Crime, Law, and Society

Criminal Justice in America, solitary confinement or separate confinement is defined as a penitentiary system in which each inmate is held in isolation from other inmates, and all activities take place within the cells. In 1787, the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons was formed by Quakers after they became inspired by John Howard, an English Sheriff who had written about the horrible conditions in prisons he had visited.This society argued that criminals could be reformed if they were placed in penitentiaries and isolated room society and from one another, so that they could reflect on their crimes and repent. Soon after forming, the Pennsylvania legislature authorized the building of a penitentiary based on the system of separate confinement.It was believed that solitary confinement would prevent further corruption from inside prisons, it would allow offenders to reflect on their crimes, it would be an irritating punishment because humans are natural ly social, and it would be economical because it would not take long for the reformation process to affect the criminal. In 1834, another Pennsylvania prison based on this system was subject to outside investigations that detailed negative effects of separate confinement; prisoners were not reforming, physical punishments were being used as discipline, and the extended isolation resulted in many prisoners having mental breakdowns.After watching the frontline documentary â€Å"Solitary Nation†, I think it that solitary confinement should only be used in situations where an inmate has committed a serious infraction. There are an estimated 80,000 inmates across the United States in solitary confinement. Todd Thicket, who is in prison for arson, is a good example of why it is wrong to segregate criminals for performing mild to moderate infractions. There is one instance where Todd had made a suicide attempt and officers were unable to offer immediate medical aid until he would ha ndcuff himself.Some inmates, like 21 year old Adam Brutal, claim that they can handle it; Adam can read, write, and do pushup to pass the time. He claims surviving segregation simply requires a strong mind. Within a few months, Adam makes an attempt on his life by severing veins in his arm. According to Lamar Kelly, an inmate at Maine State Prison, there are 20 such incidents per month. The practice of solitary confinement began in the eighteen hundreds as a progressive experiment to see if isolation would help criminals reform.This idea was soon abandoned when it was revealed that prisoners not only did not reform, but also lost their minds. The practice of solitary confinement was revived in the sass as a method to stamp out prison violence. The warden at Maine State Prison, Rodney Bradford, believes that solitary confinement should only be used for extremely violent criminals, and that it is very overused throughout the United States. One example of an incredibly violent and dang erous criminal is Peter Gibbs; he has made many threats to kill the warden and other inmates.Many would argue that Peter is the type of criminal who deserves to be confined, however Peter makes a good point when he says â€Å"it's a fantasy to think you're going to change a man who doesn't want to change. † In some cases, isolating criminals who do not want to change may only be contributing to their mental illnesses. Dry. Dan Banish says that consequences must be enforced among the inmates, even if such consequences do not benefit the inmates. The documentary does not end optimistically.Maine State Prison does drastically reduce the number of prisoners held in solitary confinement, but there was at least one incident where an inmate was released and shortly afterward stabbed someone 87 times, and many of the inmates featured in â€Å"Solitary Nation† went on to make more attempts on their lives. I think that infractions which result in solitary confinement need to be much less strict and should result in much less time spent in isolation, although there are cases where it can be a deserved punishment. I also think that other options, such as counseling, should be used in place of the lesser infractions.

Money Brings Happiness?

Name: Nguy? n Th? Thu Hi? n Class: Lu? t anh 2 Homework: Many pepple think that money brings happiness. Do you agree with them. Why or why not? Essay: â€Å"Does money bring happiness? † This is the question that everyone has the different answers. I agree with many people about money brings happiness. Money helps we have material comforts and spiritual joy. In fact, if we have no money, we can’t buy goods, clothes, and other necessaries which we need. If we have a lot of money, we can improve our spiritual activities easily.We can go to the movies every weekend, and we can buy any expensive gifts for the people who we love. Money helps the poor have a will-fed life. For the rich, money helps them have pure happiness because they can help the poor and the victims of the disasters. It is said that: â€Å" Money is the root of all evil. † No, it is not true. Money is normally the fruit of labour. The question is how one spends that money. There is nothing good or e vil about money. The same money which can help bring relief to the suffering millions, can be used to build up armaments.The power decides how to spend the money. ————————————————- In summary, the money brings happiness only when we use it properly. The right use of money may bring us a comfortable life and a cheerful heart. Ng? c Tho? i Nguy? n Being poor can certainly bring unhappiness, but having money does not guarantee happiness. Some people assume that because extreme poverty brings extreme unhappiness that the opposite must be true. It is not. There are a lot of very unhappy very rich people.Acquiring money can too easily become the center of life's focus and that can become an obsession. Like most obsessions, it's not a good thing. The Bible says that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. That seems to be a universal truth. When you love money more than anything else in life you will find that you can never get enough of it. When life only revolves around getting money you start to obsess over what it can bring you and then you lose any chance of happiness. ————————————————- The happiest people I know are not the richest.They are the people who have learned to be happy with what they have and make the most of life. I have seen people made deeply miserable by poverty, but at the same time I have seen relatively poor people who are happy because they have a positive and thankful attitude about life. Nguyen Khac Hoang: We are living in the 21th century, when many new inventions have discovered. As far as I know, one of them, which has big influence over the world is internet. So do you wonder: â€Å" Why do they like to use the Internet? † The internet always brings a better life.In fact, without internet people are alive and still exist but nobody can deny the benefits of the it. Firstly, it’s a source of information. People can get the latest information about weather forecast, daily events all around the world†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. at any time as well. Before the Internet was invented, people can’t get the information as fast as now, they must watch TV programs, buy newspapers or magazines. Thanks to Internet, we can widen our knowledge in an inexpensive and convenient way. Secondly, Internet is a source of entertainment. If y feel tired of bored, y can listen to music or watch any films y like.Moreover, many people like to play games on the Internet because they are very interesting, wonderful and this doesn’t cost as much. You can also communicate with friends or ralatives by means of e-mail or chatting. Thirdly, Internet is a good mean of education. Teachers can teach on the Internet. Students can find various kinds of tests to do. In addition, they now can use the Internet as a time – saving decide by online schools or online lessons. In conclusion, almost every aspect of our life is concerned with the Internet. It’s a wonderful invention of our modern life. It makes our world a small village.

Economy: Questions Essay

Answer each question fully. Complete sentences are not necessary. Lesson 1 (3.0 points) 1. What are the three tools the Fed uses to keep the economy stable? (1.0 points) 1. fund rate 2. discount rate 3. reserve requirement ratio 2. What is a recession? (0.5 points) a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters. 3. What is domestic commerce? (0.5 points) Domestic commerce refers to the buying and selling of products within a particular country. 4. What is Congress? (0.5 points) the national legislative body of a country. 5. What is monetary policy? (0.5 points) Monetary policy is the decisions a government makes to control the supply of money, availability of money, and value of money. Lesson 2 (3.0 points) 1. What is antitrust law? (0.5 points) antitrust law, which forbids agreements among competitors to fix prices or prevent fair competition 2. What is globalization? (0.5 points) Globalization is the trend toward local, regional, or national economies becoming connected through communication, business, and trade. 3. What is free trade? (0.5 points) A free trade zone (FTZ) is a specific class of special economic zone. They are a geographic area where goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured, and reexported without the intervention of the customs authorities. 4. What is exchange rate risk? (0.5 points) Exchange rate risk is the risk that investors and business people have when converting their money to a foreign currency to invest or do business. 5. What is a country’s trade balance? (0.5 points) A country’s trade balance is a comparison of its imports to exports. 6. What is an exchange rate? (0.5 points) The exchange rate tells you how much one unit of currency is worth when converted to another currency.

Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 17

Terrorism - Essay Example Still, the international community tries to counter this sort of radicalization by implementing innovative measures related to counter-terrorism. The psychological (acceptance, socialization, and self-importance) and behavioral (belief, commitment, and obedience) factors have the greatest impact on the radicalization of an individual, but efforts such as awareness programs, hindering the misinterpretation of religious texts, and welfare programs for the lower classes might be effective in countering this sort of radicalization. The basic psychological factor with greatest impact on radicalizing an individual is the human urge to gain acceptance. To be specific, acceptance is utmost important for human beings within their private or public domains. â€Å"From Moghaddam’s point of view, terrorism constitutes a rational problem-solving strategy for individuals who go through the psychological processes on each step in the Staircase to Terrorism.†1 Within this scenario, the terrorist leaders and related recruiters know that it is easier to trap such individuals. Similarly, socialization during one’s youth determines one’s psychological development in future years. When an individual is deeply interested in religious education or is forced to undergo the same, there will be no scope for socialization. Besides, socialization with similar religious minded individuals can radicalize an individual. To be specific, daily exposure to the views related to religious fundamentalism can result in psychological change among youngsters. One can see that terrorist organizations help their members to consider that they are most important to their religion, and are chosen to complete certain missions. So, it is evident that the psychological factors like acceptance, socialization, and self-importance can radicalize an individual. Similarly, belief in an ideology or a religion transforms one’s behavior in general. â€Å"Additionally, the individual

Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop - Essay Example Latour in an attempt to revive the integrity of churches strives hard whereas the priest is corrupting the lands of Mexico with his greed for materialism. Religious revival has been pointed out by Cather in the story which co-relates to the current environment of the society. Cather tells as to how religion can bring out a change in the whole society if people have the right belief in it. Such a belief is lost from religions nowadays and it can be seen that greed is prevailing like that of the priest. The importance of religion in the book is conveyed to Latour by Valiant in these words ‘To me, that is the situation in a parable. The Faith, in the wild frontier, is like a buried treasure; they guard it, but they do not know how to use it to their souls salvation. A word, a prayer, a service, is all that is needed to set free those souls in bondage’. This clearly shows that religion can lead to salvation and if an individual is not practicing salvation then this may lead to destruction. Such a condition is prevailing in this world when we see that religious traditions are being ignored all over. Cather gives an account of Latour as to how his revival is successful in bringing glory to the lands of Mexico. A response to religion as shown by Cather has to be followed in this world to bring glory back. Belief is a very important aspect as laid down in the book. The condition of Mexico at one time seemed irreparable but as time passed by Latour grabbed the necessities through which he could bring back salvation to the society. It was through his struggle that this salvation was brought back in the society. Such strength and determination is required by the religious entities in this world today through which they can bring back the glory to this world. Greed is shown to be a destructive factor by Cather and it can only be overcome if struggle religious traditions are followed. Religion has been greatly emphasized in the story and this gives a platform to

Characters of Dexter and Missie May Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Characters of Dexter and Missie May - Essay Example The characters Dexter and Missie May Banks have been presented with memorable roles in developing the stories in Winter Dreams, and The Gilded Six-Bite respectively to achieve the themes within the stories. Winter Dreams as written by Scott Fitzgerald has been based on the events that affect the leading character Dexter Green as presented by the girl in his life. Although his background fails to meet the standards presented in the story, Dexter depicts the desire to meet satisfaction from material wealth. His definition of a perfect life had been inhabited by wealth, money and comfort in the arms of Judy Jones. Judy becomes the key to reveal Dexter’s potential as she advocates for him to be successful. The leading themes in power, beauty and success are represented through the leading character when Dexter desires the luxurious lifestyle. Dexter’s Character Dexter is hardworking, and we are told of the role that he features to be a caddie in the search for money (Fitzge rald). He had further sough to gain success ad wealth when he had declined his position as a caddie to join the ranks of the wealthy class. Dexter strives to lead a more flourishing lifestyle and he demonstrates the fete through joining the Eastern University. The more enthusiastic Dexter proves to be enterprising and ambitious. This is more evident when he borrows money to invest in the laundry hustle that made him borrow $1,000. Dexter’s ability to seek the determination needed to acquire wealth saw him become a leading entrepreneur at the young age of 27. Dexter presents the image required to reflect him as a hard worker and an individual who requires progress. He rises from his neighborhood in Keeble to become a prominent personality within the community. Dexter toils to rise the ranks into a group that holds more wealth within the society and differentiates from the class that had been created by the failure within the society to offer a counter measure. The winter dream s theme had been created to be based on the expectations needed by the young Dexter who works as a caddie and dreams of playing with the established personalities. He further improves his relationship with Judy after acquiring the wealth required to accord a complete life. However, the satisfaction that he presents in Judy is not fully presented because he loses interest as her beauty fades. He is depicted as an inconsiderate character after leaving her first wife Irene for Judy. Dexter places most effort on the image he relays towards the society as he values the wealth and power that he had worked hard to acquire. â€Å"The Gilded Six-Bite† by Zora Neal Hurston is written to delve on the theme of love betrayal and the desire to reconcile with those that share love. The story set in Eatonville depicts Missie May who is eager to impress her new husband Joe. However, their relationship is threatened by, the new wealthy, personality in Otis Slemmons. Joe brags of the wealth tha t Slemmons holds and acknowledges the power presented in the wealth realized in Slemmons but acknowledges that the power he holds is in his beautiful Missie. These fantasies push Missie to the arms of Slemmons who seizes the opportunity to lay with her in exchange for a gold coin. Although these events lead to tension between the couple, Joe forgives his wife, and they reconcile their differences (Hurston 53). Missie May’

Integrated Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Integrated Marketing Strategy - Essay Example Introduction In any form of business, the domain of marketing is regarded as quite significant and one of the prominent activities to be conducted in promoting as well as establishing the intended brand within the target market. It is important to note that for any business to promote or to convey information about its products or services to the targeted customers, the tool of marketing must be essentially put into efficient use. Contextually, it has been observed that companies communicate with the customers with the help of various tools of marketing, which comprise of advertising and other promotional activities to make them aware about what the business is offering to them. Unarguably, without proper marketing strategy, the success of business is quite likely to become highly uncertain and will probably remain unaccomplished upto a larger extent (Lamb & et. al 2008). Contextually, the primary intention of this report is to frame an integrated marketing strategy to promote Bullet Proof Vests as a newly launched product in the targeted market. Overview- Integrated Marketing Communication Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is conceptually explained as an unconventional domain of marketing management that involves the implementation of conveying succinct and all-inclusive information about the proposed brand across numerous and diverse marketing channels. It is defined by experts as an integrated approach of marketing, which is designed with the intention to ensure that all the communication activities in the domain of marketing management are applied in a unified form involving various other beneficial channels of communication (International University of science and Technology, 2013). For strategizing the promotional framework required in the launch of the product i.e. bullet proof vests, some of the tools of IMC including advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations, internet marketing, personal selling and publicity will be imple mented. These tools will together work towards the accomplishment of the set goals, which in this case is to promote the features of bullet proof vests to the targeted market and convince or encourage the potential buyers to purchase the same. Promotion Mix Strategy Promotion mix strategies mainly include two forms of approaches, which comprise pull strategy and push strategy, used according to the marketing intentions and product features to convey the information regarding products and/or services to the potential purchasers (Lamb & et. al 2008). Applying the push strategy approach, the product i.e. bullet proof vest will be promoted to the customers directly with the help of various tools of advertising during its initial introductory stage. It is worth mentioning in this context that application of a push strategy in the initial stage of the product launch will help it in gaining a percentage of market shares, countering the already existing competitive brands. In the subsequent phase, depending on the response from the customers towards the product, the pull strategy approach will be applied to encourage the customers to seek for the product from their end owing to its growing demand and preference in the market. Notably, as the armed forces and soldiers will be the targeted customers of the product, due attention will be provided towards quality

Assembly Automation and Product Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assembly Automation and Product Design - Essay Example The electrical function refers to the plugs ability to properly conduct current from the socket to the electrical device in a safe and proper manner. The mechanical function refers to the sockets ability to withstand all the forces required for safe installation of the plug into the socket. The mechanical function also includes the proper design of the plug so as to safely clip into the socket and be safely held and removed from the socket. Aesthetic function refers to the ability of the socket to have appealing features to the customer. Ergonomic function refers to the sockets ability to withstand fatigue due to continual use.2 The 13A pin is made of the following components. Conductors are the three pins; they are made of brass. Fuse element made of copper. Fuse clip made of copper, cable wires made of copper and fuse ends made of copper. The insulators are the plug body and base made of plastic. The cord clip made of nylon, Cable sheath made of PVC (polyvinylchloride) wire sheath and pin sheath made of PVC. Fuse body made of alumina. The pin has screws firmly holding together all the parts. The cord grip screw is made of steel, the major plug screw is made of steel and the pin screw is made of steel or brass.3 In the process of material selection, the engineer should consider the materials are the best conductors and those that are the best insulators. The engineer should consider the price and the ease of molding and access the materials. Polymers can be shaped into the desired shape of the plug through molding. This can be easily done for mass production. Wood can only be machined; this method is ineffective for mass production. Thermoplastics have various options for mass production such as welding, use of adhesives and molding. Therefore, even though wood provides the cheapest source of raw materials, it is difficult to use it in mass production. The plug body should be strong and stiff so as to hold the pins safely. Through a material selection process an engineer is able to select the most suitable polymer to use.  

Ernst and Young LLP. The annual reports of AT&T and Verizon Essay

Ernst and Young LLP. The annual reports of AT&T and Verizon - Essay Example Coincidentally, both of the companies under consideration utilize the service of a single auditing firm Ernst and Young LLP. Ernst and Young LLP prides itself in being a "global leader in assurance, tax, transaction, and advisory services (Ernst and Young 2008)" having the overall aim of extending a "positive impact on businesses and markets, as well as on society as a whole" (Ernst and Young 2008). With this commitment for excellence, it currently employs a pool of 130,000 professionals with diverse background and specialties each contributing to the success of the business organization. As an auditing firm, it maintains high standard in its undertaking and promotes overall transparency in financial reporting (Ernst and Young 2008). With the growth of financial fiascos and controversies involving huge corporations like Enron, Ernst and Young upholds its integrity in the market through its dedication to high ethical standards in its operations (Ernst and Young 2008). The annual reports of AT&T and Verizon both comprise four important financial statements each highlighting different aspects which give users of these information a thorough knowledge on their financial standing.

All Philosophical Problems Caused by Sloppy Reasoning Essay

All Philosophical Problems Caused by Sloppy Reasoning - Essay Example Clearly, philosophical problems remain, though Wittgenstein had felt that he had solved them finally enough to retire after publishing the Tractatus (Richter, 2004). But by solving the issue of language, one can make sure that one is not making a mountain out of a molehill, asking absurd issues or creating issues where there are none. Anyone who has had the unpleasant experience of talking at cross-purposes with someone else knows that many problems are simply caused by poor assumptions as to what terms mean. Kripke suggests that Wittgenstein's work boils down to a â€Å"sceptical challenge†. The terms of this challenge doubt that anything said can be unequivocally meaningful. The strongest case against the sceptical position would be mathematics. Philosophers since the sceptical revolution of epistemology that Hume led have largely agreed that complete, rigorous knowledge of the empirical world is impossible. But math and logic are sometimes held to be beyond this. Yet Wittge nstein's work, being semantical and semiotic, actually impugns even math. 2 + 2 = 4 is straight forward enough, but to be sensible, one has to assume that it is meant that the symbol 2 matches the concept of â€Å"two†, that the plus sign means an addition, and that the equals sign indicates an equation (Kusch). Strictly speaking, in Kripke's view, one cannot make those assumptions. â€Å"The 'sceptical challenge' is thus ontological rather than epistemic; the sceptic seeks to show not that you are somehow unable to track the facts of what you mean, but that there are no facts for you track†. To decode 2 + 2 = 4 requires more than the rules of mathematics, no matter how rigorous: It requires socially agreed-upon assertability conditions, like â€Å"2 is two, + indicates the mathematical function of addition and = means the equal function†. In strict Chinese or any non-Arabic numeral language, 2 + 2 = 4 is gibberish; in Roman, the closest one would get would be I I + II = IV.

