Mans Search For Meaning Essays (892 words) - English-language Films

Man's Search For Meaning Man's Search For Meaning Survival and Fully Living Viktor Frankl's concept regarding survival and fully living was developed through his observations and experiences in the concentration camps. He used his psychiatric training to discern the meanings of observations and to help himself become a better person. He uses analysis to develop his own concepts and describes them in steps throughout the book. When the prisoners first arrived at the camp most of them thought they would be spared at the last moment. The prisoners believed they had a chance of surviving, but this belief was eventually eliminated and it was at this time when the prisoners began to learn how to survive by using their internal strength. A sense of humor had emerged among the prisoners. This humor helped to get through some difficult situations they faced. Viktor also observed how much a person could really endure and still live. Even though the prisoners could not clean their teeth and were deprived of warmth and vitamins, they still were able to survive. The sores and abrasions on their hands did not suppurate despite the dirt that gathered on them from the hard labor. The challenge of staying alive under these wretched conditions was to have and maintain strong internal strength. During the time he spent in the camps, Viktor learned what was needed to survive and how to keep his internal strength despite his weakening external strength. During the second stage of Viktor's psychological reaction, prisoners lost their sense of feeling and emotion toward events that would be emotional to people outside the camps. This was a result of the violent environment, which consisted of beatings of prisoners and the death of many others. The prisoners could no longer feel any disgust or horror since these emotions where very common. From Viktor's professional point of view, this observation surprised him and also gave him a different point of view of the whole situation. The pain that hurt Viktor the most was the pain he felt when he received punishment for no reason. The punishments were of an insult, and hurt the prisoners on the inside more than on the outside. Viktor also acknowledged the fact that since the prisoners lacked the primary needs, they would dream about them and put all other needs aside. Since there was a lack of food Viktor depended greatly on his inner thoughts to get himself through the suffering. He needed some hope and a reason to live. He thought about his wife and the love that they shared. Every chance, he got he thought about pleasant events from the past to help get through all the hard times. The prisoners had a life of their own in their minds. At one point Viktor gave up on trying to control his life and in sending himself into the path he wanted. He decided to let fate take its course. After a while he found out that he could not allow this to happen, his inner emotions could not stand being helpless. He had to make decisions for himself if he wanted to have some control o ver his life and if he wanted to get out of the camp alive. When the camps were closing Viktor became the emotional leader of the remaining prisoners. He raised their hopes, and by doing this he was looking at the situation from a different point of view. He believed that life expected more from them and that they had to live in order to accomplish the unfinished work they had left behind when they left their home. When Viktor and the prisoners were released everyone except Viktor had no sense of direction. They did not know what was right and what was wrong. They went around and copied the actions of the SS, not knowing that it was wrong. Victor was fortunate and did not end up like the other survivors, since he had more knowledge than they did and was able to see his opportunity to live his life again. Viktor's concept applies to my life during the times when I am feeling bad or when I just don't know what to do. When I am

A Rose, By A Vulcan Name, Would Smell As Sweet Essays - Star Trek

A Rose, By A Vulcan Name, Would Smell As Sweet Essays - Star Trek A Rose, By A Vulcan Name, Would Smell As Sweet A Rose, By a Vulcan Name, Would Smell as Sweet. Social commentary is dangerous. In addition to risking social and political censure, the commentator must carefully convey the message. In directly addressing a problem, one risks alienating an audience before making one's point. If one indirectly approaches said problem, one may appear to lack conviction or a point. Star Trek: the Original Series takes a third path, that of allegory. Unfortunately, as the television series belongs to the science fiction genre, its social significance is often disregarded. However, upon examination, it is clear that the veiled nature of commentary in Star Trek is vital. An allegory addresses issues, usually current political or social situations, through a fictionalized account. This is useful to protect the teller of the tale from legal or political persecution, as evidenced by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Allegory may also use situational hyperbole to exaggerate a situation until its social impact is obvious, as in Voltaire's Candide. The cloak of allegory serves both functions, after a fashion, in Star Trek: the Original Series. Rather than protecting the creator, altered representations protected the integrity of the story line from network censors. For example, the episode A Private Little War depicted the Federation, the series' protagonist organization, warring with the Klingon nation, its nemesis, on a tiny primitive world (Star Trek). In all actuality, the episode was a declaration of pacifism aimed at the follies of the Vietnam War. Such a declaration might be blocked by censors as unpatriotic or lacking in viewer allure, were it a straightforward statement of the evils of Vietnam. As a story, however, it avoids such charges and may be distributed to the masses via television. Situational exaggeration is also utilized to drive home important points. A problem may not be apparent to an average person. Thus, the allegorist expands the problem, inflating it beyond normal context to make its import apparent. The creators of the Original Series achieved this through symbols. In the episode Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, two alien men, whose faces were half black and half white, were featured. The white half was on right side of one man's face, and the left of the other's. Due to this difference, the two races had fought one another until only two survived (Star Trek). This seems merely a tragic story. In actuality, it is a comment on racism. Let That Be Your Last Battlefield tells the viewer a familiar story, the differences between the two men are minimal, as are the differences between races on Earth. Their faces are composed of the same colors in differing combinations. So, too, are the colors of humanity the same, merely present in differing proportions. Hidden within fiction, serious themes pervaded the Star Trek of the 60's. Gene Roddenberry, creator of the Star Trek franchise, outlined a utopian future where the iniquities of the present are absent or conquerable. Those evils included racism, intolerance, sexism and war. Ethnocentrism is denounced by a multi-ethnic cast, which features characters of many nationalities and worlds in prominent positions. The familiar theme of racism arises again in Balance of Terror. Cold War paranoia is represented the fictional humanity's own Cold War with the Romulans, an apparently inimical race. This episode also calls to mind the persecution of Americans with Japanese ancestry during the Second World War. The character Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, bears a resemblance to the Romulan enemy, and is therefore denigrated and labeled a traitor by his own comrades. Though the humans of Star Trek exist in cold or outright war with beings from other worlds, this state is portrayed as deplorable. Everyone always wants me to do space battles, Gene Roddenberry once said, Well screw them. That's not what Star Trek is about (Walsh 2), and this pacifism is extolled by the characters of the series. The Prime Directive, the central concept of Star Trek: the Original Series' exploring culture, is a sort of code of honor derived from Roddenberry's feelings on the Vietnam War. It forbids interference in the development of civilizations less powerful or technologically advanced than Earth's. Numerous attempts were made to depict gender equality; unfortunately, in this the

