Police stress Essay Example for Free

Police stress Essay Introduction Stress is a psychological factor and a common feature of almost every kind of work. But it is important to note that it was only in the mid-70s that industrial psychologists focused their attention on the importance of stress in the workplace. â€Å"To serve and protect,† is the law enforcers’ motto as he works to accomplish the goals of his job which is primarily to provide protection to the citizens of his state. There accompanies with the work the kind of people whose shady and dark characters pursue the primary purposes in life which are to commit a crime and study ways to evade the long arm of the law. In policing work, stress is not underestimated but rather an important and critical aspect of the job (â€Å"it goes with the territory,† so to speak); stress comes in different forms. It is a given then, that police work is pictured as a form of service where the challenges are not the same as the regular kind of job; more so when the person is in active post or duty and expected to meet the most difficult types of experiences but usually on a regular basis. It is this scenario that this paper explores and presents to the reader the nuances of the job, the stresses a police officer regularly encounters, possible consequences on his personal and home life, as well as probable interventions. Significance of the study Two reasons are suggested why there was a growing recognition of the importance of stress on the job. First, there is the general awareness that stress-related diseases have reached epidemic proportions. More people die or are disabled today as a result of stress than at any other time. Because stress is so physically damaging and pervasive in people’s lives and because it is primarily psychological in nature the discipline of psychology as a whole and especially the specialty area of health psychology is interested in studying and treating stress and other psychosomatic disorders (Chang et al. 2006). The second reason for the growing awareness of the importance of stress at work is practical. The effects of stress on the job are costly and are reflected in a lower productive efficiency. Stress has been known to reduce drastically employee motivation and the physical ability to perform the task well thus, increasing absenteeism, turnover, and tardiness (Cahill 2003; Chang et al. 2006; Williams 2003). Statement of the Problem What is stress at work and how is this demonstrated in a particular individual worker like the police officer? What has personality trait or individual differences do with the development of stress as well as how do people cope with stress when the source is the place of work? This paper attempts to define, describe and explain the nature of stress, factors that contribute to the development of stress in an individual, and in particular what job stress or stress in the workplace can do to an individual. Discussion ~ The Nature of Stress Inside the body, dramatic physiological changes take place under stress. Adrenalin, released from the adrenal glands, speeds up all bodily functions. Blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, and extra sugar is released to the bloodstream. The increased circulation of the blood brings additional energy to the brain and muscles, making us more alert and stronger sp that we can cope with the sudden emergency (Landy 1985). A stressful situation mobilizes and directs one’s energy beyond its normal level. But if a person remains in that state of supercharged energy for too long, the body’s reservoir of energy will dissipate. Rest is needed to replenish the energy supply (Williams 2003). Prolonged stress leads to psychosomatic disorders. Remember that psychosomatic diseases are not imaginary. They are real and involve specific tissue and organ damage even though their cause is psychological. In prolonged stress, the body may suffer physiological damage and the person may become ill (Landy 1985). A. Individual Differences in Vulnerability to Stress One factor that affects vulnerability to stress on the job is social support, one’s network of social and family ties. The person who is alone physically and psychologically is more vulnerable to stress than someone who has strong social relationships. Social support on the job is also important to reduce stress and to have better health (Cahill 2003; Chang et al., 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). One’s physical condition also relates to one’s vulnerability to stress effects. Persons in better physical condition suffer fewer effects of stress than those in poor physical condition (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Level of ability to perform a job can make people more or less resistant to the stresses of that job. Employees with a high level of the skills needed for the job finds the work easier and less stressful than employees with a lower ability (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Personality seems to be related to one’s ability to tolerate stress. This is particularly apparent with those of apparent with those of Type A and Type B personalities and their susceptibility to heart disease, one of the major effects of stress (Landy 1985). The Type A personality is highly prone to heart disease by middle age, independent of physical factors or their type of work. The two primary characteristics of a Type A personality are a very high competitive drive and a constant sense of urgency about time. Type A personalities are hostile people although they successfully hide it from others. That is why Type A personalities are always in a state if tension and stress (Landy 1985; Williams, 2003). Persons with the Type B personality never have heart attacks before the age of 70, regardless of their jobs or their eating and smoking habits. Type B people may be just as ambitious as Type A people, but they have none of their characteristics. They function under far less stress in all aspects of life including work (Landy 1985). B. Stress at work There are occupations that are considered very stressful. The following twelve are those that engender highest levels of stress: law enforcer, labourer, secretary, inspector, clinical lab technician, office manager, first-line supervisor, manager or administrator, waiter or waitress, machine operator, farm worker, miner, painter. This is taken from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Other occupations considered to be in high stress are the fire fighters, computer programmer, dental assistant, electrician, fire fighter, social worker, telephone operator, and hairdresser (Landy 1985). Survey is also found that among working women, the most stressful jobs are in the health care industry. For example, nurses, medical, dental, and lab technicians and social workers (Cahill 2001). Psychologists renamed the concept of overwork into the term overload and have identified two types: 1. Quantitative overload 2. Qualitative overload Quantitative overload is the condition of having too much work to do in the time available. Qualitative overload involves not so much work to do but work that is too difficult (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Another stress factor in the workplace is change. Many changes occur in the workplace. The introduction of a new work procedure may require employees to learn and adapt to different production methods (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Performance appraisal is a source of stress for a great many people. Few people like the idea of being evaluated whether at school or work. An employee’s role in the organization can be a source of stress. Role ambiguity arises when the employees’ work role is poorly structured and ill-defined. Role conflict arises when there is a disparity among the demands of a job and the employees, personal standard and values (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Problems of career development may lead to stress at work. Stress can arise when an employee fails to receive an anticipated promotion (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Being responsible for other people is a major source of difficulty for some supervisors and managers (Landy 985).   Contact with a stress carrier is also a cause of stress. A person free of stress can be infected by someone who is highly stressed (Landy 1985). Assembly-line work has been associated with stress because it is characterized by repetition and monotony (Landy 1985). Overall, then, each person must confront and deal with a large and recurring number of stress-producing events everyday both at home and at work. Although most people experience at least some of the harmful effects of stress at one time or another, most people, fortunately, do manage to cope (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). One effect of stress on the job resulting from overwork is called burnout. The employee becomes less energetic and less interested in the job. He or she becomes emotionally exhausted, apathetic, depressed, irritable, and bored; finds fault with everything about the work (Cahill 2003; Chang et al, 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Figure 1.0 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Model of Job Stress (Source: NIOSH, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html) Burnout develops in three distinct stages: 1. Emotional exhaustion, with a feeling of being drained and empty (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 2. Cynicism and the lack of sensitivity toward others (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 3. Futility, the feeling that all the effort put forth previously was wasted and worthless (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Employees with burnout become rigid about their work, following rules and procedures blindly and compulsively because they are too exhausted to be flexible or consider alternative solutions to a problem (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). There is a price to pay for such overwork over a long period of time. Stress accumulates and leads to the psychological and physiological ailments described earlier. These people work so hard that they burn away their energy faster than the body can replace it. Such persons have been described as workaholics, or employees addicted to work (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Nature and Dangers of Police Work Studies done by Malloy and Mays (p 177 1984) point to the importance of understanding the kind of job that policing involves. The authors not only examined the stress levels within the workplace but a comparative study was made as well with the amount of stress experienced by law enforcement officers and other workers in other organizations or institutions particularly in government entities. The findings show that few jobs can equal the kind of stress that police work entails; fire fighters may come close though the frequency of negative or distressful events or occurrences become a regular fare for law enforcers contributing to the overall danger and threat to their personal well-being. Reports of suicide or attempted suicide have reportedly been high despite increasing awareness to the stresses of the job (Brown 2008). Symptoms may be there already but the few people close to the person refuse to recognize or identify the signs. These include irritability, lowered sex drive, digestive upsets, fatigue, muscle aches like backaches, insomnia or restlessness, overeating or drinking too much, muscle tics or rashes, a pounding heart, headaches and light-headedness may be evident on the individual. