.

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Poverty and Crime Essay

Relationship between poverty and crime. Name Course University Tutor Date Introduction There is no single definition of poverty. One definition holds that poverty is the society’s standard of living in a particular time and people are said to be poor when they cannot even afford their basic necessities or if their income is insufficient. Crime is the violation of the rule of law as it is stipulated in the constitution. Its increase calls for measures and sanctions that ensure that social order prevails. There is a correlation between poverty and crime though many who claim that there are some states where poverty is very high have refuted this argument. They argue that the crime in these areas is very is low. This research paper, will discuss intensively about poverty and crime. It will analyze the relationship between poverty and the crime rates, its root causes and means of its eradication. Who are the poor? Poverty is defined differently by various agencies in America. Generally it could be said to be the deprivation of the basic needs such as food, cloth and shelter. Depending on the standards of living opportunities, employment and respect that fellow citizens enjoy their lives but this does not meet that the set living standard is below poverty line. Poverty can be categorized in to three classes namely absolute poverty, social exclusion and relative poverty. These classes have different resources that would promote harmony between the body and the soul. Relative category denotes lack of resources needed for one to participate fully in issues that affect their life. The third class of poverty is what is referred to as an area that lacks Begin Match to source 5 in source list: (8-18-03) http://www. ic. gov. au/conferences/cypc/proceedings. pdfa combination ofEnd Match various necessities Begin Match to source 5 in source list: (8-18-03) http://www. aic. gov. au/conferences/cypc/proceedings. pdfsuch as unemployment, poorEnd Match infrastructure, Begin Match to source 5 in source list: (8-18-03) http://www. aic. gov. au/conferences/cypc/proceedings. pdflowEnd Match income and substandard skills. According to the United Nation’s world summit of social development, poverty is a condition in which one is deprived of the basic needs such as food, clean water sanitation, heath and education. According the 2006 statistics on poverty, the poverty rate in the united state declined from 12. 6%, as it was the case in 2005. When this was translated in to figures it meant that 36. 5 citizens lived in penny, as it was the cases in 2005. Currently about 12% of the population in the United States lives below the poverty threshold. Poverty in America sometimes is not something stable as it fluctuates with time for some people earns more than the set poverty line but in other times, they earn below it. As per the 2001 statistics, minors were the most affected of all groups in the industrialized nations America being the worst because 14. % of the minors lived below the poverty line. This also largely affected the Americans. (Haveman RH. 1987) According to the United States Research Center, the poverty rate has increased over the recent past from what it has been for over twenty-six years. In the past, it was 11. 3 percent but in 2004 it stood at 12. 7 percent though this gradually declined in the year 2006 to 12. 3 percent. In the period between 2000-2006, the poverty level among the minors significantly increased from 16. 2 percent to 17. 8 percent but in following two years it decline to 17. 4 percent. Poverty in America varies across race, family, sex and age but America has registered a decline in poverty rate when compared with the 1990’s figures. This could be attributed to the economic depression. The current rate is still bigger than that of the 1970s. As per the United States Census Bureau, it calculates the rate of poverty by assessing the much one earns and his purchasing power. As it is noted above that poverty varies in America, poverty rate is highest among the juniors who are under 18 years. According to a survey that was done in 1998, the poverty rate amongst children was 18. 9% and this was a decrease from the 1997 figure. The rate of poverty to those who are under six years was 20. 6% in 1998. The rate for those within the bracket of 18-64 was 10. 9%. In 2005 the poverty rate for over those 65 years was 9. 4 percent than that of 2005 which was 10. 1 percent while that of the minors stood at 17. 4% Depending on peoples’ nationality, those who were born in America had a poverty level of 11. 9% or an equivalent of 30. 8 million people in the year 2007 and this was the same as it was in 2006. To the foreigners, the poverty level in 2006 slightly went down to 15. 2% when compared with the 2005 figure and in 207 the figure still went down. Moore D. 2007) Causes of poverty. Poverty has many causes and some of them are overpopulation, unequal distribution of resources high living standards, lack of proper education and skills, lack of employment, economic and distribution of people in a location, natural disasters. Overpopulation can be linked with poverty. In areas that have a lot of people, there is strain in resources as people tend to deplete them because competition there in but this is not a major cause of poverty in US. The real causes of poverty in USA are low wages and lack of reliable and well paying employment. In America over two thirds of all poor households with some children rely on only one or two people who are in jobs. However, many of them are in low paying jobs that cannot help them to meet their needs. Many people do not get jobs because of a number of factors. Some of them do not have the required skills while others are handicaps, personal hazards and general inability to perform. In America people who were sometime in the past employed but due to some reasons such as misconducts were dismissed are poor. They could also have been dismissed due to insubordination, unionism or because of participating in strikes. When people do not get good jobs or are not at all employed, they cannot provide their families with their necessities and hence the high rate of poverty. In America most of the unemployed turn to drug abuse. (Dwarkin R. 2005) Another thing that cause poverty in America is that there is a very high living condition. With little money, it is not possible to get adequate food, shelter and clothing many who claim to be employed are in low paying jobs that pay minimum wages and this is the problem that non employed face. Because USA is a developed nation, the prices of items are very high so anyone earning a dollar a day finds it hard to survive. For example a Mexican can get one dollar in hour and then buy some food for the family. The same case applies in America where food is very expensive; one may earn five dollars in a day only to spend all of this money on food. Generally life standard in America is very high and for this reason many are considered to live below poverty line. This causes most Americans to have physical and mental disabilities and may lead to pathological disorders. This has been a problem to many because once you get addicted to drugs as your life becomes dependent on them. In such a situation, then you prioritize drugs instead of other things that are more important. These drugs cause a mind to fail to function properly and for this reason they cannot secure themselves jobs in America. Mental inability, social problem and disability are some of the challenges that Americans face. Disabled people cannot be able to compete effectively in the search for jobs as physically normal people do. Because they have low incomes, their families give them special attention and this puts strain to their meager resources. These people are also isolated by others something that increases the level of social stigma. Another thing is exclusion in the social processes and this has been another cause of poverty in America. It happens when people do not get a chance of leading a normal life. It occurs to the disabled, the imprisoned and to the people who have language difficulties. The homeless and the ex- prisoners as well as those that are suffering from aids are also affected. These factors have greatly led to the increase in poverty cases. It should be understood that these people though they are not actively participating in social processes, they still require food, shelter and clothing. (Cohen S. 985) Poverty and crime Crime is doing contrary to what is required by the constitution. Many people indulge themselves in criminal activities if they do not meet their basic needs. Most people become criminals because of poverty but it should not be forgotten that others deem it a career. According to the conflict theories, economic strife has been related or associated with crimes. Many people who d o not have any other source of their livelihood, result to crimes such as burglary, assault and robbery. Most of these individuals are socially propelled to behave this way due to their poverty level and social alienation. Increase in per capital income tends to reduce crime rate something that attests to the fact that poverty leads to crime. Crime rate depends on social and cultural factors for example; if many children are born by single mothers then the level of the crime goes up. Most children who are fatherless are more likely to become criminals because they lack proper attention at home as their mother cannot meet their basic needs. They go to the streets to seek solace. Crime rates. There are three things that could be attributed to the rise in crime rates in America. These are for example the rise of outbreaks. This was one major cause of crimes in the 1986 and in 1960s and 70s there were some family policies that were make which resulted to upsurge in juvenile delinquency. The third cause of crime is the saturation of the criminal systems. (Cassdill H. 1962) This has compromised the fight against crime as prisoners are being sentenced for a shorter period than they should and are prematurely released. When this happens, they leave prisons uncorrected. According to a research that was done by the Kirwan Institute increase in poverty was linked to high-level crime rate. This is because when the poverty level goes beyond a certain point it invites crime. In the United States, the high rate of illegitimate births is linked to crime prevalence and this is as a result of many single parented households. When these children do not get the proper care that they deserve, they turn to crimes. According to Milton Eisenhower’s foundation, seventy per cent of all African Americans in America have single mothers. While only eighteen per cent of all the whites have single mother. The increase in single motherhood increases the prospects of people indulging themselves in crimes. Most poor people engage themselves in crimes such as prostitution, selling drugs and even murder while others engage in juvenile crimes. What should be done to control this level of crime rate is to make some reforms in the judicial system to ensure they are more effective. Criminal should be jailed for a term that is equivalent to the crime they committed. The tougher and reasonable judges should be put on the bench to ensure that justice would take its course. Those violent offenders should not be on the loose especially when they are supposed to be serving their term in prison. This is the only way the high rate of crime could be scaled down. The way forward. There are various ways of eradicating poverty in America and one of them is ensuring that property rights that are respected to the letter. Property rights should be seen as the same as human rights. All American citizens have a right to own property wherever they want. If this is properly addressed the gap between the rich and poor would be reduced. The main cause of crime in USA is because the poor living in close proximity with the rich. Also those lacking reliable income are forced to look for alternative means of meeting their basic needs. The presence of both rich and the poor people puts the government in a very tricky place, as it is impossible to collect taxes for it is not easy to determine who should pay and who should not. (Smeeding TM et al, 1990) The United States government can reduce the poverty level by providing the poor with some small amount so that they could start some businesses as it was done in the Western States under a program known as a Welfare State in the 20th Century. Those that should be taken care of are at least the poor and the disabled as they are the most disadvantaged in the society. People are social beings and for this reason they cannot sit back and watch their friends continue suffering so the government should come up with Charity Programs that would allow people to channel assistance of any kind to the poor as the rich might be willing to help them. These organizations should either be voluntary or non-profit making groups. The United States government should embark on subsidized households and medical issues. The government should also analyze the importance of subsidized medical care than the free governmentally supported health care. The poor should be provided with employment by the government as not all poor people lack the relevant job skills. Lack of employment in America is one reason that increases poverty prevalence so if they are given jobs they would be able to meet their basic necessities and this would help in reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. The poor should also be helped in accessing free health care. Most poor people do not even afford to go to hospitals once they get sick and stay at home. This also puts strain on their meager income making them to become even poorer. The government should also offer free family planning programs as many who turn to be criminals are from those households that do not provide them with proper attention. Children from single parented households and especially those that are headed by the mother are more likely to result into becoming criminals. These families should be provided with some family allowances by the government so as they would take care of children properly to avoid them being attracted to become juvenile criminals. The poor who mostly live in ghettos should be provided with better housing facilities for example the government should upgrade these ghettos so that they would enjoy life just like the rich do. This would help in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor Currently the talk on poverty is still on going and has become a campaign tool among the presidential candidates. They are promising Americans what they will do once they become the next US president come the 2008 Election. Obama who is one of these candidates promised the Americans that he would establish Twenty Promise Households and especially in the areas that are affected by high levels of poverty and crime. They would operate just like the Harlem Children’s Home operates. He said he will spend about six US dollars on this program and this will benefit the Harlem, the Town Hall Education and the Town Hall Education. (Kristof N. D. 2008) Both Edward and Obama are challenging Hillary Clinton who up to now has not come up with any poverty reduction proposal. Obama’s speech was mainly on urban and rural areas and most particularly on city initiatives while Edward focused on this poverty issue might have a lot of impact on who will be chosen as the president of the United States of America. Edward said that he would relocate the poor families so that they would be in a place where they would easily access jobs and other facilities. From the research findings, it is safe to conclude that poverty greatly contributes to the rise in crime level that is both are interrelated. This is evident in that poor people inhabit regions that register high crime rate. (Kristof N. D. 2008) When poor people lack their basic needs, they resort to crimes such as drug selling and trafficking, juvenile delinquency and assaults. There are various measures that if they are undertaken, the crime level would definitely go down and some of these are to strengthen the correction and judicial system and to empower the poor people so that the gap between the rich and poor would be closed. This is something that is of prime concern to the 2008 presidential candidates such as Obama who promised to boost the cities initiative especially those that work to help the poor. Indeed, there is a relationship between poverty and crime prevalence in United States of America. Most of the crimes occur in areas that are occupied by the poor people. When people are wallowing in poverty they are prone to indulge themselves in criminal acts. In order to reduce the rate of crime, the government should try to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. The poor should be economically be strengthened and their living standards be uplifted. Houses in the ghettos should be upgraded to improve the quality of life for the poor. To reduce the level of crimes, the judicial system should be adjusted so as to make it more effective. The laws should be enforced to ensure they are followed to the letter.

