Critical evaluation †blood brothers Essay

The play did not open with the curtain going up but instead with the lights going up. My seat was in the gallery, which is quite high up, but after I got over the sense of vertigo my view of the play was fine. I could not see the gantry at the back of the stage or the very front of the stage, but very little of the action took place in these areas. The play was written in the early 1960’s by the Liverpudlian playwright Willy Russell and was first performed in the early 1980’s. The play is a ‘slice of life’, or an impression of life starting in Liverpool in the early 1960’s through until the 1980’s, of poor working class families. The play combines music and song with narrative. The set of Blood Brothers consisted of, on either side of the stage a row of terraced house fronts. At the back of the stage there was a gantry which was used by the narrator and once by Mrs. Johnston when she sang a song that was an overview of the action that had just taken place, there was a countryside backcloth with two moveable ‘brick wall’ flats which moved across to cover this. The set was very appropriate for the play, it combined well with the ‘slice of life’. The props were minimalist and brought on stage by the actors. There were four moveable flats, two that slid across the floor and two that came down from the ceiling. All the costumes and fixings were appropriate for the era of the play, they worked well together producing a realistic setting. The play opens with the twin brothers, lying down on stretchers and then being carried away. The narrator then informs the audience of the events that have just happened and then the play begins. The play is about Mrs. Johnston, a working class mother of seven children who after her husband has left her for a younger woman discovers she is pregnant with twins. Mrs. Johnston is a cleaner who works for a middle class couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lyons. Mrs. Johnston tells Mrs. Lyons of her predicament and so Mrs. Lyons who can not have children of her own and whose husband has gone away on business for six months offers to take one of the twins for herself and bring him up as her own. After some persuasion Mrs. Johnston gives one of the boys to Mrs. Lyons. She finds it difficult to keep Mrs. Johnston on as her cleaner because she can see that there is a bond between mother and child and so fires her. Several years pass, the boys are now seven, nearly eight, they meet when out playing, become great friends and ‘Blood Brothers’. Both Mrs. Johnston and Mrs. Lyons try to keep the boys apart but are unable to do so. In a desperate attempt to separate the boys the Lyons move to a house in the country well away from Mickey and the estate where the Johnston’s live. A few years later the council decide to demolish the estate where the Johnston’s live and relocate the families to the countryside close to where the Lyons now live. Mickey has a girlfriend, Linda, a girl he has known since childhood. One day when they are out walking they come across Eddie, (Mickey’s twin), and rekindle their friendship. The twins are now sixteen years old and their friendship continues to grow until it is time for Eddie to gone away to university. However Eddie declares his love for Linda before leaving but she continues her relationship with Mickey and soon falls pregnant with his child and so they marry and move into Mickey’s home. Mickey’s older brother, Sammy, gets into trouble and Mickey agrees to help him out but instead ends up taking the fall for Sammy killing a man and goes to prison for seven years. During this time he becomes depressed and withdrawn from Linda. She turns to Eddie for support and they soon become emotionally attached. When Eddie’s mother becomes aware of the romance she tells Mickey who, now out of prison, goes to Eddie’s work place. Mrs. Johnston now feels she must tell the boys that they are brothers but this is too much for Mickey to understand in his present mental state, distressed and confused he shoots Eddie. Just as Mickey is doing this a policeman takes aim and fires killing Mickey. Both men are dead. On the whole the script and the play were very good. At first it took a little time to get in to the play but it soon flowed naturally. The play held the audience’s interest by the use of the narrator who appeared on the stage behind the action and would burst into song. A lot of information was given on the characters through the use of song, so the audience received much of the necessary information without realising it. The part of Mrs. Johnston was played by the singer and actress Dennis Nolan. Ms. Nolan described the history of her character through the song ‘Just like Marilyn Monroe’. Her story is not extraordinary or uncommon. A girl from a Roman Catholic working class family who falls in love with a young man who takes her dancing and says she ‘looks a lot like Marilyn Monroe’. Romance soon fades once the babies start arriving. Possibly because of her faith, which would have instilled a belief that children are a blessing, she soon has a large family and her husband begins to look elsewhere for what he first found attractive in his wife. He begins to go dancing with a girl who he says ‘looks a lot like Marilyn Monroe’. When he leaves home Mrs. Johnston discovers she is pregnant with the twins of the story. This is when the events that lead up to the final tragedy really begin. Mickey is the twin that Mrs. Johnston kept. He grows up in this very poor working class family but as a child is mainly happy and full of mischief. He does not expect an easy life and accepts who he is and what his future will be. He does not expect to go to university like his friend Eddie because in his mind and at this time it was usually only children from better off families who went. Mickey would have been happy to work and bring up his children in a working class family. It is unemployment and bad choices that take away his pride and his future. He becomes very depressed, feels worthless and finally sees his marriage fall apart. The actor who played Mickey had to act the part of a child through to an adult, his mannerisms were very good and his gestures appropriate for the different ages. When he was seven Mickey acted and moved as if he was seven and when he was twenty he acted and moved like a twenty year old. His voice changed as well, it moved from a high quick voice to a deeper more solemn one. Linda is the childhood friend of Mrs. Johnston’s children and especially of Mickey. The two children grow up together, play together and become girl and boyfriend. This relationship is threatened by Linda’s attraction to Eddie, Mickey’s twin, but although she realises that it is Eddie that she loves she does not end her relationship with Mickey. When Eddie goes away to university she becomes pregnant with Mickey’s child and marries him. Linda’s role in the play is huge, it is her relationship with Eddie which finally destroys Mickey and leads to the final tragedy. The play contained quite a lot of swearing but this was only used to aid the script and made it more realistic. At the end of the play many people in the audience were in tears which showed how good the performances had been. As a straight play this would have been a very sad story of some very hard lives but because the story is told partly in song the mood is much lighter. It shows that there can be laughter in even the most difficult of lives, but also how our own upbringing, superstitions and prejudices can make our lives more complicated and more difficult.

