Internet as the Greatest Transformative Force in Human History Essay

Internet as the Greatest Transformative Force in Human History - Essay Example Undoubtedly, the internet is increasingly one of the irreplaceable means of communication, for instance, it enables individuals to keep in touch and bring different people together, allows arrangement of meetings over the net among others. Therefore, many people argue that the internet has indeed adjusted their way of interaction with others. Most people including children spend their leisure time exploring the internet, download movies, video games among others. Moreover, people do join virtual social network through which they can discuss various aspects of daily life, and develop friendships and interact as if they are living in the real life. Some services provided by the internet such as webcam enable individuals to communication with relatives and friends from a distance. Furthermore, the invention of World Wide Web has impacted positively on the economic activities worldwide. For instance, today, various communicate or send a contract to customers from any part of the world. M ore so, people are able to send and receive e-mails instantly, and so, internet has enabled the international companies to manage their economic operations without experiencing many challenges. According to Anthony Giddens, the internet is the greatest transformative force in human history, and this paper presents a thoughtful argument supporting Giddens’s claim. ... The internet can be viewed as a database that is full of information and offers many services making people’s lives easier and cheaper. Back then, people used to travel to places in order to meet people, go to the libraries to do research, but with the development of internet, nearly all information needed are accessible (Groves 2009, 108). Today, many people use the internet for various purposes such as conducting research, sending e-mails among others (Lightman 2002). E-mail enables the user to compose a message and send it to the targeted receiver regardless of the distance (Kaminow 1997). Truly, the internet has transformed various aspects of our lives over the past few years, and it has transformed the whole world into a global village. In the contemporary world, life without the internet is impossible and unimaginable because almost every individual in the world depends on it either directly or indirectly. To start with, internet is very useful to many multinational comp anies as it enables these multinationals to provide necessary information on different products. More so, today, the internet is the heart of mobile banking and so, banking sector entirely depends on internet. In addition, many educational institutions use the internet for publication of different circulars and posting results, the students use the internet for study purpose. Moreover, individuals are capable of accessing a huge amount of information on any topic through the internet. This makes learning easier and students benefits a lot by using the internet for conducting research and doing their homework. Accordingly, the internet plays a very significant role in research work and

Rape Culture Oriented Feminism Sociology Essay

Rape Culture Oriented Feminism Sociology Essay Part of the current feminism strive is to raise awareness of what is known as rape culture. Rape culture is a socially constructed concept that depicts a culture in which sexual violence and rape are belittled, tolerated, and even justified in society. This concept is related to some specific behaviors such as womens causal role, rape stereotypes, sexual objectification, and trivialization of rape along with sexual discrimination. Legally, rape is defined as forced sexual intercourse between a man and a woman against the womans will (or the mans). In many states, the legal definition of rape does not include marital rape. In others terms, husbands which force their wives into sex are not punished by law, as rape is only seen as illegitimate sexual intercourse, i.e., the wifes exception implies that rape is rape if and only if the man commits the act on a woman other than his wife. This would suggest that sexual violence is not always considered as an act of rape. Even more, this implies that the law might consider sexual assaults as tolerable. For a forced sexual act to be sanctioned as rape, the man should not have conjugal rights over the woman. In other terms, the laws acceptance of a violent sexual act depends on the relationship between the victim and her rapist. According to the feminists rape culture theory, sexist behaviors contribute to the normalization of sexual assaults towards women. The root of rape culture is -according to the theory- the objectification and domination of women in a highly patriarchal society. Rape culture exists today because of the socially constructed image of sex as being an act of male domination over women. It is the traditional perception of how men and women are to behave which is the cause of rape being so trivialized. Men are expected to have sexual dominance in the relationship whereas women are pictured as passive, subordinate creatures. The contrast between men and women in the socially constructed sexual culture can be seen in dating for instance. In a date, a man is expected to buy gifts, dinner, drive the date of/from location to location and shower the woman with attention. Society has accustomed men to expect sexual rewards for their actions. The man thinks he has a right to sexual favors because of what he did on the date. This reasoning puts women as legitimate for sexual aggressions, and gives justifications for men to reason what they might do. When society produces rapists by encouraging values such as domination, anger, aggression, violence and rejecting the idea of men expressing and sharing their feelings, it fosters a rape culture. The rapists are also victims in the sense that they are frustrated by not being able to nurture their need for love and affection through more normal, healthier ways; hence acting through violence. Social conditioning through media holds a huge part of responsibility in rape culture oriented societies. Men and women are made to behave and think in a very specific way from a very early age through school and popular culture. Women and girls should act properly and in a ladylike manner, men should be strong and unemotional. This socialization process, this distribution of roles and behaviors creates the imbalance of power between men and women, giving the floor to male domination over female subordination, and indirectly training women how to be raped, and men how to be rapists. Some rules which train women how to be ladies actually contribute to a lot of rape situations. For instance, a lady should not make a scene just because she is at discomfort. During a sexual assault, wouldnt this entitle that the woman should stay quiet, in order to preserve ladylike qualities? A lady should always trust and be kind to strangers which offer to help. This rule gives rapists plenty of situations where they can trick women into thinking that they are actually willing to help them whilst having planned the rape act. Another rule claims that a lady should always graciously smile when spoken to. A potential rapist might consider a woman acknowledging him with a smile as her being consenting to the situation. Social conditioning has also leaded us to deem as true a set of prejudicial beliefs, called rape myths. These stereotypes provide aggressors with justifications and legitimization for their acts of sexual violence. Feminists claim that rape myths are fundamental to the patriarchal society which supports control and domination relationships. Not only do those stereotypes and lies present assaulters with excuses for their acts, but they also move the responsibility of the act away from the aggressors and lay it on the victims. Some examples of rape myths include: Black men rape white women, Provocative female clothing is the cause of rape, its the victims fault, She was asking for it Even more dangerous is womens acceptance as the ones to blame for rape and the hostility some women show towards other women which were rape victims, by saying and believing in claims such as She provoked the rape, Men are unable to control themselves, rape is only perpetrated by sick men. The new trend nowadays, and from what I hear around me when I ask people about the causal role of women in a rape situation is to say that women should not dress in an alluring way then blame men for raping them. Society is full of sick men, and women should be prepared for this. Raped women actually had it coming. A study done in Germany where participants (students) were given a set of questions, tried to measure to which extent rape myths were accepted and it tried to study the correlation between the desire for sexual dominance and the inclination to accept rape and rape myths. The results of this study supported the feminist theory which claims that rape is much more linked to the desire for men to express their dominance and control over women than to simple sexual arousal. There are three main theories which suggest different factors as support for the proliferation of rape culture. The first theory, gender disparity, claims that rape is the main instrument for patriarchal societies to keep oppression and control. As discussed earlier, the imbalance of power in the relationship between men and women is a direct cause of the objectification and subordination of women versus the domination and demonstration of force of men, which encourages rapist behavior. The second theory, cultural overflow, claims that rape myths and gender socialization are not the only causes for sexual violence, as other components of culture might serve to justify and trivialize rape. An example would be the aspects of violence in our everyday life. Violence in schools, in media, and in governments can be generalized or extended to relationships, thus condoning rape acts. The third theory, social disturbance, suggests that elevated rates of rape might reflect disturbance in social lives such as divorce and relocation. A generalization of the theory would be that deviant acts in general mirror social disorganization which disturbs commonly agreed on social mores. Although I agree with the fact that feminists have done well in raising awareness against rape in societies, and (to some extent) to how society might have contributed to the increase of rape rates through popular culture and mass media, I think there are some issues with rape culture as an entity proposed by traditional feminists. Traditional feminists rape culture theory mainly insists on gender imbalance as being the cause of rape proliferation in society. However, and as the Cultural Spillover theory suggest, other factors and other components might cause increase in rapes rates. The war in Bosnia (92-95) was infamously known for wartime rape. Many Muslim women in Bosnia were raped by Serbs at the time. Rape becomes a weapon of war in this case. It is not intentionally or (at the least solely) directed towards the individual victim, but rather used as any other tool to hurt the enemy. The rape during the Yugoslav conflicts was consequently labeled as genocide rape or rape warfare. Many examples in India, South Asian, and Middle Eastern and South African countries show similar patterns where the culture of war and violence tends to lead to a tacit acceptance of rape in society. Rape as a war weapon can be much more effective than any other weapon as the lasting effects of such an act not only hurt the individual on the long term but the society as a whole. Through children born in time of rape warfare, the society is relentlessly reminded of the war and the enemy. It is one of the most degrading and brutal attacks that could be carried on the enemy. Victims of rape in war time live in isolation from their family and community, especially if they have a child born from the rape act. Another issue with the traditionalist feminist view on rape is the binary structure and the rather monolithic perspective on the matter. There is this tendency to represent men as evil animalistic rapist creatures and women as helpless submissive victims. The feminist cause is first and foremost a fight for equality. As a movement which condemns rape as a result of gender inequality, the irony here is the separation between genders which label the man as a rapist and the woman as a victim. The theory depicts all men as potential rapists and sex offenders, controlling and dominant. Across my research, I noticed that most of the literature on rape culture only highlights female oriented violence. Such discrepancy makes it appear as if male oriented violence does not exist, and that female victims are much more prevalent. Such unfairness in research contributes to the rigid binary representation of the matter. The danger in doing such propaganda (i.e. labeling all men are potential sexual aggressors) makes it sound as if being a man is enough to identify the person as someone likely to rape. Even the definitions I encountered on feminist blogs and journals define rape as the act of sexual violence towards a woman by a man without her consent, but not vice versa. A similar distortion can be seen when talking about domestic violence as it is now assumed and taken for granted that men are the wife beaters. While feminisms original strive is to gain and maintain equality between the genders, rape culture theories create a serious loophole as such distortions and discrepancies actually put women as the harmless gender on higher grounds for moral superiority in comparison with men as the harmful gender, which creates gender imbalance all over again. By acting as such, feminists negate their goal of gender