Therapeutic skills and practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Therapeutic skills and practice - Essay Example It is not meant to create differences among people and it does not draw comparisons based on class or money. It is a humanistic process, and deals with humans as such. â€Å"Counseling may deal with one can learn about depression, phobias, anxiety, obsession, attention deficit, learning disability, and a host of other related issues; there are also sections on behaviour therapy, children and adolescents, couples, biofeedback, and many more† (Richards, 2000). After duly understanding theories, the most important part is to relate with the application of the same. It shall be most pertinent for her to convert the theoretical knowledge learnt from the models, to be able to link it in real-time, with the symptoms and actions presented by people in actuality. The important thing to note here is that, it is not possible simply by giving state-of-the art medicines to generate a healthy relationship with the client. This relationship is crucial for the psychological healing and intrinsic motivation of the client. When a person learns to communicate in an effective manner, it is only then that a much needed liaison is made between the two parties, and an environment of trust is created. This then gives rise to a therapeutic setting that is most conducive to the cause of the treatment. The psychoanalytic theory presented by Freud and the Behaviourist one, presented by Watson, form the basis of understanding personality in humans. Speaking as a whole, the former focuses largely on the processes that are hidden and away from the naked eye; ideas, concepts and cognitive processes that shape personality are essentially considered to be away from conscious control. Whereas, the latter supports analyzing personality ‘at the face of things.’ It attempts to objectively qualify behaviour, not only in terms of understanding it, but also in the context of

Jackson Pollock Exhibition New York Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jackson Pollock Exhibition New York - Essay Example The paper "Jackson Pollock Exhibition New York" focuses on the artworks of Jackson Pollock. The art was first exhibited, in Sidney Janis Gallery, during Pollock’s solo exhibition, in November of 1952. The date of the painting has been mistaken frequently being given as 1953. The creation of the blue poles attracted much attention. creation of the blue poles attracted much attention. The artist has made painting over other existing paintings, and the other paints were just covered up. It seems Pollock began painting canvases that were spread on the floor. The un-stretched canvas was then stretched on the wall, after the first layer of paint was dry, by tacking it along the top edge to a beam, which stretched across the wall where more paint was added. The canvas was then left unattended to, for a period. The blue paint that run through the thick ridges of the existing paint layers was visible after the second painting is done. This is an indication that they were quite dry by t hat time. Pollock was the first painter to pour paint rather that use brushes and palette. â€Å"Action† is the only image Pollock painted. This image, however, seemed inadequate for his creative process. This is in relation to his earlier works. Lavender Mist is three meters long (nearly 10 ft). It is also a massive expanse on a heroic scale. It is decorated with colored scribble, spattered lines that cross its entire surface but now thickening, and trailing off to a slender skein. Its eye is constantly eager.

Globalization and BTL Essay Example for Free

Globalization and BTL Essay The impact of globalization on BTL has been positive with increased indicators which show major progress in increasing levels and growth. The 1990s witnessed moderate economic growth for Belize which resulted in a record growth of telephone services with an average annual growth rate of ten percent. Also with the increase in teledensity, there have been improvements in network modernization (BTL, 2008). The efficiency of BTL has added to the benefits. The percentage of digital lines is reported to increase by the end of the decade. The number of lines per employee has also increased which points towards an increased growth path that tends to reach efficiency levels which are similar to developed countries. The objectives of the telecommunications reform in Belize have been mixed. The achievements in terms of penetration and access are uneven. There is an internal growth gap in urban areas with higher access as compared with lower telephone penetration levels in the rural areas. This limitation has been caused by the inequalities of the telecommunications infrastructure. Metropolitan areas tend to have most of the infrastructure concentrated while minimum services are offered in rural areas. Growth in the telecommunications sector has been slow in 2007 because of the high costs of installing the network and lack of profitability of the service in rural areas (BTL, 2008). Mobile telephone services together with changes in technology have begun to experience an accelerated process of growth in Belize. The mobile phone market in Belize enjoys less regulatory dependence and the need for survival of the dominant company. The overtaking of fixed telephone services by mobile services was driven by the introduction of pre-paid systems. The average growth in users of mobile telephony was thirty percent in Belize in 2007. BTL has entered into a consolidation process where mobile telephone services are becoming part of the picture. The level of dynamism and growth of the telecommunications sector has been spectacular especially for the mobile telephone services (BTL, 2008). This increases the access to telecommunication services. However the government continues to focus on promoting fixed line connectivity and internet access. BTL’s introduction of mobile phones has assisted in increasing the access to telecommunication services and closing the digital divide. The pre paid option has been attractive for Belizeans because of universal access and convenience for lower economic groups. Research also shows that Belizeans prefer mobile telephone services over traditional telecommunications access. One of the advantages has been that the lower activation cost for the user in the case of mobile services as compared with fixed telephone services. The pre paid option also offers attractive alternatives for people because it allows the user to control costs and avoid signing contracts. The operator also finds it cost effective because it does not have to send monthly account balances. BTL mobile telephone services have lower costs in terms of initial costs and usage costs. The cost of mobile telephone services is half that of fixed telephone services. The number of mobile phone subscribers has increased from nine percent to thirty