Absalom Absalom and Love Essay

Many of the novels we have read this semester contain prevailing themes that provide insight into American society. One of these themes that we have closely examined throughout the semester is a person’s right to love. Love is undoubtedly a powerful force in one’s life. As we have seen through our readings, however, this force is often obstructed by the need to conform to social standards. Whether or not a couple is ALLOWED to be in love says a lot about what is socially acceptable for that particular area and time period. Although love is technically a right given to all, American Literature shows how it is often denied by social standards and therefore ceases to exist. William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! tells Rosa Coldfield’s version of how Thomas Sutpen was the demise of her and her family. As the story progresses, it becomes known that Thomas’s son, Henry, kills Charles Bon to prevent him from marrying his sister, Judith. One would infer that Henry’s reason for his desperate need to prevent their marriage was because Charles was their half-brother, and therefore their marriage would be considered incest. We come to find out, however, that this is not exactly the case. In Chapter 8, in response to whether or not Judith will marry Bon she says â€Å"Yes. I have decided. Brother or not, I have decided. I will. I will (283). † As the chapter progresses, however, Quentin and Shreve accept that â€Å"it’s the miscegenation, not the incest, which (they) can’t bear (285). †In this case, two socially unaccepted taboos prevent Judith from pursuing her relationship with Bon. The fact that it is worse in the eyes of her family that Judith may be marrying a man with black blood than a man who is her relative, however, says a lot about how strong racial prejudices were in the south during the 1800s. Judith’s right to love Bon is forcefully obstructed by social norms, and is a perfect example of Southern culture during that time period. Another instance of love being obstructed by social standards is seen in F.  Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby, a resident of West Egg and a symbol of new wealth, falls in love with Daisy, a resident of East Egg and a symbol of established wealth. Daisy and her husband, Tom, are described to have lived in â€Å"†¦a rather distinguished secret society (17)† to which members of old money had often tried and failed to become a part of. Throughout the novel, it is clear that Daisy had married Tom for his â€Å"†¦person and his position (151)† rather than for love. Yet when Daisy finally accepts that she had never loved Tom and was currently in love with Gatsby, the class divides remain too prevalent for her to pursue a relationship with Gatsby. Tom quotes â€Å" Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white (130). † From this quote and the happenings throughout the novel, the force obstructing the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy is the social condemnation of new money marrying old money. The Great Gatsby shows how in our society, is often difficult for people of different economic backgrounds to pursue a relationship. T. S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is an examination of a typical man’s psychological struggle to express himself emotionally and conform to social standards. Throughout the poem, the narrator shows insecurity in almost everything he does, fearing that his moves will be frowned upon. He says â€Å"There will be time, there will be time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet† and often asks â€Å"Do I dare?  Ã¢â‚¬  and thinks about what â€Å"they will say. † His insecurity prevails in an encounter with what seems to be a woman he loves. He seems afraid that the woman will deny him because of his balding hair and thin composure, and thinks about what he should say in order to impress the woman; â€Å"And how should I then presume? How should I begin? † In the end the narrator concludes that â€Å" It is impossible to say just what I mean,† and he drifts into a fairytale by the sea until â€Å"human voice wake us, and we drown. † Eliot’s poem is an example of a man’s love for a woman being obstructed by his own need to conform to what is socially acceptable of a man. He refuses to open up and share with the woman his feelings in fear that he will be mocked and denied. â€Å"The Love Song of Alfred Prufrock† shows the struggles of maintaining masculinity, and the fear a man has of loosing his composure. While the last stories had similar circumstances and outcomes, love doesn’t always have to be between a man and a woman, and social norms aren’t always successful at obstructing love’s powerful force. In Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, the love shared between Huck and Jim leads to a powerful revelation in Huck’s life and a groundbreaking relationship considering the South’s intrusive social standards. When Huck begins his journey with Jim, he is overcome by an instilled guilt for assisting in the runaway of Miss Watson’s slave. Huck says â€Å" It would get all around, Huck Finn helped a nigger get to his freedom; and if I was to ever see anybody from that town again, I’d be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame (226). †As their adventure progresses, however, Huck begins to realize how much he enjoys Jim’s company, slave or not; â€Å" But somehow I couldn’t seem to strike no places to harden me against him, just the other kind (227). † Huck struggles internally with this realization, but cannot get over the feeling in his heart telling him to keep Jim around. Finally, Huck decides that he would not turn in Jim, and that he would go to Hell if that were what it meant. In this instance, Huck valiantly goes against what is socially acceptable, and the force of love prevails. Huck and Jim remain friends even though it is extremely frowned upon. Although love is a freedom, one can see how easily and often this freedom is taken away due to what is acceptable in the eyes of others. The circumstances involved in the obstruction of love shows a lot about the society in which these characters live, and the values held by the people who lived there.

