Hospitality and tourism marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Hospitality and tourism marketing - Essay Example Tourism product portfolio has following dynamics. There are quality issues, relative uniqueness, themes and potential target audience. The product gets support from these elements. In order to comprehend this relatively new field of Hospitality and Tourism Marketing, one needs to refer to rudimentary aspects of Marketing (Dolnicar, 2008).Rationale for the above mentioned product portfolio has buying decision behind it. It deals with assessment on target customers in context of their aspirations (stimuli). It includes income, safety, visa, psychological goals and offer that are floated in core and supplementary offers. Availability of information about the offer is second step where by customer tends to check alternatives. Here information must be apt and attractive. This is because of the fact that stimuli might have been catered by the core and supplementary products but necessary conveyance of information is also important. Decision once taken will lead to post purchase analysis wh ich will be very important so far as suggestion/ feedback is concerned. Satisfaction leads to regular customer-ship. A study on rating by Chinese tourists stated that Shopping, Entertainment and Participatory activities bagged highest rating whereas tourism experts marked Dining/Eating out, Participatory activities and entertainments as the most favorite activities. In Amsterdam Market, the customers will be gauged on certain determinants.

Suicidal messages Essay Example for Free

Suicidal messages Essay However, the early 2000s werent as kind to Carey. After signing an 80-million-dollar deal in 2001 with Virgin the biggest record contract ever she experienced a very public personal and professional meltdown that included rambling; suicidal messages on her website; an appearance on TRL where, clad only in a T-shirt, she handed out Popsicles to the audience; and last but not least, the poorly received movie Glitter and its attendant soundtrack (which was also her Virgin Records debut). Both the film and the album did poorly critically as well as commercially, with Glitter making just under four million dollars in its total U. S. gross and the soundtrack struggling to make gold sales (Johnson, 2001). Following these setbacks, Virgin and Carey parted ways early in 2002, with the label paying her 28 million dollars. That spring, she found a new home with Island/Def Jam, where she set up her own label, MonarC Music. In December, she released her ninth album, Charmbracelet, which failed to become a success. The Emancipation of Mimi After more than a decade of hits that include the staggering success of 15 #1 singles, Carey released her most revealing album to date, The Emancipation of Mimi, in April of 2005. Entirely written and co-produced by the gifted Carey, her tenth studio album is an intimate portrayal of both the challenges and successes that she experienced during her rise to unparalleled fame. Carey explains the inspiration behind her new album, With this album, I am embracing my independence and celebrating the person that I have become. Over the years, I have evolved into a better person and an even better artist. For the first time in my life, I am proud and unafraid to be who I really am, and thats what the music of this album and its title reflect. By naming my album The Emancipation of Mimi andreferencing ‘Mimi a nickname only used by those closest to me, I am inviting my fans into my life. A brilliant artist who has co-written every song on each of her albums since 1990, Mariah Carey has consistently shown her willingness to express herself both as a remarkable vocalist and an acclaimed songwriter. The Emancipation of Mimi offers more than a glimpse into Mariahs world featuring tunes like the heartfelt Circles and Fly Like a Bird, with their positive messages of affirmation and hope. While being honest and vulnerable in expressing her emotions through songs like I Wish You Knew and Joyride, Mariah leaves no doubt that she is a woman who speaks her mind. The infectious, edgy Its Like That, co-produced by Jermaine Dupri is the albums first hit single and a definitive statement of where Mariah stands at this point in her life, and is her fastest climbing single in five years. At Present On April 15, 2008, Mariah released her latest album, entitled â€Å"Touch My Body†. Already well acclaimed by the critics, the album serves as a culmination of the fact that Mariah Carey is indeed back and better than ever. She has put all of her past ordeals behind, as is now just looking to push through with her ever increasing success. With â€Å"Touch My Body† as a number one hit, she overtook Elvis Pressly as having the most number one hit singles of all time. Truly, this was a sign of good things to come for the very talented singer and song writer. During the month of May, Mariah Carey married actor Nick Cannon in what was considered as one of the biggest shockers of the year. Cannon, who was more than a decade younger than Carey, is considered by many to be perhaps â€Å"the luckiest man†, with Mariah Carey estimated to worth tens of millions of dollars. Many doubt their marriage as a publicity stunt, but the couple has presented themselves to be well into their marriage. But only time will tell whether this marriage is built to last, or Cannon will be just another chapter in Mariah Careys roller coaster life. Charitable Works Apart from her musical achievements, Mariah Careys depth of person stems from her love and support of children in need; evident through her continuous involvement in a host of charities dedicated to ensuring their happiness and well being. Mariah is devoted to such charities as The Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Fresh Air Fund, Save the Music, and The National Adoption Center to name a few. With an unwavering effort through appearances, concerts, and donations to these organizations, Mariah has raised millions of dollars. Her generous involvement and on-going support of the Fresh Air Fund resulted in Camp Mariah, the funds first camp named in honor of an individual. Conclusion To conclude, Mariah Carey has indeed had a very colorful career since she broke into the music scene almost twenty years ago. She has proven time and time again that she is here to stay, and have weathered all the trials that have been thrown at her. With a voice that is unmatched and a song writing skill that is rare these days, Mariah has been able to reinvent herself in each single and keep her sound fresh for her fans. Of all the successes and failures that she has experienced, one thing is for certain: Mariah is not going to go down easily, and she will remain atop the charts until someone takes the throne away from her. References Mariah Carey – Awards (2008). IMDb. com. Retrieved 30 May 2008 from http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0001014/awards Mariah Carey – Biography (2008). IMDb. com. Retrieved 30 May 2008 from http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0001014/bio Johnson, Kevin C (2001). Mariah Careys New Glitter Is a Far Cry from Golden. † St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. F. 5.

