A Dirty Job Chapter 22

22 RECONSIDERING A CAREER IN SECONDHAND RETAIL Anton Dubois, the owner of Book 'em Danno in the Mission, had been a Death Merchant longer than anyone else in San Francisco. Of course he hadn't called himself a Death Merchant at first, but when that Minty Fresh fellow who opened the record store in the Castro coined the term, he could never think of himself as anything else. He was sixty-five years old and not in the best health, having never used his body for much more than to carry his head around, which is where he lived most of the time. He had, however, in his years of reading, acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of the science and mythology of death. So, on that Tuesday evening, just after sundown, when the windows of his store went black, as if all the light had been sucked suddenly out of the universe, and the three female figures moved toward him through the store, as he sat under his little reading light at the counter in the back, like a tiny yellow island in the vast pitch of space, he was the first man in fifteen hundr ed years to know exactly what – who – they were. â€Å"Morrigan,† Anton said, with no particular note of fear in his voice. He set his book down, but didn't bother to mark the page. He took off his glasses and cleaned them on his flannel shirt, then put them back on so as not to miss any detail. Just now they were only blue-black highlights moving among the deep shadows in the store, but he could see them. They stopped when he spoke. One of them hissed – not the hiss of a cat, a long, steady tone – more like the hiss of air escaping the rubber raft that is all that lies between you and a dark sea full of sharks, the hiss of your life leaking out at the seams. â€Å"I thought something might be happening,† Anton said, a little anxious now. â€Å"With all the signs, and the prophecy about the Luminatus, I knew something was happening, but I didn't think it would be you – in person – so to speak. This is very exciting.† â€Å"A devotee?† said Nemain. â€Å"A fan,† said Babd. â€Å"A sacrifice,† said Macha. They moved around him, just outside his circle of light. â€Å"I moved the soul vessels,† Anton said. â€Å"I guessed that something had happened to the others.† â€Å"Aw, are you disappointed because you're not the first?† said Babd. â€Å"It will be just like the first time, pumpkin,† said Nemain. â€Å"For you, anyway.† She giggled. Anton reached under his counter and pushed a button. Steel shutters began to roll in the front of the store over the windows and door. â€Å"You afraid we'll get away, turtle man,† said Macha. â€Å"Don't you think he looks like a turtle?† â€Å"Oh, I know the shutters won't keep you in, that's not what they're for. The books say that you're immortal, but I suspect that that's not exactly true. Too many tales of warriors injuring you and watching you heal yourself on the battlefield.† â€Å"We will be here ten thousand years after your death, which starts pretty soon, I might add,† said Nemain. â€Å"The souls, turtle man. Where did you put them?† She extended her claws and reached out so they caught the light from Anton's reading lamp. Venom dripped from their tips and sizzled when it hit the floor. â€Å"You'd be Nemain, then,† Anton said. The Morrigan smiled, he could just see her teeth in the dark. Anton felt a strange peace fall over him. For thirty years he had, in some way or another, been preparing for this moment. What was it that the Buddhists said? Only by being prepared for your death can you ever truly live. If collecting souls and seeing people pass for thirty years didn't prepare you, what would? Under the counter he carefully unscrewed a stainless-steel cap that concealed a red button. â€Å"I installed those four speakers at the back of the store a few months ago. I'm sure you can see them, even if I can't,† Anton said. â€Å"The souls!† Macha barked. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"Of course I didn't know it would be you. I thought it might be those little creatures I've seen wandering the neighborhood. But I think you'll enjoy the music, nonetheless.† The Morrigan looked at each other. Macha growled. â€Å"Who says things like ‘nonetheless'?† â€Å"He's babbling,† said Babd. â€Å"Let's torture him. Take his eyes, Nemain.† â€Å"Do you remember what a claymore looks like?† Anton asked. â€Å"A great, two-handed broadsword,† said Nemain. â€Å"Good for the taking of heads.† â€Å"I knew that, I knew that,† said Babd. â€Å"She's just showing off.† â€Å"Well, in this time, a claymore means something else,† Anton said. â€Å"You acquire the most interesting things working in the secondhand business for three decades.† He closed his eyes and pushed the button. He hoped that his soul would end up in a book, preferably his first edition of Cannery Row, which was safely stored away. The curved claymore antipersonnel mines that he had installed in speaker cabinets at the rear of the store exploded, sending twenty-eight hundred ball bearings hurtling toward the steel shutters at just under the speed of sound, shredding Anton and everything else in their path. Ray followed the love of his life a block up Mason Street, where she hopped on a cable car and rode it the rest of the way up the hill into Chinatown. The problem was that while it was pretty easy to figure out where a cable car was going, they only came along about every ten minutes, so Ray couldn't wait for the next one, jump on, and shout, â€Å"Follow that antiquated but quaint public conveyance, and step on it!† And there were no cabs in sight. It turned out that jogging up a steep city hill on a hot summer day in street clothes was somewhat different from jogging on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym behind a row of taut fuck puppets, and by the time he got to California Street, Ray was drenched in sweat, and not only hated the city of San Francisco and everyone in it, he was pretty much ready to call it quits with Audrey and go back to the relative desperation of Ukrainian Girls Loving Him from afar. He caught a break at the Powell Street exchange, where the cable cars pick up in Chinatown, and was actually able to jump on the car behind Audrey's and continue the breathtaking, seven-mile-per-hour chase, ten more blocks to Market Street. Audrey hopped off the cable car, walked directly out to the island on Market, and stepped onto one of the antique streetcars, which left before Ray even got to the island. She was like some kind of diabolical rail-transit supervixen, Ray thought. The way the trains just seemed to be there when she needed them, then gone when he got there. She was master of some sort of evil, streetcar mojo, no doubt about that. (In matters of the heart, the Beta Male imagination can turn quickly on a floundering suitor, and at that point, Ray's was beginning to consume what little confidence he had mustered.) It was Market Street, however, the busiest street in the City, and Ray was able to quickly grab a cab and follow Audrey all the way into the Mission district, and even kept the cab for a few blocks when she was on foot again. Ray stayed a block away, following Audrey to a big jade-green Queen Anne Victorian building off Seventeenth Street, which had a small plaque on the column by the porch that read THREE JEWELS BUDDHIST CENTER. Ray had his breath and his composure back, and was able to watch comfortably from behind a light post across the street as Audrey climbed the steps of the center. As she got to the top step, the leaded-glass door flew open and two old ladies came rushing out, frantic, it seemed, to tell Audrey something, but entirely out of control. The old ladies looked familiar. Ray stopped breathing and dug into the back pocket of his jeans. He came up with the photocopies he'd kept of the driver's-license photos of the women Charlie had asked him to find. It was them: Esther Johnson and Irena Posokovanovich, standing there with the future Mrs. Macy. Then, just as Ray was trying to get his head around the connection, the door of the Buddhist center opened again and out charged what looked like a river otter in a sequined minidress and go-go boots, bent on attacking Audrey's ankles with a pair of scissors. Charlie and Inspector Rivera stood outside Fresh Music in the Castro, trying to peer in the windows past the cardboard cutouts and giant album covers. According to the hours posted on the door, the store should have been open, but the door was locked and it was dark inside. From what Charlie could see, the store was exactly as he had seen it years ago when he'd confronted Minty Fresh, except for one, distinct difference: the shelf full of glowing soul vessels was gone. There was a frozen-yogurt shop next door and Rivera led Charlie in and talked to the owner, a guy who looked entirely too fit to run a sweetshop, who said, â€Å"He hasn't opened for five days. Didn't say a word to any of us. Is he okay?† â€Å"I'm sure he's fine,† Rivera said. Three minutes later Rivera had obtained Minty Fresh's phone numbers and home address from the SFPD dispatcher, and after trying the numbers and getting voice mail, they went to Fresh's apartment in Twin Peaks to find newspapers piled up by the door. Rivera turned to Charlie. â€Å"Do you know of anyone else who could vouch for what you've been telling me?† â€Å"You mean other Death Merchants?† Charlie asked. â€Å"I don't know them, but I know of them. They probably won't talk to you.† â€Å"Used-book-store owner in the Haight and a junk dealer off lower Fourth Street, right?† Rivera said. â€Å"No,† Charlie said. â€Å"I don't know of anyone like that. Why did you ask?† â€Å"Because both of them are missing,† Rivera said. There was blood all over the walls of the junk dealer's office. There was a human ear on the floor of the bookstore in the Haight.† Charlie backed against the wall. â€Å"That wasn't in the paper.† â€Å"We don't release stuff like that. Both lived alone, no one saw anything, we don't know that a crime was even committed. But now, with this Fresh guy missing – â€Å" â€Å"You think that these other guys were Death Merchants?† â€Å"I'm not saying I believe that, Charlie, it could just be a coincidence, but when Ray Macy called me today about you, that was actually the reason I came to find you. I was going to ask you if you knew them.† â€Å"Ray ratted me out?† â€Å"Let it go. He may have saved your life.† Charlie thought about Sophie for the hundredth time that night, worried about not being there with her. â€Å"Can I call my daughter?† â€Å"Sure,† Rivera said. â€Å"But then – â€Å" â€Å"Book 'em Danno in the Mission,† Charlie said, pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. â€Å"That can't be ten minutes away. I think the owner is one of us.† Sophie was fine, feeding Cheese Newts to the hellhounds with Mrs. Korjev. She asked Charlie if he needed any help and he teared up and had to get control of his voice before he answered. Seven minutes later they were parked crossways in the middle of Valencia Street, watching fire trucks blasting water into the second story of the building that housed Book 'em Danno. They got out of the car and Rivera showed his badge to the police officer who had been first on the scene. â€Å"Fire crews can't get in,† the cop said. â€Å"There's a heavy steel fire door in the back and those shutters must be quarter-inch steel or more.† The security shutters were bowed outward and had thousands of small bumps all over them. â€Å"What happened?† Rivera asked. â€Å"We don't know yet,† said the cop. â€Å"Neighbors reported an explosion and that's all we know so far. No one lived upstairs. We've evacuated all the adjacent buildings.† â€Å"Thanks,† Rivera said. He looked at Charlie, raised an eyebrow. â€Å"The Fillmore,† Charlie said. â€Å"A pawnshop at Fulton and Fillmore.