Sunday, January 26, 2020
Psychological Effects Of Alcohol On Behavior
Psychological Effects Of Alcohol On Behavior When people think of the negative effects alcohol has on the body, many times people may think of the damage it does to the internal organs. Some of the areas that are affected by alcohol are the liver, the stomach and pancreas, and the kidneys. These are all vital organs that need to remain healthy in order for our bodies to function properly. The effects of alcohol on these organs differ for each person due to the fact that we all have different bodies. Some can consume greater amounts of alcohol with little effects due to the size variation in our bodies. However, the one organ that I believe is affected the same amongst all people would be the brain. Once alcohol starts to effect regions of your brain, you will begin to experience numerous psychological and neurological issues. There are many different psychological and neurological effects that alcohol has on the brain, thus affecting the rest of your body. Anytime you voluntarily or involuntarily alter your psychological or neu rological state, you begin to change your feelings and emotions. Negative Feelings that manifest from alcohol use include nightmares, overwhelming fears, discontent, and restlessness, not to mention the internal damage that is being done during consumption. Personality changes are another component of alcohol abuse. Alcohol can make substantial personality changes that may not be recognized to the naked eye. Once a person is intoxicated, personality traits that can usually be noticed on a regular day-to-day basis have now changed and often take a turn for the worst when alcohol consumption is excessive. There have been many proven cases and studies conducted that yield the effects of alcohol and the results can be very detrimental to ones life. Amongst all of the side-effects associated with alcohol, depression is one of the most common and well known effects your mind and body may experience. Alcohol is considered to be a central nervous system depressant. As we have discussed before, the central nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord and the retina, coordinates the activity of all parts of the body. When alcohol is consumed in large quantities and then circulates throughout the body, it diminishes or slows down the activity within the brain thus affecting the activity of the rest of the body. Regarding depression, alcohol has been shown to lower the level of norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain. These two chemicals give you your feeling of well being and they help you to feel normal. Without the appropriate amount of these chemicals, you will experience spells of depression. Tests have been conducted to show that after a long period of alcohol free drinking, many have shown improved depression score s. However, those that continue to drink may trigger even more feelings of depression, which in turn causes a person to drink even more, to suppress the feelings of the depression. This is a vicious cycle that could continue on until professional help is sought. Many people that drink alcohol feel that the alcohol will make all of their problems go away, but this is not true at all, if anything alcohol abuse eventually will make things worse in the long run. Not only are your problems still there, but now you also have an addiction to the alcohol and the depression you suffer from becomes more prominent and lasts longer than before. Anxiety is another disease that can sometimes be directly connected with alcohol abuse. When people consume large amounts of alcohol they have a tendency to become stressed from the impact of the alcohol, causing many situations that arise to become blown out of proportion. The long term effects that alcohol has on the nervous system and the problems that the body faces during the alcohol use can sometimes be life threatening. Many people feel that if they drink and just get a buzz off of the alcohol then its alright and no harm is done, but in actuality, the short term satisfaction that one receives from alcohol will give way to a series of stresses on your system that will manifest psychologically. People who abuse alcohol may become selfish or angry about their surroundings and just life in general. Aggression and mood swings are some of the more common traits that are also associated with alcohol abuse. These changes in behavior are brought on by the alcohols effect on serotonin levels in your body which can trigger a persons emotions to spiral out of control causing them to become irate or even combative at times. People who abuse alcohol have a disregard for others feelings and well being. As alcohol affects the body, the brains circuitry decreases as well as the thinking and reasoning process of the brain, which is a common