Social Marketing and Sustainability

Introduction Social marketing involves the application of marketing skills and technology in influencing human behaviours with a view of overcoming certain issues in society.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Social Marketing and Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, social marketing is a powerful tool in influencing human behaviours because it involves the use of downstream and upstream strategies, as well as applying theories of behaviour change to address some of the social issues. Speeding is a social issue in New South Wales because it causes about 40% of road deaths, results into more than 200 deaths, and is responsible for over 4000 injuries per year (Blender, 2009). In this view, this report analyses RTA campaign and examines application of two behavioural change models. Background Information, Target Audience Behaviour Change Following rampant cases of road accidents, the Road Transpo rt Authority (RTA) of New South Wales, Australia, launched an anti-speeding campaign with a video entitled â€Å"Speeding: No One Think Big of You† (NOTBOY). The RTA speeding campaign was remarkably successful because it enabled RTA to reduce the occurrence of accidents on the roads of New South Wales. According to Bender (2009, p.158), RTA campaign was â€Å"one of the cleverest ad campaigns† and â€Å"very successful† because it ridiculed racing drivers, thus discouraging speeding behaviour among drivers.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Prior to the RTA speeding campaign, the RTA employed campaign approach that instils shock and fear on the drivers, but it never worked well. The RTA campaign targeted the entire community to influence changes in behaviour amongst youths who regard speeding as a fun activity, way showing off, and a trendy affair. The RT A campaign was successful because it had its basis on previous anti-speeding campaigns, but extended to use social approach, which empowered the community to create a culture that does not accept speeding. By use of social approach, the RTA campaign made extensive awareness amongst the youths and community leading to decreased cases of accidents. The audience targeted by the RTA campaign included divers, particularly young male drivers between the ages of 17 to 25 who like speeding on the roads of New South Wales. Road accidents in New South Wales have been increasing exponentially due to the behaviours of young male drivers who like speeding. Statistics show that about 40% of road deaths occur due speeding in New South Wales (Dorn 2010). The dominant group of drivers involved in the accidents is the group of young male drivers. The young male drivers speed because they perceive speeding as a means of displaying their prowess in driving (Hartig 2000).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Social Marketing and Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this view, the RTA campaign targeted the young male drivers through upstream and midstream social marketing strategies. The upstream social marketing focused on the use of media and community as influencers of behaviour change while midstream social marketing involved the use of family and friends in discouraging speeding. Therefore, the youths between the ages of 17 to 25 years were the target audience given that they were ready for action because they form about 17% of the speeding drivers, who experience accidents in New South Wales. The RTA campaign proposed to change speeding behaviour of young male drivers, who used driving as a way of showing off their driving prowess. To change speeding behaviour and perceptions of the youths, the RTA campaign aimed at making speeding a socially unacceptable trend coupled with discouraging peer app roval of speeding. Overall, the RTA campaign aimed at involving community in creating cultural and societal perceptions that discourage speeding among male youths of New South Wales. From the principles of success, the RTA campaign focused on a single behaviour that is simple and executable in discouraging speeding. Kotler and Lee clarifies, â€Å"One of the key successes is to establish behaviour objectives that are single, simple, and doable acts that become core of the campaign effort† (2004, p.22).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By empowering the community to view speeding as a socially unacceptable behaviour, the RTA campaign managed to influence an individual’s perception, as no one would speed without having the fear of being a subject of ridicule. The behaviour change of discouraging speeding has potential impact of transforming individual and societal perceptions on speeding as unacceptable behaviour attributed to young and immature boys. Since none of the drivers wanted to appear as young and immature as per the implication of the â€Å"pinkie† campaign, New South Wales experienced a significant reduction in speeding and cases of accidents. The RTA campaign experienced barriers such as peer approval and unsupportive attitude. Peer approval was one of the barriers that the RTA campaign experienced when it aimed at discouraging speeding among male youths. The youths perceived speeding as fun, exciting, and a trendy activity. Moreover, the young male drivers viewed speeding as a way of expr essing their masculinity and showing off their prowess skills in driving. Hence, as the RTA campaign tried to depict speeding as a socially unacceptable behaviour, it was like denying the youths their masculinity. Andreasen (2005) claims, â€Å"barriers in the environment external to the individual make it difficult or impossible to act in employing the downstream approach of social marketing† (p.74). Hence, it was hard for the RTA campaign