† â€Å"Let's go,† Rivera said, taking Charlie's arm to help speed-limp him to the car. â€Å"So I'm not a suspect anymore?† Charlie asked. â€Å"We'll see if you live,† Rivera said, opening the car door. Once in the car, Charlie called his sister. â€Å"Jane, I need you to go get Sophie and the puppies and take them to your place.† â€Å"Sure, Charlie, but we just had the carpets cleaned – Alvin and – â€Å" â€Å"Do not separate Sophie and the hellhounds for one second, Jane, do you understand?† â€Å"Jeez, Charlie. Sure.† â€Å"I mean it. She may be in danger and they'll protect her.† â€Å"What's going on? Do you want me to call the cops?† â€Å"I'm with the cops, Jane. Please, go get Sophie right now.† â€Å"I'm leaving now. How am I going to get them all into my Subaru?† â€Å"You'll figure it out. If you have to, tie Alvin and Mohammed to the bumper and drive slowly.† â€Å"That's horrible, Charlie.† â€Å"No, it's not. They'll be fine.† â€Å"No, I mean they tore my bumper off last time I did that. It cost six hundred bucks to fix.† â€Å"Go get her. I'll call you in an hour.† Charlie disconnected. Well, claymores suck, I can tell you that,† said Babd. â€Å"I used to like the big sword claymore, but now†¦now they have to make them all splody and full of – what do you call that stuff, Nemain?† â€Å"Shrapnel.† â€Å"Shrapnel,† said Babd. â€Å"I was just starting to feel like my old self – â€Å" â€Å"Shut up!† barked Macha. â€Å"But it hurts,† said Babd. They were flowing along a storm sewer pipe under Sixteenth Street in the Mission. They were barely two-dimensional again, and they looked like tattered black battle flags, threadbare shadows, oozing black goo as they moved up the pipe. One of Nemain's legs had been completely severed and she had it tucked under her arm while her sisters towed her through the pipe. â€Å"Can you fly, Nemain?† asked Babd. â€Å"You're getting heavy.† â€Å"Not down here, and I'm not going back up there.† â€Å"We have to go back Above,† said Macha. â€Å"If you want to heal before a millennium passes.† As the three death divas came to a wide junction of pipes under Market Street, they heard something splashing in the pipe ahead. â€Å"What's that?† said Babd. They stopped. Something pattered by in the pipe they were approaching. â€Å"What was that? What was that?† asked Nemain, who couldn't see past her sisters. â€Å"Looked like a squirrel in a ball gown,† said Babd. â€Å"But I'm weak and could be delusional.† â€Å"And an idiot,† said Macha. â€Å"It was a gift soul. Get it! We can heal Nemain's leg with it.† Macha and Babd dropped their unidexter sister and surged forward toward the junction, just as the Boston terrier stepped into their path. The Morrigan backpedaling in the pipe sounded like cats tearing lace. â€Å"Whoa, whoa, whoa,† chanted Macha, what was left of her claws raking the pipe to back up. Bummer yapped out a sharp tattoo of threat, then bolted down the pipe after the Morrigan. â€Å"New plan, new plan, new plan,† said Babd. â€Å"I hate dogs,† said Macha. They snagged their sister as they passed her. â€Å"We, the goddesses of death, who will soon command the all under darkness, are fleeing a tiny dog,† said Nemain. â€Å"So what's your point, hoppie?† said Macha. Over in the Fillmore, Carrie Lang had closed her pawnshop for the night and was waiting for some jewelry she'd taken in that day to finish in the ultrasonic cleaner so she could put it in the display case. She wanted to finish and get out of there, go home and have dinner, then maybe go out for a couple of hours. She was thirty-six and single, and felt an obligation to go out, just on the off chance that she might meet a nice guy, even though she'd rather stay home and watch crime shows on TV. She prided herself on not becoming cynical. A pawnbroker, like a bail bondsman, tends to see people at their worst, and every day she fought the idea that the last decent guy had become a drummer or a crackhead. Lately she didn't want to go out because of the strange stuff she'd been seeing and hearing out on the street – creatures scurrying in the shadows, whispers coming from the storm drains; staying at home was looking better all the time. She'd even started bringing her five-year-old basset hound, Cheerful, to work with her. He really wasn't a lot of protection, unless an attacker happened to be less than knee-high, but he had a loud bark, and there was a good chance that he might actually bark at a bad guy, as long he wasn't carrying a dog biscuit. As it turned out, the creatures who were invading her shop that evening were less than knee-high. Carrie had been a Death Merchant for nine years, and after adjusting to the initial shock about the whole phenomenon of transference of souls subsided (which only took about four years), she'd taken to it like it was just another part of the business, but she knew from The Great Big Book of Death that something was going on, and it had her spooked. As she went to the front of the store to crank the security shutters down, she heard something move behind her in the dark, something low, back by the guitars. It brushed a low E-string as it passed and the note vibrated like a warning. Carrie stopped cranking the shutters and checked that she had her keys with her, in case she needed to run through the front door. She unsnapped the holster of her. 38 revolver, then thought, What the hell, I'm not a cop, and drew the weapon, training it on the still-sounding guitar. A cop she had dated years ago had talked her into carrying the Smith & Wesson when she was working the store, and although she'd never had to draw it before, she knew that it had been a deterrent to thieves. â€Å"Cheerful?† she called. She was answered by some shuffling in the back room. Why had she turned most of the lights out? The switches were in the back room, and she was moving by the case lights, which cast almost no light at the floor, where the noises were coming from. â€Å"I have a gun, and I know how to use it,† she said, feeling stupid even as the words came out of her mouth. This time she was answered by a muffled whimper. â€Å"Cheerful!† She ducked under the lift gate in the counter and ran to the back room, fanning the area with her pistol the way she saw them do in cop shows. Another whimper. She could just make out Cheerful, lying in his normal spot by the back door, but there was something around his paws and muzzle. Duct tape. She reached out to turn on the lights and something hit her in the back of the knees. She tried to twist around and something thumped her in the chest, setting her off balance. Sharp claws raked her wrists as she fell and she lost her grip on the revolver. She hit her head on the doorjamb, setting off what seemed like a strobe light in her head, then something hit her in the back of the neck, hard, and everything went black. It was still dark when she came to. She couldn't tell how long she'd been out, and she couldn't move to look at her watch. Oh my God, they've broken my neck, she thought. She saw objects moving past her, each glowing dull red, barely illuminating whatever was carrying them – tiny skeletal faces – fangs, and claws and dead, empty eye sockets. The soul vessels appeared to be floating across the floor, with a carrion puppet escort. Then she felt claws, the creatures, touching her, moving under her. She tried to scream, but her mouth had been taped shut. She felt herself being lifted, then made out the shape of the back door of her shop opening as she was carried through it, only a foot or so off the floor. Then she was hoisted nearly upright, and she felt herself falling into a dark abyss. They found the back door to the pawnshop open and the basset hound taped up in the corner. Rivera checked the shop with his weapon drawn and a flashlight in one hand, then called Charlie in from the alley when he found no one there. Charlie turned on the shop lights as he came in. â€Å"Uh-oh,† he said. â€Å"What?† Rivera said. Charlie pointed to a display case with the glass broken out. â€Å"This case is where she displayed her soul vessels. It was nearly full when I was in here – now, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Rivera looked at the empty case. â€Å"Don't touch anything. Whatever happened here, I don't think it was the same perp who hit the other shopkeepers.† â€Å"Why?† Charlie looked back to the back room, to the bound basset hound. â€Å"Because of him,† Rivera said. â€Å"You don't tie up the dog if you're going to slaughter the people and leave blood and body parts everywhere. That's not the same kind of mentality.† â€Å"Maybe she was tying him up when they surprised her,† Charlie said. â€Å"She kind of had the look of a lady cop.† â€Å"Yeah, and all cops are into dog bondage, is that what you're saying?† Rivera holstered his weapon, pulled a penknife from his pocket, and went to where the basset hound was squirming on the floor. â€Å"No, I'm not. Sorry. She did have a gun, though.† â€Å"She must have been here,† Rivera said. â€Å"Otherwise the alarms would have been set. What's that on that doorjamb?† He was sawing through the duct tape on the basset's paws, being careful not to cut him. He nodded toward the doorway from the shop to the back room. â€Å"Blood,† Charlie said. â€Å"And a little hair.† Rivera nodded. â€Å"That blood on the floor there, too? Don't touch.† Charlie looked at a three-inch puddle to the left of the door. â€Å"Yep, I think so.† Rivera had the basset's paws free and was kneeling on him to hold him still while he took the tape off his muzzle. â€Å"Those tracks in it, don't smear them. What are they, partial shoe prints?† â€Å"Look like bird-feet prints. Chickens maybe?† â€Å"No.† Rivera released the basset, who immediately tried to jump on the inspector's Italian dress slacks and lick his face in celebration. He held the basset hound by the collar and moved to where Charlie was examining the tracks. â€Å"They do look like chicken tracks,† he said. â€Å"Yep,† Charlie said. â€Å"And you have dog drool on your jacket.† â€Å"I need to call this in, Charlie.† â€Å"So dog drool is the determining factor in calling in backup?† â€Å"Forget the dog drool. The dog drool is not relevant. I need to report this and I need to call my partner in. He'll be pissed that I've waited this long. I need to take you home.† â€Å"If you can't get the stain out of that thousand-dollar suit jacket, you'll think it's relevant.† â€Å"Focus, Charlie. As soon as I can get another unit here, I'm sending you home. You have my cell. Let me know if anything happens. Anything.† Rivera called the dispatcher on his cell phone and asked him to send a uniform unit and the crime-scene squad as soon as they were available. When he snapped the phone shut, Charlie said, â€Å"So I'm not under arrest anymore?† â€Å"No. Stay in touch. And stay safe, okay? You might even want to spend a few nights outside of the City.† â€Å"I can't. I'm the Luminatus, I have responsibilities.† â€Å"But you don't know what they are – â€Å" â€Å"Just because I don't know what they are doesn't mean I don't have them,† Charlie said, perhaps a little too defensively. â€Å"And you're sure you don't know how many of these Death Merchants are in the City, or where they might be?† â€Å"Minty Fresh said there was at least a dozen, that's all I know. This woman and the guy in the Mission were the only ones I spotted on my walks.† They heard a car pull up in the alley and Rivera went to the back door and signaled to the officers, then turned to Charlie. â€Å"You go home and get some sleep, if you can, Charlie. I'll be in touch.† Charlie let the uniformed police officer lead him to the cruiser and help him into the back, then waved to Rivera and the basset hound as the patrol car backed out of the alley.