equality. It is not anymore the battle for equal rights; it is the fight for moral superiority that is at stake here. Hence as much as rape culture following the feminist view trivialize and encourage rape, rape culture also benefit this feminist view of men being animalistic and unable to control their urges in comparison with women. A third issue with rape culture is the labeling itself of the entity. What does rape culture exactly encapsulates? I am concerned that the focus of feminists on rape culture might exclude other abused victims which were not subject to rape but other types of violence. For instance, domestic violence victims doesnt necessarily mean rape victims. Arent those women excluded from the movement because of the fact that they were not raped? Sexually harassed women are not necessarily raped too, where do they stand in the rape culture movement? By choosing a label and identifying an entity such as rape culture, Rape acquires a special place in the feminist movement, as women who were raped gain a unique status which makes them a priority over other women. The problem here is that, by giving rape this privileged status, by making the focus rape and rape culture, the feminist movement creates this gender-separatist, discriminatory entity which shadows other gender related issues. Other society problems are as important as the rape issue, yet we do not have a child molesting culture entity for instance. Furthermore, one can actually draw a pattern of similarities between the feminist rape culture movement and the traditional white feminist movement, because both are discriminatory in a way. The white feminist movement does not represent black and Latino women for instance. Similarly, rape culture feminists do not represent battered women or women who were not raped but were still victims of sexual harassment. Rape culture oriented feminism does have some good arguments as socially constructed behaviors and gender roles do impact on rape behaviors. However, and to draw the analogy with the white feminist movement, victimized women which were raped as a product of the imbalance of power between men and women in society represent only a small part of the rape victims and situations, as much as white desperate housewives with college degrees who are forced to stay at home only represent a small portion of oppressed women. Just as white feminism should evolve to include other women in the group, rape culture oriented feminism should also change by broadening its area of interest and not limiting itself only to first: physically raped victims and second : physically raped victims outside the sample society provided by rape culture oriented feminism. Wartime rape victims, which are ignored by this feminist movement currently should also be part of the strive. Furthermore, the movement should also reconsider the monolithic view it gives of society which separates men and women in a negative way. Rape culture oriented literature so far is very biased in terms of who does the aggressions. It should also recognize that not all men are aggressors, because of the unfairness and incorrectness of such accusation, and move towards a more cooperative image between the genders rather than the hatred one it currently gives. Work cited: Rape Myths. Research Advocacy Digest

Euthanasia Essay -- essays research papers fc

Do We Have The Right To Die? Goldfarb, Jennifer ENC 1102 Mrs. Cartright   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In October of 1939, Louis Repouille chloroformed his thirteen-year-old son described as â€Å"an incurable imbecile.† The boy was deformed and mute since birth and therefor bedridden. Due to a brain tumor, he became blind. Two months afterward, the father was found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree. No man or woman can honestly say that this boy should have stayed alive to suffer inevitably or that his father should have sanely watched him. Euthanasia is the right for any human being who is terminally ill to find the means to end his or her life. Mentally stable adults, who are deathly ill, have a right to die.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Euthanasia has been practiced throughout time and in many cultures. When an elderly Aymara Indian of Bolivia becomes terminally ill, relatives and friends are summoned to the home of the death vigil. The family will withhold food and drink until the dying person slips into unconsciousness and dies. In Eskimo cultures, an old or sick Eskimo tells his family when he is ready to die and the family will immediately comply by abandoning the aged person to the ravages of nature or by killing him themselves. Aged Ethiopians allowed themselves to be tied to wild bulls. The natives of Amboyna, ate their failing relatives out of charity. Congolese jumped on the tired and old until their life was gone. In Athens, magistrates kept a supply of poison for anyone who wished to die. Aiding death was often done out of respect for an ill person. (Humphrey, 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Christianity, on the other hand, suicide was denounced. Anyone who took his or her own life was denied a Christian burial. With a reaffirmation of Greek and Roman values, the concept of an easy death gradually came to be regarded once again. What distinguished the sixteenth century attitude toward suicide from that of the Middle Ages was a reawakened interest in individualism. (Humphrey, 8)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the eighteenth century, Paradys, a physician, wrote â€Å"Oratio de Euthanasia.† He recommended an â€Å"easy death† for a patient who is incurable and suffering. In 1777, a year after his death, David Hume’s essay, â€Å"Of Suicide† was published. He wrote, â€Å"when life has become a burden both courage and prudence should engage us... ...g the Right to Die, â€Å" Time, April 15, 1996, p.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  82 (Sirs Researcher, 1996) McMahon, Patrick, â€Å"Oregon Reports 8 Suicides Under New Law,† USA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, August 19, 1997, p. 6A Moore, Francis D., â€Å"Prolonging Life,† Permitting Life To End,† Harvard   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Magazine, July/August 1995, pp. 46-51 (Sirs Researcher, 1996) Nichols, Mark, â€Å"Dying By Choice,† Macleans, May 20, 1996, pp. 47-48 â€Å"Right To Die,† Ethics, Pasadena: Salem Press, Inc., 1995, Volume 3, p.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  754 Rosellini, Lynn, â€Å"The Final Struggle of Jamie Butcher,† US News & World   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Report, November 7, 1994, p. 67 Suhr, Jim, â€Å"Dr. Jack Kevorkian Charged With Murder,† Associated Press, November 24,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1998 Stout, David, â€Å"20 Years: People,† The New York Times, November 17,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1996, p. 13NJ (The New York Times Ondisc) Tahmincioglu, Eve, he Cost of Dying,† News Journal, July 10, 1994, p. A1 Weinstein, Henry, â€Å"Assisted Deaths Ruled Legal,† Los Angeles Times,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  March 7, 1996, p. 1A (Sirs Researcher, 1996)

Discuss the drawback of the jury system as it is implemented in the UK

Introduction A jury in the UK generally consists of 12 randomly selected lay people that have been sworn conduct an impartial verdict as to whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty in a criminal trial. The objective of the jury system is to provide a just and fair outcome that could not otherwise be achieved by judges alone (Lesser, 2010: 12). It is believed that if judges acted alone, the decision would be a prejudicial, which would create unfairness. The human rights of the individual concerned would also be violated (Human Rights Act 1998, giving effect to the European Convention on Human Rights 1951). The most import concept of having a juror give a verdict is that juries may acquit a defendant in situations where a guilty verdict is demanded by the law (Elliott and Quinn, 2010: 233). An example of this can be seen in the case of R v Wang [2005] UKHL 9 where it was made clear by the House of Lords that a judge can never instruct a jury to convict a defendant. The jury system is therefore c onsidered an important part of the confidence society has in the criminal justice system. The Juries Act 1974 is the main governing legislation that regulates the jury system by signifying what persons are eligible for jury service as well as making provision for the right to challenge jurors. The Criminal Justice Act (CJA) 2003 is also capable of restricting the role of the jury by imposing further limitations on the eligibility criteria and by allowing trial by judge alone in certain circumstances. Whether these limitations are necessary is arguable, but it has been said that the jury is an outmoded institution that needs to be reformed. In light of this, the drawbacks to the jury system in the UK will be discussed in this study. Trial by Jury The jury system in the UK is highly controversial because on the one hand, juries are considered to provide important protection for citizens (Gastil et al; 2002: 585), whilst on the other they are considered to be costly, time consuming and unable to deal effectively with complex cases (Gastil and Weiser, 2006: 6). In addition, it has also been said that the jury system in the UK is outmoded and ineffective and that it should be abolished (Baksi, 2014: 1). Essentially, because juries are not being used as frequently as they once were, it is questionable whether they are in fact still needed (Zander, 2007: 157). In the majority of instances, a jury is not needed as a defendant will have submitted a guilty plea, yet in those instances where a not guilty plea has been entered, it has been said that juries are essential in ensuring that a fair trial is provided to the defendant under Article 6 of the ECHR and in the interests of justice. This was recognised by Thomas and Balmer when it was pointed out that; â€Å"there is an ancient right for an accused to be tried only by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land and even though there is no modern constitutional right to trial by jury in England and Wales, governments have found the public extremely unwilling to sanction further restrictions to jury trials† (2007: 1). This highlights the significance of jury trials and whilst there are many drawbacks, it is widely accepted that juries help to maintain justice. Conversely, it is believed by some that jury trials should be eradicated on the basis that they are largely ineffective on the basis that judges have a strong influence over the outcome of the trial (Stone and Dennis, 2003: 2). This was identified by Sanders and Young when it was evidenced that even though it is left to the jury to decide, beyond reasonable doubt, whether or not a defendant is guilty, â€Å"judges often exert a strong influence on the outcome and are far from being the passive impartial referee as depicted in adversarial theory†(2006; 496). Because of the influence judges exert over juries, it seems as though the jury system is a waste of time and expense. Furthermore, because juries do not have to give a reason for their decision, it is difficult to tell whether a just decision has been provided anyway as the decision may not be based upon their own findings and may instead be based on the judges influence. In view of this, the Auld Report found that; â€Å"many contributors have suggested that the system may not, as a matter of English law, withstand a challenge, that the unreasoned jury verdict violates article 6.† It is questionable whether this does violate article 6, ye t it was made clear in Condron v UK (2000) 31 EHRR 1 that it is not. Therefore, even though jurors do not have to provide a reason for decisions reached, it is said that a fair trial is still being provided. This does not seem fair, since a violation of Article 6 would be found if a judge failed to provide a reason, yet this is not the case for jurors. As stressed by Doran; â€Å"trial by jury occupies a pivotal yet paradoxical position at the centre of the English criminal justice system† (2002; 379). Arguably, it is clear from this that many do actually favour jury trials and are of the view that an effective justice system is being attained. However, because jury trials are not used in serious and complex fraud trials, it is arguable whether jurors are well equipped to deal with all other trials. The inability of jurors to deal with such cases was introduced by the CJA 2003 and emerged from the Jubilee Line Jurors [2007] Crim LR 255 case. Here. jurors suffered serious personal difficulties because of the complexity of the issues at hand (Lloyd-Bostock: 2007: 1). In cases such as this, it is more desirable for a judge-only trial to be conducted, yet it could be said that this should apply to all trials and not just those that have a complex nature. Moreover, the fact that trial by jury has been abandoned in other jurisdictions seems to demonstrate that the jury service is unworkable and ineffective. This has exemplified by Laville (2010: 1) who put forward that; â€Å"in the last 400 years, trials without juries have taken place in Northern Ireland, where the Diplock courts were set up to provide justice in the intimidat ing atmosphere of the Troubles.