The Impact Of Employer Brand On Recruitment

The Impact Of Employer Brand On Recruitment The human resource is a key resource available to an organisation and as such, recruitment and selection of the right candidates to join the organisation is a key factor in the success of the organisation. All possible strategies should therefore be applied to ensure that the organisation attracts, recruits and retains quality human resource. One strategy that employers can use is effective branding. This research proposal focuses on the perception of employer brand and the extent to which it can be used to enhance the recruitment and selection process. The important factors identified are the identification of perception of employer brand, the evaluation of the Impact on prospective employees of the organisation, and the extent to which the brand can be used to enhance the recruitment and of the right candidates to join the organisation. Research Objectives The general objective of the study is to determine the effect that employer branding has on recruitment and selection of employees. The specific objectives are; To establish the perception of Employer Brand among Employees and Potential Recruits. To determine the effect of employer brand on employees and potential recruits. To establish the strategies that employers can use to ensure that their brand enhances recruitment and selection. Literature Review Employer Brand Armstrong (2008) defines employer branding as the creation of a brand image of the organization for prospective employees. Armstrong (2008) thus suggests that employer branding implies employers reputation, image of the organization, employer value proposition and internal marketing. On their part, Barrow and Mosley (2005) view employer branding as the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company. The main role of the employer brand therefore is to provide a coherent framework for management to simplify and focus priorities, increase productivity and improve recruitment, retention and commitment. Barrow and Mosley (2005) list the constituents of the employer brand as; the need for recognition of individual talents and capabilities, work-life balance, remuneration inequalities and inclusive culture. According to Martin et al., (2005) the employer brand is the image of the company seen through the eyes of its associates and potential hires, and is intimately linked to the employment experience of what it is like to work for the said organisations. The employment experience is a combination of tangible factors like remuneration and benefits and intangible factors like company values and culture (Martin et al., 2005). A complementary perspective to employer branding is documented in Pinkess (2008) as an organisations Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda. From this perspective, organisations seen to engage in environment degrading activities, or dealing in products that are known to be harmful such as cigarette manufacturers face challenges of ethical concerns from potential recruits. Effect of employer brand on employees and potential recruits In the highly connected Global Village that is todays marketplace, people join brands and leave managers. Rosethorn and Mensink, 2007 argue that a brand offers a promise, and a customer buys that promise and if satisfied, continues to buy the product and speaks well about it. A good Brand delivers distinctively and consistently on this promise and the same would extend to Employer Brand; in this case the customer is the Employee or Potential Recruit (Rosethorn and Mensink, 2007). The customers of Employer Brand will therefore buy the promise as portrayed by the Employer Brand and choose to work for the Employer, and if satisfied continue to buy more by choosing to remain with the organisation, and speak well about the Employer Brand. Strategies to ensure employer brand enhances recruitment and selection of employees The future of Human Resources lies in increased awareness of Employer Brand as the War for Talent intensifies. The advent of the Web and easy access to considerable amount of information at, literally speaking our fingertips, has fundamentally changed how people seek insights and answers of where to work. This according to Saratin and Schumann (2006) defines how an organisation communicates to its current and future talent, the experience it offers as a workplace. The differentiator for many an organisation is not the mode of communication it chooses to depict itself, but the actual experience it conveys to Employees and Potential Recruits, and this reinforces that Employer Brand should be firmly rooted at the centre of the recruitment and selection process. Martin et al. (2005) expound that to attract the best talent, the organisation needs to ask itself, What is the compelling and novel story that we can tell people about working here? How do we tell the story to potential and existing employees in a way that convinces them of the reality of what we have to offer? (Martin et al., 2005). In identifying Strategies to ensure Employer Brand enhances Recruitment and Selection, Pinkess (2008) contends that there are four major steps or approaches undertaken to enhance the Employees and Potential Recruits view of the organisations Employer Brand. The first step, which is largely non-existent now, is the Do Nothing stage; in this case the organisations do nothing or the bare minimum in terms of CSR and Employer Brand Enhancement. The next stage Dont feel bad, in this the organisation is self-critical about its CSR, and has taken steps to address the concerns. This is followed by Feel Good stage, where CSR is sufficiently ingrained in an organisation resulting in pride and positive orientation of prospective recruits. At the peak of Employer Brand enhancement is the Its what we do stage, where the CSR agenda is fully integrated in the business model and employees accept it as part and parcel of their daily lives. Research Methodology The Research Objectives make it unpractical to categorically select either Qualitative or Quantitative method and as such, a hybrid approach will be adopted. This approach is explained by Saunders et al (2009) as Pragmatism that mixed methods, both qualitative and quantitative, are possible, and highly appropriate within one study (Saunders et al, 2009). Again given the nature of the Research Objectives, the research approach is necessarily hybrid, combining deductive and inductive approaches as is elaborated further in this section. Data will be collected by use of a questionnaire, where the first objective will be addressed by use of open ended questions. The second objective will make use of a likert scale and the third objective by a combination of open ended followed by scaled questions. This strategy of designing the questionnaire is based on the purpose of research as outlined by Saunders et al., (2009); that is largely explanatory, as opposed to exploratory. The Literature review has outlined the major factors in Employer Brand perception, this adds to the weight of choosing questionnaires as the preferred method of data collection. The population of the Study comprises of Employees and Potential Recruits. Given that the identification of those potential recruits who chose not to engage with the organisation as a result of their perception of the Employer Brand Communicated is not practically possible, the target population will be the Employees and Potential Recruits who have chosen to engage. The Data Collection Exercise is expected to be carried out by administering the Research Questionnaire to a random sample of Employees who have been recruited in the last twenty four months. The sample will be representative of Employees and Potential Recruits, by using Stratified Sampling of various Departments and Physical Locations. The time frame of twenty four months is selected to enable the Research address the extent of influence of Employer Brand on these recruits, in addition to considering the memory of the said recruits fading over time, and other factors clouding the recruits judgement having worked in the organisation for longer. A shorter time frame may not provide a sufficient sized sample to make the Research Meaningful. Objective 1: To establish the perception of Employer Brand among Employees and Potential Recruits. This Objective requires an Inductive approach to qualitative analysis, as expounded by