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or mental health issues can be some of the effects when prolonged stress is experienced and may even affect the immune system’s ability to protect the person’s body from everyday illnesses. Because an officer regularly deals with stress and anguish experienced by people they meet on the job, emotions can easily be bottled up, or set aside and compromise one’s health or in many instances, affect the officer’s ability to deal with the issues and problems in his own personal and family life.   Studies self-management skills program for the police officers show that there is a great difference when police officers go through programs that help them understand the emotional upheavals that go with the job. There was the reduction of signs and symptoms of imminent distress or physical and psychological manifestations of stress (McCraty et al 1999). Other techniques specifically used in other studies make use of films as tools to help debrief these individuals (Mann 1973 p 63). C. Interventions and organizational techniques The techniques for dealing with stress on the job involved both the prevention of stress and its reduction and elimination. Techniques that individual employees can practice on and off the job include relaxation training, biofeedback, and behavior modification. Some methods provided by organization include altering the organizational climate, providing employee assistance programs and treating victims of stress-related illnesses (Cahill, 2003; Landy, 1985; Williams, 2003). Industrial/organizational psychologists have proposed several organizational techniques for managing stress at work especially with police work: 1. Emotional Climate Control. Because of the stressors of modern organizational life is change, the organization must provide sufficient support to enable employees to adapt to change. This can be accomplished by providing a climate of esteem and regard for employees and by allowing them to participate in all decisions involving change in their work and in the structure of the organization (Chang et al. 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 2. Provision of social support. Social support can reduce one’s vulnerability to stress. Organizations can enhance social support by facilitating the cohesiveness of work groups and by training the supervisors to be supportive of their subordinates (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 3. Redefinition of employee roles. To reduce the stress caused by role ambiguity, managers must clearly state to their subordinates what is expected of them and what the precise scope and responsibilities of their jobs are (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 4. Elimination of work overload and work underload. Proper selection and training, equitable promotion decisions and fair distribution of work can do much to eliminate these causes of stress. 5. Provision of assistance to stressed employees. More and more organizations today are recognizing the harmful effects that stress can have on employee health and productivity. As a result, they are providing in-house counseling programs that teach individual stress-control techniques and supplying facilities for physical exercise (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Some stress is necessary for normal functioning. The nervous system apparently needs a certain amount of stimulation to function properly. But stress that is too intense or prolonged can have destructive physiological and psychological effects. The actions of autonomic nervous system that prepare the organism for emergency can, if prolonged lead to such physical disorders as ulcers, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Severe stress can also impair the organisms’ immune responses, decreasing its ability to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. It is estimated that more than half of all medical problems are believed to be related to emotional stress. Psychosomatic disorders such as allergies, migraine, headaches, high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers and even acne are among the illnesses that are related to emotional stress (Hilgard, et al., 1983). Conclusion Frustrations occur when progress toward a goal is blocked or delayed and when two motives conflict, satisfaction of one leads to the blocking of the other. For as long as a human individual is alive and functioning in whatever milieu he is in, these forces are at work, often straining and draining him. Coping and defense strategies oftentimes become indispensable but later become debilitating for most if no longer controlled and regulated. The severity of stress depends on the situation’s predictability, the potential for control, the individual’s cognitive evaluation, his feelings of competency, and the presence of social supports (Halonen and Santrock, 1996). Works Cited: Atkinson, R.L., R.C. Atkinson, E.E. Smith, D.J. Bem, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema, Introduction to Psychology, 13th ed. (1993). New York: Harcourt College Publishers. Brown, Hal. Introduction to Police Stress. Accessed February 27, 2008 http://www.geocities.com/stressline_com/introduction_to_police_stress.html Cahill, C. A. 2001. Women and stress. In Annual Review of Nursing Research, 19, 229-249. Chang, E. M., Daly, J., Hancock, K.M., Bidewell, J. W., Johnson, A., Lambert, V. A., Lambert, C. E. 2006. The Relationships Among Workplace Stressors, Coping Methods, Demographic Characteristics, and Health in Australian Nurses. Journal of Professional Nursing, 22(1), 30-38. Landy, F.J. 1985. Psychology of Work Behavior. 3rd Ed. Dorsey Press. Malloy, Thomas E., G. Larry Mays. â€Å"The Police Stress Hypothesis: A critical evaluation. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 11 (1984): 197-224. Sauter, Steven, et al., â€Å"Stress at Work† NIOSH publication. Retrieved December 20, 2007 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html Williams, C. 2003. Stress at Work. Canadian Social Trends, Autumn, 7-13. Halonen, J.S. and J.W. Santrock. 1996. Psychology: Contexts of behavior, Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark, p.810. Hilgard, ER, RR Atkinson, and RC Atkinson, 1983. Introduction to Psychology. 7th ed., New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich, Inc. Mann, Philip A. â€Å"Stress Training.† In Psychological Consultation with a Police Department: A Demonstration of Cooperative Training in Mental Health, by Philip Mann, 62-64. Springfield Illinois; Charles C, Tomas, (1973). McCraty, Rollin, Dana Tomasino, Mike Atkinson, Joseph Sundram. â€Å"Impact of the HeartMath Self-Management Skills Program on Physiological and Psychological Stress in Police Officers.† Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 99-075. Boulder Creek, CA. (1999). Morris, Charles G. Albert Maisto, 1999. Understanding Psychology. 4th ed. Prentice Hall, Inc. P. 73.

Opportunities & Threats Essay Example for Free

Opportunities Threats Essay The changing demographics of the American population will provide Walgreens with several opportunities to increase their sales. By 2010, the American population over 50 years of age is expected to reach 95 million (SIC 5912, 2006). This increase in the number of elderly Americans will provide Walgreens with an increased demand for prescriptions and thepotential to increase sales and revenue in that category. The aging American population will greatly impact the pharmaceutical industry. In 2002, 30% of Walgreens’ prescriptions and 42% of prescription sales were derived from older Americans. Recent changes in Medicare plans allow Medicare participants to pay the same no matter where they shop, which will benefit not only Walgreens, but other companies that sell prescription medication, as well as the manufacturing companies of prescription drugs. This category is especially important as pharmacy sales rose 12% in the last quarter, significantly more than the 5. 2% increase in non-pharmacy sales (Miller, 2006). Prescription drugs currently constitute nearly 64% of Walgreens sales (Biesada, 2006). Despite this, Walgreens should also recognize the opportunities that lie in non-pharmacy related goods. Though Walgreens currently sells several goods other than prescription drugs, the overall company sales do not reflect successful sales in these categories. According to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores the greatest growth opportunity for stores like Walgreens is increasing non-pharmacy purchases that existing shoppers make. It is interesting to note that the number of customers shopping at drug stores is generally declining. Even so, the frequency of returning customers has risen. Customers often visit drug stores to fill prescriptions, but also purchase cosmetic products and over-the-counter drugs. These categories comprise 80% of purchases on these trips, but only 30% of these shoppers make impulse purchases. As such, Walgreens is presented with an incredible opportunity to increase sales revenue by using marketing strategies to increase the number of sales made for non-prescription drug products. In 2001, the average non-pharmacy drug store purchase was $19. 38. An additional $2. 00 for every purchase made would increase the average sales by nearly 10% (NACDS/American Greetings Research Council, 2002). Another opportunity for Walgreens that could potentially lead to company growth lies in expansion to international markets. Today, Walgreens remains a domestic corporation, and as such, its target market is limited only to residents of the United States. However, as the United States market becomes saturated, Walgreens has the opportunity to expand to other countries. Although cultural differences and government regulations may necessitate changes in the Walgreens’ product line and business practices in other countries, the quality service and products provided by Walgreens will be universally recognized and will help to ensure the company’s success. In choosing to expand internationally, Walgreens would be the pioneer and market leader, as its largest competitors, such as CVS, have yet to enter international markets. Due to the fact that the majority of Walgreens’ sales are derived from prescription drugs, intertype competitors are a large threat. In an effort to attract customers by providing a convenient, one-stop-shop, grocery store chains and discounters have ventured into the prescription drug market. Furthermore, the average American visits a grocery store 2. 2 times per week, but a drugstore only once a month (SIC 5912, 2006). Discounters such as Wal-Mart emphasize low cost, making it difficult for Walgreens to compete. These retailers also offer a broader range of products, and have a larger customer base. 138 million Americans shop at Wal-Mart every week and many may find it tempting to fill their prescriptions in the stores in which they already shop. Another threat to Walgreens is the rising cost of health care. The high cost of health care has motivated more and more people to search for lower cost alternatives outside of traditional drug stores. These include the purchase of prescription drugs over the internet, particularly from countries such as Canada, where they are less expensive. For example, of the top 100 branded prescription drugs in Canada and the United States, 93% were less expensive in Canada, and in Canada the average branded prescription drug costs 43% less than in the United States (Skinner, 2005). Furthermore, there is a shortage of pharmacists, which is an additional threat to the continued success of Walgreens. Studies estimate that there are currently 8,000 unfilled pharmacist positions and predict that there will be a shortage of 150,000 pharmacists by 2020. If Walgreens is unable to hire qualified pharmacists, the quality of service provided will definitely decrease, which will negatively impact the company’s sales. IV. Strategies Walgreens has traditionally followed an organic expansion strategy. This has recently changed through the acquisition by Walgreens of other companies such as Happy Harry’s and Mermark, a specialty pharmacy. (Walgreens Corporation, 2006). In order to exploit its opportunities and neutralize the threats, Walgreens must focus on customer convenience. The quality of service traditionally provided by Walgreens is what made it a household name, and the factor that distinguishes it from competitors. Improved and more frequent training of current Walgreens staff and changes to store design are ways in which Walgreens can provide a more convenient shopping experience to customers. Another strategy would be to improve Walgreens’ online services. This will not only allow Walgreens to expand to international markets, but will also reduce the need for pharmacists. Discounts and free shipping could be provided to online customers in order to allow Walgreens to be more competitive with other online drugstores. References: Biesada, A. (2006b). Walgreen Co. Hoovers. Retrieved May 16, 2009 from http://www. hoovers. com/walgreen/ID__11601/free-co-factsheet. xhtml Miller, J. P. (2006, September 26). Walgreens net climbs 25%; drug sales jump. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 16, 2009 from http://www. chicagotribune. com/business/chi- 0609260258sep26,1,5174751

