Perceptions And Experiences Of Survivors Of Retrenchment Philosophy Essay

Perceptions And Experiences Of Survivors Of Retrenchment Philosophy Essay The preceding chapter justified the selected methodology as an appropriate research strategy in the framework created by the research problem and literature review. This chapter presents the findings obtained from the present study. It represents a thematic synopsis of the prevailing survivor responses obtained through three in-depth semi-structured interviews, where each core theme is described followed by a description of the contributory sub-themes within the core themes as well as aggravating factors (if applicable). Themes will be illustrated with direct quotations in a manner that adequately addresses the construed experiences of the interviewed survivors. The first core theme to emerge is the prevailing end state of survivors in the present study. The survivors demonstrated differing forms of denial, and these manifestations are illustrated as the subsequent three core themes, with their aggravating factors. The next core themes to emerge relates to the affective and behavioural responses of survivors throughout the retrenchment process. Finally, the theme underlying and giving rise to the other themes is that of the survivors perception of the company retrenchment experience. The chapter concludes with a critical discussion of the present study in light of previous research and literature in the field, and guidelines for organisations that are contemplating, or have already commenced, with retrenchments to reduce the anticipated negative effects of the retrenchment process. 5.2 RESEARCH RESULTS AND FINDINGS In this section, the themes obtained from the gathered data are considered. As previously noted, the interviewees were quoted verbatim these quotes are demarcated by the use of blue, italic text type. Journal and memo inclusions are demarcated by the use of italic text in shaded boxes. In order to illustrate the perceptions and experiences of survivors of retrenchment, the outcomes of the present study are represented in Figure 5.1. 5.2.1 Denial The first theme elicited from the interview transcriptions is that of survivor denial. Other researchers (De Vries Balazs, 1997; Greenhalgh Jick, 1989; Noer, 1993) have explored diverse defensive responses provoked by the retrenchment experience. One frequent and widespread response is denial, a defensive mechanism equally manifesting in both management and employees who is currently experiencing, or have recently experienced, retrenchment. Denial can be defined as unconscious negation of some or all of the total available meanings of an event to alleviate anxiety or other unpleasant condition. Denial covers situations in which individuals in words, act, or fantasies attempt to avoid painful reality. (Dorpat, 1983). Denial assisted the survivors in regulating their feelings of grief, thus protecting them from anxiety and pain by refusing to completely experience happenings that the survivor could not cope with. In this regard, there is a charm in denial, as it only lets in as much grief as can be handled. However, the survivors could not work through these initial stages of the grief cycle, and subsequently, became stuck in the denial phase. This outcome is the result of various contributing factors, which has been identified as themes supporting this end state. All three interviewed survivors were in a state of denial, as they had not developed or were not equipped with constructive coping mechanisms to deal with the stress and anxiety caused by the retrenchment process. According to Chapman (2009), individuals reactions to distressing events are as unique as a fingerprint. This is clearly demonstrated as the denial manifested in three forms, which will subsequently be discussed. Fish bowl reaction The first manifestation of denial was that of the Fishbowl effect this is characterised by the survivors experiencing a pervasive sensation of being under constant scrutiny from other employees affected employees in the organisation. The survivors are scrutinised as a result of their position within the company whether it be hierarchical position or divisional position. Although the mental process of denial cannot be observed directly, it can be inferred from verbal behaviour. To this effect, Cramer (1987) developed categories for identifying denial. Pertinent to the fish bowl effect are: Statements of negation: An individual contradicts an action, wish or intention, which, if acknowledged, would cause discontent, pain, anxiety or humiliation. Again, you know, and then it seems almost like the fairy tale situation where I am ecstatically happy you know, you get your days where you just want to dart out of here and it is too much Overly maximising the positive or minimizing the negative: Sizeable exaggeration or underestimation of a characters quality, size, power, role and authority. I was involved, sitting in at the meetings with some of the directors and general managerswe did discuss some of the positions that might fall awayI was involvedbut not the actual decision making. Survivors soon realise that working in this fishbowl, everyone scrutinizes what they are doing and because other employees can offer their critique, looking good becomes as important as doing the right thing. It appears that initially, the interviewees are intensely aware of the scrutiny and their role in the unpleasant exercise, however, in order to escape the anxiety that this creates; selected stimuli and observations are unconsciously denied. You are emotional when you in our function you cant be emotional, you need to kind of your emotions need to be put to the side to stay professional. So we were stretched, and I was stretched beyond that I thought that I could do or endure. But luckily we went through it. Further to this, in the fish bowl effect manifestation, considerable attention was given to the details of the issue as this served as a distraction enabling the survivors to avoid the affective whole. This was clearly demonstrated by one survivor who insisted that the company did not communicate the financial specifics for the severance package. However, when I reviewed the company documentation, this seemed to be the one element that was clearly and consistently communicated. Kets de Vries and Balazs (1996, 1997) reported similar findings. I would have handled the process in such a way that employees knew exactly what the package entailedknow where you are at lets have a look at maybe, how does your Provident Fund look like. Keep more information, so that people can make a more informed decision. In the present study, denial appeared to be an extension of the initial avoidance response. When reality threatened the survivors directly, and when the behaviours of avoidance were no longer adequate, the survivors turned to denial. The difference between denial and avoidance is the difference between passivity and activity, or between the tacit and the overt (Gottlieb, 2004). however, the meeting was postponed on the first occasion, due to the participant being too busy on the specific day. The interview was re-scheduled on this day, I had to remind the participant of the interview, yet the interview started 10 minutes late. I found it rather disturbing that the participant was rather non-committal with some of the answers, not committing to any specific viewpoint, but rather skirting the issue as to not tick anyone, thereby remaining on the fence. The participant seemed to take on the role of champion of the company, even though most answers pointed towards disagreement. During the interview, she spoke freely about relevant retrenchment issues, but it left me with a feeling of superficiality, as the issues raised were addressed fleetingly (this seems to be a denial in itself?) and the topic was consistently changed after a few minutes, almost contradicting what she said earlier. The change of topic occurred when discussions about emotions were further explored. It seems that the recall of intense emotional experience (negative) during the period of retrenchment creates feeling of anxiety that is denied and suppressed. Non-committal answers might be an attempt to deny negative experiences and or defend the company out of a sense of loyalty to organisation or defending own role in retrenchment. In the fishbowl state, the survivor is so preoccupied with doing the right thing and looking good to both management and employees that they consistently deny and bury their own emotional responses to retrenchment. This manifestation of this denial encompasses the alteration of language and logic to justify their behaviour (Cramer, 