Discuss the sources of irish law and show how they relate to each Essay

Discuss the sources of irish law and show how they relate to each other - Essay Example These shall be discussed. Bunreacht na hEireann 1937 The Irish Constitution is the supreme source of law of Ireland although it is, arguably, not the main source in terms of quantity. The Constitution is the backbone of the Irish legal system consisting of the source of power exercised by the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government. The Irish Supreme Court and High Court are empowered to review all legislation and may strike down laws if they are inconsistent with the Irish constitution (McCutcheon et al 2008, p. 649) All laws passed by the legislature must comply with the provisions of the Constitution. Specifically, the Constitution provides that the Oireachtas must not enact any law which is repugnant to the Constitution or any provisions thereof (Article15.4.1-2) 4.1 The Oireachtas shall not enact any law which is in any respect repugnant to this Constitution or any provision thereof. 4.2 Every law enacted by the Oireachtas which is in any respect repugnant to this Constitution or to any provision thereof, shall, but to the extent only of such repugnancy, be invalid This means legislation ranks lower than the Constitution. The Constitution provides that the institution which can interpret both the Constitution itself and all the other sources of law are the Courts of law. (Articles 34-37) As the primary source of law as well as having a higher status within the jurisdiction, all other laws must be in conformity with it. Any law that does not comply with the Constitution is invalid. The Constitution regulates the relationship between the organs of government and the citizens and those living in Ireland. (Article 6) The Constitution also guarantees certain fundamental rights and freedoms such as equality before the law, personal liberty, property rights, and freedom of religion and the importance of the family. (Articles 40-44) The Constitution is in both official languages but in the case of incompatibility it is the Irish version which wi ll prevail as it is the first official language. (Articles 8 and 25) Legislation This is law produced through the Oireachtas. This is, arguably, the most important source of law in the modern day Ireland. Firstly, in terms of quantity, the Oireachtas produces far more legal rules than any other source. Secondly, under Article 15 of the Constitution, the Oireachtas has‘sole and exclusive’ law making power. The Irish Constitution assigns to the Oireachtas the sole law making power within the State. (Article 15.2) Every year a large number of pieces of legislation known as statutes are brought into operation as Acts of the Oireachtas. The procedure for the creation of Acts is provided for in the Constitution. Acts of the Oireachtas are known as primary legislation and must follow a particular procedure to be legitimate including going through both houses of the Oireachtas, the Dail and the Seanad. Each piece of legislation must be compatible with the Irish Constitution and the Supreme Court of Ireland may strike down legislation if it is not compliant with the Constitution. Statutes are divided into sections and parts, depending on their length. Article 25 of the Irish Constitution states that all acts must be in both official languages, Irish and English and in the case of contradiction it is the Irish version which will prevail. Each act or statute must be compatible with the Constitution, and may be referred to the Supreme Court by the President to decide

Media Management - Event Planning Event Planning Essay

Media Management - Event Planning Event Planning - Essay Example INTRODUCTION The marketing is the need of every small and large business in today’s world of globalization. The emergence of social media and online bloggers has allowed businesses to market online at low cost. The businesses are taking full advantage of this cheap way of marketing. The options for market a product through different mediums depends on the size and budget of the company (Smith, and Zook, 2011). Nowadays, the perfect competition is prevailing in all the local markets and this intensity of competition made necessity for every local business to create marketing or promotional strategies to stay in the market with handsome profits and differentiated brand image. The event marketing is one of the best suited marketing tools for local area advertising because it directly targets the market of local area community. Most of the events are developed to get the attention of media. Companies want media to talk about them from time to time to publicize the business. Once t he local business gets succeeded in gaining media attention then it would become easy for the local business to create its unique brand image among all the local competitors (Kotler, and Keller, 2009). Event Development (The event is named as a â€Å"Cultural Evening†): The Wild Affair is a big chain of restaurants and the company is now introducing another restaurant in the new local market by creating an event in the area for targeting the local area customers. People that are living in the local area belong to different cultures so the event is organized by considering all the small and large communities living in the area. The event is designed under the consideration of cross-culture function of the society. The event will be arranged in the hall in order to attract large audience. The restaurant has the specialty in 18 different countries foods. So especially for the event the restaurant is designed or decorated with 18 different cultural themes to represent the food av ailability of 18 countries. Every country is represented by its national culture theme or with a small setup with waiters in wearing cultural dresses of each country. The core concept is to position the restaurant and create awareness of its offerings. The culture creates an emotional attachment with the customers. The company wants to connect the emotional attachment with its customer by providing them their cultural environment. Cultural values and cultural food has created a feeling in the consumer’s mind that he/she is serving in its own country. This idea of serving the cultural food with cultural values has made an emotional bonding with customers. This bonding will create the customer loyal to the brand. The restaurant has some additional attractive services as well that are customizing food according to the mood of the customer, additional top-ups and add-ons with the meals. Another perception for the event created is that the company is combining all the communities of the area under the one roof to unite them. This perception can be called as Societal Marketing concept. Alignment of Company’s Mission and Target Audience with the Event: The company’s strategy is to target each community individually and show respect for each community’s culture present in the society. The company has covered all the communiti

