Death And Dying Changing Attitudes Through The Ages Sociology Essay

Death And Dying Changing Attitudes Through The Ages Sociology Essay The death process is permanent and predictable and it is known as the personal event that the person can never think. The history of deaths has been looked upon events of social importance and each and every culture has defined some rules and regulations to define death as an extraordinary passage and the way to deal with the outcomes. At the time of twentieth century, the terminology death along with its social definition has transformed and prepared extraordinary opportunities for the purpose of getting sociological inquiry. The decline in the mortality rate has been identified as most common feature within the social histories. Life expectancy rate the time of birth has increased from last 30 years in 1900 to 50 years.  Ã‚  It has been stated that almost two third part of longevity from ancient times to the present times has occurred in the short period from 1900 (Preston, 1976).  Ã‚   Death has been an inevitable event since the inception of mankind in this universe. There is always the worry among individuals towards the life and well being. The individuals are worried at one or the other instance for living their lives. Therefore, it becomes crucial to understand what are the exact factors related to death and dying of humanity. An individual, if not dies, can result in disturbance of life cycle of this globe. This is not under the control of anyone to make amendments in this life cycle. The report here titled as, Death and dying: Changing attitudes through the ages; discusses about various factors that are affecting the lives of individuals. Report begins here with a clear focus laid on the aims of the report followed by research questions to understand the topic thoroughly. Various factors had been found of importance to be studied. There has always been a question in mind whether and how an individual behaves towards death and is it considered a positive aspect or not. How the individuals are are fear of death and what the right time of death is. These all aspects are explored in the report in below sections to have a thorough control over the research topic. 2 Aims and Research Question The research report here aims to understand the struggle that human being is facing since centuries. The change in philosophy associated with life is the main cause of change in attitude of human beings towards death. One can explore further this death on relating it with the time period in the life of human history. The western world has increasingly shifted towards change in conception for death due to rise in Christianity and the way it has affected lives (Aries, 1974). Therefore, the below are few stated research questions to explore further the concept of death and dying and the changing attitude:- Is death good or bad? How the attitude of individuals has changed towards death and dying? Is the man of today more worried against death? What is the right time of death? The discussion in this report would analyze various associated concepts to explore further the concept of death and dying in todays life. 3 Discussion Most of the deaths have occurred among the old aged ones but not among young generation people. The studies in United States reveal that people at the age of 85 years and above has accounted for almost one percent of entire population and they account for 17% of death (J. Brody, 1983). So the deaths have taken new meanings for the society and individual both. Death is not known as an adventitious part of life (Parson, 1963). Smaller number of lives has cut before completing education, work and social life (Preston, 1977). Fatalism provides a higher degree of control as well as predictability (Cf. Lofland, 1978). The delay in the death process has come up with the speed. The social institutions and norms have delayed it. It is not much surprising that death and its social meaning has gone off and the proper understanding of death has been reassessed by sociologists. From past two decades, a considerable literature as a quasi popular and scholarly type has been generated by number of p eople such as journalists, nurses, psychologists, philosophers, theologians, historians, ethicists, sociologists, social critics and thanatologists (cf. Fulton 1976, 1981; Pollak 1979-80).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The word dying is called as the ultimate shortage of time by Moore (1963) and it has taken a most important point that it has the power to threaten an individual self.  Ã‚  A famous person has given his  view on the sociological study of death that death always asks for an identity of an individual (Robert Fulton, 1976a).  Dying is known as the social process that focuses on the sociological issues that  are concerned with the process of dying and self. Researches have not clearly shown the actual conditions of dying. But one British study has talked about the dying among the patients who are living in this world and among the people who are known of their own attitude (Cartwright, Hockey Anderson, 1973).  Ã‚  The attitude of people towards death varies according to the ages and stages of life. Most of the people are living into later years and they have their own predicted on time deaths. A growing number of people are present at the position to consider the sense of thei r own deaths. Some sociologists have identified themselves engaged in the questions which are related to the death and its social meaning and its relation with the process of dying that how the topic of death is of great importance. What type of attitudes about death people have in their mind? What type of preparations they make for anticipating death (Riley, 1968)? The first survey in United States have found the attitude of people towards death and that survey was conducted in 1960s (Riley, 1970). That study has assessed the thought about deaths that most of the people at the all ages have non-threatening images of death in their mind. It has found that death is a blessing and it is not dreadful event for the person who dies but it is very sad for the survivors. The study also has revealed that death comes very quickly and few people have argued that death means the people have to suffer a lot. There was significant increase found in the degree to which the deaths process imposed upon the everyday lives of people. People were asked about an uncertainty of deaths or their lives. It has been found that death as a part of thoughts increased among the person at all ages and it increased in the later years of the lives of people. The researchers have found that people are unwilling meet with these realities. In 1970s, people agreed that each person die with the dignity and if the person has died, then the person has to tell it to doctors. Some studies have also taken place within the topic of anticipation of death. There was one question asked that do the people feel good to avoid the deaths and not try to make plans for anticipating deaths? Do they feel to make plans for death?  