My Life Without Me †Individuality in conflict with societal roles Essay

Sacrificing one’s own options and choices in life, making decisions based on the role of being a good parent and aiming to advance future generations by renouncing own opportunities are ideals that have sustained in many cultures. But why is there a stronger emphasis on fulfilling societal roles and sacrificing own interests to fulfil such norms, if individualisation is such a high value in modern, especially western, society? There are dire consequences for society when people sacrifice their own self-fulfilment in order to fulfil obligations that have been thrust upon them. In the first few moments of My Life Without Me (Coixet 2003) Ann explains the problem with the life that she has lived up to that point. As the title suggests, she has lived it without her self: she explains who she is, as if realising for the first time that she actually exists and is a real person, a character. Ann is merely 23 years old and has lived her life up to the expectations that have been forced upon her: she gets pregnant with 17 and from then on she is but a mother and a wife and the main breadwinner of her family. In western modern society the concept of individualisation as the social advancement of individual ideals, autonomy, freedom and the pursuit of happiness is repeatedly referred to as one of the most important rights an individual has. In addition, an increase in the legitimacy and postulation of individual self-realisation and the cultivation of individual originality has taken place (Willems 2012: 147). With Ann we are shown an example of the problem that occurs, when there is a plain conflict of interest between the roles that have been sprung upon an individual, such as the role of a mother, even at merely 17, and the development of an individual identity, self-realisation and pursuing ones own personal interests. Even in the list of the ten things Ann wishes to do before she dies, her priorities are clear: the first half of the list are all things immediately associated with her role in her family. The things she wants to do for herself come last. In one scene, when she is asked in a bar what her favourite music is, she starts by saying she hasn’t listened to music in a long time, and that she used to like Nirvana. Immediately she drifts off to talking about how she met her husband there. She isn’t able to say what her favourite music is now, because she has ceased to do anything for herself. Ann, as an individual, faces society, while the society is made entirely out of individuals that have norms and expectations. If one considers these two components separately and ignores the context and reciprocal relationship, one creates an unbridgeable gap, which can lead to problems in the analysis of Ann’s character and the conflict she finds herself in. If one takes into consideration Ann’s circumstances, it becomes clear that Ann lives in Canada and finds herself in a religious society, that does not accept abortion for example as a given privilege and choice. When she realises she is pregnant at 17, it is obvious that she must get married, assume her role as a mother and must prioritise this role over all else. As Marcuse describes, two manifestations of the individual have developed in recent history, and although they are related to each other reciprocally, this dichotomy leads to a conflict in society. First, there is a tendency towards the development of a free individual and intellectual subject, and on the other hand there is the development of a free economic subject in free competition. A separation occurs between the struggle of the individual for his autonomy and the development of his self, and, at the same time, in a fight for its existence. Ann is forced to work and provide for her family, while her autonomy is strongly compromised. She takes care of the children, fully assuming and prioritising that role, rather than pursuing or even having dreams of her own. This shows that there is not only pressure from society to survive and provide financially for herself and her family, but also a moral obligation to prioritise her role as a wife and mother. Ann does not become aware of the compromises she has made towards her own identity and individuality, until she knows she is going to die soon. Through the role she has assumed, her self-fulfilment and expression presenting her individuality have been compromised. This is the price she has to pay for fulfilling her material and moral obligation. Questionably, compromises like these have consequences for societal structures as well as for the individuals one finds therein. The film depicts a subtle answer to the question of what the consequences from such compromises and conflicts are. An important factor is that Ann never tells anyone she is going to die. She solves the conflict of interest in her life by living her up to her new-found individuality separate from her traditional family life. The integration of these two lives would be ever so filled with conflicts, that she decides to start living a double-life instead: one in which she lives up to the expectations and her role as a loving wife and mother and another in which she pursues all the things she feels she has missed out on, like smoking, drinking and sleeping with another man. These two currents are not reconcilable. Another consequence is that Ann has very concrete plans for how the life of the others should go on, once she is gone. She acts manipulatively, by trying to introduce her husband to a woman she thinks should take her place, or by recording birthday messages for her children and advising them on how to act. Though one sympathises with Ann as a loving mother and wife that wants the best for her family even after she is gone, it seems paternalistic. While it seems selfless and kind of her to want her husband to have a nice children-loving companion when she is gone, the way she chooses someone over his head and manipulates the situation without his knowledge or his say to the matter, seems downright scheming and even patronising. While it is beautiful and touching of her to record all the messages for her childrens’ birthdays for them, it seems like she does not only have loving and encouraging words to stay, but is much rather trying to influence them on how to act and to behave in the future. It seems like the price she has paid in fulfilling her role, rather than indulging her own self, has had this effect on her. This very much reminds me of the sacrifices that many parents make for the next generations to come, especially of young immigrants, that wish for a better life for their children. Parents, as the first reference of what is right and wrong and important, influence their children strongly, especially in respect to education and how to determine their life. A mediation of the parents’ culture on to the children takes place and while the participatory influence parents have is hard to measure and define, it is obvious that a lot of elements in the behaviour of second-generation immigrants can be accounted to their parents (Farsi 2013: 100 ff. ). These parents sacrifice their home country and the fulfilment of their own dreams and individuality, in order to fulfil the obligation that has been thrust upon them: to provide the best chances and education they can for their children. While these intentions, like the intentions of Ann, are noble and entrenched with morality, the outcome is often paternalism. If one sacrifices self-realisation, self-fulfilment and the expression of ones own individuality for the role of being a great parent, the outcome is often a paternalistic attitude towards the pursuit of the rest of the family, especially the children. Furthermore when Ann knows she will die and leave her family, she knows she will lose her influence on them, which is why she decides to influence them as much as she can before, and ensure that her daughters and her husband live their life the way she thinks they should. The influence of parents that are immigrants lessens when the are in a different atmosphere and culture. The values they have been brought up with often get lost in western society, especially when they come from a middle eastern background. Much like Ann’s death, that will eliminate her influence on her family, it seems the influence of cultural values also â€Å"dies† once the environment is changed by the removal and replacement through modern western societal values. The stand-up comedian Amir K. explains this matter in his sketch on his father (K. 2011). The reason the audience appreciates and laughs about his performance, lies in the woeful cliche of the portrayal of his father. He depicts the disappointment of a typical middle eastern father who shouts at his son for pursuing a career in a path he does not deem appropriate, in his case stand-up comedy. He quotes his father in saying â€Å"You waste of education, waste of my money† or â€Å"You’re a fucking clown? I brought you to this country to be a clown? You can be a lawyer, you can be a doctor, you can open up a bank†¦ [but instead you choose a career in comedy]†. The reason especially young immigrants of the second generation can laugh at this is because it is so common for parents to have paternalistic expectations towards the career paths and norms and values that their children should live by. Similar to the case of Ann, it seems that the sacrifice of their own individuality for their role as a good parent, and the loss of their influence on the other hand, could lead to such a paternalistic attitude and the attempt to manipulate and coerce their values and their idea of how the children should live their lives. While I do not wish to condemn Ann’s love and care for her children, just like the sacrifices immigrant parents make for future generations, one must take into consideration that when dynamics of society thrust roles onto individuals that imply sacrifice of ones own self for the well-being of another and giving up the pursuit of one’s own expression of individuality, problematic, paternalistic relationships can occur. What begins as a well-intended sacrifice out of love, could end in a relationship in which choosing ones own path is something that none of the parties involved can pursue without a feeling of guilt. Bibliography Farsi, Armand (2013): Migranten auf dem Weg zur Elite? Zum Berufserfolg von Akademikern mit Migrationshintergrund. Online-Ausg. : Berlin [u. a. ] : Springer, 2013. DOI: 10. 1007/978-3-658-01564-0 Marcuse, Herbert (1970): Ideen zu einer kritischen Theorie der Gesellschaft. Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt am Main Willems, Herbert (2012): Synthetische Soziologie – Idee, Entwurf und Programm. VS Verlag fur Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden Internetquellen: K. , Amir (2011): Middle Eastern Dad. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=JCxMWWf4_Ww Seen 24. 11. 13 20:11.

