Multilateral vs bilateral diplomacy Essay

Governments need to develop international relations in different fields like security, and trade as well as to decide the option of engaging in a bilateral or multilateral basis with other countries through diplomacy. Bilateralism and multilateralism have supporters and detractors; however the multilateral approach has increased since the end of the Second World War and thanks to the globalisation that affects all the countries around the world. In this way, the international intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) have become important actors in global governance, cooperating in problem-solving agreements and providing activities to face global problems. IGOs can also be independent actors. Bilateralism is considered the reflection of the distribution of powers between the parties, where the dominant country generally takes advantage, while multilateralism is viewed as relations that follow a pattern of principles. This paper will argue why countries prefer multilateral engagement through international organisations rather than bilateral one with other states. The first part of the essay will focus on the need of states to engage with others. The second part will give a broader definition of bilateralism and multilateralism, the main strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The third part will cover the different role of multilateral organisations in diplomacy. Finally, the fourth part will explain the advantages of the multilateralism that place it as the preferred engagement among countries. Some examples and case studies will be used to remark this tendency. The essay however will finish with some challenges that the multilateralism approach face in the near future. Why countries need to engage with others As the whole society, countries cannot be isolated from the world, this means that they need to develop a foreign policy of how to deal with others, negotiating their interests and solving problems that can arise with the neighbours. This process is named diplomacy (Wright 2011). Diplomacy can be on an individual basis (bilateralism) or in groups of three or more (multilateralism) where states follow principles in their relationship. Asian countries rely mainly in the first approach, meanwhile European countries prefer the second one (Wright 2011). According to the  international relations theory, states may create international law and international institutions, and may enforce the rules they codify. Nevertheless, these rules do not determine a state to act in a defined manner, but instead the underlying material interests and power relations. Institutions also may increase information about states behaviour diminishing the significant uncertainty of cooperation. Also, they can increase efficiency, reducing the transaction costs and providing a venue where states can meet as well as they provide norms, practices and decision making procedures to shape expectations and allow a quickly settle on a specific course of action. It is important to remember that states are configurations of individual and group interests that were constructed from mix of history, ideas, norms, and beliefs and that project those interests into the international system through a particular kind of government (Slaughter 2011). Bilateralism and Multilateralism ‘Bilateralism is a value-free concept, and the substance and output are likely to be driven by the relative power between the two parties and, by extension, by the interests of the stronger party’ (Wright 2011). Bilateralism could be discriminatory if the powerful state tries to get the best deal according to its interests with other states on an individual and ad hoc basis as small states depend on its markets. However, this approach could also bring benefits like the risk reduction since actions are controlled and the probability for reciprocal benefits is higher (Wright 2011). ‘Multilateralism, by contrast, organises relations between three or more states along a set of basic principles that lay out certain expectations of behaviour that all parties must agree to and abide by, including the strongest party’ (Wright 2011). The different challenges that states have faced in terms of security, peacekeeping, disease control, human rights violations, and pollu tion in the last few decades have demonstrated that these factors are complex and cannot be managed by a country or a group, no matter how powerful or effective it can be, it is a global issue (Powell 2003). Policy prescriptions of multilateral organisations seem to be intrusive in terms of state sovereignty, becoming difficult to agree and implement in most cases (Roberts 2009). Multilateralism background and International Organisations Multilateral cooperation origins can be traced a long way back through congresses and conferences, such as the Congress of Westphalia from 1644 to 1648, the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and the Congress of Paris in 1856. In terms of committees, the first ones were set up to deal with technical matters like the Commissions to regulate the Rhine, the Danube and other rivers. In 1874, the Universal Postal Union was created after the Berne Conference to allow letters stamped and posted in one country could be transported and delivered in another. In terms of Peace, the First Hague Conference of 1899 and the Concert of Europe in from 1815 to 1914 were established. In 1919, after the First World War, the League of Nations appeared ‘to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security’. Finally, the United Nations was born in 1947 after the Second World War with wider aims open to all states (Roberts 2009, Wiseman & Basu, 2013). The international organisations can belong to universal multilateralism (United Nations – UN), regional multilateralism (European Union – EU), value-based multilateralism (North Atlantic Treaty Organization – NATO) or minilateralism (G20) or a mix of some approaches (Wright 2011). They have changed the representation from nation-state governments’ diplomatic to non-state diplomatic actors thank to their role of diplomacy facilitation venue (Pigman 2010). Their participation model will vary depending on their category. Universal multilateralism is open to all states without taking in account their geographic location, size or regime. The barriers of entry are relatively low but the states participation can be on one-state/one-vote basis (General Assembly of United Nations) or weighting vote in the basis of population, wealth or financial contribution (International Monetary Fund – IMF) (Wright 2011, Pigman 2010, Karns & Mingst 2013). The regional multilateralism ‘focuses on policy coordination and cooperation among states in a specific geographic region’ while the values-based multilateralism relies on their own values in terms of security, economic or human rights matters. Finally, minilateralism ‘allows a powerful state or a small group of states to convene a select group that is capable of acting in a timely manner and in a way that is proportionate to the challenge at hand’. The participation in the regional multilateralism and the minilateralism is inclusive but depending on the institution and  culture of the members can be majoritarian or consensus (Wright 2011, Pigman 2010, Karns & Mingst 2013). Multilateral engagement through international organisations International institutions (IGOs) can play a complementary role with states being the universal multilateralism ones the preferred thanks to the benefits granted to the members. States, most of the time, join the IGOs pursuing their national interests or to solve problems mainly in public goods, telecommunications, transportation among others (Karns & Mingst 2013). It is also said that IGOs can build up democracy enhancing domestic constitutional mechanisms and strengthen the principle of reciprocity among countries allowing compensations or other ameliorative actions. IGOs also concede the opportunity to diffuse general interests against special ones thanks to the public agendas, and disseminate important technical information that can be implemented and adapted according to the nations’ needs. Finally, IGOs have empowered societies protecting individual and minority rights, fostering collective deliberation or discussion and improving the participatory strands (Keohane, Macedo & Moravcsik 2009). The United Nations (UN) is the best known of the world’s universal institutions, and even when all countries are welcome, not all receive the same treatment (Wright 2011). The UN has at the moment 193 members and six principal organs: the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the Secretariat, being the most important the General Assembly and the Security Council. The General Assembly allows each member state has one vote however its resolutions are non-binding in a legal sense and only motivate governments to implement them. By contrary, in the case of the Security Council, the five permanent member countries (China, France, United Kingdom, Russian Federation and United States) has the right to veto, and together the other eleven members (elected for two years from the rest of UN members) can authorise to sanction and use the force to preserve or restore peace between nations (Pigman 2010, Wiseman & Basu 2013). Even if this participatory approach could disappoint countries, the fact is that most of the members prefer the UN as their main form of Diplomacy thanks to the opportunity to present proposals, express discomfort or ask for help in specific issues. The UN, through its vast network composed by foundations, major university centres, key NGOs, UN associations, think tanks,  institutes, and prominent individuals, can seek for solutions, programs and activities (Wiseman & Basu 2013). In terms of peace negotiation and new states democracy, the UN has some successful stories as Namibia and East Timor. In the case of Namibia, in 1990, the African country of Namibia became the 160th member of the United Nations after a long process of patient and persistent efforts from the UN that could persuade South Africa to fulfil its colonial mandate in the territory. During Namibia transition, UNTAG (United Nations Transition Assistance Group); consisting of people of 124 nationalities, almost 8,000 troops, and a civilian support and local staff of almost 2,000; worked for around one year to ensure the electoral process and monitor the ceasefire between the South West Africa People’s Organization and South African forces, and the withdrawal and demobilization of all military forces in Namibia (Johnson 2010). In East Timor’s independence, the UN also played an important role to end Indonesia’s 24-year occupation. The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) was established to provide an integrated, multidimensional peacekeeping operation and was fu lly responsible for the administration of East Timor until 2002 when its transition to independence was completed. The entire infrastructure required to ensure the prosperity of the new democracy was established, and