The Gambia and the Movie Industry

Table of Contents The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries 3 The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment 8 The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment, Case Study: The Gambia 13 Bibliography18The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries Movies, films, cinema, the big picture; all of these are terms used to describe an industry that has captured the minds and imagination of billions of people throughout the world. And what an evolution process this industry has gone through. Video recording has been around since the late 1800’s, and back them the videos seemed more like Claymation technique than anything else. The videos were grainy, stopped a lot, and had no sound. Of course through time improvements have been made. As th e 20th century moved forward, so did the movie industry.Videos became clearer and longer, and so people decided to shoot movies and charge people money to see said films. The early ones of course had no sound and had to use cue cards, but as time progressed so did technology. In just a few short years not only was sound added to the films, but also color, and even 3d technology. So what comes next for this billion-dollar industry? The industry is now taking its business throughout the world; to countries that one would not expect the movie industry to set up camp due to the increase in technology and decrease of technological costs.The movie industry is also becoming less localized, in that the movies that are being produced in any of these countries are not simply made for the local audience, but rather are made for a global audience. Of course, almost everyone in the world knows about Hollywood, and Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood in terms of movies produced, though may not be as well known in the world. Nollywood is a well-established movie-producing powerhouse. In the past, when Hollywood was the main movie-producing powerhouse, Nigeria was probably one of the least places experts in the industry thought would take begin producing movies.Now, Nollywood is a main staple in movie productions each year. It appears as though these â€Å"woods† are beginning to pop up all over the world. Countries, regions, cities, are all beginning to see the benefit to having their own movie producing location. What is causing this trend of areas wanting to set up their own movie producing locations? The main aspect that is leading the way for this increase of â€Å"woods† throughout the world is the fact that movies are now being made in a less localized fashion. There are not nearly as many movies produced that are made specifically for a certain region.A movie producer is no longer going to fund a movie that will only do well in the country that it is made in. No, producers want to make the most money on the films, and that means relating the films to a global audience. Nigeria can be looked at as an example. Nigeria has a decent sized population, but how many people of that population would be willing to pay money to see a film. Not many, there are many other problems that need to be fixed before going to see a movie. So why produce movies in Nigeria for a population that would not sustain the industry? It is because the production costs have gone down so drastically.It no longer takes $50 million to make a movie. Nollywood thrives on its many producers providing small capital to many different movie projects (Haynes). The old movies that were created in, for lack of a better word, developing countries have always been inferior to those created by the US, England, and France. The technicality, special effects, costumes, and so on were never able to compete with the powerhouse countries (Callimanopulos). Now, however, with the lower cost of these techniques, these less fortunate countries are able to use the same technique, or at least those of equal quality.Sure, these countries may not be able to use the newest of filming technology (such as 3d or Imax), however these improvements give these countries a greater edge in the market. In fact, the average cost of a Bollywood film is $1. 3 million, whereas the average cost of a Hollywood film is $13. 6 million (Factoids). No longer are countries following Hollywood’s style of producing blockbuster after blockbuster. Nigerian producers realized that by dividing capital amongst many different projects, the income from each project may not be as great, however the total revenue from the combined projects is plenty to sustain Nollywood.That is why Nollywood has become the third largest movie producing area in the world. The same case can be made for Bollywood. India was an emerging market where movie producers took an opportunity to produce many movies at a che aper cost, and the effect was the same. This style of movie producing is what is allowing these developing countries to, basically, take over the market. A few decades ago the US was producing 5% of the movies in the world, however these US movies occupied 50% of the screen time in the world (Callimanopulos).While these numbers have not changed drastically, they are still beginning to take a new form. The world is producing more movies in general, and the US movies are occupying slightly less screen time than before. This decrease, however, is the forefront to what is expected to be a greater change as time progresses on. In fact, what is happening is that the major studios are begin to see how successful these â€Å"guerilla† movie making tactics is, that they are beginning to want to get into the market as well. For example, Warner Brothers is now financing French films and Fox is financing Latin American films (Toward).This just adds to why the movie industry is globalizin g so quickly, and why it is beginning to reach these developing countries. As these big companies continually invest more money into these less than fortunate countries, then the movie makers will be able to use the newest equipment to make technical better films, ensuring their spot in the global film industry. These movie producers, directors, and writers are now realizing that even with this increase of lower budget films being produced, they need to make sure that the movies produced are made for a global audience, rather than simply a local audience.France is actually experiencing the negative side of low budget film production. The number of French films produced is well over 200 a year now, however with so many of these low budget films being produced, the audience is beginning to see fewer films because of the repetitive nature of the films (Hayes). What French filmmakers failed to do was to look ahead at the big picture. Instead of writing scripts and backing films that the French society will only understand, they should have been producing films that a global audience can enjoy. By continuing to produce movies that can only be relevant in France, the audience gets bored.If these movies were more globally friendly, then there is less of a chance of the audience getting â€Å"bored† with the same predictable movies. It is this thought of less localized more globalized filmmaking that has opened the door to new areas of film. For example, 20 years ago China and Korea films were unheard of. The movies that they made there were made specifically for those countries. Now, it is very common to see Chinese or Korean films in theaters around the world (Toward). The movie industries within these countries realized that simply producing movies for their citizen’s alone is not enough.In order to stay relevant they would need to begin to produce movies that the global audience can enjoy. Specifically, South Korea has taken this attitude and run wit h it. A decade ago, South Korea was hardly in the movie scene. The current system of localizing the films was flawed. Instead, the film industry began producing movies with less nationalism so as to appeal to the global audience. As a result, the country produced The Host, the most successful movie in South Korean history, beating out worldwide famous movies like Titanic (Lee).The reason this movie did so well is that it did not focus on issues simply related to South Korea. It was a contemporary look at a monster attacking a city. Before this movie was produced, most South Korean films depicted the lifestyle of problems facing South Korean citizens. By taking on a movie that appeals to the global audience, they were able to reach a larger number of people, resulting in a much more successful film. This concept of producing fewer localized movies is allowing these smaller film industries to compete with the likes of Hollywood and Bollywood.If these smaller nations were to simply pro duce films that appealed to their own country, there would not be enough demand to sustain it. There are a lot of people in the world, and by reaching out and connecting with that audience, the smaller film industry nations are able to thrive as efficiently as the leading film industries. The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment This shift in the production of films affects the business industry in many ways. Being such a large industry, a multibillion-dollar industry. This industry is also very versatile.It does not take a lot to have the industry fall apart one year and bounce back with record numbers the following year. Since the movie industry is so big an impacts so many people, this versatility can drastically affect the business that is done in the entire country. This may not be true in the United States since there is so much other business that gets done in the country, however just th ink about the impact it could have on a small country. If the country loses small country without a high GDP loses another couple billion dollars form a poor movie year, then that country will suffer directly from that poor year.The opposite is also true. If that same country has a magnificent year in terms of movie productions and sales, then the entire country’s GDP and way of life will improve directly due to the movie industry. Since the movie industry is so vast and covers so many different areas of the business sector, including marketing, management, and finances, a country’s entire economic well-being could depend directly on the success of that movie industry, which relies on the experiences of the marketers to sell those films. Most people would consider actors, directors, and producers to be the most important part of filmmaking.Of course, these aspects are very important, but it is hard to admit that those aspects are the most important part. Just thinking about it for a second. If a movie were to have the best director of all time, director the best actor of all time, acting the best scrip of all time, it would seem like it would be the formula for an extremely successful film. The problem is, if no one knows about the film how is anyone going to be able to see it. If there are no ads, promotions, or tours, how is the movie going to make a profit.The muscle behind the movie could be the actors and directors, however the brains behind the revenue and eventually profits are the marketers. This becomes especially important when thinking about the shift of localized films to globalized films. It is one thing to be able to market a movie properly to one country, but it is entirely different to market the same movie in 5 different regions across the globe. The first place to look is towards Bollywood, the largest film industry in the world, located in India. The films produced in India are unique to their own country.These movies tend to b e, a lot of the time, musicals, which can be difficult to introduce into new territories. Recently, however the Bollywood film industry has looked toward producing more global friendly film. Just look at the success of Slumdog Millionaire. This movie stars unknown actors from Bollywood, and went on to be a huge global success, even going as far as winning at the Oscars. Similarly, one year later Bollywood released a period-epic movie entitled Jodhaa-Akbarr, which was the most successful Bollywood film at the time, being released in 26 other countries.The following year, My Name Is Khan was released in 70 countries, taking over as the most successful release from Bollywood in terms of release countries and revenue (Mahmood). This clearly shows that Bollywood is following the trend of trying to release more globally friendly films, but the important part that always gets overlooked is that marketing of these globally friendly films. It is put best when it was said, â€Å"In Bollywood today, if the box-office is King, then marketing is the Queen† (Bollywood). This seems to put Bollywood in the best perspective.Of course, box-office and revenue are the ultimate goal of any movie being released in Bollywood, which is why box-office can still be considered king. On the other side, these movies could never reach those revenue streams without marketing. The two go hand-in-hand. With countries such as India trying to release produce globally friendly movies, marketing becomes even more important. This can include creating a trailer that will attract the attention of the most consumer, to actually doing the market research to find out which country’s would be the best to release the film in and which countries the film would not fare well in.This is connecting the film to the audiences that are most likely to create a large return on profits (Arons). The cost to market a movie properly has gone up. The audiences are expecting to see more trailers, more app earances, more billboards, more everything, and as inflation and prices begin to go up, it is easy to see how expensive it can become to promote a movie (Bollywood). This again details the importance of picking the right countries