The Suicide Rate In Men

The Suicide Rate In Men Suicide Rate Men The suicide rate for young men is much higher than for young women in western developed countries. Discuss with reference to gender and competing explanations of suicide. For many, a rational response in life is to fear death after all life is our most personal and valuable asset, and it is not surprising that a copious amount of research has been devoted to suicide. The functionalist Emile Durkheim was the first to put forth the study of suicide in a serious attempt to establish empiricism in sociology, believing what is traditionally regarded as the most individual of all acts to still be open to sociological investigation. Before attempting to discuss the question at hand it may seem obvious, however, necessary to define what is meant by suicide. According to Durkheim â€Å"the term suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result. This definition is used to separate true suicides from accidental deaths ( Durkheim 1897 quoted in Thompson 1982:110).Suicide is a problem of considerable magnitude and is recognised as one of the main causes of premature mortality in young adults in western developed countries. In the United Kingdom alone there were 5554 suicides in adults aged 15 and over in 2006, according to the national statistics this represented almost one percent of the total of all deaths at ages 15 and over. Gender differences in suicide rates become apparent when presented with data stating three quarters of the above 5554 suicides were by men and the highest rates were among the 15-44 age group (office for national statistics, 2006). Other research shows that for those males in the 15-34 age group suicide is the second most common cause of death (Charlton et al.,1992)2* Of all that is known about the phenomenon of suicide it is a general consensus that gender is a major factor in differential suicide rates, the main issue concerning this essay. Although Durkheim wrote little about gender differences in suicide; primarily due to his claim that ‘women are not imaginative enough and intellectually complex enough to kill themselves’ ( a statement seriously lacking any empirical support) (Durkheim 1897 quoted in Maris 2000) it is important to note that he did lay the ground work for research to come. This essay will discuss the competing explanations of gender differences in suicide, specifically the statistical findings that the suicide rate for young men is much higher than for young women in western developed countries. The first explanation that will be put forth is that the gender socialisation of males increases the likelihood of male suicide completion compared to that of women. This explanation will be discussed in relation to differences in help seeking behaviour, differences in choice of method and the relationship between alcohol/drug abuse and suicide in men. Following this, a further explanation to be analyzed is that of the ‘masculinity crises’ and its part to play in the alarming rate of male suicides. Although the above will be presented as explanations for the title under discussion, all explanations put forth will be approached with caution and appropriately analyzed and evaluated. Finally having suggested explanations, I will question the methodology used in the study of suicide and whether this contributes to what may appear to be higher male suicide rates. In effect, do men really commit more suicide or is this simply based on unreliable data collection? Socialisation and the social construction of gender are highly relevant in explaining the higher suicide rate in men. It is important to firstly explain what is meant by gender and to distinguish its meaning from sex. Sex refers to the biological and anatomical differences between ‘males’ and ‘females’ which includes a variation in hormones, chromosomes and genitals, Gender however, refers to the cultural classification of people as either ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’. Many sociologists argue that gender is socially constructed through socialisation. Ann Oakley for example saw gender role socialisation taking place through manipulation, such as the dressing of girls in pink pretty clothing, through verbal appellations in telling boys only girls cry, through canalization for example directing boys toward more aggressive toys and girls toward dolls, finally by exposing boys and girls to different activities for example directing girls towards the more domestic tasks ( Oakley, 1972) *3. In short it is thought that male socialisation in many respects increases the likelihood of suicide. Goldberg (1997) states that the socialisation of men in this way has created a ‘prescription for suicide’, through reinforcing the stereotype of masculinity permission is given to men to be inexpressive and more violent a combination which inevitably increase the risk of completed suicide. This notion can be used to explain why it is that although mental illness is more prevalent among women than men, men commit more suicide. Depression specifically is regarded as one of the major risk factors for suicide mortality, around 30% of those who have committed suicide are reported to have suffered from depression (Bertolote et al, 2004)*5. It seems strange that although women display higher rates of mental illness than men (Foster 1995) 9* more men opt to take their own lives. It is argued that as a consequence of women’s learned gender roles they are more likely to seek professional help when experiencing problems which may lead to suicidal thoughts. Dohrenwend and Dohrenwend state that: Sex differences in the seeking of help correspond to attitudinal differences: women are more likely to admit distress . . . to define their problems in mental-health terms . . . and to have favourable attitudes towards psychiatric treatment. (Dohrenwend and Dohrenwend 1977: 1338) 6* Men on the other hand are encouraged from infancy to ‘tough it out’, to be silent and strong and to display independence and self reliance, consequently it is less socially acceptable for men to ask for help. This underlying social unacceptability results in mens reluctance to disclose suicidal thoughts and to discuss general emotional problems. The suicide in Avon study found that in the 4 weeks before death 80 per cent of men who had committed suicide had in fact had no contact with professional help, be it a GP or any other form of support organisation (Vassilas and Morgan1997) 7*. It appears that gender socialisation to some extent contributes to the comparatively higher rate of male suicide completion. It should also be noted that stereotypical gender norms means women are more likely to be labelled as mentally ill. Some feminists argue that cultural sexism, coupled with specific sexism from professionals, makes women more susceptible to psychiatric labelling. Furthermore women are labelled as mentally ill whether they conform to the female gender stereotype or whether they reject them (Chelter 1972:115) 8*. In this way the health service maybe deemed patriarchal and misogynistic, however, this increased likelihood of women being labelled mentally ill means help is quicker to be provided and suicidal thinking is quicker to be recognized in women in comparison to men. Another way traditional male socialisation maybe partly to blame for the higher male suicide rate is in one’s choice of suicide method. Gender differences in the choice of suicide method have consistently been found, it is argued that the traditional male role is consistent with more aggressive thus more successful methods of suicides. Women tend to use methods of lower lethality than men, favouring poisons such as the deliberate overdose of pharmaceutical medication, this accounted for 26% of female suicides in 1996 compared to only 6% in males. Men however use more violent methods such as firearms which accounted for 63% of male deaths in 1996 and hanging which accounted for 17% of all male suicides (Maris et al, 2000). Canetto and Sakinofsky (1998) have stated that in western society suicide completion appears to be more socially acceptable for men whereas a failed suicide attempt is deemed emasculating this in part has contributed to higher successful suicides in men in order to avoid the ridicule of their masculinity. The conventional Gender socialisation of men thus makes them more vulnerable to suicide completion, this may also explain why it is thought that women attempt more suicide than men yet more men die. To critique the above claim one could argue that the choice of method is more complex than gender socialisation; it may have more to do with the availability of certain methods. In countries where there is greater access to firearms due to looser restrictions there is a higher use of that method in the attempting suicide. Nevertheless, one could still maintain that in western developed countries due to the adherence to female norms women are less likely to have access to guns and feel more comfortable with their use, resulting in an increase use of other methods such as prescription drugs. Some have argued that the choice of method is far more complex than what has just been suggested; even if men and women opt for the same method (the method is held constant) men are still more likely to die. A study by Shneidman and Farberow (1957, cited in Lester and Lester 1971:88-90) of suicidal behaviour in Los Angeles found that out of 24 men who chose to jump from high places in an attempt to kill themselves 16 succeeded, this was compared with only 9 out of 20 women who succeeded by using the same method. Further to this, an article titled ‘values destroyed by death’ noted that women are socialised more so than men to be more concerned with their physical appearance and this may even extend to their appearance after death. This may therefore influence their choice of suicide method, opting more for a method that would be less disfiguring, such methods are also more likely to be less lethal (Diggory and Rothman 1961 cited in Lester and Lester 1971:90). This notion that women have a concern with their physical appearance even after death seems far fetch, nevertheless, many do hold a consensus that gender socialisation certainly does play its part in the choice of suicide method which manifests itself in higher male suicide completion. The relationship between Alcohol and substance abuse and suicidal behaviour has long been recognized. Alcohol and drugs can affect a person’s ability to reason, their judgment and can act as a depressant. This increased depression over time and decreased inhibition makes a person vulnerable to attempting suicide especially with a history of mental illness. According to research men are nine times more likely to abuse alcohol than women, and those men who are diagnosed as alcoholics are assigned a six times increase likelihood of suicide compared to the general population.