Saunders et al., 2009. In this approach the research commences without a clearly conceived theory defining Employer Brand. The purpose of the Research objective is to establish the perception of Employer Brand. The theory is expected to emerge in the process of data collection and analysis. The Data thus collected will be analysed using Content Analysis. This process as explained by Adams et al. 2007 includes the identification and counting of Key Words and Phrases which are found in response to the perception of Employer Brand. The frequency of these is then tabulated for analysis. The data thus collected will be categorised into key emerging themes that define the employees perception of Employer Brand. This data will then be pictorially represented in a Histogram or Bar chart to identify the Key factors that identify the Employees Perception of Employer Brand. The process outlined above will have established the perception of Employer Brand among Employees Objective 2: To determine the effect of employer brand on employees and potential recruits. This Objective is addressed by means of scaled questions used to ascertain the impact of Employer Brand on Employees and Potential Recruits. The data collected is classified as Categorical Ranked (Ordinal) Data as described in Saunders et al. 2009. Since the relative position of each case is known, but the gap between consecutive ranks cannot be numerically precise. The Data collected will be pictorially presented in the form of Pie Charts to depict the distribution of each rank for easier visual representation. The Data collected under this Objective being non-numerical, would not be suited to the determination of the mean value, however the mode, median and percentiles would prove useful in summarising this type of data as proffered by Tharenou et al. 2007. The Data thus collected would then be tested for association between the Independent Variable (Employer Brand) and the Dependent Variable (Impact on Recruitment and Selection) by subjecting the values to a chi-square test. This test calculates the probability that the data could occur by chance alone (Saunders et al. 2009). Should the data collected, as expected, have a very low probability of occurring by chance, it would now be appropriate to test for Correlation. Correlation coefficients range from +1 denoting a perfect positive correlation to -1 denoting a perfect negative correlation. A coefficient of ZERO would denote absolute independence. (Saunders et al. 2009) However, in real life these values are seldom obtained. Values reflecting weak or strong, positive or negative correlations are obtained and the appropriate conclusion drawn therefrom. Given that the data collected under this section is Categorical Ranked (Ordinal) the appropriate test for correlation is the Spearmans rank correlation coefficient (Spearmans rho) would be applied to determine the correlation coefficient. The results of this test will have addressed the Objective of determining the extent of Impact of Employer Brand on Employees and potential Recruits. Objective 3: To establish the strategies that employers can use to ensure that their brand enhances recruitment and selection. This objective can be assessed only if the results of the Correlation testing of Objective 2 yields a reasonably strong Positive Coefficient. In the unlikely case that the analysis of the Data collected under Objective 2 yields either a Negative Correlation or Very weak correlation bordering on Independence then this Objective will be rendered redundant. There will remain no value in attempting to identify how (the perception of) Employer Brand may be used to enhance Recruitment and Selection, as the research will have intimated that Employer Brand has no positive Impact on Employees and Potential Recruits. However, under the Hypothesis that there is a correlation and the extent of this correlation is significant, the Research Questionnaire will be designed with a combination of open ended questions addressing the How and scaled questions to address the relative importance of each factor in the Recruitment and Selection process. The Data thus collected under this Objective will be subjected to Content Analysis for identification of the How as explained under Objective 1, and the scaled questions analysed in line with the Categorical Ranked (Nominal) Data Analysis steps outlined under Objective 2. This process will have addressed the Objective of identifying how (the perception of) Employer Brand may be used to enhance Recruitment and Selection. Ethical Issues As outlined by Saunders et al. 2009, ethical issues will arise across all stages of the Research Project and will affect all parties i.e. The Researcher, the Sponsor, the Gatekeeper and the Participants. The Sponsor has a right to useful Research, in this case the Sponsor will find use of the Strategies identified as part of Objective 3, that will enable the Organisation ensure the Employer Brand enhances Recruitment and Selection. In the context of this Assignment the Gatekeeper who controls access to the Participants is expected to be an integral part of the Sponsoring Organisation, and the rights are mutually served. The Researcher should not be subject to undue influence by the Sponsor at the Research formulation and design stages, where the Sponsor may have a predetermined conclusion to the research. The researcher also deserves unhindered access to Participants, without coercion from the Gatekeeper or Sponsor during the Data Collection Exercise. The access to participants as identified in the Research Design should not be restricted nor altered to include favourable participants, in order to produce unbiased results. Finally, in the Data Analysis and findings, the Researcher must be shielded from any sort of influence to interpret the perception of Employer Brand, the Effect of Employer Brand on Employees and the Strategies to enhance Recruitment and Selection. The Researcher correspondingly is obliged to analyse the Data and Report the findings without any bias and preference, and objectively present the findings i.e. let the Data collected speak for itself. Of overwhelming concerns are Ethical issues affecting the Research Participants, key among the issues are Privacy, Voluntary Participation, Consent, Confidentiality, Reactions, Effects and Objectivity. The Participants have a right to Privacy and non- intrusion in their participation. The participation in the Research has to be totally voluntary, with no coercion or influence for the Researcher or the Sponsor, and the option to withdraw from the Research remains at the jurisdiction of the Participant. The Participants also need to be assured of the anonymity of their participation, as the primary Data Collection Instrument is a Questionnaire. This ensures confidentiality of responses, and protection from any repercussion including but not limited to harm, embarrassment, discomfort or pain, for a response that may be deemed unsuitable. Finally, the Participants deserve to be treated with Respect, and with impartiality and objectivity by the Researcher, to ensure no bias or influence is experienced in the responses. Limitations The key limitation expected in this Research proposal is the access to those candidates who are not employed by the Organisation. The assumption is that the population of new employees will be representative of the total population of unselected recruits. A precautionary note needs to be made that the above assumption is countered by the fact that the Potential Recruits who choose not to engage with the Organisation will necessarily have a different perception of the organisations Employer Brand, and this data if captured will in likelihood have a considerable effect on the Final Results. Conclusion The Perception of Employer Brand, as observed in the various contributions of HR practitioners and Management Experts, plays an important role in the Recruitment and Selection of talent for an organisation. This Research is expected to produce a thorough and well documented analysis of the Perception of Employer Brand among Employees, the Impact of Employer Brand on Recruitment and Selection and the derivation of Appropriate Strategies to ensure that the Employer Brand enhances Recruitment and Selection. The Data collected and analysed as explained above will objectively enable the Organisation to draw appropriate and relevant conclusions.

