Report 5b Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report 5b - Research Paper Example It implies that if the same study is conduced 20 times then 19 times the results should be within the margin of error. Moreover, it suggests that if the study is conducted several times then the results could differ by +/- 5% of the original results. The participants will be selected by using convenience-sampling technique. The reason researchers have selected convenience sampling because of convenient accessibility and proximity to the researchers. The participants will be IU students who are aware of Scratchy Mommy products. The researchers will conduct focus group session to acquire their perceptions, experiences and views about the Scratchy Mommy products. The two-way focus group will be used that will provide a comparison of the prevailing perception within the group. There will be 12 people (10 females and 2 males) in total who will be sub-categorized into two groups (5 females and 1 male). The reason to choose male participant as a part of focus group is that males also purchase beauty care products for them or their

Fredric Jameson and the No Wave Art Movement Essay Example for Free

Fredric Jameson and the No Wave Art Movement Essay In postmodern art, history is self-consciously reappropriated and re-fashioned into new forms. Postmodern art, Jameson argues, was a logical outcome of late-capitalism, which in its late stage has allowed society to abolish the distinction between high culture and mass culture, producing a culture of degradation. This was first taken up as an aesthetic by Andy Warhol. In the text, Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, 1970-1990, Adamson and Pavitt note that Jameson, â€Å"found Warhols glittering series Diamond Dust Shoes to be particularly unnerving because of its incorporation of ommodity culture† (70). Art, according to both Warhol and Jameson is above all, a commodity, something to be bought and sold. Warhols work illustrates Jamesons contention that, Aesthetic production today has become integrated into commodity production (4). This conflation of art and commodity creates a field of cultural production that is incapable of depth and valuable social critique. According to Jameson, the abstract aesthetic of modernism was an expression of the new social forms of abstraction specif ic to capitalism. In modernism, the universalization of the money-form manifests as a range of social abstractions including, for example, societys dominant way of seeing† and representing the world aesthetically. In the age of global capitalism, the utopian sublime of modernism, to which Jameson referred, has disappeared, and has been replaced by the postmodern cultural logic of consumption. With the universalization of capitalism, the distinction between culture and economics has collapsed. In postmodernism everything, including art and culture, is subject to the logic of commodif ication. In the text, The Cultural Turn, Jameson submits that postmodernity makes the cultural economic at the same time that it turns the economic into so many forms of culture (81). This essay submits that the No Wave art movement that occurred between 1974 – 1984 in New Yorks Lower East Side is indeed postmodern, by Jamesons standards, and yet resists this conflation of art and commodity that Jameson maintains is characteristic of this paradigm. Jamesons text, Postmodernism, suggests that with arts entry into the commodity sphere art becomes propelled not by ideas but by money (Adamson et. al, 70). John N. Duvall is critical of Jamesons linkage between culture and commodif ication in the postmodern context. Duvall writes in his text, Troping History, â€Å"It is precisely change that, for Jameson, can no longer be imagined in postmodernism, since aesthetic production has been subsumed by commodity production, thus emptying the modernist aesthetic of affect and hence of political effect† (4). Jamesons characterization of postmodern art as enveloped in commodif ication overlooks art produced during this period that consciously existed outside the margins of the art market and acted as a resistance to the conditions of a commodif ied artistic arena. As alluded to by Duvall in the previous quotation, Jameson does not account for the possibility of political art production in postmoderism. As Perry Anderson notes, by the positioning of the postmodern between aesthetics and economics, Jameson omits, a sense of culture as a battlefield, that divides protagonists. That is the plane of politics understood as a space in its own right (18). As Marvin J. Taylor describes, â€Å"Downtown artists were profoundly aware of the failure of modernist revolutions, but were unwilling to abandon the possibility of a better world† (22) 1. It is precisely this urge for a better world that Jameson contends is an impossibility in the context of late-capitalism, and absent from postmodern art production. To classify the No Wave Art Movement as postmodern requires a working definition of this cultural epoch. The postmodern paradigm is commonly associated with a range of aesthetic practices, involving irony, parody, self-consciousness, fragmentation, playful selfreflexivity and parataxis (Waugh, 325). Characterized largely by the qualities of appropriation and simulation many postmodern artists addressed mass media and commodif ication in their 1 The terms â€Å"No Wave† and â€Å"Downtown scene† are used synonymously in essays that describe movement. So too are these terms used interchangeably in this essay. work, including those artists in the No Wave Movement, specif ically Barabara Kruger, who came out of this movement and whom we look to specif ically at the end of this paper. As Glen Ward notes in his description of the chronology of postmodernism, â€Å"More complex ideas about postmodernism quickly infiltrated the art world. Next to painting, photography and media-based work regained the limelight in the mid-1980s by seeming to provide a more obviously political postmodernism† (41). Rather than being incorporated into the late-capitalist system some theorists argue that postmodern art is a response to capitalist corruption, voicing an opposition to the world of commodities rather than becoming entrenched in it. There is no shortage of theorists and critics who have characterized the No Wave Art movement within the postmodern paradigm. As Carlo Mccormick describes in his essay, A Crack in Time, which appears in The Downtown Book, â€Å" etween 1974 and 1984 in Downtown Manhattan occurred the true postmodern moment: a time when modernism was most certainly dead and, unmoored from its schematics, creativity was based on flux, uncertainty, and searching† (71). The No Wave Art movement can be characterized by several recurrent postmodern themes including notions of authenticity; the Downtown scen e questioned the function of terms like authorship, originality, appropriation and tied them to the transgressive practices of theft, piracy and plagiarism. The second recurrent theme explored in the No Wave scene included performativity; challenging notions of representation in an environment of fragmented and multiple identities. Thirdly, the No Wave art scene is inextricably linked to its politics. As Taylor describes, Downtown art was activist and aggressive. Work was informed by the feminist movement, queer activism, AIDs, and poverty in postwar United States. As an expression of these politics, the No Wave Movement sought to criticize notions of institutional accreditation. This included an exploration of power structures, including the role of education, technical skills and technique. In her description of the Downtown Scene Gumpbert writes, â€Å"What so many Downtown artists of this era did share is that they conceived their work as alternative, if not outright subversive, vis-a-vis traditional curatorial and exhibition practices. Incorrigibly and resolutely defiant, Downtown artists interrogated systems of accreditation, broke down generic disciplines, and directly engaged with political issues† (14). Artists of the No Wave Art scene engaged with the political issues that plagued New York City at the time. This signif ies a potent antithesis to Jamesons notion of postmodern art as vacuous and incapable of politicization. Taylor writes, â€Å"Suspicious of easy assimilation into the traditional Uptown art scene, Downtown artists mounted a full-scale assault on the structures of society that had led to grinding poverty, homelessness, the Vietnam War, nuclear power, misogyny, racism homophobia and a host of other social problems† (22). As an aesthetic movement the No Wave Art scene stood as a highly politicized rejection of the evolution of art as commodity. It was also a domain of extreme artistic production, â€Å"â€Å"From graffiti art to appropriation to Neo-Geo, virtually every major development in American art during that period seems to have originated in one or more of the mostly small, mostly storefront spaces that sprang up in the contested urban zones that characterized a neighbourhood in the early stages of transition from slum to middle-class playground† (Gumpert, 84). The scene existed actively outside the art market, residing largely in â€Å"informal alternative spaces† (Gumpert, 13). As an expression of an alternative antiestablishment attitude much of the work produced at this time took the form of graffiti art or performance art. According to Gumpert, â€Å"Artists, took to the streets in the late 1970s† (11). Notable artists of this time include, the graffiti works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Herrings works in the citys subway platforms and on sidewalks and Richard Hambleton, whose work appeared in poorly lit downtown alleys and construction sites (11). The No Wave movement was also composed of a subcultural punk scene, a host of postmodern writers and experimental filmmakers and video artists. Most famously perhaps was the Times Square Show, that took place in 1980 in an empty massage parlour, with works from more than a hundred artists. These examples demonstrate the desire of many of the artists in the No Wave art movement to â€Å"breakout of the framework of the established art world† (11). The work that is categorized as No Wave was characterized by a certain ephemerality, which allowed the artists and their works to resist the constraints of the commercial market. This offers a critique of Jamesons assumption that art produced in the postmodern paradigm is inextricably linked with an economic motivation. As Gumpert explains in the forward for the text, The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene 1974 1984, A majority of the works [shown in these spaces] were process oriented and situationally specif ic, involving a relationship between materials, concepts, actions and locations. They were sometimes spontaneous, improvisational, open-ended, and often collaborative. The works existed within a given time and then ceased to exist. As a result much of this work was labeled ephemeral, the intent being to create an experience rather than a product, and new terms were devised to describe it, such as installation and performance During this period artists out of necessity created and took control of their own contexts (10) In order to preserve much of the ephemeral work produced between 1974 – 1984 in New York, it was archived and documented in photographs, notes, and films. Irving Sandler accounts for the motives behind documentation in the No Wave art scene, â€Å"[theyre] sympathies were countercultural, they believed that the documentation of a work was not art and thus not salable. They had turned to process art installation art, body art, and conceptual art because they did not want to create art commodities. Many also believed that their refusal to produce salable objects would subvert the art market† (24). This demonstrates a anti-market sentiment in the production of postmodern No Wave art. Jameson does not account for this type of art production in the theories that he forwards in his text, Postmodernism. Writing about the No Wave literature, Robert Siegle identif ies a central insurgency against established structures of culture that existed in New York at that time. He wrote, â€Å"It is, then, an insurgency, but not one that expects to break free of some kind of specif ic corrupt institution. It is an insurgency against the silence of institutions, the muteness of the ideology of form, the unspoken violence of normalization† (4). Siegle describes No Wave writing as quintessentially postmodern in its approach to the â€Å"silence of institutions† and to the â€Å"position of the speaking subject†. Rather than attempting to overthrow institutions, No Wave literature, according to Siegle, is premised on the attempt to understand how the discourse of institutions constructs who we are, thereby using that knowledge to problematize cultural discourse. Although in his text, Suburban Ambush: Downtown Writing and the Fiction of Insurgency, Siegle speaks specif ically of writing, this assessment applies equally to all artists in the No Wave scene. Through the deployment of the postmodern techniques that Jameson describes, artwork in the No Wave context, was far from the depthless commodity that Jameson imagined. It was rather highly political, productive and subversive. In his text, Postmodernism and Consumer Society, Jameson furthers his claims that in postmodernism expressive depth is replaced by an aesthetic superficiality in a phenomenon that he describes as â€Å"the waning of affect†. This â€Å"waning† is directly associated to a diminished political imagination. Jameson uses a comparison of the work of painter Edvard Munch and Andy Warhol to evidence this modern to postmodern shift. He contends that in postmodernism historical depth is replaced by nostalgia. Simultaneously, parody is replaced by pastiche, and an art of surface and loss is substituted for a history which â€Å"remains forever out of reach† (198). Jameson feels, â€Å"it is no longer clear what artists and writers of the present period are supposed to be doing† (196). This invoking of nostalgia and pastiche creates a condition in which artists can only comment upon or reproduce past art. This is articulated with Jamesons description of postmodern art practice as being characterized by â€Å"the failure of the new, the imprisonment in the past† (196). In, The Postmodern Turn, Kellner and Best describe Jamesons theory noting, â€Å"Coolness, blankness, and apathy become new moods for the decelerating, recessionary postmodern condition in an age of downsizing and diminishing expectations† (134). Jameson seems to articulate his own failings in his description of postmodern art. He admits that he is confounded by the postmodern and political work of Hans Haacke who questioned the institution and capitalism through his postmodern art installations. Of Hacke, Jameson writes, â€Å"The case of Haacke poses, however, a problem, for his is a kind of cultural production which is clearly postmodern and equally clearly political and oppositional – something that does not compute within the paradigm and does not seem to have been theoretically foreseen by it† (159). The No Wave art movement equally confounds Jamesons theory towards a postmodern art that is bound by a sense of complicity. Much critique has been garnered by Jamesons position on the art of the postmodern. Theorist Linda Hutcheon is critical of Jamesons positioning of pastiche as a baseless technique, But the looking to both the aesthetic and the historical past in postmodernist architecture is anything but what Jameson describes as pastiche, that is â€Å"the random cannibalization of all the styles of the past, the play of random stylistic allusion. † There is absolutely nothing random or â€Å"without principle† in the parodic recall and re-examination of the past To include irony and play is never necessarily to exclude seriousness of purpose in post-modernist art. To misunderstand this is to misunderstand the nature of much contemporary aesthetic production – even if it does make for neater theorizing. (26 -27) Downtown artists actively sought to address this issue of art production within a capitalist system. Their work is characterized by a postmodern multiplicity. In his essay on the Downtown scene, Siegle notes, Far from being defeated by contradictions, these postmoderns take form it the cue for an alternative logic. Far from being rendered hopeless by the seemingly inevitable drift of (inter)national politics, they borrow form disinformation the ironic habitation of familiar forms for cross-purposes. Far from being paralyzed by the anxiety of past masters influence, they appropriate them for commentary on classic motifs (such as mastery, originality, autonomy, representation) and art-world structures (such as publishing houses, galleries, museums, and criticism). Far from feeling compromised by the investment economics of art, they turn the art market into a microcosm of consumer capitalism and subvert its operations. 10) No Wave artists, though they invoked themes of capitalism, were in fact openly critical of it. They did not create art with the intention of financial gain. Taylor presents Bourdieus theory on cultural capital to elucidate the artistic practices of those in the No Wave art scene and their pursuit for symbolic capital rather than economic. He writes, â€Å"If the whole field of cultural production could be thought of as all those artists, poets, musicians, editors, publishers, critics, performers hen there could be subsets of this group who did not all conform to the desire for economic capital, but rather, and mostly because their work was experimental, sought â€Å"symbolic capital† from their peers† (31). Jameson argued that postmodernism marks the final and complete incorporation of culture into the commodity system. This integration The No Wave art scene, in fact, actively critiqued this condition. Though the No Wave Art movement occurred under the conditions of late-capitalism, the work produced during this period does not embody this notion of depthless commodity Jameson maintains is the primary characteristic of postmodern art. Barbara Kruger is an example of a No Wave artist whose work engages with themes of the media and the market while being simultaneously postmodern, anti-capitalist, and political. Krugers work, particularly her piece, Untitled, (When I hear the word culture I take out my cheque-book), serves as a response to the commodity culture postmodernism is so entrenched in. This work directly addresses Jamesons concern that postmodern art is incapable of an authentic engagement with politicization. Kruger evokes many postmodern themes in her work yet avoids the non-criticality of commodif ied art practice that Jameson forwards. Kruger invokes the postmodern technique of pastiche recombining previously articulated styles while actively producing new meanings through this act re-appropriation. For Jameson, â€Å"Pastiche is a recycling of the past without the critical edge of satire or the subversive role of parody; it is a gesture to the past in a mediasaturated culture that lives in a perpetual present† (Murphie, Potts, Macmillan, 58). Where Jameson forwarded the notion that pastiche was merely â€Å"blank parody† (184) Kruger enacts pastiche as a meaningful technique. As noted in Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970 – 1990, â€Å"She managed to break the conceptual barrier between art and mass media by selecting images from magazines from the 40s and 50s. Choosing them based on their poses and presenting phrases over them Stereotypes were thus turned into the vehicle for delivery of a totally different message† (368). Some of the postmodern themes deployed by Kruger include, the questioning of meta-narrative tructures, highlighting the decentred nature of contemporary culture, and the divorcing of sign and signif ier. In her work Kruger operates within the language and iconic system of consumer culture while offering a critique of those very conditions. As outlined in this essay Jamesons theory of the cultural logic of late-capitalism fails to identify the critical aspect that characterize d much of the work produced under the conditions of postmodernism. This is specif ically demonstrated through the work of No Wave artists operating out of New york in the 1970s and 80s. While invoking the aesthetic themes common to postmodernism the work produced in the No Wave scene was highly political and did not act as a static representation of commodif ied art culture. The work of Barbara Kruger specif ically dealt with the concern of art as existing in a commodif ied global economy rather than simply falling victim to it. It was in fact the movements shift towards commodity that marked the No Waves scenes decline. The year 1984 is signif icant to this movements trajectory. In his essay entitled, Playing the Field: The Downtown Scene and Cultural Production, An Introduction Marvin J. Taylor writes, â€Å"By 1984 the larger art world had encroached on the scene. That same year Mary Boone displayed and began to sell Basquiats paintings for up to $20, 000 The major art journals, galleries, and auction houses had co-opted the restricted field of Downtown art, creating superstars and an influx of economic capital that would eventually overtake the symbolic capital† (36). It was exactly this move into the realm of the market that ended the production of postmodern art within the Downtown scene. Postmodern artists active in the No Wave art movement Jamesons proposition that art made under postmodern conditions is incapable of exacting a political message. Works Cited: Adamson, Glenn, Jane Pavitt, and Paola Antonelli. Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, 1970-1990. London: VA Pub. , 2011. Bertens, Hans. The Idea of Postmodernism: A History. London: Routledge, 1995. Cameron, Dan. East Village USA. New York: New Museum of Contemporary Art, 2004. Duvall, John N. Productive Postmodernism: Consuming Histories and Cultural Studies. Albany: State University of New York, 2002. Hager, Steven. Art after Midnight: The East Village Scene. New York: St. Martins, 1986. Hutcheon, Linda. A Poetics of Postmodernism: History, Theory, Fiction. New York: Routledge, 1988. Jameson, Fredric. Postmodernism, Or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. Durham: Duke UP, 1991. Jameson, Fredric. The Cultural Turn: Selected Writings on the Postmodern, 1983-1998. London: Verso, 1998. Kellner, Douglas, and Sean Homer. Fredric Jameson: A Critical Reader. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Murphie, Andrew, and John Potts. Culture and Technology. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Perry Anderson. The Origins of Postmodernity. London: Verso, 1998. Sandler, Irving. Art of the Postmodern Era: From the Late 1960s to the Early 1990s. New York: Icon Editions, 1996 Siegle, Robert. Suburban Ambush: Downtown Writing and the Fiction of Insurgency. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989. Taylor, Marvin J. The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene, 1974-1984. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2006. Ward, Glenn. Postmodernism. Chicago: Contemporary, 2003. Print. Wheale, Nigel. The Postmodern Arts: An Introductory Reader. London: Routledge, 1995.

