Friday, December 27, 2019

Titration Basics Acid, Bases, and Buffers

Titration is a procedure used in chemistry in order to determine the molarity of an acid or a base. A chemical reaction is set up between a known volume of a solution of unknown concentration and a known volume of a solution with a known concentration. The relative acidity (basicity) of an aqueous solution can be determined using the relative acid (base) equivalents. An acid equivalent is equal to one mole of H or H3O ions. Similarly, a base equivalent is equal to one mole of OH- ions. Keep in mind, some acids and bases are polyprotic, meaning each mole of the acid or base is capable of releasing more than one acid or base equivalent. When the solution of known concentration and the solution of unknown concentration are reacted to the point where the number of acid equivalents equals the number of base equivalents (or vice versa), the equivalence point is reached. The equivalence point of a strong acid or a strong base will occur at pH 7. For weak acids and bases, the equivalence point need not occur at pH 7. There will be several equivalence points for polyprotic acids and bases. How to Estimate the Equivalence Point There are two common methods of estimating the equivalence point: Use a pH meter. For this method, a graph is made plotting the pH of the solution as a function of the volume of added titrant.Use an indicator. This method relies on observing a color change in the solution. Indicators are weak organic acids or bases that are different colors in their dissociated and undissociated states. Because they are used in low concentrations, indicators do not appreciably alter the equivalence point of a titration. The point at which the indicator changes color is called the end point. For a properly performed titration, the volume difference between the endpoint and the equivalence point is small. Sometimes the volume difference (error) is ignored; in other cases, a correction factor may be applied. The volume added to achieve the end point may be calculated using this formula: VANA VBNB where V is volume, N is normality, A is acid, and B is a base.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Fantasy Rhetoric Essay - 1619 Words

Fantasy Rhetoric: Summary and Analysis of Katherine Fowkes’s Fantasy Films A Rhetoric Analysis consists of a multitude of attributes some larger than others and some not specifically require. Among those are certain attributes that are what provides the foundation of any Rhetoric work, Logos, Pathos, and Ethos or persuasive appeal. My job is to show you the other attributes consisting of the context of the argument, the authors’ attitude, and the tone of the overall work. So first I will have to fill you in to Katherine Fowkes’s work. Katherine A. Fowkes in Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film, Vol. 2 she explains the notion of fantasy in traditional application of film through her chapter Fantasy Films. She defines its context in this†¦show more content†¦By the 1950’s science fiction began to take off as the current event of the day lend to new stories of space travel, atomic energy mishaps and the monsters that ensued. With sound also came the advent of musicals many of which were delightful fantasies by the likes of Disney and bring the fairy tales and children’s books to life on the screen. Now art also had a place to be expressed through the outlet of fantasy films, by the likes of Dalà ­ and Bruňuel disorienting pieces. During the 1970’s and beyond the science fiction reclaimed a spot in fantasy with the likes of E.T. and Star Wars and blend though was involve of the fantasy and science fiction as there was no explanation of Yoda’s magical qualities or E.T.’s healing powers. When CGI came it was able to bring the audience to a new level of fantasy pushing the bound of what the imagination could provide with the likes of The Matrix, The Abyss or films made completely of CGI like Toy Story. Fowkes thinks that though fantasy theory ideology is most commonly associated with literature, it also can be applied to cinema. The modes of fantasy would be referenced as â€Å"uncanny†, â€Å"fantastic†, and â€Å"marvelous.† Uncanny is in reference to the idea of the â€Å"experience of feelings of awe and hesitation provoked by strange, improbable events (Fowkes 192).† If thisShow MoreRelated Simulation Proliferation and the City Essay3639 Words   |  15 Pagesphilosophy of fantasy in a highly commercial, idyllic, anti-city movie. Those lucky children of the 80’s witnessed the depiction and eventual summarization of the relation between fantasy, imagination, fiction, story, and control in the politico-creative manifesto, The Neverending Story (Wolfgang Peterson 1984). In the movie, Sebastian (a somewhat troubled young boy) reads a book (whose unfolding is the main content of the screen) and is then implicated in the collapse of a fantasy world. LateRead MoreRhetoric And The On Social Media Essay1217 Words   |  5 Pagesmedia, when we hear the word rhetoric we often cringe. Yet there are very few that actually have a true grasp of the words meaning. When we first started the semester we heard rhetoric being described as â€Å"mere crookery†. Rhetoric is simply the process of making messages and messages made by that process, and these messages are used to influence social attitudes, the values and even actions of the intended audiences. If we look at it in the same lens of Aristotle, rheto ric is to lead us to the bestRead MoreEssay Rhetorical Visions in the Film, American History X3044 Words   |  13 PagesBormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory and Fantasy Theme. The goal of this paper is to â€Å"provide insight in the shared worldview of a group of rhetors† (Bormann as cited in Foss 121). I will also show repeated phrases that lead to different rhetorical visions. I will explain how fantasy types emerge and also how symbolism reflects the rhetorical visions. The first part of my paper will include two different literary reviews that have been done on fantasy themes. One of them specificallyRead MoreEssay on Sacrifice to the Signifier, in Comic Praise of the Logos1345 Words   |  6 Pagessignified emerged from a cluster of signifiers (men chained before a blazing fire, shadows on a cave wall, etc.). At once self-consciously artificial and didactic, Socrates’ allegory prompts an understanding, produces a knowledge that leans upon fantasy and imagination as its only supports. Replying to Socrates, Glaucon registers his appreciation of the allegory: All this I see. Perhaps this primal scene of philosophical instruction can most productively be grasped as a deaf moment, or as anRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Pharmaceutical Innovation: Can We Live Forever? a Commentary on Schnittker and Karandinos1013 Words   |  5 Pageson Schnittker and Karandinos† he addresses the article made by Schnittker and Karandinos about the progression of pharmaceuticals and whether or not we have advanced enough to significantly increase our life expectancy. Lexchin uses a plethora of rhetoric to persuade the reader into believing his argument, mostly relying upon logos, chiefly facts, to appeal to the logical and sensible side of the readers. His argument is not limited to logos though, as there are faint traces of pathos, the longingRead MoreEssay on Response to Bitzers Rhetorical Situation2241 Words   |  9 Pagesmoral because it is an act performed in a situation of a certain kind; similarly, a work is rhetorical because it is a response to a situatio n of a certain kind†.(3) By defining the rhetorical situation in this way, Bitzer further contends that rhetoric is a means to altering reality. (4) It is through the use of discourse that one is capable of changing reality through thought and action. (4) Bitzer then elaborates upon the nature of a rhetorical situation by explaining that rhetorical discourseRead MoreJumbo Wild Persuasive Essay1456 Words   |  6 Pagesindividuals have experience, they are overshadowed by the deed they are promoting. Patagonia didn’t leave out crucial parts to support their intended objective, they let the people do it for them. Meaning they didn’t have manipulate quotes to fit their rhetoric. You can have the most qualified economist in the world tell that one industry will attract more profit but if the area doesn’t need it, or the people don’t want it, who cares. Initially, the narrator gains his credibility as being a film makerRead MoreThe Visceral Politics of V for Vendetta: On Politica Affect in Cinema6851 Words   |  28 Pagesaffect in cinema. As a case study, I analyze the 2006 film V for Vendetta as cinematic rhetoric. Adopting a multi-modal approach that focuses on the interplay of discourse, figure, and ground, I contend that the film mobilizes viewers at a visceral level to reject a politics of apathy in favor of a politics of democratic struggle. Based on the analysis, I draw conclusions related to the evaluation of cinematic rhetoric, the political import of mass art, and the character and role of affect in politicsRead MorePersuasion, The, And Free Choice Essay2147 Words   |  9 Pageson Pharoh Huni. (McCroskey, 1972) Huni was known to be the individual who wrote the first essay on persuasion back in 3,000 B.C. The person who made the biggest significant contribution to persuasion is Aristotle, who wrote three books in terms of rhetoric. Aristotle discovered that persuasion had three purposes ethos, pathos, and/or logos. Ethos is known to be the nature of the communicator or persuader, pathos is the emotions of the audience or persuadee, and logos is the nature of the actual messageRead MoreThe Saturn Myth As A Type Of Meta Structure740 Words   |  3 Pages It may be possible, if the monstrous rhetoric could be traced to its origin, to establish a type of meta-structure by which to identify uses of language and metaphor which rely on the monstrous to create difference or marginality. A brief look into the European origins of cannibalism, not as a practice but as a metaphorical construction, leads back to the Saturn myth. Again, Zika notes the use of the Saturn myth as the â€Å"explicit basis for [the] association between witch and cannibal,† and notes

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Big data and Its Application