How the Media Affect What People Essay

The standard assertion in most recent empirical studies is that â€Å"media affect what people think about, not what they think. † The findings here indicate the media make a significant contribution to what people think—to their political preferences and evaluations—precisely by affecting what they think about. A he belief that long dominated the scholarly community is that news messages have â€Å"minimal consequences† (Katz and Lazarsfeld, 1955; Klapper, 1960). Many media scholars still endorse something close to this view (cf. McGuire, 1985; Gans, n. d. ; Neuman, 1986; also M. Robinson and Sheehan, 1983). The more popular recent view is that media influence is significant, but only in shaping the problems the public considers most important—their agendas (McCombs and Shaw, 1972). In some respects, agenda research challenges the minimal consequences view, but both approaches share a core assumption. Both assume audiences enjoy substantial autonomy in developing their political preferences. Research contradicting the notion that media have minimal consequences or only influence agendas has emerged during the 1980s (see, e. g. the pioneering yet disparate work of such authors as Bartels, 1985; Patterson, 1980; Iyengar and Kinder, 1987; and Page, Shapiro, and Dempsey, 1987; cf. Rob- The author gratefully acknowledgesfinancialsupport from the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation and the Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin, and thanks this journal’s referees and editors for useful suggestions. JOURNAL OF POLITICS, Vol. 51, No. 2, May 1989 Portions of this article appear in DEMOCRACY WITHOUT CITIZENS: THE MEDIA AND THE DECAY OF AMERICAN POLITICS by Robert M. Entman.  © 1989 by Robert M. Entman. Used by arrangement with Oxford University Press, Inc. 348 Robert M. Entman inson and Levy, 1986). 1 But this burgeoning research has not yet generated a theory that explicitly refutes the assumption of audience autonomy and explains more fully the media’s impact on public opinion. This article probes the theoretical underpinnings of the autonomy assumption and provides empirical evidence that media messages significantly influence what the public thinks by shaping what they think about. THE RESEARCH TRADITION The audience autonomy assumption provides the foundation for the minimal consequences position. The assumption is that audiences form their political opinions in relative independence from the media. There are two somewhat distinct variants of this position. The first emphasizes that audiences think about communications selectively, screening out information they do not like (Klapper, I960; cf. McGuire, 1985). The second holds that audiences pay so little attention and understand so little that the news cannot influence them (Neuman, 1986; cf. MacKuen, 1984). 2 In practice, both the selectivity hypothesis and the hypothesis of inattention and incomprehension (hereafter just â€Å"inattention†) hold that media messages tend only to reinforce existing preferences rather than helping to form new attitudes or change old ones. Thus the media have little net impact on politics. The central assumption of the more recent agenda setting research has been that media do exert significant influence, but only in a narrow sphere. In this view, the public’s autonomy is not complete, but its susceptibility to media influence is limited to agendas. Agenda research almost always includes a sentence like this: â€Å"Although a ‘minimal effects’ model most accurately describes the media’s ability to change opinions, recent research has shown that the media can play a much larger role in telling us what to think about, if not what to think† (Lau and Erber, 1985, p. 60; almost identical assertions appear throughout the literature, e. g. , McCombs and Shaw, 1972; MacKuen, 1984, pp. 72, 386; and even radical critiques such as Parenti, 1985, p. 23; also see MacKuen and Combs, 1981; Behr and Iyengar, 1985; Miller, Erbring, and Goldenberg, 1979). 3 Agenda scholarship does not provide a comprehensive theory that explains why media influence is confined to agendas, but selecDeFleur and Ball-Rokeach’s â€Å"dependency theory† (1982) describes an important theoretical alternativ e to the autonomy assumption, but that work predates most of the recent surge in empirical evidence. 2 Neuman (1986, chap. ) grounds his argument in the lack of evidence that media can teach specific information or enhance political sophistication. The concern in this paper is with political evaluations and preferences, which do not require much information—often a simple emotional response will do (cf. Abelson et al. , 1982). A related argument cites the public’s inability to recall specific stories. But the influence of a single news story or show is rarely of interest. The primary concern is the effect of repeated news messages over time (cf. Graber, 1984). But compare Iyengar and Kinder, 1987, and Protess et al. , 1987, for agenda setting research showing that media influence of agendas also shapes, respectively, the mass public’s criteria of political judgment and public officials’ behavior. 1 How the Media Affect What People Think 349 tivity and ina ttention again seem to be key. In the agenda setting view, the media can overcome these barriers in determining the issues people think about but not in shaping how they evaluate issues or candidates (the most explicit discussion is MacKuen, 1984). The problem with the agenda setting position is that the distinction between â€Å"what to think† and â€Å"what to think about† is misleading. Nobody, no force, can ever successfully â€Å"tell people what to think. † Short of sophisticated physical torture (â€Å"brainwashing†), no form of communication can compel anything more than feigned obeisance. The way to control attitudes is to provide a partial selection of information for a person to think about, or process. The only way to influence what people think is precisely to shape what they think about. No matter what the message, whether conveyed through media or in person, control over others’ thinking can never be complete. Influence can be exerted through selection of information, but conclusions cannot be dictated. If the media (or anyone) can affect what people think about—the information they process—the media can affect their attitudes. This perspective yields an assumption of interdependence: public opinion grows out of an interaction between media messages and what audiences make of them. I will call this the â€Å"interdependence model. The competing positions, the minimal consequences and the agenda perspectives, both endorse the assumption that audiences form preferences autonomously. I will call this the â€Å"autonomy model. † INFORMATION PROCESSING AND MEDIA IMPACTS Combining a recognition of the interdependence of audiences and media with information-processing models developed by cognitive psychologists may offer the best foundation for a new understanding (cf. Graber, 1984; Kraus and Perloff, 1985). There is no consensus among those who study information processing. But a number of generalizations pertinent to the mass media’s impacts can be gleaned from their work. Information-processing research shows that people have cognitive structures, called â€Å"schemas,†4 which organize their thinking. A person’s system of schemas stores substantive beliefs, attitudes, values, and preferences (cf. Rokeach, 1973) along with rules for linking different ideas. The schemas â€Å"direct attention to relevant information, guide its interpretation and evaluation, provide inferences when information is missing or ambiguous, and facilitate its retention† (Fiske and Kinder, 1981, p. 73). Schemas are not filters used to select out all unfamiliar or uncomfortable information. As Bennett writes, â€Å"[I]nformation processing constructs [i. e. schemas] like party identification and ideological categories should not be reScholars have used many other terms, including â€Å"scripts,† â€Å"inferential sets,† â€Å"frames,â €™ and â€Å"prototypes. † While there are subtle differences among them, they need not concern us here. The term schema is as good as any, and for clarity’s sake I use the English plural â€Å"schemas† instead of the awkward â€Å"schemata. 4 350 Robert M. Entman garded as rigid cognitive frameworks that work infixedways to screen out unfamiliar information† (Bennett, 1981, p. 91). Certainly people fail to think about much of the news, but not necessarily because they choose only congruent messages, or because they inevitably misunderstand or deliberately ignore media reports. Selectivity and inattention are stressed by the autonomy model, but that model fails to explain why many citizens do think about a great deal of the new information they encounter. Information-processing theory recognizes and helps explain how attitudes emerge from a dynamic interaction of new information with peoples’ existing beliefs. In Bennett’s (1981, p. 92) words, political thought is â€Å"data-driven† by external information and â€Å"conceptually-driven† by internal schemas. Information-processing theory suggests that whether people ignore or pay attention to new information depends more on its salience, on whether it meshes with their interests, than on whether it conflicts with their existing beliefs (Markus and Zajonc, 1985, pp. 162 and passim; Kinder and Sears, 1985, pp. 710-12). While people may resist knowledge that challenges their fundamental values (Axelrod, 1973), most can accommodate new information and even hold a set of specific beliefs that may appear dissonant, contradictory, or illogical to an outsider (cf. Lane, 1962). The explicit model of thinking that cognitive psychologists have been putting together thus contradicts the implicit model in much of media research. Rather than resisting or ignoring most new or dissonant media reports, as the autonomy model assumes, the information-processing view predicts that people are susceptible to significant media effects. In the information-processing perspective, a person first assesses a media report for salience. If salient, the person processes the news according to routines established in the schema system. Processing may lead the person either to store the information or discard it; if stored, the information may stimulate new beliefs or change old beliefs. So selectivity and inattention are not the whole story. Often people may screen out information that contradicts their current views; but other times they think about disturbing reports they find relevant. The notion of an audience that actively resists all potentially conflicting information rests upon an assumption of a deeply involved and knowledgeable citizenry, a vision that does not apply to most people (e. g. , Converse and Markus, 1979; Kinder and Sears, 1985). Common sense suggests it takes more information and time to change the minds of strong adherents than weak ones, but sometimes even loyalists do change. When the implications are not obvious—for example when the information is contained in the form of a subtle slant to the news (see Entman, 1989, chap. )—the probability increases that even activists will store conflicting data without experiencing any immediate dissonance. And while it may take many repetitions of a media message to pierce the public’s indubitable haze of neglect and distraction, this very same political indifference may enhance the likelihood that messages which do penetrate How the Media Affect What People Think 351 will have an im pact. Just because on most matters Americans have so little knowledge and such weakly-anchored beliefs, information provided by the media can significantly shape their attitudes. Not only do the majority of audience members lack detailed, expert knowledge or strong opinions (cf. Fiske, Kinder, and Larter, 1983); sometimes there are no old attitudes to defend. Many of the most significant political contests are played out over emerging issues or leaders; audiences do not have set attitudes toward them. That clears the path for significant media influence. TESTING MEDIA INFLUENCE Identification as liberal, moderate, or conservative is a key component of the political schema system that much of the public applies to political information. Ideological leanings affect responses to specific media eports; different identifiers may read the same message differently. This is why the media, in common with all other sources of information, cannot dictate public views and why an interdependence model seems appropriate. The interdependence model predicts that media influence varies according to the way each person processes specific news messages. Instead of treating ideo logy as a tool people use to screen out reports that conflict with their liberalism or conservatism, the model sees ideology as a schema that influences the use people make of media messages in more complicated ways. The interaction between the attributes of the message and the schemas of the audience shapes the impact of the news. One element of this interdependence is message salience, which may vary among the ideological groups. Stories that interest liberals may bore conservatives; items that intrigue ideologues on either side may not interest moderates, who have few strong beliefs. Another aspect of interdependence involves whether the message is relevant to peripheral or central attitudes. The centrality of a message may vary for different groups, since liberals and conservatives appear to structure their ideas distinctively. Central to liberalism is attachment to ideals of change and equality; central to conservatism is attraction to capitalism (Conover andj^eldman, 1981). The two groups probably process some media messages^differently. This decidedly does not mean liberals, for example, screen out all material that challenges liberalism. Consider an editorial praising the ideal of capitalist markets and proposing to make the post office a private enterprise. While the message conflicts with liberal ideology, it does so peripherally, since government ownership of public utilities is not fundamental to American liberalism. The message may not only bolster conservatism among