Friday, August 30, 2019

War Destroys Innocence

Also, soldiers In the war never had a chance to live their youth because they had to go to war. Just as they should be starting their lives, they were forced to drop everything at once and put their life on the line. In â€Å"Peace†, it reveals that the soldiers are not in the war for themselves, but for God and for their country. Since they are doing this, their senses sharpen, and their youth fades away. If war does not kill you physically, then It will emotionally. Its a simple fact, war Is destruction at Its best.It does not only destroy lives, but emotions. The theme of â€Å"All Quiet on the Western Front† perfectly presents how war destroys innocence. † generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war†(Armature Prologue). Even though war does not always physically injure someone, it can emotionally scar them for the rest of their lives. The incidents that happen while people are at war are hard to forget about . They are metal images that cannot be erased. Naught broken save this body, lost but breath† (Brooke 11).This quote from â€Å"Peace† Indicates that yes, the soldiers were saved, but they're soul destroyed on the Inside. Nothing was saved, but the body. The comrades in the war had to quickly erase their youth and prepare for the worst. However, there is only so much you can prepare for. They were quickly broken down and forced to grow up no matter the occasion. â€Å"All Quiet on the Western Front†delays why war destroys youth. ‘We had to recognize that our generation was more to be trusted than Armature 12).Most of the soldiers were young, around eighteen to twenty-one years old. They never had a chance to live their youth years because they had to go to war. Right when they should be starting a new chapter In their life, they have to risk their lives and fight for their country. â€Å"For us lads of eighteen they ought to have been mediators and guides to the world of maturity to the future in our hearts we trusted them. The idea of authority, which they represented, was associated in our minds with a greater Insight and a more humane 12), In â€Å"AllQuiet on the Western Front† Paul and his comrades must determine what is correct since the older generation is incapable of helping them and being the supervisors that they are supposed to be. War destroys youth Is portrayed In â€Å"Peace† because the soldiers lose themselves and become animal-Like men. â€Å"And half-men and their dirty songs and dreary'(Brooke 7). When at the front, the soldiers lose their humanity. â€Å"Just as we turn 1 OFF Into animals when we go up to ten Ellen †¦ So we turn Into wags Ana looters when we are resting†¦.We want to live at any price; so we cannot burden ourselves with feelings which, though they may be ornamental enough in peacetime, would be out of place here†(Armature 138-139). When soldiers were giving up their humanity, they were giving up their youth as well. The soldiers lost their whole selves in the war; especially when they were on the front. They could not think like human. In order to survive the anxieties of war, Paul explains that he and his comrades would have to disconnect themselves from their emotions.The only way of surviving the war notionally is if it is avoided in thoughts. If it is not avoided, then the grief, despair, and fear would drive a man insane. Only an adult would be capable of doing this. No child or young man could. This is a perfect example of how war destroys youth. The war caused the soldiers to grow up fast. If they did not, they would not survive in any way. Mouth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? Youth? That is long ago. We are old folk† (Armature 18). Armature refers to the men as â€Å"Iron Youth†.The men are still young but they have a feeling of strength and being invincible on the inside and out. The soldiers ar e no longer part of society. After the war they could not go back and live their lives like nothing happened. They have grown up in a way no one will ever understand. Most of the veterans from World War I stayed in the army because they did not believe they belonged anywhere else. They considered war their home. The soldiers lost their youth from the beginning of their journey in war. War destroyed the innocence of the veterans in World War l. There was no way of regaining what they lost.

A Day of My Life

It was a fine morning, soothing breezes were moving at a sluggish pace, and clouds filled the sky like slowly dissipating smoke after a huge explosion. I was driving my car at a speed of 40 mph.This beautiful scenario had restricted my adrenaline rush and I didn’t feel like hitting the accelerator. I just wanted to make the most of this beautiful time. I turned the radio on and fortunately a soothing melody hit my ears. All these factors were quite unusual for the place where I lived. Weather here was usually quite hot and irritating.Suddenly I realized I was getting late, I had promised my parents to be at the venue in time. But it seemed like once again I was going to miss the party. This thought brought out all my childhood memories in the foreground, all the time I had spent with my parents, all the love, all the care I had enjoyed.That unconditional love is very rare in this world; I realized this fact when I moved away from my parents. Everyone, at some point or the othe r, has to take some important decisions regarding his life. I did the same. I wanted to be an independent, self-reliant person and for that I had to make the most of any opportunity that knocked my door. Unfortunately the job offer I got was for another city, almost 250 miles away from where I actually lived with my parents. So I had to move away, rather unwillingly.It started drizzling and those droplets like diamonds started to fall on the windscreen. This was quite significantly positive addition to the beauty of the current scenario. This light rain reminded me of all the time I had enjoyed in the rain with my mom and dad. They knew I loved rain so much, it made me so happy.And just for the sake of my happiness, they used to take me out to my favorite places whenever the weather was nice. I still remember the time when I was in school and my mom used to wake me up every morning. Her face was the first thing I used to see every morning, and no doubt, my days went great. My dad us ed to drop me off to school every morning. He never leaved unless I waved my hand from the edge of the main gate of the school.These memories were making me feel good and equally sad. I just couldn’t wait till the moment I saw my parents again. I accelerated the speed a little. I was only 15 miles away from home now. It breathed a new life in me, as soon as I entered the limits of the area. Everything seemed so familiar, so known and strangely fascinating. I could relate to almost everything I saw.These shops, these buildings, these parks, these malls, everything reminded me of the time I had spend here. I suddenly saw a restaurant where I used to eat every Friday with my friends and then at walking distance was the theater where we used to come for movies after dinner at that restaurant. It all reminded me of the time I had spent with my classmates and friends, the parties we used to have, the little fights we had and then the childish patch-ups. It all sounded quite funny n ow.I was driving quite slowly once again. My surroundings fascinated me to the level that is hard to be described in words. The road was quite straight with so much of green on both sides of it; I had a memory of this road. Then I realized that this was where my school had been. It had changed quite so much, it was not that green back then.I saw the building of my school which had not changed at all, the main gate, the parks, the windows; everything had some memories attributed with it. I still remember how much I loved my school, may be because of my classmates. I loved being with my friends. I remember those never ending conversations we used to have, regarding movies, music, TV shows, food, new trends in fashion and so much more. All this was playing like a distant echo in my head.I could now see the block where my house was, my destination. My heart throbbed at the thought of seeing my parents and luckily some of my friends again. What I felt at that moment was a mix of exciteme nt and gloom. Both were for the same reason, I was going to see them after a long time.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Case study one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case study one - Essay Example Yes. As a police officer the deputy should be aware of the new policies. He should have been aware of the margins on which can be considered as a "situation" for pursuit. In addition, the deputy also carries with him his personal firearm and a canine, which should not be allowed while on - duty or on patrol. No. There are still some specific parts that should be improved. This should include the refinement of the requisites for the rules of firing warning shots and high speed pursuits. This would greatly reduce overkill, as well as criticisms. This is not a magic potion for the financial and demographic dilemma of the community but this is a very productive step towards the success of having a very efficient police department in the community. This would basically increase amity among the people of the community. Yes, there are possible problems that may arise from both parties. Thus, in order to come to a practicable solution both should be aware of the problem and that both benefits and disadvantages should be presented. In order to achieve a more harmonious relationship between labor and management, a clear and effective line of communication should always be available. Both parties should be able to come up with feasible solutions that are acceptable to both. Yes, there is a need for the community to be involved in the design and implementation of the community policing.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Gerrymandering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Gerrymandering - Essay Example Partisan gerrymandering depicts the determination of the various seats that make a delegation different from a national outcome that is distinctive. Partisan gerrymandering presents advantage to a political party whose voters have an equal distribution. In terms of difficulty, bipartisan approach tends to be a complication with comparison to partisan gerrymander. The reason is that bipartisan eliminates bias that the partisan approach brings forth. The partisan approach also utilizes a particular algorithm, the partisan algorithm. The bipartisan gerrymander represents an advantaging to the serving government. The instance is that the bipartisan gerrymander tends to reflect all the affiliations of voters are in alignment with the incumbent’s party. The redistricting game showcases the real issues that the lawmakers experience in their activities. On top of the challenges is the creation of districts that allow the equity of power. The choosing of the best gerrymander avenue to use is also an issue. The reason is that each option presents an unequal creation or redistribution of authority that may face vast