Mini-report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mini-report - Research Paper Example The book has two central issues: the first argues whether Plato’s good morals are centered on individual humans or quasi-morals, the second issue is a discussion on what is good to them. The form of good in the republic is evaluated by different top philosophers and classicists. The book acts as an introduction to Plato’s philosophy thus equipping today’s students efficiently both in interpreting controversial issues and adding their ethical backgrounds. Terry has really worked hard in illustrating the admirable qualities in the republic of Plato. This is a result of her proficiency in writing; she’s the professor of philosophy in Wisconsin university together with the other authors. George Anastaplo, a scholar explains in this book how one can read and at the same tie enjoy texts from ancient authors. He illustrates how these great artists thought and discussed among themselves to come up with solutions of their time. In the book, the author does not mention the texts one by one but, but discusses what he has noticed or learnt from these individuals. His discussion ranges from the ancient Homer and Plato to Aristotle and Sappho. The author discusses how different these relate to chance, these include: art, nature, and divinity, this is in relation to different artworks from various philosophers. This is a book by the famous Christopher Taylor; he brings out a relationship between the infuriating and engaging figure and the historical Socrates that appears in most of Plato’s dialogues. He goes on and examines the big image in Socrates as a good example of a philosophic life. He emphasizes the influence of Socrates to the development western philosophies, without his play, it would have been a different thing. Socrates just had an influential figure in making advancements in philosophy; he wasn’t an author as well but played a

Best Buy Case Essay Example for Free

Best Buy Case Essay What type of retailer is Best Buy? Best Buy Co. , Inc. is a multinational retailer of consumer electronics, home office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services. 2. Do you agree with the strategy Best Buy has adopted to respond to its competitors? Why or why not? Yes, I agree to the strategy that Best Buy has adopted to respond to its competitors. If I wanted to buy something as simple as a toaster I would go to Wal-Mart, but when it comes to buying high technical multi-function printer, I would consider going to Best Buy. Even though they are planning on selling upscale and higher margin merchandise, they do have highly trained sales â€Å"consultants† to help with the complex expensive purchase. In order for Best Buy to stay on top of the market, they have to provide the extra service with the best quality merchandise. 3. Describe the six components of Best Buy’s retailing mix. Is there anything you would change? Explain. The six components of Best Buy retailing mix are: First component, they offer array of different products (it stores have nearly 25,000 separate items) at affordable prices. They also offer installation on some of the products you buy, plus maintenance service technical support, and subscription on cell phones and internet services. Second component is the proper location. Best Buy stores are usually located in a small to medium size outdoor shopping centers. The third component is their promotion strategy. Best Buy’s television commercials use the slogan, â€Å"Thousand of Possibilities. Get Yours. † They send out flyers, and email customers who gave their emails to Best Buy, and weekly ads. Fourth component is the prices. Their prices range varies depending on what you buy, from low cost merchandise to high cost merchandise. Best Buy retail stores price match guarantees that if you find a lower advertised price on the same available brand and model prior to your purchase or during the exchange and return period, they will match that price. The fifth component to Best Buy is customer service. They have customer representatives that are specialized in their departments, who can help customers with any questions they have