percent in 2007 (BTL, 2008). BTL has improved its performance since the advent of globalization because of lower transaction costs and reduced uncertainty. This has increased the efficiency of markets and administrative organizations. The company has contributed in assisting agricultural companies in comparing prices in various markets. It allows them to obtain the highest prices for their produce and eliminate dependency on local middlemen. It also enables them to modify their products and respond to market demand (BTL, 2008). BTL has also helped to assist organizations in ordering spare parts and immediate contact with technicians which can reduce time lost due to broken machinery. Business organizations have also reduced their inventories because replacements can be ordered and delivered as needed. Contact between producers and shippers can be arranged on schedules for delivery of products to markets which reduces the risk of spoilage. It also has assisted in significant savings in personnel time and travel costs. BTL has also assisted in maximizing the efficiency of shipping so that trips are not wasted while consumption of fuel is minimized. Industries are also migrating to rural areas which allows for decentralization of economic activities. BTL’s mobile phone services have also increased as rural areas prefer them for their economic development. It allows rural areas to use them heavily and spend their income on mobile phone services (BTL, 2008). The demand for mobile phones is heavy in rural and remote areas because of the perceived contribution towards the rural economy. BTL has become highly popular because of its cheap services. The telecommunications sector in Belize is dominated by BTL which has a monopoly on telecommunication services in the country. The 1990s witnessed an annual growth of lines which averaged fifteen percent (BTL, 2008). Line installation has been focused in urban areas which account for sixty five percent of total lines (BTL, 2008). Despite the expansion in the number of fixed lines, the investment has not been sufficient to cover demand for the service. The cellular market has been one of the fastest growing in 2006 and 2007. Still BTL faces the challenge of meeting the growing demand of basic services and data communications. A fast growing internet market has also not satisfied the expectations of consumers. The liberalization of the market has brought benefits as the country uses resources to meet new demands. The mobile sector has the longest growth rate because of the rise in standards of living. The mobile sector is also attractive because of its reliability, efficiency, and low cost as compared with the fixed telephone services. Globalization has also helped BTL in digitizing the telecommunications system as the proportion has grown from thirty percent in 1998 to fifty percent in 2007 (BTL, 2008). BTL’s fiber optic network links several neighboring countries. The network allows connections to submarine cables and networks operated by other countries. BTL provides cellular services to a large number of subscribers. The cellular service has increased its coverage in the past years with services being moderately good for consumers. Liberalization has enhanced the ability of BTL to purchase and acquire cellular phone technology for consumers. Telecommunications reform has assisted BTL in improving its efficiency and meeting the demands of the changing environment. The government wants to give BTL complete administrative, technical, and financial independence with some functions controlled by the government. It also aims to allow for joint ventures and strategic alliances with other companies. Restrictions on foreign participation are also reputed to be removed by the government. It aims to state the public interest of modernizing and developing telecommunications through the process of liberalization of the market in order to allow market participation. A capital investment program to upgrade the country’s GSM cellular service and deploying wireless technologies in the rural areas was announced in 2007 (BTL, 2008). The company also increased funding for network development by investing an estimated forty three million dollars. It also installed eight hundred and fifty MHz frequency equipment to increase the coverage of cellular phone consumers. An updated prepaid intelligent billing system was launched in 2006 which would facilitate and provide user friendly services (BTL, 2008). This program was also reputed to stimulate demand for mobile phone services of the company. A new wireless network with a frequency of four hundred and fifty MHz has also been proposed which will provide telecommunications services for businessmen, professionals, government officials, security forces, fishermen, and other residents with mobile phone services (BTL, 2008). The company’s fixed line services have not been successful because of globalization. This is because of the unstable economy and low population in large parts of the country. Fixed lines are concentrated in the urban areas where they provide services for certain customer groups. BTL has reported losses in fixed line domestic services which include line access charges and per minute call traffic. BTL has also not increased customer rates from 2001 till 2007. It also implemented several reductions in price for various data communication and satellite services. Internet capacity tariff was reduced by a percentage of ninety percent. Tariff reductions have assisted in increasing the number of consumers. DigiCell prepaid customers were offered discounts of twenty five cents for calls. Other features were also introduced which included further discounts for consumers who call for more than five minutes. SMS to email was a service offered for prepaid customers which allowed them to send messages throughout the world. The number of DigiCell consumers rose from ninety three thousand to one hundred thousand in 2007 (BTL, 2008). The total number of cellular consumers has risen to one hundred and eighteen thousand in 2007 (BTL, 2008). Siemens has been providing technical assistance to BTL for the maintenance of the cellular network. The company has also aimed to create modern cellular equipment along with high speed internet services to consumers. Globalization has assisted the company in increasing its cellular business which now comprises a major portion of its net income. The rapid growth of BTL has allowed it to implement customer friendly billing and care systems. Outdated systems have been gradually phased out. Post paid customer and billing system will be implemented in various stages of 2008 (BTL, 2008). BTL will be able to access information of consumers which will help it to increase its reliability and effectiveness. Other major developments have been the use of information technology systems to enhance the administrative, technical, and financial functions of the organization.