Comparison Of Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass Essay -- Compar

Comparison Of Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass America, a land with shimmering soil where golden dust flew and a days rain of money could last you through eternity. Come, You Will make it in America. That was the common theme of those who would remove to America. It is the common hymn, the classic American rags-to-riches myth, and writers such as Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass had successfully embraced it in their works.Franklin and Douglass are two writers who have quite symmetrical styles and imitative chronology of events in their life narratives. They both approached their story with a "rags-to-riches" idea. In addition, we must realize that both Franklin and Douglass are powerful writers. In that sense, I mean that Franklin was a "well-educated" man in which he filled his life with bountiful knowledge through reading and productive dialogues with peers. On the other hand, Douglass mode of writing, like ones of William Lloyd Garrison's is sentimental and contains compelling language.In The Autobiography by Franklin and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Douglass, both narrations are generally composed of series of life events and encounters with hardship that eventually brought them success. I shall put forth some parallel ideas of both the authors have in common. In Franklin's Autobiography, his chapters of life events and improvements are symbolized by his travels, especially on the boat. His first travel signifies his "new beginning" and it caused great hardship. He was "cut so a miserable fi gure" when he started out. (Franklin, 1771:196). However, Franklin was quick to gain ground. His move to another city or country signified his advancement and his prologue to his success to come are in his description of his boat travels. By this I mean that, Franklin intentionally gave the details of his boat travels to prepare the reader for the kind of successes or failure that he was going to face in the next chapter of his life. For example, he described his first travel as an unpleasant one, and nevertheless his first move to another city was a struggle. In Franklin's later travels, he spoke of being around some prominent figures such as Governor Hamilton and nonetheless, he landed with a successful job at a famous Printing House in Bartholomew. With this characteristic in mind, Douglass's narration ... ...nt of maturity. In addition, both authors think that matured readers in general are harder to persuade compared to younger readers (those at the of 16 to 18). This is why both Franklin and Douglass intentionally set their "rebellion stage" at the age of 17. This is to encourage the "less stable" teenage readers to dare do something different and to not compromise with normality. This less-stableness would enable these teenage readers to be more receptive to radical ideas. With this thought in mind and armed with Americans vulnerability in believing the rags-to-riches myth, Franklin and Douglass are able generated effective and persuasive narrations.With such effective writing prose, the authors created well-fabricate compositions which modeled upon the "rags-to-riches" chronology.These are the myths, Americans live by them and the country survives with them. Thus, it is the American Dream. Works Cited: Douglas, Frederick. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (The Harper Single Volume American Literature 3rd edition) 1845:p.1017-1081 Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography. (The Harper Single Volume American Literature 3rd edition) 1776: p.282-284.

Anxiety Among Alcoholics and Non-Alcoholics Essay

Abstract Alcohol is one of the most widely used drug substances in the world. For many people, drinking alcohol is nothing more than a pleasant way to relax. People with alcohol use disorders, however, drink to excess, endangering both themselves and others. In the mental health area alcoholism is caused mostly by depression, anxiety and stress, on the other hand it also leads to depression and stress. The present study aims to compare depression and anxiety among alcoholics and non- alcoholics. It was assumed that depression and anxiety may be the risk factors for alcoholism. A sample of 100 people (50 alcoholics and 50 non-alcoholics) was randomly selected from Delhi. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used to collect data on depression and anxiety. t-test was administered to compare two groups. The result of the study showed that alcoholic group was higher on depression as well as anxiety than the non alcoholic group, and it was also found that there is n o clear cut casual relationship between alcoholism and depression and anxiety. Alcoholism is perhaps most strongly associated with antisocial personality disorder and drug abuse, but its relationship to other forms of psychopathology has become increasingly evident. In particular, investigations of alcoholic samples indicate a strong co-occurrence of alcoholism with diverse form of anxiety and depressive disorder (Barbor et al, 1992; Chambless et al, 1987; Hasegawa 1991; keller 1994; Nunes, Quitkin & Berman, 1988; Penick, 1994; Schuckit, Irwin & Brown, 1990). ______________________________________________________________________ *Associate professor, Deptt. Of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh **Research scholar, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. According to Nijhawan (1972) Anxiety, one of the most pervasive psychological phenomenons of the modern era refers to a â€Å"persistent distressing psychological state arising from an inner conflict†. Depression can be defined as â€Å"a state of mind, or more specifically, a mental disorder, characterized by lowering of the individual’s vitality, his mood, his desires, hopes, aspirations and of his self-esteem. It may range from no more than a mild feeling of tiredness and sadness to the most profound state of apathy with complete, psychotic disregard for reality.† (Mendelssohn, 1963). Alcoholism can lead people into serious trouble, and can be physically and mentally destructive. Currently alcohol use is involved in half of all crimes, murders, accidental deaths, and suicides. There are also many health problems associated with alcohol use such as brain damage, cancer, heart disease, diseases of the liver, depression anxiety and other mental disorders. Results from community surveys and epidemiologic samples indicate that substantial comorbidity also exists for depression, anxiety and alcoholism in the general population (Regier et al, 1990; Helzer & Pryzbeck, 1988; Kendler et al, 1995). The high co-occurrence of these syndromes, therefore, represents a significant clinical and public health issue that is likely to affect a substantial proportion of the general population. Although the comorbidity of alcoholism with anxiety and depressive disorders has been extensively documented in both clinical and epidemiologic investigations, the specific mechanisms underlying these associations remain a source of debate. One widely accepted