Ethical Implication of Financial Decisions Essay

Ethical Implication of Financial Decisions - Essay Example Insider trading is trading of a company’s stock and other securities such as bonds and stock options by individuals who are related to a business (Vataliya, 2009). The individuals are assumed to have the means of accessing information that is not public that is directly related to the company. One of the most well-known insider cases today is that involving a TV tycoon Martha Stewart. She was accused of receiving inside information. Using the information Martha sold the shares of ImClone drugs a day before the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denied the approval of the drug.In some countries, trading by corporate insiders such as managers, large shareholders, and directors can be legal if the trading is done in ways that do not take advantage of information that is not meant for the public that would eventually be harmful to the confidence of the investors. However, insider trading presents unethical issues in most cases. First, insider trading is an unfair pra ctice to honest traders. The method ensures that the information is only available to some shareholders, thus depriving others the opportunity to use the information to make the right investment decision.Insider trading is also a breach of fiduciary and other relationship of confidence and trust. The practice goes against the property rights in any information and dealing in such information can be considered to be an abuse of property rights. Arguably, insiders have an ethical duty to act in the interests of the shareholders (Lussier, 2012).

Law enforcement today Essay Example for Free

Law enforcement today Essay Law enforcement officers have a very important role in society. They have a job that involves lots of decision making and using personal judgment. Law officers have many duties while at work. Law officers have to decide whether or not someone is breaking the law and how they will enforce the situation. Law officers are sometimes expected to be perfect. They have to catch all the bad guys and save all the innocent. Unfortunately it doesnt always work that way but officers try to do the best of their ability. All officers are different in that some are more strict and you cant get away with as much, and others are very laid back and you are apt to get a way with more. I believe all officers should be strict when it comes to safety issues, and peoples health is at risk. I also believe officers should try and teach you what is against the law before you are punished, like warnings should be issued when no one is in harms way. Some officers think they are immortal when they put on a badge, sometimes officers forget what theyre there for and go too far. There are many cases when people have been falsely abused by officers for no reason. All people have rights, even when you have committed a crime. You are read your rights when you get arrested and no one can take those rights away from you. If an officer violates those rights, you will probably win you case because of it. I think the laws and rules citizens have to follow are reasonable. To run a country successfully, you need to have laws that cover everything. People also need to educate themselves on what the laws are. In this country, you are innocent until proven guilty. Everyone also has a right to a trial before a jury when you have been accused of a crime. Each case obviously has its own circumstances, and thats why everyone gets a trial. I think the more serious the crime, the less space or freedom you have. Obviously there are different penalties for speeding and murder. They say the crime should fit the punishment. I think the penalties in this country are very fair. I dont think to many people get off too easy or too harshly. I believe the punishment system is pretty accurate in this country. I think a lot of police work is just plain old confidence. Criminals are going to take the state police more seriously than the police in a little town in the middle of nowhere. Law enforcement officers have a bad reputation of being fat, out of shape, eating donuts, sitting at a desk and so on. Some officers you see  are definently out of shape but they might have great knowledge in the field of law enforcement. I think all officers who go on patrol should have to pass a physical test as well as a written test each year to be certified. Im not saying out of shape officers should be fired, but they shouldnt be on patrol. They could be put at a desk or do detective like work. I think officers should be in good shape and look intimidating towards criminals. I think that would cut crime rates down. Criminals would be less apt to rob a bank if they knew a young, in shape, fast cop was chasing them rather than if a three hundred pound, forty six year old cop was. All these things I just mentioned would probably help reduce crime, but they are just opinions. I truly believe law officers today do a good job at what they do and deserve a tremendous amount of respect for it. Being a law officer is not only a risky job but it is kind of heroic in a way. I think it takes a special person to be a law officer and not everyone should able to be one.

The Epidemic of AIDS in the African-American Community :: Health Medical HIV Diseases Essays

In the early 1980's, many gay men were found to suffer from Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer usually associated with elderly men of Mediterranean ethnicity. Eventually the gay men wasted away and died. Word began to spread throughout the homosexual community that gay men were dying of an otherwise rare cancer. The medical community began to refer to this syndrome by the colloquialism "Gay Cancer". As medical scientists researched, they discovered that the syndrome included other manifestations, such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). A rare form of pneumonia caused by protozoa, its name was changed to "GRID", or Gay Related Immune Deficiency. The effect that the stigma of homosexuality had on the general public's perception and handling of the disease cannot be overlooked. Within the medical community, it quickly became apparent that the disease was not specific to gay men (as blood transfusion patients, heroin users, heterosexual women and newborn babies became added to the list of afflicted), and the renamed the syndrome (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in misconception holds that the disease was introduced by a gay male flight attendant, named Gaetan Dugas, referred to as "Patient Zero". However, subsequent research has revealed that there were cases of AIDS much earlier than initially known. It has also been theorized that a series of inoculations against hepatitis that were performed in the gay community of San Francisco were tainted with HIV. There is a high correlation between recipients of that vaccination and initial cases of AIDS, though this of course has never been proven to be accurate. Since the turn of the century, the overall health of all Americans has improved substantially. Although advances in medical and scientific technology have improved the health status of the American people, there is a growing concern and recognition that African-Americans have not benefited equally from the fruits of science. Whereas these facts are not "new news," it is apparent that most of the public and the scientific community are not fully aware of the full impact of these problems. There are government agencies that aim to provide health services to minorities: the Office of Minority Health (which seeks to develop health policies beneficial to minorities) and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (which seeks to promote minority health and eliminate health disparities). On June 23, 2004 President George W. Bush spoke at a press conference in Philadelphia, Pa. where he announced his latest HIV/AIDS initiative.

Key Skill Essay

Ensure your work is accurate and clear and is saved appropriately  You need to have achieved Key Skills 9 and 10. In addition your teacher needs to have verified that the work is both accurate and clear. This means they need to have supplied a written statement saying that the work is accurate. They cannot do this is there are any mistakes so check the work clearly. Advantages and Disadvantages of using ICT for this task  Demonstrate knowledge of how IT can help you in your work and be able to compare your use of IT with other methods  You need to write about how IT helped you to produce your presentation. This might include spell-check making sure that the words were spelt correctly, or the use of cut and paste to move objects around the page to try out different layouts.  The second part of this Key Skill needs you to write about how else you might have done this presentation. You need to compare creating computer generated presentation with another method – maybe using a pen and pencil. The advantages and disadvantages of using IT  You need to list at least two advantages and two disadvantage of using IT to write the story. Example You might have used a pen and paper. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a pen and paper to write the story against using a computer?  You must make sure that you have covered both the advantages and the disadvantages. Example  Disadvantages might include cost of hardware software and peripherals or time spent learning how to use the programs needed to search, find and use information  The Importance of Copyright and Confidentiality  When it is necessary to observe copyright or confidentiality  You need to write a few lines about copyright – what it is and how it affects you and the pictures you have found on the internet and CD/Clipart. You can present screen shots from the site showing copyright information or copies of emails sent and receiving permission to use graphics, text and photographs You can write about confidentiality – what it is and how it does/does not affect you. You could refer to the lack of personal information and the fact that the Data Protection Act (1998) does not affect you.  Example  You have not used pictures of yourself or other young people which could identify them  Error Handling and Virus Protection  How to identify errors and their causes You will need to show, using screenshots, of errors and how to solve them. This can show the use of the office assistant, or searching for a web page that returns a not known error. It could be a picture of the spell check – identifying a spelling error. How to minimise risks from viruses  You will need to provide a description of how to avoid getting viruses from floppy disks or from Internet downloads, including the purpose and use of virus checkers and how they prevent and remove a virus.  A couple of paragraphs are all that is required. Health and Safety Matters Work safely and take care of equipment, avoid losing information and know how to get help when dealing with errors  You will need to write a paragraph about:  Taking care of equipment e.g. storage of disks:  You must not put your disks near a magnet as this will delete the content, not throwing them around  Avoiding loss of information e.g. use of AutoSave or backup. Saving information onto disks as well as the account at school  Obtaining help e.g. on-line help, telephone support or teacher assistance.   I could not work out how to adjust the margins so I used the online help (screenshots here†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦)  You need to show (through screenshots) that you have backed up your files. How to work safely and minimise health risks  You need to write a short paragraph about two health and two safety risks involved in using computers.  You may write about the use of anti-glare screens and taking a break from using the computer to rest your eyes or wrists. You may write about repetitive strain injuries from not having the correct keyboard and backache from not having the correct chair. Think about the rules in your computer room – not drinking in a computer room, trailing cables or bags in the aisle.

