Uncertainty Reduction Theory Of Health Communication

Uncertainty Reduction Theory in Health Communication Interpersonal communication comprises a basic element of healthcare service. It occurs through the processes of symbolic interaction, social penetration, and uncertainty reduction between two or more individuals. In medical practice, these fundamental components intertwine toward meeting a patient’s physical, psychological, and social needs. Thus, effective utilization of communication theories can dramatically improve quality of patient-care services and potentially reduce costs in healthcare and insurance. This paper explores one of theories in interpersonal communication — Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) — and seeks ways to apply URT for the advancement of health communication. All human relationships pose communication challenges. Attempting to resolve the key cognitive and behavioral obstacles with initial encounters, Professor Charles Burger and a colleague, Richard Calabrese, founded URT in 1975. The theory’s key principle posits that â€Å"†¦during initial interactions, our lack of knowledge about another person causes us to be uneasy or uncomfortable†¦therefore†¦[we seek] to find ways to reduce†¦uncertainty [and increase predictability].† Burger proposes three phases to articulate the URT hypothesis: Initial, Personal, and Exit in the expansion of interpersonal interaction. During the Initial phase, the interactants share very limited information, regulated strictly by social norms. The Personal Phase, the secondShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of the Uncertainty Reduction Theory on Interpersonal Communication1521 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of the Uncertainty Reduction theory on interpersonal communication Through this paper I will conduct an analysis of the uncertainty reduction theory and will then apply it to my own experience here in Colorado university. This theory has been subject to many articles and studies in the communication and social departments. Indeed, studying this theory can help us understanding human relations in interpersonal communication. Each of us has been one day confronted to uncertainty, whereas inRead MoreUncertainty Reduction Theory Essay4674 Words   |  19 Pageswith uncertainty reduction theory from its origin to date. Ever since uncertainty reduction theory was first created, many researchers have examined it by comparing it with other theories. Uncertainty reduction theory had been tested across different cultures in order to confirm its generalizability. It had also been applied to real life situations to examine how individuals interact in their initial encounters with strangers. In addition, researchers suggested testing uncertainty reduction theoryRead MoreThe Anxiety / Uncertainty Management Theory Of Effective Communication Essay2054 Words   |  9 PagesThe Anxiety/Uncertainty Management The ory of Effective Communication is to explain how managing uncertainty and anxiety help achieve effective communication with â€Å"strangers†. The theory argues that most of our communication involves both interpersonal and intergroup processes, but communication with outgroup members has more intergroup than interpersonal factors, which causes higher uncertainty and anxiety. Managing uncertainty and anxiety is a main contribution to effective communication (e.g., measuredRead MoreEssay On Diabetes1438 Words   |  6 Pages Program Narrative: Obesity and Diabetes Reduction in Alexandria Student’s Name Institution Affiliation Program Narrative: Obesity and Diabetes Reduction in Alexandria Introduction Obesity and diabetes are serious public health problems that have far reaching health and economic consequences. In the US, and the world over, obesity and diabetes have reached epidemic proportions (Acton, 2013). For instance, the annual medical costs for obesity in the US was approximately $145 billionRead MoreQuiz Final1582 Words   |  7 PagesUniversity of Phoenix Faculty Material Communication Quiz Final- Rosemary Clarke Underline the best answers to the following 30 multiple choice questions. Multiple Choice 1. COMMUNICATION IS DEFINED AS a. the sense that people extract from a message b. the social process in which individuals employ symbols to establish and interpret meaning in their environment c. the perceived rightness or wrongness of an action d. the ability to transmit ones ethical decisions through proper channels 2. TheRead MoreChronic Diseases Are The Leading Cause Of Death And Disability1586 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to the World health organization , chronic diseases take the lives of more than 30 million people each year and are defined as an illness that is long in duration, slow in progression and is not passed from person to person. For Australia alone chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability. The Australian department of healths defining