Last-Minute Optimization Ideas to Boost Your Easter Ecommerce Sales

By: Chris Reid, Account Manager Easter is almost here but it’s not too late to make some last-minute adjustments to your Ecommerce presence for the holiday.The Easter bunny can bring major consumer traffic to many businesses: Americans spent an estimated $16.4 billion on candy, plastic eggs and other holiday merchandise in 2015. But you don’t have to be in the marshmallow Peep business to make the most of this holiday.If you haven’t started planning already, we’ve got a few smart marketing strategies that can help you keep your customers engaged and boost sales. Run a Contest Well-timed and engaging contests can increase your exposure on social media and attract more potential customers to your website. For example – depending on your business – you could have your Facebook fans send in their best Easter photos and offer prizes in different categories: craziest Easter bonnet, most creatively decorated eggs, kids in their Easter outfits, etc. Get fans to vote for their favorite entries and you’ll collect lots of shares, likes and comments along the way.You could also run the same type of contest on Instagram and make up your own fun hashtag to go with it. Update Your Social Media Branding Incorporate a little Easter into your social media pages – spring flowers, colorful eggs, pastels, bunnies and chicks are just a few possibilities.You can also try creating an Easter-themed cover photo for your Facebook and Google+ pages. Theme Your Social Posts Not sure what to post?You can’t go wrong with a fun holiday-themed photo.Photos on Facebook receive about 104% more comments and 53% more likes than text-only posts. While you’re thinking about your social media presence, don’t forget to create a few Easter-themed blog posts if it fits with your company’s style. Bring Easter to Your Website Your company’s website offers plenty of opportunities to capitalize on the Easter season. Set up a landing page for your Easter-related products and promotions and add some fun content that will keep visitors engaged. Send a Holiday Email An easy way to sneak in some Easter marketing is to send your customers a holiday email. Create an attention-grabbing Easter-themed subject line, insert some themed graphics and add a compelling call-to-action to drive visitors to your site. Although some of these tactics require some creativity and strategy, they can generally be done fairly quickly. Utilizing ones that best work for your business will allow you to take advantage of the Easter season to boost visibility and gain new customers. Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments!

Sdfdsf Essay Example

Sdfdsf Essay Example Sdfdsf Paper Sdfdsf Paper Business 109 will provide an introduction to the modern business enterprise. We will examine the role of business in a market economy, survey current business trends and the global, financial, and social environment in which businesses exist and operate. Moreover, the course will describe the evolution, formation and management of American and international businesses, and provide a basic understanding of various functional areas of business, including economics, marketing, finance, management, human resources, international operations, and business decision making using information technology. In lieu off final exam, students will be able to get additional experience in the business world through a semester-long final project of building a comprehensive profile of an actual business. The Business Profile project consists of a series of three (3) written research assignments, including corporate background as well as business strategies and practices related to marketing, management, and finance. Students have a choice of either working alone or in a team of two. For extra credit, students may present the profile of the particular business to the entire class at the end of the course. II. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students will learn to: a. Analyze the relationship and interaction between business enterprises and other institutions b. Develop basic business vocabulary and a familiarity with key business concepts c. Practice and participate in research, business communication, and teamwork activities d. Apply actual business practices in model business situations e. Ill. TEXTBOOK BUSS, 4th Edition, 2011; Clergywomen; ISBN: (Please note you will need to purchase Webster access either from the DVD Bookstore as packaged with the book, or online from within Web). V. GRADING Your grade will be a composite of classroom participation, end-of-chapter quizzes, and a course-long Business Profile project that includes three written assignments. There are total of 1000 points (required) possible for the course: 1. Class Participation @300 