarding values and ideas which give rise to conflicts in goal persuasion. 5. The leadership paradox is best stated as â€Å"The fact that teams usually need leaders, but the very presence of a leader threatens the autonomy of a team†. Instead of making a team more productive, a leader may end up being a hindrance if he overuses his power (Thomson, 2004, p.309). 6. The three types of team coaching include â€Å"ability, coordination, motivation†. Motivation enhances team commitment, coordination helps people to work together, and educational coaching increases skills and abilities of team members (Levi, 2010, p.178). 7. Teams that are underbounded â€Å"Have many external ties, but cannot bring its members together†; in contrast, teams that are overbounded â€Å"have high loyalty but an inability to integrate with others†. Overbounded teams are highly cohesive and so members can work in more coordinated manner than underbounded teams (Hackman, 2011, p.79). 11. According to the empirical research on convergent and divergent thinking, â€Å"Groups are better than individuals at divergent thinking; individuals are better than groups at convergent thinking†. This is because in the former effort is to find single solution to a problem while in the latter effort is to find multiple solutions to a problems which can be more effective in a group (Salkind, 2005, p.309). 12. The key threats to creativity include all of the following, except â€Å"social striving†. Social striving means individuals can exhibit maximum performance when working as part of a group, and this can enhance

Fashion marketing Processes

Fashion marketing Processes INTRODUCTION Fashion marketing is something new and upcoming on the horizon , especially in India with the rise in Indian middle class. Globalization and the shape of economy, its positive impacts are also evident in retail , textile and clothing industry and hence fashion. Some are already here and others are headed this way . Global fashion brands like Tommy , Chanel , LV have found Indian shores and starting to create their luxury niche markets. These dramatically changing market conditions have bolstered the demand for highly competent fashion marketing professionals who can take up key positions in fashion marketing, Brand management and related areas. FASHION MARKETERS An extremely interesting and creative field to work in , there are many upcoming courses to tap on the trend of fashion marketing. Aspirants of such course should be creative as well as knowledgable of the environment and the industry on the whole. It has been a major source of argument that fashion marketing is different from other goods marketing simply because of the nature of such an industry. Another very unique feature in fashion marketing is that with no trade barriers , globalization , considerable variations in culture, ethics, social perspective , it is not uniform even at the national level, let alone the international arena. Hence its biggest challenge. Delhi based Pearl Academy of fashion and WLC have already started post graduate programs on fashion marketing . Seeing the rise in demand of Indian fashion industry , its value chain has also increased in a phenomenal growth percentage Fashion marketing is all about how the clothes should reach the market when they have been designed and created. That is where the fashion marketing team takes charge. It seamlessly integrates advertising , design and business admin and a knowledge base about the fashion industry to be successful. For example who would be interested in a silk blouse ? A 15 year old girl or a 30 year working woman.these marketers have a good sense of popular culture and what will become stylish and in for the future. They should not only what will be successful but also which consumer group will be more interested. The fashion marketing process: A major part of the fashion marketing is behind the scenes in the sense that they keep tabs on the latest fashion trends and consumer buying habits , put together campaigns that target those specific consumers keeping in mind the broader world of fashion . They are savvy idea team , the connectors between the designers and the public. Fashion weeks , top notch fashion magazines like Vogue , Verve etc , fashion calenders, trends , blogs are where fashion is seen best. Fashion marketers need to be updated on all the fronts to exist in this dynamic, cut -throat, bling industry. FASHION MARKET AND INDIA The fashion market has been categorized and structured as below: Haute couture are the famous international fashion houses of the world. Designer wear is shown as prà ªt-a-porter. Mass markets are the market area where most people buy their clothes. The size and value chain of fashion market is shown below: As we are witnessing the Indian consumer is evolving and the fashion companies in India are reacting to this evolution through countless options. The fashion market has been growing leaps and bounds due to the young population , increase and rise in the middle class , increase in consumption and retail . This push and pull mechanism has made several businesses react to this with the retail business having the largest share of modern organised retail in India ie 20 % of the current market of Rs 56000 crore. Bilateral Co-operation in this sector shows great synergies. An Indo Italia Task Force on Fashion Design and life Style products has been created following an agreement between the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Italian Ministry of International Trade. On the Indian side members include FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Industry , NID National Institure of Design while on the Italian side there is Confindustria, Altagamma, Universita Bocconi, ICE. A few facts : Georgio Armani has signed up with DLF , joint venture with the most reknowned real estate firm . Armani will get Rs 10 mn into this retail venture. It will be opened up in New Delhi. Reliance Brands has entered into 49:51 joint venture with Sixty Group . Its an Italian fashion house retailing its brands in India. Raymond had also tied up GAS to bring its retail venture to India. Consumer spending in India has increased over the last few years nearly touching the global benchmark of 5 % of total income In the past 3 years , Investments in the textile sector has increased from $ 3 Bn to $ 8 bn. Europe is Indias biggest export market. Demand in rural India for ready made garments will increase at 16.6% annually to touch US$ 10.41 Bn by this year. Versace is going to tie up with Reliance Brands The fashion Industry is expected to rise at 23 percent by 2013 FASHION MARKETING ROLES A fashion marketer has to don various caps to do suitable justice to his profile, which includes: Apparel innovation Brand loyalty Consumer decisions and shopping behaviour Manufacturing systems Market positioning Merchandising Perceptions in the marketplace Piracy issues Pricing structures Product image Quality and performance measurement The importance of socio-economic factors Role of technology in Fashion marketing Marketing fashion is about visual communication at the basic level.Media designers and fashion marketers are using the internet as strong medium to reach out to the masses The Fashion Cycle Styles will be introduced, taken up by the fashion-forward, and then acknowledged and accepted by the general population. It will phase out once it is popularized.and by then designers will be busy with the new look.And this is where the Internet comes in. What is worn by a celebrity today can literally be seen by thousands the same day, increasing demand and ultimately shortening the life cycle of a fad. Retail Technology There are specialised and personalised softwares for assisting buyers, merchandisers , managers to not only track sales but buy raw materials more efficiently . And the internet has made it easier for fashion coordinators , fashion directors , graphic designers , advertising , stylists and so on to keep a tab on the fashion world on a minute to minute basis . Store managers , consumer consultants etc can determine and forecast sales for the entire chain or region by pulling up updating data from the internet. Creative Opportunity Graphic designers , advertisers, photographers have much much more opportunities to design , sketch , write about trends because of the internet . They can write about who is wearing where on which red carpet , about the various fashion weeks going on around the world and open the doors to international fashion. Social Media Social networking groups and fashion blogs are putting the action from all across the globe . Justjared is one such hugely successful blog reporting what celebrities wear and what is in trend all across.They have been phenomenal to say the least.These local trend setters are having a gala time with the publicity and interest they are generating in the world of fashion. Education Students of fashion marketing , fashion PR , fashion merchandising are being trained and made accustomed to study and utilise marketing trends on the internet . Luxury market and Fashion Marketing Luxury brands are always about making their customers feel they own something one in million. And fashion marketers have acknowledged that the luxury wave is hitting Indian shores with a number of luxury brands entering the market such as Zara , Liz Clairborne , Burberry etc. The Luxury Marketing Council Worldwide has established a chapter in India, with the aim of promoting luxury in India. Their task will also be to build synergy between various luxury brands interested in India by way of sharing of consumer insights as well as best practices. Hindustan Times has been extremely active and is pioneering the luxury revolution in India by organizing two Indian Luxury Conferences in the last 4 years. And it also supplies monthly magazine of luxury goods available in India, creating awareness and enthusiasm. The luxury market is relatively smaller with respect to the number of companies, but goes much beyond its weight both in terms of sales and more specifically, influence. Luxury market leads the world of promotion , PR and marketing per se ; they have the best packaging best merchandising , best promotions and the best of prices . Some insights : There were 135,000 millionaires (in US dollar terms) in India in 2009. The affluent market is growing at a rate of 13% in India The wealth potential of Indias affluents and their preferences have been found to match the West The role of fashion marketing is even more important in the field with new developments , theories and knowledge to be shared every day and the trends changing every season. The focus of luxury brands in India is about â€Å"how soon† they will settle themselves here and â€Å"how will† they cater to our Indian audience . In luxury business no one can afford to treat their customers as loose segment. A number of Western brands have already started on focussing on the very demanding Indian consumer giving them fashions like â€Å"ethnic chic† etc to give them a taste of their own sensibilities and capturing their interests. A word of caution that goes for luxury marketers, irrespective of their brands and geographical presence The luxury consumer is always looking for newer ways to satisfy his continuously changing needs. Hence, the need to keep a close tab through insightful research is of prime importance. Conclusion Fashion marketing has the best of both worlds fashion and marketing. The fashion marketer must know about brand equity, marketing techniques and consumer buying habits. As far as India is concerned, given the rapidly accelerating affluence of the masses, the scenario is set to witness a boom . Universities have started to give out courses in this specialization sensing a need from the market.All fashion houses , luxury brands , retail chains have sensed the need for the two to be combined and present the crucial role of a fashion marketer. A very lucrative and creative field , it has gained huge popularity and is the most upcoming thing in the marketing world. The ones who will be riding the wave will be the ones whove kept their ears open to each and every word of their each and every customer.