Blue Moon Essay Research Paper Picture a

Blue Moon Essay, Research Paper Picture a cool summer dark cruising with your friends, the air current floging off your butt cheeks as you speed past multiple autos. Daydreaming person may look like a simple undertaking, but it is an art signifier that takes great accomplishment and pattern. Why, who, and where are three of the inquiries that must be answered in order to accomplish the ideal atmosphere needed to decently daydream person. The first measure to get the hanging this art is to make up ones mind why you want to daydream person. Many people choose to daydream others out of pure enjoyment. The boom laughter and mirth of exposing your hindquarters to an unsuspicious victim is a great beginning of amusement. Some people moon others to merely to make them off, but this by and large merely happens to grouchy older people who hate stupid childs, and to covetous fellows. I frequently moon people after being tailgated to exasperate them and acquire retaliation for them tailgating me. However, everyone has his or her ain ground to daydream person you have to happen your ain motive to do it work for you. After you have decided why, you must choose whom you are traveling to daydream. For me, this includes people I dislike. Just the expression of entire fury as an enemy undercover agents those two large jambons hawks winging past them in an inspiring sight to see. Then there are those who moon their household and friends ; this choice may be an easy mark but it is non as effectual. This is due to the fact that your household and friends are normally anticipating you to daydream them, therefore it loses its daze value. In my sentiment, the best people to Moons are entire aliens. Strangers have the greatest looks on their faces after person they do non cognize has merely mooned them. They either laugh and cheer, or they follow you on a high-velocity pursuit to catch you and crush you mindless. I have experienced both types of aliens and both are really entertaining, non to advert it angers them at the same clip. The last nonsubjective on your ocean trip to command is the location. In this determination, your options are illimitable. My personal favourite is the auto. You can daydream so many different people when in an car, everyone from old people to church coachs. A cat named Karl performed the best illustration of this type of daydreaming that I have of all time seen. One twenty-four hours while he was driving down the route, he managed to lodge his full butt out the driver side window to daydream a coach of older church members in Pensacola as they drove by him. Another friend of mine by the name of Justin enjoys daydreaming people from inside his house as they walk up to the door. Then there are those who, in a bibulous daze, Moon people at parties. They may believe they are cool when they do this, but these types are nil more than bibulous amateurs. Yet with the proper counsel and pattern these mean mooners can go as versatile in their mooning techniques, like myself. Many see daydreaming to be juvenile and a waste of clip. For me, daydreaming person is neither juvenile nor a waste of clip but an art signifier that few genuinely understand yet 1000000s exploit. Thus, I say, Knowledge is power. All you have to make is inquire and you shall have the replies to proper and effectual mooning. Therefore, now you have the tools to go a professional all you need now is the endowment.

Economics for business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Economics for business - Essay Example In order to find the marginal cost we will calculate the first derivative of total cost function: Monopoly is a market structure where there is a single producer or seller of the product in the market with no substitutes available. This means that the ultimate power lies with the producer or seller and not with the consumer. In other market structures, the authority to choose a product is in the hands of the consumer but in a monopolistic market there are no substitutes available and the consumer has to accept what is being offered to them. Monopoly is considered inefficient due to the fact that the market doesn’t have any substitute of the product giving the producer or seller an authority to set prices according to their need. They usually discriminate regarding the prices and charge higher than the marginal cost of production in the market. Such market doesn’t focus on the consumers as they are aware that no matter what ultimately the consumers will choose their product even if the quality of the product is below the standards. In such market structure, the barriers to entry are high giving no or little entry positions to other businesses. As a result of the barriers there is no competition or rivalry in such market. This market is considered inefficient than the other market structures because this market produces less output as compared to others. With no competition, reduction in the output level leads to high prices. It also creates inequality because it converts the consumer surplus into producer surplus. This inequality between the price charged and the marginal cost makes this market inefficient. This means that there is price discrimination in such market and some consumers have to pay higher prices. In monopoly the output level is less and creates unemployment of the resources. The resources are not properly and efficiently utilized as compared to other market structures. In such market the price is greater than the marginal

Sound media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sound media - Essay Example t that the radio is a critical tool in promoting different records, many people have not taken the time to understand the relationship between the labels and the radio stations. In the recent past, there are multiple radio stations, some of them streaming online. This means that, there is a higher chance of radios promoting records. This paper will consider how records are promoted highlighting the role of the radio as well as an overview of the cultural influences of both recording and radio industries. Records are promoted using different media, and the radio has been one of the influential media forms in promoting records. Record labels usually hire a promoter who ensures that the record receives air play on different radio stations. These records usually seek to exploit the available opportunity presented by the diverse audience listening to the radio. Although record labels ensure that their music is in different distribution shops before it is given popularity through the radio, it is evident that the radio plays a critical role. Statistics indicate that the radio contributes about 19-23% popularity to a certain record. When listeners get to hear of a certain record through the radio, and become interested, they go to the distribution shops and makes purchases of the specific records (Spence, 2011). In this way, the performers earn indirect revenue from radio promotion. On the other hand, radio stations ensure that there is a continuous streaming of music preferred by the audience so that they can create a favorable environment for advertisers. In this way, radio stations benefit indirectly from promoting different records. Notably, this symbiotic relationship ensures that both the record labels and the radio benefit indirectly at the end. This explains why many radio stations are willing to give free airplay to different records. Worth noting is the fact that, royalties are only paid to the composers and the publishers (p. 67). Without doubt, both the