Physiology Essay

Muscles are responsible for all conscious and unconscious movement. It is how we move and react to an environment. There are three types of muscles in the body include the skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and the cardiac muscle. Whether you are running, walking, breathing, eating, sleeping, or typing it all involves some sort of muscle action. Muscle cells that shape, form, and outline the whole human skeleton is called a muscle fibers. There are two types of muscle fibers: Type I (slow-twitching fibers) and Type II ( fast-twitching fibers).â€Å"The slow muscles are more efficient at using oxygen to generate more fuel (known as ATP) for continuous, extended muscle contractions over a long time. They fire more slowly than fast twitch fibers and can go for a long time before they fatigue. † (Quiin, 2013) The slow-twitching fibers utilizes an oxidation energy system, or ability to require more oxygen in creating fuel for the muscles, that allows long distance runners to finish a marathon as long as they can. In contrast, Type I muscle fiber is built more for endurance.â€Å"Fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create fuel, they are much better at generating short bursts of strength or speed than slow muscles. However, they fatigue more quickly. Fast twitch fibers generally produce the same amount of force per contraction as slow muscles, but they get their name because they are able to fire more rapidly. † (Quiin, 2013) Fast-twitching muscles generate energy from the anaerobic energy system, allowing ‘explosive’ movements for short amount of time before fatigue.Conclusively, Type II fibers are more for a sprinter or agility movements in periods of two or three minutes. To break it down more, there are two types of Type II muscle fibers: Type IIa and Type IIb. Type IIa have both characteristics Type I and Type II fiber that consume both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. And type IIb is more like fast-twitching fibers with it s anaerobic energy requirements. When it comes to training certain muscles fiber types, everybody is more differently built with one muscle fiber than the other.Some are more of a 300-meter sprinter; others are able to run endlessly. Training for a marathon requires a lot of long distance running; training for a 400 meter shuttle sprint will require more short distance runs. No matter what the case is, the only way to improve performance is to keep working on that area; in return builds endurance for that muscle group. In relation to the previous paragraph, muscles require energy to perform. Depending on the muscle fiber type determines which energy system is used.Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is energy that make muscle contraction possible. The energy systems consist of the ATP-PCr system, glycolysis system, and the oxidative system. The ATP-PCr system utilizes stored ATP for quick, ‘explosive’ movements such as releasing a powerful swing with a baseball bat. The gly colysis system â€Å"provides energy for activities of slightly longer duration and lower intensity like strength training. † (Hefferman, 2012) And the oxidative system is used for physical activities that perform for a longer period of time, requiring more oxygen.The first two energy systems are anaerobic, while the third one is aerobic. What all of these systems have in common is they must consume glucose. Glucose is a form of fuel that comes from the foods we eat. Glucose store in the muscles and liver is called glycogen. When the body and muscles need energy, the glycogen goes through glycolysis; in which is broken down to, once again, glucose. Performing an exercise requires the fuel for the contracting muscles. How does the muscle contract? Reason to contract muscle can be with and without conscious.On a segment or bundle of muscles are controlled by a neuron in the nervous system. The neuron is made up a cell body (soma), axon, and dendrites. The neuron is referred to as an excitable tissue that transmits signals into nerve impulses. â€Å"A nerve impulse is an electrical signal that travels along an axon. There is an electrical difference between the inside of the axon and its surroundings, like a tiny battery. When the nerve is activated, there is a sudden change in the voltage across the wall of the axon, caused by the movement of ions in and out of the neuron.† (What are nerve impulses)From contracting muscles to maintaining normal cellular functions, the body requires fuel for energy. Fuel, or calories, is what our body does to metabolize energy. To obtain this fuel, we consume food. Foods we eat made up nutrients and fuel substrates consisting of fat, protein, carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, when broken down, create glucose that is for energy or stored, turns into glycogen, when not in immediate use. Fat is broken down to triglycerides to be used for metabolic energy, and stored as fat when not in immediate use.Protein breaks down into a form of amino acids when used for energy. Carbohydrates and fat are mainly used for all metabolic needs to generate ATP; protein, in a form of amino acids, goes through lipogenesis for cellular energy needs. In event where all fat and carbohydrates are depleted, protein is a last resort for ATP. If you ever noticed on a nutrition label printed on a bag or box of food, sometimes you can see the amount of calories per gram that each substrate has.Carbohydrates and protein stores about four calories per gram, whereas fat contains nine calories per gram; this is one advantage of consuming fat than carbohydrates. Another advantage is fat (triglycerides) can be stored as fat, while carbohydrates require water to form into glycogen for store; this results into water retention (water weight). Disadvantage of fat would be converting into energy (glucose), whereas carbohydrates (glucose) are already broken down and ready to be utilized. This is a reason why marathon runners ‘carb loa d’ days prior the event.Injunction to the first paragraph, the heart is made up of the cardiac muscle. One of the most essential parts of the cardiovascular system, the heart pumps the blood throughout the body transporting oxygen and nutrients to cells. The heart is a very complex organ that consists of â€Å"four cavities, or open spaces, inside the heart that fill with blood. Two of these cavities are called atria. The other two are called ventricles. The two atria form the curved top of the heart. The ventricles meet at the bottom of the heart to form a pointed base which points toward the left side of your chest.The left ventricle contracts most forcefully, so you can best feel your heart pumping on the left side of your chest. † (Unysis) So, the heart pushes the red, oxygen-rich blood from the lungs through the left side of the heart to the rest of the body. As the blood pumps, it delivers the oxygen and flows back to the heart and through the lungs to drop off c arbon dioxide and pick up oxygen. To prevent back flow, heart’s internal structures comprises of valves that open and close with every pump of blood. Another essential part of the cardiovascular is blood.Blood is a fluid containing red blood cells, plasma, antibodies, hormones, enzymes, and nutrients. The purpose of blood consist of transporting oxygen to cells of the body, carry out waste such as carbon dioxide, maintain normal body temperature, and regulate pH levels and hormones. Blood travels through series of vessels. These include arteries (rich-oxygen blood leaving the heart to cells), veins (poor-oxygen blood leaving from the cells through the heart and to the lungs), and capillaries (blood vessel that connects between the veins and arteries). Blood is the life source to sustain life and maintain cellular functions.

Home Schooling’s Net Effects

The article found in the Washington Post on July 16,2000, addresses the role of the Internet in aiding home schooling. The Internet is revolutionizing the growing home-schooling movement. The Internet makes home-schooling a more popular option because of its vast capabilities. It is a key tool in education, serving as a teacher, textbook, and even a library. The concept of home schooling is not new, however, the ideas of cyberschools and â€Å"e-teachers† are. Through the use of a computer, school-age children can actually enroll in an â€Å"e-school† and take classes. These classes include a normal curriculum, and the Internet is able to expand these classes to include virtually anything. â€Å"E-teachers† post lecture notes, direct students to various web-sites and links for reading and visual material, hold discussion questions in chat rooms, and even conduct parent-teacher conferences. Almost 100% of schoolwork is completed and turned-in online. Students download worksheets, submit them to their â€Å"e-teacher† who grades them and returns them. E-students† are expected to complete projects, tests, and even take field trips. They interact with other students in their virtual classroom via chat-rooms. In this course, we are learning how computers and computer information can provide a foundation in other courses. Computers help us with research, communication, and writing. The uses of the Internet and the World Wide Web are incorporated in daily life, and can be used for business, education, or pleasure. Cyberschools make use of computer technology as a tool for learning. Many advocates of â€Å"E-schools† feel that the combination of home-schooling and the Internet allow for a more individualized curriculum For parents, online courses make instructional work easier and free-up their time so that they can continue to work full-time jobs. Also, parents feel reassured that â€Å"e-teachers† are adequately teaching their children classes that they themselves don†t feel qualified to teach. Many parents are now opting for â€Å"e-schools† because of their reservations concerning the safety and quality of traditional schools. Some argue that the idea of cyberschools is detrimental to children†s† social and emotional development. Critics are concerned that children taught at home are not properly socialized. They feel that children need to interact with teachers and peers in a traditional classroom setting, not over a keyboard. Also, â€Å"e-schools† detract from what should be the purpose of home schooling, bringing together the parent and the child. The ultimate challenge of cyberschools is the students. Students are highly susceptible to slacking-off when they don†t have a school bell ringing in the morning. These students must learn that discipline (regarding schoolwork) comes from within. Additional concerns about â€Å"e-schools† are that the courses teach students to rely too heavily on Web sites rather than books for information. Also, many fear that these cyberschools are unaccredited and employ uncertified teachers. Although I have never taken a full curriculum online, I have however taken a class online. I owe the Internet a big thanks, because without the option of â€Å"e-school† I would not have graduated on time. In order to fulfill my graduation requirements, I had to take a math class, which was not being offered at my high school in Amman, Jordan. My advisor immediately asked me how I felt about taking a class online, and I was thrilled with the idea. I was a pioneer of ACS (my high school), I was the first person to take a class online. The experience was fun, but I wouldn†t say that it was very educational. The biggest difficulty I faced, was my lack of self-discipline to actually log on to my virtual classroom and do my assignments. It was tough for me to learn math without having a teacher to help me hands-on. Also, the temptation of â€Å"surfing the net† seemed to take over every time I was supposed to be in my virtual classroom. I often found myself checking my e-mail, shopping online etc. Towards the end of the semester, I dreaded having to sit in front of the computer for my math class. For many, cyberschool is a great option, allowing them an individualized curriculum and teaching responsibility and self-discipline. For example, the Internet makes it possible for people with physical disabilities to obtain an education from their own home. For others (such as myself), it may not be well suited. This may be because they need more structure, more personal and hands-on attention or various other reasons. I applaud computer technology because it has made virtually anything possible. I am greatly concerned that â€Å"e-school† impairs socialization because of the lack of interpersonal relationships and interaction. A family who chooses cyberschool for their children, must be prepared to provide structure and interaction for their kids. The Internet also expands the realm of knowledge and provides an alternative to traditional classrooms and teaching. The Internet is one of many educational tools, allowing us to broaden our horizons of research and communication.

American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Culture - Essay Example American culture is not an exception to this phenomenon. Through the articles â€Å"Shopping for American Culture† written by James J. Farrell, and â€Å"The Mall As Prison† written by David Guterson, the current discourse hereby asserts that malls, with their combination of over hundreds of stores, numerous restaurants, and amusement parks are the epitome of American culture, representing what entire America stands for: commercial art, materialism and places of psychological refuge. Shopping malls are replete with commercial art. Farrell (date) specifically attested that â€Å"shopping requires a biological being to enter an architectural space outfitted with commercial art and designed to sell artifacts manufactured and distributed in a market economy† (par. 7). After confirming malls as structures containing commercial art, Farrell corroborated the statement by asserting that â€Å"malls are also art galleries, carefully crafted collections of commercial artà ¢â‚¬ ¦ (and are likewise) museums of contemporary American material culture† (pars. 10–11). These statements confirmed that shopping malls become reservoirs of commercial art in terms of the diversity of products and services being displayed, offered, and designed in manners that are synonymous with forms of art: through product designs, packaging, promotional campaigns, product displays, and even the architectural structures that house these varied products. Concurrently, malls also serve as cultural institutions (Farrell, date) where some strategically designed and allotted spaces become venues for display of art works, current events, social and cultural endeavors, and an exchange of community work which aims to reach out to others and serve diverse civic or social responsibility objectives. More importantly, as revealed by Guterson (date), when he visited the Mall of America in Minneapolis, the external description of the edifice resembled a magnificent artwork, to wit: â€Å"the Mall of America had been imagined by its creators not merely as a marketplace, but as a national tourist attraction† (par. 4). The grandiose design, the expansively sophisticated space, and the vividly colorful aesthetic features make malls themselves as perfect symbols of commercial art: in structural design as well as in the products and services offered therein. Likewise, shopping malls are the embodiment of materialism. As Farrell (date) had enunciated, â€Å"the average American of today consumes twice as many goods and services as the average American of 1950 and ten times as much as a counterpart from 1928† (par. 5). This information is a manifestation of the depth and intensity of consumerism, as evidenced by the magnanimity of products or services being consumed for personal and professional interests. Everything anyone needs seems to be made readily available in various stores and shops within the mall. In addition, there has been an emphasis i n the â€Å"natural human impulse to dwell in marketplaces or urge to buy, sell and trade† (Guterson, date, par. 16). Finally, malls are places of psychological refuge. As acknowledged by Farrell (date), â€Å"shopping itself can be therapeutic, even fun, whether or not anything ends up in the shopping bag† (par. 6). In addition, Farrell (date) also admonished that as a place of psychological refuge, malls actually provide opportunities to enrich one’s personal identity, â€Å"a secure sense of self, a set of social relationships, a deeper sense of community, an expression of who we

