The Ongoing Objectification of Woman

The Ongoing Objectification of Woman Men look, women are looked at, said John Berger in his seminal 1972 documentary series Ways of Seeing, and in this one sentence, Berger summarised the relationship between men and women, and the objectification of women by men. From Susannah being looked at by the Elders, to Manets Luncheon on the Grass, women in art have been continually portrayed as not only objects of desire, but objects to be owned. One might like to think that feminism, and women, have come a long way, not only from the bra-burning days of the 60s and 70s, and the power-suited days of the 80s, that saw women in positions of power in the city, and in politics; even from the days of early suffrage. Yet one has only to look at a daily newspaper, a womans magazine, a Hollywood movie, let alone a mans magazine, to realise that the objectification of women is as rampant (and I use that word deliberately) as it has ever been. Even in the world of High Art, paintings such as Lucien Freuds of a pregnant Kate Moss still portray woman as something that can be looked at, desired, owned. One would most definitely like to think that women have come a long way since Rousseau stated, in typically succinct fashion, that the doll is the peculiar amusement of the females; from whence we see their taste plainly adapted to their destination. One presumes Rousseau was talking about baby dolls, little girl dolls, to be played with and dressed up in pretty clothes, to sit quietly, prettily and well dressed in a corner, unobejcting and unobjectionable, good practise not only for motherhood but womanhood; but he could equally as well have been talking about that most contemporary of dolls, the Barbie curvaceous, well dressed and pretty, with a wardrobe of clothes that would enable her to follow any career, from astronaut to vet, sexy but sexless, epitomised by the most recent addition to the sisterhood, Burqa Barbie, so that all girls feel represented in a globalised 21st century. All girls that are curvaceous and well dressed, pretty and sexless and quiet, anyway. Mary Wollstonecraft, the mother of European feminism, believed that as long as men saw women as trophy wives, and took mistresses, that the oppression of women should continue, yet she did not solely blame men, believing also that women were complicit in their own objectification, and referring to them as clay figures to be moulded by men. Girls, Wollstonecraft believed, were enslaved to men through their social training. With the coming of post-feminism, one could hope that women had finally broken this male-oriented patriarchal perception of them, but it seems in fact to be the reverse. Young women expose more and more of themselves, stating that they are in control, and they may show as much flesh as they wish in this post-feminist world, but one cannot help but think that Wollstonecraft was right women still base their worth on how much a man values them, and on precious little else. Barbie may be a 21st century astronaut, but unless she is busty and beautiful, Ken will not be i nterested, and Barbie will be worthless, both in her own eyes and those of society. In this essay, I propose to explore how feminism and post feminism have influenced my development as an artist, and to question how the medias continued portrayal of women as a commodity has affected other contemporary artists, both positively and negatively. The goal of feminism, said an early spokeswoman, was to change the nature of art itself, to transform culture in sweeping and permanent ways by introducing into it the heretofore suppressed perspective of women. Barbie as a symbol of woman as object can be found not only in contemporary art, but also in contemporary literature; she has moved into everyday speech as a contemptuous comment on glamorous women (Shes nothing but a Barbie doll! is a derisive criticism aimed at a woman perceived to be beautiful but dumb, ironic when one considers how it is precisely this image that is being sold to us by the media!) Mattel may market Barbie as a modern career girl, far more independent than the original 1950s clothes horse, but is she as complicit in the objectification of modern women as Mary Wollstonecraft stated over 200 years ago? The London based photographer Alex Kliszynski would seem to agree with Wollstonecraft, and has directly questioned such attitudes in a body of work that combines the imagery of pornography with Barbie dolls. (http://areyoushaved.net/2009/10/art-culture-nude-human-barbie-dolls/) The instant reaction of the spectator is one of revulsion, a feeling that something is not right. Such a highly sexualised childs toy is obscene, but maybe that is the intended point of the artwork? Barbie is the ultimate commodified, sexist, male-fantasy view of what women should look like. She has a tiny waist, long legs, and enormous breasts. However, oddly, if you think about it, this highly sexualized body actually lacks sexual parts, or the parts of the body we would see if she were fully nude. She has no vagina. Her breasts have no nipples. In addition, Action Man, an idealized, sexualized male specimen, has no penis and no scrotum. By placing a sexless doll in a lascivious and crude position that should show all the sexual organs but doesnt, Kliszynski is making a comment on the dehumanising of women (and men) by media led objectification; it is his intention to call attention to that disconnection , to make the viewers aware of the sexualized images of women and men that Bar bie and Action Man dolls trade in. However, I think there is another, yet more sinister, way of reading Kliszynskis art work. The dolls are a monstrous combination of human and plastic; even the title of the work is Human Barbie Dolls, suggesting an abnormal mixture of the two. It is possible to understand Kliszynskis piece as a comment on the modern phenomena of body dysmorphia, a disorder that causes a person to believe there is something terribly wrong with an aspect of their face or body, and which often leads them into a series of cosmetic surgeries. Kliszynskis human Barbies symbolise this body dysmorphic tendency prevalent in so much of (western) society, this desire to turn the human body into a work of art, a perfection of flesh and plastic to match the abnormal perception of idealised beauty encouraged by the media. In her poem, Barbie Doll, Marge Piercy makes much the same point: This girlchild was born as usual and presented dolls that did pee-pee and miniature GE stoves and irons and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy. Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs. She was healthy, tested intelligent, possessed strong arms and back, abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity. She went to and fro apologizing. Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs. She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle. Her good nature wore out like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up. In the casket displayed on satin she lay with the undertakers cosmetics painted on, a turned-up putty nose, dressed in a pink and white nightie. Doesnt she look pretty? everyone said. Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending. Both Kliszynski and Piercy have recognised the detrimental effect on the mental and physical health of women (and men) of societys objectification of the human body. By constantly portraying an idealised myth of not just the body but the very role of women in society, the media (and sections of the art world) have created a culture which views the body in its natural human state as somehow wrong and abnormal. Equally, both Kliszynski and Piercy have recognised the complicity of women in this culture; the girl in the poem is healthy and intelligent, born as usual, presumably normal in all respects, and yet she accepts the truth of her low value in society because she is not perceived as physically perfect. Only in death, with her nose cut off and a cosmetically enhanced putty nose in place instead, can she be seen as pretty. Her value as a strong and useful member of society is non-existent in a world that refuses to see past her face. Kliszynski himself has said that the main body of my work is a number of human-dolls that aim to raise questions about the numerous images of the objectified and idealised body that we see in the mass mediaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I came to make this work as a reaction to the lowest-common-denominator approach to masculinity taken by the media which