Employer And Employee Relation

1. Given Bandag Auto’s size, and anything else you know about it, explain why and how the human resource management function should be reorganized. Answer: Bandag automotive is a family oriented business that has great potential for maximum growth. The only issue is that the human resource management function there is not operated in a productive way. Bandag automotive should focus on a brand new strategy to develop a more structured and organized human resource unit. The management function should be able to recruit great employees, handle payroll, administer benefits, and also provide services, such as help resolve work related problems. A new human resource management function could create a positive impact on the company. 2. Recommend what Bandag should change and/or improve upon regarding the current HR systems, forms, and practices the company now uses. Answer: Bandag should start over fresh with a whole new HR firm one that is experienced, and service above standards of majority HR firms. Jim should prepare a meeting with his HR firm to be sure the policies work along with his company strategy. The Human resource team should consists of several different members with similar but different titles. For example, Jim would be the person to decide who will be the executive assistant, HR manager, and HR representative the one that assist with recruiting employees for the company. These practices will make a huge improvement toward Bandag HR department, by providing quality services to the company and its employees. 3. Jim fired an employee for creating what the manager called a poisonous relationship. Explain whether or not the employee has a legitimate claim against the company and the actions the company should take. Answer: Jim firing the employee Henry Jacques, because he was having problems interacting with co-workers, in my opinion was wrong. Although, looking at the issue in a business perspective, Henry Jacques was not getting along with his co-workers, which did create a bad working environment. Also, he later reported that he had mental issues, in which was never mention to management before he was terminated. Therefore, Henry does not have a legitimate claim against the company, because it is the law to notify your employer of any mental illness or disabilities. For future incidents the actions the company should take in this type of situation, is to move the employee to another department, and if the problem persist give the employee a final and after that proceed to termination. If Jim would have used that alternative, the outcome of this situation would have probably turned out better. 4. Miriam, the controller, is basically claiming that the company is retaliating against her for being pregnant, and that the fact that the company raised performance issues was just a smokescreen. Explain whether or not the EEOC and/or courts would agree with her and the actions the company should take now. Answer: In the situation with Miriam, she was fired for a legitimate reason because of her misconduct at work. The EEOC would not agree with her considering those circumstances. Miriam is trying to use her pregnancy as an excuse, in which have nothing to do with her termination. In this situation the company should make sure the allegations against her are legit, and have proof present to the courts or EEOC. If the company cannot provide proof then this will be a case to be turned around in favor of Miriam. . An employee who is deaf has asked to switch jobs to be a delivery person and he was turned down. He is now threatening to sue. Recommend what the company should do and describe why. Answer: The truck maintenance employee who was turned down A truck maintenance employee who is deaf, applied for a job driving one of Bandag’s distribution trucks, and Jim directly t urned him down because of his disability. We believe that the employee will win if he sues Jim, unless Jim can prove that the employee was denied because there were more qualified applicants and in no way because of his disability. Yet it is still pretty risky because the court system is very strict about the Americans with Disabilities Act. If the deaf employee can prove that Jim thinks that is absurd for a disabled person to drive a truck, he will win and cause monetary and public damages to the company. Our solution to mitigate the problem is to rescreen all applicants, including the employee to see if he is qualified for the job. If he is, offer him the job if he is still interested, and he will hopefully drop the case.

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston.

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. The first chapter, titled "Something in the Forest", begins by introducing Charles Monet, a Frenchman with an innate likeness for animals and birds, but very little concern for that of humanity in general. A person of few companions, of which consisted mostly of the female gender and his pet crow, Monet spent most of his time alone in his small home, and as a result, very little was known about his history or reason for choosing to reside in Kenya. As the Christmas break approached, Monet made the decision to spend his vacation on Mount Elgon and asked a fellow lady friend to accompany him. While on the mountain, they ventured through Kitum Cave and admired the crystal-encrusted walls, mummified elephant corpses and the pillars covered in bat guano. Once their trip to Mount Elgon came to an end, the two friends went their separate ways and back into their normal routines of life.Claude Monet, photo by Nadar, 1899. Franà §ais : Cl...However, something prevented Monet from living as h e once did. At first it was a severe headache, but as time passed, his personality changed drastically and his face became an expressionless mask. His few friends noticed the change and urged him to go to a hospital to cure him of his illness. After the first hospital he went to could find nothing wrong with him, he was sent to the best private hospital in East Africa, the Nairobi Hospital. The chapter ends with Monet waiting patiently for medical attention in the waiting room of the hospital. Feeling weak and dizzy as a result of the presence of his unwanted "visitor" taking control of his body, Monet falls to the floor while excreting large amounts of blood, as well as the lining to his intestines."Jumper", the second chapter of Part One, begins with medical assistants rushing...

The Emotional and Cultural Conflict at the Personal Level essays

The Emotional and Cultural Conflict at the Personal Level essays Conflict can be defined as a disagreement through which the parties involved perceived a threat to their needs, interests and concerns. It occurs when people perceive that consequence of a disagreement. Emotional are the feeling experienced in conflict, ranging from anger and fear to despair and confusion. (Academic Leadership Support) When emotional and cultural conflicts occur at the personal level, it can give a great impact of inconsistency at the political, cultural and social levels in the country. In referring to this statement, this paper is going to discuss about the disintegration of individualism, are there any conflict in the characters and are they portrayed as inconsistence, restless and unsettle? And how is this kind of portrayal can suggest to the inconsistencies at the political, cultural and social levels in the country? This writing will not be able to achieve its objective in discussing the issues mentioned without any evidence taken from any short stories or poems. Therefore, in a way to provide clear examples to the analysis, two short stories are selected. The first one is The Tamarind Tree, written by Saffura Chinniah and the other is Ibrahim Something by Lee Kok Liang. Both these short stories have been identified to have emotional and cultural conflicts and it will be discussed further. The concern or the issue that is relevance for discussion is the issue of is there a conflict in the characters and are they portrayed as inconsistence, restless and unsettled? In the first short story, The Tamarind Tree, the major concern of discussion is about the main character, Uncle Das. He lives in a housing area, Is he portrayed as inconsistence, restless and unsettle? From his neighbours perspective, he is like other man. He has a wife, a child, a paid-up three bedroom house and on a decent pension. (pg. 38) He does not seem to have a c...