it is told that the UN’s involvement in this small, remote country goes back much further – to the months after the brutal Indonesian invasion of December 1975, when a young, bearded Timorese by the name of Jose Ramos Horta pleaded at the UN Security Council for international support (Head 2012). Until now, only examples of ‘high politics’ (armed conflicts) have been given, however, the UN is also well-known for its support in ‘low politics’ (socioeconomic factors as poverty and resource scarcity) to its members (Wiseman & Basu 2013). Specialised economic agencies such as the UN Council on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are in charge of much of th e work (Pigman 2010). Important proposals have been raised in these topics, and countless programmes and projects have been executed in developing countries mainly. Examples are Mongolian microfinance plans that have helped this country to pass a centrally planned  to a market-driven economy and have an average annual GDP growth rate of about 5 percent. In Bulgaria, a project named ‘Beautiful Bulgaria’ focused on vocational training for the unemployed, training to small and medium enterprises, start-up financing for small businesses, renovating tourism sites, sporting facilities and playgrounds made possible in 2007 that Bulgaria was admitted to the European Union. The Danube River flows through many Eastern European countries before reaching the Black Sea. In terms of environment, the Black Sea and the Danube River Basin programme has given measurable improvement as countries collectively identified their transboundary problem and agreed to environmental solution. For decades, the discharge of polluted water into the Danube resulted in nutrient over-enrichment in the Black Sea, affecting fish stocks, beaches and the incidence of waterborne disease. The dissolution of the Soviet Union provided an opportunity for countries in the region to launch a collaborative effort to address this issue (UNDP 2011). The UN not only gives the opportunity to deal well-known issues like the ones mentioned before, but it also provides the chance to explore new fields in Diplomacy. An example of this is the current condemnation of United States (US) espionage by Latin America and other countries that feel their sovereignty violated even when the US defends its programme as a tool to fight against terrorism (Stea, 2013). The media has played a key role in this topic pushing the US actual administration to propose changes to the National Security Agency (NSA) program as the promise that US government will no longer store the phone call information, however these ‘changes’ are not clear enough yet for the international community (Ackerman & Roberts 2014). In 2001, United States achieved the support of the UN Security Council that require d states to freeze the assets of individuals or institutions believed to be associated with terrorism (Keohne, Macedo & Moravcsik), however the panorama does not look the same for this issue. Diplomacy through UN has mainly been successful in regulating the international travel through the certification of airports by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the establishment of safety standards; ensuring that products for export meet international standards (e.g. milk, bananas, coffee, tea); ensuring that international agreements are implemented by the member states, for example, agreements relating to shared resources (i.e. animals,  rivers/lakes, logging, etc.); promoting cooperation among various countries, especially within the south (East Asia), resulting in exchange of information, scholarships, businesses, etc.; raising public awareness through international conferences, e.g. Environment (Rio), Human Settlement (Istanbul), Gender (Beijing), the plight of children (New York); promoting technical assistance in various fields to its member states in the third world; and providing shelter and relief to millions of refugees from war and persecution, as well as supporting the repatriation and resettlement of refugees and displaced persons (UNDP 2011). Finally, the UN as venue has also allowed the increase of ‘public diplomacy’ (since conferences are open to the media, therefore to an international audience), the ‘behind-the-scenes bilateral diplomacy’ (because in many cases the UN resolution approaches the parties who after bilateral negotiations solve common issues), and the ‘polylateral diplomacy’ (the relationship between the state and non-state representatives composed by NGOs working with the UN) that could be seen as a network diplomacy (Wiseman & Basu, 2013). Multilateralism Challenges Most of IGOs are labelled as ‘western’, with a strong influence of some members like United States which have unresolved historical grievances. Countries like China, that in the 2000s played a leading role in the construction of multilateral structures in Asia, concerns Washington since it considers that Beijing is using soft power to marginalise the United States. Climate change also poses a threat to all states because the major carbon emitters cannot agree to find a solution as it affects their interests. Compromise not always produces the level of cooperation required to solve a problem (Wright 2011). Nowadays, some of the challenges are referred to asymmetries in the evolving process of multiple channels and levels of diplomatic representation and interaction with the rise of such new powers as Brazil, Germany, India and South Africa. Also, the UN diplomacy is now tied to a larger and more complex diplomatic community of diplomats and non-state actors (Pigman 2010, Wiseman & Basu 2013). Another issue is related to structures. ‘The UN’s basic structure has not evolved with the changing international political climate and configurations. Most obviously, the P5 member states’ privileged status has skewed the relations  between government representatives who otherwise hold equal legal status in the international state system’ (Kerr & Wiseman 2013). To maintain the institution’s legitimacy, efficiency and its role of global governance, deep changes need to be done. Sensitive topics and decisions should be addressed in a correct way. For example, nowadays, the Syria crisis has provoked a wave of critics against the UN that have qualified the organisation as incompetent to find effective solutions to this kind of situations that harms innocent people. Another difficult topic is in terms of the nuclear weapon testing even when the nuclear non-proliferation treaty was signed by 190 nations, including five nations that admitted to owning nuclear weapons: France, England, Russia, China, and the US. The nuclear stockpiles remain high, and numerous nations continue to develop these devastating weapons, including North Korea, Israel, Pakistan, and India. These failures of compliance of the non-proliferation treaty and the inability to enforce crucial rules and regulations on offending nations have increased the criticism towards the UN effectiveness. Finally, resolutions related to sensitive topics as the human rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people may provoke the refusal of member countries that do not share this idea, and that could interpret this as an imposition from Western countries (Crary 2011) Conclusion Diplomacy through multilateral engagement represents the favourite channel of most of the countries thanks to the benefits it represents. States can get active participation in forums and raise petitions as well as to sign agreements that not only involve another state-party but even non-state actors. Technical assistance, humanitarian aid, democracy enhancement, complaints are some of the advantages of the IGO’s as venue, being the United Nations the most well-known thanks to its structure. Other IGO’s like the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO are also important as venue to deal with common issues in a universal or regional basis. However, these IGO’s, mainly the UN, also face challenges that need to be solved to continue the model in the future. The current structure of the Security Council with 5 privileged members has been pushed in the last years to change and enlarge if the UN pretends to continue be considered as ‘the centrepiece of global governanceà ¢â‚¬â„¢, effective and legitimate. The rise of the so-called BRIC  countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) have made the decision making process more carefully as the shift of power in the system is undeniable. References Ackerman, S & Roberts, D 2014, ‘Obama presents NSA reforms with plan to end government storage of call data’, The Guardian, 18 January, viewed 19 January 2014, . Crary, D 2011, ‘U.N. Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passes, Hailed As ‘Historic Moment’’, Huffington Post, 17 June, viewed 19 January 2014, . Head, J 2012, ‘East Timor: UN ends peacekeeping mission’, BBC News Asia, 31 December, viewed 19 January 2014, . Johnson, K 2010, ‘Celebrating a United Nations success story’, LaCross Tribune, 23 April, viewed 19 January 2014, . Karns, M & Mingst, K 2013, ‘International Organizations and Diplomacy’, in A Cooper, J Heine & R Thakur (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 142-159. Keohane, R, Macedo, S & Moravcsik, A 2009, ‘Democracy-Enhancing Multilateralism’, International Organization, Vol. 63, pp. 1-31. Osler, F & Heinbecker, P 2011, ‘The â€Å"New† Multilateralism of the Twenty-First Century’, Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 299-310. Pigman, G 2010, ‘Multilateral Institutions, Supranational Polities, Regional Bodies’, Contemporary Diplomacy, Polity Press, Cambridge, pp. 56-69. Powell, L 2003, ‘In Defense of Multilateralism’, Global Environmental Governance: the Post-Johannesburg Agenda, Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, viewed 19 January 2014, . Roberts, I 2009a, ‘Legal Framework for Multilateral Diplomacy’, in Sir I Roberts (ed), Satow’s Diplomatic Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 287-315. ______ 2009b, ‘Theory of Multilateral Diplomacy’, in Sir I Roberts (ed), Satow’s Diplomatic Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 317-320. Slaughter, A 2011, ‘International Relations, Principal Theories’ in R Wolfrum (ed), Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 722-727. Stea, C 2013, ‘Latin America Condemns US Espionage at United Nations Security Council’, Global Research, 17 August, viewed 19 January 2014, . United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2011, Case Studies of Sustained and Successful Development Cooperation: Supporting Transformational Change, UNDP, viewed 19 January 2014 . Wiseman, G & Basu, S 2013, ‘The United Nations’, in P Kerr & G Wiseman (eds), Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories & Practices, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 319-335. Wright, T 2013, ‘Bilateral and Multilateral Diplomacy in Normal Times and in Crises’, in P Kerr & G Wiseman (eds), Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories & Practices, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 175-191.

