The Tenant :: essays research papers

Seneca Falls. This topic in my opinion closely relates to Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. In 1848, around the same time this novel was published the Seneca Falls women's rights convention took place in the United States. They fought for the woman’s right to vote and overall equality. It was like men and women lived in different worlds they had to obey different rules and standards. Men basically had little rule, while women were very oppressed. They couldn’t make decisions and own property. Bronte certainly flipped the script with this novel showing the empowered female through her protagonist Helen Graham. Helen Graham is a young woman who changes her identity when she flees from her alcoholic husband who's been leading a life of corruption. She enters this nosy town who finds her new face to be quite interesting. Her new neighbor, Gilbert Markham, is terribly fascinated with Helen. At one point I felt that he could be deemed a stalker because she would not give him the time of day and he still persisted. Eventually Helen gives him her diary which pours out the confessions of her previously disastrous life and gives way to hope for a new future and helps both Gilbert and the reader understand the pain of this troubled woman. Helen passionately challenging ideas such as the extreme sheltering of girls, and the extreme exposure of boys, to the harshness of the world. We especially see this when Gilbert Markham argues with Helen over the differential treatment of boys and girls and the implied outcomes. Helen's protective treatment of her son Arthur sparks reaction in Gilbert. Gilbert's response to this is to say that â€Å"†¦and by such means ... you will never render him virtuous†. His outlook is that based on the society in order to prepare boys to be men it is necessary for them to be exposed to the dangers of the world as a means of developing a strong moral character. It is a double standard for females by the view that girls and women must be protected from the harsh realities of the world in order to protect them from moral distress or tainting. It is this contradiction that Helen addresses, challenging the importance of exposure to use as a strengthening of moral character, and the valu e of keeping girls in complete ignorance of the world's vice to prevent their corruption.

Psychodynamic and Behavioural Essay

Introduction In this essay I’m going to describe and evaluate the core theoretical perspectives in counselling, behavioural, cognitive behavioural, humanistic and psychodynamic theories, the view of the person in therapy, the blocks to functioning of the person in therapy and the goals and techniques of each theory. I will compare and contrast the approaches looking at the similarities and differences between the counselling perspectives and how the counsellor in each theory differ in their techniques to counselling their clients. This essay will present and contrast the workings of the four major theories of counselling psychology mainly – psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural and person-centred. First I will describe what counselling entails, introducing each in turn. My discussion will examine the four theories or approaches for a history of the founder and a rationale for why they were led to introducing a new therapy approach and a sketch of the key concepts. Further, I will look at methods and processes employed by each theory, the respective roles played by the therapist and the client and the various situations to which the theory can be applied. Finally I will examine the limitations of the theory and how well it integrates with other approaches. Throughout this paper I will offer my own view of the issues at hand and in so doing attempt a synthesis of the four theories The aim of writing this essay is to widen my knowledge and insight of the four theories, their backgrounds and development, their ideologies and how they influence human behaviour. This academic essay is going to form part of the requirements for the award of Diploma in counselling studies at the Kenya Association of Professional counsellors in Kisumu. Counselling The function of counselling is to help people to resolve problem areas in their life. Counselling provides an opportunity for the person to explore the difficult feelings, thoughts and behaviours that have blocked the way to satisfying relationships, personal happiness. The purpose of counselling is to help clients achieve their personal goals, and gain greater insight into their lives. One hopes that by the end of this process one will be more  satisfied with his or her life. Counselling is not a process where the counsellor tells the client what he or she should do or decides choices for the client to make. Rather it is an opportunity for the client to come to a greater understanding of the person that he or she is with the help of the counsellor. Counselling is to assist individuals through a helping relationship to make changes and adjustments in their lives to alleviate stress and reduce unrest. To create and discover choices those are available to counsellor in order to eliminate negative responses from challenging situations. The client relationship with their counsellor is confidential. No information concerning the client will be released without their consent. Counselling does not provide instant answers. The frequency of the person visits will be determined by the client and their counsellor. Living in the modern world, surrounded by confusion and at times apparent chaos, we are all often exposed to difficulties and challenging situation. We all encounter problems such as relationship difficulties, work demands, financial obligations, unemployment, divorce or other pressures we may face on a daily basis. Psychodynamic Theory Psychodynamic theories relate in some ways to the way we feel and behave as individuals and seek to provide a framework for us to understand these aspects of our personalities often our experiences in childhood and particularly our early relationships. Much of psychodynamic thinking from Freud’s theory of psychosexual development (Freud, 1905) to Winnicott’s work with children there is a recognition that we develop patterns in behaviour early in our lives that will shape the way we relate to the world as such these theories are known as developmental theories (Spurling, 2004, pg. 2). Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) The psychodynamic theory was first postulated by Sigmund Freud as psychoanalysis in essence learned in overcoming his emotional pain, the dynamics of personality development (Corey, 2000) He developed an interest in hypnosis which was an early precursor of psychotherapy. First Born of a Viennese family of three boys and girls, he graduated from medical school and became a psychotherapist Basic Assumptions and Key Concepts The counselling theories all encompass therapeutic techniques as well as a model of the human personality. Freud’s views of human nature was that the human beings was controlled by irrational forces and instinctual drives established in childhood whereby people are products of their environments and innate unconscious forces. These instincts serve as a meaning of survival for the individual where the goal of life is to enhance pleasure and avoid pain. The reviewed human personality as comprising of three elements The ID The primitive, it is instinctive, illogical, lacks organization, seeks pleasure. Hereditary factors are represented by the ID.the Id has no judgement value (good vs evil) and has no morality. The EGO Refined by the contact with the outside world the ego is realistic, organized and logical. Super Ego Representing the authority figures, the super ego is judgemental, ideal, strives for perfection and informs the person’s moral code. It represents reality of the external world. Freud believed that for psychological health all three had to be in balance (Hough, 2002) the ego’s role was to balance the conflicting demands between the id and the super ego that led to tension in order to protect the ego from negative energy defence mechanisms develop; these include denial, repression, regression and others. He saw human development through stages denominated by changing awareness and attitudes towards human sexuality organs. Accordingly, he devised the notion of libido which he refers to as the energy of all life instincts. This energy then is the motivation that drives us to the central goal of life which is to enhance pleasure and avoid pain. Later he came up with the death instincts that accounts for human aggression in his view, those unconscious drives determine how people act (Corey, 2000). Defence Mechanisms According to psychoanalysis, when an individual faces a conflict among the ID, ego and super ego over the control of psychic (mind) energy, he adopts several defence mechanisms to cope with the challenges. While all defence mechanisms can be unhealthy, they can also be adaptive and allow us to function normally. The greatest problems arise when the defence mechanisms  are over used in order to avoid dealing with problems. [Class notes, certificate in counselling studies, 2014] Anxiety There are three types of anxiety, one being reality anxiety which is in touch with reality threat, second is neurotic anxiety which is concern those instincts that will get out of hand and thirdly moral anxiety which is fear of own conscience . So when anxiety state is in excess, one goes into ego defence