Ã‚   3.1 Self destruction The case of the sociological relationships of the person to the death which is known as suicide was taken. There were some sociological studies conducted on the topic dying and death (Cavan 1928; Halbwachs 1930; Henry Short 1954; Dublin 1963; Gibbs Martin 1964; Douglas 1967). Several studies have taken place on the social factors that are related with the rates of suicide. Several measures were taken such as industrialization which was identified by the gross national product and the status of integration. It has been founds that status integration was negatively correlated with the suicide rates.  Ã‚  Other study revealed about the suicide rates which were related with the family and their marital status and it was based on Durkheim theory.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3.2 Self management of death time It has been stated by several studies that people who are concerned with the relationship of themselves to the society are self motivated for managing the time of their deaths. It has assumed that the determination to live the life without identifying any biological linkages. It must b involved within thistopic (Marshall, 1980).  Ã‚  The people who are separated from the society always commit suicide and the people who are attached with it, delay the death or try to observe the time of getting social significance (Kalish, 1970). It has been proposed that deaths can be expected at the time of social occasions such as the Jewish day of compensation (Yom Kippur; Phillips Feldman, 1973).  From the year 1904-1968, researcher had found the difference between the deaths in non election as well as election years. They found that there was significant difference in the mortality rates of US people before electing US president. Some researchers have shown the fact about the low mortality rates just before to ceremonial occasions and the researcher found strong relationships between the death and the birthdays. The theory was that the people at their birthdays receive attention from the people (Philips, 1972).  Ã‚   3.3 Social Stressors and the Self Several sociological studies have talked about the social outcome for the lives of people along with fundamental changes during the period of industrial relocations, retirement, and institutionalization and at the time of economic depression. The mortality rates depend on these variables. It has been predicted that retirement is known as a stressful event which lead the higher rates of death for retirees as compared to the people who works. Life long work is considered as the stressor and retirement variable acts as the moderator that increases longevity. It has been revealed by the studies that mortality rate among the early and normal retirees within the major industries are different. The mortality rate of early retiree was higher than the predicted rates. The mortality rate in case of normal retirees was no different between the normal and expected rates. Some data was taken out from the companies such as pension, medical records, personnel etc. 4 Findings 4.1 Death is good? If you are born to this world, you are probable completely to experience death at one time or the other because death is inevitable. The point is whether death is a good thing to experience or is it a bad one? Everyone living in this society faces death at one or the other instance. No one is born eternal. An individual dies and ends his or her life at certain age due to natural or accidental death (Lynch, 1997). There are thousands of ways in which a human being can die. This death adds to the fear in mind of humanity. Human beings fear of this uneven cause at one or the other time. Death is acceptable for some people, while others fear against death (Nagel, 1970). The pain and fear of death can be dangerous. At such an instance, it becomes important to result in an approach to ensure that a person lives for long; however, the human beings have no control over this mandatory part of life that results into end of life. A human being feels comfortable considering death is for all and there is no loss of it if anyone faces it. All the human beings have to face death one or the other day. The human beings shall live their days and take complete enjoyment of it. One shall not be worried for his death at the entire instance, but shall be aware of comfort and enjoyment throughout his life. Humanity has to take due interest of this and live his life. While on looking at other side, people consider life as most important asset for them. Life is of supreme importance and there is the life is priceless. Therefore, it brings into attention whether life is most important for one? Yes it is as per the point that life is everything for a human being and the loss of life means the greatest loss that can be in ones life. There is no positive or negative aspect associated with it though. Human beings give away everything for the sake of life. This brings into attention the importance of life. Shall we live our life without any tension or shall we keep on worrying because of no importance of life? It is true that all the human beings want to live more and more. But, can one live for eternity? None of the human beings is here to be here. The life cycle keeps on rotating and the human beings die. Thus, from the above discussion it can be noted that the point whether death is good is a complex point to be cleared. It is not easy to find the right way in which we can consider whether death is good for a person or if it is not. There comes the need to assist in the way to come up to know whether death is good or not (Nagel, 1970). If the age has gone for an individual to live, the death could be a favourable point for him. However, it is still tough to say that death can be good. On the other hand, in case someone dies due to an accident or any uncertain reason, it is an unfavourable act for him. 4.2 Death- A change in Perception Death has been a point of sorrow since long when the conceptual designs by Holbein demonstrated the paintings of dead Christ with a sorrowful act (Julia, 1989). The perception of individual towards the death changes with the passage of time. For a child, death is not defined. However, in the adulthood, it becomes a fear factor for most of the human beings. The human beings consider it as the real cause of danger at their stage when the love to live. Therefore, individuals perception is quite conservative at this stage. However, the old aged people are not usually worried of death due to the reason that they already lived their life. Nagel (1970) has argued that people do not fear for death because of non existence for long term because of this. One does not