Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson Essay Example for Free

Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson Essay Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson are two of psychologys developmental forerunners, each one having his own theory behind personality and the elements of advancing through the stages of life. Erikson’s theories came after Freuds and build on Freuds original work. Both of these psychologists have some common similarities and some differences as well in life, their careers and how we use their work and theories still. Sigmund Freud was born in Freiberg. Austria on May 6, 1856. When he was four his family moved to Vienna, where he would live and work for most of the remainder of his life. He received his medical degree in 1881 and married the following year. He had six children—the youngest of whom, Anna, was to herself become a distinguished psychoanalyst. After graduation, Freud set up a private practice and began treating various psychological disorders. Considering himself first and foremost a scientist, rather than a doctor, he strived to understand the journey of human knowledge and experience. Early in his career, Freud was greatly influenced by the work of his Viennese colleague, Josef Breuer, who had discovered that when he encouraged a hysterical patient to talk openly about the earliest events of the symptoms, the symptoms sometimes gradually decreased. Inspired by Breuer, Freud proposed that neuroses had their roots in deeply traumatic experiences that had transpired in the patients past. He believed that the original occurrences had been forgotten and hidden from consciousness. His treatment was to empower his patients to recall the experience and bring it to consciousness, and in doing so, confront it. He believed one could then release it and rid oneself of the neurotic symptoms. Freud and Breuer published their theories and findings in Studies in Hysteria (1895) In January 1933, the Nazis took control of Germany, and Freuds books were prominent among those they burned and destroyed. Freud quipped: What progress we are making. In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Now, they are content with burning my books. Freud continued to maintain his optimistic underestimation of the growing Nazi threat and remained determined to stay in Vienna, even following the Anschluss of 13 March 1938 in which Nazi Germany annexed Austria, and the outbursts of violent anti-Semitism that ensued. Ernest Jones, the then president of the International Psychoanalytic Association (IPA), flew into Vienna from London via Prague on 15 March determined to get Freud to change his mind and seek exile in Britain. This prospect and the shock of the detention and interrogation of Anna Freud by the Gestapo finally convinced Freud it was time to leave Austria. 3 Erik Erikson was born June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany. His mother and father had separated before his birth, but it was kept a secret from him that he was his mothers child from an extramarital union. His mother raised Erik by herself before marrying a physician, Dr. Theodor Homberger. The fact that Homberger was not his biological father was kept secret from him for many years. When he finally did learn the truth, he was left with a feeling of confusion about who he really was. This experience helped spark his interest in the formation of identity and was further developed based upon his experiences in school. Like Freud, Erikson was raised in Jewish religion. At his temple school, children teased him for being Nordic because he was tall, blonde, and blue-eyed. In grammar school, he was excluded because of his Jewish background. These experiences helped fuel his interest in identity formation and continued to influence his work throughout his life. Erikson was a student and teacher of arts, and while teaching at a private school in Vienna, he became acquainted with Anna Freud, the daughter of Sigmund Freud. Erikson underwent psychoanalysis, and after the experience he decide to become an analyst himself. He was trained in psychoanalysis at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute and also studied the Montessori Method of education, which focused on child development and sexual stages. In 1933, the Nazis came to power in Germany, and like Freud, Erikson and his wife Joan were forced to immigrate, first to Denmark and then to the United States, where he became the first child psychoanalyst in Boston. Psychoanalysis was created by Sigmund Freud (1916-1917). Freud believed that people could be cured by making conscious their unconscious thoughts, thus gaining â€Å"insight†. The goal of psychoanalysis therapy is to let go of repressed emotions and experiences. Psychoanalysis is commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. In his book The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, Freud explained how these unconscious thoughts and impulses are expressed, often through slips of the tongue (known as Freudian slips) and dreams. The psychoanalytic theory suggested by Sigmund Freud had a tremendous impact on 20th-century thought, inspiring the mental health field as well as other areas including art, literature and popular culture. Freud developed a theory that described development in terms of a series of psychosexual stages. According to Freud, struggles that arise during