Stanley Milgram’s Experiment on Obedience Essay Example

Stanley Milgram’s Experiment on Obedience Essay This simple experiment demonstrates how people behave in concrete situations. It tested how much pain an ordinary citizen could inflict on another person simply because he was commanded by authority. Stanley Milgram experiment was conducted to shed light on how the Nazi used the apparatus of Germany to exterminate Jews and other nationalities who were considered undesirable by the Nazis in Europe during the war. Social psychologists believe that at that time the only fringe segment of society is capable of extremely moral irresponsible behavior. Milgram disproved this assumption when he showed that ordinary people are also capable of committing violence. People obeyed the authorities even as it conflicts with internal personal beliefs. This paper looks at the ethical aspects and the contributory areas which the study helped especially in the field of psychology.The ExperimentThe â€Å"teachers† in the experiment served as subjects and were recruited by Milgram through the news paper ad. He offered $4.50 for one hours work. The â€Å"teachers† were then told that they were to take part in a psychology experiment investigating memory and learning. They were introduced to two experiment collaborators, the stern-looking experimenter, and the friendly co-subject who was an actor here. The co-subject and the â€Å"teacher† draw lots in a rigged manner that results in the â€Å"teacher† assuming the role of the real subject. To reinforce the authenticity of the experiment, the â€Å"teacher,† and â€Å"learner† were given a sample shock of 45 volts from the chair in which the â€Å"learner† will be strapped. The â€Å"teachers† were then told that the purpose of the experiment is to explore the effects of punishment for incorrect responses on learning behavior. The â€Å"teacher† was told to use a shock generator capable of producing a 15 to 450 volt shock with a 15-volt increment for wrong response. After the experiment, they were given the real debriefing of the experiment. Most subjects were shocked to discover that they were capable of such a deed and some even developed psychological problems. The results revealed that of the 40 subjects (â€Å"teachers†) in Milgram’s experiment, 68 percent delivered the full 450-volt capacity. Of the 40 subjects, 15 performed the task with nervous laughter.Implications of the Results of the StudyThe results of the study revealed that: 1) The person who is in authority is significant because the subjects were under his command to perform as tasked. 2) There was a gradual commitment that was observed which resulted in seemingly insignificant increase in commitment building. 3) The experiment had to be done as objective as possible because the prestige of Yale was on the line. 4) The delegation of authority shifted some of the moral weight of the experiment from the subject to the â€Å"experimenter.†Experts questioned this bec ause they say that experiments require the experimenter to seek informed consent so that subjects will know what they will be doing before they do it. Furthermore, as the experiment was conducted in other countries, the experiment was incorporated in the US military training as a required psychology course as part of command training. The experiment had a questionable ethical structure. Yet it contributes to psychology and the study of the behavior of man. This is in relation to the amount of regulation or supervision that parents undertake with their children. Controlling/demanding parents place limits on their children’s freedom of expression by imposing many demands and actively surveying their children’s behavior to ensure that these rules and regulations are followed. Uncontrolling/ undemanding parents are much less restrictive; they make fewer demands and allow children considerable freedom to pursue their interests and to make decisions about their own activitie s. This experiment points to the authoritarian parenting which is a very restrictive pattern of parenting in which adults impose many rules, expect strict obedience, rarely if ever explain to the child why it is necessary to comply with all these regulations, and often rely on punitive, forceful tactics (that is, power assertion or love withdrawal) to gain compliance. Authoritarian parents are not sensitive to a child’s conflicting viewpoints, expecting instead for the child to accept their word as law and to respect their authority.Putting this in the context of the Milgram experiment, we find that anything that is forced upon an individual and curtails his freedom is unethical and is not the best way to effect a change.Even in the military, war is a socially sanctioned and approved form of violence. The military services of many nations, including ours, drill young men over and over until they perform the act of killing automatically and choicelessly when a certain signal c omes. When the war is over, nothing is done to extinguish this conditioned readiness to kill so that, under stress, the ex-soldier may turn it even toward his own countrymen. He also often lives with a lifetime of prejudice toward people he learned were â€Å"the enemy.