My Wonderland :: social issues

My Wonderland She may not wake up even once at night feeling uncomfortable if peas were kept under her mattress†¦yet she is no less than a princess. All the little boy needs is a horse and you’d be reminded of ‘the prince from a faraway land’ just as you know from the fairy tales read as a kid. Yes , this place reminds me of the magical kingdom like those of fairy tales. With many princes and princesses, god-mothers and fairies †¦.with the air imbibed in a happy tune of a beautiful symphony†¦a wonderland where you’d forget all about the worries of life and be completely a part of it once you step into it. You may wonder what I am talking about†¦.where this land from the back of beyond comes to your notice all of a sudden without your ever hearing of it before. Well you may find it weird when I disclose the name of the place and who the fairy characters I am talking about are†¦I am talking about ‘Bal Mandir’ , an orphanage where hundreds of children live. The children are looked after by ladies whom they refer to as their mothers calling them ‘mum’†¦and I call them god-mothers for with the way they look after those children not giving them a chance to feel the absence of the much needed ‘mothers-love’ , they deserve to be called nothing else but that. The place is somewhat like the way the world was before Pandora opened the box for it is full of children with glowing faces that reflect nothing but sheer happiness. The truth remains that they have had a horrible past or that they know that they have missed out a lot of things in lif e but they keep all the pain tucked inside them and have learnt to live like that. The group consists of children of all ages, shapes, sizes and family background..it even comprises of mentally slow ones and even deaf-and-dumbs yet inspite of all the differences they have learnt to accept one another exactly the way they are. They may have missed out many things in life or not gotten chances to bring out the best in them but the group consists of excellent singers , wonderful painters, prolific writers †¦ you name it , there are all sorts of talents. Not getting as much chance to become couch potatoes or net bugs has not stopped them from being sports fans or music freaks, you’ll find them singing songs by Queen or writing names like ‘Iverson’ or ‘Beckham’ at the back of their t-shirts.