Tuesdays with Morrie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tuesdays with Morrie - Essay Example Morrie Schwartz was the best professor Mitch could ever ask for. He supplemented Mr. Albom with the knowledge and advices in life that will surely help the young one in his future. Their relationship was more of a father and a son than a teacher and a student. When Mitch Albom graduated, Professor Morrie was more than proud of his achievement and he was very happy to see him graduate. During his graduation, Professor Morrie Schwartz embraced Mitch Albom as he was even crying because he was so happy. He only had one wish from his beloved student and that is to keep in touch with even after leaving the school. Mitch Albom promised to do so but he never kept his project. Only after Mr. Albom came across his old professor in one of the television shows that he remembered he was not able to keep his promise and he missed to see Professor Morrie for a long time. When he had the guts to see his professor, he drove to where he lives and after 16 long years, he saw his professor again, now se riously ill with ALS. Professor Morrie was already deteriorating and he was almost too late to see his professor. Despite the long years of waiting for his student, Professor Schwartz was still very happy to see Mr. Albom. The two reunited and Mitch now seeks for his advice again regarding his life, his job and his family life. The professor was very eager to see his student listens again to him. Mitch Albom's life was not perfect and his relationship with his wife is greatly affected by his work. Meeting up with Prof. Morrie Schwartz every Tuesdays, Mitch Albom now became more aware of he missed out chasing the life he thought was what’s best for him and his wife. He now finds himself wondering if he is really happy with what he has and what he had become. He needed more time with his professor to enlighten him and answer his questions about life but he now has little time left with his professor. If only he chose to keep his promise and kept in touch with his professor, he might be happier with his life. He may have chosen a different path with his life. But nevertheless, he had the chance to makeup with the time lost with his dear professor. This is one lesson that we need to consider in our life. We must not take for the granted the important people in our lives. Although they will be there to help us and love us, we must also reciprocate everything and let them feel our love. There will be a lot of opportunities that will come for us as we live, it is very important that we will not take others for granted as we embrace these opportunities. According to Professor Morrie Schwarz, it is very important that we "Love each other or die." (p.163) Make the most of your life In the book, not only did Mr. Albom ditch his promise with Professor Morrie, he also keeps on failing his wife by not keeping his promise to her. Although he knew his wife will stick and wait for him every time he leaves for his job, he still barely spends time with her to check on her or make-up for his absence. His wife only asked for them to have a baby. And yet, for years they have been married, they still don’t have a baby. Time flies so fast and there is a great possibility that his wife will not become pregnant anymore. What will happen if this will be the case? We don’

An analysis of cross-functional teams in procurement and acquisitions Term Paper

An analysis of cross-functional teams in procurement and acquisitions - Term Paper Example This indicates that the prime objective of logistics is to avail raw materials, commodities, and goods, satisfying four main requirements that include order, cost fulfillment, quality and delivery. Logistics as a result entails several value adding activities that include production, time, location, and control of the supply chain (Rodrigue & Hesse, 2012). It highlights the organizational and material support of globalization. Logistic activities include physical distributions of the goods (derived transport segment), and the materials segment (the induced transport segment). The objective of this essay is to analyze a logistics management case ‘Online Store’ and come up with a detailed discussion on how the business can develop a new online retail business. The discussion will focus on the following logistic activities: Singaporean sourcing operations supplier selection, evaluation and Procurement, International transportation from Singapore to Australia, and Australian Quarantine and inspection clearance (Eauc.hk, 2010). The essay highlights how the above logistic activities can help the business to produce its products at a lower cost, and add value to time and place utility. Singaporean Sourcing Operations Supplier Selection, Evaluation and Procurement Procurement entails more than mere purchase of goods and services. With the increased need for business competitiveness and the growing pressure to deliver value to shareholders, interest in global procurement has been accorded greater attention. Businesses have resorted to global supply chain and procurement as a means for survival and attainment of competitive edge. The amount of money that businesses spend on procurement is often substantial taking approximately 50% to 85% of the company`s revenues. In search for high quality goods but at a lor cost, businesses like the Online Store have turned their attention to Asia for a wide range of sourcing ranging from materials, supplier identification , services to outsourcing. Singapore as a country is strategically located in addition to having sufficient business infrastructure. Because of this attractiveness, global businesses have been attracted to Singapore in their procurement undertakings (Singapore Fact Sheet, 2012). Sourcing Operations A number of rules guide the exportation of goods from Singapore. In its sourcing operations, Online Store has to adhere to these rules. According to Singapore Customs (2012), the following rules have to be adhered to: Fist the company must obtain an out permit through TradeNet. If the goods are not controlled and they are exported through air or sea, the permit has to be obtained within three days of the export. If the goods ate controlled or are being exported to Australia via rail or road, then the permit has to be obtained before exports. As noted in the case, some of the goods will be manufactured in China and sourced to Australia through Singapore. In this case, the business must ob tain an Out re-imported goods permit through TradeNet before it exports the goods under the Temporary Export Scheme. By fully exploiting the free trade agreement existing between Singapore and Australia, the business can benefit in the form of reduced import charges which is passed on to the consumers in the form of low product prices (Dfat.gov.au, 2003). Exports from Singapore Non-Dutiable Dutiable Source: Singapore Customs (2012, p.1) Supplier Selection, Evaluation and Procurement The first process in

Adidas Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adidas - Research Paper Example For instance in 2005, Adidas was the market leader in sports goods in Japan because of its strong brand image and diverse product launches in the region. Since the soccer world cup in Japan and South Korea, Adidas embarked on advertising campaigns with popular sports representatives and celebrities. The brand strengthens its image through different brand evaluation that focus on customer expectations (Berger, 2008). Adidas claim its employees are essential to the company’s success since achieving the goal of being a global leader in the sporting industry relies on the engagement and talents of its employees. As an employer, Adidas is liable to the health and safety of its employees; besides, revenue for the corporation in 2009 was about â‚ ¬10.38 billion compared to 2008 figure of â‚ ¬10.80 billion. The company targets leading positions in markets it competes and has 180 subsidiaries worldwide that are investment prioritised in accordance with the markets on the basis of best medium to long-term growth and profitable opportunities (Vicki, 2010). The Adidas group has been part of the sporting world by providing sportswear, apparel as well as accessories; thus, becoming a global leader in the sporting industry offering broad categories of products like bags, eyewear, watches and other assorted sporting and clothing goods.

Marketing Plan on coco pops kellogs in Australia Research Proposal

Marketing Plan on coco pops kellogs in Australia - Research Proposal Example The author of the study has not only developed a marketing plan to cater to the needs and requirements of the customers but also will help the company to maintain its profitability. Finally, the study will conclude with the evaluation of its existing marketing plan. The author of the study has focused on developing a marketing plan for Kellogg’s which not only focuses on providing healthy food to customers but also lay emphasis on the environment. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Situational Analysis 4 Competitor Analysis 6 Customer Analysis 6 Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats Analysis 7 Marketing Objectives 9 Marketing Mix: Kellogg’s 7P 10 Budget 12 Implementation of Milestones 15 Evaluation 16 Conclusion 17 Introduction: Kellogg’s Marketing Plan Kellogg’s is a multinational food corporation, which specializes in manufacturing cereal and other convenience food like crackers, pastries, toaster, cereal bars, waffles and other vegetarian foods ( Kellogg’s, 2013g). The brand includes regular cornflakes, frosted flakes, Special K, Rice Krispies, Coco Pops, Pringles, Nutri Grain and Pop ( Kellogg’s, 2013h). ... The main objective of the study would be to develop a marketing plan for Kellogg’s, in order to penetrate in Australian markets for providing children and adults a healthy meal without compromising the nutritional benefits. Finally, the study will deal with all the components of the marketing plan required for introducing a cereal into the market. The chosen market for the study is Australia because of its alarming rate of obesity and other diseases, which has become a growing concern for the Australian government. Situational Analysis The situational analysis would be conducted through PESTLE analysis, which is instrumental for understanding the external factors that have the potentiality of affecting Kellogg’s. Political The corporate tax rate in Australia is 30 percent which is higher than most of the developed countries. The high tax rate implemented by the government is to recover from the present economic slowdown. The existing cereal industries in Australia are s truggling to maintain its profitability. Economic: Although, there is an economic slowdown in Australia which has affected most of the industries to a large extent, the cereal industries have been performing quite well. Social: The Australian people are very health conscious and prefer cereal over other breakfast food because of its nutritional content and healthy ingredients. The social life of the Australian common people is very active and they prefer breakfast food like cereals which provides zeal and healthiness. Technological: Technology plays an important role in the cereal industry because apart from the manufacturing of cereal the packaging process is totally dependent on technology. Packaging process needs to be effective to ensure the freshness of the product and retain