The 9 Worst Mistakes You Can Ever Make at Work

The 9 Worst Mistakes You Can Ever Make at Work Getting a reputation as someone who’s unprofessional is a kiss of death in any workplace. The minute coworkers (or, even worse, your manager) lose respect for you, the game is over. While you may still have a job, you’ll be surrounded by people who don’t trust you- an unpleasant experience for everyone involved. Here are some key mistakes to avoid if you want to remain at the top of your work game.1. BackstabbingIt may seem like a snide word behind the scenes is more efficient than a confrontation, but it will ultimately affect your reputation more than the colleague you made look bad. Don’t go over someone’s head to solve a problem. Instead, communicate and try to find a resolution that will make everyone happy.2. GossipingIt’s one thing to share information or backstory, but you’ll develop bad word of mouth if you’re constantly engaged in spreading negative rumors about other people. If it’s not constructive or producti ve, keep it to yourself- or share it with your boss if it’s serious enough that you need to speak up, but be accountable.3. Taking Credit for Someone Else’s WorkThis is just slimy- don’t steal ideals or misrepresent your work. Doing so will also make you look ineffective. If you had your own ideas, you wouldn’t need to steal, right?4. Emotional HijackingAlso known as losing your s#$@, a meltdown that involves yelling, throwing, verbal outbursts or making people cry is a fast way to destroy your credibility- or build a whole new credibility as a toddler who throws tantrums. Maintain your self control. Act like an adult. Whoever you blow up at doesn’t look as bad as you do.5. Announcing That You Hate Your JobIf it’s true, start job hunting and put on a good face so they’ll recommend you to your next employer. If it’s not, suck it up and look for ways to spread positivity at work!6. BraggingBe a pro; take your accomplishments in s tride. It’ll impress your friends and intimidate your rivals. Act like success is something you see every day and hardly notice any more, even (especially) if it isn’t true.7. LyingYou may want to protect yourself or someone else, but as soon as you start lying it’s a matter of time until you get caught! Even if it’s a small, unrelated lie, it can damage your relationships at work and your professional career.8. Smelly FoodTreat yourself to a lunch hour away from the office if you can’t resist your Indian leftovers or a Brussels sprout sandwich every day. Don’t sit in the break room- or worse, at your desk!- pretending nobody can smell what you brought from home. It’s distracting and takes forever to dissipate.9. Burning BridgesI still think fondly of the boss who laid me off, even 6 years later, because she made an effort to reach out to me afterwards, followed through on recommendations, and stayed in touch until I landed on my feet . She taught me how to handle even tough goodbyes- you also never know when you might need a connection made.On Mobile? Please Sign In Here to View Your Job Matches

Demand and Supply Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Demand and Supply Analysis - Term Paper Example Economists assume all factors are held constant (ie do not change) except one – the price of the product itself. A change in a factor being held constant invalidates the ceteris paribus assumption. (Riley, 2006) There is an income effect when the price of a good falls because the consumer can maintain current consumption for less expenditure.   Provided that the good is normal, some of the resulting increase in real income is used by consumers to buy more of this product.  (Riley, 2006) There is also a substitution effect when the price of a good falls because the product is now relatively cheaper than an alternative item and so some consumers switch their spending from the good in competitive demand to this product. (Riley, 2006) Firstly, there is a profit motive. Whether the increases in market prices (for example, after a surge in demand), it is more advantageous for companies to increase production. Signs of higher prices for companies that can increase profits by market demand. Production and cost: With increasing production, increasing production costs of a company, so a higher price is necessary to justify the additional production and cover the additional costs of production. New competitors enter the market: rising prices create an incentive for other companies to enter the market leading to increased supply. The price where the demand and supply meet is known as equilibrium price or market price. This is the point where the buyers and sellers come together at a common point. In a market a good will always be traded at its market price as this maintains equilibrium between the supply and the demand. (Sloman, 2006) The outward shift in the demand curve causes a movement (expansion) along the supply curve and a rise in the equilibrium price and quantity.   Firms in the market will sell more at a higher price and therefore receive more in total revenue. Similarly a backward/inward shift creates the opposite

Summary of 3 articles , comparison and discussion Essay

Summary of 3 articles , comparison and discussion - Essay Example Big data is viewed as an effective tool to deliver projecting likelihood of an event and analyze patterns. The long run success of an organization is determined by additional of organizational asset with data and information. The topic provides vivid explanation about the broader application of big data in society and management research. It is believed that experiential study in management can often deduces relationships such as two companies can link through customer-supplier relations, or collaborates in production or compete in same market. In the era of globalization and technological advancement, it has become imperative for organization to manage its data and information in an effective way. The additional use of big data is crucial to exemplify the significance of the topic to organization like NHS trust and data management community. The survey conducted by American Management Association in the year 2013 reveals that the need of building analytical skills within the organization is critical for development (AMA, 2014, p.1). The organization selected for analyzing and researching is the drawback of data management is National Health Service trust. The trust serves either on specialized service or geographical area. The NHS trust provides varied range of specialist and general services to patients. The new sy stem is being introduced to serve patients and maintain GP records. The use of powerful technology and massive influx of data are two reasons to increase the future use of big data in NHS trust. The three literature sources provide vivid explanation about big problems, opportunity and harness of big data. These articles discusses that firms enjoying success are able to implement big data to create new businesses and improve their existing trades. This rapid alteration results in authority shifting to decisions and analytics experts are

Business plan brief Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business plan brief - Research Paper Example In other circumstances, sun block is also incorporated in moisturizers. Hawaiian Tropics aims to provide a new sun block makeup line which incorporates the sun protection offered by typical sun block together with the physical enhancements of makeup. The new product is aimed to be a fusion of these two typically separate products. In so doing, the line will be addressing the need of women on the go as this requires lesser application time. The two-in-one product will allow women to retouch their makeup and put on sun block anytime they need them. After looking at the market, Hawaiian Tropics' decision is to target transitioners who are either A or C. In terms of age, these markets are seen to be often seeking for beauty products in order to enhance their physical appearance and have confidence in themselves. Being in the stage of transitioning from teens to adulthood, this age group desires to have products which will enable them gain confidence when dealing with other people and are more likely using both makeup and sun block. The choice of going after customers using makeup and sun block together or separately is justified by the fact that these are the most profitable market.

Communication and Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication and Conflict - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that one is a good negotiator if he is able to use a set of supposedly sure-fire tactics that enable him to â€Å"get the upper hand† anytime. In this case, negotiation is seen more as a skill which allows one to manipulate the other to concede to his terms (the â€Å"lose† situation). Other contemporary views are that negotiation is settled by a â€Å"series of compromises†, or a debate rather than a conflict management tool; or, that it is â€Å"a game for managing impressions and manipulating information†¦ a struggle for advantage† that would translate to the â€Å"win† situation. One instance when I was on the losing side of a situation was when I was young and needed to ask my parents’ permission to stay overnight at a friend’s house. My father disallowed me, but I made such a big deal of being the only one in the group who wasn’t going. To appease me and end my tantrums, my da d said I could go provided I committed to doing a household chore for two weeks, like washing the dishes. I agreed, and at the time I thought I got a pretty good deal, until afterward when I came home. I found that in exchange for a single night of fun, I had to do fourteen days of dishes. I felt that I was had, that I should have bid it down to just a week. I was too eager to get my parents to permit me to go so that I did not think twice when the condition was given.

Cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Cover letter - Essay Example I have also learnt communication skills which have not only improved my pronunciation but also enhanced my good command in speaking English. I took English 105 as a unit in the university and one of the objectives required is to be able to attain good writing skills. The course entails the use of four topics in learning English, which include; Media review, Observation, Contact zone and banking of concept education. An improvement of overall quality of work entails summary that is not only clear and precise but also give an overview or try to analyze a wider point of what the topic elaborates. This skill was enhanced through a review of a movie about Chinese history especially about the last Emperor. The movie shows how the last king Pu Yi could not rule the empire as forerunners did and ended up lonely in the Forbidden City. The review of this story enabled me to test my recollection ability of what I watched and how easy I can remember an event that occurred. It also enabled me to be creative on writing a story. The major corrections done here mostly were on punctuations, sentences construction, and general flow of ideas to make the story flow chronologically. Observation is a skill that is of greater importance to a writer or student. An essay written about the Miami children’s hospital describes how the observer was involved in noting the behavior of patient’s parent, nurse and the child who was a patient. The writer describes the scenario as it is. This skill of describing a behavior requires detailed analysis of specific event without generalization. The details described make it provable by the presenter. My third essay was majored on contact with the situation or community around this enabled understanding of myself in relation to the community I interacted with an exemplary way of revealing yourself is by writing of how you became aware of something, how to gain a way of new world and a new

Communication and Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication and Conflict - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that one is a good negotiator if he is able to use a set of supposedly sure-fire tactics that enable him to â€Å"get the upper hand† anytime. In this case, negotiation is seen more as a skill which allows one to manipulate the other to concede to his terms (the â€Å"lose† situation). Other contemporary views are that negotiation is settled by a â€Å"series of compromises†, or a debate rather than a conflict management tool; or, that it is â€Å"a game for managing impressions and manipulating information†¦ a struggle for advantage† that would translate to the â€Å"win† situation. One instance when I was on the losing side of a situation was when I was young and needed to ask my parents’ permission to stay overnight at a friend’s house. My father disallowed me, but I made such a big deal of being the only one in the group who wasn’t going. To appease me and end my tantrums, my da d said I could go provided I committed to doing a household chore for two weeks, like washing the dishes. I agreed, and at the time I thought I got a pretty good deal, until afterward when I came home. I found that in exchange for a single night of fun, I had to do fourteen days of dishes. I felt that I was had, that I should have bid it down to just a week. I was too eager to get my parents to permit me to go so that I did not think twice when the condition was given.

