Blackness In The American Cultural - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 15 Words: 4627 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/02 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Black Lives Matter Essay Did you like this example? Blackness and the American Cultural Hegemony: The Dynamics of Racial Socialization and Representation, and its Role in the Systematic Devaluation of Black Lives. Introduction Comment by Dafe Oputu: Comment by oyinkan adepitan: Today, the Black civil rights movements of the United States are still actively battling against some of the primary issues that their forebears were concerned with: the apparent expendability of Black flesh and the representation of Black people as criminals.[footnoteRef:0] Although significant progress has been made in relation to the racial discourse in America, some aspects of anti-black oppression have remained constant overtime or merely evolved to take on new forms more practicable in modern society. Comment by oyinkan adepitan: [0: ] Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Blackness In The American Cultural" essay for you Create order The deaths of African Americans at the hands of predominantly white law enforcement officials nationwide constitutes a form of legalized lynching that has been noticeably on the rise or at least increasingly well-documented. The usual attacks on the victims characters as delinquents, violent, aggressive and stubborn faithfully echo the justifications given for anti-Black violence in previous generations. The killing of Black Americans by law enforcement has unfortunately become commonplace. It is difficult to imagine the reverse scenario with white citizens being targeted as continuing unabated for this long. Equally significant is respectability politics, which characterised American race relations as far back as the 19th Century and still dictates a large part of interracial interactions today as black people feel the need to act a certain way or have a certain amount of economic ability in order to be taken seriously and for basic needs to be met. The worth of black lives more so that of black women still remains at the bottom of the totem pole as has been demonstrated by a recent uproar in the media regarding teenage girls who have been sexually exploited without reparations, despite numerous allegations of child pornography and sexual misconduct over the years against the perpetrator and cries for help by the victims families.[footnoteRef:1] [1: ] All this goes to show that Black people are yet to attain the long sought after equality in American society. The racial oppression of Blacks in America is ongoing, and will likely continue for generations to come if adequate reforms are not put in place. This paper is a response to this realization, one that came from studying critical race literature, reviewing media, and observing daily interactions. It explores the power and gender dynamics surrounding the social construct of Blackness and Whiteness in American society, highlighting pertinent observations which shed light on the current state of race relations. This will be done through engagement with relevant literature which give context to the origin of these issues, have made germane contributions and raised key points which provoke further lines of inquiry. Comment by Dafe Oputu: Comment by oyinkan adepitan: At The Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance: A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power Danielle McGuire Danielle McGuire does a phenomenal job with her book At the Dark End of the Street, which highlights the role of African American women as the unsung heroes behind the success of the American Civil Rights movement. She makes the patriarchy surrounding the racial discourse evident, so much so that it cannot be denied or overlooked even by the staunchest anti-feminist critic. The dominance of male figures and the relegation of the women who initiated the movement to less vocal roles behind the scene characterized the crusade. According to McGuire, she recognized the need to tell this story when she â€Å"figured out that black women had been enduring, resisting and testifying about interracial sexual violence for years and that these crucial and revealing moments had never made their way into the history of the civil rights movement.†[footnoteRef:2] [2: ] McGuires work helped further highlight the reality of intersectionality especially as it applies to women of color. Originally defined by Kimberle Crenshaw, intersectionality refers to the overlapping realities of multiple identities and the layers of oppression that the doubly-marginalized could experience even within a marginalized group. The term was developed in an attempt to explain the multiple facets of oppression African-American women face. Intersectionality is now at the forefront of national conversations about racial justice, identity politics, and policing ­Ã¢â‚¬â€and over the years has helped shape legal discussions. Black women faced double marginalization as blacks and as women. Not only was the black woman’s body public property available to white men for their pleasure, it was also regularly subjected to a highly politicized and patriarchal justice system whenever a victim attempted to seek redress. In an attempt to â€Å"reclaim† their bodies, black women utilized their voices as weapons, to create awareness of the injustice they had faced for decades. This was seen in the case of Fannie Lou Hamer, who spoke out and became an activist after she was sterilized without her consent and physically assaulted in a police station in June 1963.[footnoteRef:3] Respectability politics however, defined by Frances White as â€Å"attempts by marginalized groups to police their own members and show their social values as being continuous and compatible with mainstream values rather than challenging the mainstream for what they see as its failure to accept difference†[footnoteRef:4]; greatly determined the extent to which these women and the African American community as a whole could fight their cause. Notwithstanding, McGuire draws our attention to the fact that as time went on there was a change in attitude from a focus on the politics of respectability to the newfound thirst for equality and justice, regardless of personal history as was exemplified in Joan Little’s case. This development among others such as the organization and execution of the Bus Boycott of 1955/56 signalled the development of a sense of â€Å"somebodiness† and community among black people as they battled against the â€Å"thingification† of their humanity.[footnoteRef:5] [3: ] [4: ] [5: ] Under the weight of respectability politics, Black people felt the need to constantly prove themselves to White people before they could be integrated into society. This has stemmed from a predominantly white ruling class domination of a racially diverse society coupled with the imposing of their worldviews as the accepted social norms. In actuality, these worldviews and ideologies are merely social constructs developed to serve the ruling class and control power relations. Unfortunately the ideology behind respectability politics persists today in many discourses around the rights of Black Americans and particularly as a reaction to black women who are victims of physical and sexual violence. Significant economic, political and social change over the years coupled with the increasing number of vocal victims has contributed to greater awareness and a considerable reduction in the ability of white men to sexually assault black women without consequence, though much more still needs to be done to see it is completely fazed out. Of equal importance to note in this book is the â€Å"mammyfication† of the black woman. Black women were often subjected to tend to white families at the expense of their own children who had to grow up without a mother. As aptly put by Cydney Renee, mammyfication is â€Å"the stripping away of the many layers of black women, and making it a commodity of which black women contribute to entirely, but in no way benefit from without pushback from society†.[footnoteRef:6] [6: ] Some of these key ideas in McGuire’s work presented a new dynamic in understanding a history that had become taken for granted, and makes one realize the need to be willing to go beyond the status quo, exploring unconventional lines of inquiry in the search for truth. Democracy Abroad, Lynching at Home: Racial Violence in Florida Tameka Bradley-Hobbs Bradley-Hobbs’ book highlights an equally significant problem that pervaded U.S race relations; the lynching violence in Florida and other southern states and how it placed the nation in a precarious position, especially in relation to its stance on the world stage. Although lynching had once been a prominent act in the U.S up until the early 20th century, it reduced considerably in other parts of the nation but was still assiduously practiced in the South, largely due to the dominant ideology of the â€Å"black rapist beast†.[footnoteRef:7] Hobbs points out that despite its persistence, the nature of lynching evolved overtime, as it served the broad social purpose of maintaining white supremacy in the economic, social and political spheres.[footnoteRef:8] This is seen clearly in the increasing number of African American deaths by police brutality in contemporary America. In 2017 alone, the Police killed 1,147 people with Black people being 25% of those killed despite b eing only 13% of the population.[footnoteRef:9] African Americans are often subjected to the death penalty whenever they engage in what should be routine police encounters. With breadwinners of families and future generations being razed down by the day, the economic and psychological effects are bound to be felt for generations to come. [7: ] [8: ] [9: ] As Bradley-Hobbs points out, the failure of Florida state government to contain the lynching situation in the late 20th Century made the state a national pariah because it showcased America’s double standard to other nations that were closely following these events and contradicted the nations democratic stance at a time when national image was of utmost importance. Despite this development, records show that none of the perpetrators of the lynching violence was penalized. Similarly, the failure of the justice system to convict police officers who engage in the indiscriminate killing of black people in present day America has made it clear internationally that not much has changed. The communities and families of the victims of extrajudicial violence have endured various forms of loss for generations. They are often still plagued by fear, loss of familial ties and were never economically compensated (p. 218). This has contributed to the â€Å"broken down† state of man y black families today. Oral tradition is extremely important to African Americans, and has been the primary way of keeping the truth about these lynchings alive for generations (p. 218). In summary, Democracy Abroad, Lynching at Home successfully draws attention to the long lasting effects of lynching violence which transcends generations, and Bradley Hobbs points out the necessity to acknowledge and analyze the violence in order to better understand African Americans skeptical view of the justice system till date (p. 220). Comment by Dafe Oputu: Comment by oyinkan adepitan: From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America Elizabeth Hinton Hinton in similar vein sheds light on the transformation of the American justice system overtime, and emphasizes the importance of understanding this transformation as it provides useful insight into the current state of the penal system and serves as evidence of the American cultural hegemony. The book’s spotlight on the racial underpinnings of several policies developed over the years makes one understand why certain races are more prominent in prisons and other detention facilities. Hinton’s observation of the role played by research â€Å"data† and flawed statistics in further propagating age old racial stereotypes and biased understandings of crime is instrumental as it shows that institutional racism is still rife till date. The policies developed during this period failed to prevent crime and public safety, but rather heightened it as many African Americans reacted to the injustice they were constantly subjected to by the very people and government that was supposed to protect them. While some heads of state implemented policies detrimental to racial minorities out of ignorance, others like Nixon were more intentional and recognized the detrimental impact such policies would have on these minority communities for generations to come. The policies, framed as being for the greater good of these minority populations, were actually designed to â€Å"keep them in their place† and to ensure a maintenance of the racial hierarchy while perpetuating socioeconomic problems. The inequalities that have come about as a result of these policies have created a fissure in the African American community which will take consistent and prolonged intentional effort to reverse. Also, the obvious decriminalization of white youth and portrayal of black youth as delinquents indicated a greater underlying problem. Although policy makers came to recognize incarceration as an ineffective crime prevention method, they still pushed for higher incarceration rates of certain groups of â€Å"offenders†. Of significant importance to note is the law enforcement’s increased and preemptive interactions with black youth, which led to the increase in the probability of being charged with a crime. As the reverse was and still is the case in wealthier white neighborhoods, white youth’s possibility of having a criminal record was considerably low. The first attempt to work on socioeconomic problems in order to solve urban unrest was attributed to the Kerner Commission during the Johnson Administration. In March 1968, for the first time the commission identified white racism and not black anger as the primary cause of urban American turmoil.[footnoteRef:10] Newsweek also carried out extensive research and came about with a similar conclusion, and offered possible solutions to racial inequality.