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Tax Havens or Offshore Financial Centre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tax Havens or Offshore Financial Centre - Essay Example in Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia, and various Caribbean island nations in the Americas.† (2004: p 2) The study makes a comparative analysis of the tax haven regions with heavy tax zones to project the differences economies examine in respect of laving taxes on the companies and firms. The present study has also been supported by the literature relevant to the topic of the research. The research also contains theoretical framework in its fold that is helpful in elucidating the topic under study. Different economies of the world at large have offered a variety of incentives to the corporations, organisations, and firms so that investment can be made within their economic set up, and economy could observe an imperative boost in the state of perfect competition created all over the globe in the aftermath of globalisation. The UK, USA, the UAE and other countries have established offshore centres for the local, national and multinational firms and brands, where the firms of sound reputation are offered considerable concessions in taxes and tolls, which encourages more and more firms make investment under rules and regulations designed by the governments for the offshore centres. â€Å"According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development†, Almeida submits, â€Å"international tax competition is lowering tax rates and making government expenditure more efficient worldwide.† (2004: p 2) Though tax havens do not exist in China and Germany in their t rue definition, yet there exist several low tax authorities in many countries of the world. These include Italy, the USA, Canada, China, Germany, France, Australia and others. â€Å"About a quarter of US and UK FDI†, Dharmapala notices, â€Å"is located in tax havens. By way of comparison, tax havens are home to only 0.7 per cent of the worlds population when havens are defined as in DH (2006), or just 0.2 per cent when using the OECD definition.† (2008: p 4) Since low tax rates leave indelible

Monday, August 26, 2019

Report of business analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Report of business analysis - Essay Example According to Kanter (1995) such an action will not constitute an adequate response. This is so because success is based on an organization’s ability to create, rather than predict the future by developing those products that will literally transform the way the world thinks and view it self and the needs (Kanter 1995:71). Within the context of today’s global competition, businesses and firms no-longer compete as individual companies but try to corporate with other businesses in their activities (Wu & Chien 2007:2). These researchers went further to argue that, this strategy has become quite common in many businesses including the retail chain stores. The conventional vertical integrated company based business model is gradually being replaced by collaborative relationship between many fragmented, but complementary and specialized value stars and constellation (Wu & Chien: 1). In today’s global business environment it is no longer sufficient simply to meet customers demand as time quality and cost have become increasingly important in the phase of increasing competition (Petts 1997:551). According to Higgins (1998:2), â€Å"customers don’t always know what they need or even that there is a problem to be solved.† Success awaits those companies that recognize the fact that, to be successful and satisfy customers, it is often necessary to lead customers into recognizing these needs (Higgins 1998:2-3). Against this background, this paper focuses on the United Kingdom (UK) retail industry using certain analytical models such as the five forces, the PESTLE framework and the SWOT analysis. Focusing on this sector has a number of important advantages. Firstly, government regulations and control in this sector are quite strict. In addition, the retail sector represents one of the principal sectors of the UK economy, having one of the biggest employer and biggest multinational in the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Egypt - Essay Example The Giza Pyramids are a symbol of Egyptian beauty and charm and tourists remember Egypt with the picture of the great pyramids in mind. Indeed these pyramids are one of the wonders of the world. (Rosalie, 1997) Around 8000 BC, the Sahara Desert was formed due to the desiccation of the pastoral lands within the country. By about 6000 BC, the Neolithic culture started to have its roots within the Nile valley. There have existed a number of different dynasties within Egypt since time immemorial. As far as the geography of Egypt is concerned, it is the world’s 38th largest country and its size is comparable to that of Tanzania. Most of the population within Egypt lives around the Nile valley and Delta since the climate is conducive enough for populations to settle around these areas only. Around 99% of the total population uses only 5.5% of the Egyptian land area. Its borders are shared by Libya on the west, Gaza strip and Israel on the East and Sudan on the south. Egypt’s strategic location makes it a very dominant player within the geopolitical scenario and its transcontinental location asks for significance in terms of forming a bridge between Asia and Africa. The climate of Egypt is usually dry and the country receives showers only in the winter months. The rainfall averages south of Cairo are 2 - 5 mm each year and sometimes frequent after quite a few years in essence. The temperatures within Egypt range between 80o F and 90 o F in summer while goes up to 109 o F in the area of the Red Sea coast. Thus the temperatures usually average within 55 o F and 70 o F in the winter season. There is a steady wind which blows from the northwestern region which makes the weather pleasant near the Mediterranean coast. The global warming regimes hamper Egypt’s densely populated coastal strip and the same could have ramifications for the country’s economy,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Doritos Super Bowl Commercial Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Doritos Super Bowl Commercial Campaign - Essay Example The Doritos’ Super Bowl campaign gives insights on what innovative organizations can do to make their marketing more effective and capture the attention of consumers in the market. Designed by Frito-Lay, the campaign is an online competition run annually, which gives consumers the chance to create their Doritos advertisements and the best aired in the Super Bowl. The contest is the largest online video competition globally, and undoubtedly, one of the most successful in its caliber according to last year’s YouTube impressions. Owing to the fact that the results justify the means used, it is evident that Doritos’ marketing techniques are the cause of this profound success, some of which are analyzed in this paper. The context of participatory marketing in Doritos Chief marketing Officer at Frito-Lay, Ann Mukherjee clearly postulates that participatory marketing is the future of contemporary marketing. She notes that the success behind the idea of Super Bowl lies w ithin the recognition of the upcoming branding trends, where the consumers are actively involved in the branding process by the company. As a key strategy, Frito Lay recognizes the great impact that active participation contributes to modern marketing, attributing to the fact that people are not just passive recipients of information, but active contributors in the production and distribution of brands and their contents in their various kinds (Boone, and Kurtz 56). The campaign relays useful techniques that underlie consumer-generated content advertising, which makes the consumers virtually own the brands and remain loyal to the brands that they have helped to build and this fact has continually improved the sales of the company. From the graph and table below, the introduction of the Crush Super Bowl contest in January 2012 had a tremendous effect on the sales in that month. In this respect, participatory marketing strategies are very effective and according to Doritos, an immedia te effect on the popularity of the brands. The period that preceded the ad contest also experienced customer response due to the anticipation that the advertisements of the contest had on the consumers. The data showing the percentage increase in sales due to the 2012 contest is shown below. Time 26th Dec 2011 26th Jan 2012 29th Feb. 2012 28th Mar 2012 Percentage increase 6.2 % 7.9 % 5.8 % 5.2 % Consumer inclusive approaches to marketing, according to research prove the most lucrative and successful of trends, making it an irresistible package for modern marketers. In perspective, the success of the campaign is often attributed to the way in which Frito-Lay tracks and evaluates performance of the competition. Since the launch of the campaign, Frito-Lay has continued to test the media value of the competition, online pass-along measures as well as the brand equity. (Hines, and Bruce 44) further recommends the growth of the above measures with time to correspond with the market condit ions and continued changes in tastes and preferences of the consumers. Trusting consumers of information In addition, Frito-Lay works on the principle that the consumer is the best source of information on what the market needs (Tadajewski and Brownlie 92). The campaign has achieved much since its inception because Frito-Lay trusts their consumers. Although most marketers have

