Russia, 1905 - 1917, The Causes of Revolutionary Change Essay Example for Free

Russia, 1905 1917, The Causes of Revolutionary Change Essay Q3. Using your knowledge of the events of 1917 (March November) explain how the Bolsheviks were able to take over the government in November. The Bolsheviks were able to take over the Government in November 1917 by exploiting the mistakes made by the Provisional Government, their unique ideology, Lenins policies and propaganda, and an element of luck. These were the main factors for their seizure of power, but other factors combined together to allow the Bolsheviks to complete their objective. The Bolsheviks seized power, because they had a unique ideology. Their ideology was that a revolution had to be created, instead of just waiting for it to happen. They thought that they had to lead from the front. The Social Revolutionaries were unable to lead a revolution as they were too sparsely spread out across Russia, which is a vast country. The Mensheviks thought that a revolution would spontaneously occur as a larger proportion of the population urbanised. The truth is that this would never happen in the near future, because currently only about nine or ten percent of the population inhabited the cities. The other ninety percent were peasants who lived deep in the countryside. Lenin, a previous political exile knew that this degree of urbanisation would never happen, as Russia was too vast a country, and didnt have a transport system that was capable of allowing people from the countryside to come to the cities. Another unique idea that the Bolsheviks had was that they were the only party that wanted to end the war, while the rest of the parties (the Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries) wanted to continue with the war effort. The majority of Russians thought that the war was also a bad idea, as it intensified the problems that were facing Russia at that time, such as starvation in the cities, terrible urban working conditions and the lack of land owned by the peasants. The war had caused these problems, and the continuation of the war did not remedy the situation. Plus the war was going badly, as the Russian army was able to put up some resistance against the Austrians, but suffered repetitive defeats at the hands of the Germans. The Bolsheviks unique ideology was therefore a very significant factor, as if they had not led from the front, a revolution would have never happened, and the All Russian Congress of Soviets wouldve been the legal ruling body of Russia. Another reason why the Bolsheviks took over the government in November 1917 was because of Lenins unique policies and propaganda. The Bolsheviks grew from a small insignificant party since the split of the Social Democrats in the London Conference, to dominate the Petrograd Soviet by November 1917. Lenin said that if the Bolsheviks gained power, then he would provide Peace, land and bread. This single phrase offered something that would make everyone happy. He promised peace, an end to the war, which was something that the majority of Russians wanted. The peace would allow the army to come home to their families. Peace was such a unique policy, as the Bolsheviks were the only party to offer it. The rest of the now legal political parties wanted to carry on with the war effort, even after they had seen that it had caused so much strife. He also offered land, something that was desired by nearly ninety percent of the population, the peasants. Before the peasants were forced to farm the common land of their village, or Mir, but Lenin offered that they would have their own land, something that they could own for themselves. And lastly, but not at all least was that he offered bread to the people. He offered a cure to starvation, which had plagued the cities, starving the umpteen number of urban workers, who had already been working longer hours to provide equipment for the front. Lenin said and promised things that he never planned on carrying out, but simply used them to win the support of people. The best example of this was when he came back from exile and stepped off the Sealed Train, he then said All power to the Soviets! In April 1917 but he did not mean this, but used it as a political tool to provoke peoples thoughts, and was very effective propaganda. He also used other slogans such as the one mentioned above to stimulate the Russian publics minds, and to gain their support. Lenin also managed to seize power in November 1917, because of his impeccable timing. Lenin was offered to lead the revolution during the July Days, but at that time he would have been taking power for the Soviets, including the Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries. Lenin refused to take power at this time, but he didnt know for sure if he would have another opportunity to regain power. This risky move paid off later, as later on a Russian general (Kornilov) who was fighting on the front thought that the Provisional Government was weak, and he sought to re-introduce the Tsarist system. The leader of the Provisional Government (Alexander Kerensky) thought that Kornilovs army was finally going to overthrow the Provisional Government. He turned to Lenin and said that he would give him all the weapons of Petrograd if he would protect the city from the oncoming troops. Lenin accepted this plea and the private army of the Bolsheviks (the Red Guard) was given Petrograds weapons. On the 27th of August Kornilov marches his troops from the front towards Petrograd. When Kornilovs troops reach Petrograd, army discipline collapses and they abandon Kornilov to join the Red Guard. Now the Red Guard has the weapons of Petrograd, and an extended army due to the mutineers. The Provisional Government had made a huge mistake. They had given not only some, but all the weapons of Petrograd to the Red Guard leaving themselves defenceless. After Lenin had control of weapons, which were supplied to him by the Provisional Government, and an army that had rapidly gained support from the public and mutineers. He now had all the correct tools, which he needed for a job that he had masterminded: to take control of Russia legitimately. Now, he had time on his side, so he waited for the correct time to take control. The day he took control finally fell on the 6th November 1917, because that was the day before the All Russian Congress of Soviets was to meet. Due to his impeccable timing, he was able to take control before this meeting, which was to decide the fate of the Russian political system; therefore he was able to claim legitimacy. This showed that Lenin was very astute, as he had had chances to try and win power before, but he did not opt for that option, but waited until circumstances to his liking, and took advantages of them, resulting in the Bolshevik party ruling Russian headed by himself. The reason why the Bolsheviks took power in November 1917 was because they exploited the mistakes that had been made by the Provisional Government. The Provisional Government did not listen to what the people wanted, while Lenin told them what they wanted to hear, and subsequently won their support. The Provisional Government relaxed the censorship law, and therefore allowed new influential ideas to spread. This factor combined with the legalisation of political parties