to influence the youths using the downstream approach because their culture approved speeding. Moreover, unsupportive attitude of the youths is another barrier, as they do not like driving at low speeds. Youths associate low speeding with rawness and female drivers who cannot drive well. Competitively, the youths were struggling to gain experience in speeding and become veteran drivers, while the RTA campaign restricted the same. To overcome barriers of peer approval and unsupportive attitude, the RTA campaign employed upstream and downstr eam approaches of social marketing by involving the media, friends, family, and community. The use of media ensured that the campaign gained extensive awareness among youths and the entire society. Moreover, the RTA campaign empowered the community to participate actively in discouraging speeding behaviours because a significant number of drivers speed on the roads of New South Wales. Donovan and Henley (2010) state that a social marketer can enhance the effectiveness of a campaign strategy by â€Å"adopting upstream approaches that create changes in the environment, as well as downstream approaches targeting individual undesirable behaviours† (p.45). Friends and family members are downstream influencers who helped in overcoming peer pressure and unsupportive attitude, which were barriers to the RTA campaign. Thus, by employing both upstream and downstream approaches, the RTA campaign managed to overcome barriers and change behaviours of youths through the influence of commun ity members. The RTA campaign has significant benefits to the New South Wales. Following its launch, the RTA campaign has considerably reduced cases of accidents in New South Wales because many youths have reduced their speed of driving. Hence, reduced rate of accidents due to speeding is a considerable measurable benefit. Another benefit of the campaign is that there is increased awareness of speeding, thus depicting speeding among youth as unacceptable behaviour in the society. Brennan and Binney (2010) state that about 94% of the general population recognised anti-speeding message in the RTA campaign, while 58% of the young males realised that speeding is unacceptable behaviour in the community. Such figures indicate that the RTA campaign was quite successful in creating a culture in the community that perceives speeding as a socially unacceptable behaviour. Thus, New South Wales has significantly benefited from the campaign, as many youths will no longer speed and cause accident s that lead to loss of lives and cause injuries. Behaviour Change Models Social Norm Theory Social norm theory is one of the theories that explain the change in behaviour among male youths due to the RTA campaign. Social norm theory postulates that change of behaviour of an individual occurs to influence one’s perception on what is normal. Schultz et al. assert that social norms influence human behaviours because they â€Å"not only spur, but also guide action in the direct and meaningful ways† (2007, p.429). In the case of speeding amongst youths, the theory explains that the culture of speeding emerged due to pluralistic ignorance, which made youths view speeding as a socially acceptable behaviour. From the perspective of the youths, speeding was quite acceptable because it was a means of displaying their masculinity as well as prowess in driving. Speeding was one of the social norms that the youths practised because it was a trendy activity for the young male driver s to exhibit their skills. Through their pluralistic ignorance, the youths assumed that all drivers were speeding, and thus they wanted to attain the status of speeding like everyone else. According to the social norm theory, an intervention that exposes the reality of the norms is indispensable in correcting pluralistic ignorance. Although the youths were driving at high speeds, they were comfortable because it was normal according to their norms. In this view, the RTA campaign developed a strategy that focused on changing the youths’ perceptions. The perceptions of the young male drivers were contrary to the reality. While the young male drivers perceived speeding as fun, exciting, and expression of masculinity, the society perceived it as a dangerous affair. Thus, the RTA campaign employed both downstream and upstream strategies of social marketing to influence the community to perceive speeding as unacceptable behaviour. Terry and Hogg (1999) state that a change of human behaviour occurs through a systematic process where dominant social norms influence the development of behaviour. Thus, for the RTA campaign to overcome dominant behaviour of speeding among the youths, it empowered the community to create a culture that views speeding as a despicable behaviour. Theory of Planned Behaviour The theory of planned behaviour postulates that behaviour is a product of benefits, social norms, and cost associated with a given activity. Before one performs a given activity, one has to analyse the benefits and costs associated with social norms. Therefore, the young male drivers found pleasure in speeding because they got recognition from their peers coupled with expressing their masculinity. According to Armitage and Christian (2003), attitudes predict behaviours for social norms moderate the attitude-behaviour relationship. Hence, the behaviour that the young male drivers exhibited reflected their attitudes. To overcome the unsupportive attitudes of the youn g male drivers, the RTA campaign aimed at changing attitudes of the community members so that they can have overwhelming influence on the attitudes of the young male drivers. Ultimately, the RTA changed the community attitudes and perceptions, branded speeding unacceptable