( Harris et al ,1997) 12*. Once again this may be partly due to the notion that male gender socialisation results in men responding to stress and problems through distracting themselves by use of alcohol or drugs as this is more socially acceptable, in contrast women are more likely to talk about their problems as shown above. In western society a man’s masculinity also renders itself open in measurement in relation to how much alcohol he can consume. All this in turn affects and increases the likelihood of suicidal thinking. However other studies such as that by Rossow (1993 cited in Maris et al 2000:358) 13* in Norway between 1911 and 1990 found that there was a positive relationship between alcohol and suicide in men but not for women. A similar outcome was found by Makela (1996 cited in Maris et al 2000:358) 14* in Finland. This shows that alcohol alone is not sufficient to be labelled an increase cause of suicide in all cases; the matter is complex in nature and requires a deeper understanding of its direct and relational affects in men. Although all above explanations contribute some blame to traditional male socialisation it is important to note that many others argue that the differences between the two sexes are predominantly biological not social. They have claimed that higher amounts of testosterone and other androgens in males make them more aggressive and because suicide is considered to be violence or aggression turned toward one self it seems men are more biologically likely to take their own lives. Studies of brain biochemistry specifically of serotonin metabolite CSF 5-HIAA (cerebrospinal fluid levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic) and its relationship to suicide specifically to violent suicide has shown that male suicidal subject have lower CSF 5-HIAA and account for the majority of violent suicides. Maris et al (2000) suggested that gender based biochemical differences may play a part in different suicidal behaviour. Although from a sociological perspective one can not agree with the extreme view that biology is largely to blame for differences in suicide among men and women, it seems reasonable to speculate that it may have some part to play even if one is to conclude suicide to be a social phenomenon. Another explanation that many sociologists have pointed to in explaining the alarming rate of young male suicides is the notion of a ‘masculinity crisis’. society has changed dramatically over the last thirty or so years, the western world has become less patriarchal as gender equality becomes more the norm. Roles, in both the work place and at home are not as gender defined as they once were and it is now not uncommon to see men stay at home as househusbands whilst their wives go out to work in high paid employment. Platt and Hawton’s systematic review (2000) 20* shows a strong relationship between unemployment and suicide especially in men. If taking the UK as a prime example then it is clear that there has been a move away from heavy industries that have traditionally been seen as ‘masculine’ and a move towards more service and information sectors which are traditionally viewed as feminine jobs. This has brought about many opportunities for women but at the same time has resulted in higher unemployment rates for men. The breadwinner mentality is still strong in the western world and not being able to provide for ones family is a major worry for many males, and to have been able to do so at one point but not anymore can have a devastating affect. In a materialistic capitalist society, like those to be found in the Western World, material goods are symbols of wealth and prestige and if one is not able to provide them anymore, they can begin to see themselves as worthless. Arthur Britain ( 1989) *28 and Susan Faludi (1999) 27*, among many other sociologists often argue that men are experiencing more confusion they are not coping with the consequences of changes in the gender order. The rise of feminist movements, the decline of heavy manual work as well as gay and black politics brought about a collapse of the legitimacy of patriarchal power. This can therefore be seen as a positive for many women increasing their independence as they no longer become soley reliant on their husbands for money. Men however have traditionally based their identity on their work and had a safe position as the head of the family as the breadwinner this gave then comfort and a sense of place, changes that upset this are seen to have a negative effect on men leaving them uncertain about their position in general. They can no longer guarantee holding the highest power in their working lives whiles at home there is no certainty that they will be the breadwinner. Consequently there is a split between retributive man, those who assert traditional masculinity and the new man, these men don’t rigidly hold the traditional masculine stereotype and are regarded as more emotional and more concerned with their body image. Those who maintain the traditional masculine identity, the breadwinner and head of household mentality find themselves in conflict with the changes in the gender social order, their position can lead to isolation and aggression, two emotions very much associated with suicide. On the other hand those who have adapted to these changes are less confused of their position and are less prone to suicide than the former. It could however be that the new man may be in part a media myth and the existence of the myth has created further uncertainty amongst males about how best to be a man. It should also be noted that this notion of masculinity being in crisis is controversial as although the breakdown of such rigid stereotypes has had a negative effect on those who would have found solace and comfort in being the dominant figure it has had an equally positive affect on males who have found themselves in the past to be subordinate and exploited such as homosexuals. There are also many men who have adapted happily and suffer no confusion as well as many who have maintained their position as the breadwinner. Others such as Kimmel (1987)15* have noted that as evident in historical research this alarming concern over the role of man is by no means a new occurrence, in this sense caution should be taken not treat it as so, as it becomes easier to associate and in part blame the rise in young male suicide with what may initially seem as a new crisis in men. It should also be maintained that although there is much debate over this ‘masculinity crisis’ and the breakdown of gender roles many feminists believe that western society is still patriarchal and the exploitation of women is still present. In 1991 6.53 million women earned less than two thirds of median male earnings, were mostly engaged in part time work and comprised 65% of all low paid workers (Oppenheim,1993)29*. Although such figures have improved in the last 17 years, progress has not been so drastic to warrant labelling the west as having broken-down patriarchal power. Some scholars particularly feminists have gone further and rejected the idea that a crisis in masculinity could even exists pointing to evidence like the above. Irene Bruegel’s (2000) 16* a feminist economist presents a sceptical account of the feminisation of the work force, she like many others is cynical that men are hard done by and maintains that women can still be seen to be the subordinate class. The sociologist John Maclnnes (1998) 17* presents a more extreme view on the matter stating that ‘masculinity’ does not exist as the property, character trait or aspect of identity of individuals, as a result any theory that relates a ‘crisis in masculinity’ in its explanation such as that used by many sociologists to explain the higher suicide rate in males must be equally flawed. Another critical point to make regarding this so called ‘masculinity crisis’ is that it may be right that men have lost some power but it is wrong to see this power as a loss in relation to women, the collapse of the predominantly male employment industry may be more to blame. It could therefore be suggested that this so called crisis may not be one of masculinity but one of the working class. If we are to acknowledge the existence of a ‘masculinity crisis’ then it is evident that this problem in masculinity is far more complicated and sophisticated than one may initially think, it seems strange that we talk of a crisis in masculinity but there is no such crisis in femininity considering the gender roles for both sexes have in part broken down. The relationship between a masculinity crisis and suicide can appear to be a direct one but as it only affects such a small proportion of males, there must be other underlying factors which combine with this feeling to have such an immensely negative effect on ones life. All these explanations can go some way to piecing together why exactly suicide is more common in males. Yet, because, they offer an opinion and evidence to back it up, does not mean they should be taken as definite arguments. The relationship between gender and suicide is complex as although the most consistent findings in sociology are sexual differences there are other important variants within these male, female based differences. Racial variations in gender differences are evident in many statistics, according to Maris et al (2000:149) in 1996 white males comprised 73% of all completed suicides, yet the ratio of male to female suicide is larger among blacks with 6:1 compared to 4.3:1 among whites. It also appears that white females are far more likely to commit suicide than black females. Although this essay is specifically focused on the western world there are still variations within these different countries nevertheless the male suicide rate is consistently greater than that of females in most societies. An exception worth noting (although not part of the western world) is the People’s Republic of China where the suicide rate among women is far greater than among the men (Shiang 1998 cited in Maris et al 2000:148)18*. Sexual orientation is also a variant found in male and female differences in suicide. Some epidemiologists have found that homosexuals are at a higher risk of suicide, this is due to negative experiences they may encounter that are linked to their sexuality. It is however gay and bisexual men that have been found to be at an increased risk of suicide as lesbian and bisexual women in such situations seem to report a desire to hurt themselves while gay and bisexual men have a greater desire to want to die (D’Augelli et al, 2001)21* However it is difficult to know the true risk of suicide for gay or bisexual men as sexual orientation is not recorded at the registration of death and due to stigma still attached to gay men that strongly conflicts with the traditional identity of a masculine man, same sex relationships are not necessarily made public (Remafedi et al,1998) 19* To further evaluate the title itself it is important to mention the many methodological issues in the study of suicide, some of which may even lead one to question whether the statement under discussion is simply based on unreliable and problematic research. Firstly, most research on gender differences in suicide are based on official statistics which like any other statistics are socially constructed. Whether a sudden death is classified as a suicide is ultimately the coroner’s decision who is generally influenced by other people. The relatives and friends of the deceased might persuade the coroner not to record the death as a suicide (Douglas,1967) 25*. Due to this J.Maxwell Atkinson (1978) 26* states that when positivists study suicide what they uncover are simply the commonsense theories of coroners for example their increased tendency to