consider life as suspended for a short period of time because this is considered as a misfortune. It can be a pity for those who get out of the circulation of life. One is not conceived, but is born for once. The point always exists in mind for the fear of death in humanity. Being dead is not an event but a curse as per the humanity. The consideration is laid on living for the whole life without any risk. However, the risks are always related with the life. One cannot be at a state of complete risk free life. The time does not demonstrate whether the state of life would be at complete risk free state. Therefore, the need exists at such an instance to life for the society. As per the interviews conducted by Barnes (2008), responses were collected with regard to existence of God. These provided the details of self reflection along with clarifying important them es of writings. Barnes (2008) says that he does not trust for existence of God, but he misses God. 4.3 Man of today- Worried of death The man in todays life is more worried of death (Julian, 2008). On looking at the past records of Renaissance and mediaeval times, it can be noted that death was amongst the community events. The family members band together with each other to share the moments of sorrow at such an instance. This helps them be with each other at typical instances. This was considered as the reason for being together. However, the concept has changed into a religion in todays time. None of the character is rigid in itself right from the beginning to the end, as there are continuous changes in thought process (Troyer, 2007). Today, it is usual to share the moments of sorrow with each other at hospital to share the tough times with each other. This helps in confining the complex situation with each other to give some support in these times. However, the fear of death is one and the same on comparing time of past and that of present. The death is such an instance which gets out of the scope of an understanding of human being. This even can occur anytime and anywhere with anyone, no matter what the situation and setting is with the surrounding. An individual conceives death as a complex phenomenon. The death has been a point of worry right from the time it was recorded long- long ago when the humanity started. It is a simple concept in everyones mind that life is the cause of joys and death is the cause of sorrows. There is a paradigm shift in the concept associated with death. This was the concept quite personal in historic times, but has become individualistic at present instance. This raises the need for higher degree of need for maintaining and regulating the tough situations to assure that the mankind is out of danger. If an individual gets ready to face the time of death, he can do so. The human psychology is the main factor that can result in death or life of a human being (Michel, 2003). The perception of an individual depends on his life and profession with regard to death. Doctors and nurses who are operating surrounded by death of people all around one or the other day, consider this as the normal phenomenon at usual instance, while others take it as a tough one. The main factor is the relatedness of death with the person who is suffering from it. This characteristic affects the humanity in one or the other way. 4.4 Dreadful act- Is there right time for it There has always been a conception in mind, what is the right age for death? One considers life as an important part right from his birth to the time the human being leaves his life (Nagel, 1970). Therefore, the life of humanity is always a good opt for individuals. But, one looking at the real life, we can note a number of events when the individual wishes to leave his life due to some or the other reason. This acts against the humanity and the living being gives up against his life. This may be at early stages of life or might take place at later stages. When an individual feels uncomfortable of his body and physique, the chances are there for taking an interest of ending ones life. However, these chances even increases more when the human being is not comfortable mentally due to some or the other reason. This acts quite badly against the humanity and the life is at risk. The death is an imminent part of ones life as one cannot survive always. The most common components associated with life are death, vision, and premonitions (Crissman, 1994). The situation of promotions are not easy to be faced as it is the time when one knows that he is going to die within short span. This is the main factor that acts against the life and well being. The person gets worried due to this factor. This knowing of the situation can be due to some magical reason, or be supernatural, or through the natural sign or inner conviction (Crissman, 1994). The condition rises to take due care of such an instance; else the chances are there for risk against life and well being. Thereon, the humanity survives only due to the situational success (Bryant, 2003). However, historic people were during the Appalachian culture focused more depending on superstition. 5 Conclusion For the topic titled as, Death and dying: Changing attitudes through the age, the topic was noted to be highly complex in actual sense. It was found that the researchers are contributing well to the research topic since the last century. This demonstrates high degree of interest among the individuals towards this concept. The death is always under the consideration to postpone because of increasing awareness and interest among individuals to live their lives. There is always the moral dilemma related to the euthanasia among individuals. However, the case of fear is increasingly getting over the lives. Increasingly individuals get involved in wrongful act. This has raised the accidents of suicides to a higher degree. The death in todays time has shifted towards being more and more deadly. Individuals take more interest in being attracted towards enlarged life. However, the change in attitude of man is still not much different as compared to that of historic times. There is still the importance laid on lives and humanity. This raised the attention among individuals to live for longer duration. On the other hand, the complex lives in todays time has resulted in increased the complexity of humanity. This further adds to the pressure on the mind of individuals leading them to depression and thus resulting in wrongful acts. There is no time for death until the end of hope of an individual. This point out increasing interest among individuals to live and enjoy their lives with not much interest laid on the other factors. The fear against death is therefore a phenomenon which does not seem to decrease even after decades. Individuals would be keeping living their lives for more and more years, in spite of this being an uncontrollable variable for individuals.