Stereotypes Of Mental Illness Sociology Essay

Stereotypes Of Mental Illness Sociology Essay Stereotypes of mental illness form through personal experiences combined with the influence of external sources, the most influential probably being the mass media. Theoretical conclusions suggest that the media has a powerful influence over society, but they do not consider the types of media and the varying audience associated. This study will attempt to examine whether Disneys portrayal of mental illness affects how society perceives mental illness. This research will be analysed using secondary data. The research is completed through a reviewed selection of Disney films and examination of how characters are assigned mental illness traits. The characters are then compared to how people in similar situations would be accepted in society, and compare whether the Disney films have influenced this acceptance. Results of the study indicate that more research is needed. OMIS2 Low Risk Research Ethics Approval Where NO human participants are involved and/or when using secondary data Undergraduate or Postgraduate or Member of staff evaluating service level quality Project Title Does Disneys portrayal of mental illness affect how society perceives mental illness. Principal Investigator Certification I believe that this project does not require research ethics approval. X I confirm that I have answered all relevant questions in the checklist honestly. X I confirm that I will carry out the project in the ways described in the checklist. I will immediately suspend research and request a new ethical approval if the project subsequently changes the information I have given in the checklist. X Principal Investigator Name: Stephanie Sandall Date: 13/06/2012 Students Supervisor (if applicable) I have read the checklist and confirm that it covers all the ethical issues raised by this project fully and frankly. I confirm that I have discussed this project with the student and agree that it does not require research ethics approval. I will continue to review ethical issues in the course of supervision. Name: Thomas Thurnell-Read Date: 22/08/2012 Introduction The Walt Disney Corporation is an American mass media company which is most famously known for childrens films (Booker, 2012). This dissertation will explore the influence of the media on the audience, more specifically to examine whether Disneys portrayal of mental illness affects how society perceives mental illness. I have identified common features in literature regarding the influence of media and public opinion, and relevant sources will be applied to this study. The Oxford English Dictionary defines mental illness as a condition which causes serious disorder in a persons behaviour or thinking (2012), this does not necessarily mean that society shares the same understanding. Mental illnesses are variations of behaviours that are not considered acceptable in society, a process of socially diagnosing people that deviate from societys norms and can easily be affected by social change (Scheff, 1975). Stereotypes of mental illness form through personal experiences combined with the influence of external sources, shared patterns of behaviour and interactions and affective understanding learned through the process of socialization (Damen, 1987), implying that societys norms and values are what carve our individual personas. Negative stereotypes can also lead to the process of stigmatising, isolating members of society, sometimes even institutionalising members in order to force conformity. Terms associated with mental illness are reduced to casual i nsults rather than official medical terms as society constructs those with abnormal behaviours to be mentally ill (Scheff, 1975). Previous research implies that the most influential external source to shape public opinion to be the mass media (Breslow, 2002). The Walt Disney Corporation is the worlds largest media conglomerate, primarily based in film and television sectors of the media industry (Best Communications Degrees, 2013). Approximately 200 million people will view a Disney film in a year (Giroux, 2002). Due to its large scale availability and popularity, this study aims to examine whether Disneys portrayal of mental illness affects how society perceives mental illness. The Walt Disney Company influences how children are introduced to norms and values of society through its attractive magical image associated with its films. Disney films are considered as a normal form of entertainment for children by society, allowing Disneys perception of society to be taught without challenge, as a result socialising the audience into what Disney finds to be an acceptable ideology (Giroux, 2002). The purpose of this study is to examine whether Disneys portrayal of mental illness affects how society perceives mental illness. This research has practical relevance which hopefully through its findings and conclusion will add to the scientific knowledge, and make society more aware of any effects the media has on the perception of mental illness, most specifically Disney films. In order to understand how Disney movies present mental illness to society through its characters, I will conduct a literature review to gain a stronger background of knowledge on the subject before writing a methodology that will be used to investigate my research question. To assess the research question, I will primarily analyse secondary data and combine this with a personally reviewed selection of Disney films to investigate how characters are assigned mental illness traits. The secondary data will be formed of quantitative and qualitative approaches. I find this technique will allow me to gain a bette r and deeper understanding of the subject. I will then compare the Disney characters to how people in similar situations would be accepted in society, and whether the Disney films have influenced this acceptance. Literature Review Society is dependent on the media for information and entertainment due to its easy access, as well as its ability to be culturally encoded for all to understand. According to Breslow (2002), the mass media perform three major functions in society, these are: educating, shaping public relations, and advocating a particular point of view across society. The Walt Disney Corporation is an American mass media company which is most famously known for childrens films and is the worlds largest media conglomerate (Best Communications Degrees, 2013). Due to Disneys large scale popularity, this study aims to examine whether Disneys portrayal of mental illness affects how society perceives mental illness, since the coverage of mental health in the media is a controversial subject and it is deemed as a sensitive topic by some individuals in society. Audience Research It is not only the media source itself, but the audience that needs to be considered. Disney films are generally intended for a younger audience. Evidence demonstrates that children are the main viewers of Disney films (Booker, 2012). Children can be easily influenced by media consumption as they easily accept and internalise media messages, this is shown by Banduras Bobo Doll Study (1963). Bandura divided 48 girls and 48 boys