MLA RESEARCH ARGUMENT- Social Media issue Essay

MLA RESEARCH ARGUMENT- Social Media issue - Essay Example This work goes to point out the relevant effects that are associated with social media. This research paper aims at evaluating the issues related to social media in general. Scholars have carried out research on the matter, and it is evident that there are advantages as well as disadvantages associated with social media. The issues affect a wide range of individuals. You can now connect to the whole world from the comfort of your home or office. This is one of the important attributes of social media. Not only are people able to make business connections, but they can find new jobs, find assistance and get advice. It has also enabled people to learn something new about a foreign country, and interact with people from diverse cultures. Social media has replaced pen pals mails that used to take a long time, now friends can communicate instantly using the many available social websites (Bryant and Zillmann 418). Social media offers the advantage of interacting with people who share the same interests. People can make wiser decisions on a subject, especially when they have managed to find solutions online. This is enhanced by the fact that communication via the Internet is real-time, as long as you have an Internet connection. Noor Al-Deen and Hendricks (182) conclude that many social sites have instant messaging that facilitates this. This has gone a long way to helping students, researchers, managers, business people, as well as teachers. One can source information online instantly. According to Noor Al-Deen and Hendricks (182), marketers have largely benefited from social media. It has become very cheap, fast and reliable to do marketing online. With a click of a button, a marketer can sell his or her idea, new products and services to millions of social network users worldwide. It is also handy for not for profit organizations to communicate with people, educate