meant that these new ideas were large parts of the policies that the newly legalised parties used to try and gain support. The re-entry of political exiles into the country, such as Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin were all major mistakes, which Lenin in particular exploited as he stimulated the way people thought about the revolution that had recently occurred, and made them think if anything had actually changed. Once people had thought about that question, they realised that nothing had actually changed: there was still starvation in the cities, the peasants had no land, working conditions hadnt improved, but had worsened, inflation was still a major problem and the common people of Russia (the peasants and urban workers) were still denied a say. A factor that contributed to the Bolsheviks taking power in November 1917 was something that could not be controlled: luck. Lenin and the Bolsheviks by far did not have a perfect plan on how to take power. They were lucky on three prominent occasions. The first was that Lenin decided not to seize power in July shortly after the July Days riots that took place in the major cities of Russia. The people asked him to lead the way to a fresh revolution as he called it, but he refused, as at that time the Bolshevik party was still a very small minority in the Petrograd Soviet (which was the most influential Soviet in Russia), as he would be taking power for the Mensheviks and the Social Revolutionaries. This refusion of power at that time was very risky tactics by Lenin, as he didnt know if he would have another chance to try and take power again in the future. The second prominent example of luck was the taking place of Kornilovs Revolt. Kornilov was a general who was fighting on the front. He was a keen supporter of the Tsar and the Tsarist system in the whole, and thought that the Provisional Government was doing a bad job of ruling over Russia. He thought that if he could get rid of the Provisional Government somehow, then the Tsar might be re-instated as the rightful leader of Russia. Kornilov planned to March his army to Petrograd and retake power by forceful means if necessary. When the Provisional Government heard about his plans, they began to panic, as they had never faced a situation remotely similar to this in the past. As they had no force of their own present in Petrograd at that time, they turned to Lenin to see if he and his personal army made up of Bolsheviks (the Red Guard) would protect Petrograd from the oncoming army. The Provisional Government said that they would give all the weapons of Petrograd to the Red Guard if they would protect the capital. Lenin jumped at this opportunity when it arose, as he knew that the Provisional Government were making a huge mistake. When Kornilovs army did reach Petrograd, they mutinied and joined the Red Guard. Now the Red Guard had the weapons of Petrograd, and were firmly in control of the situation. This was pure luck by the Bolsheviks, as they did not know if Kornilov was going to revolt in the future when Lenin refused power previously in July, but by chance the circumstances became favourable for him. From the evidence I have given, I conclude that the Bolsheviks were able to take over from the Provisional Government in November 1917, because they had had a great leader in the form of Lenin, who had impeccable timing, motivating policies and propaganda and a unique ideology of what to do with Russia. They were also able to exploit the mistakes made by the Provisional Government, and an element of luck had play in their seizure of power. The Bolsheviks unique ideology was that they should end the war, while the rest of the newly formed political parties wanted to carry on with the war effort for the same reasons as the Provisional Government did, and that was because they didnt want to be seen as cowards. The Bolsheviks knew what the people wanted, and stimulated them accordingly with the use of some crowd-pleasing policies and propaganda. The Bolsheviks leader Lenins astute timing of the day to seize power, the day prior to the meeting of the All Russian Congress of Soviets. Luck did have a part to play in this seizure of power, and without it, the All Russian Congress of Soviets would probably have become the legitimate controlling body of Russia, but circumstances played into the hands of the Bolsheviks. The aggressive political tactics of the Bolsheviks: the idea that you had to go out and create a revolution did eventually pay off, as if they had done what the Mensheviks had done, then the revolution would never have taken place, and Russia would be ruled by another body. The prime reason for success was the masterminding and swaying of public thought, courtesy of the Bolshevik leader, Lenin.

Tesco PESTEL Framework

Tesco PESTEL Framework Introduction Tesco is the largest organization in the UK and one of the biggest supermarket chains in the world. Tesco is one of the top three supermarkets in the world, Tesco operating over 3700 stores globally and employing over 440,000 people. The company operates in 13 countries outside the UK. There are many factors which contribute directly to the success of this leading super market chain. Business Strategy plays a pivotal role in the success of Tesco. Tescos History Tesco was founded in 1920s by Sir Jack Cohen, to setup high street grocery stores in and around London. Tesco name used for the first time in Edgeware London in 1929. The name was drawn from the initials of the companys tea supplier (T.E Stockwell), and Cohens own name. In 1930s when Mr. Cohen built a headquarters and warehouse in North London, its brand continually rises. In 1932 Tesco formally established as a private limited company. In 1947 Tesco stores (holdings) ltd floated on the stock exchange with a share price of 25p. In 1990s the company introduce a slogan Every Little Help, they also introduce Club card scheme in 1995. Tesco personal Finance was introduced in 1997, in order to provide its customers with a wide array of financial services, including visa card, and Tesco saving account in stores bank branches. Today it reported that group sales were  £51.8bn in the year to February 23 2008. Pre-tax profit rose to  £2.8bn. Company Analysis: PESTEL Framework Political Factors Tesco is operating in different countries, so due to its globalised operation its performance is highly affected by the Political and legislative conditions of these countries. According to Balchin, 1994 the Govt encourages the retailers to provide mix job from flexible and locally based jobs to highly skilled, higher-paid and centrally located jobs. (Balchin, 1994) Economical Factors Tesco is also affected by economical factors, such as costs, demand, prices and profits. Unemployment is the most important influential factor which decreases the effective demand for many goods. Basically Tesco is affected indirectly by the economic factor, but their affect on performance and the marketing mix can be learned. Social/Cultural Factors Due to the rapid change in trends, the company expand the amount of non food items available for sale. The UK customers have moved towards one stop and huge shopping, due to the variety of social changes. It also affected by Demographic changes such as population, female worker are increased, so the