hypothesis is that these forms of comorbidity reflect a causal relationship of alcoholism with anxiety and depression. Support for a causal association is based partly on observations that alcohol is commonly used to self- medicate symptoms of negative affect, and so, alcoholism often develops as a secondary diagnosis to anxiety and depression (Meyer & Kranzler,1990; Hesselbrock, Meyer & Keener,1985; Lader,1972; Merikangas et al,1985). The 18-month follow-up of participants of the Psychiatric Morbidity among Adults Living in Private Households, 2000 survey (Singleton & Lewis, 2003) provides an opportunity to determine whether excessive alcohol consumption and abnormal patterns of use are risk factors for incident anxiety and depression in the general population. The study also examined the reverse relationship, considering whether anxiety and depression are risk factors for the development of abnormal patterns of alcohol consumption. However, evidence for a causal relationship is not unidirectional as alcoholism is often observed as a primary disorder, and the presence of problem drinking itself may generate severe anxiety or depressive syndromes (Mendelson & Mello, 1979, Nathan, O’Brien & Lowenstein, 1971; Schuckit, Irwin & Smith, 1994; Stockwell, Hodgson & Rankin, 1982). Heavy alcohol consumption has been implicated in the development of anxiety and depression (Schuckit, 1983). Many cross-sectional studies have identified considerable comorbidity between anxiety and depression, and alcohol abuse. For example, data from four large community based epidemiological studies (n>422 000) in Europe and the USA consistently demonstrated a two- to threefold increase in the lifetime prevalence of anxiety and depression in those with DSM–III or DSM–III–R alcohol abuse or dependence (Swendsen et al, 1998). If anxiety disorders and alcoholism are casually related, there should be a high rate of alcoholism among patients being treated for anxiety disorders. Two studies (Torgersen, 1986; Cloninger et al, 1981) of the prevalence of alcoholism in patients being treated for anxiety neurosis were identified. These investigations suggest a lifetime population prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence of approximately 14%. The survey of the relevant literature made it quite obvious that much of the studies show a prevalence of depression and anxiety among alcoholics. However, previous studies have also pointed out the possibility of alcoholism as risk factors for depression and anxiety. At the same time, literature does not provide any clear cut direction towards the casual relationship between alcoholism and depression and anxiety. Thus, despite the strong association of alcoholism with anxiety and depressive disorders, no universal consensus has been reached regarding the specific mechanisms underlying these associations. The present study aims to identify depression and anxiety among alcoholic and non-alcoholic peoples. Method: Sample: sample of the present study consisted of 100 subjects (50 alcoholics and 50 non alcoholics). The alcoholics were identified through survey from different living areas (including rural, urban and semi-urban) of Delhi and 50 alcoholics were randomly selected for the study. In the same way the non-alcoholic subjects were also selected randomly from different parts of Delhi. The age range of the subjects was between 25 to 50 years. Tools: â€Å"Beck Depression Inventory† BDI -2nd was designed by Beck, Steer & Brown (1996). This self report scale has shown to document levels of depression. BDI -2nd edition contains 21 items, each answer being scored on a scale value of 0 to 3. The cut offs used are 0-13 Minimal depression; 14-19 Mild depression; 20-28 Moderate depression; and 29-63 Severe Depression. Higher total scorer indicates more severe depression symptoms. â€Å"Beck Anxiety Inventory† was designed Beck, Epstein, Brown, Steer (1988). This self report scale has shown to document levels of Anxiety symptoms in a valid and consistent manner. BAI contains 21 items each answer being scored on a scale value of 0 to 3. Each symptom item has four possible answer choices: not at all (assigned value =o); Mildly (it did not bother me much) (assigned value=1); Moderately (it was unpleasant but I could stand it) (assigned value =2); and Severely (I could barely stand it) (assigned value =3). The values for each item are summed together to yield an overall or score for all 21 symptoms that can range between 0 and 63 points. A total score of 0-7 is interpreted as a minimal level of Anxiety, 8-15 as ‘mild’, 16-25 as ‘moderate’ and 26-63 as ‘severe’. The BAI is psychometrically sound. Interval consistency ÃŽ ± =.92 to.94, for adults and test-retest (one week interval) reliability is .75. Procedure: The test for depression and anxiety were administered on the subjects individually after establishing the rapport with them. Each and every item was explained to the subject, and then he was asked to respond truly for the item. Thus data was collected for depression and anxiety from alcoholic and non-alcoholic people. t-test was applied to find out the significance of difference between the Mean scores of different groups. Results: TABLE-1 Showing comparison of Mean for depression and anxiety scores between the alcoholics and non-alcoholics Variables| Groups| N| Mean| Std.deviation| t | df| P| depression| Alcoholic Nonalcoholic| 50 50| 35.7600 17.1000| 10.17913 6.15530| 11.092| 98| .01*| Anxiety| Alcoholicnonalcoholic| 50 50| 38.0800 18.3200| 11.55261 6.18570| 10.662| 98| .01*| *Significant at .01 level of confidence TABLE-1 further shows the results obtained by the comparison of alcoholics and non alcoholic group for depression and anxiety. The obtained results show that the mean depression score (M=35.7600) for alcoholic people is higher than the mean depression score (M=17.1000) for non alcoholic people, and the difference between the two means (t=11.092) is statistically significant at .01 level of confidence. Consequently it reveals the findings that alcoholic people have higher depression than the non-alcoholics. The TABLE-1 also shows the results of the comparison of alcoholic and non-alcoholic people on anxiety. The mean anxiety scores (M=38.0800) of alcoholics is found very much higher than the mean anxiety scores (M=18.3200) of the non-alcoholics and the two means difference (t=10.662) is statistically significant at .01 level of confidence. It indicates that alcoholic people have higher anxiety than the non-alcoholic people. Discussion: The basis of the above results may safely be concluded that the alcoholics are highly depressed and extremely anxious than the non-alcoholic people. However, the high prevalence of these anxiety and depressives’ symptoms does not necessarily mean that these alcoholic individuals will demonstrate the long term course or require the long term treatments associated with DSM-III-R major depressive and anxiety disorders. The temporal nature of the association between Depression & Anxiety and alcohol is difficult to determine from studies, which uncertainty arising as to whether alcohol is a risk factor or a form of