each of these stages can have a lifelong influence on personality and behavior. In Freud’s theory Psychoanalytic theory suggested that personality is generally established by age of five. Early experiences play a large role in personality development and continue to influence behavior later in life. If these psychosexual stages are completed positively, the result is a healthy personality. If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, fixation can occur. A fixation is an insistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage. Until this conflict is resolved, the individual will remain stuck in this stage. Oral Stage During the oral stage, the infants primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth, so the rooting and sucking reflex is especially important. The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking. Because the infant is entirely dependent upon caretakers (who are responsible for feeding the child), the infant also develops a sense of trust and comfort through this oral stimulation. The primary conflict at this stage is the weaning processthe child must become less dependent upon caretakers. If fixation occurs at this stage, Freud believed the individual would have issues with dependency or aggression. Oral fixation can result in problems with drinking, eating, smoking, or nail biting. Anal Stage The anal stage is directly related to a child’s awareness of bowel control and gaining pleasure through the act of eliminating or retaining feces. Freud’s theory puts the anal stage between 18 months and three years. It is believed that when a child becomes fixated on receiving pleasure through controlling and eliminating feces, a child can become obsessed with control, perfection, and cleanliness. This is often referred to as anal retentive, while anal expulsive is the opposite. Those who are anal expulsive may be extremely disorganized, live in chaos, and are known for making messes. Phallic Stage Freud believes the phallic stage or the Oedipus or Electra complexes occurs during a child is three to six years of age. The belief is that male children harbor unconscious, sexual attraction to their mothers, while female children develop a sexual attraction to their father. Freud taught that young boys also deal with feelings of rivalry with their father. These feelings naturally resolve once the child begins to identify with their same sex parent. By identifying with the same sex parent, the child continues with normal, healthy sexual development. If a child becomes fixated during this phase, the result could be sexual deviance or a confused sexual identity. Latency Stage The latency stage is named so because Freud believed there werent many overt forms of sexual gratification displayed. This stage is said to last from the age of six until a child enters puberty. Most children throughout this age form same sex friendships and play in a manner that is non-sexual. Unconscious sexual desires and thoughts remain repressed. Genital Stage Freud believed that after the unconscious, sexual desires are repressed and remain dormant during the latency stage, they are awakened due to puberty. This stage begins at puberty and develops with the physiology changes brought on through hormones. The prior stages of development result in a focus on the genitals as a source for pleasure and teens develop and explore attractions to the opposite sex. The genital stage is the last stage of the psychosexual development theory. 4 Those inspired and influenced by Freud went on to expand upon Freuds ideas and develop theories of their own. Erik Eriksons ideas have become perhaps the best known. Eriksons eight-stage theory of psychosocial development describes growth and change throughout the lifespan, focusing on social interaction and conflicts that arise during different stages of development. Psychosocial Stage 1-Trust vs. Mistrust The first stage of Eriksons theory of psychosocial development occurs between birth and one year of age and is the most fundamental stage in life. Because an infant is utterly dependent, the development of trust is based on the dependability and quality of the childs caregivers. If a child successfully develops trust, he or she will feel safe and secure in the world. Caregivers who are inconsistent, emotionally unavailable, or rejecting contribute to feelings of mistrust in the children they care for. Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable. Of course, no child is going to develop a sense of 100 percent trust or 100 percent doubt. Erikson believed that successful development was all about striking a balance between the two opposing sides. When this happens, children acquire hope, which Erikson described as an openness to experience tempered by some wariness that danger may be present. Psychosocial Stage 2 Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt The second stage of Eriksons theory of psychosocial development takes place during early childhood and is focused on children developing a greater sense of personal control. Like Freud, Erikson believed that toilet training was a vital part of this process. However, Eriksons reasoning was quite different than that of Freuds. Erikson believe that learning to control ones bodily functions leads to a feeling of control and a sense of independence. Other important events include gaining more control over food choices, toy