serves and perpetuates the lad or raunch elements of our culture. Curiously this lad/raunch culture seems also to be embraced by many young women; a phenomenon which seems contrary to a properly progressive understanding of gender and identity in a post-feminist era. (http://lostinasupermarket.com/2010/09/barbie-porn-seriously/) Lad magazines such as Maxim, Stuff and various other UK-based magazines intended for teenage boys and young men are notorious for endorsing a highly commodified view of the world men and boys are encouraged to buy lots of bling like cars, stereo components and expensive suits etc. By their very placement in such magazines, in glamorous soft-porn poses, female models become as much merchandise as the gadgets featured in the articles; and as the reader must own the right phone to attain status, so he must have the right woman. Yet this attitude of the body as commodity is ironically trapping men as much as women, and both sexes are in a crisis of identity. Men are met on a daily basis with conflicting images of themselves, from the traditional Action Man role of husband, father, provider, patriarch, to the more sensitive, metro sexual Ken, whose status, like that of Barbie, is defined by how he looks and what he owns. This crisis is as important for men as for women; statistics show that young male suicides are increasing, there is a high rise in cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in males, crime statistics are rising, divorce rates are going through the roof, and with mothers routinely given custody of the children even the role of fatherhood itself has come into question, exacerbated by the rising number of fertility clinics and the ability for women to so easily be single parents. Role models such as Ken and Action Man are without doubt as harmful to young men as a role model such as Barbie can be to young women. No longer seen as breadwinners, or the head of the family in a patriarchal society, men are frequently represented in the media by characters such as Homer Simpson, a chauvinistic, ignorant man who is depicted as very lazy and obsessed with food; his son Bart, often cruel to his sister, is discourteous and ill behaved. He alternative is often portrayed as Ken, an idealized, de-sexualized male with only the acquisition of material items his goal, fast cars and fashion his only interests. Even television shows like Sex and the City imply that men are just there for the sexual gratification of women. It portrays men as tactless, stupid beings that are only there for female entertainment and pleasure. These negative portrayals are as damaging to both genders as the comparative attitudes to women, rooted as they are in gender objectification and the denial of identity. Alternatively, could we welcome this shake-up of traditional gender images? Could it not be that multiplicities of roles are now establishing themselves in modern society? Toys such as Action Man often stereotype men in aggressive roles, and this convention has been questioned in the work of Susan Hiller, who explores social conditioning and attitudes to childhood in her work Punch and Judy. Punch and Judy looks closely at the brutality of slapstick comedy. First filming segments of live Punch and Judy shows the artist then transposed these images on the walls of a square room inviting the viewer to stand in the room with the puppets images looming over them, the puppets acting out violently as so often seen in their performances. Hiller examines how such stereotypical role-play in toys reinforces the assumptions placed on boys and men and how they should act in society. Where feminism fought against such patriarchal, capitalist belief systems, post-feminism seems to be buying right into the raunch culture that Kliszynski highlights. I would define Raunch culture as the whole juvenile, laddish culture that includes the lads magazines as well as strip clubs, prostitution and the celebration of prostitution, highly sexualized adverts and a general attitude that whats best about female empowerment is that more men get to see more women naked. Berger referred to it as the male gaze, Kliszynski as raunch culture, but I believe they are very similar, and it seems to be embraced by many young women, who accept whole-heartedly the entire condescending nonsense of girl power. According to Wollstonecraft, men have widened what should be merely a biological gap of physical differences into a sociological gap: But not content with this natural pre-eminence, men endeavour to sink us still lower, merely to render us alluring objects for the moment. Women, it follows, cannot help but be intoxicated by the adoration which men, under the influence of their senses, pay them. Has Barbie, in representing the most materialistic aspects of modern day culture, encouraging a stereotypical image of womanhood, become a remorseless goddess of modern society? A doll without any social conscience (or conscious), reliant solely on material belongings to bring her happiness, worshipped by millions, representative of a culture that objectifies and vilifies women, no aspect of her suggests any form of spirituality, or higher morality. When Mary Wollstonecraft accused women of their own complicity in this stereotypical view of their gender she caused ripples of anger and irritation down the centuries. How could a so-called feminist turn on her own sex with such accusations? And yet, when one takes the time to think about it, one can see how right she was. Girls play with Barbie dolls bought for them by mothers and aunts, and will, to echo Rousseau, grow up to give Barbie dolls to their daughters, thus fulfilling their destiny. They are complicit in the encouragement of stereotypical values. But what is the alternative? A girl may play with the stereotypical toys of girlhood such as dollies and prams, all pink and sparkly, mass marketed products imposed on them by a performative oriented society, or she may play with the male version of such consumer items, Action Man, cars, trains, guns . . . But what message is actually being sent? If a girl plays with Barbie dolls, she is viewed with contempt for being a typical girl; if she plays with stereotypical boys toys, she attains value in the eyes of society, for being more like a boy. No matter what she does, Barbie girl can never achieve social value by being a girl, and post-feminism has been complicit in such social values. Consuming Passions  was published in the 80s, author Judith Williamsons theory is hardly common knowledge, most likely because it is threatening. She deduces that, contrary to the ideal posed by Mattel and  Barbie, the desirable shape for a woman . . . is that of a  boy.   The highly idealised Barbie has not been without competitors, however. In 1998, Anita Roddick started an Anti-Barbie campaign, under the guise of self -esteem. Roddick started marketing posters of a doll called Ruby: The Real Deal, with posters in the UK shops she owned, all depicting images of the generously proportioned doll with the attached slogan: There are 3 billion women who dont look like supermodels and only 8 who do. With the intention of challenging stereotypes of beauty and countering the pervasive influence of the cosmetics industry, and with a tongue in cheek approach, the underlying message was far more serious and could easily be applied to the stereotypical image of woman and the way western culture objectifies women. Ruby started a worldwide debate about body image and self-esteem, but she was not universally loved. In the United States, the toy company Mattel sent a cease-and-desist order, demanding the images of Ruby were removed from American shop windows because she was making Barbie look bad, an admission surely, that Barbies impossible to achieve figure was detrimental to girls in comparison to the more realistic Ruby? In Hong Kong, posters of Ruby were banned on the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) because the authorities were concerned they would offend passengers. Like Barbie, Ruby was a de-sexualised toy, having no nipples, genitalia or pubic hair; other advertisements on the MTR whic h showed surgically enhanced, partially dressed female models, were allowed to stay. It is hard not to jump to the conclusion that it was the realistic portrayal of the female body that was offensive (and to whom? the male commuters?); in a world where the female body is perceived to be a purchasable status symbol, the male buyers were presumably offended by the depreciation in value of their idealised fantasy. Feminist artist Helen