1987; Stein, 1997). Looking back on the entire process and where we are now, a year later you think it was a good business decision? At the time yes, for the business to continue, because we didnt know the economy was going to turn. Yes, I would say at that given point in time it could have been a good business decision. all affected people kind of made good business senseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I dont know if that makes any sense at all but made good business sense. So I think everybody would understand that none of this was a personal mission to get rid of anybody. It is possible that, as a consequence of prolonged denial in the fishbowl state, the survivors reasonable argument and cognitive schemata might be discarded altogether, because those strategies are not sustainable and are unable to persuade others; at which time the survivor will merely refer to their feelings or emotions as the exclusive justification. (Cramer, 1987). Placing all your eggs in the downsizing organisations basket It would seem that the strategies of retaining employees for the long-term have had negative, inadvertent consequences on the survivors seducing employees into a co-dependent relationship with the organisation. The co-dependent employees sense of value and identity is based on pleasing someone or something else. A lot of duality in this interview unhappy at work, yet wishing to stay, also expressing regret at not being retrenched, yet sacrificing her relationship to perform responsibilities at work. Defending abuse from management, yet complaining about management style. According to Noer (2009), benefits, services and office size are all advantages that reward seniority and tenure. In addition, Company X has in recent years placed more focus on employee wellness programmes, thereby channelling employees social patterns into organisationally endorsed activities. The result is that numerous employees have placed all of their emotional and social eggs in the organisational basket as the retrenchments were implemented and the new psychological contract unfolded, the basket has been dropped, and, according to Noer (1993), resulting in a range of negative survivor symptoms, such as fear and anxiety and triggering co-dependent behaviours like control and denial. The duality experienced could possibly be viewed as anxious denial there seems to be a swing from one extreme to the other, as if she cannot consolidate these conflicting emotions and feelings and the anxiety that this is causing. This denial and need for control is verbalised / acted out in the desire to have been retrenched. Due to the role that I fulfil on Organisation X, I have been privy to discussion about subsequent decisions made by this participant affecting / sacrificing her private life for the benefit of her career. As previously discussed, the higher the organisational level, the stronger the denial tends to be. It is therefore not surprising that the interviewee who most strongly displays this manifestation of denial, is the highest ranking employee interviewed. Although the concept of co-dependency will be discussed later in this section, it should be noted that previous research (Noer, 1993) indicated that co-dependants make themselves into permanent victims. It seems that perhaps this is the most salient characteristic of this manifestation of denial by denying any other role other than that of the victim, the survivor has rejected their role and accountability as part of the senior management team of Organisation X, as well as rejecting activities that should have been undertaken as part of management responsibility. Thereby effectively denying the extent to which her lack of action contributed to negative impacts on others, specifically the affected subordinates. A possible explanation for this unconscious decision is that it is an attempt to avoid guilt, and possibly shame. but with even like with subordinate I worked with, right until a week which before she moved, she didnt really know what was going to happen to her. She was told, Divisional Manager said to me, well maybe she would fit in with General Manager: XXXs department. So I went back, said to Subordinate, please set up a meeting with General Manager: XXX go speak to him, see what the job is all about. But nobody spoke to her I spoke to her said, lets make an appointment with General Manager: XXX.so nobody spoke to her, it wasnt like a person or thing. I know with Subordinate, nobody came to speak to her to say you know you are going to lose your position, but there is another position for you this is what it entails or set up an appointment with General Manager: XXX or anythingI would have like to just walked with my people a little bit more, so that theyre not so unhappy. There were lots of rumours and think from that aspect, maybe they were not as open as they should have been. This is congruent to two of Cramers (1987) characteristic of denial, namely the denial of reality whereby the survivor avoids addressing something that would be unpleasant to think about, in this case the loss of her subordinate to another department as well as her abdication of responsibility as departmental head. Secondly, statements of negation where the individual contradicts an action, wish or intention, which, if acknowledged, would cause discontent, pain, anxiety or humiliation. Further to this, and supporting the previous assertion of the strong denial of management responsibility, dissatisfaction with company direction, management credibility and long-term strategy were particularly strong amongst the most senior survivor interviewed, which is interesting as she is responsible for some of these functions. A lot of the instructions that were given are very short term. So, I think from an environment point of view, I just feel Im not learning as much as I could have, because everything is now killing the fires and its short term strategies, so you dont actually learn or develop and there is not time to develop as a person within the company. How would you describe your level of trust, in the management team of the company?very low trust. Because if something goes wrong, they blame somebody else. This candidate is part of senior management, yet seems to feel ostracized. Perhaps this is the reason for her projections? Further to the above, when psychological denial distorts reality, individuals are prone to make erroneous decisions or avoid complicated decisions and disregard serious problems; holding others responsible when things do not turn out as expected (Cramer, 1987). This finding is supported by subsequent verifiable information that became known to me recently as a result of the interview and my position within the organisation. one interviewee fluctuated between almost total denial of her accountability and role (as senior manager) in the retrenchment and repeated attempts to bring about her own death (Kà ¼bler-Ross, 1969) in the organisation. This self-sabotage took the form of non-performance, defiance when dealing with top management and ignoring communications. Some aggravating factors to this denial reaction must also be noted the first is the espoused value of the new psychological contract and secondly the presence of aggravating peripheral circumstances. These factors will be explored and discussed later in this section. Keeping up appearances: coping by not coping This manifestation is characterised by the minimisation of the overall effect that the retrenchment had on the survivors. Although feelings of uncertainty, stress and guilt had been experienced, there were some expressions of optimism and perceptions that Company X engaged in a tough, but necessary activity to get or keep the company on track toward profitability. I think for anybody this is a very difficult exercise to go throughà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there was not you dont need to worry, it is never going to happen, youre safe. There was never any of that false hope created. I dont know if that makes any sense at all but made good business sense. Unfortunately, as a business, this is the only way we can survive. This technique has been termed denial of injuries by Gandolfi (2009) and pertains to survivors involved in the retrenchment process maintaining that retrenchment victims did not suffer any detrimental consequences. In the aforementioned study, this was the reaction where victims were provided with generous severance packages. The findings of the current study in consistent with this, as all interviewed survivors exhibited a manifestation of denial and without fail, referred to the generous severance packages. Well, I looked at the packages and I