points 2 End-of-chapter Quizzes (Best 10 of 12 taken online) 300 @40 points each -400 3. Business Profile Project (3 written assignments) @OHIO points each 300 Total points = 1000 Students will also have the potential to earn a total of 100 extra credit points, 50 of which through clipping business related articles and sharing them with the class inline on the course website, and another 50 of which by presenting the results of your Business Profile project to the whole class at the end of the course. Grade Distribution: 900 1 oho = A (90%) 800-899 = B (80%) 700-799 = c (70%) 600-699 = D (60%) 599 and below = F V. MORE ON QUIZZES, ASSIGNMENTS AND FINAL PROJECT 1. End-of-chapter Quizzes There will be self-administered quizzes for each chapter after you read the chapter in the textbook, go through the Powering Notes and attend lecture. For each quiz, you will be given 60 minutes to complete 20 questions which are true-false or ultimate-choice types. You are given one question at a time and are only allowed one try with the quiz so please do not take the quiz until you are absolutely ready and prepared. Please note that you will not get the results of the quiz until after the quiz deadline. The end-of-chapter quizzes will cover textbook readings, Powering notes, and discussions topics and can be accessed on the Web course site. They will be a combination of multiple-choice and true/false items. Each quiz is worth 40 points and has a deadline that can not be extended. You may take a quiz as early as it becomes available and as late as on the same day before the deadline. No make-up quizzes will be given-No exceptions. You final grade will be based on the best 10 of the 12 quizzes?the two quizzes (including missed quizzes) with the lowest scores will be Please note that there will be NO Final Exam for this class Cheers! Instead, students will participate in a semester-long business profile semester project?see below for details. Warning: Please note that all students are required to abide by the DVD academic honor codes?No cheating of any kind will be tolerated. 2. Written Assignments and Business Profile Project There will be no FINAL EXAM for this class. Instead, students will be able to get additional experience in the business world through a course-long project of building a comprehensive profile of an actual business. The Business Profile project consists of a series of three written research assignments, including corporate background as well as business strategies and practices related to marketing, management, and finance. Students have a choice of either working alone or in a team of two. For extra credit of 50 points, students may present the profile of the particular business to the entire class at the end of the course. Papers should be appropriate pages in length (see Assignment Description on Web), word processed using 12 point type, double spaced. Papers are expected to be proofread and checked for grammar and spelling. Please note that handwritten assignments will NOT be accepted. Assignments are due on the dates listed in the course outline. Please turn in your assignments in class on the dates due and please do NOT upload your assignments online. Late assignments will NOT be accepted. For extra credit, final project presentations can be one using projectors, either via transparency or Microsoft Powering. To help gain valuable teamwork experiences, students are encouraged to work in groups on the course-long business profile project, although individual work will be accepted if student is unable to or do not wish to find another team member. However, group sizes are limited to a maximum of two (2) because as research and experience suggest, the tasks of scheduling team meetings become more difficult as the number of team members increase and team productivity and effectiveness tend to suffer as a result. Remember that all team members will get the same grade for the same project. Having a great team can help reduce individual workload and boost the grades of all team members, but unfortunately the opposite tends to be true as well for a dysfunctional team?so pick your team member(s) carefully! VI. I will keep attendance record regularly and will record any late class arrivals or early departures. According dropped by the instructor. If you are not planning to ever come back to class, be sure to DROP the class yourself with Admissions and Records- it is not my responsibility to o that. Students are also expected to read assigned chapters ahead of scheduled class time and actively participate in class. Please follow the below-listed Reading and Assignment schedule carefully. Your class participation will be an important part (1 [3rd) of your course grade so please take it very seriously if you want to get a good grade in this class.