Human organs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Human organs - Essay Example However controversial such sales may be deemed by many, truth is that advantages offered by this outweigh all disadvantages put together. The following discussion will help to prove this argument by providing evidence about shrinking number of donors of organs like kidneys in the light of reputable research. Thoughts of proponents and opponents in context of development of a proper market for human organs in the UK will also be scrutinized. Final section will include some suggestions, supported by important macro-marketing concepts, regarding modifications required in the current arrangements made in the UK to enhance the rate of organ supply. Earth-shattering controversy, which has enveloped organ sales since the beginning of times, originates from a particular kind of reverence for the human body. To consider this body a biological machine with replaceable parts is a matter of shame for many. Even with advanced science and technology, it is considered a huge taboo also in many societies. The human body is thought of as a sacred temple and this idea reinforces various â€Å"beliefs and rituals to care for the body after death† (Petechuk 2006, p. 73). There are deeply ingrained boundaries on what can be done with a human body, the boundaries which are established by religion, society, and human psychology. Controversy also picks momentum when complications affecting kidney donors’ health are exaggerated due to inclusion of bias in collected data. But, this much stands true that prior permission of a person is must in all cases because long and painful wait for organ transplants does â€Å"not erase the righ ts of some to utilize their organs as they see fit† (Cherry 2005, p. 144). The number of kidney donors is low in the UK compared to Scandinavian countries according to medical research. It is claimed by data collected

R Sennett The Corrosion of Character. The personal consequences of Essay

R Sennett The Corrosion of Character. The personal consequences of work in the new capitalism. Norton 1999 - Essay Example There is no argument that change is sometimes good although often it disrupts people’s lives and may be traumatic. The bone of contention with sociologist Richard Sennett is that change and especially technological advances is the root cause of worker’s woes and the source of injuries to and corrosion of character. It has transformed the capitalist economy into a new form of â€Å"flexible capitalism† or what Sennett calls â€Å"New Economy† which is less concerned about interpersonal relationships. In Sennetts words it is â€Å"a regime which provides human beings no deep reasons to care about one another† (1999, 148). It has brought about new ways or working such as flexibility whereby jobs are replaced with projects and also involves reengineering, de-layering, downsizing; teamwork, decentralization and control; flextime; illegible work; disposablw workers and new work ethic not based on hard work like the earlier protestant ethic promoted by Max Weber. This in turn according to Sennett has brought injuries to employees as well as corroded their character as now they are unable to make a coherent narrative of their lives or build their identity around work. This essay will explore Sennett’s work The Corrosion of Character: The personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism to gain an insight as to how new ways of working injures and corrodes character and, whether it has made employees disposable and precarious workers and causes and consequences of such work in the modern corporation. The world of work is characterised by change. Sociologists like Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke give detailed accounts of how modern states and institutions emerged from state of nature to civilisation. In the state of nature, men hunted and gathered fruits for their sustenance. They then developed crude tools to skin animals and also for farming. With bountiful harvest and domestication of

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

Analysis - Essay Example For example, men are depicted as people who do not value women and hence despise their importance. On that prospect, there is a loss of personal identity among the women because of the persistent male domination. This loss of identity is apparent in the marriages of Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Wright. Therefore, when Mrs. Wright who was initially called Minnie murders her husband John Wright, the two women conspire to protect her â€Å"†¦I might have known she needed help! I tell you, it's queer, Mrs. Peters† (Glaspell 17). Another view of marriage depicted by the playwright is that women are making efforts to reclaim their respect and dignity. From the play, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are seen showing extreme sympathy toward the wife of the victim in a sense of solidarity. In other words, both women make attempts in comprehending the guiding motives that led Minnie to wring the neck of her husband, John Wright. The women decide to settle on this idea because men taske d with the investigations are emotionless and cold with the existing material facts. The suggestions from these acts indicate that women are deemed as nothing in the eyes of the law. Apart from the aforementioned reasons of marriage offered by Susan Glaspell, there is the disregard by the law towards marriage. For example, the county attorney does not find pride in Mrs. Peter because she has been married by a cop. On that note, the attorney remarks she is â€Å"married to the law†¦ (Glaspell 14) meaning she is a person who is dominated by husband. There is also a conduct of timidity displayed among the two women especially when they are conversing. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are fond of sitting together suggesting a lack of strength among themselves even in their matrimonial homes. Furthermore, it depicts an inferiority complex complimented by the body language when investigation is being conducted concerning the murder of John Wright. Alternatively, the incompetency of men to show compassion for Minnie who is accused of murdering her husband shows a lack of dignity for marriage. Moreover, the death of the bird belonging to Minnie is a symbol of the destruction of women’s fancies in marriages. Another aspect is the men constantly ridiculing the roles played by women from the county attorney who is tasked with investigations to the sheriff. This is exemplified when the sheriff dismisses the fruits that have frozen in the cupboard instead of complimenting the hard work of the women. On the same perspective, views of marriage in, ‘Trifles’ is that of men who are constantly blaming women for their woes. This is apparent when the County attorney disparages the housekeeping skills of Mrs. Wright when they go to conduct investigations. However, in solidarity with her friend, Mrs. Hale comes to her defense by stating that housework is tough on a farm. This leads the County Attorney to minimize his ridicule and continue with other investigative roles inside the home of Mrs. Wright (Glaspell, 2010). Another defense fronted by Mrs. Hale that exposes the desperate attempt by women to defend their marriages is when she confronts the County Attorney. This is concerning the murder of John Wright. She explains to the investigation team that the home of Mrs. Wright was not a cheerful place, but Mrs. Wright had exceptional homemaking skills. However, the County Attorney continues to level blame on Mrs. Wright by claiming it’