Chadwick (1954-1996) made many works that dealt directly with the role and image of women in society. In Ego Geometria Sum:The Laborers X created in 1984, she had large replicas of childrens wooden bricks transposed with images of her naked self. One may read many meanings into this artwork: is Chadwick struggling with the weight of her own image? By superimposing her naked image onto a childs brick, is she suggesting that she is nothing but a plaything, a toy? She appears to compare herself to a troll doll, held by the hair in a disembodied fist with an inane grin on its face. The troll doll is ugly and deformed looking, and Chadwick is implying that this is how society views her, and womanhood in general, from childhood onwards, if one does not conform to how society wishes one to be. All is not without hope though; Chadwick also portrays a door on one side of the brick, suggestive not only of closure, but also of the potential to open, to allow something in, or something out; a means of escape. As a Jungian archetype, the door also is representative of the feminine, with all the implications of a symbolic opening. In this artwork, is Chadwick exploring issues of entrapment and escape? Several of her works address the role and image of women in society using a wide range of materials, such as flowers, chocolate and meat. She questioned the role of the female body in art as a decorative object; just as decorative and aesthetic ideas about art themselves had been questioned in the 20th century. In 1990, she worked again on themes of sexual identity and gender with her Cibachrome transparencies entitled Eroticism which depict two brains side by side. On the surface, this is yet another apparently simple, if stunning, piece of work, but like the brain itself, this piece contains a multiplicity of layers, waiting to be explored and teased out. The work shows two brains, side by side, mirroring each other. On the sides adjoining, the brains are enlivened by what appears to be blue sparks, or flashes, suggesting brain activity. According to The Wordsworth Dictionary of Symbolism, blue is the colour of the intellect, and of spirituality; it is the medium of truth. In Eroticism, Chadwick is playing with the idea of a meeting of two minds, an attraction based on the intellect and the emotions. Yet we also associate the colour blue with something a little bit naughty, a bit risque, like a blue movie, and I would suggest that Chadwick was also bearing in mind the idea that the brain is often referred to as the largest sexual organ in the body. For Chadwick, in this piece at least, it is the attraction of two people based on a meeting of i ntellect and commonality that is important, not the outward appearance so vital to society. In the 1790s, when Mary Wollstonecraft was writing A Vindication of The Rights of Women , she argued for the need for more civil rights for women, a cause which she believed could only be achieved by permitting women a better education. She argued that a woman was capable of any intellectual feat that a man was provided with and that her early training should not brainwash her into deference to men. Wollstonecraft believed that men discourage women from achieving the same education that they receive routinely, and as long as women are denied this education, they can never hope to achieve equality with men. She builds on this lack of equal education for women in her argument adding that all men (contemporary to her) have a general lack of respect. Two hundred years later, in the 1970s, women were still fighting to achieve this basic level of respect and equality in the academic and artistic worlds, and it was the 1970s that saw the beginnings of a new art movement, the Contemporary Feminist Art Movement. The movement was inspired by demands for social, economic and political change and by the desire of female artists to try and force art galleries and museums to establish a fair representation of their work; there were very few female art teachers at that time, though the majority of students were female. It was common and widely accepted for art exhibitions to contain the works of men only, women being discriminated against openly, with some having to face the double discriminatory blow of also being black. Faith Ringgold (b.1930), an American artist, was told she could only exhibit in the museums devoted to African American art after all the black male artists had had their shows. By the 1970s, feminists and artists had started forming consciousness awareness groups that demonstrated at galleries and museums to expose some of these sexist practices, and opened galleries together for more exposure of their works. With feminist artists wanting to go further than equal representation, their works were often full of political and social content crying out for political change. The womens movement in America had one such artist by the name of Judy Chicago. Born in 1939, Chicago often reflected on issues relating to the lack of female representation in her work, saying Because we are denied knowledge of our history, we are deprived of standing upon each others shoulders and building upon each others hard earned accomplishments. Many female artists voiced these opinions at that time, wishing to transform traditional fine art and sculpture to include feminist awareness, with many exploring the female body with the intention of reclaiming the sexualised images that had been created by the male artist that preceded them. Chicagos piece Dinner Party called out for both art critics and establishments (and the Establishment?) To readdress the fact that so many female artists had been and were being excluded from art history texts used to educate the (largely female) art students currently attending the art education. This large work depicts a banquet, the settings embroidered representations of the vulva in a style appropriate to the women being represented, women Chicago wished to honour, with a further 999 women engraved in gold on the floor tiles. The geometric shape of this piece is fascinating, with the table laid out at a triangle, representing the tri-partite nature of women, the maiden, the mother and the crone. Indeed, an upside down triangle has long been used in paganism to represent the feminine. This work has gone a long way in encouraging women artists to reclaim their identity in representing the female form, and readdress the frequent degradation of female genitalia previously represented in male-created art. The Dutch artist Christina Camphausen (b. 1953) is another example of a female artist intent on reclaiming for women the representation of the female genitalia, publishing a book of her work with the vulva as sole subject. Entitled Yoni Portraits, it is filled with delicate drawings revealing the vulva in all its beauty and variety, images that are sometimes realistic and sometimes symbolic. Taken from ancient Sanskrit, the word Yoni refers to the vulva and womb and better describes femininity than its clinical counterpart (vagina) or its crude pornographic variants (cunt); in Indias sacred language it carries an inherent respect for this intimate part of a womans body which is lacking in English. In the books accompanying texts, the artist makes clear that there is nothing about the Yoni to be ashamed of. Rather, it is a body-part which in many cultures has had very different connotations of power, beauty, fertility and delight. Of her motivation, Christina says: With my work, I endeavour to assist in restoring the Yoni to her rightful and original place of honour, and to induce everyone to regard her with respect, to recognize her beauty and magical power. Though the last decades make it seem that our modern societies are sexually liberated, there still rests a taboo on this intimate part of our bodies. In general, women enjoy more freedom than they used to have, yet it surely is no advance in self-determination that many contemporary women have their intimate, lower lips corrected in order to conform to some artificial standard prescribed by cosmetic surgeons or professional nude models in glossy magazines. To make artwork with the vagina as your subject is still a very brave act, as it is a subject that is often considered inappropriate and generally thought of within the context of pornography, and, in almost all cases, for the exclusive pleasure of men. Many feminists have attempted to remove these prurient connotations by encouraging us to consider vaginas, something not to be ashamed of, but as powerful and expressive components to be proudly