factors of chronic disease include, illness that is prolonged in duration, rarely cured completely and disease that does not often resolveRead MoreSelf Disclosure : The World Wide Web Essay1789 Words   |  8 Pageswith millions of people at the same time (Bazarova Choi, 2014), and it has become a socially acceptable place for people to meet their significant other. (Kang Hoffman, 2011) It is said that people prefer computer-mediated communication over face-to-face communication to find a romantic partner because of a th at lack of face-to-face interaction, (Kang Hoffman, 2011) Self-disclosure can be defined as the amount of information that one shares with another person, it is essential to the developmentRead MoreRisk Information Seeking And Processing Model Literature Review1557 Words   |  7 Pagesplays in risk communication, focusing on audience motivations and capacity to make sense of risk, and hopefully predict their response to risk messages. This literature review provides an overview and history of the RISP model, and discusses the future of the theory. Historical Underpinnings of the RISP Model The RISP model takes concepts from two existing and largely researched models in their own rights, the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM) (Eagly Chaiken, 1993) and the Theory of Planned BehaviorRead MoreSummary Communication Theory13084 Words   |  53 PagesIntroduction to Communication Theory: Course Summary Chapter 1: Launching your study What is a theory? What distinguishes a good theory from a bad theory? A theory is a set of systematic informed hunches about the way things work. A good theory goes beyond accepted wisdom and offers explanations and speculations about phenomena. Additionally, a good theory consists of a system of concepts which means that the theorist were able to make connections among his ideas. A theory tends to shapeRead MoreThe Importance Of Bloodstream Infections1263 Words   |  6 PagesCLABSIs to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) of the Center for Disease Control (CDC-2011). When a nurse manually disinfecting the hub catheter with 70% alcohol and/or chlorhexidine, povidone iodine this continues to remain a low with the uncertainty of duration and compliance of patient safety practice according to the hospitals recommended scrubbing (15-60 secs) and drying times (30 secs). Implementing new and effective tools beyond the standard, monitoring its compliance and instituting

Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun - 1527 Words

â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is about the Younger Family who live in a small apartment in Chicago. The family is torn apart as every member has different dreams and goals, yet Mama and her daughter-in-law Ruth desperately attempt to hold the family all together. In both the movie and the play, the family’s dreams remain the same. Mama wants her family to get along and she wants to purchase a house. Her son, Walter, wants the life insurance money from his father to invest in a liquor store to achieve his goal of becoming a businessman. These dreams remain the same, but in the movie, certain scenes are added in order to give Walter a motive for his desire, other than pure greed. The additional scenes make it less obvious that his friend Willy is going to scam them. The movie visually displays the apartment in a better light than the play describes but still had the characters talk about the roaches and cracked walls. In â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberr y, the differences in script between the original play and the movie increase the family’s desperation to get out of their apartment, and add to the complexity of Walter’s motivation, all which make the movie more powerful overall. In both the movie and the play of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† money is very important to every member of the family, but not as significant to Travis. Many of their dreams require money: Walter wants to invest in the liquor store, Mama dreams of a house for her family, and Beneatha wants to be a doctor.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin And The Sun Essay2363 Words   |  10 PagesPoverty is always a great place to start a story, yet is there a lesson to be learned if the characters ends up right where they started? That is one of the several predicaments in the story â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Afro American writer Lorraine Hansberry. The story takes place in Chicago during the late 1950’s the civil rights era, and the most prevalent question is what makes an African American different to any other person. The story dives deep into what that is through the use of money, as theRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Su n 1854 Words   |  8 Pageseven drink from the same water fountain. Schools being desegregated has helped young American people grow together in an educational environment, where they can