conservatives, but weaken liberals’ commitment to liberalism, if only at the margin. Another point of interdependence involves whether the message comes from an editorial, with its overtly persuasive intent, or from a news story that is ostensibly designed merely to inform. Conservatives may be more likely 352 Robert M. Entman o screen out editorial than news items that favor the left, since the slant of news may not be obvious. Afinalaspect of interdependence lies in how new or unfamiliar the reported topic is. All else being equal, the less familiar the object of the news, the less likely a person will respond by fitting the report into an established category and maintaining a set attitude. Where the subject of the news is unfamiliar to all sets of ideological identifiers, all will be susceptible to media influence. Four hypotheses emerge from this use of information processing theory to develop an interdependence model of media influence. They are not all the hypotheses that merit exploration, but they are the ones that can be tested with the data available, and they should provide support for the superiority of the interdependence over the autonomy model. Hypothesis #1: Editorials affect ideological identifiers more than moderates. Those identifying as liberals or conservatives are likely to find ideologically-charged editorial messages salient. Those with less-focused commitments, the moderates, may not find ideological editorials relevant. Hypothesis #2: Liberal editorials should exert a leftward push on those attitudes of conservatives not central to their ideology. Hypothesis #3: Editorial content has stronger effects on new subjects of news coverage than on long-familiar ones. Hypothesis #4: News affects beliefs among liberals, moderates, and conservatives alike. People will tend to screen out news messages less than editorials. Shaped by objectivity rules, news stories are designed to appear neutral to audiences (e. g. , Schudson, 1978; Tuchman, 1978; Molotch and Boden, 1985). The appearance of neutrality may soften the audience’s defenses. DATA The dataset combines a national survey on Americans’ political attitudes from 1974 and 1976 with information on the political content of the newspapers read by respondents. The 1974 Michigan Content Analysis Study provides extensive information on the front page news and editorial page content of ninety-two newspapers throughout the country. The total number of news and editorial items employed here is nearly 18,000. 5 The content information (Institute for Social Research, 1978) is matched to data from a representative national survey, the University of Michigan Center for Political Studies poll of 1974. The sample analyzed consists of those who were surveyed and read  ° The study included ninety-six newspapers, of which four had incomplete data; readers of those four were excluded from the analysis. How the Media Affect What People Think 353 one of the ninety-two newspapers included in the Content Analysis Study, a total weighted sample of 1,292 persons. 6 Excluded were those who did not read a paper (approximately 30% of those surveyed) or who read papers for which no data were collected. 7 The content data were gathered for ten days during October and November, 1974. Even though the data were obtained over a short time period, a check suggests they accurately reflect the typical stands of the papers. For example, among the ninety-two newspapers, the Washington Post scores higher in editorial liberalism than the (defunct) Washington Star; the New York Daily News scores to the right of the New York Times, and so forth. 8 In any case, while far from perfect, the dataset is the most comprehensive collection linking media content to peoples’ attitudes. One measure of newspaper content taps diversity in news stories, the other liberalism in editorials. I expect both aspects of the newspaper’s message to encourage opinions to move toward more sympathy with liberal politicians, 6 The actual number of people interviewed was 1,575. The answers of some members of the sample were counted three times to make a weighted sample of 2,523. This was done in order to ensure adequate representation in the sample of sparsely populated areas of the count ry. Thus, the weighted sample is the most representative. 7 The demographics of the final reader subsample closely parallel those of the 1974 national cross section as a whole. The mean education of the entire original sample, including non-readers (n = 2,523), is 11. 5 years, the mean of the sample analyzed (n = 1,292) is 12. 2; the mean income, about $11,000 versus $12,000. On other demographic and political characteristics, the two groups are virtually identical. 8 Further enhancing confidence in the validity of the content measures is their use in such important studies as Erbring, Goldenberg, and Miller, 1980. 9 Each editorial item was coded for zero, one, or two assertions favoring or opposing liberal and conservative policy stands. The editorial liberalism index is a percentage formed by first counting the number of times a paper endorsed a liberal position or opposed a conservative position, then subtracting assertions favoring conservative or derogating liberal stands. The result was divided by twice the number of editorial items, since each item was coded for up to two liberal or conservative assertions. The higher the score, the more liberal the editorial page. This index uses variables 21 and 28 in the CPS Media Content Analysis Study 1974. A second measure employed data on news (variables 27 and 34 in the CPS study). The news diversity measure taps a dimension of news slant that audiences are less likely to screen than editorial liberalism. Like most aspects of news slant, it is a subtle trait of reporting that few audience members would notice. The front page news items were coded for mention of zero, one, or two problems. For each problem mention, coders noted whether two different actors overtly disagreed with each other. Each news item was coded as having zero, one, or two instances of two actors asserting different points of view. The diversity index is the number of times two actors expressed different positions divided by twice the number of stories. The higher the score, the more diversity of news. Examples of the actors coded in this variable include Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller, Democratic Party, Republican candidates, and business leaders. Thus, a story might concern inflation and unions, and might contain opposing assertions by Gerald Ford and a Democratic Senate candidate on both the causes of inflation and the value of unions. The story would be coded 2 for one disagreement on each of the two problems. If the two actors agreed (or voiced no opinions) on unions but disagreed on inflation, the code would be 1. If they agreed on both or neither agreed nor disagreed, the code would be 0. 354 Robert M. Entman groups, and ideas. The basis for predicting that news diversity moves audiences leftward is that the majority of local newspapers appear to promote a generally Republican and conservative perspective (cf. Bagdikian, 1974; Radolf, 1984). Their editorial and perhaps news inclinations do not favor liberalism. All else being equal, I believe those papers with higher diversity probably provide more information that challenges the conservative editorial baseline. In addition, the mere presence of conflicting views in the news may convey an awareness of the diversity of the country, including its variety of races, economic classes, and viewpoints. Such consciousness may promote tolerance of change, and empathy for positions or groups that challenge the status quo. 0 Diversity may also undermine authority by conveying the impression that a range of ideas is plausible, that the existing distribution of power, wealth, and status is not immutable. As for the other content measure, while many readers no doubt skip editorial pages, Bagdikian (1974) shows that the editorial perspective tends to be mirrored in news slant. The editorial liberalism index may indirectly reflect the political tendency of news coverage. The survey incl uded â€Å"feeling thermometer† questions. Interviewers asked respondents to express their feelings toward several well-known groups and politicians. Respondents chose numbers ranging from â€Å"0† for the coldest feelings, through â€Å"100† for the warmest, with â€Å"50† meaning neutral or mixed feelings. I constructed five attitude indexes using factor analysis. 11 The Liberal Feelings Jndex combined ratings of Edward Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, liberals, Democrats, and unions. The Radical Feelings Index consisted of thermometer ratings of radical students, black militants, civil rights leaders, and policemen. The Poor Feelings Index tapped thermometers of poor people, blacks, and George Wallace. The Republican Feelings Index was created from ratings of Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and Republicans. Finally, the Conservative Feelings Index rated big business, the military, and conservatives. 12 The Michigan survey also asked respondents for their stands on government guaranteed jobs; dealing with urban unrest by solving the problems of unemployment and poverty; protecting legal rights of those accused of crimes; A competing hypothesis might be that diversity challenges initial viewpoints, so that it would promote conservatism among liberals and vice versa. That idea is not borne out by the data. Diversity is consistently associated with more liberal views. 1 ‘ Surveys are described in Institute for Social Research, 1979. All feeling thermometers were classified on their face for relevance to the liberal-conservative continuum. Pertinent items received varimax factor analysis. Five factors had eigenvalues greater than 1. 0. Indexes added together scores on all feeling thermometer responses loading above . 40 on a factor. In two cases, items loaded more than . 40 on two factors; these were included on their highest loaded index. All dependent variable attitude indexes used in this paper have Cronbach Alpha reliability scores greater than . 80. 12 Policemen and Wallace loaded negatively on their respective factors. The feeling thermometer responses to each were subtracted from the sum of the other items in forming the indexes. 10 How the Media Affect What People Think 355 busing to achieve racial balance; the Equal Rights Amendment; integration of schools; government aid to minorities; and self-placement on the liberalconservative spectrum. 3 Using factor analysis again, all but one of the responses (to the ERA) were associated together and became the Policy Preferences Index. Twofinalvariables come from readers of sampled papers who participated in surveys during both 1974 and 1976. Their responses in 1976 provide an opportunity to check for media impacts on feelings toward a previously unknown presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter (Carter Index), and on presidential vote (Vote76). FINDINGS Testing the four p redicted media effects requires probing for impacts of editorial liberalism and news diversity on the seven attitudes and on presidential vote. Regression analysis enables us to see whether, with all else equal, readers of more liberal or diverse papers exhibit more liberal attitudes and voting behavior. Editorial liberalism taps the persuasive element of the newspaper, or, in agenda-setting terms, the aspect of the paper that attempts to â€Å"tell people what to think. † News diversity taps the putatively informational element that only â€Å"tells people what to think about. † The interdependence model holds that both editorials and news provide information to think about and thereby influence attitudes, whether intentionally or not. If selectivity or inattention precludes media influence, or if the effect is limited to agendas, the regressions should reveal no significant associations between attitudes and newspaper content. 14 Table 1 summarizes regression results for the impacts of newspaper content on the beliefs of the entire sample of readers. The feeling thermometers are coded from 0 to 100 so that higher scores are warmer (more favorable). The higher the policy preferences score, the more conservative the responses. Vote76 is 1 for Carter, 0 for Ford, so higher scores indicate voting for Carter. The regressions include the following additional variables to control for forces that might also influence attitudes: urban-rural place of residence; age; years of education; family income; race; region; party identification; and ideological self-identification. 15 The impacts of these non-media variables follow expecVariables 2265, 2273, 2281, 2288, 2296, 2302, and 2305 in the 1974 NES Codebook. Although partisanship and ideology are not truly interval variables, the results of the regressions suggest that it is quite reasonable to treat them as such. 15 These variables are coded as follows. Age: coded in years; non-South: 1 = North or West, 0 = South; income: coded in thousands; party i. d. : 7-point scale, 0 = strong Democrat, 3 = independent, 6 = strong Republican; urbanized: 1 = urban, suburban, 0 = rural; white race: 1 = white, 0 = nonwhite; education: coded in years; policy preferences index: adding six 7-point scales, so range is 6 = most liberal, 42 = most conservative; and ideology identification: 1 = most liberal, 4 = middle of the road or don’t know, 7 = most conservative. On the latter, note 14 13 356 Robert M. Entman tations, which bolsters confidence in the validity of the attitude measures. For a full display of coefficients for all independent variables, see Entman, 1987). Multicollinearity among the independent variables is not a problem. Of the forty-five intercorrelations, only three exceed . 20. The strongest was between education and income (r = . 357). Table 1 shows that the more editorially liberal the paper, the more warmly their readers re spond on the Liberal Feelings Index. This relationship suggests that editorial liberalism influences the public’s evaluations of key leaders and groups associated with the liberal coalition: in this case, Hubert Humphrey, Edward Kennedy, Democrats, unions, and liberals.