preferences, and clothing selection. Children who successfully complete this stage feel secure and confident, while those who do not are left with a sense of inadequacy and self-doubt. Erikson believed that achieving a balance between autonomy and shame and doubt would lead to will, which is the belief that children can act with intention, within reason and limits. Psychosocial stage 3 Initiative vs. Guilt During the preschool years, children begin to assert their power and control over the world through directing play and other social interactions. Children who are successful at this stage feel capable and able to lead others. Those who fail to acquire these skills are left with a sense of guilt, self-doubt, and lack of initiative. When an ideal balance of individual initiative and a willingness to work with others is achieved, the ego quality known as purpose emerges. Psychosocial Stage 4 Industry vs. Inferiority This stage covers the early school years from approximately age 5 to 11. Through social interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities. Children who are encouraged and commended by parents and teachers develop a feeling of competence and belief in their skills. Those who receive little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers will doubt their abilities to be successful. Successfully finding a balance at this stage of psychosocial development leads to the strength known as competence or a belief our own abilities to handle the tasks set before us. Psychosocial Stage 5 Identity vs. Confusion During adolescence, children explore their independence and develop a sense of self. Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control. Those who remain unsure of their beliefs and desires will feel insecure and confused about themselves and the future. Completing this stage successfully leads to fidelity, which Erikson described as an ability to live by societys standards and expectations. Psychosocial Stage 6 Intimacy vs. Isolation This stage covers the period of early adulthood when people are exploring personal relationships. Erikson believed it was vital that people develop close, committed relationships with other people. Those who are successful at this step will form relationships that are committed and secure. Remember that each step builds on skills learned in previous steps. Erikson believed that a strong sense of personal identity was important for developing intimate relationships. Studies have demonstrated that those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression. Successful resolution of this stage results in the virtue known as love. It is marked by the ability to form lasting, meaningful relationships with other people. Psychosocial Stage 7 Generativity vs. Stagnation During adulthood, we continue to build our lives, focusing on our career and family. Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and community. Those who fail to attain this skill will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world. Care is the virtue achieved when this stage is handled successfully. Being proud of your accomplishments, watching your children grow into adults, and developing a sense of unity with your life partner are important accomplishments of this stage. Psychosocial Stage 8 Integrity vs. Despair This phase occurs during old age and is focused on reflecting back on life. Those who are unsuccessful during this stage will feel that their life has been wasted and will experience many regrets. The individual will be left with feelings of bitterness and despair. Those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel a sense of integrity. Successfully completing this phase means looking back with few regrets and a general feeling of satisfaction. These individuals will attain wisdom, even when confronting death. 5 Although there are many similarities between Freud and Erikson’s theory’s, there are many differences. In the first stage both believe that a child develops their sense of trust at this stage of development. Second stage both believe that a sense of independence is learned at this stage of development, and that toilet training is an important focus of this independence. Parental attitudes at this time can also have a lasting effect. Third stage, Freud believed this stage was where a child identifies with the same-sex parent and develops self-esteem. Erikson felt that this was the stage where a child begins to exert power and control over their environment. That is where you will start to see more differences in the two theories. Fourth stage, occurs at ages seven through 11. Freud believes that this is an intermediary stage of development where the child forms interactions with their environment. Erikson refers to it as industry versus inferiority. He believes that children begin to demonstrate their ability to succeed. Fifth stage, according to Freud, this is the final stage, and it continues throughout a persons life. He calls it the genital stage. Freud believes that a person learns to channel their biological instincts into socially-acceptable displays of love and career goals. Erikson called this stage identity versus role confusion. He believed it was a period where the focus of development shifts to social bonding in order to establish meaning in ones life and assert individuality. Erikson continues with three more stages which occur throughout adulthood.