Questions: Part AThis part emphasizes on the use of Big Data and its applications. Students are required to demonstrate research in the area of Big Data and its solutions. Over the past several years the retail sector has been bombarded with challenges. Brick-and Mortar stores have closed in record numbers and continue to do so. Indeed virtually every member of the entire industry is at high risk. They are vexed by several threats ranging from increased competition from online super-shopper sites such as Amazon to a plethora of more brand-specific problems, such as lack of differentiators, pricing pressures, muddled marketing messaging, poor businesses processes, online pricing/brand comparison sites, customer reviews on their own websites, vulnerability to customer social messaging, and an overall disconnection with buying public. One of the retail sectors is Alanas Retail Clothing House (ARCH). ARCH former strategies in merchandising, merchandise selection, pricing models, customer service, a nd marketing are no longer working as effectively as they have in the past. They are planning to introduce a new product into the market. However, in recent times the company has made some bad investment decisions which in turn have impacted their profit bottom line. Thus the senior management requires a thorough analysis of every new product that is introduced to the market. As a senior Data analyst, you have been appointed to advise the senior management on the feasibility of the new product.Your task is to suggest ways how Big Data Solutions can help Alanas Retail Clothing House. You need to write a report to the senior management on Product selection and pricing, using Big Data to develop new pricing models, to find better ways to get more, better, and cleaner customer data which can help profitability. Part B:You are required to select and examine an existing company that is currently using business intelligence and decision support systems using Big Data as part of its busine ss strategy. In order for you to meet the requirements of this Part B, you need to answer the following questions: Discuss in detail what kind of Big Data online or offline is being used for the business. How the organization of chose the right Big Data application for their business. Discuss in detail what Big Data tools and techniques are used by the organization to support its business operations or processes. Provide examples on how those tools and techniques are used in the organization. What improvements/enhancements can be observed from this company as compared to other companies within the same industry when using Big data? What are the Business and Organizational impact using Big Data? How do you think Big Data solutions provide values to business intelligence to your chosen company and its customers? What are the main factors that influence the success of business intelligence in the company? Answers: Introduction: In retail sector, big data expedites the analysis of behavior of in-store purchase in real time. With this kind of facility to have quick insight into demand scenario, retail stores can manage their stock levels, prices, merchandise and also able to maximize sales.Big data provides the ability to store huge volume of data set, which is beyond the capacity of commonly used software tools to curate, capture, process and manage a large volume of data within a desired amount of time. With a shift form few dozen terabytes to petabytes of data, size of Big data is increasing day by day. Big data is nothing but a set of technologies and techniques which is made up of new forms of integration to reveal a large volume of data values from a large set of data that are of massive scale, complex and diverse in nature. Architecture of a big data technology is having five layers- Presentation layer, application layer, Storage layer and integration layer. Part A: Big data and its Application: Big data provides the ability to store huge volume of data set, which is beyond the capacity of commonly used software tools to curate, capture, process and manage a large volume of data within a desired amount of time. With a shift form few dozen terabytes to petabytes of data, size of Big data is increasing day by day. Big data is nothing but a set of technologies and techniques which is made up of new forms of integration to reveal a large volume of data values from a large set of data that are of massive scale, complex and diversein nature(Zhao, Fan and Hu, 2014). Architecture of a big data technology is having five layers- Presentation layer, application layer, Storage layer and integration layer. For process management and workflow, presentation layer provides primary interface. Application layer is the place, where modeling, analysis and business intelligence are executed(Chugh and Grandhi, 2013).The storage and processing layer store and process a huge volume of unstructured and structured data either in real time or in non-real time. Lastly, the integration layer work as an interface between the several enterprise data sources across an organization and helps to move data in, out and throughout the architecture of big data(Bernardino and Ribeiro, 2011). Market research has been conducting based so many products since a century. Importance of market research is increasing gradually in order to determine the market strength of a particular product. Big data solution for Alanas Retail Clothing House (ARCH): While retail sectors are in concern, big data explores the analysis of behavior of in-store purchase in real time. With this kind of facility to have quick insight into demand scenario, retail stores can manage their stock levels, prices, merchandise and also able to maximize sales(Vera-Baquero, Colomo-Palacios and Molloy, 2013). With the incorporation ofBig data and BI (Business Intelligence) tools, ARCH can have the ability of massive processing capability to produce the large data sets and helps to analyze the market trend with respect to a particular product. This in turn helps the company to uncover the cost-reducing opportunities(Bi and Cochran, 2014). In this context ARCH will have a great impact in three areas, due to the incorporation of Big data and BI tools, such as- Customer intimacy: organizations are in rush to gather customer data form interactive websites, third-party data banks, government and online communities. That is where Big data put a great impact to strengthen the corporate strategy. As a social-media Platform Facebook is telling about 30 billion contents are shared by users daily(Duan and Xiong, 2015). On the other hand it is now possible to bring the customer contact and social media feeds in a one place. With the further advancement of the analytical tools, it becomes possible to allow more effective, efficient and effective tool with least processing cost. Hence it can help to develop new insights rapidly(Chugh and Grandhi, 2013). It is a big opportunity for ARCH, if its owners are thinking to build a web portal to incorporate the E-commerce in the business model. Big data help to customize product offers in real time environment. For example, AMAZON has adopted this technique since few years by displaying the related products with the purchased products. In offer giving offline advertisement alsoBigdata assists in ad placement by analyzing which TV programs will deliver the greatest impact for several segments of customer(De Ville, 2006). Production Innovation: New Big data opportunities are coming up across the globe to gather past and related data from many sources whether it is an online data or offline data. The weak side of a business scenario comes up when data collection is something hard-to-find. With concept of Big data what was once proprietary information, now can be accessed from public to private resources. After this data collection, it is possible for ARCH to generate revenue by analyzing the market of their product. Even customers buying behavior will also help ARCH to improve their product and they can offer dynamic pricing along with different content. For example, Facebook runs lots of experiments everyday with a set of users. These users are seeing different features than others. Even Amazon offers different content along with dynamic pricing applicable for several customers and adjustments are made appropriately(Duan and Xiong, 2015). Operations: Before something starts deteriorating it is needed to take efficient steps to fix. In previous scenario of ARCH allows information to be rustin storage area and that was a waste of opportunity. Supply chain data offers several information-rich interactions, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for capturing the physical movement of products. This scope allows getting information on manufacturing sites, customers, suppliers and asset movement, revenue, customers in real time.Allowing customer information and their purchased item of ARCH is not everything but the way it is seen from the perspective of customers is important.I.e. when a promotion ofARCHs substitute product will take place in the market, then it will reveal the actual customer preferences(GlenysVahn, 2014). With the incorporation of Big data and BI (Business Intelligence) tools, ARCH can have the ability of massive processing capability to produce the large data sets and helps to analyze the market trend with respect to a particular product. This in turn helps the company to uncover the cost-reducing opportunities. Conclusion: With concept of Big data what was once less known information, now can be accessed from public to private resources. With the further advancement and incorporation of analytical tools, it becomes possible to allow more effective and efficient tool with least processing cost. With the mining techniques, such as, classification allows to segregate collected data as per the similarities. With Classification Rule Mining, it became possible to indentify frequency of a particular product and even it becomes possible to find other frequent product that is coming frequently with a most frequent product. That in turn helps to mine the buying behavior of customers. This scope allows getting information on manufacturing sites, customers, suppliers and asset movement, revenue, customers in real time which helps the top most person of company to take decision. All those in turn help ARCH and its organizational heads to take effective decisions. Part B: Introduction: Business Intelligence tools are kind of application software, which are designed for retrieving, analyzing, transforming and making report data for business intelligence. These kinds of tools generally used to read and analyze data, which have been stored previously in data warehouses. Categories of BI tools are: Querying and Reporting software, spreadsheets, OLAP, data mining, local information systems, Data warehousing and Digital dashboards (Heinrichs, Lim and Hudspeth, 2002). All the big data tools and techniques help to get store, retrieve and modify data easily those stored in physical locations and virtual spaces, such as cloud. This tools techniques are use to track the product market and revenue growth from a remote location, as data can be stored on virtual space. Hence it can be concluded that Big data is nothing but the large data set to analyze, revel the pattern among those gathered data specially related to human behavior. Company that is currently using business intelligence and decision support systems in its business strategy: With the incorporation of DSS standard and BI (Business Intelligence) tools, Levi Strauss can have the ability of massive processing capability to produce the large data sets and helps to analyze the market trend with respect to a particular product. This in turn helps the company to uncover the cost-reducing opportunities(Huang et al., 2014).Supply chain data offers different information using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to capture the physical movement of products. This scope allows getting information on customers, suppliers and asset movement, revenue, customers in real time. 1. Levi has adopted this technique since few years by displaying the related products with the purchased products. In offer giving offline advertisement also Big data assists in ad placement by analyzing which TV programs will deliver the greatest impact for several segments of customer (Duan and Xiong, 2015). On the other hand Levi DSSs allows manager of Levi to take decision and also make it easy for managers to examine the performance of the distributors, supplier and manufacturer over supply chain management. Levi is Involved in offline retail to measure and ultimately optimize brick-and-mortar of retail stores. Data those are stored in an offline storage are linked with the data warehouse. Tools those are used in Big data fetch records form offline storage and make analysis over those data. Before making analysis upon those data, data are fetched and stored using offline storage or in a virtual storage space such as clouds.While we are considering the data collection of Levi in the form of online or offline, Levi Strauss manage to collect their big data from online source through their official FB page and through the official sites of Levi. If offline data collection of Levi is considered, it shows their offline customer care service when a customer arrives to their store. Customers opinion makes a huge different towards the required improvement and opinion on the existing system engaged in production and customer service(Kirkpatrick, 2013).2. Jeanswear giant LS Co has chosen Capgemini for the development of an integrated data warehouse and BI platform to analyze the data, which are flowing within the company. Being one of the worlds largest apparel companies, LSCO leverages multiple analytics and BI systems in order to support its wholesale and retail business units. According to the new deal Capgemini will be working with Teradata and SAP to implement the SAP BusinessObject, BI platform 4.0. This is designed so to provide a global, single and broad-base d view of the data flow of the organization. Hence it can help Levi to drive revenue and also allowsmaking decrement in costs(Leeuwen and Timmermans, 2004).3. According to the vice president, application services, Tammy Amirault, Levis continued success on global business depends on Levis capability to give quick reaction to the movement of data across the enterprise (Leonard, 2013). Which in turn helps in determining customers buying behavior. Customer data are collected and analyzed with respect to the substitute product. It is now possible to bring the customer contact and social media feeds in a one place. With the further advancement of the analytical tools, it becomes possible to allow more effective, efficient and tool with least processing cost (Kirkpatrick, 2013).4. With the big data solution data are stored and fetched in/form virtual and physical storage medium. Those data are gathered, analyzed, and lastly classified to know the actual preference of the customers and eve n it is possible to understand their buying behavior. Examining theses customers preferences and their behavior companies can take their valuable decisions for their future benefits. Even customers can get better shopping experience while they are purchasing materials online. For example users can maintain their account and update their wish list as per their preferences that in turn helps a business organization to know present market trend. 5. With the incorporation of Big data it became possible to incorporate the BI tools and other analytic tools to analyze the market of a particular product. Even it became possible to incorporate the some value added services and offers as per the most frequently sold products. On the other hand companies are now a day became able to understand strategies of other companies to sale the substitute products due to the online presence of the customer data, their preferences and stock report. These stock reports are easy to maintain and easy to fet ch the customer records along with the revenue report due to the incorporation of data mining and other analytics methodologies. Conclusion: Now a day Organizations are in rush to gather customer data form interactive websites, third-party data banks, government and online communities in order to collect a huge amount of data on customer information, their preference while choosing substitute product. That is where Big data put a great impact to strengthen the corporate strategy. For example, Facebook is telling about 30 billion contents are shared by users daily. On the other hand it is now possible to bring the customer contact and social media feeds in a one place. The weak side of a business scenario comes up when data collection is something hard-to-find. With concept of Big data what was once proprietary information, now can be accessed from public to private resources. With the further advancement of the analytical tools, it becomes possible to allow more effective and efficient tool with least processing cost.Supply chain data offers different information along with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology an organization capture the physical movement of products. This scope allows getting information on manufacturing sites, customers, suppliers and asset movement, revenue, customers in real time which helps the top most person of company to take decision. Hence it can help to develop new insights rapidly. It is also possible by incorporating data mining with the Big data to know the buying pattern while a large volume of data on customerand product and revenue movement are fetched. With the mining techniques, such as, classification allows to segregate collected data as per the similarities. With Classification Rule Mining, it became possible to indentify frequency of a particular product and even it becomes possible to find other frequent product that is coming frequently with a most frequent product. That in turn helps to mine the buying behavior of customers. References Bernardino, J. and Ribeiro, P. (2011). Open source Business Intelligence: an alternative to proprietary tools. International Journal of Electronic Business, 9(3), p.219. Bi, Z. and Cochran, D. (2014). Big data analytics with applications. Journal of Management Analytics, 1(4), pp.249-265. Chugh, R. and Grandhi, S. (2013). Why Business Intelligence?. International Journal of E-Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 4(2), pp.1-14. De Ville, B. (2006). Decision trees for business intelligence and data mining. Cary, NC: SAS Institute. Duan, L. and Xiong, Y. (2015). Big data analytics and business analytics. Journal of Management Analytics, pp.1-21. Glenys Vahn, G. (2014). BUSINESS ANALYTICS IN THE AGE OF BIG DATA. Business Strategy Review, 25(3), pp.8-9. Heinrichs, J., Lim, J. and Hudspeth, L. (2002). Teaching Strategic Marketing Models with Web-Based Business Intelligence Tools: Innovative Guided Marketing Analysis. Journal of Marketing Education, 24(2), pp.135-142. Huang, R., Sato, A., Tamura, T., Ma, J. and Yen, N. (2014). Towards next-generation business intelligence: an integrated framework based on DME and KID fusion engine. Multimedia Tools and Applications. Kirkpatrick, R. (2013). Big Data for Development. Big Data, 1(1), pp.3-4. Leeuwen, J. and Timmermans, H. (2004). Recent advances in design and decision support systems in architecture and urban planning. Dordrecht: Kluwer. Leonard, P. (2013). Customer data analytics: privacy settings for 'Big Data' business. International Data Privacy Law, 4(1), pp.53-68. Mayer-Schonberger, V. and Cukier, K. (2013). Big data. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Ohlhorst, F. (2013). Big data analytics. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Rohweder, J. (2005). Middle Mississippi River Decision Support System. Reston, Va.: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Vera-Baquero, A., Colomo-Palacios, R. and Molloy, O. (2013). Business Process Analytics Using a Big Data Approach. IT Prof., 15(6), pp.29-35. Zhao, J., Fan, S. and Hu, D. (2014). Business challenges and research directions of management analytics in the big data era. Journal of Management Analytics, 1(3), pp.169-174.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Violence in Media Entertainment Essay Example