mechanisms to be able to cope. This happens mostly at the unconscious level and the aim is to either deny or distort (class notes, diploma in counselling studies, 2014, pg. 65) Reality examples of defence mechanisms include repression which acts to keep information out of conscious awareness. However these mechanisms don’t just disappear they continue to influence our behaviour. E.g. a person who has repressed memories of abuse as a child, may later have difficulty forming relationship Displacement Taking out our frustrations, feelings and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening egg if a boss has annoyed a person since he/she cannot argue with the boss he/she instead expresses anger towards a person or object that poses no threat such as spouse, pet or children or house maids. Sublimation Diverging sexual or aggressive energy to socially acceptable behaviour, for example a person experiencing extreme anger might take up kickboxing as a means of venting frustrations, Development Stages Freud linked different kinds of conflicts to specific stages of a child’s development, he classified these in terms of areas of the body, he believed to represent the source of child’s libido on sexual instinct at the time he termed them oral, from birth to 1 year, anal from 1 year to 3years, phallic from 3 to 6 years, latent from 6 to 12 years and genital from 12 to 18years. Freud believed that if a child does not negotiate any of this stages, they get fixated that is they psychologically remain in that stage and do not move effectively to the others. For example you may find a 12 year old still sucking the thumb, a characteristic of the oral stage. The adolescent is in  turmoil as she/he discovers the self. Goals The goal is psychodynamic theory is one to modify individuals character by making the unconscious conscious and two to strengthen the ego so that behaviour is based more on reality than on instinct. Techniques There are many techniques used to facilitate the clients to gain insight into their behaviour and meaning of symptoms and they include, free association whereby clients are made to relax so that they can reflect whatever comes to their mind uncensored even if it is disagreeable or if it seems meaningless and this is to bring forth material from unconscious mind (Jones, 2006) another one is dream analysis where during sleep the defences are lowered and repressed feelings surface. These may point to some unresolved issues, and in transference analysis, transference manifest itself at the point when a client’s unfinished business causes them to distort the present reality and to react to therapist as they did to the father, mother as significant others. Through Freudian slip or slips of the tongue, unconscious thoughts and feelings can be transferred to conscious minds. Freud believed that slips of tongue provide an insight into the unconscious mind and not accidental and every behaviour including slips of the tongue was significant thus determining behaviour (Corey, 2001) Limitations and Weaknesses Some of the ideas (penis envy, Oedipus) are outdated in terms of our contemporary world, and it is questioned by some theorists/practitioners whether these concepts are clinically useful It takes a long time commitment in terms of time and resources to complete the psychoanalytic therapy and process. His fellow proponent Carl Jung maintains that our behaviour is not merely shaped by our past events only but by the present as well as the future. Erik Eriksson Freud did not tolerate divergent views from himself and this led his contemporaries and students establishing their own theoretical approaches, these included Alfred Adler (1870-1937) who introduced what he calls (individual psychology) in 1911 another one was Erik Eriksson[ 1963] extended his theory of psychosocial perspective by stressing the  psychosocial aspects of development beyond childhood. His theory of human development holds that both psychosexual and psychosocial growth take place together and that each stage in life we face the task of establishing equilibrium between ourselves and our social lives. He describes development in terms of the entire lifespan divided by specific crisis to be resolved. He describe the crisis as turning point in life when we have the potential to move forward or regress. To large extend our life is as a result of the choices we make at each of these stages. Behavioural Theory Behaviour therapy, lie its name implies is the psychotherapy that focuses on the change or improvement of behaviour rather than the healing of the heart or the mind as Jan Ehrenwald called it ‘psychotherapy without psyche’ (Ehrenwald, 1976) although its main focus is on the behaviour only, however, in its clinical approach, behavioural therapy has been used to treat variety of disorders such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders and sexual disorders etc. besides the clinical approach behaviour therapy has been used in the area of business, schools and rehabilitation centres. Furthermore behaviour modifications, though slightly different approach but based upon similar techniques and assumptions are also used to correct undesirable behaviour and promote adaptive behaviours in our daily life. As an overall theory the distinctive emphasis is on overwhelming role of environmental contingencies in influencing the acquisition and maintenance of behaviour (Jones, 2006) Pavlov’s classical conditioning. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936) research on the digestive system of dogs led to his discovery of the classical conditioning process which demonstrated that the learning process could be used to make an association between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus the underlying belief in classical conditioning is that behaviour can be controlled and that human beings can be made to do things without being aware of them just as Pavlov was able to condition a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell. This experiment shows that the environment can be manipulated to produce the desired behaviour or response, for example in counselling the client can be conditioned to produce the desired result for example to undo a negative practice such as fear. Pavlov’s researches into  conditioned reflex were essential to the founding of behaviour therapy (Jones, 2006). Skinners Operant Behaviourism B.F Skinner (1904-1990) was born in Susquehanna Pennsylvania. He came up with the concept of operant conditioning which demonstrated the effect of punishment and reinforcement on behaviour. According to him, reward and punishment make people behave in certain ways, positive reinforcement aims to increase the frequency of a response by filling it with a favourable event (rewards) while negative reinforcement makes use of punishment, withdrawal of the rewards. The term ‘operant’ emphasizes the fact that behaviour operates on the environment to generate consequences. Thus the consequences define the properties with respect to which responses are viewed as similar He acknowledged that Pavlov called all events that strengthened behaviour in his dog ‘reinforcement’ and the resulting changes their voluntary behaviour ‘conditioning’. However, the critical difference is that in Pavlov’s work, the reinforced is paired with stimulus, whereas in operant behaviour it is contingent upon a response. Classical and operant conditioning are the only two possible kinds of conditioning. (Jones, 2006) Albert Bandura‘s Social learning Bandura(1925) was born and raised in Mundare in Northern Alberta, Canada he graduated from the university of British Colombia with a psychology major and later received a doctorate in clinical psychology from university of IOWA and it was there that he came under the influence of behaviourist tradition and learning theory. He propagated social learning theory. It postulates that people are capable of learning vicariously by observing behaviourism of others as well as its consequences and imitating that behaviour. The key learning aspects include observation, retention, and motivational imitation. (Jones, 2006) Goals Main goal is to create new condition for learning. The behavioural approach helps produce effective ways of managing conditions of the client through behaviour modifications techniques and the principles of reward and punishments. It is assumed that such learning experiences can restructure behaviour. Assumptions The main assumption of behavioural approach is that behaviours learnt can be unlearnt for example the unacceptable behaviour such as smoking can be stopped. Techniques  Behavioural approaches use a variety of methods and techniques which include; relaxation training, systematic desensitization, token economies just to mention a few. These training methods are often utilized to help people learn new ways and overcome maladaptive behaviours. Relaxation training method aims at achieving muscles and mental relaxation, it is a useful experience in releasing physical and mental fatigue. While systematic desensitization is based on the principle of classical conditioning and is used to address anxiety based on maladaptive behaviour or avoidance reaction (Corey, 2001) Limitations and Weaknesses Behaviour Change is based on the idea of learning and that behaviour can be learnt and unlearnt and re-learnt contrary opinions show that some behaviours are hereditary (genetic) also behavioural approach deals with a client’s current problems and the factors that influence them rather than the reasons leading to the problem or historical determinants. The counsellor assumes that the client’s problems are influenced by present conditions for example at time it ignores the important relational and historical factors of present behaviour. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy In its simplest form, cognitive behavioural therapy (or CBT as it is referred) refers to the approach of changing dysfunctional behaviours and thoughts to realistic and healthy ones. CBT encompasses several types of therapy focusing on the impact of an individual’s thinking as it relates to expressed behaviours. Such models include rational emotive therapy(RET),rational emotive behavioural therapy(REBT), behavioural therapy (BT), Rational Behaviour Therapy (RBT), schema focused therapy and Cognitive therapy (CT).Most recently a few other variations have been linked to CBT such as an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectic behavioural therapy (DBT) and mindfulness based cognitive therapy ( MBCT) (Harrington and Pickles,2009). The main aspect that all these branches of therapy share is that our thought relate to our external behaviours. External events and individuals do not cause the negative thoughts or feelings. But instead the perception of events and situations is the root cause (National Association of Cognitive Behavioural therapists 2010) Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) Albert Ellis (1913) was born in Pittsburgh he combined humanistic, philosophical and behavioural therapy to form rational emotive therapy, (now known as rational emotive behaviour therapy or REBT) Ellis can be referred to as the grandfather of cognitive therapy. Ellis became dissatisfied with practicing psychoanalysis and psychotherapy and began to focus more on philosophical beliefs including those that clients could change self-defeating behaviours by changing their points of View (P.333, Sharf, 2012) Ellis was the first to connect the impact of thoughts as they relate to behaviour when he published in 1962, Reason and Emotion psychotherapy (Walsh, 2010) Ellis work asserted that an individual’s underlying thinking about him/herself directly affected his/her behaviours and as a therapist his goal was to help the clients become more reasonable in thoughts and ultimately followed behaviours. Assumptions The basic assumptions of REBT is that people contribute to their own psychological problem as well as to specific symptom by the way they interpret events and situations. The approach views human problem as stemming from disturbances in the thought or cognitive process which people are disturbed not by events themselves but by their view of events. Emotions are derived from our beliefs, evaluation, interpretation and reactions to life situations and that changing these will lead to a change in how we feel about things and consequently how we behave or the actions we take (Corey 2005) The approaches teaches individuals to become rational in thoughts in order to eliminate irresponsible behaviour Ellis created the A-B-C theory based model to create changes which simply states that emotional and behavioural consequences (C) are the results activating events. (A) And irrational beliefs (B) of those events. Later D and E are bought into play with (D) representing the detecting and disputing element and (E) becomes the new effect or behaviour. Other techniques used in REBT that are major component of CBT are visualizations, skill training, homework and role  playing many believe that Elli’s REBT and Beck’s cognitive are very similar, however, Ellis disputes this and argues that there are significant differences, as do some therapists who take the side of Beck and favour cognitive therapy (Padesky and Beck, 2003,2007) Cognitive Theory Aaron T. Beck (6 1921) was born in Providence, Rhode Island. His childhood was characterized by adversity. Aaron Becks is widely renowned for his contribution to CBT. In the 1960s Becks, who initially was interested in depression, found the depressed individuals carried many biases in their cognitive processing leading him to create Cognitive Theory (C.T) (Burns, 1999.) Beck noticed that individuals exhibit an â€Å"internal communication system within themselves, from which they formed their beliefs† or what Beck called schema (Shard, p371). An individual’s schema represents their distorted thinking patterns and determines how they view or perceive events. For those that are depressed, the schema often consists of negative thoughts along with self-criticism and self-blame. More specifically, this cognitive schema presented â€Å"three basic themes of personal ineffectiveness, personal degradation, and the world is essentially an unpleasant place (Walsh, 2010).† This type of thinking commonly resulted in individuals prophesying failure and disaster for themselves. He also noticed during therapy that his depressed clients consistently dismissed positive thoughts in order to focus on the negative thoughts. Many of such thoughts seemed to be automatic and spontaneous, leading him to coin the phrase ANTs better known as automatic negative thoughts. Such thoughts, ideas and beliefs resulted in clients believing that they were unlovable, worthless, and despicable. In 1976, Beck published Cognitive Therapies and the Emotional Disorders leading others to take notice of this concept. He also contributed to the field greatly with some of the most well-known and utilized assessments such as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and Beck scale for suicidal ideation (BSS), Beck anxiety scales (BAI), and the Beck youth inventories of social impairment (BYI). Goal Cognitive therapy teaches clients how to think about their thinking so that they can correct faulty cognitive processing and develop assumptions that  allow them to cope. It also aims to impact behavioural skills relevant to client’s problems for example listening and communication skills for distressed couples and assertion skills for shy people (Jones, 2006) Technique Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is directive and persuasive and even confrontive, though it can also be reflective and structured in its approach (Corsini and Wedding 1995) the therapists takes on the role of a teacher pointing out distorted thinking helping the clients identify and process emotions and practicing new skills by way of role play. In cognitive therapy, There is a heavy reliance on homework assignments and it is very much skill based method. Limitations CBT does not suit everyone and it is not helpful for all conditions. You need to be committed and persistent in tackling and improving your health problem with the help of the therapist. It can be hard work. The homework may be difficult and challenging. You may be taken ‘out of your comfort zone’ when tackling situations which cause anxiety or distress. However, many people have greatly benefited from a course of CBT. In order to benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) you need to ensure that you give a considerable level of commitment and involvement. Due to the structured nature of CBT, it may not be suitable for people who have more complex mental health needs, or learning difficulties. Cognitive Behaviour modification Donald Meichenbaum was another major alternative to rational emotive behaviour (CBM) which focuses on changing clients self-verbalization, according to Meichenbaum (1977), self-statements affect a person’s behaviours in much the same way as statements made by another person the therapeutic process consists of training clients to modify the instructions they give to themselves so that they can cope more effectively with the problems they encounter. Emphasis on acquiring practical coping skills for problematic situations such as impulsive and aggressive behaviour, fear of taking tests, fear of public speaking. On how behaviour changes, he describes three phases one being self-observant, here clients observe their  behaviours by listening to themselves then phase two is for starting a new internal dialogue, here clients learn to notice the maladaptive behaviours and begin to see opportunities for adaptive behavioural alternatives. Phase three for learning new skills. Then modif ication process consists of teaching client more effective skills. Assumptions Meichenbaum operates on the assumption that there are multiple realities and one of the therapeutic tasks is to help clients appreciate how they construct their realities and how they author their stories (Corey 2001). Humanistic Theory Humanistic theory focuses on the positive attributes to what they considered it is to be human. To better understand some of the attributes and notions of humanistic theory the following paper analysis’s two humanistic theories in turn; specifically Maslow’s conception of self-actualization and Rogers phenomenological based personality theory. This is followed by discussing some strengths and limitations to humanistic theories in understanding relationships, others and the self. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs According to Abraham Maslow our actions are motivated in order to achieve certain needs using a pyramid model to display the hierarchy of human needs he suggests that people are motivated to fulfil the basic needs before moving on to other more advanced needs. Needs at the bottom of the hierarchy are basic physical requirements including need of water, sleep, air and warmth. Once this lower level needs have been met. People can move to the next level of needs which are safety and security.as people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. So once the need for love, friendship and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid the need for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take priority, Maslow emphasized the importance of self-actualization which is a process of growing and developing as a person in order to achieve individual potential. This Hierarchy of needs was presented in the formation of a triangle Person-Centred American psychologist Carl Rogers (1902-1987) is often considered to be  founder of this school of thought. Carl Rogers was born January 8, 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois. Carl was the fourth of six children. He maintained there were three conditions which constitute the climate to promote the personal growth Genuineness: this is the realness and congruence. According to Rogers the more a counsellor is real and true in the relationship and is not putting up personal faà §ade and professional face the more the client will change positively. Unconditional Positive Regard: This is the simple act of accepting all traits and behaviours in the client as long as it does not entail causing significant harm to others. Positive regard is not withdrawn if the client does wrong or makes a mistake Empathy: Rogers believed that the counsellor should experience an accurate understanding of the client’s awareness of his own experience and show this understanding to the client. Carl Rogers believed that the client by establishing a productive relationship with an understanding counsellor can resolve difficulties and gain the insight necessary to restructure their life. Assumption The main assumption is one that human beings are good and moving towards good provided the environment is supportive and two ,people have the capacity to solve their own problems through the self-actualizing tendency and thirdly human beings are unique, singular and individual. Techniques Humanistic counselling is aimed at helping the counselling client make different choices. This type of counselling gives the client as much freedom to be himself in the counselling setting as possible. The counsellor’s role is to accept the client as she is and direct her to view her choices objectively, but not to impose choices on her or direct her behaviour in any particular manner. Humanistic counselling includes active listening, gestalt techniques and no confrontational questioning. Active Listening Active listening helps the client identify his own thoughts and feelings by summarizing for him the content or subtext of what he says. For example, if the client says he feels uncreative lately, the counsellor might comment, â€Å"You’re really having a dry spell,† or â€Å"It must be frustrating not to have any ideas when you want to work.† This gives the client a sense of visibility–the counsellor sees, understands and accepts who he really is–as well as putting a specific name to what he is experiencing. In some  cases, this gives the client new abilities to identify his own feelings outside of the therapy room. When using active listening, counsellors should be careful to reword emotional content rather than repeating it verbatim, as the latter technique can come off as glib or â€Å"not really listening.† Gestalt Techniques Gestalt techniques are a subset of humanistic counselling aimed at helping the client integrate her thoughts, feelings and experiences so her behaviour is consistent with her values and emotions, according to Psychology Today Treatment Centre. Common gestalt techniques include free association and psychodrama. In free association, the client is asked to say the first word or phrase that pops into her head in response to a word, phrase or incomplete sentence. Psychodrama involves dialoguing with aspects of the self, such as the inner child. Clients may be asked to switch from one seat to another in order to speak from the point of view of each such aspect or to write out dialogues between these aspects. Open-Ended Questions Asking open-ended questions helps the client delve deeper into his own thoughts about an issue. These questions provide a starting point for deeper thought without expressing the counsellor’s point of view, which could unduly influence the client. The questions require the client to say something more than â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† and avoid language that might lead him to a particular answer. Strengths and Weaknesses of Humanistic Theories As with every theory designed for application in the understanding of mankind, Humanistic theories have both strengths and many weaknesses. Thus the following section will address the major strengths and weaknesses of Humanistic theory in turn. One of the major strengths attributed to Humanistic theory is the idea that the subject is fully accountable and in control of their actions. This is in stark contrast to the notions behind psychoanalysis. Leading from this assumption is the notion that humanistic theories promote the idea of being human, self-fulfilment and realistic and observable goals that can be obtained. A final strength to Humanistic theory is the idea that from a clinical perspective it offers an open space in which a patent can express any feeling of thought without being led down a  path to revisit traumatic events which they may not feel comfortable discussing. One of the major weaknesses with Humanistic theories is lack of empirical evidence to support its claims. Academics such as Maslow have been widely criticized in this respect in terms of an absence of scientific empirical evidence. A further and related criticism of Humanistic theories is their inability and unsuitability to be used within a metaphysical arena. While Freud and contemporary Freudians managed to move towards ethics and morality through the same criticism of lack of empirical evidence, Humanistic theories have yet to encroach on the metaphysical subject area. A final criticism of Humanistic theories is that many professionals view this discipline as motivated by the cold realities of psychoanalysis and is a discipline which is based on the resistance of the unconscious; furthermore the discipline has seemed to be in decline in recent history. Conclusion I have come to the conclusion that all the four techniques are complementary and one can draw from each, and that the four approaches of psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioural, behaviourism, and humanistic psychology, represent the fundamental ways of viewing human beings and their behavioural problems. It is therefore important to get an understanding of all the techniques so as to know how to help clients with varied problems solve them. I therefore prefer Eclecticism as it acknowledges the human being is a complex being and a single approach cannot be sufficient enough to cater for this complexity. I recommend that a therapist/counsellor gets proper knowledge and training of all the theories in order to be able to counsel a client effectively. Cognitive behavioural approaches deals mainly with what is conscience and evident to the client in my view more research needs to be done and the emphasis should be more on exploring past emotional painful feelings experienced during development period. Which I believe will help the client experience them afresh, address and work on them and in so doing resolve the issues by changing their defective thinking and behaviours. References 1. BAC, 2009. The BACP definition of counselling [online] Lutterworth,Leicestershire: BAC 2. British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 1986, â€Å"Counselling-Definition of terms in use with expansion and rationale (Information Sheet 1)†, Rugby: British Association for Counselling. 3. Burns, D. D. (1993). Ten Days to Self-Esteem. New York: Quill. 1999. Revised edition. 4. Corey, G, (2005) Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 7th Edition, Belmont: Brooks/Cole. 5. Corey. (2001). Case approach to counselling and psychotherapy (5th. ed.). Australia: Brooks/Cole. 6. Corsini R.J. & Wedding D, eds, (1995) Current Psychotherapies, 5th Edition, Itasca: F.E.Peacock. 7. Corsini, & Wedding. (1995). Current psychotherapies (5th ed.). Itasca, Ill: F.E. Peacock Publishers. 8. Douglas Woods, (2011) â€Å"What is Counselling†http://www.dougwoods.com/counselling.html 9. Wikipedia contributors. â€Å"Sigmund Freud.† Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopaedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. 10. Freud, S. 1933. New introductory lectures on Psychoanalysis. Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works .New York: W.W. Norton. BF173 .F645 1966 11. Freud, Sigmund (19 62). Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, trans. James Strachey. New York: Basic Books 12. Richard Nelson Jones (2006). Theory and Practice of counselling and Therapy : Sage Publications 13. Hansen, J.C., Rossberg, R.H., Cramer, S.H (1994) Counselling Theory and Process, 5th Edition, Needham Heights: Allyn and Bacon. 14. Hough M, 2002; A Practical Approach to Counselling, 2nd Edition, Harlow: Pearson. 15. Rogers, C. R., & American Personnel and Guidance. (1980). Inner world of counselling with Carl Rogers. New York: Insight Media. 16. Rogers, C. R., & American Personnel and Guidance. (1980). Inner world of counselling with Carl Rogers. New York: Insight Media. 17. Spurling, L. (2004) An Introduction to Psychodynamic Counselling London: Palgrave.