The macroenvironmantal forces affect the banking industry are socia…

Social forces include the demographic features of the population and its value.DemographicAge constructionOne of import tendency is the shifting age construction of the universe ‘s population, as aging is now a phenomenon realized by people around the universe.Families and FamilyThe figure of families has been turning, as the family size has correspondingly been worsening. Besides, there appears to be an addition in the figure of double-income household.Population ShiftsAs a consequence of the over-development and congestion of the metropolis centre, antecedently rural country are been urbanised which caused big proportions of Asiatic population reallocated from metropolis centres to suburbs. Shifts from place to foreign states are besides common.CultureA 2nd societal force, civilization, incorporates the set of values, thoughts and attitudes that are learned and shared among the members of a group.The altering attitudes and Roles of Men and WomenResearch suggests that the bulk or grownups today believe work forces and adult females should every bit portion most duties.Beliefs, Values and HabitsThe values of the population alteration with the demographics of the people who hold these values. Peoples who are more educated live a busy life style which indicates that they place great importance on efficiency and the up-to-date information. The increasing average age population implies the bulk would be more mature when apportioning incomes. The addition in the figure of double-income twosomes consequences in turning accent on the togetherness of a household which implies higher values on leisure clip spent as household. A alteration in ingestion orientation is besides evident. Today, and for the foreseeable hereafter, value consciousness will drive ingestion behaviour.Economic and Regulatory ForcesThe economic system pertains to the income, outgos, and resources that affect the cost of running a concern and family. Regulation consists of limitations that Torahs in different Asiatic states place on concern with respect to the behavior of its activities.Business and Consumer ExpectationsOf peculiar concern at the macroeconomic degree is the inflationary or recessive province of the economic system. During the most recent fiscal crisis started in 2007, the banking industry suffered immense losingss. Although a batch of marks indicate that the economic system is retrieving, people presents are still non so confident about the hereafter.LiberalizationAs a consequence of globalisation, liberalisation in trade and investing is encouraged in order to ease international interactions in economic and societal spheres by diplomatic coordination of ordinances and criterions. As a consequence, the economic system is more dynamic and efficient which becomes easier for states to pull foreign direct investing.Increasing Regulations on Banking IndustryDue to the fiscal crisis, many states are set uping more ordinances that decrease the potency to gain net incomes from investings and other activities at Bankss in order to protect both the clients and the Bankss.Technological ForcesTechnology refers to innovations or inventions from applied scientific discipline or technology research. Each new moving ridge of technological invention can replace existing merchandises and companies.Electronic Business TechnologiesIn the past two decennaries, consumers are going much more reliant on on-line direction of their bank histories as the figure of places and concerns basking broadband entree to the Internet has reached true mass-market range. With the increasing universe ‘s cellular telephone endorser base, the lower phone monetary values and the expand of cellular service, a genuinely radical moving ridge of nomadic phones that can pull off fiscal histories is easy taking root all over the universe. However, with the edification of the Internet has arisen the issue of cyber security, another technological alteration to which the banking industry has had to react.DeductionObviously, the indicant of an aging population has brought about significant growing in nest eggs and retirement programs. Smaller families and double-income households lead to higher discretional incomes that can be saved or invested. Therefore, in the banking industry, sellers should offer more nest eggs and investing history options which enables consumers to choose the most appropriate program that can be personalized to outdo suit themselves. Due to the alone attitudes, lineage, communicating penchants and life styles of different groups harmonizing to coevals cohorts, genders and so on, the banking industry may develop different selling plans. As, the engineering develops, Bankss should see offering a comprehensive scope of services, such as screening and doing minutess, paying measures, online and by cell phone in order to supply convenience for clients so as to derive clients. Furthermore, for clients ‘ histories safety, Bankss should make more unafraid systems and give instructions on how to protect one ‘s history. Sing population displacements, set uping more subdivisions decently with respect to the bank size and mark clients would be a wise pick. One of import scheme can be offering clients foreign currency histories reacting to the addition in foreign currency usage. Another notable scheme would be developing on-line nest eggs histories for the adolescents due to the increasing degree of instruction. From this, Bankss can farther educate the young person and promote fiscal direction, and develop future trueness clients Banks should develop low-risk investing plans as people are still non so confident about the future economic system. An epoch of much lower risk-taking by traditional loaners has begun that will last for old ages. As consumers are going more value witting, the banking industry will go more competitory. Banks have to vie on value of their services in order to acquire clients who are necessitating more transparence when taking merchandise. Greatly increased regulative inadvertence will curtail loaners and investing companies of all types. Alternative loaning beginnings will be used to a turning grade by little concerns and some consumers unable to acquire loans elsewhere. 