self –medication. The finding of the present study support the findings of Hartka et al, (1991) that reported a significant correlation between baseline consumption of alcohol and depression at follow-up based on data from eight longitudinal studies. However, in this analysis control of confounders was limited to age, gender and interval between measurements. Overall, our findings are contradictory with those of Wang & Patten (2001) who observed no excess morbidity among those who drank daily, those who drank in binges (more than five drinks), those who had more than one drink daily, and among drinkers in general. Alcohol dependence was not considered. Similarly, in a randomly selected community cohort with follow-up at 3 and 7 years, Moscato et al (1997) found no excess incidence of depressive symptoms among those with ‘alcohol problems’ (defined as a DSM–IV diagnosis of alcohol dependence or abuse or drinking more than five drinks a day on one or more occasions per week). It may safely be concluded on the bases of previous literature and result of the present study that there is no clear cut casual relationship between depressive and anxiety disorder and alcoholism. In the similar way our findings of the study show that the alcoholics are more depressive and anxious than the non alcoholics. Though it does not show any clear cut picture either alcohol is risk factor for depression and anxiety or depression and anxiety is a risk factor for alcoholism. References Babor, T., Wolfson, A., Boivin, D., Radouco-Thomas, S., Clark, W. (1992). Alcoholism, culture, and psychopathology: A comparative study of French, French Canadian, and American alcoholics. In: Helzer, J., Canino, G. (eds): Alcoholism in North America, Europe, and Asia. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 182-195. Beck, A.T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., Steer, R.A. (1988). â€Å"An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric Properties, Journal of Consulting and clinical Psychology; 56:893-897 Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., & Brown, B.K. (1996). Beck Depression Inventory 2nd Ed.). San Antonio. Tx; Psychological Corporation. Chambless, D., Cherney, J., Caputo, G., Rheinstein, B. (1987). Anxiety disorders and alcoholism: A study with inpatient alcoholics. J Anxiety Disord; 1:29-40. Cloninger, C.R., Martin, R.L., Clayton, P., Guze, S.B. (1981). A blind follow-up and family study of anxiety neurosis: preliminary analysis of the St Louis 500, in Anxiety: New Research and changing Concepts, Edited by Klein, D.F., Rabkin, J. New York, Raven Press, Hartka, E., Johnstone, B., Leino,V. (1991). A meta-analysis of depressive symptomatology and alcohol consumption over time. British Journal of Addiction; 86: 1283-1298. Hasegawa, K., Mukasa, H., Nakazawa, Y., HK., Nakamura, K. (1991). Primary and secondary depression in alcoholism-clinical features and family history. Drug Alcohol Depend; 27:275-281. Helzer, J., Pryzbeck, T. (1988). The co-occurrence of alcoholism with other psychiatric disorders in the general population and its impact on treatment. J Stud Alcohol; 49:219-224. Hesselbrock, M., Meyer, R., Keener, J. (1985). Psychopathology in hospitalized alcoholics. Arch Gen Psychiatry; 42:1050- 1055. Keller, M. (1994). Dysthymia in clinical practice: Course, outcome and impact on the community. Acta Psychiatr Scand; 383(Suppl):24-34. Kendler, K., Waiters, E., Neale, M., Kessler, R., Heath, A., Eaves, L. The structure of the genetic and environmental risk factors for six major psychiatric disorders in women. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995; 52:374-383. Lader, M. (1972). The nature of anxiety. Br J Psychiatry; 121: 481-491. Mendelson, J., Mello, N. (1979). Medical progress: Biologic concomitants of alcoholism. N Engl J Med; 301:912-921. Mendelssohn, V.P. (1963). Depression in incyclopedia of mental health. Vol.II, Franklin Walts, Inc. Merikangas, K., Leckman, J., Prusoff, B., Pauls, D., Weissman, M. (1985). Familial transmission of depression and alcoholism. Arch Gen Psychiatry ; 42:367-372. Meyer, R., Kranzler, H. (1990). Alcohol abuse/dependence and co-morbid anxiety and depression. In: Maser J, Cloninger C (eds): Comorbidity of Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press: 283-292. Moscato, B., Russell, M., Zielezny, M. (1997). Gender differences in the relation between depressive symptoms and alcohol problems: a longitudinal perspective. American Journal of Epidemiology; 146: 966-974. Nathan, P., O’Brien, J., Lowenstein, L. (1971). Operant studies of chronic alcoholism: Interaction of alcohol and alcoholics. In: Roach, P., Mclssac, W., Creaven, P. (eds): Biological Aspects of Alcohol. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press;. Nijhawan, H. K. (1972). Anxiety in school children. New Delhi : Wiley Eastern Private Limited. Nunes, E., Quitkin, F., Berman, C. (1988). Panic disorder and depression in female alcoholics. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry; 49:441- 443. Penick, E., Powell, B., Nickel, E., Bingham, S., Riesenmy, K., Read, M. (1994). Comorbidity of lifetime psychiatric disorder among male alcoholic patients. Alcohol Clin Exp Res; 18:1289-1293. Regier, D., Farmer, M., Rae, D., Locke, B., Keith, S., Judd, L. (1990). Comorbidity of mental disorders with alcohol and other drug abuse: Results from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study. JAMA; 264:2511-2518. Schuckit, M. (1983). Alcoholic patients with secondary depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140: 711-714. Schuckit, M., Hesselbrock, V. (1994). Alcohol dependence and anxiety disorders: What is the relationship? Am J Psychiatry, 151:1723-1734. Schuckit, M., Irwin, M., Brown, S. (1990) .The history of anxiety symptoms among 171 primary alcoholics. J Stud Alcohol; 51:34-41. Schuckit, M., Irwin, M., Smith, T. (1994). One-year incidence rate of major depression and other psychiatric disorders in 239 alcoholic men. Addiction ; 89:441-445. Schuckit, M., Tipp, J., Bergman, M., Reich, W., Hesselbrock, V., Smith, T. (1997). Comparison of induced and independent major depressive disorder in 2,945 alcoholics. Am J Psychiatry; 154:948-957. Singleton, N. Lewis, G. (2003). Better or Worse: A Longitudinal Study of the Mental Health of Adults Living in Private Households in Great Britain. London: Stationery Office. . Stockwell, T., Hodgson, R., Rankin, H. (1982). Tension reduction and the effects of prolonged alcohol consumption. Br J Addict; 77:65-73. Stockwell, T., Smail, P., Hodgson, R., Canter, S. (1984). Alcohol dependence and phobic anxiety states. II. A retrospective study. Br J Psychiatry; 144:58-63. Swendsen, J., Merikangas, K., Canino,G. (1998). The comorbidity of alcoholism with anxiety and depressive disorders in four geographic communities. Comprehensive Psychiatry; 39:176-184. Torgersen, S. (1986). Childhood and family characteristics in panic and generalized anxiety disorders. Am J Psychiatry; 143:630-632 Wang, J. & Patten, S. B. (2001). Alcohol consumption and major depression: findings from a follow-up study. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry; 46: 632-638.

