Humans Are Imperfect Beings, Research Paper Example

Almost everyone dreams of an utopian world where human policies and traditions are not only progressive but also morally right for everyone. Unfortunately, we live in an imperfect world where the policies made by our trusted institutions and officials are branded as fraud and greed-driven. Thus, most forms of advancements and progress are labeled as immoral. In an essay titled The Mega-Marketing of Depression in Japan, Ethan Watters elaborates on the profitable “one size fits all” (518) ritual large pharmaceutical corporations employ to market their anti-depressant drug (SSRI) in the Japanese drug market. She accuses these corporations of ignoring cultural differences and beliefs about depression. On the other hand, Karen Ho points towards the practice of favoritism and “exclusivity” (166) of Ivy Leaguers, especially, Harvard and Princeton students by Wall Street elites in hiring practices, , in her essay Biographies of Hegemony. Susan Faludi, in her essay The Naked Citadel, also discusses the exclusivity of male cadets and the violent rituals institution employs in their attempt to make “whole men” (83) out of their cadets. Therefore, the customs and policies adopted by a group of individuals do encourage an evolution, i.e. a change is accumulated or developed over time. However, the continuous negative consequences of these rituals always fail to meet the accepted behaviors or norms considered ethical by the society, hence, rendering an ethically progressive ritual as an impossible goal.

The practices a group of individuals adopts, can lead to advancements in their respective societies; a positive change occurs over time. In order for a continuous practice or policy to be deemed as evolving or advancing, it has to have made a significant positive change from one state to another whether physically, financially, or emotionally. For instance, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline employed certain marketing and publicity practices that enabled the advancement of their “Paxil” drug and enhanced the company’s profit margin. Watters asserts,  “cultural beliefs about depression and the self are malleable and responsive to messages that can be exported from one culture to another” (519). This statement suggests Japanese culture, like any other culture, is vulnerable to change and adheres to claims presented to them, without further investigation to be extra careful. Thus, pharmaceutical companies exploited this knowledge and were able to apply their one-size-fits-all idea to the market on the notion that if the anti-depressant drug works for Americans, it will definitely work in other societies as well. This became a ritual that influenced them to introduce their product into Japan and cause a change in a rather pessimistic depression drug market.

Faludi, on the other hand, makes references to various practices that allowed the Citadel Institution to advance and evolve from their misogynistic environment to a rather accommodating female-friendly setting. The Citadel Institution is well known for its violent anti-feminist rituals such as the “dog day” where students publically humiliated their ex-girlfriends outside school. Thus, the institution has a policy that allows the cadets to attend an “in-house etiquette-training seminar” (88) where they are taught from a manual called “The Art of Good Taste”. Among other things, this manual “outlines the ‘correct way of offering an arm to a lady, to help her down the steps,” and the best method for assisting “a lady in distress”(Faludi 88). Assisting ladies or being a gentleman may not seem as much of a progression as the cadets continued to engaged in their anti-feminist rituals. However, this practice is the only platform that encourages these cadets to deviate from their violent misogynistic ways into rather calmly collected men in front of women. That being said, from an anti-feminist setting to a more gentlemanly setting for women is a clear and major improvement in cadets’ character. Ho also makes reference to the ritual of exclusivity endorsed by the elites to help expand their kinship and the level of excellence they take the most pride in. The pharmaceutical companies, the Citadel Institution, and the Wall Street elite all employed rituals that caused a major change or improvement from one stage to the other over time. Hence, practices or rituals can lead to progress when it motivates physical or mental change or an improvement.

Yet these adopted progressive customs cannot be considered morally right as they are always bound to trigger consequences that go against the accepted moral values and behaviors in their respective societies. For a ritual to be considered morally right, it may impact or influence the individual’s life positively. Considering the imperfect world we live in, it is unlikely to find a ritual that is just and equitable for all. Watters stressed on the tendency of pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline to employ research that supports the productivity of their anti-depressant drug but ignore studies that contradict their beliefs about the drug’s effectiveness. Take for instance the claims the pharmaceutical companies often make such as “if serotonin levels become unbalanced, communication may become disrupted and lead to depression…. Paxil CR helps maintain a balance of serotonin levels” (529). One must note the helping verb ‘may’ which indicates uncertainty and doubt in the performance of the anti-depressant drug. This proves these companies are marketing a drug that is not fully proven to be productive and yet it is still sold for patients to take it into their bodies. This may endanger the life of the drug users and life is a basic right of every individual. Moreover, the word ‘may’ also tells us that the companies were aware of the uncertainty element yet still decided to market the drug to the consumers.