side effect of alcohol abuse. Often times when people are intoxicated, they are willing to do or say anything without any recollection later on what was said or done. Their deductive and inductive reasoning becomes clouded by the alcohol. Those who drink large amounts of alcohol go through a number of denial issues just as you would expect in any other drug addict to go through. People who abuse alcohol will not even notice the fact that they are becoming more and more intoxicated on an everyday basis. Many people may not be able to see what their alcohol dependency is actually doing to them the way someone else can, but the reality of the matter is, it is a progressive illness that worsens over time. The longer a person drinks and the more alcohol that is consumed, the more pronounced the effects will be on their system (Wechsler et al., 1994). These psychological effects of alcohol and the effects it has on ones behavior can be felt over and over again, not just by the person consuming the alcohol but by their family and loved ones as well. There are hangovers felt the morning after and not to mention just the feeling of not knowing what you did after you became intoxicated. For this paper, I researched many experiments conducted which attempted to illustrate or prove the effects alcohol has on ones behavior. Each experiment differs in the research, but all serve the same purpose in the identification of the psychological and neurological effects alcohol has on a person thus effecting their behavior. In the research articles that were conducted, a comparison was completed between people who had been affected by alcoholism and people who had not. The reason for each experiment was to see if alcohol had any effect on an individuals behavior or not. In the first study which was conducted by Wright et. al, a test was conducted to see if adolescents of alcoholics who were college students differ from nonclinical college students on substance abuse, perceived social support, problem solving, and suicidal ideation. They concluded that there was no difference between the two groups.(Wright et. al, 1992). Another study that was conducted by Cooper et. al was give n to see if individual therapy in short-term groups would help to improve test scores (Cooper et. al, 1992). Members of the adolescents of alcoholics also known as ACAs support group and ACA college students were compared by Lashubeck et. al, to see if there was a difference in social support, psychological distress, and hardness among ACAs. From the comparison the study brought forth, it was predicted that there would be some differentiation (Lashubeck et. al, 1992). Also there was a research study conducted by Hall et. al, ACAs and traumatic experience also known as TE groups. They compared the ACA and TE groups to each other. They compared the ACA and the TE groups with a control group; the control group involved people who have sought professional help for their addiction. The study also concentrated on the differences in grade point averages (GPAs) and adults who had been exposed to traumatic events during their childhood (Wechsler et al., 1994). It was concluded that adults wi th childhood traumatic experiences were more likely to encounter difficulties during childhood as well as later in life. The study concluded that there was no difference between the GPAs and the hypothesis that was tested turned out to be true (Hall et.al, 1994). A study was done by Cornelius et.al, to show which of the two control groups had the higher drinking rate. This study was conducted in order to compare the parental drinking among adolescents and adults. The rates of binge drinking and heavy drinking were highest among the teenage group. When tested, adults had a significantly higher average on a daily basis of alcohol prior to pregnancy than adolescents, but the teenagers held the highest rate once they became pregnant (Cornelius et.al, 1994). Winokur et.al conducted a survey, of college students during their first and second year of college in order to observe the development of alcohol usage and their behavior in college. When the study was finished it suggested that eve ry college student who used alcohol during the first year continued to do so during their second year as well. The results suggested that heavy alcohol use is not a main behavior characteristic, but that it is learned in college (Winokur et.al, 1993). In each one of these articles, the researchers used a different variety of tests and surveys either to confirm or negate their hypothesis. The hypothesis that were given in the articles were all supportive to the research except the ones given by Cornelius et al., and Winokur et al. Based on the information given in these articles, alcohol will affect everyone who abuses it in some way shape or form. Another study was taken that, in