Exposition on Capital Punishment in Australia

Capital punishment was abolished in Australia since 1964, with many good reasons in support of this action. Death penalty was given to those who are found guilty of having committed a serious crime, by the government. It goes against human rights, shows no signs of deterrence of crime statistically, and there is always a great concern of wrongly charging innocents in case which the errors of justice cannot be rectified. It is basically a certainty that capital punishment could be forced upon innocent people. Execution is often referred to as the ultimate punishment, as death cannot be reversed, it is impossible to compensate innocent people who are falsely sentenced. In most cases, only the accused and deceased truly know what took place. There have been many cases in the past, where the justice system has been incorrect, and a person’s innocence has been proven-after being put to death. Relations between capital punishment and crime rates are virtually nonexistent. Many supporter of capital punishment expect executions to be deterrents of murder, however, there has been no demonstration statistically that killing murderers deters others. Therefore as a deterrent to other murderers the death penalty has proved a failure, shown by comparing the criminal statistics of those countries where the punishment is in force with those of countries where it has been abolished. This is due to the fact that murders are nearly always committed in sudden fits of passion or temporary insanity, when no consideration of reason or self-interest can appeal to the doer. Capital punishment is a direct violation of the most basic human right – the right to life. It immorally removes any chances for rehabilitation and improvement, and terminates all possibility of individuals finding salvation, forgiveness or making amends. It is reported that those who have served life sentences have bettered themselves, having made worthwhile contributions to the community. Furthermore, it is possible for prisoners to be kept on death row for many years, during which they are subjected to the cruel torture of mental suffering leading up to their execution. The government should not have the right to take lives, just as much as anyone else. In conclusion, capital punishment is an immoral act, possibly killing innocents whilst giving no returns in lower crime rates and forcing the abandonment of human rights. When it all come down to it, nobody has the right to take the life of another, so why should we?

Responsibility of Firefighting Teams Term Paper

Responsibility of Firefighting Teams - Term Paper Example The fire and rescue team has a responsibility to give support and restore stability in case of natural disasters like terrorist attack, radioactive emission, nuclear disaster and floods. The government supports the service team nationally to help it work effectively with other local bodies requiring local, regional, national response. To address large issue the local and the regional bodies come together. They are utilized to consider and plan for wide area risks like floods and other major outbreak of diseases. In the Fire Control project, it is ensured that the fire and rescue team gets the required mobilizing and response tools they need to continue a world-class enabled service. Communities and local government remain committed to working with Fire Control teams so that best services are delivered and can successfully meet up the challenges of the twenty-first century. The Fire and Rescue services team have, to enter an agreement with the local bodies that they agree to perform t he task so as to run the new control service and keep the department informed of any issues that might arise. (Fire and Rescue service 2008-11, n.d. p.12) They also have a duty to participate constructively and wholeheartedly in any other regional arrangement that m fight exists. They also have a duty of working closely with fire Recontrol technology,y providers and subcontractors and to report about the progress regularly to the communities and local governments. Firelink provides for the crucial internal communication between the communication rooms and various vehicles of Regional control centers (Fire and Rescue service 2008-11, n.d. p.23) The roles of fire and rescue teams have become even more important because of the changing temperature in a global context. It has been found out that an increase in 1 degree centigrade in summers increases the number of outdoor fires by 24000 to 40000 per year in England and Wales while an increase of two degrees would increase the chances of outdoor fire by thirty four to fifty six percent.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 246

Assignment Example This has seen to the decline of this practice. By providing the benefits of hanging clothes outside, the author tries to convince people to hang clothes in the sun. In fact, the author goes on to give the economic benefits of clothesline compared to dryers. In the article, the main issue is the decline of clotheslines. Although dryers and washers have contributed to this decline, some house provisions forbid residents from using clothesline (Dewolf, 2007). The established rhetorical mode in the article is comparison and contrast. In the second paragraph, â€Å"...where I discovered that St John’s was precisely the opposite of Calgary.† The author contrasts the use of the clothesline in Montreal and St John’s, and the use of dryers and washers in Calgary. Similarly, in the third paragraph, â€Å"Montreal is similar to St John’s,† this is central to residents in both places using clotheslines. On the same, the author gives possible reasons as to why the clotheslines still feature in St John’s and Montreal (Dewolf,

The Holocaust and the German People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Holocaust and the German People - Essay Example No one wants to believe or less admit that a civilized world would sit back and watch a Holocaust of such proportions and still do nothing. So many, even to this day, refuse to believe and continue to deny the facts; deny the truth and claim ignorance. The sad reality is the Holocaust did occur and sadder still is the fact that all saw what was happening and few had the courage to step forward and make any attempt to stop it or even say "This is wrong." "'The Holocaust' or 'Shoah' refers to the systematic annihilation of six million Jewish people by Germany's Nazi regime over the period January 30 1933 to May 8 1945." (Overview, undated) In examining the history of the world, there have always been instances of hate and persecution, not just against the Jewish people, but against many different groups of people. The Holocaust was, however, unique in that never before and never since had there been such a systematic attempt to anneliate an entire population of people by a sovereign nation. Although during the period the Jewish people were not the only group targeted for destruction by the Nazi regieme; the list also included "Gypsies, homosexuals, political dissidents and the intellectually and physically disabled" (Overview, undated); this period will always be remembered as the attempted decimation of the Jewish population. To fully examine what was known and understood by the German people during this period and in an attempt to understand how and why it occurred, we need to look to the past and first examine the era predating the Holocaust. Events do not occur independent of one another. Therefore, to see how this occurred, why it occurred, and why the German people and the world stood by, we first need to examine the culture of the period leading up to the Holocaust. Pre 1933 Jewish people have been living in Europe for over 2000 years. Throughout their history as a people, there had always been periods of persecution and hatred. "The place of Jews in the wider society of Europe had always been characterised as a kind of exile. Certainly Christian Europe saw the Jews in their midst as rebels against their 'true' religion, responsible for the death of Christ and generally as an evil presence." (Jewish Life, undated) There have been previous instances where the persecution of the Jewish people included being confined to ghettoes, wearing distinctive markings on their clothing and other forms of degradation commonly associated with the Holocaust; however, the scope and magnitude of that period had never come close in comparison. Prior to 1933, the Jewish people living in Germany had begun to feel increasingly that they were becoming a part of mainstream society. The post World War I era, saw a real integration of the Jewis

Time and Temporality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Time and Temporality - Essay Example In fact, the mind evolved to understand the world, beginning with recognition, where one fixes perception element into the object itself. Spatial location follows where a spatial map of the neighborhood is constructed, and space becomes the point of reference. The object varies in a fixed space in time. Thus, time is an important scientific element of interpreting the universe. Psychological understanding of change also influences the mathematical and scientific spaces with coordinate systems of reference. Objects could be spatial or temporal; objects in space are assessed regarding space and their variations in space and time. Scientifically, time and space remain distinct. The duality of object-space is, therefore, not validated. Time is not physical, therefore only psychologically measurable. Metaphysics provides the answer why time is non-physical, non-linear. Spatial variations can then be used to explain events such as oscillations, reverberations and cosmic wave patterns. On t he other hand, temporality is a parallel idea. No one understands the idea of temporality. Time does flow with a direction; that the past exists, the present is here, and there is a possible future. Like time, the idea of temporality is crafted in the mind. Objective existence does not exist. The mind constructs the present, the past, and the future; the present is the reference point. A distinction between temporality and time is that whereas interpretation of time depends on cognitive functions.