Sigmund Freud Ideology

Sigmund Freud explored many new concepts in the human mind during his lifetime. He was the scholar who discovered an immense new realm of the mind, the unconscious. He was the philosopher who identified childhood experience, not racial destiny or family fate, as the vessel of character, and he is the therapist who invented a specific form of treatment for mentally ill people, psychoanalysis. This advanced the revolutionary notion that actual diagnosable diseases can be cured by a technology that dates to the dawn of humanity: speaking.Sigmund Freud, writing more than 320 books, articles and essays on psychotherapy in his lifetime, forever changed how society viewed mental illness and the meaning of their dreams. However, controversy over Freud’s theories surrounded his experiments in whether or not they were wholly accurate scientifically. By not being able to correctly recreate the experiments, the actual â€Å"success rate† of his theories cannot be tested for their a ccuracy in accordance to what Freud stated about his work.Thus, many scientists and influential scholars believe that â€Å"Freud brings the techniques of introspection employed by early nineteenth century poets but lacks aspects of nineteenth century science† (Hutton 62). Overall, the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud are difficult to access scientifically as far as helping mentally ill people recover in reference to treatments outlined in his work. On May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia, Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was born as the first child of Jakob and Amalia Freud.Freud had seven siblings, and described himself as his mother’s special favorite- her â€Å"golden Siggie† (Thornton). In his early life, he enrolled at the University of Vienna in 1873 where Freud did research in physiology for six years under the German scientist Ernst Brucke and received his medical degree in 1881. He then became a doctor at Vienna General Hospital and set up a private practice center for the treatment of psychological disorders in 1886.During World War II, his books were burned along with those by other famous thinkers. â€Å"What progress we are making,† Freud told a friend. â€Å"In the Middle Ages they would have burnt me; nowadays they are content with burning my books† (Thornton). Freud was interrogated by the Gestapo before his friend, Marie Bonaparte, was able to secure their safe passage to England. Bonaparte also tried to rescue Freud's four younger sisters, but was unable to do so. All four women later died in Nazi concentration camps. During this time, Freud as married to Martha Bernays, and the couple would have six children in their lifetimes. One of them, Anna, who was also interrogated by the Gestapo, was to become a distinguished psychoanalyst herself. Ultimately, after having undergone more than twenty surgeries, Sigmund died in September 1939 due to cancer of the mouth and throat from excessive cigar smoking. The Interpretation of Dreams, originally published under the title of ‘Die Traumdeutung’ in November of 1899, perfectly portrays Freud’s theories from Freud’s point of view.His other works, including The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, and Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, do not compel Freud to look into himself like in The Interpretation of Dreams, for â€Å"The Interpretation of Dreams is the primary documentation of Freud’s self-analysis† (Parsons). Furthermore, he considered this novel to be his greatest work, even though it was his first. To modern scholars, however; â€Å"His autobiography is rather a record of his public accomplishments. On the whole he presents himself as he wished to be viewed by the world, not as he struggled in his interior life with his personal dilemmas† (Hutton 62).Many important ideas that contributed to the theories in Freud’s novel came from influential academic scholars such as Joseph Breuer, Jean Charcot and Ernst Brucke. Even then, the ideas portrayed in The Interpretation of Dreams, are controversial due to their authenticity. Sigmund Freud and his mentor Brucke wrote on hysteria. They explained their theory: Every hysteria is the result of a traumatic experience, one that cannot be integrated into the person's understanding of the world.The emotions appropriate to the trauma are not expressed in any direct fashion, but do not simply evaporate: They express themselves in behavior that in a weak, vague way offers a response to the trauma. These symptoms are, in other words, meaningful. When the client can be made aware of the meanings of his or her symptoms (through hypnosis, for example) then the unexpressed emotions are released and so no longer need to express themselves as symptoms. With Charcot, many of Charcot's patients suffered from a bizarre array of physical and emotional problems, symptoms of a puzzling affliction doctors called â€Å"hyst eria. Freud became deeply interested in the plight of patients, typically women, who suffered from hysteria. Through the study of hysteria, Charcot would introduce young Freud to the mysteries he would spend the rest of his life trying to fathom – the power of mental forces hidden away from conscious awareness. Furthermore, â€Å"Freud’s father died four years prior to the publication. Painful and disturbing, the long run effect of freeing Freud from his inhibitions impeded his work† (Parsons).The death of Freud’s father most likely had a significant effect on his mind for the topics stated in The Interpretation of Dreams included a great sense of loss of a parental figure, relating to Freud’s ideas of infantile sexuality To Freud, this sexuality covers a much wider concept other than genital intercourse between a male and female. But whatever shape or form of sexuality one eventually takes, Freud asserts, it inevitably has its roots in the infanti le sexuality, which is described in terms of sexual development in the first few years of a life of an infant.He may have written about this topic unaware that he was relating his thoughts to the loss of his father. This also goes hand in hand with Freud’s theory of the unconscious. Freud viewed the unconscious mind as a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that is outside of our conscious awareness. Most of the contents of the unconscious are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict. According to Freud, the unconscious continues to influence human behavior and experience, even though they are unaware of these underlying influences.In the end, â€Å"He never ceased to extend and modify his theories† even when disagreements about Freud’s work erupted in the scientific community (Davis). The controversy surrounding Freud’s theories today occurs for many reasons. For example, he stated that his method of psyc hoanalysis cured mental illness; however, there is no way to prove that a patient has become mentally stable, for the patient’s symptoms may have simply been alleviated for a time. Even now â€Å"There is difficulty in specifying what counts as a cure for a neurotic illness, and what counts as a neurotic illness† (Davis).Also, â€Å"Freud’s theory could have been generated by logical confusions from long standing addiction to cocaine† (Girard). Before the harmful effects were discovered, cocaine was often used as an analgesic and euphoric. It was used in household products, and even soda and throat lozenges. Freud developed an interest in the potential antidepressant effects of cocaine, and initially advocated its use for a variety of purposes. This frequent use of the narcotic drug could have effected how Freud treated his patients, and how accurately he conducted his experiments.Disagreements over whether Freud was dependent on the drug shroud the scien tist’s credibility as well, however; it is certain that he used the narcotic drug himself, not just for his patients. As for the science within Freud’s groundbreaking discoveries, â€Å"There was something in his method akin to that of the magi of the Renaissance† (Hutton 61). Freud even stated that during his adolescent years, he was fascinated by dreams, and that allure drove him to study the human mind.It was for a purely individual appeal to discover himself that Freud started his lifelong career. Furthermore, most academic scholars today see Freud’s work as â€Å"Lacking scientific evidence, overemphasizing sex, and having frequent chauvinistic viewpoints† (Parsons). Freud’s infantile sexuality theory is based on data collection from the samples of only a particular group of people in Vienna. Many then argue that the infantile sexuality should differ from one society and culture to another.For example, in eastern societies where the fam ily is not a nuclear one, unlike most western families, the Oedipus Complex should not be as Freud suggests since there are more objects to which love and hate may be directed. This is indeed true but again, even if Freud’s work is just a representation of the western society, it still gives a lot of credible explanations for what happens in the western society in terms of neuroses, behaviors and psychology. Researchers are tapping into the chemistry of the unconscious, exploring the theory of repression, even testing ways to block traumatic memories.What they are finding does not necessarily prove Freud right or wrong but after decades of polarization between neuroscience (the study of the brain) and psychoanalysis (exploration of the mind), the two fields are beginning to find common ground. Dr. Eric Kandel, a Columbia professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute senior investigator and Nobel Prize winner for his work on learning and memory speaks on Freud's greatest contribu tions: Much of what we do is unconscious. That is a revelation that largely comes from Freud.The fact that dreams have psychological meaning, that infants are active, thinking individuals who have sensual as well as painful experiences also comes from Freud. The fact that by listening carefully to a patient, you can get a lot of insight into what the unconscious is talking about. This is revolutionary stuff. (Kandel) Kandel perfectly outlines the relevance of Freud’s ideas to the common man’s life. However brilliant though, the discussion on whether Freud’s ideas are literary or scientific continues. The topic of Sigmund Freud’s theories eing literary or scientific shadows the debate upon whether Freud’s ideas are authentic. For instance, â€Å"If a theory is incompatible with all possible observations, it is scientific,† but, â€Å"[c]onversely, a theory which is compatible with all possible observations is unscientific† (Girard). In other words, if there is no way to disprove a theory’s findings, it cannot be scientific, and if the observations lead you to further insight about the topic that can be proven with specific results, then you have a true scientific theory.As far as being in favor of a literary theory, Freud’s ideas are always intriguing, and The Interpretation of Dreams is probably the best known book on dream interpretation. Also, â€Å"Freud thought of research on the workings of the psyche as a new frontier of science, but psychoanalysis, for all of its originality as a paradigm for understanding the psyche and its efficacy in curing troubled souls, was essentially a technique for retrieving lost memories† (Hutton 61).This concept from Freud contains ideas that are more poetic than systematic, so far as being in favor of a scientific theory; it provides a glimpse into psychoanalytic work from a man who devoted his whole life to discovering how the human mind functions. The c onsequences of believing Freud’s work was literary is that it did not fare well in the last few decades with the general public. Society did embrace the idea; however, once they look into the details of Freud’s ideas, flaws begin to occur in the logical reasoning.Consequences for believing Freud’s ideas are scientific are that they lack scientific rigor and have little or no substantiation in the scientific community. Freud deemed his work correct and scientific, even through the controversy. All the same, his evidence was biased for he based all examples in The Interpretation of Dreams directly to his life. Overall, â€Å"Freud’s theory- it is not falsifiable† due to the lack of true evidence supporting psychoanalytic experiments with Freud (Thornton). In context to how Freud’s ideas helped the mentally unstable, there is no way to portray exactly how well his methods worked.It is known that he used dream analysis, para praxes, word associa tion, projective tests and hypnosis; however the â€Å"success rate† for these measures varies because â€Å"success† in curing a mentally unstable person cannot be exactly measured. In society at the time, these methods of helping the mentally ill were widely accepted among the general public after Freud brought the idea of psychoanalysis to civilization. Freud honestly thought he was helping society by psychoanalyzing mental patients to discover what was vexing them emotionally.Nonetheless â€Å"The cure is affected essentially by a kind of purgation, a release of psychic energy† in which the patients must undergo a deep self-analysis to find the cause of their illness with the help of a psychoanalytic doctor (Girard). In Freud’s own words directly from The Interpretation of Dreams â€Å"The patient himself must become conscious of unresolved conflicts buried deep in the recess of the unconscious mind† (Freud 58). It was this very idea that made his work â€Å"Influential today so that when people speak of psychoanalysis, they frequently refer exclusively to clinical treatment† (Thornton).On the whole, there is no doubt that Freud’s theories about psychoanalysis and the unconscious mind were influential. However when dealing with mentally ill patients, his theories were unscientific by the experiments he conducted. Freud's psycho dynamic model may seem opaque to us today because he explained it in terms of the technology metaphor of his day. It is as if a scientist today used a current technology such as computers as a metaphor for things that one cannot explain easily.However, Sigmund Freud, although criticized, is a highly respected pioneer of psychology. The dominant paradigm of clinical work of psychiatry and psychology is Freudian work. Overall, Freud's theory of the unconscious assumes a personal mind; a mind inhabited with wishes, desires, and needs that have a biological, intra-psychological origin. Du e to this point, the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud are difficult to access scientifically as far as helping mentally ill people recover in reference to treatments outlined in his work.