Black Identity In Bamboozled

Black Identity In Bamboozled African Americans have for a long time been represented in American cinema in discourses of white realism. With the emergence of black directors, there has been a struggle to detach the black community from the traditional, negative stereotypes attached to them. Bamboozled (Spike Lee, 2000) is a dark satire on race representation and assimilation and the ways in which the dominant hegemonic power structure is able to divide and rule those it subjugates. This paper will first explore the history of cinematic representation of African Americans, which will be discussed in line with the issue of misrepresentation in Bamboozled (2000). This paper will also explore African-American identity dilemma as presented in Bamboozled (2000). Introduction I want people to think about the power of images, not just in terms of race, but how imagery is used and what sort of social impact it has- how it influences how we talk, how we think, how we view one another. In particular, I want them to see how film and television have historically, from the birth of both mediums, produced and perpetuated distorted images. Film and television started out that way, and here we are, at the dawn of a new century, and a lot of that madness is still with us today. Spike Lee. The debates over race and representation of African Americans in films have been highly contentious for over a century. Blacks have generally been perceived and stigmatized, throughout history, as trouble makers, incapables, intellectually limited, inferior, lazy and irrational, amongst the many other demeaning labels attached to them. These labels are connected not only to the history of colonization but also, importantly, to the exploitation, perpetuation, and careful maintenance of stereotypes through cinematic clichà ©s which have imposed themselves easily and significantly on the popular imagination. As rightly stated by Wijdan Ali, the projection of harmful and negative stereotypes onto marginal or ineffectual groups within a society has always been an easy and useful method for making scapegoats.Effectively, films form the ideal space to circularize and preserve the labels which the mainstream audience desires to attach to the black community. Five decades of the Civil Rights Movement have gone by, and the degree of change in the black community, though undeniably real and noticeable, remains perplexingly complex and inadequate. Although the fact that we now live in a time in history where Americans have voted in a black President, where blacks now occupy positions of power and are ostensibly less subject to institutional discrimination than in the past, the black community nevertheless remains inadequately poor, unemployed, undereducated and negatively labeled. Adding to these, portrayals of African Americans in cinema are still, to a great extent, marked by buffoonery. Therefore, adopting a writing-back style in Bamboozled (2000), Spike Lee satirically attacks the way in which African Americans have historically been misused and misrepresented on screen. Through Bamboozled (2000), the director attempts both to entertain and to educate his audience about the history of African American representation within popular culture, with the word bamboozled itself indicating the state of having been cheated or conned. Bamboozled (2000) presents American mass entertainments history of racial discrimination through abasing minstrel stereotypes, which first started to be performed in musical theatres and which were later brought to cinema with films such as The Wooing and Wedding of a Coon (1905), The Sambo Series (1909- 1911) and D.W Griffiths controversial The Birth of a Nation( 1915). Consequently, the purpose of this study is to explore African American evolution in the American film industry and to analyze the effects of stereotypes and misrepresentation o n African American identity using Cornel Wests theory of Alienation (1993) and Du Boiss theory of double consciousness (1903). These will hopefully in turn help to understand why the integration of African Americans is considered as a problematic issue even in a sophisticated era where racism seems to be a thing of the past, and where people are supposedly no longer judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. But before getting to what Bamboozled (2000) actually brings to the table of African-American films, it is important to look at the history and evolution of black representation in Hollywood cinema, which the following paragraphs are going to deal with. II. African Americans in American Films: A Brief Retrospective African Americans first started to be represented in minstrel shows in the late 1820s and later on television in the early 20th century. Through blackface minstrelsy, a performance style where white males parodied the songs, dances, clothing and speech patterns of Southern blacks using blackface makeup and exaggerated lips, Americas conceptions of blackness and whiteness were shaped by these mocking caricatures, for, as pointed out by bell hooks, there is power in looking. While whiteness was posited as the norm, every black face was a statement of social imperfection, inferiority, and mimicry that [was] placed in isolation with an absent whiteness as its ideal opposite. Consequently, for over a century, the notion that colored people were racially and socially inferior to whites was ingrained, internalized and accepted both by white and black minstrel performers and audiences. The caricatures took such a strong hold on the American imagination that audiences naturally came to expect any person with dark skin, irrespective of his/ her background, to fit in one or more of the following stereotypes; Jim Crow, a dull-witted and subservient plantation slave; Zip Coon, a lazy, gaudily-dressed man from the city representing the proud newly- freed slave; Mammy, the contended, happy, loyal and ever-smiling female slave (as evidence of the supposed humanity of the institution of slavery,); Uncle Tom, the good Negro; submissive, hearty, faithful no matter what, stoic, selfless, and oh-so-very-kind, Buck, the proud and menacing Black man always fascinated by white women; Jezebel the temptress; the mixed race Mulatto, and Pickaninnies, who have bulging eyes, unkempt hair, red lips and wide mouths into which they stuff huge slices of watermelon. As time moved on, black appearance in mainstream films became more and more frequent, as well as the increase in the number of independent black directors, from Oscar Micheaux to Daniels Lee and Spike Lee. Since The Birth of a Nation, which marked a change in emphasis from the pretentious but harmless Jim Crow to the threatening savage Nigger, black filmmakers have responded by creating race movies and blaxploitation films which were tailored to black audiences . The 1970s witnessed a resurgence of the blaxploitation genre with films such as Sweet Sweetbacks Baadassss Song (1971), Shaft (1971), Black Caesar (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974). Since such films were themselves in turn accused of using the negative to hyperbolize issues pertaining to blacks, this genre saw its end in the late 1970s to give way to a new wave of black directors, such as S. Lee and John Singleton, who focused on black urban life. However, we cannot afford to simply celebrate the achievements of black filmmakers for the so-called ethnic arts. And as Stuart Hall remarks, we have come out of the age of innocence, which says that its good if its there. The mere fact that such films have had a considerable increase does not mean that the status of and opportunities for black people have dramatically improved although it may be true that the level of clear-cut racism has known an important decrease, or even a disappearance. This can be backed up by Appiahs statement that changes in the representation of blacks do not ipso facto lead to changes in their treatment. III. The Issue of Misrepresentation in Bamboozled (2000) In Bamboozled (2000), Spike Lee directly addresses this issue of African American representability as being a discourse of white essentialism. Through Bamboozled (2000) the director invites his audience to realize that although nobody goes around in blackface anymore,it does not entail that Hollywood has altogether abandoned/given up essentialist discourse. The director satirically uses very symbolic icons and elements throughout the film in order to highlight racism and misrepresentation. The beginning of Bamboozled (2000) itself generates the intended theme; Stevie Wonders Misrepresented People, a song which encapsulates the historical, political and social adversities faced by blacks, is carefully and cleverly set as the background music, which powerfully and heavily impacts upon the content of the film as well as upon the audience. Spike Lee makes it blatantly clear that Bamboozled (2000) sets out to illustrate White American ideology and discourse within contemporary public sphere. Pierre Delacroix (Damon Wayans), the protagonist of the film, is a network executive working in a company which is specialized in black matters. Ironically though, during the meeting in which Delacroix is reproached for his lateness and reminded of CP time, it can be noticed that the only Black person present is Pierre himself. His boss, Dunwitty, clearly does not want to see Negroes on television unless they are buffoons. He even cancelled one of Pierres brilliant shows because it starred blacks as dignified people and goes on to complain that the latters written materials are too clean, too white, too antiseptic, which according to him merely portray white people with blackfaces. He urges Delacroix to keep it real, that is, he reminds him of the humiliating position of blacks in cinema; blacks are only entertainers. The depiction of the struggle endemic to the African American experience of representation, which Lee throws to the audience in a very obvious yet complex way, can be seen in Extract 1. It can be observed in this scene that Delacroix has no other option than to portray blacks as entertainers if he is to respect his contract. This scene is also important because it does two things; first, it shows Delacroixs struggle to promote the black community by attempting to fight misrepresentation, and second, it shows a well-educated Delacroixs willingness to dissociate himself from other African Americans. The name of the blackface show in Bamboozled (2000) is in itself very symbolic; Mantan: The New Millennium Minstrel Show. Here, Lee suggests that minstrelsy has not disappeared in the new millennium. In his-own words therefore, it has only gotten more sophisticated. Gangsta rap videos, a lot of the TV shows on UPN and WB- a lot of us are still acting as buffoons and coons. The issue of black-white relations resurfaces in Bamboozled (2000) and the role of the Other is made explicit through Lees intended message. Black stereotyping and Otherisation becomes the necessary evil in the construction of white identity and is needed to reassure white audiences of the stability of their identity. With this comes the implication that black films are successfully marketed only if they appeal to mainstream audiences. Clearly, Spike Lees aim in this provocative film is to show that even today, the American film industry is still concealing essentialist discourses within contemporary films. Consequ ently, as essentialism involves ongoing human and social interaction as well as limitation, identity regulation and enforcement takes place within this kind of racist discourse, whereby blacks have to undergo identity dilemma while trying to seek approval. As we have seen, cinema has an important role to play in the construction of identity. History, cinema and black identity are intricately intertwined. The association of these three in Bamboozled (2000) communicates to the audience how blacks are identified and how they in turn identify themselves. As a marginalized group, most of the black characters in Spike Lees film forsake their identity so as to gain approval, to be successful, or to get out of black poverty and the result is shown to be a disastrous one for the black soul and community. The next section is therefore going to be an exploration of identity dilemma in Bamboozled (2000). IV. Identity Dilemma in Bamboozled (2000) I have heard all my life that