Violence in Media Entertainment Essay Media Violence – Introduction The debate over media violence has eluded definitive answers for more than three decades. At first blush, the debate is dominated by one question—whether or not media violence actually causes real-life violence. But closer examination reveals a political battle. On the one hand, there are those who blame media violence for societal violence and want to censor violent content to protect children. On the other hand are those who see regulation as the slippery slope to censorship or a smokescreen hiding the root causes of violence in society. One thing is certain: the issue of media violence is not going away. Increasingly the debate is focusing on the culture of violence, and on the normalization of aggression and lack of empathy in our society. This section describes how the depiction of violence is evolving in a number of media formats. It analyses how, and why, violence is used by the entertainment and information industries. It offers an overview of research findings, an outline of government responses to the issue, and a look at some of the key arguments in the debate. It also explores the role that media education can play in helping young people to put media violence into perspective. Throughout the section, there are links to seminal articles, reports and surveys on the issue. Violence in Media Entertainment Between 2000 B. C. and 44 A. D. , the ancient Egyptians entertained themselves with plays re-enacting the murder of their god Osiris and the spectacle, history tells us, led to a number of copycat killings. The ancient Romans were given to lethal spectator sports as well, and in 380 B. C. We will write a custom essay sample on Violence in Media Entertainment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Violence in Media Entertainment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Violence in Media Entertainment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Saint Augustine lamented that his society was addicted to gladiator games and drunk with the fascination of bloodshed. Violence has always played a role in entertainment. But theres a growing consensus that, in recent years, something about media violence has changed. For one thing, theres more of it. Laval University professors Guy Paquette and Jacques de Guise studied six major Canadian television networks over a seven-year period, examining films, situation comedies, dramatic series, and childrens programming (though not cartoons). The study found that between 1993 and 2001, incidents of physical violence increased by 378 per cent. TV shows in 2001 averaged 40 acts of violence per hour. Francophone viewers experienced the greatest increase. Although physical violence on the three anglophone networks in the study increased by 183 per cent, on their francophone counterparts it increased by 540 per cent. One network, TQS, accounted for just under half (49 per cent) of all the physical violence on the networks studied. Paquette and de Guise also identified a disturbing increase in psychological violence, especially in the last two years. The study found that incidents of psychological violence remained relatively stable from 1993 to 1999, but increased 325 per cent from 1999 to 2001. Such incidents now occur more frequently than physical violence on both francophone and anglophone networks. Canadians are also heavily influenced by American programming. Paquette and de Guise found that over 80 per cent of the TV violence aired in Canada originates in the U. S. They speculate that francophone networks and stations may have a higher incidence of violence because they broadcast more movies, and this, in turn may be due to lower production budgets. Canadian-made violence is most likely to appear on private networks, which broadcast three times as many violent acts as public networks do. Overall, 87. 9 per cent of all violent acts appear before 9 p. m. , and 39 per cent air before 8 p. m. at a time when children are likely to be watching. More Graphic, More Sexual, More Sadistic Other research indicates that media violence has not just increased in quantity; it has also become much more graphic, much more sexual, and much more sadistic. Explicit pictures of slow-motion bullets exploding from peoples chests, and dead bodies surrounded by pools of blood, are now commonplace fare. Millions of viewers worldwide, many of them children, watch female World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers try to tear out each others hair and rip off each others clothing. And one of the top-selling video games in the world, Grand Theft Auto, is programmed so players can beat prostitutes to death with baseball bats after having sex with them. The Globalization of Media Concerns about media violence have grown as television and movies have acquired a global audience. When UNESCO surveyed children in 23 countries around the world in 1998, it discovered that 91 per cent of children had a television in their home and not just in the U. S. , Canada and Europe, but also in the Arab states, Latin America, Asia and Africa. More than half (51 per cent) of boys living in war zones and high-crime areas chose action heroes as role models, ahead of any other images; and a remarkable 88 per cent of the children surveyed could identify the Arnold Schwarzenegger character from the filmTerminator. UNESCO reported that the Terminator seems to represent the characteristics that children think are necessary to cope with difficult situations. Violence Without Consequences or Moral Judgment The notion of violence as a means of problem solving is reinforced by entertainment in which both villains and heroes resort to violence on a continual basis. The Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA), which has studied violence in television, movies and music videos for a decade, reports that nearly half of all violence is committed by the good guys. Less than 10 per cent of the TV shows, movies and music videos that were analyzed contextualized the violence or explored its human consequences. The violence was simply presented as justifiable, natural and inevitable the most obvious way to solve the problem. PG: Parental Guidance? Busy parents who want to protect their children from media violence have a difficult task before them. The CMPA found that violence appears on all major televis ion networks and cable stations, making it impossible for channel surfers to avoid it. Nightly news coverage has become another concern. In spite of falling crime rates across North America, disturbing images of violent crime continue to dominate news broadcasting. As news shows compete with other media for audiences, many news producers have come to rely on the maxim: If it bleeds, it leads. Violence and death, they say, keep the viewer numbers up. Good news doesnt. As well, movie ratings are becoming less and less trustworthy in terms of giving parents real guidance on shows with unsuitable content. PG-13 movies tend to make more money than R-rated films, and as a result, the industry is experiencing a ratings creep: shows that the Motion Picture Association of America would once have rated R are now being rated as PG-13, in order to increase box-office profits and rental sales. In movie theatres, there is some control over who watches what. But at home, theres little to stop children from watching a restricted movie on one of the many emerging specialty channels. Kids may also have access to adult video games at the local video store. In December 2001, the U. S. Federal Trade Commission reported that retailers allowed 78 per cent of unaccompanied minors, ages 13 to 16, to purchase video games rated mature. To make supervision even more problematic, American children often have their own entertainment equipment. According to the Annenberg Public Policy Center, 57 per cent of kids aged 8 to 16 have TVs in their bedrooms, and 39 per cent have gaming equipment. A Youth Subculture of Violence While many parents are concerned about the graphic violence and put-down humour in many kids shows, theres a growing subculture of violence that parental radar often misses. Music and Music Videos Music and music videos are pushing into new and increasingly violent territory. When singer Jordan Knight, formerly of the popular New Kids on the Block group, released a solo album in 1999, Canadian activists called for a boycott of the album because it included a song advocating date rape. And when the controversial rap artist Eminem came to Toronto in 2000, politicians and activists unsuccessfully called for the government to bar him from the country, on the grounds that his violent lyrics promoted hatred against women. For instance, his song Kim graphically depicts him murdering his wife; and Kill You describes how he plans to rape and murder his mother. In spite of (or perhaps because of) his promotion of violence, Eminem continues to be a commercial success. His Marshall Mathers release sold 679,567 copies in Canada in 2000, and was the years best-selling album. And The Eminem Show topped Canadian charts for months in 2002, selling, at one point, approximately 18,000 copies a week. Eminems success is not exceptional. Extremely violent lyrics have moved into the mainstream of the music industry. The Universal Music Group, the worlds largest music company, lists Eminem, Dr Dre and Limp Bizkit all of whom have been criticized for their violent and misogynist lyrics among its top-grossing artists. And Madonnas 2002 music video What It Feels Like For a Girlcontained such graphic violence that even MTV refused to air it more than once. Video Games Violence in general, and sexual violence in particular, is also a staple of the video game industry. The current trend is for players to be the bad guys, acting out criminal fantasies and earning points for attacking and killing innocent bystanders. Although these games are rated M, for mature audiences, its common knowledge that they are popular among pre-teens and teenaged boys. For example, players in Grand Theft Auto 3 (the best-selling game ever for PlayStation 2) earn points by carjacking, and stealing drugs from street people and pushers. In Carmageddon, players are rewarded for mowing down pedestrians sounds of cracking bones add to the realistic effect. The first-person shooter in Duke Nukem hones his skills by using pornographic posters of women for target practice, and earns bonus points for shooting naked and bound prostitutes and strippers who beg, Kill me. In the game Postal, players act out the part of the Postal Dude, who earns points by randomly shooting everyone who appears including people walking out of church, and members of a high school band. Postal Dude is programmed to say, Only my gun understands me. The level of violence in the gaming habits of young people is disturbingly high. In MNets 2001 study Young Canadians In A Wired World (which found that 32 per cent of kids 9 to 17 are playing video games every day or almost every day), 60 per cent cited action/combat as their favourite genre. Stephen Kline of Simon Fraser University reported similar findings in his 1998 study of over 600 B. C. teens. Twenty-five per cent of the teens he surveyed played between seven and 30 hours a week and when asked for their one favourite game, their choice was overwhelmingly in the action/adventure genre. Web Sites Virtual violence is also readily available on the World Wide Web. Children and young people can download violent lyrics (including lyrics that have been censored from retail versions of songs), and visit Web sites that feature violent images and video clips. Much of the violence is also sexual in nature. For example, the site Who Would You Kill? allows players to select real-life stars of television shows, and then describe how they would kill them off in the series. The entries frequently include bizarre acts of degradation and sexual violence. Murder is also a staple of the Web site newgrounds. com, which features a number of Flash movies showing celebrities being degraded and killed. When MNet surveyed 5,682 Canadian young people in 2001, the newgrounds site ranked twelfth in popularity among 11- and 12-year-old boys. Other popular sites such as gorezone. com and rotten. com feature real-life pictures of accident scenes, torture and mutilation. In 2000, rotten. com was investigated by the FBI for posting photographs depicting cannibalism. Many kids view these sites as the online equivalent of harmless horror movies. But their pervasive combination of violence and sexual imagery is disturbing. Gorezones front-page disclaimer describes the images on its site as sexually oriented and of an erotic nature and then warns viewers that they also contain scenes of death, mutilation and dismemberment. The disclaimer then normalizes this activity by stating, my interest in scenes of death, horrifying photos and sexual matters, which is both healthy and normal, is generally shared by adults in my community. Anecdotal evidence suggests that gore sites are well known to Canadian schoolchildren, although parents and teachers are often unaware of their existence. In MNets 2001 survey, 70 per cent of high school boys said that they had visited such sites. The presence of violence, degradation and cruelty in a range of media means that children are exposed to a continuum of violence, which ranges from the in-your-face attitude of shows like South Park to extreme depictions of misogyny and sadism. Young people generally take the lead when it comes to accessing new media but the MNet survey found that only 16 per cent of children say their parents know a great deal of what they do online. This is particularly problematic, given the results of a 1999 AOL survey which that found online activities are emerging as a central facet of family life; and that a majority of parents believe that