Older adults with non-English speaking backgrounds in their attempts Research Paper

Older adults with non-English speaking backgrounds in their attempts at accessing and receiving nursing care - Research Paper Example Older adults with non-English speaking backgrounds in their attempts at accessing and receiving nursing care The research conducted will essentially have descriptive elements as it will attempt to try and establish the communication issues affecting the older people population demographic of Australia without any intervention. In descriptive research the researcher needs to only collect the relevant data as they occur without necessarily disrupting the subjects (Creswell 2003). In this particular research data was obtained through the concentrated effort of conducting interviews and focus groups that were targeted at establishing the problems facing the older adults in their efforts at accessing and receiving adequate nursing care. This was done without any undue attempts by the researchers to try and make any attempts at modifying the answers that they managed to gather from the field. In this respect, the data obtained and reflected in this research can thus be highly regarded in the assurance that there were attempts by the researcher to influence any part of this research (Stake 1994). The qualitative approach that has been taken by this paper can be seen to actively facilitate a somewhat more pedantic and considerably exact response from the participants of this survey. This is as a result of this particular designs tendency to draw the attention of the participants to an outlook and perceptions that tend to allow for a more comprehensive study to be carried out. The complexity that is generally seen to be engendered by a more detailed examination would necessitate the need for the researcher to use more highly specialized methods in the collection and subsequent analysis of data (Patton, 1990). The focus of this particular research is focused on the problems facing older people with non English speaking backgrounds and this particular issue can adequately be predominantly investigated via the use of a qualitative research model of approach. This particular research can be judged as not requiring any attempt by the researcher towards establishing of the elucidati on of a more intense and deeper look into the sentiments that are seen to be expressed by the respondents. In light of this, it is plainly clear that the best approach to this particular research is the qualitative model of research. POPULATION AND SAMPLING PLAN THE TARGET POPULATION A target population can broadly be referred to as members of what can be considered to either be a hypothetical or real set of objects, people or events to which persons conducting a research can be seen to wish to generalize their research upon. This particular study was designed to target persons who were aged 50 years with non English speaking backgrounds residing in Australia. The research managed to access about 300 possible respondents who were deemed as being suitable target candidates for this research. Due to various limitations, it was not viable for data to be collected from all the 300 possible candidates and hence a sample size of about 30% was used to conduct the survey. SAMPLING PLAN This particular segment of the research will center on matters pertaining to establishing a sampling design and the subsequent sampling that will occur. Sampling can be broadly defined as the procedure that is to be used in the selection of a respondent or participant from among a given specific population while continually putting into consideration the peculiarities that will be deemed as being atypical to them (Neuman, 2002). It is possible for one to carry out sampling by conducting either the

Despite the criticisms often levelled at the Community institutions Essay

Despite the criticisms often levelled at the Community institutions and their powers to legislate, it should be remembered that ultimate power still lies with t - Essay Example The legal scheme said to be designed by the Treaty at the outset has been assessed as having shortfalls in its objective of ensuring that the EC law be properly applied by the Member States. Article 169 procedures as a legal instrument in fighting against all the failures to fulfill obligations accordingly is not appropriate. This implies the need to create additional means to enforce and supervise the EC law (Gil Ibà ¡Ãƒ ±ez, 1997). To date, the Community and its underlying legal order can only hold on if that legal order is safeguarded and complied with and the Community law directly applied, with its primacy over national law (ABC of community law, 2004). For all its imperfections, however, the European Community legal order is said to have greatly helped in solving the political, economic and social problems of the Member States (ABC of community law, 2004). But there is yet the tag and pull when it comes to location of power in most aspects. Different institutions cooperate and govern the European Union and the most important of these are the Council, the Commission, the European Parliament and the Court of Justice. (EU Law, n.d.). With its own set of legislation, the European Community also has the laws of its member states. EC Law is concerned with treaties, regulations, and decisions of the European Court of Justice (Ibid). Made within the part of the European Union called the European Communities (EC), the EC Law is only the legislation that is applicable, hence called EC law. Based on the Treaties, it is the fundamental rules of the EU serving as agreements between the Member States. EC law comprises four different fields, namely primary law (the Treaties and the accession treaties of the new Member States), secondary law (all existing legal acts accepted by institutions of the European Union), international agreements between the European Union and

Book review on the book Consumer Guide to hypnotism Essay

Book review on the book Consumer Guide to hypnotism - Essay Example The book is not intended for experts, so the reader doesn’t have to worry about having a background in theory and can find a basic book that covers the basic definitions of hypnotism, its benefits, its history, and the various controversies which have surrounded it. After reading Damon’s guide, the reader won’t know all there is to know on the subject, but they will certainly be better informed than when they began, and will hopefully have many of their misconceptions cleared up. The book works as an effective introduction of different methodologies used to place individuals under a state of hypnosis, as well as different reasons that people seek hypnosis and hypnotherapy. For example, many people use hypnotism to quit smoking, and the guide has a definitive text on this. Still others use the process to lose weight, and duly this subject is also covered in one of Damon’s fifty guides, each written by an expert writer or professional in the field of hypnosis. More controversial aspects of hypnosis are included as well, which still have many skeptics wondering. Some of these aspects include the idea of channeling past lives or incarnations, fighting cancer, interpreting dreams, and other subjects that are less widely accepted . This guide runs the gamut from widely accepted notions of hypnotism, such as how the process is used in sports psychology, to more specialized aspects, such as age regression therapy. A holistic and comprehensive manual is provided by this editor. The fifty pieces in the book do not require a doctorate degree to understand, and are also accessible to someone who doesn’t even have any background in hypnosis. In this book, the authors provide a thoughtful, literate, and articulate reckoning of the various parts of hypnotism and hypnotherapy as well as discussion, as they are presented in the reviewed text by Damon, the editor. The authors blend

Special educational needs and additional educational needs Essay

Special educational needs and additional educational needs - Essay Example To meet these difficulties and help the children gain a normal life, Special and Additional Education Systems have been set up (Directgov, n.d.). Till date, Special Education Needs (SEN) and Additional Educational Needs (AEN) were meant to be synonymous but recently the term AEN is accepted to have an appropriate sense in this case. But anyhow, the objective of both the terms remains similar, i.e. providing the additional and special education to the children those who are needful. As such it becomes very necessary to understand where a child shall face problems in the learning process and identify them as soon as possible. One feature thereby, is that the children learn in a much decelerated speed when compared to other children at the same environment (Oldham Council, n.d.). With the prime objective to provide every child with SEN to attain their optimum potential in education and adulthood, the government of UK has laid down proper laws and educational systems. Such as, law of discrimination, funding and many more (Teacher Net, 2010). The concept and belief of SEN have stated traditionally that the best way to understand the special need of children with disabilities is by comparing their behaviour with other majority of children of the same age. Concisely, the factor of individual difference can state the needs of these children and also suggest a scope for their benefit. Although with a recent argument it has been concluded that more than individual differences the special needs of such children can be efficiently assessed when unsuitable environmental conditions are presented in front of a child. The basic problem with the approach of individual differences is that it is focused on the assumption that, differences that lie on the individual basis is not always appropriate as individual differences stand upon some active rudiments, i.e. biological and behavioural

Cons of Cosmetic Animal Testing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cons of Cosmetic Animal Testing - Assignment Example nt victory for both animal rights activists and the very animals, the European Union (EU) in March 2013 (The EU Animal Testing Ban, n.d.), imposed a ban on the sale of cosmetics and/or cosmetic ingredients used in animal testing (Cosmetics and Household-Product Animal Testing, n.d.). That marketing ban meant that companies who intended to trade within the EU, the world over, had no choice but to abandon cosmetic animal testing. The European Union further pointed to the abolishment of all activities relating to testing of products and ingredients that are acquired or sold within the EU. However, interested firms can continue carrying on animal experiments provided they are outside the EU and the products used are not sold within the EU. However, it is not easy for such firms to sell products in the global market due to various restrictions imposed by other countries. For instance, the Chinese government demands samples for a variety of thorough animal tests before allowing any sales i n China. Prior to that decision, there were numerous protests vented by People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) activists through emails, public protests and phone calls. Through PETA’s scientific expertise and funding, China is also making enormous strides in steering away from cosmetic animal testing and will soon approve non-animal tests to replace cosmetic tests. In the same spirit of conservation, Israel and India have also banned the practice. The ban imposed by the Indian government is temporary, but there are measures to establish a permanent one. In a contrasting scenario, the United States have not taken the same steps. It is unbelievable that researchers persist with animal experiments for cosmetics despite the presence of reliable non-animal tests. Recently, research experts have proven that manufacturers can use 3-D human cell generated tissues to measure how long a chemical takes to burn the rabbit eye’s cornea. The chemical is dropped by the researchers

Health profile assignment - Tonbridge Area Essay

Health profile assignment - Tonbridge Area - Essay Example Health promotions currently available throughout the United Kingdom and the world that address the health need will be identifies and discussed. Linking back to the health need, this health profile will make recommendations on the potential health promotion strategies that could possibly be implemented, which will discuss how this will be evaluated? The conclusion will briefly summarise the main point of the health profile and reflect on the process of health profiling. District: Tonbridge and Malling Locale, County: Kent, Region: South East England, Nation: England, Country United Kingdom. Tonbridge is a historic market town in Kent County located on the River Medway. It is four miles north of Tunbridge Wells, twelve miles from southwest of Maidstone and twenty miles from London. In 2003, eighty one were reported killed or severely injured in road accidents. The Indices of Deprivation 2004 (ID2004), which are measures of deprivation for every Super Output Area (lower layer) and local authority area in England, indicates that Tonbridge and Malling ranked at 304 out of 354 local authorities in England, where one was the most deprived area and 354 the least deprived. This rank was derived from the average deprivation score of the Lower Layer Super Out Areas in the local authority. Between 1982 and 2002, the population of Tonbridge and Malling grew by 10%, compared with an increase of 11% for the South East region as a whole. The population density of Tonbridge and Malling in 2002 averaged 453 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 421 for the region and 380 people per square kilometre for England overall. The demographics of the population in Tonbridge reveal that the male population is, proportionally, larger than the female population in the under 65 age group. Normally, the numbers of males and females in this age group to be very similar;

Illegal Immigration - Effects on large cities Essay

Illegal Immigration - Effects on large cities - Essay Example The 1965 Elimination and nationality act was probably the first effort to control illegal immigration into the US from Mexico (Skinner, 2006). From that date till present, many acts have been introduced in the US regarding immigrants. Some of these acts however (for example the Alien registration act of 1940 and the Immigration amnesty act of 1986), while being explicit in fines and penalties for illegal immigrants and those who employ them were also lenient in a way that these acts legalized a great number of illegal immigrants at that time. Such acts have indirectly encouraged illegal immigration instead of limiting it. According to a study, cited in Huntington (2000), Mexicans constituted 62% of the total illegal immigrant population in the US in the year 1992. Other than Mexicans, illegal immigrants include Filipinos, Chinese, Hispanics and Spanish also. A research by Jordan, cited in Huntington (2000) concluded that without Mexican immigrants, the total immigration level in the US might have been almost equal to two thirds of what it has actually been. Ritter (2006) has estimated that almost 11 million illegal immigrants live in the USA, and this number increases almost by a million each year. According to one estimate, the foreign born immigrant population has exceeded more than ten percent of the total population in seven census years i.e., from 1860 to 1930 (Huntington, 2000). These rates are alarming and suggest that America’s more than half population is immigrant. Garibaldi (2006) has pointed out some issues raised due to illegal immigration. These include encouragement for others in illegal immigration, burden on the tax-paying population of America, injustice towards the legal immigrants, growth of the demand for cheap labor, fake documentations and paper fraud. Similarly, Wagner (2001) has identified the problems related to illegal immigration as follows: economic issues,