White people dont have to change who they are, how they talk, or how they behave. Therefore, I was left with the impression that it was everyone elses responsibility to attempt to adopt the cultural and social personalities of White people. Ronald, L Jackson. In order to tackle this issue of identity in Bamboozled (2000) Cornel Wests theory of alienation(1993) will be used in parallel to DuBois theory of double-consciousness (1903) .Wests theory of alienation (1993) explores the identity crisis faced by the black diasporan community in modern day America. Natal alienation, which has been created by the history of colonization, is an irretrievable damage to black identity. Since the Black is rendered into an inferior being through history and representation, and this inferiority further reinforced by both descriptive and prescriptive stereotypes in cinema, blacks as a result experience a severe identity dilemma, a double consciousness. Alienation in Wests theory exists on two intricately related levels: firstly as an ideological system of oppression and discrimination and secondly as a black existentialist struggle. In Bamboozled (2000), this powerful system of oppression forces the black characters to forsake their black soul and identities. Unlike Delacroix, Womack (Tommy Davidson) and Manray (Savion Glover), two homeless street performers, are forced by their unfavorable economic conditions to become de-rooted and senseless performing dolls. Both are stripped of their names and imposed with the abasing and stereotypically racist names of SleepnEat and Mantan respectively. Alienation here produces the modern black diasporan problematic of invisibility and namelessness, whereby Womack and Manray are forced to look at themselves through the eyes of others, of measuring [their] soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. Impelled by societal and survival pressures, both of them are forced to assimilate in order to be accepted by the white community as well as by the assimilated black people. It becomes clear that David Llorenss (1968) two types of blacks are present in Bamboozled (2000). Delacroix and Sloan represent the chosen ones while Manray and Womack represent the fellah. The former is familiar with the streets and the black vernacular, while the latter is culturally refined has assimilated into the white community. Alienation and white essentialist discourse creates such a situation where the chosen one feels embarrassed by the fellah and seeks at all times to show that they are two different kinds, and to please the Guardian, that is, the white man. Manray and Womack are, through the eyes of Sloan ( Jada Pinkett Smith) and Pierre, African Americans who share similar traits to the primitive African. Delacroix points this out by looking down on them and recommending that they be given deodorant s, toothbrushes, toothpastes and underwear. He also attempts without success to dissociate himself from the fellah black category by desperately explaining to Dunwitty that blacks are not a monolithic group, and that middle class black does exist. These words are representative of the African American communitys desire not to be identified only through blackness. For Dunwitty, Delacroix is only trying to wear a whiteface, which is not a mere fabrication or a mere racist comment. Dunwittys words carry an important truth. We see from the beginning of the film, that Delacroix eagerly and desperately seeks recognition and visibility from his white co-workers when he walks his way to his office. He also rejects the black vernacular for Standard English so as to make a clear cut difference between the educated and the uneducated black. This, to an important extent, reifies the superiority of whites and serves to alienate blacks in American society, as, according to West (1993), alienation is part of a whole system of language. Once a cultures language is alienated from the mainstream populations language, the cultures identity is similarly taken away and starts to dissipate. Delacroix himself unconsciously embodies several of the blackface stereotypes, although he tries to portray blacks in a positive light. He can be viewed as a Zip Coon, with his pretentiousness and his implicit disregard for the fellah blacks during the auditioning for the Alabama Porch Monkeys, and his dissociation from the black vernacular. Furthermore, he embodies the Uncle Tom stereotype several times in the film, especially in the scene where he acts as the loyal, faithful and subservient black while insisting on handing off an award to Mathhew Modine (playing himself.) Delacroix is therefore himself caught in this whirlwind of Europeanization. In his relentless effort to assimilate into white culture, he gets himself a Harvard education and a penthouse, dresses professionally, and speaks the right language. Even when he sets out on his mission to deconstruct stereotypes and raise public awareness on modern day racism, he is himself unable to resist the misrepresentation and cari cature of the terms set by uncontested nonblack norms and models. Delacroix therefore also contributes both consciously and unconsciously to the dominant discourse of alienation of blacks from the white community by setting up a Coon show which idealizes a simpler time, a time when men were men, women were women, and Negroes knew their place. Some black folks are consequently outraged by his racist show and accuse him of selling out his own community. But what has actually happened to Pierre Delacroix is that he has been experiencing the split-self- disease, what Du Bois calls a twoness an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body. Aware of the fact that the popular American view has consistently dehumanized African Americans through negative representation, Delacroix does not want to be among those blacks who are despised by the European American population. He does not want to be invisible and formless. Therefore h e aspires to be both Negro and American, two identities, which, according to Du Bois (1903) are often in conflict. Delacroixs wearing of the blackface by the end of the film iterates the inescapability of the imposed mask of blackness. Realizing that he is unable to appear as anything but black in the eyes of others, he compromises with his black self and resigns himself to the mask. What Lee is actually showing is that in modern day America, and even for sophisticated and well- off black Americans, the merging of the American and the African is one very difficult (if not impossible) thing to happen. The impact of stereotypes and alienation on black identity causes one to have a keen sense of awareness about his or her various selves and how they are perceived. Often, blacks in Bamboozled (2000) have to negotiate their identity. Through this act, they inevitably reach a self-realization of twoness. Womack for instance realizes that he will always be looked down upon as a second-class American citizen, no matter how famous and successful he has become. He becomes conscious of the fact the he had been bamboozled insofar as believing that he could be an equal citizen. His success lies only in the fact that he is able to entertain white America, to always keep em laughing, a quality which Delacroixs father Junebug (Paul Mooney) believes is essential for the black American to achieve success. As shown in Extract 2 therefore, when Womack experiences double consciousness, he decides to stop acting in the minstrel show. This scene is significant in that it highlights the self-realization which is made possible only through a double-consciousness. Womack at this particular moment realizes that outside of the character of Sleepn Eat, he is simply invisible, a nobody. Through the eyes of others there is no other possible identity for him. Mantans own identity grows in conflict with that of Womack following this conversation; clearly he is still unaware of the complexities of the disjointed nature of identity in this scene. A few scenes later however, he also becomes afflicted by the same double consciousness experienced by his friend. In Extract 3, after discovering that he has been hoodwinked and led astray, Manray refuses to be further associated to Mantan. He realizes that it is fundamentally wrong to negotiate his identity through the medium of blackface. Although Lee might be suggesting that Manrays realization occurs at too late a time, his message clearly goes in line with Du Boiss (1903) argument that double consciousness is the realization that identity is mu ltifaceted. According to him, at one point or the other, black Americans develop a conflict with the different identities that they need to embody in order to be accepted by the mainstream, a conflict which is inexistent among white Americans. On the other hand, Sloans brother, Julius, who forms part of the Mau Mau revolutionary underground gang and who does not go through double consciousness because of his refusal to be seen through white Americas eyes, is juxtaposed to the blacks who try to assimilate white culture, thereby denying their own roots, language, people, and culture. Julius constantly affirms his black identity, unlike the other blacks we encounter in the film. Extract 4 shows how he refuses to be a representative of de-rooted, disenfranchised blacks. In the perspective of revolutionary blacks such as the Mau Maus therefore, Manray needs to be executed because he is a nuisance to the black community; he is a Judas, an Uncle Tom, one who contributes to the demise of his own race. The murders of Manray and Delacroix show to what extent alienation and double-consciousness can be detrimental to African Americans. They create inter-ethnic conflict and a heavy malaise in the black community. Alienation as an ideol ogical racist discourse therefore divides and rules those who are marginalized in a society that looks on in amused contempt and pity. Through the Mau Mau gang, it can be seen that those who accept and affirm their black identities are ineffective in society. They are in no way in a better state of being than those who experience double-consciousness. Since they do not master the mainstream language and do not believe in the ideological discourses of the inferiority of their race, they are forced to retire to the underground world. The fact that the imposition of history and alienation results in double consciousness in many cases in Bamboozled (2000) is destructive to all. Accepting white essentialism as culturally representable not only creates a fatal division between assimilated and un- assimilated blacks; it also kills the spirit of the black man. V. Conclusion Although the situations and the characters in Lees Bamboozled (2000) are all fictitious, and although the director does not choose the medium of docudrama to convey his important messages, he manages to successfully reconstruct blackface minstrelsy. African Americans have been freed, but only physically. There has been neither a consistent attempt to make up for the mistakes of humanity of the past nor to reshape identities. His argument in Bamboozled (2000) is that the identity dilemmas faced by the characters in the film are no different from the identity issues faced by African Americans in post-racial America. Although blacks do not find themselves as being represented in blackface or as victims of blatant segregation anymore, they are nevertheless always reminded of their blackness, and of what it implies to be a black in America. Whether Lee is genuinely successful in renegotiating a stigmatized identity or in deconstructing stereotypes by dismantling the false normativity of w hite authority remains highly debatable. On the one side, his use of satire and his engagement with the history of racism and representation impact heavily on the audience. However, the frustrating ending of Bamboozled (2000), as well as the inter- ethnic conflict between the revolutionary and the assimilated blacks, display a contaminating and intense sense of helplessness and hopelessness in regards to humanitys chances to ever get rid of the veil which separates whites and blacks in America, as well as in any other parts of the world. Lees message, considering his role as an auteur, seems to reflect Du Boiss words that the black man must not bleach his soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that [his] blood has a message for the world.