The Movement For The Survival Of The Ogoni People Essay

The Movement For The Survival Of The Ogoni People - Essay Example Weak and isolated, minority communities sought to internationalize their struggles in a political system largely dominated by three larger ethnic groups (Obi, 2000a, p. 67). Out of the cauldrons of minority protests rose The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) mounting sustained mass mobilizations through robust local and international support networks towards a worthy moral course-gaining economic control of resources mined in their ancestral homeland through political inclusion. The Movement organized the Ogoni people to demand â€Å"political autonomy† within their system effectively drawing the world’s attention through conflict with the Nigerian government, Shell Oil Company and a host of multinational corporations, all sourcing to benefit from the regions’ oil wealth. Indeed, since the 1990s, the movement’s dynamism in its tactical approaches drew international support with numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs)such as Human Rights Watch, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace coming to their aid in one way or another (Human Rights Watch 1993; Friends of the Earth-Netherlands 1993; Greenpeace International 1994). The movement’s activities were so intense pressuring the government to the brink prompting a three-year of harsh repression on the entire Niger Delta with the execution of MOSOP’s leader Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 in a bid to smash dissenting voices domestically-an act that branded the system a pariah regime in the eyes of the international community (Obi, 2002, p. 30-41). As a matter of fact, the history of this particular movement has been punctuated with intrigues and turns with the principal aim of getting their government to lend them listening ears so as to deliver their grievances. This paper sets out to analyze the tactical activities of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) with due regard to its relations with multinational oil business companies operating i n the Niger Delta. Summary Background of MOSOP Tactics and Its Evolution to the Present The history of man has been one characterized by occasional resurgence with distinct causal identities comprising of hyper nationalist beliefs, contentious religious principles, ethnical cleavage thinking, secessionist claims, and denial of fundamental inalienable human rights, environmental rights being at the epicenter in the recent times. The era after the Cold War markedly witnessed these identities antagonize each other for control of socio-political as well as economic scenes with events that occasionally tended to mount serious challenges to state authorities. Seemingly, Nigeria went through the test with near statehood collapse. The emergence of armed ethnic militias in Nigeria’s Niger Delta in the early 1990s was largely informed by marginalization of the minority communities, constituting social deprivation of fundamental, basic rights (Harper, 1996, p.42-47). The 21st century ha s seen indiscriminate use of lethal weapons giving way to conflagration of all sorts against the dysfunctional political structure of the state as well as oil multinationals’ policies infringing on the locals rights. Basically, these ethnic militias emerged with the sole purpose of challenging the poor choice of policies over environmental degradation emanating from oil extraction with little or no return at in certain instances (Onishi, 2000, par.2-4). Without

The Dominance of Women in Parenting Responsibilities Essay

The Dominance of Women in Parenting Responsibilities - Essay Example The attitude sons develop is one that may devalue women as mere caregivers of humanity, while men go on to more important endeavors such as seeking livelihood and providing for the family’s basic needs. Social learning theories contend that this kind of learning may have been acquired from children’s observations of their parents’ life patterns. Although society has historically assigned women the role of a nurturer of the family, Chodorow raises feminist protests as to the role men should likewise play in parenting. She asserts that men should level themselves with their wives in terms of being parents and not leave all the parenting responsibilities to them. Only then can the cycle of reproduction of mothering or in most cases, pseudo-solo parenting by mothers, be stopped. Sociobiological theories link the bonds between mothers and their children. It contends that mothers are biologically predisposed to care for their infants. Nine long months in the womb, the fetus affects the mother and its dependence on her likewise affects her. For example, a stressed mother can hinder the normal brain processes of brain masculinization of her unborn child. T. Berry Brazelton, a prominent child psychologist claims, in a good interaction mother and baby synchronize with each other from the beginning, and that the pathways may be set up in intrauterine life ready to be entrained, especially by the mothers, immediately after birth" Biological studies indicate that when human babies are born, their brains are underdeveloped, hence are â€Å"born highly dependent and in constant need of care.†Ã‚  

MOD 5 FIN 301 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MOD 5 FIN 301 CA - Essay Example This paper aims to analyze the advantages and disadvantages for AMSC to forgo their debt financing and take on equity financing. AMSC can use its cash from equity financing to invest in the project or business without carrying the burden of debt on its back. In a period of financial turmoil, where businesses are faced with a credit crisis, equity financing helps in providing the necessary cash and reduces the risk of bankruptcy. By forgoing debt financing, AMSC is gaining a major advantage by using the cash to grow its business rather than paying a bank loan. Equity financing also brings new resources with itself such as valuable human capital which can provide necessary skills, contacts and experience to run the business. In addition to that, as the business grows over the period of time the investors are often willing to provide additional funding in case if it is needed so AMSC can have access to future sources of funding with the current owners. The owners of the equity can control the business without any interference from the creditors since the company will have no debt obligations. The biggest advanta ge lies in the fact that the business will be free from any interest costs thus it can boost its profits. Furthermore, during a recessionary period where there is a lack of credit in the economy, AMSC can have a chance to obtain funding through debt financing since it will have a lower Debt-to-Equity ratio. Financial institutions often extend credits to those corporations who have a lower Debt-to-Equity ratio in their balance sheets thus AMSC’s ability to borrow will be improved. Too much debt financing can tarnish the reputation of AMSC if they have already huge liabilities on their books. Finally, Corporations also collateralize their important assets due to debt financing and creditors impose certain stringent rules and regulations on the use of those collateralized assets which limits the ability of the organizations to use those assets

John Brown Essay Example for Free

John Brown Essay John Brown was from Connecticut, born in strict religious family in 1800. At 12, after seeing a slave being brutally beaten, swore to never forget that day. In the mid 1800’s he decided to campaign against slavery in Kansas and Nebraska, so did the pro-slavery who campaigned for the continuation of slavery. With the murder of six anti-slaverists and that slave who was beaten many years ago, he decided that: â€Å"In order to end slavery, violence must be applied† (John Brown). In 1956, at the town of Lawrence, Pro slavery members destroyed the anti slavery head quarters and killed 6 of its members. John Brown observed the violence that erupted at Lawrence town. John Brown was set on revenge and on May 24th he and 6 of his followers pulled 5 men from the Pro slavery camps at Pottawatomie Creek and killed them. To avoid charges, John Brown went to New England to charge and raised money for 2  ½ years in order to purchase weapons. He was financially supplied by a secret group of six wealthy men who supported his ideas. In October 16, 1859, John Brown and 21 followers decided to take the weapons of the military arsenal in Harpers Ferry. John Brown hoped that giving the slaves weapons, they would revolt against slavery but they didn’t show up in the battle. John Brown was intercepted by the US. Marines led by Robert E. Lee. The Marines were victorious and John Brown was captured. He faced charges in Virginia and he was hanged. The execution of John Brown led the nation to divide itself into two polars, one believed that all men are born free and another who believed that Black people should be slaves. Some say that John Brown was martyr and others say that he was a terrorist and his efforts were in vain. John was a martyr who fought and died for his beliefs, and his sacrifice leaded to the abolition of slavery, so yes John Brown was a courageous abolitionist who died for a cause he believed in.