Friday, August 23, 2019

Journal # 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal # 1 - Essay Example Internship is an elemental component of nursing leadership where nursing students get to experience various professional scenarios first hand. The first day of Masters in Nursing Leadership internship at The Lake County Community Health Center involved meeting Damaris, M. She is the director of the family case management, nurse family, pregnancy prevention and health-works program. The meeting acted as introduction to what the internship entailed including the number of times such meetings were going to take place in a week. A notable engagement during the internship period was taking part in preparing for an upcoming performance review for the department (Clark 72). This created an opportunity for one to learn what is required in the operations of such a department. The internship also offered invaluable pointers onto the viability of my intended project. This was in the sense that it provided for a chance to remedy all the shortcomings of the project. The internship experience worked towards improving the content and context of the nursing leadership

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Principles of marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Principles of marketing - Essay Example P&G has always tried to position their product differently according to the changing need and preferences of the people. In the detergent market, marketers are launching their detergents in small easy to handle containers at low price. In this way marketers wanted to prove that they were charging less for more. P&G reduced their commercialization and increase their perceived value by introducing Tide with bleach, cold water Tide, Tide with bounce, etc. So by this it could be clearly assumed that P&G has an excellent marketing team to plan out such marketing strategies, so that it always remains the market leader. Table of Contents PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING 14 1 4 Mission, Vision and Objectives of Procter & Gamble 5 Mission and Vision 5 Objectives 5 Market Overview 6 Competitors 6 Customer Expectations 7 Consumer Behavior 7 Cultural Factors 7 Social Factors 8 Psychological Factors 8 Personal Factors 8 SWOT Analysis 9 Strength 9 Weakness 9 Opportunity 9 Threat 9 Marketing Mix 10 Product 10 Price 10 Place 10 Promotion 11 Conclusion 11 References 13 Mission, Vision and Objectives of Procter & Gamble Mission and Vision Procter & Gamble is one of the largest packaged product companies in the world. This fact has always motivated the company for their purpose inspired growth. The company's mission is to improve the lives of the customers round the world. The long term visions of Procter & Gamble are: The company wants to use 100 percent renewable and recycled material for the products and packaging. The plants of the company should be powered by 100 percent renewable energy. They want zero manufacturing waste to go to landfills. The company wants to design the products for maximum customer delight and conserving the natural resource (P&G, 2012). Objectives The company wants to win the customers, and help its leading brands to grow and expand into different countries. It wanted to focus mainly on the core business and build is strong global market leaders. The company al so has the objective maintaining growth and sustainability in different parts of the world. Market Overview In this study we would see the different aspects of the marketing principles and strategies with regards to a very popular brand of Procter & Gamble known as Tide. It is one of the most famous detergent brands of Procter & Gamble. It is one of the flagship brands of P & G. The basic policy of the company is to boost the sales and stimulate the customers to buy the products. This popular detergent was first launched in the market in 1946. The logo of Tide that we see today was slightly modified in 1996. P & G enjoys a well-established recognition in the developed countries of the world like United States, and Europe. The CEO of the company Bob McDonald announced in 2010 that they wanted to expand their markets and penetrate more into Chinese and Indian markets. Their aim is to reach the target of 1 billion customer base in these parts of the world. The closest competitor of P & G is Unilever and Henkel. In Figure 1 we can see that Tide is the market leader in the US detergent market among all the other brands and products of other companies. In fact, the P & G has the greatest market share among all the companies producing detergent. P & G has all its detergent brands in the top list of the consumers. Tide captures about 45 percent of the market alone. The other detergent brands capture 13 percent of the ma

Jessica Swindle Essay Example for Free

Jessica Swindle Essay In this time and age, a lot of people are struggling for their lives. We can never deny the fact how tough it is to deal with the circumstances that come along our way and it is imperative for us to weigh our capabilities in order to make our best and live our lives to the best of our abilities. As Merwin epitomized his thoughts on his â€Å"Eskimo Poem†, he freely exemplify the perception of what it entails to live in this world and at the same time possess the grip to what is in store for you in the future. At the beginning of the poem, the tender emotion shoot in as one wonders what life could bring each and every single of his life. But along the way, to some extent there is bit scepticism as the challenges hinders the happiness of a person. â€Å"But I am leaving the shore in my skin boat, it came to me that I was in danger and now the small troubles look big† (Mervin), during the moments that we feel we are alone with our predicament and that we can no longer bear the confrontation of life we tend to look for another way wherein we can build our lives again. Indeed, as the poem utters â€Å"and the ache that comes from the things I have to do every day big† (Merwin), it only means one thing, and that is to find alternative measures to make our lives better. In this regard, it was thoroughly elucidated how trials expands and it is only our hope that can uplift our spirit. â€Å"But only one thing is great only one, this in the hut by the path to see the day coming out of its mother and the light filling the world† (Merwin), positively, at the end of the day there is always a light that will shed our fears and will shelter our minds and hearts. Like the poem, we should find contentment with our lives even if it will take to some place and to different level of maturity. Acceptance of dare could be a proliferating factor in order for us to be great in the paths that we are taking.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Portrayal Of Women In Horror Films