†The experiment leads us to the ethics of it and sends the message that man is indeed capable of violence when forced to do it. Violence has long been a part of our human tradition. An innate tendency toward acting violently exists in every one of us. Where we get into trouble is through the many ways our culture approves of the vicious expression of violence. By vicious, I mean destructive, non-problem-solving reactions that ultimately lead to further violence in a self-perpetuating way. We have too often tried to solve complex, frustrating problems with oversimplified response of the gun or the A-bomb.Other Ramifications on the issueThe issue of the quest for knowledge and the respect for people definitely ca n be made more distinctive in experiments such as these. The initiators need to spell out the boundaries in conceiving of an experiment. The Milgram experiment shows to all how the psychology of man and how his mind works. In a way, I have to realize as I ponder on the ramifications of the experiment that the essence of much of our violence, is this: We project the cause of our own unhappiness and dissatisfaction outward onto others, and try to attack it and eradicate it there.ConclusionsOur violence is a symptom of a deeper psychological disturbance  Ã‚   within us. It goes back to fear and pain and punishment. In my psycho-logic, I equate my â€Å"enemies† with those who punished and injured me when I was a child, with those who had little love for me, and with those who create conditions that make it easy for my life to be empty and loveless and unsatisfying now. In the end, Milgram states it succinctly, â€Å"For a man to feel responsible for his actions, he must sense that the behavior has flowed from the self.† It is only then that true change happens.;

Who is Beyonce

Who is Beyonce Introduction Beyonce is arguably the top female musician in the world. From a career that emerged from the success of an all-girl music group, she has received several accolades for her music and acting careers. Her success has attracted a lot of media attention from critics and fans alike.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Who is Beyonce? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, her recent engagement and wedding to rapper Jay-Z has even brought more media attention to the laid-back musician. Now, most entertainment observers consider Beyonce and Jay Z as America’s â€Å"power couple† (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). In several ways, Beyonce has been in the limelight for most parts of the last decade. Thus, different media have always contained different stories about her. This paper compares the singer’s image in the news media and academic literature by arguing that both sources share more similarities than differences in how they portray the artist. Notably, this paper shows that academic literatures are concerned with Beyonce’s role in female empowerment and healthy living, while her media image focuses on her glamour, music, sex symbolism, and style. The structure of this paper first analyzes Beyonce’s image in academic literature. Subsequent sections of this paper highlight her image in news media. The last section of this paper compares both images (in news media and academic literature). Image in Academic Literatures Symbol of Female Empowerment Professionally, Beyonce’s image has easily appeared besides other powerful African-American personalities, like Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and the likes. Most of these comparisons stem from Beyonce’s success in the music industry and her ability to transcend the superficial and stereotypical image of African American women, as objects of sexual gratification (with in the confines of white supremacy) (Celeste 11).Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While it is important to appreciate the individual successes of music icons, such as Beyonce, many academic journals have found it difficult to do so outside the confines of race (Fan 117). Thus, in many academic circles, many researchers largely perceive Beyonce as an icon of female empowerment (Celeste 11). Feminists have especially championed this view. For example, Murphy (96) says Beyonce is an icon in the success of the third wave feminist movement. This perception led Murphy to say, â€Å"Beyonce is a girl power icon who is average but, beyond her star status, she is overwhelmingly portrayed as a normal and powerful woman† (96). Indeed, in one journal article, Celeste says, â€Å"The media has portrayed Knowles as empowered and in charge, as a mask to make oppres sive forces, such as the â€Å"sexualization† of black women and white supremacy, invisible† (12). The depiction of Beyonce as a female icon has made it difficult for scholars to ignore the racial identity within the discourse of female empowerment. Indeed, many academic literatures appreciate Beyonce’s stature as a woman of color. Therefore, unlike most female icons (mostly white women) that demonstrate the â€Å"girl power† ideology, Beyonce has achieved the same stature by demonstrating multiple talents and performing abilities. Evidence of Beyonce’s multi-talented nature comes from her career launch in the pop group, Destiny’s Child. Murphy says, â€Å"As a dancer, songwriter, and choreographer, she later catapulted her success into new fields, such as acting and fashion design† (p. 97). Through such multi-variable talents, scholars have not shied from associating Beyonce’s success with the third wave of feminism. Certainly, they have done so by associating racial identities with discussions concerning the empowerment of young women. African-American scholars have especially used the success of young African-American women, like Beyonce, to inspire African-American audiences.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Who is Beyonce? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Health Image Although Beyonce has received global accolades for being a top female musician, her image has transcended her professional career and delved into her lifestyle attributes. Notably, she has curved out an image of being an enviable female icon for healthy living. Academic journals that focus on healthy living have especially affirmed this image because they say Beyonce has an ideal body that most women strive to have. For example, Apple (111) exposed a study which asked women to state the body type they would like to have (the researchers gave the women the options of choosing the body types of four female celebrities including, Beyonce, Kate Moss, Keira Knightly, and Queen Latifa). Most of the respondents preferred Beyonce’s body style (Men want a† 121). The emphasis on Beyonce as a fitness model stems from her widely publicized workout and diet plans. Concisely, her name has appeared in most health fitness regimes (Another jar of† 50). For example, Beyonce’s workout plan exists in healthyceleb.com and motleyhealth.com (these websites advice people how to live healthy by maintaining a proper diet regime) (Borges 7). For example, Beyonce advises women on how to lose weight, at healthyceleb.com. She gives a step-by-step account of the time she wakes up, the types of activities she does for exercise, and how her diet helps her to be healthy. In the same forum, she advises most young women to breastfeed, as a way to stay healthy (Borges 7). Here, she emphasizes the importance of a vegetarian diet and its role in keeping her healthy (Borges 7). From the huge responses she receives from the website, Beyonce also provides a link for people to contact her personal trainer and get more advice on healthy living. Her success in health education has permeated through most academic literatures. News Media Image Flamboyant Image Beyonce’s image in mainstream media contrasts with her â€Å"academic† image. While the above sections of the paper highlight Beyonce as a motivational icon for racial minorities in America, her public image in mainstream media portrays her as a glamorous and flamboyant person.Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As portrayed in the introduction section of this report, Beyonce’s image in news media largely premise on her superficial attributes, such as her sense of fashion, style, net worth, and the likes. For example, her recent marriage to rapper Jay Z has shifted most of her public image to her net worth, lifestyle, and influence in the music industry (Seno and Lukas 121). For example, many American newspapers picked an article from Forbes magazine to show the position of the â€Å"power couple† as America’s highest earning celebrity couple (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). Such news has always been associated with huge monetary figures, to show how rich the artist is, and how she compares with other wealthy celebrities in the country. For instance, mainstream media have often compared Beyonce and Jay Z to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Similar comparisons also exist with the celebrity couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bundschen (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par . 2). Sex Icon Besides the media’s obsession with Beyonce’s money and wealth, the singer has adopted an image of being a crossover sex symbol in American music. Indeed, most news media have referred to the singer as â€Å"bootylicious,† â€Å"voluptuous,† and similar acronyms to denote her status as a sex symbol (Seno and Lukas 122). Partly, the singer, through the former all-girl music group, Destiny’s Child, affirmed this image through songs, like â€Å"bootylicious.† However, mainstream media have emphasized this image as the singer’s trademark. Beyonce’s image as a sex symbol largely differs from the star’s academic image. Certainly, earlier sections of this paper show that, academically, scholars have perceived Beyonce as a role model for women worldwide (Celeste 11). Scholars have also disassociated the singer from stereotypical images of African-American superstars as sex symbols (Celeste 11). However, this image appears to disappear in the news media because her image consistently depicts her as a sex symbol. This image has not only existed in music videos and television, but also in print media. For example, â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† (par. 3) says, after Beyonce appeared on Tom Ford’s fashion show, in 2011, People magazine identified her as the world’s sexiest woman. Complex (a celebrity website) also named the singer the sexiest musician of all time. The list of other print media that have popularized Beyonce’s stature as a sex symbol is endless. For instance, VHA and GQ have also named the star as the sexiest woman of the century. This way, Beyonce has received several offers to appear on magazine covers from different entertainment outlets in America and Europe. Her success on this front has affirmed her image as a sex icon. Fashion Icon News media have also highly popularized Beyonce’s image as a fashion icon, to characterize her identity. Murphy (131 ) says this image has largely been popularized by mainstream media, but the Knowles family has also helped to cement it. For example, Beyonce’s mother co-authored a book, in 2002, titled, Destiny’s Style. She revealed that Beyonce’s fashion sense had a huge role to play in her success (Murphy 131). Independent fashion designers (who have worked with the star) have also reinforced this image. For example, one Italian fashion designer, Roberto Cavalli, also revealed that Beyonce’s success largely stemmed from her strong fashion sense (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 3). He made this statement after referring to the diverse fashion styles used by the singer during her performances. Indeed, based on an assessment of Beyonce’s music videos, it is difficult to dispute the fact that Beyonce’s fashion sense ranges from a continuum of classic to contemporary fashion styles. Again, magazines and other types of news media have not shied from affi rming Beyonce’s image as a fashion icon. For example, People Magazine listed Beyonce as the best dressed celebrity of 2012. Such rankings paved the way for the star to feature in more prestigious print media magazines, such as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuits Issue. Again, it is important to highlight Beyonce’s stature as an icon of