† Consequently, it could be said that Northern Ireland are aware of the difficulties and uncertainties of jury trials and have therefore made the decision to abandoning them. Juries were also discarded in Germany on the 4th January 1924 when it became apparent that injustice frequently occurred as a result of jury trials. This was identified by Herzog when it was noted that; â€Å"since 1924 jury trials have been abolished in Germany and there are no signs of a renaissance of lay participation and jury trial in the German criminal justice system† (2012: 1). It is arguable whether this demonstrates the ineffectiveness of jury systems but it is evident that the Germans do not agree with them. Jury trials were also abandoned in India following the case of K.M. Nanavati v State of Maharashtra [1962] Suppl 1 SCR 567 where it became clear that juror’s decisions were capable of being influenced by the media and the public. As put by Debroy; â€Å"the Nanavati case was responsible for abolition of jury trials in India and it was the last trial by jury† (2009: 1). It was also identified by Debroy that there is a correlation in India between the abolishment of jury trials and the prolonging of cases (2009: 2). In view of this, it cannot be said that jury trials should be completely abolished in the UK as cases may actually be prolonged as a result and there are various safeguards that have been implemented so as to ensure juries are not being influenced by the media and the public (Rackstraw, 2008: 726). Therefore, whilst jury systems do create difficulties, it cannot be said that they should be completely discarded as a result as they are still considered a vital p art of the justice system. Furthermore, if jury trials were abolished it is likely that this would result in prolonged trials as is the case in India. Furthermore, judges would also be capable of producing prejudicial decisions, which would ultimately contravene Article 6 of the ECHR which provides for a defendants rights to a fair trial. In a study that was conducted by Sturcke, it was found that; two in three jurors did not fully understand the legal directions and that more than one in 10 jurors carried out their own investigations online about a case (2010: 1). This study was based on 69,000 cases over a two-year period, which highlights the injustices that can actually be caused by a jury trial. This seems to provide a strong argument as to why jury trials should be abolished, however problems will still be caused by judge alone trials. In effect, it appears as though there ought to be a balance so that juries do remain, yet where cases are likely to be prejudiced a judge alone trial should be conducted. Essentially, this is what seems to be happening at present as jury trials are being discarded in serious and complex fraud cases, yet whether this scope should be broadened to allow for their elimination in other cases is likely. This will ensure that juries are maintained, on the one hand, whilst also enabling them to be discarded in cases which would be difficult for them to cope with. Whether this means that there will be an effective jury system in place, is however arguable. Conclusion Overall, there are many underlying difficulties which emerge from a trial by jury, yet it cannot be said that they should be completely eradicated. This is because judge alone trials will also have many drawbacks, which demonstrates the need for the jury system to be maintained. In order to prevent unfair outcomes from being produced, it is therefore necessary that a balance is attained which could be achieved by removing juries from serious and complex cases and those which would have a damaging effect on their ability to cope. Referencing Baksi, C., (2014) ‘Bias has ‘significant’ effect on verdicts, jury research says’ The Law Society Gazette, Available [Online] at: http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/bias-has-significant-effect-on-verdicts-jury-research-says/5039295.article [23 April, 2014]. Debroy, B. Nanavati and Jury Trials, Law Resource India, (2009), Available [Online] at: http://indialawyers.wordpress.com/2009/12/26/nanavati-and-jury-trials/ [23 April, 2014]. Doran, S; McConville, M. and Wilson, G. The Handbook of the Criminal Justice Process, OUP Oxford, 1st Edition, (2002), p. 379. Elliott, C. and Quinn, F. (2010) English Legal System, Longman, 11th Edition. Gastil, J., and Weiser, P., (2006) ‘Jury Service as an Invitation to Citizenship: Accessing the Civic Value of Institutionalised Deliberation’ Legal Studies Research Paper, 06-32. Gastil, J., Deess, E., and Weiser, P., (2002) ‘Civic Awakening in the Jury Room: A Test of the Connection between Jury Deliberation and Political Participation’ Journal of Politics, Volume 64, No. 2, 585-595. Herzog, F. Philosophical and Social View of the Jury: Could it Have a Renaissance in Germany(2012) Available [Online] at: www.cairn.info/load_pdf.php?ID_ARTICLE=RIDP_721_0553 [23 April, 2014]. Laville, S. Heathrow Robbery Trial Breaks with 400 Year Tradition of Trial by Jury, The Guardian, (10 January, 2010), Available [Online] at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/10/heathrow-robbery-trial-jury-twomey [23 April, 2014]. Lesser, M. A. (2010) The Historical Development of the Jury System, Kessinger Publishing: London. Lloyd-Bostock, S. The Jubilee Line Jurors: does their experience strengthen the argument for judge-only trial in long and complex fraud casesCriminal Law Review, Crim L.R. 255, (2007). Rackstraw, M., (2008) ‘In the Balance’ New Law Journal, Volume 158, Issue 7322. Sanders, A. and Young, R. Criminal Justice, OUP Oxford, 3rd Edition, (2006). Stone, J., and Dennis, R., (2003) ‘Race and Ethnicity’ Comparative and Theoretical Approaches, 1-7. Sturke, J. Jurors ‘struggle’ to understand judges, study finds, The Guardian, (17 February, 2010), Available [Online] at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/17/jurors-judges-legal-advice-report [23 April, 2014]. The Auld Report, Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales, Chapter 5, Juries, Available [Online] at: http://www.criminal-courts-review.org.uk/ccr-05.htm [23 April, 2014]. Thomas, C. and Balmer, N. Diversity and Fairness in the Jury System, The Ministry of Justice Research Series 2/07, (June, 2007), Available [Online] at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/JuriesReport2-07-webVersion.pdf [23 April, 2014]. Zander, M., (2007) ‘a Touch of Bias’ New Law Journal, Volume 157, Issue 7295. Cases Condron v UK (2000) 31 EHRR 1 Jubilee Line K.M. Nanavati v State of Maharashtra 1959

Constraints in Popularising Debit Card

A SUMMER PROJECT REPORT ON Constraints in Popularization of Bank of Baroda Debit Card By PRAVIN MANDORA [pic] STEVENS BUSINESS SCHOOL A report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of MBA Program Submitted to Bank of Baroda Acknowledgement The completion of any task depends upon the co-operation, coordination and consolidated efforts of several resources of knowledge, energy, and time and above all the proper guidance of the experienced bankers. Therefore I approached this matter of Acknowledgement through these lines trying my best to give full credit where it deserves.I wish to express my gratitude to our institute, which has provided me the opportunity to fulfil the most cherished desire to reach my goal. I am thankful to all those who generously helped me to compile this project with their knowledge and expertise. Firstly I owe a great debt to, STEVENS BUSINESS SCHOOL for obliging the project, thus giving me chance to broaden my horizon and providing me all necessa ry resources in college to assist me in the project. Also I owe a great debt to Mr. B. N. Menon, Sr.Manager (IT) of Bank of Baroda who has been nominated as mentor for my project and also thankful to all staffs of BOB as well as Head Office of Bank of Baroda for providing me the necessary guidelines regarding the project, for helping me to track the first hand information and supporting me in the carrying out the project successfully. As well as reposing a belief in me, this was essential for the completion of this project. I express my sincere thanks to Mr. PRIYA KUMAR, Senior Manager (HRM) at Regional Office Bank of Baroda Ahmedabad for giving me the opportunity to choose this topic and the project.I would also like to thank all the persons for their contribution for shaping up of this project, which helped me directly or indirectly in completing this project. 2. Preface The project is prepared during the vocational training under taken on partial fulfillment of the course of â₠¬Å"Master of Business Administration† Hence, this report is designed with the objective to gain practical knowledge. According to old saying there is a huge difference between â€Å"To say and to do†. To take theorical knowledge is important but it becomes more valuable when we apply it in the practice.So, there is a huge difference between theory & practical. For filling this requirement training in Bank of Baroda is very practical exposure for me. This training provides golden opportunity for every student, for better understanding in a working environment in the organization. Hence, this report is designed with the objective to gain practical knowledge. Table of Context |Sr no. |Topic |Pg No. |1 |Indian Banking Industry |5 | |2 |Opportunities in the Indian Banking Sector   |17 | |3 |History of BOB |19 | |4 |Personal Banking Services |27 | |5 |Debit Card |30 | |6 |Bank Of Baroda Debit Card |34 | |7 |SWOT Analysis |38 | |8 |Findings |41 | |9 |Research and develop ment |59 | |10 |Learning |61 | |11 |Experience at Bank of Baroda |62 | |12 |Bibliography |63 | [pic] Indian banking industry Introduction to Indian Banking Industry The banking system remains, as always, the most dominant segment of the financial sector. Indian banks continue to build on their strengths under the regulator's watchful eye and hence, have emerged stronger.In the annual international ranking conducted by UK-based Brand Finance Plc, 18 Indian banks have been included in the Brand Finance ® Global Banking 500. In fact, State Bank of India (SBI), which is the first Indian bank to be ranked among the Top 50 banks in the world, has improved its position from 36th to 34th, as per the Brand Finance study released on February 1, 2011. The brand value of SBI has enhanced to US$ 1. 12 billion. ICICI Bank, the only other Indian bank in the top 100 club has improved its position with a brand value of US$ 2. 5 billion. Indian banks contributed 1. 7 per cent to the total global brand value at US$ 14. 74 billion and grew by 19 per cent in 2011, according to the study. Nationalized banks, as a group, accounted for 51. per cent of the aggregate deposits, while State Bank of India (SBI) and its associates accounted for 22. 5 per cent, according to Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) ‘Quarterly Statistics on Deposits and Credit of Scheduled Commercial Banks: September 2010'. The share of New private sector banks, Old private sector banks, Foreign banks and Regional Rural banks in aggregate deposits was 13. 5 per cent, 4. 5 per cent, 5. 2 per cent and 3. 1 per cent respectively. With respect to gross bank credit also, nationalized banks hold the highest share of 50. 9 per cent in the total bank credit, with SBI and its associates at 23. 1 per cent and New Private sector banks at 13. 7 per cent.Foreign banks, Old private sector banks and Regional Rural banks held relatively lower shares in the total bank credit with 5. 2 per cent, 4. 5 per cent and 2. 5 per cent respectively. The report also found that scheduled commercial bank offices (with deposits of US$ 2. 25 or more) accounted for 66. 2 per cent of the bank offices, 96. 6 per cent in terms of aggregate deposits and 93. 8 per cent in total bank credit. Bank loans registered a growth of 21. 38 per cent in 2010-11, while deposit growth stood at 15. 84 per cent, according to data released by RBI. Analysts and bankers said a growth rate of 18 per cent in deposits and 20 per cent in credit should be sustainable for banks in 2011-12. India's foreign exchange reserves stood at US$ 308. billion as on April 8, 2011, according to the data in the weekly statistical supplement released by RBI. Indians who live and work abroad have remitted US$ 55 billion in 2010 as compared to US$ 49. 