record the deaths of lonely people as suicides. Further to this in having argued that there are sex differences in the social acceptability of suicide there may also be sex differences in the willingness to record any death as a suicide. The high rate of male suicides may be due to the fact that suicide is more socially acceptable for males and so more coroners are willing to classify them as such. Canetto (1992-3)22* suggests that our stereotypical views that ‘she died for love and he for glory’ also affects a coroner’s and societies interpretation of the reasons for suicidal behaviour, with women more likely to of committed suicide due to problems in their personal relationships, stress and mental illness whereas men do so because of threats to their public persona. Another problem which may affect the gender differences in suicide statistics are the method a person may choose in taking their own life. It may be the case that some methods are more likely to lead to a classification of suicide. Platt et al (1988,220) 23* conducted research on suicides in Edinburgh between 1968 and 1983 and found that ‘suicide and undetermined deaths could not be differentiated by gender, marital status, previous psychiatric contact, age or social class’ the only important factor was method, with those opting for more severe active methods such as firearms or hanging being much more likely to be classified as suicides than those choosing passive methods such overdoses or poisoning. In this sense because active methods are more likely to be used by men, men appear to have a higher rate of suicide yet this may simply be because the methods they use are more likely to be classified as such. Another problem with suicide statistics is that they tend to ignore attempted suicide and concentrate on the cases in which death occurs, has this created a moral panic in men as they appear to have higher rates of completed suicides? It could be argued that the very focus on the higher male suicide rate detracts from the fact that suicide attempts are much higher in women. On average the rate of female attempted suicide is 1.5 times higher than those for men with the highest rate found in those aged 15-24 (Hawton and Heeringen, 2000, 55-56) ADD IN BIB. It could therefore be suggested that although suicide completion is much higher in men an equal focus should be assigned to the higher female attempted suicide rate, one should not mask or detract from the other. In this way it becomes more appropriate to describe suicidal behaviour as a problem of both young males and young females. One should however, take caution not to confuse self-harm with suicide attempts as some mental health professionals often use the terms interchangeably (Favazza and Rosenthal 1993 cited in Duffy and Ryan 2004)30*. An attempted suicide is the direct intent to ends one’s life, self harm is not. Suicide statistics can be affected in this way; it may be the case that the lack of differentiation between the two terms has lead to an overrepresentation of attempted suicides, this is of course a speculation and further research is required to discover the extent to which this is true. It is evident that suicide; as a sociological subject is a complex phenomenon to study and this is not helped by its many ethical dilemmas. Suicide is not something which many would be comfortable talking about with a reporter or filling in a questionnaire beforehand if they were feeling such a way and even after, if relatives or friends were to give their opinions on why the event occurred, there would be a strong tendency for bias- to either protect the deceased or to offer what they believed was the real reason. If we are to accept that males are more likely to cover up their emotions, then suicide is likely to be less expected and therefore the answer to the questions regarding why, are more difficult to come by. Such ethical problems have lead to the consensus that suicide is grossly underreported and thus underestimated in official statistics. However, there has been some improvement in the gathering of statistical information and it is this that leads one to question whether changes in suicide rates such as the increasing male suicide rate is due to changes in suicide statistics not in the actual changes in suicide rates (Kelleher 1996) 31*. In considering future research, it is important to mention that although there is an impressive body of quantitative research, this is not always the best method to use when in cases such as suicide and gender comparisons. Statistics highlight the facts; that males do commit suicide more than females. In such a subject, however, a deeper analysis is needed to explain why exactly this is and why although the figures evidently show males to kill themselves more, the reasoning’s behind this might not be at all dominated by gender based assumptions. There is a need for more qualitative based research, such as individual case studies which will give a different angle and deeper insight into suicide. However, it is essential that care should taken not to compare men and women as though the two groups are homogeneous a flaw found in a lot of existing studies. It is therefore imperative to emphasize that not all men are the same what may be the case for one man may not apply to another, there is a diversity of masculinity and femininity and generalizations should be avoided. In conclusion sociologists have debated greatly over why exactly suicide is more common in males than in females. In this essay it has been suggested that the socialisation of males in western society is partly to blame. Through the reinforcement of what society deems acceptable male behaviour men are less likely to ask for help professional or otherwise when experiencing suicidal thoughts or any illness which may lead to an increased likelihood of attempting suicide. Conventional Gender socialisation of males is also consistent with more aggressive thus more successful methods of completed suicides. As stated above in western society suicide completion appears to be more socially acceptable for men whereas a failed suicide attempt is deemed emasculating. Alcohol and drug misuse also appears to have a stronger relationship with the socially constructed notion of ‘masculinity’, because the abuse of such substances is closely linked to suicide, men are thus more vulnerable to the taking of their own lives. The idea of a ‘masculinity crisis’ was also presented as a contributing factor to the higher male suicide rate. Sociologists have suggested that society is now at odds with the basis of masculinity, with the partial break down in the roles of both men and women, men appear to be confused and more likely to commit suicide. It has however been strongly emphasised that all explanations that have been presented are simply suggestions to shed light on why young men appear to commit more suicide than young women in the western world, they are not definite reasons for the differences in the suicide rates between the two sexes. Many males are subjected to western gender role socialisation or feel a lack of role in society but the percentage of those who commit suicide are so small that it suggests that there must be other factors or a combination of reasons for them to do so. It is on the whole difficult to make generalizations when the ultimate cause of suicide, even in cases where the event is likely or a note is left because the defining factor remains hidden. Individual actions often require individual research and understanding but this proves immensely difficult in the use of statistics because quantitative data focuses on generalisations. Suicide statistics should therefore be approached with caution as in some cases they appear to show higher male suicide rates when this may not be the case. It should also be noted that suicide is for many a last resort. Although in some cases, death is the main intention; in many others it is often a cry for help- the intention is to live, to feel worthy and to highlight one’s pain and problems in the most extreme ways. Bibliography Thompson, Kenneth. 1982. Emile Durkheim. London: Tavistock Publications. Sources: Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) Lester G, Lester d (1971) Suicide The Gamble With Death. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,  Prentice-Hall

Meno Essay -- essays research papers

There is not a great deal of context that is crucial to understanding the essential themes of the Meno, largely because the dialogue sits nearly at the beginning of western philosophy. Socrates and Plato are working not so much in the context of previous philosophies as in the context of the lack of them. Further, this is very probably one of Plato's earliest surviving dialogues, set in about 402 BCE (by extension, we might presume that it represents Socrates at a relatively early stage in his own thought). Nonetheless, in order to understand the aims and achievements of the dialogue, it helps to keep in mind some details about this lack of previous philosophies. Since neither virtue nor any other concept has yet been defined in the way to which we are now accustomed, Socrates has to show that defining these things at all is a good idea. In this task, his primary foe is Greek cultural custom and the political aristocracy that most strongly embodies that custom. Meno, a prominent Thessalian who is visiting Athens, is a member of this class. Meno's semi-foreign status aids Socrates (and Plato) in the dialogue, allowing for eyewitness accounts that Socrates himself could not give. Thus, Meno is able to say with authority that the Thessalians do not have anyone who can clearly teach virtue, while Socrates (and Anytus, a prominent Athenian statesman) can vouch for the sorry state of affairs in Athens. Meno is also a handy interlocutor for this dialogue because he is a follower of Gorgias, one of the most reputable of the Sophist teachers, and knows the Thessalian Sophist community to some extent. He therefore serves as a Sophist foil for Socrates' logical points. This is not quite a fair fight, of course, since Plato can put whatever words he wants in Meno's mouth, and because Meno is not himself an accomplished Sophist (like Gorgias, who is the central figure in a much lengthier Platonic dialogue). Nonetheless, Socrates sets Meno up early on as a naive believer in the kind of pompous, elaborately rhetorical, but largely vacuous Sophist method of philosophy that had come to prominence some forty or fifty years earlier. Meno readily admits to being an enthusiastic follower of Gorgias and implicitly agrees to Socrates' characterization of Sophist arguments as bold, grand, and presumptuous. In this sense, Meno is something of a straw man set up by Plato to highl... ...ue as straight knowledge or as a kind of mysterious wisdom revealed to us by the gods "without understanding." It is seen as likely that most virtuous men are so by holding "right opinions" rather than true knowledge. Right opinions lead us to the same ends as knowledge, but do not stay with us because they are not "tied down" by an account of why they are right. Thus, we can only depend on semi-divine inspiration to keep us focused on right opinions rather than wrong ones. This dilemma brings us back to Socrates' (and Plato's) original purpose--the mode of dialogic analysis Socrates pursues with Meno is meant first of all to show up wrong opinions. Secondly, it is meant to clear the ground for an inversion of the whole sequence of right opinion and truth. If the requirements for a definition of virtue can be filled, we would no longer need to test out opinions blindly (as is done throughout the Meno). Rather, we would have an account of virtue first--an idea of virtue that is "tied down"--and could determine the details from there. The Meno only pursues the first part of this project, but it lays a great deal of groundwork for the second.