African-American descent because she was the second African-American woman to feature in this magazine (Tyra banks preceded her debut on the Magazine). Musical Icon Since Beyonce started her solo career as an artist, after breaking away from Destiny’s Child, she has cut out an image as an influential and powerful musician. This image has largely dominated most mainstream media because many commentators have portrayed Beyonce as a great and influential musician. Music critics, for example, consider Beyonce as the greatest musician of all time (â€Å"Beyonce, Jay-Z Top† par. 1). Influential commentators, such as Jody Rosen of th e New Yorker, hold this view. Surprisingly, most news media have upheld this image of the singer for a greater part of the last decade. In fact, 2013 rankings showed Beyonce leads other artists in exerting the most influence in America’s music industry. Her musical prowess prompted Luhrmann (12) to say, No one has that voice, no one moves the way she moves, no one can hold an audience how she does. When Beyonce does an album, when Beyonce sings a song, when Beyonce does anything, it is an event, and it is broadly influential. Right now, she is the heir- ­apparent diva of the USA - the reigning national voice† (Luhrmann 12). Such views have brought a lot of national attention to Beyonce’s influence in mainstream music. The Guardian has even named her the greatest artist of the decade (Luhrmann 12). This image has elevated the mellow-voiced singer to iconic status in the music industry. This image has also enabled Beyonce to command unwavering respect in the ind ustry. Observers say her production of two great musical singles of the decade (crazy in love and put a ring on it) marked the reinvention of Rhythm and Blues (RB) music in the last decade. Indeed, Luhrmann (12) says through Beyonce’s contribution to the music industry, pop music has relied on the success of RB, as its favorite medium. Beyonce’s influence in the RB genre has also replicated in redefining the success of other musicians. For example, evidence shows that Beyonce’s works have influenced other successful RB musicians, such as Adele and Rihanna to succeed. Seno and Lukas (121) say Beyonce’s reputation, as a successful artist, mainly stems from her strong stage presence. Through her success on stage, other artists, such as Rihanna, have reinvented their stage performances to make them more entertaining and captivating. Beyonce’s success beyond music has spilled over into marketing and branding (Seno and Lukas 121). Here, she has also infl uenced other artists to participate in marketing campaigns. For example, in a recent interview, Nicki Minaj claimed that Beyonce’s commercial success in a Pepsi campaign motivated her to try the same in a 2012 global campaign. Through her influence in the music industry and other artists, mainstream media continue to affirm Beyonce’s image as a music icon. Conclusion After weighing the findings of this paper, it is important to say Beyonce’s image in news media and academic sources differ. Notably, both sources focus on different aspects of the celebrity. News media portray the singer as a sex symbol, musical icon, and fashion icon. Comparatively, academic literatures appreciate the artist for her contribution to female empowerment and health education. These two zones of focus highlight different aspects of Beyonce. News media highlights her superficial and glamorous aspects of life, while academic literature highlights her beneficial contributions to society. A comparison of these two aspects of analysis shows that academic literature and news media share one similarity of depicting Beyonce in a positive way. Although news media concentrates on her glamour and splendor, they still show Beyonce’s positive contribution to the music industry. Evidence of her contribution to the RB genre is the most notable contribution to the music industry. News media also portray her as a mentor to upcoming and existing musicians. Overall, an assessment of Beyonce’s image in academic and news media shows that both media are sympathetic to the artist. Furthermore, both depictions of Beyonce’s image do not exaggerate her achievements and contributions. Instead, they portray a factual image of her personality and achievements. Both perceptions (from news media and academic sources) are also not stereotypical (however, academic literatures show the stereotypical background that influences the perception of African-American artists, such a s Beyonce). Comprehensively, this paper shows that there are more similarities than differences between how academic literatures and news media portray Beyonce. Another jar of baby food? Nutrition Food Science 39.1(2009): 49- 53. Print. Apple, Michael. â€Å"Democratic Education in Neoliberal and Neoconservative Times.†Ã‚  International Studies in Sociology of Education 21.1 (2011): 111-118. Print. Beyonce, Jay-Z Top Forbes’ Highest-Earning Celebrity Couple  List. 2013. Web. Borges, Marco 2012, Beyonce Knowles Workout Routine Diet Plan. Web. Celeste, Manoucheka. I’m Universal: Beyoncà © and the Re-Packaging of Black  Women in Media, Boston, MA: TBA, 2013. Print. Fan, Weihua. â€Å"Social Influences, School Motivation and Gender Differences: An Application of the Expectancy-Value Theory.† Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology 31.2 (2011): 117-122. Print. Luhrmann, Baz 2013, The 2013 Times 100. Web. Men want a body like Beckham. Nutrition Food Science 41.4 (2011): 238 – 241. Print. Murphy, Caryn. New Girl Order: Youth, Gender, and Generation in Contemporary  Teen Girls Media, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press. Print. Seno, Diana and Lukas Bryan. The equity effect of product endorsement by celebrities: A conceptual framework from a co-branding perspective. European Journal of Marketing 41.1 (2007): 121 – 134. Print.