Japanese cultural analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Japanese cultural analysis - Research Paper Example Undertaking cultural and economic analysis is extremely beneficial for decision making be it at company level or at national levels. Without a vivid cultural and economic analysis in place, it becomes very difficult to know more about a particular place in question. To this effect, this write-up was undertaken to bring to light, the cultural analysis of Japan. Areas that have been looked at include geographical setting, social institutions and education. In terms of culture, Japan has a long adhered system of practices, which are important for every investor who wishes to enter Japan to know and learn to adhere to. This way, can be a future of promising prosperity for the investor. II. Introduction Cultural analysis is explained to be the use of qualitative research methods to identify â€Å"the applied analysis of cultural phenomenon, often including advertising and media products, in order to provide context for a client's business or insight into a market† (Association for Qualitative Research, 2010). By the use of the term qualitative research method, this that cultural analysis is conducted based on certain defined principles of publicly available data. Not withstanding this, a researcher may also conduct cultural analysis by the use of field related research methods such as interview (Association for Qualitative Research, 2010). In this context, much of the analysis was based on publicly available data and the most vital cultural analysis information on Japan comes to rest on three major areas. III. Country’s History (Brief) The first area of cultural analysis concern for Japan has to do with what the Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc (2011) puts it as the Confucian dynamism. â€Å"In practical terms Confucianism refers to a long-term versus a short-term orientation in life† (Hofstede, pg. 164). The Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc argues that Japan upholds the long-term orientation as against short-term orientation. Clark (2005) explains that count ries that have the long-term orientation revolve on the axis of â€Å"persistence (perseverance), ordering relationships by status, thrift and having a sense of shame.† Generally, policy makers of such countries focus on future generations rather than the present generation though it does not neglect the present generation altogether. To this end, Japan as a long-term oriented country invests so much in education since education has a long-term positive effect on the fortunes of the country. Against this backdrop, it can be said that kikki.k has a great advantage venturing into Japan. With reference to the products of kikki.k, it is clear the products have greater relation with education. This means that with a well marketing strategy, the company can dominate the stationery industry in the Japan. IV. Geographical Setting A. Location Viewed from the geographic coordinate system, Japan can be said to be 36 ° north of the equator and 138 ° east of the Prime Meridian. Japan is made up of thousands of islands, among which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan shares border and are the closest neighbors are Russia, China and Korea. B. Climate Due to the presence of the three thousand islands in Japan, Japan’s climate is not the same everywhere. However on the average, there are four seasons which are summer, winter, spring and autumn. C. Topography According to the Encyclopedia of the World (2011), there islands which stretches from Southeast Asia to the Aleutian Islands. 75% of land in Japan is covered with mountain. Landforms are steep and rugged. The is the presence of two principal mountain ranges, which are the Hida (or Japan Alps) and the Akaishi mountains. Among the many mountains, twenty-five have peaks of over 3,000 m (9,800 ft), among which the highest is Mt. Fuji (Fuji-san), which stands at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). There are 265 volcanoes in Japan among which 20 remain active. An average of 1,5000 minor shocks of earthquake occurs yearly. There are few and small plains which only about 29% of the

Workplace Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Workplace Law - Case Study Example Hence all the laws and regulations related to awards, state or federal industrial laws are applicable and can be enforced, in case of such contracts (CCH Australia, 2010). For the purpose of this case study, the contractual true nature of contractual relationship of Jane Jones and TMMS will be studied from the perspective of Common Law, and the various legal issues pertaining to the case will be discussed, by application of principles and facts of the said case. The various legal issues, as pertains to the Common Law, related to this case are listed below: 1. Breach of implied duty of mutual trust and confidence In accordance with the proceedings and decision arrived at by the Supreme Court of Australia, in the McDonald v State of South Australia, it was established that the elements such as mutual trust and confidence are an integral and inevitable part of employment contracts. The judiciary in Australia uses the implied term of trust and confidence in order to create an obligation on the part of the employers so as to instill an interest of fairness. It is described as "an implied obligation of good faith". It was observed in the case of Concut Pty Ltd v Worrel, that "the ordinary relationship of an employer and employee at common law is one importing implied duties of loyalty, honesty, confidentiality and mutual trust" (Aras, Crowther, 2010, pp. 517; Brodie, 2010, pp. 