protected as an assertive and positive manifestation of our being. Exhibitions are now starting to show that this has changed dramatically in recent years, with many artists who have incorporated imagery of the Vagina in their works exhibiting together. One such exhibition, organized by Francis M. Naumann and David Nolan, and entitled The Visible Vagina took place on January 28, 2010 at the David Nolan Gallery in New York and included artworks by people ranging from Judy Chicago and Nancy Grossman to Robert Mapplethorpe and Pablo Picasso. The most interesting aspect for me is that there was such a strong male presence in the exhibition, and indeed it was arranged by men, a potent sign of how things have progressed. The most striking work in the exhibition for myself has to be the work of Sarah Davis and the piece Britney (Notorious), for amongst over one hundred artworks, very few of which objectify women or suggest a salacious use of imagery, this piece, a painting identical to a paparazzi-type photograph taken of the music star, hovers between art and porn; indeed, in its representation of both, it beggars the question of how art and porn can be addressed within feminist issues. If we accept that art is intended to stimulate the spectator on many levels, academically and emotionally, and that porn is needed to stimulate on a purely sexual level, I wonder how this transformation from paparazzi photograph and all the connotations of furtiveness, spying and secretiveness to painting can alter ones perception. I would like to believe that the artist who views Britney Spears as a strong, confident, self-made woman is a feminist who has staged the initial photograph to reclaim her identity by exposing her vagina just as in Yoni Portraits, believing there is nothing to be ashamed of by showing the power, beauty, fertility and delight this body part represents. Often in the media gaze, Spears is used as an example to criticise young women today, nothing but a Barbie doll. Her abilities as a mother, her career and social life are frequently held up to public scrutiny. Men that are in the public gaze however, may be criticised for their affairs, heir drug dependency, their fights etc., yet rarely for their dress code or indeed for their roles or abilities as fathers. This is a gender bias that has become commonplace and widely accepted. In addition, when Spears chose to wear a revealing dress and decorate her body with piercings and tattoos, the tabloids turned on her viciously, and accused her of mental illness when she publicly shaved her hair off. I feel though, that Spears was sending a message, via the media, about her sense of identity and her value as a woman. By shaving her hair off Spears was questioning the male perception of femaleness and femininity; she was a Rapunzel trapped by her beauty in a tower created by the male gaze. The only way to take control of the situation and to escape, was, like Rapunzel, to chop off all her hair and reassert her own identity away from social expectations and the medias critical portrayal of women. In Ways of Seeing, John Berger explores the difference between nudity and nakedness, suggesting that when one is nude, the spectator (and there must be one) merely sees the human body unclothed. When one is naked, the spectator (even if that is only oneself) sees the real ess ence of the person. Nakedness is far more intimate than nudity. When Spears cut off all her hair it was as if she had removed a disguise, and showed herself to the world fully naked, expressing her inner self. It is this aspect that Davis has picked up on in her piece of art: Britney Spears as a model of sex positive feminism, the un-Barbie goddess of post-feminism. Sex positive feminism, also known as sexually liberal feminism or sex-radical feminism began as a movement in the 1980s. Many women became involved in a direct response to the efforts of anti-porn feminists such as Andrea Dworkin, as they argued that pornography was the centre of feminist theory for womens oppression. This period is known as the feminist sex wars, a time of heated debate between anti-porn feminists and sex-positive feminists, between the notions of the sex industry as an abusive and violent environment for women and the beliefs in womens ability to choose to be highly sexual beings and raises the question of who is exploiting who? When Spears posed for a statue by American sculptor Daniel Edwards (b.1965) for the pro-life movement, she was once again steeped in the controversy of is it art or is it porn? Entitled Monument to Pro-Life this work is a full size sculpture of a naked Britney Spears in childbirth. The sculpture shows Spears on all fours on a bearskin rug, her mouth slightly open and her eyelids heavy, looking as if she is about to cry out. There is no indication of pain or pleasure; it is not at all indicative of sexual provocation or pornography. Her hands lie wrapped around either side of the head of the bear, as if she is using it to act as a medium to the spirit world communicating with the animalistic urges childbirth conjures up. Yet the media has criticised this piece, stating that: Britneys in a position that most would sooner associate with getting pregnant than with giving birth. I believe that in some ways things have deteriorated rather than progressed: the beauty industry and the porn industry, in their own sometimes-converging ways, have caused a lot of that. Going back to the early 70s, as women began to enter the workforce in larger numbers, some of that earning power was used against them by aggressive beauty product marketing. The result has been an increasing focus in the last three decades on dieting, an explosion in both sexes

Developing Diversity in the Clinical Psychology Profession

Developing Diversity in the Clinical Psychology Profession The profession of clinical psychology is currently  predominately  predominantly white, female and middle class. What can  be done to ensure that we become a more diverse and  inclusive profession? Word count:1.256 The question of how the field can be made more – can be made more diverse and inclusive is one that has been much explored in the clinical psychology community in Britain as well as in other countries. This essay will examine strategies and initiatives previously put in place in order to recruit clinical psychologists from a wider pool of applicants, and look at how successful such initiatives have been. Finally, the discussion will focus on what seems to be the best way forward for the profession in its efforts to more closely reflect the disparate communities of which it serves. The skewed demographics of the profession might be at least partly responsible for the low usage rates of clinical psychology services by black, ethnic minority and male UK citizens. An influential BPS report entitled â€Å"Widening access within undergraduate psychology education and its implications for professional psychology: Gender, disability and ethnic diversity† was published in recent yearsrecently published (Turpin Fensom, 2004). The report revealed that only 5.8% of UK clinical psychologists were recruited from ethnic minorities, and that a mere 23% were men. These figures called indicated a need for greater efforts to increase the number of recruits from black and other ethnic minority (BME) and disabled communities. The report referred to the work of Davenhill et al. (1989), who made a number of recommendations to widen access of BME groups into clinical psychology training. Unfortunately, little progress was made.[RZ2] The BPS has, however, demonstrated an ongoing commitment to deal with this complex matter, such as the setting up of a ‘Race and Culture Special Interest Group’. Amongst the Group’s aims and objectives is a stated commitment to â€Å"promote strategies that increase Black and Minority Ethnic Communities to the profession of Clinical Psychology, †; [RZ3]and to â€Å"promote the view that training in clinical psychology should reflect the needs of people from Black and Minority Ethnic Communities† (Reference!!!).