know that they were really good based on obviously you know what the packages based on experience, based on years service and based on beginner service and all those sort of things. However, the denial is evident in the contradictions during the interviews, as well as during discussion that pertained to behavioural and affective responses during the retrenchment. This is congruent with two of Cramer (1987) identified characteristics of denial, namely: Statements of negation: An individual contradicts an action, wish or intention, which, if acknowledged, would cause discontent, pain, anxiety or humiliation. Obviously I could not divulge that until the final decisions had been madeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ when you are going through a structural change there is this cloud of secrecy and certain people know whats going on, and there is talking à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it was communicated to them [affected department], and it was done right down to the brutal truth. Unexpected goodness, optimism, positivity: nonchalance in the face of threats. The team is not quite where it needs to be yet, but certainly we pulling more together in terms of the transparencies and the cross functional support areas where we may be 5 years ago. I got to say the resizing exercise did a lot in terms of shaking up peoples foundations where you thought you were so secure, everybody realized nobody is secure. But what changed it and what made this last resizing exercise so positive, is the way it was handled. These reported perceptions are complex and quite often contradictory. The same survivors who articulated sentiments of optimism also articulated strong sentiments of uncertainty, stress and changed work life perceptions. Uncertainty was most apparent in the continuous attempts to obtain the approval and validation of reactions from me, as if to establish whether the perceptions are correct, or perhaps to avoid confronting actions that causes guilt by perceiving this to be a common occurrence. It seems as if the survivors escaped dealing with their personal feelings by focusing on projected organisational outcomes. This is congruent to previous research (Noer, 1993) as well a variation on the fishbowl effect, where survivors focus on details to escape dealing with their personal feelings. The objectives were pretty clear and that was that we need to look at the functions within the department, and the main objective was not clearing heads, that was never the main objective. The main objective was look at the functions, how can we work and structure this department to work smarter. Not necessarily cheaper, but smarter and obviously ultimately is there a possibility for the right sizingthe objective was never to get the heads of the headcount, never. Obviously you know long term wise it is a win- win situation for everybody. This particular manifestation seems to be exacerbated by previous experience of a retrenchment possibly colouring the survivors frame of reference. The interviewee that displayed this manifestation most prominently has personally survived two previous retrenchments at Organisation X. Another interviewee who displayed this manifestation of denial to a lesser extent had survived one previous retrenchment at Organisation X and recalls that her father had experienced a retrenchment at his employer at the time. I am left to wonder whether this positive attitude is genuine or whether the participant is still keeping up appearances for the benefit of who perhaps top management perhaps. Is this denial (of damage done to others) a facade to hide feelings of being the executioner as the participant clearly indicated that she felt guilty for being picked to stay whilst other employees (in her department) became victims. This reaction can possibly be attributed to repeated experiences of retrenchment resulting in emotional numbing (Kets de Vries Balazs, 1996), whereby the survivor starts to experience problems with a reduced capacity to feel. According to Kets de Vries and Balazs (1996), this defensive process is set in motion a state of affairs overflowing with painful emotions and psychological conflict. This reaction was used as a means to shelter the survivors from intolerable experiences and functions as a type off shut-off mechanism this emotional shut-off is essentially the core of psychological denial as discussed in the introduction to this section. It appears as if the survivors resort to doing to prevent experiencing. One of the survivors went into great detail about her growth in the company, her flexibility with regards to long-term career goals, the positive relationships with both top management and Human Resources, and her perception of how other departments handled this process. In all of this, she never voluntarily referred to feelings. When specifically asked about her feelings and reactions during the time of retrenchments, she conceded that she did feel saddened by the process, but quickly added that this was reserved for after-hours and in general, she felt that it had been a process well handled. What seems to be true for all of the participants is that their involvement in retrenchments is an activity that opposes their base belief about organisational life. Underlying this base belief is the psychological employment contract. These survivors have to cope with significant change at the same time as experiencing it. Shared denial Although the survivors engaged in the same basic defence mechanism, the expression of the defence took various forms. It is interesting to note that there are some shared reactions in the expression of denial, namely the denial of the survivors own expectation of the old psychological contract to hold true and the unfailing blaming of others for negative outcomes experienced. Each of these shared reactions will consequently be explored. Denial of belief in old psychological contract All of the interviewees espoused the values of the new psychological contract and advocated its importance in the new world of work, yet, all the interviewees demonstrated throughout the interview, that they have a very strong expectation that the old psychological contract is to hold true for them on Organisation X. . I really would like to have an overseas assignment. Just to get exposure, because for me is I want a long term relationship with Company X. I was quite happy here and I thought, well, I am happy to stay with Company X for the next 10 years. Whatever I wanted to develop, I would like to get to a General Manager level, learn as much as I can from the company. It seems that the survivors agree with the logic and the theory of the new psychological contract, but that this new way paradigm conflicts with their need for membership and would require a great mindset shift. I believe that most employees expect an organisation to look after them and that you will receive the benefits, or reap the benefits of hard work. But in reality, that does not work that wayI know that your psychological contract has changed during the course of the last few years, but still, I think that maybe employees want to be trained in such way that they can move on, out of the organisation, with more skills they what they come into. Despite strongly advocating the new psychological contract the participants responses throughout the interview indicates a strong co-dependency on the company being researched. It seems as if the participant defines a (big?) part of herself by achievement / growth / future in / at the company being researched. Also, this participant perhaps more than the other participants espouses the values of the new psychological contract, yet looks at the organisation to provide growth and development, and feels betrayed and offended that the current situation impacted on her development. The survivors denial of their belief in the old psychological contract could possibly be explained by the concept of co-dependence. The co-dependent changed their identity, denied their feelings and spend a substantial quantity of energy in an effort to control an alcoholic; shared the alcoholics addiction. The co-dependent does not notice the destruction that their denial causes to themselves and others they were co-dependent with the alcoholic (Bekker, 1998; Noer, 1993) According to Noer (1993), just as a person can exist in a co-dependent state with another person in relation to an addiction, a person can also be co-dependent with an organisational system. Employees of an organisation who have become co-dependent on the organisation, defines themselves to a large extent by their job. During a retrenchment, it is therefore not only their job