Human factors in aviation accidents Essay

As a result of researches that recognized the existence of human factors in error management, the aviation industry also began to take initiatives to reformat aviation organisations. The aviation industry shifted to a more open culture that valued communication and at the same time recognized that human error will always be present but through time and more advanced studies can be reduced further (Sexton, Thomas & Helmreich, 2000). Almost all aspects have been looked into. Selection and training processes were raised to a different level. While technical skills were highly valued before, they have been found to be inadequate in dealing with safety concerns. Selection of aircrew now includes processes that determine their ability to learn from errors and to become team players. There also has been a new approach for training – not only the pilots, but the entire crew is trained. There are also a mounting number of interventions that are being tested for their effectivity to modify behavioral patterns that could injure a system’s safety. Because crew resource management (CRM) failure is implicated in most aircraft accidents, CRM training programs, which began as a part of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] program in 1979, began to be widely received by aviation organisations. Now on its 5th generation, CRM trainings for the crew have been conducted by major airlines and even the navy. The CRM training program encompasses many aspects of aviation safety such as situation awareness, task management and communication (Thomas, 2004). The 5th generation CRM programs can be viewed as a tool to effectively manage errors. CRM combats errors in three ways: obviously, the first one is the avoidance of error; the second Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 10 one is the â€Å"suppression† of the error before it happens; and third, the mitigation of the effects of the errors should it not be avoided (Helmreich, Merritt & Wilhelm, 1999). The focus of the 5th generation CRM is the normalization of errors – whether due to active or latent failures – and the development of strategies to manage these errors (Helmreich, Merritt & Wilhelm, 1999). Although CRM programs focus on human errors and its effects on aviation safety, it is never entirely a behavioral training. After all, if you recall, a â€Å"productive system† is an interaction of human and technological factors. Therefore, CRM is not to be taken as a stand-alone program. It is meant to be incorporated to technical trainings where the crew has to be adept in the operation of modern aviation technology and at the same time has to learn non-technical skills such as effective communication, coordination and teamwork. Despite the fact that intervention programs like the CRM has been introduced and conducted for crews in major and regional airlines for the two decades, the percentage of CRM failures in aviation accidents remained relatively flat (Wiegmann & Shappell, 2001). Although initial results of CRM programs have been found to be encouraging such that positive results were seen almost immediately after the conduction of the program, it was soon obvious that such results were short-lived (Taneja, 2002). What could have happened that prevented such interventions to perform as expected? Helmreich & Merritt (2000) offers an explanation – at least for CRM. First, not everybody responds to CRM training. Some may have become less accepting of CRM after the training. Although attitudes do not necessarily define behavior, it has been a well-known maxim that those who reject a concept are more likely not to follow the principles that it imparts. (Helmreich, Merritt & Wilhelm, 1999). Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 11 Culture – national, professional and organisational – is also a significant factor that determines the level of acceptance for a CRM concept (Helmreich & Merritt, 2000). When CRM was introduced to other national cultures, it soon became evident that certain CRM concepts can either be readily accepted or rejected depending on the national culture. Cultures such as China and many Latin American countries that stress the importance of absolute power and authority of their leaders will necessarily be less receptive to the idea of subordinates questioning the decisions of their leaders, than cultures that are less hierarchical (Hofstede, 1980 as cited by Helmreich, Merrit & Wilhelm, 1999). While CRM programs encourage subordinates to be more assertive in questioning their leaders, junior crew members in these cultures are quite disinclined to do this because of fear of showing disrespect. These same cultures are also collectivists who stress interdependenc and the necessity to work together for a common goal. In contrast, American and European cultures, which are highly individualistic, give more value to independence and more priority to individual goals. The value of teamwork and the need for coordination will most likely be readily accepted in the former than in the latter. There are also High Uncertainty Avoidance cultures like Greece, Korea and many Latin American countries that prefer CRM concepts already specifying required behaviors. Cultures that are low in Uncertainty Avoidance tend to be more flexible when it comes to behaviors but have difficulty adhering to standard operating procedures. Furthermore, this kind of culture, along with non-collectivist cultures are more questioning with regards to the usage of automation while High Uncertainty Avoidance and collectivist cultures accept the idea of automation usually without, or relatively less, questions. Intervention programs such as CRM should therefore not be patterned after a single national culture. From the discussion it can be seen above that autocratic cultures can also Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 12 value teamwork and interdependence than non-autocratic cultures (Helmreich, in press). Cultures exhibiting difficulty of adherence to SOPs may be more innovative when dealing with novel situations not covered by procedures. In contrast, cultures who stress strict adherence to rules may find it difficult to be more flexible in new situations. Although CRM programs require behavior modification, certain beliefs ingrained into a culture are quite difficult to modify. If CRM has to attain widespread global use, it has to design programs that are congruent to national culture and yet still enhances safety. Error management should therefore be embraced as a culture in itself. Focusing on threat and error management as goals, training programs should not aim for a total reversal of norms and beliefs but rather for a drawing out of positive behaviors without directly confronting national culture. Many professions, including aviation, have strong cultures and develop their own norms and values (Helmreich, in press). Each culture encompasses both positive and negative aspects. Aircrew for example has a high level of motivation and a strong sense of professional pride. The negative component, which is seen to be universal, is the inability to admit vulnerability to stressors. Majority of pilots in almost all national cultures agree that their decision-making abilities are not hampered by personal problems and that it is as good in emergency situations as in normal situations. Furthermore, most of these pilots have indicated that they do not make errors even while under stress. This â€Å"macho† culture, when left uncorrected, can lead to risk taking, failure to coordinate with other crew members and error. Indeed, one focus of the 5th generation CRM program is to help pilots acknowledge that human error does occur and they are more vulnerable to it if they continue to deny the existence and effect of stressors. As stated earlier, the organisational culture determines the principle of the organisation towards safety. One reason why CRM does not deliver results when it should is Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 13 the organisational context on which the program was delivered (Helmreich & Merritt, 2000). Organisations may have a highly evolved safety culture and possesses a positive outlook on safety. Such organisations will most likely benefit from CRM and other intervention strategies. Others react only to safety threats once they are looming while some organisations give perfunctory attention to safety issues without really embracing a safety culture that works towards a highly effective accident prevention program. The current process of investigating errors during accidents also contributes to the apparently limited success of intervention strategies. Most accident reporting systems are primarily technological and have been designed with little regard to human factors. Such systems are on their way to being perfected in terms of identifying mechanical failures but in itself is also a bit of a failure when it comes to assessment of human errors (Wiegmann & Shappell, 2001). An examination of an accident investigation process may help drive down the point. When an accident due to mechanical failure happens, investigators examine objective and quantifiable information such as that obtained from the flight data recorder. The data is processed and the probable causes of the accident are recorded so that safety recommendations can be identified. After the investigation, the data obtained is entered into a database which can be periodically accessed to provide feedback to investigators. The information in the database can also be used by funding organizations to determine which researches to fund. As a result, intervention strategies are further developed to prevent mechanical failure from happening or mitigate consequences once they do happen (Helmreich & Merritt, 2000). Either way, the number of accidents due to mechanical failures has been greatly reduced. Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 14 In contrast, investigations of accidents due to human errors produce results that are not tangible and are difficult to quantify. And because the studies of human factors came later than studies of mechanical failures, investigative techniques used in human error analysis are less refined than those used to assess engineering and design concerns. When these techniques are used to analyze accident data, the results are rarely very useful and safety issues cannot be readily addressed. Therefore any intervention strategy designed using this data is not assured of success. Taneja (2002) echoes this concern stating that human errors have been implicated in 70-80% of aircraft accidents demonstrating the very limited success of current intervention strategies and also proposes a solution: a holistic approach to intervention strategies. To date, most researches on human factors in aviation have focused on specific aspects of aircraft accident prevention. Sarter and Alexander (2000) have observed that current researches on human error focus mainly on three key aspects: the development of error classification schemes, the design of error-tolerant systems, and error prevention through improved design and additional training (as cited by Taneja, 2002). Because accident prevention is such a wide field of study, it is very possible that certain aspects have been missed out or overlooked. Error framework also abound as almost every human factor researcher comes up with his own error framework. With so many intervention strategies proposed by researchers and some even practiced in the industry, there have been inadequate attempts to integrate these strategies into a holistic solution. A holistic approach to intervention strategies involve looking at all the possible links to an aircraft accident in order to come up with an intervention that best fits an organisation. Basing on all the links, an organisation must assess in what area their weaknesses lie and determine if these need intervention. The intervention strategy to be used in a certain Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 15 organisation will therefore be customized according the weak links in the organisation’s system. The two links that are directly related to aviation accidents are the aircraft and the aircrew. Although accidents due to mechanical failures have been greatly reduced to advancement in technology, there needs to be constant assessment of the aircraft in general and the human factors affecting the man-machine interface in particular (Taneja, 2002). Intervention strategies that can be applied to aircrew can be divided into two broad categories: selection and training. Ever since the knowledge that human factors contribute to aviation accidents, the selection process have been amended such that the pilots are not chosen based on technical skill alone but more so on their ability to coordinate with fellow aircrew, recognize their own errors and be willing to work with others to deal with these errors. Once chosen, the pilot’s training will have a great impact on his proficiency and possibly, on his ability to avoid accidents. Possible interventions on these two main links can have a major influence on the number of accidents encountered by the organisation. The process of accident investigation, although a secondary link, should also be looked into in for possible intervention strategies. To date there is no benchmark as to the training and expertise a safety investigator must have. In order for a standardised level of investigation to be achieved, there needs to be a minimum with regards to the exposure an investigator must have. The investigative tools that the safety investigator uses could also be subject to an intervention. As discussed earlier, investigation techniques for human errors are inadequate at present and needs further researches in order the reach the level of refinement of evaluative techniques for mechanical failures. The kinds of human errors as discussed by Wiegmann and Shappell (2001) while developing HFACS, are also links that could be used to come up with more effective Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 16 intervention strategies. Furthermore, autopsy results during aircraft accidents, although unable to prevent future accidents, can be used to design intervention strategies that will make an aircraft accident more survivable. Upon carefully assessing the links just mentioned and determining the areas that need intervention, it is recognized that the success of any strategy ultimately depends on the Organisational Safety Culture (Taneja, 2002). Toft (1989) defined an organisation’s safety culture as â€Å"the set of norms, beliefs, attitudes and roles, social and technical practices that minimizes the exposure of the managers, employees and the general public to conditions considered dangerous or injurious† (as cited by Taneja, 2002). Discussed in brief earlier, the way an organisation handles errors and error management strategies depend on its safety culture. A safety conscious organisation will not treat an accident as just another unavoidable circumstance but rather will focus its efforts in preventing future accidents from happening. A careful investigation that searches for the possible factors leading to the occurrence of the accident will be performed. Ideally, an organisation with a highly effective safety culture will aim to plug the hole in the Swiss cheese model before another opportunity for a catastrophe will be created (Reason, 1990 as cited by Taneja, 2002). Even organisations that have a sound safety culture however can still be plagued by errors caused by human limitations such as fatigue, severe workloads, inadequate training, poorly-maintained equipment and errors caused by the air traffic control which would consequently affect the aircrew and the organisation. Even if the organisation has tried to remove every conceivable active and latent failure, chance errors can still take place (Heimrich & Merritt, 2000). But every organisation is bound to have a loophole. Thus, constant monitoring of all aspects in the organisation , whether directly related to safety or not, is essential. Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 17 Because errors can arise from a variety of sources, any single intervention strategy, such as the CRM must not be taken as a panacea for eliminating error. CRM is only a tool that organisations use to perform error management. All intervention strategies have its limitation – the effects it will have on an organisation depends on the national culture, the strengths and weaknesses of the professional culture, and the organisational safety culture. Furthermore, the way the people at the frontline perceive the intervention strategy will affect the outcome of such a strategy. In summary, the study of human factors affecting aircraft accidents has fostered an abundance of researches in this field. With the conception of CRM almost three decades ago, numerous error frameworks and intervention strategies have been proposed and used. Unfortunately, such a plethora of studies have not created a significant reduction on human error-related aircraft accidents. Presumably because it is still a relatively young field, the researches need more focus and the intervention strategies need more refinement. Intervention strategies have to address differences in national, professional and organisational culture. It is also important that intervention strategies be customized to a certain organisation to ensure a greater amount of success. With the continuous development and improvement of researches in this field, there will bound to be a breakthrough in time, and the success that has long been sought will finally be at hand. Human Factors in Aviation 18. References Helmreich, R. L. (in press). Culture, threat and error: Assessing system safety. In Safety in Aviation: The Management Commitment: Proceedings of a Conference. London: Royal Aeronautical Society.Retrieved October 2, 2007 from http://homepage. psy. utexas. edu/HomePage/Group/HelmreichLAB/Publications/pubfiles/Pub257. pdf. Helmreich, R. L. & Merritt, A. C. (2000). Safety and error management. The role of Crew Resource Management. In B. J. Hayward and A. R. Lowe (Eds. ), Aviation Resource Management. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. 107-119. Helmreich, R. L. Merritt, A. C. & Wilhelm, J. A. (1999). The evolution of Crew Resource Management training in commercial aviation. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9(1):19-32. Reason, J. (2000). Human error: Models and management. BMJ, 320(7237): 768-770. Sexton, J. , Thomas, E. J. & Helmreich, R. L. (2000). Error, stress and teamwork in medicine and aviation: cross sectional surveys. BMJ, 320:745-749. Taneja, N. (2002). Human factors in aircraft accidents: A holistic approach to intervention strategies. Retrieved October 1, 2007 from www. humanfactors. uiuc. edu/Reports&PapersPDFs/humfac02/tanejahf02. pdf. Thomas, M. J. W. (2004). Error management training: Defining best practice. ATSB Aviation Safety Research Grant Scheme Project 2004/0050. Retrieved October 1, 2007 from www. atsb. gov. au/publications/2004/pdf/error_management_training_best_practice. pdf. Wiegmann, D. A. & Shappell, S. A. (2003). A human error approach to aviation accident analysis. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Human Factors in Aviation Accidents 19 Wiegmann, D. A. & Shappell, S. A. (2001 February). A human error analysis of commercial aviation accidents using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System [HFACS]. Office of Aviation Medicine. Retrieved October 2, 2007 from www. hf. faa. gov/docs/508/docs/cami/0103. pdf.