166). In this case, TMMS summoned Jane and made sudden changes in the contract, which included terms and conditions which were unfair to her, and did not seek to protect her interests at work. One of the implied rules of common law states that the employees be treated in a fair manner, while the terms and conditions and the abrupt changes made, were both unfair and unjust for Jane. The employer in this case had an implied obligation to treat their employees fairly and be honest and truthful to them. Furthermore, the employer is also required to practice and apply the elements of confidentiality and strive to maintain mutual trust. But in this case, TMMS decided to restructure its organization and did not take their employees into confidence prior to making any changes to their employment terms, and instead added clauses which were unjust and unfair to them. 2. Refusing to sign, negotiate, extend or vary an AWA Under Common Law, neither the employer nor the employee has the right to unilaterally alter the terms and conditions of an employment contract. Any such alteration must be done through mutual discussion and agreement, else it would be deemed illegal. The employer must obtain a valid consent of the employee prior to changing any of the terms of the employment contract and cannot do so just by serving a notice. Furthermore, it has also been stated under the Common Law, that the courts and tribunals will consider an agreement received by the employer, as illegal if the consequence of non-compliance or non-acceptance to sign the renewed contract is dismissal with immedi ate effect. In such a situation, the courts will deem such changes to the contract / agreement as unfair and adverse to the interest of the employees (Lewis & Sargeant, 2004, pp. 136). In this case, the employer TMMS, not only changed the terms of contract unilaterally, but also failed to discuss or negotiate the newly added terms with the employee. Furthermore, when specifically asked for more time to consider the said changes, TMMS openly stated that it is a â€Å"take it or leave it† situation, and implied that refusing to accept the said changes, would automatically result in termination of the contract. Such harsh terms and conditions not only broke the implied rule of mutual trust and

Reverse phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography for measuring hydrolysis of ester Essay Example for Free

Reverse phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography for measuring hydrolysis of ester Essay Reverse-Phase High performance chromatography consists of any method of chromatography that utilizes a non-polar phase. In the early part of 1970s, non-modofied alumina or silica which has a greater attraction for polar elements and hydrophilic surface chemistry was used for majority of the liquid chromatography. Because of this, this method was said to be normal†. The elution order was however reversed with the introduction of a covalently bonded alkyl chain which reinforces the surface. In this method, the first to be eluted are the polar compounds while there is retention of the non-polar compounds hence the procedure is termed reversed phase Method validation It’s important to validate all various HPLC methods. Evaluation of suitability may not be necessary when methods from pharmacopoeia’s are utilizes given that the analyses are carried out with respect to the technique’s intended use. However, in situation where drug composition is being modified, a reevaluation of suitability of the HPLC method to its new intended use is necessary (Nagels etal, 2002). The variables tested in the validation process as stated by FDA, ICH and USP as well as other health bodies include: Accuracy, linearity, limit of quantitation, limit of detection specificity relativity, reproducibility precision which includes repeatability, intermediate precision as well as ruggedness/reproducibility (Amersham, 1999). Role of rp-HPLC method for the measuring hydrolysis of ester Reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography can be used in separation quantitation of free fatty acids as well as its methyl esters obtained from tissue phosphopids of mineral. In this method, mixtures of water acetonitrile are utilized for elution of esters. For free acids to separate, aqueous phosphoric acid substitute for water. Quantification detection of unsaturated compounds are done by absorption at 192nm . After methyl esters have been prefractionated based on its unsaturation by argentation TLC, there is total rapid separation by elution with CH3CN. Reverse phase HPLC can both be applied as preparative analytic method as well as in biochemical separation and purification. Precision In rp-HPLC, precision is assessed by injection of several standards followed by measurement of the variability of the results. Three subcategories are obtained from the measured standard deviation . To assess repeatability, the operator executes the analysis in a laboratory over a short period of time. Then, the relative standard deviation is calculated from 5 or 6 determinates of two dissimilar matrices at 1 or 2 different concentrations. The ICH describes intermediate precision as long term variability this is estimated by comparison of several results of a single laboratory over several weeks. Variations of results gotten by different instruments, different batches of column and from operators with materials from dissimilar supplies are reflected in intermediate precision (Amersham, 1999) It is important to validate intermediate precision in rp-HPLC so that verification of same results being produced by same method in same laboratory following the phase of development could be