company will have to focusing added- value products and services. Technological Factors Technology factors are affected the development of many of the Tesco products. Both customers and company are capitalized from the Technology, because customer satisfaction mount for goods readily available, services becomes more quick and shopping more convenient. The lunch of the efficient Consumer Response initiative provided the shift that is now apparent in management of food supply chains. (Data monitor Report, 2003) The company uses the following technologies: Wireless Devices Intelligent scale Electronic shelf labelling Self check-out machine Radio Frequency identification (RFID) Companys Analysis: Porters Five Forces Threat of New Entrants The UK grocery market is primary henpecked by few competitors, including four major brands of Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morisons that process a market share of 70% and small chain of Somerfield, Waitrose, and lidle with further 10%. However, due to the large operation they built their power to operating efficiency, one-stop shopping and major marketing mix expenditure. Hence, nowadays it possesses a strong barrier for new companies who crave to enter the grocery market. To become a market leader Tesco invest huge money in large chain, advance technology for checkout and stock control system that impact the new entrants and existing ones. Bargaining Power of Customers According to Michael Porter, the more products that become standardised or undifferentiated, the lower the switching cost, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. Porters M. (1980). Tescos famous loyalty card Club card keep the most successful customer holding strategy that tremendously increases the profitability of Tescos business. To fulfil customers needs, custom-make service, ensure low prices, better choices, constant flow of in store promotions enables brands like Tesco to control and hold their customer base. Bargaining Power of Supplier Tesco has negotiating better promotional prices from supplier that small individual chains are unable to match. And this is company policy and company main approach to have unparallel relationships with suppliers. Threat of Substitutes According to the Porters theory, General substitution is able to reduce demand for a particular product, as there is a threat of consumers switching to the alternatives (Porter M1980). However in the grocery market this can be seen in the form of product for product, new trends such as the way of small and convenient stores are emerging in the market. Bargaining Power of Competitors Tesco is operating in mature market, where growth is difficult, and consumer are extend demanding and advanced, large chains as company take place large amounts of consumer information that can be used to communicate with consumer. Therefore the preponderant market leaders have responded refocusing on price and value, whilst reinforcing the added value elements of their service. Analysis of Resources, Competence and Culture For the company, customer is first priorities, by the time of recession, a research shows that price are ranked as the most important margins not seen in twodecades. Therefore the company believe that their job is to help the customer with less spending. So the company launched value line, the famous blue stripes, the company would be able to provide the cheapest grocery shop in the country discounter included. The company maintain its position through a clear focus, well targeted product offer and excellent record both in product and format design. Core Competence Core competence is the processes that critically underpin the companys competitive advantage. Tesco primary target is to recognise that competition between businesses is as much a race for competence as it is for market position and market power. Hence, the Company have to focus the attending on competencies that really influence competitive advantage. Core competence is basically the process to develop the key area of a business in which the company expert, which bring a distinctive advantage over the competitors, and also critically connected with company long term growth. However, it will be important for Tesco to look at the generic level. Therefore in this case, Tescos expertise are most likely to mature central area of business where the most value added to its services and its devilries. For example, trust on Tesco brand prevarication at the heart of these services In addition, Core competencies of a Tesco have rather rigid, but a research shows that core competencies have to elastic, and it should be change in response to change in companys environment over the time. Therefore the company need to accommodate and create new idea and also new opportunity in the market. For example, Tesco launched its loyalty card and went into banking. Tesco able to enter into retailing of food and non food products was a clear distinctive brand proposition that had a focus on a properly define market section. The company also provide a strong and efficient customer service, based on a good customer relationship. Tesco Strategic Options: Generic Strategies Introduction: According to Porter (1985), competitive advantage arises from selection of the generic strategy that best fits the organisations competitive environment and then organizing activities to support the chosen strategy. These strategies are characterised by the company in response to their structure and environment of the organization. However to obtain a competitive advantage Tesco should follow one of the three strategies, which is developed by Porter. Cost Leadership Tesco accommodate the first strategy of cost leadership in which can endeavour the lowest costs in the market and offer its products and services to broad market at the lowest prices. The company are more focusing on the effective saving programme call Step-Change. By this programme the company delivered  £540 million of productivity and other saving in the year, which mostly reinvested in improving the shopping trip for customers. To reducing the amount of energy the company introduce better ways of working to improve the efficiency by making things better for customers, simpler for stop and cheaper for company. For example, according to a report, in the last year the company saved 52,000 deliveries to companys stores by using larger-fill-double-decked vehicles, which in turn have also 12 million road miles. Some other example of these projects which delivered substantial savings in the year includes: Saving in the Supply Chain-the company using more shelf-ready packaging and reconfiguring the depot network to increased vehicle utilisation and more productive work methods in depots and stores. For example the distribution cost more held in cash terms and reduced in percentage of sales terms. By this method the company achieved despite higher fuel costs. Installed Energy Saving-the company significantly invest in energy-saving projects across the business- such as new refrigeration, store lobbies and lighting, its helping the company to absorb utility costs. From the energy consumption the company fell by 8% last year despite business growth. Low wage employees- the company have around 31000 employees working in India as Global Support Centre, which provides IT and