my opinion, displayed two results. This study would illustrate the effects alcohol has on ones behavior regarding math and grammar, but also see if alcohol effects one type of group more then another. Rationale: Does having a bias opinion to alcohol have a greater or lesser effect on a students math and grammar skills. Hypothesis: One glass of alcohol will have a lesser effect on those students from families of alcoholic parents. (Cornelius et.al, 1994). Subjects: A total of 12 students participated in the experiment, including six students from families with parents who are alcoholics which were the dependent variable and six students not from families with parents who are considered to be alcoholics, and they are the independent variable. Method: Consent to participate was given to all students to sign. Materials that were used in the survey were administered individually to all students who participated. All students were interviewed individually in their dorm rooms. They were unaware of the groups that they were being placed in for the study. Students in this survey were given a glass of alcohol. They drank enough alcohol in order to blow a 0.01 on a reath Alizer machine for the beginning of this experiment. Students were administered a pre-test in grammar and mathematics. The mathematics test will consist of the four basic components of arithmetic which include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, to assure that nothing else will be measured. The grammar test will consist of a sentence completion test. The verb in each sentence will be left out and the student must use the correct verb and present or past tense of the verb. Students then returned a week later to perform the same steps. (Drink enough alcohol in order to blow a 0.01 then take another math and grammar test. Result: The results of this study were analyzed by using the T-test. The scores were analyzed to see if having a predisposition to alcohol has a greater effect on ones mathematics was 95 and the mean score for non-alcoholic parents was 91.67. The data for the independent T test were T= -.21 (SD= 8783.3), with a standard error of 18.74, DF+10, and P*.o5 results were not significant. The number of students in each group was eight. For the participants who did not come from parents of alcoholic parents the means score for grammar was 80. The data from the Independent T test were T=0, with standard error 16.1 (SD= 6466.66), DF=10 and P*.05, results were not significant. Discussion: The hypothesis was not supported One glass of alcohol does not have a lesser effect on those students from families of alcoholic parents. A total of 12 students participated in the experiment, including six students from families with parents who were alcoholics and six students not from families with parents who were alcoholics. In researching this topic and reviewing the various experiments conducted, I found that it is somewhat difficult to predict the extent to which alcohol will have on a particular individual. However, one fact remains, that you can be sure that neurological and psychological effects are evident amongst people who drink alcohol. The amount of alcohol consumed and the consistency of consumption will determine the extent of the neurological and psychological effects. Sometimes the effects are not noticeable by just looking at a person outer appearance but a deeper look into a persons psychological state following a few drinks may tell a different story.
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Analysis of Nigeria Bottling Company Value Chain.
Nigeria bottling company produce, sell and distribute a range of non-alcoholic beverages including four of the worldââ¬â¢s best selling brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola light, Fanta and Sprite. In addition, nbc product portfolio includes a variety of other sparkling and still beverages including: ââ¬â fruit juice drinks ââ¬â premium table water Nbc aim is to offer consumers a choice of beverages that meet the highest quality standards. Key Bottler of The Coca-Cola Company Coca-Cola Hellenic Group is one of the 300 bottling partners that make up the Coca-Cola System, the largest beverage distribution system in the world.The activities of Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd play a strategically important role within the System. In Nigeria, the Coca-Cola System comprises the Nigeria Bottling Company Ltd and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited is responsible for the strategic marketing, brand management, packaging strategy, consume r promotion, advertising, public relations and market research. Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd purchases the concentrates, beverage bases and syrups for producing drinks according to the franchise agreement with The Coca-Cola Company.In addition, They are responsible for the distribution and merchandising of products, key account management, implementation of promotions and product distribution all over the Nigeria. NBC carries out corporate social responsibility programmes, consumer services and public relations In addition, nbc product portfolio includes a variety of other sparkling and still beverages including fruit juice drinks and premium table water. nbc aim is to offer consumers a choice of beverages that meet the highest quality standards.They work closely with there partner, The Coca-Cola Company, using their respective skills and assets to serve customers and consumers, while improving the quality of life in our communities. Nigeria Bottling Company Ltd is the only bottler in the country that produces and distributes Coca-Cola products. Strong business infrastructure.Since 1951, NBC Ltd has been developing its operations in Nigeria, including: the recent construction of an ultra new bottling plant in the capital city of Abuja, the re-construction of Benin Plant in Edo State,à the construction of effluent treatment plants -the introduction of the new durable and eco-friendly ultra glass packaging for core brands, and can packaging facilities for Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite. Across the Group, Coca-Cola Hellenic has invested approximately â⠬4. 9 billion in property, plant and equipment since 2002, in order to modernize plant infrastructure and expand availability of cold drink equipment, such as coolers. Nbc corporate values is to become ââ¬Å"The undisputed leader in every market in which we competeâ⬠.Refresh the consumers partner with the customers reward the stakeholders and enrich the lives of the local communities. At Coca-Cola Helleni c Group, they are committed to six core values, along with their behaviours which support them and shape the way they work every day. Everything starts with the values; they are the DNA of our company and are essential to our future success. Authenticity: we act with integrity, and do what is right, not just easy Excellence: we strive to amaze, with passion and speed.Learning: we listen and have a natural curiosity to learn Caring for our people: we believe in our people, invest in them, and we empower them Performing as one: we believe in the power of working together, contributing in every occasion Winning with our customers: our customers are at the heart of everything we do. Our values are deeply embedded in our 2020 Play to Win Strategic Framework that aims to deliver every day superior value in community trust, consumer relevance, customer preference, and cost leadership.Nbc brands they produce a quality range of sparkling, still beverages and water, including Coca-Cola, Coca- Cola Light, Eva, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes, Limca and Five Alive. Promotions Staging promotions, together with trade partners, enables us to engage with our consumers, and to share the fun and enjoyment offered by our increasingly broad range of products and brands NBC is a company that add value to its input,which makes the organization to have a great competitive value advantage.
Friday, January 10, 2020
Intercultural communication issue Essay
Intercultural Communication Issue: Electronic Mail Meanings reside in people, not in words (Littlejohn, 2001, 39). This basic precept of language can be deemed a positive axiom for successful communication. Whenever possible, both parties should seek a common code and/or attempt to understand cultural differences in coding systems. Admittedly, it is difficult to arrive at a common code if a person and his communication partner speak different languages. The English language contains countless subcodes. Even nonverbal cues shift from culture to culture. Much like in the case of this electronic message sent by a hypothetical boss to a representative of a department flocked with Hongkong-based Chinese nationals: ââ¬Å"I wanted to welcome you ASAP to our little family here in the States. Itââ¬â¢s high time we shook hands in person and not just across the sea. Iââ¬â¢m pleased as punch about getting to know you all, and I for one will do my level best to sell you on America. â⬠The statement above is a blend of American vernacular and idiomatic expression. It appears to be a simple salutatory message that turns embedded in unnecessary verbosity. This communication style takes risks in seeking suitable interpretation on the part of the message recipients. The words or phrases ASAP, across the sea, punch, and sell for Americans are easy to understand and can even cause no outstanding remarks from them. But to use these words in a message meant for relatively new employees with a relatively different linguistic background, startling and even violent reactions might be elicited. In fairness to Hongkongers, they are officially