Cash flow schedule Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cash flow schedule - Assignment Example A cash flow schedule or projection shows the timing of receipts and payments in relation to a business or a project. Table 2 provides a cash flow schedule showing the time when the payments will be made by the contractor for the goods and services described. Only the cash outflow section of the schedule is shown in Table2. It must be noted that the profit and contingency fund element of the cash flow has been included in the Table 2. Contingency funds are monies that are retained or set aside for uncertainties or any changes that may be required after the contract has been awarded (Touran 2003). These changes are essentially delays and other factors that lead to Time and cost overruns which increase the cost of the project (Cook et al 2008; Zayed et al 2013, Fandi and El-Sayegh 2006). Time overruns may be caused by a range of factors associated with various stakeholders in the project - the contractor, the owner, material supplier as well as acts of god (Zayed et al 2013). These can affect the owner’s income generating capacity as the starting date for a business may have to be pushed back to facilitate the completion of the project. It also affects the profitability of the contract and therefore the contractor’s bottom line. A contingency is also a guarantee of either an activity or a project. It is a percentage of the basic contract cost which has been arbitrarily determined (Cook et al 2008). Th e contingency amounts to approximately 11% of the contract cost and is considered fair for the 4 weeks overrun.

The subject matter of the programme Essay Example for Free

The subject matter of the programme Essay The United States has the highest gun related deaths in the world. Moore links this to the lack of gun control and the president. From childhood games to bomb threats, from shootings to terrorism. One of the main issues the documentary explored was the shootings at Columbine High School in the United States, gun control and how easily accessible guns are in the United States. the very high gun related deaths, violence, mentality, behavior, issues within schools, peer pressure the effect of societies were looked at. Also in questioning was violent video games music. Marilyn Manson came up as a name to blame, but the president was also name to blame. Bowling for Columbine starts with black and white footage of the gun association, this introduces the historical background. Moore uses a number of conventions typical to a documentary. He uses voice over commentary throughout. April 20th 1999 (a typical day in America) footage is used to accompany the narrative. Moores ridicule of the Bush Administration is shown in his voice over saying the President bombs another country whose name he cant pronounce The shot of the statue of Liberty is iconic of representing America. It can be seen as an establishing shot. Verite footage of North County Bank in Michigan, where there is use of point of view shots showing him looking through a brochure and completing a form, in return of a rifle. He uses the humor of sarcasm when asking about the questions on the form he has to fill in to retain the weapon and the fact of how it only matters if your criminally defected but not mentally defected. Moore states a rhetorical question Do you think its dangerous handing guns out at a bank? There is a long shot of Moore when he walks out of the bank, with the weapon held aloft. The viewer would probably be taken aback by this, if not American. Guns given out at banks just dont happen. The viewer would think bank robberies. How easy would it be for someone who has just taken out a weapon in false name (or not) to turn around and hold someone at gunpoint? The scene is accompanied by non-diegetic music, its upbeat and sets the viewers imagination into role. The opening credits are accompanied by black and white footage of youngsters bowling. This represents the effects on youths from a young age, the bowling to take place of the play of children from that of the effects of childhood games to shooting. The Columbine shootings. Later on in the documentary there is a link back to this, as one of the female students who went to Columbine High School said, one of the boys involved in the shootings use to bowl for Columbine. Which is where the title of the documentary may have come from. Throughout the whole of this documentary there is a continuous link to guns. There is a black and white television advertisement, from the 50/60s advertising real guns. These were fake toy guns that looked and sounded real. I think Moore shows this to show how much children are involved in the tradition of guns in America. Moore also uses home footage of himself and his history of gun use to present Americas gun culture and to present himself. He won the NRA marksman award. He then introduces the fact that he grew up in the same State as Charlton Heston where hunting is extremely common. Moore includes a scene of himself at the Hairdressers, where he purchases bullets. His message is just how easily accessible guns and ammunition really are. The viewer would be shocked, particularly with our own Laws and figures as the United Kingdom. In another scene Chris Rock, a comedian, is on stage presenting his views in his own comical way. He talks of gun control and speaks about bullets costing more then there may be less violence. He suggests $5,000 for a bullet and says I would blow your head off If I could afford it! I think Moore includes this because he has a point, it is entertaining and Moore thinks the idea needs to be made. Marilyn Manson came up as a name to blame by America, mainly by the media. But out of all the United States the President, Marilyn Manson was the only one to whom suggested listening. Said within an interview between him and Moore, as the answer to one thing he would say to the youths effected by the shootings at Columbine I wouldnt say anything, I would listen The scene was effective because Marilyn Manson is a well-known artist. Other countries such as Gothic Germany frequently listen to his music but have a significant lower percentage of gun related deaths. Other things to blame were such things as video games, horror films and a TV program COPS In America, presented in Moores way, the media seems to be racially prejudiced. That or the accusers. Big, tall, black man, in around his thirties In both documentaries there are no formal introductions to the subjects. At the beginning of the documentary particularly focuses on the NRA (National Rifle Association) that Moore is a member of, wherefore he introduces himself as an American. Weapons and shooting play a major part in the documentary as they do in America itself. Moore emphasizes on the gun accessibility and how easy it is to retain a weapon and more importantly ammunition for it. In the closing scene, the song What a wonderful world is played over visuals. This is ironic. It is non-diegetic to the whole of the documentary, but leaves the viewer to provoke the viewers thought. Fahrenheit 9/11 The temperature where freedom buns! The main issue in Fahrenheit 9/11 was Fahrenheit 9/11. The devastation and effects it had on the peoples of the United States. Terrorism. The Bush Administration. The presidents connections with the Saudis and Bin Ladens and the Iraqi War. Media footage of Fahrenheit 9/11 is shown. The scene is started by telephone calls of panicking residents with no visuals. Then footage of people looking up in the air. There is no formal introduction to Fahrenheit 9/11 but the viewer automatically interprets this. News footage is shown of the planes crashing into the twin towers, then to people crying and praying. This scene is very emotive; one might question whether it was moral of Moore to include it. I think he did because he knew the reaction he would receive and that it would get the attention he had hoped for. Moore to uses narration to take us through all his findings behind the media. From the 2000 elections to informing us of the relationship between the president and the Bin Laden family. The fact of how the FBI suspiciously decided to fly the whole of the Bin Laden family out of the States just two days after 9/11 without being held for questioning. Also the fact that the Saudis, Bin Ladens and Bush families are all invested in joint financial dealings. The president wouldnt want the American public to discover this. Perhaps Moore saw it his duty to inform the American public. Moore interviews a man who was questioned by the FBI for merely speaking of and questioning the presidents decisions. An over reaction of the FBI and president to prevent terrorism. But this man was not the only one to be questioned. This man says theyre meant to be a state where there is freedom and rights, Theyre denying me my rights as an American citizen There is footage of the U. S soldiers whilst in Iraq. The soldiers admit they did not know why the president had sent them to Iraq and that it was getting to a point when they were shooting anything that moved because they had not a clue of what they were doing. One of the soldiers spoke of how they listen to The roof is on fire by Bizzy Bone. A soldier starts saying the lyrics The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire We dont need know water let the motherfucker burn! Burn! Motherfucker. Burn! As he says this, the image on screen changes to footage of an Iraqi woman clasping onto her family with other women. The backing music plays over the scenes of destruction. This scene is very powerful and emotive. The viewer would not have expected it they would be shocked, at the language, the heartlessness of it and the following scenes of images of young children who had wounds deep as the bone, skin burns, dead people. During this there is emphasis in typography on many facts, figures and quotes with actual footage from real events that help to back Moore on his views. In another scene Royal Marines Officers were frantically recruiting young men, mainly school leavers to join up. This was because of the huge loss of American soldiers that had already been lost in the Iraqi War. An aerial shot of a huge cemetery where the U. S soldiers have been buried is shown, along with typography of the figures of thousands who died. In the second to last scene, an American citizen talks of how she persuades her children to sign up. The benefits and possibilities that the Army offers. To her deep regret, she reads out the last letter she received from her son, who lost his life in Iraq. In the letter, he writes of how negatively he felt towards the president in his decision of sending them to Iraq. The scene is highly emotive, drawing in the viewer as they sympathize with this familys loss. Creating Moores desired affect to persuade the viewer in joining him in his view, against the president. Michael Moore continuously takes advantage of his documentaries to make George Bush appear to have his priorities and concerns with matters other than the American public. He uses his documentaries to convey his own political views and opinions to his audience. His obvious dislike for the president is very apparent as he includes many edited scenes of him. An example of this is shown in the documentary, when the president is on vacation with his brother in Florida on the 10th September 2001, the day before Fahrenheit 9/11. With the aid of editing Moore sets up the cozy smug look of the presidents face after Fahrenheit 9/11, cutting to one of the victims grieving family members. Undoubtedly this brings over Moores view of the Bush Administration, therefore hopefully ensuing in the audiences view, along with the American public. One of Moores purposes for creating the documentaries. Michael Moores main purposes for creating this documentary are to inform his audience of the issues that the mainstream media has missed/not included. Moore wanted to uncover, in his opinion, the fact that the current president of the United States had sent his fellow citizens into war. For reasons only known to him and close partnerships; having little to do with the excuse of an attempt to stop terrorism, capture Osama Bin Laden or prevent Saddam Hussein from using his weapons of mass destruction. Moore uses a considerably large mount of editing; in fact editing creates most of his documentaries. Unfortunately, however fortunate for him, this creates a bias view, which is what the viewer sees. Moore continuously visually documents the weaknesses of the powerful. The main example is the president. Moore captures the presidents sensitive side. Also Charlton Heston, as he walks away from the camera unable to answer Moores request of After that happened you came to Flint to hold a big rally and, you know, I just, did you feel it was being at all insensitive to the fact that this community had just gone through more tragedy? Moore then continues, You think youd like to apologize to the people in Flint for coming and doing that at that time? Moore takes full advantage of the fact that he knows about Heston, having known of the shootings, and the fact that Heston had pretended he did not. In conclusion, Moore has presented two documentaries, from his own point of view, to present his views and some truths. Creating his desired effect, to inform and explain his view.