Cultural Significance Of The Reformation During The Renaissance Research Paper

Cultural Significance Of The Reformation During The Renaissance - Research Paper Example This was simply a cultural movement that occurred around the 14th -17th century in Europe. The most remarkable feature about this period is artistic developments. However, there were also some significant cultural reformations that will be discussed in this paper. Initially, Europe had conservative traditions but vital cultural reformations in the renaissance were stimulated by the reformation in music and religious teachings, and the emergence of new artistic ideas. This new culture entailed a lot of freedom and individualism as sparked by the creative works of several musicians and artists during the period. The emergent creativity led to artists abandoning artistic ways of the medieval era which were strict in nature. This led to the development of artistic improvements for example, realism in art. Giottto di Bondone was the first artist in the renaissance period to treat a painting as a widow into space (Bainton, 1952). Renaissance led to renewal of the desire to bring out the be auty of nature and explore the axioms of aesthetics. This motivated artists to come up with new painting techniques which included studying human anatomy, and light and shadow. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Liza Painting is a good demonstration of the study of the human anatomy. The artistic culture during the renaissance period can therefore be described as being vibrant and this led to development of naturalism in painting. The renaissance period led to reformations in the music industry for example, secular music gained more popularity. This was stimulated by the development of the printing press which enabled music to be printed and spread faster. These songs mainly dealt with military and romantic themes. The form of the madrigal which was developed in Italy spread fast to Netherlands, England France and Germany (Estep, 1986). The shift to secularism was not only seen in the music industry but the general society as well. This was mainly brought about by the changes that occu rred in religion and humanism. For example, a reformation in humanism led to a shift in the focus of life to individualism. This is where each person was supposed to be his or her own priest with the Bible being the only true authority (Smith, 1920). According to Hillerbrand (1973), renaissance led to a shift in religious inclinations from Catholism to Protestantism. This is because people like Erasmus held to and campaigned on the view that a true religion was an act of inward devotion to God rather than mere outward symbols of ritual and ceremony. The changes were also a result of protest against the evil that people saw in the Catholic Church for example rampant corruption. The people realized that there was a big contrast in the practical lives of the church clergy and the doctrines and teachings they were giving to the people. The result of criticism against the Catholic Church was a loss in its authority and the emergence of new protestant churches and sects. This led to relig ious wars and divisions whose driving force was expressions by the people on the need for freedom of expression and tolerance. The renaissance was therefore a successful weapon for countering the fight against pagan civilization by the Catholic Church. The consequence of the criticisms, new religious focus and stand was secularization of fanatical Catholics and the general society (Euan, 1991). A change in the culture of Christians led to a change in lifestyle from having the church as the center of activity into a materialistic kind of life. In this secular life, the material world became an important part of the life of a person and this encouraged capitalism. People become more concerned with money, worldly pleasures and a general comfort in life. At the same time, religion remained an important part

Black Female Executives in Corporate America Essay Example for Free

Black Female Executives in Corporate America Essay Black female executives are a symbol of what determination and hope can achieve that despite the odds and perceptions, people can achieve anything they set themselves on regardless of their cultural backgrounds. Reaching the top for these women has been a journey which dates back way before slavery when women lived and followed the African traditional settings which governed every aspect of their lives. In this setting, the women were subordinate to their men and their duty was to look after their families. Evolution has since changed these perspectives after the civil war that liberated the black people such that they were able to own property and even work in state organizations. In addition, the African people had the power to be educated. Over the years, African women have continually struggled to be the best academically as well as professionally such that they have even outshone their fellow men. â€Å"By 1994, there were more black women as compared to the black men who were employed especially in white collar jobs in corporate America (Tucker, 1994). † Thanks to institutions like Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there has been significant growth of blacks taking up leadership roles in corporate America (Benjamin, 84). In the managerial positions, black men are slightly more than the black women but still the number of women in managerial positions between the years 1982-1992 had increased by 64% (Tucker, 1994). This positive figure has encouraged other black women to undertake leadership roles hence adding up to the increasing figure. Black women representation in the corporate organizations cannot be compared to the rise of white women in the top managerial positions whose numbers have increased over the last decade. This is illustrated by 32% of white women managers who were executive leaders as compared to 14% African American women in similar positions who earned less than them in the year 2000 (Ely, 2003). This shows that as much as the black women are making it ‘big’ there are several factors that hinder their rise to such positions. â€Å"By the year 2001, African American women remained in the shadows and remained invisible hence they were ranked in the corporate businesses either according to gender as well as race (Bell Nkomo, 2003). † Reasons for lack of black females in executive positions Though there are a few known black women executives in the corporate world it does not necessarily mean that they are not learned enough or that the positions are limited. The major issues limiting the black woman from getting to the top of the corporate ladder are gender and race. Certain stereotypes which are mostly negative are likened to the black female. â€Å"They are considered to be aggressive and very direct (Caver, 2002). † Such characteristics make them unsuitable for leadership positions in big organizations hence limiting their chances of advancing their careers. Black women are not exposed to educational opportunities like their male counterparts as well as white people. This is because most of them come from poor backgrounds and therefore their education is limited up to a certain level when the funds they have can allow. That is why they usually get casual jobs and work as subordinate staff in organizations. Another issue that has contributed to the lack of black females in executive positions is the perception that such positions are the strongholds of men hence organizations mostly employ male colleagues. These factors make it harder for the black women to be promoted to executive positions as they are not only judged by the way their race but also according to gender. Challenges the black women executives face The rise of the women in the corporate world does not really mean that it is all rosy at the top. Though the experience is rewarding some of them are frustrated. The few African American women in executive positions are faced with several challenges in the course of their work. They have to continually convince people and prove to their colleagues that they have what it takes to run organizations. To begin with their salaries are low as compared to those of their fellow black men in similar leadership positions. Most of the African American women in the top managerial positions are considered as vulnerable employees. They are given those positions that can be easily scrapped off when the company restructures itself (Tucker, 1994). They do not therefore get the chance to play major roles in organizations especially in terms of decision making as sometimes they do not have jobs to do. This makes them feel inactive and feel as if they were just put in those positions to enhance the good image of the companies they head as being good an equal employer. â€Å"Some companies just put the women up there so that they can show their corporate allies that they are not biased against any race or gender (Lamont Molnar, 2002). † †¢ Lack of strategic relationships Relationships define how people will relate with each other in the organization. When the black women are not supported by their employers, then it becomes hard for them to relate with them in proper ways and this affects their work relationship. The relationship between black and white women in the workplace is also strained. This is because white women do not interact often with black women on organizational matters hence they have little knowledge on some of the racial perspectives; the black women have to deal with. â€Å"They feel white women do not care about black women issues and concerns (Caver, 2002). † This has made the black women feel betrayed by them and no wonder they do not relate with them well (Bell Nkomo, 2003). This scenario has strained communication between the two groups and they never engage in constructive activities. They have been reduced to clicks that support their own members and rarely will they support the promotion of the opposite colleagues to such leadership positions. If the black women cannot relate well internally with their colleagues, it is therefore hard for them to form corporate relationships with people from other organizations as well as their clients as they do not have people within the organization to link them to other business relations. †¢ Lack of mentoring and support African American women are never mentored; and if, on a limited scale. â€Å"This is because they are thought