build friendships with students of other races. Throughout the play, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, Lorraine Hansberry vividly portrays the racism and discrimination of white people towards African-Americans in the fifties, as well as similarities to her own childhood. Walter Lee Younger, husband of Ruth Younger, works as a chauffeur for a rich whiteRead MoreSummary of Lorraine Hansberry ´s A Raisin in the Sun676 Words   |  3 Pages â€Å"A Dreamed Deferred† The drama â€Å"A Raisin in the sun† was release February 25, 2008; written by Lorraine Hansberry as a play and directed by Kenny Leon as a movie. The film main character are Walter Younger Jr (Sean Combs) anaa Lathan (Beneatha Younger), Audra Mcdonald (Ruth Younger), Phylicia Rashad (lena Younger), Justin Martin (Travis Younger) Bill Nunn (bobo), David Oyelowo (Josepj Asagai), Ron Jones (willy harris), Sean Patrick Thomas (George Murchison), and John Stamos (carl Linder). AsRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1797 Words   |  8 Pages Worthless money itself All money brings is nothing but dreams and evil. Where there is money there is also dishonesty or corruption.. In a play called â€Å"A Raisin In The Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry, she focuses on the struggle that was faced by one African American family from late 1950s. As the play opens, the family are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the death of Mr.Younger’s insurance policy. Everyone was very excited and were waiting for the money to beRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1876 Words   |  8 PagesA Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959. This is a story about an African American family striving to reach the American Dream despite significant financial difficulties and a racially oppressive environment in the postwar era. The passage I chose was from Act 2, scene 3 of the play. This is when the chairmen of the neighborhood committee in Clybourne Park, Mr. Lindner comes to speak with the Younger family about their future presence in the neighborhood. This passageRead MoreBeneathas Dream in Lorraine Hansberry ´s A Raisin in the Sun604 Words   |  2 Pagesyour sleep, it is the desire, the want, the need of something happening in your life. Dreams give uou a purpose and a reson to live. Chasing your dreams will help you have courage and independence. A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, is a play about an African American family in the 1950’s who receive an insurance check of $10,000. Each member of the family has their own dream of what they would like to do with the check. While it is true that Walter’s dream of owning his own liquorRead MoreAn Analysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 914 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is an autobiographical play written in 1950 by Lorraine Hansberry, an African American writer. The main characters are the Younger family, Mama, his son Walter and her dau ghter Beneatha. The play dramatizes a conflict between the main characters’ dreams and their actual lives’ struggles in poverty and racism. The main characters’ lives as African-Americans contribute to their feeling of entrapment by poverty and racism. The play predicts the black society struggles in the yearsRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1343 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is play written by Lorraine Hansberry about a struggling African American family. Set in the nineteen-fifties, the play explores the dynamics of how the family operates in a time era Chicago that challenges the family with poor economic status and racial prejudice. Hansberry uses dreams as one of her main themes in this play. Three of the characters, Walter, Beneatha, and Mama, all have a similar goal in their respective dreams, to improve the life of the whole family, butRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin And The Sun, There Is A Poem By Langston Hughes1034 Words   |  5 PagesThe epigraph to Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, there is a poem by Langston Hughes titled: â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† I believe the reason why Hansberry chose this particular poem as the epigraph to her play to be a form of foreshadowing and metaphor for the Younger family. In Hughes’s poem, there are four potential outcomes for when a raisin is left in the sun. It could fester like a sore and then run. A could smell like rotten meat. It could crust and sugar over. Or does it explodeRead MoreWalter Lee ´s Evolution in A Raisin In the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry685 Words   |  3 Pages In many works of literature, some characters change and grow while others remain the same. A character who changes is known as a dynamic character. In the novel A Raisin In the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the main character, Walter Lee Younger, is an example of a dynamic character. Walter lives with his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and his mother Lena in a small, one family apartment in the southside of Chicago. The black Younger family lived in a time period between 1945 and