administrative support to UK and International operationsfrom software development to management accounting and payroll. If the company use another strategy of differentiation, the company then tries to offer a good services and product with unequal features that customers value. With the differentiation strategy the company created a brand loyalty for their offering, and price inelasticity on the parts of buyers. For example to achieve a better and more efficient service provide by the company to checkouts, many more customers didnt have to queue last year and customer continue to rank the company for speed of services at the checkout. Another example of this approach, the company have different brand product according to their feature, speciality, and reliability. Such as Tesco value, Finest, Organic etc Value Chain Primary Activities Inbound logistics According to Alex Laffey, we choose G-Logs logistics and transportation technology because their solution will support and enhance our low-cost, high quality approach to growth in the retail market. Major factors in our decision to select G-Log were the close and demonstrable fit of their software to our requirements, and their ability to rapidly deploy the solution in phases to meet our aggressive project time frame. G-log is providing visibility, optimization, and execution will enable the company to integrate their supplier, partners and logistics service providers, delivering real-time visibility of in transit orders, whilst optimising the transportation resources by both consolidating loads and selecting the most cost effective carrier. The G-log continues to shows to deliver significant result, and to provide value to its customers, in terms of improved customer services, reduced costs and enhanced competitive advantage. Outbound Logistics Outbound logistics is concerned with the delivering the product to the customer. The company adds value to its home delivery services. Tesco also trying to improve other tangible that have to be improved, such as parking facilities, trolley collectors, staff on self service checkout, and also to saying to customer hello hey and thank you with smiling face. The company making small improvements in everything with Every Little Help is about the company work together on the little things, its amount to a great deal. It keeps the focused on what matters most to customers. The company do not sacrifice all the other things that are so important to customers, such as not having to queue and being able to get everything that they want. Support Activities Company Infrastructure The company introduce software Real Time Integrator (RTI) which provides retailer with faster access to critical business information, through the provision and use of accurate, detailed, point-of-sale (POS) information. Sale data from individual store database will be routed to head office in XML to Microsoft server and Microsoft SQL. The solution handles 1500 sales transactions a second at peak times, which each have an average of between 50 and 100 items. To reduce the number not the on file items the first application for RTI will pilot for 120 stores, which improve the customer experience. Human Resources Management Tesco introduce a high commitment model which offers training and development to all employees. In addition the company extend their logo through their culture to prove their commitment to employees as well as to customers. The company continue to invest in customer services where training is also directly linked to pay, therefore the staff is motivated to learn and encourage their approach to customers and services and the provision of qualities. Conclusion With the research carried out, the company shows how the branding and effective service delivery can come in moving beyond splashing ones logo on billboard. The company made their market leader due to their successful and dynamic strategies. The company also made a powerful brand and powerful identities making their retailing concept into various and spending it out into the culture via a variety of channels. Such culture sponsorship, political controversy, consumer experience and brand extensions. The company change their culture and business environment very rapidly due to the high competitors pressure. The company also have to diversify the product and expand their strategies in order to sustain in its leading market position. This is already established by the company. Tesco need to make sure, to have the combination of good customer services, competitive pricing and efficiency when they launching a new product. Tesco has definitely has the potential and can compete with other store if the company get the above combination right. REFERENCES http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/nov/09/supermarkets.tesco1 Tesco history from. http://www.telegraph.co.uk http://www.cn.tesco.com/en/aboutus/aboutus_history.htm http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/tesco-thinks-small-to-be-big-in-america-394385.html Datamonitor Report (2003) Food retail industry profile: United Kingdom, January; Datamonitor Report (2003) SWOT Analysis Tesco PLC, July; Datamonitor Report (2003) Company Profile: Tesco PLC Analysis, October; Tesco Annual Report and Financial Statement 2009, To find out more go towww.tesco.com/annualreport09 De Toni A. and Tonchia S. (2003) Strategic planning and firms competencies: Traditional approaches and new perspectives, International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 23 Issue 9, pp.947-976; http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_4_44/ai_n13248624/ http://www.tesco.com/talkingtesco/oldDefault.asp Drejer A. 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(2004) International retail restructuring and divestment: the experience of Tesco, Journal of Marketing Management, November, Vol. 20 Issue 9/10, pp.1075-1101; Porter M. (1980) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy, The McKinsey Quartely, Spring 1980, pp.34-50; Ritz (2005) Store wars, Business Review, Vol. 11, April, pp.22-23; Veliyath R. and Fitzgerald E. (2000) Firm Capabilities, Business Strategies, Customer Preferences, and Hypercompetitive Arenas: The Sustainability of Competitive Advantages with Implications for Firm Competitiveness, Competitiveness Review, Vol. 10 Issue 1, pp.56-82; Bibliography Anon (2004) Case Study IV: Tesco implements the business engine network to gain full control of it IT Project Portfolio, Journal of Database Marketing Customer Strategy Management Vol.12. Tesco business strategy, 2008 available at http://www.bized.co.uk/ Tesco business strategy 2008 available at www.tescocorporate.com/images/TescocsrReview02_0.pdf Datamonitor Report (2003) Company Profile: Tesco PLc Analysis, http://university-essays.tripod.com/porters_generic_strategies.html Palmer, M. (2005), Retail multinational learning: a case study of Tesco, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 33 No. 1

Self Harm And Suicide In Prison