into 3 experimental groups and a control group. The groups were subject to different conditions associated with a Bobo doll. The first group witnessed an adult become aggressive towards a Bobo doll in a live scenario. The second group viewed a film of the adult acting aggressively to a Bobo doll. The third group watched a cartoon animal act aggressively towards a Bobo doll. The children watched the aggressive acts individually, preventing an influence of opinion or distraction off other children in the group and allowing individual differences of opinion to eme rge. After observing the models, each of the children from the four groups were individually put in a room with an experimenter where they were exposed to a mildly frustrating situation to elicit aggression. After this, the children were sent to play in a room of toys which included a Bobo doll. Researchers covertly observed the children, noting any interaction with the Bobo doll. Results showed that the children who had been exposed to the aggressive behaviour, exhibited nearly twice as much aggressive behaviour than the control group. The results demonstrate that media can be influential on the behaviour of children, therefore implying that Disney movies may affect a childs behaviour. This study can be criticised due to having a small ethnocentric sample size, so the results cannot be generalised to the wider society. However, it must also be considered that children may associate adults as disciplinary figures, so the children mimic the behaviour shown as if they are trying to co nform to adult behaviour. Despite this, this study is appropriate to the research as it demonstrates the influence that media and adult role models have on children. Audiences may also interpret results differently, as Thompson (1995) argues that audiences do not automatically passively accept information but actively select and interpret, resist or even challenge the media, affected through individual differences and experiences. In contrast, McQuail (2005) suggests that the media can have planned and unplanned effects on the audience, with short and long term effects. McQuail does not generalise the audience to be a mass being, as he finds these factors to be heightened by individual differences. Therefore, there is a fragmentation of the audience, in this example Disney films are primarily associated with a younger audience (Booker, 2012). As a result, there is no single mass audience, people may choose to watch a programme at a later date and media messages may not spread throughout society. Furthermore not everyone in society will view the media, so people will not share the exact same values. Despite this, the audience is widely dispersed and the media is easily able to control the audience and spread messages (McQuail, 2005). Contrasting to this perspective, Disney may be more focused on capitalism than social control, as found by Fiske (1987), Disneys content could be influenced through the structured media market-led environment through the consumer choice of media and globalisation. The media is a business and the audience is the consumer. Public interests are subordinated to private capitalistic interests. It could be further considered that the media has become a form of ideological apparatus (Milner and Browitt, 2002). The media narrative is constructed to encourage the acceptance of social positions, leaving the individual to emotionally invest in the source through identifying similar personal traits. The perspective associates the audience as a passive being, as the media is dominant and positions the audience through an emotional connection. Ctausses (1968) Schema of Differential Audience Reach finds that not all members of the audience accept the media values transmitted. Ctausse displays how media messages go through a process of being offered, receivable, received, registered, before being potentially internalised by the audience. This is further examined by British Cultural Studies, who investigate the way audiences decode media messages. They find the decoding of media messages varies on primary definers and individual differences, such as social and linguistic differences (Hall, 1973). Three types of decoding were proposed by Hall (1973). Dominant decoding views that the audience acknowledges media values and easily accepts the media discourse. Negotiated decoding, detects that the audience recognises the media has interpreted the events in a certain way, the audience is not completely passive to media messages. Oppositional decoding, finds that the audience challenges media authority. An example of oppositional de coding would be the feminist approach to a male presented dominated programme. This is significant to the research as it implies that the Disney audience have individual differences and not all will decode the content in the same manner. However, this research is opposed by cultivation theory. Cultivation theory suggests that the more time spent by the individual watching television, the more the viewer will come to view reality through ideologies imposed by the media (Gerbner et al, 2002). This is reinforced by social learning theory, which implies that learning is influenced by people and events presented in the media (Bandura, 1994), finding media to be a large scale influence on how people perceive society. False representation of mental illness reinforced through the media can encourage the audience to conform and accept stereotypes. This may result in the possibility of negative attitudes towards individuals with mental illnesses obtained during childhood persevering into adul thood. Stuart Halls Reception Theory finds the media to have a polysemic structure, the producers of the media encode a message for the audience to decode (Kitzinger, 2004), implying that the audience are in control. This is further developed by Halls (1973) Encoding and Decoding model which considers the media as a process whereby messages are sent and received with certain effects that alter how the audience perceives things. As a result, media messages can be interpreted differently by audiences and may not be understood in the way desired by producers (Hall, 1973). It can be argued that this process encourages maximum potential of audience involvement, as the media acts as a socialising force, in the case of Disney it allows the development of marketing off the characters personas to society. In support of this, Fiske examined the notion of semiotic negotiation and resistance; the audience has the ability to shape media meaning to the self. This means that the audience can subvert confo rmity, they are not a slave to the media, and therefore Disney films do not necessarily affect how an individual views mental illness (Fiske, 1987). In contrast, Lazarsfeld and Merton (1948) perceive the media to be a form of entertainment, which allows the audience to escape the hardship of reality and simultaneously integrates society. However, it must be considered that this is only a theoretical perspective, it is formed of hypothesise and not first-hand research. Challenges to this theory include the Marxist perspective, which was further developed by the Neo-Marxist perspective as the media was not far