How to Become More of a Morning Person

How to Become More of a Morning Person You hear a lot, especially around the new year, about early birds getting worms and how important it is to start your day off right with all these morning rituals. But what if your morning ritual is sleeping as late as possible, then snapping at everyone in your path until your triple shot of coffee kicks in? Here are a few strategies to train yourself to be a morning person.Get enough sleep.This is the number one most important factor to waking up fresh: getting enough sleep. Try to normalize your sleep routine. Start going to bed religiously at a certain time that leaves you sufficient sleep before your desired wake-up time. Be consistent. Try to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. If your desired schedule is really far from where you are now, start working back to it slowly, in 20 minute increments until you’re in the groove.Make waking up a gentle experience.Turn off that honking awful alarm and switch it to something more soothing and fun that makes you want to get out of bed. If you can,  leave your blinds open so you will get a flash of natural light to help jumpstart your body clock.Protect your time.Having enough time to do the things you need to do in a day and still take care of yourself can be difficult. Learn to say â€Å"no† to added activities and obligations. Slash an hour out of your day that’s just for you (to sleep!).Create your own rituals.Give yourself a bedtime ritual and follow it religiously. Turn off your electronics for at least an hour before turning in. Lay out your lunch and clothes and materials for the morning. Make your to-do list for the next day. Have a soothing cup of tea and get into a cozy robe. Make sure you have a nice sleeping area as well- new sheets never hurt at times like these!Reward yourself.Give yourself treats for accomplishing your early rise. Some ideas: set up all the elements to create your favorite breakfast, or save a podcast to listen to  while you’re in the shower. Maintain a healthy lifestyle.There’s no underestimating eating right and exercise in your new sleep pattern project. Exercise boosts energy- particularly when done in the early morning, and so does feeding your body the good things that it needs. Especially protein. You’ll be setting yourself up for all kinds of success- not just with your sleep schedule.Give yourself a reason.Keep your mind on why you’re trying to carve out this new habit. Eyes on the prize. Make it mean something to you and you’re more likely to stick with it.Try an app.If you need a little outside intervention, try an app like Better Me, or Sleep Cycle, or Wake n Shake.

Green Buildings in Saudi Arabia Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Green Buildings in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example The researcher of this dissertation chapter states that it has been expected that regulation of Green Buildings would become obligatory in Saudi Arabia in the recent times. The government and the industry have been obtained to work together in this regard such that a common standard may be incorporated and applied in the process. Water and energy savings in buildings have also been considered significantly where the Ministry of Electricity is effectively involved with the Green Building Council and other associated companies. The researcher describes that green building that practices the creation of structures and use of processes intending to increase the effectiveness of use of resources like energy, water, and materials, at the same time plummeting the impacts of building on human health and the surroundings during the lifecycle of the building, with the use of enhanced design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal, has been considered in the strategic plan by the Gul f countries like Dubai. The researcher also analyzed and discussed the availability of using different regulations in the country, energy efficiency of Saudi Arabia, air and indoor environmental quality of green houses and causes leading to increased demand of power and electricity in Saudi Arabia today. In conclusion, it is stated by the researcher that It can be expected that in the near future the country would be able to successfully achieve the green building constructions for the purpose of living and work in the country.