Camus the outsider vs. bolts a Essay Example For Students

Camus the outsider vs. bolts a Essay What could a deeply religious, devout Christian nobleman and an existential, indifferent common man separated by roughly four hundred years have in common? Furthermore, what could Sir Thomas More, an eventual saintly martyr as portrayed in Robert Bolt’s A Man For All Seasons, and Albert Camus’ Meursault from The Outsider, an apparent murderer who does not believe in God, possibly have in common? For starters, both men have led similar lives in a search for the truth, and have very strong personal belief systems. It is for this that they are persecuted and â€Å"who, without any heroic pretensions, agreeto die for the truth† (The Outsider, Camus, p. 119). Both characters, More and Meursault refuse to compromise their beliefs and as a result society condemns them. Despite their obvious differences More and Meursault were similar men in many ways. Both men led routine lifestyles. More is a very devout Christian and as such is immersed in repetitious behaviour. Throughout the play More is often found praying, even during the arrival of the King at his home. More enters the scene just in the nick of time wearing a cassock, just as the King is nearly upon him, and knowingly risks disfavour with his liege because his prayer is that important to him. Norfolk is indignant at this behaviour, â€Å"What sort of fooling is this? Does the king visit you every day† (A Man For All Seasons, Robert Bolt, Act One, p. 26). Also, according to his Steward â€Å"Sir Thomas rises at six and prays for an hour and a half†, â€Å"During Lent he lived entirely on bread and water† and â€Å"He goes to confession twice a week† (A Man For All Seasons, Bolt, I, p. 23). It is in this way that More endeavours in a search for truth about life, h e looks to God for the answers. Meursault is also immersed in routine, but his is a routine of a simple lifestyle. His week is made up of breakfast at Celeste’s and his nine to five day job and he â€Å"used to wait for Saturdays to embrace Marie’s body† (The Outsider, Albert Camus, p. 75). Meursault also had found his truth, but as Camus states in his after word, â€Å"This truth is as yet a negative one, a truth born of living and feeling† (The Outsider, Camus, p. 119). It is this truth that results in Meursault’s very strong beliefs. Even faced with death, he is firm in his position that there is no God. He regards the prison chaplain as one who â€Å"couldn’t even be sure he was alive because he was living like a dead man† and in regards to himself affirms his position. I might seem to be empty-handed but I was sure of myself, sure of everything, surer than he was, sure of my life and sure of the death that was coming to me.Yes, that was all I had. But at least it was a truth which I had hold of just as it had hold of me. (The Outsider, Camus, p. 115)Likewise, More also had his own beliefs, deeply rooted in religion in contrast with Meursault, on which he stood resolute. More readily denounces his strong friendship with Norfolk rather than betray his ideals, â€Å"Howard you must cease to know meas a friend. I can’t give in Our friendship’s more mutable than that.† Even when offered friendship and redemption, More and Meursault refused to compromise their beliefs. Due to their contradictory ideas, Meursault and More are pressured by their respective societies to conform. Regardless, they are both very honest men and refuse to lie to simply meet the expectations of the people around them. As pointed out by Camus â€Å"Lying is not only saying what isn’t true. It is alsosaying more than is true andsaying more than one feels† (The Outsider, Camus, p. 118). Meursault refuses to tell Marie that he loves her because that would be saying more than he feels. He is brutally honest with her because that is his nature, admitting that he doesn’t really care whether they get married or not. So it is in this way that Meursault is â€Å"condemned because he doesn’t play the gamehe refuses to lie†. Meursault will not play his lawyer’s game wherein by stretching the truth on a few points, he could probably walk away without the death sentence. Instead he does not try to hide the fact that he did not cry at his motherâ €™s funeral and when asked if he regrets his crime he admittedly replies that he â€Å"feels more annoyance about it than true regret† (Ibid., p. 19). More also refuses to â€Å"play the game†, he is consistently offered escapes throughout the play. He is promised great rewards from the King, and Margaret pleads with him, offering a loophole, â€Å" ‘God more regards the thoughts of the heart than the words of the mouth’ or so you’ve always told me. Then say the words of the oath and in your heart think otherwise† (A Man For All Seasons, Bolt, II p. 83). However, More will not accept this and explains why it would be a betrayal of the self to do so. .