[footnoteRef:11] However, these more accurate findings and advice were overlooked by policymakers and the vicious cycle continued. [10: ] [11: ] Hinton was successful in tracing the origins of the American prison problem to the Johnson administration as her historical analysis brought a lot of previously overlooked elements to light. For example, while the US Republican Party is unpopular with African Americans and conservatism is associated with stoking racism, Hinton shows that mass incarceration actually started during a Democratic administration. Comment by Dafe Oputu: A Netflix original documentary; The 13th, is a must watch and an instrumental piece that makes cogent contributions to the development and current state of mass incarceration in America. The 13th amendment is symbolic of the way slavery has evolved and become more institutionalized. When the amendment was initially passed, it was a glimmer of hope and was regarded as a blow to a major pillar of white supremacy i.e the ability to legally own slaves. However, a clause in the amendment states â€Å"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or place subject to their jurisdiction†[footnoteRef:12]. In other words, as long as one is found guilty of a crime, they can be legally re-enslaved. As a result, as Jim Crow went down, prison populations increased. Before the amendment was passed, the prison system had more white people than black, but with the presentation of this loophole, the tables were swiftly turned. Offences committed by white people were decriminalized while a lesser or equivalent offence committed by black people was severely punished. With black people being more economically disadvantaged than their white counterparts, they were unable to pay the necessary fines and served prolonged sentences. This ultimately led to the development of a prison industry, a new form of inhumane exploitation in which prisoners labor was sold for a pittance to corporations who required them. [12: ] American Prisons have been largely privatized and have witnessed a dwindle in rehabilitation efforts and security. Instead, authorities are more interested in the profitability of the prison which has become the guiding principle of these institutions. The possession of more prisoners presents opportunities for companies and states to make money without fear of moral consequences. In the words of Shaun Bauer, private prison executives â€Å"convince themselves, with remarkable ease, that they are in the business of punishment because it makes the world better, not because it makes them rich.†[footnoteRef:13] [13: ] The mass recruitment of prisoners was cloaked in America’s longest and costliest war; the War on Drugs which was created by Nixon and has continued to be developed. As more understanding has been garnered over the years, it has become obvious that the war was not against drugs but primarily against black people. It has served as a cynical political tool which serves to further disenfranchise the black populace. This coupled with mandatory minimum sentences led to a tenfold increase in male incarceration rate between the 1970s and 2010.[footnoteRef:14] [14: ] Extensive research has shown that increased incarceration rates does not reduce crime but has more of a detrimental effect when social, health and behavioral effects are considered.[footnoteRef:15] [15: ] As stated earlier, this paper aims to explore the experience of being black in the United States, and how negative representations of blackness have led to consistent devaluation of black lives throughout the countrys history. The books highlighted above each make unique contributions and provide insight and context on this subject. Negative representations of blackness are common to all three books. McGuire points to the fact that black men were given a permanent label in the South asâ€Å"black beast rapists† who were constantly trying to have sexual relations with white women. Even civil rights activists were accused of fighting for â€Å"freedom† primarily because they wanted to intermarry with white women, and were often shut down and given the same label (p. 219). The same was the case in Democracy Abroad, Lynching at Home. Bradley Hobbs highlights the fact that nearly all lynchings that took place in the South involved some form of sexual accusation and had this notion at its foundation, even though these accusations were almost always false. This was seen in the case of Jesse Payne, who had an altercation with his landlord but ended up almost paying for it with his life after the same narrative was wielded by his landlord to inspire blood lust in fellow men with similar ideologies (p. 162). As Hobbs aptly put it, these â€Å"white men who would carry out lynching lived in a constant fear of their own creation.† This construction of a beast rapist was used by the white perpetrators to justify murder, and the justice system often turned a blind eye to these events. In From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime, the narrative surrounding black men had evolved from that of the beast rapist to that of the uncontrollably violent criminal. Black pathology became the new order of the day as ignorance became backed with scientific â€Å"findings† which confirmed the inferiority of the black race and their natural disposition to violence. White Supremacy and the structural causes of the state of black families were overlooked and this new construction which was more familiar and suited white peoples assumptions of the black race was quickly accepted. According to Hinton, even the figures presented to highlight crime rates in the country were highly flawed for a number of reasons including the representation of names of black people who had been initially arrested but not indicted (p.35). This led to the over representation of black people on criminal records and ultimately to the creation of further policies and programs detrimental to this gro up. In addition to the black beast rapist narrative associated with black men, black women also had their own burden to bear as they had to live with the hypersexual/prostitute character imposed on them. This is seen in almost every case presented in At The Dark End of the Street, ranging from Recy Taylor to Joan Little. In contrast, white women were portrayed as pure beings who constantly needed protection. On numerous occasions, black women were denied justice for this very reason with Little’s case being an exception to the rule. However, the white men who perpetrated these dastardly sexual acts were never represented in a negative light, but rather often praised each other and went on these hunts together. The concept of miscegenation, defined as â€Å"mixing that is perceived to negatively impact the purity of a particular race or culture†, was the basis on which white supremacists contested integration.[footnoteRef:16] They strongly believed the black race to be genetically inferior, and even went as far as believing that black people are some kind of anomaly that didn’t complete the evolution process. Yet, white men sought sexual relations with black women behind the scenes, in spite or perhaps even because of the taboo nature of such relations. [16: ] Most of these narratives about black people which white people have come to believe so strongly have no valid origins and are usually fears sparked by racial tension and ignorance. Yet, the belief in these narratives has had significant impact on the black community as was demonstrated in the lynchings of Cellos Harrison, Claude O’neal among many others and the creation of detrimental policies as seen in From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime. Till date, some of these beliefs are still widely held and new generations are constantly taught to hold these ideologies as norms and truth. This was demonstrated in the Betty Jean Owens case, in which a boy as young as 16 was involved in her rape and assault. McGuire notes that the assailants failed to take the initial arrest seriously. This signified their confidence in the justice system to acquit them of any crime committed against an African American as this had been the precedence for decades. On a similar note in Hinton’s book, law enforcement officials and policy makers belief that they needed to be wary of even black minors below thirteen years of age, coupled with their criminalization and detention in adult penal facilities goes to show that these foundational ideologies are still very relevant in the 21st century. Furthermore, the portrayal of blacks as delinquents and of whites as troubled youth as highlighted by Hinton’s book largely influenced the kinds of social welfare programs that were made available to both sects(p.219). More crime control programs flooded urban black neighborhoods while rehabilitation facilities flooded white suburban neighborhoods and prevented white kids from ending up in the penal system (p.232). The significance of the â€Å"dramatization of evil† or labelling theory as highlighted by Frank Tannenbaum, cannot be overemphasized as he identifies the social interaction involved in crime.[footnoteRef:17] This continuous representation and stereotyping of black youth as criminals and delinquents ultimately leads them to believe in this notion and act on it. This leads to the re-perpetuation of a vicious cycle. [17: ] These widely propagated and accepted narratives; men as black beast rapists, women as sexually uncontrollable prostitutes, and the race as a whole as feeble minded and pathologically unfortunate; have led to the systematic devaluation of black lives. Civil rights liberation movements today such as Black Lives Matter are engaged in a fight to reclaim this value (which their ancestors had prior to arriving in America, because the black race was denied dignity from the moment they were abducted from their motherland). Black women as usual receive the shorter end of the stick. In addition to forced sterilization, there has been a noticeable trend of ignoring or carelessly handling black women’s health related matters.[footnoteRef:18] This devaluation of black women’s lives has evolved overtime from the â€Å"fungibility† of their flesh as noted by Snorton, as chattel persons on their masters plantations, to the objects of sexual terror and debasement and now, as bodies undeserving of adequate medical and other forms of standard attention required to live a normal life. [18: ] Also, as highlighted by Conley, a Professor of Sociology, â€Å"wealth ownership is the socioeconomic measure that displays the single greatest racial disparity in America today†.[footnoteRef:19] Gross economic inequality has and still characterizes the American society today, as black people continue to be paid less than white people for executing the same job and this trend seems to be on the rise.[footnoteRef:20] Conley puts this in better perspective by claiming; â€Å"while young African Americans may have the opportunity to obtain the same education, income, and wealth as whites, in actuality they are on a slippery slope, for the discrimination their parents faced in the housing and credit markets sets the stage for perpetual economic disadvantage.†[footnoteRef:21] In other words, African Americans will still experience this disadvantage perhaps for generations to come. [19: ] [20: ] [21: ] Not only are individual lives affected, but communal life is also affected. Neighborhoods from time immemorial have been deemed less valuable when they have high numbers of Black residents. Due to the decades of marginalization and oppression of black populations, their quality of life has been eroded and stripped of its full potential. According to the recently released Devaluation of Assets in Black Neighborhoods report, â€Å"homes in neighborhoods where the share of the population is 50 percent black are valued at roughly half the price as homes in neighborhoods with no black residents.†[footnoteRef:22] The problem the black residents who moved into Compton in the 1960s faced is still evident today. [22: ] It is therefore reasonable to say that racial socialization and the representation of black people overtime as a result of White American cultural hegemony has led to a near irreversible devaluation of black lives and communities, and this devaluation will continue to be on an upward trajectory until the root matters are adequately attended to and mutually beneficial policies are implemented. The need for the United States to address these injustices is of immense importance. As a world power, the United States sets precedent for many other countries, and its achieving racial justice will ultimately have a ripple effect on how other countries address these issues. Bibliography Bauer, Shane. â€Å"The True History of Americas Private Prison Industry†. Time Magazine. September 25, 2018. Bradley Hobbs, Tameka. â€Å"Democracy Abroad, Lynching at Home: Racial Violence in Florida.† p.34.Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2015. https://muse.jhu.edu/ Clayton, Dewey. What Black Lives Matter Can Learn from the 1960s Struggle for Civil Rights. USAPP. August 15, 2018. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2018/08/13/what-black-lives-matter-can-learn-from-the-1960s-struggle-for-civil-rights/ Conley, Dalton. â€Å"Getting into the Black: Race, Wealth and Public Policy.† Political Science Quarterly (Academy of Political Science) 114, no. 4 (Winter99/2000 1999): 595. https://ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=aphAN=2987518site=eds-live DuVernay, Ava. â€Å"13th†. Netflix, 7 Oct. 2016. Web. 12 Mar. 2017. ERIC The Negro In America, What Must Be Done, A Program For Action., 1967-Nov-20. ERIC Education Resources Information Center. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED018488 George, Alice. The 1968 Kerner Commission Got It Right, But Nobody Listened. Smithsonian (blog). March 1, 2018. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/1968-kerner-commission-got-it-right-nobody-listened-180968318/ Humphrey, Cydney. The Mammyfication of Black Women. Simply Cydney, Xo. June 7, 2018. https://simplycydneyxo.com/2018/06/07/the-mammyfication-of-black-women/ Liedka, Raymond V.; Piehl, Anne Morrison; Useem, Bert (2006-05-01). The Crime-Control Effect of Incarceration: Does Scale Matter?. Criminology Public Policy. 5 (2): 245–276. Manduca, Robert. â€Å"Income Inequality and the Persistence of Racial Economic Disparities.† Sociological Science, Vol 5, Iss 8, Pp 182-205 (2018) McGuire, Danielle. At the Dark End of the Street: A New History. HuffPost (blog). May 25, 2011. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-mcguire/at-the-dark-end-of-the-st_b_708185.html McGuire, Danielle L. â€Å"At The Dark End of the Street : Black Women, Rape, and Resistance : a New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power.† p. 193. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. Miscegenation: Definition of Miscegenation at Dictionary.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018. National Police Violence Map. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/ New York Times. R. Kelly Faces a #MeToo Reckoning as Times Up Backs a Protest. (2018, June 9). Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/01/arts/music/r-kelly-timesup-metoo-muterkelly.html Perry, Mark J. â€Å"The shocking story behind Richard Nixon’s ‘War on Drugs’ that targeted blacks and anti-war activists.† June 14, 2018. https://www.aei.org/publication/the-shocking-and-sickening-story-behind-nixons-war-on-drugs-that-targeted-blacks-and-anti-war-activists/ Rothwell J., Perry A., Harshbarger D. â€Å"The Devaluation Of Assets In Black Neighborhoods: The case of residential property.†Pg. 2. November 2018. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018.11_Brookings-Metro_Devaluation-Assets-Black-Neighborhoods_final.pdf Tannenbaum F. Crime and Community. (1938). London and New York: Columbia University Press. Taylor, Jamila. Maternal Mortality and the Devaluation of Black Motherhood. Center for American Progress. April 12, 2018. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2018/04/11/449405/maternal-mortality-devaluation-black-motherhood/ White, Frances E. â€Å"Dark Continent of Our Bodies: Black Feminism and the Politics of Respectability.† Philadelphia: Temple University Press.(2001).