The Riddle Of The Sphinx :: essays research papers

The Riddle of the Sphinx The study of myths probably began in the 4th century. BC. when Euthemerus explained them as exaggerated adventures of historical individuals. The allegorical interpretation of myths , stemming from the 18th century study , says that at one time myths were invented by wise men to point out a truth, but after a time myths were taken literally. The linguistic corruption interpretation says that myths could be understood as allegory for events found in nature. The Jungians school denoted myths as a mechanism of wish fulfillment. Sir James Frazer, believed that all myths were originally connected with the idea of fertility in nature, with birth, death, and resurrection of vegetation as a constantly recurring motif. Though the modern interpretation of myths is not general but a specific explanation for myths of a single people. The theological interpretation states that myths are foreshadowings of facts of the Scripture or corruptions of them. This view, which is not contemporarily popular, is surprisingly enlightening when attention is paid to the meaning of names of characters and places in relation to Biblical stories. Even recent fairy tales which fall into the category of myth, often reveal through metaphor more truth in scripture than one would anticipate. The most relevant and necessary topic for the understanding of the imagery and symbolism of myth is found in the framework of the celestial zodiac. The pictures found today in the zodiac were not developed by the Greeks, but were in place perhaps as early as 4000 B.C. predating even the civilizations of Sumaria. The pictures were not arranged in haphazard order to aid in the tracking of the star movements but with order and purpose of depicting an epic narrative. This understanding of the zodiac reveals an intelligence and scientific understanding that was corrupted through time . The symbolism which remains can be analyzed to reveal the basic truth behind it. The story of the sphinx is an excellent example of the zodiac / myth connection. The sphinx a composite creature with the head of a woman or man and the body of a lion was associated with the guarding of sacred sites of antiquity. It represented the whole of the narrative of the zodiac, with the head of a woman, Virgo the beginning of the celestial cycle and the body of a lion, Leo,the end of the cycle. In fact, the actual design for what scripture calls a cherub is in actuality,a sphinx. The angels were beings whose sole purpose was to reflect the will and the glory of the God who created them.

Comparing Ancient and Classical Art Paper Essay

Through each culture, art is created even it wasn’t meant to be used for it. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa are two of the oldest known structures in our history. The European civilization, based in the southern part of the United Kingdom, is one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument. The ancient Indian civilization is in India, is one of the three stupas in India. Many similarities and differences existed between these two civilizations, as even though they co-existed during a certain timeframe and in two different geographical areas. The differences in geography are both these civilizations were subjected to different kinds of exposure, which may have included contact with other civilization and cultural inheritance. The European civilization had a stronger emphasis on a central authority, while the Indians had a more decentralized structure, where powers were distributed over the cities and the states as well. The Art the Europeans created were more involved into making great monumental and gaudy structures while the Indians were more involved in creating smaller, more literary pieces of art. The Great Stupa’ at Sanchi is one of the most sophisticated and well-known monuments of all time; the marvelous icon is considered to be a cornerstone of Buddhist art, architecture, and religion. It stands tall and holds a powerful presence that is very symptomatic of its historical context. India is home to one the most symbolic and oldest stone structures known to man. This astonishing marvel built around 3rd century B.C by one of the most powerful and influential rulers of ancient India, Emperor Ashoka the Great. Asoka was the emperor of the Maurya Dynasty and ruled the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BCE to 232 B.C and during his reign, Ashoka converted to Buddhism and spread his Buddhist teachings through India, as well as having the great stupa erected to glorify and harbor the sacred Bu ddhist relics. This incredible  monument is majestic & unique in more ways than one. It has been said that the structure symbolizes the world mountain and â€Å"despite having the most perfect and well-preserved stupa, Buddhist art and architecture, it’s also surrounded by numerous other stupas, pillars, temples and living quarters for monks, the greater part of which had been buried.† Upon first recognition one could be lead to believe that because there are many other alluring attractions in India, it would be hard for this stupa to stand out and get its proper avowal. But this remarkable stone masterpiece has a wide range of spectacular things to offer, and tells us a very detailed story about early Buddhist life in India. Although the Great Stupa is among one of the many ancient monuments of India, few are of more interest than the tops of the stupas at Sanchi–Kanakheda. (Sayre, 2010) In the late Neolithic period, the megaliths at Stonehenge were erected. These stones were believed to be built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC and placed by the community just one hundred miles to the west of London, England. Nobody knows the initial purpose of Stonehenge; however, there are theories of what it may have meant to this culture of the Neolithic era. There have been discoveries of human remains found at Stonehenge that have been dated back to the time of its creation. This discovery advises that all of these stones put in place as a burial ground for this culture’s ancestors. The five trilithons that form a horseshoe are located in the center of a full circle of what looks like multiple, attached trilithons. This circular enclosure, much like the stone circular wall around The Great Stupa, is designed to increase the sacredness of what is inside. Another similarity of these structures is that they both serve as burial grounds. Stonehenge appears to be an organized grouping of stones; and The Great Stupa, appearing to be flawlessly symmetrical, were both created as complete perfection in the eyes of each of the respective cultures who created them (Sayre, 2010). The similarities and differences between the Stonehenge and the Great Stupa at Stanchi are interesting and more similarities than expected. The Stonehenge was built surrounding several thousand burial mounds which are very similar to the Great Stupa in a sense that the center circular brick formation was built over the relics of the Buddha. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa were both built in a circular formation. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa both are built with large pillars as well as differ in that sense because the  Stonehenge’s pillars have/had a rough, more natural/raw material for their standing pillars. The Stupa’s pillars had polished the pillars they had built and also covered them with narrative scenes from the life of the Buddha. The narratives scenes were for onlookers to be able to see. Although the Stupa had polished their pillars, they had also carved them to look like carved wood. Unlike the Stupa, the Stonehenge is believed to have shrunk in size over time as years passed. The Stupa expanded after a believed vandalism, which then led to the son of the emperor to expand the Stupa with stone slabs making it almost twice in size. Although the Stupa was expanded over time, numerous different times and the Stonehenge was not they were both however believed to be built in stages. The Stupa was built with stone carved to look like wood in some spots while the Stonehenge was built with wood timbers. Even though now it looks as though it’s just stone the opposite of the Stupa that looks as though it’s built with wood, as well as stone. The purpose of the Great Stupa at Sanchi is believed to be for religious purposes. For example, Emperor Asoka believed power rested within religious virtues and not military forces. The stupas also housed important relics of Buddha and the remains of Buddhist holy monks. The Great Stupa holds great cultural value because it is revered by the people because it is a place of worship and prayer. The purpose of the Stonehenge is set to be unknown, however there are a set of theories and out of the many there was one which stood out the most. Based on hundreds of human bones that were found at the site, the bones were over 1,000 years old. The human bones show a human burial cremation took place at the site. The cultural value of the Stonehenge could be it held a significant amount of information on when it was time for the people to harvest. The ancient artifacts created philosophers, great artwork, and great writing, which we find extremely useful to our daily education today. Reference Sayre, H. M. (2010). A World of Art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. A guide to Sanchi† John Marshall. These â€Å"Greek-looking foreigners† are also described in Susan Huntington, â€Å"The art of ancient India†, p. 100 Lacy, Norris J, ed., The Arthurian Encyclopedia, New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1986, article by Geoffrey Ashe, p. 529.

Are The Seven Ps Really Mutually Dependent - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2496 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Argumentative essay Level High school Did you like this example? Are The Seven Ps Really Mutually Dependent? The marketing mix is a very simple concept, widely accepted as being of high utility in the management of the marketing function. Critically discuss the interrelationships between the seven P s of the services marketing mix. Are the seven P s really mutually dependent as some observers would maintain, or can each of the P s be managed independently of the others- Use relevant examples to illustrate your points of views where necessary. Table of Contents Title Page 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Characteristics of Services 3 Conclusion 4 References 5 Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Are The Seven Ps Really Mutually Dependent" essay for you Create order Introduction The seven Ps of the services marketing mix were developed from the four Ps, which were introduced by McCarthy (1960). These original four Ps were the Product, Price, Promotion and Place of a good. The main reason that these aspects were chosen to be the main part of the marketing mix is that they are specific factors over which the marketing manager should be able to exercise a degree of control, depending on the nature of their firms resources. For example, the marketing manager is able decide what type of products a firm will develop to best fit the market, depending on the firm having the necessary technology, and also the places it can be sold within the firms wider distribution network. However, when considering services, it is clear that marketing managers have control of more factors, leading to a debate around the use of other factors in the marketing mix. Ultimately, this led to the creation of the services marketing mix by Booms and Bitner (1981), which includes People, P rocesses and Physical Evidence as critical aspects of the mix. This seven Ps framework has been used to drive and analyse marketing activities in a wide range of markets (Kotler and Keller, 2005). However, the extent to which this framework can be used to create a specific marketing mix for a specific organisation is strongly dependent on the extent to which each of the seven Ps can be manipulated and controlled. As such, marketing managers will need to be aware of any interrelationships between the different Ps when attempting to create their own marketing mix, else these interrelationships can affect the desired balance of the different Ps. This will also be strongly affected by the extent to which the seven Ps can be managed independently