2.Responses and remarks:Maybank has done the following in response to the macroenvironmental alterations. Deciding whether the response is appropriate or non, we need to see whether there are demands and wants for it, whether it is aiming the right group, whether there are points of difference, and whether Maybank would be more likely to make its end by executing the response. Offering a figure of nest eggs and investing history options such as the Gold Savings Passbook Account and Flexi Plan 2. This response is appropriate as it responded to growing in nest eggs and retirement programs. Furthermore, different options can provide to different group of people which will broaden the bank ‘s mark clients. Pioneering on-line nest eggs histories for the teenage market by developing the â€Å" imteen † history. â€Å" imteen † history is a good thought as through Multi-tiered involvement rate, Passbookless, Convenient ATM entree, Online entree, Free Personal Accident ( PA ) coverage, Academic Cash wagess, Maybank will pull parents who want their kids ( 12-18y ) to larn to pull off their finance with little hazard, and earn future clients. Establishing subdivisions throughout Asia part every bit good as the universe. As Maybank ‘s concerns are chiefly in South East Asia, it is non advisable for it to establish a batch of subdivisions outside Asia as it will non be profitable in the short tally. In add-on, since the universe is still in the shadow of crisis, Maybank should concentrate more on regain trusts from clients alternatively of spread outing its concerns rapidly. Developing the low-maintenance Premier Club history for â€Å" persons who are invariably on the spell † This response is appropriate since it satisfies the demands of people who are busy and in demand of current events and state of affairss. Offering its clients its scope of foreign currency histories which minimize the hazard of foreign exchange rate fluctuations. This action is appropriate as it sets clear targeted sections and attempts to fulfill their demands and wants of interchanging foreign currency easy and often. Offering a comprehensive scope of services that is accessible online while implementing the Transaction Authorisation Code system to make a more unafraid environment. These responses are evidently right as they meet clients ‘ demands and wants of doing minutess and other services online handily and safely. Offering many services accessible by cell phone. Using M-money to carry on services which is promoted to be unafraid and convenient. Maybank needs to be careful when implementing the engineering. Although nomadic banking makes banking services possible everyplace, there are still a batch of challenges. First, Maybank have to happen ways to fulfill clients with different nomadic phones since it is really hard for Bankss to offer nomadic banking solution on any type of device. Second, security of fiscal minutess, being executed from distant locations and transmittal over the air, need to be addressed jointly by nomadic application developers, radio web service suppliers and the Bankss ‘ IT sections. Third, another challenge for Maybank is to scale-up the nomadic banking substructure to manage exponential growing of the client base as Bankss unable to run into the clients ‘ increasing outlooks from the solution may lose client assurance.Other responses:Reacting to the altering attitudes and functions of work forces and adult females, Maybank should develop banking services catering to both genders. As indicated in the text edition, in Singapore, the United Overseas Bank launched a recognition card merely for ladies under the advertisement subject, â€Å" The Men Do n't Get It. † Maybank should spread out its female client group by supplying particular services like publicities on watering place, shopping, dining, and traveling and so on. The tendency of value consciousness leads to Maybank analysing the market more carefully. Maybe it should add low-fee recognition cards in response to this new orientation. In order to gain money and minimise the hazard when loaning, Maybank should seek to develop new ways to do loans to clients. For illustration, enabling loaning by and between members of loaning nines, or between friends and household. 