Analysis Of The Movie The Truman Show - 1439 Words

The media has become so powerful in today’s society that it has come to the point of controlling our daily lives. â€Å"We accept the reality of the world with which we’re represented. It’s as simple as that†. This was said by a character in the movie, The Truman Show that was released in 1998, distributed by Paramount Pictures, directed by Peter Weir, and includes stars such as Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Natasha McElhone and many more. There is a crucial need to criticize the media in order to explore the way something is presented and to be sure that we are thinking for ourselves because the media is not always accurate in its portrayal of facts. The Truman Show is a non-stop, 24 hour live broadcast of a man named Truman Burbank. Truman has no idea that his life is fake, full of actors, and that there are over 5,000 hidden cameras that document his entire life, although his life and emotions are still genuine. The show is watched by Truman fans all over t he world that are addicted and can’t get enough of it. These fans want to know his every move. The creator of the show was a man named Cristof who claims that he knows everything about Truman because he has had him trapped in a fake city called Seahaven in a giant television studio in a super dome his whole life and watches his every move. Everything seems to change when Truman begins to notice strange things happening around him. For example, while on his daily routines to work he sees a hobo who looks exactly like hisShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie The Truman Show 1115 Words   |  5 PagesThe Truman Show (1998), directed by Peter Weir is a satirical portrayal of our American culture and our media. It’s a distorted version of our own modern reality. Everything having to do with the virtual Truman Show is about consumerism. It starts from Truman Burbank himself. He lives a commercialized life. 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WhileRead MoreSynthesis of Truman Show and Platos Allegory of the Cave1440 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Analysis of The Truman Show and Platos Allegory of the Cave When The Truman Show was released in 1998, it was just another popular Hollywood flick, but its story is closely related to Platos Allegory of the Cave. The plot line for the movie follows this classic tale in many ways, some more obvious then others. As with most cinematic treachery, the movies similarities are no coincidence. The writers drew from Platos classic because it is such a universal story and is somethingRead MoreTruman Capote and Rachel Armstrong: Analysis of Critical Movie Characters1171 Words   |  5 PagesTruman Capote and Rachel Armstrong Critical Movie Character Analysis How the characters are positioned as Outsiders, in their lives and in the films (i.e. how do they behave as outsiders in their on-screen world, amongst friends, family, colleagues, etc., and how does the film emphasize that outsider position). The two characters, Truman Capote and Rachel Armstrong, are definitely to be considered outsiders. They both live outside the realm of what could be considered a normal life by mostRead MoreAnalysis Of Truman Capote s Novel The Cold Blood Genre 1320 Words   |  6 PagesName: Amy Nguyen Date: 9/30/15 Period: 5 Book Title: In Cold Blood Genre: Nonfiction novel (Crime) Author: Truman Capote Number of pages: 343 Brief Summary and â€Å"Arrangement† of the Book: †¢ This book was arranged in some scenes within four chapters. As you read the book, you see that it is formatted similar to a movie or a documentary. Similar to a crime documentary, where we already knew who committed the early in the book, but as the book goes on we find out what their motives and