[RZ4] A notable contribution has also been made by the BPS s ‘Standing Committee for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities’, which amongst other valuable functions, monitors levels of minority representation within the BPS. According to the most recent available figures, these BPS initiatives have not as yet had significant impact on diversity and inclusiveness, but it is perhaps too early to condemn them as inadequate and ineffectual. Turpin and Fensom’s 2004 report (2004) gives interesting figures, showing that psychology is hugely popular as an undergraduate discipline with approximately 80,000 applicants a year, of which 79 percent are female. In the field of psychology, BME students are more highly represented at 12 percent compared with the rest of the population studying other subjects. The same study also found that out of those from a BME background, only 1.4 percent are successful in their clinical training applications, compared with 3.95 percent of those who are white, and 3.5 percent who are male. With regard to clinical training, approximately 9.4 percent of students are of a BME background, whereas only 6.2 percent of these are successful. Of the 90.6 percent who consider themselves to be white however, the success rate is 93 percent. These data point towards highly complex reasons for a profession dominated by white females of a middleclass background. Gender bias in psychology has been recognised for many years (Morris et.al, 1992). It is likely that the nature of the discipline appeals more to females than men. [RZ5]But it might also be influenced by lack of knowledge of the true nature of psychology as well as that of future career possibilities. Amongst the practical measures announced in the BPS report mentioned above, were a recruitment video to be used in schools, and an initiative to make careers advisors more aware of the employment opportunities offered by clinical psychology. [RZ6] It can be argued that the mere process of undertaking clinical training in itself is likely to exclude certain social groups. [RZ7]The ratio of applicants far outweighs the places available, 29.3 per cent in 2002 (Turpin and Fensom, 2004) and this in itself is likely to deter some people. In addition to high academic entrance requirements, s several years of relevant experience is required, Working as an assistant psychologist does not in itself necessarily give opportunities for a career, and even years of experience do not always guarantee acceptance into clinical training. This can give an impression of uncertainty in addition to the likelihood of eventually being in substantial financial debt. [RZ8] All these factors could partly explain the reduction in applications from students from a BME background. Little is known about the perception of psychology as a vocation within or across different ethnic groups and culture. Darr (1998) found that ethnic applicants to higher education undervalued allied health professions as career choice and chose more traditional careers instead.[RZ9] Research has also shown that BME students obtain fewer 2.1 and 1.st degrees than their fellow white students (Pathak, 2000). This in itself might partly explain the drop in applications to clinical training, but it does not explain why fewer applicants from BME groups are successful compared to their white peers (Turpin and Fensom 2004, Boyle et al, 1993). Turpin and Fensom doubt that an explicit discrimination factor at short listing and interview would simply account for this. But in addition to the academic criteria and the necessary working experience, applicants are also vetted through interviews and other tasks. (Phillips, Hatton Gray, 2001). It is tempting to hypothesise, building on knowledge from social psychology, that applicants from minority backgrounds may encounter greater difficulties in conveying their knowledge and personal abilities.[RZ10] The important goal of wider diversity within clinical psychology is to ensure that the Mental Health Service can offer adequate therapy for minority and socially excluded groups. More male clinical psychologists from different backgrounds might ensure that the Mental Health Service is accessible to these groups. More research is needed to give an understanding of the gender differences and how psychology is perceived as a career in different ethnic groups. Research into exactly why, or at what stage, ethnic minorities fail in the vetting process might be helpful. [RZ11] References:[RZ12] Widening access within undergraduate psychology education and its implications for professional psychology: Gender, disability and ethnic diversity, (BPS, 2004) BPS Equal Opportunities Policy Davenhill R, Hun H, Piallary H M, Harris A Klein Y (1989). Training and selection issues in clinical psychology for black and minority ethnic groups from an equal opportunities perspective. Clinical Psychology Forum,21 34-36 Darr, A. (1998) Improving the recruitment and retention of Asian students on nursing, midwifery, radiography and physiotherapy courses: A qualitative research study. Bradford and Airedale Health Related Strategy Group. Morris,P., Cheung,D. Smith,H. (1992) How and why applicants choose to study psychology at university. The Psychologist,5, Pathak,S. (2000) Research report topic, race research for the future ethnicity. In Education, Training and the Labour Market. Department of Education and Employment,UK Phillips,A.,Hatton,C. Gray,l. (2001) Which selection methods do clinical psychology courses use? Clinical Psychology,8 19-24 [RZ1] [RZ2]Can you provide a quote from the report here to illustrate why little progress was made? What are the criteria for progress in this area? [RZ3]What are these strategies? [RZ4]Yes, don’t forget to reference this quote! [RZ5]Why? Support this assertion. [RZ6]You may want to consider moving this explanation of practical measures to the previous page, where the question of strategies is raised initially. [RZ7]Why? Are certain social groups less demonstrably likely to display the work ethic necessary to complete clinical training? [RZ8]Good point. [RZ9]Does Darr hypothesise why this might be so? [RZ10]Why is it tempting? Internalized racism? [RZ11]Miid 2:2 Standard. You should consider spending less time describing the particulars of the problem and more time analyzing why the problem exists and what might be done about it. Otherwise, well-written and well-sourced. [RZ12]K c

The Art of Decadence Essay -- Literary Analysis

In the late 19th century decadence was a tremendously popular theme in European literature. In addition, the degeneracy of the individual and society at large was represented in numerous contemporary works by Mann. In Death in Venice, the theme of decadence caused by aestheticism appears through Gustav von Achenbach’s eccentric, specifically homoerotic, feelings towards a Polish boy named Tadzio. Although his feelings spring from a sound source, the boy’s aesthetic beauty, Aschenbach becomes decadent in how excessively zealous his feelings are, and his obsession ultimately leads to his literal and existential destruction. This exemplifies how aestheticism is closely related to, and indeed often the cause of decadence. Although the narrative is about more complexities, the author’s use of such vivid descriptions suggest the physical, literal aspect of his writing is just as important to the meaning of the story. The first and most obvious instance of aestheticism and decadence as correlating themes in this story is the title, Death in Venice. By fore-grounding the name of the city in the title, Mann is highlighting the city's key role in the unfolding narrative. Mann aligns the word 'Venice' with the word 'death' in the title. This creates a relationship between these two words - the word 'death' strongly infuses the word 'Venice' with all its connotations. Death and decay are important ideas within the context of decadence. By shear nature the title relates the concepts of death and dying to the city of Venice, which implies that the location is where a death will occur. However, this is paralleled by the opening of the story when Mann drearily tells of Aschenbach’s stroll through Munich. In the reading of this passage it ... ...ut to be the scene of a crowded, stifling city filled with cholera that eventually leads to his demise. Before this can occur however, he becomes internally decadent through his indulgence in Tadzio’s appearance. He then changes his appearance to please his idol which in turn corrupts himself by turning him into the type of decadent man he once despised. These themes of aestheticism and decadence, not in juxtaposition but in duality, are used frequently by Mann throughout the novella. Works Cited Mann, Thomas, and Clayton Koelb. Death in Venice: a new translation, backgrounds and contexts, criticism. New York: W.W. Norton, 1994. Print. Ritters, Naoimi, and .Jeffrey B. Berlin. "the Tradition of European Decadence." Approaches to teaching Mann's Death in Venice and other short fiction. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1992. 86-92. Print.