that becomes vulnerable, but also their sense of worth, sense of relevance, identity and purpose. This phenomenon could explain most, if not all, of the survivor experiences explored in this study. As discussed in section 3.3.4, the greater the sense of personal violation, the greater the susceptibility to survivor syndrome and destructive defence mechanisms. The perception of violation appears directly related to the degree of trust employees had that Organisation X will take care of them (Noer, 1993). The survivors all indicated that they definitely had the expectation of long-term employment at Company X, with the associated growth and development as reward for their tenure and performance. The retrenchment experience seemed to be a rude wake-up call that this is in actual fact not the truth. There is no such thing as life-long employment. There is a classic saying, if you want loyalty, buy a dog. It is all good and well to be committed to a company, but there is no guarantee, not either way, that you are going to be with that company for a life-long commitment or that that the company is going to keep you on for a life-long commitmentonce you heard that very clear definition that life owes you nothing and Company X owes you nothing and I owe you nothing. That kind of inspired you to do more and to want more. You know, if I came in at age 17, turning 18 in February, that I was working, thinking I am just going to be a typist for the rest of my life and Company X going to keep me, keep me, you gonna have to want that little bit more ever so often. If you are not motivated, and if you are not accepting those challenges, there is no future for you here. Denying their belief in the truth of the old psychological contract, might serve two purposes: By verbally acknowledging the value of the new psychological contract, they are espousing the message that is expected of them due to their position within the company. As in the fishbowl effect manifestation, the survivors are seen to be doing the right thing and looking good; By denying their belief in the truth of the old psychological contract, the survivors are attempting to avoid the painful reality that this paradigm no longer holds true by refuting their own truth by their words and actions. Blaming of others All interviewed survivors blamed other groups. In most cases, generic management were blamed or colleagues in organisation X, however, no interviewee assigned any blame for negative outcomes to themselves. Nevertheless, people tend to blame others usually the next person up on the organisational chart for what is a basic systemic change, beyond anyones control. But then, if I look at other areas that the same sort of exercises, and I dont know if it is because it was handled poorly, that maybe their management wasnt being honest or forthcoming with their people. Look at the XXX department a huge mess. You know, where people left on the end of the month, and there was absolutely nobody trained to do those. If youre ultimate goal is to get rid of people on downsize and get rid of people on a head count level that is easy to do. This blaming phenomenon could be a form of projection that serves as a defence mechanism, assisting the survivor to confront their own survivor guilt by allowing the survivor to consider others as dysfunctional without experiencing the discomfort of realising that these views and feelings are their own. This allows the survivor to express disapproval of the other person, distancing themselves from their own dysfunction (Straker, 2009). This reaction has also been noted by previous researchers such as Noer (1993), Kets de Vries and Balazs (1996) and Appelbaum et al. (1997). Based on the preceding discussion, it is put forward that blaming others for whichever collection of consequences generally represents denial. Contributory themes As a result of the survivors inability to progress through the stages of grief and complete their mourning, the interviewed survivors remained in state of denial. Contributing to these responses and outcomes were the presence of aggravating peripheral circumstances and role conflict. Role conflict Beauchamp and Bray (2001) defines role conflict as referring to the presence of incongruent expectations placed on a role incumbent. The presence of role conflict exacerbating the effects of denial was evident amongst survivors. This role conflict related to the dual roles of being involved in the implementation of the retrenchment for the survival of Company X and the emotional effect that the aforementioned has on the survivor. You are emotional when you in our function you cant be emotional, you need to kind of your emotions need to be put to the side to stay professional. So, you talk to people over the telephone, and they are emotional that side, youre sitting on this side, and you know their affected it is a difficult, difficult time. It is possible that this role conflict also contributed to the extensive engagement in reasoning to justify retrenchments. This reaction is similar to what Noer (1993) described as the Judas complex. This reaction seems to allow the survivors to deny the negative impact of their actions on others. It is very difficult to keep your managers hat on and on the other side of the scale to put your humanitarian hat on.you had to come in

The Nation of Israel Essays -- Hebrew Israel Religion Religious Essays

The Nation of Israel The nation of Israel has played a critical role in the formation of Western and Eastern ideologies and has had an unmistakably profound impact upon the theological and cultural evolution of mankind. Former U.S. President John Adams, commenting on the historical importance of the Hebrews, once said the following: "I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations †¦ They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth. The Romans and their empire were but a bubble in comparison to the Jews. They have given religion to three-quarters of the globe and have influenced the affairs of mankind more and more happily than any other nation, ancient or modern (Aish).† The Hebrews are not only of undeniable historical significance but also a key factor and concern in contemporary politics. In order to begin to understand the nature of Israeli politics it is important to understand the rich history of the Hebrews and also the events surrounding and leading up to the formation of the nation of Israel. We will begin our investigation into the politics of the nation of Israel by reviewing key historical contributions and events pertaining to that nation and its people. The most significant and widespread impact of the Hebrew culture can be seen in its spread of monotheism to essentially polytheistic cultures. This theological ideal served to both lay the foundation and perpetuate the formation and evolution of the world’s three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Isl... ... Nov. 2003 http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00i60 XIX. â€Å"A Critique of the Israeli Basic Laws† Israeli Basic Law 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.gongfa.com/zuigaoyuanduizgyihui.htm XX. â€Å"Parties represented in the fifteenth Knesset running for reelection in 2003† Israeli Government (Sixth Reference) 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0mt10 XXI. â€Å"Results of Elections to the 16th Knesset – Jan 28,2003† Israel Government (Seventh Reference) 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0n130 XXII. â€Å"The Judiciary: The Court System† Israel Government (Eighth Reference) 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00gz0 XXIII. Gordon, Evelyn. â€Å"Is it Legitimate to Criticize the Supreme Court?† Azure 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.shalem.org.il/azure/3-articles2.html

How To Write A Great Report :: Report Writing

How To Write A Great Report 1. Plan the report. ï  ± Select an idea or topic for your report. ï  ± Gather information for your report. ï  ± Identify the information you want to include in your report. Remember you should have at least three ways to support the main idea of your report. Include details and specific information that will help you make your point. ï  ± Write a draft. ï  ± Review what you have written. Try reading the report out loud. It can help you catch mistakes. ï  ± Check spelling and punctuation. Each sentence should begin with a capital letter and end with a period, question mark, or exclamation mark. ï  ± Create the final report. 2. Add interest. ï  ± Use graphs and charts to illustrate an idea. ï  ± Include a picture, photo, drawing, or map. ï  ± Find a quotation, and use it to make your point. 3. Make every word count.