possible. Reproducibility otherwise called ruggedness is simply inter-laboratory precision . It’s aim is to ensure that different laboratories will have same results using the method. Variables that affect the reproducibility of rp-HPLC include the varying operator experience, varying ages of equipment, differential supplies of columns, variation in humidity room temperature, different characteristics of equipment such as the delay capacity of HPLC system (Lebendiker, 2006). Accuracy is the degree in which test outcomes are proximate to the true value. This is obtained from outcome of quantitative assessment of a known sample. Whatever is measured is then compared to the known amount. Selectivity specificity These are usually interchanged . Selectivity of analytical method like rp-HPLC refers to its capability despite the presence of interference, to still be able to measure accurately (Guzzetta, 2010). Such interference includes enantiomers, degradation products and excipients. When selectivity of a method is verified, it becomes â€Å"Stability Indicating Method†. Limit of detection This refers to the least amount or concentration of analyte in a chromatographic sample that may not be quantifiable but is detectable. In rp-HPLC, the limit of detection is that amount which after injected gives a maximum height of 2 to 3 times as raised as the reference noise level. Limit of quantitation refers to the least amount injected that results in precise measurement. In rp-HPLC, maximum heights of about ten to twenty times greater than reference noise are usually required at precision of less than 10-15% RSD between intervals of results. Linearity With injection of three to five series of four or more standards with spanning concentration of 80-120% expected range, the linearity of a rp-HPLC analytical method can be determined (Amersham, 1999). Whether directly or by calculation, it is expected that the response should be in proportion to the analytes’ concentration. The intercept of linear regression formula applied to these results should not substantially differ from zero. An intercept of significant non-zero should be followed by validation that there is no impact on method accuracy (Alveldano etal, 2010). Principle This operates of the separation of substances based on hydrophobic binding between the stationary/immobile hydrophobic ligand (called the stationary phase) and the solute in the mobile phase (Amersham, 1999). The binding interaction is presumed to be due to favorable entropy effect. The original mobile phase conditions in rp-HPLC are aqueous implying a highly organized water structure around stationary ligand solute molecule . The available area exposed to solvent becomes diminished with binding of solute to the stationary hydrophobic ligand. With this, there is decrease in organization of water structure increase system entropy (Amersham, 1999). In summary, rp-HPLC is based on â€Å"adsorption of hydrophobic molecules onto a hydrophobic solid support in a polar mobile phase†. Reverse phase HPLC has also been utilized in most analytical methods.

The Philosophy of Teaching Essay -- Education Teachers School Essays

My Philosophy of Teaching Philisophical teaching stratigies include the following disciplines, essentialism, existentialism, and many others. Of these stratigies the philisophicla approaches each include a distinct direction in the style and type of learning taking place. Lessons should include these philisophical teaching stratigies within there designed properties. Although all of the stratigies may be able to incorporate all learning disciplines and learning styles a lesson does not need to contain the entire array of philisophical stratigies. Informitive lessons may take place without all stratigies invovled. William Bagley's essentialsim is one of the philisophical styles which I find to be a large protion of the melting pot which I agree to. The essentialsim style is a basic philisophcial idea pertaining largely to math, science, history, and literature. This style of basic fundamentals can create a strong backbone of learning and knowledge. The essentialsim philosophy not only provides the student with a background in many disciplines and views, it also offers the student more. The student also gains by essentialism due to its influence of character. This building and concentration of character allow students not only to gain knowledge , but respect and confidense. Although this style is not my soul reliance. Essentialsim also focus's on the teacher more heavily. The idea follows the style of a larger group learning enviornment. This mass style learning allows for less individual attentiona nd intsruction. Not all students learn in mass groups and not all students require personal attention, thus the blend off other disciplined styles must be required. Essen... ... usefullness which it provides students. The curriculum is advantageous to the students as well as society, becuase it allows them to learn from previous mistakes and achievments and install those into their lives. My future educational goals after graduation are somewhat unorthadox in style compared to that of the average post graduate.Many graduates seek to continue their higher education at an institution where a masters or phd can be earned. I plan to recieve my post graduate studies at an institution of much lower levels. The curriculum I plan on teaching will provide a prfound and invaluable post graduate studies program for me. The actions of daily teaching coupled with the problem solving situations of daily school activities will engrain in me an understanding and furthured education which no higher educational institution can provide.