Did Religion Shape Politics in the 1980's Research Paper

Did Religion Shape Politics in the 1980's - Research Paper Example Examples of the churches existing in the 1960’s are Catholic and Protestant ones (Goff 316). By late 1970’s, other groups of faith started emerging, and it was evident that it would be the norm. People started taking their stand regarding leaders and their faith. Some leaders were identified according to their faith. Religion has been known as the social glue that binds the constituent elements of societies together; by doing so, it underwrites the social order (Djupe and Olson 114). When civilization comes in the picture, a person wants to know what makes his or her counterpart civilized. It is very simple when considering religion as a key factor. A civilized person has conviction in something, at least the person feels or thinks there is a reason behind everything happening in his or her life. The civilization of a person in a societal was based on the religion of the person apart from being able to read and write. Religion of a person is quite imperative to the person and to the society. Someone’s faith may be the key to having what he or she thinks is best in a societal setting. One can say religion is the engine of a number of things. Yes Response It is obvious that religion did shape politics in the 1980’s. The impact of religion on politics is what brought about civil religi on in America in early 1967. Civil religion in America was defined as an institutional collection of sacred beliefs about America as a nation. The civil religion also believed that there was a transcendent being called God. The citizens believed that God had laws and rules that governed them, and the fact that God was guiding and protecting the Americans. All the leaders believed in some faith including the Reagans although they never clearly showed their religion, they were known more as protagonists than religious individuals (Wilson and DiIulio 221). Majority of American leaders were identified with the particular faith they believed to be significant. As people became more enlightened about the civil religion in America, it was not referred as the civil religion anymore, it was known as the individual credence of a person. Religion played a noteworthy role in the early 1980’s. How can one explain the fact that every standing candidate wanted to be identified with a partic ular religion? It is so clear for fame or civilization. Religion, as much as it helped unite peoples, became a tool for hypocrites to hide their true colors. Politicians went to religious functions to be seen to support a particular faith. Some of the politicians did not even believe in God or any other superficial being. The politicians worshipped their social status and money (Peterson 121). When someone sees that he or she is sharing a church with a particular politician, it is quite understandable if the person would want to vote for that particular politician. Politicians employed religion to get power, to get people to trust their ideas and visions. Religion has been known to identify people that are civil from those that are not civil. It is normal for a politician to run for a particular seat in the pretence that he or she shares in a particular faith. When people saw politicians in their different churches, they believed they were the right people to lead their nation or st ate. There is no argument to this; it is not erroneous for people to trust such a person. Politicians learned about this fact, and they used it to their advantage on the expense of the unsuspecting

Impact of War in Tim OBriens The Things They Carried :: Things They Carried Essays

Impact of War in Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried      For young people, the Vietnam War is a thing of the past and they can only learn about it from second hand sources. In Tim O'brien's The Things They Carried, it becomes very apparent that the Vietnam conflict has proved to be one that many of the participants have not been able move away from, while getting on with their lives. O ²brien shows that the conflict takes on a parasitic form that eats away on its victims for the rest of their lives.      A parasite is defined as an organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while harming its host. The war in this case takes the place of the organism, and the host becomes the soldiers. There are several examples of the parasitic nature of war through out the book. In one particular section, Tim O'Brien returns to Vietnam with his daughter. Twenty years had gone by, but it seems as though all of his thoughts are geared back to the time he had spent in the jungle so long before.   The two of them travel all over the country, but before their departure, he returns to the field where he feels he lost everything.   On this list he includes his honor, his best friend, and all faith in himself. For O'Brien, evidence of the parasite is not solely in his return Vietnam, but rather a constant personal preoccupation that seems to flow through the collection of stories. O'Brien shows how the memories of the war take on a parasitic form, and uses himself as an example.      In the chapter  ³Speaking of Courage ², O'Brien introduces a character by the name of Norman Bowker. In the story Norman finds him self home after serving his time in Vietnam. Even though he is back in his home town, things do not seem the same to him. The was seems to have put a new spin on his life. Most of the story he spends driving in circles while thinking about the war and his lack of place in his old society. The war becomes his whole life, and he feels as though he is to far distant from the town people for them to understand. The reader then finds out that Bowker

Leadership and Supervision Issues in Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea Essay

Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea describes the tragic final voyage of the Nantucket-based whaler Essex in 1820. The Essex was a floating factory, a comparatively small but sturdy vessel designed to travel great distances to find, kill, and process whales, thus yielding the extremely valuable whale oil and other products. In the Heart of the Sea also describes a series of errors, mishaps and miscalculations—often with fatal results—in the management, leadership and supervision of the enterprise. These events, despite the distance in time, provide scenarios to compare and contrast present-day concepts of leadership and supervision. The story of the Essex illustrates numerous instances of (a) poor planning before and during the journey, (b) poor staffing decisions before and during the journey, (c) indecisive and/or poor leadership and (d) poor supervision which contributed to the difficult journey, the sinking of the Essex and the horrible aftermath. Typical of the practices of the era and locale, Essex was captained, but not owned and provisioned, by a sailor-officer who had risen through the ranks. This would be the first command voyage of Captain George Pollard, Jr. By all accounts he had successfully risen to First Mate of the Essex on previous voyages and was given captaincy when the former captain was given a newer and larger vessel. Unfortunately he inherited a worn ship soon to be out of commission. Accordingly the owners spent as little as possible on repairs of the vessel and even less on provisions for the multi-year cruise. There is no indication Pollard had any input in either decision. As this was his first command he was likely to remain in his employers’ good graces and refrain from insisting on better repairs and outfitting. To further compound these initial as well as future problems was the wage payment structure in which Pollard and the crew were essentially working on commission. Payment to officers and seamen alike would be a portion based on rank and seniority paid only if the valuable whale oil was safely in port. Other experienced captains had the ability and option to add to the original provisions. Pollard either decided to set sail despite the meager provisions or was unable to supplement them by his own means. This system strongly contrasts to management practices of the day as well as contemporary practices. Owner-operated businesses were not at all uncommon in the era with a strong â€Å"hands-on† style of leadership. Most striking would be the owner-operated vessels with a captain well-versed on ship maintenance and outfitting. Obviously today anyone would be considered naive at best and insane at worst to take on such a logistical task of any sort without having been given decision-making authority. Today even with companies having distant or publicly held ownership the leadership and decision-makers of the company are urged to â€Å"buy into† the company in the sense of making decisions and leading in a manner consistent with actual ownership. If Pollard can be excused to some extent for the poor decision-making at home port, the disastrous lack of planning during his maiden voyage is his burden alone. After almost loosing his ship virtually at the onset of the voyage he is either unable or incapable of tactical or strategic planning when the Essex is destroyed. With a previously damaged vessel prudence would dictate some sort of â€Å"disaster plan† short of a belief that lightening will not strike the same place twice. While the Essex was sinking it was the foresight of others who managed to salvage essential items. Some decisions defied common sense. Instead of cooking and preparing a substantial amount of available turtle meat he simply placed two live turtles with each surviving whaleboat. Perhaps Pollard did not think the unthinkable could happen again. Such planning and preparedness is not something novel, for his era or ours. It is simply the ability to survive the unexpected and the wisdom to learn from it. Contemporary leadership in management, government, and virtually any other field must be prepared for the unexpected. The unexpected and the disastrous will certainly occur, usually when least expected. It then also becomes a learning experience for leadership to plan and think for the â€Å"unplanned and unthinkable†. Consistent with the idea of poor or non-existent planning was the Nantucket concept of staffing vessels with the unskilled. Pollard’s ship was manned by a significant number of â€Å"sailors† who had never lived in Nantucket nor experienced life on a whaler. Other â€Å"sailors† included inexperienced Nantucket youngsters anxious for their first cruise as well as officers sailing in newly-promoted ranks. It was expected of Pollard and his officers to essentially conduct on-the-job training for the unskilled staff. However, once again, if Pollard can be excused for having to deal with something out of his control, the staffing decisions made during the disaster were his alone. Most glaring was the decision regarding the placement of the survivors in what would become their lifeboats. No consideration was given to skill, ability or health. Instead, it was a system based on whether a sailor was black or white, Nantucketer or not. Apprenticeships and on-the-job training are time-honored practices dating back centuries and still valid today. Both systems are based on both a lengthy or at least sufficient period of time and a non-critical or at least supervised situation. The apprentice or OJT worker will make mistakes and is given the opportunity to make them and learn from them in a controlled situation. Once skilled, the staffing pattern must be developed to maintain whatever production or quality standard is to be met. In an emergency situation such decisions must be made by leadership without being distracted by pointless issues of race, class, or place of birth. Again, Pollard can be shielded to some extent by the customs and practices of his day. Contemporary leaders have no such excuse. Decision-making is often made in the lonely vacuum of sole command, something that Pollard, at times, was unable or willing to do. â€Å"Leadership by consensus† was not something he learned, but he did indeed practice. Additionally, indecision is in fact a decision, and one that eats time. After the initial near-fatal keeling of his ship Pollard commits both errors: he abdicates sole leadership, procrastinates, reverses himself, and by trying to lead by consensus ultimately leads his ship to disaster. Again, forces work against Pollard. To turn back with a damaged empty ship would result in no wages and possibly