Life with a Siberian Husky Essay example -- essays research papers

Life with a Siberian Husky I really had no idea what I was getting intowhen I decided to get a Siberian Husky for a pet. Don't get me wrong: Iwouldn't trade him for anything and I love him dearly, but this animal has hisown plan - his own agenda. The last three years of my life have been anawakening to the downright mischievous nature of these dogs. I've met other Husky owners and they all have the same stories of their dogs running away and possessing the trademark Husky stamina. They also tell of the little idiosyncrasies, such as their dogs "talking" and the way Huskies know when you're speaking about them when they are in the room. All of these owners are amazed at the Houdini-like capabilities these dogs have to help them escape any enclosure. I have a few entertaining stories of my own about my Husky, Khayman. First of all, he is the dog that everyone loves and no one wants to own. I can barely get anyone to watch him for more than ten minutes. It's not that Khayman is a mean animal--he isn't--he is just clever. Part of the reason everyone likes him is because of his looks, but mostly he's got a lot of personality. His bandit mask and two different colored eyes (blue and brown) get him attention, pats on the head, dog biscuits at the gas station, and royal treatment whenever anyone finds him on his escapades (which, mind you, have been many). His first escapades didn't take him far, mostly running down the street a few blocks after bum rushing the...

Organizational Psychology Paper Psy 428

Organizational Psychology Paper Shanna Brookins PSY/428 12/12/2011 Organizational Psychology Paper Introduction Organizational psychology is the study of a formal organization and how individuals and groups act within that organization; in other words, the scientific study of the workplace. The goal of organizational psychology is to help organizations function the best way possible. This is achieved by helping people understand their interactions with each other and create an environment where everyone can work together to accomplish important goals.When an organization is successful, the employees have better job satisfaction. In turn, this creates better productivity which allows products and services to be produced at a lower price. This savings can be passed along to the customers therefore having a positive effect on everyone. (Jex, 2008). An industrial-organizational psychologist studies different aspects of the work environment, such as leadership, job satisfaction, on the jo b stress, and communication among employees. An industrial-organizational psychologist is brought in by organizations as consultants to solve particular problems.They apply research methods and psychological principles to improve productivity, management and marketing problems, as well as facilitate organizational development and change, and identify training and development needs. I/O psychologists often work for more than one organizational setting; they may also choose to teach in universities and colleges (Jex, 2008). Two Sides of I/O Psychology The industrial side of I/O psychology concentrates on organizational policies and processes that affect the employees on a personal level, it is sometimes called the â€Å"personnel psychology† (McCarthy, 1999).Industrial psychology uses statistics, psychometrics, as well as quantitative tools to develop rating scales, interview techniques, and psychological test. These tests are used to measure skills for the purpose of hiring, p lacement, and promotion within an organization. In addition, the industrial side handles performance appraisals and feedback, as well as training and development (Industrial and Organizational Psychology , 2008). The organizational side of I/O psychology focuses on making the most of organizational performance.This focuses on interpersonal relationships at work, how individual differences affect an organization, leadership, motivation, team and group dynamics, and organizational change and development. In addition, the organization side concentrates on job satisfaction, attitudes, and dealing with job stress such as balancing work and family (McCarthy, 1999). The Use of Research Research methods are used in I/O psychology to answer question about why employees behave the way they do. Analyses of behavior in qualitative studies involve discussions of how people experience and feel events in their lives and can be a good means of generating hypotheses and theories of what happens in o rganizational settings â€Å"(Ehigie, 2005, p. 621). Qualitative methods of research are used by I/O psychologist in organizational studies. I/O psychological may use methods such as test, questionnaires, rating scales, observation, ethnography and physiological measures to answer questions about behavior (Ehigie, 2005) Observation is a research method used in I/O psychology to understand employee’s culture and behavior.There are three observational methods that may be used, simple observation, participant observation, and archival data sources . The observational technique is best used when observing routine jobs that require apparent behaviors, for example waiting tables. This method cannot be used for jobs which require intellectual or cognitive processing for example making decisions or planning. In participant observation the observer may be a part of the event being studied. The researcher must be able to ethically preform the job; this method is used for job analysis. Archival data sources uses records or any form of data that exist, it is an important supplement to more conventional data collection methods. This method allows researcher to study issues that could not be studies in any other way (Ehigie, 2005). The Use of Statistics When data is collected by organizational researchers the data must be analyzed. The statistics, mean median, and mode are known to be the most common measures of central tendency. An average value of the item in the series or some characteristic of members in a group is a measure of central tendency.Mean represents the average for an ungrouped data . The sum of the scores divide by the total number of the scores gives the value of the mean. Median is the score or value of that central item which divides the series in exactly two equal halves. Mode is defined as the size of the variable that occurs most frequently in the series (Jex, 2008). Conclusion Organizational psychology can be used in organizations to assess job performance, training, and making hiring decisions. In addition, it can help employees develop the capabilities they need in an organization for promotions.Organizational psychology can also be used in an organization to explore why certain employees may not work well together, why some are not preforming well, as well as job satisfaction. Organizational psychology also may study why dissatisfaction is among certain employees and how it contributes to negative outcomes, such as turnover and absenteeism. Organizational psychology is applied through the human resources department or consultants. It can be used to assess any problem or issue that is related to work or careers (Industrial and Organizational Psychology , 2008) ReferencesIndustrial and Organizational Psychology . (2008). Retrieved December 11, 2011, from AllPsychlogyCareers. com http://www. allpsychologycareers. com/topics/industrial-organizational-psychology. html Ehigie, B. &. (2005). Applying Qualitative Methods in Or ganizations: A Note for Industrial/Organizational Psychologists. The Qualitative Report Volume 10 Number 3, 621-638. Jex, S. &. (2008). Organized Psychology. Hoboken,NJ: Wiley. McCarthy, D. (1999, December 8). I/O Psychology Overview notes. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from MTSU: http://frank. mtsu. edu/~pmccarth/io_ovrvw. htm

To What Extent Does Labelling Theory Offer a Useful Contribution to the Study of Crime and Deviance in Today’s Society