Conversation Analysis

Conversation Analysis Conversation is absolutely instilled throughout every corner of every day for the totality of our lives. Whether it is on your favorite morning talk show, a casual encounter with a roommate, or admitting an undying love to your significant other, our lives, along with our realities, are entirely shaped by the conversations we allow ourselves to become continually engulfed in.With so much of our daily lives revolving around the conversations in which we are a part of it becomes clear that the underlining meanings, or messages, of these conversations could very well be the motor that keeps our realities in a state of progress. Conversation is interactional, philosophical, emotional, and entirely necessary in order to fulfill and express any type of accomplishment. When these conversations, these parts of our lives, are put under a trained mental microscope with the motive of finding a better understanding of the interaction taking place, it is referred to as Conve rsation Analysis (CA).Conversation Analysis’ method is aimed at determining the methods and resources that the interactional participants use and rely on to produce interactional contributions while also making sense of the contributions of others (Schegloff, 2007). What follows in this essay is an in-depth look at the practices and methods of Conversation Analysis showing that a better understanding of one’s conversation(s) will ultimately lead to a better understanding of one’s reality; while also showing that every utterance fulfilling some kind of act, or task, and is entirely motive driven toward the accomplishment of one of these tasks.Conversation Analysis is the study of social interaction, embracing both verbal and non-verbal cues and conduct. As a field of study, Conversation Analysis was developed in the late 1960’s by Sociologist Harvey Sacks with the help of his associates Emanuel Schegloff and Gail Jefferson. Harvey Sacks is commonly regarde d to as the ‘father’ of the particular study. Conversation Analysis is frequently embodied into the works of sociology, anthropology, linguistics, speech communication, and psychology just to name a few.Although similar, Conversation Analysis differs from Discourse Analysis because its focus is squarely on the processes involved in social interaction, and does not include the work of written texts (Sidnell, 2010). To create an accurate analysis of conversation the interaction should not be viewed from a far or from a perspective that is external to the participants own reasoning and understanding of their circumstances and communication (Sidnell & Stivers, 2012).The analysis in which we are going to use as an example for the remainder of the essay focuses primarily on the functions of turn taking, adjacency pairs, repair, and speech acts; all common perspectives in the field of Conversation Analysis. The format of a conversation can be relatively easy to understand; one party communicates, the remaining parties respond in somewhat of a positive feedback loop; meaning that the feedback loop of the conversational system is continually going around with the addition of new information and new utterances, thus a positive feedback loop.This way of conversation is simply called ‘turn-taking’ implying that it is not a lecture style of communication with primarily one party conducting the conversation, rather an interaction where one party’s conversation is influenced and working together with a separate party’s. After establishing the turn taking method of conversation we are able to take it one step deeper and analyze the chosen utterances. While turn taking the two parties will be exchanging what are called ‘adjacency pairs;’ adjacency pairs are composed of two utterances, one after the other.The first pair provokes a response from the second party, such as: ‘Hello, how are you? † could provoke a resp onse such as: â€Å"Fine, how are you? † That is an adjacency pair. When the conversation fails to provide a relevant response to the pair; for example: If â€Å"Hello, how are you? † were to be responded to with â€Å"My favorite color is purple. † The responder has failed to provide a relevant response and has done what is considered to be a breach of conversational maxim, or the maximum of relevance. If such a breach were to happen one can resort to what is called ‘Repair. Repair is a self-righting mechanism that describes how parties in conversation deal with problems in speaking, hearing, or understanding. If the previous example of â€Å"My favorite color is purple† was said due to a misinterpretation of the required response to repair the conversation they might immediately say, â€Å"Oh, I’m terribly sorry I must have misheard you, I’m doing well how are you? † Lastly, this essay will focus on what are called ‘Spee ch Acts;’ the main goal of the utterance, the underlining message of the conversation.For example, telling someone that you will meet them at 7:00 is creating a commitment, a promise, making an arrangement; it isn’t simply just words pieced together. Speech acts include promising, ordering, responding, greeting, warning, inviting, asking, congratulating, etc. , and are the task in which the conversation is attempting to achieve. These perspectives of conversation analysis are just a few of the many factors that go into the structuring and fulfillment of a successful conversation.Turn taking is one of the easier factors of conversation analysis to point out to one who has yet to gain much experience in the field of communications. In the following transcript T is asking E why he has set up his laptop to record what they are talking about: [0:00 – 0:30] T: Takin’ pics? E: No. I’m just recording what we’re saying. T: Does it matter what we say? E: No, doesn’t matter. T: We can say whatever the f*ck we want? E: Uh-[huh] T: [just like that? ]E: Yeah, haha, we don’t even have to be, like, talking the whole time, just has to be 20 minutes worth of time. T: Soo what is this for? E: I get extra credit for my communications class T: you just get conversation from us? E: uh-huh! haha T: What’s up Commi’s?! This is an example of turn taking because T is not lecturing E about something, he is seeking information from E that is relevant to the conversation, and relevant to T’s reality. The two conversers