Proposal for Pine Valley Furniture Ecommerce Webstore Essay -- Busines

Proposal for Pine Valley Furniture Ecommerce Webstore Now is the time to implement an Ecommerce webstore, and Eysie and Sehr Management Information System Consultants are the people who can make it happen. In an effort to maintain a competitive advantage Pine Valley Furniture needs to implement an ecommerce webstore. Making this transition and developing a webstore illustrates Pine Valley Furniture's commitment to change with the times and will prevent the loss of market share by competition. Trying to justify why Pine Valley Furniture needs to develop a webstore is futile, the reality is that developing a web-store for Pine Valley Furniture is a matter of survival. This proposal is a guideline and a road map in making Pine Valley Furniture a competitive webstore. First off, we need to focus on what our business objectives are and who our target audience is. As a corporation, our business objectives are to increase revenues for the shareholders while expanding our growth and lowering our costs. Market research has indicated that the areas of Corporate Furniture, Home Office Furniture, and Student Furniture have vast growth potential if properly managed on a webstore. If we are to create a webstore based fundamentally on pushing these three lines, we need to characterize what type of people will be buying these items. Corporate Furniture has a broader potentiality of selling in larger bulk quantities, while Student and Corporate Furniture will focus more on customization and personalization. Now that we had identified what it is that we want to sell on our webstore and who it is that we want to sell it to, we can now choose what type of hardware and software we will need. In order for our system to be operating at maximum efficiency, Eysie and Sehr Management Information System Consultants recommend a three tiered system because of existing system compatibilities. Tier one will consist of a web server layer, this layer will handle incoming internet requests, load balance requests, display html pages, route web requests to application server, and assemble data from an application server into web pages for clients. (George, 259) The second tier is the application server layer, this layer will authenticate users, process transactions, retrieve and send data to web server, and retrieve and send data to existing appli... ...dware is located off site, application is developed professionally and managed off site, and thus provides excellent emergency response. Some disadvantages of this option would be that it is inflexible, difficult to integrate with existing systems, and the resources are shared with other clients. (George, 258) The second option is to enterprise a resource planning system. The advantages of this would be stability and available documentation. Disadvantages of this option would be that it requires internal development, and would render documentation crucial during planning and development. (George, 258) The last thing that we need to address is how essential the commitment to this transition is. If this is going to be a successful transformation, the entire organization must exhibit unilateral support from the CEO throughout the entire organization. In conclusion, Eysie and Sehr Management Information System Consultants are willing to implement this ecommerce system for Pine Valley Furniture and are eager to do so as soon as possible. Works Cited: George, Hoffer, Valacich. Essentials of Systems Analysis and Design. 2nd edition, India. 2002 p. 149-258.

Unappreciated Characters of Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis :: Metamorphosis essays

The Unappreciated Characters of Metamorphosis The story of The Metamorphosis is one that is very subtle and very delicate. Kafka wrote in a fashion that would allow a reader to interpret the story in a way that may be different each time it is read. From the beginning, we see that a young, hard working, man, Gregor, has turned into a bug, and as the story continues, one can see that he was much more than an insect. What else could he be? Even after his death, it is obvious that Gregor was there for a cause. His family depended on him for their happiness. The purpose for his existence was to serve his family. His mother and father created him and were the driving force behind his physical change. There was a lack of communication that existed throughout the story that revealed how unappreciated they were of Gregor and his sister, who was on her way towards becoming like her brother. Gregor was very important to the family's welfare. At first he was the only working member of the family, and his job was very important; the whole future of Gregor and his family depended on it (p.84). For so long he wanted to quit his work, because he wasn't happy with it. But he said to himself, " Besides, I have to provide for my parents and my sister. (pp. 82-83)." He felt that his family was too dependent of him. When Gregor wouldnt let anyone in his room in fear that they would be horrified by his condition, he thought that his family was harassing him because he was in danger of losing his job, and because the chief would begin harassing his parents again for the old debts" (p. 76). At this point, everyone was angry and wanted him to get up for work. All that mattered to the family was what Gregor was able to provide. After his secret of change to an insect was discovered, they realized that he was no longer of any use to the family, and he was unappreciated in every way. He didn't have his job and no longer had anything to offer. "The house soon started to fall apart; the household was reduced more and more "(p.

The Pirate Bay

C ASE S TUDY The Pirate Bay: The World's Most Resilient Copyright Infringer? The Pirate Bay (TPB), a Swedish Web site (Piratebay. org), is one of the world's most popular pirated music and content sites, offering free access to millions of copyrighted songs and thousands of copyrighted Hollywood movies. In June 2011, The Pirate Bay reported that it had about 5 m illion r egistered u s ers, a nd 25 m illion n on-registered u sers ( so-called â€Å"free riders â€Å"). To p ut t hat n umber i n p e rsp ec tive, c onsider t hat i t is n early t hr ee t imes t h e p opulation o f S weden i tself (9 m illion).T he P irate Bay is r egularly i n t he t op 100 m ost p opular Web sites i n t he w orld, a nd r eac h es 1 % o f t he global I nt e rn et popula ­ tion, according to I nternet a nalysts i n 2 0ll. I n S weden, Norway, a nd t he Ne therlands, i t o ften r anks a s o ne o f t he t op 10 s ites. T his d espit e t he fac t t hat TPB h as b een s ubjected t o r epeated l egal effort s to s hut i t do wn . I t b ills itself a s â€Å"the world's m ost r esilient b ittorrent site. † But t he h attIe is far f rom over.T he I nternet i s b ecoming a t ough p lace f or m usic a nd v ideo p irates to m ak e a liv in g i n p art b e c aus e o f e nforce ­ ment a ctions, b ut m ore i mportantly b ecause o f new m obile a nd w ireless t echnologies t hat e nable h igh-quality c ontent to b e s treamed for j ust a s mall fee. Q. search Torrents I ~ I ~ 1::rt. J.!! 9! I! I ~ 1D! R..! 92 How d o I clo wn'o. d? == ­ F irst s ome b ackground. T he P irate Bay is p art o f a E uropean s ocial a nd p olitical m ovement t hat o pposes c opyrighted c ontent a nd d emands t hat m usic, v ideos, TV shows, a nd o ther d igital c ontent b e f ree a nd u nrestricted.I n t he w ords o f t he P irate Party, â€Å"the P irate B ay is a u nique p latform for d istributing c ulture b etween r egular p eople a nd i ndependent a rtists, a nd t hat's s omething w e w ant to p res erve. † I n a u nique t wist o n p rior e fforts to p rovide â€Å"free† m usic, T he P irate Bay d oes n ot o perate a d atabase o f c opyrighted c ontent. N either d oes i t o perate a n etwork o f c omputers o wned b y † members† w ho s tore t he c ontent, n or c reate, o wn, o r d istribute s oftware ( like BitTorrent a nd m ost o