African-American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

African-American History - Essay Example Larsen, in her novel attempts to sketch out the Reconstruction Era through the portrayal of the two different, light skinned American African Women, Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield. Clare and Irene were childhood friends who get together after a long time sharing their bitter experiences of being born as Negroes, denied of basic rights, try to find out comfort and consolation each other. Clare and Irene were born in mixed ancestries with light skinned complexion which later adversely affecting the free flow of their life and arise the question of existence in them. The novel raises many questions on various themes like identity crisis, race, lies, sexuality and jealousy. While reading through the novel, the readers understand that the novel obviously reflecting the views of the young African Americans who are wedged with their light skinned complexion and are searching for their lost identity. The era of Reconstruction was notable for the imminent changes it brought out in the percep tions of people, especially their perception to slavery and black people. The novel mainly focuses on the ‘passing’ of the members of one class to that of the other by the illusion that this ‘pass’ will bring tremendous changes to their life and social status. The story of the novel moves on through two female characters—Clare Kendy and Irene Redfield. The novel begins with Irene reading the letter of her childhood friend, Clare. The reading of the letter enables the readers to understand the character of Clare, when Irene recollects thus; â€Å"There had been, even in those days, nothing sacrificial in Clare Kendry’s idea of life, no allegiance beyond her own immediate desire (Larsen 2).† These words clearly express the attitude of the African American people who were totally dejected and depressed after the Civil War. Irene adds that Clare was selfish, and cold, and hard. But even then she had kept with her a strange capacity of transforming warmth and

Pregnancy and Birth Control Essay Example for Free

Pregnancy and Birth Control Essay Birth Control is the Best Way to Fight with Teenage Pregnancy Teen pregnancy is frequently discussed all over the country and the efforts have not reduced the numbers, as teens continue to have unsafe sex which eventually leads to pregnancy. These developments led different experts to consider the issue of abstinence, abortion, and general sex education in order to reduce the rates of pregnancy among teens. The average teen will be curious about sex when he or she starts puberty and begins to be aware of his or her body. There are different strategies for dealing with teenage pregnancy such as sex education, abstinence, or abortion but the most effective strategy involves the careful use of birth controls. There are lots of factors that lead to teenage pregnancy. The first factor arises from a lack of parental guidance. Most parents evade their children when it comes time to talk about sex. In some cases, they provide false information regarding sex and discourage their children to participate in any informative discussion about sex. However, in other cases, teenagers are not well educated about sex before they get pregnant. This then leads to lack of communication between parents and their children. A second cause of teenage pregnancy is due to the adolescent’s sex behavior. In this case, peer pressure is a major factor that encourages teenagers to engage in sexual activities. Early dating is also another behavior that can cause unwanted pregnancy in teenagers. â€Å"According to research, 29% of teens were pressurized to have sex, 33% of teens were sexually active and that they felt things moving fast sexually (What are the Causes of teenage Pregnancy? 2009).† A third cause of teenage pregnancy is not having enough knowledge about safe sex. Most adolescents are unaware about safe sex. They have little or no information about how to prevent pregnancy. The main reason behind that is that they are too embarrassed or shy to seek information about it. â€Å"Research found that there are more than 80% of teenage pregnancies are unplanned (What are the Causes of teenage Pregnancy? 2009).† A fourth cause of teenage pregnancy is due to social economic factors. In this case, teenagers who belong to poor families are more likely to become pregnant because they do not usually get enough education about sex and birth control. Another cause of teenage pregnancy is contraceptive failure. This is a very common cause of teenage pregnancies today. There are many brands and types of contraceptives and birth control pills that are available in the market, but they are not guaranteed for  complete safety. Sometimes, not knowing how to use a contraceptive properly can lead to unwanted teenage pregnancy. There are also many side effects from contraception including physical changes in the body which can sometimes result in miscarriage or newborn defects; â€Å"emotional trauma of handling a child at such an early age, changes in life styles, and also termination of pregnancy affects the general health (Admin).† So, one should think about all this before he or she gets involved in sex. In addition, there are many ways to help prevent teenage pregnancy. The advice for parents and other groups that directly work with teens is to educate them on the dangers of sex before marriage and that abstinence is the best way to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence is now a trend in the states and different studies have been conducted to evaluate the usefulness and results of abstaining from sex before marriage. A University of Pennsylvania sociologist, John Jemmott, explained the result of the different abstinence sessions conducted on the teen pregnancy issues. â€Å"In a sample this size, the difference between the comprehensive class and the abstinence class – Thirty-three percent vs. Forty-one percent – was not statistically significant†, said Jemmott, so it is accurate to say they perform comparably. The issue of abstinence is being challenged by some groups who say that abstinence only makes teenagers less aware of safe sex if they find themselves in such situations, and that the rate of teenage pregnancy is not high enough to make abstinence the major direction discussed in sex education (Flam, 2010). Bill Albert, the chief program officer of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says even adults who know better about pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases still have sex before marriage, Studies shows that only eight percent of adults wait until marriage (Flam, 2010). Abortion is another major factor in the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy. Abortion can be described as the elimination of a zygote before it develops to its full stage. Teens have changed their attitude towards sex because of the availability of abortion and this has led to an increase of more teens becoming pregnant. According to Collison, the teenagers, who were abstaining from premarital sex before the introduction of abortion, are now engaging in it because they know that if they happen to get pregnant, there is a way to get out of such a situation. Some other experts argue that abortion is a positive factor that  has to be put in place if teenage pregnancies are to be reduced, because most of these teens do not have the financial or moral standard to take care of their babies in the normal way (Collison, 2001). â€Å"From 1995 to 1997, the abortion rate decreased 3.9 percent among females younger than 15 years of age (from 2.8 to 2.7 per 1,000), 10.1 percent among females 15 to 17 years of age (from 18.2 to 16.3 per 1,000), and 5.4 percent among females 18 to 19 years of age (from 39.6 to 37.5 per 1,000) (Teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion. (2002) (Fact 52)† Furthermore, the bad name given to abortion has made it almost impossible for teens to get rid of unwanted pregnancies which could ruin their lives. Research has shown that some teens who cannot abort unwanted pregnancies decide to kill the baby after birth, which is infanticide. An example of this kind of situation is the story of two college students, Amy and Brian who drove from New Jersey to Delaware and rented a motel room. There, Amy gave birth to a baby boy. Brian, it was reported, beat the baby to death, stuffed him in a plastic bag, and threw him in a trash container. (Collison, 2001). Birth control has its negative and positive effects, but one thing is for sure, it is a very effective way of preventing pregnancy. For the first time in fourteen years teen pregnancy rose in the year 2007 (Stacey, 2009). Researchers are discovering that there are certain patterns in teen’s behaviors that are connected to a higher and more consistent birth control use. A study in 2007 published in the journal â€Å"Demography†, Contraceptive Use Patterns across Teen’s Sexual relationships: The Role of Relationships, Pa rtners, and sexual histories provides information on teen birth control usage. According to the study many teens use birth control inconsistently (Manlove, Ryan, Franzetta, 2007). In fact, four out of ten teens do not use contraceptives properly. Teens that have used birth control in the past are shown to be more likely to use it in the future. This proves that teens may learn from their past relationship experiences. However, teens in romantic relationships are more likely to use birth control for the first time, but fail to use it anytime after that. Approximately 67 percent of teens 12 to 19 years of age feel that if they were to offer advice to leaders in Washington regarding teen pregnancy, they would suggest greater emphasis on both encouraging teens not to have sexual relations and on birth control or protection (Teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion, 2002 (Fact 71). Forty percent of women who  use birth control experience side effects for the first three months. After the first three months, side effects seem to diminish (Theresa, 2001). Mild negative side effects of the pill include: irregular menstrual bleeding, missed periods, spotting between periods, nausea, weight gain or weight loss, headaches, dizziness, breast tenderness, mood changes, and an increase in vaginal infections. The more serious negative effects of the pill include: blood clots, stroke, heart attack, worsening of migraine headaches, gall bladder disease, increase in blood pressure, and a rare liver tumor. Any person who smokes, is older than thirty-five, has diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or vascular disease, high cholesterol and triglyceride abnormalities is at a much higher risk for the birth control side effects. Even though there may seem to be negative side effects, not all are harmful. Many women in fact are put on the pill to help with cycle problems rather than to prevent pregnancy (Theresa, 2001). Positive side effects of the pill include: lighter menstruation, reduction of cramps, improvement of acne, protection against non-cancerous breast growth, reduction in anemia and ovarian cysts, decreased risk of uterine cancer, decreased risk of infection of the fallopian tubes, decreased risk of ectopic pregnancy and less incidence of rheumatoid arthritis. The bad side effects of the pill are very rare. Using birth control pills is a reliable way to prevent teen pregnancy, and has a success rate of 99.9%. When a young teen weighs the pros and cons of birth control, most see the pros out weighing the cons. Abstinence is the only way to be completely sure to not get pregnant and to be 100% safe, however birth control is the next best method. Teen pregnancy is a very hot topic that concerns many people and organizations, who are trying to slow the epidemic. There are many reasons why teen pregnancy needs to be reduced in America. Many pregnancies are not planned which lead to a number of problems for the mother and family members. 88% of teens 12 to 19 years of age think the number of teenage pregnancies in the United States is a serious problem (Teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion (2002) (Fact 67). The United States has almost double the amount of teen pregnancies that Canada has. This is reflected by the many programs and ways that U.S. organizations are trying to lower teen pregnancy rates. One of the most popular programs that are used to reduce teen pregnancy is sex education in schools. According to Finger, sex  education is the best way to reduce teen pregnancy. Sex education needs to be taught to every child starting at a young age by trained professionals in school (Finger, 2002). In a study done in a low income rural neighborhood, children from five to eighteen years of age were put through sex education classes over a three year period. After three years, pregnancies in teens fell from sixty out of every 1,000 kids to twenty-five out of every 1,000 kids (Finger, 2002). This is a good sign that sex education can help lower teen pregnancy by more than half. Most students are taught at an average age of sixteen and a half. This is too late; at that point many kids have already experimented sexually and have formed their own opinions about sex. From kindergarten to twelfth grade kids only spend forty-six hours in health classes which is where sex education is taught (Roleff). One of the largest issues is training professionals to teach sex education. â€Å"Training teachers is a key element of successful sex education programs, and the lack of good training has been a big problem† says Dr. Waszak (Finger, 2002). Sex education is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy and with these few adjustments it can be very effective. On the other side are people that say teens will have sex no matter what they are told and do not want to waste the time and money. This point is validated in a study which is done every twelve years. In 1980, federal and state governments spent $350 million in sex education. In 1992, that number has risen to 645 million dollars (Kasun, 2000). No numbers were available from 2004, but were estimated to have grown in cost. That is a lot of tax money being spent on such a controversial topic. A large problem is there is no time in school for sex education. With Math and English classes taking importance over most subjects in a college and career based school system there is no room for sex education. The last problem is where to get professionals to teach sex education classes. This will cost tax payers even more money to hire a professional or to train a current teacher. The most important thing is to just educate kids about sex and teen pregnancy. Sex education, abstinence, and abortion are the ways to lower teen pregnancy rates. There are different strategies for dealing with teenage pregnancy such as sex education, abstinence, and abortion, but the most effective strategy involves the careful use of birth controls. Some of these are very expensive ventures, but teenage pregnancies have cost our society billions of dollars in the  last thirty years. Divorce, single parent families, teen suicide, sexually transmitted diseases, juvenile crime, child abuse, and abortion, have all at least doubled from thirty years ago (Collison, 2001). Knowledge is power and the awareness that different options are available gives power to teens to make the right decisions. Bibliography: Collison, Joseph. (2001). The Legalization of abortion had influenced teen attitudes toward sex. Flam, Faye. (2010, February 22). Study offers nuanced view of abstinence education. Finger, James. (2002). Teenage pregnancy is a serious problem [Vol I]. (Adobe Digital Edition Version). Kasun, Jacqueline. (2000). Sex education promotes teen pregnancy. Manlove, Jennifer; Suzanne, Ryan; Kerry, Franzetta. (2007). Contraceptive use patterns across teens’ sexual relationships: the role of relationship, partners, and sexual histories. [pp. 603-621]. (Adobe Digital Edition Version), Doi: Demography 44. Roleff, Mark. (n.d.). Sex education can prevent teenage pregnancy. Stacey, Dawn. (2009). â€Å"Teen birth control- Teen pregnancy prevention and contraception decision –making†. 2 â€Å"Teenage pregnancy, birth control and abortion.†(Fact Sheet). (2002), SIECUS Report 30.0. 39+ Academic One File. 22. Theresa, H. (2001). Love to know pregnancy [pp 34-36]. (Adobe Digit al Edication Version). â€Å"What are the causes of teenage pregnancy?† (2009, March 12).