The Portrayal Of Women In Horror Films This dissertation will consider the roles of women in the horror film genre and will deconstruct the way in which the conventions of the horror film prescribe such roles. Despite continued criticism for presenting women in a negative manner, many of the films explored here appear to suggest strong female representation so it will possible to investigate the position of the female from a number of different angles allowing a fluid discussion and counter argument. The passive female roles will be studied from the perspective of the male gaze and abjection, whilst active female roles will be explored from the role of the mother and the outcome of The Final Girl. As it would be impossible to discuss the entire history of the horror genre and womans relationship to it within the space available, so three chosen films will support the discussion. In all cases these films are regarded as classic horror films and, importantly, landmark and watershed moments in the horror genre. Psycho (1960), The Exorcist (1973), and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) all represent meta statements in the history of the genre and provide essential examples of the arguments discussed here. It should also be noted that all three films contain also ambiguous female characters for example; Mrs Bates in Psycho, the cross dressing Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and the possessed Regan in The Exorcist who will all be debated. Significantly the films were produced and released during periods of change for womens rights, including the beginnings of the womens liberation movement in the early sixties though to the publishing of The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer, and Spare Rib magazine in the seventies. This help to fuel the debate more significantly as the selected films span a time when women in the real world (as opposed to the constructed world of the cinema) had made great steps toward equality through the feminist movement. Horror films are told as stories of good versus evil. The drama of their narratives tends to derive from the clash between a monster and an innocent, So I want to understand why so many gratuitous, unjustified acts of violence towards woman could be justified on screen. I will consider the following aspects: male gaze, abjection, family structure, and the outcome of the final girl in the context of horror film genre. These are four common tendencies embedded within the literature of women and horror film and the background to these discussions will be framed within the context of the chosen films. This writing will deconstruct and examine the structure of those films, the motives behind their structure, and will consider their target audience. It will examine the symbolism that is used to express the plots and sub-plots and, most importantly, consider the roles of the female characters in those films. I will employ psychoanalytic and feminist theory to explore the female roles and will interpret commentary on Freudian and Lacanian theory, including castration anxiety and the role of the subconscious and apply them to horror film. Semiotic and populist perspective will also be considered to set out this debate. Much has been written on the subject and over twenty books have been researched to discuss this consideration of women and horror film in detail. Key texts include: Ways of Seeing (1972) by John Berger, Men, Women and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film (1992) by Carol J. Clover, The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis (1993) by Barbara Creed and Powers of Horror (1982) by Julia Kristeva. The texts outline the intellectual context into which this dissertation enters. People assume that horror film exclusively represent women in a reactionary fashion, but further analysis has suggested that female characters are not as weak and vulnerable as they first may appear. For example The Final Girls last moments have been radically written and rewritten across the remakes and sequels to give new meaning. Analytical and theoretical analysis has been informed by the writing of Laura Mulvey and in particular her discussions of the male gaze. Mulvey argues in her polemic essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema that cinema was primarily created for the male spectator exploiting women as objects of desire. Julia Kristevas essay The Powers of Horror provides essential understanding on the position of abjection in the context of horror and mortality. All of the above writers discuss theoretical studies and theories of Dr Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan who are both indirectly referenced throughout this dissertation. Barbara Creeds The Monstrous-Feminine and Carol Clovers book Men, Women, and Chainsaws will inform debate around the matriarchal figures in Psycho and the outcome of the final girl in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. CHAPTER 1 Gendered Spectatorship The male gaze is made explicit in the horror genre, and this is inscribed in both the aesthetics of the films and its exhibition context. One of the most important essays about women in cinema is Laura Mulveys theory on the male gaze. As Mulvey states: The cinema offers a number of possible pleasures. One is scopophilia (pleasure in looking). There are circumstances in which looking itself is a source of pleasure (1989, p16). (do I reference?) If scopophilia can be defined as love of looking or deriving pleasure from looking, then this can be a definition of the cinema experience. Cinema is, after all, a form of visual entertainment. It involves the individual singularly engaging with the screen and its projections as a form of escapism and even relaxation, and can be comfortably achieved alone as it involves very few social skills, since the viewers only commitment to the process is to look. However, once we question how the film is viewed and who views the film, the relationship becomes more complex. The purpose of this essay is to question how the female is viewed from the perspective of the spectator; to question how women are portrayed in horror films, and how they are looked at. It will explore the argument that cinematic looking comes from a male perspective and will question what kind of pleasure is obtained from looking at horror films from this perspective. As Mulvey explains: The cinema satisfies a primordial wish for pleasurable looking (1989, p17). It allows the spectator the opportunity to observe in an entirely passive role while the action takes place. The experience of cinema is a one-sided arrangement between the film itself and its viewer. However, as Mulvey discusses regarding Dr Sigmund Freud, it also goes further, developing scopophilia in its narcissistic aspect (1989, p17). Scopophilia can also suggest that sexual pleasure can be derived from looking at objects; that how they are interpolated can make them erotic, and while they are not erotic in their own right through their relationship with the spectator they can become sexually objectified. The celebrated psychologist Dr Sigmund Freud isolated scopophilia as one of the component instincts of sexuality which exist as drives independently of the erotogenic zones. At this point he associated scopophilia with taking other people as objects, subjecting them to a controlling and curious gaze (Mulvey,1989, p16). The history of art emphasises this aspect of scopophilia. Throughout art history, painters have been commissioned to paint female models as objects of desire that have been and still are masquerading as works of art more closely related with pornography than with the great masterpieces. Moving forward, Clover debates that the cinematic gaze, we are told, is male, and just as that gaze knows how to fetishize the female form in pornography it also, she suggests (going on to relate this to cinematography), knows how to follow a female character as she moves through a forbidding house, and scrutinise her face for signs of fear in a way that it does not do with male characters, since: a set of conventions we now take for granted simply sees males and females differently. (1992 p50-51). This suggests that the ownership in the context of cinema is the cause of the effect that the viewer, by objectifying the figure on screen, gives it new meaning, a new social place. By simply being viewed, new rules apply. To place this into the context of women within horror, the male can now view the woman and the conditions and events around her in a newly detached manner and freely let the actions against her take place on the screen. In psychoanalytic terms, the female figure poses a deeper problem. She also connotes something that the look continually circles around but disavows, claims Mulvey (1989, p21). This could be suggesting that as the spectator is assumed to be male, the appearance of a female (ie non-male) form creates an anxiety around the potential for castration and an un-penised body à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦hence unpleasure. Mulvey argues in Lacan: and Post feminism by Elizabeth Wright (2000, p45-46) that the look is linked to the discovery of sexual difference, and that the lack of a penis must be filled by multiple images of glamourised women as a substitute for the imaginary phallus. Mulvey writes that cinema, and in particular horror cinema, is inclined to focus attention on the human form (1989, p17). The human form and the human condition are key aspects in the horror genre, especially the female body. Horror displays visceral and exaggerated versions of our basic desires and a strong and aggressive version of body lust. The horror film in particular relies on the physical human form and hostility towards the body to carry its plots and storylines in the most extreme sense. This is clearly not a natural state of being: to be seated in a darkened room, with a huge rectangular screen in view and surround sound at high volume. But this is the environment of the cinema, where the viewer is asked to focus on exaggerated and extreme events far beyond the realms of real life in the name of entertainment. Here, not unlike in other places in the media, the female form is prevalent, to be exhibited again for entertainment and it is the female characters in the horror fi lm genre that appear to command most of the attention on the cinema screen. Mulvey suggests that, since the world displays such disparities between the genders, with the masculine nearly always holding the reins of power: Do I reference here as well? pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure, which is styled accordingly (1989, p19). So since society isnt equal in terms of who holds the power, either sexually or otherwise, women act a certain way because they are aware of how men expect them to be that is, passive and sexualised. Mulvey states this as a symbolic equation, woman = sexuality. (1989, p35). John Berger differentiates men from women as he describes a mans presence as being defined by what he is capable of doing to you or for youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but the pretence is always towards a power which he exercises on others. (1972, p39-40) Expand Mulveys view is that narrative cinema positions its spectators as male, catering only for male fantasies and pleasures (p39 Feminist Film Theorists). This suggests that women are objectified in film in general (and for the purposes of this argument, substantially in horror films). Mulvey also claims that the spectator/viewer/audience is said to be a man; cinema almost expects its viewers to be male and therefore creates characters and plots to fulfil a mans gaze. So prevalent is this notion that Mulvey claims narrative cinema does not offer a place for female spectators'(p40 Feminist Film Theorists); that cinema essentially isolates the female as a serious viewer: As the spectator identifies with the main male protagonist, he projects his look onto that of his like, his screen surrogate, so that the power of the male protagonist as he controls events coincides with the active power of the erotic look, both giving a satisfying sense of omnipotence. (Mulvey, 1989, p20). Shorten Clearly men can easily identify with the male protagonist but the female audiences have to distance themselves from their femininity in order to participate in the cinematic experience; critics refer to this as gender confusion. Freud would argue that to share these experiences, woman would have to revert back to her pre-Oedipal phallic phase. It might now be relevant to explore the male gaze specifically functions in the context of the horror genre. Looking back at the history and evolution of the horror film, the cinemas flourished at a time when there was less available to the public and strong moral codes and rules about relationships were in place. The clichà ©d idea of horror films was being scripted and edited to fulfil the role of the dating couple on a Saturday night. (pg 61 Horror: The Film Reader Edited by Mark Jancovich (different authors per chapter) The cinema was a place where young couples could escape family life for the few hours of a date. It allowed them space to be alone together at a time, before the sexual revolution, when men were expected to be chivalrous and protect and provide support for their female companion, as Mark Jancovich explains: Women cover their eyes or hide behind the shoulders of their dates. (pg 61 Horror: The Film Reader Edited by Mark Jancovich (different authors per chapter). This then created an opportunity for the male viewer to comfort his date as she squirmed and shrieked at the on-screen horror. He could become closer and more intimate as she was lured into vulnerability by the action projected in front of her. Mulvey highlights this dominant order: As an advanced representation system, the cinema poses questions about the ways the unconscious (formed by the dominant order) structures ways of seeing and pleasure in looking. (1989, p15) Paraphrase or include in text. Given this climate, the notion of the girl as victim was allowed to evolve. A connection could then be made between the female viewer and her on-screen female counterpart, in that the spectator cannot bear to look on helplessly as her cinematic alter ego that is, a close representation of herself suffers the horrors of rape, mutilation and murder. Mulvey argues that women have had two different functions within cinema: as erotic objects for the characters within the screen story, and as erotic objects for the spectator within the auditorium. (1989, p19) There is clear evidence of this in Tobe Hoopers The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It follows the story of a group of young Americans as they venture into the countryside and meet their fate in the shape of a disturbed and hostile cannibalistic family whose weapons of choice are butchers tools and chainsaws. The three young men meet their deaths quickly, paving the way for the females more drawn-out and gratuitous torture. While one of the women meets her slow, lingering fate via a meat hook and deep freezer, the other is chased and tortured repeatedly across the final third of the film. Female characters in horror films are generally young and attractive. They maintain a key role in the film; examples of this would be Laurie in Halloween and Marion in Alfred Hitchcocks infamous Psycho. When Michael Myers pretty sister meets her fate in the opening scene of Halloween, she is pursued by (and through the eyes of) her killer; indeed, throughout Halloween the story is often seen/told through the eyes of the killer, a technique referred to as the POV (point-of-view) shot. But before the murder takes place, the audience are offered a completely superfluous view of her naked body, seen through