Ho also makes reference to the conscious practice of elite to sell the story of a perfect investment banking world to new recruits. She argues how the elite recruiters lavishly spend money on five star hotels and expensive restaurants to mislead Harvard and Princeton students into thinking this is the typical life of an investment banker. By extravagantly depicting the perfect lifestyle to their recruits, the recruiters failed to address the “physical quickness, aggressiveness, and vigor reference the default upper-class, maleness, whiteness, and heteronormativity of ideal investment bankers”(Ho 167). One may notice that the word ‘reference’ indicates qualities such as “physical quickness, aggressiveness, and vigor” that the recruiters seek in candidates. These qualities may just be those that the recruiters simply prefer; upper-class, maleness, whiteness, and heteronormativity. That being said, the elites fail to acknowledge the favoritism that exists for the white rich man and the condescending treatment directed towards women and minorities by their coworkers. Take for instance Kate Miller, a Wharton School of Business alumni, who now works as a Wall Street consultant. She claimed she was excluded from many company projects because she was not from Princeton or Harvard. Thus,the “schmooze”(Ho 176) ritual of Wall Street recruiters is not morally right as it does not allow newly hires to make a positive improvement in their lives. Faludi also mentions immoral rituals such as “dog day” “the brace” (99), and the “Bananarama” (Faludi 100) that negatively affect victims. Therefore, rituals adopted by a group of individuals cannot be considered ethical due to lack of truth and deception.

Consequently, a ritual that is both ethical and progressive is impossible to achieve. A ritual can be considered as progressive, evolving, and capable of making significant financial or psychological improvement yet may still be deemed immoral. Since we live in a world where our institutions are run by customs that only yield fraudulent and greed-driven results, it is very difficult for those practices to be considered ethical. That being said, a progressive ritual is attainable but one that is both progressive and just is impossible. All the rituals that the Citadel Institution allowed were mostly unprogressive and immoral. However, one progressive ritual, i.e.  the in-house etiquette training, did endorse an idea that was “silent on the subject of proper etiquette toward women who require neither deference nor rescue” (Faludi 88). To teach cadets to be gentlemen and also making them realize women are not children but strong-minded individuals may allow the ritual to be considered progressive as it, at least, mellows the cadets’ misogynistic mindsets. However, this ritual is unethical because it brands women as something they are not.

Ho also makes reference to the progressive ‘forum’ ritual where recruiters make huge round table one-to-one contact with students from Harvard and Princeton. The elites brand Wall Street investment banking as the best career fit for any Ivy League student. Ho argues these forums serve “to narrow students’ notions of success and give the impression that for graduate, there’s nothing else out there besides investment banking and consulting” (N.Guyer 2003, 171) Portraying investment banking and consulting as the only jobs out there, the elites guarantee the growth of their kinship and pedigree. This ritual may then be considered a motivation for progression. However, it is not ethical as it intentionally leads students astray with lies about the Wall Street work lifestyle. Watters, on the other hand, makes references to rituals of the pharmaceutical companies which involve exploiting the notion that cultural beliefs are malleable, in pursuit of financial interests in Japan. This ritual may yield economic benefits but they are still failure and not supported by credible research. Thus, ethical progression is an impossible goal that can never be achieved because progressive rituals cannot be ethical.

The customs a group of individuals implement can lead to an advancement in their respective societies, with change happening over time. However, these adopted progressive customs always generate consequences that violate moral values and behaviors in their respective societie; in other words such customs are unethical. Therefore, having a ritual that is ethically progressive is impossible to accomplish. This also begs the questions whether lies and cunning rituals used by these respective institutions to protect lives around the world could be considered ethical?