The Spiritual and Physical Dimensions in The Birthmark Essay -- miscel

The Spiritual and Physical Dimensions in The Birthmark Fred Allen Wolf notes in Taking the Quantum Leap that it was not until the 20th century that scientists realized that â€Å"to observe is to disturb, for observation breaks the wholeness of nature.† If observing disturbs, then when a scientist tampers and tries to perfect nature the result can only be disastrous. The goal of most scientists is to observe and understand the mysteries of nature. Nathaniel Hawthorne realized that the scientists of the 19th century were beginning to challenge the traditional views of science and man. The traditional view of man holds that man is both material and spiritual. Advancements in science led some scientists to begin to think that man was only material and therefore with enough enlightenment science could control all of nature including man himself. Hawthorne, however, objected to the idea of man’s ability to totally control all aspects of human life. Hawthorne, in his short story â€Å"The Birthmark,† uses the imagery and c haracter to show that man has both a spiritual and material dimension that are deeply interwoven and unable to be completely controlled. Hawthorne presents the prevailing thinking of the man of science with the introduction of Aylmer who typifies the man of science who thinks that he is able to â€Å"ascend from one step of powerful intelligence to another, until the philosopher should lay his hand on the secret of creative force† (Hawthorne 1). Hawthorne hints that Aylmer believes he can posses â€Å"ultimate and total control of Nature† (1). Hawthorne uses the birthmark on Georgiana’s cheek to represent the spiritual or non-material aspects of man. Initially, when Hawthorne describes the birthmark, he views it as merely a physical defect. He refers to it as being â€Å"the visible mark of earthly imperfection,† (1). As Aylmer continues to dwell on the imperfection, it begins to take on a deeper meaning. He begins to see it as â€Å"the fatal flaw of humanity† which comes from the hand of Nature (1). Later, he sees it as â€Å"the symbol of his wife’s liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death,† (1). Hawthorne uses Georgiana as a representative of all mankind by telling that Nature places a flaw on â€Å"all her productions,† (1). As Aylmer begins to recognize the defect in connection with her immortality, he begins to acknowledge that there is something deeper than the mater... ...ever understood the reality he denied, it is not certain, but the final commentary by the narrator suggests that Georgiana’s death settles the question of the reality of the natural and spiritual world and the intertwining of the two. He explains that â€Å"the fatal hand had grappled with the mystery of life and was the bond by which an angelic spirit kept itself in union with a mortal frame,† (7). The angelic spirit and the mortal frame were inseparable and one could not exist without the other. It was this that Aylmer could not believe, for he was a man of science, fact, and one whom could not grasp the idea of a spiritual dimension of an individual. Through the birthmark and Aylmer, Hawthorne illustrates that an individual has both a physical body seen by all and a spirit that is unseen. Aylmer first believes, like other scientists, that all things are merely physical. But Georgiana’s birthmark is used to symbolize the spirit that grasps all humans. Georgiana’s death comes when her spirit is removed from her physical body. Hawthorne uses the birthmark’s intertwining with the body to reveal that man has a spiritual dimension and a physical dimension, both of which are intertwined.

Living a Wholehearted Life

Book Project: Living a Wholehearted Life Jannie Jenkins Dixie State University â€Å"The Gifts of Imperfection†, by Brene Brown, writer and research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. The book is written to open people's minds to the power and impact of living a wholehearted life. Brown confronts the dark emotions that get in the way of leading a fuller life and pursues the behavior of courage. She shares ten guideposts on the power of Wholehearted living, and what we can do to achieve our way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.Each guidepost explores the power of love, belonging, and being enough as they each help us lead to recognize and act on our gifts of imperfection: courage, compassion, and connection. The key to living a wholehearted life is to embrace the gifts of imperfection. Guidepost number one: cultivating authenticity. Professor Brown explains that she has this as her first step to achieve wholeheartedness because we cannot be happy when we are constantly worrying about what others think of us. We must forget what other people might be thinking of us and be our real selves.When we on't embrace our true self, we deny ourselves of the many Joys of Just living. We are cultivating courage when we practice authenticity and allow ourselves to be vulnerable. Guidepost number two: cultivating self-compassion. With Brown's research, we learn that fear and shame are two major obstacles to accomplishing high self-worth and practicing self-compassion. When we let fear overcome us, we push away all ideas of aspiring our dreams and moving forward; when we get trapped in our box of shame, we Judge our self and others.Brown urges her readers to realize that veryone experiences those feelings of suffering or inadequacy, but we have the choice of being warm and understanding toward ourselves rather than comparing and putting ourselves down. If we are compassionate with ourselves, we will experience emp athy towards others, leading to our gift of compassion for others as well. Guidepost number three: cultivating a resilient spirit. Brown describes resilience as the ability to overcome adversity. Everyone goes through some sort of trial, but it's how we handle the hardships that define us.Overcoming adversity is the hardest part of living, then how do we become resilient? With her research, Brown made a list of protective factors†the things that help us move forward in adversity†and according to the people she interviewed, the very foundation of the protective factors was their spirituality She defines spirituality as, â€Å"recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us†(2010, pg. 56). Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose into our lives.Guidepost number four: cultivating gratitude and Joy. Brown made the connection that all those who described themselves as Joyful or living a Joyful life, ctively practices gratitude. The best way to cultivate Joy and practice gratitude is by slowing down our constant rushed lives. People get so caught up in the â€Å"must's† and the â€Å"do's† in life to achieve happiness that they unknowingly reject what could be joyful moments. Brown consistently emphasizes the importance of acknowledging that, â€Å"l am enough. † Guidepost number five: cultivating intuition and trusting faith.Brown defines intuition as our ability to hold room for uncertainty and our willingness to trust the many ways we've developed knowledge and insight. She also goes into depth about he importance of having faith. To engage in a wholehearted life means we must believe without seeing. Guidepost number six: cultivating creativity. What keeps people from cultivating their own creativity is comparison. Comparison is all about conformity and competition; we feel the need to fit in or outstand! When we create, we produce meaning. Brown tells us to let go of comparison.Guidepost number seven: cultivating play and rest. Brown gives numerous examples from her life as well as others about how much more