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Peter Singer essay

Peter Singer essay Peter Singer essay Peter Singer essayPeter Singer is a well-known philosopher and supporter of sustainable farming and agriculture. He argues that there is no reason for denying moral consideration to animals. Singer challenges the traditional view that animals are not self-conscious and emphasizes that animals can evidently feel pain, they have anatomy and physiology similar to human beings, they demonstrate emotional reactions and have clear behavior parallels with human beings. Moreover, animals also share evolutionary history with human beings, and there is no reason to refuse to apply the same moral reasoning for killing human beings and animals (Singer, 2009).However, one possible argument for applying moral consideration for only human beings (even those who are yet unable to reason) and not applying it for non-human animals is evolutionary development of species. The evolutionary nature of living beings is such that different species eat the representatives of other species and generally do not have any moral reasons not to do so (Graci, 2010). At the same time, there are many species (and even predators) who tend not to do harm to the representatives of own species (e.g. lions, wolves, etc.).This tendency can be explained by evolutionary force driving animals to increase the probability of survival of own species. Similar mechanisms are likely to take place in human society: human beings protect other human beings, but are unlikely to protect non-human animals because the latter are in their food chain.Peter Singer would most likely respond to this argument that human beings no longer have to survive in the wild, and the humanity currently can control its food chain instead of reaching out for every piece of food available. Furthermore, current practices of animal factory farming bring unnecessary cruelty and lead to climate change and excess use of planetary resources (Singer, 2009). So, in Singer view, the argument discussed in the previous passages will be inconsisten t for the modern humanity because current farming practices reduce the chances of species survival while responsible omnivorism or vegetarianism help the humanity become more sustainable.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Pol Pot essays

Pol Pot essays On April 17, 1976, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, a group of Cambodian Marxists, stormed the Cambodian capital of Phonm Penh, forcing Cambodia into four years of horrifying terror. They declared this time Zero Hour, the day Cambodia would enter a new utopian era and say goodbye to the flawed ways of a capitalistic society. Yet in reality, Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge, achieved nothing for Cambodia. The Cambodian people only suffered under Pol Pot, with an estimated death toll of 3,000,000. Pol Pot, a conniving man, whos rule over Cambodia was marked by mass murder, negligence, and despotic rule, attempted and failed to create an egalitarian communist society, exploiting the manual power of the masses. In 1970, Prince Sihanouk was hoisted out of power in a coup de tat. General Lon Nol, backed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States (US), successfully seized power in Cambodia. Nol, as opposed to Sihanouk, was pro US, something the US valued in their war against Cambodias bordering nation of Vietnam. Nol took little consideration of the people and their needs, and his corrupt administration stirred support for the Khmer Rouge (Seekins, 4). At that time, the Khmer Rouge, a thirty-year-old Communist movement, began their take over of Cambodia. In the five-year period that followed, Cambodia befell into a Civil War between the Khmer Rouge and Lon Nols forces. On April 17th, 1976, the Khmer Rouge succeeded and marched into Phnom Penh. The Khmer Rouge, at the time, was led by Pol Pot, formerly known as Saloth Sar. Sar had received an education in radio electronics in France. In France, Sar was introduced to Marxism. His teachers led him to believe that Cambodia, a prosperous monarchy at the time, should go through an agricultural revolution, converting Cambodia to a classless agrarian country (Geyer, 1). In doing so, Pol Pot was believed that Cambod...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research Proposal Example This research will be based on the Psychological Theories of drug abuse. Within this theoretical framework, reinforcement and individual theories will be explored to establish that pushes students into drugs. The research will follow the exploratory design and will be based on mixed methodology. Data will be collected from students and teachers using both structured and unstructured questionnaires. Interviews will also be scheduled with key informants. The researcher believes that research findings will make invaluable contributions to the existing literature that links substance abuse to poor academic performance. Keywords: substance abuse and academic performance The Correlation between Cigarette Smoking and High School Achievement Substance use among teenagers has finally entered the unchartered territory where it is no longer possible to ignore its impacts. The increasing prevalence of teenagers abusing drugs in the United States has become a major public health issue. Subsequent addiction and loss of productivity among drug users have particularly elicited great interest in substance abuse. The importance of substance abuse in academic discourses stems from the correlation between substance abuse and academic performance. Therefore, substance use and abuse are focal issues that academic commentators must address with urgency. Peer pressure has been cited as the common motivators for teenagers to engage in drugs (Thorlindsson and Vilhjalmsson, 1991). Most teenagers feel pressured to take alcohol/drugs at social gathering in order to conform to social groups. Nevertheless, some teenagers use drugs and other substances as a means of dealing with their distress. In the same vein, other teenagers may use drugs to overcome personal limitations, such as low self-esteem or shyness (Morin et al., 2011). The first casualty of substance use and abuse is cognitive ability. Impaired cognition limits the performance capacity of substance users (Thorlindsson and Vilhjalm sson, 1991). It is against this backdrop that the proposed research purposes to establish how cigarette smoking among high school students affects their overall, academic performance. Significance of the Research Education has long been heralded as a means of social mobility. Accordingly, proponents of academic achievements link education attainment to a successful future. Nevertheless, the job market has become very competitive in the 21st century than ever before. This implies that students who fail to achieve high grades stand no chance of competing favorably in the job market. Within such a context, academic achievement tops the agenda for many discussions within government and academic circles. By studying the correlation between cigarette smoking and high school achievement, the proposed research underscores the role that education plays in personal development. The research will, firstly, establish the link between cigarette smoking and high school achievement. Secondly, the research will identify the prevalence of cigarette smoking among high school students and the factors that contribute to this prevalence. Thirdly, the research aims at establishing the effects of cigarette smoking on high school stude