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 , .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .postImageUrl , .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 , .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7:hover , .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7:visited , .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7:active { border:0!important; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7:active , .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7 .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf94d5c64b7f06fac077a427a048868b7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Free Glass Menageries: Criticism Glass Menag EssayWhen a man takes an oathhe’s holding his own self in his own hands. Like water and if he opens his fingers then he needn’t hope to find himself again.(Ibid.)It is with such an understanding that More must grow to accept his imminent death. He knows that as long as he stands on this point that he will eventually be executed. There were times during his imprisonment in which More was â€Å"in such a case that I thought to die within the hour† (A Man For All Seasons, Bolt, II p.97). These same difficulties were faced by Meursault upon his imprisonment, at first what preoccupied him was â€Å"trying to es cape from the mechanism, trying to find if there’s any way out of the inevitable† (The Outsider, Camus, p. 104). Eventually though he came to the realization that â€Å"Given that you’ve got to die, it obviously doesn’t matter exactly how or when† (Ibid., p. 109), finally accepting his fate, condemned for refusing to â€Å"play the game†. It was Meursault and More’s determination to stand for what they believed in, that results in their condemnation by society for doing so. They are condemned because society always has the capacity to hate anyone, or anything, that is different. Meursault is discriminated against because his behaviour is different from most people, and the jury shows him no remorse because of it. Camus wrote that â€Å"In our society any man who doesn’t cry at his mother’s funeral is liable to be condemned to death† (The Outsider, Camus, p. 118). This prejudice is amplified by the fact that not only is Meursault different, but because society does not understand him. The chaplain does not understand how Meursault does not believe in God and does not seek redemption, he says â€Å"Have you really no hope at all and do you live in the belief that you are to die outright?† (The Outsider, Camus, p. 112). In the same way, More’s friend Norfolk cannot understand why , his life hanging in the balance, More will not give in. Goddammit, man, it’s disproportionate! We’re supposed to be the arrogant ones,the proud, splenetic ones and we’ve all given in! Why must you stand out?† (A Man For All Seasons, Bolt, II p. 71)Also, Meursault and More’s societies relieve their conscience by convincing themselves that these men have been given every chance for redemption, have shunned them, and so deserve the fate of their own choosing. Norfolk tries desperately to offer More one final chance, â€Å"I don’t know whether the marriage was lawful or not. But damn it, Thomas, look at those namesYou know those men! Can’t you do what I did, and come with us, for fellowship?† (A Man For All Seasons, Bolt, II p. 78). Norfolk knows that he did what he had to do to survive, and he had given More every opportunity to do the same, and so he can accept More’s fate knowing that he did â€Å"everything he couldâ €  to help. Meursault also is given every chance by society to prove himself a man of conscience. Instead he openly admits that he didn’t cry at his mother’s funeral, considers a suspected procurer a friend and even intervened on his behalf when he had beaten his mistress. Society could accept the execution of an â€Å"immoral monster†. So Meursault and More willingly accepted their sentence, since it was more important to them not to betray themselves. Meursault and More have shared a very similar life experience, a search for the truth, in which they have been condemned by society for standing resolute on their strong beliefs; for refusing to â€Å"play the game†, for refusing to lie. However these men have succeeded in their own right. Upon his call to death, Meursault â€Å"for the first timelaid myself opento the benign indifference of the world. And finding it so much like myself, in fact so fraternal, I realized that I’d been happy, and that I was still happy† (The Outsider, Camus, p. 117). Likewise, Sir Thomas had his own personal victory. Regardless of any protest, More apparently is the stuff of which martyrs are made and it would appear that, much to Richard Rich’s undoubted dismay, that Sir Thomas More was correct: Not every man has his price, not even in suffering.