The Making Of America s War, And The Board Of Trade

The making of America was a complex start. They experienced strong and weak times to get where we stand as a nation today. The process of establishing America was not at all peaceful, but rather violent. Through many bloodshed wars such as Bacon’s Rebellion, King Phillip’s War, and the Board of Trade. These events changed the outcome of the future for American society. These events had serious consequences that involved the start of classifying people based on their race instead of class, new ways of fighting, and the combination of the colonies. Appropriately enough Bacon’s Rebellion was started over a pig. Doeg Indians visited Thomas Mathew over some debt that he owed. He refused to pay the debt, and the Indians stole some of his pigs. This action sparked outrage among the community, and the blood bath began. Governor Berkeley ordered an investigation into the matter. Berkeley wanted to maintain the current friendship they had with the Indians. People like Nath aniel Bacon however were strongly against this idea. Results of this included regular traders were no longer allowed to trade with the Indians even though they had been trading for years. The Indians also went from â€Å"praying† to â€Å"preying†. Relationships with the Native Americans deteriorated quickly. The rebellion also got the attention of the upper class, because they quickly realized that the lower class could easily start a rebellion if they wanted to. The rebellion cost a lot of money, and the government realizedShow MoreRelatedAmerican Imperialism : America s Foreign Policy1045 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican Imperialism America wanted to expand their foreign policy to help boost their economy. They felt threatened because not only did they have to compete with countries like Germany and Japan to secure access to Chinese markets. The first foreign policy the U.S. had was the Monroe Doctrine, which closed the Western Hemisphere to further colonization from European countries. This secured the U.S. foreign trade with Central America. The American foreign policy warned European nations to stayRead MoreThe African Of African Diaspora1733 Words   |  7 Pagesessential. Humanity has molded and shaped the progress of the world in ways such as the movement or scattering of African colonies and tribes to the Americas in an inhumane fashion. This diaspora is known as the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. This essay will aim to provide a historical examination on the experience of Africans whom were forced to the Americas, ultimately triumphing over the obstacles and hardships that were put in place to hinder and obstruct human rights such as freedom, the right to readRead MoreThe Fedex Corporation Is The Premier Provider Of Shipping And Information Services Worldwide1526 Words   |  7 PagesFederal Express took a leading role in lobbying for air cargo deregulation that finally came in 1977. These changes allowed Federal Express to use larger aircraft, such as Boeing 727s and McDonnell-Douglas DC-10s. Today, FedEx Express has the world s largest all-cargo air fleet, including Boeing 777s and MD-11s, Airbus A-300s and A-310s. The planes have a total daily lift capacity of more than 30 million pounds. In a 24-hour period, the fleet travels nearly 500,000 miles while its couriers log 2Read MoreThe Clinton s Impeachment Of President Clinton947 Words   |  4 Pagesimpeachment requests did not receive 2/3 vote from the Senate. Clinton would escape impeachment and be able to finish off his term. 2001- World Trade Center Attacked On September 11, 2001 terrorists from Saudi Arabia hijacked four airplane lines that had passengers on board. Two of them suicide crashed straight into the two towers that made up the World Trade Center. The other two was meant to target the Pentagon, but one of the planes made it. This was one of the first direct and most damaging terroristRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Hunt For Osama 1223 Words   |  5 Pageshappened on that day because you have been told so many horrific stories from people who saw it happen live on the news, or you were there in the flesh or are part of the families who were so devastatingly affected by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Nearly three thousand dead, and revenge was soon to come from our ailing country. There were warnings. Several, in fact. Even clear back into 1998 when Time magazine’s cover story titledRead MoreRelations Between The United States And China1620 Words   |  7 PagesSince 1899, America has maintained an open door policy with China. Throughout the years, relations between the United States and China have changed with several effects on both countries caused by the open door policy. Following the Sino-Japanese war from 1894 through 1895, the Chinese government was severely weakened. This meant that China was unable to protect itself from European countries and Japan staking claim throughout the country because although fragile post war, China was a heavily populatedRead MoreThe Expansion Of The New Nation1477 Words   |  6 Pages In the later half of nineteenth century America, the new nation’s original ability to resolve conflict through means of peaceful compromise had vanished. Various spans of conflict such as Westward Expansion, the Market Revolution, Sectionalism, Mexican American War, the succession of the southern states and ultimately the failure of the Compromise of 1850 that made compromise between the North and the South unattainable. It was the uncompromising differences amongst the free and slave states overRead MoreThe Film Blood Diamond By Edward Zwick1281 Words   |  6 PagesIn the film Blood Diamond, the director Edward Zwick uses the opening and closing scenes to show the socio-political effects of western consumerism in an underdeveloped society, in particular the Conflict Diamond trade and its effects, he uses this to highlight the idea of the ‘boy being the diamond’ within the film. Consumerism is seen to be the cause of death and destruction in the once beautiful landscape of Africa with portrait shots of mountains and beautiful sunsets. In both scenes the directorRead MoreThe American Of The Spanish American War1630 Words   |  7 Pagesof the Spanish American War to the current conflict in the Middle East, the United States went from relative isolation to increased global involvement because of their urge for humanitarianism, economic self-interest, and the search for Manifest Destiny. The consequences of this increased global involvement on American society were the increase of immigrants, increase in resources and â€Å"Yellow Press† media. The United States were the helping hand to Cuba during when America was moving from relativeRead MoreOur Initial Saving Money Framework Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagesfew saves, and occupied with an excessive number of high-hazard credits, all of which tended routinely to undermine the delicate, cash economy in the United States.( Central Bank Intervention, 2016) The cash supply in eighteenth century provincial America comprised of an assortment of remote monetary forms and coins. Paper cash — the Continental, American cash surprisingly — was presented amid the progressive period, just to be debased rapidly by huge overprinting. After autonomy, the quantity of state-contracted

What Triggered The Witch Craze - 1564 Words