6 billion in 2009 and have topped the world list in sending money back home, according to World Bank's Migration and Remittances Fact book 2011. With online money transfer services provided by many banks becoming popu lar, remitting money from any corner of the world is no more a problem. History of Indian Banking Industry Banking in India originated in the first decade of 18th century with The General Bank of India coming into existence in 1786. This was followed by Bank of Hindustan. Both these banks are now defunct.The oldest bank in existence in India is the State Bank of India being established as â€Å"The Bank of Bengal† in Calcutta in June 1806. A couple of decades later, foreign banks like Credit Lyonnais started their Calcutta operations in the 1850s. At that point of time, Calcutta was the most active trading port, mainly due to the trade of the British Empire, and due to which banking activity took roots there and prospered. The first fully Indian owned bank was the Allahabad Bank, which was established in 1865. By the 1900s, the market expanded with the establishment of banks such as Punjab National Bank, in 1895 in Lahore and Bank of India, in 1906, in Mumbai – both of which were founded under private ownership.The Reserve Bank of India formally took on the responsibility of regulating the Indian banking sector from 1935. After India's independence in 1947, the Reserve Bank was nationalized and given broader powers. Nationalization By the 1960s, the Indian banking industry has become an important tool to facilitate the development of the Indian economy. At the same time, it has emerged as a large employer, and a debate has ensued about the possibility to nationalize the banking industry. Indira Gandhi, the-then Prime Minister of India expressed the intention of the GOI in the annual conference of the All India Congress Meeting in a paper entitled â€Å"Stray thoughts on Bank Nationalisation. † The paper was received with positive enthusiasm.Thereafter, her move was swift and sudden, and the GOI issued an ordinance and nationalised the 14 largest commercial banks with effect from the midnight of July 19, 1969. Jayaprakash Narayan, a nationa l leader of India, described the step as a â€Å"masterstroke of political sagacity. † Within two weeks of the issue of the ordinance, the Parliament passed the Banking Companies (Acquition and Transfer of Undertaking) Bill, and it received the presidential approval on 9th August, 1969. A second dose of nationalization of 6 more commercial banks followed in 1980. The stated reason for the nationalization was to give the government more control of credit delivery. With the second dose of nationalization, the GOI controlled around 91% of the banking business of India.After this, until the 1990s, the nationalized banks grew at a pace of around 4%, closer to the average growth rate of the Indian economy. Liberalization In the early 1990s the then Narasimha Rao government embarked on a policy of liberalization and gave licenses to a small number of private banks, which came to be known as New Generation tech-savvy banks, which included banks such as UTI Bank (now re-named as Axis Bank) (the first of such new generation banks to be set up), ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank. This move, along with the rapid growth in the economy of India, kick started the banking sector in India, which has seen rapid growth with strong contribution from all the three sectors of banks, namely, government banks, private banks and foreign banks.The next stage for the Indian banking has been setup with the proposed relaxation in the norms for Foreign Direct Investment, where all Foreign Investors in banks may be given voting rights which could exceed the present cap of 10%,at present it has gone up to 49% with some restrictions. The new policy shook the Banking sector in India completely. Bankers, till this time, were used to the 4-6-4 method (Borrow at 4%; Lend at 6%; Go home at 4%) of functioning. The new wave ushered in a modern outlook and tech-savvy methods of working for traditional banks. All this led to the retail boom in India. People not just demanded more from their banks but al so received more. Current Situation Currently (2007), banking in India is generally fairly mature in terms of supply, product range and reach-even though reach in rural India still remains a challenge for the private sector and foreign banks.In terms of quality of assets and capital adequacy, Indian banks are considered to have clean, strong and transparent balance sheets relative to other banks in comparable economies in its region. The Reserve Bank of India is an autonomous body, with minimal pressure from the government. The stated policy of the Bank on the Indian Rupee is to manage volatility but without any fixed exchange rate-and this has mostly been true. With the growth in the Indian economy expected to be strong for quite some time-especially in its services sector-the demand for banking services, especially retail banking, mortgages and investment services are expected to be strong. One may also expect M, takeovers, and asset sales.In March 2006, the Reserve Bank of India allowed Warburg Pincus to increase its stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank (a private sector bank) to 10%. This is the first time an investor has been allowed to hold more than 5% in a private sector bank since the RBI announced norms in 2005 that any stake exceeding 5% in the private sector banks would need to be vetted by them. Currently, India has 88 scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) – 28 public sector banks (that is with the Government of India holding a stake), 29 private banks (these do not have government stake; they may be publicly listed and traded on stock exchanges) and 31 foreign banks. They have a combined network of over 53,000 branches and 17,000 ATMs.According to a report by ICRA Limited, a rating agency, the public sector banks hold over 75 percent of total assets of the banking industry, with the private and foreign banks holding 18. 2% and 6. 5% respectively. Growth of Indian banking industry The growth in the Indian Banking Industry has been more qualitative than quantitative and it is expected to remain the same in the coming years. Based on the projections made in the â€Å"India Vision 2020† prepared by the Planning Commission and the Draft 10th Plan, the report forecasts that the pace of expansion in the balance-sheets of banks is likely to decelerate. | | The total assets of all scheduled commercial banks by end-March 2010 are estimated at  Rs. 40, 90,000 crores. That will comprise about 65 per cent of GDP at current market prices as compared to 67 per cent in 2002-03.Bank assets are expected to grow at an annual composite rate of 13. 4 per cent during the rest of the decade as against the growth rate of 16. 7 per cent that existed between 1994-95 and 2002-03. It is expected that there will be large additions to the capital base and reserves on the liability side. The Indian Banking Industry can be categorized into non-scheduled banks and scheduled banks. Scheduled banks constitute of commercial banks and co-operative banks. T here are about 67,000 branches of Scheduled banks spread across India. As far as the present scenario is concerned the Banking Industry in India is going through a transitional phase.The Public Sector Banks (PSBs), which are the base of the Banking sector in India account for more than 78 per cent of the total banking industry assets. Unfortunately they are burdened with excessive Non Performing assets (NPAs), massive manpower and lack of modern technology. On the other hand the Private Sector Banks are making tremendous progress. They are leaders in Internet banking, mobile banking, phone banking, ATMs. As far as foreign banks are concerned they are likely to succeed in the Indian Banking Industry. Types of Banks The operations of all the banks in India are controlled by the Reserve Bank of India. All the Indian banks are governed by the RBI or Reserve Bank of India. This governing body took over the reasonability of formally regulating the Indian banks in 1935.The Reserve Bank of India was announced as the official Central Banking Authority for the smooth supervision of the banking industry in India. Banks in India are classified into 2 broad categories namely, Public sector banks and Private sector banks. The banking scenario in India has already gained momentum, with the domestic and international banks gathering pace. All the banks in India are following the ‘cost', determined by revenue minus profit model. This means that all the resources should be used efficiently to improve the productivity and ensure a win-win situation. To survive in the long run, it is essential to focus on cost saving. Previously, banks focused on the ‘revenue' model which is equal to cost plus profit.Post the banking reforms, banks shifted their approach to the ‘profit' model, which meant that banks aimed at higher profit maximization. The  History of banking  in India dates back to the early half of the 18th century. 3 Presidency Banks that were established in the country namely the Bank of Hindustan, Bank of Madras and Bank of Bombay can also be referred to as some of the oldest banking institutions in the country. The State Bank of India that was earlier known as the Bank of Bengal is also one of the oldest in the genre. To know about the types of banks in India, it is necessary that we first comprehend the banking system so as to be able to distinguish about its various types.All  types of Banks in India  are regulated and the activities monitored by a standard bank called the Reserve Bank of India that stands at the apex of the banking structure. It is also called the Central Bank, as major banking decisions are taken at this level. The other types of banks in India are placed below this bank in the hierarchy. The major types of banks in India are as follows: [pic] Public sector banks in India All government owned banks fall in this variety. Besides the Reserve Bank of India, the State Bank of India and its associate banks and about 20 nationalized banks, all comprises of the public sector banks. Many of the regional rural banks that are funded by the government banks can also be clubbed in this genre.Banks such as State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank are known as Public sector banks. Public sector banks are controlled and managed by the Government of India. Public sector banks have been serving the nation for over centuries and are well known for their affordable and quality services. The banking sector in India is mostly dominated by the Public sector banks. The Public sector banks in India alone account for about 75 percent of the total advances in the Indian banking industry. Public sector banks have shown remarkable growth over the last five four decades. Allahabad Bank was the first fully owned Indian bank. It was founded in the year 1865. Private sector banks in IndiaA new wave in the banking industry came about with the private sector banks in India. With policies o n liberalization being generously taken up, these private banks were established in the country that also contributed heavily towards the growth of the economy and also offering numerous services to its customers. Some of the most popular banks in this genre are: Axis Bank, Bank of Rajasthan, Catholic Syrian Bank, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, ING Vysya Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and SBI Commercial and International Bank. The Foreign Banks in India like HSBC, Citibank, and Standard Chartered bank etc can also be clubbed here. Private Banks are banks like HDFC bank, ICICI Bank, UTI bank and IDBI bank.The concept of private banking was introduced about 15 years ago. These are the banks that do not have any government stakes. Private Banks have gained quite a strong foothold in the Indian banking industry over the last few years especially because of optimum use of technology. The Private Banks are accountable for a share of 18. 2 percent of the Indian banking industry. IndusInd Bank was the first private bank in India. Currently the bank is among the fastest growing Bank Private Banks in the country. IDBI which is ranked as the tenth largest global development bank is counted as one of the finest financial institutions in the subcontinent. List of Public sector and Private sector banks in India Public Sector Banks |Private Sector Banks | |Bank of Baroda |Bank of Rajasthan | |Allahabad Bank |Catholic Syrian Bank | |Central Bank of India |Bank of Punjab | |State Bank of Patiala |Dhanlakshmi Bank | |Andhra Bank |HDFC Bank | |Canara Bank |Karur Vysya Bank | |State Bank of Hyderabad |ING Vysya Bank | |Oriental Bank of Commerce |Laxmi Vilas Bank | |Dena Bank |Karnataka Bank | |State Bank of Mysore |South Indian Bank | |State Bank of Indore |United Western Bank | |UCO Bank |UTI Bank | |Vijaya Bank |Centurion Bank | |Syndicate Bank |City Union Bank | |State Bank of India |Development Credit Bank | |Bank of India |Federal Bank |Corporation Bank |ICICI Bank | |Ind ian Bank |IndusInd Bank | |Union Bank of India |Jammu & Kashmir Bank | |Punjab National Bank- | | |State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur | | |State Bank of Travancore | | |Bank of Baroda | | Comparison between Private and Public Sector BanksThe Private sector banks introduced the concept of online banking in India. This was mostly because the private banks were technologically well equipped. Online banking is extremely common today since you can sit anywhere and go ahead with your banking transactions. You do not have to personally visit your bank. The Private sector banks were using state of the art technology and fully computerized systems since the time they entered the Indian market whereas the Public sector banks were not. However despite the technological challenges the public sector banks in India are still the preferred destinations for many as they are considered as safer options for money deposit.Cooperative banks in India With the aim to specifically cater to the rural pop ulation, the cooperative banks in India were set up through the country. Issues like agricultural credit and the likes are taken care of by these banks. Opportunities in the Indian Banking Sector In the five decades since independence, the Indian banking system has evolved through four distinct phases. The major reform took place in the fourth phase, with the recommendations of Narasimham Committee (1991). The important initiatives that were introduced were the provisioning and capital adequacy, deregulation of interest rates and easing of norms to enter the banking sector.Further, the merger and acquisition in the sector will add a new growth dimension, as it would create 3 -4 global sized banks. The presence of these banks will help the country to attract foreign direct investments, which in turn will drive the future growth in the Indian Banking sector. The report titled ‘Opportunities in the Indian Banking Sector’ provides a crisp and comprehensive analysis of the c urrent status and overall growth prospects of the Indian banking industry. The report provides an insight into the use of Information Technology in the sector and the impact of the Union Budget 2010-11 on the growth of the sector. The research presents a detailed PEST analysis of the industry which is substantiated with key findings.The report aims to investigate the opportunities that have been created in the industry in the areas of pension fund, rural banking and e banking. Moreover, the research also explains the impact of the Basel 3 norms on the functioning of the Indian Banks. ‘Opportunities in the Indian Banking Sector’ is an outcome of comprehensive research and analysis of the Indian Banking sector. The