bilingual between Chinese and English. After the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the Peopleââ¬â¢s Republic of China in 1997, both Chinese and English remained the official language of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. English is the major working language in Hong Kong, and is widely used in commercial activities and legal matters (Flores, et al. , 1991, 246). However, this gift of bilingualism may likewise yield confusion, as British idioms are different from Americansââ¬â¢. Moreover, code-switching between Cantonese and English may not help them fathom best the message above. Some purist scholars consider Cantonese speakers who incorporate too much English are even dubbed language-handicapped (Flores, et al. , 1991, 245). And because the message was delivered through a virtual channel, the importance of nonverbal aspect of the communication is overlooked. This could have done the job of exhibiting the context most especially should the weight of the message comes to such portions as punch or sell you. The boss should have noted that communication is defined more by behavior than the communication event itself (Kale and Luke, 1991, 7). Nonverbal behaviors also shift from culture to culture and bilingualism may provide little help if the communicators had not developed code sensitivity toward the culture-specific message systems. With simplicity, neutrality and cordiality in mind, Hence, the message to be conveyed to the migrant employees should more or less look like this: ââ¬Å"Good day! We welcome you once again to Will and Hung Company! May you find your new home over here in the United States as we are as earnest to make this company a place for you to work with satisfaction. â⬠From this takes off a working atmosphere that encourages these new people to feed back in order for them to adjust their behavior to the relatively new environment. The boss must indeed shake their hands in person because it is indeed high time to use nonverbal actions as a way of inspiring them to respond to him in all honesty. He must think for a moment of all the positive attitudes and images he associates with smiling, head nodding, leaning forward, and laughing. ough these behaviors seem very Western, they often produce positive reactions in other cultures. Furthermore, interesting research findings suggest that communication changes encroach on how people relate to one another in organizations. Computer-mediated communications differ from face-to-face and telephone interactions in three important respects: there is a greater sense of anonymity; there is creation of new groups; and there is also susceptibility to computer addiction (Sullivan, 2003). Many executives become less social and less available for face-to-face conversations (Braun, 2002). Adjustment efforts must also manifest on the part of the host culture. Because much of the world speaks English, many of Americans have a tendency to assume we need not learn a foreign language. The very fact that others have made an attempt to learn our language should motivate us to reciprocate. There is more to language than vocabulary, syntax, and dialects. Language is more than a vehicle of communication; it teaches one a cultureââ¬â¢s lifestyle, ways of thinking, and different patterns of interacting. References Braun, Patrice. (2002). ââ¬Å"Digital Knowledge Networks: Linking Communities of Practice with Innovation.â⬠Journal of Business Strategies. Flores, B. , Cousin, P. T. & Diaz, E. (1991). Transforming Deficit Myths About Learning, Language, And Culture. Language Arts (pp. 245-246). Littlejohn, Stephen W. (2001). ââ¬Å"Theories of Signs and Language. â⬠Theories of Human Communication (p. 39). Wadsworth Publishing. Kale, J. & Luke, A. (1991). Doing Things With Words: Early Language Socialization. The Literacy Agenda: Issues for the Nineties (p. 7). Victoria: Eleanor Curtain. Sullivan, Daniel. (2003). ââ¬Å"International Business: An Emerging Vision. â⬠Journal of International Business Studies.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Imagined Community, Orientalism - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2077 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/21 Category Advertising Essay Type Argumentative essay Topics: Community Essay Terrorism Essay Did you like this example? Imagined community, Orientalism and Moral Panic Concepts, underlying Post-9/11 US Presidential Speeches Introduction George W. Bushââ¬â¢s administration and American mass media mounted a sustained project in post-9/11 era to ââ¬Ësaveââ¬â¢ US intact identity and delegitimize critical thoughts about Middle East, Islam and Arabs. This project was implemented by inducing a picture of ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢ or ââ¬ËWhiteââ¬â¢ as of Americans versus ââ¬ËOthersââ¬â¢ as of Arabs and Muslims. In the