to release the movie/market in. If a marketer fails to pick the right country, it can be a large expense on the film company.It is the marketers job to put in the time and money to promote the movie in the best way possible on the smallest budget possible. These movie companies in areas like India do not have the amount of spending that US film companies have, which is why it is so important to count every penny. In addition, Bollywood continues to find new markets in which to export. In fact, in the past 4 years there has been a 60% growth in overseas sales (Lorenzen). As these sales continue to rise, there will be more need for marketers.The importance of all of this is that as more countries, like India with its Bollywood, begin to improve their movie i ndustries, they are going to need marketers. As the movies that these movie industries produce, such as in South Korea and Taiwan, begin to look towards the global market with their movie productions, their marketing tactics need to improve. Since most countries with a film industry are making globally friendly films, the need for marketers, accountants, and the likes will increase. A company will need a lot more employees to promote a movie abroad as compared to promoting one in a single country.The need of so many new employees to keep up with the demand of overseas promotion can vastly help the economies of any country, especially those that are less fortunate than our own, which is where many of these new film industries are popping up. A little over a decade ago, Nigeria was a crime-ridden country that where people were afraid to leave their homes. This was before the time of Nollywood (Obhafuoso). This, obviously, would lead to a problem with the economy. If people were afraid to leave their homes, how would people spend money? How does an economy survive without money being spent?The short answer is that it cannot. To make matters worse, the reason people were turning to crime was because there was no work to make money at. It was a vicious cycle that seemed to have no end. Nollywood became Nigeria’s answer to these problems. If the country could get people jobs, and give them a decent wage, then that would (at least in theory), reduce the number of people who would have to turn to crime to support themselves and their family. Did the theory work well in the business world as well as it was suppose to? In short, yes.To put it into scope, Nollywood is considered the second largest employer of labor. Each film that is made employs, on average, 130 people (Obhafuoso). So how many movies are made each year? Well, each week, there are 30 new movies that hit the market. That is 4,500 movies each year (About Nollywood). This is a drastic change from the late 80’s to early 90’s. Back then it was extremely dangerous to walk around and even harder to find work. Now, with the growth of Nollywood, not only are the streets safer, but the way of life of the citizens is improving because of the money that is generated from the movie industry.These employees of these 4,500 films are going home with a minimum of 5-10,000 naira per film, but can make up to 20-25,000 naira. That is equal to about 128 US dollars (About Nollywood). It may not sound like a lot, but that kind of money really can change the lives of a family, economically and socially. By raising a kid on a fair day’s wage, that same child will see that it is possible to make a living without the crime that seems to plague the country at the moment. It is a turning point for the country.Nollywood injects the country with $250 million dollars a year (About Nollywood). In a country that was not well off to begin with, that is a huge difference. This one industry has single handedly changed the economic downfall of a country. There are of course still problems, still crime, still unemployment and poverty in the country, but there always will be. This film industry can be an example of a tool that can be utilized by a country to fight poverty and crime, and vastly improve the economy and standard of living throughout the country.The Globalizing of Films and Introduction of Film Industries into Developing Countries and the Affect on the Business Environment, Case Study: The Gambia Now the question turns to where to next open a movie industry. Africa seems to be the newest location where these new film industries (like Nollywood and Bollywood) are being created. A movie industry is exactly what many of these African countries need. There is not a lot of stability in these countries, both politically and, more importantly, economically. As shown earlier, a film industry can pump a large amount of money into an economy as ell as employee many ci tizens with jobs and a steady income. One country in Africa that seems to be looking at these statistics is The Gambia. Gambia is located on the western shore in Northern Africa. In Gambia, about 60% of the population falls below the overall poverty line. This can be due to the fact that the unemployment rate in the country is over 40% (The Gambia: An Assessment). With such a high unemployment rate, it is difficult to maintain an economy. The introduction of a national film industry in Gambia would allow for the economic growth that the country seems to be in need of.If a country wishes to be economically successful, it is important to be a part of the global economy. A country does not need to be a part of the global economy to sustain itself, but of course life can be made easier for the citizens of global economy countries. It appears that Gambia, and its 1. 8 million citizens, are struggling with their economy (History). If 60% of those 1. 8 million people are out of work, then there is clearly a need for the creation of new jobs. As stated earlier in the paper, many countries have had similar problems with their economies, and needed to change something.These countries saw the film industry as an opportunity to help its citizens. The film industry can be made extremely global if done correctly, which would allow for greater demand for films and create more jobs. Gambia is following suit by attempting to also start its own economy. There was once a short lived film industry in Gambia, but was shut down by the government in 1994. Since then the government has had major control of media outlets such as radio and television (History). Over the years the country has been slowly switching to give the people more power and control over their lives.It is this slow shift in power that is allowing Gambia and its citizens to have another go at creating a film industry. The government is also beginning to understand the need for change in such an impoverished country . Since the citizens are now able to vote for their leaders, it is now of more importance of these leaders to keep the citizens happy. If the country is not making any money for its citizens, then these leaders will not be re-elected. This is extremely important because the creation of such a big industry in a country of poor economic standard would require support from the government (Kasumaye). In order to get movie roducing off the ground, there needs to be investments. How can people invest if no one has enough money? That is where the government needs to step in and begin to financially back this industry. As the movies begin to take off and sell and make profit, then the industry will be able to sustain itself. Until then the government needs to understand the effects such an industry can have on Gambia. It seems strange to think that the government should back an industry such as filmmaking. Would it not be better to back things such as farming? Farming is important, but farm ing will not bring the country into the global economy.The film industry in Gambia has a large impact on the citizens of the country. It creates commerce throughout the entire country and teaches the individuals in the country new skills (The Gambia and its). Any kind of film costs a lot of money. In fact, simply look at The Hobbit. The new movie was filmed in New Zealand, and contributed more than 2. 4 billion dollars to the New Zealand economy (Child). That movie is an exception, since they are such large production unites, however it just goes to show that one movie really can make a difference in the economy.The film companies need to feed their workers, hire clean up crews, etc. , and if Gambia creates a major film industry with many movie companies, then the economy will reap the benefits as much as the CEO’s. Going hand in hand with an increase in commerce is that fact that a new industry will create many new jobs for the citizens. In fact, it is estimated that a film industry created in The Gambia would employ, at a bare minimum, 5,000 Gambian youths (Janko). This does not include the actors, directors, or any of the business aspects (such as marketers, accountants, financers, etc. . This is simply extra people needed on set to help with set up, tear down, dining, and every other aspects involved with filmmaking. As the industry begins to take off, so will the amount of jobs available. The more movies that are made, the more jobs will have to be filled. These 5,000 jobs can increase to 20,000 if the film industry grows. Nearly 20,000 new jobs can be a huge benefit to an economy that is suffering from high unemployment. Clearly as more people get jobs and begin to receive a steady income, the more money families will be able to spend on the market. The ore money that is spent on the market, the faster the economy will turn around. The faster the economy turns around, even more jobs will be created to keep up with the improvements. In fact, a well organized film industry could not only help the standard of living in Gambia, but also the surrounding areas as well (Sankanu). As the industry grows, it is very possible for citizens of surrounding countries to migrate over to Gambia in order to be apart of the industry. This influx of new people also means that these same people will be spending their money in the Gambian economy.Also, as the Gambian film industry creates more and more globally friendly movies (if they continue to follow the current trend in movie making), then the surrounding countries could be big importers of these films. Countries closer to Gambia may find Gambian films more appealing than, say, a Hollywood blockbuster. These imported movies can clearly help both video stores and movie theaters in these bordering countries to survive. As stated earlier, marketing is one of the most important factors in the film production process. The consumers need to know about the movie in order to see it.That being said, a Gambian film industry would open the door for all sorts of marketing professionals, both local and global marketers. It would seem pretty obvious that the locals of the country would work on the local promotion of the film. It would not be too far fetched to think that a movie company would want to hire a professional marketer from an already well-established company overseas. It can be a safe assumption that these kind of professionals will most likely have more experience with this global marketing than a native individual from Gambia. Normally, marketing a film globally would be extremely difficult.However, due to the established tourism industry and breathtaking scenery, Gambian movies may be easier to promote to the world than, say, a movie from Chad (Kasumaye). If the world has a basic understanding of The Gambia, then people will be much more open to watching a film from Gambia. This makes the jobs of whatever marketing professional get the job that much easier. The Gambia is currently struggling to improve its economy and standard of living. The unemployment is too high and their economy is not sufficient enough to give its citizens a proper standard of living. Nigeria was in a ery similar situation, and by adding a film industry, hundreds of millions of dollars was expelled into the economy, creating jobs, and improving the standard of living. The Gambia has a similar opportunity, in that there are plenty of actors, directors, and writers that want to create films, there just does not seem to be enough capital to truly get the industry off the ground. The government needs to realize this opportunity, and fund (at least for the beginning) the creation of this industry so as to create a greater flow of cash and employment throughout the country.This will create a large number of new opportunities for marketers to jump into the new industry to become a part of the growing phenomenon. A Gambian film industry can not only help the economy and business th rive in the country, but can also create new business opportunities on a global scale as well. Bibliography â€Å"About Nollywood. †Ã‚  This Is Nollywood. N. p. , 2006. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. . Arons, Marc. â€Å"Five Key Drivers of Global Marketing. †Ã‚  Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Bollywood Goes over the Top with Marketing Bollywood, Updated Feb 25, 2012 at 03:10pm IST. †Ã‚  Http://ibnlive. in. com/. CNN, 25 Feb. 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. . Callimanopulos, Dominique. â€Å"Film and the Third World. †Ã‚  Cultural Survival. N. p. , 11 Feb. 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. .Child, Ben. â€Å"The Hobbit Boosts New Zealand Film Industry. †Ã‚  The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 04 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Factoids. †Ã‚  : Bollywoodcountry. N. p. , 2011. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. . Hayes, Graeme, and Martin O’Shaughessy. â€Å"French Cinema: Globalization, Representation, And Resistance. † French P olitics, Culture, & Society 23. 3 (2005): 1-13. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Nov. 2012 Haynes,