team has also mapped the competitive landscape of the sector and tried to shed light on the operations/strategies of the key players. Thus, the information available in the report is expected to enable the target audience in understanding the contemporary indus try scenario. Key findings in the report include: The Indian banking industry has been able to sustain the global economic crisis much better than other developing countries due to its robust capital structure. The implementation of Basel 3 norms will make it more immune to crisis and will guard the banking industry against market risk, interest rate risk and operational risk. Moreover, the creation of capital buffer will provide a cushion for periods of stress and will not lead to situations of insolvency. †¢ In a major move, undertaken by RBI to elevate financial inclusion in the country, additional branch licenses will be granted to private sector banks and NBFCs. This will further assist to ease the entry norms in the industry and attract new players.Additionally, the setting up of new branches will help in extending banking products and services to remote areas of the country. †¢ A paradigm shift in the banking system has been witnessed with the use of information tec hnology for implementation of total banking automation. Various software companies are launching software application packages for banks. For instance, Infosys has rolled out Finnacle which a core banking software, designed to offer solutions for e banking, CRM for requirements of retail, corporate and universal banking and core banking. Moreover, with the introduction of interbank mobile payment service by The National Payment Corporation of India, the retail customers can now avail 24*7 fund transfers.History of Bank of Baroda[pic] [pic] About Bank of Baroda A saga of vision and enterprise It has been a long and eventful journey of almost a century across 25 countries. Starting in 1908 from a small building in Baroda to its new hi-rise and hi-tech Baroda Corporate Centre in Mumbai, is a saga of vision, enterprise, financial prudence and corporate governance. It is a story scripted in corporate wisdom and social pride. It is a story crafted in private capital, princely patronage an d state ownership. It is a story of ordinary bankers and their extraordinary contribution in the ascent of Bank of Baroda to the formidable heights of corporate glory.It is a story that needs to be shared with all those millions of people – customers, stakeholders, employees & the public at large – who in ample measure, have contributed to the making of an institution. Our mission statement To be a top ranking National Bank of International Standards committed to augmenting stake holders' value through concern, care and competence. Our Logo Our new logo is a unique representation of a universal symbol. It comprises dual ‘B’ letterforms that hold the rays of the rising sun. We call this the Baroda Sun. The sun is an excellent representation of what our bank stands for. It is the single most powerful source of light and energy – its far reaching rays dispel darkness to illuminate everything they touch.At Bank of Baroda, we seek to be the source that w ill help all our stakeholders realise their goals. To our customers, we seek to be a one-stop, reliable partner who will help them address different financial needs. To our employees, we offer rewarding careers and to our investors and business partners, maximum return on their investment. The single-colour, compelling vermillion palette has been carefully chosen, for its distinctiveness as it stands for hope and energy. We also recognize that our bank is characterized by diversity. Our network of branches spans geographical and cultural boundaries and rural-urban divides. Our customers come from a wide spectrum of industries and backgrounds.The Baroda Sun is a fitting face for our brand because it is a universal symbol of dynamism and optimism – it is meaningful for our many audiences and easily decoded by all. Our new corporate brand identity is much more than a cosmetic change. It is a signal that we recognize and are prepared for new business paradigms in a globalised wor ld. At the same time, we will always stay in touch with our heritage and enduring relationships on which our bank is founded. By adopting a symbol as simple and powerful as the Baroda Sun, we hope to communicate both. The Heritage It all started with a visionary Maharaja's uncanny foresight into the future of trade and enterprising in his country.On 20th July 1908, under the Companies Act of 1897, and with a paid up capital of Rs 10 Lacs started the legend that has now translated into a strong, trustworthy financial body,  THE BANK OF BARODA. It has been a wisely orchestrated growth, involving corporate wisdom, social pride and the vision of helping others grow, and growing itself in turn. The founder,  Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad, with his insight into the future, saw â€Å"a bank of this nature will prove a beneficial agency for lending, transmission, and deposit of money and will be a powerful factor in the development of art, industries and commerce of the State and adjoinin g territories. † The Ethics Between 1913 and 1917, as many as 87 banks failed in India. Bank of Baroda survived the crisis, mainly due to its honest and prudent leadership.This financial integrity, business prudence, caution and an abiding care and concern for the hard earned savings of hard working people, were to become the central philosophy around which business decisions would be effected. This cardinal philosophy was over years of its existence, to become its biggest asset. It ensured that the Bank survived the Great War years. It ensured survival during the Great Depression. Even while big names were dragged into the Stock Market scam and the Capital Market scam, the Bank of Baroda continued its triumphant march along the best ethical practices. The Heroes No history is complete without mention of its heroes, mostly ordinary people, who turn in extra-ordinary performances and contribute to building an institution.Over the years, there have been thousands of such people. The Bank salutes these â€Å"unknown soldiers† who passionately helped to create the legend of Bank of Baroda. There were also the leaders, both corporate and royal, who provided the vision and guided the Bank through trail blazing years, and departing, left behind footprints on the sands of time. This Roll of Honor will be incomplete without mention of men, of the stature of  Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad, Sampatrao Gaekwad, Ralph Whitenack, Vithaldas Thakersey, Tulsidas Kilachand and NM Chokshi. Bank of Baroda salutes these leaders whose vision helped to create an institution. Offices and branches [pic] [pic]Shower of Awards & Accolades On Bank Of Baroda ? Bank of Baroda receives Skoch Award ? Bank of Baroda bags Bank of the year 2010 (for India) ? Bank of Baroda has bagged three awards from Association of Business Communicators of India in an award function held at Mumbai. ? Bank of Baroda has been conferred upon Best Bank 2010 award by the prestigious financial magazine, Business India in recognition of its consistent performance ? Bank of Baroda has been conferred upon Silver Award by Dainik Bhaskar group (DNA) ? Bank of Baroda has been awarded with prestigious Dalal Street- DSIJ PSU Award. ? CMD Shri M. D. Mallya is seen receiving the Skoch Challenger Award from Dr. C.Rangarajan, Hon’ble Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. ? Association of Business Communicators of India gives awards every year in various categories of Business Communication. Bank of Baroda got the Gold Trophy for the Indian Language Publication, Silver Trophy for the Corporate Website of the Bank, Bronze trophy for Bilingual Internal Magazine and CMD’s message. The Awards were received by Smt. Vindhya Ramesh, Dy. General Manager along with team members in an award function held in Mumbai. ? Shri Nandan Srivastava, General Manager in-charge (Official Language) receiving the   prestigious Millennium National Rajbhasha Shield constituted by Nat ional Hindi Academy Bank of Baroda has been conferred â€Å"Bank of the year† Award at India Leadership Conclave held in Delhi. ? Bank has won award for the leading Public Sector Bank in â€Å"Global Business Development† category at the Dun & Bradstreet Banking Awards 2009, held in Mumbai, on wednesday 18th February 2009. Journey from 1908 to 2009: 1908-1958 ? 1908: Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III set up Bank of Baroda (BOB). ? 1910: BOB established its first branch in Ahmadabad. ? 1953: BOB established a branch in Mombasa and another in Kampala. ? 1954: BOB opened a branch in Nairobi. ? 1956: BOB opened a branch in Dar-es-Salaam. ? 1957: BOB established a branch in London. ? 1959: BOB acquired Hind Bank. 1960s-1970 1961: Merger of New Citizen Bank of India with BOB helped it increase its branch network in Maharashtra. ? BOB also opened a branch in Fiji ? 1962: BOB opened a branch in Mauritius. ? 1963: BOB acquired Surat Banking Corporation in Surat, Gujarat. ? 1964: B OB acquired two banks, Umbergaon People’s Bank in southern Gujarat and Tamil Nadu Central Bank in Tamil Nadu state. ? 1964: BOB lost its branch in Narayanjanj (East Pakistan) due to the Indo-Pakistan war. It is unclear when BOB had opened the branch. ? 1965: BOB opened a branch in Guyana. ? 1967: The Tanzanian government nationalized BOB’s three branches there and transferred their operations to the Tanzanian government-owned National Banking Corporation. 1969: The Government of India nationalized 14 top banks, including BOB. BOB incorporated its operations in Uganda as a 51% subsidiary, with the government owning the rest. 2000s ? 2000: BOB established Bank of Baroda (Botswana). ? 2002: BOB acquired Benares State Bank in Benares at the Reserve Bank of India’s request. ? 2002: Bank of Baroda (Uganda) was listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE). ? 2003: BOB opened an OBU in Mumbai. ? 2004: BOB acquired the failed Gujarat Local Area Bank, and returned to Ta nzania by establishing a subsidiary in Dar-es-Salaam. ? BOB also opened a representative office each in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Guangdong, PRC. 2005: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has approved a joint venture between BOB, Bank of Maharashtra (BOM), and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) to set up a bank in Malaysia. The new bank will reside in Kuala Lumpur, which has a large population of Indians. The initial capital required will be US$78 million; BOB will invest 40%, and the other two banks will invest 30% each. The JV is awaiting approval from the Malaysian Central Bank. Bank has built and commissioned its own State-of-the-Art Global Data Centre (DC) in Mumbai for running its centralized banking solution(CBS) and other applications in 1900+ branches across India and 20 other counties where the Bank is operating. ? BOB also opened a representative office in Thailand. ? 2006: BOB established an Offshore Banking Unit (OBU) in Singapore. 2007: In its centenary year, BOB's total b usiness crossed 2. 09 lakh crores, its branches crossed 1000, and its global customer base 29 million people. ? 2008: BOB opened a branch in Guangzhou, China (02/08/2008). ? 2009: Bank of Baroda registered with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, enabling it to trade as a bank in New Zealand (2009/09/01) Personal Banking Services Bank of Baroda  believes in the strength and integrity of relationships built with its customers like you. With over 102 years of experience in the banking industry and a wide network of over 3412 branches  all over the country, we have always been active in extending financial support and adapting to your changing needs.Bank’s  Deposit Products,  Retail Loans,  Credit Cards  and  Debit Cards  help you with your growing financial needs. With facilities like  Lockers  we ensure that your valuables are safe with us. BOB’s countrywide branches offer convenience and ease in operating one’s account wherever they are. BOBâ₠¬â„¢s 24-hour ATMs enable to withdraw cash, check account balance and request for a new cheque book even after banking hours. Faster technology for better service Baroda Internet Banking / Baroda Mobile Banking, our latest Internet and Mobile banking initiatives enable you to operate your account just as you would in any of our branches. You can through the Internet check your balance, request for cheque books and print account details.Choose from our various products and services, that we sincerely feel will put a smile on your face; an investment we would like to bank on forever. | | | | Deposits Bank of Baroda  offers various deposit plans that you can choose from depending on the term period, nature of deposit and its unique saving and withdrawal features. Apart from competitive interest rates and convenient withdrawal options, BOB’s deposit plans offer other features such as overdraft facility, outstation cheque collections, safe deposit lockers, ATM's etc. Choose from   Fixed,  Current  and  Savings  Deposit plans. Fixed deposits are categorized into deposits with a term period of less than 12 months, more than 12 months and recurring deposits.These deposit plans offer convenient solutions to both working individuals as well as senior citizens. Current and saving deposits are ideal for individuals who wish to take advantage of multiple benefits within the same plan and even be eligible to opt for overdrafts. Deposit Products & Services Fixed Current Saving Gen Next Services Gen- Next Junior Gen- Next Life style Gen- Next Power Gen- Next Suvidha Retail Loans A wide range of solutions for your financial needs Bank of Baroda  offers a wide range of retail loans to meet your diverse needs. Whether the need is for a new house, child's education, purchase of a new car or home appliances, BOB’s unique and need specific loans will enable his/her to convert dreams to realities. Products Home Loan | |Home Improvement Loan | |Loan Again st Future Rent Receivables | |Advance Against Securities | |Baroda Career Development Loan | |Two Wheeler Loan | |Traders Loan | |Baroda Ashray | |Home Loan TO NRIs/PIOs | |Mortgage Loan | |Education Loan | |Auto Loan | |Loan To Doctors | |Personal Loan | | | | | | | | | |Debit Card | |The  Bank of Baroda International Debit Card  is accepted at over  50000 Visa Electron ATMs in India and 1000000 ATMs worldwide. The | |card is also accepted at any 350000 merchant outlets in India and around 29 millions globally.The card enables you to enjoy the | |convenience of cash-less purchasing power without the fear of overdrawing your account | |Key Benefits and Features | |ATM daily cash withdrawal limit Rs: 25,000 (per transaction limit Rs. 15,000) and Point of Sales (POS) daily limit Rs. 50,000. | |Take advantage of the most widely accepted card and be able to withdraw from any ATM displaying the VISA logo, in India and | |abroad. | |At VISA Electron merchant shops, it can also serve as your electronic purse, and money gets debited instantly from your account, | |as you pay. | |The Card allows you to get mini-statements from Bank of Baroda ATMs, or to check the balance in your account, avoiding visits to | |even our nearest branches. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |What's a Debit Card? | |A debit card is issued to an account and card holder uses the card the debit transaction is directly affected to his/her account | |to the extent of balance available. Whereas in credit card there is no need of account but a credit limited is granted up to which| |one can spend. | |How Does a Debit Card Work? | |When you use a debit card, the linked account is checked for the balance availability and the transaction debits (withdraws) the | |amount from the linked account, immediately.You can use a debit card to get cash from  ATM machines  or have it swiped like a | |credit card at shops or restaurants or swipe it through a pay phone to make a call. | |Making a Travel Budget With a Debit Card | |Naturally, you can't rely on your debit card for all your international transactions – imagine haggling with a street vendor, | |getting the price right and then trying to give him/her plastic! Remote hostels and many restaurants in third world countries | |don't accept credit cards (which is how debit cards are viewed in the business world).Thus, you'll need to make budget plans | |before you leave home so that you have traveler's checks and cash  and  some money in your checking account for use on your debit | |card. | |Let's assume you have a budget of $2000 for your trip. Decide how you're comfortable splitting that into the way you'll use it; | |$100 in traveler's checks (although travelers' checks are dead as disco, because carrying them is a pain on several levels — | |we've had banks in other countries refuse to cash them, we've lost them, etc. and so on), $400 in cash and $1500 left in your | |checkin g account, for example — that's $1500 on your debit card. | |If that $2000 represents your entire cash portfolio, consider setting up emergency precautions before you leave home.If someone, | |like Dad, is willing to loan you money, leave deposit slips with him so that if you spend all your money abroad, you can dial for | |dollars (using your debit card) and he can get some money into your account. If your debit card (your checking account) is almost | |empty, ask him to tell the bank to â€Å"memo post† the deposit so that the cash is immediately available and your debit card is | |quickly back in business. | |How to Get a Debit Card | |Chances are you were automatically offered a debit card when you opened your checking account. If you don't have a checking | |account, go open one now.Look for a bank that doesn't charge checking account fees, and ask for a debit card. | |It takes a few days to two weeks to get a debit card after you order it. When the card arrives, sign the back; have photo id with | |your signature handy when you use the card – merchants may want to compare your face and your signatures to protect themselves | |from fraud. | |How to Choose a Debit Card PIN Number | |Your debit card comes with a PIN (personal identification number) which can be changed to a number you can easily remember. | |Memorize it; if you have to write it down, keep that separate from your card.Don't choose an obvious number, like your birthday, | |in order to lessen the chances of someone else being able to guess your PIN number if they come into possession of your card. | | | | | |If You Lose Your Debit Card†¦ | |If your card is lost or stolen, call your bank a sap (Skype's a good, cheap choice for international calls from anywhere you can | |find a computer) before someone else spends your money. Write down your bank's number before you leave home and keep it in a | |couple of places – your journal, your guidebook. Set up an  i nternational snail mail address before you leave home so your bank can| |send you a different card if yours does get lost or stolen. | | | | | | |When to Use Your Debit Card | |Debit cards are handy when making a long distance room reservation or any internet reservation, including plane tickets. You can't| |use a debit card just like a credit card when renting a car – the companies require a major credit card, which offer a certain | |amount of insurance in case you have a fender bender. |About Debit Card Fees and Overseas Transaction Fees | |International ATM machines will charge a fee  when you use your debit card; the amount is determined by the ATM owner. Most fees | |are under $5 — a notice on the ATM machine will tell you what the fee is. More than $2 is too much — look for another ATM | |machine. | |The real fee problem with a debit card comes from your own bank — the card issuer may charge you up to 3 percent for a foreign | |transaction, in cluding an ATM withdrawal. Call your bank long before you go — if you don't like the fee, call around and ask what| |other banks are charging for foreign transactions made with a debit card; be sure to ask what, if any, fees the bank will charge | |for an ATM withdrawal made on foreign soil, even at an â€Å"international bank. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Bank Of Baroda Debit Card | |What is a debit card? | |Debit Card is an electronic purse, which allows the holder to withdraw cash from ATMs and also enables him to purchase goods or | |services from the member establishments. Debit Cards are mostly issued in collaboration either with VISA or MASTER Card. | |What is Bank of Baroda’s Debit Card? | |Bank is issuing globally accepted Debit Card in association with VISA, which will be the easiest way to access customer’s account. |A debit card will allow the customer to purchase goods at VISA Electron merchant establishments and withdraw Cash from any VI SA | |ATM in India and abroad. It is a 24 hours banking facility. | |What is the difference between a Debit Card and a Credit Card? | |The basic difference between a Debit Card and a Credit Card is that the Debit Card gives the customer access to his own money | |whereas the credit card is a form of loan and allows line of credit offered by the Bank. As in case of Debit Card, there will be | |on line debit to the customer’s account, there are no hassle of receiving bills, making payments on due dates, making payment of | |interest on the amount not paid etc. |What is the advantage of a debit card? | |The debit card provides tremendous convenience in payments and helps the customers reduce the amount of cash they need to carry. | |Besides that customer always stays in control of his finances as he can spend only what he has in his account. It also gives an | |unparalleled access to his account, whenever he wants, wherever he goes. | |No Interest / service Charges | |Suits to the Indian psyche of limited expenditure. | |Debit card is not included in the list of Compulsory Income Tax Return Filing. |Usable at POS and hence no carry cash | |Same Card usable at ATMs | |Will customers be entitled to get an additional card in case of joint accounts? | |All the joint account holders, if the operating instructions in the account are ‘either or survivor’, are eligible to get an | |additional card in his/her own name. | |What are the charges for issuing of a Debit Card? | |There are no charges for issuing a debit card. | |What should customer do on receipt of DEBIT CARD? | |Customers are advised to immediately sign on the panel on the back of the Card. However, to prevent any possible misuse, even | |before delivery of Card to customer, it has been made mandatory that Customer should first use the Card at ATM, which requires PIN| |to be entered..Debit Card will be activated for use at POS only after it is used at ATM. | |What is PIN? | |PIN is a FOU R Digits Personal Identification Number, which is issued to the customer in a CLOSED Jacket and is delivered to him | |separately. Customers are requested to ensure that PIN jacket is received by them INTACT and they are also requested to change his| |PIN immediately. Under no circumstance, PIN should be divulged to anyone including to any official from the Bank. | | | |Where will Bank Of Baroda Debit Card be accepted? | |The  Bank of Baroda International Debit Card  is accepted at over 32000 Visa Electron ATMs in India and 1000000 ATMs worldwide.The | |card is also accepted at any 350000 merchant outlets in India and around 29 millions globally. The card enables you to enjoy the | |convenience of cash-less purchasing power without the fear of overdrawing your account. | |What are the facilities available at ATMs? | |At BANK OF BARODA’s ATM network, Customer will be able to withdraw Cash, make a balance enquiry, change his PIN and print a mini | |statement of his account. However, at all other banks ATMs he will be able to withdraw cash and enquire the balance only. | |Whether there are any charges for using CARD at ATMs? | |There will not be any charges for using the Card at Bank of Baroda’s own ATM network.However, if the Card is used at other banks | |ATM, whether in India or abroad, customer is required to pay the charges as per tariff of charges, which will be declared by the | |Bank from time to time. | |And what about charges for using the Card at POS? | |There will not be any charge for using the Card at the POS, either in India or abroad except a nominal service charge is levied if| |the card is used at Petrol Pumps and Indian railways. | |How the amounts withdrawn abroad or purchases made outside India are debited into the account? | |Normally the Cash can be withdrawn and payments for purchases can be made upto the amount of balance available in the account of | |the customer.However, for safety reasons Bank has fixed PER DAY limit of Rs 15000/- for withdrawing the Cash at ATMs and Rs | |25000/- for making purchases at the POS, subject to maximum of balance available in SB account. These limits are also subject to | |using the card MAXIMUM of FOUR times in a day. | |Are any formalities required to be completed by the Bank for international transactions? | |NO, the customer is required to use the Card as per his foreign exchange entitlements only and necessary formalities as required | |under FEMA 1999 are to be complied with by the customer. | | | |What will be the mode of payment in case of a Debit Card? | |The account of the customer will be debited instantly to the extent of purchases made and amount withdrawn from the ATMs. |Therefore, there will not be any monthly outstanding as in case of Credit Cards. | |If customer returns the goods to POS or cancel the transactions, will his account be credited online? | |In case he cancels the transaction immediately, customer’s account will be credited imme diately. However if any customer returns | |the goods later, merchant will make the payment to our Base branch through acquirer. Switch will pass on the credit to customer’s | |account thereafter. | |What is the procedure to be followed in case of loss of Debit Card? | |In case of loss of card, customer will be required to report the loss IMMEDIATELY over phone to our 24 hours Customer Care Toll | |free number 1800 220 400. He will also be required to report the loss to nearest police station and inform the Bank in writing | |along with a copy of information duly acknowledged by the Police. | |When will the customer get replacement card in lieu of lost one? | |Replacement card will be issued to customer after receipt of above information and a request for issuing of replacement card from | |the base branch of the customer. | |How can Customer prevent misuse of card in event of getting it misplaced? | |Customers are protected from the misuse/losses on the Debit Card after they report the loss to the Bank. They will be covered | |automatically under an insurance cover. Please note that this cover will be available to customers only for misuse of card atPOS,| |because at ATM misuse without PIN is not possible. Customer is neither supposed to divulge his PIN to anyone nor record the PIN | |anywhere. | [pic] SWOT Analysis SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH: ? Financially strong bank ? Very old bank ? Aggressive marketing ? Good repo ? Technological advanced WEAKNESS: ? Guidelines are not flexible ? Power is not decentralized OPPORTUNITIES: ? New area is developing. So, there is vast chance for housing loan. ? Guidelines to be designed in such a way that needs of the all type of prospective borrowers should be fulfilled. THREATS: ? This is the nationalized bank so, competition may be with private banks ?Aggressive marketing strategies by private banks ? Entry of foreign banks in near future. [pic] Findings and Research Methodology Findings Q. 1. Are you a customer of BOB ? [pic] Interpretation:- Around 91. 