Role of Femininity in Film

Role of Femininity in Film Throughout this essay I will be examining the role of femininity in Hollywood film and world cinema in particular Bollywood, I will also asses female stereotypes within film and how they differ throughout the years especially from the 1930’s such as films like ‘Gone With the Wind’ to the 1980’s with films such as ‘Terminator’. In addition I will demonstrate that there are also different racial stereotypes of women in film and the femininity of black women in film differs from white women. In order to understand and examine this topic it is beneficial to review the current research on how women are analysed through film we must look at the male gaze which is a concept used for analysing visual culture. One of the leading theories attributed to gender stereotypes within film is the ‘male gaze’. â€Å"The male gaze is a term coined by feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey. Mulvey’s theory the male gaze was influenced by Sigmund Freud.† (Cook, 2008) Freud was a psychologist that developed theory â€Å"that humans have an unconscious in which sexual and aggressive impulses are in perpetual conflict for supremacy with the defences against them†. (BBC, 2014) According to Mulvey the â€Å"male gaze is both voyeuristic and fetishistic. Her concept illustrated that women were merely shown on screen in classic Hollywood† (Cook, 2008) ( classic Hollywood is a style of Hollywood film between 1910 and 1960’s) in order to supply men with visual pleasure. Mulvey explored how the psychoanalytic concepts of narcissism and voyeurism can be used to explain how visual pleasure is generated. Narcissism means a love of self (Soanes and Stevenson, 2003) and voyeurism is a visual pleasure that arises from looking at others in a sexualised way (Benshoff and Griffin, 2004). Mulvey argues that there are two types of visual pleasure. â€Å"In most Hollywood films the narcissistic pleasure of identification usually involves identifying with the male characters, the ones who are active and aggressive. On the other hand, the voyeuristic pleasures created by cinema primarily involve looking at the female characters on screen.† (Benshoff and Griffin, 2004) â€Å"Thus, classical Hollywood cinema targets a majority of its films at a supposed male hetro-sexual audience member, making individuals outside this group adjust to a male point of view that is ‘the male gaze’.† (Cook, 2008) Claire Johnston, was also a feminist film theoretician like Mulvey. Johnston is known for her research on the construction of ideology in mainstream cinema. In her scholarly works, she also discusses the male gaze. She agreed with Mulvey that the camera sees women as an extension of a male vision; she also assessed stereotypes within Hollywood film using a semiotic analysis. Her semiotic point of view was based on Roland Barthe’s notion of myth, Barthe’s notion of myth meant, that dominate ideologies become naturalised that means the most dominant cultural, historical values and beliefs are made to seem normal and common-sense. (Barthe’s, 2013) Johnston â€Å"investigated the ‘myth’ of women in classic cinema. The sign ‘woman’ can be analysed as a code or convention. It represents the ideological meaning that ‘woman’ has for men. In relation to herself she means nothing.† (Cook, 2008) John Berger a prominent art criti c assessed Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze in his book, ‘Ways of Seeing’ (1972). He states that ‘men act andwomenappear’. Berger agreed with Mulvey that because the viewer was mostly male the appearance of women in film was intended to attract a male’s attention. However criticisms against Mulvey’s theory the male gaze, have been that of film theorist E. Ann Kaplan who theories were based around feminist film ideology. In Kaplan book ‘Women in film (1983) she asked Is the gaze male?† Both Kaplan as well as film theorist Kaja Silverman† argued that â€Å"the man was not always in control and the woman is not always passive† (Chandler 2000). Feminist writer Teresa de Lauretis (1987) concluded the female viewer does not simply take up a male point of view, â€Å"but works always; in a double identification with the active and passive subject positions†. (Chandler 2000). Journalist Steve Neale also assessed the male gaze theory and his conclusion was that the gaze in Hollywood films is not primarily male, but primarily heterosexual. Both Neale as well as film theorist Richard Dyer concluded that the male characters within film have the capacity to be objectified as well. The man would not always be the spectator, who had rule over the gaze. (Litosseliti and Sunderland, 2002) It is important to note that within Hollywood film since the 1980s, there has been an increasing objectification of the male body in film. (Evans Gamman, 1995). For example in the film Thelma and Louise (1991) Brad Pitt’s character, who is a male, is objectified in every shot of him, this shows that the male spectator was not prioritised but the female spectator was. When analysing femininity in film it is important to discuss stereotypes of women portrayed on screen and also the social context that they live in. One of the most notable stereotypes concerning black woman and Hollywood film is the ‘Mammy’ caricature taken from the film ‘Gone with the wind’ (1939) played by Hattie McDaniel. Critical studies writer Todd Boyd (2008) states, The ‘Mammy’ stereotype is a domestic servant who is often, fat, docile, unattractive, happy- go-lucky, and loyal to the white family. In addition sociologist David Pilgrim (2000) states although sometimes she may have children she was completely desexualized. She belonged to the white master and his family plus she had no black companions. To further illustrate what Boyd (2008) has stated, the ‘Mammy’ caricature was a symbol during slavery, as ‘supposed’ proof that black women were contented, even happy, as slaves. Attributes of the ‘mammy†™ such as her broad smile, her chuckles, and devoted servitude to the white family; were presented as confirmation of the believed humanity of Trans-Atlantic slavery. The Mammy caricature can be the seen in the film Gone with the wind (1939). If we were to analyse the character Mammy in Gone with the wind, we would see that she is a faithful to the white family who she serves; to such an extreme length, that she internalised white southern values and norms. For example she encourages Scarlett O’Hara who she serves as a â€Å"house slave†, to eat before she goes to a party, or else at the party she would be eating ravenously instead of â€Å"like a bird†: which is what a young southern belle is meant to do. Mammy’s devotion for the white family is reaffirmed when she states at the birth of Scarlett’s daughter, â€Å"this is a proud day for me I’ve helped delivered three generations of baby girls for this family†. She also shows her disdain for other black people and calls them ‘no good’. However a new stereotype of black women emerged in the 1970’s. This era bore a new genre of film known as ‘blaxploitation’. Blaxploitation is an ethnic sub genre of exploitation films which were made for black audiences. With this new genre came a new stereotype the superwoman image. The superwoman image portrays black woman as the action heroines of their neighbourhoods ready to defend family and community by any means necessary. â€Å"The super woman image portrayed black woman as strong and invincible. This image sent out that black women could endure and overcome all odds.† (Boyd, 2008) Actress Pam Grier was an icon of the superwoman image. Never-the-less in Hollywood films, white women have been stereotyped differently to black women in film and their femininity was portrayed in different ways. Such as in the 1930s and 1940s many white female actresses were stereotyped into melodrama roles on screen. In melodrama films of the 30’s and 40’s the female was the main protagonist in the film. Also the plot lines in a melodramatic role often consisted of the main female character having to sacrifice her career for love, or vice versa. This typical plotline and stereotype can be seen in the film ‘Lady in the Dark’ (1944). The leading character Liza Elliot played by actress Ginger Rogers she is a powerful and unmarried fashion magazine executive, she undergoes psychoanalyse as she is having strange dreams that bother her so much that she can no longer make up her mind. She is later cured and is therefore free to stop trying to be ‘like a man’ and settle in to her rightful role as a wife and sell her business to her fiancà ©. Anthropologist blogger K. Smith Pullman (2008) stated, that typical the melodrama plot line, â€Å"showed women that if they want to both work and have love, that it was not entirely possible†. (Pullman, 2008) Moreover in the 1950’s femininity was displayed in Hollywood film in the 1950’s in a different way, â€Å"when women were shown as blatantly sexual and seductive threats, such as Lana Turner or Ava Gardner, or on the other end of the spectrum as innocent and wholesome, like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. Marilyn Monroe slightly bridged this gap, as she was often depicted as both seductive and innocent.