The Social Contract

Introduction The concept of â€Å"the Social Contract† states that in order for society to continue to develop and maintain order a main set of rules must be agreed upon in order to set into motion proper ethical values (Blake, 2009: 1 – 2). In other words a social contract can be considered a form of moral obligation that a person or group of individuals agree to in order to form the society that they currently live in.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Social Contract specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are numerous manifestations of this which can be seen in the world today such as individuals following a distinct set of moral and ethical standards when it comes to dealing with other members of society. In the case of businesses this comes in the form of adhering to a certain moral code involving the way in which they provide goods and services to their consumers or deal with other businesse s within the same industry. The application of this moral code takes the form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is the application of internal self-regulating practices by a business to ensure that it follows a distinct set of ethical standards, business norms and laws (Welker, Partridge Hardin, 2011: 3 – 8). What must be understood though is that businesses are primarily profit driven, this can be seen in the case of Carroll’s pyramid wherein economic responsibilities form the base of the pyramid and are the primary focus of all businesses today. Thus, when it comes to the importance businesses accrue to the concept of CSR it can be seen that in the business decision matrix they consider it to be less than the need to be profitable. This method of thinking has given rise to numerous ethically dubious practices ranging from environmental degradation through various acts of pollution, overconsumption of natural resources such as fish and trees, the use of sweat shops, and finally various practices such as corporate collusion and the creation of monopolies in order to better control the options of consumers. It is based on this that it must be questioned how the social contract can be implemented on corporations in light of their morally ambiguous actions in the present. Current Business Practices in the World Today As mentioned earlier, businesses are primarily profit driven and as such seek to maximize profits and reduce costs in any way that they can.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Barriers to doing so come in the form of laws that either limit particular practices (such as environmental conservation laws), outright ban particular practices (as seen in the case of laws against corporate collusion and the formation of monopolies) or implement measures that constrain a company’s ability to produce goods at a far cheap er rate (labor laws and local tax rates). In order to get around this, many companies have begun outsourcing their means of production to various countries such as India and China. While corporations do have the right to reduce their cost of operations it must be wondered whether the basis for this cost reduction violates certain ethical standards of doing business (Stansbury, 2009: 33 – 44). For example, it can be seen in the case of China that due to the lack of environmental conservation laws companies can in effect utilize production methods that are cheaper but environmentally damaging. Furthermore, since these locations are far from prying eyes of consumers the use of sweat shops with deplorable conditions for their workers has become a rampant means of reducing costs (Ramasamy Yeung, n.d.: 119). Various U.S. based companies get away with such actions by stating that they were unaware of such practices since the work was contracted to another company yet it is obvious that there is no way that they wouldn’t have known given the savings they gain from such practices. Other questionable ethical practices can be seen within the U.S. today wherein various corporations (such as GE) have received billions of dollars in corporate tax breaks in order to generate local jobs yet these companies (GE in particular) have instead continued the practice of outsourcing to locations such as China. Lastly, it was reported in 2011 that the supply of blue fin tuna in the world’s oceans today has been severely depleted due to overfishing yet the response of fishing companies has been to continue the practice despite the fact that they are in effect driving an entire species into extinction.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Social Contract specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is this and other morally questionable practices that one must wonder whether the social contract is even a pplicable to corporations at all or if they even consider themselves under its mandate considering the sheer amount of violations seen around the world. Application of Theories One way of looking at this problem is from the perspective of Garret Hardin and his view regarding self-interest and consensual constraint. For Hardin it is actually impossible for any individual (or in this case a corporation) to act or make a decision against its own interest. This manifests itself in the decision to pursue an act of self interest in order to maximize the utility that can be derived from the consumption or use of a particular resource. In the case of corporations this comes in the form of the large scale consumption of various natural resources such as fossil fuels, mineral resources and even fish in order to make a profit from their line of business. Unfortunately, Hardin states that it is due to this pursuit of independent self-interest that a limited resource will inevitably be depleted which really isn’t in the best interests of all parties concerned. One way of resolving this issue is to apply what Hardin calls â€Å"consensual constraint† involving mutual constraint regarding the use of a particular resource in order to prevent it from being overtaxed and thus unusable in the future. Has this particular action been followed at the present, no it hasn’t. Due to the competitive nature of corporations, consensual constraint is rarely applied as seen in the case of resource extractions (i.e. oil and mineral extraction) or overharvesting (i.e. deforestation and overfishing). What must be understood is that while Carroll shows that corporations have a moral obligation to society due to corporate citizenship the fact remains that when given a choice between following proper CSR or the company failing and going bankrupt as a result most corporations choose to pursue actions of moral or ethical ambiguity.