developed in Karl Marxs lifetime. As we have seen earlier, it can be considered that Disney has a capitalistic nature and linguistic intentions may not be to harm the audience, but rather captivate them. The media, according to Baudrillard (1989), has created a new form of reality hyper reality where an image is produced by the media that is more real to the individual than the item is initially supposed to represent. This theory is further supported by Giroux (2002) who classifies Disney films as teaching machines (p. 100), enabled through marketing and globalisation. Overall, the media should be used to teach awareness of mental illness and not reinforce negative stereotypes (Stuart, 2006). Media Coverage of Mental Illness It must be considered that the media is used as a form of entertainment. The Uses and Gratification Model finds that the audience is an active force, who use the media for their own pleasure (Fiske, 1987). The media and its producers do not have power over the audience, it merely provides the audience with entertainment and diversion from reality. This is challenged by the Frankfurt School, who find the audience to be passive to media effects. They produced the hypodermic syringe model, which metaphorically analyses the audience as accepting an injection of information from a media source; the audience accepts the norms and values prescribed by the media. The model believes that there is a direct correlation between violent behaviour in the media and violent behaviour in reality, which could be applied to violent Disney villains (Haney, 2005). The Shift Media Survey of 2005 assessed the media coverage of mental health issues. The Shift Media Survey of 2005 conducted primary research, included the use of focus groups, interviews and using a range of media samples. It found only one example which concentrated on the negative stigma experienced by people with mental health problems, with the rest of the articles more focused on the issue of violence. This research can be applied to Disney movies, as villains are generally classed as being violent and acting deviant of social norms. The results of the focus group found that most individuals took the media at face value, highlighting the mass effect of the media and its ability to reinforce prejudices in society. This suggests that the negative stigma attached to mental illness by society is not based on any real knowledge, but on what society have been informed of via the mass media. However, the data of this research cannot be generalised to everyone due to its small specific sample, and correlational data does not imply causation. However, the problem with focus groups is that some participants may either hold back due to the lack of anonymity and confidentiality due to being in a group with other participants, or participants may attempt to answer the moderators questions with answers they presume the moderator wants to hear. Furthermore, the interpretation of focus group data may also vary between researchers. Though this research does no directly apply to Disney media production, its results can be assessed to understand whether the media has an impact on public opinion. Overall, the research finds that media generally portrays mental illness through a negative stereotype, used mainly to reinforce and sell stories associated with criminal or deviant behaviour. These negative stereotypes can also be used in childrens films to differentiate between good and evil characters, as shown by Robinson et al (2007) who discovers that a large percentage of old er Disney characters are associated with these negative stereotypes surrounding mental illness. This is further researched by Sadler (2005) through the notion of cultural sanctioning, the media reinforces cultural ideals, which at the same time maintains viewership through familiarity. Beveridge (1996) focused on the portrayal of mental illness in four classic Disney films: Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, and Beauty and the Beast. Beveridge examined that sane characters that reacted strongly to a situation were negatively labelled as being mad. This is demonstrated in Dumbo through Dumbos mother defending her son against bullying, she is judged to be mad after her outrage and is subsequently locked away from society, implying that mental illness should be kept from society. McKie (2003) further argues that the negative perception of madness in childrens films is providing children with false impressions of mental illness. This article may not be an academic source, but it is an example of mass media implying that childrens films have an effect on the perception of mental illness, nevertheless it is supported by Mind (2011). Research completed by Mind (2011) suggests that the media is failing to give mental health enough consideration, as demonstrated by 4 5% of the people questioned couldnt recall seeing any reports about mental health in any media over the past twelve months. Only 33% of the participants could remember observing a newspaper report associated with mental illness, 25% could recall seeing a documentary broadcast directly based on the subject, and 22% viewed mental illness being addressed in television dramas. This data may not directly apply to Disney films, but it demonstrates how the media has a large scale impact on the publics recall and opinions. It can be criticised that these statistics are based on the memory and recall ability of participants, therefore the results may not be entirely accurate as some individuals may have forgotten about seeing some mental illness related reports, and this can affect the reliability of the data. Madness is the implication of an individual being in an idiosyncratic state, where people do not immediately understand or make sense of an individuals behaviour (Pilgrim, 2009). This can result in the implication of alienation, as demonstrated by Madhouses in Victorian society, which fuelled negative stereotypes of mental illness in society. Negative stereotypes may put people at risk of social exclusion and can lead to people feeling stigmatised by society. As a consequence, the individual may develop what Goffman (1963) calls a spoiled identity and demonstrate further abnormal behaviour in society. Goffman (1961) primarily writes about patients being institutionalised and the implications of psychiatric hospitals, but the writing can be applied to the treatment of Disney characters. For example, it can be related to a scene in Beauty and the Beast, where Maurice is locked away from society by the townsfolk as society doesnt accept his behaviour or opinions, this will be analysed f urther in the discussion section of the dissertation. Lawson and Fouts (2004) found 85% of 34 animated films produced by Disney between 1937 and 2001, contained references to characters with mental illness. There was an average of 4.6 references per film alienating characters, furthermore 21% of principal characters were being judged to have a mental illness. The research concludes that the use of terms such as crazy mad and nut allows a segregation of characters, separating them from what is classed as normal. This can provoke alienation and associate fear with characters