to have nothing in common with their white counterparts as well as black men (Caver, 2002). † Moreover, it is difficult for the black woman to fit in the white male-oriented ‘positions’ which is limited by the negative, historical, sexual racism between black women and the white men (Benjamin, 2005). For this reason, they do not get to improve on their leadership skills hence it is hard for them to be promoted to higher positions. In addition, when other people will start performing better than them, they are said to be incompetent and therefore they risk losing their jobs. The society is also not showing support for the black women corporate leaders who have managed to beat all odds and be the best. This is more so seen in the African American community where people think that they use their high positions to intimidate them. No wonder it is hard for them to find suitable husbands as the males feel threatened. †¢ Trust issues The few black women executives who are there are not trusted to make strategic and informed decisions by other colleagues in the workplace and that is why they have to struggle so much to build this trust which takes a long time. This is why some black women who can no longer cope with the pressure resign from their jobs. This has led to an increasing number of black women quitting their jobs. This is why the CEO as well as other colleagues in the workplace are left to wonder if race determines commonality or whether gender connects across racial lines and if the black women have their own leadership style that helps them navigate in the hierarchy (Bell Nkomo, 2003). †¢ Lack of access to business development opportunities Leaders need to continually sharpen their skills so that they are able to tackle problems that arise in the business cycle. Black women are usually sidelined in major activities and this limits their chances of growth in terms of acquiring skills and building strategic alliances. For example, a project may be designed which may entail people going for training but surprisingly, countable black women; if any, will be short listed. This makes them feel like an extra burden to the organization. †¢ Balancing work and personal life Just like all women, African American women have to place their families before everything else. They therefore have to ensure that they balance their personal lives as well as their works lest they fail in all of them. Sometimes it is not easy as in every place they are faced with issues and sometimes they do not have colleagues whom they can turn to for help. Impact on the black female work population The statistics might show that black women positions in leadership positions have increased but the experiences of African American women in such positions reveal another thing. Some women have said that they have watched their subordinate colleagues some who are not qualified be promoted to higher ranks while they, who have served the companies for longer periods, are stagnant in the same positions. â€Å"In addition, when they give ideas on anything, they are not taken seriously and this is adding up to their frustrations (Hesselgrave, 2009). † Such scenarios have made them feel diminished, have low self esteem and not feel like part of the organization. This has made them emotionally as well as psychologically disturbed as they cannot come to terms as to why so much hatred and seclusion is still in the society. The lack of back women executives in corporate America is not doing much to encourage young black women professionals to take managerial careers. They see on a daily basis on how their fellow black women in the corporate world are treated and nothing much is done to solve the issues. Some black women have had to succumb to offering sexual favors and bribes if they really want the positions. Such negative factors make the young ladies not wanting to be in such vulnerable positions hence they will opt to choose careers that they find pleasure in. Another impact is that organizations have been divided along racial and gender lines when ‘their own’ are not promoted to executive positions. This has inhibited progress in the organizations as decisions can not be made effectively because employees are not communicating and they are not performing well at their work because their issues are not being addressed. â€Å"This has also brought in unhealthy competition in the workplace as the different groupings of people have to find fault in each other so that they can use the raised issues as an excuse to make them appear better so that they can be favored (Ivancevich Gilbert, 2000). † In some instances, it has led to the formulation of policies which the minority group in this case, the African American women, use to give them an edge over other colleagues. Recommendations Women of all races play a major role in corporate organizations and that is why they should be encouraged to take the top most leadership positions if they are qualified. Some of the factors that need to be considered in promoting African American women in leadership positions include: ? Encouraging more black women to pursue leadership positions Educating and sensitizing the young black girls at a young age is important so that they take up leadership courses. This will make them more open minded at an early. The Federal State therefore should ensure that there is equitable distribution of resources such that black children can access proper schools like the rest of the children in major cities. African American women also need to be trained on political skills so that they are able to lead people in the proper manner thus become competent. ? Equal treatment Affirmative actions and the formation of women movements have played a vital role in rallying for equal treatment of women. More needs to be done so that the women can feel like they are part of the organizations they serve. The managers should therefore diversify employee groups and continually monitor to see how they are progressing and help then overcome the challenges they face. â€Å"The top managers should also be able to identify black women who are skilled and help them grow within the organizations they head (Lamont Molnar, 2002). † The human resource heads should therefore ensure that they recruit they staff equitably and not based on any kind of biasness so that when it comes to making decisions or selecting the right candidate for a particular top office, all the people will be represented therefore the right candidate will be chosen regardless of their back grounds. ? Respect and trust Respect starts with an individual when they identify their needs and they treat others the way they would like to be treated in return. Respect is a very important virtue that should be in every code of conduct since it determines how people will be treated. â€Å"Sometimes when white male superiors and black female subordinates as they are trying to amend their relationships they are faced with difficulties because of the lack of basis for identification which is mainly attributed to the fact that the motives behind them are not sincere (Thomas Gabarro298). † Without respect, then there is no trust as individuals will not trust people who treat them badly. People therefore need to learn to respect black women because it is the only way that will help them salvage their relationships, ease communication and enhance understanding each other so that productivity of the company can improve. It is also advisable to find trust agents if the matters in the organizations are too complex for the members to solve. Having an independent party helping employees and management to solve their problems will be good as they will not be biased. ? Educating the other employees on the negative effects of discrimination is also a positive step towards creating room for black female executives. Conclusion Operations in organizations are changing slowly by slowly to accommodate cultural diversity and people are beginning to embrace the work done by the black women as well as other minority groups. Black women executives nowadays can be found in almost all departments in the workplace and have even gone a step further to head multinational organizations. â€Å"Even in the wake of civil rights and women movements which have helped bring about gender equality, black women executives still face many challenges. African American women need to work harder to face out racism especially in this ever changing diverse world (Burk NCWO). †These women need to be supported in the work they do rather then being put down as they are also human and they deserve respect just like other individuals in similar positions in the society. Corporations therefore need to change their cultures and philosophies so that they attract more black women and retain them. Black women also need to show that they deserve the executive positions by being passionate about the jobs and ensuring that they are qualified for the positions. References Bell, E. L. J. Nkomo S. M. (2003). Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity. Harvard Business Press, 5, 239, 5 Benjamin L. (2005). The Black elite: still facing the color line in the twenty-first century 2nd Ed. Rowman Littlefield, p. 70 Caver K. A. (2002). Leading in black and white: working across the racial divide in corporate America. John Wiley and Sons, 78, 80, 81 Ely R. J. et al. (2003). Reader in gender, work, and organization, Wiley-Blackwell, 2003 p. 343 Hesselgrave B. (2009). Business and economics. Under the Glass Ceiling? Throw Stones! Retrieved on April 2, 2009 http://www. miller-mccune. com/business_economics/under-the-glass-ceiling-throw-stones-1023 Ivancevich, J. M. Gilbert, J. A. (2000). Diversity Management: Time for a New Approach Journal of Public Personnel Management, Vol. 29 Lamont, M. Molnar, V. (2002). The Study of Boundaries in the Social Sciences Annual Review of Sociology journal, p. 12 National Council of Womens Organizations Burk M. (2005). 50 ways to improve womens lives: the essential womens guide for achieving equality, health, and success World Library, 2005 p. 124 Thomas, D. A. Gabarro J. J. (1999). Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America, Harvard Business Press, Tucker S. H. (1994). Black women in corporate America: the inside story; executive women discuss real-life workplace issues that face black women today Retrieved on April 2, 2009 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1365/is_n1_v25/ai_15643636/