Joseph Bohannon Dr. Wirts History 4342 January 28 2017 What triggered the witch craze? Most historians agree that the witch craze began in the 15th century, during the early modern period. However, many factors that contributed to the witch craze had been brewing for several centuries prior, in as early as the 12th century we see the persecution of heresy by the Medieval Inquisition, which is basically a large-scale model of religious groups suppressing and killing anyone who does not agree with them, or speaks out against them. This similar type of rational is seen happening in Colonial America: men, women, and children who were educated, and spoke out against the social norms were labeled as witches and targets of hate crimes. The†¦show more content†¦Word of mouth was their most effective way of sharing information until the printing press was created, this invention revolutionized how information could be shared throughout the world, books were able to be mass reproduced and able to reach places that word of mouth may not have able to, but as is the case with most good things, evil people can use good things for bad. Large amounts of books were published that outlined the existence of witchcraft, stating that they were demonic influences involved, and offering ways for people to deal with it, as well as many embellishments. Some such publications were the Fomicarius (NIDER), Flagellum Haereticorum Fascinariorum (JACQUIER), De Lamiss (MOLITORS), and The Hammer of the Witches (MALIFICARUM). Publications like these perpetuated the hysteria into what we know refer to the witch craze/ which trials. The witch craze in Europe was at its height during 1560-1630, some of the most notorious trails that were held were: the Trier, Fulda, Basque, Wuzburg (mostly children were accused), and the Bamberg witch trials. In 1590 King James VI of Scotland got involved with the witch craze, he had developed such a fear that he would have nightmares of witches killing him. The King ordered that anyone suspected of witchcraft would be brought before the royal court. One such person that was suspected of being a witch was a nobleman named Francis Stewart who was the 5th Earl of Bothwell, who later fled the country fearing for hisShow MoreRelatedWitch Hunts of the Early Modern Period as the Result of Religious and Social Upheaval1075 Words   |  5 PagesWitch Hunts of the Early Modern Period as the Result of Religious and Social Upheaval The Early Modern Period was a time of great change in and around Europe. The people of the age were faced with upheaval of all forms; religious, social, political and even economical. Religious upheaval stemmed from changes in religious views and practises. The Reformation was a hugely significant event that took place in the years spanning 1520-1650. It was a religious, and politicalRead MoreThe Art Of Art730 Words   |  3 Pagesfurther apart as it reached the bait. It was all very well mixing with the mainstream to get one foot in the door, but our purity was soon overlooked. The feeling that I was the very carbon-copy of the last sunk in and was a sudden taste of reality. From what began as a solemn pledge of our ideas suddenly left me hiding behind my talents. I made a lot of decisions that altered my success, art stopped paying my rent unlike shoplifting and clerking. Once a style is crafted it is thought of as a simple thingRead MoreThe Art Of Art767 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowing farther apart as it reached the bait.  It was all  well  and good mixing with the mainstream to get one foot in the door, but our purity was overlooked.  The feeling that I was the very carbon-copy of the last was a sudden taste of reality.  From what began as a solemn pledge of our ideas suddenly left me hiding behind  my  talents.  I made many decisions that altered my success, art stopped paying my rent unlike shoplifting and clerking. Once a style is crafted it is thought of as a simple thingRead MoreThe Is The Scientific Study Of Demons2584 Words   |  11 Pagespredecessors. In order to change the world in the Christian religions the Pagan gods were mocked and converted in demons as justice for their one god AO who was originally a god of the sun and resurrection. Many religions and cultures now believe that what was once known as soothsaying was, or is a form of physical contact with demons. Demonology and demonologists often misuse the terms of demons. In modern day pseudoscience they are often applied to interpretations of exorcisms and archaic superstitionsRead MoreWitches of the 16th Century Essay examples2266 Words   |  10 Pages Source B claims to be a confession, but the way it reads from the start indicates that the victim had suffered torture and so was forced to write this confession. The process is described as an interrogation, and begins â€Å"I am a witch† and describes how the Devil approached the lady in the middle of the woods, and offered her great wealth, it goes on to tell how she could do nothing to resist and was soon under the Devil’s power. This source relates to Source A because Read MoreSelf and Consciousness Essay examples4457 Words   |  18 Pagesbrain Upright stance shortened distance so that consciousness made possible How defined? Walking state See continuum of consciousness Behavioral state? Of wakefulness Responsiveness: some automatic and some chosen Experience - consciousness of what? Content of experience from one moment to the next Smell, sight, brightness, temperature, etc. More subjective? Qualia ïÆ'   look up Possession of any mental state (mind) Is to have mind enough to be conscious (any mental state, ïÆ'   mostly emotionalRead MoreCRM 1301 Midterm uOttawa Carolyn Gordon Essay10218 Words   |  41 Pagesget rid of the spirits. If that person was still alive, the procedure was successful Witchcraft Correlated with ‘The Crucible’ where Tituba, Sarah Good Sarah Osborne are accused of witchcraft in Salem, 1692 What to do with the witches?! Exodus 22:18- Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live Leviticus   20:27- A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. Assumptions of Demonology

Analysis Of Poetry By Marianne Moore Poetry - 721 Words

Poetry has been an form of lyrical expression for centuries. Poems have a way of invoking a multitude of emotions in readers. Generally, if a poem is well received by the reader/readers, it can give them a sense of intense importance or emotional attachment to the poem. However, bad poetry can have the opposite effect on a reader, and completely turn them away from poetry all together. Twenty century poet, Marianne Moore, challenges this response to poetry in her poem â€Å"Poetry†. Moore discusses the ideas of bad poetry and its conciscuses with distinctive word choice, and a descending stepped like structure to create a excellent poem herself. To understand Moores interpretation of what bad poetry is one needs to look at how she presents†¦show more content†¦The narrator then goes on to comparing the attempt to understanding these imitative poetry to animals and how its just like trying to understand some of the nonsensical nature of animals. It dumbs one down to t he level of idiocy like a â€Å"a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless/ wolf under/ a tree, the immovable critic twinkling his skin like a horse/ that feels a flea,† it’s funny. Next, at the end of the third stanza and beginning of the fourth, the narrator quotes a russian write, Leo Tolstoy, whom states that poetry must have verses and that free verse is not poetry. Therefore, the narrator claims â€Å"nor is it valid/ to discriminate against â€Å"business documents and/ school-books†; all these phenomena are important. One must/ make a distinction/ however: when dragged into prominence by half poets,/the result is not poetry,† essentially contradicting Leo Tolstoy’s view on what poetry, and that just because one is famous does not make them a poet. The narrator then goes on to reinforce this idea more. Then, in the finally stanza the narrator claims that to write good poetry that isnt mindless interpretations or claims to be poetry just because of the author by saying it must have imagination and realness, â€Å"imaginary gardens with real toads in them,/shall we have/it.† The narrator states that if the poem is presented in all of its rawness then the reader will genuinely be interested in the poem. In conclusion, Moore states that as long as a poem is imaginative, and rawShow MoreRelatedImagism in Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams and Marianne Moore1601 Words   |  7 PagesEzra Pound, William Carlos Williams and Marianne Moore share? A) Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams and Marianne Moore were all modernist poets. Modernist poetry deals with experiment and innovation. All three were imagists, though at a later stage, William Carlos Williams started disagreeing with Ezra Pound. Ezra Pound Ezra Pound was the most aggressive of the modernist poets, who made â€Å"Make it new!