Information Systems Management Pepsico Inc

Information Systems Management Pepsico Inc There are hardly a few people in the world who are unfamiliar with the word Pepsi. Words such as cola or soda have almost become synonymous with it. Pepsi is arguably the most famous soft-drink consumed by billions all over the world. And the company responsible behind this success is one of the world market giants; PEPSICO, Inc. According to Andreas Penzkofer (2007), the company came into existence in 1965, when the Pepsi-cola company acquired the snack food company called Frito-Lay. The company has started to expand itself overseas since the nineties. Pepsico Incorporated is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation. Its headquarters are based in Purchase, New York. It is a company which has marketing and manufacturing interests in a wide variety of products ranging from carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, salty, sweet and cereal based snacks, juices etcetera. Some of the major brands owned by the company are   Quaker Oats,  Gatorade,  Frito-Lay,  Tropicana,  Copella,  Mountain Dew, and  7 Up. According to Lawrence Dietz (1973), the perspective of the company is to increase the value of the share-holders investment. The company plans to do this by achieving growth in sales, controlling the costs and intelligent investment of resources. The company believes that their commercial success is dependent upon offering good quality and value to their consumers and customers, making available products that are safe, wholesome, and economically efficient while providing fair returns on investments to their investors by maintaining high levels of integrity. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE Pepsico operates in all the six major continents of the world namely Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America and Europe. Their operations are further broken down amongst countries in these continents. The inter-organisation structure of the company has many sub-divisions. Their products are produced and bottled at the manufacturing plant, delivered to the suppliers by the distributors, the suppliers sell it to the retailers and finally to the consumers. These supply-chains in different countries are controlled by one main headquarter. According to Andreas Penzkofer (2007), the aim of the company is to manage supply ingredients and maintain purified water supply to ensure quality and availability to produce the products. Ensure availability of the best technology and quick storage and inventory processes to maintain freshness and quality. Determine the demand by past sales and future marketing. Also ensure proper packaging, maintain quick local distribution and meet any new demands or competition with products and consumer needs. Andreas Penzkofer (2007), also states that the companys mission is to become the worlds best consumer products company. Its aim is to improve on the financial returns to the investors as it provides opportunities of growth and development to its employees. It is also concerned about preserving the environment and has designed a separate set of goals especially in its favour. This can be observed from the replacement of can holders with plastic ring connectors which snap when the cans are removed; thereby reducing the risk of entanglement for wildlife. Pepsico also aims at diversifying its workforce so as to have a better understanding of different cultures. This has led the company to win many awards as well as being ranked at the 9th position by the fortune magazine as being the best company for minorities. MARKET SHARE According to Lawrence Dietz (1973), Pepsico, Inc. is one of the leading consumer product companies in the world having many of the worlds most important and valuable trademarks. It is the second largest soft-drink business having a 21 percent share of the carbonated soft-drink market in the world and 29 percent in the United States. Three of its major soft-drink brands Pepsi-cola, Mountain Dew and Diet Pepsi are amongst the top-ten soft-drinks in the U.S. market. The company has also spread itself substantially in the world snacks market by introducing a company division known as Frito-Lay. It has a 40 percent world market share in salty snacks and 56 percent in the United States. It is nine times the size of its closest competitor in the U.S. and sells nine of the top-ten snack chip brands in the supermarket channel some of which include lays, Doritos, ruffles and Chee-tos. Frito-Lay is responsible for generating more than 60 percent of Pepsicos net-sales and more than two-thirds of the parent companys operating profits. The company also has a third division called Tropicana Products, Inc., which is the world leader in juice sales and occupies a strong 41 percent of the U.S. chilled orange juice market. On a global scale, Pepsico owns 16 brands that generate more than 500 million dollars in sales each year, ten of which are responsible for generating more than 1 billion dollars annually. Pepsico acquires around 35 percent of its retail sales outside the United States, with Pepsi-cola brands marketed in about 160 countries, Frito-Lay brands marketed in more than 40 and Tropicana brands in around 50 countries. BUSINESS MODEL According to Richard Goodman (2009), Pepsico has managed to device a successful business model which stresses importance on three key factors. Structural and operational advantages, successfully pilot the company through uncertain times and making strategic investments for future growth. Pepsico aims at meeting challenges and investing for the future by providing value to customers and consumers, having an excellent market strategy, investing in research and development and innovation. By achieving these factors, the company will be able to retain customers. The company also aims at effectively managing price gaps, bringing in global advances in beverage pack sizes, activating the consumer by holding contests, working out capital benefits for the customers as well as the consumers, control prices of products around the world market, appealing to local tastes, adapting to local customs thereby achieving healthy and consistent performance. GLOBAL VISIBILITY The global visibility of Pepsico can be observed from the sheer number of countries its products are consumed in. From the market share section above, it can be seen that Pepsi-cola brands are marketed in 160 countries, Frito-Lay brands marketed in more than 40 and Tropicana brands in around 50 countries. Although Pepsico is an American Multinational corporation, India and Europe are of two of its biggest markets outside of the United States. BUSINESS ALLIANCES Pepsico has formed partnerships with many products it does not own but in order to distribute and market them with its own products. Some of these products include, Starbucks iced coffee, Lipton original iced tea, Ben and Jerrys milkshake etcetera. Also some of Pepsicos business alliances include Pepsico Quaker Chewy teaming up with Afterschool Alliance and Miranda Cosgrove to Call Attention to the Importance of Afterschool Programs, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages and Ocean Spray Strategic Alliance to Include Additional Juice and Juice Drinks, Oxford Health  Alliance  and PepsiCo Foundation implemented Community Interventions etcetera. (Source: www.pepsico.com, date taken: 08/08/2010) COMPETITIOR ANALYSIS DIRECT COMPETITIORS The Coca-Cola Company As we all know, Coca-cola or Coke as it is popularly known, and Pepsi have been competing with each other since the longest possible times. Even as kids, we used to have advertisements on television showing us to choose one over the other. As the years pass by and as the companies seem to expand themselves more and more, their rivalry to attain market dominance seems to grow further more. According to Pat Watters (1978), the Coca-Cola Company is basically a non-alcoholic beverage producing company. It is also responsible for manufacturing, marketing and distributing concentrates and syrups which are used to produce these beverages. The Coca-Cola Company has their beverages sold in more than 200 countries worldwide. Their headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia. The company owns more than 500 brands of non-alcoholic beverages which primarily include sparkling beverages. But they also manufacture still beverages like enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. Royal Crown Company, Inc The Royal-Crown Company, Inc is a 50 billion dollar company which manufactures and sells concentrates that are used in the production of soft-drinks. These soft-drinks are then sold locally and internationally to independent licensed bottlers. RC cola is the companys leading brand and is ranked as the third largest cola brands after Pepsi and Coke. Some of the other brands which the company owns are Diet RC Cola, Diet Rite Cola, Lockjaw, Upper 10 and kick. (Source: www.rccola.com, Date accessed: 09/08/2010) COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS GRID SWOT Analysis for PepsiCo: SWOT Analysis signifies the evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats possessed and faced by a particular company, organization or institution. According to Pahl, Richter (2009), SWOT Analysis is beneficial and a crucial tool for decision-making and figuring dependencies between a company and its environment since subjective opinions are replaced by proactive and constructive thinking. The SWOT Analysis for PepsiCo is as follows: 3.1. Strengths: PepsiCo has a strong brand reputation in the global market due to its presence of over 120 years. It has had a significantly increasing market share over the years due to the launch of new products like Pepsi Max and other ideas. (Bachmeier, 2009) Its place has been determined and positioned strongly with regard to profits, sales and customer loyalty due to its creativity and effectiveness. PepsiCo boasts of a strong product line with a variety and diverse range of products. It faces no cash deficit and hence has huge advertising budgets to strengthen its market position. 3.2. Weaknesses: PepsiCo depends largely on the US market for its revenues. According to Plunkett (2009), around 29% of PepsiCos total net revenue is derived only from PepsiCo Beverages North America and its total market revenue dependent on US alone exceeds 50%. This may prove to be detrimental in the constantly changing economic conditions. Some of the PepsiCo products lack uniformity in their brand names. Experts have cited health hazards in the consumption of PepsiCo products due to high fat and sugar contents. The image of PepsiCo has been at stake due to incidents like the exploding of Pepsi cans in 2007 followed by salmonella contamination in Pepsicos product Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mix. (Clark, 2008) 3.3. Opportunities: PepsiCo has been working to broaden its product base substantially. In 2005, it bought General Mills stake of the largest European snack food firm Snack Ventures Europe. In addition, PepsiCo acquired the German juice maker Punica Getraenke. (Penzkofer, 2007) PepsiCo operates through its four subsidiaries PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), PepsiCo International (PI), Quaker Foods North America (QFNA) and Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) in almost 200 countries. (Penzkofer, 2007) With 153,000 employees, the company had total net revenue of $ 29,261 million in 2005 and was ranked at place 62 of the Fortune 500 Ranking of the largest companies in the United States. (Norton, Porter, 2010) PepsiCo has gradually been developing noncarbonated drinks and healthy products, attracting more customers. 3.4. Threats: PepsiCo faces considerable threats due to strong competitors like The Coca-Cola Company, Nestle, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group etcetera. Incidents like those of contaminations and pesticide residues found in PepsiCo products have caused substantial brand damage to the company, especially in large emerging markets like India. PepsiCo has been in a vulnerable position in the recent past due to labour problems. To illustrate, there was a month long strike at Frito-Lay India, a part of PepsiCo India Holdings Limited, beginning in August 2008 due to a dispute between the workers union and the company management. (Source: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/strike-at-pepsis-channo-plant-ends/363190/ , Date accessed: 12.08.2010) Stagnancy acts as a threat for the company since the food and beverages industry has reached its maturity and there are hardly any avenues that remain unexplored. PROPOSED BUSINESS, INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Business Strategy For future growth opportunities and profits, PepsiCo should try to carry out their business by introducing healthier products in the market. The company can achieve this by Reducing the calories in the food products so that the consumption can be a healthy one. The company can manipulate the market to control what people are eating and drinking. Healthy options should be made available to all The company should undergo a change from inside and transform their reputation as a manufacturer of healthy products which essentially gives nutritional value. In the years to come, the company should engage its business in providing fruits, vegetables and grains. The company as a whole should respond to the changing consumer needs. Using the latest science and encouraging positive nutrition is the need of the hour as the masses become health conscious day by day. The company needs to be reformulating itself and become innovative by making use of the next generation technology. The company can further merge itself with healthier brands of products. (Source: www.Pepsico.com, Date accessed: 10/08/2010) Information Systems and Information Technology Strategy Buckingham et al. (1987), defines an information system to be a system that can assemble, store, process and deliver information relevant to an organisation. This is done in a way that the information is available and useful to anyone who wants to use it, including managers, staff, clients and citizens. An information system is a human activity system which may or may not involve the use of computer systems. A good information system strategy according to Guy Fitzgerald (2002), for a huge consumer food products and beverages company like PepsiCo to carry out its business for future growth and profits would be: To precisely document the requirements necessary for a good information system: Here, the users should be able to specify their system requirements or the system developers should be able to investigate and analyse user requirements so that the information system will meet the needs of the users. Efficiently monitor the progress by providing an orderly method of development: For a huge company like PepsiCo, controlling its large-scale projects is not easy. If the projects fail to meet the deadline, they can have serious cost and other repercussions for the company. Providing check-points and specific stages should make sure that the project planning procedures are applied effectively. Provision for the companys information system should have a suitable time limit and an acceptable cost. The documentation of the system should be properly preserved and also the system should be easy to maintain: This is extremely important as in a company like Pepsico, modifications to the information systems is inevitable due to the amount of changes taking place in the company and its environment. The system should be able to make the best use of the techniques and tools that are already available. The system should be liked by the people who are affected with the system such as the company stakeholders. The stake holders of the company may include clients, managers, auditors and users. If the system is liked by them, it is most likely to be used and bring success to the company. A successful information system should also make effective use of information technology by using the available tools and techniques. An effective use of information technology would involve: All staff having standard desktop tools. They should have access to email, Internet and Intranet. IT infrastructure should be continuously upgraded as allowed by the companys resources and budget. Systems and networks at the companys head-quarters and in the field should be standardised and centrally managed. A centralised team should provide IT assistance to staff and a wide range of IT training. The company should make use ERP systems at the head-quarters. For information and knowledge management, the company should implement document management system. Making use of such business, information system and information technology strategies would help the company stay competitive in the market in the future. CONCLUSION