3. Some of the macroenvironmental forces impacting other industries are the similar to those in the banking industry, while some are different.Similarities:For societal environment, demographic forces about affect every industry greatly. For illustration, age construction will act upon vesture industry by make up one's minding what manners of apparels to bring forth, and will impact nutrient industry on their scheme about what facet should they concentrate on, gustatory sensations, Calorie, or eating environment. It will besides impact computing machine industry by clients ‘ demands and wants altering among different age groups. With respect to economic forces, globalisation is an of import tendency. It has led to the rise of monolithic transnational nutrient processing companies, which frequently sell their nutrients under local names in local linguistic communications, after bring forthing them in regional mills worldwide. Due to globalisation, more and more local apparels trade names are known to the universe and design, production, and merchandising can be done in different states. The Computer industry is a genuinely globalized sector, where research, development and fabrication of constituents and systems have grown in the labs and fabrication workss of chiefly Asia states. When it comes to political environment, political hazards matter likewise to about all industries, as they need licences, protection for belongingss in foreign states, and turning away of societal agitation. In footings of engineering forces, about every industry is affected greatly nowadays. In vesture industry, the sweeping alteration in dress retailing is the lifting success of e-commerce which increases efficiency. Meanwhile, in nutrient industry, engineering has revolutionized the manner that we grow, conveyance, procedure, bundle, purchase and cook nutrient. There is no difference in banking industry as indicated above. Most significantly, engineering is indispensable to computing machine industry, non merely because of its ain development, but besides the other matching techniques such as Wi-Fi, and Internet contraptions.Differences:From my point of position, all macroenvironmental forces will impact all industries. The difference lies in to what widen they affect the industry. Some may be bantam and sellers do non necessitate to alter schemes, some may immense which force sellers to react. As for political environment, different Torahs impact otherwise to different industries. On one manus, Patent jurisprudence, copyright jurisprudence and other related Torahs are really of import to many industries as they give discoverers or author the right to protect their rational belongingss. It is particularly of import in computing machine industry, as the nucleus of InfoTech is creative activity and wisdom. Besides, in vesture industry, the increasing accent on right of first publication would forestall others from copying the design. However the consequence would non be so important in banking and nutrient industry. On the other manus, the Torahs and ordinances sing wellness are really important to nutrient industry. Sing societal forces, civilization plays an of import function in many industries. However, they may non be as powerful in banking industries as they are in other industries. For nutrient industry, people ‘s purchases of nutrient mostly depend on their eating wonts. However, as people are paying more attending to wellness and fittingness, it may necessitate to alter its focal point from gustatory sensation to take down Calorie or full nutrition. In vesture industry, civilization chiefly determines what a group of people would have on. Besides, as the addition concern on wellness, people have developed a acute involvement in athleticss dress and exercise cogwheel. On the other manus, for banking and computing machine industries, the consequence of civilization may non be that important.Deduction:Before doing determinations on market schemes, sellers should first transport out a careful environmental scanning analysing the chief forces that affect the industry significantly and t hat should concentrate on. It is besides advisable for sellers to detect all the other undistinguished forces in instance as the society develops, they become important adequate to impact the industry.

Marlow in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

In Heart of Darkness Conrad tries to deal with issues which are almost inexpressible.   The mysterious effect of the jungle wilderness on Kurtz, and on Marlow himself, puzzles the imagination and bewilders the understanding.   We might ask why Conrad chooses to tell the story through the character of Marlow, rather than simply to set it as a first person narrative.   The story is, in fact, about Kurtz, and about the way that contact with the primitive touches on the reality beneath human civilization, but it is also part of Marlow’s autobiography.Marlow is a character, not just a narrative voice, and his characterization enables us to judge and understand what he tells us.   He stands for certain impressive values – the practicality of the seaman’s life, the belief in the value of work, the refusal to judge too quickly, and the calmness of mind which allows him to consider and respond to the ambiguities in Kurtz’s experience. With his detached and skeptical manner, the fruit of a life among practical things, he makes the extraordinary story as believable as is possible.   We do not identify with him exactly, and he is not simply the voice of Conrad, but he is a convincing and unpretentious narrator who offers us glimpses into the ineffable.Much of the earlier part of the novel is concerned with establishing Marlow’s character and credentials as a narrator.   The actual narrator who speaks on the first page tells us that Marlow is the sort of seaman who is â€Å"trustworthiness personified† (5).   But he is â€Å"not typical† (8) in that â€Å"to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale† (8), which perhaps prepares us for Marlow’s attempt to convey to us the scale of his experience and its importance.   The maritime traditions and habits of mind are central to Marlow.   He values work over fantasy.   At the jungle station â€Å"I went to work†¦ In that way only it seemed to me I could keep my hold on the redeeming facts of life† (33), which is a vital and mature desire in him.   