meaningful their lives are when they exercise proper rest and adequate time to play. When we play we shape our brains, harbor empathy, and work through complex social groups. â€Å"Play is at the core of creativity and innovation. † She incorporates rest by explaining that we cannot live full lives without respecting our bodies' need for renewal. Play and rest cultivate connection. Guidepost number eight: cultivating calm and stillness.It is impossible to live wholeheartedly when anxiety is pressing us down. Brown emphasizes in this section the meaningfulness that comes from multiple forms of meditation. Guidepost number nine: cultivating meaningful work. Professor Brown describes eaningful work as feeling a tremendous sense of accomplishment and purpose from work. What keeps people from a chieving meaningful work is their self-doubt. Self-doubt blocks our process of finding our talents and sharing them with the world; self-doubt is letting our fear undermine our faith.Brown encourages us to establish who we are by determining our gifts and what we do with them. Guidepost number ten: cultivating laughter, song, and dance. We have to let goof being cool and â€Å"always in control. † By doing so, we allow ourselves to express ourselves in ways that make us feel the most Joy and satisfaction. Brene Brown's book is not a â€Å"how to† book (although there were times where I wished it was), it's a book that pulls out our understanding of how we choose to live. Her guideposts are all choices that we have to make.The only way we can create a life of living with our whole hearts is by practice. Brown's book influences us to make choices of how we live our lives, but we must choose to practice. We won't become self-resilient, authentic, self-compassionate, or mo re grateful if we Just sit and wait tor them to come to us. We nave to constantly practice and better ourselves, then we an live a more fulfilled life. This book covers the confusing emotions we as humans all go through. I have been able to more fully grasp and understand what things get in the way of my own personal wholehearted living.It's funny to me because everything she talks about is so plain and simple; it's common logic but yet we still feel unworthy, abandoned, or unloved. Something that I have struggled with in my life is perfectionism. Brene Brown defines perfectionism as the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we will avoid the pain of blame, Judgment, and shame. This definition really it me because I believed that I would only be loved, approved, and accepted if I were â€Å"perfect. † I worry about what other people think of me which denies me, what could be, wonderful opportunities.I am afraid to put anything out in the world that co uld be imperfect because I am afraid of failing, making a mistake, or disappointing someone. Perfectionism is self-destructive and I believe my perfectionism is what keeps me from feeling confident in myself. When I was reading about this, I wondered what can I do to get rid of this toxic belief. The number one thing is to practice self-compassion. Self-compassion consists of three elements: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.I often beat myself with self-criticism when I suffer, fail, or feel inadequate rather than being warm and understanding towards myself, self-kind. Something that I persistently try to remember when I'm going through something difficult is that it's common humanity. Suffering and feeling inadequate is Just part of the human experience. Everyone has his or her struggles and is trying their best to get through them; it is not Just â€Å"me† alone. Since reading about this, IVe been practicing self-compassion so I can lower my perfectionistic w ay f thinking. It really is a huge difference how I perceive my life.I'm accepting that it's okay to go for those moments and opportunities that make me vulnerable because I'm not perfect and I don't have to be; I'm embracing my true self while letting go of what others think of me. I do feel as if my soul is more fulfilled. Going along with perfectionism, comparison is another thing that gets in the way of living my wholehearted life. Comparison is all about conformity and competition. When we compare, we want to be like everyone else (â€Å"fit in†), but better. I refused to believe hat I was trapped in that exhausting hole of comparing myself to others because I knew I shouldn't be thinking like that.I realized though that in order for me to embrace my gifts of imperfection, courage, compassion, and connection, I have to acknowledge my weaknesses and shortcomings such as comparison. I continue to practice avoiding comparison because I know when I focus on being better or b eing the odd one out, I am not happy. I tend to forget about working on my authenticity, or gratitude when I'm spending all my time and energy conforming and competing. I lso have become aware that it's okay to be me. I Just need to focus on going through my life at my pace, by my rules while everyone else is going throughout their life at their pace and by their rules.Some may be faster, some slower, but the best thing I can do is smile, pat them on the back, feel happy for what theyre achieving and Just keep going. When I'm not comparing myself to others I feel good about my self and about my life. Recognizing my struggles with perfectionism and comparison, and working to overcome them, nave been major steps tor me living a more tultllled lite However, the biggest thing that stood out to me personally was how important spirituality and gratitude are in achieving wholeheartedness.IVe always had a strong belief in my faith and religion, but it was neat to see from Professor Brown's research that having spirituality is a core component of wholeheartedness. It's not just me who relies and believes on my faith to become resilient, the ability to overcome adversity. Everyone needs to believe and celebrate that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our onnection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion (2010, pg. 64). Practicing spirituality brings healing and creates resilience.We all have to define spirituality in a way that inspires us. I know, and have known for a long time, that my life would be drastically different without my spirituality. It truly does give me peace, comfort, and strength leading into a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose in my life. Finally, the other thing that stood out to me next to spirituality was cultivating gratitude and Joy. I think the reason this hits me hard is ecause everyone is striving to live a fulfilled life, and to me, a fulfilled life is a Joyful life.We all are wanting to be happy, but this world is filled with so much pain, suffering, and sorrow that it's hard to remain happy. Practicing gratitude is the essence of living Joyfully. When we are grateful, we immediately shut out our feelings that make up shame and destroy our happiness. The catch is that gratitude is a constant action and must be consistently practiced. Something that IVe done to practice having an attitude of gratitude is stating out loud things I'm grateful for hen fear or anxiety is creeping up on me.When I verbally express my gratitude, a feeling of warm Joy really does overcome me; I no longer feel worthless or inadequate because I'm recognizing that I have enough, that I am enough! Through recognizing my shortcomings with perfectionism and comparison and also living a life of gratitude and Joy, I have been more able to embrace who I am. I live a life of imperfection, but I am enough. I have the potential to do amazing things when I live who leheartedly, going throughout life with courage, compassion, and connection.