Written Words Used as Propaganda

Written Word Used as Propaganda The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is an account of Frederick Douglass’ life written in a very detached and objective tone. One might find this normal for a historical account of the events of someone’s life if not for the fact that the narrative was written by Frederick Douglass himself. Frederick Douglass used this tone purposefully in an attempt to use his narrative as propaganda to convince others to join in the abolitionist’s movement. According to Donna Woolfolk Cross in â€Å"Propaganda: How not to be Bamboozled,† propaganda is â€Å"simply a means of persuasion† (149). She further notes that we are subjected daily to propaganda in one form or another as advertisers, politicians, and even our friends attempt to persuade us to use their product, vote for them, or adopt their point of view. Propaganda is usually considered in a negative sense. However, when viewing propaganda as just persuasion, one can readily appreciate that it is neither good nor evil; the good/evil effect is the direct result of the purpose for which it is used. Politicians and leaders have used propaganda to further their goals; Hitler’s use of propaganda as a means of controlling the population of Germany is the most recognizable example of propaganda used for evil. Martin Luther King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, in which he urges non-violent resistance in the cause of racial equality, portrays persuasion used with good intentions. Although speeches are highly effective at delivering ideas, the written word can be even more influential. In the early days of America, literature was used extensively as a means of persuasion. As early as 1589 Richard Hakluyt published stories in a book he wrote for the sole purpose of persuading people to sail to America and settle land. These stories which were told to Hakluyt by captains and sailors appeared to be straightforward and narrative, however Hakluyt edited each piece so that he was able to successfully persuade the people who read his stories to sail to America and settle the land thus securing critical natural resources for England. Such was the goal with the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Douglass’ objective was to appeal to the middle-class people of that time and persuade them to join in the movement. Although the Narrative was ostensibly written to prove that Douglass had actually been a slave, Douglass, working for the abolitionist group headed by William Lloyd Garrison, wrote for a specific audience: white Puritan Christians whom the abolitionists hoped to convert to their way of thinking. Thus, what began as a telling of his life experiences evolved into a tool of persuasion. As with all propaganda, Douglass’ Narrative contains certain elements that appeal to the emotions of the reader. Douglass’ writing style was descriptive as well as convincing. This emotional hold allows the writer to sway the opinion of the reader. His horrific details of the time, helped him grasp the attention of the women who he hoped in turn would convince their husbands to help, by donating money and eventually ending slavery. He used his words effectively in convincing the readers that the slave owners were inhuman and showed how they had no feelings for other human beings as evident when he wrote: ‘The louder she screamed the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longest† (Douglass25). Although a self-taught writer and orator, Douglass makes use of sophisticated elements of persuasive writing. Simultaneously, he chooses these events for how they will affect the Northern audience’s opinion of Southern slaveholders. Considering the fact that this was written during the height of the abolition movement the novel had to be effective in order to advance the success of the movement. The distant tone was effective because if Douglass had written with an impassioned tone, readers would have noticed it and simply wrote it off as a biased work, unable to see the issue from both sides. Through personal anecdotes, Douglass draws an accurate picture of slave life. Douglass also shows that slavery was not a constant source of pain and suffering: â€Å"I was not old enough to work in the fields, and there being little else than field work to do, I had a great deal of leisure time,† (Douglass 71). This is effective in proving his point because it allows him to show the whole of slavery and not be biased in his views. Douglass uses family relationships, starting with his own birth, to gain the compassion of his target audience. â€Å"Frequently, before the child has reached its twelfth month, its mother is taken from it, and hired out on some farm a considerable distance off, and the child is placed under the care of an old woman, too old for field labor† (749). Douglass mentions this particular anecdote to specifically capture the compassion of his targeted audience; white women. In Douglass’ autobiography however, the elements alone do not prove his intent to write for any reason other than to prove his background as a slave and defend his credibility against the critics of the abolitionists that charge that Douglass could never have been born a slave as he claimed (McKivigan 18). The most convincing argument for the contention that this was written as propaganda is the manner in which the persuasive elements are used. The body of the narrative is written in a simple and straightforward manner; the story is told quite matter-of-factly, even the horrific scenes of the cruel beatings and killings of slaves. This lack of histrionics is true even when the targets of the overseers’ whips are Douglass’ own family members. Yet, when Douglass speaks of Southern Christianity defending slavery, he works himself into a fury of emotion and uses the more obvious elements of propaganda. When he writes of the religious practices and hypocrisy of the same slaveholders, he again reverts to persuasive rhetoric. Some chapters are genuine throughout, while others contain much propaganda. One segment in particular, that having to do with the fate of his grandmother, is written in a style that is not consistent with the rest of the book. Rather, extremely histrionic, in which the believable, factual Douglass disappears, and is replaced by someone writing solely for effect â€Å"My dear old grandmother, whom you turned out like an old horse to die in the woods-is she still alive?.. Send me my grandmother! † (Preston 167). It appears that Frederick Douglass did begin his autobiography with the intention of writing his story in a realistic manner; the basic narrative bears that out. But in the course of writing his intent strayed, and he became aware of the power that could be unleashed by inflaming the emotions of readers. Undoubtedly encouraged in his use persuasive rhetoric on an oratory level, he eventually created a masterpiece of propaganda. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Signet, 1968. Douglass, Frederick. A Slaves Family Life†. Thinking and Writing About Literature. A Text and Anthology. Ed. Michael Meyer. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2001. 749. Cross, Donna Woolfolk. â€Å"Propaganda: How not to be Bamboozled. † Language Awareness. Ed. Paul Escholz, et al. New York: St Martins Press, 1994. 149. McKivigan, John R. , ed. Frederick Douglass. People Who Made History. Michigan: Greenhaven Press/Thomas Gale, 2004. Preston, Dickson J. Young Fredrick Douglass The Maryland Years. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980.