are using adjacency pairs while speaking to each other in order to keep the onversation flowing in a positive feedback loop, while also not breaching the maxim of relevance. The conversation holds adjacency pairs because the utterances from the two conversing follow one another, and anything E said would not be relevant to the reality of T without T first asking E what was going on with the laptop. T had an underlining task of seeking information through his conversation; he successfully used a Speech Act in order to gain the information in which he sought, thus having a clearer understanding of his reality at the time of the conversation.Repair comes into a conversation when the feedback loop of those conversing becomes skewed; a misunderstanding of an utterance from one party to another can alter the outcome and flow of the conversation until the party that misunderstood an utterance and altered the feedback of the conversation has done repair work to reposition the conversation back into a positive feedback loop. The example in the transcript comes into play when E walks into T and J’s room when J is trying to study.E realizes that his presence in the conversation that T and J were having about the material they were studying is beginning to interrupt the flow of their conversation. E begins his repair work to the conversation: [12:00-13:47] J: I’m going to g o study T: good old study sesh J: You can leave that in our room if you want, while we study haha E: I’ll walk back and fourth (p 3. 0) Did you end up selling those clubs dude? T: Yeah, Yogi bought them E: Dam[n] T: [It would] have been a good deal E: (p 8. 0] Connor how was your day?C: Sick! I did a lot of studying. Now I’m helping out with some extra credit J: Excellent! E: Your day was excellent Jack? J: No! my day was pretty shitty, shitty. E: haha (p 7. 0) You want this door closed? J: Yeah, thanks. E: alright sorry guys, peace J: Give him an A! E: I need an A! haha bye guys Once E realizes that his two roommates, T and J, are studying and that he has interrupted their concentration with the video on the lap top he begins to start the repair process of the conversation, and his present reality.E realizes that he shouldn’t be intruding on T and J and by uttering ‘Do you guys want this door closed† he is implying that the interruption is understoo d and he is going to repair the situation by leaving them alone and closing the door on his way out. The repair work is understood by J and he thanks E for the notion and sends him off by telling the camera that E should get an A for his extra credit work that was mentioned in the previous transcription.Repair work is vital to a misunderstanding in a conversation, if a situation arises where repair work is needed but goes unnoticed, the misunderstanding of the conversation will lead to a further misunderstanding of the present reality. Speech acts are the underlining meanings of our conversation; they are the tasks in which we are trying to fulfill through our interaction. Speech acts can be broken down into three categories: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts.Locutionary is the actual utterance and its phonetic meaning, ilocutionary is its intended significance, and perlocutionary is the actual effect on the conversation and present reality. In the following transc ript E goes back into T and J’s room to try and find information about golf clubs. He is not just trying to strike up a conversation; he is seeking information and is attempting to accomplish a task: [16:47 – 19:30] E: Jack do you have any old golf clubs? J: Naah, only the ones I use. E: Does Nick? J: Nope. E: fuckT: John has old ones, but they’re pretty nice. And I don’t think, I can [ask him] E:[Yeah, if he’s looking to sell them] E: definitely let me know, ‘cause I’m trying to go. T: If he does I can definitely let you know. E: awesome thanks, I’m trying to go. The locutionary meaning of E’s utterance is easy to understand; he is seeking a way to buy golf clubs from his roommates if they happen to have an old set. The illocutionary in this particular example matches the meaning of the locutionary as its intended significance is to find some new golf clubs.The actual effect on the conversation, the perlocutionary act, c auses J and T to respond to E with their answers, as it would be in their better interest to sell some old golf clubs. E uses speech acts to try and acquire the information in which he sought. The topic of golf clubs did not just happen to come up in conversation, but was purposely brought into the realities of T and J by E through E’s search for information. Speech acts revolve around every conversation and interaction taking place throughout our lives.Even in random day-to-day gossip speech acts are the motor that drive these interactions in a forward motion of gaining new information. When one better understands the underlining meanings of the conversations throughout their day there is no doubt that that better understanding of communication leads directly to a better understanding of one’s reality. Our realities are entirely shaped by and understood through the words in which we use to describe them.The motives behind our interactions are what shapes the conversat ions into what they become; whether we are trying to be humorous and crack a joke, give a serious speech, show empathy toward someone, argue our opinions back and fourth, or seeking information these certain motives are what craft our interactions with one another. When one better understands these motives they will better understand their conversation, have a better understanding of how to accomplish tasks through their conversation, and ultimately lead to a better understanding of one’s present reality. ReferencesSchegloff, E. (2007). Sequence organization in interaction: A primer in conversation analysis, volume 1. Retrieved from http://www. sscnet. ucla. edu/soc/faculty/schegloff/pubs/index. php (Schegloff, 2007). Sidnell, J. (2010). Conversation analysis: An introduction. Retrieved from http://individual. utoronto. ca/jsidnell/OverviewResearch. html (Sidnell, 2010). Sidnell, J. , & Stivers, T. (2012). handbook of conversation analysis. boston: Wiley-blackwell.. Retrieved from http://media. wiley. com/product_data/excerpt/82/14443320/1444332082-12. pdf (Sidnell & Stivers, 2012)