Mental Illness

The social construction of mental illness Key Words * Career: The gradual change in people as a response to a label e. g. mental patient. * Learned Helplessness: learning how to be dependent. * Life-course model: suggests that the accumulation of social events experienced over a whole lifetime, not just individual important events, influence people and their mental state. * Presenting culture: a term used by Goffman to refer to how people like to portray themselves to others. * Schizophrenia: a form of mental illness where people are unable to distinguish their own feelings and perceptions from reality. Self-Fulfilling prophecy: predictions about the behaviour of social groups that come true as a result of positive or negative labelling. * Social Capital: refers to a network of social contacts. * Social constructionism: the approach which suggests that mental illness exists because people believe that it does. * Social realism: a sociological approach which suggests that mental illne ss does really exist. Summary Mental illness is the less fortunate twin to physical illness. The NHS is not funding enough support for mental health patients and the attention paid to it is minimal.Mental health is a major problem in society with one in seven people claiming to have had mental health problems at some point in their lives. Social Trends 2007 (Self and Zealey 2007) said that about one in six British people aged 16 to 74 reported experiencing a neurotic disorder in the seven days before a national survey on mental health. When looking at which group is most likely to suffer from high rates of mental illness, the poorest and most excluded are majorly overrepresented. Defining mental illness Social Realism: A general term used to describe the approaches of sociologists who accept that there are distinctive sets of abnormal behaviour that cause distress to individuals and those around them. * Pilgrim and Rogers (1999) accept that, at different times and in different cultu res, there are variations in what is considered as mental illness. * Although mental illness may have different names and sometimes not be recognized, it does actually exist as a real condition. * Similar to the bio-medical approach which believes that symptoms can be scientifically diagnosed and categorized.They see treatment as allopathic (cure orientated through the use of drugs, shock treatment and surgery etc. * They recommend that sufferers be isolated from wider society. Social constructionism: * Have been very influential in sociological approaches to mental illness and start from the argument that what is considered as normal varies over time and from society to society. * Greater extremes of behaviour have been seen as normal in some societies and symptoms of madness in others. Labelling perspective: Labelling theory examines how the labelling of mental illness occurs in the first place and what effects it has on those who are labelled. * Thomas Szasz (1973) argues that th e label ‘mental illness’ is simply a convenient way to deal with behaviour that people find disruptive. He is particularly critical of psychiatrists for diagnosing children with ADHD and calling it a disease. He says that giving a child a drug for a mythical disease is a form of physical child abuse because the child has no say in the matter. Labelling theory therefore rests firmly upon a social constructionist definition of mental illness. The effects of labelling * Scheff (1966) said that whether someone becomes labelled or not is determined by the benefits those others might gain by labelling the person ‘mentally ill’. So, those who become a nuisance are far more likely to become diagnosed as mentally ill as someone who causes no problems. * Once labelled, there are a number of negative consequences for the person because it is then assumed that all their behaviour is evidence of their mental state. Erving Goffman (1961) followed the careers of people wh o were genuinely defined as being mentally ill. He suggested that once in an institution people are stripped of their presenting culture. Criticisms of the labelling perspective * Gove (1982) suggests that the vast majority of people who receive treatment for mental illness actually have serious problems before they are treated so the argument that the labels cause the problems is wrong. It may explain the responses of others to the mentally ill, but cannot explain the causes of the illness.Foucault’s perspective on mental illness: * He explains the growth in the concept of mental illness by placing it in the context if the changing ways of thinking and acting which developed in the early 18th century. * During the enlightenment more traditional ways of thinking were gradually replaced by more rational and disciplined ways of thinking. He argues that as rationality developed into the normal way of thinking, irrationality became to be perceived as deviant. * Having mad people in asylums isolated mad people away from the majority of the population.They symbolized the fact that madness or irrationality was marked out as behaviour that is no longer