project, American society is surrounded by ââ¬Ëbordersââ¬â¢ being threatened by ââ¬ËOthersââ¬â¢. Therefore, perceived threat and heightened security alerts abound in daily media coverage and also political speeches of G. W. Bush and his supporters in this post-9/11 era. Many theoretical frameworks have been applied to investigate this project. Developed by Said (1978), Orientalism is a theory which delineates the categories of rational and superior ââ¬ËWe stââ¬â¢ versus aberrant and inferior ââ¬ËOrientââ¬â¢. The theory was used by researchers to interpret the events of post-9/11 era. Applying the Orientalism theory, Nayak (2006) argues that the ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢/ââ¬â¢Otherââ¬â¢ dialectic is due to the fear of ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢ from ââ¬ËOthersââ¬â¢ and also the desperate need of ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢ US to a coded Islamic fundamentalism of threatening ââ¬ËOthersââ¬â¢. There is also a correlation between the Orientalism aspect of ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢ or ââ¬ËWestââ¬â¢ as a nation and the theory of ââ¬ËImagined communitiesââ¬â¢, proposed by Anderson (1996). According to Anderson, nations are imagined communities, where ââ¬Ëthe members of even the smallest nations will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of themââ¬â¢. Another theoretical framework, applied by researchers, is called moral panic theory: a media-induced so-called perceived threat. Brayton (2006) analyses the American mass media coverage of detention of an ââ¬ËAmerican-Talibanââ¬â¢ citizen, who was introduced to North America on December 1, 2001. Brayton argues how moral panic theory was used to sketch racialized physical and social boundaries between ââ¬ËWhitenessââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËOthersââ¬â¢, and questions the entities of these boundaries. (Rothe et al. 2004) examine the social effects of social construction of moral panic of terrorism. They offer analyses of mediaââ¬â¢s depiction of acts of terrorism and also stateââ¬â¢s vested interest in social construction of moral panic, leading to increased level of fear. Although post-9/11 era has been vastly investigated by scholars using the theoretical frameworks, there is a need to investigate what specific political literature was used by Bush in his post-9/11 speeches to portray American Society as ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëcivilized nationââ¬â¢ versus ââ¬ËOthersââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëterroristsâ â¬â¢ in order to justify the implementation of the racial project of ââ¬ËSavingââ¬â¢ US intact identity. The objective of this paper is to explore three main speeches of G. W. Bush following 9/11: Address to the Nation September 11th 2001, United Nation General Assembly on November 11th 2001 and State of Union January 29th 2002. Applying the above mentioned theoretical frameworks of Orientalism-imagined communities and Moral panic, it is intended to analyze these speeches and argue their contribution to the emergence of the imagined boundaries between ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËOthersââ¬â¢. Orientalism and Imagined Communities theories in Bushââ¬â¢s speeches As mentioned earlier, there is a correlation between the theories of Imagined Communities and Orientalism. According to Anderson (1996), a nation is ââ¬Ëan imagined political community [that is] imagined as both inherently limited and sovereignââ¬â¢. Members of this community will not meet their fel low-members, ââ¬Ëyet in the minds of each, lives the image of their communionââ¬â¢. As Anderson puts it, regardless of inequalities among members, they share common interests or identity as a part of a nation through ââ¬Ëdeep, horizontal comradeshipââ¬â¢ within ââ¬Ëfinite, if elastic boundaries, beyond which lie other nationsââ¬â¢. Although the theory is a fundamental basis for anthropological discussions, it is challenged by other researchers. Chavez (1994) argues the case of immigrants who may belong to multiple communities at the once, while not be readily imagined to be a part of the new community by those already living there. The imagined communities theory of Anderson would contribute us to discuss the application of Orientalism in post-9/11 era. According to Said (1979), Orientalism is a ââ¬Å"style of thoughtâ⬠predicated upon the distinction between the ââ¬ËWestââ¬â¢ (the Occident) and the ââ¬ËEastââ¬â¢ (the Orient). He argues that ââ¬ËOrientalism is fundamentally a political doctrine willed over the Orient because the Orient was weaker than the Westââ¬â¢, and itââ¬â¢s a ââ¬Ëmisrepresentation of some Oriental essenceââ¬â¢. As he believes, this misinterpretation is deliberately applied ââ¬Ëaccording to a tendency, in a specific historical, intellectual, and