60% are Bank of Baroda customer, because these surveys are conducted in various branches of BOB only. So majority are customer of BOB. Q. 2. Which type of A/C do you maintain? [pic] Interpretation:- According to survey there are majority of respondent are maintaining saving account. It’s very easy to maintain and also only 1000Rs. are required for opening these type of account. Q. 3. How long are you banking with BOB? [pic] Interpretation:-According to total respondent 29 respondent are banking with Bank of Baroda lies between 1-5 years and 26 respondent are banking with BOB more than 5 years. Q. 4. Which of the following facilities of BOB you use? [pic] Interpretation:- According to respondent 40 customer are using ATM/Debit Card and 18 customer are using Net banking. These show those customers are using ATM/Debit card facilities more than other facilities. Q. 5. How frequently do you use AMT/Debit card? [pic] Q. 6. What purpose you are us ing AMT/Debit card? [pic] Q. 7. Select the type of Baroda Connect a/c you use? Q. 8. How did you come to know about Baroda Connect? [pic] Q. 9.Which of the following do you use in Baroda Connect facility? [pic] Q. 10. How frequently do you use Baroda Connect (net banking facility)? [pic] Q. 11. Select some of the benefits of using Baroda Connect? [pic] Q. 12. Do you have demate A/C? [pic] Q. 13. Satisfaction level of using ATM/Debit card: [pic] Q. 14. Satisfaction level of using Baroda Connect (Net Banking): [pic] Q. 15. How frequently do you visit the branch? [pic] Q. 16. What are purpose of visiting the brand? [pic] Personal Detail:- ? Gender:- [pic] ? Education:- [pic] ? Monthly Income (Rs. ):- [pic] Research & Development ACTUAL COLLECTION OF DATA Data sources: The sources of data include either secondary data or primary data and even ome times the combination of both. The present study is more concentration on both primary and secondary data. Primary data: Primary data is colle cted through face-to face interaction with customers of the telecom companies, by meeting them in personal. Secondary data: The secondary data used for their study are inclusive of the data collected from the internet, catalogues and brochure. SAMPLING PLAN 1 Define Population ? Elements: Customers ? Sampling Units: Businessmen, Professional, House wives, Students. ? Extent: West, North, South, East 2 Sampling Frame ? Various Branches of Bank of Baroda, Ahmedabad city. 3 Sampling Method ? Random Sampling METHODOLOGYThe study will conduct on the bases of survey through questionnaires given to respondents. Sampling Design Population: Ahmadabad Sample Size: Population of 60 LEARNINGS The most important part is that they make me feel employee of the organization rather than a trainee and allow me to flourish in each and every department. They were so generous to me that at any mistake, rather scolding they taught me how to correct it & allow me to learn from that mistake. Learning inclu de, 1. Overview of the banking industry & their operation 2. Deep Knowledge of ATM/Debit Cards 3. Familiar with third party Products and Alternative delivery Channels 4. Gain knowledge of loan 5.Proposals that the bank has approved for the disbursement of loan 6. Working on CRISIL and learning some of its function 7. The most important learning of CIBIL& how to learn this CIBIL 8. Knowledge & functioning of LAPS software 9. Also Updated with SME Loans, City back offices, Service branch, MICR centre. 10. How to come out from the different problems & how to interact with customer. 11. Awareness of FINACLE software. Experience at Bank of Baroda I would like to conclude my project with a feeling of having gained enormous knowledge in the field of advances. My project has taught me a lot and has helped me sharpen my management skills for application aspect.I had wonderful experience for which I am greatly thankful to the entire staff of BOB who have continuously taught me by guiding in each and every step. It was a memorable experience of working in such a lively & dedicated atmosphere. Not to forget to mention that my two months training has removed my misconceptions regarding the working of public sector bank. Lastly, I would conclude it was such a memorable experience for me to be a part of BOB. Thanks a lot to all staff members of BOB for such a good co-operation. BIBILIOGRAPHY ? www. bankofbaroda. com ? www. google. com ? http://www. ibef. org/industry/Banking. aspx ? www. cibil. com ? www. crisil. com [pic] ———————– [pic]

Family Therapy

Family Therapy The Bowenian therapy At first, it is possible to speak about the application of the Bowenian approach. This model is based on the assumption that a counselor should increase a client’s differentiation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Family Therapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In other words, this individual should be able to distinguish his/her own identity from the identities other family members (Ziegler, 20005, p. 80). This concept can be relevant to Ellen who becomes vulnerable to stress because she associates herself too closely with the feelings and emotional problem of her relatives. However, this behavior eventually poses a threat to her emotional wellbeing and socialization. This form of therapy includes several techniques that can throw light on the origins of emotional problems faced the family of Grace Brown. First of all, a Bowenian therapist would construct a genogram of this family. It shou ld be based on information collected during the interviews. This chart should depict genealogical relations, communications patterns within a multigenerational family, or emotional alienation (Rasheed, 2010, p. 193). This method of analyzing information can give many valuable insights to a therapist. In particular, it can show that emotional alienation and suicidal ideations are the problems that affected several generations of this family.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, one can mention that Ellen’s grandmother made a suicide attempt. Moreover, her biological father Nick was more attached to his mother, rather than father. To some degree, this behavior is displayed by Ellen. Additionally, this technique is helpful for measuring the degree of differentiation or fusion within a family. While collecting and analyzing information, a Bowenian therapist shou ld understand Ellen’s emotional relations with other family members. In this case, one should speak about such a problem as emotional cutoff. The Bowenian therapy implies that very often people try to resolve their emotional conflicts with relatives by reducing or avoiding any contacts with these people (Goldberg, 1990, p. 293). This is one of the behavioral strategies that Ellen adopts when she distances herself from her stepfather, Henry. Yet, other family members also act in this way. In particular, one can mention Grace and her brother Ted. The main problem is that these individuals are not able to identify and resolve their tensions (Goldberg, 1990, p. 293). Overall, one can say that the collection and analysis of data can be regarded as critical components of the Bowenian therapy. Apart from, the Bowenian therapy includes such a technique as taking an â€Å"I† position. (Rasheed, 2010, p. 199). The main peculiarity of this intervention is that a therapist objecti vely expresses his/her opinions about the family without criticizing or supporting some family members. He/she does not get involved into the emotional conflict. For instance, a Bowenian therapist may argue that Ellen seeks a person who can play the role of a father. Yet, Nick does not call her often enough, while Henry is not willing to be an authority figure for this child.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Family Therapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is why this child accepts the idea of suicide. The adoption of such a strategy can make a therapist unpopular among some family members (Rasheed, 2010, p. 199). However, this approach is useful for identifying the most urgent problems that should be addressed during therapy sessions. This intervention can be implemented at the time, when a therapist has collected and analyzed relevant information about the family. Moreover, a counselor should make sure that his /her arguments do not resemble an accusation. One can say that this intervention involves such a process as de-triangulation (Ziegler, 20005, p. 94). This means that people, who may have some disagreement, are encouraged to respond to each other’s concerns without asking a third person to act as a referee (Ziegler, 20005, p. 94). For example, Henry should suppose that Grace can always act as mediator between Ellen and him. Such an attitude is not compatible with effective parenting strategies. This is one of the issues that should be considered by a therapist. Furthermore, the practitioners of the Bowenian therapy lay stress on the importance of role playing. They encourage clients to act out various situations during which they experience emotional distress (Rasheed, 2010). This intervention can be relevant to the needs of these household. For, a counselor may prompt Grace and Henry to act the situations when they have to demonstrate their parenting skills. At this point, a therapist can modify some of the behaviors than they displays. In this way, a counselor can help this family develop more effective methods of conflict resolution. For instance, he/she should urge the relatives to communicate more with Ellen. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about Nick who does not call Ellen often enough.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He should keep in mind at this point, Ellen is too dependent on her mother, and it is difficult for her to live without the support of a father figure. This is one of the details that should be singled out because it can be useful for explaining her experiences. Thus, role playing can be an effective intervention. Apart from that, this model includes such techniques as letter and journal writing. It is possible to ask a client to write about his/her daily experiences (Rasheed, 2010, p. 199). The main advantage of this method is that a counselor can better evaluate a person’s reaction to therapy. For instance, it is possible to ask Ellen to write such a journal because in this way, a therapist can learn more about the attitudes of this child. Moreover, journaling can help Ellen formulate her major requirements for her relatives. Furthermore, journaling can benefit other people such as Grace who should also reflect on her experiences and interactions with close and distant rela tives. These are the main benefits of this intervention. Additionally, it is important to speak about such an activity as coaching. At this stage, a therapist should explain how clients may resolve their emotional conflicts. The main task of a counselor is to help clients anticipate possible challenges that they can encounter in the future (Rasheed, 2010). This intervention can also be applicable to the needs of this family. In particular, it is necessary to describe the parenting strategies that Grace and Henry should adopt while interacting with Ellen and her stepbrother Todd. Grace and Henry should demonstrate that they are equally attached to both children. Their failure to display this attachment can be underlying cause of her alienation and suicidal thoughts. On the whole, these people should place themselves in Ellen’s position. In this way, they can understand why their daughter remains distant from them and even her peers. Thus, a therapist should clearly communicate these ideas to the parents. This is one of the main goals that should be achieved by a counselor. Finally, it is possible to discuss the so-called Bowenian conference. At this stage, a therapist should encourage family members to express their concerns or opinions about the behavior of other family members. For example, Ellen may speak about the roles that Grace, Henry, and Nick should play. Secondly, Grace may air her views about her needs as a wife and a mother. It should be kept in mind that the recommendations or suggestions made during the Bowenian conference should not be regarded as imperatives. However, they can be viewed as a roadmap that family members can use in the future (Rasheed, 2010, p. 201). It should be kept in mind that the participants should not immediately express their agreements or disagreement with the opinions of others (Rasheed, 2010, p. 201). Instead, they need to think about the experiences of their relatives. At this point, a therapist should reduce th e risk of mutual accusations because they are not likely to benefit the participants. This is one of the limitations that should not be disregarded. Yet, one can say that this technique is critical for promoting empathy. These examples suggest that this form of therapy can benefit Ellen and other members of the family. It is possible to say that by using the principles of this model, a counselor can help them resolve various emotional problems. In particular, these people can become more autonomous. Moreover, various interventions can eliminate the risk of suicidal ideations. The main advantage of this model is that it can people identify and resolve conflicts, instead of avoiding them. This is why this approach can be considered by a counselor who works with this family. Narrative Therapy It is possible to apply other models of therapy. For instance, one can speak about such an approach as narrative family therapy. This approach is premised on the idea that there are no objective s tandards according to which reality should be evaluated. Instead, it is necessary to examine the subjective perceptions that are