acceptable. Structuralist perspectives on mental illness: * Virde (1977) explained the fact that some ethnic minorities are more likely to develop mental health problems by arguing that the sorts of pressures and stresses that can cause people to develop mental illness are more often experienced by people in an ethnic minority. * Nazroo is critical of this approach. He points out that people of the Bangladeshi origin who are victims of racism have lower levels of mental illness than the general population.He concludes that mental illness cannot just be caused by racism and deprivation. * Brown et al (1995) explained that women are more likely to lead stressful lives because they have the dial burden and triple shift. * Labelling theorists (Chelser 1972), say that women are more likely to be seen as mentally ill b ecause the defining of illness is mainly done by males. * Link and Phelan (1995) reviewed all the evidence and concluded that research pointed out a relationship between low levels of deprivation and mental illness.Social capital (Putnam 2000) argued that people who have extensive and strong levels of social networks are more likely to be ‘happier’ than those who don’t. Check Your Understanding: 1) The two sociological approaches to explaining mental illness are social realist and social constructionist. 2) Social realist bases itself on the idea that there are distinctive sets of abnormal behaviour that should be treated; they are very similar to the bio-medical approach.Social constructionist believes that definitions of mental illness can vary over time and in different cultures. 3) Labelling helps us understand that some people may live up to the label they have been given and can strip mental health patients of any self-dignity as they have no say in what ha ppens to them as they have been given the label of someone who is mad. 4) A structural explanation is closely tied to the social realist definition of mental illness; they accept the reality of mental illness and set out to discover what social factors help cause them. ) Busfield says that it is true that some groups are more likely to find their behaviour defined as mental illness, compared to the behaviour of other groups however al of those groups experience higher levels of stress so mental illness would be higher. 6) They are more likely to show cultural characterises that are not seen as normal in a wider society. 7) They use the idea that women have more responsibilities than men and that the defining of mental illness tends to be dominated by male health professionals. Mental Illness The social construction of mental illness Key Words * Career: The gradual change in people as a response to a label e. g. mental patient. * Learned Helplessness: learning how to be dependent. * Life-course model: suggests that the accumulation of social events experienced over a whole lifetime, not just individual important events, influence people and their mental state. * Presenting culture: a term used by Goffman to refer to how people like to portray themselves to others. * Schizophrenia: a form of mental illness where people are unable to distinguish their own feelings and perceptions from reality. Self-Fulfilling prophecy: predictions about the behaviour of social groups that come true as a result of positive or negative labelling. * Social Capital: refers to a network of social contacts. * Social constructionism: the approach which suggests that mental illness exists because people believe that it does. * Social realism: a sociological approach which suggests that mental illne ss does really exist. Summary Mental illness is the less fortunate twin to physical illness. The NHS is not funding enough support for mental health patients and the attention paid to it is minimal.Mental health is a major problem in society with one in seven people claiming to have had mental health problems at some point in their lives. Social Trends 2007 (Self and Zealey 2007) said that about one in six British people aged 16 to 74 reported experiencing a neurotic disorder in the seven days before a national survey on mental health. When looking at which group is most likely to suffer from high rates of mental illness, the poorest and most excluded are majorly overrepresented. Defining mental illness Social Realism: A general term used to describe the approaches of sociologists who accept that there are distinctive sets of abnormal behaviour that cause distress to individuals and those around them. * Pilgrim and Rogers (1999) accept that, at different times and in different cultu res, there are variations in what is considered as mental illness. * Although mental illness may have different names and sometimes not be recognized, it does actually exist as a real condition. * Similar to the bio-medical approach which believes that symptoms can be scientifically diagnosed and categorized.They see treatment as allopathic (cure orientated through the use of drugs, shock treatment and surgery etc. * They recommend that sufferers be isolated from wider society. Social constructionism: * Have been very influential in sociological approaches to