Psychology Concerns

Psychology Concerns Psychology concerns itself with the understanding of human behavior. In order to do this effectively, psychologists use a diverse range of perspectives, even when researching a single theme.   This assignment intends to discuss the claim that ‘there is a lot to be gained by studying a topic in psychology from more than one perspective. In order to discuss this claim, it will be necessary to provide definition of the terms ‘conflict, ‘coexist and ‘complement. These terms will then be applied to the themes of language and meaning and sex and gender in order to provide discussion of the claim made. It will become apparent that due to the complexity and multidimensional nature of these perspectives, the claim is truthful. Different psychologists have taken different perspectives on single psychological issues, they have produced differing theories and carried out research from their chosen perspective in order to achieve the evidence required to support these claims. These differing perspectives may conflict, (where the contrasting claims of different perspectives are mutually exclusive and cannot be resolved). They may be complimentary (where contrasting claims are mutually compatible and can be accommodated within a common explanatory framework) or they may coexist (when particular perspectives, even in the same topic area, have no real point of contact: they neither conflict nor complement one another)(Cooper Roth 2007.) There are three perspectives involved in the research into language and meaning. These are evolutionary, social constructionist and cognitive. Evolutionary perspective investigates the influence of evolution on behavior; it looks at language as a characteristic that is obtained at species level and that evolution creates the meaning The evolutionary perspective concerns itself with the influence that evolution is believed to have had upon behavior. This perspective looks at language as a characteristic gained at species level, proposing that the meaning of language was created via evolution. The process of evolution has created linguistic ability and therefore the capacity for meaning to be applied to language. Scientific investigations into the study of animals have highlighted that language in humans are different in comparison to that of non-humans. Pinker and Bloom (1990) suggest that language has numerous reproductive advantages; it was also proposed that the social significance of language has had great impact on human evolution. Evolutionary psychologists recognize language as being uniquely human and dependent upon subtle and meaningful interactions with others, this exemplifies the evolutionary perspectives coexistence with the social constructionist perspective. Leading on, the social constructionist perspective looks at language as the way in which people, through social interactions with others, construct their world. This perspective has been evidenced via hermeneutic studies. It is also proposed that language and meaning plays as role in the pursuit of goals and purposes of everyday life (Cooper and Kaye 2007). This concept regarding the pursuit of goals is not unlike the idea proposed in evolutionary psychology; that there are evolutionary factors at play when advantageous adaptive characteristics are passed through generations. These perspectives together, demonstrate that in creation of meaning for individuals external factors are influential, thus demonstrating coexistence. Cognitive psychologists take a contrasting approach to language; their perspective is that of a information processing system within the person. A computational model is used to hypothesise the contribution of both bottom-up and top-down processing of information, which underlies the creation of meaning. Evidence in support of this is obtained though scientific experiments. The cognitive approach purports that meaning precedes language. Therefore communication is considered to be the transmission of meanings between individual speakers, in contrast the perspective adopted by social constructionists claim that meaning is created between people within the goals and purpose of the conversation, this is often disputed by the persons concerned (Cooper Kaye 2007). This demonstrates conflict within the cognitive and social constructionist perspectives. Conflicts can arise within a single perspective as illustrated by Pinker (2000) and Sperber (2000) (both cited by Cooper Kaye 2007), they offered differing explanations regarding views on language within the evolutionary perspective. Pinker proposed that cognitive abilities are built upon the foundation provided by language, however Sperber proposed that language was a by-product of information processing and these cognitive abilities came first (Cooper Kaye 2007).   It is these very conflicts that invite debates within psychology and provide the justification for additional research. Moving on the writer will now evaluate coexistence or conflict between the various studies conducted with regards to sex and gender. The perspectives used, to explore sex and gender, are psychoanalytic, social constructionist, biological and evolutionary perspectives. Again, these perspectives use different research methods and therefore produce differing theories, providing diverse accounts of sex and gender which enhances the complexity of evaluating whether they are complementary, in coexistence or conflict with each other (Hollway et al 2007). The introduction highlighted that perspectives are multidimensional; the dimensions of these perspectives that interrelate and are available for comparison are in no way limited to the theories created by each one. Focus is now placed upon the methodologies within the four perspectives mentioned and the corresponding nature vs. nurture debate to evaluate these perspectives relationships with each other. The perspective that explores the role nature plays in human experience and behavior is the biological and evolutionary. Scientific approaches examining genes and biological structures provide the evidence within this perspective. The Biological perspective proposes that there is an association with genetic and physiological aspects of sex with self-evident implications for gender. PET scanning techniques and the study of material data produced from this provides strength to the claims (Swaab Fliers (1985), Allen Gorski (1990), LeVay (1991), Cooke et al (1998), all cited by Hollway et al (2007), however when used in connection with behavioural and cognitive studies they may only be understood within the light of context and environmental influences (Cooper Roth 2007). Evolutionary psychologists take the view that reproductive stratagies have evolved differently between men and women, this can account for the difference in behavior and sexual attitude. Through experiments (Clark Hatfield (1989) and studies using questionnaires (Buss et al (1992), these claims have been evidenced, however the evidence does not discount other explanations for these behaviors (cited by Hollway et al 2007). The study carried out by Clark Hatfields is consistent with the evolutionary perspective, suggesting that behavior is passed through generations as genetically programmed, however the findings also support sexual behavior being influenced by cultural patterns and social pressure, therefore consistent with the social constructionist perspective (Hollway et al 2007). Both perspectives emphasise the influence of nature in human behavior demonstrating they are complimentary to one another, however they can also be considered to coexist as they both use a scientific method using systematic observation of phenomena under experimentation. The hermeneutic method is adopted by both the social constructionist and psychoanalytical approach directed by subjective data collection and analysis and the focus is on interpretation which is provided by a persons beliefs and experiences. The Psychoanalytic perspective recognizes the significance of biological dissimilarity along with the cultural and social meanings of these dissimilarities, and the social constuctionist perspectives explores the significance of culture and context in the construction of ideas about gender (Hollway et al 2007). The argument raised by the social constructionist is that gender is a product of culture rather than something which can be explained through biological sex status, thus conflicting with the general hypothesis raised by biological and evolutionary methodology and in contrast exhibits the   effect of nature on gender development. Historical and social context provide the framework for experience, behavior and knowledge regarding sex and gender in the social constructionist perspective, additionally discourse analysis has afforded support for gender-appropriate behaviours between girls and boys, in relation to school activities and subjects and toys (Haywood Mac an Ghaill (1996), cited by Hollway et al 2007). The psychodynamic perspective attempts to comprehend how girls and boys obtain a sexed and gendered sense of self, as they grow up, within the family context. This perspective acknowledges the significance of biological and societal accounts; an exemplar is exploring how a baby, sexed by its biology and gendered by society, acquires psychological gender that becomes fundamental to its later development as a person (Hollway et al 2007). Comparable with the social constructionist perspective, social discourses are assessed, accordingly the two perspectives are complementary as they both acquire understanding of experiences being gendered through the hermeneutic approach. It is however emphasized by Cooper Roth (2007) that psychoanalysis, unlike most other perspectives, is unable to validate its claims. Psychoanalysis is unique in recognizing the role of biological and social factors, consequently that nature and nurture are both equally significant within sex and gender, this could therefore lead to a complementary relationship or even so far as coexisting with all three other perspectives. Together these four perspectives, to differing extents, place significance upon biological and social factors which signifies them complementing one another. Due to the distinctiveness of the claims within each perspective however, an argument could be raised that the perspectives coexist as the differences are significant. In seeking an understanding of a topic such as those outlined in this assignment, various perspectives can be complementary as they all endeavor to elucidate phenomena. In conclusion there is a lot to be gained by studying a topic in psychology from more than one perspective as the propositions considered within psychology are multidimensional for example the theory; the methods and data used; the levels of analysis, and themes such as nature or nurture. Understanding topics such as language and meaning, or sex and gender, is enhanced by the wealth of information that the variety of perspectives offer. By studying a topic in psychology from more than one perspective and evaluating whether perspectives coexist, conflict or complement each other reinforces the dynamism and vibrancy of psychology.

Technological Development In Sport Competition Sport Essay

Technological Development In Sport Competition Sport Essay Technological development is becoming more and more essential in sport competition. Technological development refers to the development of techniques or appliance which can improve the quality and magnificence of the sport competitions. However, there could be some difference between different countries; it may depend on the level of the countries development. There are three main aspects revealing that technological development has revolutionized sport competitions. Firstly, the development of telecommunications promotes the globalization of sport competition. Secondly, the use of electronic appliance helps to reduce controversy and ensure the fairness of the results in the competition, such as auto-timing system. Moreover, the improvement sport equipments and analyzing system has become necessary for enhancing the performance of athletes. One of the most dramatic revolutions in sport completion is caused by the developments in new technologies of mass communication, especially the development of Internet and satellite television, which are allowing the sport competitions to be publicized around the world much more quickly. As an example, mega-events such as the Olympic Games can be regarded as a media-events (D. Rowe, 2004, 166). According to Roche, the 1936 Berlin Olympics was the first Olympic Games to be radio broadcast to the world; and it was also the first major sport event to be televised, although it was only available in the city of Berlin at that time due to the limited local cable system. Nowadays, the universality of the Internet and television are most effective to the globalization of the sports competition, however, turning the sport competition into global event. Referring to the television, Horne and Manzenreiter indicate that the estimation of 3.9 billion television audiences had watched parts of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and 40 billion which are cumulative television audiences, contributing to a increase of 27% over the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Moreover, Horne and Manzenreiter also indicate the   2002 FIFA World Cup staged in Japan and South Korea, 41000 hours of programming were provided in 213 countries and about 28.8 television audiences of this event, even more than that in Olympic Games. From this situation, there is no doubt that the development of telecommunication provides a much larger stage for the sport competitions, and makes the sport competition become a global history. In the sport competitions, the quality of the athletes is the most important factor in determining their performance. Analysing the movements of athletes could be the effective method to increase the possibilities of championship in the sport competitions; for instance, analyzing the movement or posture of an ice-skate athlete could help the athlete to maximize the speed and overcome the shortcomings. However, the details of the movements cannot be easily seen because the unassisted eye functions at the speed of 1/340th of a second exposure time; fortunately, the

Teen Pregnancy Essay example -- Teenage Pregnancy

There is a lot of teen mothers growing up in this world wondering, what if I would have stayed in school? W hat could I have become? Would it have made my life easier if I had thought first? There is many causes for teen pregnancy. They lead to the need for the desire of love by another person. One might have a poor home life and would want something like their peers have. A teen may have a low self-esteem and simply be looking for acceptance. However, many teens that have a wonderful family and are very confidante arnt looking for the few minutes of pleasure. As several teens use the excuse that sex feels better without a condom pregnancy is likely to occur just because of that simple saying. Having a child comes with a lot of responsibility. Teens don’t think of the consequences of their actions. Children take up a lot of time, which also means, no more school. The teen should first understand that all their free time is lost, that she will have to find some way to live for herself and the child, and that any future plans are now not what she was planning. It all comes down to the education of the teen. The more they know about sex and it’s consequences at a young age the less likely they are to go out and be irresponsible about it. Teenagers that learn about different types of protection and how they work is some times one of the best ways for them to think befor they act. Every year one million teenage girls become pregnant in the United States. Teen pregnancy is a major problem in the United States. There are more teenage pregnancies in the United States than all other countries. in this day and age the rate of teenagers who become pregnant has increased. I am not one of them, but having a few fr... ...l regret your choice. The precents of teenagers getting pregnate without being married , I agree on. Teens are usualy left alone rasing their baby by their selfs. that’s why condoms and other helpful things exsicist. If having a relation ship between the opposite sex if the only cure for you problems think twice! Teens like me should be more muter. Besides wondering of into a world that carrys out to a risk in your life. Do some research, think befor you act and is that what you realy want. Just to please the opposite sex by actualy letting them in you, should have to be a second thought. You should amidiatly say no if the opposite sex isn’t married with you in anyway. Being a pregnate teen is alot of responsibility. All in all many teens please their opposite sex by the wrong way. So always researching on what you realy plan on doing is a risk in you own life.