† (Pullman, 2008) However femininity in film has not always fit into those stereotypes and from the 1980s a new type of femininity was displayed in Hollywood film this was the androgynous woman this example can be demonstrated in the character Sarah Connor in the film ‘The Terminator’ (1984) â€Å" These are supposed to be the â€Å"strong† women, showing viewers that women cannot be both strong and sexual, without posing a threat.† (Pullman, 2008) Also, notably the genres in which women are stereotyped significantly are horror films. According to Adam Rockoff (2002), â€Å"One of the most continuing images of horror films is that of the good-looking heroine screaming with fear- as the killer hastily approaches.† The heroine of the film is often dubbed the ‘final girl’. The final girl was coined by film theorist Carol Clover. Brewer (2009) states: In the beginning of the film, filmmakers habitually depict the final girl as visibly tough, resourceful, and determined. Despite the fact the she often finds her friends or relatives dead. The final girl manages to survive in the end of the film, normally following a final struggle with the killer Many scholars and feminist film critics have discussed the overt masculinity of the final girl. Carol Clover author of ‘Men, Women, and Chainsaws’ says that, â€Å"TheFinal Girl, is on reflection, a congenial double for the adolescent male. She is feminine enough to act out in a gratifying way, a way unapproved for adult males, the terms and masochistic pleasures of the underlying fantasy, but not so feminine as to disturb the structure of male competence and sexuality† (Rockoff, 2002, p. 13). â€Å"According to Weaver and Tamborini (1996), traditional gender-role stereotypes also exist throughout horror films† (Brewer, 2009). For example, the male characters are shown acting violently and are more likely to attack the killer. Nevertheless female characters are more prone to run away from the killer. â€Å"Female characters in horror films are also depicted expressing fear and panic on screen longer than the male protagonists. Modern horror films of the 1990s till present often depict male characters as jokes or helpless bystanders†. (Brewer, 2 009) When assessing femininity in film it is also important to look at world cinema. Portrayals of women in Bollywood films share a link with ideals about women in Indian society. â€Å"In traditional Indian society, the lives of women were severely restricted. Women’s roles were essentially as a daughter wife and mother.† (Gokulsing and Dissanayanke, 1998) In Bollywood films the ideal wife character must be â€Å"sexually pure and the epitome of sexually fidelity†. (Gokulsing and Dissanayanke, 1998) As Richards (1995: p.3) states, that Bollywood films upholds the â€Å"traditional patriarchal views of society consistent with the cultural norms pertaining to the status of women in Indian society.† The opposite role of the wife is the ‘vamp’, â€Å"normally a decadent modern woman, generally with a name like Rosie or Mary† (Gokulsing and Dissanayanke, 1998). Gokulsing and Dissanayanke (1998) states that the vamp normally defies tradition and strives to imitate western women. â€Å"She drinks, she smokes, visit night clubs and is quick to fall in and out of love. She is portrayed as a morally degraded person and has come to be associated with everything unwholesome about the west. And she is always punished for her unacceptable behaviour.† (Gokulsing and Dissanayanke, 1998) As Dwyer and Patel (2002) commented, In Bollywood, men are depicted in many varied roles; women are almost always depicted in traditional feminine roles. For example, in numerous Bollywood films starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, the female star always represents â€Å"the damsel in distress†, while, the actor is continuously shown to be a â€Å"ladies man†. To conclude, femininity in film is very complex if we asses Mulvey’s point of view women in film are there only to supply men with visual pleasure this could be seen a lot through film in the 1950’s with Hollywood actresses such as Ava Gardner and Marilyn Manroe but over the years women in film have been shown in a variety of situations not just the blatant sex object such as the role of Sarah Connor in the film ‘Terminator’ which was androgynous and took on male cinematic characteristics. Also when assessing world cinema we see that the more patriarchal a society is the more women are stereotyped on screen this can be seen through Bollywood. Also throughout the horror genre in Hollywood film femininity is displayed through ‘the final girl’ which many film scholars have stated the final girl is has overtly masculine characteristics although she is aesthetically beautiful. BIBLIOGRAPHY Barthes, R., 2013. Mythologies: The Complete Edition, in a New Translation. New York: Hill Wang BBC, 2014. Sigmund Freud [Online], Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/freud_sigmund.shtml [Accessed: 30/09/2014] BENSHOFF, H. and S. GRIFFIN, 2004. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Victoria: Blackwell Publishing Berger, J. 1972.Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books. Boyd, T., 2008. The Mammy Image. In African Americans and Popular Culture. Connecticut: Praeger Cook, P. 2008 The Cinema Book. London: BFI Publishing Brewer, C. 2009. THE STEREOTYPIC PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN SLASHER FILMS: THEN VERSUS NOW [online] Available from: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04092009-105427/unrestricted/Brewer_thesis.pdf.pdf [Accessed 11/10/2014] Chandler, D., (2000) Notes on the Gaze [online] Available from: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/gaze/gaze09.html [Accessed 30/09/2014] De Lauretis, T., 1987. Essays on theory, film and fiction Bloomington: Indiana University Press Dwyer, R., and Patel, D., 2002. Cinema India: The visual culture of Hindi Film, London: Reaktion Books. Evans, C., Lorraine G., 1995: The Gaze Revisited, or Reviewing Queer Viewing. In Burston, Paul Colin Richardson (Eds.): A Queer Romance: Lesbians, Gay Men and Popular Culture. London: Routledge, pp. 13-56. Gokulsing, K., M., and Dissanayanke, W., 1998. Indian Popular Cinema: A narrative of Cultural Cinema, London: Trentham Books. Johnston, C., 1991. Women’s Cinema as Counter Cinema. In: Thornham, S., (ed) 1999. Feminism Film Theory A reader. New York: New York University Press Kaplan,E., A., 1983. Women and Film: Both Sides of the Camera, New York: Methuen Publishing King, T., 2007. Does film criticism affect box office earnings? Evidence from movies released in the U.S. in 2003. Journal of Cultural Economics, 31, 171-186. Litosseliti, L. and Sunderland, J. (eds.) 2002. Gender Identity and Discourse Analysis: Discourse Approaches to Politics, Society and Culture. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Pilgrim, D., 2000 The Mammy Caricature [online] Available from: http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/mammies/ [Accessed: 30/09/2014] Pullman, K. (2008) [online] Available from: http://ksmith-hollywoodwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/stereotypical-roles-of-women-in-films.html [Accesed 30/09/2014] Richard, C., 1996. Hooray for Bollywood, Time Magazine [online] Available from: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985129,00.html?internalid=atm100 [Accessed 30/09/2014] Rockoff, A. (2002). Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978-1986. North Carolina: McFarland Company Inc. Soanes, C. and Stevenson, A., 2013. Oxford Dictionary of English, Revised Edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, Weaver, J.B., Tamborini, R. (1996). Horror films: Current research on audience preferences and reactions. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.