Global Information Systems Strategy

Question: Write an essay on Global Information Systems Strategy. Answer: In a technology increasing world, there is need for businesses to advance in their way of service acquiring and deliverance. XYZ Inc. being an enterprise that is basically suited to offering digital services seems to have mastered the importance of changing its level of production to an advanced level of employing a cloud storage strategy to see its various activities cope up with current moving waves of advancement in technology. A cloud storage is an IT advancement in technology service model maintained, controlled, stored up remotely and availed to users over a network, a network in this case being the internet and its application going hand in hand with the global information system significantly makes the running of a business that has embraced the technological advancements. However, what tend to be a complicating idea of developing an information system and making it successful is the issue of globalizing companies as the globalization makes it complex coordinating companies activities worldwide majorly through the use of IT. A global information system is largely used over one or more national borders and its development strategies come with many challenges as there are many strategies available while choice making is very difficult. Size of the company An organization that offers digital services globally is tend to be considered a big business in essence to the services that it provides to its consumers. XYZ Inc. being a growing enterprise means that it is expanding from a small level enterprise to a rather complex enterprise. A huge problem that might tend to affect the XYZ Inc. the identification of the acquisition option or rather the development strategy with an intention to maximize the net current valuation of the software procurement with organizational deliberations as the subject. Size is the organizations magnitude reflected in the number of people in that organization, its therefore defined by the number of employees (Grant, Hackney Edgar, 2009). The organization size can be said to be a predictor of the embracing of administrative inventions including computerization or the use of information system. An increased size either necessitates information system in solving communications and integration issues arising from increased size or at least facilitate the use of IS like computerizing greater opportunity in order to achieve benefits. Results could not be in accordance with theory or previous reported findings. There is a little significant relationship between sizes and IS use brought about difference in the level of advocacy amongst the staffs. IT does have a direct influence on the optimal size of XYZ Inc. as it affects organizations central cost structure. The use of computers and information technology is essential to the efficient operation of any size but smallest growing enterprise. Local job specialization denoted by employee performance in an organization of any size is recognized Turnover Business turnover is a value that represents the total sale as it is essentially the value of sales made in a set period and its measured over a years period regardless of tax year or fiscal year. The XYZ Inc. exists as a substitute for the market instrument and survives by reducing transaction costs hence profits are arbitrage operation. Transaction budget economics is fundamentally an orthogonal theory for it just sights a business firm as a solution to a current market. Market operations recognized are not free and business costs are significant part of the financial activity (Hunter, 2015). Types of services As we have been informed that the XYZ Inc. offers digital services, we will get to look at some of the services it offers main ones being; Recruitment: recruiting software allows the organization to save on time and money as well as making better recruiting process. The employing software saves time by attending as a first screener to get rid of the unqualified candidates and pick on those deemed suitable to progress. Tourism: the growth of tourism activities competence of hotelier management and customer relation quality, the objective is to reduce risk of rooms being unoccupied by insuring interactive communications with tourists that have already made reservations and also the ones that visit the site occasionally. An enhanced information processing concerning clients profile whether individual clients or organized groups make the clients fidelity grow moreover there is an improving flexibility in payments by relating well with customers. Implementation Strategy Involving all the main stakeholders in the cloud strategy at an early stage is believed to be a key to success. Insights points out that the latter would ensure a clear understanding of the way the cloud would influence the existing practices. The companies that have displayed a successful cloud procumbent strategies are seen to focus a lot on the earlier facilitation of the procumbent services as well as the elimination of complexity that count unnecessary barriers to the full acknowledgement of the cloud benefits. A successful cloud procurement strategy is expected to depend on the entire application-level and performance based needs. They are rather not expected to dictate the specific methods that are used to fulfill the needed requirements. Acknowledging the fact that cloud computing is a commercial item should be followed by a leverage of the cloud service providers that are established as commercial best equipment. Declaring these in the commercial cloud industry through the p ermission of the use of the commercial practices would mean that the clients will be entitled to the most innovative and cost effective solution. Professionals should buy cloud computing as a business element. The associated unique terms and conditions are believed to be critical to the realization of the advantages of cloud. This is because of the value possessed by the utility type-services when it comes to the operations at a massive scale as well as the driving of the innovation and cost effectiveness. The clients are expected to allow for the arising terms and conditions so they can benefit from the enhancements of the dynamic services. Considering that the clients for cloud computing are building their systems on top of the infrastructure, the responsibilities of security and compliance appears to be a common feature shared among the service providers and the customers. The clients in this case control the way they design and secure their applications and information on the infrastructure while the cloud service providers provides the services on a secured and controlled manner. The cloud service providers also offer an array of extra security features. Conclusion A cloud storage is an IT advancement in technology service model maintained, controlled, stored up remotely and availed to users over a network, a network in this case being the internet and its application going hand in hand with the global information system significantly makes the running of a business that has embraced the technological advancements. An organization that offers digital services globally is tend to be considered a big business in essence to the services that it provides to its consumers. The organization size can be said to be a predictor of the embracing of administrative inventions including computerization or the use of information system. An increased size either necessitates information system in solving communications and integration issues arising from increased size or at least facilitate the use of IS like computerizing greater opportunity in order to achieve benefits. Organizations can now appropriate computing resources needed to boost their innovativen ess and in the running of the IT departments. As such the process would be the beginning of the reduction of the need for a large investment in hardware. There would be a presentation of an opportunity to conducting a reevaluation of the current procumbent plans. References Hunter, M. G. (2015).Strategic utilization of information systems in small business.Andover, Cengage Learning.

The Effects Of Steroids On Muscle Training Essays -

The Effects Of Steroids On Muscle Training What are steroids? Steroids are synthetic chemicals that mimic the hormones produced by the body. Hormones control bodily functions and are separated into various classifications such as adrenal, cortical, cardiac, bile salts, vitamins, and sex hormones. Anabolic steroids that build muscle tissue are classified as sex hormones and they stimulate the action of the male sex hormone testosterone. When testosterone is released at the appropriate time it has the natural effects of creating body size, bone size, body hair, sex organ maturation, and muscle tissue development. They often have many different trade names or brand names. Commonly used anabolic steroids are Anavar, Sustanon, and Dianabol. Anabolic steroids are prescription-only medicines. They are not controlled under the misuse of drugs act. It is not illegal to possess them for personal use. It is an offense to supply them. They can only be acquired from a chemist with a doctor's prescription. In addition, there is a large illicit market in anabolic steroids. The primary use of anabolic-androgenic steroids is in replacement therapy for male testosterone. Other medical uses include growth promotion in certain forms of stunted growth, osteoporosis, mammary carcinoma, animas, and hereditary angioneurotic edema. The use of various physical and chemical aids in performance enhancement has been a feature of athletic competition since the beginning of recorded history. The ancient Greeks ate sesame seeds, bufotenin was used by the berserks in Norwegian mythology, and the Andean Indians and the Australian aborigines chewed, respectively, coca leaves and the pituri plant for stimulating and anti-fatiguing effects (Bowman, 1980). Athletes have used anabolic steroids to enhance appearance and performance for years. The first ergogenic use of anabolic-androgenic steroids was reported back in the 1950's among weightlifters and bodybuilders. Bowman reported that one-third of a sample of elite track and field athletes in Great Britain admitted to systematic anabolic-androgenic steroid use by 1972 (Bowman, 1980). Silvester reported that 68% of a sample interviewed at the 1972 Olympic Games from 7 different countries, and who were competing in such diverse activities as throwing, jumping, vaulting, sprinting, and running up to 5000m, admitted to having used anabolic-androgenic steroids (Bowman, 1980). Although it was actually suggested early in 1973 and stressed later, it is now evident that the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids is not limited to the elite athletes but has now trickled down to the amateur, professional, college, high school, and even junior high athletes. Due to the estimated prevalence of non-med ical anabolic-androgenic steroid use and the implications for society and public health there were several scientific meetings set up. Moreover, a technical review at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 1989 was set up, and both federal and state investigations to reclassify anabolic-androgenic steroids as controlled substances despite arguments from the American Medical Association. Patterns of anabolic-androgenic steroid use among athletes have been determined from several surveys. Hickson and Kurowski interviewed 24 weight-training athletes at a gymnasium in a metropolitan area of the southwestern United States. The Subjects surveyed took a combined steroid dose of four to eight times the recommended medical dose, Used more than one anabolic-androgenic steroid at a time, which is known as stacking, and combined the use of intravenous and oral anabolic-androgenic steroids (Hickson, 1986, p. 465). Although Hickson and Kurowski questioned a specific sample of anabolic-androgenic steroid users, they concluded that their subjects seemed to be representative of the type of athletes who used anabolic-androgenic steroids. Two other groups of people also conducted very similar surveys and found that their subjects were also taking well over the recommended medical dose. In 1990 Baldoenzi and Giada conducted a survey and found that 110 out of 250 weightlifters he interviewed in several gymnasiums in the metropolitan Chicago area, many of, which had no intentions of being competitive, also used a variety of anabolic-androgenic steroids. 50 weightlifters were interviewed in detail, a majority had no competitive interests in weightlifting, bodybuilding, or any other athletic event just used the steroids because they wanted to. Baldoenzi and Giada concluded that anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse had reached alarming proportions in noncompetitive athletes (Baldoenzi, 1990, p. 205). The Buckley survey in 1988 suggests that one-quarter to one-half million adolescents in the United States has used or