the male gaze as she brushes her hair. It could be argued that the female characters occupy many on-screen hours and appear to dominate the films, yet on closer inspection the real lead role is saved for the star psychopath, who is almost always male. It could be debated that male spectators are therefore being asked to identify with the killer. With respect to Halloween there are a number of shots explicitly from Myers physical point-of-view with an acoustic close-up of his monstrous heavy breathing (Isabel Pinedo 1997, p52). It cannot be proven that the whole audience identifies with him but they are forced to see through his murderous gaze, which almost compels a form of affinity. Horror genre is traditionally thought of as low culture. It has a casual tone and audiences have grown to expect violence, nudity and cheap thrills. This position in low culture appears to grant a licence to horror films to get away with more than high art cinema, and horror is rarely studied for meaning or metaphor to the same extent. But because of these lower expectations, the reality can be stretched (not unlike in cartoons), leading to irrational storylines with horror far more extreme than could be expected in real life. Therefore, it could be argued that horror films make explicit the assumption of a male spectator which is, according to Mulvey, only implicit in all popular cinema. Other films, under the pressure of higher expectation, have to keep such a misogynist perspective more contained, but horror can afford to make it overt. Clearly all normal rules do not apply. So, once reality is dropped in favour of visual pleasure, why do we ask audiences to witness hostility and brutality against women? Brian De Palma assesses the motives behind this argument. It is, he suggests, not that women are presented for male pleasure but that they provide a greater capacity for terror in the audience: If you have a haunted house and you have a woman walking around with a candelabra, you fear more for her than you would for a husky man. (Clover, 1992, p42). This provides a greater margin for a violent death. But why is this? Why would a woman be more vulnerable than a man in this age of equality? The answer to this lies far deeper than in the relatively trivial world of the slasher movie or psychological thriller. This genre is simply a form of entertainment and perhaps not the place for intellectual analysis, as John Carpenter hinted when he was challenged with the notion that he is responsible for the tasteless massacre of sexually active women. He claimed that, although the victims in his (and so many other) horror films are indeed the more sexually active characters, to insist that this is why they die is to miss the essential pointThey get killed because they are not paying attention. How do I reference Carpenter? And it could be argued that academics were reading a little too much into Halloween, since a male character is also murdered straight after sex with his girlfriend. One could even claim that this balances the plot and clears the director of the accusation that he is somehow guilty of misogyny. However à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦argues that: His death is usually only a device to remove protection from the now vulnerable female. (pg 165 Bitches, Bimbosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). This suggests that the male character is now secondary and his death is insignificant by comparison to the murder of the female. It could also be argued that Carpenter and other celebrated film makers just want to make entertaining horror and dont intend to make hateful statements against women, or objectify them for the male gaze, but that this is simply what people find exciting and why they fill up cinemas. Irrespective of Carpenters intentions, the standards of what is considered entertainment tell us a great deal about our views towards women in horror cinema and perhaps in society as a whole. CHAPTER 2 The Abject Feminine The ultimate figure of abjection is the corpse. As the horror genre is ultimately obsessed with death one could suggest that horror fetishizes the abject. It has been suggested that the horror film attempts to bring about confrontation with the abject. (p4 Horror Film and Psychoanalysis: Freuds Worst Nightmare.) Creed refers to Kristevas notion of the border: When we say such-and-such a horror film made me sick or scared the shit out of me we are actually foregrounding that specific horror film as a work of abjection or abjection at work almost in a literal sense. (1993, p10) By the presentation of repulsion one knows what is not repulsive; to understand abjection one must understand boundaries. As we grow up we stop playing in dirt and become more dignified; this is something we learn from society as well as from our mothers teaching us how to be clean and proper. This notion references Lacans concept of the mirror stage, Kristeva supports: It is thus not lack of cleanliness or health that causes abjection but what disturbs identity, system, order. What does not respect borders, positions, rules. (1982, p4). Woman and abjection The horror genre has a historical tendency to represent the female form as abject. In Kristevas view, woman is specifically related to polluting objects, which fall into two categories: excremental and menstrual. This in turn gives woman a special relationship to the abject. (1982, p10) What we are scared of is not the matter that we expel but what it signifies loss of identity, loss of control, death and the unknown. Nor is it the end of a natural life that contributes to the tension of horror cinema, but an endless list of horrific deaths that we could possibly encounter. Paul Wells backs this notion with his comments on the forbidden facets of the human body its propensity to foul secretions and physical corrosion which are linked to our relentless descent towards death, and which are reflected in images of abjection in the horror film (2000, p16). IS THIS 2ND PERSON? When we are children our parents encourage us to respect boundaries about cleanliness and behaviour, and we reject the abject. But in the context of the horror film there is perverse pleasure that allows us to explore our curiosity about the abject. The abject confronts the repressed/un-civilized side of the ego and allows us to investigate the other. The horror film makes good use of the abject. Julia Kristeva uses her experience with milk as a child in an attempt to explain the idea of abjection: Food loathing is perhaps the most elementary and most archaic form of abjection. When the eyes see or the lips touch that skin on the surface of milkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I experience a gagging sensation and, still farther down, spasms in the stomach, the belly: and all the organs shrivel up the body, provoke tears and bile, increase heartbeat, cause forehead and hands to perspire. Along with sight-clouding dizziness, nausea makes me balk at that milk cream, separates me from the mother and father who proffer it. (p23 Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection by Julia Kristeva). Does this need to be cut? This could suggest that when a skin forms on top of milk, it is crossing over a border or breaking a rule regarding what is acceptable as good food, and so the milk is no longer pure. The milk has perhaps split into two; milk being the acceptable form and its solidified state being the abject. Hence it fulfils a similar role in our imagination as a corpse does over a living, breathing body. We will no longer accept/drink the milk as it has turned bad and represents death, a state beyond living. The maternal body grows and delivers a living being but it is also the sister of the corpse so it can remind us of life but also death. If we confronted the abject in everyday life we would be constantly aware of our own mortality. Milk described in the context above provides an effective example of abjection, as it suggests the differential between acceptable breastfeeding as a child and unacceptable breast-feeding as an adult. The Exorcist was the first of many possession films. Its premise involves an innocent young girl named Regan McNeil who displays abnormal behaviour in the middle class American home she shares with her mother and house keeper. Throughout the film her father appears absent so it is her mother (Chris McNeil) who bears witness to the profound and hostile series of events and paranormal behaviour as the plot unfolds. Creed states that: The possessed or invaded being is a figure of abjection in that the boundary between self and other has been transgressed (1993, p32) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦by the devil himself, who appears to be the only male central figure in the film until the arrival of a psychiatrist and two Roman Catholic Priests. Within the plot of The Exorcist, Regans character is a vehicle that allows the portrayal of abjection to the mass audience. Had a young boy been cast in a similar role, the horror could have been undermined, but due to our own preconceptions of femininity and youth, the possession portrayed within this young girl only adds to the horrific events. Regan is the most passive of female victims, repeatedly switching from tearful little girl to demonic aggressor. She expels her bodily fluids, blood, vomit and urine; she is a playground for bodily wastes (1993, p40). Creed goes on to point out that the female body is more abject because its maternal functions acknowledge its debt to nature 1993, p11). She also points out that, as Regan cavorts and flaunts herself, we become all too aware of the forbidden fascination of the abject , as well as its horror, inherent in the fact that this young girl has overtly flouted her respectable feminine function, and has; put her unsocialized body on display. And to make matters worse, she has done all of this before the shocked eyes of two male clerics. (p 198 Post-Theory: Reconstructing Film Studies. edited by Bordwell, D and Carrol, N) Creed (1993, p37) puts forward: In Kristevas view the abject represents that which disturbs identity, system, order. Regans possessed soul projects this through levitation and deep spoken foul language. As the film continues, an exorcism takes place in the form of a battle between the Church and the Devil. If religion could be used to explore the abject, no film does it more tellingly than in The Exorcist. Creed puts forward, according to Kristeva: Kristeva argues that, historically, it has been the function of religion to purify the abject. (1993, p14) As the film comes to an end, Regan is saved by the church and restored to purity. She turns to hug the one person who saved her: a male Priest, or perhaps God himself? Spectator In the real world, when confronted with something genuinely repulsive, we reject that object of repulsion. But in the cinema it is not necessary to fully block what confronts us. The positioning of the spectator within the cinema experience must be recognized if abjection is going to be fully absorbed. The viewer happily sits as the spectacle of horror unfolds and is projected onto them. Though the viewer has no control over the events projected before them, the unpleasant acts witnessed by the spectator can comfortably be dismissed when the credits roll and the film is over. Viewing the horror film signifies a desire not only for perverse pleasure where boundaries are crossed, both attracting and repelling (confronting sickening, horrific images/being filled with terror/desire for the undifferentiated) but also a desire, once having been filled with perversity, taking pleasure in perversity, to throw up, throw out, eject the abject (from the safety of the spectators seat). CHAPTER 3 The Absent Mother Relationships in the maternal melodrama are almost always between mother and daughter; it is to the horror film we must turn for an exploration of mother-son relationships. The latter are usually represented in terms of repressed Oedipal desire, fear of the castrating mother and psychosis. Given the nature of the horror genre its preoccupation with monstrosity, abjection and horrific familial scenarios the issues surrounding the mother-child dyad are generally presented in a more extreme and terrifying manner. (Creed,1993, p139) Cut down One area of female representation that is more ambiguous is the figure of the Mother in the horror film genre. No longer could the killer be simply defined by gender. At the beginning of the 1960s audiences were subjected to a new kind of cinematic terror, as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ explains in her essay: The monster was no longer out there; it was in here. The monster was the human mind. (Pg 160 Gary, J and Sheila, S (ed) Bitches, Bimbos and Virgins: Women in the Horror Film) As Hitchcocks psychological thriller Psycho was released The early sixties audience would be led to believe that the approachable Norman Bates (played by Antony Perkins) was simply a victim of his over-zealous mothers bullying. But as the plot unravelled, the film presented a deeply obsessive human mind as the real monster, as Steven Jay Schneider further explains: When used to shed light on horror cinema, psychoanalysis in its various forms has proven to be a frightful and provocative interpretive tool (Pg 187 Schneider, S. J. Horror Film and Psychoanalysis Freuds Worst Nightmare) The film follows its self-sufficient central female character, Marion Crane, jaded by her affair with a married man, as she embezzles a large amount of money from her male employer and leaves town in pursuit of a new life. On arrival at the infamous Bates Motel she meets the proprietor, the twitchy but approachable and, more importantly, passive Norman Bates, who is clearly attracted to Crane, something she comfortably takes in her stride, suggesting a non-passive female. However, on closer inspection, Marions actions throughout the first section of the film are defined by male characters she comes into contact with: her lover Sam, her male employer and the male client, the highway patrol officer and Norman Bates who all define her destiny with their attitudes towards her. Robert Kolker supports this theory: Psycho: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the mix of pleasure and pain common to all horror viewing, and aligned with a feminine subject position, is negotiated differently by men than by women. (p193 Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho: A Casebook edited by Robert Kolker) Throughout the first part of the film Marion is portrayed as feminine, attractive and defying the typical representation of women in horror films; however, from the perspective of the male gaze Bates watches Marion, unbeknown to her, through a hole in the wall as she undresses and prepares to shower. Normans eye is filmed in extreme close-up, drawing attention to the activity of the voyeurism. (1993, p145). As the camera lingers on her it is this scene that suggests that Hitchcock cannot break away fully from the traditions of the horror genre where the female becomes objectified and is observed from the gaze of the active male. Norman Bates mother is another female character significant to the plot, not seen but heard off-screen discouraging her son from having any social contact with the newly arrived female and, throughout most of the film, verbally abusing her son. Surrounded by stuffed birds, Bates even states a boys best friend is his mother. The viewer can assume that he is a loyal and reliable son. However, as Lacans theorys are refered : The baby is bound to its image by words and names, by linguistic representations. A mother who keeps telling her son What a bad boy you are! may end up with either a villain or a saint. (2010, p43) Norman Bates appears to be gentle and sensitiv