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Alcohol Addicted Employees Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alcohol Addicted Employees - Research Paper Example Employers need to take actions to deter alcohol consumption by employees ethically. Businesses should punish alcohol addict employees and treat them to the best of their capacity. Should the businesses punish alcohol addict employees and treating them? Alcohol is a very big problem of society in many countries across the world. While it is considered as one of the essentials for celebration, excessive consumption of alcohol leads to alcohol addiction. Alcohol addiction makes an individual unsuitable for work. Alcohol addicts experience mood swings and lose control of their mind. Overcome with the effects of alcohol, they say things to others that they do not really mean. They become violent in arguments and have a tendency to abuse people around them both verbally and physically. Owing to its negative sociological, psychological, and physical consequences as well as being a potential threat for businesses, alcohol addiction cannot be tolerated in the workplace, so employers should ta ke all possible measures to deter alcohol consumption among the employees. Businesses should punish alcohol addict employees because alcohol is not appropriate for the regulation of anger. Alcohol addicts lose their minds if they happen to indulge in an argument. While they deal with things on a personal level, unnecessary and out of place argument with a client or a customer is detrimental to the interests of the organization. Businesses should punish alcohol addicts because alcoholism makes an individual untrustworthy. Alcohol addicts follow the drive and mood created after consuming alcohol. For many alcohol addicts, dealing with alcohol and its consequences is a life-long process. Many alcohol addicts cannot help themselves and consume it knowing how bad it is for them at a range of levels. Alcohol addicts cannot be trusted. They can storm out of the office to get alcohol any time without caring about work. Alcohol happens to be the most beloved thing and the top-most priority i n the life of alcohol addicts. Work comes secondary which can be risky for the organization as a whole. Alcohol addicts can leave the whole team in the middle of a problem and back out from playing their role as expected by the rest of the team members. Owing to the display of such behavior, alcohol addicts are not trustworthy or reliable. Businesses should punish alcohol addict employees because this habit of these employees can incur the employers' cost. Depending upon which area the business is located in, employers are responsible for the wellbeing of their employees. Employers are required by the government to pay taxes and insurance premiums for their employees in certain areas. Alcohol addict employees have a tendency to incur the employers unnecessary and avoidable cost. Health insurance premiums for such employees are higher. They are likely to take more days off from work thus compromising upon work and productivity and incurring the employer its cost. Similarly, there are a number of other ways in which alcohol addict employees charge their employers with cost and inconvenience. Punishing alcohol addict employees is part of the way how business entrepreneurs and employers should deal with such employees; treating the alcohol addict employees is the other part. Alcoholism is treatable.  

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Price War Essay Example for Free

Price War Essay How should a company try to deal with the threat of a price war? Fontinelle (2010) believed that price war has a big impact which leads to a string of price reduction that vaporizes the profit margins. There are some solutions which can cope with the menace of a price war. To start with, Rao et al. (2000) showed that the manager of a company should take into account of other options before answering the price cuts call. The manager should consider matching price cut is a good choice or not before deciding. Moreover, additional information about the price war is needed to be figured out immediately. Does the discounted price apply for a short period of time or long term? In addition, the terms and conditions for the promotion are also involved. For example, Starbucks drove their customers crazy because of the 50% discount Frappuccino in happy hour campaign. In addition, it also attracts more new customers. Meanwhile, their competitors should consider about applying the same strategy or do nothing. The competitor’s managers must be particularly careful as the threat of price war is high. In addition, they may get more disadvantages instead of advantages as if their brand is not as strong as Starbucks. Misreading the competitor’s purposes which is one of the main factor causes price war can lead to unavoidable price war (Little, 2003). Therefore, correct information about competitor’s intentions must be obtained carefully. The reason behind the price cuts must be figured out to have the right respond. With the same example above, the competitors’ managers should research in detail about Starbucks promotion campaign to have their suitable marketing strategy. According to Rao et al. (2000), marketing communication strategy plays an important role in ensuring the competitors understand the reason behind the company pricing tactics which assists in avoiding a price war. Advertisement should not only focus on the price but also the quality and benefits of the product. Therefore, the companies should selectively reveal their strategy intentions in the purpose of staying away from price reductions. To avoid igniting a price war, Swartz (2012) claimed that products are required to be differentiated. It means that the products must be customized to become outstanding in the market share. Although other traders may offer products which are similar to those competitors are selling, it doesnt necessarily mean the company must serve identical products or services. Therefore, there are many ways of differentiation in order to make the customers realize which product is more valuable to purchase. Rao et al. (2000) pointed out that awareness of customer’s level of price sensitivities is also important. To carry out a successful pricing strategy, a company must first comprehend the basic understanding of customer perception of price sensitivity. This changes when new competitors enter the current market as company have to be aware of other competitors pricing strategy as well. As a conclusion, companies should keep clear of price wars as it can be difficult to manage as soon as price wars begin to gain a head start. Arguments between companies regarding price wars should be handled calmly to avoid unnecessary conflicts. As a side benefit, it would also reduce the chances of initiating price wars.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Criminology Essays Merton Anomie Durkheim