The Raven and The Haunted Palace by Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- poem, symb

â€Å"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,† (â€Å"The Raven† 1). â€Å"The Raven† arguably one of the most famous poems by Edgar Allan Poe, is a narrative about a depressed man longing for his lost love. Confronted by a talking raven, the man slowly loses his sanity. â€Å"The Haunted Palace† a ballad by Poe is a brilliant and skillfully crafted metaphor that compares a palace to a human skull and mind. A palace of opulence slowly turns into a dilapidated ruin. This deterioration is symbolic of insanity and death. In true Poe style, both â€Å"The Raven† and â€Å"The Haunted Palace† are of the gothic/dark romanticism genre. These poems highlight sadness, death, and loss. As to be expected, an analysis of the poems reveals differences and parallels. An example of this is Poe’s use of poetic devices within each poem. Although different in structure, setting, and symbolism these two poems show strikin g similarities in tone and theme. The structure and setting of these poems is quite different. â€Å"The Raven† is a narrative poem consisting of 18 stanzas. Each stanza consists of six lines. Conversely, â€Å"The Haunted Palace† is a ballad consisting of only 6 stanzas and a total of 48 lines. The setting of â€Å"The Raven† takes place in a chamber. We are not sure what type of room the chamber is; only that it is dark as the fire is dying and throwing shadows on the floor (â€Å"The Raven† 1-8). The setting of â€Å"The Haunted Palace† takes place in a palace in a valley. At first, the palace is beautiful and peaceful, but it turns to a dark sad ruin. Recall the palace is a metaphor (allegory) for the mind, so the setting also includes the healthy mind growing insane (Meyer, p. 893). While the structure and setting are dissimilar, the same... ...s, and demons. Upon a deeper inspection, I feel the two poems are reflective of Poe himself. Poe was a troubled soul that dealt with these themes during the course of his life. This could be an indication as to why the dark themes is so prevalent in these poems. Regardless of the reason for the similarities, much like the darkness that surrounded Poe’s life, the connected correlations of these poems will persist evermore. Works Cited Meyer, M. (2013). Bedford introduction to literature: Reading, thinking, writing. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin’s. Poe, E. A. â€Å"The Haunted Palace.† Bedford introduction to literature: Reading, thinking, writing. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin’s. 2013. 891-893. Print. Poe, E. A. â€Å"The Raven.† Bedford introduction to literature: Reading, thinking, writing. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin’s. 2013. 789-791. Print.

Case Study †Catfish Dispute

â€Å"The Vietnamese catfish importers are enjoying the fruits of our work,† This was the main discontent of the domestic (US) catfish industry. Undoubtedly, the catfish farmers had put a lot of effort in improving the aquaculture technology to raise the catfish with better quality; thus, raised the demand of domestic market. At the same time, they had invested about US$50 million in the industry’s marketing. When catfish became the third favorite seafood of the American, leading to a total consumption of 275 million kilograms in 2000, it inevitably attracted people to get in the market.However, based on the fact that the US Congress had approved the U. S. -Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with a reduction in tariff, it was the right for American importers to start the new business – importing Vietnamese catfish. The agreement was approved by the Congress due to the important reason: the trade benefits. To capture these benefits, they had to undertake the possible risks. Indeed, it was a fair game played by both parties. From the article, it was clear that one of the sources of discontent from domestic farmers was the quality considerations difference between the American-grew and Vietnam-grew catfish.The quality of US catfish is justified by the inspection of 17 federal agencies and can meet the standard of the Catfish Institute of America, whereas the Vietnamese catfish only need to pass the Food and Drug Administration’s approval. This preferential practice should not sustain. The authority should consider standardize the quality requirement of both places’ catfish, for example, make it compulsory for Vietnamese catfish products to undergo the same inspections as the US catfish. Or at least, ask for proof of quality issued by Vietnamese government for all imported catfish.

Media Law Case Studies Essay

1. Whether, as a Member of Parliament (MP), the Accused’s right of free speech in Parliament, given by sections 3 and 8 of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Ordinance [No. 15 of] 1952 and Article 63(2) of the 1957 Federal Constitution, has been validly limited by the subsequent amendment made to Article 63 with the addition of Clause (4) by the Constitution (Amendment) Act. 1971 (Act A30). 2. Whether the Accused’s right of free speech in Parliament is part of the Constitution’s basic structure or a fundamental rule of natural justice, thus rendering any supposed amendment of the Constitution seeking to limit such right is void and of no effect. 3. Whether the demand for closure of Chinese and Tamil schools in the process of implementing the national language can be legally and constitutionally treated as questioning Article 152(1) and thus, bringing into operation section 3(1) (f) of the Sedition Act 1948 (Revised 1969), despite there not being a demand for the abolition of prohibition of the teaching or learning of such languages. Reasoning 1. While Sections 3 and 8 of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Ordinance 1952 as well as Article 63(2) of the Constitution grants an MP freedom of speech in Parliament without being held liable to be prosecuted or questioned in court, the subsequent addition of Clause 4 in Article 63 states that Clause 2 is not applicable to any person who has committed an offence under Article 10(4) or the Sedition Act 1948. Noting that the Accused is charged via the Sedition Act, it is clear that the Accused’s right of free speech in Parliament is limited by Clause 4 of Article 63. 2. The Accused’s right of free speech in Parliament is not instrumental in forming the basic structure of the constitution. Thus, it was deemed  unnecessary to decide whether or not any amendments made to said Article will destroy the Constitution’s basic structure. In addition, the Accused’s right of free speech is not part of the fundamental rule of natural justice. Therefore, the amendments made to Article 63 – the addition of Clause (4) limiting MPs’ right of free speech in Parliament – are valid. 3. It was decided that it would be premature and speculative to answer this question at the present stage. The answer is deemed to be bound up with uncertain facts of the case and any proceedings made would be based on assumptions. Counsel was advised to forward the submission prepared to the trial Judge, of whom the case was further referred to. Held The case was accordingly directed to the learned trial Judge for continuation and disposal in accordance with the aforementioned judgment and otherwise according to law. Title and Citation Public Prosecutor v. Param Cumaraswamy [1986] 1 MLJ 518 Facts The accused, Vice President of the Bar Council Param Cumaraswamy, was charged for committing an offence under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 (Revised 1969) for uttering seditious words during a press conference at the office of the Selangor and Federal Territory Bar Committee on 24 July 1985. The accused was making an open appeal to the Pardons Board to reconsider the petition of Sim Kie Chon, who was charged under the Internal Security Act for possessing an unlicensed forearm, for the commutation of his death sentence. Issues 1. Whether the words uttered by Cumaraswamy can be considered seditious under Section 3 of the Sedition Act. 2. Whether the statement made by Cumaraswamy incited feelings of ill-will and hostility between the different classes of the Malaysian population under Section 3(1)(e) of the Sedition Act. 3. Whether the statement made by Cumaraswamy incited hatred or contempt or excited disaffection against the Authority under Section 3(1)(a). Reasoning 1. Uttered words can only be considered seditious if they achieve one or more of the instruments specified in Section 3(1) of the Sedition Act. Section 3(1)(d) of the Sedition Act 1948 states that for uttered words to be considered seditious, it must be capable of raising discontent or disaffection amongst the people of Malaysia. The press statement was an open appeal to the Pardons Board urging them to exercise their powers uniformly so that the people would not be made to feel that the Board was discriminatory. It was agreed by the Court that the words which were used were unlikely to create discontent or disaffection neither among the people nor against the Authority i.e. Yang di-Pertuan Agong, any other Rulers of State and the government. 2. Section 3(1)(e) of the Sedition Act defines an act with seditious tendency that is capable of promotin feeling of ill-will and hostility between different classes of the population of Malaysia. In one part of the press statement, Cumaraswamy pointed out to the Pardons Board that the people should not be made to feel that the Board was discriminating between â€Å"the poor, the meek and the unfortunate† and â€Å"the rich, the powerful and the influential†. The court agreed that instead of trying to promote ill-will and hostility between the different classes of the population, Cumaraswamy was in fact urging the Board not to create the feeling or impression among the population that the Board was discriminating between the different classes. 3. Section 3(1)(a) stated that a ‘seditious tendency’ is a tendency to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against any Ruler or against any Government. It should be noted that Cumaraswamy’s appeal was directed at the Pardons Board and not at the Ruler i.e. the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Hence, it is clear that the statement did not carry the tendency to bring upon hatred of disaffection against the Ruler. Held Mr. Cumaraswamy was found not guilty of sedition. He was subsequently acquitted and discharged. Title and Citation Public Prosecutor v. Pung Chen Choon [1994] 1 MLJ 566 Facts The accused, Pung Chen Choon, editor of newspaper The Borneo Mail, was charged of maliciously publishing false news in The Borneo Mail dated 16 July 1990, stating that Benjamin Basintrol, a priest, had been arrested under the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA), whereas another priest was on the run from the police and several others were understood to be on the ‘wanted’ list. He was charged with an offence under Section 8A(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA). He was prosecuted in the Magistrates’ Court in Kota Kinabalu. A few issues were raised, leading to the case being forwarded to the High Court and subsequently, to the Supreme Court. Issues The following issues of law were presented to the Supreme Court for determination: 1. Whether Section 8A(1) of PPPA, when read with Section 8A(2), restricts the right to freedom of speech and expression granted by Article 10(1)(a) of the Constitution. 2. If so, whether the restriction imposed is one permitted by or under Article 10(2)(a) of the Constitution. 3. Whether Section 8A(1) of PPPA, read with Section 8A(2), is consistent with Article 10(1)(a) and (2)(a) of the Constitution and therefore, valid. 4. Whether Section 8A(2) of PPPA, by presuming that false news by itself is malicious, amounts to pre-censorship and therefore, disregards Article 10(1)(a) and (2) of the Constitution. Reasoning 1. The Malaysian Constitution, unlike the First Amendment to the Constitution of the USA, does not directly addresses freedom of press. However, judicial opinion in India regarding Article 19(1) of the Indian Constitution, which grants all citizens the right to freedom of speech and expression, has established that freedom of press is included within its domain. In regards to that, it is clear that Section 8A(1) of the PPPA does restrict the right to freedom of speech and expression granted by Article 10(1)(a) of the Constitution. 2 & 3. Although not all false news, even if maliciously published, falls within the stated restrictions in Article 10(2)(a), it is possible that the malicious publication of false news could incite acts which jeopardize the internal security of the country, undermine Malaysia’s friendly relations with other countries, lead to disturbance of public  order, and incite the commission of offences. Hence, it can be said that Section 8A of PPPA falls within the orbit of permitted restrictions in Article 10(2)(a) of the Constitution and is constitutionally valid. 4. Section 8A(2) of PPPA is merely a statutory presumption which operates at the trial stage, arising only if the prosecution are able to prove – when prosecuting the accused in court – that the news published is false. Section 8A(2) is, in no way, equated with pre-censorship, which can only take place before publication. Moreover, Section 8A(2) does not restrict freedom of press either directly or indirectly. Hence, the answer to Question 4 is ‘no’. Held The case was forwarded to the magistrate to proceed with the hearing, taking into account the answers to the questions presented, to determine whether the offence charged has been ascertained by the prosecution beyond all reasonable doubt. References Mark Koding v. Public Prosecutor [1982] 2 MLJ 120 Public Prosecutor v. Param Cumaraswamy [1986] 1 MLJ 512 Public Prosecutor v. Param Cumaraswamy (No. 2) [1986] 1 MLJ 518 Public Prosecutor v. Pung Chen Choon [1994] 1 MLJ 566