† his battle cry. He turned to classical Chinese poetry as his source for inspiration. He wasRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Fish 1047 Words   |  5 PagesDevica Davis-Kilpatrick Modernist Poetry Analysis February 25, 2015 â€Å"The Fish† Imagism is a style of poetry that employs free verse and the patterns and rhythms of common speech. The poet is free to write about whatever they want. The goal is to unify voice and image into a talking picture. Poets then have the power to make words into things. This then creates a picture for the reader. Marianne Moore is able to perfectly get her point across without directly stating it but making it clear enoughRead MoreElizabeth Bishop s One Art Style Analysis1275 Words   |  6 PagesElizabeth Bishop’s â€Å"One Art† Style Analysis In the villanelle â€Å"One Art† Elizabeth Bishop seems to take a very relaxed tone over a subject that many writers would deem a more emotional topic. Slowly her true frustrations are brought to light as the inanimate objects she lists switch from everyday things to examples that have more severity. Bishop’s style of using her works to subtly expose her own personal feeling is very present through the poem. Bishop’s poem â€Å"One Art,† although not one of herRead MoreAnalysis Of Emily Dickinson s A Narrow Fellow 1488 Words   |  6 PagesWith these study it shows that even as a child the fear of snakes is a human react to this creature that nature have create to be in our environment. After reading the poem by Dickinson I understand how Richards J. Heuer, Jr. talk about when using analysis in any form we should â€Å"intelligence analysts should be self-conscious about their reasoning while processes. They should think about how they make judgments and reach conclusions, not just about the judgements and the conclusions themselves† (HeuerRead MoreTed Hughes: The Shadow of Sylvia Plath Essay example2299 Words   |  10 Pages As England’s Poet Laureate, and recipient of both the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry and T.S. Eliot’s prize for poetry, Ted Hughes was an acclaimed poet. The shadow of Hughes late wife, Sylvia Plath, kept Hughes stagnant in his career, in which he was known as â€Å"Her Husband† (Middlebrook). Hughes most recent collection of poems, Birthday Letters, took him over twenty-five years to write, and contains poems which recount the marriage of the couple. Hughes wrote the poems as a loving gesture towardsRead M orePuritanism And Its Negative Portrayal Of The Body1641 Words   |  7 PagesBradstreet she writes: â€Å"Bradstreet lived at a time that precluded any sort of literary ‘career’, yet she used her pen as an instrument of surprisingly durable power.† (1). Also, Bradstreet has been identified as a precursor of Emily Dickinson, Marianne Moore, and Adrienne Rich (Eberwein 1). Already, we can note that Anne Bradstreet has been a strong influence on American Literature. However, we must interpret how she has been a strong representation and influence for Puritanism. Bradstreet serves

Readers Response Blue Collar Brilliance free essay sample

In â€Å"Blue-Collar Brilliance,† Mike Rose observes his mother, Rosie and his mother’s brother, Joe, in their occupations(96). Rose explains how his mother uses complex learning strategies and adaptation to fully excel in her blue-collar occupation. Rose explains how Rosie devised elaborate memory strategies while grouping and sequencing tasks in her head to become more efficient to â€Å"make every move count (97). Rosie used critical thinking skills to solve problems that arose, at an instant while taking into account the emotional state of her co-workers. Rose explains how Rosie became fluent at reading social cues and managing feelings of the costumer’s and her own to increase her chances of getting a bigger tip. Rosie expresses, â€Å"There isnt a day that goes by in the restaurant that you don’t learn something†(97). Rosie used complex psychology as well as major critical thinking skills, without formal teaching, to exceed at her profession. We will write a custom essay sample on Readers Response : Blue Collar Brilliance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rose then goes on to explain how Joe lacked formal knowledge but made up for with with hands on experience. As Joe worked on the assembly line and General Motors, he learned to be more efficient with his body by acquiring a set of routines that were quick but preserved his energy. Joe became a consummate multi-tasker while keeping a cool head under excruciating production schedules. Joe was able to study, up close, technological and social dynamics, machinery and production processes as well as paint chemistry. Because of this, Joe â€Å"not only Shimizu ! 2 solved problems but found problems to solve†(99). Joe states that the shop floor provided what school did not. â€Å"It was like Schooling. You’re constantly learning†(99). Rose contends certification of diverse intelligence does not result in a tender mind. To recognize and accept a wide range of intellectual capacity is to effectively apply cognitive thinking. A person must appreciate the work of the mind that strives for accomplishment thus shaping that person’s personality. Rose concludes that a mind capable of applying its entire self, even without formal education, to seek out and solve problems while constantly learning something new, is a mind worthy of a democratic society. I, personally, agree with Rose’s argument. I believe that hands on experience, depending on the ability of one’s mind to adapt, may be more effective than learning through a book first. I believe one learns by doing. As I grew up, I was always taught, â€Å"you’ll never know until you try. † This, I never fully understood until I had come across problems of my own. I was able to read, and study things pertaining to my problem but never really solved the problem until I â€Å"tried†. Taking the problem and putting my handwork and knowledge to use created better results than reading and studying the problem alone. I’ve discovered over the years that one can never fully understand how any object or idea works until it has been physically applied or broken down. I believe that one can only learn through experience and experience can only be gained through trial and error. In accordance to Rose’s assumptions, I believe that even without formal teaching, the human brain always has the ability to absorb and process thing. One would only have to allow their brain to do so. Humans grow through hands-on experience. Without this experience, our generation would not be as evolved as it is. Shimizu ! 3 Rose explains that a mind willing to experience and attempt enhancement shapes the mind bearer’s personality. Character is built through experience. Taking the idea, â€Å"you’ll never know until you try†, and applying it to every day life shapes how a person thinks and views the world. Rosie observed her fellow employees and costumers but never learned how to cope with them until she â€Å"tried†. She experience what worked or did not work with the problems she faced, as for Joe too. They took the knowledge obtained through hands-on observation, devised a possible solution, applied it, and experienced first hand the results. In a way, they completed the perfect scientific method without even knowing it. Mike Rose observed his family and realized that â€Å"brilliance† does not necessarily come from a book, but from hands-on experience. This hands-on experience is what allows society to evolve. If knowledge is never applied, the society is stuck. The drive to solve problems, become more efficient, and make things easier should be instilled in every mind, thus allowing every mind to observe, hypothesize, and apply even without formal knowledge.