Hi Frequency Marketing Essays - Marketing, Music Industry

Hi Frequency Marketing Essays - Marketing, Music Industry Hi Frequency Marketing Music Marketing: Hi Frequency Concepts In today's business world, everyone knows that the hardest industry to break into is the music industry. The music industry has evolved from being made up of many independent labels to being run by major corporations such as Warner Brothers and Universal Music Group. Music marketing is the one aspect of the industry that has not gone corporate. While record label marketing departments are running out of ideas, independent marketing firms are taking over their business. Music marketing differs from most other fields in marketing because it does not have one orientation but still uses the fundamentals like conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution (Lamb 6). I was researching the music industry online when I ran into a company called Hi Frequency started by a young entrepreneur named Ron Vos. Hi Frequency is an independent music-marketing firm that promotes for labels, concert halls, and distributors. Hi Frequency uses their financial status to help young musical entrepreneurs like Vos break into the music industry. The company has over 60 field representatives that are unpaid and doing quality promoting in 50 markets across the country. Vos educates his reps so that they will have not only use the position as a resume builder but as a solid background in music to help further their careers. The first thing that Vos realized about the music industry is that although being very corporate, a grassroots marketing campaign is the largest step towards success. Promotions mean more to music than any other aspect of marketing. The record labels fight against the technological advancements such as mp3s gets harder every day. The only thing that can influence people more than computers is other people (Kashif 176). Vos has recruited people all across the country to embrace other people and get the word out on up-and-coming bands and concerts. The different types of promotions by Hi Frequency reps are handouts, poster placement at local music stores, and the always-effective word of mouth. As you can see the music industry is much different from other industries when it comes to promotions. Distribution on the other hand is done in a very similar fashion. The distribution begins with the label recording the tracks of music then making a full CD. After the CD is created it is sent to the middleman, in this case, the labels all have their own manufacturing plants where the CDs are mass-produced. After these CDs are manufactured, they are split up by the middlemen and shipped to record stores. The record store receives them and sells them with the help of people like Hi Frequency field reps. As the number of CDs in distribution increases, so does the price. The record labels spend as low as $.12 for a CD to be made. The middleman, who most of the time is owned by the label, will hike the price up to $3-5.00 for the most popular CDs. Once the retailer receives these, they will raise the price to as much as $17-20.00. The label makes money off the middleman, while the middleman makes money off the retailer, who in turn makes money off us. Hi Frequency has to aid the retailer in selling these CDs. Think of how much the label makes if they own the middleman, it is quite a lucrative business. Record labels do not just rely on marketing firms to sell their CDs, they have to be the conceptual masterminds behind the artist development. Even after all of these years the one thing that sells records is talent (Passman 167). The music industry is not just hard to break into on the business side but has become virtually impossible to get into on the performance end. Record labels have a whole department devoted to finding talent. This department is called A&R. A&R is a group of people that can make or break you and decide if you are something that is worth a completely new marketing concept. Hi Frequency gets the task many times of testing A&R departments by pushing new musicians and proving their worth. The promotions, distribution, pricing, and conceptions that deal with marketing in general agree with musical marketing. Hi Frequency realizes the similarities of music with other

3 Basic Cover Letter Tips for Summer Internship

3 Basic Cover Letter Tips for Summer Internship In your life, you have probably written more motivation letters than you want to admit. Unfortunately, unless you win $10 million at the lottery, you’ll probably have to write more. Considering that applications for summer internship are still open, you should probably be writing one of your cover letters now. However, you want to make your letter sound special and get you this place you apply for, right? Take several minutes to read this post and learn the best tricks and tips to make your application stand out from the competition or get help from experienced writers. Put Your Life on the Line Don’t actually do something risky like dropping your letter into the application office via helicopter. But, you do want to make the reader feel like you would if you had to. People reviewing your letter want to know that this opportunity is something that means a lot to you. In short, that you are passionate about what you’re studying and the potential career boost this internship or scholarship could have for you. Wrong: I really want to have this internship because I think it would be fun. Because it’s only for the summer, it lets me find out if practising law is something I want to do long-term. Also, I need the money to help pay for college next year. Right: Since I was 12, I have been prosecuting legal cases. Granted, they were with my stuffed animals and my mom acted as the judge, but I still managed to win every case. Now, after 2 years of pre-law, I’m ready to see first-hand how the best lawyers really work. Do the Leg Work In order to really be considered for the most competitive study abroad opportunities or internships, you need to have a good idea of who you are talking to. That means more than just following the directions on the application. It means doing a little research to see what truly motivates the company or agency who will accept you. Here are a few quick tips to ensure that you’ve done the leg work to get this job: Go to the company website and read their statement of purpose. Can you restate this in your own words? What is the overall tone of the company? Professional? Fun? Innovative? Try to reflect that tone in your letter. For high-profile companies, find out who the last intern was who was hired. Reach out to them through email or social media for insight. Talk to a receptionist in the company. Ask her some questions about what upper management looks for when they choose an intern or study abroad student. Follow the Rules of a Good Essay Many students will be immediately dismissed because they fail to create a compelling argument for why they are the perfect candidates for the position in question. In order to rise to the top, remember the three rules of crafting a great essay response. Make it memorable. Engage the reader through laughter, emotion, or empathy. You want to give them a story or image that they can’t get out of their head. Make it specific. Remember: the readers are viewing thousands of these letters. Use active verbs and great sentence variety. Also, include specifics to catch their interest. Wrong: I have a lot of experience with working on marketing committees. I have been the manager of several small newspapers. I was also the head editor for my school’s newspaper in high school. Right: Over the past five years, I have had many experiences with managing both small and large editorial staffs. I was the Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper, which led to my employment as the Staff Chief of the Boston Jewish Tribune. Make it honest: Don’t be tempted to lie to make yourself sound more eligible. Consider all the traits you have that make you perfect for this job. Then, find a creative way to highlight how those truthful qualities and experiences can benefit both you and the reader’s organization. Now, go and nail that internship cover letter and dont give up until you get the desired position. Good luck! Questions? Suggestions? Comments? Your feedback is always welcome!

CASE 11.2 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

11.2 - Case Study Example It is therefore evident that any acne patient who comes across proactiv and gets to see the results is more than thankful for the product. Using infomercials was the best decision for the marketing of proactiv for various reasons as Dr. Rodan and Dr. Kathy came to understand. First, Acne was an embarrassing issue therefore selling the product openly would not produce positive results, as patient turnout would be very low. Second, people need to be educated on how to treat their acne something that could not just work in a 30-60 second advert. Thirdly, infomercial audience was a good target as it consisted of women between their 20s to their 40s who would do anything to get rid of the acne problem therefore providing a good market segment. Through infomercials, the product has the opportunity to air testimonials from people who have experienced positive results. It is clear that Rodan and Kathy were ready to throw in the towel after unsuccessfully seeking for investment capital with no success. The deal with Guthy-Renker was their key to success and if it had not happened then proactive would have had very low chances of existing in the market today. Infomercials were a better choice for Proactiv than print and media advertising because it was necessary to educate people on the product rather than just advertise (Agree and Martin). Infomercials offered more time to make this possible as compared to advertising through media and print where not many people would pay attention and most probably would assume it not to work as the ones already in the market. Proactiv’s positioning strategy has made it to be a success in the market as these strategies were able to distinguish it from the other products that were already in the market. Categorizing their product under skin care product rather than acne products enabled them to tap into a more attractive and larger market share. Coming up with the name Proactiv also played a major role for the product

Introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Introduction - Essay Example cess as well as to make original contribution to literature, this paper discusses what criteria a budding restaurants needs to meet in order to set its foot and expand in the highly challenging and competitive contemporary food industry. This paper uses the Porter’s Five-Forces model to examine a restaurant’s competitive environment. Taking McDonald’s as a case study, this paper discusses the threats and opportunities an expanding restaurant faces today and the advantages and disadvantages associated with its strategic moves. McDonald’s is one of the most successful fast food chains of all time. Having achieved such a phenomenal success and expansion in a matter of much less than a century, McDonald’s has a lot to offer new and budding entrepreneurs in terms of mission, vision, strategic decision making, and ways to achieve success. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for McDonald’s that can help it even improve the pace of its success and the quality of its products and