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It isn’t that corporations aren’t aware of their obligation towards society but rather what must be understood is that corporations will often pursue a strategy for survival first then the application of ethical practices later. Interpreting the Social Contract From the standpoint of Hardin, corporations have a collective responsibility regarding their limitation of resource usage in order to conform to the moral obligations of the social contract (Brzozowski, 2003: 161). The application of the social contract between corporations and society from this perspective is thus one of preservation wherein corporations agree to limit their actions in order to ensure that resources will still be around for future generations. This is only possible through collective action and agreement since if it were based on individual reciprocity it is doubtful that individual corporations would chose to follow this. What must be understood is that from perspective of Carroll corporations actually do want to apply proper CSR in their actions since this creates better public relation for the company. The inherent problem with this is the fact that due to the competitive nature of companies as seen from the perspective of Hardin it becomes harder to implement CSR as corporations struggle to make profits in an economy where morally ambiguous corporate actions result in differing price ratios which aren’t in favor of a company that isn’t willing to pursue alternative actions of possible moral ambiguity. From the perspective of Carroll corporations have a certain â€Å"obligation† towards society in the form of corporate citizenship. This is the application of the social contract through an adherence towards moral and ethical behavior that benefits society since this in turn would cause better business practices to flourish. On the other hand, as it can be seen in the case of Hardin it is often doubtful whether individual corporations are capable of applying corporate citizenship into their business models. It can be seen in the case examples within this paper that there have already been numerous moral and ethical violations committed by corporations. From a certain perspective it can be seen that for Hardin individual action leads to the development of individual interests which result in difficulties in applying proper ethical practices. For Carroll it can be seen that individual corporations can be made to follow CSR due to the effects of corporate citizen and the social contract. It is from my point of view that I would agree more with Hardin regarding collective action resulting in positive collaborative behavior rather than leaving it up to individual corporations and their supposed adherence to CSR. What must be understood is that the social contract can be applied in many ways, one of which is a partial implementation of moral obligation while the company in turn commits other morally ambiguous behaviors (Wagner, Lutz Weitz, 2009: 77 – 81). For example, the concept of going green is based off the process of altering approaches towards the consumption and utilization of resources so as to ensure a more environmentally friendly method of using and consuming resources. One company that does this particular practice is GE which prides itself in adhering to â€Å"green practices†. While this adheres to the principles seen in Carroll’s pyramid regarding legal, ethical and sustainable resource responsibilities what must be understood is that the company is at the same time planning to shift a large percentage of its production facilities to China despite the fact it received large tax cuts from the U.S. government in order to create more jobs. In effect what occurs in this particular case is a partial application of CSR with a morally ambiguous action being done by the company at the same time (Wagner, Lutz Weitz, 2009: 77 – 81). What must be understood is that in the case of corporations it is their need to be profitable which results in the development of corporate rivalries. The only way to diffuse this is to implement a way of collective responsibility that corporations would feel towards society. While it may be true that Carroll’s model is an effective guide towards proper corporate conduct it neglects to take into account aspects related to individual self-interest which Hardin does take into consideration. Through the use of Hardin’s theory and Carroll’s pyramid it can be stated that corporations can only be made to agree to conform to the social contract if collective responsibility is applied so as to remove the competitive nature of corporations that compel them to pursue morally dubious practices in order to stay relevant and profitable. By doing so a collective response can be created to enable socially responsible actions that promote the wellbeing of society. Reference List Blake, N 2009, ‘The Social Contractà ¢â‚¬â„¢, Magill’S Survey Of World Literature, Revised Edition, pp. 1-2, Literary Reference Center, EBSCOhost. Brzozowski, D 2003, ‘Lifeboat ethics: rescuing the metaphor’, Ethics, Place Environment, 6, 2, p. 161, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Ramasamy, B, Yeung, M n.d., ‘Chinese Consumers’ Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)’, Journal Of Business Ethics, 88, p. 119, Science Reference Center, EBSCOhost. Stansbury, J 2009, ‘Reasoned Moral Agreement: Applying Discourse Ethics within Organizations’, Business Ethics Quarterly, 19, 1, pp. 33-56, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. Wagner, T, Lutz, R, Weitz, B 2009, ‘Corporate hypocrisy: overcoming the threat of inconsistent corporate social responsibility perceptions’, Journal Of Marketing, 73, 6, pp. 77-91, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. Welker, M, Partridge, D, Hardin, R 2011, ‘Corporate lives: new perspectives on the social life of th e corporate form’, Current Anthropology, 52, 3, pp. 3-16, This essay on The Social Contract was written and submitted by user Leo Erickson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.