Nature Ralph Walden Emerson and Henry David Thoreau Walden

SELDA PUR 2009105153 ‘NATURE’ AND ‘WALDEN’ ‘Nature’ and ‘Walden’ are two art works basically giving the similar messages to the readers. Their writers are different but one of the things which make these works similar is Henry David Thoreau is affected by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works and ideas very much. Secondly, their essays are both inspired from transcendentalism movement. Finally, their theme are both the same, they deal with mainly the idea of ‘nature’. While comparing these two essays, it is better to look at them deeper separately. Nature is an essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson and published in 1836.The importance of this work is that transcendentalism arose with this art of work. Transcendentalism is mainly a combination of reason and emotion; in a more detailed way, transcendentalism is about self-reliance. One has to look into herself/himself and turn her/his face to the nature, purity and has to be away from society, and their mind is supposed not to be full of organized believes and political theories. This movement became a leading aspect in literature with the publication of Nature; therefore, when analyzing the work ‘Nature’, the main features of transcendentalism will be encountered and understood better.In Nature, Emerson explains the relationship between man and nature. In the nature, every object is simple and sign of wisdom. In earth, as living creatures, people have pleasures and this is not only because they are human but also due to the nature. When people look at nature, they realize the perfectness, happiness of the nature. They realize the existence of God. Nature makes people realize that they are a part of God. In nature, everything is designed for humanity. People get benefits from nature. Everything in it is interconnected and they serve to people.By this perception, Emerson also implies that nature is alive, surrounding and serving to human. By his transcendentalist perception, Emerson also implies everything that human is need of is in nature, so people must look at and live the nature, they must be purified from dirtiness of the society and industry. Emerson also defines beauty in Nature. Beauty must be searched in the nature. Beauty is the pleasure of perceiving the nature. Emerson links the morality and nature because all two has extreme purity. God give people virtue and intellect. With these features, people can reach the beauty, the ruthiness of nature. Emerson sees these values as a part of nature, and man can be relieved only in nature. Nature connects people to each other. As a living aspect, nature has a language. Language is a combination of systematic symbols. Also nature has symbols in it. People use these symbols to be able to understand each other and the nature. In other words, nature provides people communication. According to Emerson, man and nature are in interconnection. They are dependent, if man beh aves nature in a good way, so the nature serves the man in a best way.Therefore, man has to follow the nature, has to take nature’s purity, its moral values. Nature is a present for man from God. Man uses nature to find his spirit, truth, morality and values. With the help of nature, man can get rid of earthly devilry. Nature is the last place of destination. Man came from the nature and will go to the nature again. Nature is a server of man. It is pure and stainless. If man can reach this purity, he can find his soul. If man gets rid of the society’s destroyed values and environment and keep the nature pure, nature will serve humanity in its best way.As mentioned above, Emerson expresses his feelings about in a reasonable way. It can be seen that Emerson used both emotion and reason in his essays, which is related to transcendentalism movement. Also, in aspect of the theme, it is obvious that Emerson focuses on the self-reliance and its relation to the nature. He deal s with the nature and man in a detailed way and connects these features to each other in a sensible way. Briefly, Emerson writes how the nature serves to man, how man use the nature to live in morality and purity. ‘Walden’ is written by Henry David Thoreau and published in 1854.This art of work is a product of a real experience and inspired by the transcendentalism movement. Not only his writing style is inspired by transcendentalism but also Thoreau applied this movement, idea in his life style and wanted to experience this idea. It can be said that transcendentalism is not only an idea for Thoreau, but it is also must be put into practice in real life and this shows his pragmatic approach. Thoreau by living in a cabin for two years near Walden Pond which is formally owned by Emerson wanted to create his own perception of society and nature.He focused on simple ways of living and self-sufficiency. He decided to direct his life in this way when he encountered Emersonâ⠂¬â„¢s works. He liked the idea, movement ‘transcendentalism’ and actually practiced it. Living with no money and alone, only with nature and understanding the society by this way was his main goal. He shared his experiences in his book Walden. He did not live in a wild environment as he mentioned also in his book, he lived near the town near a lake. He pragmatically wanted to see if living in this simplicity is really good or not.In Walden, he firstly explains his plans for this two-year life in a cabin. In this simple life, he has just food, shelter, clothes and fuel. He supplies these with the help of his friends and family. In his work, he criticizes his neighbors who dedicate their lives to working for a better living. However, he, himself, also works for building his house and growing plants. He writes everyday in this house in addition to daily routines like cleaning land, preparing and growing food. He reads many books and wishes a utopian world in which people are educated very well so the all of the people would be noble and wise.One of the aspects Thoreau argued in his book is that transcendentalism is not only an idea and it is something also that must be lived, experienced and put into life. He explains his life in this cabin within the perspective of transcendentalism. He is delighted with the beauty of nature and his basic, simple daily routines. He is delighted with not being in a rush, not being governed by money. Nature helps him to gain a more pure, clear, moral perspective and to analyze the real life by comparing it with his simple life. As a result, he criticizes the city life and its effects on the nature.Society and industry ruins the beauty and purity of the nature. For example, he is interrupted by the voices coming from trains, railway. Railway is a symbol of city life which is ruining the nature and its natural way. His being alone along these two years is beneficial according to Thoreau, because he thinks that his soli tude made him closer to the nature. He is left to his own resources in nature and the nature is the only friend of him. He has the opportunity of analyzing the nature and his desolation in the nature makes his pastoral way of life morally upright.Thoreau wanted to experience this because he wanted to escape from civilization and experience the purity of nature. He wanted to see whether or not he could live without luxury. However, what he did in Walden is also writing and reading a lot. Like Emerson does in Nature, Thoreau also talks about the goodness of nature, being solitude and being close to the nature. They both state that man need to live in purity to relief and reach the happiness and to be able to purified from the society. They both criticize the bad effects of society n nature, they both represent that society and industry ruins the purity and clarity of the nature. They both criticize the materialist way of living. However, in Walden it can be seen that Thoreau tries to find a way to connect civilization and nature in a pure concept. The main difference between Emerson and Thoreau is that Thoreau is pragmatics in his belief of ‘transcendentalism’. Emerson supports this idea but does not put into action. Also, while Thoreau explains transcendentalism on the basis of his real experiences, Emerson explains it only in a theoretical way.Therefore, while Emerson only talks about the nature’s purity and society’s devilry, Thoreau also tries to find a middle course between nature and society to some point. This can be because Thoreau is more realistic and he does critics on the basis of his own experiences. Emerson and Thoreau criticized the society and industry in the same way. They both state that it ruins the nature. They both state that desolation provides people to be closer with the nature and to analyze the nature and society.Desolation makes people understand that they are a part of the nature and the nature gives its pur ity to people and people must not pollute this purity by society and industry. They both use emotion and reasoning in their writings and explain things in a sensible way. However, their style is different. While Thoreau uses a more complicated language which is full of metaphors, paradoxes, sarcasm, irony, oxymoron, Emerson uses a more simple language and Emerson becomes more understandable and ‘Nature’ becomes easier to read when compared to ‘Walden’.Another point that must be assessed while comparing these art works must be that while Emerson puts forth the movement transcendentalism himself, Thoreau is the one who is inspired by this transcendentalism philosophy. It can be observed that by trying to look into deeper the idea of transcendentalism, Thoreau reflects the idea in a more realistic way. This is also because of the Thoreau’s pragmatic approach to the idea. Both these works have similarities more than differences, because the writers both have the same desire, they both criticize the materialism but supports the idea ‘transcendentalism’.