mental illness and start from the argument that what is considered as normal varies over time and from society to society. * Greater extremes of behaviour have been seen as normal in some societies and symptoms of madness in others. Labelling perspective: Labelling theory examines how the labelling of mental illness occurs in the first place and what effects it has on those who are labelled. * Thomas Szasz (1973) argues that th e label ‘mental illness’ is simply a convenient way to deal with behaviour that people find disruptive. He is particularly critical of psychiatrists for diagnosing children with ADHD and calling it a disease. He says that giving a child a drug for a mythical disease is a form of physical child abuse because the child has no say in the matter. Labelling theory therefore rests firmly upon a social constructionist definition of mental illness. The effects of labelling * Scheff (1966) said that whether someone becomes labelled or not is determined by the benefits those others might gain by labelling the person ‘mentally ill’. So, those who become a nuisance are far more likely to become diagnosed as mentally ill as someone who causes no problems. * Once labelled, there are a number of negative consequences for the person because it is then assumed that all their behaviour is evidence of their mental state. Erving Goffman (1961) followed the careers of people wh o were genuinely defined as being mentally ill. He suggested that once in an institution people are stripped of their presenting culture. Criticisms of the labelling perspective * Gove (1982) suggests that the vast majority of people who receive treatment for mental illness actually have serious problems before they are treated so the argument that the labels cause the problems is wrong. It may explain the responses of others to the mentally ill, but cannot explain the causes of the illness.Foucault’s perspective on mental illness: * He explains the growth in the concept of mental illness by placing it in the context if the changing ways of thinking and acting which developed in the early 18th century. * During the enlightenment more traditional ways of thinking were gradually replaced by more rational and disciplined ways of thinking. He argues that as rationality developed into the normal way of thinking, irrationality became to be perceived as deviant. * Having mad people in asylums isolated mad people away from the majority of the population.They symbolized the fact that madness or irrationality was marked out as behaviour that is no longer acceptable. Structuralist perspectives on mental illness: * Virde (1977) explained the fact that some ethnic minorities are more likely to develop mental health problems by arguing that the sorts of pressures and stresses that can cause people to develop mental illness are more often experienced by people in an ethnic minority. * Nazroo is critical of this approach. He points out that people of the Bangladeshi origin who are victims of racism have lower levels of mental illness than the general population.He concludes that mental illness cannot just be caused by racism and deprivation. * Brown et al (1995) explained that women are more likely to lead stressful lives because they have the dial burden and triple shift. * Labelling theorists (Chelser 1972), say that women are more likely to be seen as mentally ill b ecause the defining of illness is mainly done by males. * Link and Phelan (1995) reviewed all the evidence and concluded that research pointed out a relationship between low levels of deprivation and mental illness.Social capital (Putnam 2000) argued that people who have extensive and strong levels of social networks are more likely to be ‘happier’ than those who don’t. Check Your Understanding: 1) The two sociological approaches to explaining mental illness are social realist and social constructionist. 2) Social realist bases itself on the idea that there are distinctive sets of abnormal behaviour that should be treated; they are very similar to the bio-medical approach.Social constructionist believes that definitions of mental illness can vary over time and in different cultures. 3) Labelling helps us understand that some people may live up to the label they have been given and can strip mental health patients of any self-dignity as they have no say in what ha ppens to them as they have been given the label of someone who is mad. 4) A structural explanation is closely tied to the social realist definition of mental illness; they accept the reality of mental illness and set out to discover what social factors help cause them. ) Busfield says that it is true that some groups are more likely to find their behaviour defined as mental illness, compared to the behaviour of other groups however al of those groups experience higher levels of stress so mental illness would be higher. 6) They are more likely to show cultural characterises that are not seen as normal in a wider society. 7) They use the idea that women have more responsibilities than men and that the defining of mental illness tends to be dominated by male health professionals.