Free Trade and the Environment Essay -- Globalization Economics Pollut

Free Trade and the Environment Economic Implications of Free Trade Throughout the academic discipline of economics, much attention has been lavished on the purely economic benefits of free trade as opposed to autarky. Economists have argued that both consumer and producer stand to gain from uninhibited international trade. The consumer gains access to greater quantities of a specific good at a more competitive price, while the producer is able to shift his resources into the economy’s comparative-advantage industries. In addition to static gains from trade such as increases in economic well being, free trade brings about dynamic gains as well, which further increase the expand the economic resources of the involved country. Similarly, some researchers have also pointed out the detriments accruing from free trade, especially for highly industrialized and successful states, such as the United States. Since Heckscher-Olin predicts international factor price equalization, there has been alarm that low-skilled wages in the U.S. would soon approach the wage rates paid in developing countries. This has been a concern championed by protectionists such as Patrick Buchanan. Considering Long-Term Environmental Impact However, an equally important and perhaps somewhat neglected factor, in determining a course of economic policy vis-Ã  -vis international trade should be considerations about long-term environmental impact. In this paper, we will venture to discuss the effect of free trade on the environment, taking into account current trends in international economics, and comparing different perspectives on the issue. In 2002, The Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America, a joint effort by the US, Canada, ... ...with an increase in available resources, will enable the country to curb pollution. Cleary, though the goal through all this is to bring the world’s poorest countries from the depths of failure to prosperity, all with the lowest possible damage to the environment. SOURCES CONSULTED Antweiler, Werner and Brian Copeland and M. Scott Taylor. 1998. Is Free Trade Good for the Environment? National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA Balko, Radley. 2004. Free Trade and the Environment. < http://www.aworldconnected.org/article.php/558.html> Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America. 2002. Free Trade and the Environment: The Picture Becomes Clearer. CEC, Montreal Husted, Steven & Michael Melvin. 2004. International Economics. Pearson Addison-Wesley, Boston Kwong, Jo. 1994. Environment and Free Trade. The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty

Nature and nurture shape our personalities

Each person is unique and a person of worth under his/her own right. This statement defines who a person is, one s endowed with the faculties to exist and be a contributing member of society. However, how a person develops certain characteristics and traits have aroused the curiosity of the scientific and academic community. Even parents want to know how personalities are developed so they would be able to rear their children in the proper way and become adults who have a well rounded personality. The questions remains, how do people develop their personalities and what factors influence it. Although some people believe that personalities are influenced by nurture while others believe that personalities are influenced by nature, but it is a combination of both nature and nurture that shape our personalities. The nature-nurture controversy has led to the different perspectives on how an individual’s personality develops. Relevant materials: The Boy Who Became a Girl The nature perspective says that a person comes into this world with a certain traits and characteristics which make him/her predisposed to behave and think in a certain way. The nature perspective is largely biological and genetic; wherein it is thought that personality is often passed from parents to offspring and that a child may inherit the traits of the parents (Carlson & Buskist, 1997) just as they inherit their father’s eyes or their mother’s skin. Moreover, the biological perspective has said that a child is already born with certain personality traits that are enduring and stable over time. If a child has a difficult temperament as a baby, it can be expected that as an adult, that child would still be moody and temperamental. Finally, the nature perspective says that personality types are based on the gene pool of the individual, they say that aggression or predisposition to violence is genetically based, some people are just born to have the violent gene and that there is nothing that can be done to change this (Friedman & Schustack, 2006). The nature perspective may seem to be deterministic and narrow, once a person is said to be shy or timid, then that person will always be shy until the end of his/her life. The nurture perspective was borne out of the reaction and revolt against the nature perspective, the proponents of the nurture perspective found the biological view close and incomplete, it was not able to account for the concept of choice and free will and that each person has the capacity to change and become better persons. The nurture perspective advocated that individuals are fundamentally good and that each person can be trained and influenced to be a better person or have positive personality traits (Friedman & Schustack, 2006). Therefore, a person may come from a family of criminals or psychotics but with the right nurturing environment and love and care the child can grow up to become morally upright and compassionate. The nurture perspective places greater importance to the quality of care and the kind of environment that a child receives during his/her early years can affect the child’s personality and will form his/her characteristics and traits. The nurture perspective does not allow for any biological influence, in fact John B. Watson in his famous declaration has been known to say that he can train children to become whatever he desires them to be (Friedman & Schustack, 2006). The nurture perspective is more positive as compared to the nature perspective when it comes to personality change. The perspective holds that each person with the right support and guidance will be able to change his/her personality traits for the better. As the nature-nurture debate wore on, scientists and philosophers were finding evidence that suggested that personality development is not solely nature nor nurture, but a combination of both perspectives. Relying on the nature perspective alone does not present a complete picture of how personality is developed. They say that personality traits are not observable and one cannot identify which gene carries what trait therefore the perspective lacked credence as traits are not adequately labeled. At the same time, saying that the environment alone is the sole influence that affects personality development is wrong. There is always the continued interplay between nature and nurture and in reality; personality is molded by the combination of these two conflicting views. Personality traits and characteristics are developed and molded by both nature and nurture factors wherein the individual finds him/her self. It is true that one’s biological traits affect the individual and can be used as basis to predict the behavior of the child in the future as well as what kind of personality he/she will have. Personality traits that are expressed through emotions have been found to be affected by the endorphins and the hormones that a person has (Carlson & Buskist, 1997). For example, men and women differ in their personalities because women have more estrogen which activates the body into being more emotional and easily affected by feelings and situations while men who have a very low estrogen levels are hardier, more composed and calm than women. The physiology of the human brain also influence the personality of the individual (Carlson & Buskist, 1997), those who have a more developed language area are more vocal, more able to express their emotions while those who have more developed logical area are more rational. Moreover, intelligence which is a key ingredient of a person’s personality is also genetically based, those who are highly intelligent will be more critical, more resilient and more introverted while those who are more socially adept will tend to be extroverted. The influence of the environment over the personality of the individual has been demonstrated by the number of cases of wherein the child has been brought up in a positive environment despite being borne in a dysfunctional family grew up to be straight and proper. In the earliest experiments of human contact which tackles the issue of nurture it was found that monkeys reared alone and without a nurturing mother was cold, lifeless and unable to relate with other monkeys. On the other hand, a monkey which was reared together with a mechanical monkey displayed more positive behaviors than the first monkey (Westen, 2003). This showed that a nurturing environment is important for the developing child, in a similar light; it was found that those children who were exposed to aggression also imitated the aggressive behavior that was shown to them (Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski & Eron, 2003). These underscores the double edged sword that nurture is because a positive environment may lead to positive outcomes while a negative environment may also be a threat to the development of the child. However, taking both of the perspectives explains far more completely how personality is developed and formed. A child’s genetic make-up provides for the predispositions that a child has, while the kind of environment that he/she grows up in will also form part of his/her personality. Personality tests have often found that personality traits are stable and enduring (Westen, 2003), a child may be stubborn in his/her younger age may mellow down and with the societal influences and an environment that promotes respect and obedience may tame the stubbornness, but in the end, his/her stubbornness may prevail when placed in a difficult situation or when she has to cope with a certain issue or problem. Moreover, a child may be overly active and vocal since childhood but through experience and social forces may transform the child into an adult who excels in sports or who are activists and leaders. This is also true for the other side of personality, the evil and dark side. Some children are evil and these can be observed in their behavior towards other children or other creatures, and sometimes they grow up to be criminals and sociopaths (Westen, 2003). In a same vein, children who have experienced abuse and traumatic events tend to develop personality disorders that affect their quality of life and relationships. Lastly, it has been reported that injuries to the brain have often resulted to a change in personality (Westen, 2003) and these had adverse effects to the individual and his/her family. The person’s behavior becomes erratic; he/she may have mood swings or may even portray a personality that is completely uncharacteristic of him/her. Without a doubt, personality is shaped by one’s biological predispositions and environment, each one of us have heard a small voice inside of us that shares our thoughts and feelings, while the most important persons in our lives have influenced and inspired us to dream and fulfill our ambitions in life. In the past the nature versus nurture debate was intensely championed by both sides, but at present it has been realized that acknowledging both the nature and nurture aspect of one’s development and personality provides a more complete and accurate picture of human nature. References Carlson N. & Buskist W. (1997). Psychology: The Science of Behavior 5th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Friedman, H. & Schustack, M. (2006). Personality: Classic theories and modern Research 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Huesmann, L., Moise-Titus, J., Podolski, C.   & Eron, L. (2003). Longitudinal relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1977-1992. Developmental Psychology, 39, 201-221. Westen, D. (2003). Psychology: Brain, Behavior, and Culture. New York: Wiley & Sons.