Betha Mason (Character from Jane Eyre) essays

Betha Mason (Character from Jane Eyre) essays Bertha Mason, though a minor character in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre, played a pivotal role in the love story between Jane and Rochester. Bertha remains mysterious throughout the first half of the novel and, the times that she appears, the cryptic actions reveal her state of mind. She is the impediment to Jane and Rochesters impending marriage and her actions later lead the two to reconcile. Bertha was a mentally impaired woman. Her motives and the causes for her behavior are unclear, besides the obvious jealousy towards Jane and the betrayal she must have felt by Rochester. Without the nuisance of her character, Jane Eyre would have been a flawless love story, but in life everything is not always perfect and neither is Bertha Mason. Berthas character only appears once Jane moves to Thornfield. She is never seen, only heard. One night, as Jane lay awake, she heard a demoniac laugh(168) and as she rose to investigate she found Rochesters bedroom on fire. Jane thinks it is Grace Poole, the woman that appears to be crazy, who is the culprit of such an insane act; but in reality it is the woman whom is under her secret care, Bertha Mason to blame. What motivates a person to do such a terrible act? Betrayal. Bertha Mason felt betrayed by Rochester. Rochester was her husband from an arranged marriage. Upon discovering her mental condition, he took her out of Jamaica where she was born and forced her to live in England at Thornfield under the care of Grace Poole so that no one would know of their marriage. She felt unloved and was angered that Rochester was able to just leave her at Thornfield and just move on with his life as if she had never existed. Bertha wasnt going to go quietly, she made sure she was heard . That Bertha was violent is evident when she attacked her brother Richard Mason who had come to visit her late one night. He recalled to Doctor Carter, She bit me,...

Personality and Memory essays

Personality and Memory essays What constitutes a human is not simply given. It is also created by us. (Kennan Malik) The memory affects our personality because our memory, the mental capability of recalling past experiences (www.dictionary.com), forms from our environment, which causes our traits and behavior to develop or alter, thus, affecting our personality. Personality is the sum of the patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are characteristics of a person. However when describing someones personality they are often referring to the difference of the level of traits we have. We all have the same traits; the only difference is that each of us has a different level of each trait. (Pervin, Lawrence A.) An example would be that if two children, Jack and Jill, were playing with a toy and you took the toy away. Jack might start to yell and cry and Jill might just make a mean face, grab another toy, and start to play with it. Jack would have shown high levels of aggressiveness, and Jill would have shown low levels of aggressiveness, even though both traits were apparent. Although everyone has a unique personality, we all have the same traits, just different levels of each. The environment and hereditary means are mainly the two factors that contribute to developing a persons personality. (Pervin, Lawrence A.) The environment consists of people, experiences, situations and places. A change in personality can be a cause of a physical or mental problem such as dementias associated with Alzheimer's, AIDS, strokes, a brain tumor or head injury, alcohol or drug abuse, adverse effects of medications or, depression, a traumatic event, and other stress related issues. (uihealthcare.com/topics/symptoms/symp3223.html) The personality is the way we behave, think and feel because of the different levels of traits that have been acquired through the environment or through hereditary means. ...

Character Analysis of Cassio and Roderigo from Othello

Character Analysis of Cassio and Roderigo from 'Othello' Othello is one of William Shakespeares most acclaimed tragedies. The story of a Moorish general (Othello) and the soldier (Iago) who plots to usurp him, the play features a small cast of characters who are manipulated and pitted against each other as part of Iagos deceitful plan. Two of the key characters are Cassio, Othellos loyal captain, and Roderigo, a man who is love with Othellos wife, Desdemona. Over the course of the play, both are lured into the complex love plot engineered by Iago, one of Shakespeares  best-written villains. Cassio Cassio is described as Othellos honourable lieutenant, and he is given this rank over Iago. The appointment, undeserved in Iago’s eyes, justifies the villain’s cruel revenge against him: One Michael Cassio, a Florentine†¦ / That never set a squadron in the field / Nor the division of a battle knows.(Iago, Act I Scene 1) We know that Cassio is of good standing due to Desdemona’s passionate defense of him. However, Othello is easily turned against him by Iago. In Act II, Cassio foolishly allows himself to be encouraged to go for a drink when he has already acknowledged it to be the wrong thing to do. â€Å"Come lieutenant. I have a stoup of wine, Iago says (Act II Scene 3). I’ll do’t but it dislikes me, Cassio replies. Once the captain becomes drunk, he is drawn into a brawl and attacks Montano, a former Cypriot official, badly wounding him. The attack is an embarrassment to Othello, who is forced to act quickly to appease the Cypriot officials. The Moorish general sacks Cassio on the spot: Cassio I love thee, but never more be officer of mine.(Othello, Act II Scene 3) Othello is justified in this, as one of his men has injured an ally; nevertheless, the scene demonstrates Othello’s impulsivity and his righteousness. In his desperation, Cassio falls into Iago’s trap once more as he implores Desdemona to help him win his job back. His office is the most important thing to him, so much so that he neglects his relationship with Bianca while he is trying to get it back. At the end of the play, Cassio is injured but redeemed. His name is cleared by Emilia and as Othello is stripped of his duties, we are told that Cassio now rules in Cyprus. As the new leader, he is given the responsibility of dealing with Othellos fate: To you Lord Governor, / Remains the censure of this hellish villain. / The time, the place, the torture O enforce it!(Lodovico, Act V Scene 2) As a result, the audience is left to ponder whether Cassio will be cruel to Othello or forgiving. Roderigo Roderigo is Iago’s dupe, his fool. In love with Desdemona and prepared to do anything to get her, Roderigo is easily manipulated by the evil Iago. Roderigo does not feel any loyalty towards  Othello, who he believes has stolen his love from him. It is Roderigo, under the guidance of Iago, who goads Cassio into the fight that gets him dismissed from the army. Roderigo escapes from the scene undetected. Iago tricks him into giving him money to convince Desdemona to be with him and then encourages him to kill Cassio. In Act IV, Roderigo finally gets wise to Iagos manipulation of him, declaring that Everyday thou daff’st me with some device (Act IV Scene II). Nevertheless, he is again convinced by the villain to follow through with the plan to kill Cassio, despite his misgiving. I have no great devotion to the deed, Roderigo says. And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons. / Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies (Act V Scene 1). In the end, Roderigo is stabbed his only friend, Iago,  who does not want him to reveal his secret plot. However, Roderigo finally outsmarts him by quickly writing a letter which he places in his pocket, pointing to Iago’s involvement in the plot and his guilt. Although he ultimately dies, he is in some part redeemed by his letters: Now here’s another discontented paper / Found in his pocket too. And this it seems / Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain, / But that, belike, Iago in the interim / Came in and satisfied him. (Lodovico, Act V Scene 2)