How labelling affects mental health problems

How labelling affects mental health problems Labelling theory is linked to Howard Becket and was introduced in 1963.   Labelling theory is the theory of a behaviour that is considered different from the customary or a behaviour that is generally accepted as standard.   It is considered by some sociologist that this type of behaviour is seen as a label given to an individual whose behaviour is not considered normal by certain people of authority.   Therefore, labelling means that no individual is actually abnormal and no deed is unusual unless it has been identified by society. According to Pilgrim and Rogers (1999) the labelling theory works on the principle that to identify a person as having mental health problems it is suggested that the individual will act in a stereotypical manner.  Ã‚   It was thought at one time that having a mental health problem was owing to some form of personal weakness.   However, as time has gone by mental illness has become more accepted by society and the public have become more learned and it could be true to say that   it is well known now that mental health disorders have a medical basis and can be treated like any other health condition. Being considered mentally healthy does not routinely imply that a person does not have a mental health problem.   Good health usually represents that a person is able to play a full part in society albeit within a family setting, in the workplace, within community or amongst other people or friends.  Ã‚   It also suggest that a person who is in good mental health can deal with what life throws at them and more often than not will be capable of make the most of their potential within any given situation.   According to The World Health Organisation mental health is: a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community(WHO, 2001). Mental health illness for that reason could be said is a state where the well being of an individual is flawed in some way and is incapable of undertaking normal day to day functions.   It could be said that mental health is everyones concern.   The majority of people at one time or another will admit to feeling stressed out and unable to cope with what life throws at them but usually those feeling pass.   However at other times these problems can develop into something much more serious.   Some can bounce back with no problem at all while others might take a longer time to deal with their problems.   Scheff (1999) considers that mental illness in a person is brought about by societal labelling.   He suggests that the symptoms of mental illness are  Ã‚   seen as infringement of the social norms.   By most social values behaviour associated with mental illness such violent outburst, anxiety, delusions and attempts of suicide are considered abnormal.  Ã‚   Therefore, the cause for a person to be labelled as mentally ill does not automatically mean infringement of the social norm.   The person to a certain extent is labelled when a situation can bring about what the public would perceive as abnormal behaviour.   This could mean for example, when an application is made to place that individual in a mental institution or hospital and as a result that individual is is labelled as mentally ill. Labelling leads to stigma, which is a word associated with branding and shame.  Ã‚   Stigma has been defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a mark or sign of disgrace and discredit.   Goffman (1963) also suggested that disability was associated with shame and pity and that the term stigma has been adopted from the Greeks which imply a mark that represent immorality.  Ã‚   Research also shows that stigma is more strongly expressed against people with mental disabilities, which, under the influence of Buddhism and Animism, are believed to represent possession by evil sprits (Hunt 2002).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies also show that individuals with a mental health illness are most rejected people among any disabled groups (Albrecht, Walkeer Levy, 1982)  Ã‚   It has also been suggested by Jones (1985) that the process of stigmatization is based on six elements, namely conceability, course, disruptiveness, aesthetic qualities, origin and peril.   Although there are 8.6 million disabled people in Britain that is 1:7 of the population who have either a physical, sensory or mental impairment that seriously affects their day-to-day activities, people with mental health continue to be excluded from discourse on difference and diversity.   Discourses can have an impact on the ways in which people with mental health illness are portrayed and treated within society and this in turn may influence the actions taken by people and the judgments they make.   Different cultures can also have different perception, so can different situations and circumstances. Having a mental illness, and living with it on a day to day basis can be intensely difficult for the individual suffering from it.   Mental illness by today standards is believed to be very common, due to the fact that one in four in the United Kingdom is diagnosed with a mental illness.   Sufferers of the illness experience many problems, which include the way they think, behave or how they feel.   These problems can lead to problems with everyday living, such as maintaining relationships, access to or performance at work, not being accepted by the community that they live in.   A report written by the government into Mental Health and Social Exclusion, and published by the Social Exclusion Unit in 2004, recognized the discrimination and stigma experienced by people with mental health issues as a major stumbling block to be included socially, and thus making it very hard for those individual to access work, access health services, take part in their communities, and to take pleasure in doing things with their family and friends.  Ã‚   The report also states that 83 percent of those interviewed identified stigma as a major contributor; 55 percent identified stigma as a barrier to work; and 52 percent had experienced a negative attitudes towards mental health in the community. According to a survey, called the Stigma Shout (2008) survey revealed that: Nearly 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems have been affected by stigma and discrimination, with two thirds saying they have stopped doing things because of the stigma they face. Stigma stops people with mental health problems from doing everyday things such as applying for jobs, making new friends, and going out to pubs and shops. It can even prevent people from reporting a crime. People with mental health problems want the anti-stigma campaign to target schools and the media to change attitudes and reduce prejudice. Carers of people with mental health problems also stop doing things because of the stigma and discrimination that they face. http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/news/stigma-shout-survey-shows-real-impact-stigma-and-discrimination-peoples-lives Mental health problems are commonly identified and categorized in order for  professional people to be able to provide suitable support and treatment.  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, some diagnoses are  considered controversial and concern is expressed that individuals are frequently treated in line with by what they have been labelled with.   There are many conditions that are believed to be associated to mental health illness, including   anxiety disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders and plenty more.   Any person presenting signs of the mental health problems will more often than not be labelled by society in some way.  Ã‚  Ã‚   As noted earlier labelling leads to stigma and stigma in turn can lead to discrimination.  Ã‚   It is highly publicized that there should be no discrimination against people of a difference appearance, race culture, religion but people are less conscious of discrimination against people with a mental health illness.  Ã‚   Being discriminated against can play a big part in an individuals life who may be experiencing mental health problems.   It is known that stigma associated with mental health issues can be very hurtful and damaging and can inhibit the individual from accessing support and treatment in order to lead a normal life. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 44% of people who experienced some form of mental health issues felt they had been discriminated by their G.Ps, and 35% said theyd been discriminated by health professionals.   However, it is suspected by some that the principal   reason for the health care professionals to behave in this manner is because they are considered inexperienced in the field of mental health issues. On the other hand, some individuals who have been labelled as suffering with mental health problems are of the opinion that mental health problems are fabricated and invented by professional people who make money from the belief that mental health issues are problematic.   One example which demonstrates how health care services are being prejudice is that sufferers of schizophrenia are prohibited from giving blood or giving away any of their vital organs as they are perceived as mentally incapacitated.   As previously referred to statistics show that at any given time one in every four adult and one in every five children live through a mental health problem.  Ã‚   It is estimated that approximately 450 million people worldwide have a mental health problem.   World Health Organisation (2001)   The total cost of mental health problems in England is currently more than  £77 billion a year which is double previous estimates (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health 2003) Due to the labelling associated with mental health problems many of these people will not access help at an early stage and the illness will become worse.   It is widely known that people with a mental health illness are less likely to be in full time employment in comparison to other groups of disabled people.   In 2001, people with a mental health problem were almost three times more likely to be unemployed than all other disabled people (Smith and Twomey 2002)  Ã‚   Many of these people do not make an effort to obtain work   for a number of reasons or are discriminated by employers because of their illness.   It has been proved that not dealing with mental illness within the work place costs over     £9 billion a year   (Department of Health 2006).   In order to address this issue the government has published a mental health strategy with the main objective to help mental health sufferers gain and retain employment.  Ã‚   The strategy namely, Working Our Way to Better Mental Health: A Framework for Action Strategy (2009), is aimed at helping people safeguard their illness, and when a problem arises, get the help and treatment that they need.   The strategy also aims to reduce discrimination and to reduce the levels of labelling that is associated with the illness.   To realize improved practises in maintaining a good working relationship between the workplace and those suffering from mental health problems, the Government has advised employers that they need to follow the principles included in the strategy to shed light on the impact of mental health problems. The Secretary of State for Health,   Andy Burnham said:   Life-threatening conditions like cancer or heart disease prompt sympathy and understanding. But mental health is all too often shrouded in mystery, stigma or simply forgotten. To coincide with the launch of the above mentioned strategy the Department of Work and Pensions have also assigned a review led by Dr Rachel Perkins to offer help and guidance on how best to develop and improve the support for people with a mental health problem who are unemployed. By following the Governments and the Department of Healths guidance and support, it is expected that many businesses will see the potential benefits to their workplace such as reduced sickness levels, higher levels of customer service,  Ã‚   reduced staff turnover and lots more.   Many people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness could also face the probability of suddenly being unaccepted by friends and family; this is usually due to the fact that people are uncertain of the illness.   Being singled out by those they considered to be their friends or even a close family member makes the circumstances worse for the sufferer.   Individuals usually find it hard to make new friends which in turn can make them feel totally isolated and worthless.  Ã‚   It is often believed that the media is responsible for wrongly representing someone with mental health issues and that the tabloids very often   show bad outlook towards people with mental illness   by applying words such as psycho or mad or even a   nutter.   Using such words to portray a person suffering with mental illness is seen to be encouraging society to believe that they are all dangerous and unapproachable.   Inadequate and incorrect media coverage of mental health issues has increased over the last three years claims the Mind report published in 2008. In spite of this however not all interpretation of mental illness in the media is negative. Stephen Fry spoke openly about his mental health issues and was in the main represented positively in the media. My battle with mental illness (2006)  Ã‚   During research for his documentary The Secret Life of The Manic Depressive, Stephen Fry discovered that his illness (bi-polar) affects hundreds of thousands of people in the U. K.   He was also appalled to learn the degree of preconception there was in relation to mental illness:   I want to speak out, to fight the public stigma and to give a clearer picture of mental illness that most people know little about. He also stated that there was a need for a better awareness of mental health issues amongst the public in order for people to share their problems and break their silence: Once the understanding is there, we can all stand up and not be ashamed of ourselves, then it makes the rest of the population realise that we are just like them but with something extra. A research undertaken by the charity Mind revealed that 73% of those with mental health problems felt that, the way the media portray the illness is negative, unfair and totally unbalanced (Mind Report 2008).   Many of the stories that appear in the media all promote the idea that mental illness is wrong and something to be ashamed of.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the years the Government has made inroads to tackle discrimination against people who have mental health issues and have introduced policies in order to transform the way people view mental health problems. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 makes certain that discrimination does not take place in the workplace and other places because of mental health problems. The Mental Health Bill was also introduced by the Government in 2002 which introduced a statutory framework for the compulsory treatment and care for mental health sufferers and there are many groups and organizations attempting to highlight the plights of mental health sufferers and are focusing on reducing the stigma associated with mental health problems.  Ã‚   On reflection, it is understandable that many people who have mental health problems would not approve of the way sufferers are being perceived and labelled.   The term mental illness for some people can be associated with abnormal behaviour and as a result can prevent them from fitting into what would be considered a normal environment and take advantages of all the opportunities and benefits associated with it.   As revealed the media is considered to be a very influential means of educating people and that more attention should be given to reporting on more positive features of mental illness, namely how people have recovered and what in terms of medicine and treatment are available today to combat mental illness. This is turn could have a major influence on the public attitudes and beliefs.  Ã‚   Some people would also suggest that better training of mental health professionals would promote better health care and better understanding of issues surrounding mental illness.  Ã‚   This in turn would show the way to a more positive attitude amongst people in society as sufferers are able to take part in everyday life.   As many of the literature on mental health problems implies, there continues to be a long way to go in order to overcome many of the misconceptions, the prejudices and fears associated with mental health problems and the stigma involved.     So that harmful and negative attitudes to mental health problems are eradicated there is a need for the public to be much more aware of what it feels to live with such problems and that it takes courage and strength on the part of the sufferer.  Ã‚   The public also need to be aware that mental illness can be managed or even treated like many other diseases or conditions.   It is also important to highlight that the stereotyping of mental incapacity and hostility is greatly mistaken. BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Great Depression :: essays research papers