Argumentative Reflection War Essay

Nobody likes war; it is so costly in so many ways. Lives are lost, property is destroyed, people are injured and some are disabled mentally and physically. Because of this many people think war must be avoided at all costs. All these facts regarding the high cost of war on a country are true. On the other hand there are situations in which a nation has an obligation to go to war. Their were many times in the United States history when the decision to enter a war was in question. World War II was a time when people were arguing about whether or not the United States should enter a war against Germany, Japan and their allies. When this war started WWI was still fresh in people’s memories. The citizens knew how bad war could be. Many people felt that these new problems were not the United States problems and war should be avoided. Author Jon Bridgman tells us in an article in the Seattle Post- Intelligencer â€Å"The nation was deeply and bitterly divided on the question of our participation in the war. American isolationists felt that the war in Europe and Asia was not our problem and that we should stay out of it†. Of course other people knew that war was going to come, because Germany and Japan were proving they wanted to take over the world. The argument was settled by Japan. There sneak attack on Pearl Harbor solved the argument. They forced us into the war. The attack they made in Pearl Harbor was a direct attack on the United States military and a direct attack on United States land. Now US citizens knew it was all out war for the countries survival. On September 11, 2001 the US was again attacked. This time it wasn’t by another country but by terrorists. It was similar to the Pearl Harbor attack because Americans were surprised and thousands of people lost their lives. The big difference was that the attack was not done by a country but by terrorists from many different countries. The citizens of the United States pretty much agreed that this was an evil act and that the terrorists needed to be stopped so that they could not attack again. The problem was that it was not a country that attacked but a terrorist group hiding and spread out across several countries. Who could the United States blame and hold responsible for the attacks? President George Bush immediately blamed Afghanistan and later Iraq for letting terrorists use their countries to train and operate. He felt these countries should be attacked so terrorists could be stopped. The President sent our troops to Afghanistan and the troops were successful in that area and then President Bush decided the US needed to invade Iraq. This is when the argument about going to war in another country was the United States concern. A lot of people had heard that, Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq was a supporter of terrorists and also a threat to the world. The argument about attacking Iraq was big. If you look b ack to 2003 when people were arguing this you can see that their was enough people who wanted to go to war. Nicholas Lemann wrote in an article in the New Yorker magazine that â€Å"Everyone agrees that Saddam Hussein is truly evil, everyone agrees he has weapons of mass destruction†. On the other side of the argument many countries and people disagreed with attacking Iraq. Many inspections done by the United Nations could not find weapons of mass destruction. President Bush eventually convinced the United States Congress that Iraq was dangerous and the US army attacked Iraq. It turned out after a tough fight, the United States military could not find any weapons of mass destruction. A report in the Washington Post said â€Å"The new report from the Iraq Survey Group has confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt what most people have assumed for the past year: At the time of the 2003 U.S. invasion, Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction, and most of its programs to produce them were dormant.† The United States was wrong about the weapons. Even though the pro- war people were wrong about the weapons of mass destruction they felt that they were stopping a horrible dictator who could have been a big threat in the future. At least the army fought terrorists because as the war dragged on the United States did eventually find itself fighting terrorists because many terrorists came to Iraq to face the United States army. Lionel Beehner reported in the Backgrounder magazine that â€Å"Large-scale suicide attacks in Iraq are up in recent months, demonstrating that al-Qaeda in Iraq and its homegrown affiliates remain a potent force.† In both of these cases the United States went to war to provide safety for United States citizens. In both these cases the United States was attacked. In both these case people debated and argued about going to war .Yes many people were killed and injured but these examples show that there is definitely situations when a country is obligated to go to war. Works Cited John Bridgman â€Å"Lessons learned from two days of infamy† Seattle Post -Intelligencer Sunday December 2, 2001 Nicholas Lemann â€Å" How It Came To War† The New Yorker March 31, 2003 Editorial â€Å"Weapons That Weren’t There† The Washington Post October 7,2004 Lionel Beehner â€Å"Al-Qaeda in Iraq: Resurging or Splintering? Backgrounder

Animal testing on cosmetics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Animal testing on cosmetics - Research Paper Example The debate on animal testing and the moral and ethical dilemmas that arise is not a simple black and white issue with clear supporters and opposes except for a few hardliners. As Monamy says â€Å"most people will not have to perform animal experiments†(2), and therefore many people are not fully aware of the processes involved in animal testing and are not involved in the procedures and therefore are not in a position to give an accurate opinion on the practice. Modern day debate has however changed as there has been a dilemma been faced in many regions where it is not a simple case of supporting or opposing. In Australia the population of Kangaroos frequently exceeds the numbers the land can hold and so they are culled. According to Monamy, â€Å"There is debate as to whether Kangaroos killed in pastoral areas when numbers become too high† (3). The discussion centers on why the animals have not instead been eaten the same way that cows and sheep are used or even as su bstitutes for guinea pigs. It would appear that for the opposers to this move it is better for the animal to have a dignified death in culling than have them humiliated in lab having tests performed on them. One of the main reasons that animal testing needs to stop is that in spite of efforts to ensure that there are standardized procedures that would ensure the fair treatment of animals, there are so many loopholes in the current laws that procedures that border on unfair treatment to animals can still be carried out without any action taken against them. The procedures have also become extremely numerous and thus difficult to regulate. Latham says, â€Å"This is exactly what might be expected given the incredible volume and variety of animal research† (38), even if the law were to come out and ban practices that it currently views as unacceptable, given the ever changing nature of research and development, it can be concluded that new procedures do come up faster than the t ime it takes to investigate and enact laws regarding their use. For this reason an outright stop to the practice of animal testing would be a more effective solution to the problem of animals getting harmed during research more so in the field of cosmetics where the end product is most of the time simply made to satisfy the vanity of an individual. According to Stephanie, â€Å"sixty-five percent of the population people support the use of animals for testing products for medical purposes (33).† It is for medical purposes that they support these procedures; the use of animal testing in the cosmetic industry does not have as many supporters. Animal testing must also stop due to the use practice of some experiments which from the start are outright to cause harm to the animal even if the purpose is to benefit humans in the end. An example of this is seen in the testing of the telos characteristic in animals. The telos characteristic is a trait that is observed in jackals and ra ccoons whereby if the leg is trapped and no amount of struggle will set them free then the animal opts to gnaw off the leg rather than be immobilized. An experiment that is set up to see if this characteristic is present in other animals has no excuse to say that it did not intend to harm the

Writing about my career and why i want to study in boston university Personal Statement

Writing about my career and why i want to study in boston university - Personal Statement Example Boston University is the kind of educational institution that emits an air of confidence in its teaching methods. It is the kind of university that creates students and graduates that are prepared for the world after school and who have little fear in the unknown because of the education imparted onto them. I am applying to Boston University because I feel that it is the kind of institution that allows its students to absorb education in their own ways. It also equips its students with the tools needed in order to remain confident in the education they have received and in turn, succeed in life. I am confident that I will be a great addition to the school as my skill set and experience will mesh well with the university’s culture and process. I am, first and foremost a bilingual student, able to converse well in both English and Spanish, which is my native language. This gives me a number of dimensions in which to communicate, learn and impart learning. I am also a proud holder of a dual bachelor’s degree in finance and management, which not only makes learning in similar fields easier, but it also gives me a chance to share information to my fellow students on a higher level. My skill set has also been broadened by my work and volunteer experience both in the United States as well as in my native country, Honduras. These experiences have helped me to become adaptable to any work environment. It has also taught me to prioritize what is important and think ahead. The work experience has also allowed me to interact with different kinds of people and become adept in customer communication which, when related to the educational environment, means I can adapt to different communication styles of each student and professor with little to no difficulty. Aside from my experience in business analysis and employee management, I have also been involved in teaching. I have taught English in Honduras, which has given me a look at what it is to be the

Future Intelligent Led Policing Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Future Intelligent Led Policing Model - Essay Example One such technique would be intelligent led policing, which is mainly associated with the operational strategy of law enforcement. â€Å"Intelligent-led policing is a business model and managerial philosophy where the data analysis and crime intelligence are pivotal to an objective, decision-making framework that facilitates in crime and problem reduction.†(Intelligent led Policing n.d). Thus, the concept of intelligent led policing revolves around the phenomenon of gathering data and using it as a guide operation in drastically reducing the crime even before they arise. Apart from collecting the information about the crimes, fast and efficient analysis accompanied with the appropriate actions has greater potential in controlling the crimes even before they originate. â€Å"Intelligence-led policing is zero tolerance policing but against the right people at the right time for right reasons.† (Stevens 2011). This paper will mainly focus on the positives and negative aspe cts of intelligent led policing on basis of which it can be implemented in future. Based on the ethical and the practical issues surrounding the intelligent led policing, it can be considered as the model for the future policing. Moreover, the collective effort of other agencies plays a vital role in the successful practice of the intelligent led policing. †Police Department need to collaborate with other units and agencies within their cities or countries, such as the parole and probation agencies, which are completely different in scope.† (Joyce 2012). The above can be considered as one of the core concepts where the intelligent led policing differs from the normal stream. One of the highlighted advantages of the model would be the excavating the ways by through which the occurrences of the crimes can be greatly reduced. Thus, it is mainly based on the interpretation, influence, and impact of the data in a criminal environment.

The goverment should make the guns illegal -Con PowerPoint Presentation

The goverment should make the guns illegal -Con - PowerPoint Presentation Example As such, the rates of criminal activities associated with guns will reduce as much as possible. This may be critical in ensuring safety, peace and developments in the country, thereby translating to strong economy. There are several reasons to support the issue of making the guns illegal. It is of crucial importance to note that ownership of guns is closely associated with criminal activities. For instance, most criminal activities like robbery, rape as well as suicides are always eased through the use of guns (Streissguth, 74). Making the guns illegal is the safest bet to thwarting issues of insecurity. Making the ownership of guns illegal is essential since it will reduce the chances of criminals, school bullies as well as other hooligans from accessing guns. This will prevent massive fatalities associated with such acts. Making the guns illegal limits the possibilities of guns being in the hands of children (Lott, 75). This helps in limiting the chances of gun bullying that may result to deaths of innocent individuals. In addition, the restriction to gun ownership will greatly reduce the chances of people committing passion suicide following situational stresses (Whitney, 57). Therefore, any move to make the guns illegal is critical in managing, preventing as well as minimizing such crime related activities involving the usage of guns. This is crucial in bringing peace as well as safety to the lives of individuals. This follows that illegalizing of guns is key in heightening security issues as well as minimizing criminal related activities involving the use of

Software Usability Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Software Usability - Case Study Example Building on these concepts basic criteria for the evaluation of usability can be formed. A critical point in this assessment is to know that it is central on the reactions and the actions of the users for who the interface is designed. That being said, the first criteria would be the ease with which a first time user can perform basic tasks on the site. This would judge the complexity of the site design, how user friendly it is and is pivotal to the learnability aspect. Second, we look at the speed with which the regular user’s, who are more familiar with the design, perform tasks. This forms a building block in the efficiency component of usability by reflecting how successful the basic interface design is at facilitating usability. Next we assess usability by looking at the rate of recall of user’s who return to the design after a prolonged period. How easily these users’s can go back to efficiently using the interface to perform tasks and the number of errors they make while they’re at it will be used to evaluate the memorability and errors aspect of usability. Another key determinant of usability is the overall satisfaction level of the user’s. If their experience with the usage of the design is positive and pleasant it will denote a higher level of usability.