Analysis of American History X Essay

In this assignment, I was challenged to find important historical and cultural connections of the film American History X and analyze the important rhetorical of my findings. I went about choosing American History X by placing a poll on Facebook listing out the films that I had any slight interest in considering for this assignment and American History X won by a landslide. I was actually somewhat disappointed, because I wanted to do The X-Files, but I chose to stick to my promise and go with whatever text won. I watched American History X some years after its release in 1998. Although, I know I must have watched it sometime after I got out of high school because at the time of its release I was 12 years old and with the amount of violence in that film I know I did not watch it with my parents. From the little memory I had of the film from the first time, I could only recall that American History X had a lot to do with white supremacy and racism, that Edward Norton played the lead ro le and that the kid who played in the first Terminator was his brother and was all grown up. I hesitated watching the film again for quite sometime because I knew I would need to dedicate a solid two hours of mental energy towards it. One could argue that I was merely just procrastinating; however, I benefitted from having done so because future class discussions provided a foundation for how I could study the film. After reading about and discussing in class the topic of approaching a text organically, I decided to implement that mentality and view the film as objectively as non-object individual can. It is difficult to say whether it was that approach that ultimately led to my findings in the film, or if I would have discovered them anyway since it was my second time viewing the film. Everyone can appreciate that after the second and third time of watching any film you begin to pick up on things you missed the first time. In either case, I found the movie to be incredibly eye opening and I enjoyed having to research the history surrounding the film and, ultimately, the state of the nation during what was my childhood. American History X is a film that depicts a traditional white family in the mid 1990s, but spot lights the two brothers’ journeys into maturity. The movie focuses on the older brother Derek, played by Edward Norton, and how Derek’s Neo-Nazi associations in his life greatly influence his younger brother Danny, played by Edward Furlong. Fueled by rage of his father’s death, the film opens with a scene of Derek brutally killing three young black men who were attempting to steal his father’s truck. Derek is then sent to prison for 3 years during which time his younger brother Danny begins to follow in Derek’s footsteps with the Neo-Nazi organization. The movie flips between black-and-white scenes of the past and color scenes of the present. The black-and-white flashbacks attempt to illuminate Danny’s perception of Derek’s past life while intermittently presenting how Derek overcame is his own hatred. The color scenes portray the present and highlight the effects the hatred has had on the entire family. Overall, the movie critiques on not only the effects of urban racism and bigotry, but a lso the how minds of young people are so impressionable. The film even succeeds in creating a sense of sympathy for characters that are typically hated, Neo-Nazi racist skinheads, and paints them not as foolish, uneducated racist bigots, but instead as misguided intelligent human beings. On the surface the film discusses racism, violence, and bigotry, but upon closer examination I found a deeper message within the film. Watching it a second time, I realized that this film is really emphasizing the lack of critical thinking skills in young people, particularly in teenagers and young adults and how impressionable their minds are. Then, upon further research related to those very topics it touches on in the film, I discovered that the entire movie itself actually harbors an obscure form of racism that was reflected in many movies throughout the 1990s. Needless to say, even in today’s society we deal with these same issues of racism and intolerance for other people’s beliefs. However, within the most recent years it has evolved to focus more on the gay, lesbian and transgender community. History certainly can be seen as repeating itself as many of the arguments that gays and lesbians make regarding their civil rights and discrimination almost mirror the same arguments made back in the 1960s during the civil right movement. Reverend Dr. Phil Snider made this connection so blatantly clear in his speech that went viral on YouTube that he gave before the Springfield City Council of Missouri just a few weeks ago. In his speech, Dr. Snider cleverly took quotes directly from speeches given by white preachers in favor of racial segregation in the 1950 and 1960s and merely substituted select words and inserted ‘gays and lesbians’ (â€Å"Preacher Phil Snider Gives Interesting Gay Rights Speech†). I think the twist of his speech highlights the main issues regarding any form of racism and discrimination and they most certainly could be applied to the issues of racism that America faced in the 1990s. The 1990s was saturated with debates over, court cases involving and numerous media outlets centering on the issues of racism and affirmative action. In May of 1992, Newsweek printed an article entitled â€Å"The Crossroads of Shattered Dreams† that summarized the conflicts of racism in the early 90s stating, â€Å"white[s] charge that affirmative action is unfair†¦blacks respond that it was unfair for them to be starved of opportunities by 300 years of slavery and discrimination.† That same year, the verdict of Rodney King’s case outraged the black community and sparked riots lasting six days with over 2,000 people injured and 55 people killed (â€Å"Riots Erupt in Los Angeles†). In March of 1996, the three white law school candidates charged that they were unfairly discriminated against and rejected for entrance into the school for less qualified minorities in the famous case Hopwood v. Texas Law School (â€Å"Hopwood v. University Texas Law School †). Just prior to the release of American History X in 1998, California enacted Proposition 209, which amended the state’s constitution to ban preferential treatment of any persons based on race or gender in public sector education, employment, and contracting (Parker). All of these enormously impactful events and numerous others shaped much of the discrimination that occurred in the 1990s. In fact, sociological research confirms â€Å"discrimination is more often the result of organizational practices that have unintentional effects† or predispositions â€Å"linked to social stereotypes and does not so much stem from individual prejudices† (Tomaskovic-Devey). Nevertheless, the culmination of these types of incidents led to a demand for Hollywood to â€Å"headline positive characters of color† (Hughey 549). Producers and directors felt pressure to make-up for their own history of racist filmmaking and, consequently, this also gave rise to the development of a veiled type of racism within films referred to by Hughey himself as the â€Å"cinethetic racism†(550). Cinethetic racism in the 1990s was typically found in films that have a black character whose purpose in the film is to support the white protagonist. Typically this black character, coined the â€Å"magical Negro† by Hughey, was portrayed as the voice of reason, or having some other type wisdom, within the film and who selflessly helps the white character achieve his goals. â€Å"These films rest on friendly, helpful, bend-over-backwards black characters that do not seek to change their own impoverished status, but instead exhibit a primordial, hard-wired desire to use their magical power to correct the wrongs in a white world† (Hughey 556). The concept expressed in this quote is clearly evident in the film American History X during the many scenes of Derek in prison working in the laundry room with Lamont, a friendly black prisoner who attempts to befriend him. Eventually Derek is able let down his guard and the future interactions between them usually consist of Lamo nt humorously explaining how things work within the prison. There is one scene, however, that does somewhat contradict this concept of a â€Å"magical Negro† and, instead, causes Derek to experience a form of guilt. This contradiction is depicted in the scene of Lamont and Derek working in the laundry room and Derek very genuinely asks Lamont why he is in prison. Lamont explains how he was sentenced for assault on a police officer because he accidently dropped a TV on the officer’s foot that he was trying to steal. Derek initially resists and jokingly asks Lamont to tell the truth, but Lamont insists that he did not assault the police officer and only dropped the TV on the officer’s foot. This is the pivotal moment within the movie that shows Derek’s guilt and sympathy for the first time towards a black person. I think this is the most important scene throughout the entire film because it gives the audience exactly what they want: they want to see Derek experience this epiphany and for him to recognize how he has perpetuated discrimination against black people. But it does not take very long for the film to revert right back into the traditional cinethetic racist ways. In Derek’s last interaction with Lamont, the audience learns that during Derek’s stay within prison Lamont was protecting him from further beatings and rape after Derek chose to no longer affiliate with the Neo-Nazis within the prison. That scene ultimately preserves the concept of the â€Å"magical Negro† and that black people have this underlying desire to serve to the needs of white people. I liken this idea of cinethetic racism to what actors refer to the subtext of a script. Normally, the subtext refers to the underlying motives of a particular character, but this concept of cinethetic racism is like the â€Å"subtext† of an entire film. â€Å"Of greatest critical concern is how [magical Negro] films advantageously shore up white supremacist and normative orders while ostensibly posturing as an irreverent challenge to them† (Hughey 553). On the surface it appears to be a film that tries to defeat racism, but ironically there are hidden agendas that completely go against the moral of this story. Just as magical Negros are a disguised form of racism found in American films in the 1990s, there were also disguised forms of racism going on politically throughout the nation, more specifically in California. During the 1990s, racism and civil rights disputes were approaching the heights they reached in the civil rights era of the 1960s. However, after many decades of affirmative action policies attempting to right the wrongs minorities faced and with California experiencing an economic downturn, many whites became less tolerant of minorities receiving preferential treatment through affirmative action programs (Alvarez). Now the whites are claiming they were discriminated against in a form of â€Å"reverse discrimination.† What I find so interesting about the idea of â€Å"reverse discrimination† is that it implies that discrimination only naturally goes in one direction: whites against minorities. And, furthermore, that there will always be a certain level of racism, as if to suggest that there is a threshold for which it is acceptable, but also that it is the responsibility of the majority, white people, to keep it in check. Yet the moment any form of racism or discrimination is felt against whites, it is completely intolerable and demands political action. It was the supporters of Proposition 209 that argued that current affirmative action programs led public employers and universities to reject applicants because of their race, and that Proposition 209 would â€Å"return [us] to the fundamentals of our democracy,† as summarized in an article capturing the main arguments of Proposition 209 entitled â€Å"Prohibition Against Discrimination.