Does Government secure or inhibit liberty Essay

Does Government secure or inhibit liberty - Essay Example Liberty looks at the right of the mother who exercised her right to abortion but did not take into consideration the baby’s right to life. The utilitarian approach looks at non-abortion as not being cost-effective on the part of the State and taxpayers in general, by the provision of health care and being wards of the State, respectively for the mother and would be child. Richard Garlikov, in his article â€Å"the Abortion Debate† stated that â€Å"Many states allow abortion in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life or health of the pregnant woman. Normally no rationale is given for that because, apparently many people think none is needed or that the rationales are obvious.   I prefer to spell out the rationales in those cases, however, because I think they are important to understand in their own right, and because I think they also have consequences for other cases†. In 1973 the Roe v. Wade decision proved this by recognizing abortion as a fundamental constitutional right and made it legal in all states. The law now permits abortion at the request of the women without any restrictions in the first trimester and some restrictions in the second trimester to protect women's health. ... How can we allow people the right to do everything that leads to contraception, but not allow abortion? Accidents do happen. Most cases of abortions are due to unplanned pregnancies. In the case of rape, women most likely do not want the child. Banning abortion would force these women to live with burden of an unwanted child. Even if one were to pose the argument that the child could be put up for adoption, there is still the state of mind of the mother to consider. The mother will most likely live with a guilty conscious and the memory of bearing a bastard child. Simply, because she was denied the liberty of ridding herself of an unborn entity. Also, in exploring cases of teenagers, young adults are now having sex with no serious thinking into the consequences of them becoming pregnant. Denying her the right to abortion the child's life may inexplicably ruin her future. She    most likely will have a traumatic pregnancy simply because she is too young to have a rational notion of parenthood as well as the possibility of her not having a higher education. Women should have the right to their bodies, and they should have a choice whether or not to have an abortion. Garlikov also posited that â€Å"each embryo is a particular individual that has the potential to become, in a relatively short time, a particular person. Conception is a rather miraculous, complex event and it seems that, at the very least, unnecessary, unjustified abortion is in some sense insensitively wasteful, and unappreciative of the event and of the value of each particular individual character that is already, by virtue of conception, partly along the path to becoming a particular person. Life, because it can be good, is not

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Statistical techniques for investment, finance or economic problems - Essay Example Five years later, defaults began kicking in as more homeowners were unable to refinance their loans or sell their depreciating homes, gradually snowballing into hedge fund suspensions and massive write-downs. The following year the snowball accelerated into an avalanche, effecting the closure or sell-out of financial stalwarts Bear Stearns, IndyMac Bancorp, Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers. The two largest mortgage finance companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, needed a bail-out by the Bush administration; not long after insurance giant American International Group (AIG) followed suit. With the advent of the new administration, one of President Obama’s first official acts was to sign into law a $700 billion bailout in what is called the Troubled Assets Recovery Program (TARP) (Amadeo, 2009). The crisis spawned a credit crunch, prompting a substantial infusion of capital into the global financial markets by the United States Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, and the European Central Bank (Elliott, 2008). Financial institutions and intermediaries throughout the United States and Europe were thus severely affected in the contagion. On the other hand, the Asian financial markets have exhibited remarkable resilience to the crisis that has engulfed the US and Europe. China can count on its over US$ 100 billion inflows from 2003 to 2007 (Rodman, 2009). India may be somewhat more affected, with some expected possible impact on credit availability. (Rediff India Abroad, 2008) However, there is still a chance that China and India may succumb, albeit belatedly and less severely, to the effects of the financial debacle. These countries were the largest contributors to reductions in global poverty in the last two decades, as confirmed by several academic studies. However, they are now in danger of reduced economic growth, with a slowdown or even reversal in the poverty alleviation efforts. (Bajoria, 2008) With this

Benefits and strategies of Internet marketing proposal Research Paper

Benefits and strategies of Internet marketing proposal - Research Paper Example The proposal also aims at identifying the way of making business productive and marketable using the internet. The proposal also aims to explain how effective internet marketing can help in promoting business beyond borders at low cost. In regards to internet marketing, the proposal also explains how other social media applications can be of help in promoting and doing business all over the world without necessarily moving from one place to another. The proposal furthermore defines ways on how globalization has made business easy due to rapid development in technology. World technology through Wide Area Applications (WAP), has promoted invention of business platform such as e-commerce that focuses on the business electronically through mobile phones, computers and even computerized devices such as Bluetooth. According to Silverstein (2000), Internet marketing refers to the sale of commodities through web and email with the aim of driving valid and productive buyers. In addition to selling and buying of products, websites and emails enable online advertising of the same goods and services typically in conjunction with old methods like television, radio, magazines, and newspapers. According to Kotler & Armstrong (2012), most of the companies and organizations always think selling and buying of goods online is the only way to make wider market in regards to business success. Many are frightened to venture into online marketing since they fear they might lose lifetime savings besides turning off potential clients. Many fail to realize that selling and buying online is the same as doing one-on-one service with valid customer in daily life situation. Online marketing entails winning trust and confidence of respective clients or customers in regards to particular service or good you wish to offer. The target market will, therefore, depend on the type of service, or a good one offers into the immediate market. This will enable potential and valid

Analyzing of Organs for Sale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Cultural Criticism of My Dad Is A Liar Commercial Essay

Cultural Criticism of My Dad Is A Liar Commercial - Essay Example In the first section of the commercial the girl is praising her father. It starts by her acknowledging that her father is the sweetest father in the world. She continues praising him and the scene changes from the street where they were taking a walk to a different scene and it keeps on changing to support each description that she gives about her father. The commercial in this case is using video to paint and support the girl’s descriptions of the father. This makes the message more vivid and straightforward to the viewers. The girl’s short phrases and childish tone brings about a cheery mood. This mood is backed up by lively background music. This is to make the commercial tone vibrant.The second part of the commercial introduces contrast into the commercial. While the first part of the commercial was vibrant and full of praises for the father, the second part begins by the girl declaring that the father is a liar. This is a contradicting statement to all that was sai d in the first part and it introduces shock. The tone in this section drastically changes from a vibrant tone to an emotional and sentimental one. This new tone and mood can be noted from the change in background music. The emotional and sentimental moods can also be seen from the change in voice variation of the girl; she speaks quietly and slowly in this section. Film has also been used to enhance these new tones. The facial expression of the father changes after he reads the statement declaring that he is a liar.

Marks & Spencer plc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marks & Spencer plc - Research Paper Example The model starts on the premise that an organization is not just Structure, but consists of seven elements: Those seven elements are distinguished in so called hard S's and soft S's. The hard elements (green circles) are feasible and easy to identify. They can be found in strategy statements, corporate plans, organizational charts and other documentations. The four soft S's however, are hardly feasible. They are difficult to describe since capabilities, values and elements of corporate culture are continuously developing and changing. They are highly determined by the people at work in the organization. Therefore it is much more difficult to plan or to influence the characteristics of the soft elements. Although the soft factors are below the surface, they can have a great impact of the hard Structures, Strategies and Systems of the organization. Description(Waterman, R. Jr., Peters, T. and Phillips, J.R. "Structure Is Not Organisation" in Business Horizons, 23,3 June 1980. 14-26.) The Hard S's Strategy Actions a company plans in response to or anticipation of changes in its external environment. Structure Basis for specialization and co-ordination influenced primarily by strategy and by organization size and diversity. Systems Formal and informal procedures that support the strategy and structure. (Systems are more powerful than they are given credit) The Soft S's Style / Culture The culture of the organization, consisting of two components: Organizational Culture: the dominant values and beliefs, and norms, which develop over time and become relatively enduring features of organizational life. Management Style:... The 7-S-Model is better known as McKinsey 7-S. This is because the two persons who developed this model, Tom Peters, and Robert Waterman, have been consultants at McKinsey & Co at that time. They published their 7-S-Model in their article â€Å"Structure Is Not Organization† (1980) and in their books â€Å"The Art of Japanese Management† (1981) and â€Å"In Search of Excellence† (1982).Those seven elements are distinguished in so called hard S’s and soft S’s. The hard elements (green circles) are feasible and easy to identify. They can be found in strategy statements, corporate plans, organizational charts and other documentations.The four soft S’s however, are hardly feasible. They are difficult to describe since capabilities, values, and elements of corporate culture are continuously developing and changing. They are highly determined by the people at work in the organization. Therefore it is much more difficult to plan or to influence the characteristics of the soft elements. Although the soft factors are below the surface, they can have a great impact on the hard Structures, Strategies, and Systems of the organization.Effective organizations achieve a fit between these seven elements. This criterion is the origin of the other name of the model: Diagnostic Model for Organizational Effectiveness. In change processes, many organizations focus their efforts on the hard S’s, Strategy, Structure, and Systems. They care less for the soft S’s, Skills, Staff, Style and Shared Values.

Cultural Criticism of My Dad Is A Liar Commercial Essay

Cultural Criticism of My Dad Is A Liar Commercial - Essay Example In the first section of the commercial the girl is praising her father. It starts by her acknowledging that her father is the sweetest father in the world. She continues praising him and the scene changes from the street where they were taking a walk to a different scene and it keeps on changing to support each description that she gives about her father. The commercial in this case is using video to paint and support the girl’s descriptions of the father. This makes the message more vivid and straightforward to the viewers. The girl’s short phrases and childish tone brings about a cheery mood. This mood is backed up by lively background music. This is to make the commercial tone vibrant.The second part of the commercial introduces contrast into the commercial. While the first part of the commercial was vibrant and full of praises for the father, the second part begins by the girl declaring that the father is a liar. This is a contradicting statement to all that was sai d in the first part and it introduces shock. The tone in this section drastically changes from a vibrant tone to an emotional and sentimental one. This new tone and mood can be noted from the change in background music. The emotional and sentimental moods can also be seen from the change in voice variation of the girl; she speaks quietly and slowly in this section. Film has also been used to enhance these new tones. The facial expression of the father changes after he reads the statement declaring that he is a liar.