How does the poet convey the sadness of death in Mid-Term Break Essay Example

How does the poet convey the sadness of death in Mid How does the poet convey the sadness of death in Mid-Term Break Paper How does the poet convey the sadness of death in Mid-Term Break Paper Essay Topic: Poetry The concepts of death and grief are often interlinked. This is demonstrated in Seamus Heaneys poem, Mid-Term Break, where he conveys the sadness of death after his own brother, Christopher, dies. Heaney uses various language techniques, sound devices, symbolizations and contrasts to achieve this sense of sorrow. In the first stanza, Heaneys clever use of the phrase counting bells knelling classes to a close illustrates the similarity of school bells to funeral bells. The use of assonance and alliteration in this phrase emphasizes the funereal sounds of the bells. Also, the hard consonant sounds in counting, classes, and close foreshadow some form of cruel finality, providing a feeling of melancholy, as well as apprehension. After such subtleties, we can finally see blatant evidence to the presence of death. In the second stanza, when Heaney arrives home, he sees his father crying, even though he had always taken funerals in his stride. Because of the line he had always taken funerals in his stride, we learn that someone has died. Also, Heaneys father can be seen to be strong and unyielding. Yet, this image of him crying and grieving so openly demonstrates how distressing this death really is. Looking at Heaneys other parent; in her we do not see a soft or idealistic image of a woman sobbing gently, but rather a rough, realistic image of a mother who is saddened beyond tears. Instead of crying, she coughed out angry, tearless sighs, indicative of her anger and harsh feelings of loss. Her extreme sorrow at the death of Christopher shows that the grief brought on by death is always immeasurable. Thus, Heaney uses both his parents to compare the varying expressions of sadness after death. It is in the sixth stanza where symbolism is first used. Snowdrops represent life and innocence, while candles symbolize funeral rites, and death. Heaney contrasts the concepts of life and death in this stanza to emphasize death with subtle symbolism. He has achieved this whilst showing that there has been a loss of innocence, that being Christophers, as well as his own. This loss of innocence leaves behind regret in the reader and a sudden feeling of loss and misery. In this sixth stanza, the words, Paler now, seem to hang at the end of the verse and implies the contrast of a living Christopher to a dead one. This simple description once again stresses Heaneys sadness for his death and his longing for his brother back. The sentence then carries on to the seventh stanza, which sets up for the final line: A four foot box, a foot for every year It is this line where Heaney has concentrated most of his anger, sadness, and grief. This makes the reader finally understand the tragedy that has taken place, as well as emphasizing each and every word of the sentence. This also stuns the reader as this is where the reader first realizes how young Heaneys brother really is, and allows them to fully comprehend the shock and grief the family, and Heaney, must have felt. However, despite his feelings, throughout the poem, Heaney manages to imply, but not explicitly state, his own feelings. Rather, he sustains an impersonal sense of sorrow and grief, while describing the scenes and atmosphere of that event. This presents the audience with a sense of Heaneys numbness, a lack of any strong emotions, due to the initial shock of the tragedy. To emphasize this shock, Heaney has used a very simple free verse with little rhyme and rhythm. This allows the poem to deliver a very simple, yet effective story, and so is definite in its meaning. Phrases such as Next morning I went into the room get straight to the point and are not excessively fancy. Heaneys lack of concern for unnecessary waffle allows him to convey the sadness of death clearly and concisely. Heaney manages to convey to the reader the feeling of sadness after death. His use of various contrasts of life and death emphasize the death, and the remorse resulting from it. Also, his use of simple, impersonal language and effective sounds allows the reader to fully grasp the severity of this death. In turn, this helps Heaney to implicitly present his own feelings of sadness and sorrow. Also, the final line has been built-up so that the full impact of this event finally hits the reader. His brother is dead and his life fixed in a perpetual Mid-Term Break.

Toothpick Bridges essays

Toothpick Bridges essays Building a toothpick bridge is much more complicated than many people realize. In order to build a successful bridge, one must research bridges in order to find which bridge is the best in a particular situation. There are several types of bridges and all of them have different places in which they will be used. Some bridges are used to span across a small freeway, others are used to span across a deep gorge, and other bridges are used to cover over a huge water way. A person must design the perfect bridge in order to hold the desired weight for the bridge. Even the top skilled architects make mistakes while designing a bridge. Although bridges often go ignored, their purpose is essential to modern America. In the 1850s, covered wagons heading west had to move across streams or rivers. Without the right bridges in place, the pioneers would sometimes travel many miles out of the way to find a safe place to cross a river. Other times they waited for days or weeks for flooded rivers to go down until it was safe to cross. Crossing rivers was a dangerous part of early travel. Narrow wheels sank into the muddy river bottoms and unpredictable currents took peoples lives and property. Consider how long it would take to cross a river today if bridges were not included in the roads. Consider how the movement of people, goods, and services would be affected without highway systems, which include bridges. The entire American economy as we know it would be hurt greatly. There are six basic modern bridge forms: the beam, the truss, the arch, the cantilever, the cable-stay, and the suspension. A beam bridge is made of long timber, metal, or concrete beams anchored at each end. If the beams are arranged in triangles, so that each shares only a portion of the weight on any part of the structure, the result is a truss bridge. An arch bridge has a curved shape causing the vertical force of the weight it carries to produce a horizontal...

Mary Parker Folletts strategy as practice and leadership Essay

Mary Parker Folletts strategy as practice and leadership - Essay Example Micromanagement and establishing rigorous control systems to ensure performance were also part of the scientific management approach which led to conflict between management and employees (Mullins 2004). Follett was indicating that management involves acknowledgement of a variety of factors pertaining to worker characteristics that are inclusive of psychological needs and motivations and the sociological condition, thus defying scientific management’s effectiveness. Follett was attempting to illustrate that in order to create functional strategy and improve organisational performance, managers must develop leadership traits, avoiding the process of over-managing workers and instead seeking followership rather than command and control systems. This management philosopher, quite ahead of her time, saw organisations as complex organisms that required interaction between disparate manager and employee personalities and differing psychological tendencies in order to maximise employ ee productivity and commitment. This essay performs a critical appraisal of Mary Parker Follett’s assessment of the organisation, in order to outperform competition focusing specifically on the concepts of organisational complexity, the structure and purpose of complex adaptive systems, the impact of Follett’s viewpoint on leadership obligations and compares this to the practice perspective in real-world organisations. Based on the research on contemporary strategic management. (Mullins 2004).

How does income affect health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How does income affect health - Essay Example This paper discusses how level of income affects health from the narrow perspective of considering its effect to an individual to the broader perspective of considering income inequality as a major determinant of standard of public health. The World Health Organization or WHO (2010) considered income and social status as the number one determinant of health, conveying that higher income and social status are linked to better health where the greater the gap between the richest and poorest people, the greater the differences in health. People with higher income have the ability to maintain health and wellness as they can afford to buy even the expensive foods (but rich in nutrients), vitamins, and supplements; they can engaged in various recreational activities and sports requiring membership fees, personal equipments, and rental fees of equipments; they can afford to pay private medical or health insurance to cover their medical expenses. Moreover, people with good income can afford education and in school they learn more about health and wellness, thus health awareness is broadened through knowledge. With educational qualification, finding work is easy, thus increasing one’s source of income and consequently i ncreasing access to health beneficial activities and programs. Many researchers and analysts support the idea that there is a strong direct correlation between level of income and health. According to Levison (2007), â€Å"How much money you make helps to determine how healthy you will be†¦ Having higher income levels provides us with access to fitness centers, better choices for our eating patterns, and better medical care.† Christensen (2010) also supported the idea that money can save lives, as she mentioned that a child living in a developing country may die due to unavailability of antibiotic or incapability to buy medicines, which for many developed