Introduction It should be noted that all of the cures have been tried and while we seem to be free of Depressions, it's not clear that business cycles have been eliminated. Causes The Stock Market Crash The Stock Market Crash in October of 1929 is often cited as the beginning of the Great Depression, but did it actually cause it? The answer is no. First, the stock price for a particular company merely reflects current information about the future income stream of that company. Thus, it is a change in available information that changes the stock price. When the Fed began to raise interest rates in early 1929, this began the tumble. However, a stock market crash could cause people to increase their liquidity preference which might lead them to hoard money. In the August 1990 issue of The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Christine D. Romer writes that "the negative effect of stock market variability is more than strong enough to account for the entire decline in real consumer spending on durables that occurred in late 1929 and 1930." Hoarding Money People hoard money because they have a liquidity preference. I.e., people want to have their assets in a readily convertible form, such as money. There are several misconceptions about hoarding money. First hoarding is not the same thing as saving. If I put my money into a savings account, that money is lent out to someone else who then spends it. Second, hoarding, by itself, cannot cause a recession or depression. As long as prices and wages drop instantly to reflect the lower amount of money in the economy, then hoarding causes no problems. Indeed, hoarding can even be seen as beneficial to those who don't hoard, since their money will be able to buy more goods as a result of the lower prices. If a country has a gold standard, then hoarding money can make the money supply drop dramatically since a gold standard makes the quantity of money difficult for the government to control. The Gold Standard At the time of the Great Depression,America had a 100% gold standard for its money. This meant that all cash was backed by a government promise to redeem it in a specific amount of gold (at the time, one ounce of gold was redeemable for twenty dollars). Because the amount of money circulating in the economy is wholly dependent on the amount of gold available, the money supply is very rigid.

Comparing the Epic of Gilgamesh Flood Myth and Book of Genesis Biblical

Comparing the Gilgamesh and Genesis Floods      Ã‚  Ã‚   The rendition of the historic, worldwide Flood recorded in Genesis of the Old Testament is similar to the account recorded on Tablet 11of the Sumero-Babylonian version of the epic of Gilgamesh, discovered in the 1800’s by British archaeologists in Assyria. Let us compare the two in this essay.    Alexander Heidel in his book, The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels, provides a background for the survivor of the Sumero-Babylonian Flood, Utnapishtim:    Utnapishtim was the son of Ubara-Tutu, the Otiartes, or, rather, Opartes of Berossus. According to Berossus, the deluge hero was the tenth Prediluvian king in Babylonia. Also in the Sumerian inscription he is referred to as king; there he occupies also a priestly office, viz., that of the administrator of the temple provisions of a certain god. In the Gilgamesh epic, Utnapishtim is not invested with any royal power or entrusted with any priestly office; from it we learn simply that he was a citizen of Shurippak (Tablet XI:23) and a man of considerable wealth (XI:70ff). (227)    N.K. Sandars in the Introduction to his book, The Epic of Gilgamesh, sums up the involvement by the pagan gods in the Sumero-Babylonian Flood narrative:    In the Gilgamesh flood Ishtar and Enlil are as usual the advocates of destruction. Ishtar speaks, perhaps in her capacity as goddess of war, but Enlil prevails with his weapon of the storm. Only Ea, in superior wisdom, either was not present, or being present was silent, and with his usual cunning saw to it that at least one of the race of men should survive. (41)    Column 1 on Tablet 11 begins the Sumero-Babylonian Flood narrative (Gardner 226). The sage Utnap... ...nd his family to â€Å"be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.† God promises that â€Å"never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.† The offering of sacrifice, and its acceptance by God – these are repeated in both accounts of the Flood.    WORKS CITED    Gardner, John and John Maier. Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-leqi-unninni version. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.    Harris, Stephen L. â€Å"Gilgamesh.† The Humanist Tradition in World Literature. Ed. Stephen Harris. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., 1970.    Heidel, Alexander. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949.    Ignatius Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1966.    Sandars. N. K. The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin Books, 1972.   

The Properties of Chemical Reactions

Properties of Chemical Reactions Ms. Whitty, Science 10 Fiona Adams, November 1st, 2012 Introduction Chemical reactions are a part of our daily lives, from rusting metal to making bread to leaves changing colour in the fall. A  chemical reaction  is the process that occurs when two or more substances combine to produce a chemical change. When a chemical reaction takes place, the change is indicated by one or more qualitative properties. The colour or odor could change, gas could be produced, a precipitate – a solid substance in a solution – could be formed, or energy could be absorbed or released.The substances initially involved in a chemical reaction are called reactants. When chemical reactions occur, the end result is called a product. Products usually have different properties than reactants; bonds between atoms will be changed during the reaction, switch the atoms’ arrangement in different compounds. A compound is a chemical substance that consists of t wo or more different chemically bonded elements. In this experiment, several different compounds are being worked with – potassium iodide, lead (II) nitrate, acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate.The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether or not a reaction has taken place using qualitative and quantitative analysis. Procedure Part 1 – Qualitative observations of both potassium iodide and lead (II) nitrate were recorded in a table. Then, the equipment and chemicals needed were gathered – potassium iodide and lead (II) nitrate, a graduated cylinder, Erlenmeyer flask, small test tube, rubber stopper, and small scale. Using the graduated cylinder, 10 mL of potassium iodide solution was measured and poured into the Erlenmeyer flask.Next, the lead (II) nitrate solution was poured into the small test tube until it was approximately half full. The test tube was placed inside the Erlenmeyer flask, and sealed with a rubber stopper – the solutions were not mixed. The mass of flask, stopper and contents were determined by being placed and weighed on a small scale. The mass determined was then recorded in another table. The Erlenmeyer flask was tipped so the previously separate solutions were allowed to mix, and the new mixture was again weighed and recorded in the second table.Changes in appearance from the original solutions were recorded in the first table. Lastly, leftover materials were disposed of. Part 2 – Qualitative observations of both acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate were recorded in a third table. Equipment and chemicals were gathered – acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate, a small scale, two plastic â€Å"weigh boats†, scoopula, and graduated cylinder. The first weigh boat was placed on the scale and the scale was â€Å"zeroed†. One scoop of sodium bicarbonate was poured into the weigh boat with the scoopula, and the results were recorded in a fourth table.Next, the second weigh boat was placed o n the scale and zeroed. Using the graduated cylinder, 15 mL of acetic acid was measured and poured into the weigh boat on the scale. The mass of the acetic acid was recorded in the fourth table. The sodium bicarbonate, measured previously, was poured into the weigh boat of acetic acid, and qualitative observations of that were recorded in the third table. When the reaction was complete, the mass of the products shown on the scale was recorded in the fourth table. Lastly, leftover materials were disposed of. ResultsQualitative Observations Part 1 – Before the reaction took place, both the potassium iodide and lead (II) nitrate had similar characteristics – they were both in a liquid state, as well as being clear and colorless. After the reaction, the qualitative observations of the new substance showed several differences. It was yellow in color, and a grainy precipitate had formed. The substance remained in a liquid state. (Table 2) Quantitative Observations from Part 1 – Mass of Reactants and Apparatus (g)| 140. 26| Mass of Products and Apparatus (g)| 140. 26| Qualitative Observations Part 2 –Before the reaction took place, the acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate each had different qualitative characteristics. The acetic acid was clear, colorless and in a liquid state. The sodium bicarbonate, however, was a white powder, in a solid state. The reaction caused the new substance to bubble and foam, producing a gas. (Table 4) Quantitative Observations from Part 2 – Mass of Sodium Bicarbonate (g)| 1. 01| Mass of Acetic Acid (g)| 14. 29| Mass of Products (g)| 14. 88| Analysis Part 1: The chemical reaction that took place was evidenced by several qualitative observations.The colour of the two original substances was clear, and when combined the colour changed to yellow – a change of colour is clear evidence of a chemical reaction. The word equation for this reaction would be – potassium iodide + lead (II) nitrate Potas sium nitrate and lead (II) iodide. In the form of a balanced equation, this reaction would be – 2KI + Pb(NO3)2 2KNO3 + PbI2. Weighing both the reactants and the product showed that the mass of the reactants, with the apparatus, was 140. 26 grams. The mass of the product, with the apparatus, was also 140. 6 grams – the product of this reaction had the same mass as the reactants. These results were expected, based on the Law of Conservation of Mass. The Law of Conservation of Mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. The application of the Law of Conservation of Mass means that the mass of products in a chemical reaction will equal the mass of the reactants, and this is consistent with the results of the first experiment. Part 2 Several qualitative observations determined that a chemical reaction took place – the product bubbled, and a gas was produced.The chemical equation for this reaction is CH3COOH + NaHCO3 NaCH3COO + H2O + CO2. Put into a word equation, the equation would be acetic acid + sodium bicarbonate Sodium acetate + water + carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide being a gas. Because a gas is present on the product side of the equation but not on the reactant side, the gas has been produced, which is evidence of a chemical reaction. Weighing the reactants and products showed that the combined mass of the reactants was 15. 30 grams. The combined mass of the products was 14. 8 grams, weighing slightly less than the reactants. This result was expected, because it is consistent with the Law of Conservation of Mass. Although the product weighed on the scale showed a slightly lower mass, this was because the carbon dioxide was a gas, and was not accounted for on the scale. To achieve better results and gain an accurate measurement of the products’ combined mass, it would be necessary to capture the gas and weigh it as well. Part 3: Extension For the chemical reaction AgNO3 + NaCl NaNO3 + AgCl, the total molecular mas s of the reactants would be 228. grams – silver nitrate (AgNO3) would have a mass of 169. 9 grams, and sodium chloride (NaCl) would have a mass of 58. 5 grams. Based on the experiments performed in the lab, and the Law of Conservation of Mass, it is expected that the mass of the products would be 228. 4 grams as well. This prediction can be proved by finding the molecular mass of the reactions products – multiply the mass number of each atom by the number of said atom, and add the amounts to determine the total mass of sodium nitrate and silver chloride, the products. ConclusionUsing qualitative and quantitative analysis, it was determined that reactions took place in each portion of the lab – the first between potassium iodide and lead (II) nitrate; the second between sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid. In each section, the reactions were evidenced by several qualitative observations. When potassium iodide and lead (II) nitrate were combined, a change of colour occurred in the reactant and a precipitate was formed. This is evidence of a chemical change. When acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate were combined, a gas was produced; also evidence of a chemical reaction.In the experiments, the Law of Conservation of Mass was discovered. The quantitative evidence in each section proved this law. In the first experiment, the mass of the products was equal to the mass of the reaction, indicating that matter was not created or destroyed in the reaction. The results of the second reaction showed a decrease in the mass of the product – however, this was only because the gas formed in the reaction could not be weighed. Application Much of the ease of our current lifestyle is due to the availability of fresh air, pure water and access to resources – all of which are almost entirely taken from the environment.When fossil fuels like coal and oil are mined and utilize, the result is a huge negative impact on the many aspects of the environmen t, and as a direct consequence, our lifestyles. Coal and oil have to be extracted from deep under the earth, transported, and burned. At each stage of this process, greenhouse gases – i. e. , carbon dioxide – are produced. Burning is especially bad for the environment; when burned, fossil fuels like coal and oil release mass amounts of carbon, which then combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. References University of Washington.Chemical Reactions – an Introduction. http://depts. washington. edu/chemcrs/bulkdisk/chem110A_aut01/notes_Week_5. pdf (accessed Oct. 30, 2012). Science Daily. Science Reference – Chemical Compound. http://www. sciencedaily. com/articles/c/chemical_compound. htm (accessed Oct. 30, 2012). American University. Oil Production and Environmental Damage. http://www1. american. edu/ted/projects/tedcross/xoilpr15. htm (accessed Oct. 30, 2012). Chem Professor. Reactants and Products. http://www. chemprofessor. com/outline7b. htm (acces sed Oct. 30, 2012).