behaviour, and reduced cases of accidents due to speeding. Although the young male drivers attempted to hold on to their speeding behaviours, they failed because the community was already empowered to influence their behaviours. Conner and Armitage (1998) assert that the theory of planned behaviour examines attitudes and perceptions relative to social norms of the people. As the RTA campaign changed perceptions and attitudes of the community members who are the majority, the minority young male drivers were unable to resist change. Hence, when community members viewed speeding as a despicable behaviour, the young male drivers followed the perceptions of the community. Eventually, the young male drivers had to comp ly with the demands of the society because the societal norms perceived speeding as unacceptable behaviour among the youths. Buckworth and Dishman (2002) argue, â€Å"Behaviour is predicted by intentions and intentions are predicted by attitude and societal norms† (p.27), which have overwhelming influence on human behaviour. Therefore, the RTA campaign influenced behaviours of the young male drivers to drive at moderate speeds. Conclusion The RTA campaign is the most successful campaign in dealing with speed driving because it managed to change the behaviour of young male drivers as well as other drivers. Despite the many challenges associated with social marketing, the RTA campaign employed both upstream and downstream strategies, which empowered the community, family, and friends to effect changes in behaviour of young male drivers, who perceived speeding as fun, exciting, and a way of expressing their masculinity. Analysis of the RTA campaign shows that it complied with fa ctors necessary for successful social marketing. Moreover, the RTA applied theory of social norm and the theory of planned behaviour in changing speeding behaviour of young male drivers in New South Wales. Reference List Andreasen, A 2005, Social marketing in the 21st century, SAGE Publisher, California. Armitage, C Christian, J 2003, Planned behaviour: The relationships between human thought and action, Transaction publishers, New York. Bender, M 2009, The fast, the fraudulent the fatal: The dangerous and dark side of illegal street racing, drifting and modified cars, AuthorHouse, California. Brennan, L Binney, W 2010, ‘Fear, Guilt and Shame Appeals in Social Marketing’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 63 no. 2, pp.140-146. Buckworth, J Dishman, R. 2002, Exercise Psychology, Human Kinetics, New York. Conner, M Armitage, C 1998, ‘Extending the theory of planned behaviour: A review and avenues for further research’, Journal of Applied Social Psycholo gy, vol. 28 no 1, pp.1429-1464 Donovan, R Henley, N 2010, Principles and practice of social marketing: An international perspective, Cambridge University Press, New York. Dorn, L 2010, Driver behaviour and training: human factors in road and rail transport, Ashgate Publishing, London. Hartig, K 2000, ‘Claiming the Freeway: Young Male Drivers in Pursuit of Independence, Space and Masculinity’, Journal of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, vol. 5 no 1, pp.36-49. Kotler, P Lee, R 2004, Corporate social responsibility: Doing the most good for your company and your cause, John Wiley Sons, New York. Schultz, P, Nolan, J, Cialdini, R, Goldstein, N Griskevicius, V 2007, ‘The constructive, destructive, and reconstructive power social norms’, Psychological science, vol.18 no 5, pp.429-434. Terry, D Hogg, M 1999, Attitudes, behaviour, and social context: The role of norms and group membership, Taylor Francis, Mahwah. This report on Social Marketing and Sustainability was written and submitted by user Norah Stuart to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Imaginary Friends (Published) Essays

Imaginary Friends (Published) Essays Imaginary Friends (Published) Essay Imaginary Friends (Published) Essay Imaginary friends Imaginary friends are very common in kids with big imagination, very lonely or mentally ill. The most probable would be loneliness. These are usually caused by children whose parents are away or always busy. Thus, their time being with their children is limited. It is said that because of their loneliness, imaginary friends are born. They would usually talk with them, play with them or just stay by their sides. These are very normal, but they also have side effect. Some of the rare causes of having imaginary friend are having a real spiritual friend. Many causes of paranormal stuffs involving hallucinations or mentally ill, but some are real. These rare cases are only experienced by children who have physical abilities or just victims of their super natural world. Sometimes, when a family moves to another place, there is a small percentage that their children would experience having an imaginary friend, depending on the things that took place where they live. Some fortunate kids would make new spiritual friends. They might even become their guardian angel, but not all of them are lucky. I was one of the lucky few who have met such a kid. Her name was Antonia. She was one of my best friends until they move to a new house in Boston. I remember very well, that Antonia would come to my place and tell me stories of her childhood days. One of the stories she told me happed when she was like seven years old when she stayed at her grandparents’ house at summer in Tennessee. There at their house in Tennessee, she had no friends, so she had â€Å"Imaginary Friends†, for she thought it is common for children of all ages to have imaginary friends. Yet, children usually aren’t able to tell a story to adults so many times without it being true. As I can recall, the story happened like this†¦ That night before she went