Teamwork and Motivation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Teamwork and Motivation - Research Paper Example Leaders work to enhance the internal force in employees that eventually manifests itself in all the above sectors of the organization. Motivational theories are sometimes used as tools to measure the manifestations of motivation efforts in workplaces. Consequently, an effective motivation plan is essential towards the success of any organization in relation to the dynamism in the market and the ever-growing competition. The WooWoo manufacturing company requires an effective motivation plan that would encourage high job satisfaction, low turnover, high productivity and high quality of work within the organization. This plan should bring together more that self-interest to all employees to attain success. Moreover, the motivation should also improve the relationships among all staff in this small organization to ensure both individual and group strengths. The organization’s motivation design contains several components namely organizational structure and culture, intangible rewa rds, communication, and trust among all employees and the management. The combination of all these components would result to success in the establishment and implementation of the motivation plan. Many organizations today implement the horizontal structure that incorporates transparency and open environment for employees. This clears communication and results to efficiency in allocation and completion of assigned tasks and projects. This form of openness motivates the employees and inspires loyalty to leaders. The employees work as a team in accomplishing the mission and organizational objectives with ease (Bruce, 2006). The horizontal structure helps in eliminating the mental barriers and employee-management myths. A motivation plan with this component boosts employees’ motivation leading to improved loyalty and minimal employee turnover. Intangible rewards are part of the motivation plan and entails looking beyond the monetary compensations. Intangible rewards help in achi eving employees’ confidence in their jobs. This is done through the creation of a platform that helps them to grow on their careers and develop to their next level. They include clear job descriptions that create a conducive environment for assuming an employee’s responsibilities (Bruce, 2006). Receiving career development support, being well informed on the affairs of the organization and just compensation are part of intangible rewards that boost the performances through high job satisfaction with respect to employees. Communication is a crucial part of any organization because it determines the efficiency of all operations, completion of assigned tasks and projects. Keeping the employees updated on all issues, rewards, promotions and change of command avoids negative reactions towards changes. Communication also entails feedback that ensures a message was received and any forms of instructions were followed (Lauby, 2005). Passing on information regarding an individu al’s personal achievements and expectations boosts the workplace relationships thus motivating them to improve their performances. Effective communication motivates employees towards high productivity through passing on the requirements of any task and giving the necessary feedback on the progress and completion. The management should build on trust to ensure they trust the employees and are trusted. Trust entails keeping of promises, upholding integrity and fairness in the workplace. Trust

The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst Essay Example for Free

The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst Essay Gaining from the ameliorate of ones disability, makes a person seem self-centered or conceited. The Scarlet Ibis, a short story by James Hurst tells the story of two brothers. Brother tells the story of his actions that contribute to his younger brothers death. Brothers pride is the main reason for Doodles yearly passing. This idea of pride, is a central theme in the story. Pride, a feeling of importance, merit, or superiority, can cause both positive and negative consequences. Moral integrity will destroy the career that took so long to build up. Brothers shame and embarrassment are forces that gave life to Doodle. Because Brother is ashamed of Doodles disability Brother tries to fix Doodle so that he can be pride of his brother. For example, when Brother learns that Doodle will not be able to walk, Brothers pride causes him to teach Doodle to walk. When Doodle said he could not walk, Brother replied, â€Å"Shut up. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to teach you to walk† (Hurst 346-347). Brother teaches Doodle to walk simply because he is embarrassed by his disabled brother. In fact Brother admits, â€Å"All of us must have something to be proud of† (347). Although Brothers reasons are selfish, Doodle is provided with a better life because of Brothers selfish actions. In addition, because Brother is so successful in teaching Doodle to walk, Brother feels even more pride in his accomplishments. Doodle explains, â€Å"I began to believe in my own infallibility† (349). Brother decided to teach Doodle to run, row, swim and climb trees. Certainly, if Doodle were capable of such things; running, rowing, swimming it would give Doodle a richer, fuller life. The same pride that gives Doodle life however, also steals his life. When the brothers go off to Horsehead Landing for a swimming lesson, a storm disrupts their plans. To escape the rain the brothers quickly head for home. Once Doodle slips and falls, Brother recongnizes that Doodle would always be different. Brother thinks, â€Å"He had failed and we both knew it. He would never be like the other boys at school† (352) The idea that Doodle is different continues to shame Brother. In fact, Brother is so ashamed that his actions cause suffering for Doodle. Brother abandons Doodle. Brother remembers, â€Å"The knowledge that Doodle’s and my plans had come to nothing was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me awakened. I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us† (353). At this point, Brothers pride is excessive and causes him to abandons his younger brother. When Brother finally went back he discovered his brother dead. â€Å"He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained a brilliant red† (354). Brother pushes Doodle too far this time. His actions were helpful before where they were encouraging Doodle to have a better life, later they become so excessive Brothers pride pushes Doodle far beyond his capabilities. Brother pushes Doodle to the point that was not in his best interest. His pride causes destruction of his brothers life. A society cannot long exist without this sense of trust in each other, without some standards of truth. Lance Armstrong, a well-know cyclist and Tour de France seven time winner, was using illegal Performance Enhancing Drugs all while claiming honesty and integrity. Millions of fans putting their trust into him, having Armstrong play them like fools. Many children looked up to such an admirable athlete, showing them cheating to win is okay; then repeatedly lying about the actions Armstrong created. Moral integrity is beliefs regarding appropriate behavior in the right conduct. Lance Armstrong moral integrity is ruined. Armstrong thought it was morally acceptable to take Performance Enhancing Drugs while competing in the most prestigious cycling race. Lance Armstrong’s moral integrity ruined his career and also how people see him. Pride can be both a positive and negative force. Brother recognized this duality when he said, â€Å"Pride is a wonderful terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death† (347). Throughout the short story Brother stresses the duality, or the two sides of pride. It could of pushed Brother to do achieve greatness, but it became destructive when his obsession with helping Doodle pushed him to his early death. To have the public eye always watching Armstrong’s life, he should have know his behavior created a horrible moral integrity as a wellrespected celebrity.

The Minimum Wage and Social Security are Bad for America :: Minimum Wage Essays

"A close examination of America's unemployment rates suggests that minimum wage laws deserve a big share of the blame. Businesses are not charities, they only create jobs when they think a worker will generate net revenue. Higher minimum wages are especially destructive for people with poor work skills and limited work experience." -- Dan Mitchell, senior fellow, Cato Institute. In Henry Hazlitt’s book Economics in One Lesson, he explains some basic differences in which a good economist is separated from a bad economist. Hazlitt conveys that, â€Å"the art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups† (Hazlitt, 2)1. Hazlitt’s theory that the â€Å"bad† economist looks only at the immediate impact of an act or policy and does not evaluate how it effects all groups in the long run, goes hand in hand with the law of unintended consequences. The law of unintended consequences can be described as, â€Å"actions of people, and especially government, always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended† (Norton).2 In other words when the short run effects on one specific group is all that is taken into consideration, down the road consequences that can affect other g roups will arise. One thing is for certain; unintended consequences come forward in the long run in all facets of the economy. In many ways economics is a balancing act, and with any policy or act somewhere down the road consequences will show themselves that were not necessarily intended from the get go. One economic policy that proves to show unintended consequences over time is the raising of minimum wages in the workforce. The immediate impact that takes place in some economist’s eyes is the fact more money is being placed in the pockets or lower income struggling households. However, looking at it this way causes the unintended consequences to be overlooked. Furthermore, in the long run a large hike in minimum wage would actually cut jobs, thus putting those looking to benefit from a higher hourly wage out of work. As explained here, â€Å"Duke researchers have found that after an increase in the minimum wage, the least skilled 3 employees are crowded out of their jobs as better educated teenagers are drawn into the work force† (McDonald).4 Now the same employees and families who were targeted to benefit from a minimum wage increase our now suffering.

EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY Essay -- essays research papers fc

OUTLINE Thesis statement: In this research, I will investigate the basic concepts of the Egyptian mythology and its gods. I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mythology A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Definition B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Egyptian Creation Myths  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heliopolitan Tradition B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hermoplitan Ogdoad C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Memphite Theology III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Worshipping A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beliefs B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rituals C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Temples IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gods and Goddesses  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Good B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evil C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Responsibilities V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion EGYPTIAN GODS AND GODDESSES   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Egypt is one of the oldest and most complex civilizations of the world. Their religion and beliefs are fascinating and have been a mystery for centuries. Even today, there are some things that we still do not understand. In this research, I will investigate the basic concepts of Egyptian mythology and its gods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mythology is defined as a collection of interrelated stories of a given culture. Myths are intended to explain and describe the mysteries of nature and give understanding about the world that surrounds us. Each culture has their own mythology that reflects their values and beliefs. Myths were also generated to tell the story of the first people to inhabit the earth. The Egyptian mythology elevated these people to the level of Gods and Goddesses by giving them supernatural and special powers. These myths of creation were passed from one generation to the next, either orally or by hieroglyphs painted in sacred temples, pyramids, and sanctuaries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ancient Egyptians tried to understand their place in the universe. This is why their mythology is centered on nature such as the earth, sky, moon, sun, stars, and the Nile River. There are many Egyptian myths of creation, but the Heliopolitan Tradition, Hermopolitan Ogdoad, and the Memphite Theology are the most commonly used. They all have some common elements and gods. For example, many of t... ... was allowed to pass through the gates of Yaru and into the after-life, but if the heart weighed more than the feather, the heart was consumed by the devourer to be gone forever.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, Ancient Egypt has a very complex religion and beliefs that would be considered bizarre in many parts of the world. They believed in many gods, some took part in the creation of the universe. Others brought the flood every year, offered protection and took care of people after they died. The ancient Egyptians thought that it was important to recognize and worship the gods because they represented the peace and harmony across the land. BIBLIOGRAPHY â€Å"Egypt.† Encyclopeadia Brittanica: Macropedia. 1980 ed. â€Å"Egyptian Gods by Function.† Concordence: Egyptian Gods. Online. Internet. 18 Feb. hhhhh2004. â€Å"Egyptian Mythology.† Gods of Ancient Egypt. Online. Internet. 12 Feb. 2004. Mercatante, Anthony S. Who’s who in Egyptian Mythology. Canada: General hhhhhPublishing, 1978. â€Å"Mythology.† Encyclopaedia Brittanica: Macropedia. 1980 ed. Vercoutter, Jean. The Search for Ancient Egypt. New York: Times Mirror Company, hhhhh1992.