Accounting Research Project: Walt Disney

| 2012| | Acc: Research Project | [The Walt Disney Company]| Ticker Symbol: NYSE:DIS A brief summary of the company’s products, history, and financial operations over the last year. | General Overview The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is one that I have been familiar with my entire life. However, I have never known much about the business side of the company.It was founded in 1923 by Roy and Walt Disney, who came to Hollywood from Kansas City, Missouri. Walt and Roy produced a short animated film series that became known as the Alice Comedies. The small studio in which they worked was outgrown and replaced by a larger facility, where they became Disney Bros. Studio (Disney Archives). In 1928, Mickey Mouse was born, followed by Pluto, Goofy, and the rest of the Disney gang, and the Disney Brothers Studio became the Walt Disney Studio. Disney’s first full-length animated film came out in 1937.Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became the highest grossing film by 1939 and th e first animated feature film ever produced (studioservices. go. com). During World War II, production was slow, and Disney was contracted into creating propaganda films to endorse the war and boost morale on the home front. However, in 1950, Cinderella revived the company and the Walt Disney Productions theme park plan was set in motion, opening Disneyland in 1955. Walt Disney died in 1966 of lung cancer (age 66), and his brother Roy took over as chairman, CEO and president.The Walt Disney World Resort opened in Orlando, Florida in 1971, and Disney began to make its way into live-action films. Since then, the Walt Disney Company has made its name in the family and entertainment business, becoming one of the largest and most influential companies worldwide, owning markets in China, Japan, North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and Russia. The company headquarters is located in Burbank, California, headed by Chairman and CEO Bob Iger, who ook over the company in 2 005 and acquired other such productions as Pixar (2006), Marvel Entertainment (2009), and Lucasfilm (2012) (thewaltdisneycompany. com). As well as owning several media networks, hotels and resorts, Disney Consumer Products, according to the company’s website, is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company and its affiliates that extends the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home decor and books and magazines to foods and beverages, stationary, electronics and fine art.This is accomplished through a franchise-based licensing organization focused on strategic brand priorities, including:  Disney Classic Characters & Disney Baby; Disney Live Action Film; Disney Media Networks & Games, Disney & Pixar Animation Studios; Disney Princess & Disney Fairies;  and  Marvel. Other businesses involved in Disney's consumer products sales are Disney Publishing Worldwide, the world's largest publisher of children's books and magazines, and  www. DisneyStore. om  and  www. DisneyStore. co. uk, the company's official shopping portals. The Disney Store retail chain, which debuted in 1987, is owned and operated by Disney in North America, Europe, and Japan (thewaltdisneycompany. com). In recent news, Netflix announced on December 4, 2012 that it has signed a multi-year deal with The Walt Disney Company. According to the article by Ramon Aranda, this will give Netflix the exclusive rights to run feature films available for users to watch instantly.Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix said, â€Å"Disney and Netflix have shared a long and mutually beneficial relationship and this deal will bring to our subscribers, in the first pay TV window, some of the highest-quality, most imaginative family films being made today†¦ It’s a bold leap forward for Internet television and we are incredibly pleased and proud this iconic family brand is teaming with Netflix to make it happen. † The article also states that the fin ancial terms of this agreement have not been disclosed.Another recent event for the company was the purchase of the Star Wars franchise Lucasfilm for four billion dollars at the end of October. 100 percent owned by founder George Lucas, an article in USA Today says Disney received the empire at a cost of $4 billion, 40 million Disney shares, and a year and half pursuit. This amount of shares makes Lucas the company’s second largest non-institutional shareholder of Disney, after the trust of Steve Jobs (Krantz, Matt, et. al). The article goes on to note that this deals marks Disney’s fourth largest deal ever, after Capital Cities/ABC (1995), Pixar (2006), and Fox Family (2001).Disney plans to expand on the Star Wars film schedule. CEO Bob Iger said, â€Å"our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years,† beginning with Episode VII hopefully releasing in 2015. George Lucas will serve as a creative consultant, but plans to ret ire, saying, â€Å"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see  Star Wars  passed from one generation to the next. It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers† (Krantz, Matt, et. al).The current price per share of the company’s common stock is $48. 67. This number has fluctuated a bit over the last year, but has remained mostly close to the recent price. The lowest price over the last year has been $34. 52, with the highest price at $53. 40 (thewaltdisneycompany. com). Financial Status (2012) According the company’s most recent accounting statements (2012 fiscal year), total assets equaled $74,898; total liabilities equaled $32,940, and the total equity for the year totaled $41,958 (in millions). $74,898 = $32,940 + $41,958The company earned a net income of $5. 682 billion, an eighteen percent increase from the previous year. The earnings per share during the year 2012 increased 24 percent to $3. 13 fro m $2. 52 the prior year. Earnings per share is important because it is a measure of a company’s profitability. It is one of the most closely watched financial ratios in the business world. The revenues for The Walt Disney Company totaled $42. 278 billion, a 4 percent increase from the previous year. Two of Disney’s competitors, News Corp. and Time Warner Inc. have revenues that fall significantly lower than this corporate giant, with News Corp. revenues totaling $33. 88 billion and Time Warner Inc. at $28. 76 billion. Disney’s current assets total $13. 709 billion, with current liabilities totaling $12. 813 billion. The current ratio: 13. 709/12. 813 = 1. 07. The current ratio generally shows the ability of a company to pay back debts. However, if a company is good at managing and planning cash flows, a low number does not necessarily mean they cannot pay back its debts on time.This number has decreased compared to the previous year, which had a current ratio of 1. 13. Disney’s long-term assets include film and television costs, investments, parks, resorts, and other properties (attractions, buildings, and equipment), projects in progress, land, intangible assets, and goodwill; 82 percent of Disney’s assets are long-term. Compared to prior periods, these assets have increased (approximately $2 billion more than 2011). In addition, The Walt Disney Company calculates depreciation using the straight-line method.The long-term liabilities of The Walt Disney Company total $20. 127 billion, or 61 percent of the total liabilities, compared to 63 percent of total liabilities in 2011. Disney has over one trillion shares in circulation currently, both of preferred stock and common stock outstanding. The company saw an increase in cash and cash equivalents of $202 million, giving Disney an end of year balance of $3. 387 billion, compared to the $3. 