to sleep, she laid there in the bed and stared at the ceiling. The room has many kinds of antiques, since that room belonged once to Antonia’s how many greats grandmother. In the middle of the room there was a crystalline chandelier, which any home probably from the eighteen hundreds. I remembered her telling me that whenever she’s looking at this chandelier every night, all of a sudden many little sparkles would come piling out. The only way she can describe them is when its dark and you look around, you can see tons of little lights blinking, or when you look into the sun for too long. Anyway, these were not just from looking into the dark they moved, without her moving my eyes. Every night, her â€Å"sparkling imaginary friend† would appear out from the chandelier. Every night they would talk about things that they have in common. Also she told me that whenever she would talk to her, they did not speak to her aloud nor whisper, but she could hear them in her head and would answer them aloud. Which was weird for a kid like her, but she didn’t care much back then. I would, in conversation, mention my sparkling imaginary friends, my parents would think nothing of it. Then I started to talk about them more frequently, maybe trying to tell my parents about them. One night, my parents were putting me to bed and brought a glass of milk for me to drink. I insisted that my friends were mad at me. I dont remember why they were upset now, but Im thinking because I told my parents. They left the room and the glass of milk with me. The next morning my big brother came to wake me up and found that the glass of milk had been dumped on my head. He ran and got my parents, who woke me up and asked me why would you do this? I simply replied, I told you they were mad at me. My so-called imaginary friends never forgave me. I never saw them again but throughout the year some more odd things have happened to me, but as she got older her imaginary friends slowly fade away and thus she had made friends with real people. Real friends that will be by her side no matter what’ll happen.

Reasons for the Introduction of Statutory Planning in Britain Essay

Reasons for the Introduction of Statutory Planning in Britain - Essay Example In 1800, the population was 10.5 million and by 1850, this number was nearly 21 million indicating a doubled figure. By 1900, the population had nearly doubled again and the figure at that time was 37 million. It became obvious that such an increase in population would finally change the physical appearance of the country and result to potential problems associated with this (Penri 2008). At the same time, the industrial revolution had transformed Britain from a country dominated by agriculture into an industrial nation. Early industrial revolution centered populations in the northern Europe specifically Midlands, England and South Wales due to the wool and cotton towns and coalfields. The result was a dramatic growth of the industrial towns and both in terms of population and infrastructure. At this time, there was no pressure for statutory planning in Britain. The result of this was appalling conditions marked by haphazard springing of factories and houses. Due to minimal pressure for statutory town planning, there was no attempt to conduct zoning in Midlands, England and South Wales. As a result, most people lived near their workplaces. There was also no attempt to control the standards of construction and sanitation in these towns. This laxity was a result of a strong belief and reliance on the capacity of the private sector. Consequently, the foul state of housing in these towns led to serious outbreaks and spread of diseases like typhoid and cholera. Towards the end of 19th century, there were increasing concerns for housing conditions especially in the most industrialized towns. There was a need to act in order to control the existing trends in the construction of houses and industries. The believe that cities are evil was also growing. By the end of the 19th century, opinions supporting the need to conduct legislation governing town planning were forwarded by various individuals. At this time, there was also an increased interest in Germany because it h ad already legislated statutory planning. It was a good example for Britain. A more powerful force on the need to legislate resulted from the ideas and publications of protagonists of planning like J. S Nettlefold. Nettlefold believed in decentralization to the suburbs due to their pleasant environment, cheap transport and cheap land. In 1908, he published a book entitled Practical Housing which outlined the general plan required for unbuilt land, new powers to implement proposals and municipal ownership of land (Penri 2008). Effectiveness of the early statutory planning legislations and their impacts on urban development in the period up to 1939 According to Penri (2008), the first planning Act in Britain was passed in 1909. This Act authorized local councils to prepare planning schemes for any land that was undergoing development or that which was likely to be used for building purposes. The latter group of lands mainly comprised of suburban lands. The planning schemes were suppos ed to be prepared with the main aim of ensuring that in the years to come, lands that lie within the vicinity of towns are developed in a manner that connection between them and neighboring lands was most convenient. Most importantly, they were to ensure that the land development processes allowed for proper amenity and sanitary conditions. Apart from regulating the number of premises built per site and the space between them, the town planning schemes defined zones and controlled the types of buildings permitted per zone. By 1913, a total of 66 town planning schemes had already been drafted in 50 of Britain’s local authorities. Only those of Middlesex and Birmingham were approved. The preparation and approval of a scheme took a long time. Generally, the process was long and