Criminology Essays Merton Anomie Durkheim Merton Anomie Durkheim How does Merton’s theory of anomie differ from that of Durkheim? Durkheim usefully conceptualised the phenomenon of anomie, and I consider the context in which this occurred. I look at Durkheims examples of crime and deviance and his discussion of social solidarity to clarify how his terms are understood. I discuss how, for Durkheim, anomie was a product of social change, resulting in loss of social cohesion and I go on to examine why, for Merton, the concept needed reconsideration. I examine Mertons view that society is in constant flux and his distinction between anomie and strain toward anomie, between social structure and individual responses, discussing briefly his five modes of adaptation, loosely divided into conformity and deviance. Finally, I identify key points of difference between their two theories of anomie. Emile Durkheim conceptualised the term anomie in The Division of Labour in Society (1893). In this treatise he discusses in detail the subject of social solidarity. Durkheim holds that all members within society are a product of society, bound together by societal bonds. Durkheim used the term anomie to describe lack of social cohesion or relative normlessness, where bonds break down or are undefined. (p.212) According to Durkheim this blurring of societal bonds causes members of society to become detached from societal regulatory constraints that govern and control their behaviour and aspirations, leaving them with no set guidelines within which to act or to aspire, resulting in anomie. Durkheim was a positivist; he was not interested in the study of individuals subjective meanings but aimed to identify and study different social facts. Many forces contributing to anomie can be measured only by their visible effects as some forces are invisible, like gravity. Durkheim studied the observable effects of invisible social forces. Anomie can be observed through effects such as societal disorganization and deregulation, leading to criminal and deviant behaviour but also social facts as personal as suicide (discussed below). Durkheim suggests that an anomic state is more likely to be present during periods of social unrest, perhaps caused by social changes like increases and decreases of economic prosperity, due to the disruption of traditional values (p.201) Durkheim believed that crime and deviance were socially constructed. Durkheim saw acts of crime and deviance as an integral part of society’s temporal transition; he suggested that a certain amount of crime and deviance is an essential component of the healthy functioning of society, and he suggested it reinforces society’s moral code and causes social solidarity, change and innovation. Although crime and deviance could threaten the stability of society, Durkheim suggests that a society without crime would also produce an anomic state. (p.226) In Durkheim’s treatise Division of Labour in Society (1893) he differentiated between two types of societies, characterised by their degree of social cohesion: mechanical solidarity, which has strong social cohesion, and organic solidarity, which has weak social cohesion. Durkheim suggested that society has evolved from a mechanical society, based on similarity, to an organic society, based on difference. (p.226) Mechanical societies describe the solidarity found in traditional societies; these societies existed before the modern industrial era. In mechanical societies communities were smaller, societal bonds were stronger; people shared collective norms and values which Durkheim described as collective consciousness. These societal bonds were reinforced by peoples shared religious beliefs. People in this society performed similar tasks and worked to achieve collective goals which benefited the whole group. In this type of society individuals were not as dependent on each other as later, organic, societies. In mechanical societies everyone was doing similar work and did not rely on others for their needs; they did, however, rely on society to function adequately as a whole: â€Å"In societies where this type of solidarity [mechanical] is highly developed, the individual is not his own master†¦. Solidarity is, literally something which the society possesses.† (Durkheim, ed Giddens, 1972, p.139) Durkheim suggests that anomie was less likely to exist in mechanical societies because of society’s strong cohesion. He states The state of anomie is impossible whenever interdependent organs are sufficiently in contact and sufficiently extensive. If they are close to each other, they are readily aware, in every situation, of the need which they have of one-another, and consequently they have an active and permanent feeling of mutual dependence. (Durkheim, 1893, p.184) The second type of solidarity, organic solidarity, Durkheim linked to complex modern industrial societies, suggesting that they are constituted, not by a repetition of similar, homogeneous segments, but by a system of different organs each of which has a special role, and which are themselves formed of differentiated parts. (p.181) In organic societies the division of labour increases and work tasks become more complex, specialised and individualised. The labour force is divided; therefore individuals are no longer working on similar tasks but segregated to individualised tasks. Members of organic societies are highly dependent on each other to produce what they need. Durkheim suggests that this functioning is similar to the functioning of the human body, all different parts working on specialized tasks to sustain the organism as a whole. However if the organ fails to function it causes the other parts of the organism that are reliant on that part to fail as well. This dependence is significant to the survival of society; healthy functioning of the society is based on the reliance of others. (Durkheim, 1893, p. 226) Organic societies differ from mechanical societies as they are based on differences in individual functions, rather than similarity. These differences can cause members to become detached from society which in turn causes misidentification with society. The breakdown of interpersonal bonds (without which individuals lack guidance and feel detached from society) thus produces anomie. Durkheim noted that Man is the more vulnerable to self-destruction the more he is detached from any collectively, that is to say, the more he lives as an egoist. (Durkheim, ed Giddens, 1972, p.113) This organic form of society, he suggested, was the cause of the decline of social cohesion and integration, and the creation of anomie (p.200). This is demonstrated by Taylor, in his publication Durkheim and the Study of Suicide (1982) Taylors interpretation of Durkheim suggests that suicide is present in modern organic societies because of the decline of social cohesion: Durkheim held that in modern society there were two principle causes of high (and rising) suicide rates: (egotistic) suicide was higher where individuals were not well integrated into collective social life; and (anomic) suicide was higher when societys norms and values were too weak to regulate individual desires and drives The relationship between levels of social integration and regulation and suicide rates demonstrated that society exerted an independent influence over the individual. In Durkheims terms, society was external to the individual, so much so that even such a supremely individual act as suicide had its roots in society. (p.21) Durkheim suggested that when social conditions change, the traditional norms and values needed for public consciousness no longer remain the same. An anomic detachment from societal restraints frees members of society from limits to their aspirations causing anomic suicide. (Durkheim, 1893, p. 203) Durkheim writes in Suicide (1897) that, â€Å"The limits are unknown between the possible and the impossible, what is just and what is unjust, legitimate claims and hopes and those which are immoderate. Consequently, there is no restraint upon aspirations.† (p.253) Robert Merton elaborated on Durkheims work on anomie; however, he did not always agree with Durkheim’s theory. Merton adapted the theory of anomie to a general sociological approach to crime and deviance. He considered that deviance was not caused by sudden social change, as suggested by Durkheim, but was, rather, a symptom of a constantly changing social structure. Merton was writing in America at a time when there was inequality between ethnic groups. Merton observed that not all individuals within society have an equal chance of success; he believed that inequality in society blocked people from attaining the means needed to achieve their goals. Many Americans were aiming to achieve â€Å"the American dream† and he was interested in how they pursued their goals, and whether or not dreams were equally attainable to everyone. (Merton, 1957, p.121) Like Durkheim, Merton held that crime and deviance were caused by society: â€Å"the functional analyst†¦ considers socially deviant behaviour just as much a product of social structure as conformist behaviour†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.121) but Mertons view of deviance is different to Durkheim’s. While Durkheim believed that identifying deviance is a demonstration of society’s norms, and a barometer of cohesion and change, Merton held that crime does not generate social solidarity or social progress and that crime and deviance demonstrate poor societal organization. Merton suggested that society does not evolve from mechanical to organic, but that society is constantly changing and generating new goals if not necessarily the means by which to achieve these goals. (p.121) Merton’s theory of anomie is not easily conceptualized in his writings, as he spoke about both anomie and strain towards anomie, which can be hard to distinguish. For clarity, I have discussed these as if they were two different concepts. Firstly, when Merton talked about anomie, his theory does not refer to the normless societal state identified by Durkheim. Merton suggested â€Å"no society lacks norms governing conduct. But societies do differ in degree to which [such] institutional controls are effectively integrated with the goals which stand high in the hierarchy of cultural values† (p.121) Merton’s theory suggests that there is no decline or undefined presence of societal norms governing behaviour but a disjunction â€Å"between valued cultural ends and legitimate societal means to those ends† (Akers, 2000, p.143). Merton’s anomie theory, like Durkheim’s, can be used as an explanation of deviant and criminal behaviour. Merton held that individual goals and aspirations are regulated by societal restraints unlike Durkheim, who suggested that the anomic state causes no limitation to members aspirations. Merton suggested these societal restraints put pressure on members of society to conform to societal norms. He held that an anomic state is caused by a de-institutionalization of societal norms. This occurs when society emphasizes culturally preferred goals and their achievement but does not emphasize the culturally approved means to achieve these goals: â€Å"any cultural goals which receive extreme and only negligibly qualified emphasis in the culture of a group will serve to attenuate the emphasis on institutionalized practices and make for anomie.† (Merton, 1968, p.235) This disjunction, Merton suggested, is the cause of macro-structural anomie. Mertons structural anomie theory is similar and compatible with what Durkheim suggested as both theories can be used to explain macro-level implica tions of anomie, but the development of the concept of strain allows the application of the concept of anomie to individual experience of society. (p.189) This micro-individual level of anomie, Merton suggested, is caused by strain, and an anomic societal state is needed for strain to occur. In turn, the strain experienced by individuals fosters anomie. Merton’s strain theory can also be used as an explanation of deviant behaviour: â€Å"cultural (or idiosyncratic) exaggeration of the success-goal leads men to withdraw emotional support from the rules† (p.190). Individuals are more likely to pursue illegitimate means to attaining culturally prescribed goals when they are blocked from accessing the institutionalized means to these goals: The social structure†¦ produces a strain toward anomie and deviant behaviour. The pressure of such a social order is outdoing ones competitors. So long as the sentiments supporting this competitive system†¦ are not confined to the final result of â€Å"success†, the choice of means will remain largely within†¦ social control. When, however, the cultural emphasis shifts from satisfaction deriving from competition itself to almost exclusive concern with the outcome, the resultant stress makes for the breakdown of the regulatory structure. (Merton, 1957, p157) Merton also suggested that â€Å"some individuals are subjected more than others to the strains arising from the discrepancy between cultural goals and effective access to their realization. They are consequently more vulnerable to deviant behaviour.† (p.235) Merton described those who are restricted by inequality. This can be used as an explanation of the suffragette movement: women prevented from achieving their goals were provoked into deviant acts of protest. Merton identified five types of response to societal pressure: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion. (p.136) The first two modes accept, and the last three modes reject societal rules. Firstly, Merton described conformity which he considered the most common response to strain. It describes the process by which people strive to succeed using the most socially acceptable means they have available to them. This conformity to social values is cohesive of society according to both Merton and Durkheim. The second mode, ritualism, describes individuals who accept they have no opportunity to achieve their goals. These individuals maintain what they have but are discouraged from doing more: they don’t believe they can become more than what they are. In effect, they join the conformists. (p.200) However, not all people conform. The third mode is rebellion; this describes individuals who have rejected the idea that everyone can achieve success. These individuals have rebelled against the system and rejected socially acceptable means to achieve their goals. The fourth mode is retreatism which occurs when individuals choose to drop out of society, give up on their goals and make no effort to achieve because they see it as impossible. Merton suggested this response is associated with drug addicts and alcoholics. (p.267) The fifth mode is what Merton called innovation: innovation describes the process through which people conform to atypical forms of acquiring means; however, they also seek success that would be unachievable without taking advantage of illegal goals available to them. (p. 267)Each of these modes of adaptation demonstrates the individual’s response to societal strain arising from anomie; modes that accept societal pressures are not as likely to pursue illegitimate means. In conclusion, Durkheim suggested that anomie is caused by the undefined presence of social bonds. This undefined presence causes a decline of social cohesion therefore individuals become detached from society and recognise no limits to their behaviour. Durkheim also suggested that anomie is caused by the decline of social cohesion representative of today’s organic societies, and that mechanical societies found in pre-modern societies had a stronger degree of social integration, reducing the occurrence of anomie. However this view was not shared by Merton; he considered that there has been no time when society lacks norms. He held that the presence of societal norms and their pressure on society and individuals causes anomie and strain towards anomie. Durkheim and Merton also differ on when anomie occurs. Durkheim suggested that anomie is present during periods of social change due to the disruption of traditional bonds. However, Merton disagrees as he believes that anomie can be found in relatively stable societies. For Merton transition was not from one specific type of social structure to another but a constant state of flux, with changing goals. Both Durkheim and Merton agree that crime and deviance are consequences of anomie. However, they differed on whether crime has value to society Durkheim held that some crime and deviance is a product of a normal functioning society, reinforcing solidarity and encouraging social progress, while Merton suggested that crime and deviance demonstrates societal disorganisation. Durkheim and Merton’s theories differ most strongly on what constitutes the causes of anomie. Durkheim looks at anomie from a structural perspective, whereas Merton looks at the causes of anomie from both a macro and micro level, giving the theory a more detailed explanation. Merton looks in detail at the individual’s response to societal strain not discussed intensively in Durkheim, as his positivist ontology did not consider individuals internal motives and drives unless they had objective effects. For Durkheim anomie is the effect of the breakdown of societal bonds; for Merton, strain is a mechanism of anomie and can occur during anomic societal states: strain towards anomie describes the individual’s battle to obtain the necessary means needed to achieve their goals. Durkheim suggested that during an anomic state individual aspirations are not limited because of the undefined presence of societal norms; without these norms, he suggested, members of society are deluded as to what is realistically achievable (Durkheim, 1897, p.253). Mertons theory, on the other hand, offers an explanation for why social forces influence some people to commit deviant and criminal acts and why some individuals conform to societal pressures and why some do not. Bibliography Akers, R. (2000) Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application. Los Angeles: Roxbury. Durkheim, E. (1893) The Division of Labor in Society, tr. W. D. Halls, (1984) New York: Free Press. Giddens, A. (1972) Emile Durkheim Selected Writings. London: Cambridge University Press Merton, R.K. (1957) Social Theory and Social Structure. 2ed ed. New York: The Free Press. Taylor. S. (1982) Durkheim and the Study of Suicide. London: The Macmillan Press. Thompson, K. (1982) Emile Durkheim. London: Tavistock Publications.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