185 billion from the previous year. According to Disney’s report, cash provided by operations increased 14 percent compared to 2011.The increase in cash provided by operations was due to â€Å"higher segment operating results and the timing of and improved receivable collections, partially offset by higher income tax payments, the payment of interest accrued in prior years on Disneyland Paris borrowings, and higher film production spending† (thewaltdisneycompany. com). Disney uses the average-cost method in order to calculate inventory, stating, â€Å"Inventory primarily includes vacation timeshare units, merchandise, materials, and supplies.Carrying amounts of vacation ownership units are recorded at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Carrying amounts of merchandise, materials, and supplies inventories are generally determined on a moving average cost basis and are recorded at the lower of cost or market. † Only a small portion of the total assets is represented by inventory. In 2012, the inventory only accounted for 2 percent of the company ’s total assets, which is consistent with the 2 percent of total assets in 2011. Work Cited A History of The Walt Disney Company. † Disney 23. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. ;http://d23. disney. go. com/archives/a-history-of-the-walt-disney-company/; Aranda, Ramon. â€Å"Netflix Announces Multi-Year Agreement with The Walt Disney Company. †Ã‚  examiner. com(2012): n. pag. Web. 13 Dec 2012. ;http://www. examiner. com/article/netflix-announces-multi-year-agreement-with-the-walt-disney-company;. Disney Studio Services. â€Å"The Walt Disney Studios History. † Web. 12 Dec. 2012. ;http://studioservices. go. om/disneystudios/history. html; Krantz, Matt, Mike Snider, Marco Della Cava, and Bryan Alexander. â€Å"Disney buys Lucasfilm for $4 billion. â€Å"USA Today. 30 2012: n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. ;http://www. usatoday. com/story/money/business/2012/10/30/disney-star-wars-lucasfilm/1669739/;. The Walt Disney Company. Annual Report: The Walt Disney Company Reports Fourt h Quarter and Full Year Earnings for Fiscal 2012. Burbank: The Walt Disney Company, 2012. 15 Dec. 2012. ;http://thewaltdisneycompany. com/;

Imperfections of normal life Essay

‘One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them’. This line sounds stereotypically from a fantasy film, and it would perhaps not fit in to other genres such as comedy or romance. Fantasy films often take us in to a different world and away from the imperfections of our normal life, they are a great contrast to our lives, in fantasy films things are always extremes, either great things are happening, or extremely bad things are occurring; whereas for the everyday person, such things rarely happen and life is just monotonous. To be taken in to a life of someone else’s with unbelievable things happening to them is an excitement and people enjoy being taken from their world and being placed in a dream place, where everything is perfect. Films of the fantasy genre are mainly based on popular myths and legends, characters are things like dragons, wizards, elves, dwarves – all things we have heard stories about. Films stretch these myths and bring them to life; they often bring back elements of our childhood and will therefore entertain us even more. Settings, characters, events, music, endings and dialogue all contribute to us experiencing these things. Also, these certain things in a film will be very typical of the particular genre, some styles of music and characters will only fit in one genre, and some genres will only have certain music and characters. The film Lord of the rings – The fellowship of the ring has many attributes of its fantasy genre, the settings and locations within the film are all similar to that of many of fantasy movies. One of the settings in Lord of the Rings is Lothlorien, it contains many huge elaborate buildings, and beautiful gardens; the weather here is never bad and the atmosphere is always bright and cheerful. This setting will help emphasise what is happening in it, often in a place that is light and peaceful scenes with happy moments will be portrayed here, rather than dark upsetting scenes such as battles. These surroundings help engage the audience as what they’re seeing is incredible and wouldn’t be something they’d see in real life, it will interest them to see something they haven’t seen before. Another location in this film is the mines of Moria, this is the opposite of the previous setting, here it is always dark, gloomy, cold and damp; one again, the surroundings in the film will determine what the audience will be feeling, when they see this setting, they will be anticipating something bad to be happening and this will help to get the audience engaged in the film. In fantasy films, there will always be certain types of characters, a strong and brave person, someone who is wise and clever, one who is weak yet brave and noble, a beautiful woman who is adored by most of the characters. There will often be an evil counterpart for these characters, and the characters within The Lord of the Rings are all what you would expect to see in a fantasy movie. The main character in this film is Frodo, he has little strength and fighting ability but is strong willed and brave. He has the characteristics of the typical fantasy main character, and these characteristics help entertain the audience; they like to see an underdog win. Also they will be a character the audience can usually relate to and are often a more credible person than most others in fantasy films. Frodo has three friends, Meri, Pippin and Sam who are all similar to him these characters add a comedy element to some parts of the film, mostly to relieve the tension when needed. This helps entertain the audience more so. In Lord of the Rings there is a slight exception to the rule of there being one person who is strong, brave and does most of the fighting, as there are four characters like this, Aragorn (Strider), Boromir, Gimli and Legolas. Having four incredible characters intensifies the battles, also all the characters are unrealistic yet this entertains people more as they are seeing something they wouldn’t usually see. Once again fitting in with the stereotypes of the fantasy genre there is a beautiful woman that someone falls in love with, audiences often like romance within a film, especially between two characters they have seen a lot of during the movie and have grown attached to. People like to see other people they like succeed or do well, whether it’s in a fight or in a relationship. This is yet another technique that gets the audience more in to the film. The final character typical of almost every fantasy film is the evil one, in this particular film it is Saruman, he is originally good but is then corrupted and turns evil. With an evil character in a film, it gives the viewer someone to hate and whenever they do anything to the good characters; it angers the audience and lures them deeper and deeper in to the world of the film. Another thing that is very much a characteristic of a fantasy film is the names of the characters, it’s not every day you meet someone called Boromir or Frodo, with these incredible , unusual names it takes the audience even further away from there normal life and more in to the movie. Events in a film are what entertain us the most, they are the factor that determines whether we enjoy a movie or not. Different people like to see different things on screen and films often need to try and interest everyone. Events in a fantasy film can completely change how we feel, they can make us sad, happy, angry, a whole range of different emotions. Fantasy films in particular try and cater for everyone’s tastes; they include intense battle scenes, yet also have the contrast with romantic love scenes. The most typical event in a fantasy film is a battle, or maybe even multiple battles, these engage the viewer and also determine what characters the audience take a liking to. The fights are mostly between the main character and their arch nemesis, the battles are incredible and nothing anyone would see in real life, therefore they entertain the audience. The other event that is almost always in a fantasy film is romantic scene, between the main ‘good’ character, and the beautiful lady. People like to see characters they like, succeed in a relationship, or even a battle for that matter. Also, the love scene acts as good relief from the stresses of the fights and other more aggressive moments in the film. Lord of The Rings once again contains these stereotypes; the battle at weather top between the four hobbits and Aragorn against the ring wraiths, the fight is intense and ends with one of the main characters, Frodo, being stabbed. This makes the audience feel more hatred towards the ring wraiths who are the evil characters, and more sympathetic towards Frodo.