Labelling Theory To what extent does labelling theory offer a useful contribution to the study of crime and deviance in today’s society Introduction This assignment will Discuss labelling theory, it will attempt to explore the contributions made by labelling theorists, the criticism towards labelling theorists, and the discussion surrounding its reality as an actual theory. However the main focus will be proving an understanding of Howard Becker‘s Labelling Theory and will describe and evaluate Labelling Theory to the study of crime. In conclusion it will discuss how relevant labelling theory is today. According to (Wellford, 1975) Labelling Theory or The Social Reaction Theory as it is more often known has been around and has developed over time from as early as 1938. It became very popular during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s were it was seen as a new departure in theories of crime and deviance particularly in sociology. Edwin Lemert is widely recognized as the founder of what is called the Societal Reaction Theory. This is the forerunner to the Social Reaction or Labelling Theory which has present day acceptance and includes many of the same concepts. Currently, labelling theory suggests that when a person commits a crime, they receive the label of criminal. When a person is labelled criminal by society, they are likely to accept this label as a part of themselves and because the person now thinks of themselves as a criminal, they are now likely to continue in their criminal behaviour (Becker, 1963). This is still relevant to this day, e. g. f a male was to murder a female he will always be seen and known as a criminal. In order to understand labelling theory, familiarization is needed with Lemert’s Societal Reaction Theory. This theory explores the journey to social deviance in two stages; primary deviance and secondary deviance. Howard Becker is widely associated with the labelling theory through his volume Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. He also developed the term â⠂¬Å"moral entrepreneur† to describe persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behaviour outlawed. He asserts that many of the laws that have been passed have been solely for this purpose, and that behaviour which is defined as criminal is dynamic and changes throughout time and that therefore, the actual criminal behaviour is irrelevant to the theory. (Becker, 1963). Becker himself has stated however, that the concept of his work is not a theory, with all the achievements and obligations that go with the title, or focused solely on the act of labelling as some have thought. It is not a single concept, being instead a number of assorted ideas that have been brought together under one approach, although critics have called the work ambiguous, inconsistent and at best a vague perspective Becker, never sought to provide an all-embracing, etiological explanation of deviance Becker himself prefers the term ‘Interactionist Theory of Deviance' developing the study of deviance from a distinctly social perspective, considering the processes by which particular types of act or people, come to be labelled as deviant. He has been influenced by works such as Cooley's ‘looking-glass self' , Lemert's ideas of social constructionism , and Mead's theories on the internalisation of the self, Becker makes two arguments: 1. Deviant behaviour must be conceptualized in terms of a sequential model since different causes operate at different stages, 2. Rules and enforcement processes must be viewed as developing through time rather than as an isolated moment of disapproval. Definition of Labelling Theory Also known as Social Reaction Theory, this is a theory originated by Edwin Lemert and then developed by sociologist Howard Becker. It is a social theory concerned with how people perceive themselves as delinquent or criminal due to the labels, which categorized and describe certain behaviours, that are applied to them by criminal justice authorities and by others in society. The theory maintains that the labels people are given affect their own and others perceptions of them, and how the behaviour of an individual is influenced or even created by the use of certain labels (i. e. , thief, prostitute, homosexual). The resulting treatment of the individual then pushes them into performing the deviant role or back into conformity. The theory also maintains that the deviance itself is characterized by societies reaction to any alleged violation of the rules or the expectations of what are considered normal conduct. Primary Deviance Primary deviance begins with an initial criminal act. As stated by Lemart it is a rule-breaking behaviour that is carried out by people who see themselves and are indeed seen by others as basically conformist by nature. Following this act of deviance the person may be labelled as deviant or criminal by their peers and society, yet they themselves do not yet accept this label. That is to say that they do not think of themselves in terms as being a criminal. It is this lack of acceptance to see themselves as criminal which differentiates primary from secondary deviance. This person shall remain in a state of primary deviance for as long as they are capable of rationalizing and able to deal with this label by justifying the act as a socially acceptable role (Lemert, 1951). When leading on to Secondary Deviance, the criminal label is placed on an individual during what is known as a Degradation Ceremony in which the accused person is formally or officially labelled as a criminal. This would normally take place during court sentencing, but may also come about in more subtle fashions as well. For example the relatives of a person become withdrawn and distance themselves from that person when they find out they have committed a crime, regardless of whether or not they face any formal charges (Wellford, 1975). An example of this would be an exotic dancer: In today’s society an exotic dancer is a perfect example. Others may label the dancer’s act as deviant while the dancer themselves may see it as a perfectly legitimate profession as with any other occupation which enables them to earn an income. Secondary Deviance According to Lemart secondary deviance occurs when there is an acceptance by the individual of the deviant behaviour and the criminal label, it unabsorbed into their self image, they therefore see themselves from that point in time as a criminal or deviant. This then becomes a mechanism for defence, attack, or adaptation to the problems of the individual caused by society’s reaction to their primary deviation (Lemert, 1951). is only considered to have occurred when the labelled person can no longer deny the label having undergone a degradation ceremony which labels the person eviant, be this through a personal audience such as family or friends, or a more formal one such as in a court of law, both the individual and society both now accept the view that the offender is a criminal. Once they finally accept this label as a part of themselves they will act ,from this point onward, in a way befitting this new criminal label. Secondary deviances is considered to have occurred when both society and the individual share the view that the offender is a criminal. Deviant Career and Master Status Becker's theory pays particular attention to the way in which society reacts to people with criminal labels. He suggests that this label becomes the person's Master Status, meaning that it is a constant label, that affects and over-rides how others in society will view them. The status that people will use to identify and classify the person will always be that of criminal. Any other statuses a person may have had are no longer heeded nor valid in the eyes of society. A person could be a parent, employee, spouse, etc. , but the first and major status that will come to mind to other people and themselves is that of the criminal (Becker, 1963). On occasion the person's criminal master status may compel them to conform more closely to society's accepted norms. This is an attempt to show to others that the person may have made mistakes in life, but such mistakes will not happen again. From this time onwards they will act in a fashion that is deemed Normal (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). It is believed however, that in most cases where the master status is that of a criminal, secondary deviance will be completed rather than being resisted. An identity change will take place in whereby the person will now accept the label of criminal. With this new criminal identity is in place, there is subsequent pressure for the individual to behave accordingly. Such an identity change may be signalled by a person losing contact with their former friends (conformist) and starting up associations with other criminal labelled deviants (Becker, 1963). In this new peer group of similarly minded deviants there increases the likelihood of the person not only continuing but also possibly escalating the rate and seriousness of their criminal behavior. Negative Labelling There are a number of powerful individuals within society (politicians, judges, police officers, medical doctors) who can impose some of the most significant labels. The labelled person may be a drug addict, an alcoholic, a criminal, a delinquents or a prostitute to name but a few. The consequences of being labelled a deviant can be far-reaching. Social research indicates that those who have negative labels applied to them usually have a lower self-image of themselves, that they are more likely to reject themselves, and that they may even act even more deviantly as a result of the label. The research also shows that it is unfortunate that people who accept the labelling of others, whether it is correct or incorrect, have a difficult time changing their opinions of the labelled person, even in light of evidence to the contrary. In a small study of child behavior after punishment, it was found that if the audience held the offender in a positive regard, the offender was likely to rise to these expectations and act in a manner befitting a â€Å"good boy† (Wellford, 1975). In this way it is possible to use labelling theory in a more productive manner. The implications of the study results suggest that two things can be done in order to help prevent labelling theory from having negative effects on people who've broken the law. First of all if the court atmosphere could be avoided in situations where the crime were minor offenses or misdemeanors its possible that the offender would be able to avoid formal sentencing and the degradation ceremony that goes with it. In such cases rehabilitative therapy and out-of-court settlements would be preferable. The other possibility is that a formal ceremony which would cancel the stigma associated with the degradation ceremony could be held. Perhaps a court declaration or letter that the offender is hereby rehabilitated could be used after the offender has served their punishment (Broadhead, 1974). Criticisms of Labelling Theory There have been many criticisms on labelling theorists, Becker states that how interactionist theories have been accused of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. From a logical standpoint there are flaws within the main points of Labelling Theory. At the outset the theory states that â€Å"No acts are inherently criminal† (Wellford, 1975). This implies that acts are only â€Å"criminal† when society regards them as being â€Å"criminalâ€Å". The implications of this as stated by Howard Becker are that â€Å"criminal law is dynamic and ever-changing, differing from society to societyâ€Å". If this holds true then why are certain acts illegal and labelled as criminal in the majority of the civilized world? Murder, rape, arson, armed robbery to mention a few are all considered to be crimes in any society or country one would could care to name. The theory also claims that for a criminal to be successfully labelled as deviant that an audience needs to be present in order to provide a reaction to the crimes committed. If a murder is committed where the killer successfully avoids detection or raising anyone's suspicion, would that mean that the murder was not criminal and that the killer would not think of themselves as such? It may be probable that the murderer's own value system could initialize self-labelling, but the theory clearly states the labelling must come from a 3rd party (Hagan, 1973). There have been criticisms that the terms in labelling theory lack precision, and that there is no real account taken of the central social processes, such as how every day behaviour actually needs to have a societal reaction. The methodology generally is also seen as lacking clarity, and incorporating too many commonsense definitions and assumptions. It is felt that what is needed is a more detailed study in areas such as police procedures, or the categories deployed/applied by social workers and lawyers. in the case of police behaviour, For example, in police behaviour it is clear that much depends upon the appearance, image, or attitude of the potential suspect, and that very different treatments can be aportioned to suspects, depending on the collective and immediately formed social judgements of the police officer (Cicourel 1968). Labelling theory appears to over do the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy or a deviant career, there is no real gathering of evidence for this, especially what makes a label effective and permanent, how it becomes a master identity. Examples of Research Conducted by Labelling Theorists William Chambliss in 1973 conducted a classic study into the effects of labelling. His two groups of white, male, high-school students were both frequently involved in delinquent acts of theft, vandalism, drinking, and truancy. The police never arrested the members of one group, which Chambliss abelled the â€Å"Saints,† but the police did have frequent run-ins with members of the other group, which he labelled the â€Å"Roughnecks. † The boys in the Saints came from respectable families, had good reputations and grades in school, and were careful not to get caught when breaking the law. By being polite, cordial, and apologetic whenever confronted by the police, the Saints escaped labell ing themselves as â€Å"deviants. † In contrast, the Roughnecks came from families of lower socioeconomic status, had poor reputations and grades in school, and were not careful about being caught when breaking the law. By being hostile and insolent whenever confronted by the police, the Roughnecks were easily labelled by others and themselves as â€Å"deviants. † In other words, while both groups committed crimes, the Saints were perceived to be â€Å"good† because of their polite behavior (which was attributed to their upper-class backgrounds) and the Roughnecks were seen as â€Å"bad† because of their insolent behavior (which was attributed to their lower-class backgrounds). As a result, the police always took action against the Roughnecks, but never against the Saints. Conclusion Becker, (1963) claims that laws are established for a reason, and behaviour that is defined as criminal is dynamic and will change within time. This shows that criminal behaviour is not relevant to the theory. However it is still to this day seen as debatable. However there is one known exception, many labelling theorists say the system is biased towards the lower class, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of arrests and convictions within the American criminal justice system (Wellford, 1975). Becker is the usual source of radical variants of labelling. His work implies there is no need to explain deviance in the first place, that it is in fact a very common social activity, a normal one, which only becomes abnormal when it is to so labelled. Labelling itself then becomes confirming, a self-fulfilling prophecy, launching people on a deviant career. Today, one rarely finds labelling theories like those which predominated in the late 1960s. Certainly there are still social constructivist accounts of some type of deviance or another, and studies about the meaning of crime to criminals and criminalizers are still done. A hift seems to have taken place around 1974 in which labelling theory accommodated itself to legalistic definitions, or at least a focus on state power. Modern labelling theories came to recognize that societies â€Å"create† crime by passing laws, and that the substantive nature of the law should be an object of study. Sometimes, these are called criminalization theories (Hartjen 1974), and they have some resembl ance to societal reaction approaches, but they more closely fall into a field that criminologists trained in sociology call the sociology of law perspective or the study of law as a mechanism of social control. Most modern labelling theorists have been influenced by a critique of the underdog focus which was provided by Liazos (1972) when he said that sociologists need to stop studying â€Å"nuts, sluts, and perverts. † The one aspect of this theory that could be regarded positively is that it is very easy to understand and can be quickly explained, breaking down all criminal behavior into primary and secondary deviance with a few simple statements for each. Bibliography Alexander Liazos (1982) People First: An introduction to Social Problems Allyn & Bacon pp121 Becker, H. S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. New York: The Free Press Joseph Rowntree foundation (2009) http://www. jrf. org. uk/ accessed 12/03/09 Lemert, E. M. (1951). Social Pathology. New York: MacGraw-Hill Book Co. , Inc. Wellford, C. (1975). Labelling Theory and Criminology: An Assessment. Social Problems, Vol. 22, No. 3, 332-345