Tweeter Case Essay Example

Tweeter Case Essay Should Tweeter continue with its Automatic Price Protection (APP) policy along with Every-day Fair Pricing (EDFP)? Tweeter should continue with its current Marketing strategy based on APP policy and Every-day Fair pricing. Their target customer is the Quality/Service oriented and they should focus on retaining their loyalty. The shift from having continuous Sales Events to fair pricing and price protection has been proven successful as same store sales have increased, new stores have delivered consistent sales and total marketing expense has not increased as a % of Sales. Also profitability of the company has gone back to positive numbers as a result of the new pricing strategy. By not entering the Sale events, Tweeter will be able to maintain its reputation of high-end quality service retailer and keep its current market segment very well satisfied with its price protection program. 1. Customer Analysis: (a) What are the challenges that Tweeter faces in the market environment that they have to compete in? Use the data in Exhibit 13 to assess whether Tweeter is price competitive with its competitors when comparing objective prices? What factors impact the price image of retail store and how does Tweeter compare with its competitors? As a retailer of consumer electronics Tweeter faces several challenges in order to keep growing its sales and capture new consumers into their stores. As a boutique or specialty retailer of electronics Tweeter faces direct competition from other distribution channels in which the same products are sold. These are Electronic/Appliance Superstores, Department stores and in less weight Mass merchants and Warehouse clubs. We will write a custom essay sample on Tweeter Case specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tweeter Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tweeter Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These bigger retailers characterize by giving consumers an image of everyday low prices which drive them into their stores, generally offering attractive Sales Event every week. Another challenge Tweeter faces is the entrance of new stores to the market with the chain Wiz planning to open 8 more stores in the New England Market, so this means Tweeter will need to work a strategy to keep its core customer loyal and not switching to these new stores. Bigger retailers carry more products so portfolio offering to consumers is greater than Tweeter creating a one stop shop for electronics consumers, which could drive away customers from Tweeter. Comparing price competitiveness of Tweeter against other retailers; 32 audio and video products sold across multiple retailers were analyzed. Of those 32 products 18 products sold on Tweeter were sold at the same price or below compared to Lechmere, Circuit City or Wiz. Only 9 products were priced higher by Tweeter in % ranging from 4% to 17% higher and most of the prices were on sale or advertised. See Exhibit 1 for calculations. Based on information in exhibit 1, Tweeter has a competitive position in similar products against the other retailers, the key is how they could advertise this position so that consumers think they have competitive prices even though they are a high-end, high quality retailer. (b) How do consumers make purchasing decisions in the electronics market? What are the challenges faced by Tweeter due to this? Will APP help in overcoming some of these challenges and how? By conducting Focus Groups Tweeter identified how consumers made their decisions in the New England Market. They identified consumers thought about their purchase decision two months in advance on average and visited two to three retailers prior to making the purchase. Most of visits were driven by newspaper ads and most of them waited for the product to be advertised in order to purchase the desired product. Tweeter also found out that most of the customers who shopped on Tweeter stores also visited Lechmere, Fretter and Sears because they believed Tweeter was more expensive than other retailers. Finally focus group interviews showed that if price would not be an issue, most of the customers would prefer to shop on Tweeter. Another key information they got from the study was customer type: Entry level customers, The price biter, the convenience customer and Quality/Service Customer. 70% of Tweeter customers are in the Quality/Service Type but only represented 10% of total market in New England. By having most of customer base in smallest market segment Tweeter needs to create a marketing strategy to satisfy its current customer base in order to become 100% loyal. Value proposition and differentiation will be key drivers in order to keep current customers satisfied. 20% of tweeter customers are price-biters, so these customers could be potentially lost to lower-cost perceived retailers. With APP introduction Tweeter could overcome price competition by offering current customers the peace of mind that they will pay the lowest price without the need of lowering retail prices and continue to offer great customer service. This strategy works perfectly because customers will not see cheap retail prices which could trade down Tweeter’s image of being a high-end quality retailer to a low cost cheap retailer. (c) Which segments of the market is Tweeter currently targeting? Who is their primary target? Evaluate Tweeter’s performance with their target customers? How will APP impact Tweeter’s performance with their primary target market and other segments? Tweeter is currently targeting the Quality/Service oriented customer. Customers who want high-end products and are willing to have a better shopping experience with great customer service. They are outperforming competition in this segment with 70% market share with closest competitor being circuit city with 15% (out of the 10% quality/service customer segment). APP will consolidate loyalty and create a shield to defend its current customers from competition. Tweeter primary customer likes quality and service but could be driven away by a lower priced retailer, so by giving the price guarantee to their current customers Tweeter could retain them. Another segment that could be influenced by APP will be the price-biters. Currently Tweeter has 20% of its customer base in this segment and they could drive additional consumers who are searching for the lowest price with APP strategy. In the Pennsylvania market the new acquired Bryn Mawr stores have not been able to successfully increase sales with APP but Tweeter CEO should not worry about this strategy because market could be different. They should conduct same analysis done in New England for market segmentation to understand better their customer and come out with correct strategy. . Company Analysis: (a) Enumerate the key objectives that a retailer might have? In your assessment, which objectives are challenging for Tweeter to achieve given the competitive market and customer environment that they face? Specialty retailers have key objectives that have to be met in order to be successful. They need to have good location, credibility, great customer service, good product offer, competitive prices, financially feasible margins and they need to bring people to their stores and make final purchase decision at their stores. Tweeter faces the challenge of capturing consumers from other retailers and be the best option for final purchase decision. Price competition is a major challenge to Tweeter because it could lose sales, or it could drop down its current margin by trying to offer lower cost products trying to compete against bigger retail chains. (b) How does APP help Tweeter in overcoming these challenges and achieving the objectives? Tweeter target customer is very special. They like to receive good service and like to purchase good quality products. The threat Tweeter faces by new market entrants is by price reductions to current products. Those customers who are a little price sensitive could switch from Tweeter to other retailers. APP is a great tool that Tweeter management designed in which they will automatically match a lower advertised priced after the purchase and send a check for the difference to its customer. This will help Tweeter keep its current customer base and don’t lower retail prices keeping image of high-end quality service retail store. (c) Use the data in the case to evaluate whether APP has been effective? List the metrics that you are using and present your analysis using data in the case. Since the change of marketing strategy in 1993 sales have grown almost two times by 1996 from $43M to $82M (estimated). The new strategy had three components: APP, Everyday-fair pricing (no more Sales events) and change in advertising mix from newspaper to Television and Radio. Same-store sales grew by 50% with new strategy and the other incremental revenue came from the seven new stores they opened over the three year period. With the information given in the case APP is not the only component of the new marketing strategy, but a part of a new shift in the marketing strategy. As a part of the new strategy APP has been effective as it only represents around 0. 5% of the total revenues. See Exhibit 2 for Calculations. Sales per store have increased since the switch to the new strategy, not all of them could be addressed to APP but as a part of the new strategy and representing a small expense as a % of revenues, strategy has proven to be effective. See Exhibit 3 for same store sales. On the financial performance Tweeter has been able to improve margins, not affected by new fair-pricing strategy and reduce expenses boosting net income from negative numbers to 4% over sales. See Exhibit 4 for Margin Analysis. 3. Company Analysis: (a) What are the necessary factors for APP to be sustainable? In order for the APP program to be sustainable it will have to create additional sales growth and I will target maximum budget for APP under 1% of sales, not exceeding the other components of the marketing plan as Radio and Television advertisement and total marketing expense. The policy should also consider check shipping costs, so that minimum amount check could be modified in case shipping costs increases. The total amount per check should also be limited, calculating an average rebate that will not go below marginal cost of advertised products. They should maintain the 30 day policy for rebate granting. Last but not least, overhead costs from people operating the program should be consistent with revenue growth as a % of sales and don’t create any additional overhead costs for Tweeter. (b) Is APP sustainable for Tweeter? Currently APP represents only 0. 5-0. % of revenues in first years of operation (Exhibit 2). APP is sustainable as total sales have increased by 100%, new stores have good sales and same-stores have experienced a 50% growth increase since the program was launched. As part of the new marketing strategy, advertising has gone down from 8. 9% to 8. 0% as a percentage of sales so Tweeter has not incurred in additional marketing expen se just a different mix. So APP has been sustainable for Tweeter in this 3 years of operation and has been effective to maintain its target customer: Quality/Service oriented electronic goods shopper.