Strangers, babies (Theater Class) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strangers, babies (Theater Class) - Essay Example The director’s intent is to highlight the difficulty that people experience when attempting to relate to loved ones, especially with knowledge of their past mistakes and potential weaknesses. The director playwright and director chose an appropriate time to highlight this relationship deficiency, given the fact that the contemporary society is largely characterized by family disconnect and widespread disintegration of the family unit. This play attempts to show that people, have an individual burden, which is the lack of ability to understand how they associate with others, but still be responsible for pieces of information about their life experiences. Discussion The first scene of Strangers, Babies, begins with May steadily looking at the corner of the square shaped stage. The conversation, between May and her husband Dan, suggests that the direction to which she is staring is the couple’s apartment balcony. There is an injured bird and May seems concerned and willing to help it, as shown when she states that things can stay alive although they are injured. The presence of birds in the perceived balcony is indicated by high-pitched chirping sounds, which can be heard throughout this first scene. However, it is peculiar that although May is adamant about helping the bird, she is still reluctant to get involved. This serves to show that the protagonist is obsessive but distant at the same time. Dan looks at the balcony and occasionally at May in a knowing yet patronizing manner. He attempts to convince his wife that even though putting up a bird feeder on the balcony would be a caring gesture, it attracts more birds and there is a likelihood of getting additional injured birds. His patronizing attitude becomes evident when he uses a sarcastic tone to state that turning the balcony into a sanctuary for birds, would prevent him from engaging in his usual Sunday daydreaming involving newspaper reading and coffee drinking. It is obvious that there is affection between the two, but there is also an unsettling sensation. This is evident from May’s nearly desperate fixation on the injured bird and her apparent agitation as she slightly bangs her mug on the table, while her husband observes in a grave and sober manner. This scene provides a typical example of the atmosphere prevalent throughout the play, which constitutes disguised violence, careless attitude and ordinary daily life. From the play’s outset, the stage set-up evokes a feeling of disconnection. The stage is an ordinary square platform, which has a dividing space in between and high walls on either side. The director adds a dramatic effect to the play by concluding every scene with an abrupt and loud clang. This is followed by the rising of the back wall, in order to show the four other characters, who execute the subsequent scene change in a somber manner. Even though they are not explicitly mentioned, disturbing events in the protagonist’s past su ggest the possibility that, May’s current life is a sign of their impact. For instance, her monologue and distant look in the first scene makes one think that she is in deep thought about being injured in the past. The events in the play, just like the injured birds banging against the glass balcony door, constantly bang against May’s invisible past. These past events appear to increase the incapability of men

Dyslexia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Dyslexia - Essay Example To acquire this knowledge, I reviewed literature from the internet and various journals and prepared this article. Dyslexia, also known as developmental reading disorder is the most common childhood learning disability which primarily manifests in school going children. There is no single definition that exists for dyslexia. However, those who know about the condition and have worked with dyslexic children are in a position to easily identify the condition. According to the NINDS (2009), dyslexia is defined as "a brain-based type of learning disability that specifically impairs a persons ability to read." The World Federation of Neurology (cited in British Dyslexics, 2009) defines this condition as "a disorder manifested by difficulties in learning to read, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence and socio-cultural opportunity." The British Dyslexics (2009) puts the definition as "Intelligent, bright or even gifted individuals, that for no obvious reason, struggle to learn through the medium of written or spoken language." Other commonly used definitions include "learning difficu lty characterized by problems with written or spoken language such as reading, writing, spelling, speaking, or listening" and "congenital disturbance of brain function causing a variety of learning difficulties, especially relating to reading, writing and spelling" (British Dyslexics, 2009). It is surprising that despite immense research in dyslexia and information available about the condition every where, many teachers and even parents dont accept that a condition called dyslexia can exist. Some teachers also falsely blame dyslexic children as lazy without understanding that the child actually has a problem and needs help. All dyslexic children share some common aspects enabling them to be easily diagnosed. The increased awareness of dyslexia has led to many

See Attachment for topic choices Research Paper

See Attachment for topic choices - Research Paper Example Similarly, inflation causes uncertainty about future and this situation will discourage savings and investments. In addition to this, inflation promotes speculation and hoarding since people expect further price rise in future. This worse economic condition causes shortage of goods as well. However, inflation can also contribute some benefits to the economy by enabling the central banks to vary nominal interest rates in order to mitigate the impacts of recession. In contrast, deflation indicates a decline in the general price level of goods and services. A reduction in the supply of money or credit often causes deflation; a decrease in personal, government, or investment spending may also lead to deflation. Generally, deflation occurs when annual inflation rate falls below zero percent (a negative inflation rate). Deflationary spiral is a danger that arises from deflation and this situation would make economic environment worse. This paper will critically evaluate the different aspec ts of zero inflation and moderate inflation. Inflation and its Impacts on Economies According to Feldstein (1998), the inflation always hurts standard of living of people since rising prices force them to pay more for the same goods and services. ... Similarly, if people expect inflation they are more likely to be extravagant as they envisage worse condition in near future. This economic condition turns to be one of the potential challenges as it may lead to further inflation. This adverse economic condition spirals out of control and hence it is known as spiraling inflation. To illustrate, when people get worried about the further price rise, they tend to plan their economic activities such as spending and buying for a short period. Although this short-term focused financial planning may add mobility to the economic performance of the nation, it involves some pitfalls also. For instance, the economic uncertainty regarding future would persuade the entrepreneurs and other business houses to postpone the launch of their new ventures, and that would ultimately impede the economic growth of the nation. Keynes has classified inflation into two; demand pull inflation and cost push inflation. Under demand push inflation, aggregate dema nd exceeds aggregate supply and it leads to adverse conditions such as deficit financing, agricultural backwardness, and labor inefficiency. In the case of cost push inflation, cost highly increases due to decrease in supply. This condition also affects the economy as it happens along with currency devaluation, profit deflation, and wage increases. Sometimes, the difference between demand and supply and resulting inflation may go beyond government control. In such situations, buyers would trim down their day to day expenses in order to vie with the increasing price level. At the same time, producers may cut down their output levels so as to retain minimum profit

Role of Roman Emperors in the Spread of Christianity Essay Example for Free

Role of Roman Emperors in the Spread of Christianity Essay The very cruelty and hate of Christianity that various Roman emperors exhibited actually worked in favor of that religion. As it is said, The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church, for in many ways, persecution was beneficial to the new religion. Persecution gave the Christians a chance to flex their spiritual muscles, which many did, to great effect. The miracles that took place during these martyrdoms converted many of the pagans, which in turn led to more martyrdoms. Persecution served, essentially, to strengthen the faith of those already Christians, and to convert those who were not. By the very cruelties with which the emperors attempted to crush the young religion they actually aided it. But one emperor who supported christianity is the one who played the biggest role among all emperors in spreading christianity. His name was Constantine. Constantine was a hugely influential emperor who changed the course of history and greatly affected the spread and development of Christianity. During Constantines reign, Roman art became less realistic. Simple and massive effects were preferred over classical forms and styles, and so art became more stylised. This culminated in the Christian era of artwork that would follow. For the next twelve years, Constantine and Licenius shared the government of the Empire. Constantine, convinced of the power of his vision and subsequent victory in battle, was the first Roman Emperor to adopt Christianity. Christians were still persecuted at this time, and so in 313 Constantine issued an official edict of toleration. The Edict of Milan not only protected Christians, but granted greater rights to followers of all religions. In 324 the Empire faced many difficulties, and Constantine defeated Licinius and became the sole Emperor. As the emperor, Constantine quickly moved the capital of the Roman empire from Rome to Constantinople (now known as Istanbul). In 325, Constantine assembled the Council at Nicaea with a group of bishops. The counsel debated many doctrinal points concerning Christianity, and created the Nicaean creed to unify Christian doctrine and practices. Some common beliefs of the early Christian church were at this point voted against and eradicated from the Churchs teachings. This was the first time that church and state began to merge, and that the imperial office was used to strengthen a church. For Constantine, his motivations were probably as much political as religious. The number of Christians was increasing within the empire, as was the influence of the church. Merging the two strengthened the power of both. From Constantines rule on, Christianity was the official religion of the empire. The Christian Church was granted tax exempt status, and Roman coins issued during this period have a cross on them. Although Constantine had long supported Christianity, he was not baptized until he was on his deathbed. He died in 337. Constitine, who was the Emperor of Rome was a Pagan. Before going into battle he thought he saw Jesus initials in the clouds and determined it was an omen and had his men put those initials on their shields. Well, Constitine won that battle and subsequently summoned all priests of stature into Rome to create the Bible. They went through the various books that had been written and pared that big pile of writings down into what became the bible. Constitine then proclaimed that christianity was the official religion of Rome and the Roman Empire.