How might developments in e-mental health influence mental health Essay

How might developments in e-mental health influence mental health nursing practice in the coming decade - Essay Example ic dimensions, for instance, personalized interventions through the use of the handy gadgets such mobile phones is set to open even more ways of monitoring patients’ symptoms and/or condition in real time, allowing for early, prompt intervention and the prevention of relapse in cases of emergencies (Christen & Petrie, 2013b). Accordingly, the advances will leverage professional roles, reserving such for more complex cases as e-mental health gears up to cater for milder problems forming the bulk in the area discussed herein. With advanced, automated applications for monitoring situational risks such as disaster hit regions, opportunities exist for timely interventions to avoid overwhelming casualties. To be certain, it is already much easier to disseminate mental health information online, more particularly through the social media (Christen & Petrie, 2013a; Christen & Petrie, 2013b); a fact which is set to get even more rapid over significantly larger populations in years to c ome, particularly with regards to the collection and/or processing of large amounts of data from dispersed populations by the nursing professionals around the world. Arguably, the direct informational access online is already changing the practioner-consumer power arrangements towards the latter, with consumers sharing information of what treatments works, the professionals providing the best services, as well as the grey areas that still need research amongst themselves (Jorm, Morgan, & Malhi, 2013). As Jorm, Morgan, & Malhi (2013) concludes, quite a number of issues remains to be solved to secure the advantages brought about by e-mental healthcare systems. That though such technologies continue to easen the collection and the dissemination of information, which e-mental health is all about, the impending implications for this very unique health sector remains largely unknown, for the developments would have to undergo satisfactory experimentation to ensure absolute

Part5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Part5 - Essay Example Another exercise myth is that it’s dangerous to exercise when at a given old age if you did not do the same when young. www.fitnessmagazine.com should state that one can always choose the exercise that best suits their age and health. The third myth is in the use of supplements to build body muscles in www.ideafit.com. The media needs to specify that if you eat healthy and visit the gym regularly, you do not need these supplements. The fourth advertised myth is the lie that exercise helps one lose weight quickly as i www.askmen.com. This makes people get frustrated when they spend hours at the gym and still fail to see a reduction in their weight. What the advertisers should specify is that losing weight at the gym depends on more than just exercising for long. It includes a tolerance for intensity so as to burn calories. The advertised belief that soreness that sets in after exercise is due to the build-up of lactic acid in muscles is also a myth. It is important for the medi a in www.dailymail.co.uk/home/.../fitness-report to note that immediately after a workout, the body gets rid of the lactic acid produced. The resulting soreness is due to muscle tears. Advertisers and the media push for these myths so as to lure people into their gyms or exercise routines that they provide, which will in turn earn them money (Larsen, 2011). Larsen, L. (2011). Fitness and exercise sourcebook: Basic consumer health information about the benefits of physical fitness, including strength, endurance, longevity, weight loss, bone health, and stress management, with exercise guidelines for people of all ages and tips (4th ed.). Detroit, MI:

Introduce ZED buildings principles and its Philosophy in relation to Essay

Introduce ZED buildings principles and its Philosophy in relation to Energy efficiency policy,why ZED is becoming one of the mos - Essay Example Efforts have been made in order for the negative effects of building projects on the natural environment to be minimized – for example, the update of existing British legislation on wildlife and the adoption of Kyoto Protocol by a series of countries worldwide (The Telegraph 2010). The ZED building philosophy is the major initiative of this type. The specific framework has been primarily promoted by organizations operating in the private sector – reference is made to ZED Factory, a firm focusing on the expansion of ZED building philosophy in building projects across Britain. However, the ZED building principles – as analytically explained by ZED Factory – could be easily adopted by firms of the construction industry; this effort would have more chances to succeed if the relevant principles were gradually adopted – for instance, through the incorporation, primarily, of energy saving schemes, a fact highlighted in the BedZED (eco-village) scheme (BedZ ED, Eco-Community, 2011). Moreover, the support of the state would increase the effectiveness of ZED building principles on existing building projects; this initiative could be developed worldwide – using the theoretical and practical framework suggested by ZED Factory, as explained throughout the paper. The examination of the existing status and performance of ZED building philosophy has led to the conclusion that the specific framework would be quite effective for limiting the negative effects of construction projects on the environment; moreover, its principles are rather easy to be understood and incorporated – being related with the existing energy efficiency schemes as promoted both by individuals and the state. 2. ZED buildings principles and philosophy – description The ZED building philosophy has many different aspects; however, its priority remains the increase of energy efficiency of buildings. Through the years, ZED philosophy has been developed in o rder to meet the advanced requirements of modern buildings – as these requirements have been affected by the technology used in various stages of the relevant building projects. It should be also noted that ZED philosophy couldn’t be understood without referring to its forms and implications in practice, i.e. in the context of buildings on which ZED building principles have been applied. For this reason, the presentation of the particular philosophy has been combined with the reference to construction projects, which have been based on the ZED building principles. An important example of this type is the eco-village BedZED; the buildings of this village have been constructed in such way, so that an important reduction of energy consumption is achieved. Indeed, in a report developed in 2009, i.e. seven years after the completion of the specific building project (in 2002), it was mentioned that the homeowners of the specific site consumed ‘45% lower electricty and 81% less hot water than the borough average’ (PeaBody Organization, UK, 2009, 4); it is also noted that the initial targets of the particular project, i.e. the limitation of the energy consumed by the homeowners and the following limitation of the pollution caused to the environment, have been both

The Split-Cycle Engine Essay Example for Free

The Split-Cycle Engine Essay The Split-Cycle Engine changes the heart of the conventional engine by dividing (or splitting) the four strokes of the Otto cycle over a paired combination of one compression cylinder and one power cylinder. Gas is compressed in the compression cylinder and transferred to the power cylinder through a gas passage. The gas passage includes a set of uniquely timed valves, which maintain a prechargedpressure through all four strokes of the cycle. Shortly after the piston in the power cylinder reaches its top dead center position, the gas is quickly transferred to the power cylinder and fired (or combusted) to produce the power stroke. Split-cycle internal combustion engine claims have the potential to double fuel efficiency for same size engine, while reducing the manufacturing price by up to 50% which includes a built in dedicated compressor. Rather than using batteries and electric motors/generators to harness braking energy, the engine uses the air compressor. A split cycle engine includes a novel compressor apparatus driven by the combustion engine, a closed-cycle refrigeration system in cooperation with the compressor apparatus, and a pneumatic motor driven by compressed air from the compressor apparatus. Refrigerant in the compressor absorbs thermal energy from compressed air and assists in compressing the air. High-pressure air from the compressor is stored in a storage tank and may be used to drive the pneumatic motor or other auxiliary equipment in addition to providing high-pressure combustion air for the internal combustion engine Introduction An engine includes a crankshaft having a crank throw, the crankshaft rotating about crankshaft axis. A compression piston is slid ably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the compression piston reciprocates through an intake stroke and a compression stroke of a four stroke cycle during a single rotation of the crankshaft. An expansion piston is slid ably received within an expansion cylinder. A connecting rod is pivotally connected to the expansion piston. A mechanical linkage rotationally connects the crank throw to the connecting rod about a connecting rod/crank throw axis such that the expansion piston reciprocates through an expansion stroke and an exhaust stroke of the four stroke cycle during the same rotation of the crankshaft. A non-circular path is established by the mechanical linkage which the connecting rod/crank throw axis travels around the crankshaft axis. Moving Engine Technology into the 21st Century The first four-stroke piston engine was developed in 1876. This four-stroke piston arrangement is still the primary design of engines built today. Today’s engines operate at only 33% efficiency. This means that only 1/3 of the energy in each gallon of fuel is used the rest is lost through friction and heat. With over a billion engines currently in use worldwide, even small gains in efficiency will have huge impacts on the economy, dependency on foreign oil, and the environment. Despite immense efforts over the past century, engine efficiency has remained the same. The Heart Of The Engine Needs To Change: The heart of the internal combustion engine is a piston moving up and down in a cylinder connected to a crankshaft. Its simplicity makes improving performance almost impossible. Small improvements have proven difficult and large improvements have been considered impossible. Improving the four-stroke piston design has become the Rubik’s Cube of engineering, a puzzle that nobody has been able to solve until now. While the industry struggles for gains in the 1% range, the design of the Split-Cycle Technology pushes engine efficiency and performance to an entirely new level. Conventional Engine Design The heart of the internal combustion engine is a piston connected to a crankshaft, moving up and down in a cylinder through the four strokes of the Otto Cycle, the intake, compression, power and exhaust strokes. In a typical four-stroke cycle engine, power is recovered from the combustion process in these four separate piston strokes within each single cylinder. This basic design has not changed for more than 100 years. The Various Strokes And Stages Involved A. Intake and Compression: The basic concept of the Split Cycle Engine is to divide the four strokes of a standard engine over a paired combination of one compression cylinder and one power (or expansion) cylinder. These two cylinders perform their respective functions once per crankshaft revolution. The concept is illustrated in Figures 1 through 8. A common misconception is that twice as many cylinders are required. This is simply not accurate. Because this engine fires every revolution instead of every other revolution, the number of power strokes produced is equal to the power strokes produced by two of the conventional piston/cylinder designs. A four cylinder engine would still have four cylinders. There would simply be two sets of paired cylinders instead of four individual cylinders. In the configuration shown, an intake charge is drawn into the compression cylinder through typical poppet-style valves. B .Compression Stroke The compression cylinder then pressurizes (Fig. 2) the charge and drives the charge through the crossover passage, which acts as the intake port for the power cylinder. In this illustration, a check valve (best seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8) is used to prevent reverse flow from the crossover passage to the compression cylinder, and likewise a poppet-style valve (crossover valve) prevents reverse flow from the power cylinder to the crossover passage. The check valve and crossover valve are timed to maintain pressure in the crossover passage at or above firing conditions during an entire four stroke cycle. C. Power and Exhaust: Combustion occurs soon after the intake charge enters the power cylinder from the crossover passage. This means that the start of combustion occurs after the power cylinder passes through its top dead center position. The resulting combustion drives the power cylinder down. Exhaust gases are than pumped out of the power cylinder through a poppet valve to start the cycle over again. D. Previous Split-Cycle Designs There have been other similar split-cycle engine designs in the past, but they have never been able to match the thermal efficiency levels of the standard four-stroke engine. This is due in large part to the fact that, as the gas is transferred from the crossover passage to the power cylinder in the prior engine designs, the gas has always been allowed to over-expand in the power cylinder and then must be recompressed before initiating combustion. The extra work required to recompress the gas greatly reduces efficiency levels.