Ergonomics essays

Ergonomics essays One of the key issues at work places is the high stress level of employees and the need to be able to reduce such work related stress in order to benefit both the employee and the company. Although there are many different factors that contribute to having stress and stress related injuries it became important that businesses also take into account the human environment factors that their employees faced. This in turn gave rise to a new branch of science called Ergonomics, a fairly new concept that is only about 50 years old. (ergonomics.org.uk/ergonomics.htm). Ergonomics is derived from the Greek words Ergos, which means work, and Nomos which means "laws" which is where we get the idea of Laws of Work. Ergonomics can be further defined as being "the applied science of equipment design, intended to reduce operator fatigue and discomfort, or as OSHA puts it, the science of fitting the job to the worker." (pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec99/ergonomics_11-22.html). According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, better known as OSHA about one-third of all workplace injuries is caused by "a bad fit between workers and the equipment". Statistics like these gave rise to OSHA's new proposal which now require employers to implement atleast a "basic ergonomics program that includes assigning someone to be responsible for ergonomics; providing information to employees on the risk of injuries, as well as signs and symptoms to watch for; and setting up a system for employees to report those signs and symptoms." (pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec99/ergonomics_11-22.html). Furthermore, it is important that both employers and employees be educated and made aware of the hazards of improper or prolonged use of equipment which could range anywhere from typing on the computer, staring at the computer screen all day to picking up heavy boxes which c...

The 7 most common mistakes in technical writing †and how to fix them

The 7 most common mistakes in technical writing – and how to fix them How to fix the 7 most common glitches in technical writing Most of us are technical writers at some point or other, even if we don’t realise it. You may be quite happy with the label if you write test reports or standard operating procedures. But you can have a very different role and still sometimes need to write technical things: a design brief, an employee handbook or even guidance on how to use the new office photocopier. If your document is complex, and someone needs to be able to follow and act on it, then it’s technical writing. The fact that many people don’t realise that what they’re writing is technical may partly explain why so many of these types of documents fall short. Fortunately, those shortcomings tend to fall into just a few categories, and they’re easy to fix. So let’s look at some of the most common difficulties technical writers (and their readers) face – and how to fix them. 1. Messy structure Many technical documents confuse readers and fail to achieve their aims because they were not planned properly to begin with. This lack of planning means that documents, especially longer ones, end up structured in an illogical fashion. Things are hard to find in the text, sections don’t follow naturally from each other, cross-references are a mess, and so on. At best, this frustrates readers; at worst, it makes the document virtually unusable. How to fix it: Before you begin writing at all, think carefully about the overall layout of the document. Creating a simple outline will help you structure it appropriately and optimally. So when youve written the text, but before you publish it, have it carefully reviewed – preferably by an editor or by a colleague who will read it closely. They may suggest improvements to the document’s structure, especially if you ask them to keep this in mind. The structure of the finished document should seem logical and intuitive to its intended readers. 2. Too much jargon Who your readers are will inform the content and style of your text. So it’s important to keep them in mind throughout the writing process. If you’re writing something for specialist readers, some jargon and technical language is fine; it may even be essential. If you’re writing for a general audience or people who actually specialise in a different area, be careful – what’s familiar and self-evident to you may not be so to them. One manager who commissioned a technical-writing course from Emphasis described how different specialists may ‘talk different languages’. You need to ensure that nothing gets lost in translation. How to fix it: Take a few moments to identify and visualise your readers. Then consider what level and type of technicality in the writing will be appropriate for them – and what won’t be. Those acronyms that roll off your tongue because you use them every day – are they well known elsewhere? Unless you’re sure your readers will know all the technical terms you plan to use, it’s a good idea to include a glossary or a list of abbreviations, or both, at the start of a text. Another strategy is to explain those items in parentheses or footnotes when they first appear. But if you find yourself doing this a lot, you should probably just add a glossary instead. 3. Poor punctuation All writers have a passing knowledge of the main set of punctuation marks. Very few, however, outside of professional authors and editors, have a thorough grasp of how each one works. The use of full stops and question marks is painless enough, but beyond that there is widespread difficulty with getting the details right. When exactly are commas required? Which dashes go where? When should you use hyphens? What’s going on with colons and semicolons? How to fix it: Find a good, modern guide to punctuation and read it carefully until you have a firm grasp of each mark’s use and misuse. Pay particular attention to any area you have trouble with. If certain mistakes or difficulties crop up repeatedly in your company’s documents, address them in your style guide (see next item below). 4. Inconsistency Technical writing should convey coherent ideas and trains of thought. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. And that’s especially true when a document is written over a period of time, created by multiple authors, or updated piecemeal without due regard for overall consistency and readability. These circumstances are common and can result in choppiness in the document’s style, layout, tone, point of view, and so on. For example, the text may address readers as ‘you’ in one paragraph and as ‘designers’ in the next. The tone may switch abruptly from warm and chatty to scientific. This can be disconcerting, if not downright confusing. How to fix it: If you’re making changes to an existing document, get a sense of the surrounding context – including things like tone and tense. Try to align your changes with these, so that new material is incorporated seamlessly (or, if necessary, signposted appropriately). Jumps in tone or tense can be overlooked even more easily than typos and grammatical errors. The sense is clear to the writer (or writers), so they don’t notice things that will jar for the reader. These jumps must therefore be looked for specifically. Create a company style guide and make sure all your writers have easy access to it and are encouraged to consult it. This will do wonders for the consistency of your documents, both internal and external. Ensure that the guide not only includes vocabulary items but also addresses things like readership, typography, company aims, and brand voice and identity. A style guide is a living document, so put a system in place for proposing and incorporating additions and revisions to it. 5. Too much abstraction People writing in a formal or semi-formal context often go overboard in an effort to make their prose sound proper and elevated. Their writing, as a result, can end up very abstract and noun-heavy. ‘The achievement of good performance’ may sound fancy, but it’s a mouthful compared to ‘performing well’, and it’s really no more impressive than the plain-language option. It’s also less clear. Abstractions like this are unnecessary and, as they accumulate, make your prose turgid, verbose, and tiring to read. They can also make it ambiguous: if you describe a system as having ‘enhanced functionality’, do you mean it has more functions or that it works better? How to fix it: Try to replace abstract, noun-heavy phrases with strong, straightforward verbs. This will make your points more concise and intelligible. ‘The carrying out of tests’ can become ‘carrying out tests’, or, better still, ‘testing’ or ‘tests’. Watch out for phrases like took place, which often point to gratuitous nouning and buried verbs: ‘Analysis of the figures took place’ really just means ‘The figures were analysed.’ A related issue is redundancy: ‘blue in colour’ means blue, ‘robust in nature’ means ‘robust’, and so on. 6. Unclear antecedents An antecedent is a word, phrase, or clause referred to by another word, which is usually a pronoun like it, they, or who. For example, in ‘Observe the results and add these to a worksheet’, results is the antecedent of these. Ambiguity can occur when there is more than one possible antecedent. Take the following: ‘Trainees should mark their schedules in the notebooks provided, then in the group calendars. The manager is responsible for them.’ Whoever wrote this knew what the manager was responsible for, but readers may reasonably wonder if them referred to the trainees, the schedules, the notebooks, or the calendars. How to fix it: This is a common blind spot for writers, and it shows why we are our own worst editors. When we review the text, we see only what we meant – we miss the potential for uncertainty. Have someone else look over the text, if possible, because a fresh pair of eyes will be more likely to notice problems like this. It’s better to choose someone who is less familiar with what is being described, since they are less liable to fall into the same trap of overfamiliarity. 7. Dense presentation Technical writing can be very †¦ technical. Unavoidably so. Applying plain language as much as possible will help, though you still probably won’t win awards for literature. But even allowing for its stylistic limitations, technical writing can be made much worse through poor presentation. Long, unbroken chunks of text, for example, are visually off-putting and hard to follow. They can make a reader’s brain shut down out of sheer effort and frustration. The prevalence of jargon and complex concepts add further cognitive loads, and it all adds up. How to fix it: There are several ways to tackle the issue of dense presentation. Short words, sentences, and paragraphs are generally preferable, though they’re no guarantee of lucidity – it’s more important to use the most appropriate words in the best possible manner. Some passages can be broken up with bullet points, which makes them far easier to digest. Bullets also allow you to simplify the grammar, since they don’t need to be full sentences. Parallelism can lend grace, polish, and clarity, and is a grammatical device worth attention and practice if you want to improve your writing. It can take various forms, but essentially it means using matching grammatical structures in words, phrases or clauses that should work in parallel. For example, consider the sentence: For breakfast we like eggs and to grill bacon. Here, eggs is a noun but to grill is a verb. Better to write: For breakfast we like eggs and bacon, or: For breakfast we like to fry eggs and grill bacon. It’s natural to struggle with technical writing, especially if you only do it from time to time. Producing something that reads effortlessly is a challenge. But thinking about and applying these seven straightforward tips will benefit your writing experience. Even more importantly, it will make everything a whole lot clearer – and life a lot easier – for your readers. Image credit: ALPA PROD / Shutterstock