His instincts are to reject nonsense and absurdity and stick to the real.Talking to the ridiculous agent at the station, â€Å"this papier-mà ¢chà © Mephistopheles† (37), he tells us of his horror of lies, not because he is particularly virtuous, but because â€Å"there is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies – which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world† (38-9).   The agent’s insinuating invitation to Marlow to accept his petty corruptions meets with an instinctive shudder that speaks for his integrity.   Every man wants to get on, says the agent. â€Å"What more did I want? What I really wanted was rivets, by heaven!   Rivets.   To get on with the work† (40).   There is something wonderfully refreshing about such healthy disgust, and this contributes largely to our readiness to listen to Marlow as the tale reaches its most critical stages.It was a relief, he says to get back to the work of repairing the steamboat, not because he actually likes labor, â€Å"but I like what is in the work, – the chance to find yourself.   Your own reality†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (41). A powerful moment for him is the discovery in the riverside hut of Towson’s manual on seamanship, which, in the middle of the chaotic world of the jungle, gives him â€Å"a delicious sensation of having come upon something unmistakably real† (54), for the real is what he longs for, as the guarantee of sanity and purpose.   It reassures him that the book has been studied and cared for, the spine â€Å"lovingly stitched afresh with white cotton thread† (54) and the margin annotated with what he thinks is cipher but later discovers to be Russian.If Marlow’s integrity and devotion to the real is created thoroughly, so are his attitudes to wh at he experiences before he meets Kurtz.   Conrad gives him a style that is consistent.   He is skeptical, a little sardonic, and down-to earth.   He tells how he worked on his relations to try to ensure that he could go to Africa:The men said â€Å"My dear Fellow,† and did nothing.   Then – would you believe it? – I tried the women.   I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work – to get a job.   Heavens!   Well, you see, the notion drove me.   I had an aunt, a dear enthusiastic soul.   She wrote: â€Å"It will be delightful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (12)The voice is familiar, humorous and unaffected, and we feel every reason to trust what he says.   His devotion to the real makes him immediately sensitive to dishonesty and cant.   His view of â€Å"progress† is justifiably jaundiced.   The captain whom he replaces has been killed; â€Å"I heard the original quarrel arose from a misunderstanding about some hens† (13), and he is sur e that afterwards â€Å"the cause of progress got them, anyhow† (14).   His charge is â€Å"a two-penny-half-penny river steamboat with a penny whistle attached† (18) and he feels that his aunt talks â€Å"rot† when she describes him as â€Å"an emissary of light† (18).   He records the bizarre sight of a French warship lobbing shells into the jungle to destroy â€Å"enemies† (20).He is bewildered by the sight of the accountant at the station in his â€Å"high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (25) working alongside the black workmen who are dying in the grass.   He encounters a white man who has the job of maintaining the road.   He is drunk, and â€Å"Can’t say I saw any road or any upkeep, unless the body of a middle-aged negro, with a bullet-hole in the forehead, upon which I absolutely stumbled three miles further on, may be considered a permanent improvement† (29).   The man who tries to put out the fire in the store shed carries a bucket and declares â€Å"that everybody was ‘behaving splendidly, splendidly,’ dipped about a quart of water and tore back again.   I noticed there was a hole in the bottom of his pail† (33).Everywhere Marlow’s shrewd and ironical intelligence spots the signs of decay, corruption and self-deception.   The whole establishment at the jungle trading station is â€Å"unreal† (35), and when the manager starts canting about Marlow being â€Å"of the new gang – the gang of virtue† (36) â€Å"I nearly burst into a laugh† (36).   The whole experience has for him the insane logic of dream, â€Å"that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible which is the very essence of dreams†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (39).Such judgments and descriptions strike the reader as immensely observant and yet mo destly expressed.   Marlow feels fundamental decencies being abused by the colonial trading world, and it is hardly surprising that he becomes increasingly interested in Kurtz, who is clearly feared as well as despised by the other agents, largely because he has some sort of vision, a commodity seriously lacking in the ivory trading world.   Marlow’s convincing honesty and down-to-earth qualities even make Conrad’s symbolism easy to approach.The Fate-like knitting women in the Brussels office are entirely real as well as allusive.   One wears a dress â€Å"as plain as an umbrella cover† (14).   Marlow notes how the two women introduce many â€Å"to the unknown†¦ these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall† (16).   It is a rare and powerful effect, not clumsy, as it might have been, because we are so convinced by Marlow’s practical and realistic attitude.When it comes to the encounter with Kurtz we are therefore ready to give Marlow the benefit of the doubt as he reveals his own complex attitude to the man, and tries to explain what it is that Kurtz has seen and felt.   It is Kurtz’s idealism that first interests him, here in this nightmare place of unreason.   