ther s o-called P2P n etworks) t hat p ermit s uch n etworks t o e xist i n t he f irst place.T hese w ere t he o ld t echniques for r ipping o ff m usic. I nstead, T he P irate Bay s imply p rovides a s earch e ngine t hat r esponds to u ser q ueries for m usic t racks, o r s pecific m ovie t itles, a nd g enerates a l ist o f s earch r esults t hat i nclude P2P n etworks a round t he w orld w here t he t itles c an b e f ound. By click ­ ing o n a s elected l ink, u sers g ain a ccess t o t he c opyrighted c ontent, b ut o nly a fter d ownloading s oftware a nd o ther files f rom t hat P2P n etwork. Voila' â€Å"No body, n o c rime. T he P irate Bay j ust l inks i ts u sers to s tolen m edia files. W hat c ould b e i llegal? T he P irate Bay c laims i t is m erely a s earch e ngine p rovid ­ ing p ointers to existing P2P n etworks t hat it d oes n ot i tself c ontrol. I t c laims t hat i t c annot c ontrol w hat c ontent u sers u ltimately f ind o n t hose P2P n etworks, a nd t hat it is n o d ifferent f rom a ny o ther s earch e ngine, s uch a s Google o r Bing, w hich a re n ot h eld r esponsible for t he c ontent f ound o n s ites l isted i n s earch r esults.F rom a b roader s tandpoint, T he P irate Bay's f ounders a lso c laim t hat c opyright l aws i n g en ­ eral u njustly i nterfere w ith t he f ree flow o f i nformation o n t he I nternet, a nd t hat i n a ny e vent, t hey w ere n ot v iolating S wedish c opyright law, w hich t hey f elt s hould b e t he o nly l aw t hat a pplied. A nd t hey f urther c laimed t hey d id n ot e ncourage, i ncite, o r e nable i llegal d ownloading. N ever theless, t he d efendants h ave n ever d enied t heirs w as a c ommercial e nterprise.D espite all t he t alk b y t he P irate P arty c alling for t he free, u nfettered s pread o f c ulture, T he P irate B ay w as a m oney-making o peration f rom t he b eginning, d esigned to p roduce p rofits for its founders, w ith a dvertising a s t he p rimary s ource o f r evenue. H owever, i n a r uling t hat p uts to r est t he n otion t hat t he l aw is a lways b ehind t he d evelopment o f t echnology, t he F irst S wedish C ourt i n S tockholm d eclared t he f our f ounders g uilty o f v iolating S wedish c opyright law, a nd s entenced e ach t o o ne y ear i n p rison a nd p ayment o f $3. m illion i n r estitution to t he p laintiffs, all S wedish d ivisions o fthe m ajor r ecord l abel f irms ( Warner Music, Sony, a nd EMI G roup a mong t hem). T he c ourt s aid â€Å"By p roviding a w ebsite w ith † . w ell-developed s earch f unc ­ tions, e asy u ploading a nd s torage possi bilities, a nd w ith a t racker l inked to t he w eb ­ site, t he a ccused h ave i ncited t he c rimes t hat t he file s harers h ave c ommitted. † T he c ourt a lso s aid t hat t he f our d efendants h ad b een a ware o f t he fact t hat c opyrighted m aterial w as s hared w ith t he h elp o f t heir site.T he p rison s entence w as j ustified b y † extensive accessibility o f o thers' c opyrights a nd t he fact t hat t he o peration w as c on ­ ducted c ommercially a nd i n a n o rganized f ashion. † I n o ther w ords, t he c ourt b elieved t he d efendants w ere e ngaged i n a c ommercial e nterprise, t he b asis o f w hich w as e ncouraging v isitors to v iolate t he c opyrights o f o wners. I n fact, t he p rimary p urpose o f T he P irate B ay w as to violate c opyrights i n o rder to m ake m oney for t he o wners ( commercial i ntent). Enable,† â€Å"induce,† a nd † encourage† c opyright i nfringement a nd † intent to sellà ¢â‚¬  a re k ey w ords i n t his r uling a nd T he P irate Bay case. T hese c oncepts g rounded i n W estern l aw a re n ot â€Å"disabled† b y n ew t echnology, b ut i nstead c an b e, a nd are, e xtensible to n ew t echnologies, a nd u sed to s hape t echnology t o society's n eeds a nd w ishes. I ndeed, t here's a c onsensus d eveloping a mong p rosecutors a nd c ourts w orld ­ wide t hat i nfringement is n ot j ustified s imply b ecause i t's t echnically p ossible to do i t o n t he I nternet.T he P irate Bay is a ppealing t he c ourt j udgment, h as p aid n o fine, a nd i ts o wners h ave, as yet, n ever s pent a n ight i n j ail. T he P irate Bay Web site c ontinues to o perate i n S weden m uch a s before. Well, almost. I n 2 0ll, t he f irm m oved i ts s ervers i nto c aves i n S weden, a nd d ispersed m ultiple c opies o f i ts p rogram to o ther c ountries j ust i n c ase Swedish police t ry t o confiscate its s ervers a gain. Meanwhile, t he u . S. g overnment p ressured t he S wedish g overnment to s trengthen i ts copyright laws to discourage r ampant d ownloading.I n S weden, downloading m usic a nd v ideos from illegal sites w as v ery popular, e ngaged i n b y 43% o fthe S wedish Inter ­ net p opulation. 1b s trengthen its laws, S weden a dopted t he E uropean U nion c onven ­ tion o n c opyrights, w hich allows c ontent o wners to receive f rom I nternet p roviders t he n ames a nd a ddresses o f p eople s uspected o f s haring p irated files. I n F rance, participat ­ ing i n t hese p irate sites will r esult i n b anishment f rom t he I nternet for u p to t hree y ears.As a result, I nternet traffic i n S weden d eclined b y 40 % , a nd h as s tayed t here. Like t he f ight a gainst t he o riginal C aribbean p irates o f t he s eventeenth c entury, g lobal forces c ontinue t o m arshal a gainst T he P irate Bay. N ot t he B ritish N avy t his t ime, b ut a l oose c oalition o f t he U nited S tates a nd a n umber o f E urope an c ountries .. T he f irm h as b een h ounded b y l awsuits, police raids, a nd c onfiscation o f s ervers i n F rance, Finland, Italy, G ermany, D enmark, I reland, t he U. K. , a nd G reece.T hese c ountries h ave i n s ome c ases r efused to allow I nternet s ervice p roviders i n t heir c ountries to h ost T he P irate Bay, o r l ink to T he P irate Bay, n o m atter w here i n t he w orld i ts s ervers a re l ocated. T he P irate Bay h as c aused E ngland, France, Malaysia, F inland, a nd m ost r ecently t he U nited States, to c onsider s trong i ntellectual p rop ­ erty p rotection l aws t hat w ill p revent d omestic s earch e ngines a nd ISPs f rom l inking to i nfringing sites, o r r esolving t heir d omain n ames. C alled t he P rotect IP Act, t he p roposed l egislation n ow i n t he U.S. S enate i s a n e ffort to s hut o ff t raffic f rom t he U nited S tates to offshore p irate s ites t hat h ave n o s ignificant u se o ther t han e ngaging, e nabling, o r f acilit ating t he illegal c opying o r d istribution o f c opyrighted m aterial i n † substantially c omplete form. † T he t arget s ites m ust b e † dedicated t o infringing. † I n a ddition, t he l aw w ould p ermit i ntellectual p roperty o wners a nd g overnment a gencies to s eek i njunctions a gainst i nfringing sites, p otentially s hutting t hem d own i mmediately u ntil t he i ssues c an b e a rgued i n c ourt.For o nshore sites, t he I mmigra ­ tion a nd C ustoms E nforcement (ICE) a gency a lready s eizes Web site d omains t hat v iolate U. S. laws o n I nternet g ambling a nd i ntellectual p roperty t heft, a nd r edirects t his t raffic to a Web p age h osted b y ICE e xplaining t he a ction. T he P rotect I P Act a nd s imilar l egislation i n E urope is o pposed b y civil l iberties g roups a nd s earch e ngine f irms s uch a s Google.T he E lectronic F rontier F oundation (EFF) b elieves d efining † dedicated i nfringing sites† c ould b e s omewhat a rbitrary, a nd t he l egislation i ntroduces t he p ossibility t hat g overnment a gencies c ould c ensor o r s hut d own Web sites, t hreatening f reedom o f s peech. Eric Schmidt, n ow C hairman o f Google, said i n May 2011 t hat Google will fight all proposed restrictions o n s earch e ngine linking b ecause t hey c ould â€Å"set a disastrous precedent† for freedom o f speech, a nd l ead to censorship similar to t hat i mposed b y C hina.Because Google's s earch e ngine is u sed b y m illions o f people e very d ay to find BitThrrent sites, Google itself is a