American Isolationism Before the End of World War I

Before the end of World War I, the United States at first was very un-isolationistic. Before the war, America was a very expansionist nation. It had taken up military occupation in Cuba in 1906, taken the Philippines, taken hold of the country of Panama, and begun relations with Japan and China. But when World War I suddenly occurred, it was an unprecedented war. Never before had America seen such a large war that involved so many countries. The devastation that resulted from the war dispirited many Americans, and the problem of foreign nations not properly paying back U. S. ar debts created some resentment among the American people as they felt they might have been cheated. Isolationism, it seemed at the time, was the best way to avoid foreign entanglements that might lead to another war that might have more disastrous effects. The first step to carrying out this new isolationistic policy was for America to put a stop to the overwhelming foreign influence on the nation. The first la w that reflected this attitude was the Emergency Quota Act of 1921. It limited the immigration of European foreigners to America to 3 percent of the people of their nationality who had been living in the United States in 1910.Then three years later came the Immigration Act of 1924, which cut the quota for foreigners from 3 percent to 2 percent and shifted the national-origins base from the census of 1910 to that of 1890. This virtually stopped immigration to the United States in order to cut down on foreign influence. With immigration almost nonexistent, the United States sought to separate itself from foreign nations and their entanglements. To accomplish this, America did not join the League of Nations and refused to fully accept the Treaty of Versailles.Tariffs were yet another tool in isolating America from foreign countries. The trend of higher tariffs continued, making in incredibly difficult for any European products to enter the American market. America was determined to sta y peaceful no matter what. Partly due to the blame of World War Ion arms manufacturers and bankers, the United States passed a series of Neutrality Acts in the 1935, 1936, and 1937 forbidding the sale or transportation of munitions to belligerent nations, the sailing on a belligerent nation’s ship, or the making of loans to a belligerent ation. These acts were meant to act as further protection to keep America out of a conflict like World War I. Isolationism in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s was adopted primarily because fear of another war like that of World War I ran rampant. In the American people’s eyes, putting an end to foreign influence would put an end to foreign entanglements in war. Little did America know at that time, however, that this isolationism only allowed aggressors to commence the beginning of World War II.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

William Wordsworth’s Philosophy of Nature

William Wordsworth has respect or more, great reverence for nature. This is evident in both of the poems Ode: Intimations of Immortality and Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey in that, his philosophy on God, immortality and innocence are elucidated in his contact with nature. For Wordsworth, nature had a spirit, a soul of its own, and to know is so is to experience nature with all the five senses. In both his poems there are many references to seeing, hearing and feeling his surroundings. He speaks of mountains, the woods, the rivers and streams, and the fields. Wordsworth realized, in each of us, there is a natural affinity for a certain setting for nature. To elaborate, a fisherman would be most comfortable in a setting where he can be beside the sea, which is beside the shore. His affinity towards nature is oriented to the sea. In the same way, a shepherd would like to be near meadows and fields and near lush rolling hills. Wordsworth’s affinity would be to mountains, woods, rivers, streams, and fields. He knew the sprit, the soul and the feel of these places for he was able to experience these places in the fullness of youth (Sparknotes, n. d. ). Both of these poems by Wordsworth are poems of recollection and in these recollections, Wordsworth came across something that was truly immortal: Nature and its soul. Though change, death and destruction might be normal occurrences that come to nature, there is rebirth and continuity to life. As in death and destruction, human endeavors are also mortal and temporary when compared to nature and its spirit. Nonetheless, though these things are only mortal, or temporary, they are still as much a part of it as much as water droplets individually make up a river. Of unremembered pleasure: such, perhaps,/As have no slight or trivial influence/On that best portion of a good man’s life ,/His little nameless, unremembered, acts (Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, stanza 2) portray life and all its endeavors as mundane to something immortal like nature and its spirit. Still these aspects of everyday life are swept away by the strong force that binds the spirit of nature to its occupants. These sentiments are expressed in Ode as well; Though nothing can bring back the hour/Of splendor in the grass, or glory in flower;/We will grieve not, rather find/Strength in what remains behind;/In the primal sympathy/Which having been must ever be;/In that soothing thought that spring/Out of human suffering (Ode: Intimations of Immortality, stanza 10). Wordsworth also speaks of his memory of childhood or innocence retraced in communing with nature in his adult years saying nature has the power to unearth those memories for a grown man to reflect upon. (Sparknotes, n. d. ) In Ode, he celebrates the gift of childhood memory or of innocence sharing the same insights in Tintern Abbey by expressing his delight to find himself once more with nature. As a young boy he delighted in his every interaction with nature. Nature made his day. Though, times have changed, he does not mourn nor shed a tear from this bittersweet memory of childhood rather Wordsworth, reminisces with new insights or what he claims as mature gifts that comes with growing up, the childhood memories becoming more valuable by the discovery of a philosophic mind. Innocence is not all lost but can be retraced through nature, nature reminding what has been lost and found. In the midst of his contemplation with nature, he discovers a far greater power beyond humanity, the presence of God in nature, â€Å"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting†¦ Not in entire forgetfulness, / And not in utter nakedness, /But trailing clouds of glory do we come / From God, who is our home/ Heaven lies about in our infancy! †(Ode: Intimations of Immortality,stanza 5) from Ode . He discusses further the relationship of God in Nature in Tintern Abbey. He goes, â€Å"a motion and a spirit that impels / All thinking thoughts†¦ / And rolls through all thi ngs,† (Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, stanza 4) beyond nature, an energy spurs him to weigh upon â€Å"moral being†.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Political Women essays

Political Women essays In 1978, only twenty-six years ago, there were merely sixteen women serving in the House of Representatives and only three female Senators in the United States Congress (Women in Congress). Currently, there are sixty-two women in the House and fourteen in the Senate, which is a record number for the United States (Women in the House and Senate). Of the female Congresswomen, forty-one are Democrats and twenty-one are Republicans while nine of the female Senators are Democrats and the remaining five are Republicans (Facts on Women Candidates and Elected Officials). Despite the fact that these numbers are at an all time high, women only account for fourteen percent of the Senate and also fourteen percent of the House of Representatives. Each one of these women are extraordinary, as they have overcome great obstacles and made immense sacrifices to achieve their goals. On October 26, 1947, Hugh and Dorothy Rodham welcomed daughter Hillary Diane into their Chicago home. The Rodhams eventually had two sons and raised their close family in nearby Park Ridge. As a young student, Hillary was very involved arranging food drives, participating in student government, and served as a constituent of the National Honor Society (Biography: Hillary Clinton). Hillary enrolled in Yale Law School after graduating from Wellesley College. It was then that Hillary developed her intense involvement in protecting families and children. While attending Yale, she met fellow law student, Bill Clinton, whom she married in 1975. In 1980, Bill and Hillary had their only child, Chelsea. Bill served as the Governor of Arkansas for twelve years. During that time Hillary founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, introduced Arkansas Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youth, and worked tirelessly on behalf of children and families, while practicing law in Little Rock. All of these a...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Movie Review Essay Example