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

New Economic Policy Failure

New Economic Policy Failure During World War I, Tsar Nicholas II made the terrible mistake of commanding Russias grand army by himself, and allowing Grigori Rasputin to give personal advice on how to direct it. Most mistakes made from then on out were blamed on Nicholas II by the people, and it was deemed time for change. In early 1917, tensions within the population led Nicholas II to abdicate and flee the country and a provisional government was put in place (BBC Lenin). The Germans saw this as an opportunity to get rid of Russia as an opponent and decided to send Vladimir Lenin, a member of the Soviet Communist Party, into power. The provisional government was quickly overthrown and Lenin was installed into power during the October Revolution through the Germans and the Bolsheviks. After signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the population became outraged that they lost so much land after exiting the war. A civil war erupted because of this, and in the chaos, Tsar Nicholas II was executed. Lenin saw that Rus sia was in a state of turmoil after exiting World War I and silencing the civil war, so he was determined to fix the economy. After the civil war, Lenin revised the economic policies and introduced the New Economic Policy (BBC The NEP). The imposition of the New Economic Policy in 1921 incorporated western economic ideas, such as peasants controlling businesses, causing Russia to depend more on its agricultural sector and in turn, brought it back to its pre-war state. (it incorporated western economic ideas, which were ultimately unsuccessful in raising russia from its prewar state) When Lenin first took power in 1918, Russia was in what he called a state of War Communism (Carr 147). He toyed with this system at first, and eventually decided to drop it due to peasents and workers revolting in the Tambov and Kronstadt Rebellions. In 1920, he declared that, We must show the peasants that the organisation of industry on the basis of modern, advanced technology, on electrification, which will provide a link between town and country, will put an end to the division between town and country, will make it possible to raise the level of culture in the countryside and to overcome, even in the most remote corners of land, backwardness, ignorance, poverty, disease, and barbarism (Lenin). Also in 1920, agricultural output had been reduced to only half of its pre-World War I level, foreign trade had decreased, and industrial production had fallen to only a small fraction of its pre-war levels. The peasants were the basis of the people, or the proletariat according to Carl Marx, and Lenin deemed it necessary to start with the lowest class to ensure that everyone grasps the new ideals that he was going to impose. The current leaders of the economy, as exclaimed by Lenin, were the bourgeois. In order to thwart their rule, Lenin revised the War Communism policies, and produced the New Economic Policy. In accordance with Marxs views, Lenin thought that, capitalism is a system based on the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie. This exploitation takes place as follows: the workers, who own no means of production of their own, must use the means of production that are property of others in order to produce, and, consequently, earn their living (Carr 270). The New Economic Policy was instituted on March 21, 1921. The first eight months of the transition from War Communism to the NEP failed to displace the bourgeois to install the socialist economic order. It almost seemed as if the main goal of the policy at the time was to get the bourgeois out of power, and that the policy wasnt really formulated for the long run (Carr 269). This new policy was stepping away from the communist ideals of earlier periods in Russia. The Bolsheviks didnt approve of this policy made by Lenin, as they thought it was stretching communist ideals (Carr 156). Many of the Bolsheviks ended up leaving the government because of this, but Lenin held his position, and continued on with the imposition. The NEP was thought to be a new agricultural policy as well. The Bolsheviks viewed traditional village life as conservative and backward (Carr 152). The old way of village life was reminiscent of the Tsarist Russia that had supposedly been thrown out with the October Revolution. With the NEP, methods were put in place which promoted the pursuit by peasants of their self-interests. However, the government only allowed private landholdings because the idea of collectivized farming had met with much opposition. The practice of collectivized farming was when the government wouldnt collect tax in the shape of money from the proletariat, but they would be required to give the leaders a portion of their crop. The NEP stated that requisitioning of food and agricultural surpluses, a ideal of War Communism, must be ended. Instead, the government would tax the peasants on a fixed percentage of their production. Trotsky had already proposed a similar policy, but it was rejected by his fellow colleagues, including Lenin. Basically, this promoted a free agricultural market in Russia. With the free agricultural market came a great toll on the people of Russia. The Soviet authorities were constantly preoccupied with the danger that supplies of food to the towns and the army and of agricultural raw materials to industry would be inadequate. On the other hand, the persistent efforts of the same authorities to increase the share of resources available to industry constantly threatened the economic basis of the relationship between the regime and the peasantry. The Soviet authorities were right in the end. Prices for industry made products such as metals, tools, etc., skyrocketed to over 250% of their value before World War One was started. This in turn caused a major split between the prices of industrial products and agricultural products which caused a major food shortage due to farmers not being able to buy supplies and tools to produce crops. Like the blades of a pair of scissors, the terms of trade between town and country began to diverge in 1923 in favor of the mainly state-run industrial economy and at the expense of rural consumers. The reason for the Scissors Crisis was that agricultural production had rebounded quickly from the devastating famine of 1921 while industrial infrastructure was relatively slow to recover from the Civil Wars destruction. Thus, whereas textile production, essential to providing cloth to mass consumers, was only 26 percent of the pre-war level in 1922, agriculture reached 75 percent. By October 1923 when the crisis reached its peak, industrial prices were 276% of pre-war/1913 levels, while agricultural prices were only 89%. At this point, the state took vigorous action to make the producers prices go down. Costs were reduced by cutting staffs in industry. As a result of these measures as well as the success of the newly established Peoples Commissariat of Trade in making inroads into areas previously dependent on NEPmen, the scissors began to close. By April 1924 the agricultural price index had risen slightly to 92% and the industrial index had fallen to 131%. When the Scissors Crisis ended in 1923, Lenin became ill with a stroke, and died in late 1924. Stalin took over, and wiped out the New Economic Policy and instituted his Five Year Plans, showing that the economic policies provided by Lenin had little impact on the future of Russia. Also, as a result of the Scissor Crisis, the government corrected the industrial and agricultural parts of the economy, dragging their cost back down to pre-war times. The economic state within Russia depended on collective farming and free market farming, and how those two parts of agriculture did as a whole. With the reliance on the agricultural sector controlling the economy, the New Economic Policy imposed by Lenin ultimately failed in the sense of industrializing Russia.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Free Essays - Tales of Simple in Langston Hughes Black Voices :: Black Voices Essays

Free Essays - Tales of Simple in Langston Hughes' Black Voices Langston Hughes is represented in Black Voices by the Tales of Simple. Hughes first presents his character Jessie B. Semple in the Forward: Who is Simple? In this tale the reader is given its first look at the character Jessie B. Semple who is a black man that represents almost the "anybody or everybody" of black society. Semple is a man who needs to drink, to num the pain of living life. "Usually over a glass of beer, he tells me his tales... with a pain in his soul... sometimes as the old blues says... Simple might be laughing to keep from crying" ( 98, 99 ). Jessie B. Semple, also known as Simple, has just the right combination of qualities to be Black America's new spokesman and unsung hero. Semple seems to possess just enough urban humor and cynicism, down- home simplicity, naivete, and "boy-next-door innocence" that Semple easily becomes a character that hard-working, average, everyday people can relate to. He quickly becomes this sort of Black Everyman whose bunions hurt all the time and whose thoughts are relatively quite simple, yet he is a man who rises above these facts and has a perception that shows the man to have great wisdom and incredible insight. And although he maintains a seriousness for all his wisdom to come through; his presentation of the facts is given in a humorous manner. In Bop, "That's why so many white folks do not get their heads beat just for being white. But me --- a cop is liable to grab me almost anytime and beat my head- just for being colored " (105). This side to Semple is an example of Hughes attempt to give simple facts or actual truth but instead of telling these things harshly and angrily he tries to sweeten them with a little sarcastic humor. At times, Simple is full of pain. "I have had so many hardships in this life," said Simple, "that it is a wonder I'll live until I die" (105). This comment by Semple is one of many that help portray him as a simple man who has been both mentally and physically broken-down by society but

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Essay -- Climate Change Envi

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Human induced climate change resulting from an enhanced greenhouse effect is probably the greatest environmental threat facing the world today. Specifically, the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide may be classified as the primary culprit. As a result of greenhouse gases entering the upper levels of the earth's atmosphere, it diminishes or breaks down the earth's Ozone layer. With this loss of this protective blanket, harmful radioactive rays from the sun enter the deeper into the earth's atmosphere. This creates a rise in the overall temperature of our planet, along with alterations in the global environment, ecosystems and way of life for the habitants of earth. The earth like any body in space cools and warms until energy inputs from solar radiation and outputs from natural radiation are balanced. Greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere from human activities trap some of the energy radiating from the earth, increasing the temperature at which the earth creates energy balance. Based on a study by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) done in the early 1990s, approximately 65% of human induced greenhouse gases contributed to global warming. Over 80% of the increased atmospheric concentrations of harmful gases since the industrial revolution have been causes by industrial countries. Due to recent outsourcing and manufacturing market transfers, Asia and Latin America are regions where harmful emissi...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Racial Wealth Inequality