Intervention: Drug Abuse Among Adolescents

Intervention: Drug Abuse Among Adolescents This paper states the definition and main risk factors of drug abuse at first. Then, it reviews the three models for drug abuse prevention, including information model, affective model and social influence model. It also mentioned chemical treatments and psychological treatments of drug abuse. There are some comments on the psychological treatments. The author brings up some prevention and intervention plans of adolescents drug abuse in the last part. Keywords: drug abuse, adolescents, prevention and intervention Introduction What is drug abuse? There are many definitions of it. Usually, common people think that taking drugs can satisfy persons desire of happiness. Just as Miller (1995) states Drug abuse implies willful, improper use due to an underlying disorder or a quest for hedonistic or immoral pleasure  ¼Ã‹â€ p. 10 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Actually, it includes many aspects not only social values but also scientific view and not only physical reasons but also psychological elements. So the definition of drug abuse typically refers to 4 dimensions, including the nonmedical use of a substance, altering the mental state, a manner that is detrimental to the individual or the community and illegality (Abadinsky, 2001). Papalia, Olds and Feldman (2009) define substance dependence as physical addiction or psychological addition or both to a harmful substance. If an adolescent has drug abuse, the abuse can lead to substance dependence, or addiction, which may be physiological, psychological, or both and is likely to continue into adulthood (Papalia et al., 2009, p. 366). Addictive drugs have particularly high risk for adolescents as they stimulate parts of the developing brains of adolescents (Chambers, Taylor Potenza, 2003). As economic developing, the drug-taking situation of adolescents is not getting better. According to the World Drug Report 2010 (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], 2010), drug use has stabilized in the developed world, however, there are signs of an increase in drug use in developing countries and growing abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants and prescription drugs around the world. From 2004 to 2009, the number of drug-taking people who was under 21 years old was increased by more than 50% in Hong Kong (Zhu, 2010). What are the risk factors for drug abuse of adolescents? There are 4 kinds of common risk factors ¼Ã…’including Psychosocial Factors  ¼Ã‹â€ Low Self-esteem, Depression and Suicide ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °, Family Factors (Low Familism, Family Substance Abuse Problems and Parent Smoking), Peer Factors (Perceived Peer Approval and Perceived Peer Use) and Deviance Factors (Disposition to Deviance and Delinquent Behavior) (Vega Gil, 1998). It cannot easily say which fa ctor is the most important one. It depends on the situations those different adolescent experiences. Three Models for Drug Abuse Prevention Drug abuse prevention aimed at reducing the supply or the demand for drugs of abuse (Abadinsky, 2001). There are three models (Ellickson, 1995) that focused on schools and school-based antidrug programs, including information model, affective model and social influence model. Information Model Adolescents can probably avoid drugs, if they comprehend their potential hazards, so this model mainly aimed at giving information. The information model posits a causal sequence leading from knowledge (about drugs) to attitude change (negative) to behavior change (nonuse) (Ellickson, 1995, p. 100). Sometimes the shock or scare is needed in this model, such as hard hitting antidrug videos, talks by ex-junkies, or TV and billboard campaigns that show the scared situation of drug use (Cohen, 1996). This model primarily focuses on the educational approach. It was supposed that students can make rational decisions to keep away from drugs because of increasing knowledge (Abadinsky, 2001). Through information model, adolescents can have a correct and renewed awareness of drug abuse. Affective Model This model pays more attention on individuals themselves and their personality. The model assumes that adolescents who turn to drugs do so because of problems within themselves-low self-esteem or inadequate personal skills in communication and decision making (Ellickson, 1995, p. 101). This model has an attempt at improving a students self-image, ability to interact within a group and problem-solving ability, and concentrates on feelings, values, and self-awareness, and sometimes on personal values and choices (Abadinsky, 2001). These assumptions are generally implemented through communication training, peer counseling, role playing and assertiveness training (Abadinsky, 2001, p. 232). Using affective model, adolescents can strengthen their confidence, improve competency of dealing with incidents and have correct value judgment. Social Influence Model This model more focuses on decision-making. The social influence model is centered on external influences that push students toward drug use, especially peer pressure, as well as internal influences, such as the desire to be accepted by the crowd' (Abadinsky, 2001, p. 229). There are two targets that need to achieve via social influence model. Firstly this model aims to let adolescent to have the awareness of the peer pressures that they are experiencing and secondly to improve their resistance skills for saying no under stress (Abadinsky, 2001). Treatments for Drug Abuse There are two main aspects of drug abuse treatments, including chemical treatments and psychological treatments. According to the classification of Abadinsky (2001), chemical treatments contain opioid antagonists, chemicals for detoxification, opioid agonists, chemical responses to cocaine abuse and CRF antagonists. Abadinsky (2001) also mentions that psychological treatments include a psychoanalytic approach, behavior modification and group treatment. Due to the needs of study and the limit of professional knowledge ¼Ã…’this paper mainly focuses on the psychological aspects. Firstly ¼Ã…’let us look at the psychoanalytic approach. This approach is very professional and high cost. It is very complicated and difficult to control for social workers. It does not have universality and potential replication. This approach usually applies in some special and serious cases. Then we move on to the behavior modification. There are 4 primary kinds of behavior modification, such as aversion treatment, social learning theory approach, cognitive learning theory approach