The Chinese Miracle Essay Example for Free

The Chinese Miracle Essay Many developing countries have sought rapid and sustained economic growth, but few have encountered China’s success. What are the key explanatory factors accounting for the so-called â€Å"Chinese miracle† of the past three decades? Introduction The landscape and the economy of China has extremely changed and developed for thirty years. The â€Å"Chinese miracle† as we called is a really interesting topic such no one country had known a lightning economic ascent as China. Several factors explain that rise to power but I think it is better to talk about almost entirely a few of them instead of name ten factors and develop them during only some sentences. That’s why I have chosen to develop three elements for this essay which are, in my opinion, the main key factors explaining the potential ascension of the Chinese economy of the past three decades. Of course, for this subject, we have to talk about the Reform and Opening up of 1978 without which China would not be the second world economic power nowadays. Given that it is an essay of a few pages, I will develop a few aspects and not all the elements of this economic reforms’ program. China’s Reform and Opening up In 1978, thanks to Deng Xiaoping who led the Communist Party of China, China knew the world’s biggest economic reform of the nineteenth century. This reform is the most important key factor which can explain the so-called â€Å"Chinese Miracle†. It provides the country an open-minded economy on the world. The reform and opening up took place in two steps. Firstly, in the first ten years from 1978, the reform involved stopping collectivize of agriculture and doing the opposite, the opening up for the foreign investments and to allow businessmen to start up business. Secondly, from the end of 1980s, it entailed privatization of companies and contracting out of a lot state-owned industry. Although state monopolies in sectors such as banking and petroleum remained, the economic reform brought lifting of price controls, protectionist policies and regulations. Thanks to this economic reform which is the largest, foreigners and also overseas Chinese began to invest in China. During the past 30 years, the investment range of overseas Chinese has developed from labor-intensive to capital or technology-intensive industries and has expanded from the hometowns of overseas Chinese to western China via the coastal areas, the inland and central, eventually leading to the all-round opening-up of China. Overseas Chinese businessmen and their enterprises have made a huge contribution to the expansion of Made in China products all over the world. At present, investing in China has become a trend for overseas Chinese. Although statistics are not complete, overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao who have found enterprises represent about 70% of the total of overseas-funded enterprises in China. In the past thirty years, they have donated billions of yuan to Chinese public services, to set up thousands of middle and primary schools. They also donated vehicles, medical equipment, motorcycles, nylon cloth, fertilizers, chemical fibers, refrigerators and agricultural machines. The return of many overseas Chinese directly changed the daily lives of ordinary Chinese people at that time by means of televisions, washing machines, sewing machines and radios which were scarce items. When we notice all the capital, the investments and donations which have been brought for three decades by the overseas Chinese and the foreigners, we can say that without the Reform and Opening up which gather a lot of economic reforms, the economy and quality of the life in China would not be what it is now. Population, production costs and way of life in China According to me, ones of the most important factors which can explain the surprising and rapid growth of China are the population in China, the cost of living and the way of life of Chinese people. Although some of countries in Europe enjoyed a fast growth decades ago, no one benefited from a growth with two numerals during several years like China. One of the reasons is the population in China which exceed 1. 300. 000. 000 persons, which means that more than one person out of five on the Earth is Chinese. With the biggest population of the world, it is not surprising that China is one of the biggest economic world-power because the country disposes of a huge workforce. Although having a big population for a country bring it to be a big economic power in the world like the United States, France and Russia, it is not enough for a country to establish itself as the first worldwide producer in a lot of different sectors. Indeed, China can base its economy on its population but especially on its cost of living therefore on the production costs. The cost of living is the biggest known reason of the economic success of China since we had known the globalization because all the production costs for the companies are cheaper than in Europe and the United States. Since our world economy entered in the globalization, almost of the companies from the secondary sector (in contrast with the primary and the tertiary sector) had begun to produce their goods or some pieces of their goods in China. Worldwide companies except non-profit-making organizations and a few ones have as goal to make profits. So, since China has opened its borders to foreign countries to doing business with them three decades ago, multinational but also small and medium-sized firms took advantage of this great opportunity to outsource their factory in order to reduce their production costs substantially and so to make more profits. However, it’s also the way of life, the culture of the Chinese people which contribute to make this kind of large-scaled producing system possible. Chinese people have a different consideration about their job, their work more and they have less leisure time than European people. They work hard, they usually finish their workday at 8 pm and they have fewer days off than in Europe or the United States. They consider the job as emancipating, an opportunity to socially go up. Of course, it is the case for the graduated Chinese who went at school and university and not for the Chinese who work in the toys or textile factories for example. It is easy for Chinese companies or foreign companies like Foxconn to find workforce like this second part of workers whose agree to work more than ten hours per day in hard working conditions without a good salary because they don’t have work in their village and also in order to bring back money at home to pay the school of their children. In my opinion, these three factors mixed together come to one of the most important reason that China imposes itself as regards world economic power. For a few years, China is the factory of the world. Billions of goods come from the factories of China and most of the biggest factories in the world are located there. Nowadays, the result is so that the Chinese industry carries weight in the world economy. China is the first producer of the toys sector, the shoes sector, the textile sector, the household electrical goods and many more thanks to its huge workforce. The monetary policy of China The second key explanatory factor is the monetary policy of the Chinese government. If China was able to establish itself as nowadays the second economic world-power, it is mostly thanks to its substantial exportations. In fact, we can easily understand that the rate of exchange of the Chinese currency, the Yuan or RenMinBi, play an important part to promote or not the exportations of the country. That’s why for several years, the Chinese government has chosen to devaluate its currency in order to boost its exportations which make for China to maintain a strong rhythm of growth. When we look at the recent history of the RenMinBi, we notice that since 21th July 2005, a nearly-fixed parity vis-a-vis the U. S. Dollar was organized. However, starting from that date the authorities decided to index the Yuan to a basket of currencies and a devaluation of 2% of the Yuan was also decided in parallel vis-a-vis the U. S. Dollar. Facing the American pressure, Beijing agreed to revalue the Yuan little by little until it will be again index to the dollar by a fixed parity in 2008. Since 2008, the Yuan has not evolved weighty in the exchange rate market. For three-four years, we see arguments from Europe and the United States about the Yuan’s exchange rate. According to them, Beijing often maintains its currency to a low artificially level. However, not long ago, even if China wants to keep the control of its currency and not to be dictated by Europe, United States or the IMF about the exchange rate of the Yuan, that one was revalued by its government. So, we can notice that the low rate of the Yuan has greatly favored the Chinese companies compared to European and American firms for many years. Today, the Yuan’s rate has already begun to increase in relation to five years ago. Some experts say that the Yuan is undervalued by more than 20%. But even if the Chinese economy is based on the exportations for three decades, the re-value of the RenMinBi will give again some purchasing power for the households, restart the consumption and will bring China to be less dependent on its overseas trade. Conclusion In conclusion, we can notice that the â€Å"Chinese miracle† has been possible for the most part thanks to the Reform and Opening up in 1978. However, this single reform program doesn’t suffice to explain the fast economic growth of China. Factors as the production costs, the huge population of the country, the culture of the work and the devaluation of the Yuan are key factors which have led China to be the second, and first soon, economic world-power. For three decades by means of these mixed factors, China has greatly improved the state of its economy, the quality of the life of its population, its infrastructure, its education system, etc. Moreover, thanks to the Reform and Opening up in 1978, Chinese people became more open-minded of others cultures. They could meet foreigners and started doing business with them. We can also notice that China is indebted to overseas Chinese who has brought a lot for their country with their bountiful donations. However, although the life’s quality of the Chinese people is better than thirty years ago, we don’t have to forget that in China the Gini coefficient is the highest and so the contribution inequalities are the biggest. One of the next challenges of the Chinese government is to watch out for what more Chinese can take advantage of the good health of the economy. Bibliography Websites : * http://www. china. org. cn/china/reform-opening-up/2008-12/19/content_16978369_2. htm * http://www. china. org. cn/china/reform-opening-up/2008-10/15/content_16645211. htm * http://www. china. org. cn/china/reform-opening-up/2008-12/10/content_16926213. htm * http://www. china. org. cn/international/2008-06/20/content_15859984. htm * http://www.china. org. cn/china/reform-opening-up/2008-11/25/content_16822741. htm * http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-asia-china-20069627 * http://www. nytimes. com/2012/11/09/opinion/china-should-reform-and-open-up. html * http://www. lefigaro. fr/tauxetdevises/2010/04/10/04004-20100410ARTFIG00642-la-chine-et-les-etats-unis-debattent-du-yuan-. php * http://www. lefigaro. fr/tauxetdevises/2010/09/29/04004-20100929ARTFIG00722-yuan-les-deputes-americains-veulent-sanctionner-la-chine. php * http://www. lefigaro. fr/tauxetdevises/2010/03/30/04004-20100330ARTFIG00772-pekin-se-prepare-a-reevaluer-sa-monnaie-. php * http://www. lefigaro. fr/tauxetdevises/2010/05/19/04004-20100519ARTFIG00599-baisse-de-l-euro-pekin-hesite-a-reevaluer-le-yuan. php * http://www. thedailybeast. com/newsweek/2012/07/08/the-end-of-china-s-economic-miracle. html * http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2004/nov/08/china. jamesmeek Videos: * http://www. china. org. cn/video/2008-11/27/content_16838090. htm * http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=SSuUM3Abe00.

The Dying Dreams :: essays research papers

Arthur Miller profoundly explores the subject of morality and human values in his two famous plays, Death of a Salesman and All My Sons. Though dealing with a common topic , the works contain major differences that help to make them unique. Death of a Salesman describes the tragedy behind shattered dreams and the effects that they bring on entire families. It focuses greatly on illusions created by individuals and the inability of those individuals to except reality. All My Sons, on the other hand, explores the frightening reality of people's insensitivity and their moral values and the illusions created to cover up the tragic reality. The reality versus illusion theme exhibits the parallelisms and the distinctions between the plays. The subject of human values may be compared through the points of view, the imagery, and the life lessons of the two works. All My Sons denounces immorality more directly then Death of a Salesman. Joe Keller's refusal to stop the shipment of cracked cylinder heads causes the deaths of innocent American soldiers. The grim reality is that he allowed the people who were defending him and fighting next to his sons to die, thus committing the ultimate sin of murder. In All My Sons Joe Keller immensely influences the lives of many outside his family while caring only about his own. By contrast, in Death of a Salesman Willy Lowman commits adultery, a rather minor sin when compared with murder. His influence is limited only to the lives of his wife and sons, while he desires to impact the lives of those outside his family. Arthur Miller emphasizes the destruction of lives more apparently in All My Sons then in Death if a Salesman. However, both plays are linked to events dealing with acquisition of money. The theme of material wealth can often be noticed as the basis for many actions in the two works. Joe Keller commits the terrible act because he fears loosing his business and thus, not being able to provide for his family materially. He willingly chooses money over the lives of the soldiers and over the life of his friend and partner. Similarly, Willy Lowman's every action in life revolves around money and material success. His obsession with acquiring wealth destroys his relationship with Biff and his own sanity and happiness. Willy has an affair only to further himself in his career, only to attract more customers.