even economic settingââ¬â¢. As Nayak (2006) argues, the ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢/ââ¬â¢Othersââ¬â¢ representation of American/Arab world by Bush Administration in the specific historical era of post-9/11 follows the theory of Orientalism. Applying the concept of imagined communities, I also argue that the American ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢ representation of ââ¬ËWestââ¬â¢ in that era, is the results of creating an imagined community, within which beliefs about belonging and national identity were reconstructed around race. US presidential speeches coupled with mass media coverage, implemented the project of ââ¬ËSavingââ¬â¢ US in tact state identity in post-9/11 era. These speeches have been analyzed by many researchers in order to find clues of their underlying theories. Throughout his speech in United Nation General Assembly on November 11 2001, Bush tries to sketch an imagined community of American people and their allies as ââ¬Ëcivilizationââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëcivilized worldââ¬â¢. He frames the sketch of this imagined community of ââ¬Ëcivilizationââ¬â¢ through Orientalism concept, where the superior ââ¬Ëcivilized worldââ¬â¢ is being threatened by ââ¬Ëenemiesââ¬â¢. As he puts it, this ââ¬ËCivilizationââ¬â¢ will be defended by ââ¬ËWeââ¬â¢ who are waging a war to save it. Therefore, the two actors are the traditional components of ââ¬Ëusââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëthemââ¬â¢, as can be deduced from the following statements by him: Every civilized nation here today is resolved to keep the most basic commitment of civilization: We will defend ourselves and our future agai nst terror and lawless violence (Bush, 11 November 2001). As stated earlier, the members of an imagined community must share common interests. Interestingly, Bush implies that ââ¬â¢universally accepted standards of humanityââ¬â¢ and ââ¬â¢war on terrorââ¬â¢ are two common interests of members of this ââ¬Ëcivilized worldââ¬â¢: The civilized world is now responding. We act to defend ourselves and deliver our children from a future of fear. We choose the dignity of life over a culture of death. We choose lawful change and civil disagreement over coercion, subversion and chaos. These commitments -hope and order, law and life- unite people across cultures and continents (Bush, 11 November 2001). Orientalism and imagined communities concepts are also embodied in Bushââ¬â¢s State of Union speech in 2002, where he again uses the term ââ¬ËCivilized worldââ¬â¢ at the beginning of his speech: The civilized world faces unprecedented danger. Yet, the state of Unio n has never been stronger (Bush, 29 January 2002). Interestingly, while he is highlighting the common interests of this imagined community as ââ¬Ëjusticeââ¬â¢ and peace, his statement simultaneously follows the property of Orientalism theory, in which the rational and superior ââ¬Ëusââ¬â¢ is facing the inferior and aberrant ââ¬Ëthemââ¬â¢: Our nation will continue to be steadfast and patient and persistent in the pursuit of two great objectives. First, we will shut down terrorist camps, disrupt terrorist plans, and bring terrorists to justice. And second we must prevent the terrorists and regimes who seek chemical, biological weapons from threatening United States and the world (Bush, 29 January 2002). Aside from Orientalism and imagined communities theories that were framed by using ââ¬Ëusââ¬â¢/ââ¬â¢themââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëcivilized worldââ¬â¢/ââ¬â¢terroristââ¬â¢ dialectics, the theoretical framework of moral panic could also be used to analyze post-9/11 speeches of Bush. Moral Panic theoretical framework Following 9/11, the American public has been inundated with perceived threats and heightened security alerts by political speeches and media coverage, resulting in what is called moral panic. The concept of moral panic was originally developed by Cohen (1972) as a media-induced exaggeration or distortion of some perceived threat or deviant activity. As he puts it, moral panic happens when a ââ¬Ëcondition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interestsââ¬â¢. According to Brayton (2006), three actors need to exist for a moral panic to take hold. First, individuals who are responsible for deviant or criminal behaviour and are threatening the social order should be constructed as ââ¬Ëfolk devilsââ¬â¢. Second, ambiguously defined terms such as ââ¬Ërapââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëraveââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëenemiesââ¬â¢ should be deployed. As the third actor, Br ayton mentions the term ââ¬Ëmoral entrepreneurââ¬â¢, originally introduced by (Becker 1966) as those such as politicians, media and rule enforcers who start the panic when they fear a threat. The