Business Strategy Briefing Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business Strategy Briefing Paper - Essay Example 2012-2013. Moreover, it has also been recognised that the company has over 11,500 branches located in the UK market (Royal Mail Group Limited, 2014). In order to determine the competitive position of Royal Mail, it will be vital to apply ‘Porter’s Five Force Model’. The elements of this model are aligned with the various factors related to the company and are described below: Royal Mail relies on its special deliverance system with the aim of providing quality services to its customers. In this regard, it has been determined that approximately 18,000 vehicles assist the company to produce designated postal services across the world. Thus, it can be asserted that the bargaining power of its supplier is high (Royal Mail Group Limited, 2014; Karagiannopoulos et. al., 2005). The bargaining power of buyers is rising within the industry in which Royal Mail operates its operations in the UK market. Correspondingly, it has been recognised that the present customers of the company have become more of service quality conscious and time sensitive, which has enforced the company to reduce its rate of delay or accidents in the UK market. Thus, it can be asserted that the bargaining power of its consumers is relatively high within the industry (Royal Mail Group, 2013; Karagiannopoulos et. al., 2005). A diagram is depicted below for better comprehension of the above stated concept. In order to identify the competitive rivalry, it has been observed that Royal Mail has witnessed higher threats from its competitors, due to the private courier service providers in the UK. Subsequently, it has been recognised that Royal Mail has emphasised towards quality services in order to attain competitive advantage over its competitors. Thus, the level of competitive rivalry can be identified to be high (Karagiannopoulos et. al., 2005). With respect to the threat of substitute, the company has faced severe challenges from other industries such as telecom and

War on terror Essay Example for Free

War on terror Essay The statement, â€Å"One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,† has become a great obstacle in war on terror. In the struggle against terrorism, the problem of definition is a crucial element in the attempt to coordinate international collaboration, based on the currently accepted rules of traditional warfare. Due to that reason the herein literature review includes a work which deals with the legal issues related to terrorism. The relevance of works related to the direct war on terror to this review is obvious. In particular this review includes the works dedicated to the general outline and principals of the study of terrorist organizations as well as works dealing with the study of financial activity of terrorist organizations. The first work under review is the book Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime: Intelligence Gathering, Analysis, and Investigations by Michael R. Mpa Ronczkowski. (2004) Material in this book can provide personnel of different services with an understanding and approach for gathering intelligence and conducting analysis on terrorism-related matters. For me personally this work is valuable due to its clear classification of terror activity. The author distinguishes the following types of terrorists’ activity: Political terrorism, Ecological terrorism, Agricultural terrorism, Narco terrorism, Biological terrorism, and Cyber terrorism. Besides the author defines and presents the peculiarities of each of the type. The important element of the work is that it describes the history and roots of modern terrorism. The book is also distinguished by the wide scope it covers, it doesn’t limit only to the terrorism in the Asia but also deals with domestic terrorism. In case with the USA the author claims that evolution of domestic terrorism, organized groups such as gangs and crime families have a long-standing presence in the U. S. The genesis of domestic terrorism lays in hate. And finally the author suggests the way to distinguish common criminal actions from terror. The criminal group with clear hierarchal structure is a distinguishing feature of terrorism. The article Terrorism, Counterterrorism and International Law examines terrorism and counterterrorism from the point of view of international law. The work highlights the legal vagueness of the notion of terrorism. Thus this work continues an issue discussed in the previous work. The author poses the two disputable questions one in the context of Israel/Palestine: â€Å"Israelis call suicide bombers a terrorist Palestinians call them a martyr. Who is right? † and another one â€Å"Why is the attack on the Twin Towers called terrorism, while the bombing of a hospital in Kabul is not? † International law appears to be unable to give a clear response to these questions. Nevertheless, the author observes that according to the up-to-date situation with international law in certain cases it can identify terrorism. So, the taking of a hostage for the purpose of obtaining the liberation of a political prisoner fits the definition of a terrorist act. The same crime committed solely for the payment of ransom does not. The hijacking of the four planes on September 11 was a megaterrorist act. It is questionable; however, whether the hijacking of a plane bound for Florida to enable the hijacker to land in Cuba fits the general view of terrorism. The