Realism and television Essay

Question : Discuss realism by considering a television program that has realistic qualities. In your discussion specifically refer to Chapter 14 of the textbook, ‘Documentary and â€Å"reality TV†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ, by Branston and Stafford (2006). Realism plays an important role in the success of a good television program. The ability to relate and appeal to the senses of the target audience is an essential characteristic of any media form. This essay explores how realism is perceived in television today with reference to both reality and documentary genres of television. The remainder of the essay will present a case study of a television program which demonstrates realistic qualities. What is Realism? It has been argued that we are living in a ‘postdocumentary’ culture, a time of talk shows, reality t. v, game shows and the persuasion of celebrity (Branston, Stafford 2006: 455). When we refer to ‘realism’ within the context of television it conjures up a multitude of meanings. For example, realism may indicate that the program is ‘realistic’ because of the subject matter, like that of a documentary. Moreover, a television program could be considered ‘realistic’ because it features. Unscripted ordinary people in contrived situations, like Big Brother. One thing is certain, realism, or the illusion of realism, is very prevalent in television today. Reality tv? Distorted Realism†¦ Flick on the television during peak times on a week night and it’s pretty difficult to avoid reality television. From home makeovers to celebrity fit clubs, the popularity with ‘so called’ reality television is astounding. But is reality tv just another highly produced product of the culture industry? More often that not, these reality programs are highly constructed to attract viewers. As Andrejevic. questions, â€Å"Why is Reality tv pretending that it’s real, so that we may cannily believe it’s phony, when it accurately portrays the reality of contrivance in contemporary society? â€Å"(Andrejevic 2004). These programs are clearly not an accurate representation of how most people live. It seems the message of reality television is that ordinary people can become so significant that millions of people will watch them, and as a result, ordinary people are considered potential media stars. Ordinary people watch these programs, see people like themselves and imagine that they too could become celebrities by being on television (Reiss 2001). This is evident by the large number of reality tv stars that have gone on to have careers in the media. For example, Elizabeth Hassleback from the first series of the reality tv program Survivor is now a co-host of the popular talk show in the US â€Å"The View†. ‘Reality tv’, definitely has it’s fair share of critics. It has been blamed of damaging our youth’s perception of what reality truly means, even going to the extent of accusing it of being and abusive and exploitative of children in shows like, ‘Wifeswap’ and ‘Trading Spouses’ (Schlessinger 2004). The perception of what is fact and fiction in regards to television is no longer a clear margin (Study guide 9:5). Semiotic codes (study of signs) in television represent a kind of ‘language’, and we all learn how to decode these signs and symbols in to explain what we see (Herrman, 2000). With any luck, the viewers of these reality programs can distinguish what is true reality and not when they are watching these programs. Documentaries – The Art of Performing Just like news, documentaries are recognized as reproducing the truthful version of the story to the audience. With the popularity of the reality tv culture it has been argued that these types of shows have tainted the significance of documentaries (Branston, Stafford 2006:. 455). Documentaries have the ability to showcase complex subject matter with an accurate and credible approach. It has been argued that a documentary is a â€Å"performative act whose truth comes into being only at the moment of filming†(Bruzzi 2000:6). Moreover, documentaries portray a ‘real’ perspective according to the film maker themselves, just as reality tv, documentaries are constructed to a certain extent. In other words, the audience assumes the point of view from where the camera shooting. Branston and Stafford suggest in the example of Micheal Moore’s documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 where there were key issues that were not mentioned like the role of Israel, which in effect, persuades the audience in a certain position (Branston, Stafford 2006: 469). Of all the genres of television, documentaries still continue do the finest duty of relaying an accurate interpretation of ‘real-world’ issues with minimal construction. Case Study: â€Å"Intervention†(Mondays 9. 30am, Channel 115, Foxtel). The television program which I have chosen to critique in relation to it’s realistic qualities is ‘Intervention’. It’s a powerful and transfixing US-based series in which people confront their addiction and seek a route to recovery. The series profiles individuals whose dependency on drugs, alcohol or other compulsive behavior has brought them to an all-time low and estranged them from their family and loved ones. The addicts featured in the series believe they have signed up to participate in a documentary on ‘addiction’. Each episode begins with a brief introduction to the subject, and then he or she is followed around by a camera crew. The program ends with a surprise intervention that is staged in which they are confronted with a life-altering choice: rehabilitation or risk losing all contact with the loved ones who instigated the intervention. Often, other tactics are used to persuade the addicted person into treatment, which vary depending on the situation. Interviews with the subject, as well as family members or friends who have agreed to participate, are interspersed throughout. The Intervention falls under the reality tv genre of television and can be described as an ‘information programme’, as it uses true stories to educate the audience on the subject matter (Branston, Stafford 2006:474). The show has more the feel of a documentary than a reality TV program, although predominately factual there a certain aspects of the program that are clearly constructed. The producers and creators of the program make the rules, they create the setting, they film it according to specific guidelines as to what they think are going to provide good television. So Why Is ‘Intervention’ So Realistic? There are a number of characteristics that this television program possesses which contributes in creating a sense of realism for the viewer: 1). Subject Matter ‘Intervention’ is the dramatic and disturbing insight into the day in the life of an addict that features graphic footage of addicts shooting up on television has prompted some controversy. â€Å"It makes prime-time sport of vulnerable, desperate people and their spiral to the bottom,† wrote Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe. All though it’s ugly to watch, unfortunately the reality of addiction and the dysfunction it creates is very real for many families. Most viewers would know someone who it has been impacted by the power of addiction. According to Addictionintervention. com, the interventions that are staged on the series represent a realistic and account of what actually takes place during a professional intervention. http://www. addictionintervention. com/intervention/interventiontv_response. asp 2) Drama-documentary ‘Intervention’ series utilizes a ‘drama-documentary’ style which combines elements of documentary and drama (Branston, Stafftord 2006:456). This hybrid genre produces a very authentic sense of reality for the viewer, absent are the contrivances of most reality shows. Moreover, the participants of the show are ordinary people with real addictions, there are no million dollar prizes, no mansions, no bachelors, or games. According to the series, millions of people struggle with addiction, so the subject matter is a very real problem existing in society. There are no actors or re enactments, these are ‘real’ people going about their life. ‘Intervention’ demonstrates the characteristics of a documentary by presenting the strict facts of the event but also the program has the ability to raise the larger issues associated with addiction, such as family disintegration. Unfortunately the stories that are told are true, it’s something that we would like to believe does not exist in this world, but we all know that it does. 3) Camera Angles The series is shot in a documentary-style, which makes it less refined and more credible (Branston, Stafford 2006:458). The participants bring an honesty and rawness to the show that supersedes the blatant expectations that are all too common to reality programming. The unrehearsed reaction to the intervention from the addict is completely unpredictable. Sometimes the addict agrees to the treatment but more often than not the addict runs away, so without warning the production crew are unexpectedly running down the street. The scrabbling footage adds to the authenticity and legitimacy of the program (Branston, Stafford 2006: 458). 4) Unscripted Narratives ‘Intervention† does not use a narrator, instead, the subject and his loved ones tell the story, with occasional text commentary, which contributes to the realism. The leading characters of the program are ‘ordinary’ people from working class backgrounds, which is very relatable to a broad audience (Branston, Stafford 2006:460). The unscripted narratives between the addicts and their families generate a sense of normalcy, quite often they have to bleep out language when arguments get heated. The music is very limited in the program, there is some intense music just before the intervention which makes for an element of drama. 5) Format The ‘Intervention’ series, has the identical structure in each program. The first half hour profiles the individual, the next 20 minutes focuses on the intervention itself, the last 10 minutes focuses on the follow-up of the individual. There is no set, no staging, the program is filmed on location, meaning where ever the individual lives. The program is filmed in the home of the individual and the intervention, usually takes place at a nearby hotel. The fact that the program could be filmed anywhere is a factor in producing a sense of realism. 5) Not Always a Happy Ending The ‘Intervention’ program does not always have a happy ending, which contributes in creating a sense of honesty for the audience. In a recent episode of ‘Intervention’, the featured addict did agree to go to a rehabilitation facility but was kicked out not long after for breaking the rules. Unfortunately he went back to living on the streets and still struggling with his drug addiction and still estranged from his family (Intervention, aired 20/4/2007, 10pm,A&E channel). This program reiterates that sometimes real life is not pretty, and some situations cannot be resolved in a 60 minute episode. Although the ‘Intervention’ program is a cutting edge and controversial, the fact of the matter is, addiction is a very real issue in today’s society. According to the National Drug Strategy, the tangible social costs of drug use in Australia were estimated to be $18. 3 billion from in 1998-99. With these statistics like this, addiction should be a matter certainly worthy of attention. (http://www. aihw. gov. au/publications/phe/sdua04/sdua04. pdf) In conclusion, it’s apparent that there are still some programs on television that are able to give a ‘realistic’ insight into certain subject matters. After all, the television is our interaction with the outside world, media should continue to focus attention on these social problems to generate awareness and education with this type of programming. Bibliography Andrejevic, Mark ‘Reality TV:The Work of Being Watched’ Lanham MD: Rowman &Littlefield, 2004 1-20 Branston, G. and Stafford, R. , 2006. ‘Documentary & ‘Reality tv’, in The Media Student’s Book, 4th ed. , Routledge, Abingdon, UK, and New York, pp. 455-478 Herrmann, Stefan ‘Do we learn to ‘read’ television like a kind of ‘language’? May 2000http://www. aber. ac. uk/media/Students/sfh9901. html Reiss S, Wiltz J ‘Why America loves reality TV’ – Feature – Brief ArticlePsychology Today, Sept-Oct, 2001 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1175/is_5_34/ai_82261905 Schlessinger, L ‘Realism in family television? ‘ October 27, 2004 http://www. worldnetdaily. com/news/article. asp? ARTICLE_ID=41125.