Sociology Essays Racism Football Sport

Sociology Essays Racism Football Sport Racism Football Sport Real Literature Review The phenomenon of racism in football is not as old as the conflict of racism in society in general, but neither is it as recent as the current worrying situation in which some to believe (Back et al.1998). Back et al. (1998) identified that football grounds have provided one of the largest public arenas in which racism can be openly expressed. It is against this background that the phenonomenon of racism in football has led to wide spread discussion during the past couple of decades within the media, amongst policy makers and in the wider football community. Recently, there has been a increase in the study of sport, racism and ethnicity (Jarvie 1991). Numerous factors which will be explained have undoubtedly contributed to fuel this interest. However, a couple of considerations appear to have been of great importance. Firstly, black sportsmen and sportswomen throughout the world have experienced remarkable successes in international sport (Jarvie 1991). According to Mercer, (1994) and Shohat and Stam, 1994) this may be due to the fact that apparently each positive stereotype has a negative result. Therefore, as black men and women have come to excel in various sports, people of a non ethnic backgroundhave needed an explanation for why what seemed to be an inferior race can outperform a superior one. This may be one of many factors which may have encouraged resentment for their success which in turn could have lead to abuse in a racist nature. Secondly, a disproportionately high level of athletic participation by diverse ethnic minority cultures has often been used by liberal minded sports enthusiasts as an excuse to indicate that there is no racism in these arenas. These authors use these examples to try and illustrate that there is no form or racism in certain sports, however authors such as (Williams 1992, 1994; Turner 1990; Holland 1992a, 1992b, 1995) have proven otherwise. Bairner (1996) and Guha (1997) who are thought to be sporting enthusiasts argue the assumption that sport itself is relatively free from racism and that sport, more than any other sphere of society, enjoys a certain degree of democratization and equality according to Jarvie (1991). However, â€Å"such accounts of sport which make general inferences about the changing nature of racial relations in society based on a consideration of athletic participation rates† (Jarvie, 1991, p. 3) are misleading due to their ignorance of the broader issues of power and domination within society. Although there has been a sizable interest of studies in the area of race and sport in the UK (Chappell et al. 1996; Norris Jones,1998) focusing primarily on the issues of â€Å"stacking† and â€Å"centrality† is useful evidence in a descriptive term. However, in terms of quantifiable data indicating that there is a decrease racism in sport, it would be very nave to gain assumptions that their was a decrease in racism in sport from these sources. Maguire (1991) has therefore recognised that there is a need for greater qualitative as well as quantitative research into the area in the â€Å"hope that a more rounded picture may be produced† (p. 100). Although some qualitative research involving racism in English football has been carried out (Cashmore,1982; Howe, 1976; Maguire, 1991), these studies only concentrated on the experiences of top level Black players. This has been highlights to identify there is very little data on the experiences of racism on lower league footballers. Therefore, this is a worthy study because not only will it explore the different avenues of racism, but will also give a broader picture as to the experiences of racism in lower league footballers. It is believed that non-league football, which consists of the middle section of the football hierarchy in the United Kingdom, would prove to be a grounded place for such a study for a variety of reasons. First, the realities of race relations could well be more real at lower levels of the game than in the polished environment of professional sport (Hoberman, 1997) due to its less cosmopolitan nature (Maguire, 1991). The need to investigate below the top level of sport has been echoed by Horne (1996),who stated that focusing on the lower level of soccer culture may be beneficial in understanding the differing forms of attachment to, and identification with, the game for Black players, as these everyday levels could well be â€Å"important sites for consolidating and possibly transforming racist attitudes† (p. 61). He further stated that investigations at different levels of soccer are needed if involvement of ethnic minorities in sport and in the wider community are to be better understood and appreciated Racism is undoubtedly a sensitive issue and it is important to be clear on what racism is when conducting the research. What is Racism? As quoted from the McPherson report from the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: ‘Racism in general terms consists of conduct or words or practices which advantage or disadvantage people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. In its more subtle form it is as damaging as in it overt form.’ (Macpherson, 1999: 6.4) According to Long et al (2000) racism arises from the belief that people can be divided into physical genetic categories that make some superior to others, a belief which is then used to justify inequality. He also goes on to explain that ‘recently racism has been recognised to extent beyond supposed biological superiority to others to encompass notions of cultural differences’ (Long et al, 2000 p. 15). Further to this point Solomos and Back (1996) who conducted a study on racism in society states that racism can be seen as a mutable and changing phenomenon in which notions of biological or pseudo-biological cultural difference are utilised to explain and legitimate hierarchies of racial dominance and exclusion. Therefore there are cases where people do not realise they are disadvantaging people because of their ethnicity. This is can be referred to as everyday, subconscious or indirect racism (Long et al. 2000). It is helpful to look at racism on a broad scale to identify the common trends which may occur and compare them with the experiences of individuals in the UK. Therefore, different types of research such as †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..carried out within various countries in Europe was a practical place to begin with. Racism in football is still a major problem in Poland, Spain and Italy for instance. In the Netherlands: Ajax fans have the tradition of using Jewish and Israeli symbols to express their allegiance(Wikipedia). This shows how the picture can often be complex, as these Ajax fans are for the most part not Jewish, but use Jewish symbols because of the historical connections of the club and the area it was founded in to Jews before WW1. Within Holland fans of teams playing Ajax sometimes exhibit racist behaviour in terms of anti-semitic remarks, even though there are no actual Jewish players at Ajax another example from the literature is those Italian fans from Napoli who supported Argentinians in the world cup 1990, rather than the national team, because their local team hero Maradonna was in the Argentine side. This lack of national loyalty meant that the Northern Italian fans disliked the southern region fans and so supported anyone who played against Argentina. Examples like these two above highlight that it is not always a straight forward picture that we are dealing with in considering racism within football. Local and divided loyalties arise and sometimes exchanged, patterns of illogical racist behaviour can develop according to varying circumstances. Therefore: the racism on display in European football matches is more often than not dependent on the traditions and historic rivalries within white fans’ cultures’ (UNESCO 2000). However, there also may be common practices of racism that can be seen through out Europe and even the world. Therefore common ways to deal with it are applicable: ‘While one must recognize that the problem of racism is different in each country, a Europe-wide initiative to combat the problem must surely be welcomed’ (UNESCO 2000). Even within the UK their are a different patterns and history of racism, and different things being down to combat it. The situation in Scotland or Northern Ireland is different from that in England and Wales. For instance the investigation in 2007, against West Ham fans before the match with Spurs was over anti-Semitic chants. An example of the kind of chants that are sometimes used against Spurs fans are: Those yids from Tottenham The gas mans got them Oh those yids from White Hart Lane† (UNESCO 2000) Localised Racism Authers such as Holland et al. (1995) who considered the impact of racism by far right groups at Leeds united football club and the strategies used to oppose these by the club identified ‘that it is impossible to identify uniform patterns of racism or prejudice or race relations’, rationalize their own choice of focus on the basis that ‘terms such as race, ethnicity and sport have to be specifically â€Å"unpacked† in terms of content, time and place’. There is a general consensus that white players do not experience racism in football in the UK, however there is evidence to contradict this belief. There are in fact identity codes within football culture which reveal quite complicated racial meanings. A prime example is the song ‘I’d rather be a Paki than a Scouse’ which is regularly sung to Liverpool supporters by supporters from Arsenal and Chelsea and Manchester United fans. This song which is sung to the tune of ‘She’ll be coming round the mountain’ is directed at Merseyside fans. The intention is to demote the status people who come from Merseyside from being a normal English society, to one which is frowned upon. Therefore ridiculing the ‘neighbourhood nationalism’ of Scouseness. This is achieved by fans of different ethnicities from London and Manchester to altering the meaning of being a loathed minority which is the stigmatized category of a ‘Paki’, rather than retain their race and be a Scouser. This example ehphasises the complexities of local racialization and racial exclusion. Likewise it also highlights the fact that different minority communities may have a different hierarchal status within local society. . For example, young black men may win inclusion and even command positions of prestige within particular fan cultures while other minorities – in this case South Asians – are relegated to the status of vilified outsiders. (Williams 1992: 24) Williams has also developed a more nuanced notion of the politics of racism within English football. Interestingly he used Phil Cohen’s (1988) notion of ‘nationalism of the neighbourhood’ to discuss the ways in which minorities can win contingent inclusion within local working-class collectivities Reverse Racism The terms of racism, moreover, may in some situations also be reversed and lead to phenomena that are difficult to grasp without a sense of the inherent contradictions of contingent Racialization. For example, it has been noted that a racialized black identity can have a number of advantageous connotations within a masculine culture like soccer. In some circles, the mythical dimensions of the black body (of physical, sexual and athletic prowess) may even make a black identity preferable over a white one in terms of its ability to signify a powerful masculinity (Carrington, 2002). As a result, such racialized identities may sometimes be sought out for short term gains as kind of strategic essentialism (Mercer, 1994). Without doubt, the contingent admiration of racialized black bodies and men is not only a source of possibility within soccer culture, but also one of restraint. Racialized expectations of black performance, for example, position black players mostly in attacking roles, and much more rarely as key defenders or goalkeepers (Maguire, 1991). Moreover, this particular black identity is not available to all black players. In contrast to players of British-Caribbean descent, those of British Asian descent are rarely perceived as potentially talented professional players in any position at all. The latter ethnicity, as Burdsey has shown, is stereotypically taken as effeminate and too frail for soccer (Burdsey, 2004). Long, Tongue, Sprackle. and Carrington(1995) affirm this assumption that racial stereotyping provides a freefall for commonsense racism’ (Long et al., 1995). These assumptions transcend a belief that it true that Asians cannot play football. This in tern leadsindividuals who do not research the subject to believe that these myths are true. These views are the same for black players. Examples include ‘not being good trainers, not being any good once the pitches get muddy and not having the bottle to be defenders’ (Long 2000). A further hopeful note there is that in recent years a Japanese player, Shunsuke Nakamura has been making a considerable contribution towards decreasing racist habits amongst Scottish football fans, merely by his popularity as a player. The friendly chant there of â€Å"Oh, it’s so Japaneasy,† when Nakamura gets the ball makes a welcome change from the racist chants that are otherwise heard in football. His football shirt had become the favourite new buy amongst Children in Glasgow, and they have welcomed him as one of their own, so that: The Japanese midfielder revealed in the pages of the official club magazine, The Celtic View, that he would even contemplate extending his contract with the Hoops, such is the manner in which he has acclimatized to life in the West of Scotland. (Soccerphile Ltd, 2000) In a 1995 England vs. Republic of Ireland friendly match in Dublin saw considerable trouble from hard core group of right wingers, including the BNP and Combat 18 groups. They chanted anti-republican songs that led to such bad fights that the game was actually called off, only half an hour later. Research into such things brings to light the cultural nature of racism in football. It comes out in ways that depend on the wider culture that it is within. Clearly the long history of trouble between Eire and England is the background to the 1995 scenes. In a habit that is similar that outlined in Italy where the northerners call the southerners blacks there is also a tendency towards antagonism between the North and South of England. The chant: â€Å"I’d rather be a Paki than a scouse (Liverpudlian)† is sometimes used by the fans of some southern teams playing against Liverpool. Tim Crabbe, principle lecturer in sport sociology at Britain’s Sheffield Hallam University notes the significance of using such race related words: These insults only work because of the stigma that these racial groups still suffer in the minds of large swathes of white European society. As such, race often stands on the sidelines, ready to be mobilized in circumstances where it is deemed appropriate within the ritualized abuse of a football game (UNESCO, 2000) Dramatic incidents like these focused the public’s attention, and attracted widespread debate in the media about the role of racism among certain groups of supporters and about violence and hooliganism. It is perhaps not surprising therefore that most studies of racism in football tend to concentrate either on the nature and extent of racist abuse in and around football stadiums (Holland 1992a, 1992b, 1995), or are preoccupied with the recruitment activities of extreme right-wing movements (CCS 1981; Leeds Trades Council 1988; Waters 1988). In