Caitlin Maltbie 009606309 Take Home Essay Question 2: Racial Wealth Gap Between Blacks and Whites After racial discrimination was made illegal in the 1960s, blatant and bigot racism has seemed to disappear, yet remaining racist attitudes have continued to put blacks at an overall disadvantage due to the progression of these attitudes into institutionalized settings and policies.The result of historical and contemporary discrimination and segregation is a widening gap of racial wealth between blacks and whites. Now, America could be argued to be a dichotomized society of black and white, proving that the Kerner Commission was correct to predict that â€Å"our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white, separate and unequal (Bobo & Smith 1998: 178). † Although whites didn’t necessarily intend on such a separate and unequal society, they don’t plan to change it either.The reasons behind this perpetuating, widening gap that I will discuss follow a hi story of disadvantage versus advantage dating back to the time of slavery, as well as segregation and discrimination in practices such as hiring processes, loans, residential structuring, wages, and government aid which have resulted in increases of unemployment among inner-city blacks as well as concentrated poverty. Blacks are at a disadvantage to whites because they lack human capital tracing back to equal education and job opportunity that would regularly aid to accumulate wealth as it does for whites.Starting back as far as the 16th century, slavery crippled chances for blacks to gain social and economic mobility. Now, we continue to see these crippling effects among generations of blacks. Not only do whites typically earn more annually, they have an easier time finding employment. The racialization of the state could be considered the starting point of the racial wealth gap between whites and gaps, and can be seen in policies and programs in the U. S.. Beginning during the tim es of slavery, if blacks were able to accumulate any amount of money they would spend it on the freedom of themselves and their family, whereas whites were ble to purchase assets with their money and eventually able to generate monetary inheritances for their upcoming generations. To add to the disadvantages, in the 19th century homestead laws didn’t allow African Americans to take advantage of federal land-grant programs. The core of the New Deal legislation, the Social Security Act of 1935 ultimately cut blacks out of receiving any benefits due to the fact that it exempted agricultural and domestic workers. The New Deal also exempted blacks because they fell beneath the threshold for coverage due to lower wages.After World War II, the Fair Housing Act funneled loans away from cities into the suburbs, furthering the chances of blacks to own homes. Contemporary policies such as the AFDC practically forces wanting recipients to rid themselves of any assets to pass a test in or der to receive benefits. The Internal Revenue Code and the Internal Revenue System gives tax breaks on assets such as homes, so due to the fact that blacks have less assets than whites, they again are at a disadvantage.The result has been that blacks have continuously put more into the system and have received less in return. Homeownership in America is the primary means for generating wealth, and it also serves as a pathway to community and schooling, and parental assistance in buying a first home is key to setting opportunities for their adult children and their families (Shapiro 2003: 87). However, although monetary support among whites is most likely to go from parents to adult children, elderly blacks are more likely to need help themselves from their adult children (Shapiro 2003: 87).This leaves new generations of blacks living up to a duty to provide for their elders rather than accumulating wealth for themselves and their children. Due to racialization of the state in homeow nership practices, it has been very difficult for blacks to come upon owning a home. Because government policy follows racialized attitudes, the FHA was able to follow â€Å"restrictive covenants† in which they prohibited blacks to move into white neighborhoods, claiming to â€Å"protect† these white communities.Also, the government began to help families buy homes by supporting loans, however these loans would only apply for nicer neighborhoods, where redlining, a process in which bank employees literally â€Å"redlined† bad parts of town, was absent. The result of this was that blacks couldn’t buy homes because the homes they could actually afford were in the redlined areas. The redlined areas often became their homes, where public housing was built after many blacks were condemned to live in their houses after the Urban Renewal Program intended to decrease inner-city slums by pushing them out.Also, construction of new freeways and highways through citi es during the 1950s forced blacks out of their homes (Wilson 1996: 194). Whites now were concentrated in the suburbs, and blacks were left trapped in public housing areas where these structures acted to form concentrations of urban ghettos, where unemployment rates were two-and-one half times as high as whites and annual wages 11 percent lower due to deindustrialization and the migration of jobs to the suburbs (Bobo & Smith 1998: 180).On top of this, the Reagan and Bush administration decreased spending to subsidize cities, proving the shift in the federal government’s support for basic urban programs which had exaggerated the rates of unemployment and social organization in the inner-city neighborhoods (Wilson 1996: 194). Even after racial discrimination became illegal in the 1960s, suburbs diversified among race rather than class, as zoning laws and discriminatory land-use kept blacks out of suburbs because they didn’t allow the construction of apartment buildings or low-income housing (Wilson 1996: 193).Economic detour can be traced back to the fact that blacks have never been in control of the means of production. For blacks wanting to start their own businesses, which would in turn make them able to generate more assets, it has been hard. Even while other people of color have been able to successfully own and run their own businesses, people fail to patronize black businesses. On top of not being able to own their own businesses, blacks have also had to face to the employers who still maintain negative racial attitudes towards blacks during hiring processes, especially involving inner-city residents (Oliver & Shapiro 1995: 198).More than nine-tenths of white parents (91 percent) surveyed hold assets compared to fewer than two-thirds of black parents (94 percent (Shapiro 2003: 81). Among families with positive assets, the financial capacities of the parents of white families are four times greater than those of the parents of black families ( Shapiro 2003: 83). Half of all whites come from families with the ability to deliver head-start assistance versus only a fifth of blacks (Shapiro 2003: 84).Cultural capital is yet another form of inheritance that allows families with ample assets to pass along nonmonetary benefits to their children that give them a competitive edge in school, the job market, and other areas. Cultural capital is typically found where wealth is high (Shapiro 2003: 85). Over the lifetime, whites’ inheritances are on average seven times larger than blacks’ inheritances. Black boomers will inherit 13 cents for every dollar inherited by white boomers.The legacy of grandparents of black baby boomers, who lived and toiled under harsh discrimination and glaringly different conditions, did not include financial resources. We see a glimpse of the racial reality of two generations ago continuing to impose and structure differences onto the present generation of young adults and a generation of chi ldren still coming up. Post World War II economic prosperity benefited whites substantially, whereas blacks still faced discrimination in the work place, therefore they were unable to really save any money.Deindustrialization in the post-World War II period had a profound effect on people living these cities. Many who had worked in manufacturing plants lost their jobs as plants closed and moved their operations in the South, overseas, or elsewhere. These people were forced to find other types of employments, and some became poor (Iceland 2003: 109). Building of low-income projects in already poor inner-city neighborhoods in the post-World War II period, contributed to poverty concentration. Residential segregation interacting with economic change and social alienation, played a key role in the perpetuation of concentrated poverty.National black unemployment is officially above 15 percent and rising while white unemployment is 7. 6 percent (Wright 2012: 142). Because the tactics for maintaining systemic white privilege changed in the 1960s, the rationalizations for explaining racial inequality changed, too. Whereas Jim Crow racism explained blacks’ social standing as the product of their imputed biological and moral inferiority, color-blind racism explains it as the product of market dynamics, naturally occurring phenomena, and presumed cultural deficiencies (Bonilla-Silva 170).

Friday, August 16, 2019

Ptlls Reflection 2

PTLLS Assignments Reflection 2 Strategies for effective teaching Within my role of teaching on the level one incident command course, I use a variety of teaching strategies to hopefully cover as many learners’ needs as possible. Even though the course is assessable, the emphasis is very much on gaining an understanding of the command principles, rather than just knowing the right answers.There are a number of reasons for the need of variety: * We have no knowledge of the student’s prior learning before they arrive, and the course is only one week long, therefore there is insufficient time to analyse individual learning styles. * different methods are appropriate for different areas of knowledge * Initially we use a more deductive learning approach, by providing a theory input session outlining the incident command approaches we want them to adopt. * We then undertake a classroom based scenario, where the students can practice the new skills. However when we go onto the fireground and undertake real life scenarios, we use a more Inductive learning approach, by utilising students as observers, the intent is for the students to recognise the command principles being put into place by another student. * This is then re-affirmed in immediate feedback between the students and the teaching staff. * Students have different learning preferences i. e. some are more visual learners, some like working in groups, some prefer the written word etc. Throughout the course we are aware that the theory input can be dry, and the same teaching style will cause even the keenest student to lose interest, so we have split the information into three distinct sections and rotate the teaching staff to try and keep the students attention throughout. Due to the nature of the role we are developing the students into, the most effective learning activities are those that require students to process information rather than transfer information or answer questions without underst anding.Hence we spend the majority of the week undertaking practical exercises. As such learning strategies such as Bloom’s Taxonomy may not be applicable to all the students on the course. David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory fits better, as we find the students tend to fall into one or more learning style, and the practical based learning environment that we have is conductive to all students. Kolb defines student learning into the following categories; 1. Converger; 2. Diverger; 3. Assimilator; 4. AccommodatorConverger’s are good at making practical applications of ideas and using deductive reasoning to solve problems Diverge’rs are imaginative and are good at coming up with ideas and seeing things from different perspectives Assimilators are capable of creating theoretical models by means of inductive reasoning Accommodator’s are good at actively engaging with the world and actually doing things instead of merely reading about and studying them Students learn best when they actively participate in the learning process, when they are engaged and motivated to learn, and when they can build on their existing knowledge and understanding.By using a teaching approach based upon The Honey & Mumford model we can cover the majority of learners needs. We apply Honey and Mumford stages in the following ways: 1. Having an experience – The practical scenarios 2. Reviewing the experience – Immediate debrief and feedback 3. Concluding from the experience – Reflective Review of the experience by the student 4.Planning the next steps – Development report for the student To be an efficient, effective teacher, you need to know what your students are learning, as well as what they are struggling with. Assessing their learning, early and often, allows you to attend to any difficulties, or any misconceptions, as soon as they arise, before they become barriers to future learning.