Self Harm And Suicide In Prison Although specific explanations have been put forward by those attempting to explain self harm and suicide, they can each generally fit into one of two main larger theories. The first, that the individual characteristics of inmates themselves are explanatory variables and that their susceptibility to self-harm and suicide is essentially imported into prison. The second, that it is the environmental factors characteristic of prison which actually act as a causative link between prisoners and acts of self-harm or suicide. The ideas behind these explanations are informed by an even larger theoretical debate around how people adjust to prison generally; the two contrasting arguments are known as the importation and deprivation models. The first point to examine is the validity of argument that individual characteristics are indeed what primarily predisposes prisoners to self-harm and suicide. Such arguments stem from the importation model, which supports the notion that prisoners already possess certain characteristics making them more likely to self-harm before they are even in prison. According to Irwin and Cressey (1962, p.145) a clear understanding of inmate conduct cannot be obtained simply by viewing prison culture or inmate culture as an isolated system springing solely from the conditions of imprisonment. The factors researchers have tended to focus on include; gender, age, psychiatric, history, offence-type, legal status and sentence length. Zamble and Porporino have outlined adverse life events, negative interpersonal relationships, social and economic disadvantage, alcohol and drug addiction, contact with criminal justice agencies, poor educational and employment history, low self-esteem, poor problem-s olving ability, and low motivational drive (cited in Liebling,1995,p. 181) as the characteristics of prisoners which can be relied upon in identifying risk factors. In a recent study conducted by Humber et al (2011), prisoner characteristics of suicide victims were in England and Wales were examined. They suggested that amongst the prison population there are particular groups more likely to be suicidal. This included; female prisoners, those who have been identified as being at risk of self-harm/suicide, those with a psychiatric illness and those with a history of violence. As has been discussed above, a vast amount of international research on prison suicide and self-harm has sought to understand this behaviour through focussing in on the individual characteristics of inmates. Due to the fact causes of suicide have been so strongly aligned with personal attributes of prisoners, public policy has often been structured with an emphasis on the prediction, prevention, and treatment of suicidal prisoners (Hayes ,1999). However, in focussing solely on the prisoners alone ignores a significant component of prison and that is the harsh environment and constraints which it enforces upon inmates. If the notion of imported vulnerability is relied upon in explaining suicide, it is assumed that one already exhibits certain traits before they were put in prison, such an assumption raises several questions of doubt. Prison suicide rates are commonly compared with those of the general population and this has highlighted that prisons have a higher number of suicides re lative to their population than that of mass society. It must be asked then if people already have certain characteristics before they get to prison then what is that leads them to suicide in prison and not in the outside world. The importation model also fails to explain those who have previously never suffered mental illness or any characteristic associated to being susceptible to suicide, but yet once imprisoned begin self-harming or even commit suicide. Rather than thinking of suicide as an individual issue, perhaps it should be approached from an institutional perspective which looks to its own walls for answers and not just at those who inhibit it. Liebling (1995, 1999) has repeatedly emphasised that concentrating studies exclusively on the individual is conceptually limited and she has stressed the need to approach prison suicide from an institutional perspective. Such discourse aligns with the deprivation model of thinking, originating from the work of (Clemmer,1940), (Goffman,1961) and (Sykes,1958). The deprivation model purports that it is the pains of imprisonment or deprivations suffered in prison, that primarily influences ones response to imprisonment. Sykes (1958) described; deprivations of security, autonomy, sexual desire, liberty, and goods and services as being central to the construction of such an environment. He suggested that prisoners could display self-centred and egotistical alienative modes of behaviour that arose from being forced to conform to roles commensurate with prison regimes and having to fit in with prison social life( Sykes,1958 p.295). More recently, De Viggianni (2007) and Ireland (2000), have also looked into incarceration and consequential suicidal behaviour. They drew correlations between such behaviour and the socio-environmental factors specific to prisons such as, a lack of support the presence of gang culture, and the prison code and its enforcement. It would therefore appear that the deprivation model is proposing that the more severe the consequences of the institutional regime are, the greater the likelihood of suicide occurring in prison. Huey and Mcnulty (2005) drew the conclusion that it is overcrowding so commonly experienced by prisons which plays a pivotal role in deprivation and consequently on prison suicide. A prison which is overcrowded and under staffed is undeniably more likely to have a decrease in standards. Services such as medical care, and unfavourable dynamics like staff-offender ratio, limited activities, a lack of food and clothing, unwanted interactions, and fluctuating social structures within the prison can all stem from overcrowding and all contribute to an increased risk of self-harm and suicide (Anasseril,2006). Lieblings (1992) study, involving interviews with prisoners who had attempted suicide whilst inside indicated that a prisoners vulnerability to suicide is also extremely relative to the suppor t and contact received from family and friends on the outside. She found that a scarcity of visits, written communications, and contact with community release/probation programs can detach a prisoner from the outside world and thus induce self- harming acts. She has also associated the use of time and opportunities available to prisoners with the likelihood of suicide. Believing that the ways in which inmates serve their sentences, can dramatically affect their mental state, she highlights inactivity as a crucial aspect of this. In New Zealand, the prison population is approximately 8698 people, with the imprisonment rate having increased by 53% in the last decade. (Department of Corrections, 2012a). Within his work calling for prison reform, Director of Rethinking Crime and Punishment, Kim Workman has alluded to the importance of values in prison. He suggests New Zealand needs to create a humane, just and workable prison system that attempts to reduce the pain of imprisonment(2009, p.18) and if a move can be accomplished from managing risk to creating a system supporting inmates to achieve their best, then that will be a major achievement. Although of course all prisons vary and some more than others would display the institutional paradigms as discussed above. Evidence suggests that prisons generally are lacking, at least on some level in providing the services needed and to the extent needed to ensure the health