of each other. As such, this work will examine the interrelationships between the Ps and the extent to which they can be managed independently to determine how this will affect the creation of the marketing mix. Interrelationships between the seven Ps When considering the seven Ps themselves, the product is mainly seen as the first, and arguably the most important. This is because the product represents whatever the company sells to its customers. As a result, it could potentially be a tangible product like a magazine; a service like a flight; or even information, such as a training course. As such, the product will potentially have interrelationships with all other aspects of the seven Ps. The quality of the product will help determine its cost to produce, and hence its price. It will also affect the market segments to which is can appeal, hence influencing its place and the promotion necessary to sell it. Finally, if it is a high quality service, it will need to be supported by well trained people, with highly consistent and high quality processes to maintain the quality of the product. As such, the product can potentially interact with all other aspects of the marketing mix, particularly in services where custo mer perceptions of the product will depend on the supporting aspects of the mix (Aaker, 2007). Similarly, the price of a product will tend to have significant interrelations with a number of the other aspects of the mix. This is because the price is not just the headline price for a given service, but rather it encompasses all the decisions the company needs to make around the pricing strategy and any discounts the firm may offer. This is strongly related to the promotions the firm will use, as a skimming pricing strategy will require a significantly different style of promotion when compared to a penetration strategy. The price will also be affected by the costs associated with the product, hence price itself will be quite strongly related to the product characteristics, the people employed to market it and their salaries, and the places the service is provided and the costs associated with these places (Nagle and Holden, 2001). Similarly, the places in which a service is off ered will be quite significantly related to the price and promotion, as the distribution channels through which a service is offered will each have their own costs and accepted advertising methods. For example, if a service is being offered in a major store, it will have quite high costs, and the promotions will be heavily reliant on attracting people to the store, and appealing to customers who are walking by the display where the service is offered. On the other hand, if the product is offered over the internet it will need to have a lower price, as internet shoppers have been conditioned to expect lower prices from online offerings. In addition, the promotion will need to focus around creating the buying decision in potential customers, as the ubiquity of internet advertising means that many consumers are strongly turned off by attention grabbing adverts on the internet (Chaffey, 2006). The place will also be linked to the process used to provide the service. For example, a resta urant in a busy town centre will need much more efficient and less personalised processes to keep customers from having to wait when compared to one in a quite village, where customers may expect more personalised service. As discussed above, promotion is strongly linked to product, price and place. This is because the promotion is one of the broadest aspects of the marketing mix, covering all of marketing communications, including the advertising and publicity around the service. Therefore, different aspects of the promotion will often be strongly dependent on the product, the price charged, the place, the characteristics of the people who provide it, and the processes involved in the service. In addition, the promotion and the physical evidence will be strongly related, as the effectiveness of any promotion will tend to rely on the physical evidence on which it is based (Bitner, 1990). Finally, the three aspects of the service marketing mix introduced by Booms and Bitner (19 81) tend to be somewhat less related to the other four, as they are amendments to the original model. In particular, the people who support the marketing mix can arguably be kept almost completely unrelated from any other aspect of the mix. This is because they are the one aspect of the marketing mix which is not directly always related to the service itself. For example, when a person is booking and taking a flight, they may only have very limited contact with people during the booking process and the flight, particularly if it is a low cost airline (Creaton, 2007). As such, people are only strongly related to other aspects of the marketing mix in certain situations. However, even in the low cost airline example, the absence of people is actually quite strongly related to peoples perceptions of the product and the price, hence there is still a relationship. In addition, whilst the process by which customers are served tends to be specifically related to the service provided, it does not always relate to the other aspects of the marketing mix. This is because the main requirement of the process is that it is consistent and does not vary amongst customers; otherwise the service itself will vary amongst customers. As such, it is perfectly acceptable for a high class sushi restaurant to use the same mass production techniques as McDonalds, or an expensive salon to use the same process for cutting hair as a standard hairdresser, provided the process is consistent across all customers. Finally, physical evidence is not strongly related to most of the other aspects, as it simply relates to the need to demonstrate the promotional claims made around the service. As such, it does not strongly relate to the product, price or other aspects, rather it only generally relates to the promotions offered (Booms and Bitner, 1981). Characteristics of Services The above section demonstrates the significant potential for interrelationships amongst the seven Ps of the marketing mix. However, in order to determine whether