deemed as being mentally ill. However, this study does not consider the appearance of characters, which could further affect the audiences perception of a character. This research may be dated due to more Disney films being released, it displays how frequently Disney refers to mental illness. It must also be considered that there is a time limit in the media when divulging a story, therefore the use of stereotypes to portray characters allows easier association with t he viewers daily life (Signorielli, 2001). In contrast to the research discussed, Booker (2010) finds that Disney encourages individualism that people do not need to change who they are to be accepted in society. Characters appear to suffer negative treatment by society until they learn to accept who they are. For example, this is shown through Dumbo learning to embrace his differences and proving himself to society. This could suggest that mental illness is related to moral failures. Medicine has adapted Disney characters to mental disorders, implying that science finds the Disney characters to be associated with mental illness. The psychological and personality disorders named after Disney characters, include: Peter Pan Syndrome, Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, Rapunzel Syndrome, and Cinderella Complex. These conditions imply that Disney characters have had a direct impact on mental illness. Peter Pan Syndrome, according to Kiley (1983), demonstrates the alienation of men failing to confront the emotional realities of society through their narcissistic nature, women are found accountable of accepting immature behaviour. The psychological condition finds that some members of society, like the fictional character, remain in a childish state, failing to accept appropriate adult roles in society. The work primarily focuses on men and shows how women mature faster. This is similar to the Disney film which shows Wendy to grow up and teach the other children how to behave. S leeping Beauty Syndrome is a disorder that involves people uncontrollably sleeping for days at a time. Rapunzel Syndrome often affects those with mental illness, as the Rapunzel character is implied to be suffering severe depression, it involves people eating their hair (Singla et al, 1999). Cinderella Complex finds women conform and lower expectations in order to fit into society, young girls have no aspirations, conforming to a stereotypical housewife lifestyle (Kerr, 1985). The research may be dated, but it supports the thesis of Disney affecting societys perception of mental illness. The medical model defines mental illness through classification schemes. There are several weaknesses of this model including the validity and reliability of diagnostic criteria (Sadler, 2005). The model ignores individual differences and classifies people into categories in which they might not belong. In opposition to this, Szasz (1961) puts forward the Myth of Mental Illness which contemplates whether mental illness actually exists, due to the overuse of the notion associated with problems of living. However, the existence of mental illness has been around for a long time and in a variety of cultures, implying that mental illness is not socially constructed, but that society can manipulate how mental illness is perceived. Szasz (1961) further examines that the label of mental illness allows the power of social control to discipline and manage those who wont conform. This includes state legislation, such as the Mental Health Act 2007 (CPS, 2013). Conclusions Whilst conducting the literature review, it has been understood that Walt Disney himself was associated with mental illness. His mother died when he was young, coincidently he was obsessed with the concept of family. This could have impacted the structure of Disney productions, as most Disney movies begin with the mother dying or already dead. However, this may not account for movies created after his death that contain references to mental illness, unless Disney are intending to stick to storylines that Walt Disney would find acceptable. Not all texts address mental illness in association to Disney films, as shown by Deconstructing Disney (Byrne and McQuillan, 2000) and Mouse Morality: The Rhetoric of Disney Animated Film (Ward, 2002). These books cover themes such as sexuality, race and gender, but fail to consider the implications Disney films have on mental health. The disregard implies that it is acceptable for Disney to stigmatise those who are mentally ill. The research discussed suggests that there has been little social change in regards to how the media portrays mental illness, there is a negative stereotype and this is presented in the selection of Disney films studied. However, I feel that there is only a limited number of studies and this is an area that needs to be examined in more detail. Each source analysed highlights a negative connotation attached to mental illness which has produced a stigma in society, reinforced by the media discourse. Wahl et al (2003) reach a concerning conclusion that future generations will be continually exposed to negative images and views of mental illness unless children are introduced to destigmatising programs. Instead of labelling someone as insane and producing a negative stigma, the media and society should focus on the specific problems and behaviours of the individual, fixing the negative stereotypes attached to mental illness (Jorm, 2000). While none of the above theories offer a solution to the negative association of mental illness, they do demonstrate awareness. There is no perspective that can be absolute when analysing social actions. Methodology This section will reflect how evidence will be collected to support the arguments of my research question. As discussed in the Literature Review, the majority of the previous work in this area has concentrated on stereotypes and the audience. In order to find out whether the publics perception of mental health is affected by Disney films, I need to establish initially how the public perceive mental health in order to reach a context specific definition of mental illness. The NHS is the largest publicly funded health service in existence, therefore I feel that they have a high enough influence to be regarded in this research in order to gain an understanding of mental health. I will use a publically available NHS document, in order to gain an understanding of what the British health system classifies mental illness as: Mental well-being crucially affects healthy functioning of individuals, families, communities and societies. It fundamentally affects behaviour, social cohesion, social inclusion and economic prosperity. Underlying social, economic and environmental dimensions that can affect a persons well-being relate to factors such as employment status, education, health and household/neighbourhood characteristics. (NHS Confederation, 2012). To find out whether the publics perception of mental health is affected by Disney films, I will conduct a content analysis to identify what terms related to mental illness are used in Disney films, I will then consider the contextual intentions of Disney. I will use theory to further analyse my results to gain a