Theory Of Child Development Children And Young People Essay

Theory Of Child Development Children And Young People Essay Urie Bronfenbrenner ecological system theory was created to focus on the quality and satisfaction of the childs environment. He believed that as a child grow and develop the way he/she interact with the environment becomes more complex. His theory was created to answer the question How does the environment helps or stops the development of a child? (Paquette, Ryan, 2001) The Urie Bronfenbrenner ecological system theory of child development has 5 systems that greatly impact the development of children. These systems consist of rules, norms and roles that is responsible for the shaping in childrens development. The names of these systems are microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. (schoolworkhelper- St. Rosemary Educational Institution. Growth and Development Theory: URIE BRONFENBRENNER (1917-2005), n.d). Microsystem is define as the direct environment a child lives in, including the childs interaction with any immediate relationship or organisation. The immediate relationship will be family members, peer groups, neighbourhood and the immediate organisation will be school or day-care. The way that these groups, schools and organisation interact with the child will play a major role in the childs development. The more warming, comfortable, encouraging, and nurturing the relationship and organisation are the better the child will develop and grow. (Oswalt, 2008). Also the impact of the relationship occurs in two directions; away from the child and toward the child. An example will be a childs parent may affect his/her behaviour but the child can also affect the behaviour of the parents. Urie Bronfenbrenner refers to this mechanism as bi-directional influences. (schoolworkhelper- St. Rosemary Educational Institution. Growth and Development Theory: URIE BRONFENBRENNER (1917-2005), n.d). A n example of bi-directional influence will be A friendly, attentive child is likely to evoke positive and patient reactions from parents, whereas an irritable or distractible child is more likely to be a target of parental impatience, restriction and punishment. (Collins etal. 2000; Crockenberg Leekers, 2003a). Mesosystem is use to describes the different parts of the microsystem such as home, school, neighbourhood and day-care working together for the benefit of the child (Oswalt, 2008). The way a parent and a child will interact with each other at home is likely to affect the way that child interacts with the caregiver in child care settings and vice versa. (Brek, 2000 ). An example of mesosytem will be if a childs caregiver plays an active role in school, such as volunteering to be a part of activities, attend parent teacher meetings, year level meetings, class meetings and even watching the child play games like soccer, basketball, tennis etc will help ensure the growth and development of the child. (Oswalt, 2008). This is because a childs academic process does not only depend on what goes on in the classrooms but the involvement of the parents or caregiver (Epstein Sanders, 2002), and as long as the parents or caregiver show interest in what the child is doing then the child will be w illing to do and achieve more which will result in proper growth and development. Another way to show how the mesosystem works in shaping the development of a child is by family-neighbourhood connections. For example a child that has an economic disadvantage can benefit greatly from family-neighbourhood relationship. You see, rich families do not depend on their immediate surroundings for social support or education. Therefore they can afford to take their children to lessons and better quality schools in other communities. ( Elliott etal. 1996). Now a poor family will depend on their immediate surroundings for social support and education. After school programmes that offer child care to families and art, music, sports, scouting, dancing, singing etc to the child are linked to improve the performance in school in middle age childhood and psychological adjustment.( Posner vandell,1994; Vandell posner, 1999). Religious youth groups and special interest clubs like circle K that is p rovided by neighbourhood organisation will help the development in adolescence, by raising their self-esteem, enhancing their performance and achievement at school and giving them the knowledge on how to behave responsibly in society. (Gonzales etal., 1996; Kerestes Youniss,2003). Exosystem refers to the places and people that the child may not interact with regularly but plays an important role in the child growth and development. These places and people will be the parents workplace, the neighbourhood, extended family members etc. An example of exosystem will be if a childs parent is fired or laid off from work then the household will only have one set of income or no income at all. This will result in the parent not being able to pay rent, buy groceries or even send the child to school which will negatively impact the child development and growth (Oswalt, 2008). In fact research confirms the negative impact of a break down in exosystem show an increase rates of conflict and child abuse.( Emery Laumann-billings, 1998). However if that child parent receives a promotion or a raise at work, then the parent can provide a proper home, satisfy the child needs when the child is hungry and send he/she to school which will positively impact the child development (Os walt, 2008). Macrosystem consist of all systems mention above, the cultures, the general beliefs, written and unwritten principles that governs everyone on society behaviours. These principles can either be legal, political, economic, religious or educational (schoolworkhelper- St. Rosemary Educational Institution. Growth and Development Theory: URIE BRONFENBRENNER (1917-2005), n.d). The macrosystem can be defined as the effect of larger principles having a cascading influence throughout the interactions of all other layers (Paquette, Ryan, 2001). For example: If in a particular culture the belief is that parents should have full responsibility of raising their child, it is highly unlikely that the culture will provide any resources to assist the parent. As a result the structures at which the parent functions will be affected. The parent ability or inability to handle the responsibility toward their child within the childs microsystem is affected (Paquette, Ryan, 2001). Chronosystem is refered to by Urie Bronfenbrenner as the temporal dimension of his model. The environment is always changing. Important events that may occur throughout a childs life like birth of a sibling, going to school for the first time, parents being divorce are able to alter existing relationships between that child and the environment resulting in new conditions that can affect development. Also the timing of environmental change affects the impact. For example: A toodler having a brother or sister will experience different consequence than a schhol-age child with activities and relationships beyond the family. As a child gets older they have the ability to select, modify and create many of their own settings and experiences. This ability depends on the child physical, intellectual, personal characteristics and their environmental opportunities. Children are both products and producers of their environment therefore both the child and the environment form a network of interd ependent effects in ecological system theory (Brek, 2000). So far we have outline Urie Bronfenbrenner ecological systems theory of child development. Now we will discuss how this theory informs the socialization agents that influence growth and development. Before we get into the discussion we will first define what a socialization agent is. A socialization agent is people like parents, family members, peers, teachers, social institutions like school, community centers and religious institutions that assist with incorporating an individual with society. There are 4 major agents of socialization in society; family, school, community culture and peers. The other agents will be mass media, gender and work. All the agents mentioned above are further divided into socialization groups. The groups are primary agents, secondary agents and social class. Primary agents of socialization are made up of people that are very close to the individual like family, teachers and friends. The most important primary agent of socialisation will be the family because they help shape the life, development and behaviour of an individual with in the society. Secondary agents of socialization are institutions that assist the individual in finding their place within the society. Secondary socialization agents include religious instutions, schools, community centers, work places etc. Schools are responsible for improving a child social skill which helps him/ her incorporate well with the surrounding society. Social classes will be the lower class, working middle class and higher elite class. In other words social class is dividing an individual within the society (Baxamusa, 2011). Now there is a better understand of what socialization agents are we can discuss how Urie Bronfenbrenner theory informs them. However the focus will only be on the socialization agents that influence growth and development. There are family, educators, schools and community centres. Urie Bronfenbrenner ecological theory informed educators in how to handle and analysis situation that may occur in schools whether it is pre-school, primary or secondary school. For example: Akelia is sitting in an art class using markers to draw pictures. Henderson joins her at the table and begins to cut scrap paper with a scissors. Akelia place a piece of paper in the centre of the desk, now Henderson thought that it was scrap paper and begin to cut it in pieces. Akelia looks over to what Henderson is doing, when she realise the paper Henderson was cutting was the piece she place in the centre, she jump up and shouted NO!!!!!! That is moms!! while pulling the paper out of Henderson hands. Suddenly Akelia punch Henderson in the ribs before the teacher can arrive at the desk. In this scenario an educator that is informed by Urie Bronfenbrenner ecological theory will conclude that Akelias mesosystem is aggressive or forceful and the way Akelias family members, neighbours or parents i nteract with her is violent or hostile resulting in Akelia developing that way towards others. So instead of punishing Akelia the educator will talk to her parents about her behaviour towards other and try to come to an agreement on how to deal with the situation so Akelia can grow and develop in a more positive way. This approach will be better than punishment because if Akelia is punish it will only make her more hostil. This is because Akelia thinks that her behaviour is right because that is what she knows from home and that is how she developed. Therefore she will not understand the reason she is being punish and will exhibit very hostile behaviour towards the educator and nothing will be resolved. Also the educator informed by Urie Bronfenbrenner theory will reflect on her class room environment or school environment to make sure that Akelias microsystem is not interacting with her in any violent or hostile way to make her respond to the situation the way she did. If the mesos ystem interaction with Akelia is violent or hostile then the educator will go to higher authorities to talk on how the school is interacting with students and how it is impacting the growth and development of students in a negative way. Urie Bronfenbrenner ecological theory informed programmes that are put in place in schools and communities centers. For example:The school may have sports programmes, social worker programmes, donation programmes and guidance counsellors to work with students who microsystem and mesosystem is broken where the parents or family members, home and neighbourhood are very aggressive, forceful, hostile violent towards the child resulting in the child being emotional scared and growing and developing into a very angry person. When this occur the guidance counsellor of the school will interact with the child, place the child in afterschool programs like sports to help release tension and violent energy, the guidance counsellor may also alert social workers to interact with the parents and try to make better environment for the child so the child can have great growth and development. Also students who exosystem may be broken or breaking down. For instance the mother might lost her job or sal ary has been cut and the child may be not attending school for long periods of time because the parents do not have sufficient funds to send him. When the child does attend school he is in fights because of the broken exosystem the parents are constantly fighting and on the verge to getting a divorce. This then leads to the child undergoing a life changing event which hinders his growth and development because he do not want to socialize or be a part of school activities or school. The school will have a guidance counsellor interact with the child and be there through the stages the help the child cope with the life changing events without hindering the growth and development. Also students who are in a particular culture that believe that parents should take full responsibility for raising their child and no resources are given to the parent. If the parents do not have the ability to take on that responsibility because one parent is handicap and the other addicted to drugs then the school donation programme will be able to provide for the child so the broken macrosystem will not hinder the child growth or development or cause the child to grow and develop in a negative way. Urie Bronfenbrenner