Applying Student Development Theories to Experiences of Interviewees

Introduction As a practitioner of student affairs, use and understanding of student development theory is an important element in our responsibility. We have to learn how to apply different theories to specific situations where our students appear on the university campus. Student development theory is also important to understand why students can act in their own way. The theory of student development can be defined as a way to improve the ability of a student to grow after enrolling in a higher education institution, the ability to grow, or the ability. Heggins and Jackson (2003) focuses on applying student development and transition theory to understand the experience of Asian international students at university. After interviewing 28 Asian international students, I found that Asian students participating in the survey are seeking family and social support to deal with problems and challenges. Researchers recommend that teachers, resource centers, and student services provide cou nseling opportunities to enable Asian international students to make better use of existing social support networks. International Higher Education Education and Learning 2009, Vol. 22, No. 3, 374-385 http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/ ISSN 1812-9129 The purpose of this paper is to apply two development theories to development events in the respondents' life by questionnaire. The purpose of this article is to achieve a clear identification of the events occurring in respondents' lives. It will be discussed throughout the article, that is, they go out of the family for the first time. After that, in this paper, we outline the method of creating questionnaires and managing questionnaires. Then this article will continue to introduce Albert Bandura, the first development theorist. A brief discussion on the second development theorist Urie Bronfenbrenner and his ecological theory follows. In this article, we analyze respondents' responses in detail and explore the relationship between two the orists Bandura and Bronfenbrenner. Finally, this paper reflects the continuing relevance of the application of development theory and their development theory in the own experience of the interviewee by summarizing and summarizing all the information discussed in the thesis It is aimed to do. A respondent of this case study was a 28-year-old woman born in Victoria, Australia. In this case study, the development event she was asked was the first time she left the family. This is an important development event, but it will not give pressure or discomfort to respondents during the discussion. The questionnaire was created based on the theory of Albert Bandura and Urie Bronfenbrenner. Since these questions are aimed first to obtain some historical information about respondents,

Do high protein diets increase the risk of kidney stones Essay

Do high protein diets increase the risk of kidney stones - Essay Example Atkins diets have led to the rise and prevalence of kidney stone formation (Siener, 2006). Kidney stones are among the most painful and prevalent of urologic disorders. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disease, a kidney stone can be defined as a solid crystallized piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine. It may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. The process of kidney stone formation is medically known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis. The most common stones contain calcium in combination with oxalate and/or phosphate. A less common type is caused by urinary tract infection known as struvite or infection stone. Apart from these, there are also other rare types made of pure uric acid stones, cystine stones etc (http://www.ucof.com/education A number of risk factors like dehydration, improper diet, systemic disorders etc are suggested to be important determinants of stone formation. Stone formation usually results from an imbalance between factors that promote urinary crystallization and those that inhibit crystal formation and growth (Coe et al, 2005). Some of the known metabolic markers of kidney stone formation include increased level of calcium and uric acid excretion, and a decrease in urinary citrate (Curhan, 2007).

SLP4 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SLP4 - Coursework Example The Coca Cola Company can resolve this problem by using the pre-emptive strategy that allows it to provide top-notch products that cannot be substituted. As a result, the customers will continue to stick with the company and continue purchasing its products regardless of the availability of the substitutes. The Coca-Cola Company faces highest competitive rivalry particularly from Pepsi Co. Furthermore, the increased number of new entrants have also created high level of threat for the company to survive. In order to minimize these threats, Coca-Cola company has to make the most of its economies of scale in order to lower its consumer price per bottle. Eventually, the lowest possible price will be difficult for its competitors to reach. Consequently, providing competitive advantage to the Coca Cola Company. Through differentiation strategy, the Coca-Cola Company should invest more on innovation to develop unique and different bottle designs, concepts, processes, marketing campaigns, public messages, brand names, slogans, corporate social responsibility activities that are unique in their own way and address the sensitive issues of the societies. As a result, a brand image will develop that is unparalleled and cannot be matched by any of its competitors. Furthermore, the customers will become loyal to the brand due to the fact that the company is able to demonstrate higher level of concern for the health and wellness of its customers instead of its profits. Through the focus strategy, the Coca Cola company will be able to enter into the bottled water market and other booming industries like food items to maintain its competitive edge over its competitors. Most significantly, Coca Cola company has to enter into a niche market in which the competitors either are not willing to enter or do not have the required knowledge, infrastructure and expertise to sustain in that particular industry. As a

English Literature Lesson 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English Literature Lesson 2 - Essay Example responses to the plays 1992 New York production, adding that "one can expect few other reactions when Carol is such a viper."1 However that is an individual view. Mamet employs language that offers different points of view that we shall analyze. Mamets presentation of the conflict between a professor and his female student is marked by ambiguous discourse, troubling physical contact, and subsequent charges of sexual harassment. Oleanna, which unfolds in three acts, takes place entirely in the office of a male college professor in his forties who receives three visits from a twenty-year old undergraduate named Carol. In the first of these visits, Carol seeks help from John because of her difficulties in his class on higher education. Carols questions, which are often cut off in midstream by his responses, are also interrupted by periodic phone calls, all of which involve Johns impending purchase of a house for himself and his family. Having just received word of his being considered for tenure, John feels secure enough to begin negotiating the purchase of a new home. Towards the end of the first act, as each character becomes more frustrated with the other, an exasperated John makes the mistake of offering Carol an "A" in the class, if she will just meet him in his office a few times during the semester to discuss her problems. He does this because he "likes" Carol and thinks they might be "similar." She pr otests, only to have John tell her to "forget about the paper," for "what is The Class but you and me?" (21, 25, 26). John then punctuates his lesson on theories of higher education with an indecorous analogy about how "the rich copulate less often than the poor. But when they do, they take more of their clothes off" (32). Not surprisingly, Carol continues to profess a lack of understanding for the subject (35-37), even though she has started to ask some rather penetrating questions and is on the brink of telling her professor a secret that she has "never told

Business Sustainability Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business Sustainability - Research Paper Example To determine the extent in which the SME owners in Auburn city should support the use of modern digital infrastructure, a research interview was conducted to a total of ten (10) SME business owners in Auburn city. In line with this, the research findings show that the research interviewees are not aware of how the NBN can intervene and help them improve the quality and accessibility of their corporate websites. Despite the limitation in the research interviewees’ knowledge with regards to the use of the fixed wireless network, the next-generation satellite, and the optic fiber network, most of the research interviewees show the positive sign when it comes to supporting the use of modern digital infrastructure.   The Broadband, Communication and Digital Economy (DBCDE) is one of the Federal Government departments in Australia that has been appointed to be responsible throughout the development of its digital economy (CB Online, 2013). To increase the chances wherein the gener al public will continuously have a good experience when using digital technology, DBCDE continuously develop and enhance not only the existing digital infrastructure in Australia but also promote the facilitation of its future innovation and set up necessary regulatory framework particularly with regards to the service and use of information and communication technology (Australian Government - Department of Communications, 2013; CB Online, 2013). On the other hand, the National Broadband Network (NBN) is â€Å"the next-generation broadband network designed for Australia’s future needs† (Australian Government - Department of Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy, 2013). It means that through the business intervention of the NBN, it is possible for Australia to come up with a more reliable and faster broadband access to the local residents and the businesses.As of May 2013, NBN was able to construct an optic fiber network in Armidale, Aspley, Bacchus Marsh, Brun swick, Blacktown, Coffs Harbour, Crace, Deloraine, George Town, Gosford, Hobart, Kiama, Kingston Beach, Launceston, Midway Point, Scottsdale, Smithton, Sorell, South Morang, St Helens, Toowoomba, Townsville, Triabunna, and Willunga whereas the fixed wireless network is made available in Armidale, Ballarat, Darwin, Geraldton, Tamworth, and Toowoomba (Australian Government – Department of Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy, 2013). Unfortunately, these two (2) major digital technology infrastructures are not much readily available in Auburn city.  