Sprinting speed Essay Example for Free

Sprinting speed Essay My aim is to undertake a 6 week exercise programme to improve my sprinting speed I will do this by doing a 6 week circuit training programme with activities specifically important to improve my arm strength as I need stronger arms to pump faster and for more power. My deltoids and Trapezius possibly my Latisimuss Dorsi for the same reason. My overall torso muscles as you need strong pectoral and abdominal muscles for sprinting. My legs so my hamstring and quadriceps obviously needed for sprinting I will build these muscles to get the maximum power that can be achieved also I will need my gastro neumus for the same reason. All these activities that I undertake will be directly needed for my chosen sport sprinting. Flexibility and muscle endurance will also be built up over this period of time. Aspects of fitness that I will need in sprinting  Muscular endurance: my muscular endurance is quite good as you will see from my first table of results so I will not focus too much on improving this although getting it up will help my overall speed and it will go up with time as I complete the circuits.  Flexibility: my flexibility is quite poor so I will need to get this up mainly just by simple and more complex stretches at the start and end of my circuits. As better flexibility helps for longer strides and therefore longer strides mean a faster pace. I do not expect my flexibility to go up dramatically as my exercises arent focused on this aspect of fitness. Strength and power: are the main aspects I will need to improve. Both of these are quite strong for me but to get a faster sprinting speed I will need to improve them further and I expect a positive increase by the end of my 6 weeks which is why most of my exercises will be focused upon this aspect of fitness.  Why I am doing this 6 week programme. I am doing this programme to improve my overall sprinting speed and my power.  Who decides? I decide all the activities I do and the results are just for me there is no limit or expectation this is purely about my results nobody elses. Im the one deciding everything as Im the one who is going to be doing all the exercises and who knows my capabilities better than me. (Rhetorical question.) My personal profile My name is Bob Rose born 29/11/1991 I am 15 years of age. My Somatype is mesomorph. I am 60kg, 173cm. My sprinting speed for the 100ms last measured as 12.13 seconds.These are what exercises I shall be doing and how many each two weeks in my circuits each set will be repeated 3 times a day so weeks 1/2 I shall do that amount 3 times for a days circuit but its broken up like that to makes things easier and not so boring. Then weeks 3/4 I do the same thing etc same with weeks 5/6. The exercises I am doing and what part of the body they will be exercising  Exercise 1. Dips these are a fairly easy exercise to do but after a lot of them you get cramps in your triceps which is the area you are working on in this exercise. A very good exercise for arm strength. Area G on the labeled picture above.  Exercise 2. Shuttle sprints are quite a difficult exercise as they demand using the whole body just about a tiring exercise but very good for building muscular endurance. This is the perfect exercise for me to improve my sprinting speed as this is sprinting just over shorter distances for longer. This exercise improves cardiovascular fitness. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is groups all. Exercise 3. Burpees are a very difficult exercise that requires nearly full body like shuttle sprints but this needs more power and effort to complete successfully. Burpees are very tiring but they are one of the best methods of training overall muscular strength and endurance for the fact that they use the whole body in a straining exercise that can be done at a quick enough pace to hurt a lot. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is groups all. Exercise 4: Toe skipping is simply just skipping on your toes the idea that this keeps the gastro neumus fully tensed for the duration that you do the exercise so therefore it doesnt get the chance to relax. So this exercise builds your gastro neumus, quadriceps and hamstrings but mainly the gastro neumus. This improves the stamina and power from the legs so the capability to run further, faster and longer. No picture needed as we all know what skipping looks like. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is groups D and J.  Exercise 5: Wall squats are a painful and fairly difficult exercise over a period of 1-5mins the exercise builds the quadriceps and hamstrings as the main part of development therefore useful for building power and endurance as this is a long timed exercise in most cases. A ball can be used to increase the strain on the legs. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is groups D and J. Exercise 6: Squat thrust are exactly like a burpee without the jump at the end a lot less tiring but still a moderately difficult exercise. Builds the same area as the burpee but puts more strain on the pectorals, abdominals and Latisimuss Dorsi as there is no jump to relieve pressure. No picture needed. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is groups D A and H.  Exercise 7: Bench jumps are quite self explanatory as you just jump over benches either with just one leg so more like running over but not touching them jumping with one leg then switching the leg you are jumping on or the hardest way is to jump with both legs in the air and raising the knees pretty much as high as possible for every jump. This exercise builds quadriceps, hamstrings and gastro neumus as the main areas used are your legs it is a fairly easy exercise but when done in a circuit with other leg exercises like the one I did it can be found very difficult as the repetition of lifting your legs puts a lot of effort. It also builds muscular endurance as it is you normally bench jump 50+ times so it helps improve endurance in the legs which is very important for my main aim to improve my sprinting speed. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is group E and J the gastro neumus is not labeled. Exercise 8: Sit ups are when you go from lying down with your legs at an angle and feet flat on the floor then from this position you put your hands by the side of your head and raise your torso until your elbows touch your knees. This exercise improves abdominal muscle significantly which therefore helps tone the abs and lose any fat helping me to sprint faster also more power can be exerted with stronger abdominals. To improve the degree of difficulty you can add a twist so one elbow touches the opposite knee and keep repeating this also twists the abs therefore making the exercise harder. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is group D. Exercise 9: Press ups the press up is were you go from a face down position with your toes on the floor and hands only and then raise and lower yourself repetitively. This exercise builds the biceps, triceps, pectorals, latisimuss dorsi, trapezius and deltoids. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is groups A, B, C, G, H and F. This is important as it will improve my arm and shoulder muscle therefore resulting in me being able to produce more power through my shoulders and arms. Exercise 10: The dreaded chin up I myself found this exercise not too bad as I have a bar at home but do not be fooled this is along with the burpee the hardest exercise in the book as you are hanging from a bar with your palms facing you and a wide arm posture you then bring yourself up to the bar so that your chin is level or slightly above the bar. Then you lower yourself slowly and repeat the exercise. This exercise puts a lot of strain on the arms and shoulders and that is what is holding your whole body weight. The muscles improved are the deltoids, trapezius, biceps, triceps, latisimuss dorsi, and to some extent the pectorals and abdominals as they tend to be quite tensed during the exercise. On the muscular skeletal diagram at the top it is groups A, B, C, G, H, F and D.