† With in the same article it preached, â€Å"let us not perpetuate the myth that ‘minorities’ and women cannot compete without special preferences†¦vote for fairness not favoritism.† The fairness of Proposition 209 has been hotly debatably ever since it was enacted in 1997, but I think the dinner scene with Derek and his father in American History X most succinctly sums up the mindset of the many supporters of Proposition 209. The scene opens with a dinner table conversation between Derek and his father about the material he is learning for his English class. His father than expresses his distaste for such material with the following monologue: â€Å"All this stuff about making everything equal†¦ it’s not as easy as it looks†¦you gotta trade in great books for black books now? You gotta question these things Derek. We are not just talking about books here, we’re talking about my job. I got two blacks guys on my squad now that got their jobs over a couple of white guys who actually scored higher on the test. Does that make sense? They got their job because they were black not because they were the best? America’s about if you do your best you get the job†¦not this affirmative blacktion crap†¦.it’s nigger bullshit.† This dinner scene perfectly exemplifies the concept that 1) the moment whites feel they are being discriminated they instantly raise the red flag and 2) that â€Å"discrimination is more often the result of organizational practices that have unintentional effects [†¦] and does not so much stem from individual prejudices,† as I stated earlier. Another aspect that I find so interesting about American History X was how writer David McKenna was able to pull directly from real life situations to add dialogue into this screenplay. McKenna and Edward Norton actually rewrote a portion of the script quoting from Governor Pete Wilson’s speech advocating Proposition 209 in 1995 (Goldstein). More importantly, it was used in a scene where Derek is trying to energize a group of young skin heads before they vandalize a grocery store owned by minorities. I find it so ironic that the character of a racist Neo-Nazi was reciting actual words from a speech promoting the removal of affirmative actions polices that were, allegedly, intended to reduce discrimination and increase equality. When I discovered this tidbit of information I was completely blown away. I had no idea how closely this movie reflected real problems going on in society in the 1990s. McKenna’s use of Pete Wilson’s speech is clearly an example of art ref lecting reality, but Pete Wilson’s speech was not the only source from reality in which McKenna got his inspiration. McKenna grew up in Southern California, where the film story takes place, and personally witnessed bigotry and racism (Bruce). From his encounters and extensive research, McKenna decided that the point he tried â€Å"to make in the script is that a person is not born a racist†¦[McKenna] wanted an accurate portrayal of how good kids from good families can get so terribly lost† (Bruce). Personally, I think McKenna succeeded in having that be the main message of the film: the impressionability of a young mind and that all behaviors are learned. The film simultaneously follows Derek’s upbringing and how he becomes involved in the Neo-Nazi organization and how his involvement with that group greatly influenced his younger brother Danny. The dinner scene I detailed above is the key scene from McKenna’s screenplay that supports the idea that racism is a learned behavior stemmed from outside organizational practices. However, despite how well received the movie was and the numerous nominations Edward Norton received for his performance, that is not the original message the director intended. Tony Kaye was the director of American History X and, ironically, he also turned out to be a major competing persuasive force throughout the entire film making process. Kaye battled with directors, producers, writer David McKenna and Edward Norton himself claiming that New Line Cinema never allowed him to create his vision of the film going as far as to take out full page ads in trade magazines bashing the film and even requested to have his name removed from the film entirely and replaced with the pseudonym â€Å"Humpy Dumpty† (Goldstein). In a statement made shortly after the film’s release, Kaye contended that Edward Norton edited a majority of the film in order to increase his screen time in the film and that the producers did not allow Kaye an â€Å"opportunity to present a black voice to provide depth and balance to the film† and furthered that he wanted the film to be an â€Å"homage to free speech and responsibility† (Leinberger). I think the main reason why Kaye’s original vision never made it to the film was because it clashed so much with McKenna’s original message. McKenna wrote the film based off of his personal experience witnessing acts of racisms in Southern California in throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. Whereas, Kaye is not only much older than McKenna, but grew up in United Kingdom and had only been living in the United states for a few years before he got involved in the film at all, and, therefore, did not quite have the same outlook for the script (Topel). It should also be noted that this was Kaye’s first feature film and his previous directing experience came from extensive work with TV commercials and music videos (Goldstein). And while McKenna himself may not have been directly involved during the filming process, as most writers are not, I think Edward Norton and the producers all believed in and followed McKenna’s vision because of how much it related to the struggles that America was facing at that time. This is not to suggest that Kaye’s vision for the film was wrong, but that producers have to consider what the audience wants and expects to see. From studying American History X, I have learned how racism evolved in a very peculiar fashion. As racism, specifically towards black people, became less and less accepted by whites over the last 150 years, certain segments of society seemed to find ways to continue a small, but undeniable level of racism since it was no longer socially acceptable among the general population to outwardly express it with for instance, lynching. Racism and discrimination has certainly come a long way over the last sixty years, but it has definitely not been eradicated. In fact, some would argue that now whites are beginning to experience a type of â€Å"reverse discrimination† due unforeseen effects from affirmative action programs. In regards to American films however, one would have to sit down personally with directors and producers of 1990s films to determine if they intentionally created these magical Negro characters in order to perpetuate racism. Aside from the fact that it is highly unlikely that anyone would ever openly admit to that, I personally think that cinethetic racism and the magical Negro were just an unintended consequence of a fad that was going on throughout Hollywood at the time, the fad being to have black people portray certain qualities of wisdom and â€Å"magical powers† within films. In either case, it is very curious that a movie such as America History X meets the qualifications for cinethetic racism. In my opinion, for a film that was intended to enlighten the audience of the problem of racism in America, yet ultimately perpetuated a veiled version of it, could no more flawlessly fit into this concept of cinethetic racism. Also, the argument of whether or not reality reflects art or if art reflects reality is just as frustrating to argue as whether the chicken or the egg came first. But in the case for this film, I would contend that American History X, art, is reflecting reality. In fact, the notion behind cinethetic racism and the magical Negro tie in so neatly with the arguments for Proposition 209 and Gov. Pete Wilson’s speech that it is just uncanny. With a closer look into both, one can see that each share their own masked form of racism veiled as though whites are helping minorities. Art was imitating the subversive racism that was occurring in r eality. As an actor myself, I think it is unfortunate for director Tony Kaye that, for whatever reason, he was not able to get his original vision of the film produced. I think because of the numerous racially historical events that were occurring the 1990s that producing a movie which centered on the freedom of speech around racism as Kaye originally intended, was the last thing any audience wanted to watch in a theatre. All in all, I think film did a fabulous job highlighting historical events and attitudes going on throughout society during the 1990s, despite the fact that the film may be perpetuating racism at a subversive level. Works Cited American History X. Dir. Tony Kaye. Perf. Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. New Line Cinemas, 1998. Film. Alvarez, R. Michael, and Lisa G. Bedolla. â€Å"The Revolution Against Affirmative Action in California: Racism, Economics, and Proposition 209.† State Politics and Policy Quarterly 4.1 (2004): 1-17. Sage Publications, Inc. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. Bruce, David. â€Å"Racism in America=Hating Others.† American History X: A Hollywood Jesus Film Review. HollywoodJesus.com, n. d. Web. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . Goldstein, Patrick. â€Å"Courting Trouble.† Edward Norton Information Page. N.p., 13 1998. Web. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Hopwood v. University of Texas Law School†. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012 . Hughey, Matthew W. â€Å"White Redemption and Black Stereotypes in â€Å"Magical Negro† Films.† Social Problems 56.3 (2009): 543-77. www.jstor.org. University of California Press, 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . Leinberger, Gisela. â€Å"Film Director Tony Kaye Makes Statement at Berlin’s Brandenberg Gate; Director of ‘American History X’ Speaks to Film’s Issues.† PR News Wire. N.p., n. d. Web. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . Parker, Beth H. â€Å"The Impact of Proposition 209 on Education, Employment and Contracting.† ERA: Prop 209 Impact. Equal Rights Advocates, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. . Preacher Phil Snider Gives Interesting Gay Rights Speech. Perf. Rev. Dr. Phil Snider. Www.YouTube.com. YouTube, 13 Aug. 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Prohibition Against Discrimination or Preferential Treatment by State and Other Public Entities. Initiative Constitutional Amendment..† California’s 1996 General Election Web Site! . N.p., n. d. Web. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Riots erupt in Los Angeles.† 2012. The History Channel website. Oct 21 2012 . Tomaskovic-Devey, Donald, and Patricia Warren. â€Å"Explaining and Eliminating Racial Profiling.† Contexts. American Sociological Association, 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . Topel, Fred. â€Å"Interview with Lake of Fire Filmmaker Tony Kaye.† About.com Oct 21 2012. Whitaker, Mark. â€Å"A Crisis Of Shattered Dreams.† Newsweek. 5 1991: 1. Web. 19 Oct. 2012..