and well being of prisons is addressed and thus suicidal behaviour is reduced. What deprivation based theories could be critiqued in ignoring though, is that the prison environment can in some instances have a positive influence on inmates and work in improving peoples lives, leading them away from self- harm and suicide. In New Zealand numerous programmes exist to enhance the rehabilitation of prisoners, including; motivational programmes; rehabilitation programmes; education and employment programmes; and reintegration programmes. A recent example of the success these programs occurred this month when a group of prisoners at Auckland Region Womens Corrections Facility were the first to graduate from the Sma ll Motors Engineering course(Department of Corrections,2012b). Additionally, just as the importation model can be critiqued for its failure to see the prison itself as a problem, the deprivation model could arguably be seen to not fully engage the personal traits of the individual inmate. It would appear that the deprivation and importation models are rarely considered in unison, however it is beginning to become acknowledged that an integrated model of prison suicide could be the most sufficient method of furthering research and consequently preventing self-harm and suicide (Dear, 2006; Liebling,2006; Towl, Snow and McHugh, 2001). Through considering both models simultaneously a more and realistic and practical grasp on the occurrence of suicide can be ascertained, as more often than not both the environment somebody is confronted with and their own personal traits act combine together in influencing their resulting behaviour and well-being. Preventing Suicide Throughout research attempts, no one trigger has been able to conclusively identify the reasoning behind why people commit suicide in prison. It can thus be assumed that no single solution will successfully achieve the goal of suicide prevention and a multi-disciplinary approach is required if an effective outcome is ever going to be reached. In conjunction with this there must be a commitment from the prison and department to actually adopt and apply prevention strategies, because no matter how complete a strategy may be, it is worthless without implementation. In looking to the research which has been done on suicide prevention, it has been found that when comprehensive prevention programs have been implemented considerable decreases in suicides and suicide attempts have been accomplished (Cox and Morschauser, 1997, Gallagher and Dobrin, 2005; White and Schimmel, 1995). It must be noted however that the specifics of these programs should be relevant to local resources and inmate needs, for example a prevention program designed in America for a maximum security prison would not have a positive preventive effect if enforced on a smaller medium security prison in New Zealand. Konrad et al, 2007 have comprised an outline of several key components they believe necessary to any prison suicide prevention strategy. The first aspect outlined is training, specifically of correctional officers whom are the ones with the inmates on a constant basis, mental health professionals will never be available at all times to all prisoners and thus officers mus t be trained to develop an intuitive sense about the mental state of the inmates under their care. Training must also be kept constant, they suggest at least once a year. Screening is the second preventative tool they refer to. Suggesting that screening should take place immediately as they inmate arrives and if possible screening should be carried out within the context of an intake medical and psychological assessment, conducted by relevant professionals. Where it is the responsibility of correctional staff they should have specific training. Communication is also a vital factor and records of such screening should be kept so as all staff can become aware of at risk prisoners and not just the one person who did the screening. If a prisoner identifies as high risk this should not be ignored and immediate professional help should be provided. They stress that screening should not just be a one off measure, but must take place regularly to be effective as suicide prevention involves on-going observation. If an inmate has been recognised as suicidal, Konrad et al emphasise that they should not be left alone and adequate monitoring is essential as suicide can happen within minutes. They further the importance of human contact by including social interaction as a key preventative aspect. Referring to the success of a social support system which has been provided through the use of specially trained inmate buddies or listeners. In terms of the more physical elements of the prison itself the authors outline that a suicide-safe environment is necessary. In building on these key components, it is also necessary to consider the prison atmosphere in general in relation to the pressures and harsh mentality it exerts. Prison has been described as an intrinsically non-therapeutic environment (Department of Corrections, 2008), yet we are frequently sending people there who exhibit severe mental illnesses and numerous other vulnerabilities. Of course some people are a danger to society and it cannot be expected that these people are simply excused from prison due to certain characteristics, however, the environment inmates are living in, could be changed. Instead of focussing on locking people up with no stimulis or contact with others, the focus should be on giving prisoners the chance to change and we cannot expect this from taking everything away from someone. Just by being in prison one has given up any liberties and power but by taking away even the smallest of luxuries like the ability to exercise or go outside or even have a pen and paper is not only depriving but also preventing growth within that person. Self-harm and suicide will inevitability continue to occur if people are completely deprived of any sort of life except simply existing within four walls. The system must gain the ability and willingness to identify the vulnerability of each prisoner, provide the necessary supervision and support, and create an atmosphere in prison where the opportunity exists to cope with and reduce emotional distress which commonly develops into self-harm or suicidal behaviour Conclusion This paper has considered the concerning issue of self-harm and suicide in prisons. Numerous existing explanations for this behaviour have been explored within the two main theoretical spheres of the importation and deprivation models. The latter part of this essay has focussed on possible preventative strategies aimed at counteracting the causative factors forming the varying explanations for self harm and suicide. In drawing all the components of this paper together, prison is a place which comprises of a number of more vulnerable population groups coupled with an environment which is more commonly designed to be harsh, punitive and for adult men who are sound in body and mind. This combination of factors ignores who is really in our prisons and fails to aid the aims of prisoner safety and rehabilitation. As a result of these imbalances, self-harm and suicide occurs and in order to combat this, an environment which offers more than the luxury of just existing must be sought.