Behaviorist description of depression Essay

The behavioral perspective of depression links the disorder to a deficit of positive reinforcements in one’s life. This lack of reinforcement results in the decline of constructive behavior, which in turn results in depression. Behaviorists posit that a person suffering from depression can develop a plan of action to replenish the deficit of positive reinforcement through the cooperation of family, friends and the therapist. In other words, according to behaviorists, the patient’s inability to cope with life stress leads to social withdrawal, which reduces the rate of positive reinforcements, which then results in depression. The belief that a person suffering from depression can behave him- or herself out of it is both appealing and troublesome. The benefits of constructive activity notwithstanding, dependence on others for positive reinforcement could result in depression that waxes and wanes in direct proportion to the presence or absence of external stimuli. The danger inherent is this view is of placing too strong a focus on those external reinforcements. A patient who places conditions of worth on his or her actions may be convinced that others will never be in a state of approval of those actions. Such a patient may benefit more greatly from a cognitive therapy that addresses his or her maladaptive thinking patterns and self-deprecating automatic thoughts. It is the therapist’s responsibility to assess the most effective treatment based on the patient’s individual profile. The specific therapeutic approach must be tailored to the patent’s needs and capabilities. If the patient requires guidance to change maladaptive thinking, then a plan to simply change behavior is doomed to fail. The behaviorist perspective can also be interpreted as placing responsibility for depression squarely on the shoulders of the patient. Encouragement (of the patient to take charge of his or her own recovery by changing the nature of his or her personal relationships) can be effective with a strong-willed person who is committed to recovery. By helping to develop a plan of action and monitoring its success and opportunities for improvement, the behavioral therapist maintains at once a reliable presence at a respectful distance. The patient’s relationships are also important factors in depression that must be addressed to treat depression; ergo behavioral therapy must tackle negativity in that facet of the patient’s life. The therapist must assess the overall relationship dynamic and any negative patterns of communication between the patient and his or her most significant others. Ideally, a behavioral therapist has evaluated the patient and hypothesized that he or she will benefit from changing behavioral patterns. The therapist patient will then work closely with the patient to assess the nature of his or her innate behavioral patterns to determine which are constructive and which detract from his or her impression of positive reinforcement. Classical conditioning is not suited for this task but modeling and shaping may be effective. Operant conditioning, by definition, is the order of the day. The patient will receive continuous positive reinforcement for behaviors that combat his or her depression, while those that feed the depression will become extinct.

My Trip to Europe Essay

Since my childhood I dreamed about traveling around the world. Last year in summer my dream finally came true. I took a trip to Europe. I traveled to Switzerland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy. I went to many interesting places including the Louvre and Eiffel tower in France, the castle of Koln in Germany, the Anne Frank house and the Amsterdam in Netherlands, Mountains in Switzerland, Madame Tussauds in Austria, Manneken Pis in Belgium and many more. Well, the reason I went on this trip and got the chance to go see all these fantastic places was because of my father. He actually paid the whole expenses of my trip. I went on this trip with my friend Kaj Falk Wiklund from Switzerland. There’s only one word to describe Switzerland, and that’s beautiful. The country turned out to be extremely clean. There are not as many tourist attractions but the scenery alone was enough to full fill my trip or I would like to say more than enough. Zurich, Geneva, Interlaken are the main attraction places in Switzerland. Zurich’s multicultural flair and variety of leisure activities makes it popular with travelers from all over the world. Interlaken is considered the adventure capital of Switzerland and its more than 45 mountain railways, cable cars, chair lifts and ski lifts lead the adventurous to 150 miles of slopes and a dense network of hiking trails. The architect in Netherlands was absolutely beautiful and the cities and places we went, spoke of so much history. One of my favorite places was the Anne Frank house. All my life I’ve heard of everything she went through, but to actually be in the place she stood and struggled, to read the actual journal she wrote in, it was astounding. There was so much emotion and history, and a mix of feelings that hit me. I was just extremely honored to even be there. But we waited in line for a long time since we go there in the afternoon. Another place is the capital city of Netherlands called Amsterdam. It is the place that all the teenagers are dreaming of. Amsterdam is famous for its vibrant and diverse nightlife especially the red light district. I really have some significant memories of this place. Germany is also another place where is so much to do and so many sites to  see. The historic city Lindau, The Brandenburg Gate and The ultimate fairytale castle Neuschwanstein are the most popular places in Germany and I am really happy to get the chance of visiting there. The historic city Lindau is located near the meeting point of the Austrian, German and Swiss borders in the eastern part of Lake Constance. The Brandenburg Gate is the only surviving city gate of Berlin and symbolizes the reunification of East and West Berlin. It is regarded as one of the most famous landmarks in Europe. The ultimate fairytale castle, Neuschwanstein is situated on a rugged hill near Fà ¼ssen in southwest Bavaria. It was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castles in the Disneyland parks. Neuschwanstein is the most photographed building in the country and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany. Just in general, Germany had such a pleasant atmosphere and everyone was so friendly. It was truly one of my favorite countries that we went to. France is well known by the name of Paris. Paris is called ‘The city of Romance’ and ‘the culinary capital of the world’. There are so many phenomenal things to see and do so we never got bored. I had read about Eiffel Tower in my text books, but experiencing it for myself, is truly amazing and wonderful. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and were able to see the entire city from the top, which was jaw dropping for me. The Louvre was absolutely fantastic. Actually getting to see so many of the masterpieces of the world that I’ve learned about in class was mind blowing, especially when I saw the Mona Lisa. The streets were exactly the same as I had read in books. Paris, France is one of the most amazing places I had ever visited. In every country I had stayed in my friend’s house. Their families were so warmhearted. So I got the chance to learn their culture being so close. I felt different environment and culture staying with each family though they all live in Europe. But one thing is in common with everyone that they were so fascinating. While I was in Switzerland I stayed with Kaj and his family. I even attended his school there and got the chance to experience their education system. It was so cool and better than ours. In conclusion, this trip really did have an impact on my life though. It was such a great opportunity to see and really experience the different parts of the world. And believe me Norway is the most expensive country in the world. This trip planted in me, an appreciation for all the cultures and different type of people in our world. It really was a fantastic experience for me.