Global Warming is False Essay -- Environment Climate Change

A Flawed Opinion Whenever someone thinks of CO2, they think of global warming. They are reminded of Al Gore and his stance on global warming and they automatically think it is true. He has a lot of evidence to back up his theory about how global warming exists and that it is the reason animals are going extinct and also why the climate is changing. Well these facts are wrong and there is evidence to prove it. Global warming is not real and the Earth might even be in a cooling period. There so many reasons to blame people for the epidemic of this false global warming. CO2, a naturally produced gas absorbed by oceans and trees could not be the reason, so what could? Well, nothing can, none of man’s efforts to control the climate will ever succeed against the power of Earth’s natural system of warming and cooling itself. Three great reasons to discredit the theory of global warming are the reason CO2 is not a greenhouse gas, the natural climate change of the earth throughout the ages, and liberal based media’s false facts and propaganda. The great thing about CO2 is that it is not a produced greenhouse gas. John Coleman states plainly in his article to the San Diego Chamber of Commerce about the real story about CO2: â€Å"Here is the deal about CO2, carbon dioxide. It is a natural component of our atmosphere. It has been there since time began. It is absorbed and emitted by oceans. It is used by every living plant to trigger photosynthesis. And we humans, we create it. Every time we breathe out, we emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is not a pollutant. It is not smog. It is a naturally occurring invisible gas† (3). In this quote he distinguishes the difference between smog and CO2. Smog, a blend of both smoke and fog is... ...problems on fraudulent matters and it is up to the intelligent of the Earth to tell them they are wrong. Works Cited Appenzeller, Tim. â€Å"Signs From Earth.† National Geographic. 4 Feb. 2009. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0409/feature1/. "Snopes.com: John Coleman on Global Warming." Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages. 20 June 2008. 4 Feb. 2009. . â€Å"Global Warming: Not So Fast." World Climate Report. 12 Feb. 2009 . Haley, James. Global Warming. New York: Greenhaven P, Incorporated, 2001. Nizza, Mike. â€Å"Failing to Deliver a Jolt on Global Warming.† 21 Apr 2008. 4 Feb. 2009.

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Under this contract, the customer selects the capital equipment or property (assets) to be nuanced by the bank and the bank then purchases these assets from the manufacturer or supplier and then leases them to the customer for an agreed period. In conformity with the Shari's, the owner of the assets (in this case the bank) must be paid rent (fixed or variable, as agreed by the lesson and lessee) and must exercise all the rights and obligations that are incidental to ownership such as maintaining, insuring and repairing the assets.The lessee, on the other hand, obtains the use of the asset for the period of the lease subject to paying the rent. The lessee may assume the obligations, such as maintaining, insuring and repairing the asset, in return for a reduced rent. 1 . 3. 2 What is Car Ajar? As mentioned above ‘Jar is basically the transfer of suffuses (defined below) of a fixed asset to another person for an agreed period, for an agreed consideration. Under a Car ‘Jar ag reement the car will be rented to the customer for the period agreed at the time of contract.Upon completion of the lease period the customer in the Means case discussed below, gets ownership of the car against his initial security deposit. Car ‘Jar is a Shari's-compliant car-leasing scheme. It is based on the principles of Jar and is completely free from the element of interest. This product is designed for interpretative individuals, looking for a car-financing scheme that helps in avoiding interest-based transactions. So Car ‘Jar is simply a rental agreement under which the car will be given to the customer in exchange for rent for a period, agreed at the time of the contract.Means Bank, based in Pakistan and a pioneer in this area, purchases the car and rents it out to the customer for a period of three, four or five years. Upon completion of the lease period the customer gets ownership of the car against his initial security deposit. Somewhat confusingly, the Means Car ‘Jar scheme has elements of ‘Jar WA Satin within it. In this case study I propose to follow the Means assumption in using ‘Jar in the sense that it involves car ownership at the end of the maturity of the deal. This is in line with Shari's methodology and terminology. . 3. 2. 1 What is Suffuses? Suffuses is the right of enjoying a thing, the property of which is vested in another, and to draw from the same all the profit, utility and advantage that it may produce, provided it be without altering the substance of the thing. Items without suffuses cannot be leased. It is necessary for a valid lease contract that the corpus of the leased asset remains in the ownership of the seller, and only its suffuses is transferred to the lessee. 1 . 3. 3 In what Sense is Car ‘Jar Interest Free?In Car Ajar, the asset remains under the ownership and at the risk of the bank and the customer only pays the rental for the use of the asset, Just like the rent of a house. 3 Und er leasing or lease purchase, the Islamic financial institution buys the financed asset and retains the title through the life of the contract. The customer makes a series of lease payments over a specified period of time, and may have the option at the end to buy the item from the lesson (and owner) at a pre specified residual value. Leasing was not originally a mode of financing.It was simply a transaction meant to transfer the suffuses of a property from one person to another for an agreed period and an agreed upon consideration. Leasing can be used as a mode of financing, in Islamic banks, as an alternative to conventional car financing. However, the consideration of leasing as a mode of financing should be based on certain notations. It should be understood, by all using it as a mode of financing, that it is not sufficient to substitute the term ‘interest' with the term ‘rent', and use the term ‘mortgage' instead of the term ‘leased asset'.There must be a significant difference between leasing and an interest-bearing loan. It is no secret that an Islamic bank or financial institution will take into consideration the same factors as a conventional bank when determining the rental payments and residual value. These would include the rate of inflation, the creditworthiness of the Jesse, the opportunity cost value of the money (as reflected by market interest rates) and so on. An implicit ‘interest rate' can trivially be calculated from the price, residual value, term of the lease and the lease payment.This fact is not hidden. Indeed Muslim customers are encouraged to ‘shop around' and ensure that the Islamic financial institution is not implicitly charging an interest rate, which is in line with the conventional market. In the final analysis, however, the difference is in the form of the contract. If the lease is structured in accordance with the various conditions within Islamic Jurisprudence, t will contract no rib and e nsure that it cannot contain such forbidden rib in the future (e. G. In terms of late payment fees, etc. ). 1 . 3. 4 What is the Difference between a Conventional Lease and an Islamic Lease? The most important financial difference between Islamic leasing and conventional leasing is that, with Islamic leasing, the leasing agency must own the leased object for the duration of the lease. Therefore, although leasing a car from a car manufacturer or car dealership may in principle be permitted for Muslims (if the contract satisfies the other conditions), Muslims should investigate further.In many cases, the car dealership may in fact use a bank or other financial intermediary to provide a loan for the present value of lease payments, and charge the customer interest on this loan. This would constitute the forbidden rib. Scrupulous Islamic financial institutions ensure that the contract abides by all the restrictions set out in the Shari's (e. G. , subleasing requires the permission of th e lesson; late payment penalties must be handled very carefully to avoid rib, etc. ). The differences between conventional and Islamic financing schemes are described in he sections below. 