Luctis Cogitatio and Noctis Reflectio as the Forms of Consciousness and Human Exploration of the World :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Luctis Cogitatio and Noctis Reflectio as the Forms of Consciousness and Human Exploration of the World ABSTRACT: The task of philosophy in the modern world consists in the construction of a methodology of self-consciousness and self-development in the person-the method of human knowledge. I suggest a binary approach to the development of human reason which is able to understand both the world and the place of the person in the world. This allocates two spheres and two forms of consciousness: 'day time' (practical) and 'night' (spiritual). The basic functions of the former are: cognitive-explanatory; service of the practical, economic, and industrial activity; praxis; methodological for engineering and technology; critical-reflecting control of mind; the blocking of 'night' consciousness and the curbing of irrational instincts; safety and preservation; establishment of norms. Functions of the former include elements related to axiology, teleology, creativity, understanding and mythology. Both forms of consciousnesses differ yet supplement each other and should therefore cooperate syste matically through a shared educational dialogue. The fundamental basis of researches in the ontology of consciousness belongs to Plato, I. Kant, G. Hegel, A. Schopenhauer, A. Bergson. The traditions of the "philosophy of life" the author considers to be the most fruitful. Romanticism and neokantiants (H. Rikkert) paid attention to the essential difference between methodology of natural sciences and spiritual sciences. In contemporary researches of the problems of consciousness in Russia the basic attention is being paid to the rational-monosemantic and reflexial forms of consciousness objectivation, and irrational and nonreflexial forms of consciousness are being examined much less, due to their difficult introspection (see: Tugarinov V.P. Philosophy of consciousness. Moscow, 1971; Spirkin A.G. Consciousness and self-consciousness. Moscow, 1972; Iljenkov E. V. The Problem of the Ideal // Question s of Philosophy. Moscow, 1979. # 6-7; Dubrovski D. I. The Problem of the Ideal. Moscow, 1983; Problems of consciousness in modern foreign philosophy. M., 1989). The weak point of such an approach is the unilateral exaggeration of the role of the gnoseological approach to the phenomena of consciousness and underestimation of the methods of evaluation. In Russian philosophy of XIX - XX centuries there were attempts to comprehend the problems of consciousness, correlated to the researches of M. Heidegger and E. Husserl. The specificity of the Russian philosophy is closely connected with fact that Christianity came to the Slavic peoples in their own, related language and they didn't have to learn strange and far ideas of it through the Latin language.

Advanced Technology and the Society :: essays research papers

Advanced Technology and the Society Have advances in technology helped to create a lazy, detached society? The truth is it has. It becomes more and more advanced that the inventors do not even know what to do. They run out of ideas but they make a new one and then ten more come out of just that one idea. Advances in technology have helped to create a lazy, detached society because, people say: why do this if we have it all in our hands, everything is already there. People think it is cool to have all the gadgets that are new and advanced and easier to do things with, but it is actually making the society more lazy. For example, the society now has e-mail and instant messengers to commun- icate with, they do not want to write letters anymore, that shows that the society has become lazier. Since the society has this to help them communicate they send an e-card through e-mail rather than making a letter of their own. Also instead of driving down to a little family get together, the instant messenger gets in the way because it seems easier to communi- cate with. Another example, is that now a days the society has telephones, cellphones and even camera phones to help everyone communicate.When someone invites another person to a birthday party the person that gets invited makes up an excuse saying they can not go so they just call and say Happy Birthday. Also when someone wants to meet someone else they just text messages or call each other instead of going for a walk. These are some examples that really reveal how lazy and detached the society has became as technology advances.

Chocolate History Essay

All chocolate starts with a seed called a cocoa bean that is grown on a small tree. Many countries in Central and South America produce cocoa beans. The history of chocolate starts in Latin America, where the cocoa bean was first discovered about 2,000 years ago on a tropical tree. The first people recognized to have used these beans to make any kind of chocolate were the Maya’s. They called it the kakawa bean, which is where the origin of the world chocolate began. They most often used the bean to make a spicy, foamy drink. Later, the Aztecs discovered the cocoa bean. Eventually this was introduced in Europe after the Spaniards came to Central America. When the Spaniards began experimenting with the bean, they began to add other spices to it, such as cinnamon and sugar, to give the chocolate a sweeter taste. Soon, the rest of Europe started drinking it and it became a popular drink that only the rich could afford. In the 1600’s the first chocolate house was opened and this flavor was able to reach the mouths of many other people. In the early 1800’s, solid chocolate was created. It became more affordable to everyone and throughout time more recipes were experimented with, creating many different types of chocolate. There are many different types of chocolate such as White, Dark (bittersweet), Milk, Semi-Sweet and even Baking Chocolate (unsweetened). White chocolate isn’t really considered chocolate because it has no cocoa solids in it, it is made of the fat from the cocoa beans known as cocoa butter. White chocolate has a creamy consistency and taste. It lacks flavor because it contains no chocolate liquor which gives chocolate the bitter strong chocolate flavor. White chocolate is not normally used in cooking unless it is a replacement for dark or milk chocolate. It is used mainly for decorating. Dark chocolate is the healthiest type of chocolate. This chocolate contains a large amount of disease-fighting flavonoids, anti-oxidants also found in red wine and lots of different fruit and vegetables. Its anti-oxidants can significantly improve blood pressure, prevent blood clots, slow the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol making it less likely to stick to artery walls and also reduce