search for appropriate methods of fighting terrorism must necessarily include the understanding of the motives that guide the terrorists in their actions. The article Understanding, Responding to and Preventing Terrorism makes an attempt to explain the roots for the terrorism directed at the United States, and the rage that fuelled the attackers on September 11. The author defines the most significant among the reasons that cause such violent attitude towards American nation. Thus he points to the globalization of poverty, Washingtons continued support for Israels treatment of the Palestinians, U. S. bombing and sponsorship of the devastating economic sanctions against Iraq, and the alliance between the United States and Arab monarchies such as Saudi Arabia, where the U. S. maintains a significant military presence. Analysing causes of terror he differentiates certain types of terrorism such as individual terrorism; International State terrorism; State regime or Government terror and some others. However, the author does not focus solely on the faults of the nations that generate terrorist groups but claims the responsibility for the United States bombing of Afghanistan and Israels massacre of the Palestinians which violated international law as well as questions lawfulness of an invasion of Iraq. Finally, this work offers useful suggestions, in the context of international law, for creating peaceful alternatives to respond to terrorism and to deter it in the future. The next work under revision is the journal article State Terrorism and Globalization: The Cases of Ethiopia and Sudan by Asafa Jalata. The article scrutinizes the essence of state terrorism in Ethiopia and Sudan in regional and global contexts. Nowadays Ethiopian and Sudanese states have been formed, consolidated, and maintained by state terrorism and global connections. The Ethiopian state was created by the alliance of Abyssinian (Amhara-Tigray) dependent colonialism and European imperialism, and the Sudanese state by British colonialism known as the Anglo-Egyptian condominium. The work is significant by the study of historical background to the processes of state formation in the two countries. It also explores the global, regional, and local processes through which the modern Ethiopian and Sudanese states emerged. The examinations of connection between terrorism, globalism, and the process of racialization and ethnicization of state power may appear helpful for exploiting a rational means for fighting terrorism. Finally article is useful by its conclusion that in these two countries there can be no multicultural or multinational democracy, peace, stability, or development without removing the conditions that have facilitated external dependency and domestic terrorism. The September 11 attacks constitute a virtually unprecedented threat to security of the modern society and way of life. The attacks have thus evoked a natural demand both for retribution and for measures to keep people safe. The article The Death Penalty an Obstacle to the War against Terrorism? by Thomas Michael McDonnell deals with a fundamental question, namely, whether, as a matter of law and policy, the federal government should use the death penalty against those found to have been involved in the September 11 attacks, in particular, and, more broadly, against those who belong to or have allied themselves with al Qaeda. Meting out the death penalty to international terrorists involves difficult moral, legal, and policy questions. The September 11 crimes were not only domestic crimes, but also international ones. Yet most countries in the world have abolished capital punishment. None of the four currently operating international criminal tribunals is authorized to impose a death sentence. In addition, the advent of the suicide bomber turns the deterrence justification for the death penalty inside out. Might the death penalty help create martyrs rather than discourage similar attacks? Could the imposing the death penalty increase support in the Islamic world for al Qaeda and other extremist groups? These are the question the author raises in this work. The article examines these questions in the context of the Zacarias Moussaoui case, the supposed twentieth hijacker, who, on September 11, 2001, had been held in custody for twenty-six days. It mostly deals with criminal liability imposed not on the actual perpetrators, but on accomplices and co-conspirators, secondary rather than primary actors, discusses current American law and supports the idea of death penalty as one of possible way to prevent or at least impede terrorism. And the last work under consideration is the article by Zachary Abuza Funding Terrorism in Southeast Asia: The Financial Network of Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya. The author here points out to one of the most influential factor that hinders the war on terrorism as a financing of terrorist organization. Thus he asserts that mechanisms for funding terrorism have continued unabated in Southeast Asia, and to date no terrorist assets or funds have been seized in the region. The knowledge of the financial aspects of terrorists’ activity may considerably accelerate the solution of this painful problem. For example, Al Qaedas financial basis was built on a foundation of charities, non-governmental organizations, mosques, websites, fund-raisers, intermediaries, facilitators, and banks and other financial institutions that helped finance the mujiheddin throughout the 1980s. This network extended to all corners of the Muslim world. The goal of counter-terrorism is to constrict the environment in which terrorists operate and their logistical and financial support networks is one of the most important