1. 3. 4. Leasing versus Conventional Financing Conventional Financing The conventional financing schemes provide financing for purchasing a car; that is, in essence the financier is giving a loan and charging interest. 4 Islamic Financing The Islamic car financing – ‘Jar – is based on a lease contract. It is not a financing scheme; rather it is a lease contract. As mentioned earlier leasing is a contract whereby suffuses rights to an asset are transferred by the owner, known as the lesson, to another person, known as the lessee, at an agreed-upon price, called the .NET, and for an agreed-upon period of time, called the term of lease. . 3. 4. 2 Rentals versus Installments A conventional car financing scheme is actually an interest-based loan given by the financial institution, w ith interest being charged on the loan. Islamic car financing is based on pure rentals. In Car ‘Jar the asset remains at the ownership and risk of the bank and the customer only pays the rental for use of the asset, Just like the rent for a house. 1. 3. 4. 3 Ownership In conventional car financing, the car is purchased in the name of the buyer from the dealer. Islamic FinancingUnder ‘Jar the ownership remains with the bank; that is, the car is purchased from the dealer in the name of the bank. This is because it is one of the foremost conditions of the Islamic mode of leasing that an object cannot be leased out unless it is in the possession of the lesson. 1. 3. 4. 4 Risk/loss Since the car is bought in the name of the buyer in the traditional mode of car financing, the risk is immediately transferred to the buyer, whereas in the case of Islamic financing, this is not so. The car is purchased in the name of the bank from the dealer and so the risk mains entirely with the bank.As the corpus of the leased property remains in the ownership of the lesson, all the liabilities and risks emerging from the ownership are borne by the lesson. The lessee is responsible for any loss caused to the asset by misuse or negligence. The lessee can also be made liable for the wear and tear, which normally occurs during its use. But the lessee cannot be made liable for a loss caused by factors beyond his control. (The agreements CIO 5 with traditional car financing generally do not differentiate between these two situations.In a lease based on Islamic principles, both situations should be dealt with separately. 1. 3. 4. 5 Down-payment versus Security Deposit Both the down-payment and the security deposit are one-time payments. The major difference occurs because the buyer can buy back the car against the security deposit in the case of Ajar, whereas in conventional banking the down-payment remains with the bank, and no buy-back of the car can occur against the down- p ayment. With ‘Jar the buyer is required to keep a security deposit at the bank.There is a minimum and a maximum requirement for the security deposit. The requirement is efferent in the case of conventional car financing, where a down-payment is made by the buyer of the car. 1. 3. 4. 6 Return of the Car In a traditional car financing scheme, the customer takes out a loan to purchase the car, which he cannot return under any circumstances whatsoever, unless he pays off the loan. Islamic Financing In the Islamic mode of financing, the buyer has the right to return the car anytime during or at the end of the lease period.Since this is a lease agreement, and the lessee has been paying rentals, he can return the car to the bank and take back the security deposit any time he wishes. . 3. 4. 7 Termination of Contract The buyer of the car has the option and right to terminate the contract and return the car before the contract reaches its maturity in both the conventional and Islamic m ode of car financing. The difference lies in the post-termination phase. In the conventional car financing scheme, if the customer wants to terminate the contract the only option he has is to buy the car by paying the rest of the installments.In the Islamic car financing scheme, the customer has two options: either return the car and get back the security deposit or buy the car from the bank at the market alee plus a certain percentage of spread for the bank. 6 1. 3. 4. 8 Documentation Differences Sequence/process Islam considers the procedure in which any transaction takes place as a significant factor in all modes of financing. The underlying difference between the Islamic and conventional modes of financing is that of the process. To Muslims, not only the end result but also the means to it are important.If the result is correct and the steps are wrong, or vice versa, the entire process is deemed invalid, from a Shari's perspective. According to Shari's principles, lawful steps t o lawful results are very important. The most important financial difference between Islamic permitted leasing and conventional financial leasing is that the leasing agency must own the leased object for the duration of the lease. Ownership of the asset is the prerequisite for leasing out its suffuses. As mentioned, Islam places great emphasis on the sequencing. 1 . 3. The Means Bank Car ‘Jar Scheme Means Banks Car ‘Jar has been designed according to the principles of Islam and is completely interest-free. Moreover the ‘Jar contract and other documentation also comply with Shari's requirements. In contrast, a conventional car-financing scheme s actually an interest-based loan given by the financial institution with interest being charged on the loan. Also, in conventional car-leasing schemes, the lease contract is not in compliance with Shari's law and has rib and other UN-lilacs elements in it. 1. 3. 5. What Makes Car ‘Jar Unique? Some of the key characteris tics of the Means Car ‘Jar are described in the following sections. Rights and Liabilities of Owner Versus User ‘Jar is an asset-based contract, that is, the lesson should have ownership of the asset during the life of the contract. Under Shari's law all ownership-related rights and abilities should lie with the owners while all usage-related rights and liabilities should lie with the user. A conventional lease contract does not distinguish between the nature of these liabilities and dumps all liabilities on the user.This is not permitted under the Shari's. Under ‘Jar all ownership-related risks lie with the bank and all usage related links lie with the user, thus making the lesson the true owner of the asset and making the income generated through the contract permissible (hall) for the Islamic bank. Continuation of Lease Rentals in the Case of Total Loss or Theft of Vehicle If the eased vehicle is stolen or completely destroyed the conventional leasing company wo uld continue charging the lease holder rent until the settlement of the insurance claim.Under the Islamic system, however, rent is consideration for usage of the leased asset and, if the asset has been stolen or destroyed, the concept of rental becomes void. As such, in the above-mentioned eventualities, Means Bank does not charge the lease rental. Is there a Penalty for Late Payment of Rent? If so How is This Permissible Under the Shari's? In most conventional financial leases an extra monetary amount is charged if rent is to paid on time. This extra amount is considered as rib under the Shari's and is distinctly forbidden 7 (harm).The lessee may be asked to undertake that if he fails to pay rent on its due date, he will pay a certain amount to a charity that will be administered through the bank. For this purpose Means Bank maintains a charity fund where such amounts may be credited and disbursed for charitable purposes. What is the Insurance Arrangement under Car Ajar? Being the owner of the car, the bank will be responsible for insurance of the car and for paying the insurance premium. If Tactful (Islamic insurance) is not available, the insurance is done under the conventional system.Can the User Buy the Car Prior to the Termination of Rental Agreement? Yes. The rental agreement contains the purchase price schedule. Is the Product Approved by Means Banks Shari's Board Yes. Car ‘Jar is designed under the supervision of Means Banks Shari's Supervisory Board and is approved by the Board. In order for any Islamic financing technique to be acceptable to the Islamic community it has to be endorsed by the appropriate Shari's Board who will provide a Fatwa (a religious ruling). The appendix to this case illustrates the Fatwa applicable to the Means Bank Car ‘Jar agreement.