well-rounded view of the subject. I will also examine behavioural responses to Disney through the use of secondary research such as The Shift Media Survey of 2005 to examine my data. There is a mixed methods approach to the research, it is not specifically focused on quantitative or qualitative methods, allowing a continuum of the two. Selecting the Sample In order to examine whether Disneys portrayal of mental illness affects how society perceives mental illness, I have decided to base my research sample on the most popular Disney feature length films. I examined the success rate of films from each of them based on their profit, which combined with the availability of films, the following films were included: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo (1941), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), The Jungle Book (1967), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Toy Story (1995), Hercules (1997), Tarzan (1999), The Emperors New Groove (2000), The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Alice in Wonderland (2010). In total my sample consisted of sixteen Walt Disney Pictures, with only two films not being of an animated nature. Procedure To begin with, I viewed my selected films and took general notes which allowed me to create a basic coding scheme. I then re-watched the films to ensure reliability, I also re-recorded the occurrence of the selected terms associated with mental illness across a range of Disney films. The coding scheme included references to behaviour and the physical description of characters, such as mad insane and strange. I will also note the contextual circumstances of which the references were made. The coding scheme will initially exclude character names, but these will be noted for later consideration, e.g. The Mad Hatter. The context of code will be considered before recording to make sure the term is being used an appropriate sense. Once the coding was complete I noted the main themes that had emerged in order to aid my future analysis. Visual representations are also important to consider when studying mental illness in the media to examine how characters conform to stereotypes, as I found through my literature review that there was a lack of regard to character appearances. Analysis A content analysis describes what is there, but does not provide underlying reasoning, so I will be combining my research with a theoretical analysis. This will consist of selecting and discussing theoretical material and a detailed comparison of applicable theories. This will aid us in understanding whether certain theories help us to comprehend particular patterns of social behaviour. This approach will allow me to assess contrasting sources, allowing a more critical attitude. However, a content analysis describes what is there, but does not provide underlying reasoning. Data collected from a variety of sources, such as

Einleitung :: essays research papers

Einleitung Unser Zeitalter ist das eigentliche Zeitalter der Kritik, der sich alles unterwerfen muss. Religion, durch ihre Heiligkeit und Gesetzgebung durch ihre Majestà ¤t, wollen sich gemeiniglich derselben entziehen. Aber alsdann erregen sie gerechten Verdacht wider sich und kà ¶nnen auf unverstellte Achtung nicht Einspruch machen, die die Vernunft nur demjenigen bewillt, was ihre freie und à ¶ffentliche Prà ¼fung hat halten mà ¼ssen.â€Å" (Hermes, S. 12). Diese Worte Kants fallen in eine Zeit in der die evangelisch-lutherische Kirche und der absolutistische Staat durch das Landeskirchentum ein enges Bà ¼ndnis geschlossen hatten und so nur schwer angreifbar waren. Das musste auch Gotthold Ephraim Lessing feststellen. Er wurde am 22.1. 1729 im Kamenz geboren und wuchs in der christlichen Tradition des và ¤terlichen evangelisch- lutherischen Pfarrhauses und der Fà ¼rstenschule St. Afra in Meißen auf. Obwohl er das vom Vater gewà ¼nschte Theologiestudium schon nach einem Jahr abbr ach, durchziehen theologische Fragen doch große Teile seines Werkes, was besonders im letzen Jahrzehnt seines Lebens sichtbar wurde: Er fà ¼hrte nicht nur erbitterte theologische Diskussionen, er verà ¶ffentlichte auch „Nathan den Weisenâ€Å", „Die Freimaurerâ€Å" und die Erziehung des Menschengeschlechtsâ€Å". Auf eben erwà ¤hnte theologische Diskussion, auch Fragmentenstreit gennant, bei der Lessing die Macht der anfangs genannten theologisch-staatlichen Allianz zu spà ¼ren bekommt, und auf den darauffolgenden „Nathanâ€Å" mà ¶chte ich in dieser Arbeit eingehen. Da mein Augenmerk dabei speziell auf dem Thema „Entstehungsgeschichte des Nathanâ€Å" liegt, werde ich allgemein beleuchten, was Lessing zum Nathan inspiriert hat, und das war eben nicht nur der Fragmentenstreit, sondern auch andere literarische, historische und biographische Quellen. Nathan als 12 Anti-Goetze 1767- 69 arbeitet Lessing am hamburgischen Nationaltheater als Dramaturg. Zu dieser Zeit ist Johann Albert Hinrich nicht nur sein Arzt, er darf auch seine Bibliothek benà ¼tzen, außerdem ist er mit Hinrichs Schwester Elise Reimarus gut befreundet. Durch diese beiden Geschwister gelangt Lessing an die „Apologie oder Schutzschrift fà ¼r die vernà ¼nftigen Verehrer Gottesâ€Å", die deren Vater Herman Samuel Reimarus geschrieben hat. Reimarus ist ein angesehener hamburger Bà ¼rger, der eine Professur fà ¼r hebrà ¤isch und orientalisch am Akademischen Gymnasium bekleidet. In seiner Apologie à ¼bte der Deist Reimarus eine radikale Bibel-und Dogmenkritik, er ging dabei soweit die Offenbarungslehren zu bezweifeln. Seiner Meinung nach enthalte die reine Lehre Christi „eine vernà ¼nftige praktische Religionâ€Å". Nur durch die Apostel, die Wundergeschichten in ihre Berichte eingefà ¼hrt hà ¤tten, sei diese Lehre zu dem gemacht worden was sie heute ist, nà ¤mlich e ine Religion die sich mit der Vernunft nicht vereinbaren là ¤sst. Z.B. behauptet er anhand von Widersprà ¼chen in der Auferstehungsgeschichte schlussfolgern zu dà ¼rfen, dass die Jesu Jà ¼nger die Leiche des gekreuzigten Jesu selbst haben verschwinden lassen, um durch die Osterpredigt Anhà ¤nger zu gewinnen und sich somit selbst zu Aposteln aufwerten zu kà ¶nnen.

A Tale of Two Cities Essays: A Critical Analysis -- Tale Two Cities Es

A Critical Analysis of A Tale of Two Cities Three Works Cited A Tale of Two Cities is a novel that is very complex and intense. Once you get to know the characters you can feel what they are going through and form a kind of bond with them. A Tale of Two Cities grabs the reader’s attention with the history of revolutions in the nation and the generations of that time, but it also keeps the reader reading with a sense of a pure violence that is hard to create. The combination of critical literary and historical methods brings out the novels complex structure and intense impact on the reader. Dickens brings out the historical side of the Victorian age with examples and details of the French Revolution and Victorian Revolt. Lee Sterrenburg says that Dickens' vision of the revolution was probably influenced by "a personal day dream only he can fathom. But he is able to render his day dreams in terms of a publicly Victorian Iconography". (Hutter 37) The Victorian revolt happened late in the Victorian Age and was a turning po...