Movie Review Essay Example Movie Review Essay Movie Review Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Although The Advocate became a magazine in 1992, in Harvey Milk’s time during the 1970’s, it was a tabloid newspaper. Even though the film had setting and informational errors, the movie portrayed the characters stupendously. Dan White was the infamous San Francisco Supervisor who assassinated the first openly homosexual official Harvey Milk and the mayor of San Francisco, George Moscone. Josh Brolin, the actor who played White, embodied the character in a way that the audience could understand. During the film, the audience can see that Harvey Milk and George Moscone developed a political relationship. Shortly after Dan White resigned his seat from the Board of Supervisors, Milk convinced Mayor Moscone that he would have a greater chance at being reelected mayor without White on the Board. Mayor George Moscone trusted Milk in this political judgment call. When the climactic scene of the two assassinations comes, the film depicts it accurately. After entering San Francisco’s City Hall from another entrance to elude the metal detectors, White went to Moscone’s office to plead for his reemployment. When Moscone denied him the occupation, White shot and killed him. Later in the same hour, White went to Milk’s office and killed him as well. The film certainly displayed this scene accurately. Actor Sean Penn also delivered an outstanding performance playing the main character Harvey Milk. From the beginning to the end, Penn gave a believable presentation. In the film, Milk starts a camera business which then becomes a salon for homosexuals. While noticing that his surroundings are less than approving of the gay community, Milk decides to be a voice for those who are, metaphorically speaking, trapped behind closet doors. In 1977, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Being in a place of power, Milk used this opportunity to let it be known throughout America that there is hope for those who are homosexual. He began by supporting a civil rights bill that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation. The bill passed with Dan White being the only one to oppose the bill; Mayer Moscone signed happily. Although there were many other events, campaigns, and trials that Harvey Milk had overcome, the film only highlighted a few of them. Simply compressing Milk’s life and achievements into a two hour long film would only show a few accomplishments respectively. In doing so, the movie did a fantastic job in illustrating Harvey Milk’s last nine years, how he made history, and who he influenced. The film’s viewpoint was spot-on, respectful to history, and controversially honest. Showing true history at a stage of vulnerability helps the audience understand the reality of it. I believe Milk is an excellent film of how history should be taught.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Article Critiques on Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article Critiques on Finance - Essay Example Developing countries led by Brazil, Russia, China and India hold most of the world’s foreign exchange reserves, and their share of exports has risen from 20% in 1970 to 435 in 2006. However, as the economic balance of power changes, the balance of political power continues to remain in the West, a situation that cannot continue indefinitely. That changes are imminent can be gauged by the fact that the IMF is already considering some changes in its power structure. Similarly, a UN Security Council that excludes 1/5th of humanity (China, India) or a G7 that excludes China, which holds the worlds largest foreign exchange reserves, cannot stand the test of time. There is bound to be some friction on account of these changes, but overall it will benefit mankind as a whole. In earlier centuries, economic rivalries brought in its wake widespread hostilities, as nations tried to wrest power and widen their spheres of influence as part of the ‘Great Game’. However, that might not be the case in the 21st century, as the US remains the world’s sole military superpower. Dialogue and reliance on international organizations to settle disputes is the preferred approach, though the slow progress of the Doha talks is a cause for concern. Nonetheless, the chances of armed conflict remain negligible, now that geo-economics has overtaken geo-politics as the driver of a country’s foreign policy. As the battle between Boeing’s 787 and Airbus’ A380 heats up, there are indications that the later is in danger of losing the race. Production delays due to inefficient practices, which are politically motivated, are likely to result in at least a two-year delay. This delay could mean the difference between making profits and bankruptcy. It is estimated that the delay, â€Å"will knock a further E 4.8 billion off profits and E 6.3 billion off revenues between 2006 and 2010. The losses could even be higher if airlines that have placed orders for the A380

Friday, November 1, 2019

How are overbearing sports parents harmful to children Coursework

How are overbearing sports parents harmful to children - Coursework Example This research will begin with the statement that sports play an instrumental role in the development of a child. They are not only critical for physical growth, but sports are also important for the psycho-social development of a child. Therefore, all the children who are of school going age i.e. 5 to 16 years of age are encouraged to participate in physical activities like sports, aerobics and even dancing. The involvement of children in different forms of physical training helps them in gaining confidence, it optimizes their muscular and skeletal growth, and it also helps them in winning friends. The types of sports or physical activities may vary across cultures, however, it is universally accepted that children must be encouraged to participate in sports actively alongside their education. The reason behind encouraging young minds to involve in sports is to teach them the skill of balancing life and work. Children who abstain themselves from sports are often find complaining in t he later life about isolation and other associated psychological issues like depression, anxiety and frustration. It has been proved medically, sports during adolescence and early years of adulthood helps individuals in fighting frustration and depression, which is very common among young people these days. Sports activate serotonin release and uptake, which circumcises the accumulation of testosterone, a hormone released in state of stress and anxiety, and it is a cause biochemical cause of aggression among youth.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Iliad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Iliad - Essay Example In a reflective exploration of Agamemnon’s decision to take Briseis from Achilles, it becomes palpable that the crucial decisions in the Iliad are not made by the heroes to a great extent. Rather, these decisions are influenced by external factors including power struggles, political issues, war threat, involvement of gods etc. Therefore, it is essential to establish that the heroes in the work by Homer play an insignificant role in the making of vital decisions in the course of the plot and a precise set of principles, known as the â€Å"heroic code†, influence their decisions. Significantly, Agamemnon’s decision to take Briseis from Achilles illustrates the fact that the important decisions by heroes in the epic are influenced by external factors and the â€Å"heroic code†. A profound analysis of the characters and actions in the epic the Iliad confirms that, to a great extent, the decisions made by the heroes are influenced by external factors and conditions, although there is difference of opinion on the matter. Thus, the various heroes of the epic, including Agamemnon and Achilles, are influenced by the power struggles, political pressures, the role of the gods etc in their decisions at the different stages of the story. For example, a careful reader of the epic realizes that there exists significant power struggle between the two heroes of the work, Agamemnon and Achilles, which has a pertinent impact on the decisions they take. In the epic, King Agamemnon represents fixed system of monarchy while Achilles represents the honor based system as he is the best warrior of his time. Decisions made by both these heroes are influenced by the complex relationship between them based on the power struggles in the epic. In a careful exploration of the decisions made by the heroes in the Iliad, it becomes lucid that a precise set of principles known as the â€Å"heroic code† lie beneath the decisions and actions by the heroic characters. A

Monday, October 28, 2019

Political Culture Essay Example for Free

Political Culture Essay The single greatest contributor to the way American Politics plays out both within and outside of our borders today is in our rich and long-lasting political culture that defines they way we look as the world and how to respond to it. Shaped by values, history, current events, and emotional commitments that our populace collectively shares, political culture in the United States determines the way government functions and reveals the intricacies of our collective way of life in a way nothing else can. Throughout our nations history there have been three different types of political culture proposed by three different authors as stated below. The first model of conceptualized liberty is a tradition of longstanding liberalism maintained by Myrdal in Wilsons American Politics. Claiming that Americans naturally crave their individual rights and want their liberty to constitute freedom within the law to do whatever they want as their own person, he states we are a self concerning people with central regard for our own lives independent of the rest of the nation. This style of political culture emerged the greatest during the 60s when individualists like hippies and protestors came out against the large Model II type government that strove to provide and manage the people in the overbearing sense it did. Todays culture draws strong parallels to liberalism as well, with most Americans concerned for their own rights first. An example of this is the dog laws imposed in New York where dogs cannot be off a leash or make excessive noise in Central Park that distracts other people. Some people feel they are having their right to quiet and safety violated by these dogs and the laws behind them, while others maintain it is their right to have dogs and be able to run them freely. The second claim is of political culture is the one that was created in the grand scheme by the founding fathers and proposed by Hartz. This perception of liberty claims that there is a collectivist notion of unity among the people that promotes the general welfare of the nation as a whole and not just based on individual rights. First established by puritan settlers who wanted to build a city on a hill with a strong central purpose and unity among its citizens, the concept of a strong government that united the people in one common goal to achieve the greater good became known as republicanism. This concept of liberty is alive today as the populace stands united against the global threat of terrorism that threatens all Americans equally. To protect each other and nation as a whole Americans look to the greater good beyond their personal rights to sustain the nations security. An example is in peoples ability to forego some of their individual rights in the patriot act or at airports to give up some privacy to keep them safe from terrorists in order to maintain the greater good of the nation. The third perception of liberty is proposed by Roger M. Smith who states that America is traditionally hierarchical and is driven by social and economic classes that preside over others. This concept has been prevalent for hundreds of years in times of slavery and civil unrest when African Americans and other surges of immigrants were oppressed and looked upon as outsiders by the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants that formed the backbone of the nation. While civil rights have been passed to make the nation equal for all, Smith argues an underlying factor of racism and inequality among minorities still lingers in the heart of America. An example of this is the Duke Lacrosse Scandal where three elite white males were charged in the rape of a black woman and media frenzy that ensued around it. Claiming that the white males thought themselves superior and able to escape consequences for crimes against minorities, African American leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson came out in force to lead rallies for their prosecution. Another parallel is Hurricane Katrina and the thousand of black residents displaced by it in 2005. Most of the 9th district of New Orleans was destroyed by the storm because it sat unprotected and vulnerable and to this day it remains in shambles with little done to improve the area. Smith would argue this is because of the racial and economic hierarchy that differentiates the poor African American residents of the area from the white controlling politians with the power to do anything about it. While all these three conceptions of liberty are prevalent and present in todays political culture, the structure of our government and the speed with which the world changes does not allow any one style to dominate the rest. Americans live off and pride themselves on their civil individual rights while at the same time unifying collectively to stand as one against outside threats like terrorism. There is some hierarchical dissonance that remains in the actions of many government officials and elite pockets of society separated from citizens of different economic standing and ethnicity, but after the civil rights laws were passed the vast majority of these problems have been removed. This leaves the United States with a balanced and ever changing political culture that hinges back and forth between the three conceptions of liberty.