The Proverbs of Administration Herbert Simon Summary

Bekki Drewlo Simon, Herbert A. (1946). The Proverbs of Administration. In J. M. Shafrits & A. C. Hyde (Eds. ), Classics of public administration (6th ed. ) (pp. 124-137). Boston, MA: Thompson Wadsworth.ARTICLE SUMMARY:In Herbert Simon’s â€Å"The Proverbs of Administration† he begins outlining what he describes as the â€Å"accepted administrative principles† (p. 124). These principles state that administrative efficiency is increased by specialization of tasks among members of a group, unity of command, limiting the span of control at any one point in the hierarchy and by grouping the workers according to purpose, process, clientele and place.He then goes on to detail specific examples of how each principle could be tested in real world administrative situations for validity. Simon subjects each principle in turn to a very critical analysis beginning with specialization. He describes specialization as a â€Å"deceptive simplicity† and conveys that the fun damental problem with specialization is that it is ambiguous and he leads the reader to determine that the principle of specialization is â€Å"of not help at all† in deciding how to specialize to improve efficiency (p. 25) Turning to unity of command, Simon points out that this principle is simply â€Å"incompatible with the principle of specialization† (p. 125). If using the specialization principal, then the specialist would be looked upon for the decisions, not the person in command as the unity of command principal would require. Span of control contradictions are highlighted by Simon by describing how both an increase and a decrease in the span of control could increase or decrease efficiency in an organization. Lastly, Simon evaluates organization by purpose, process, clientele and place.In this principle, organization based on one aspect would be to the detriment of the remaining three. In each evaluation Simon provides either contradictory solutions that meet the requirement of the proverb in question or describes situations where adherence to the proverb could be inefficient if not irresponsible. Simon suggests rather that the â€Å"principles of administration† are merely â€Å"criteria for describing and diagnosing administrative situations†(p. 131). Finally, Simon relates that the proverbs of administration are in desperate need of empirical research and ultimately revision.He states that efficiency should be a definition of what is â€Å"good† or â€Å"correct† administrative behavior rather than a principle of administration (p. 133). He goes on to describe an approach for a more scientific analysis of administrative principles that would allow one to easily choose between equally viable yet opposing solutions to a single administrative problem. He provides the road map by which he believes this could be accomplished, yet admits that it may even be a â€Å"quixotic† undertaking (p. 136).The irony of this final contradiction is not lost on this reader.KEY POINTS:The accepted administrative principles or proverbs are inherently flawed.These principles are still of value by using them as â€Å"criteria for describing and diagnosing administrative situations†(pg 131).SpecializationUnity of CommandSpan of ControlOrganization by purpose, Process, Clientele, PlaceThe accepted administrative principles or proverbs are in desperate need of empirical research and ultimately revision.RELEVENCE:This article is relevant to students and practitioners of administration because it highlights the ongoing struggle with administrative theory. Simons highlights the contradictions inherent with the â€Å"accepted administrative principles† but leads the reader to understand that these principles are useful as tools in the practice of administration (p. 124). After evaluation of specialization, unity of command, span of control and organization by purpose, process, clientele and pla ce, administrators can rely on experience to determine the appropriate behavior.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in The Things They Carried Essay

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is a psychological disorder that involves extreme cases of anxiety. PTSD comes as a result of an individual’s experience of a highly distressing event wherein there was a threat of grievous physical harm and there was experience of intense psychological stress. An individual is diagnosed with PTSD based on the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-IV & DSM-IV-TR definitions. Diagnosis of PTSD   is given if an individual shows the following symptoms for a period of more than one month. First, the individual’s recurrent experience of the event after the actual occurrence perhaps through dreams, recollections, and experience of anxiety upon display of different items linked with the traumatic event. Second, the individual avoids or does not feel anything when presented with things and people that are emotionally linked to the traumatic event. This may also include feelings of being estranged from other people in the individuals’ surroundings. Third, the individual experiences a heightened sense of arousal thus probably causing sleeplessness, sudden bursts of emotion, hyper vigilance, and the like. And lastly, the individual find himself or herself unable to properly function in certain aspects of his or her life perhaps at work, at home, or in other social environments. The severity of the PTSD, whether acute or chronic, is assessed based on how long the given symptoms persist in the individual. An event which has come to be heavily associated with PTSD is war. A great number of literary pieces have been dedicated to this event and one such work is Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. PTSD in relation to war is clearly seen in the different collections of stories compiled and written by Tim O’Brien in his book. One particular story found in the book that shows PTSD in the case of a war veteran is â€Å"Speaking of Courage†. The main character in this particular story is Norman Bowker. Symptoms of PTSD are clearly seen in his actions. Bowker is unmotivated, experiences confusion and mental chaos, feels estranged and isolated from others in his town and is also unable to obtain work. Social inhibitions that plague this character, which are clear signs of PTSD, are exemplified in his inability to properly order in a drive-thru restaurant. Instead of speaking through the intercom, he honks his horn at the waitress until he gets his order. He then proceeds to eat his food without moving his car and leaves only upon finishing his meal. (Examples of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in The Things They Carried; Tim O’Brien’s – The Things They Carried Eating Them Away) Bowker relives and is unable to move past the events of the war. He lives in a constant state of guilt because of his inability to prevent the death of his friend in Vietnam. The conclusion of Bowker’s story is suicide, an event that is not uncommon in cases of posttraumatic stress disorder. In the story â€Å"Stockings†, the main character named Henry Dobbins wrapped his girlfriend’s panty hose around his neck during battle supposedly as a good luck charm. He would also sleep with it against his face. Even after the war, when Dobbins and his girlfriend were no longer a couple, he still continued to sleep with and tie the stockings around his neck. Dobbins explains this act by the referral of the continued presence of the stocking’s magic. This shows an aspect of PTSD stated by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM-IV & DSM-IV-TR wherein an individual experiencing the disorder experiences reactivity to objects linked with the traumatic event. The Things They Carried was clearly written by O’Brien with a theme in mind. That theme involves the experiences of war veterans after surviving the war. That is to say that the book depicts the effects of the war on the soldiers and the various individuals who were involved. Tim O’Brien particularly focuses on the psychological effects that the events of the war has left. The lives of the soldiers characterized in the stories are clear examples of emotional baggage carried by survivors of the war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jim Neilson states in his article The Truth in Things: Personal Trauma as Historical Amnesia in The Things They Carried, the recurring them of the horrors of war. The explicit descriptions of the incidents that the characters experienced in the story were the author’s way of communicating to the audience how such events could lead to anxiety, distress, disorder, and even insanity. Andrew Morgan also acknowledges that in reality, war veterans who experienced the Vietnam War still live with the guilt and fears induced by that experience. They carry these memories with them and are unable to lead the same lives they used to have before joining the war. These are what caused them to eventual experience of PTSD, to eventual insanity, and for some even to suicide.   Posttraumatic stress disorder is indeed a problem that plagues many war veterans today. It is encompassing in its scope and affects all aspects of the lives of those experiencing it. Tim O’Brien paints for us, in The Things They Carried, a clear picture of what PTSD is, what instances can lead to it, and the ugliness that it brings in its wake. Works Cited American Psychiatric Association. â€Å"DSM-IV & DSM-IV-TR: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)† 2000 BehaveNet.com 11 December 2007 â€Å"Examples of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in The Things They Carried.† 123HelpMe.com 11 December 2007 . Morgan, Andrew. â€Å"The Things They Carried† Angelfire29 April 2003 11 December 2007 < http://www.angelfire.com/ga4/project1/research%20papers.htm#Christopher%20Luke%20Corno>. Neilson, Jim. â€Å"The Truth in Things: Personal Trauma As Historical Amnesia in The Things They Carried† Fortune City 11 December 2007 . â€Å"Tim O’Brien’s-The Things They Carried Eating Them Away†   Studyworld 11 December 2007