inflammation. Eating dark chocolate can also lower insulin resistance, the main problem behind diabetes. Milk chocolate does not contain as much chocolate liquor as dark chocolate, which gives it a softer chocolate flavor. This chocolate is much sweeter than any other. It is the most popular type of chocolate. Milk chocolate is more difficult to temper properly and more prone to overheating which would make it thick and lumpy if it comes into contact with water. Milk chocolate can be used in pretty much anything you want to be sweet. The difference between regular chocolate and baking chocolate is baking chocolate has less sugar and no fat and its bitter while regular chocolate is sweet and sugary. Tempering means improving the consistency, durability or hardness of a substance by heating and cooling it. Tempering is done by melting solid chocolate to a temperature high enough that the crystals in the cocoa butter break down. Once the chocolate is fully melted, it must be cooled to about 82F, a temperature at which crystals will start to form again so that the chocolate can eventually re-solidify. The chocolate’s temperature is then raised back to about 90F, where it is very smooth and can be poured into chocolate molds and used for other things. White, milk and dark chocolate can be tempered. Tempered chocolate is very glossy, has a firm finish and melts smoothly at around body temperature. Chocolate that has not been tempered or that has been improperly tempered will look flat or discolored. Tempering can be done in 2 ways by hand, or through a process called seeding. Tempering by hand can be done by tabliering where melted chocolate is poured onto a cool marble surface and worked with spatulas until it has cooled down sufficiently. More melted chocolate is added back and incorporated in to the tabliered chocolate to bring it back to the final working temperature. Through the process of seeding, chocolate is melted and a small amount of finely chopped solid chocolate is added into the melted chocolate and stirred in. Adding solid chocolate will lower the temperature of the melted chocolate and it will start to temper the melted chocolate. When it comes to baking, chocolate does not need to be tempered because it is being incorporated into another form. Tempering chocolate is good for dipping foods, for a more clean finish.

Have Technology Taken over Some People Lives Essay

Is there a concern about people becoming too dependent on technology? Do you think too much technology is too much for your children? Does technology affect the brain? Some of us think that there is a possibility that too much technology is affecting our children. They seem to not get the concept of things. Kids today can’t seem to think in a rational way. Everything done for children is through some type of technology. Technology is taught at such a young age that kids don’t get the opportunity to learn on their own and by the time they arrive teenage it seems to become more evident. Sarah Harris in a MailOne article â€Å"Too much internet use ‘can damage teenagers’ brains’† says, â€Å"Excessive internet use may cause parts of teenagers’ brains to waste away, a study reveals. Scientists discovered signs of atrophy of grey matter in the brains of heavy internet users that grew worse over time. This could affect their concentration and memory, as well as their ability to make decisions and set goals. It could also reduce their inhibitions and lead to ‘inappropriate’ behavior. Researchers took MRI brain scans from 18 university students, aged 19, who spent eight to 13 hours a day playing games online, six days a week. The students were classified as internet addicts after answering eight questions, including whether they had tried to give up using computers and whether they had lied to family members about the amount of time they spent online. compared them with a control group of 18 students who spent fewer than two hours a day on the internet. One set of MRI images focused on grey matter at the brain’s wrinkled surface, or cortex, where the processing of memory, emotions, speech, sight, hearing and motor control occurs. Comparing grey matter between the two groups revealed atrophy within several small regions of all the online addicts’ brains. The scans showed that the longer their internet addiction continued, the ‘more serious’ the damage was. The researchers also found changes in deep-brain tissue called white matter, through which messages pass between different areas of grey matter in the nervous system. These ‘structural abnormalities were probably associated with functional impairments in cognitive control’, they say. The researchers added that these abnormalities could have made the teenagers more ‘easily internet dependent’, but concluded they ‘were the consequence of IAD (internet addiction disorder)’. ‘Our results suggested long-term internet addiction would result in brain structural alterations,’ they said. The study, published in the PLoS ONE journal, was carried out by neuroscientists and radiologists at universities and hospitals in China, where 24million youths are estimated to be addicted to the internet. Wake-up call’: Dr Aric Sigman said it was a shame that we needed photos of brains to realise that sitting in front of a screen is not good for children’s health In Britain, children spend an average of five hours and 20 minutes a day in front of TV or computer screens, according to estimates by the market-research agency Childwise. Dr Aric Sigman, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, described the Chinese research as a ‘wake-up call’. He said: ‘It strikes me as a terrible shame that our society requires photos of brains shrinking in order to take seriously the common-sense assumption that long hours in front of screens is not good for our children’s health. ’ Baroness Greenfield, professor of pharmacology at Oxford University, described the results as ‘very striking’. She said: ‘It shows there’s a very clear relationship between the number of years these young people have been addicted to the internet and changes in their brains. ‘We need to do more experiments and we need to invest more money in research and have more studies like this. The neuroscientist has previously warned there could be a link between children’s poor attention spans and the use of computers and social-networking websites. She is concerned that not enough attention is being paid to evidence that computer use is changing young people’s brains. Professor Karl Friston, a neuroscientist at University College London, told the Scientific American journal the techniques used in the small-scale study were rigorous. He said: ‘It goes against intuition, but you don’t need a large sample size. That the results show anything significant at all is very telling. ’