The other agents laugh at his hope that â€Å"Each station should be like a beacon on the road towards better things, a centre for trade of course, but also for humanising† (47).   At the same time Marlow cannot escape the thought that the savage figures seen on the bank are not inhuman, â€Å"the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar† (51) and we can see how he might understand how Kurtz’s own soul has been captured by the darkness.He finds that he wants to talk to Kurtz, even though he realizes as soon as he gets to Kurtz’s station that â€Å"He had taken a high seat among the devils of the land† (70), something Marlow knows will be almost impossible for his audience to understand; â€Å"How could you? – with solid pavement under your feet, surrounded by kind neighbours†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (70).   This is where Marlow’s story moves into the area of the incredible and the only partly expressible   Kurtz’s high-minded writings end suddenly with the savage cry â€Å"Exterminate all the brutes† (72).   The â€Å"brother seaman† talks of how Kurtz has inspired him – â€Å"I tell you†¦this man has enlarged my mind† (78).   But Marlow can only conclude â€Å"Why! He’s mad† (81) despite the Russian’s protests.The skulls are the evidence of his total breakdown, that the darkness â€Å"had whispered to him things about himself that he did no know† (83). The spell of the wilderness had awakened â€Å"forgotten and brutal instincts† (94) in him and dragged his soul â€Å"beyond the bounds of permitted aspirations† (95).   Marlow i s able to see Kurtz’s story as a tragedy.   His aim had been to â€Å"Live rightly, die, die† (99) but he had not known what was in himself, and Marlow’s readiness to stand by him at the end, even to rescue him in a way, rests on an awareness that Kurtz was not despicable, and that he himself might well respond in the same way.â€Å"He had made that last stride, he had stepped over the edge, while I had been permitted to draw back my hesitating foot† (101).   Back in Europe, like Gulliver, he is disgusted by his fellow man, â€Å"like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of a danger† (102), and he lies to Kurtz’s â€Å"intended† because neither she nor anyone else would be able to comprehend the truth.Marlow does not claim to know or understand everything.   It is the unassuming nature of his narrative stance that convinces us.   The â€Å"real† narrator calls the whole thing â€Å"one of Marlow’s inco nclusive experiences† (10). But no one could be omniscient with such a subject; Marlow only glimpses one of the great mysteries, and none of us is ever granted more than that.   What Conrad has done is to choose a narrative method and a type of narrator which conveys as well as possible immensely difficult things.Works CitedConrad, Joseph.   Heart of Darkness.   Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1973.

A Profile of the Blue Button Jelly

Although it has the word jelly in its name, the blue button jelly (Porpita porpita) is not a jellyfish  or sea jelly. It is a hydroid, which is an animal in the class Hydrozoa. They are known as colonial animals, and sometimes just referred to as blue buttons. The blue button jelly is made up of individual zooids, each specialized for a different function such as eating, defense or reproduction. The blue button jelly is related to jellyfish, though. It is in the Phylum Cnidaria, which is the group of animals that also includes corals, jellyfish (sea jellies), sea anemones, and sea pens. Blue button jellies are relatively small  and measure about 1 inch in diameter. They consist of a hard, golden brown, gas-filled float in the center, surrounded by blue, purple or yellow hydroids that look like tentacles. The tentacles have stinging cells called nematocysts. So in that respect, they can be like jellyfish species that sting. Blue Button Jelly Classification Heres the scientific classification nomenclature for a blue button jelly: Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: CnidariaClass: HydrozoaOrder: AnthoathecataFamily: PorpitidaeGenus: Porpitaspecies: porpita Habitat and Distribution Blue button jellies are found in warm waters off Europe, in the Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, New Zealand, and southern U.S. These hydroids live on the ocean surface, are sometimes blown into shore, and sometimes seen by the thousands. Blue button jellies eat plankton and other small organisms; they are typically eaten by sea slugs and violet sea snails. Reproduction Blue buttons are hermaphrodites, which means that each blue button jelly has both male and female sex organs. They have reproductive polyps that release eggs and sperm into the water. The eggs are fertilized and turn into larvae, which then develop into individual polyps. Blue button jellies are actually colonies of different types of polyps; these colonies form when a polyp divides to form new types of polyps. The polyps are specialized for different functions, such as reproduction, feeding, and defense. Blue Button Jellies...Are They Hazardous to Humans? Its best to avoid these beautiful organisms if you see them. Blue button jellies do not have a lethal sting, but they can cause skin irritation when touched. Sources: Climate Watch. Blue Button: Porpita porpita. Larsen, K. and H. Perry. 2006. Sea Jellies of the Mississippi Sound. Gulf Coast Research Laboratory - University of Southern Mississippi. Meinkoth, N.A. 1981. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Seashore Creatures. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. SeaLifeBase. Porpita Porpita. WoRMS. 2010. Porpita porpita (Linnaeus, 1758). In: Schuchert, P. World Hydrozoa database. World Register of Marine Species on October 24, 2011.