Human experience and moral Essay

To remember that it is human experience and moral values that will last forever and remained unchanged, and the growth of human conscience further awakens to a newer and better future experiences are not dropped to mere past rather they become a recollection and a refraction to a discovery of new you. The door: not just a big wooden barrier to the entrance of our house but also an explosion to my emotions. Goodbyes were being said as happy birthdays? It was confusion that began to consume my mind and heart as my parents walked out the door not knowing when I will see them again. Excitement, happiness and joyfulness flowing along my blood as I began to realize I am alone and everything my eyes spotted belonged to me. Heaven was the chosen word by my desensitized numbness mind. However, a feeling of guilt made this question interrupt my thoughts, `Do I have the right to enjoy this joyful moment of being alone, knowing that my father is going for a battle for his survival? ` As I was climbing the stair case to regain my nest, where all the gatherings and the devious planning of good times were held, I ignored my feeling of guilt and the purpose of my father’s journey and I started thinking, â€Å"Hey! Let the fun begin! † Little was my knowledge about chance and choice. To the very least, I only knew their denotations. What happened to my father was neither his choice nor of the family but certainly a chance and for what chance it was, I did not know and did not strive to know. I saw everything as a pure chance. With parents’ away and no exact time when to be home; it was a real chance to own my time – a chance to go party everyday, stay up late, go to school late, and skip classes, neglecting the fact that along chances are series of choices and the interplay of the two alongside my treatment determines the quality of my life. I allowed myself to be fully consumed with the false jollification of life. Partying with friends was a gauge for fulfillment. Shouts and yells became the expression of being fully alive. I was unmindful of my dad who was into a different tone of shouting and yelling for pain and survival. We were at the opposite poles on the single line of human feeling. Instead of reaching out, I moved away. Going to parties everyday meant staying up late at night. It resulted to going to school late and even skipping classes and the rest was a worse, if not worst, history of an irresponsible student and woman. The chain effects of my single unrecognized and unmeditated act delivered me to a world of guilt and shame and if nourished by pride, I will be lured forever into false happiness. I messed up my life! Where am I to start? Where do I begin? Never can a plant, young or not, die when its branches are cut. Roots have to be found and uprooted. The same is true with my case. What is the root of my insensitivity to my family’s case? Certainly, it wasn’t about going to party, cutting and skipping classes, etc. It was about how I viewed and dealt with what’s going on around. It was about having certain chances and making the right choices where decision making, anticipating, and understanding come in. True enough, it is only when I failed and committed mistakes that I came to realize: had I thought things over and anticipated before acting, I wouldn’t be this bad and guilty, and had I thought that I have the choice to do what is right and not act on emotional satisfaction and childishness, I wouldn’t be messing my life this way and made my parents disappointed. My life is a chance and how I live it is a choice – its quality is in my hands. How should I live it? â€Å"Wherever you go the sky will always be blue†. This line rang a bell to my ear. Certain things around are given for what they are and neither you nor I have the power to change them. And life is not about changing what we cannot but moving towards what is, for the whole humanity, true and therefore unchangeable. The truth is, what is true and unchangeable aims for ‘what is good’ and what is good surpasses any age, color, time, gender, religion, and whatever differences we have. The whole existence of life should be directed towards ‘doing good’, and its meaning is not our own selfish definition but the one true word – LOVE. It was sad to admit that I was not excuse for failing to recognize what good I should have done that very moment of my life, but it would be bitter if I continue to dwell in that past and live miserably. While I did that mistake of falling into that dark pit of human existence, I will always have the choice of going out and live life on the banner of goodness and all I need is the staff of caution and discrimination to continue living and making the right choices for every chances that come my way. To remember that it is human experience and moral values that will last forever and remained unchanged, and the growth of human conscience further awakens to a newer and better future, I will always, not just remember, do good for the rest of my life. Merge the whole of myself in my eyes, and go towards the vision, go towards the vision, go towards the vision.

A Streetcar Named Desire – A Tragic Hero

There are nine types of heroes in this world, each of them with their own unique stories, plots, cliches etc. Among those is the classic tragic hero, one who is destined to fail no matter what. In a Streetcar Named Desire, the tragic hero is Blanche Dubois, an aging Southern Belle living in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty. In this essay it will be discussed what makes Blanche a tragic hero and how she compares to a typical tragic hero.A typical tragic hero is first and foremost, born of noble stature. This gives the hero something to fall from, so they can â€Å"fall from grace† (Avril Lavigne, Nobody's Home). Blanche Dubois born in Laurel, Mississippi, to a wealthy family. She is a former schoolteacher who had been evicted from Belle Reve (a family home) after being declared a woman of loose morals. This was because years earlier, Blanche's husband committed suicide after she expressed her distaste on his sexuality. She later had many affairs trying to numb her grief on the death of her husband.The second condition for a tragic hero is what is called Hamartia, a tragic flaw that causes the downfall of the hero. Blanche's tragic flaw is that she is dependant on men, so much so that she makes choices and does things that are morally questionable. She manipulates and lies to potential suitors to make herself seem more attractive and younger-which in her mind is the only way a man will love her. She does this with Harold â€Å"Mitch† Mitchell and it seems to be working until Mitch is informed of all the lies he's been fed, at which point Mitch breaks up with Blanche and leaves her vulnerable for Stanley to rape.The reversal of fortune, peripeteia, is when the fortunate hero is down on his luck. In Blanche's case, she loses Belle Reve, her husband is a homosexual and dead, she is evicted from her own town and is losing her beauty. She used to be a wealthy and beautiful Southern belle with a loving family and kind husband but her luc k changed directions and she lost everything she held dear.One of the most obvious conditions of a tragic hero is nemesis, the fate that  cannot be reversed. In other words, no matter what the hero tries or does their fate is sealed. Blanche's fate is inevitable, all people can do is watch as she falls deeper and deeper into her delusions and misconceptions of reality.In the end of the tragedy, the audience should be left feeling pity or fear after witnessing the downfall of the tragic hero, catharsis. This is because the punishment dealt to the hero is not wholly deserved, the punishment far exceeds the crime. Blanche was a sad and confused woman who was looking for comfort and someone to take care of her.She lied and manipulated people to try and get the happy life she wanted but that did not mean she deserved to be raped, abandoned by her own sister and publicly humiliated. Blanche herself said â€Å"It [deliberate cruelty] is the one unforgivable thing in my opinion and it is the one thing I have never, never been guilty of.† (Williams, Scene 10 Pg 126)Anagnoririsis is the recognition or discovery made by the tragic hero, the point in time when the hero realizes what went wrong and why. Most other tragedies like Hamlet and Mcbeth feature this but this does not happen to Blanche.In the end Blanche was sent to a mental institution, she never gained any knowledge of what truly happened and why. In this way, it could be said that Blanche is not your typical tragic hero because she does not meet this point but that is not a bad thing. Blanche is a unique tragic hero who will never know what went wrong as she has submerged herself in her own little world.A typical, yet unique, tragic hero, Blanche did her best to be happy, her only goal. Unfortunately for her, she did not go about the right way of doing it. The wrong people were angered and others tried to force Blanche to face reality.Blanche was unable to let go of the walls that protected her from th e harsh truth, and so she fell from grace. The final scene in which Blanche utters her most famous line â€Å"†¦I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.†, is the sad culmination of Blanche's vanity and total dependence on men for happiness.A typical tragic hero is first and foremost, born of noble stature. This gives the hero something to fall from, so they can â€Å"fall from grace† (Avril Lavigne, Nobody's Home). Blanche Dubois born in Laurel, Mississippi, to a wealthy family.She is a former schoolteacher who had been evicted from Belle Reve (a family home) after being declared a woman of loose morals. This was because years earlier, Blanche's husband committed suicide after she expressed her distaste on his sexuality. She later had many affairs trying to numb her grief on the death of her husband.The second condition for a tragic hero is what is called Hamartia, a tragic flaw that causes the downfall of the hero. Blanche's tragic flaw is that she is dependant on men, so much so that she makes choices and does things that are morally questionable.She manipulates and lies to potential suitors to make herself seem more attractive and younger-which in her mind is the only way a man will love her. She does this with Harold â€Å"Mitch† Mitchell and it seems to be working until Mitch is informed of all the lies he's been fed, at which point Mitch breaks up with Blanche and leaves her vulnerable for Stanley to rape.The reversal of fortune, peripeteia, is when the fortunate hero is down on his luck. In Blanche's case, she loses Belle Reve, her husband is a homosexual and dead, she is evicted from her own town and is losing her beauty. She used to be a wealthy and beautiful Southern belle with a loving family and kind husband but her luck changed directions and she lost everything she held dear.One of the most obvious conditions of a tragic hero is nemesis, the fate that cannot be reversed. In other words, no matter what the her o tries or does their fate is sealed. Blanche's fate is inevitable, all people can do is watch as she falls deeper and deeper into her delusions and misconceptions of reality.In the end of the tragedy, the audience should be left feeling pity or fear after witnessing the downfall of the tragic hero, catharsis. This is because the punishment dealt to the hero is not wholly deserved, the punishment far  exceeds the crime. Blanche was a sad and confused woman who was looking for comfort and someone to take care of her.She lied and manipulated people to try and get the happy life she wanted but that did not mean she deserved to be raped, abandoned by her own sister and publicly humiliated. Blanche herself said â€Å"It [deliberate cruelty] is the one unforgivable thing in my opinion and it is the one thing I have never, never been guilty of.† (Williams, Scene 10 Pg 126)Anagnorsis is the recognition or discovery made by the tragic hero, the point in time when the hero realizes w hat went wrong and why. Most other tragedies like Hamlet and Mcbeth feature this but this does not happen to Blanche.In the end Blanche was sent to a mental institution, she never gained any knowledge of what truly happened and why. In this way, it could be said that Blanche is not your typical tragic hero because she does not meet this point but that is not a bad thing. Blanche is a unique tragic hero who will never know what went wrong as she has submerged herself in her own little world.A typical, yet unique, tragic hero, Blanche did her best to be happy, her only goal. Unfortunately for her, she did not go about the right way of doing it. The wrong people were angered and others tried to force Blanche to face reality.Blanche was unable to let go of the walls that protected her from the harsh truth, and so she fell from grace. The final scene in which Blanche utters her most famous line â€Å"†¦I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.†, is the sad culminat ion of Blanche's vanity and total dependence on men for happiness.