How to be Creative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How to be Creative - Essay Example All animals do possess brains, and have been provided with varying levels of creativity by nature. A sparrow’s nest differs in style and capacity from that of an eagle. A honey bee stores honey in tiny pores. Likewise, rabbits dig holes in the earth to make their tunnels. All of these are signs of creativity in non-human living beings. The fact that humans are the most creative among all living beings can be estimated from the fact that all development in the world is the result of the discoveries of humans. Humans discovered ways to fly not only in the air, but also to float in the space. Humans constructed skyscrapers, invented trains and ships, and developed satellites that record information 24/7. From the first day man was sent on the Earth till today, man has been creating things that would facilitate him and improve his standard of living. The world in which we live today is much different form the way it was few centuries back. Rapid industrialization and advancement i n the field of science and technology has brought an altogether change in the life on Earth. All of this is not the result of the efforts of a single person, community or a group of people. Instead, all human beings have been playing their respective roles in developing the modern world from time to time. The modern world is the outcome of creativity of all human beings. Therefore, there is no doubt in the fact that creativity is a naturally occurring phenomenon and occurs in all living beings, but varies in extent depending upon the level of sharpness and intelligence. This paper discusses some of the ways in which creativity can be improved. Creativity as a necessity of modern age: Competition in the contemporary age has grown manifolds in all fields as compared to the past. With the increase in general awareness, people have become highly educated in order to make full use of the emerging opportunities. This has increased the competition in the market scenario. Business entrepren eurs are looking for ways to be more and more creative and innovative in their approach so as to gain competitive advantage over their parallels in the market. It would not be wrong to say that creativity is the need of the hour in the current business practices. This has generally raised the interest of people in creativity and ways and means are being suggested on organizational level in order to improve individuals’ creativity. The concept of creativity: In order to find out ways to increase creativity, it is customary to discuss the basics of the concept of creativity. Creativity is neither something that can be created nor can it be called as an event that would happen occasionally. Instead it is within ourselves and needs to be explored. It cultivates in human mind and nurtures as we go through various experiences in our life. It slowly shows up in our thinking as we mature. â€Å"There is virtually no problem you cannot solve, no goal you cannot achieve, no obstacle y ou cannot overcome if you know how to apply the creative powers of your mind, like a laser beam, to cut through every difficulty in your life and your work† (Tracy cited in Kotelnikov). Creativity is more often than not, an involuntary action. An individual can not intentionally raise his/her level of creativity at a particular point in time when he/she might need it the most. Creativity can not be invited.

Health Education Leaflet Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Education Leaflet Critique - Essay Example For this purpose some of these policies are based on providing relevant information to the health care individuals, such as nurses, doctors, pharmacists etc. Various modes of promoting health services and knowledge programs have been conducted by a range of community centers and hospitals over the past few years. Although, Verbal communication between a patient and a doctor can never be substituted by any other information channel, but through various studies it has been proven that informative leaflets and brochures provide a satisfactory increase in knowledge of the patient (Harvey & Plumridge; Hawkey &Hawkey, 1989). If the content of the leaflet is relevant then it has its own advantages over verbal communication between patient and doctors. For example, it can provide information on various perspectives of a disease or a treatment regimen in one or two pages. Furthermore, a leaflet or a brochure can be kept for future reference and easily remembered by the patient, if he is able to read the content once or twice (Secker, 1997; Bernier & Yasko, 1991; Dixon, 1992). Gal & Prigat (2005) argues about it, although the affectivity of leaflets in promoting health is undeniable, a variety of these leaflets still fail to provide relevant information to the target audience. This may be because a lay man reading such professionally written leaflets is unable to grasp the content or writing style (Payne et al.,2000). In the paper, critical appraisal of a leaflet will be discussed. The chosen Leaflet will be critically evaluated in context of its design, writing style, organization, illustrations, aim or purpose, information provided, and its ethical agenda. The leaflet that is chosen for this critical appraisal is about COPD that is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It is the most common and chronic lung disease that results in narrowing of the airway (such as bronchi or bronchioles) and damage to the lungs (Barnes & Godfrey, 2000; Stockley, 2007). There are

How to be Creative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How to be Creative - Essay Example All animals do possess brains, and have been provided with varying levels of creativity by nature. A sparrow’s nest differs in style and capacity from that of an eagle. A honey bee stores honey in tiny pores. Likewise, rabbits dig holes in the earth to make their tunnels. All of these are signs of creativity in non-human living beings. The fact that humans are the most creative among all living beings can be estimated from the fact that all development in the world is the result of the discoveries of humans. Humans discovered ways to fly not only in the air, but also to float in the space. Humans constructed skyscrapers, invented trains and ships, and developed satellites that record information 24/7. From the first day man was sent on the Earth till today, man has been creating things that would facilitate him and improve his standard of living. The world in which we live today is much different form the way it was few centuries back. Rapid industrialization and advancement i n the field of science and technology has brought an altogether change in the life on Earth. All of this is not the result of the efforts of a single person, community or a group of people. Instead, all human beings have been playing their respective roles in developing the modern world from time to time. The modern world is the outcome of creativity of all human beings. Therefore, there is no doubt in the fact that creativity is a naturally occurring phenomenon and occurs in all living beings, but varies in extent depending upon the level of sharpness and intelligence. This paper discusses some of the ways in which creativity can be improved. Creativity as a necessity of modern age: Competition in the contemporary age has grown manifolds in all fields as compared to the past. With the increase in general awareness, people have become highly educated in order to make full use of the emerging opportunities. This has increased the competition in the market scenario. Business entrepren eurs are looking for ways to be more and more creative and innovative in their approach so as to gain competitive advantage over their parallels in the market. It would not be wrong to say that creativity is the need of the hour in the current business practices. This has generally raised the interest of people in creativity and ways and means are being suggested on organizational level in order to improve individuals’ creativity. The concept of creativity: In order to find out ways to increase creativity, it is customary to discuss the basics of the concept of creativity. Creativity is neither something that can be created nor can it be called as an event that would happen occasionally. Instead it is within ourselves and needs to be explored. It cultivates in human mind and nurtures as we go through various experiences in our life. It slowly shows up in our thinking as we mature. â€Å"There is virtually no problem you cannot solve, no goal you cannot achieve, no obstacle y ou cannot overcome if you know how to apply the creative powers of your mind, like a laser beam, to cut through every difficulty in your life and your work† (Tracy cited in Kotelnikov). Creativity is more often than not, an involuntary action. An individual can not intentionally raise his/her level of creativity at a particular point in time when he/she might need it the most. Creativity can not be invited.

The Zoos Are Really Very Cruel to Wild Animals Essay Example for Free

The Zoos Are Really Very Cruel to Wild Animals Essay All I can say is that through my opinion zoos are really very cruel to wild animals. Why is this so ? Well because they don’t think of the wild animals habitat and the liberty which they need. The shock of being in captivity would actually depress the animals; they would even act violently and might hurt people near them. And it is not the animal to be fault. Firstly, the ecosystem became unbalanced. Secondly If the humans kept the wild animals in the zoo, they will ruin their food chain. Animals need to run a lot, but their kept in the zoo where it is lack of spacious area. They need to hunt for their own food, however while in the zoo the foods are provided. There is no freedom for the animals for being kept by humans. Worst case possible is animals would get depressed and attack people randomly. People should not blame the animals if they got attacked; it is their own fault for keeping the animals in cages. Animals can die prematurely in zoos. For eg. In 1991 twenty-five Asiatic Lions were born in zoos around the world 22 of them died. In the same year 166 cheetahs were born in zoos, of which 112 died. And the last but the most important is that the animals are born naturally in the wild and us humans cannot provide them what nature gives for their needs. This is the crucial motive where animals should be freed   Or they should put them in sanctuaries instead and ask people to do animal safaris if they wanted to see the animals . at least the animals will get their freedom and live in peace.