Employment Law Problem Question

Employment Law Problem Question Title: EMPLOYMENT LAW : In undertaking this essay, the writer will; identify the issues involved in Julia’s case scenario, define and explain those issues using relevant Law whilst applying them to Julia’s case. The writer will subsequently advice Julia and then conclude. The legal issues identified in Julia’s case are; contract of employments and their variation, victimisation, wage deduction, breach of contract and available remedies such as unfair dismissal, constructive dismissals and wrongful dismissal. ‘A contract of employment is an agreement entered into by an employer and an employee under which they a have certain mutual obligations. They may be oral or written and may be indefinite or for fixed terms’[1]. There’ an offer and acceptance supported by consideration. Offer usually coming from the employer and acceptance may be by conduct i.e. turning in for work[2]. It follows that Julia entered into a contract of employment on turning up to work with Silkos in March 2004. The holiday term may not have been agreed by her at this time but where there is ambiguity as to the contract, the courts look at an advertisement and letter of appointment to spell out terms of the contract or to decide terms agreed as in Deeley v British Rail Engineering ltd[3] (and Pedersen b Camden London Borough)[4]. Julia may rely on the advertisement and any willing witnesses to their agreement on the issue of holiday. Practice of the parties are relevant to the courts, In Dunlop Tyres Ltd v Blowers[5], the practise of paying treble time existing over 30 yrs were considered. The law requires that a written statement of terms be given to the employee within two months of starting work (as provided by The Contracts of Employment act 1973 and employment protection rights act 1996 (ERA)). Julia’s employer breached this rule, by being a month late to provide the statement, and only after Julia’ grievance process. The statement must contain names of employer and employee, date of commencement of employment, brief description of the work, remuneration details, holidays, sickness coverage, pension rights, notice, disciplinary process e.t.c To vary any contract there must be express or implied consent from both parties but it must be supported by consideration. Conduct may suffice from employee working under altered conditions. Flexibility clauses such as ‘the employee will perform such duties as are from time to time assigned to him by the board of directors or managing director’[6] are to legally aid employers and employees in varying terms without legal problems, without these clauses, Donaldson LJ’s remarks in Janata Bank ldt v Ahmed[7], that ‘the continuously changing contract is unknown to law’[8] Establishing variation is important and different from ending a contract, if an employer on his own enforces a variation without an employees consent, he breaks the contract of employment, and the employee is free to choose whether to accept the fundamental breach, and resign, or to carry on working and seek damages as was the case in Burdett-coutts v Hertfordshire[9]; Rigby v Ferodo ltd[10]. Julia may decide to end her employment this way as she may argue that she had not consented to the holiday term and the deduction/variation of her wages and working conditions. It was held in these cases- Jones v associated Tunnelling Co. ltd[11]; Courtaulds Northern Spinning Ltd v Sibson and TGWU[12]; Aparau v ICELAND Frozen Foods plc[13] that failing to object to disadvantageous statement of terms is not acceptance of them especially where the terms are of no immediate practical importance. It suffices that even though Julia has been silent on the issue of the four week holiday, she has not accepted the term, but her conduct may imply that she consents. for example, she has worked for two years and must have taken annual holidays, this may be viewed as consent but she could still argue that she was not able to start another grievance process because she is feels victimised having done so in the past. If terms are not agreed, the tribunal may confirm details given, amend or replace contract terms by substituted particulars as held in Mears v Safe car Security Ltd[14] and supported by the EPCA 1978, s 11, this power cannot be extended to holiday, holiday pay, sick pay, pensions or disciplinary rules where none existed by agreement between the parties because there is no requirement to include this in the contract, as held in England v British Telecommunications plc[15]. Julia is still protected by her statutory rights regarding these benefits. If a deduction of wage has been made without employee’s consent, this is regarded as a fundamental breach of contract and termination of the same as held in Hogg v Dover College[16]. Following this, the Julia may claim termination if her wage has been deducted without her consent. In Horrgan v Lewisham London Borough Council[17], Arnold J,said: ‘It is fairly difficult†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..and it is very necessary if one is to do so, to have very solid facts which demonstrate that it was necessary to give business efficacy to the contract,†¦. way of variation’[18].Silko’s may rely on this provision but will fail on the manner in which they are seeking to make the variation. In Marriot v Oxford and District Cooperative Society[19], Lord Denning MR found that ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. By insisting on new terms to which he never agreed, the employer did..†¦. terminate the old contract of employment’. ‘†¦.case law suggests that employers must make it clear that he is terminating one contract and offering another, otherwise there is a risk that the employee can claim in the courts of tribunals’ rights forgone under the old arrangement’[20]. It is arguable that by seriously changing the terms of Julia’s wages and responsibility, the employer may have brought an end to her employment. In Sheet Metal Components ltd v Plumridge[21], Sir John Donaldson said; ‘ the courts have rightly been slow to find that there has been a consensual variation where an employee has been faced with the alternative of dismissal and where the variation has been adverse to his interests’, the same is the situation in Norwest Holst Group Administration Ltd v Harrison[22].Julia may strongly rely on these provisions. In Burdett-Coutts v Hertfordshire County Council†¦ an employer may end a contract by breach when seeking to vary the terms; the courts may interprete this as dismissal. The House of Lords in Rigby v Ferodo Ltd[23]established that the employee must consent to termination, and reduction of wages is not automatic termination. Also in Miller v Hamworthy Engineering Ltd[24] . It is therefore advisable for employers to give proper notice to terminate one contract, before offering another, not doing so-as in Julia’s case- carries risk of an employee claiming for unfair dismissal. ‘It is implied into a contract of employment that an employer will provide and monitor for employees, so far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is reasonably suitable for the performance by them of their contractual duties’[25]. So in Waltons and Morse v Dorrington[26] it was held that an employer must not act in such a way as no reasonable employer would act’[27]. This case is supported by Clark v Nomura International plc[28], and Johnston v Bloomsbury Health Authority[29] and walker v Northumberland county council[30]. It appears that the employer has breached this implied contract term by ‘copying’ Julia’s grievance issue. It is also implied into a contract of employment that an employer must take any action having regard to avoid ‘either imposing workload on the employee or acquiescing in the assumption by the employee of workload that was reasonably foreseeable may cause physical or mental injury’ Marshall specialist vehicles ltd. V Osborne[31]. This is clearly breached by increasing the expectation to meet the same targets with less number of people in her team e.t.c. Express and implied terms must be capable of coexistence in the contract without conflict (Johnstone v Bloomsbury Health Authority[32], Aspen v Webs Poultry and meat group (Holdings) ltd[33].Julia’s express term of three week holiday is not in compliance with her statutory right to a four week minimum, as other implied terms can be excluded except if there is any statutory restraint, such as the rights to guarantee pay, equal pay, notice and maximum working hours. Section 27 of the ERA 1996 defines ‘wages’ as any sums payable by the employer to the worker in connection with the employment including ‘any fee, bonus, commission, holiday pay or other emolument referable to his employment, whether payable under his contract or otherwise’[34].. A deduction of wages includes a failure or refusal to pay the amount agreed to be paid in exchange for employee’s work, Delaney v Staple[35] regardless of reason McCree v Tower Hamlets London Borough Council[36]. Even though Silko’s will breach the employment contract between her and Julia’s if her wages are deducted for valid economic reason. They must seek her consent in written form to obtain deduction. In Discount Tobacco and Confectionery Ltd v Williamson[37] ,a retail case where it is permissible to reduce only a tenth of their daily wages with consent on missen items in the shop,It was held that the employers could deduct only in relation to the last event where consent was given. Potter v Hunt Contractors ltd[38] and Fairfield ltd v Skinner [39] It is illegal to contract out of this provision. The working Time regulation 1998 came into force on 1 October 1998 and was designed to achieve, ‘a better balance between work and home’, ‘greater choice over hours of work’ and ‘improvement in health’[40].Regulation 13 of provides annual leave of four weeks minimum. It allows a worker to complain if he suffers action short of dismissal for pursuing his entitlement, and unfair dismissal is also available on the same principle. Julia may pursue her holiday rights following this. According to Sex Discrimination Act 1975,s4(1)’ RRA 1976, s 2(1)’Unlawful victimisation arises where a person is treated less favourably because he; brings proceedings, gives evidence or information, alleges a contravention or otherwise acts under the equal pay, sex discrimination or race relations acts or intends to do any of these things’[41]. To succeed in a claim of victimisation the applicant must show that one of the acts above done by the applicant-such as bringing an earlier complaint of discrimination- has influenced the alleged victimiser in his unfavourable treatment of the applicant as was held in Aziz v Trinity Taxis ltd[42]. In Nagarajan v London regional transport[43] , His motives are unimportant according to the House of Lords. Julia may seek redress under this provision on the basis that she was victimised because she instigated grievance proceedings in trying to assert her rights to her statement of particulars. She was made aware of her disadvantage for asserting these rights. In Lindsay v alliance and Leicester plc[44], a person had made an application for promotion and had instituted a grievance on grounds unconnected with the Race Relations Act 1976. Chief constable of west Yorkshire police v khan[45] and commissioners of Inland Revenue v Morgan[46]. According to the acas paper, ‘consultation on the draft employment equality (age) regulations 2006 (July 2005)[47], firstly an action is taken, such as a complaint or allegation and secondly the person is treated less favourable because of such an action. Julia qualifies to claim victimisation on the basis of this provision. Clearly, there have been significant breaches in Julia’s employment with Silko’s in ; her statutory rights to receive statement of particulars within two months, holiday rights, potential variation/termination of her contract with regards to reduction of team members and wages, victimisation for asserting her statutory rights e.t.c. For all these breaches Julia is entitled to redress in the civil courts or the employment tribunals, in the form of damages for unfair dismissal and or wrongful dismissal by reason of constructive dismissal, redundancy e.t.c. The Employment rights Act 1996, the Employment Act 2002 and The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 cover unfair dismissal. Basically employees can be dismissed unfairly. Qualification for this right is by a working period of a year with the employers but there are exceptions, where; dismissal is connected to trade union membership or activities (Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992) pregnancy of childbirth, maternity, adoption, paternity or parental leave, asserting a statutory right, claiming the national minimum wage and asserting rights under the working time regulations. From these provisions, it is obvious that Julia qualifies for a claim on both the basis of a year qualification and automatically unfair reasons. The act mentions fair reasons for dismissals as; capability or qualifications, conduct, redundancy, illegality or contravention of a statutory duty and some other substantial reason. There is no fair reason to dismiss Julia it appears. An employer must act fairly and reasonably in dismissing an employee or may be faced with a successful claim for unfair dismissal regardless of fair reason for dismissal. The employers have not satisfied either of these criteria in Julia’s case. A constructive dismissal occurs when an employee leaves a job but then claims that their employers left them no choice but to do so, either by their actions or by implication. It is an unfair dismissal claim but the employee must prove that their employer’s behavior caused them to end the contract. Julia has every reason to institute unfair dismissal claim by reason of constructive dismissal because of the behavior of her employers. According to the trade union and labour relations consolidations act 1992, it is automatically unfair to dismiss an employee if they ‘indicated that they supported or did not support recognition of a union (or unions)’[48], clearly Julia did not support the union and may argue- on application for unfair dismissal- that she was victimized for this reason. If an employee proves this behavior, the employer becomes guilty of wrongful dismissal and if unable to prove that the forced dismissal was fair, they become liable for unfair dismissal too. Statutes now suggest that the employee must raise a grievance at least before bringing the claim to the tribunal, which would eliminate constructive dismissal and warn the employers.[49] Wrongful dismissal claim is for a breach of contract and can be brought by any employee, and only requires one month employment. Notice is required but depends largely on how long an employee has worked. After one month it is a week’s notice, after two years, it is one week’s notice for each complete year to a maximum of twelve weeks on and after twelve years. The remedies for unfair dismissal are reinstatement, re-engagement and compensatory award. Compensatory claim has two components, the basic award which takes the age of the employee into question and has no minimum limit and the compensatory award which provides what is just and equitable as compensation, having regard to the loss suffered as a result of dismissal. It is now a maximum of 55,000 pounds, but in dismissals rendered unfair under the public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, there is no limit.[50] For wrongful dismissal, the remedy are for breach of contract and is usually the [51]wages and benefits that the employee would have earned if due notice had been given (Radford v De Froberville[52], Shove v Downs Surgical plc[53]. The writer advices that Julia may firstly use the grievance procedure agreed on her contract first, but only if she feels comfortable with so doing, if not-and from the case scenario, it seems not- she still has a strong case for unfair dismissal regardless of the fact that she is ‘uncomfortable’ using the agreed grievance procedure-the tribunal will her reasons for ‘discomfort’ favorably. The suggested grievance procedure is taken favorably into account in granting awards for damages. The writer will also advice her that compensatory award for damages in the case of an unfair dismissal claim is more generous than for wrongful dismissal and she may apply on the basis of constructive dismissal because if successful-and it appears she will-the employer will be unable to prove that the dismissal was fair, and will incur damages for unfair dismissal. Damages are then awarded. She chooses between the employment tribunal and the civil courts, but the writer suggests she pursues this through the tribunal because of its less rigid procedures and costs. She must keep all records from the time of employment till the time of making the application, she must also be aware that there are time limits for bringing the claim to the tribunal but a generous time limit is given by the civil courts. The earlier the better for her because records and evidence do change. Bibliography Books A.McColgan, Discrimination Law; text, cases and materials 2nd edition P.CHANDLER, Wauds Employment Law: The Practical Guide for Human Resource 14th edition, J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005 G.Duddington,. John, Employment law, Pearson Education, 2003 GOULD, T. (2007) Unfair dismissal: a guide to relevant case law. 25th ed. London: LexisNexis Butterworths. GUINAN, G. (2007) Do dismissals by the book. People Management. Vol 13, No 18, 6 September. p22 Journal articles Vorste, G. School staff sacked for tying up student in classroom, published 15 February 2008 14:24 Consultation on the draft, Employment Equality (Age), Regulations 2006 Internet resources Writer unknown, Previous misconduct counts in dismissal decisions, viewed on 18 February 2008 11:00 http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/02/18/44427/case-of-the-week-previous-misconduct-counts-in-dismissal-decisions.html Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 14:00,http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 15:00http://www.hrmguide.co.uk/hrm/steele/index-2007.htm Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 17:00http://www.hrmguide.co.uk/hrm/steele/index-2007.htm Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 14:00 http://books.google.co.uk/ Writers unknown, employment law resources for practitioners, viewed 18 February 2008 14:00http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file16397.pdf [1] http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page16161.html [2] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.45 [3] 1979) IRLR 5, [4][1981] IRLR 173 [5] 920010 IRLR 629 [6] Op. cit. [7] [1981] IRLR 457 at para 50 [8] (see parry v Holst and co.ltd.(1968) 3 ITR 317, Dal v A.A. Orr [1980] IRLR 413). [9] CC[1984] IRLR 6 [10] [1987] IRLR 516 [11] [1981] IRLR 477 [12] [1988] IRLR 305 [13] [1996] IRLR 119 [14] [1982] IRLR 183 [15] [1993] IR 644 [16] [1990] ICR 39 [17] [1978] ICR 15 EAT [18] Op.cit. [19] (no.2) [1970} 1 QB 186 [20] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.46-49 [21] [1974] ICR 373 [22] [1984] IRLR 419 [23] [1987] IRLR 516 [24] [1986] ICR 846). [25] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.46-49 [26] [1997] IRLR 488 [27] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.46-49 [28] [2000] IRLR 766 [29] 1991] IRLR 188 [30] [1998] IRLR 35 [31] [2003] IRLR 672 [32] [1991] RRLR 118[1991] ICR 269 [33] p1996] IRLR 521 [34] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005,p.80-81 [35] 199] IRLR 112, CA [36] [1992] ICR 99 [37] [1993] ICR 371 [38] [1992] ICR 337 [39] 1992] ICR 836 [40] http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=806 [41] Discrimination Law: Text, Cases and Materials By Aileen McColgan [42] 1988] ICR 534 [43] ( [1999] IRLR 572 [44]200 ICR 1234 [45] [2001] IRLR 830 [46] 2002] IRLR [47] consultation on the draft employment equality (age) regulations 2006 (July 2005) [48] http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page16161.html [49] ibid [50] J.Bowers, A practical approach to employment Law, seventh edition, oxford university press, New york,2005 page392-394 [51] Ibid. Pg page299 [52] (1977) 1 WLR 1262 [53] (1984) IRLR 17