constructed through language (Bitter, 2010, p. 497). Moreover, a therapist should pay attention to way in which people portray themselves and others through their narratives. Therefore, it is critical to focus on the stories that Ellen, Grace, Nick, or Henry can provide. It is quite possible that they can offer different interpretations of the same events. Additionally, a therapist should pay attention to the way in which these people portray their close and distant relatives. These are the main aspects of this approach. Thus, one should discuss the specific techniques that be applied. A supporter of narrative therapy can implement several interventions. First, a counselor should try to externalize a certain problem (Gabbard, 2007, p. 750). In other words, he/she should emphasize the idea that certain difficulties or negative feelings should not be attribu ted to some in-born characteristics of a person (Gabbard, 2007, p. 750). This externalization means that a problem can be resolved or removed (Gabbard, 2007, p. 750). For instance, a therapist may show to Henry that Ellen is not an alienated and troubled girl. Instead, this professional should emphasize that she suffers from alienation and anxiety because she passes through a difficult period in her life. In this case, the use of different words can eventually change people’s attitudes towards one another. This is one of the points that can be made. To a great extent, this intervention is necessary to demonstrate that these suicidal ideations can be effectively addressed provided that parents improve their parenting strategies. Additionally, a therapist should pay attention to the way in which family members describe each other. For instance, from Henry’s perspective, Grace is often high-sprung. Instead, a counselor should urge Henry to remember she is just a person wh o can be affected by anxiety due to some reasons. She is extremely concerned about the wellbeing of her family, and these thoughts increase her nervousness. However, one should not suppose that she is always nervous. Additionally, it is vital to demonstrate to Ellen that she is not a bad person who has no reason to live. Instead, a therapist should emphasize that her depression is just the result of external problems; however, Ellen should not be overwhelmed by this feeling because it can prevent her from enjoying her life. This is the most important issues that should be addressed. On the whole, the externalization of a problem is important for changing the perceptions and attitudes of family members. It is the first step that each of the clients should take in order to reduce the impact of traumatic experiences on a person. This is one of the arguments that can be advanced. Furthermore, it is important to speak about such a technique as the deconstruction of a problem. In other wo rds, a therapist should encourage a client to explain the specific aspects of the problems that he/she experiences (Bitter, 2010, p. 497). It is much easier to view an emotional problem as a set of experiences that have certain causes. In this way, a therapist can demonstrate that the challenges faced by the family are more manageable (Bitter, 2010, p. 497). For example, both parents agree on the idea that Ellen is too dependent on her mother. However, the statement is too generalized because it does not describe the specific instances that explain her dependence. For instance, this girl may act in this way because she cannot rely on Henry’s support and encouragement. Additionally, her biological father does not talk to her on a regular basis. Thus, a counselor can encourage parents to discuss Ellen’s behavior in greater detail. Much attention should be paid to the emotional experiences of Ellen. It is vital to understand why this girl believes that she is not a good p erson. Such a view can produce disastrous effects on a person. In turn, a therapist should identify situations when such thoughts overwhelm her. This information is critical for reducing various risks. Furthermore, one should find out why she chose to write a suicide note. It is possible that in this way, she attempted to raise parents’ awareness about her problems. Yet, this is just a hypothesis that should be verified. Overall, by deconstructing Ellen’s experiences, a counselor may understand the origins of her behavior. So, this intervention is critical component of this therapy. Yet, a therapist should not force responses from clients. So, these are the main pitfalls that should be avoided because a counselor should make sure that he/she does not misinterprets the experiences of family members. Instead, this professional should prompt them to create their narratives freely. Moreover, a therapist should focus on the way in which family members can describe the most important events in the life of the family. In many cases, their accounts can differ significantly from one another (Bitter, 2010, p. 497). Therefore, a counselor should ask Grace, Henry, and Ellen to describe any disagreement that they could have. By examining their depictions of possible emotional conflicts, a therapist can understand the relations within a family. Moreover, a counselor may ask Ellen and Nick to describe their relations with one another. Nick should see that his daughter wants to communicate with him. The main benefit of this intervention is that it helps people to empathize with one another (Bitter, 2010, p. 497). They must see that the same event can be examined from various perspectives and it is difficult to find a single interpretation of any conflict. So, this technique is an important part of narrative therapy since family members gain a better idea about the attitudes and values of the close relatives. Moreover, in this way, they can identify the shortcomi ngs of their behavior. So, a therapist should help them to achieve this transformation during the therapy sessions. Additionally, a therapist should prompt clients to think about the positive events that produced a strong impression on them. Therefore, the main task is to attract people’s attention to those experiences that they find most enjoyable. For example, a therapist may ask Ellen whether she likes anything in Henry’s behavior. By acting in this way, one can make this girl less restraint and alienated from Henry. Furthermore, a counselor should prompt Ellen to speak about the most joyful moments in the life of her family. This approach is useful for promoting the positive attitudes of the child. At this stage, a counselor should assist a client in identifying the so-called unique outcomes or those events and feelings that contradict the depressing thoughts of an individual (Gabbard, 2007, p. 750). If one can cope with this task, it is possible to eliminate suici dal ideations. However, this goal can be effectively achieved provided that Grace and Henry adopt effective parenting strategies. So, they are primarily responsible for Ellen’s emotional well-being. This is the main point that they should keep in mind. Finally, a narrative therapy is aimed at constructing a positive story that can increase people’s attachment to one another. Very often, relatives are asked to create an idealized version of their family. Similar, Grace, Ellen, Henry and Todd may be encouraged to describe the expectations that they set for each other. Certainly, it is possible that clients may not necessary meet the expectations of each other. However, this positive narrative can remind these people of the things that they value most. Overall, the interventions which have been described can strengthen the internal cohesion of this family. Moreover, they can elaborate people’s skills that can be used to address various emotional conflicts. This dis cussion shows that the narrative family therapy can be a useful approach to various problems within a family. By examining the individual stories of family members, a counselor may better understand the nature of different emotional conflicts among close and distant relatives. Furthermore, this model is useful for describing and changing their perceptions of each other. The model can be applied if a therapist can interview each of the clients. Ethical considerations of the case and the chosen theories When working on this case, a therapist should take into account various ethical issues that should be addressed. One of them is related to the confidentiality of information that will be collected and recorded. For instance, one can mention the data about people’s mental problems, employment, drug abuse, family relations and so forth. Thus, a therapist must make sure that these records are not used by unauthorized third parties. This task is critical for safeguarding the rights of clients who put their trust in family counselors. So, this is one of the issues that should be addressed during the therapy. There is another ethical question that should be considered. The family, which has been described in this case study, faces a variety of problems, for example, conflicts between spouses, low self-esteem, and alienation of some people. However, one should concentrate primarily on Ellen’s suicidal ideations since this is the most imminent threat that should be lifted. Thus, a counselor should make sure that the life of this girl is not endangered, even if he/she can enter into a conflict with other family members such as Henry, Grace, or Nick. This is one of the details that can be identified. Apart from that, there is always a risk that children can be physically or sexually abused. Certainly, the probability of this event is not very high. Provided that a counselor sees the evidence of abuse, he/she should report this case to the police because the w ellbeing of a child is the top priority for this professional. Finally, it is important to obtain the informed consent of clients. These people should be informed about the main interventions or the way in which the information will be used. These ethical principles should guide the work of a therapist. To a great extent, these rules can always remain relevant, even though a counselor can choose different approaches. These are the main details that can be singled out. Additionally, it is important to examine the ethical peculiarities of the theories that have been examined in this paper. First of all, the Bowenian therapy lays stress on the impartiality of a counselor. The main problem is that an individual can involuntarily emphasize with some of the family members. This is one of the ethical challenges that a person should be aware of, if he/she chooses the Bowenian therapy. By taking the so-called â€Å"I† position, a therapist can increase his/her impartiality. Without th is objectivity, an individual cannot provide valuable recommendations to the family members. Apart from that, a counselor should remember that clients may not necessarily agree with one another, even at the end of the therapy. Some of these people may still believe that their needs are overlooked by their relatives. This is why these professional must not guarantee that clients will achieve complete reconciliation. Such a promise may not be always fulfilled. This is one of the aspects that can be distinguished. Furthermore, the supporters of the Bowenian approach should end the therapy sessions provided that he/she is not allowed to obtain relevant information about the family. One should bear in mind that data collection is a vital element of the Bowenian therapy. At the very beginning, a counselor should construct a genogram that is essential for identifying the most important problem. A continuation of the therapy without accurate and relevant data can be viewed as a violation of the ethical principles. To a great extent, this behavior can be compared to negligence. This is one of the details that should be singled out since it is important for understanding the strategies of a Bowenian therapist. Moreover, it is important to discuss the ethical issues related to the narrative therapy. To some degree, this method is aimed at raising a person’s self-esteem. This individual should not believe that he/she has some serious flaws that cannot be removed or minimized. This is one of the main objectives that should be attained. Nevertheless, a therapist should make sure that a client is able to avoid wishful thinking or even delusions of grandeur. In the course of the family therapy, people should construct collective stories that they can share. However, these stories must not involve deception. A counselor should keep in mind that this worldview can result in dire consequences for a client, especially when he/she sees that the objective reality significant ly contradicts his perceptions of oneself. This is why this issue should not be disregarded. Furthermore, a therapist interprets the narratives offered by clients. Therefore, this professional should reduce the risks of prejudices and stereotypes because they can profoundly influence the attitudes and behavior of a client. This is one of the main pitfalls that should be avoided during the sessions. These examples show that a counselor should consider the peculiarities of a certain theory in order to ensure that the interests of clients are not endangered. These are the main points that can be made. Appendix Reference List Bitter, J. (2010).Theory and Practice of Family Therapy and Counseling. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Gabbard, G. (2007). Gabbards Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders. New York, NY: American Psychiatric Publications. Goldberg, J. (1990). The Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Cancer Patients. New York, NY: Transaction Publishers. Rasheed, M. (2010). Family Therapy: Models and Techniques. New York, NY: SAGE. Ziegler, S. (2005). Theory-Directed Nursing Practice: Second Edition. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.