elements of this environment. This will restrict terrorists’ means to travel, communicate, procure equipment and conduct attacks. This is, as the author suggests, arguably the most difficult part of the war on terror, as terrorist organizations use myriad ways to fund their operations, legal and illegal, overt and covert, with paper trails or without. He finally arrives to the conclusion that tracking this funding has to become a priority for law enforcement or counter-terrorist officials. To assist this investigation he provides with comprehensive account of the way such organizations like Jemaah Islamiya, Al Qaeda get financed. To conclude this critical bibliography I’d like to note that international law is still unable to give a well-defined, clear definition of terrorism. Thus basing only on the international law it is impossible to win the war on terrorism. This war demands the use of such notions as universal human values and justice which are considerably wider than any law and what is more at some circumstances contradict law. But only incorporation of human aspect into the legal process can help to defeat terrorism. Bibliography RONCZKOWSKI, Michael R. Mpa Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime: Intelligence Gathering, Analysis, and Investigations. Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press, 2004. WEISS, Peter. Terrorism, Counterterrorism and International Law. Arab Studies Quarterly. : 2002: 11+ COHN, Marjorie. Understanding, Responding to and Preventing Terrorism. Arab Studies Quarterly. 2002: 25+ JALATA, Asafa. State Terrorism and Globalization: The Cases of Ethiopia and Sudan. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 46 (1-2): 2005: 79+ MCDONNELL, Thomas Michael. The Death Penalty an Obstacle to the War against Terrorism? Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 37 (2): 2004: 353+ ABUZA, Zachary. Funding Terrorism in Southeast Asia: The Financial Network of Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya. Contemporary Southeast Asia. 25 (2): 2003: 169+ Retrieved April 04, 2006 from http://www. asiamedia. ucla. edu/article. asp? parentid=7520

IQ Tests :: Triarchic Theory, Intelligence, Success

To what extent do you agree that IQ tests are a meaningful measure of intelligence? Introduction: There is much debate about IQ tests. There are many definitions of intelligence and no one agreed on a specific definition. Triarchic theory one of definitions which is describe intelligence categories in three aspects involved: analytical, creative and practical (Sternbery, 1958). Some researches emphasize that IQ tests are meaningless and measures intelligence as Cohen (1991) believes that IQ scores can predict if people success in school and work or not. However, other researches argue that IQ tests is meaningless and it not possible to determined intelligence. For example, Rawat (2001) clime that IQ scores are affected by many factors. As a result, people could not depended on IQ results. This essay will argue that taking IQ tests as a measures of intelligence is insignificant. Although, it also might present some benefits. In order to demonstrate this the essay first will discuss IQ scores are able to change and it is not a good criterion to depend on. Second, it will argue that there are many factors affected on intelligence such as heredity and socio-economic factors. Moreover, it will show the differences between success and intelligence. Furthermore, it will focus on using IQ tests to discriminate between people. 1. High IQ scores do not prove intelligence: One of the reasons of IQ tests are meaningless is the obtaining high scores in the IQ test is not enough of measuring intelligence. According to Rawat (2001) high scores in the IQ test do not mean someone is intelligent. Furthermore, Chon (1991) point out people can change IQ scores when they take the test more than once, also they could know the main idea of the test, how the test works, what procedures, how they can answer the questions. As a result, they can change their scores to a high level by preparation. Indeed, it could not be a good criterion of measure of intelligence because the result is not fixed and always changes. Goleman (1998) and Salovey and Mayer (1990) mention that emotional intelligence is the important ability to express and understand emotional knowledge. As a result, IQ scores cannot be accounted by IQ test because it could not support and covered the emotional intelligence's side. Therefore, it seems clear that attaining high scores in the IQ tests are not r eliable results and cannot evaluate intelligence significantly. 2. Different factors can affect intelligence:

Tragedy involves the downfall of a hero as a result of his tragic flaw Essay

It is not simply the existence of a tragic flaw that is the sole causation of the demise of the hero and other significant characters but rather the interplay between the negative externalities and the hero’s actions as a result of his tragic flaws which does so. In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan tragedy Othello, Othello’s hamartia arises from a magnified sense of jealousy, hubris and misplaced trust brought about directly by Iago’s diabolical intellect and a growing sense of insecurity. It is these uncontrollable factors in conjunction with Othello’s tragic flaws that assist in his collapse from respected general to deluded murderer. The complex interactions between the protagonists of the play as well as strong characterisation allow for the emergence of one of Othello’s fatal flaws, misplaced trust. The Machiavellian character of Iago perpetuates the tragedy of the play by provoking hamartia within Othello. As soon as the play commences dramatic irony allows us