Communication Theory Essay

Introduction Media censorship can be described as a practice where speech or other methods of public communication are considered to be harmful and sensitive or not suitable as determined by the government, media companies or other regulating bodies (West & Turner, 2010). Media censorship has been a common practice in the Arab world, and this has been the case due to cultural and religious influence. Several communication theories have been developed by scholars to try and explain media situations in different countries. This paper seeks to investigate the salient features and applicability of the cultivation communication’s theory to film and television censorship in the UAE (West & Turner, 2010). Hypothesis Film and television censorship in the United Arab Emirates is intended to promote and preserve political, cultural, and religious beliefs. Evidence gathered through the study of television censorship in the UAE According to Watson, every media item that is intended to be broadcasted to the public must cleared by the National Media council, the country’s media regulation body (2008). Television content and all other types of media, particular from foreign countries, must be subjected checks intended to find too content or topics. Television censorship mainly involves three topics that are regarded to be offensive to practices in the United Arab Emirates. The three include: pornography, material deemed insulting to religion (particularly Islam), and material that criticizes the country’s rulers (Watson, 2008). In most cases only material originating from foreign sources is found to be problematic. Local films Local television stations have generally conformed to the censorship requirements. Materials from various sources indicate that local films in the treated differently from the foreign films by the National Media Council (NMC) (Wikidot.com, 2008). During the International Film Festival held in Dubai in 2005, many films from Arab countries were subjected to screening and censorship due to violation of Islamic and other cultural views (Wikidot.com, 2008). All Local films presented during the festival were found to be suitable and none was censored. The conformity of local films to religious, political requirements is achieved in various ways. First, many local film makers are not always in a position to pay for film production. As a result film making requires funding from the Government and other agencies. Censorship is often applied at this stage, as film makers must agree to certain conditions before money is given (Wikidot.com, 2008). Secondly, many local film makers have been raised in a conservative environment that encourages and cultivates conformity to Islamic and political ideals of the UAE. Therefore, they have a way of ensuring that their work is self-censored before it is released into the public domain. They believe in their country and, therefore, cannot produce material that has a potential to affect the country’s religion and political stability (Wikidot.com, 2008). Foreign films All foreign films that come into UAE must be studied by the classification board which uses the guideline obtained from the country of origin (Wikidot.com, 2008). Upon classification, the film is dispatched to the film censorship committee, which examines the film carefully and then decides on what is to be removed. The film is then passed on to sub department that removes the areas that have been recommended by the censorship committee (Wikidot.com, 2008). Additionally, no foreign film will be permitted if it has no Arabic subtitle that conforms to the dialogue in the film (Watson, 2008). One of the most recent censorship activities done in the UAE involved renaming of an animation title. The animation’s title was â€Å"Puss in the Boots† and was renamed to â€Å"Cat in the Boots†. This was also done in Qatar, a gulf state with similar religious values (Salem, 2012, par. 10). Movies that cannot be edited are banned all-together. For instance, â€Å"Mohammed Naser, an official responsible for cinemas in the censorship department explained that when it becomes apparent that the editing required will take a big part of the movie, they conclude that there is no point to release it† (Salem, 2012, par 11). Two movies, Black Swan and Love and Other Drugs were banned because the included a lot of sexual content (Watson, 2008). In most cases, the editing of films that originally contained scenes related to nudity, swearing, political and religious material, the board then asks the agent handing the film to give it a rating of 18 years and over (Salem, 2012). Traditionally, this requirement has drawn criticism from industry players who feel that the  censoring committee should edit the films and allow everyone to watch or leave them as they are and give the +18 rating (Salem, 2012). The film censorship committee is chaired by the National Media Council’s undersecretary who is responsible for censorship activities (Wikidot.com, 2008). The â€Å"censorship committee has other members which are drawn from several ministries such as the ministry of education, justice and Islamic affairs, state security, social affairs, interior and Israel boycott office† (Wikidot.com, 2008). Analysis of the information gathered The Analysis of television censorship in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be conducted using the cultivation communication’s theory. Cultivation theory can be described as social theory that examines the long-effects of TV (West & Turner, 2010). The basic proposition of the cultivation theory states that â€Å"the more time is spend by people living in the Television world, they more likely they are to believe social reality that is portrayed on the Television† (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). Cultivation theory was developed by Gross and Gerbner, following extensive research work conducted to establish cultural indicators. The purpose of â€Å"cultural indicators† research work was to investigate and establish the cultivated effects of TV on viewers (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). The investigators were concerned with the implications of TV programs, particularly violent programs on the behaviors and attitudes of Americans. The cultivation theory clearly indicates that an effect of TV watching on viewers occurs after long-term and cumulative exposure. In the modern world, TV has taken a central position in the lives of many individuals and, therefore, has a greater potential impact on the behaviors and attitudes of viewers. The authors who developed the theory believe that because people TV in the United States and other parts of the world contain significant amount of violence, those watch them addictively often develop an exaggerated belief in the violence (West & Turner, 2010). From the evidence gathered in this paper, it can be stated TV censorship in the UAE is intended to prevent a potential negative influence on citizens. Many videos, particularly those originating from foreign sources, are often laced with content that is not acceptable in the UAE. The country has a conservative population that strictly observes Islamic religious rules. Additionally, it has a political system that is  unique to its position and needs, and therefore, cannot allow material that will directly criticize the established political system. UAE as a nation has progressive laws regarding the freedom of speech but this does not allow for dissemination of material that is contrary to Islamic beliefs or its political establishment. In consistent with the theory of cultivation, the UAE government is aware that films and other shows aired on TV have the potential to change the attitudes and behaviors of the masses (Salem, 2012). Therefore, in its endeavor to retain the country’s religious and cultural values, the government must censor all video material that originates from within and outside the borders. Conclusion and summary This research paper sought to use the cultivation theory to establish the how TV and film censorship in the UAE preserves its cultural, political and religious beliefs. It has been established that the country has a conservative population that observes Islamic beliefs that do not agree with the content in most foreign films, and therefore, strict censorship must be conducted before the material is allowed into the public domain. Censorship is also extended to material that contravenes the country’s political establishment. References Morgan, M., & Shanahan, J. (2010). The State of Cultivation. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 54(2), 337-355. Salem, B. (2012, May 13). Censorship: Great for pirates, bad for business. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from Variety Arabia: http://www.varietyarabia.com/Docs.Viewer/6ad7629a-a64a-4cea-9723-01f8f4f68a40/default.aspx Watson, I. (2008, January 22). Dubai’s Media Censors Tackle News, Sex and Politics. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18292869 West, R., & Turner, L. (2010). Introducing Communication theory: Analysis and Application. New York: McGraw Hill. Wikidot.com. (2008, January 10). Censorship: United Arab Emirates . Retrieved December 14, 2012, from