A Synagogue Essay -- Papers

A Synagogue A synagogue will look like any other building from the outside - the only sign you might get from the outside is the star of David which is called magen David in the Hebrew tongue. There may also be a sign outside stating the name of the synagogue. There are many names for a synagogue such as; shul - which means school in Hebrew, bet haknesset, which means house of assembly - this is only used by Sephardim, which is oriental Jews. A synagogue is primarily a place of worship but also functions as a community centre for the Jews. The building is so important that the whole Jewish community that worship there will revolve around the building. It is used as a teaching school for Jewish children where they will be taught the Hebrew alphabet, numbers of Hebrew and about their faith. This school is a Jewish equivalent to a Christian 'Sunday school.' If you now go inside you would see that the synagogue is rectangular and although you will not realise it, but the whole synagogue is built facing Israel, if possible, Jerusalem. There will be a sink where the congregation will wash their hands and feet before praying or worshipping. You will also notice that there are separate seats. This is because in orthodox synagogues, the men sit on the ground floor and worship and the women sit in the gallery. There is a good reason for this - and not because the Jews are sexist - but because in Judaism, the men take on the role of worshipping and the women are expected to look after the house and the children so if people were late (the women). This may be because they had to change the baby or something like that so instead of disturbi... ...yed and the hymns and songs are sung without the aid or backup of music. In a liberal or reformed synagogue however things would be very different, for instance, there is quite a large chance that a female rabbi would be conducting the service, the man and women are more 'equal' they sit together and worship together as one big mass. The bimah may be at the front which, in my opinion, gives a sense of preaching and I think Jews know their religion, they don't need to be educated about it they just want to worship god. There also may be an organ to accompany songs and hymns because music is permitted in reformed synagogues. There would also be slightly less Hebrew spoken. So this synagogue I have described to you is an orthodox synagogue. Orthodox translates to "right belief" and is considered to be traditional Judaism.

Old Age in Sylvia Plath’s Poetry

Leaving cert study notes  © Paula O’Sullivan Plath and old age. Plath has a fear of growing old, and deals with the passage of time and old age in many of her poems. Morning Song, written after the birth of her first child, deals with Plath’s preoccupation with growing old. The poet has birthed a child, and therefore fulfilled her requirement as a human being to procreate. Human’s get to an optimum age for bearing children, and after that, it is a slow decline into old age and inevitable death. Plath speaks of â€Å"Effacement at the wind’s hand†, which basically means she will be rubbed out and forgotten with the passage of time. Related reading: How to be Old PoemThe poet uses a complex image of rainwater reflecting it’s mother cloud to tell us that she sees herself in her daughter, and now all that’s left is to disappear into nothing. The condensed water of a cloud falls to the ground, and the cloud is no more. Mirror follows the theme of growing old very closely. Time moves on and on in this poem. The first stanza contains phrases like ‘so long’ and ‘over and over’ to tell us that time keeps moving. The second stanza continues to chart the march of time. She comes and goes’ and ‘each morning’ reflect the poet’s unrest and constant awareness that time is still ticking away. The poet sees her youth as wasted, the ‘young girl’ has been ‘drowned’. She has a premonition of the future, in which an old woman has failed to break the cycle, and describes her condition as a ‘terrible fish’. The poet sees herself as elderly and is afraid. The metaphor of the fish is as if the poet is stuck, netted and helpless. Plath shows she is dreading old age in the final lines of the poem. The passage of time throughout the text points to the inevitability of growing old.