major contributor to infringement, albeit unintentionally. Meanwhile, t he w orld's largest advertising agency, GroupM, h as k eelhauled T he P irate Bay a nd 2,000 o ther s ites worldwide b y p utting t he s ites o n i ts blacklist o f copyright infringing sites w here it will n ot b uy a dvertising space.Pirating intellectual p roperty is, above all, about t he m oney, as a ny good pirate knows. T h e P irate Bay case is j ust t he l atest i n a saga o f c ourt c ases involving t he r ecord industry, w hich w ants to preserve its d ominance o f c opyrighted music, a nd I nter ­ net u sers who w ant free music. I n 200S, after several years o f h eated c ourt b attles, t he c ase o f Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios v. Grokster, et al. f inally r eached t he u . S. Supreme Court.I n J une 200S, t he C ourt h anded d own its u nanimous decision: Inter ­ net file-sharing services s uch as Grokster, StreamCast, BitThrrent, a nd Kazaa could b e h eld liable for copyright i nfringement b ecause t hey i ntentionally s ought to induce, enable, a nd e ncourage users to share m usic t hat w as o wned b y r ecord companies. Indeed, i t w as t heir b usiness model: steal t he music, g ather a h uge a udience, a nd m onetize t he a udience b y a dvertising o r t hrough s ubscription fees. Since t he c ourt ruling, Kazaa, Morpheus, Grokster, BearShare, iMesh, a nd m any o thers h ave e ither . one o ut o f business o r s ettled w ith t he r ecord firms a nd c onverted themselves i nto legal file-sharing sites b y e ntering i nto relationships w ith m usic i ndustry firms. I n May 2010, M ark Gorton, founder o f t he l argest u. S. pirate site, LimeWire, lost a copy ­ right i nfringement case. I n May 2011, a dmitting h is guilt (â€Å"I w as wrong†), a nd h aving facilitated t he m ass p iracy o f billions o f s ongs over a lO-year period, Gorton a nd h is file-sharing c ompany a greed to compensate t he four largest record labels b y p aying t hem $10S million.T hese l egal victories, a nd s tronger g overnment e nforcement o f c opyright laws, have n ot p roven to b e t he m agic b ullet t hat m iraculously solves all t he p roblems facing t he m usic i ndustry. I n a ddition to t he i ssue o f illegal downloads, legitimate digital music sales h ave so far failed to m ake u p for falling CD s ales revenues. T he o nly h ope for t he m usic i ndustry is to cha nge its b usiness m odel a nd decisively move towards digital distribution platforms. H ere t hey a re m aking s triking progress b ut c ontinue to face r evenue declines.I n 2011, digital m usic sales a ccount for n early SO% o f industry r evenues, totaling $S. 7 billion, u p f rom $1. 9 billion i n 2006. I n 2 m2, digital sales o f m usic will exceed sales from CDs. I n 2011, a nnual r evenue f rom CD s ales is 1ess t han h alf of 200S1evels. Album sales o f 12 o r m ore songs, b oth digital a nd o n CD, a re also d own IS% a nnually o ver t he s ame p eriod. Since 2003, t housands o f r etail music stores have closed, a nd Walmart h as c ut b ack s helf s pace devoted to CDs a nd n ow c arries only t he t op titles.As CD sales o f complete albums p lummet, o nline m usic s ales o f singles are soar ­ ing rapidly, l ed b y iThnes. Sales o f digital m usic a t iThnes, Rhapsody, a nd e Music have b een growing a t a bout SO% p er y ear s ince 2006. Apple dominates t he m usical d ownload s cene a nd h as b ecome t he l argest retailer o f m usic i n t he U nited States, – SOURCES: â€Å"World's Biggest Ad Agency Keelhauls 2,000 Pirate Sites,† by Natalie Apostolu, The Register, June 14, 2011; â€Å"Internet Piracy and How to Stop It,† New York Times, June 8,2011; â€Å"The â€Å"Pirate Bay: FiveYears After the Raid,† by Ernesto, Torrentfreak. com, May 31,2011; â€Å"Why Google Would Defend Pirate Bay? ,† by Parmy Olson, Forbes, May 19, 2011; â€Å"The Protect IPAct: COICA Redux,† by Abigail Phillips, Electronic Frontier Foundation, May 12,2011; â€Å"Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft 01 Intellectual Property (Protect IP Act) 012011,† United States Senate, 112th Congress, 1st Session, 2011; â€Å"Pirate Bay Keeps Sinking: Another Law Suit Coming,† by Stan Schroeder, mashable. com, June 22, 2010; â€Å"Idea Man 01 LineWire at aCrossroads,† by Joseph Plambeck, New York Times, May 23, 2010; â€Å"Pirate Bay Sunk by Hollywood Injunction For Now,† by Charles Arthur, The Guardian, May 17 2010; â€Å"British PutTeeth in Anti ­ Piracy Proposal,† by Eric Planner, New York Times, March 14,2010; â€Å"How Pandora Slipped Past the Junkyard,† by Claire Cain Miller, New York Times, March 7, 2010. r eplacing Walmart. By 2011, t he i Thnes Store h ad s old o ver 15 billion songs, 450 million TV shows, a nd o ver 100 million movies, m aking i t t he w orld's m ost p opular o nline m usic, TV, a nd m ovie store.Its r evenues a re u p 75% i n t he l ast year. Driving t his p erformance, o f course, are t he s ales o f its various i-devices. By mid-2011, Apple h ad s old over 300 million iPods (all models), over 125 million iPhones, a nd 25 m illion iPads. A nd a ccording to a s tudy b y A rbor N etworks a nd t he U niversity o f M ichigan, p eer-to-peer t raffic is s hrinking d ramatically, a nd s treaming o f video a nd m usic f rom l egiti mate s ites h as g rown to o ver 10 % o f all I nternet traffic.R esearchers s urmise t hat c onsumers h ave j ust f ound i t a l ot e asier a nd m ore c onvenient t o access videos a nd m usic f rom t hese s ites r ather t han u sing P2P s haring s ites w here a m ovie c an t ake e ight h ours to download, a nd w here d ownloading m usic t racks c an also b ring a h ost o f m al ware w ith t he m usic. I n a ddition, t he w hole i dea o f â€Å"owning† m usic i n t he f orm o f records, tapes, CDs, a nd m usic files s tored o n y our h ard d rive is o ut o f d ate. While s ubscription m odels i n t he p ast d id n ot w ork, t hey w ere l imited t o s treaming m usic t o d esktop a nd l aptop PCs.I n t he w orld o f mobile I nternet d evices, t he i dea o f s treaming m usic all d ay l ong t o y our i Phone o r B lackBerry is m uch m ore a ttractive. I n 2011, P andora, t he m usic ­ streaming service, h as o ver 94 m illion r egistered u sers a nd 34 m illion s ubscribers, 30% o f w hom c onnect w ith s martphones. T he U. K. m usic s ervice Spotify o pened to U. S. c ustomers i n J uly 2011, a nd o ffers its 10 m illion s ubscribers a ccess to m ore t han 13 m illion s treaming m usic t racks t hat c an b e p layed i nstantly b y j ust d ragging t he s ong y ou w ant t o y our i Phone a pp.Users do n ot n eed t o w ait for d ownloads o r c lutter t heir h ard d rives a nd f lash drives w ith files, o r o rganize t he t housands o f s ongs o n t heir s torage devices. However, a d ownload s ervice was a dded i n 2011. I n e ach o f t hese n ew m edia d elivery p latforms, t he c opyright o wners-record c ompanies, a rtists, a nd H ollywood s tudios-have s truck l icensing d eals w ith t he t ech ­ nology p latform o wners a nd d istributors (Apple, Amazon, a nd Google).T hese n ew p latforms o ffer a w in-win s olution. C onsumers a re b enefitted b y h aving n ear i nstant a ccess to high-quality m usic t racks a nd v ideos w ithout t he h assle o f P2P software downloads. C ontent o wners g et a g rowing r evenue s tream a nd p rotection for t heir c opyrighted c ontent. A nd t he p irates? T he P irate Bay a nd o ther p irate s ites m ay n ot b e a ble to c ompete w ith n ew a nd b etter w ays to l isten t o m usic a nd v iew v ideos.Like t he r eal p irates o f the C aribbean, t echnology a nd c onsumer p reference for e ase o f use m ay l eave t hem b ehind. Case Study Questions 1. Do you think The Pirate Bay can continue to survive in a global Internet world? Why or why not? 2. Why is legislation like The Protect IP Act opposed by Google and civil liberties groups? 3. Do you think it is possible to reliably identify â€Å"dedicated infringing Web sites? † What criteria do you suggest? 4. Why does cloud computing threaten pirate sites?