atrocious nature of 9/11 attack provided an excellent opportunities for mass media coverage and also the speeches of politicians to call it a threat. In his immediate speech right after the 9/11 attack, Bush declares: Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. ] Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. [ ] America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time (Bush, 11 September, 2001). Clearly, Bush, as a ââ¬Ëmoral entrepreneurââ¬â¢, applies the ambiguous terms of ââ¬Ëterroristsââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëenemiesââ¬â¢ and introduces them as the actors or ââ¬Ëfolk devilsââ¬â¢, responsible for this catastrophe of 9/11. However, he doesnââ¬â¢t break down specifically who the ââ¬Ëenemiesââ¬â¢ are and where they are located exactly. In order to implement the project of ââ¬Ësavingââ¬â¢ US intact identity, throughout his speech, he repeatedly refers of the ââ¬ËAmerica/ââ¬â¢terroristsââ¬â¢ as a different version of ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢/ââ¬â¢Otherââ¬â¢ dialectic. According to Rothe (2002), ââ¬ËA call to war and legislative responsesââ¬â¢ is the most significant part of this created moral panic. He refers to role of mass media, another member of ââ¬Ëmoral entrepreneurââ¬â¢ group, and their headlines such as ââ¬ËWar at Homeââ¬â¢ (The Dallas Morning News 9/11/2001) and ââ¬ËITS WARââ¬â¢ (Daily News, 9/11/2001), coupled with the presidential speeches to justify the need for the upcoming global war. Yet, the theory of moral panic still applies to another speech by Bush. In Bushââ¬â¢s State of Union speech on January 2002, he st icks to the previously started scenario of moral panic by reintroducing the existing threat to the American society when he is addressing American public and Congress: As we gather here, our nation is at war, our economy is in recession, and the civilized world faces unprecedented danger (Bush, 29 January, 2002). He reminds the intensity of threat to ensure that the large proportion of US public accepts this moral panic unquestioningly: What we have found in Afghanistan confirms that far from ending there, our war against terror is only beginning. [ ] Thousands of dangerous killers, schooled in the methods of murder, often supported by outlaw regimes are now spread throughout the world like tickling bombs, set to go off without warning. (Bush, 29 January, 2002). He is also trying to justify his intention of global war against ââ¬Ëenemiesââ¬â¢: These enemies view the entire world as a battlefield, and we must pursue them wherever they are (Bush, 29 January, 2002). Apparen tly, the scenario of generating an exaggerated and induced public fear of terrorism in terms of moral panic theory and also the application of ambiguous terms of ââ¬Ëour nationââ¬â¢ versus ââ¬Ëenemiesââ¬â¢ contributed to implement the project of ââ¬Ësavingââ¬â¢ US intact identity in post-9/11 era. Conclusion: The catastrophe of 9/11 attacks to world trade centers in New York provided American politicians and mass media with a cause to implement the project of ââ¬Ësavingââ¬â¢ the US intact identity. In the project, the ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢/ââ¬â¢Otherââ¬â¢ dialectic is numerously applied in different formats to discriminate between ââ¬ËWestââ¬â¢ or ââ¬ËAmericansââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËOthersââ¬â¢. US presidential speeches played a key role in biasing mindsets of American public in regard to the events of post-9/11 era. The objective of this paper was to analyze three significant US presidential speeches through applying the theoretical framework s of imagined communities, Orientalism and moral panic. I argued how the application of some key words such as ââ¬Ëcivilized nationââ¬â¢ or ââ¬ËAmericaââ¬â¢ by Bush in his speeches represented the imagined community of American population, united on ââ¬Ëwar on terrorââ¬â¢. In the framework of Orientalism, I pointed out how his statements about his war policy could fit into the Orientalism theory framework, where superior ââ¬Ëwestââ¬â¢ is facing inferior ââ¬Ëorientââ¬â¢. Eventually, I investigated the literature used by Bush to intensify and induce the public fear of terror in terms of a moral panic. Although I focused on only three speeches of G. W. Bush, providing more concrete proofs on the underlying facts of his speeches and better understanding them need more research on his other speeches and statements. Moreover, in order to investigate the reapplication of such theoretical frameworks on social and political events other than those of 9/11, itââ¬â¢s necessary to compare Bushââ¬â¢s literature and his policies with those of new US president B. Obama. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Imagined Community, Orientalism" essay for you Create order
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)