and contingency management and contingency contracting (Abadinsky, 2001). Although the success rate of aversion treatment is high, it is a kind of compulsive and inhuman therapeutic method, especially for adolescents, no matter in physical or mental sides. This treatment addresses the symptoms, not the cause. Abusers will take drugs again when the aversion conditioned ref lex starts to weaken. Contingency management and contingency contracting is outside the scope of this papers inquiry. Social learning theory approach and cognitive learning theory approach are referred below. Group treatment is very useful and widespread. It is often used by social workers. Prevention and intervention plan of adolescents drug abuse There are three dimensions of prevention and intervention plan in this paper. They are macro level, mezzo level and micro level. Macro level This level is more about prevention plan. According to the Information Model (Ellickson, 1995), it needs at least tripartite efforts, including school, community and school. School. Schools should enhance the education of drug abuse and the drug abuses hazards, not only verbal and written forms, but also some other lively forms, such as movies and activities. I think the movie Crimson Jade is very shocked one. Maybe schools can find more movies of this kind to show to adolescents. If they know the fearful consequences of drug abuse, they will want to take drugs less. Community. Actually communities perform a very similar role with schools for the prevention of adolescents. But another thing that communities should pay special attention to is about adolescents family situation, especially for the adolescents whose parents have substance abuse problems. Media. Mass media should play a positive and active role in prevention of adolescents drug abuse. Some programmes that focus on drug abuse should be shown regularly. And ground-breaking visual public service advertising of drug abuse should show on TV, newspaper, Internet, even billboard everywhere. Social influence model (Ellickson, 1995) can be also used in macro level. Schools can make many lectures to let students know that they are all under peer pressures and organize some activities to teach students to develop resistance skills for drug abuse. Mezzo level Mezzo level contains prevention plan and intervention plan. It is more about group work. Group approach is that stimulation toward improvement arises from net work of interpersonal influences in which all members participate (Northern, 1969, p. 52). Group work is one of the most common work methods for social workers. Prevention plan of mezzo level. The prevention plan concentrates on affective model. Referring to affective model (Ellickson, 1995), adolescents are divided into groups to do some counseling and training about affective skills (communication, decision making, self-assertion) believed related to drug use (Abadinsky, 2001). The counseling and training need the participation of social workers. In this kind of group, social workers should pay special attention to those adolescents who do not want to talk. Intervention plan of macro level. This intervention plan focuses on group treatment. Due to social workers may not have drug-taking experience, group treatment can make adolescent clients feel more willing to communicate and peer interaction is more powerful (Abadinsky, 2001). In addition, some problematic interpersonal acts will appear in a group (Flores, 1988). Using group treatment, adolescents of drug abuse can share and identify with others who are going through similar problems; understand their own attitudes about addiction and defenses in others; and learn to communicate needs and feelings more directly (Flores, 1988, p. 7). Adolescents really need the support from others. Social workers should pay special attention to extreme clients who are not appropriate with group treatment and social workers should ensure a suitable scale of different groups. Micro level Micro level more concerns on adolescent abusers themselves and their surroundings. There are two useful intervention approaches with this level one is social learning theory approach and the other one is cognitive learning theory approach. Social learning theory approach. Abadinsky (2001) identifies social learning theory as a variant of behaviorism focuses on cognitive meditational processes and people are active participants in their operant conditioning processes-they determine what is and what is not reinforcing (p. 205). Actually there are many reasons behind the adolescents who have drug abuse. Maybe there are some problems with their families, their school performance, their interpersonal communication and bodies suffering. Social workers must pay more attention to the reasons behind the drug abuse of adolescents and give more patience. So in this intervention, social workers should follow three steps. The first step is to understand why patients may be more likely to use in a given situation and to understand the role that drugs play in their lives (Abadinsky, 2001, p. 205). The second step is to help patients develop meaningful alternative reinforcers to drug abuse, that is, other activities and involvements ( relationships, work and hobbies) (Abadinsky, 2001, p. 205). The third step is to make a detailed examination of the consequences for adolescent clients to test whether their drug abuse reduces (Abadinsky, 2001). Social workers should try their best to find the root causes of adolescents drug abuse and cope with them. This approach focuses on the surroundings of adolescent abusers. Cognitive learning theory approach. This approach emphasizes the awareness of positive and negative consequences of drug abuse for adolescents themselves and the arrangements before taking drugs (Abadinsky, 2001). Social workers can ask adolescent abusers to write a dairy of their drug abuse that includes the situations when they use drugs and the consequences after they use drugs. Social workers ought to inspire clients to review their worst experience with drug abuse and think more about the bad impact of taking drugs. This kind of scare tactic can delay the period before taking drugs. Then social workers also need to teach adolescent abusers a set of relax skills to improve their tension. This approach focuses on adolescent abusers themselves and relies on their own awareness to reduce drug abuse. Drug abuse of adolescents is really a vicious spiral and a long-term repeated process. It needs not only the social workers and adolescent abusers efforts, but also their families, friends, other relevant persons and the whole societys efforts.