Criminal Justice System

Criminal Justice System Introduction Criminal justice system is a phrase used to express the interdependent components of the courts, police, and correctional facilities in the government. The term also describes the criminal justice agencies found within states in a federal government. As a whole the criminal justice system is thus made up of the three aforementioned interdependent components. Law-making has often been added by some as the forth criminal justice component, since all legitimate activity of the criminal justice system emanates from the law (Fuller, 2005). The understanding of this is important because if the process of criminal justice is unfair, a portion of the unfairness will for sure stem from the criminal law. The substantive law aspect reflects the what of the statute, in that laws are established to define certain behaviour as crime, and thus give punishment to those who violate the law (Bohm Walker, 2007). However in the recent times there have been calls for an overhaul of the criminal justice system. This stems from the diminishing public confidence in the system that has been accused of unfairness and inequity in performing its mandate. Hence a review of the criminal justice system is aimed at improving it to be fair, firm but compassionate, and colour-blind truly Fair and Effectiveness The effectiveness of the law can be evaluated based on the access and equality of the law, its enforceability, resource efficiency, protection of individual rights, and a means to establish a balance between the rights of the society and individuals. To act effectively, the criminal justice system must render equal treatment to everyone, regardless of their income, education, age, social status or ethnicity. If it is discovered that an individual has been discriminate against, then the criminal justice system is deemed to have failed if its task. Equality before should have effective adaptations in order to suit the changing values and attitudes of the society and individuals (Karmen, 2009). Another factor that can determine whether or not the criminal justice system is effective is delays in the system. Criminal justice often takes too long before finalizing cases. Years elapse between the date when the crime was committed, and the time when the offender is sentenced. Such delays in the criminal justice system can result in the victim suffering from continuous trauma because of the offender not being punished. Delay can also result in witnesses forgetting important information that is relevant to the case in question. A fair and effective criminal justice should not be expensive to mete upon everyone. The criminal justice system can be very costly. Numerous citizens cannot afford legal representation. In some cases courts have recognized the necessity for adequate legal representation. Hence attempts to redress inequalities of accessing the legal system have been done through Legal Aid. This offers cheap legal representation to individuals on a limited income. Nonetheless, not everyone is provided with the legal aid. In order for people to qualify for legal aid, they need to pass a test asserting their assets or level of income, and a merit test where matters are serious enough with a likelihood of winning (Fuller, 2005). In view of all this issues, the criminal justice system cannot be said to be wholly effective and fair. The Rule of Law Doubts have of late arisen on whether the criminal justice system abides by the principle of the rule of law. Arguments have been laid that misconceptions regarding criminal trails, and the power vested in organized crime, is the source of the degradation and corruption in the criminal justice system. This implies that the system is not performing on the principle of rule of law. Rather than serve the society by protecting the victims and convicting the guilty, the criminal justice system is dominated by indifferent court staff and judges, wily defence lawyers and defendants who bully witnesses. Hence the public confidence in the criminal justice system has been eroding with time. Another problem forming the opposite view stems from wrongful convictions. In Australia, a spate of wrongful convictions has resulted in certain jurisdictions sending their judges to undertake courses in avoiding wrongful convictions (Fairchild Dammer, 2000). Factors like overconfident eyewitnesses and bog us prosecution experts have been identified among the causes of misrepresented justice. There is also the aspect of lying jailhouse informants who invent confession frequently. Inept lawyers and overzealous prosecutors often jeopardize the accused right to trial. Another factor in wrongful convictions is the tendency especially in high profile cases, of the police, press and public figures seeking publicity, convicting the accused prior to trial. Comments on whether the criminal justice system stands by rule of law have been plentiful in debate. Some have suggested that the best approach to cut crime is social action, so that the criminal justice issue never comes up, because there are no crimes committed. An excellent example of that approach is through job creation. Of course the problem is that organized and disorganized or random crime will not be affected by the creation of jobs. Gangs that terrorize neighbourhoods have never been impressed by make-work and flower planting programs. Therefore the issue of the criminal justice system is not fully addressed. Crimes will continue to happen and the criminal justice system will still experience the problems therein Strengths One objective of the criminal justice system is to reduce crime. There is no doubt that a broad consensus is present that the basic structure of the criminal justice system should remain as a predominant feature in administering criminal justice in Australia. However a range of complementary or alternative approaches can also be utilized within the same framework. Crime reduction can be achieved via reactive means. This includes response to a call for service, arresting, obtaining a criminal conviction, and serving the sentence imposed by the court (Karmen, 2009). The criminal justice system can also employ proactive means like eliminating conditions that result in criminality. The former method of reducing crime is referred to as crime control, and accurately portrays the majority of criminal justice activity in Australia. The latter form of crime reduction is called crime prevention and is less emphasized in most countries. The quality goal of a criminal justice system that dominantly counts as its strength is doing justice. Doing justice has two related implications both of which are reflected in the blindfolded lady justice, Justitia, who holds a sword and scales and adorns several legal building and courthouses across the nation. It is thought that the sword represents the first meaning of justice, whose aim is to hold the guilty responsible for the harms and damages inflicted by them. If an offender is not penalized by his wrongdoings, then justice has not been achieved and therefore the criminal justice system has in itself failed (Reichel, 2004). This form of justice is termed corrective justice as is the case with punishment or corrections. The blindfold and scales are thought to represent fairness, which is the second meaning of justice. Such conception of justice assumes that every individual will be equally treated in the eyes of the law. That justice will be blind to income, social standing, and colour among other inequities in society. Hence justice would be absent in cases where any group is somehow singled out or left for differential treatment by the law. This form of justice is called procedural justice. The strength of the current criminal justice system draws stems from the way it incorporates both corrective justice and procedural justice. The procedures of the court call for every suspect to be considered innocent until proven guilty by an impartial court of law. Thus the system allows the offender to be subjected to a fair trial that should be devoid of unfair advantage or external interference. The necessary evidence is gathered and witnesses availed prior to the commencement of the trial. This ensures that cases are handled with due diligence, and that the victims or offenders are not disadvantaged by any hurried move by the court. In addition, judgment in the court is passed based on the collected facts or evidence, not on the whims of public opinion or emotions in the courtroom (Kappeler, Potter, 2004). Hence correctional justice ensures that both parties in a disputed are satisfied with the outcome of the case, since it incorporates a high degree of fairness. The role of procedural justice is to guarantee parties that the trial is free of just. The various components of the criminal justice system in the name of the name of the police, court and correction process, each plays its part. This ensures the provision of a fair process of arrest, hearing, and the correction procedure. Proponents of justice as an outcome seek to make the Australian criminal justice more punitive. This is aimed at achieving vengeance for victims of crime and retribution for society. Research shows that efforts like increased incarceration, long average sentences and more executions over the past years, have eroded the procedures that make the Australian criminal justice process fair. Weaknesses Wrongful convictions have seriously dominated the weakness of the criminal justice system. When individuals sit wrongly convicted for several years, major miscarriages of justice does occur. It is in such acts that innocent are convicted and the guilty are set free. Public opinion has also been counted among factors that have influenced the operations of the system (Crow Johnson, 2008). The courts are faced with a difficult balance to accomplish. While they are not controlled by public sentiment, the courts should also not lose the confidence of the population. A curious reluctance exists, especially among lawyers, in submitting the conceptual underpinnings of the criminal justice system to close examination or empirical information on its functioning. The establishment of a dichotomy between the legal and moral rights of the victims of crime and accused persons has always been a false venture. Most annalists make reference to the way politicians conduct media campaigns on law and order, and play or prey on the fears of the populace, for political gain. Hence politicians also employ this tactics in intimidating the fair outcome of a trial that they may be party or interested. The judge is threatened behind the scenes to make certain lines of action besides the rampant corruption present. The fairness and justice that is supposed to be exercised by the criminal justice system to make it effective, has been affected negatively by political interference (Beckett Sasson, 2003). The public often despair of the oversimplification of issues of criminal justice in the popular media. The press with its popularity just like politics is in nature adversarial. The media thrives on the conflicts established by the dichotomies. Thus it depicts itself as the arena where the conflict between good and evil is constructed righteously in the minds of men. Most conflicts highlighted by the media have been reframed in the public discussion of the same issues. Thus the media has in certain occasions influenced the outcome of a court decision. Nevertheless, it would be preferable if this were created other than via reiteration or iteration. Some scholars have argued that the criminal justice system lacks clear objectives and is devoid of uniformity. Essentially it is deficiency of the features of a system. Hence it is assumed sometimes that the public appears to be more punitive than what the current criminal justice system is. Among the weakness of the current criminal justice system emanate from the delays in conducting trials. Offenders spend several years in remand before their cases are handled. This does not assist the victim either, because there is continuous suffering of trauma as the criminal is being unpunished. Witness also end up losing vital information relevant to the case since it takes long from the time crime is committed to the period the is finally heard. The issue of bail over remand has also eroded public confidence in the system. The society has been living in fear as dangerous criminals are bailed out to come and carry out revenge after being arrested and on release. This has been taken in certain quarters as a form of lenience that encourages criminals to continue terrorizing the society. Judges have also accused of passing lenient sentences to convicted criminals (Pizzi, 2000). Such weaknesses in the criminal justice system has worked in degrading and diminishing the performance of this establishment in eyes of the public, which it is mandated to serve fairly and effectively. The Current Criminal Justice System With regard to the preceding discussions, the current criminal justice system faces the litmus test of being fair and effective. An examination of the law-making process and law makers in Australia reveals some important facts for understanding the processes of criminal justice. Law makers at both state and federal government are disproportionately white, male, and more than twenty years older than an average Australian. There is a lot of money involved in the political and criminal justice system. The current system is accused of bias based on gender, color and social status among other parameters. The issue of how white collar crime is handled under the system has been a source of heightened concern. The system has ignored the most harmful act against Australians, deeming it unfair as the perpetrators are not held accountable (Lab, 2007). Logically criminal justice activity would be unfair because police, courts and corrections carry out criminal law. Thus the criminal justice proc ess does not achieve desert, as a key component of fairness if the law is applied discriminately. There are cases where the police, courts and corrections enforce unfair law unintentionally, the term innocent bias is applied. Innocent bias to exist does not require dishonest court staff, bad police officers, or unethical correctional personnel. The fact is that even if all employees of the justice system were fair, just, equitable, unbiased, impartial, objective and dispassionate, the Australian criminal justice process would be unjust still due to innocent bias (Reichel, 2004). This is the most significant and dangerous form of unfairness, with widespread effects that cannot be rooted out easily, unlike most apparent forms like corruption, police brutality, bribery, and prosecutorial misconduct among others. Hence the criminal justice system as it stands currently cannot be assumed to be fair and effective. It should be understood that after the apparent threats to unfairness have been identified and dealt with, the issue of innocent bias will still remain to hound the effective ness and fairness of the system. Conclusion It is important to acknowledge that the opinion of the public generally suggests citizen agreement with criminal law. The acts recognized in law as serious crimes are still those that the populace tends to think are most serious. Because the police probe alleged crimes and are the primary point of entry for cases in the criminal justice system, innocent bias established in the criminal law in perpetuated in the activities of law enforcement. Therefore the disparities in the system such as based on race, class, gender can be minimized, but not dealt with permanently. The idea on innocent bias will always be interpreted by either side to soothe their line of argument in accusing criminal law. Hence for the system to be fair and effective, a remedy for innocent bias ought to be invented if possible.