a loss of command. By deciding to continue the voyage with a damaged ship, lost provisions, and lost whaleboats Pollard was not talking a calculated risk, he was essentially dooming his ship and crew to disaster. Modern management case studies abound with the disastrous stories of managers failing to decide and having that â€Å"activity† yield worse results than a bad decision. Most missions are time-critical and while many, if not most missions can have a built-in method of correcting erroneous decisions there is no method for reversing time lost in indecision. The texts are equally full of the horror stories of leaders who take the â€Å"ahead at all costs† attitude without a realistic appraisal of whether their â€Å"ship† can handle the journey. This inevitably results in the learned experience that â€Å"profitability at all costs† is very unprofitable. After the sinking of the Essex a variety of decisions were made, some based on common sense, or lack of same, and others based on the nautical knowledge of the time. Perhaps the most glaring was the decision to allow the surviving whaleboats to operate in an individual fashion, without tying together during the night. While a questionable seafaring decision, it casts some light on broader contemporary issues. During critical situations, whether a production run or a full-scale emergency it is common sense and a practical necessity to maintain communication and command. Failure to maintain either can jeopardize the personnel and the mission. In the Heart of the Sea is filled with numerous examples of poor supervision. From the very onset there is no indication Pollard really supervised the repair and provisioning of his vessel; it all likelihood he delegated a great deal of this responsibility to his First and Second Mate. There is no indication he did a thorough, hands-on investigation of his damaged vessel after the initial near-sinking. Once whaling he was out in a whaleboat, as was the custom, instead of being in a position on deck to supervise all of the events that would unfold. There is no indication he personally undertook a surveillance of Henderson Island to determine if it could sustain the crew, or in the alternative, if it could better provision the survivors on their continued voyage. During many of the catastrophic events Pollard seemed overwhelmed and incapacitated by the situation. He was unable to command and supervise what can only be described as life-threatening or life-saving activity unfolding in front of him. Once all was lost he decided to allow the boats to go their own way, and was unable to maintain the supervision of survivors when that was his most critical duty. Throughout the disastrous journey the questionable command of Pollard is and will be debated. What is certain is there was considerable doubt at the time that he exercised the decision-making responsibilities in a prudent manner. The captain of a ship and the leader of a corporation must be able to face a situation, whether mundane or critical, and make very quick and decisive actions. First and foremost is the decision of whether to take a â€Å"hands on† approach or delegate responsibility. There is no easy or set answer, and either method can be disastrous, if a leader usurps a subordinate’s better command of a situation or if responsibility is delegated to someone incapable of handling the situation. However, the command of a ship is unique and very similar to many organizational situations in that the leader at the very top is expected to be well-versed and capable of every function in the entire organization. If that is not the case, then the leader must have a clear understanding of his personal abilities and limitations as well as that of all of the subordinates in the chain of command. Throughout the narratives and accounts which the book is comprised of there is mention of, and no doubt that the captain knew his ship better than anyone. However, it became very obvious at the onset that his knowledge of his and his officers’ capabilities was suspect. At only one point was Pollard described as acting with the authority and decisiveness normally required of a ship’s captain. He quickly and ferociously responded to an early â€Å"protest† by the crew relating to what they considered poor rations. His outburst and threatened action quelled the protest and certainly left the crew with no doubt of his intent. However, what is missing is the not-unusual comments and attitude from crewmen indicating complete respect of their captain and their willingness to follow his commands, regardless of outcome, because of their knowledge of him and his ability. It is imperative upon leaders to not just know their workplace, but to know their staff. It is not enough to â€Å"go ballistic† once in a while to let the staff know what will happen if something is discovered amiss or in response to what behavior is not to be tolerated. Command through intimidation is foolhardy; what is necessary of leadership is to prove competency to staff and subordinates to the point where there is no doubt there is respect in the leader’s ability. At that point leadership becomes â€Å"natural† if and when the staff and subordinates believe the leadership will in fact lead, but do so in a manner that takes into account the well-being, if not survival, of all. In modern society â€Å"survival† is often economic survival, and depending on the organization or industry economic survival must be paramount in management’s priorities. Pollard lost on both counts; the voyage was a complete economic disaster and resulted in the deaths of the majority of his crew. The journey was a voyage of poor planning, staffing, decision-making and supervision. It is an epic of missed opportunities and unrealistic goals. It is a blueprint for any manager or leader in what not to do. Leadership cannot afford to be unprepared in any of the areas noted above. Each interact and influence the other, often in ways unanticipated and noted only too late. It is easy, but very necessary to look at situations with twenty-twenty hindsight if lessons are to be learned and errors prevented in the future. There is a host of what-if questions presented by In the Heart of the Sea which every leader should take to heart.