any of them can actually be made completely independent from the others in the case of services marketing, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of services. These are the lack of ownership, intangibility, inseparability, perishibility and inconsistency of services, and are the factors that any business needs to consider when marketing services (Gronroos, 1978). The lack of ownership occurs because a service is delivered at a certain point in time, and hence can never be owned or transferred to the purchaser. For example, a restaurant does not just provide food, it provides it prepared to certain standards, as well as served in a certain manner. As such, in order to provide a high quality meal, the restaurant needs to ensure that the food is cooked and served in an expected manner. This implies significant depend encies between the people, product and processes that operate in the restaurant industry. The second characteristic is intangibility, which implies that services cannot be physically touched, or quantified. For example, when using an airline, a passenger is simply transported from one place, in a certain physical condition, to another place, with a different physical condition. The critical requirements for the passenger is thus that they arrive in a timely manner, and in a physical condition which is not significantly worse than when they left, i.e. they have not been in uncomfortable seats and their luggage hasnt been lost. The main requirement for this is that the airline must offer a reasonable form of physical evidence around the quality of the service they provide, and this evidence must be believable. This physical evidence can be in almost any form, including photos, statistics around lateness and lost luggage, critical reviews or consumer testimonials (Bitner, 1990). As a result, the physical evidence provided can arguably be said to be independent from much of the rest of the marketing mix, with only the promotion depending on the level of evidence available to support any claims it makes. Inseparability refers to the fact that the service must be provided by a business at the point of use; it cannot be packaged up and sold in a remote location. For example, an accountant must look at the business accounts and interact with the director and staff in order to produce accounts. This implies that there must be a strong relationship between the people, place, process and product in order to effectively deliver the service. If the accountants are working at a remote location away from their client, their process will be different and so will the final product. On the contrary, with the accountants working in the same location as their client, they can follow a different process due to the availability of the client for meetings etc. Services are perishable because they only last for the effective time that the service is being provided, unlike physical goods which can often be stored and reused. For example, a haircut will only last until the hairdresser stops cutting, after this point the customers hair will keep growing and cannot be altered. As such, it is important that a service is provided correctly the first time and according to the customers requirements to avoid unhappy customers and poor service provision. The main implication of this is that, again, there is a strong relationship between the process and the end product, as well as the people who provide it and the promotion. This is because, in order for the process to be consistent enough to avoid any divergence from the customers requirements, the people have to be well trained; the product well defined; and the promotion has to make clear the nature of the service to avoid confusion from the customer. Finally, the inconsistency of services is a consequence of the different people who produce and consume services. As a result, the same service provided at different times to different will tend to be different. For example, the same burger produced in the same restaurant will tend to be different for different customers depending on the temperature of the over, the requirements of the customer and the consistency of the staff. Again, this implies a strong interrelationship between product, people and process, to ensure that the service provided is as consistent as possible for all consumers and avoid failing to meet customer expectations. Conclusion It is clear from the literature and the examples discussed above that there are significant interrelationships between the seven Ps of the services marketing mix, particularly between the product, the people and the process used to produce the service. In addition, the price of the service will tend to be strongly dependent on its cost to produce, and hence on the people, the process and the place in which it is delivered. Also, the promotion used for any service will need to be based on factors such as the product, price and the availability of physical evidence. This tends to indicate that the seven Ps really are mutually dependent, and most of them cannot be managed independently of the others without damaging the potency and effectiveness of the marketing mix. For example, a business could change the process it uses to produce a service, but without improving the training of its people and promoting this change it would likely either reduce the quality of the service or cause s ome inconsistency with customer expectations. As such, it appears that only the physical evidence used to demonstrate the product to the customer can be managed independently, as it can take a variety of forms each of which can be persuasive. References 1. Aaker, D. A. (2007) Strategic Market Management. Wiley. 2. Bitner, M. J. (1990) Evaluating Service Encounters: The Effects of Physical Surroundings and Employee Responses. The Journal of Marketing; Vol. 54, Issue 2, p. 69-82. 3. Booms, B. and Bitner, J. (1981) Marketing strategies and organizational structures for service firms. In Donnelly, J. and George, W. Marketing of services. American Marketing Association. 4. Chaffey, D. (2006) Internet Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice: 3rd Edition. 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