The Simple Gift and A Child Called IT

The desire to belong to people or a place is important to individuals as it helps them develop a sense of security and identity. This statement can be seen throughout various texts but is undoubtedly shown through the texts ‘The Simple Gift’ and ‘A Child Called IT’. The free verse novel ‘The Simple Gift’ is about Billy Luckett, a sixteen-year-old boy who decides to leave home, as he felt he was isolated from everyone else. Billy finds his security, peace and identity in the natural environment but is also shown throughout the novel that he does not give up to be a part of something or someone as he continues to strive to see the good side to others. In the novel Herrick constantly uses a various array of techniques such as symbolism, flashback and first person to portray the character’s feelings. Billy â€Å"praying for morning and sunshine† gives a sign to the reader that he desires a new life, and the symbolism of the morning and sunshine signify a new day. The wind and the rain â€Å"hitting Billy in the face with the force of a father’s punch† also help to expose the mistreatment that his father had given him whilst being at home. Through these quotes it is patent that Herrick employs the techniques symbolism and flash back to show how he is not accepted by his father. When Billy finally finds his place he can call home, Bendarat, here he also discovers his first real companionship from Old Bill, the â€Å"saddest man in the world†, and Caitlin, a girl he meets at McDonald’s who is from a wealthy family. To begin Billy is presented to the, at times, judgmental Caitlin as a bum but by displaying his compassion and not only being a homeless boy on the street he changes her perspective on himself, Old Bill and people like him. When we first see Caitlin, Herrick employs first person and the change in perspective to show Caitlin’s first reaction to Billy eating scraps at McDonalds – â€Å"put that back. † However, Caitlin avoids this, and instead says, â€Å"I hate mopping† to show Billy’s already changing influence on Caitlin. Billy, ironically, acts as a role model for Old Bill, as he transforms him by giving him â€Å"simple gifts† such as coffee, breakfast and the cigarettes. Here is shown once again the compassion given off by Billy as he does not give up on a person who tells him to â€Å"piss off son†. In becoming closer with Old Bill we are aware why he is such an old bitter man: the loss of his wife and his â€Å"darling Jessie†. It is also seen how Billy influences Old Bill to change his ways; prompting him to shave, this symbolises his own personal growth. In return Old Bill repays Billy by giving him his old house to live in. The use of first person in these quotes give a deeper explanation on to how one character has ended up where he is. All these examples illustrate how Billy’s desire to belong to a place or people helped him find that security and identity. As Old Bill presents him the gift of the key to his home this gives the sense of protection as he now has his own place to live and be himself with no violence from his father. His relationship with Caitlin also shows how she has accepted him for who he is and provides each of them with a sense of identity. The text ‘A Child Called IT’ also connects and relates to the previous text. This is portrayed through the main character, David. The first chapter ironically begins with the ending to give emphasis to the reader and demonstrate the importance of the ending for the child. Various techniques are used within the text such as first person narration and personification. As the novel is spoken in first person, its effectiveness is shown as it highlights to the reader that the story is from the child’s perspective, which is also shown in ‘The Simple Gift’ with the difference that it comes from more than one characters’ standpoint. It symbolizes that the author is directly addressing the reader to have a greater impact and engages them to continue reading. Throughout his childhood David becomes an isolated victim of his mother’s violence in comparison to how Billy is a victim to his fathers violence, which in turn makes him abandon his home and run away. David is rejected by his family members and is represented as the household slave as well as being his mothers outlet for anger. The idea of isolation is conveyed throughout the novel and it becomes evident that, not only at home, but also at school David is removed from normal relationships. The entire room lets out a howl at me – the reject of the fifth grade†, this example uses the mentioned technique of personification to emphasise to the reader that David is completely segregated, lost and alone. He does not belong at home with his own family, nor does he at school among his peers. Disconnection and alienation is presented throughout the novel, while David has accepted the fact that he does not belong to anyone or anything he still desires that someday he will be capable to connect with something or someone. This is evident in the line, â€Å"I would give anything to have been there in class when they found out I’m not so bad†. The quote has impact on the reader as it identifies that, although his peers have seemed nothing but uninterested in becoming friend with him, he still longs and strives to be accepted so that he may have that sense of belonging to a place or to people. Therefore, through these examples, it can be said that the text ‘A Child Called IT’ helps develop our understanding of the fundamental human need to belong by intensely drawing the reader’s attention to a deep sense of not belonging ad also how important it is to develop a connection with people or a place.