Strengths And Limitations Of CBT For Social Phobia Psychology Essay

Strengths And Limitations Of CBT For Social Phobia Psychology Essay Social phobia, also known as Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is considered as one of the most common psychological disorders on its own, and also as a comorbid disorder (Kessler, McGonagle, Zhao, et al., 1994). Current research literature suggest Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) as the first treatment choice for social phobia, unless in the case where the client opt for medication or if the client is suffering from comorbid depression or another psychological disorder that makes medication essential (Veale, 2003; Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006; NICE guideline, 2004c). The aim of this paper will be to discuss the application of CBT in the treatment of Social Phobia. However, it is important to emphasise that it will not attempt a detailed discussion on the historical development, or theoretical frameworks of CBT. These aspects of therapy will be emphasised, discussed and analysed where necessary, to comprehend its practicality in the treatment of social phobia. Furthermore, the scope of this paper will be limited to examining the use of CBT for treatment of adults with social phobia but, it will not focus on treatment of social phobia in children and adolescent groups. CBT was initially developed by Aaron T. Beck as a structured, short-term, present-oriented psychotherapy for depression, directed toward solving current problems and modifying dysfunctional thinking and behaviours (Beck, 1995). The basic assumptions of cognitive model suggest that distorted or dysfunctional thinking that influence the patient/clients mood and behaviour is common to all psychological disturbances (Beck, 1995). CBT is a collection of therapies that are designed to help clients suffering from phobias, depression, obsessions compulsions, stress disorders, drug addictions and/or personality disorders. CBT attempts to help people identify the situations that may produce their physiological or emotional symptoms and alter the manner in which they cope with these situations (Smith, Nolen-Hoeksema, Fredrickson, Loftus. 2003). The effectiveness of CBT has been widely tested since the first study on treatment success in 1977 (Beck, 1995). Westbrook, Kennerley and Kirk (2007) stated that CBT has many features common to other therapies. However, they acknowledged that CBT is different from the other psychotherapies with some distinguishing characteristics. This therapeutic approach is a combination of Behaviour Therapy (BT) and Cognitive Therapy (CT). However, these will not discuss in detail. However, as a result of having been evolved from a combination of both BT and CT, modern CBT consist important elements of them both. Westbrook, et al. (2007) presents the CBT model of viewing problem development. For instance, individuals develop cognitions (thoughts beliefs) through life experiences (mostly based on childhood experiences, but sometimes with later experiences). These can be functional (ones that allow making sense of the world around and deal with life issues), as well as dysfunctional beliefs. Most of the time, functional beliefs permit individuals to reasonably cope well with life situations. Whereas dysfunctional beliefs may not cause problems unless/until encountered with an event or a series of events (also known as critical incident) that violates the core beliefs or the assumptions, to the extent of being unable to handle ones positive/functional beliefs. This situation may activate the negative/dysfunctional thoughts over the positive thoughts resulting or provoking unpleasant emotional status such as anxiety or depression. Thus, Westbrook et al. (2007) highlighted the interactions between negative thoughts, emotions, somatic reactions, and behaviours as responses to different life events. These dysfunctional patterns lock the individual into vicious cycles or feedback loops resulting in the perpetuation of the problem. Focussing on the effectiveness of CBT as a therapy, the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline recommends CBT for several major mental health problems including depression (NICE, 2004a), generalised anxiety and panic (NICE, 2004c), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (NICE, 2005). Furthermore, Westbrook et al. (2007) highlighted the findings of Roth and Fonagy (2005) in their book What works for whom? a landmark summary of psychotherapy efficacy. This book presents evidence on the success of CBT as a therapy for most psychological disorders. However, though there is evidence supporting the successfulness of CBT for numerous psychological disorders, CBT has some limitations as well. Firstly, it is not suitable for everyone. One should be committed and persistent in finding a solution to the problem and improving oneself with the guidance of the therapist (Grazebrook Garland, 2005). Secondly, it may not be helpful in certain conditions. Grazebrook Garland (2005) mentioned that there is increasing evidence of the successful therapeutic use of CBT in a wide variety of psychological conditions. However they pointed that there is a great need for further research to gather evidence on the therapeutic success of CBT in these different types of psychological disorders. Social Phobia Social Phobia is categorised as an Anxiety Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR) of the American Psychiatric Association (2000). This disorder is characterised by persistent excessive anxiety and fear of scrutiny by others, often accompanied by anxiety symptoms such as tremulousness, blushing, palpitations, and sweating (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). The DSM-IV-TR (2000) presents the following diagnostic criteria for social phobia (SAD). Marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to perceived scrutiny by others. This includes the fear of embarrassment or humiliation Exposure to feared social or performance situations that almost invariably provoke anxiety. This may even take the form of a panic attack. In the case of children, the anxiety may be expressed by crying, tantrums, freezing, or shrinking from social situations with unfamiliar people. The person recognises that the fear is unreasonable and that it is excessive. However, this fear and knowledge may be absent in children. The feared social situation or the performance is avoided or else it is endured with intense anxiety or distress. The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or fear causes significant distress or impaired functioning. Fear or avoidance are not due to another psychological, or physiological condition (e.g., a personality disorder such as paranoid personality disorder, a specific phobia, or due to the influence of substance use/abuse) Specify generalised, if the fears include most social situations (e.g., these may range from initiating or maintaining conversations, participating in small groups, dating, speaking to authority figures, or attending parties hindering most parts of a personal social life) According to the criteria stated above, social phobia can be generalised or non-generalised, depending on the breadth of social and performance situations that are feared. While generalised social phobia hinders a vast range of social and performance situations, non-generalised social phobia may hider/restrict only performance of some social activities or engagements. According to health statistics from year 2002, social phobia affects 3% of the Canadian adult population (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). In USA 13.3% of the population suffer from social phobia at some point in their life (Kessler et al., 1994). Statistics indicate a life time prevalence of about 8% to 12% making social phobia one of the most common anxiety disorders (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006; Kessler, et al., 1994). Apart from being a high prevalence disorder, social phobia is also known to have a high comorbidity, specially substance abuse and/or alcohol dependency (Schadà ©, A., Marquenie, L., Van Balkom, et al., 2008; Amies, Gelder, Shaw, 1983; Schneier, Johnson, Hornig, Liebowitz, Weissman, 1992). Kessler et al. (1994) stated that while the lifetime prevalence of social phobia is as high as 13.3%, the prevalence reported in a 30-day period is between 3% 4.5%. In addition, other similar conditions, such as shyness, behavioural inhibition, self-consciousness, selective attention and embarrassment are seen to be correlated with social phobia (Beidel Morris, 1995; Beidel Randall, 1994; Leary Kowalski, 1995; Rosenbaum, Biederman, Pollock, Hirshfeld, 1994; Stemberger, Turner, Beidel, Calhoun, 1995). According to Schneier, Johnson, Hornig, et al. (1992), comorbidity of two or more psychological disorders, is also fairly common with social phobia. Research has also indicated that social phobia is also characterised with a higher frequency of suicide attempts (Schneier et al., 1992). Focusing on the impact of the disorder on the quality of life, social phobia is described as an illness of missed opportunities, because its early onset hinders future social progression such as marital success and career growth (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). The authors of this article stated that these individuals were less likely to be well educated, belong to lower socioeconomic status, and are possibly unmarried. In addition, they also suffer greater functional, health, and physical impairments than individuals without social phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). Thus the disorder has a significant impact on the quality of life, in particular, socially and emotionally. Emphasising on this point, the authors of this article highlighted that in a community health survey in Canada, people with social phobia were twice as likely to report at least one disability day in the past two weeks, compared to people without social phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). Aetiology of social phobia can be traced to Bio-Psycho-Social factors (Smith, Hoeksema, Fredrickson, et al., 2003). Looking at the neuro-biologic factors, research data up to date, provides evidence of dopaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic systems (Stein, Tancer, Uhde, 19992; Tancer, Stein, Uhde, 1993; Yeragani, Blalon, Pohl, 1990). However, Stein, Tancer, Uhde (1995) stated that the evidence for these neuro-biological factors in the predisposition, precipitation, and perpetuation is far from clear. The authors also present the same regarding the effect of antidepressants on social phobia stating that further work is warranted, although preliminary evidence indicates that antidepressants are not entirely effective on social phobia. From a cognitive-behavioural perspective, a person with social phobia develops a series of negative assumptions about themselves and their social world based on some negative experience (Kessler, et al., 1994). These assumptions of behaving inappropriately and being evaluated negatively and/or being humiliated will give rise to anticipatory anxiety that precedes the social situation adding an extra source of concern and perceived danger. Preoccupied with these fears, clients with social phobia have difficulty focussing their attention on the social cues or their own strengths that help them to effectively cope in the phobic situations. In addition, biased memory and focused attention towards negative signs will prevent the individual from perceiving the positive signs (e.g., acceptance, success, admiration) giving rise to performance deficiencies. These may contribute towards producing patterns of negative interactions that may further contribute to the perpetuation of the phobic con dition experienced at the time (Elting Hope, 1995). These explanations are similar to the generic CBT model, of problem development. Thus the research by Kessler et al (1994) has provided supporting evidence to the general CBT explanation and theoretical framework of problem understanding, assessment and treatment. Another dimension of the aetiology of social phobia is the lack of social skills and/or the lack of awareness of ones own social skills. According to Hill (1989), clients with social phobia vary widely in their knowledge of socially appropriate behaviour skills. Many of these individuals seem to have adequate social skills when assessed in a non-threatening environment such as the clinicians office, but they fail to use these skills when laden with anxiety in an unfamiliar social situation that is perceived as threatening. Hill (1989) further described that there is another group of individuals suffering with social phobia who may be unaware of socially appropriate behaviours in certain situations and therefore encounter repeated failures and disappointments. Thus, Hill (1989) suggest that apart from medication and/or conventional CBT, individuals in this group will benefit more from specific training in social skills either through role playing or modelling as appropriate. In addition to the above dimensions, there are developmental and psychodynamic issues associated with the aetiology of social phobia as well. In this view, children who are rejected, belittled, and censured by their parents, teachers or peers may develop feelings of low self-esteem and social alienation (Arrindell, kwee, Methorst, 1989). The authors of this article further stated that clients with social phobia tend to report, having had hypercritical parents. The article further examine the condition of social phobia from a psychodynamic perspective hypothesising that avoidant behaviour may be caused by an exaggerated desire for acceptance, an intolerance of criticism, or a willingness to constrict ones life to maintain a sense of control. Furthermore, they claim that traumatic embarrassing events may lead to loss of self-confidence, increased anxiety, and subsequent poor performance, resulting in a vicious circle that progress to social phobia. Concentrating on treatment seeking behaviours for social phobia, Hill (1989) highlighted that clients rarely see a physician for symptoms relating to social anxiety. More often seeking help will be for conditions such as substance abuse, depression or any other anxiety disorder (e.g. panic attack). Treatment for Social Phobia As mentioned above, social phobia is the result of biopsychosocial factors. Thus, the treatment choices may also vary which may include pharmacotherapy, and/or different types of psychotherapy. Veale (2003) stated that treatment choice for social phobia is up to the client to decide. Medication is indicated if it is the clients first choice, or if CBT has failed or if there is a long waiting list for CBT. Similarly, pharmacotherapy becomes the choice of treatment when social phobia is comorbid with depression (Veale, 2003). Considering the first treatment choice, UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) does not have a specific guideline specific for social phobia. However, in its guidelines for anxiety disorders (NICE, 2004), it recommends pharmacotherapy as treatment if the client opts for medication, or if the client opts for psychological treatment, CBT is given as the first choice of therapy. NICE guidelines (2004) too recommend CBT as the first choice of psychologic al therapy for generalised anxiety disorder and other anxiety disorders. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence provides evidence that CBT is more effective than no intervention and that CBT has been found to maintain its effectiveness when examined after long term follow up of eight to fourteen years. This can be used as a cost and time effective therapeutic intervention in group settings and most clients have maintained treatment gains at longer terms (NICE 2004). It further stated that CBT is more effective than psychodynamic therapy and non-specific treatments. Apart from CBT, clients who receive anxiety management training, relaxation and breathing therapy have been proven to be effective compared to having no intervention. Apart from CBT, Veale (2003) also discusses Graded self-exposure as a psychological therapy for social phobia. This therapeutic intervention which is based on the learning theory hypotheses has been the treatment of choice for social phobia for many years. However, as this method of therapy using exposure to previously avoided situations in a graded manner until habituation occurs was only successful with limited amount of clients, alternative approaches such as CBT have become a more frequent therapy choice. NICE guidelines (2006) on computerised cognitive behaviour therapy (CCBT) for depression and anxiety recommend CCBT for mild depressions and anxiety disorders, including social phobia. With reference to two Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and two non-RCTs comparing CCBT (programme for panic/phobic disorders FearFighter) with therapist led CBT (TCBT) the NICE guidelines recommend the use of CCBT for mild phobic/panic disorders. When results of CCBT and TCBT were compared after a three month period of therapy for global phobia, both groups showed statistically significant improvement. Similar results were shown in two non-RCT studies too. When these scores were compared with a group who received relaxation techniques as therapy, this third group did not show statistically significant improvement while the other two groups (CCBT TCBT) did. However, it must be noted that the RCT and the non-RCT studies does not report clinically significant improvement. Nevertherless, the dropout r ate of FearFighter group was twice as many as the TCBT dropout rate. However, from a positive point of view on the practicality of CCBT on phobias, delivery of FearFighter programme at the clinical setting for one group, and the other group having access to the programme at home over a 12 week period showed that both groups showed statistically significant improvement in all measures (NICE guidelines, 2006). In terms of client satisfaction too there was no statistically significant difference between TCBT and CCBT (NICE guidelines, 2006). Thus, though further research is warranted to evaluate the clinical significance of CCBT for social phobia specifically, the NICE guidelines recommend CCBT as a choice of therapy for mild levels of depression and anxiety disorders. In addition to the observed effectiveness of CCBT, NICE guidelines also recommend it as a cost effective therapy alternative. Thus, CCBT for social phobia at mild levels could be useful at a practical level too. In a study by Rosser, Erskine Crino (2004), the researchers studied the treatment success of CBT with antidepressants and CBT on its own as treatment for social phobia. The results did not show a statistically significant difference in the treatment progress between the two groups allowing the researchers to conclude that pre-existing use of antidepressants did not enhance or detract from the positive treatment outcome of a structured, group-based CBT programme for social phobia. Application of medication and CBT is common practice in treatment for social phobia (Rosser et al., 2004). Yet, there are not many studies that have studied the combined effectiveness for social phobia. Citing Heimberg (2002) Rosser et al., (2004) describe that there are three possible outcomes from combining medication and CBT. Combined treatment may produce a better outcome than each treatment alone, by potentiating the gains achieved by CBT and also reducing relapse rates following the discontinuation of medication. Alternatively, there may be no difference between the combined approach and each approach individually, if both therapies (pharmacotherapy and CBT) are sufficiently powerful on their own. Also, depending on how individual clients attribute treatment success, effectiveness of CBT might be detracted by medication in a combined approach of treatment. Referring to literature on treatment success for social phobia Rosser et al., (2004) highlighted that combination treatment (CBT and pharmacotherapy) or pharmacotherapy alone has not been found to be of significant advantage. CBT has mostly been successful in overcoming symptoms, minimising relapses and also effective in terms of cost minimisation (Rosser et al., 2004). Focussing on the conclusions Rosser et al. (2004), there were no significant differences between the combination treatment (CBT antidepressants) and CBT alone could be interpreted in different ways. It is possible that since antidepressants and CBT are both re asonably powerful treatments individually, and thus a combination of the two did not contribute to a significantly to improve the outcome. Alternatively it may be that the group who were already taking antidepressants may have been prescribed with the medication because they were more severe in terms of social phobic or depressive symptoms prior to commencing treatment programme. Thus, it may be possible to argue that the combined therapy may not have contributed to a significant improvement compared to the group that that only received CBT, because there was a difference in symptom severity between the two groups. In addition there was no control in allocating (randomly) participants and or having a control over the medication dosage. Thus, the research findings of the study are subjected to the limitations of these variables that were out of the researchers control. However, it has to be noted that it does not devalue the comparative treatment success on the CBT (alone) group. The researchers of this study therefore emphasise the need for further research on combined therapy for social phobia as in real life clinical settings most clients are on medication while receiving CBT. Moreover, Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) recommends CBT combined with medication as a widely used successful treatment method for social phobia. However, while recommending the above, they also emphasise the need for further research in this regard as the current data reveals mixed results. According to available evidence and theoretical considerations they suggested that some methods of combination could provide short-term benefits, but long-term decreases in efficacy compared to either treatment alone. In this paper Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) emphasised that most research on the effects of CBT combined with medication had the common research gap of failing to control the medication dose and the allocation of participants in to random samples. However, the authors of this paper emphasised that in most studies combined therapy for social phobia had not shown significant evidence of treatment success compared to either pharmacotherapy or CBT. Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) highlighted that there is supporting evidence to the treatment success of combining CBT with relaxation training. While mentioning this, they also noted that relaxation training alone has not proven to have any clinically significant benefit for the clients. Thus, it is when combined with CBT that clients have had a successful experience with relaxation training. Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) stated that all forms of CBT aim to reduce the experience of fear through modification of avoidance and other maladaptive behaviours, thoughts, and beliefs (e.g. through exposure with cognitive restructuring). Thus, in the process of therapy most clients may experience an increase in stress and negative affect and distress in the short-term, but the modification of these earlier components of these earlier components of a behavioural-emotional chain leads to reduction of symptoms over time. In regard to combining treatment methods with CBT as treatment for social phobia, Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) highlighted the fact that all treatment methods have its own limitations and strengths. Thus when combining two therapies (either pharmacological and CBT or CBT with another psychotherapy), the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the two approaches could be magnified, depending on the nature of the combination. Hence, Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) stated that an empirically supported method of combining medication and CBT for social anxiety disorder is yet to be established, although under varied circumstances clinicians use different combinations of CBT along with other psychotherapies and medication to maximise effectiveness on a case by case level. Concluding Remarks As discussed in this paper, social phobia may literally be a common mental disorder and it is categorised as an anxiety disorder under the DSM-IV classification system (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). While being highly prevalent, it is also a disorder that may have a large impact on a persons quality of life, hindering opportunities for personal growth and/or social interaction/relationships. Therefore, it is an important area of study and clinical practice in mental health, which has the aim of improving the lives of people suffering from this disorder, and minimising its effect on the society. Research literature on social phobia recommends certain types of medication, and CBT as a psychotherapeutic intervention as the first choice of treatment for this debilitating condition. As it is out of our scope, this paper did not pay detailed attention to the types of pharmacotheraputic interventions that may successfully be used to control symptoms of this disorder and enable clients live a healthy life. From a psychological perspective, CBT is widely recommended through evidence based research as the first choice of psychotherapeutic treatment for social phobia. As discussed in this paper, evidence on the successful combinations of therapeutic methods at present denotes the need for further research in order to determine the best combinations for successful treatment. Another area that needs similar attention is combining different types of psychotherapies with CBT as treatment for social phobia. Focusing on CBT for social phobia, although there is supporting evidence for therapy success, and though it is widely considered as the first choice of psychotherapy for this disorder, it is not always successful with all individuals. Thus, form a practical point of view, it is important that clinicians are able to tailor and combine different therapeutic methods (pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy), not only to maximise treatment success, but also to make it useful with different types of clients/clients from different background and life-experiences. Furthermore, although CBT is recommended as the first therapy choice, there are practical issues regarding meeting the demand for services. This becomes an issue in terms of finance as well as in terms of the limited amount of professionals available to deliver treatment. Some successful methods of overcoming these difficulties would be Group CBT for social phobia and CCBT. However, it must be emphasised that these issues become a much grave problem in countries where psychotherapists trained in CBT are rare, and even methods such as CCBT could be unaffordable and inaccessible for certain groups. In addition, there are also limitations in being able to use programmes such as CCBT in countries where English is not used, or it not the first language. Thus, from a global perspective, the use of CBT as a therapy choice is practically challenged due to limitations of resources and trained personals, leavening pharmacotherapy as the most practical mode of therapy for a large numbers of people suffering from social phobia. To conclude, it must be stated that continued research on the successful use of CBT as a therapeutic tool for social phobia and other disorders should be continued as it proves to be a successful therapy for many psychological disorders (Westbrook et al., 2007). Thus, it can be stated that CBT is a useful and successful therapeutic intervention for social phobia. The practical use of it could be further improved through continued research, and through therapist training programmes to meet the demands for therapy, as it would further increase the effectiveness of CBT as a therapy for social phobia.