Policy Is Now Made In A More Democratic Manner Essay

What Extent Do You Agree With This Statement? The 1997 general election in Britain changed the way that policies were made in both of the leading political parties. The Labour Party is composed of three major institutions: The NEC (National Executive Committee) -the administrative authority of the party, the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) which consists of all elected Labour Party MP s and the Annual Party Conference. The Annual Party Conference is the supreme decision-making body within the Party. Ordinary members of the party are given the opportunity to publicly articulate their views and for cabinet members (or shadow cabinet members if the party is not in government) to deliver set-speeches directed towards the party or the public. The Conservative Party had a system where power rested entirely in the hands of parliamentarians with little or no organisation outside of parliament. It also consisted of three main institutions: The Parliamentary Conservative Party, the National Union Of Conservative and Unionist Associations and The Conservative Central Office. The ultimate decision making body in the Party is the leader himself. He or she may be advised however this advice does not have to be taken. Before 1997, any member of the Labour party could raise a topic to be debated. However after the 1997 election, in an attempt by Tony Blair to meet the demands of party unity and discipline, the Labour Party changed its structure to include the NPF (National Policy Forum). The job of the National Policy Forum was to set our the agenda to be discussed at the annual party conference.Members could no longer bring up issues during the conference. Instead, members could make an application to the forum for a debate on a particular topic although the ultimate decision would be made by the forum. Although members were still free to convey their views at the annual conference. The Conservatives adopted a similar system to the Labour Party. The Conservative Party also underwent structural changes after the 1997 election. In a bid to make the party more democratic, William Hague introduced ‘the Fresh Future’. This included the creation of two new bodies, the ‘National Conservative Convention’ and the ‘Conservative Policy Forum’ (although these act as advisory bodies only, the final decision rests with the leader). In conclusion, the Labour Party certainly makes policy in a less democratic way. From an open conference where members could freely bring up topics for debate to a forum where only a select few have the ultimate decision in deciding party policies. This reform has decreased the number of members who can participate in making policies and reduced the range of views that the policies represent. Although the Conservative Party has made an attempt to make its policy making more democratic by introducing the ‘Fresh Future’ and the new Conservative Policy Forum, the leader still holds the ultimate decision when deciding on policy and although it increases the number of people who can attempt to advise the leader although the leader still has ultimate power when making decisions so it means nothing. It is therefore concluded that party policy is not now made in a more democratic manner.

Importance of the Bungalow

In the transition of the 19th to the 20th century, American families turned their interest to a new style of home; the bungalow. This new style of housing would be smaller than the previously popular living arrangements such as the Victoria style home. The bungalow homes were more uniform with each other, which created a more homogeneous look in neighborhoods. They were also much more affordable home to Americans than previous homes, and promoted efficiency and progressivism. The word bungalow was described by Gwendolyn Wright as â€Å"usually referring to a relatively unpretentious small house†¦ the term implies a one-story or story-and-a-half dwelling of between six hundred and eight hundred square feet. † Bedrooms were very small, and the kitchen was usually only big enough for one person to work in at a time. Edward Bok, the editor of the Ladies‘ Home Journal, promoted a variety of Progressive causes. He used the magazine to publicize the simple bungalow style. He stated that â€Å"we need only to be more natural: to get back to our real, inner selves. He believed the homes at the turn of the century were too cluttered and over-furnished, and many of the homes problems were directly related to nervous breakdowns of women in that time period. Bok thought many women were pressured by social criticism to refrain from simplifying their home, they dreaded the possibility that their rooms would be called â€Å"bare. † But more simp licity in the homes would, in turn, also make lives simpler. Families could have fuller lives because they would have more time. Gustav Stickley was one of the more influential promoters of the bungalow home. Stickley suggested that many social issues and problems could be remedied by the adoption of a more simple home style. Even issues such as divorce rates, lack of servants, crime, and civil disorder. He believed that â€Å"the dominant characteristics of the pioneer yet shape what are the salient qualities in American life. † He went on to say that â€Å"to preserve these characteristics and to bring back in individual life and work the vigorous constructive spirit†¦ is, in a nut-shell, the craftsman idea. Stickley proposed that the seemingly obvious place to begin readjustments was in the home, as it would appear natural that the relief from friction, which would follow the ordering of our lives along more simple and reasonable lines, would not only assure comfort and efficiency to the American workers, but would give children a better chance to grow up under higher degrees of mental, moral, and physically efficient conditions. New innovations in kitchen design would make more people, especially women, receptive to the bungalow style house. At this point, it is clear that women are becoming more active in mainstream society. Before the bungalow, most often employed female domestic servants were the primary workers in the household. These domestic servants were usually black married women rather than live-in workers. The bungalow building designs would allow more and more housewives to cook and create meals in their own kitchens. Between 1900 and 1920, the number of domestic servants declined by half, from eighty per thousand families to thirty-nine. Gwendolyn Wright says builders praised â€Å"the smaller, better-equipped kitchen, planned for the domestic scientist who had no need of a servant. † Women were now more able to experiment in the kitchen, and new appliances allowed for quicker preparation. These new appliances also gave housewives more time, which in turn, made it easier for them to become part of the working world if they chose to do so. Typical jobs that many women held in this era were receptionists, clerical workers, and typewriters. Building corporations also favored the outbreak for new, more uniform, and simpler housing. Most of the country was still available for construction, which gave these companies many opportunities. The simple design also made them easy to construct, which in theory would allow for greater profit. This is similar to the developments popular in today's society. These developments now will be erected just about anywhere there is open land, just as small bungalow's most likely did in the early twentieth century. This type of house was a â€Å"progressive house† in the sense that it had technological advances such as better equipped kitchens, running water, hot water heaters, and machines. The advancement of the bungalow would eventually lead to greater architectural discoveries, including the suburbs that comprise much of this nation's real-estate. The bungalow was widely accepted by society because democratic architecture meant good homes available to all Americans through economy of construction and materials, together with the necessary standardization.

Summary of an article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of an article - Essay Example Therefore it is no more a rare occasion for the hospitals to encounter the patients whose money is tight. In facts, according to the survey conducted by the American Hospital Association as early as in November 2008, 50 per cent of their members are facing the considerable increase of the number of patients who are willing to save money and switch onto cheaper health insurance schemes. Certainly the situation must be aggravated even more now that the national unemployment rate has increased 8 per cent. However, doctors – and this is a no surprise – have humane feelings, and are willing to help their patients in need. During this turbulent times, they are concerned not only about the state of their patients’ bodies and minds but also about the wellbeing of their purse or banking account. Some doctors, like, for example, Dr. Moritz whose advice to the patients has been quoted in the article, ask their long-term patients whether they are still employed first thing during the appointment. If the answer is no, then doctors assure them that their medical bills can be negotiated. How? First thing to remember is – doctors and hospitals are used to negotiating, as they have to do it themselves with the insuring companies. The cost of every single medical procedure may differ depending on which insurer the hospital does it for. Therefore, a patient’s wanting a discount will hardly get hospital’s accounting department shocked. What are the pieces of advice to those struggling to reduce their medical bills? When talking to doctors, take into account the following: speak up if you need help – as doctors will always help on this occasion. It is better to say blatantly about your financial difficulties, and you are most likely to get a good price break. As there is a very widespread problem with unpaid bills that causes hospitals to lose thousands of dollars annually, your offer to pay them cash upfront will make them happy,

Evaluate Wide Area Network (WAN) technologies Essay

Evaluate Wide Area Network (WAN) technologies - Essay Example LAN provide networking capabilities to a small group of computers close to each other such as at home, office or campus. A family can share resources including files, printers, telephone devices and games via LAN. Its main function is to link computers in a network. Its installed in the available PCI ports inside the computers and consist of a unique Media Control Access address. WLAN card allows wireless connection between computers in a network (Bachmann & Stern, 2010). LAN cards can be connected to Ethernet cables via BNC and AUI twisted pair sockets. It’s a network point acting as an entrance to a network and also connects a LAN to the internet. In large enterprises computer server functioning as a gateway can also double up as a proxy server and a firewall server. A hub is a device with multiple ports (6, 8, 16, and 24 ) used to connect all computers with each other in a LAN. Data packets at the hub are broadcasted to all computers. In contrast, a switch directs data to a particular intended port by use of addresses. It acts as a filter thus reduces the amount of traffic on a network. They are used to regenerate or amplify signals that span a limited distance before their quality degrades. They also remove unwanted noise from incoming signals and transmit messages in networks that operate with different protocols. Computers in different rooms and a printer would require a repeater to work efficiently (Habraken, 2009). A large enterprise consisting of hundreds of users and a manufacturing plant typically employs LAN to connect to the Internet WAN via Internet Service Providers. In addition to the above mentioned devices the following devices are necessary; A modem is a communication device that modulates and demodulates digital and analogue data respectively. It converts digital signals produced by the computers into voice frequencies that can be transmitted over telephone