Foundation and Empire 12. Captain And Mayor

Captain Han Pritcher was unused to the luxury of his surroundings and by no means impressed. As a general thing, he discouraged self-analysis and all forms of philosophy and metaphysics not directly connected with his work. It helped. His work consisted largely of what the War Department called â€Å"intelligence,† the sophisticates, â€Å"espionage,† and the romanticists, â€Å"spy stuff.† And, unfortunately, despite the frothy shrillness of the televisors, â€Å"intelligence,† â€Å"espionage,† and â€Å"spy stuff† are at best a sordid business of routine betrayal and bad faith. It is excused by society since it is in the â€Å"interest of the State,† but since philosophy seemed always to lead Captain Pritcher to the conclusion that even in that holy interest, society is much more easily soothed than one's own conscience – he discouraged philosophy. And now, in the luxury of the mayor's anteroom, his thoughts turned inward despite himself. Men had been promoted over his head continuously, though of lesser ability – that much was admitted. He had withstood an eternal rain of black marks and official reprimands, and survived it. And stubbornly he had held to his own way in the firm belief that insubordination in that same holy â€Å"interest of the State† would yet be recognized for the service it was. So here he was in the anteroom of the mayor-with five soldiers as a respectful guard, and probably a court-martial awaiting him. The heavy, marble doors rolled apart smoothly, silently, revealing satiny walls, a red plastic carpeting, and two more marble doors, metal-inlaid, within. Two officials in the straight-lined costume of three centuries back, stepped out, and called: â€Å"An audience to Captain Han Pritcher of Information.† They stepped back with a ceremonious bow as the captain started forward. His escort stopped at the outer door, and he entered the inner alone. On the other side of the doors, in a large room strangely simple, behind a large desk strangely angular, sat a small man, almost lost in the immensity, Mayor Indbur – successively the third of that name – was the grandson of the first Indbur, who had been brutal and capable; and who had exhibited the first quality in spectacular fashion by his manner of seizing power, and the latter by the skill with which he put an end to the last farcical remnants of free election and the even greater skill with which he maintained a relatively peaceful rule. Mayor Indbur was also the son of the second Indbur, who was the first Mayor of the Foundation to succeed to his post by right of birth – and who was only half his father, for he was merely brutal. So Mayor Indbur was the third of the name and the second to succeed by right of birth, and he was the least of the three, for he was neither brutal nor capable – but merely an excellent bookkeeper born wrong. Indbur the Third was a peculiar combination of ersatz characteristics to all but himself. To him, a stilted geometric love of arrangement was â€Å"system,† an indefatigable and feverish interest in the pettiest facets of day-to-day bureaucracy was â€Å"industry,† indecision when right was â€Å"caution,† and blind stubbornness when wrong, â€Å"determination.† And withal he wasted no money, killed no man needlessly, and meant extremely well. If Captain Pritcher's gloomy thoughts ran along these lines as he remained respectfully in place before the large desk, the wooden arrangement of his features yielded no insight into the fact. He neither coughed, shifted weight, nor shuffled his feet until the thin face of the mayor lifted slowly as the busy stylus ceased in its task of marginal notations, and a sheet of close-printed paper was lifted from one neat stack and placed upon another neat stack. Mayor Indbur clasped his hands carefully before him, deliberately refraining from disturbing the careful arrangement of desk accessories. He said, in acknowledgment, â€Å"Captain Han Pritcher of Information.† And Captain Pritcher in strict obedience to protocol bent one knee nearly to the ground and bowed his head until he heard the words of release. â€Å"Arise, Captain Pritcher!† The mayor said with an air of warm sympathy, â€Å"You are here, Captain Pritcher, because of certain disciplinary action taken against yourself by your superior officer. The papers concerning such action have come, in the ordinary course of events, to my notice, and since no event in the Foundation is of disinterest to me, I took the trouble to ask for further information on your case. You are not, I hope, surprised.† Captain Pritcher said unemotionally, â€Å"Excellence, no. Your justice is proverbial.† â€Å"Is it? Is it?† His tone was pleased, and the tinted contact lenses he wore caught the light in a manner that imparted a hard, dry gleam to his eyes. Meticulously, he fanned out a series of metal-bound folders before him. The parchment sheets within crackled sharply as he turned them, his long finger following down the line as he spoke. â€Å"I have your record here, captain – complete. You are forty-three and have been an Officer of the Armed Forces for seventeen years. You were born in Loris, of Anacreonian parents, no serious childhood diseases, an attack of myo†¦ well, that's of no importance†¦ education, premilitary, at the Academy of Sciences, major, hyper-engines, academic standing†¦ hm-m-m, very good, you are to be congratulated†¦ entered the Army as Under-Officer on the one hundred second day of the 293rd year of the Foundation Era.† He lifted his eyes momentarily as he shifted the first folder, and opened the second. â€Å"You see,† he said, â€Å"in my administration, nothing is left to chance. Order! System!† He lifted a pink, scented jelly-globule to his lips. It was his one vice, and but dolingly indulged in. Witness the fact that the mayor's desk lacked that almost-inevitable atom flash for the disposal of dead tobacco. For the mayor did not smoke. Nor, as a matter of course, did his visitors. The mayor's voice droned on, methodically, slurringly, mumblingly – now and then interspersed with whispered comments of equally mild and equally ineffectual commendation or reproof. Slowly, he replaced the folders as originally, in a single neat pile. â€Å"Well, captain,† he said, briskly, â€Å"your record is unusual. Your ability is outstanding, it would seem, and your services valuable beyond question. I note that you have been wounded in the line of duty twice, and that you have been awarded the Order of Merit for bravery beyond the call of duty. Those are facts not lightly to be minimized.† Captain Pritcher's expressionless face did not soften. He remained stiffly erect. Protocol required that a subject honored by an audience with the mayor may not sit down – a point perhaps needlessly reinforced by the fact that only one chair existed in the room, the one underneath the mayor. Protocol further required no statements other than those needed to answer a direct question. The mayor's eyes bore down hard upon the soldier and his voice grew pointed and heavy. â€Å"However, you have not been promoted in ten years, and your superiors report, over and over again, of the unbending stubbornness of your character. You are reported to be chronically insubordinate, incapable of maintaining a correct attitude towards superior officers, apparently uninterested in maintaining frictionless relationships with your colleagues, and an incurable troublemaker, besides. How do you explain that, captain?† â€Å"Excellence, I do what seems right to me. My deeds on behalf of the State, and my wounds in that cause bear witness that what seems fight to me is also in the interest of the State.† â€Å"A soldierly statement, captain, but a dangerous doctrine. More of that, later. Specifically, you are charged with refusing an assignment three times in the face of orders signed by my legal delegates. What have you to say to that?† â€Å"Excellence, the assignment lacks significance in a critical time, where matters of first importance are being ignored.† â€Å"Ah, and who tells you these matters you speak of are of the first importance at all, and if they are, who tells you further that they are ignored?† â€Å"Excellence, these things are quite evident to me. My experience and my knowledge of events – the value of neither of which my superiors deny – make it plain.† â€Å"But, my good captain, are you blind that you do not see that by arrogating to yourself the right to determine Intelligence policy, you usurp the duties of your superior?† â€Å"Excellence, my duty is primarily to the State, and not to my superior.† â€Å"Fallacious, for your superior has his superior, and that superior is myself, and I am the State. But come, you shall have no cause to complain of this justice of mine that you say is proverbial. State in your own words the nature of the breach in discipline that has brought all this on.† â€Å"Excellence, my duty is primarily to the State, and not to my living the life of a retired merchant mariner upon the world of Kalgan. My instructions were to direct Foundation activity upon the planet, perfect an organization to act as check upon the warlord of Kalgan, particularly as regards his foreign policy.† â€Å"This is known to me. Continue!† â€Å"Excellence, my reports have continually stressed the strategic positions of Kalgan and the systems it controls. I have reported on the ambition of the warlord, his resources, his determination to extend his domain and his essential friendliness – or, perhaps, neutrality – towards the Foundation.† â€Å"I have read your reports thoroughly. Continue!† â€Å"Excellence, I returned two months ago. At that time, there was no sign of impending war; no sign of anything but an almost superfluity of ability to repel any conceivable attack. One month ago, an unknown soldier of fortune took Kalgan without a fight. The man who was once warlord of Kalgan is apparently no longer alive. Men do not speak of treason – they speak only of the power and genius of this strange condottiere – this Mule.† â€Å"This who?† the mayor leaned forward, and looked offended. â€Å"Excellence, he is known as the Mule. He is spoken of little, in a factual sense, but I have gathered the scraps and fragments of knowledge and winnowed out the most probable of them. He is apparently a man of neither birth nor standing. His father, unknown. His mother, dead in childbirth. His upbringing, that of a vagabond. His education, that of the tramp worlds, and the backwash alleys of space. He has no name other than that of the Mule, a name reportedly applied by himself to himself, and signifying, by popular explanation, his immense physical strength, and stubbornness of purpose.† â€Å"What is his military strength, captain? Never mind his physique.† â€Å"Excellence, men speak of huge fleets, but in this they may be influenced by the strange fall of Kalgan. The territory he controls is not large, though its exact limits are not capable of definite determination. Nevertheless, this man must be investigated.† â€Å"Hm-m-m. So! So!† The mayor fell into a reverie, and slowly with twenty-four strokes of his stylus drew six squares in hexagonal arrangements upon the blank top sheet of a pad, which he tore off, folded neatly in three parts and slipped into the wastepaper slot at his right hand. It slid towards a clean and silent atomic disintegration. â€Å"Now then, tell me, captain, what is the alternative? You have told me what ‘must' be investigated. What have you been ordered to investigate?† â€Å"Excellence, there is a rat hole in space that, it seems, does not pay its taxes.† â€Å"Ah, and is that all? You are not aware, and have not been told that these men who do not pay their taxes, are descendants of the wild Traders of our early days – anarchists, rebels, social maniacs who claim Foundation ancestry and deride Foundation culture. You are not aware, and have not been told, that this rat hole in space, is not one, but many; that these rat holes are in greater number than we know; that these rat holes conspire together, one with the other, and all with the criminal elements that still exist throughout Foundation territory. Even here, captain, even here!† The mayor's momentary fire subsided quickly. â€Å"You are not aware, captain?† â€Å"Excellence, I have been told all this. But as servant of the State, I must serve faithfully – and he serves most faithfully who serves Truth. Whatever the political implications of these dregs of the ancient Traders – the warlords who have inherited the splinters of the old Empire have the power. The Traders have neither arms nor resources. They have not even unity. I am not a tax collector to be sent on a child's errand.† â€Å"Captain Pritcher, you are a soldier, and count guns. It is a failing to be allowed you up to the point where it involves disobedience to myself. Take care. My justice is not simply weakness. Captain, it has already been proven that the generals of the Imperial Age and the warlords of the present age are equally impotent against us. Seldon's science which predicts the course of the Foundation is based, not on individual heroism, as you seem to believe, but on the social and economic trends of history. We have passed successfully through four crises already, have we not?† â€Å"Excellence, we have. Yet Seldon's science is known only to Seldon. We ourselves have but faith. In the first three crises, as I have been carefully taught, the Foundation was led by wise leaders who foresaw the nature of the crises and took the proper precautions. Otherwise – who can say?† â€Å"Yes, captain, but you omit the fourth crisis. Come, captain, we had no leadership worthy of the name then, and we faced the cleverest opponent, the heaviest armor, the strongest force of all. Yet we won by the inevitability of history.† â€Å"Excellence, that is true. But this history you mention became inevitable only after we had fought desperately for over a year. The inevitable victory we won cost us half a thousand ships and half a million men. Excellence, Seldon's plan helps those who help themselves.† Mayor Indbur frowned and grew suddenly tired of his patient exposition. It occurred to him that there was a fallacy in condescension, since it was mistaken for permission to argue eternally; to grow contentious; to wallow in dialectic. He said, stiffly, â€Å"Nevertheless, captain, Seldon guarantees victory over the warlords, and I can not, in these busy times, indulge in a dispersal of effort. These Traders you dismiss are Foundation-derived. A war with them would be a civil war. Seldon's plan makes no guarantee there for us – since they and we are Foundation. So they must be brought to heel. You have your orders.† â€Å"Excellence-â€Å" â€Å"You have been asked no question, captain. You have your orders. You will obey those orders. Further argument of any sort with myself or those representing myself will be considered treason. You are excused.† Captain Han Pritcher knelt once more, then left with slow, backward steps. Mayor Indbur, third of his name, and second mayor of Foundation history to be so by fight of birth, recovered his equilibrium, and lifted another sheet of paper from the neat stack at his left. It was a report on the saving of funds due to the reduction of the quantity of metal-foam edging on the uniforms of the police force. Mayor Indbur crossed out a superfluous comma, corrected a misspelling, made three marginal notations, and placed it upon the neat stack at his fight. He lifted another sheet of paper from the neat stack at his left. Captain Han Pritcher of Information found a Personal Capsule waiting for him when he returned to barracks. It contained orders, terse and redly underlined with a stamped â€Å"URGENT†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ across it, and the whole initialed with a precise, capital â€Å"I†. Captain Han Pritcher was ordered to the â€Å"rebel world called Haven† in the strongest terms. Captain Han Pritcher, alone in his light one-man speedster, set his course quietly and calmly for Kalgan. He slept that night the sleep of a successfully stubborn man.