The Gap Between Rich and Poor Essay example -- Poverty Poor Essays

The Gap Between Rich and Poor As Christmas time approaches, many Americans start to get excited about returning home to all of the familiar festivities. They imagine the smell of the Christmas tree mixed with the aroma of apple cider or think about all of the Christmas specials on television that they will watch. They can not wait to relax in front of the fireplace with their families and to open all of the Christmas gifts piled under the tree. On the other hand, more than half of the rest of the world will not be having the kind of holiday with presents, fireplaces, and television specials that most Americans are used to. In fact, the money U.S. parents spend on Christmas presents alone this year will probably be more than the annual income of over half the worlds population. It is heartbreaking. Our world is essentially divided into two sections: rich and poor. Unfortunately , the majority of people are poor. Each society has certain attributes that are part of its culture. Richer countries are literate, industrial, overweight, overfed, and comfortable. Poorer societies are illiterate, under-developed, hungry, malnourished, and struggling to merely survive. There is a very large and uneven gap between the rich and the poor. This gap is a very real thing. Poverty is a reality that exists for most and effects them every single, waking day of their lives. It is a reality in which children die because their parents could not afford penicillin. People live in small, one-room shacks in groups, of ten with no running water and little food. A bathroom for them is a large hole in the ground. Poverty is a real struggle that’s purpose is to merely survive. This type of poverty did not always exist. Before the Industrial R... ...ndustrial capacity, technology, and infrastructure to compete with the industrialized countries, which have been honing their economic might for over a century. All in all, the problems in the other world in terms of oppression are too great to fathom. It is sick that a minority of the population can cause such agony and deprivation to their own human kind. One of the biggest problems in resolving the problem is that most Americans are completely naive and oblivious to this great oppression that merely continues to get stronger. This year, when all of the Christmas festivities start, maybe some will be a little more humble and remember the part of Christmas called giving. Help has to start somewhere. Individuals can do a tiny bit for maybe one family this Christmas. God willing, the spirit will spread, and the other world might some day find a glimmer of hope.

Public versus Personal Reference in Notes of a Native Son :: James Baldwin

Stand Back Up (unsteadily: Tumbling revision) Throwing scalding hot water in someone’s face on a day to day basis will eventually cause a reaction. James Baldwin decided to throw back physically in his life, and with the manner in which he writes. As I'm sure you do not know, James Baldwin was an African-American writer. He is widely thought of as one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. He has composed a fascinating account of living as a black man in America, â€Å"Notes of a Native Son,† which was first published in 1955. This is not nearly as long ago as you may think and the issues he addresses are still prevalent today. Put yourself in a semi-uncomfortable position, uncover the past and realize this country isn't as full of equality as it likes to seem. As a nation far too many of us don't actively think about or bother to remember the social inequalities that this country had and certainly still has. To create a truly captivating experience Baldwin utilizes a sor t of public versus personal reference. James Baldwin is possibly one of the most inspiring and charismatic writers in our history. I absolutely can't understand how so many of you haven't even heard his name. Don't you think you should know something about someone who is widely renowned as being the greatest?! James Baldwin is a man who has lived with racial prejudice all his life. In this essay Baldwin focuses on his father and their relationship as well as personal and historic accounts. Early on his father was a keynote in helping him to notice the ways white people treat blacks. Of course he was eager to prove his father wrong, as youth are apt to do. Baldwin did resist these allegations for a while. It is hard to resist passioned hatred when it is surging all around you. Baldwin notices that his father's death has been marked by a terrible riot where the mob â€Å"began to swell and to spread in every direction, and Harlem exploded.