to realise that Othello has labelled Iago, whom we know to be â€Å"Janus-faced† and deceptive, â€Å"I am not what I am†, as â€Å"a man of exceeding honesty†. The constant declarations of Iago that he â€Å"hates the moor† are juxtaposed with the repeated description of an â€Å"honest Iago† in order to build up empathy for Othello. Iago’s ability to take advantage of people’s flaws and situations when they arise also allows him to manipulate Othello’s, â€Å"free and open nature† through the â€Å"pour[ing] pestilence into the ear of the Moor† and provide evidence through the planting of Desdemona’s handkerchief , a symbol of the love between Othello and Desdemona, in â€Å"Cassio’s lodgings†. His use of innuendo, â€Å"note if your lady strain his entertainment†¦much will be seen in that† and bestial imagery and similes, â€Å"were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkey† enrage Othello and spur him to condemn Desdemona as a â€Å"fair devil†. Iago’s deceitful brilliance further leads Othello, â€Å"a credulous fool†, to accept his lies about Cassio’s dream, where Cassio sighs â€Å"Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our loves†, as a â€Å"foregone conclusion†. The innocent references to Cassio as â€Å"suitor† by Desdemona in conjunction with Cassio’s light-hearted references to Desdemona as â€Å"divine Desdemona† and â€Å"a maid that  paragons description and wild fame† further aid Iago in both winning Othello’s trust and eliminating it from his loved ones. Iago’s strong characterisation acts as a foil to the main protagonists in Othello and in conjunction with dramatic irony and bestial imagery serves in bringing out Othello’s tragic flaw of misplaced trust. The increasing insecurity of Othello, arising from a constant need to assimilate into Venetian culture and fight the label of ‘Outsider’, weakens his trust in Desdemona and consequently allows for jealousy to take over. Othello, set in 15th century Venice, reflects the disparaging perspective of Italians to those of sub-Saharan ethnicity. Despite proving himself a â€Å"brave† and â€Å"valiant† warrior who is â€Å"more fair than black†, Othello is never referred to by name instead derogatorily labelled â€Å"the Moor†, â€Å"thicklips† and â€Å"black ram†, the use of animal imagery degrades Othello’s status and immediately sets him apart as ‘The Outsider’. Iago, in a bid to â€Å"serve his turn upon [Othello]†, â€Å"pour[s] pestilence† into Othello’s ear remarking that Desdemona rejected many â€Å"proposed matches of her own clime, complexion and degree† in choosing Othello. The subtle reminders of Iago about his ethnicity cause Othello to turn against his gut instincts, â€Å"she had eyes and chose† and wrongly believe that Desdemona â€Å" with Cassio hath the act of shame a thousand times committed†. The hyperbole accentuates Othello’s misapprehension in his insecure rage. His delusion furthermore acts as canvas through which first self-depreciation; â€Å"her name is now black and begrimed as my own face† then jealousy, â€Å"that green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on† arises. The metaphor of a green-eyed monster is apt in foreshadowing and presenting to the responders the inner turmoil and eventual monstrous transformation Othello undergoes. Unable to satisfy the â€Å"lewd minx† whom Othello believes the young, Italian Cassio has â€Å"topp’d†, his jealousy drives him to want to â€Å"tear her all to piece†, reflecting the â€Å"monstrous birth† of a new Othello . Thus were it not for the seeds of insecurity already planted in Othello’s mind Othello’s jealousy, one of his tragic flaws, could have been avoided. It is the self-perpetuating nature of Insecurity that ultimately brings about Othello’s tragic flaw and subsequently his downfall. Othello’s adherence to his warrior values and accepted gender role is the main catalyst for his last tragic flaw, hubris. Othello’s background as a â€Å"brave† and â€Å"valiant† soldier experienced through numerous â€Å"battles, sieges and dangers† instil in him values of courage, pride and insensitivity towards death. It is this background which also sees him more familiar with actions than words. At his return to Cyprus he â€Å"cannot speak enough of this content† but can act and promptly kisses her there, thus Othello is the foil to Iago, who’s cunning with words ignite the flame of Othello’s pride and unleashes â€Å"waked wrath†. Iago’s knowledge of the nature of gender is revealed through his quote, â€Å"Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, is the immediate jewel of their souls† and it is through Iago’s intimate knowledge of the importance Othello places on gender roles in assisting hi m in his assimilation into Venetian society, that he is able to inspire â€Å"monstrous† hubris within Othello. By insinuating Desdemona as a â€Å"whore† and â€Å"strumpet†, Iago is able to incite Othello into murdering Desdemona, â€Å"If I quench thee..I can again thy former light restore† thus bringing about catharsis and the downfall of Othello. Thus Othello’s last fatal flaw, hubris, a remnant of his soldier ethos causes him to believe that honour may only be restored through the correction of gender roles and in doing so brings about his downfall. It can therefore be concluded that although the tragic flaw plays a large part in the inciting of the hero’s tragic flaws, it is the interaction between the context, characters and the hero’s actions which ultimately brings about his demise. In Othello the foil of Iago in conjunction with the innocent nuances of other characters, dramatic irony and Othello’s insecurity which gives rise to his fatal flaws of jealousy, misplaced trust and hubris and it is only through the interplay between elements that catharsis and agnorisus can occur.