addition a number of writers have analysed the phenomenon of the growing presence of black players in football, notably Cashmore (1983, 1990), Woolnough (1983), Hill (1989) and Vasili (1994). While most studies have focused on the issue of fan behaviour, racism is apparent at other levels. Football racism Theories In terms of scholastic writing and in the minds of the general public, racism in football is often associated with the hostile behaviour of groups of hooligans in and around the stadium (Holland 1992a, 1992b, 1995, Garland and Rowe, 2001; Back et al 1999; Jones, 2002). Nevertheless, it has been acknowledged by Brown (1998) that racism exists amongst ordinary soccer fans, players and even amongst referees and coaches (King, 2004). Racism has also been identified amongst referees and coaches and in the institutional regions of football associations such as executive committees of football clubs (Back et al., 1999). Further to this point, a number of writers have analysed the phenomenon of the growing presence of black players in football, in particular Cashmore (1983, 1990), Woolnough (1983), Hill (1989) and Vasili (1994). Although, most studies have concentrated on the issue of fan behaviour, racism is evident at other levels. Authors such as Back, Crabbe and Solomus, (1999) have indicated that the majority of the literature on racism in football overlooks the issue by reducing the problem to a clearly identifiable, overt form in which everyone can recognise as racist behaviour. A prime example would be racist hooligan groups (Back et al., 1999). They suggest instead that racism in football should be considered as a part of global football culture. Interestingly, Back et al. (2001) recognised that identifying racism is a more complex than task than originally perceived. They identified that there lies four domains in which racism can be measured in football culture. These can be identified as the ‘the vernacular’, ‘the occupational’, ‘the institutional’ and ‘the culture industry’. The ‘vernacular’ domain relates to those forms of racist behaviour which can be identified by society as a negative form of abuse within football. These problems include explicit racist chanting amongst fans. This also includes local rivalries which can be identified as a form of ‘neighbourhood nationalism’ (Long, 2000) which can lead to racist behaviours within and outside the stadiums (Crabbe, 2004). An example of this is the 1995 England vs. Republic of Ireland friendly match in Dublin which saw considerable trouble from hard core group of right wingers. The second domain which has been identified is the ‘occupational domain’ which concentrates on the forms of racism players experience at their football clubs. These can include experiences on the training ground and in the chaning rooms. Racist actions which can also be identified in this domain include the process of ‘stacking’ players in certain positions which comply with historic racial folk law views of successful positions for some for ethnic minorities (Maguire, 1991) EXAMPLE The ‘institutional’ arena involves the administration and management of the football. Racial issues which arise from the institutional domain include a lack of access for ethnic minorities towards decision making and policies and at the club. racialized patterns of club ownership, and a lack of representation of different ethnic groups on management and club boards. It also involves the shapes of social networks that can constitute racialized networks of patronage, which hinder access of certain minorities in football (Solomos and Back 1995 and Burdsey, 2004). This is reflected due to the growing number of black and ethnic players, emerging from professional football. It would be natural to think that this development would naturally transcend to the institutional forums of football. However, this has not had a significant impact on management, coaching or in the board rooms (Solomos and Back 1995). The fourth domain, ‘culture industry’, looks at racism involved in biased representations of football players from different ethnic backgrounds in the popular media and patterns of advertising and sponsorship that support them (Hernes, 2005). The four arenas of racialization in football mentioned above bring to light the different ways in which racial exclusion can occur within football. This shows that there has been a development on the notions of racism which illustrate that there is in fact more depth to the origins of racism compared to previous authors such as Williams (2001) who relate racism in football with hooliganism and violence. Therefore, this research has focussed on all the aspects of racism which have been identified in the literature. However, in particular finding out if the more covert forms of racism are existent at lower league football. Initiatives In addition, the Football Offences Act was passed in 1991 which criminalized racial chanting or abuse (Armstrong, 1998). Nevertheless, according to Welsh (1998), the undoubted racialized nature of the fan environment has resulted in â€Å"a generation of black people [having] been hounded out of football by overt racism† (p. xii). Emphasizing this point of a continuing racialized environment, he went on to ask, The Football unites, racism divides initiative (FURD), started in 1995 by some Sheffield United fans focuses on the issue of increasing the participation of people from ethnic minorities in football in a variety of ways. They note: It has long been the case that a number of fans have used Saturday afternoons at football matches to air their racial prejudices but it is now recognised that this minority of racist fans is only part of the problem. (FURD, 1997) They help make it clear that in order to decrease racism in football it is also necessary to get people from ethnic minorities involved, not just as fans, but also as players, mangers, etc. FURD indicates that the UK was the first country to try to tackle racism in football in an organised way. The ‘Let’s Kick Racism out of Football’ campaign was started in 1993, also the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ came soon after. Now there is a Europe wide effort, the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network. The Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football is now well established within the UK and aims to prevent racism through a variety of aspects. Kick  It Out works throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge racism and  work for  positive change. (Kick it out, 2007) They target Professional football players and clubs with advice, and try to get to Young people in schools and youth clubs. However, more specific to this research project, they also attempt to prevent racism within Amateur football, and so stop it growing into the professional side. They also, in conjunction with the most recent developments in combating racism in football try to help various Ethnic Minorities, especially Asians become involved with football. The (SIRC) notes two important points, that racism: an important factor in the problem of football hooliganism itself (SIRC, (2007). The actual extent of racism is virtually impossible to measure as detailed statistics in this context are almost non-existent. The issue of football hooliganism was better known, at least until recently in the UK. Of course it is a less contentious issue, as the vast majority of people can easily condemn it. When it comes to racist hooligan behaviour then the issue become that divisive. Since, it appears many in the UK still harbour racist attitudes in various ways. Another aspect of the literature that has informed the present study is the issue of right wing groups and racism. Groups like the BNP are often associated with racism in football. It is an issue to consider as to why the groups are attracted to each other: Some debate also exists as to whether right-wing groups deliberately target soccer fans as recruits or whether soccer fans are drawn into the groups because of the opportunities they offer for violence. (SIRC, 2007)It appears that some researchers think right wing groups do deliberately target football fans. Others think that they are opportunist and use violence as a way to direct aggression against those they see as their enemies, i.e. ethnic minorities Types of Racism A study in 1999 by Jon Garland and Michael Rowe attempted to consider three aspects of racism in football and efforts made to combat it: the conflation of racism with `hooliganism; the role of antiracist campaigns within the game; and the denial of the problem of racism within football. (Garland and Rowe, 1999: 335). They suggest that although the various efforts by fans and clubs are good, they lack an academic rigor in the way that defines racism and other important concepts. This is not just academic nit picking, but something that actually affects real efforts. For instance there is often too much attention paid to large scale, obvious examples of racism, such as a group of fans self consciously giving the Nazi salute. This at the expense of more subtle examples of racism at the everyday level. They suggest that these everday forms of racism are actually more harmful to individuals because of the impact on their ordinary lives which can cause psychological upset in a way that is, though hard to quantify, deeply felt. Garland and Rowe note that initiatives would benefit from having more sociological thinking behind them: Adopting these perspectives at the local level would help both clubs and fans to develop and sustain more meaningful programmes that suit the prevailing conditions. (Garland and Rowe, 1999: 335). Overt racism among supporters and abuse directed at black players, both of which flourished in the 1970s and 1980s, have declined steeply in recent years in the face of vociferous public campaigning such as the kick it out campaign. EXAMPLE – JOHN BARNES However, Crabbe, (2004) goes on to note that the underlying negative feelings against black players appears to still be there. Also, that, unfortunately in other European countries it is not even implicit EXAMPLE LEWIS HAMILTON 2008. The racism is still very much explicit and in your face. He notes the singing of chants like Get out, get out, queers, niggers, Basques and Catalans in Spain and anti-Semitic slogans written on club walls in Italy. In addition, some researchers think that there has been something of a return to racist behaviour in football in the last few years. (Cowley 2003) comments on the possible cause of this: the present rise stems partly from the growth of racism within society generally The present war on terror has brought about increased suspicion, hatred and outright hostility to Muslim communities in Britain. (Cowley, 2003: 55) Statistics in 2000 from the Football League national fan survey sagest that three out of ten of fans had heard racist remarks aimed at players in the 1999/2000 season. 7% had seen racism towards other fans. These figures are very similar for the FA Premier League. only 4% of all FA Premier League fans surveyed thought racism was getting worse at football matches at that level in 2001. Although, half way through 2001 apparently racially motivated organised groups of fans and others were involved in serious disturbances in Oldham before the Oldham Athletic v Stoke City match. This appeared to be the catalyst which caused disturbances later in northern cities to ethnic minorities who retaliated to these supporters and racist organisations (Williams, 2001). Inconspicuous forms of Racism The focus on different cultural domains and interactions outlined above has particular consequences for the way racist behaviour is understood, and its reproduction theorized. Overt and instantly recognisable racist acts can no longer be taken as shorthand to classify a person as belonging to a deviant group of soccer fans that is characterized by moral degeneration (that is, racist/hooligans). As (Garland and Row, 1999) state, they should rather be seen as expressions of a larger racialized culture of Football. Therefore, the solution to understanding racism does not lie solely in the study of the content, consequences and intentions behind the overt racist act itself. Interestingly it also requires taking into account the cultural context in which such acts become meaningful expressions (Miles, 1997). Further to this point Miles (1997) declared that the cultural context of racism is repeated through continued development of Racialization, which are contained in the unobtrusive, sub-conscious ins and outs of everyday life. These everyday endeavours can range from a simple joke about black players in the changing room to differential racist expectations on the training grounds and the development of mono-ethnic sub-groups of players within mixed soccer clubs and teams (King, 2004). These practices do not necessarily produce overtracism, nor may people identify these expressions with that of a racialized nature. However, by reproducing a racialized situation they are in fact, fuelling the catalyst for overt racist abuse to occur in meaningful ways. Since the potential for meaningful expressions of racism lies in sets of racialized practices and interactions of wider soccer culture, the usual focus on the perpetrator and victim of the racist act needs to be complemented with a similar rigorous attention for the culture in which the act was expressed. Racialization implies a set of differentially racialized cultural contexts it also constitutes a move away from the common assumption that such a context is formed by a single, coherent racist ideology. Instead, it allows for an understanding of the contradictions and incoherencies within and between the expressions of racism in different domains of soccer culture. For example, white soccer fans can racially abuse black players of the opposite team Whilst supporting those on their own team, (Garland and Rowe, 1999) and racist abuse is also common between different non-white ethnic groups and in situations where the white majority is underrepresented (King, 2004). Institutional Racism in football? Back et al (2001) interestingly made some intriguing observations when invited to a Carling No.1 Panel of Chair of the Football Supporters’ Association. The first was that not only did this setting reflect traces of middle or upper class and status but ‘white centredness within the institutions of football more generally’ (Back et al. 2001, p. 162). It is in these exact places, where political decisions, footballing rumours, policies and job opportunities are instigated. During the visit to this setting, Back et al. noted that there was not one ethnic minority descendent sited at the location. Therefore if the most influential people in British football do not have a true representation of society (in this case people of ethnic minority who work in the footballing industry). These boards claim that their decisions are based on holistic approaches which benefit everyone at their establishment. However, if there is no diversity in at the top level of decision making, how can there be a fair conclusion in policies which embodies everyone involved in the game? This proves that the old-boy network is still active and is continuing to work along racial lines (Rimer, 1996). Back et al (1996) go on to state that it is: â€Å"easy for everyone to support a campaign against racism in football when it is targeted against pathologically aggressive, neo-Nazi thugs. It might prove a little more tricky to generate football-wide support if we were to start asking questions about the attitudes in the boardroom, on the pitch, and in the training gro