La Cosa Nostra Essay -- essays research papers fc

La Cosa Nostra Perhaps one of the most poignant moments in American cinema is the closing scene in the film â€Å"The Godfather† when Don Vito Corleone’s son Michael takes over his father’s position... and one of the most unforgettable moments, a severed horses’s head lies bloody in a man’s bed. It is this tradition and brutality that characterizes the Mafia, a secret Sicilian society that lives and functions just as much today on American soil as it did and does still in Italy. To understand this organized crime, one must begin to understand how it came to be organized in the first place. During the medieval times in Sicily, Arabs invaded the land and native Sicilians fled and took refuge in the hills. Some of these refugees formed a secret society that gave protection to the people in exchange for money. This group took their name, â€Å"Mafia† based on the Arabic word for refuge. In America today, one can hear it also be called â€Å"La C osa Nostra†, or â€Å"This Thing of Ours.† In the 1700s,Wealthy people would receive a card with a black hand drawn on and if they did not pay the money, they could expect murder, theft, and violence. During the time Mussolini was ruling Italy, this secret society was under heavy persecution and many fled to the United States. â€Å"Don (term for the boss or head of a Mafia family) Vito Cascio Ferro fled to the United States in 1901 to escape arrest. He is known as the Father of American Mafia.† (La Cosa Nostra) Many Italian immigrants came to the United States through Ellis Island in New York, which is today the most important center of organized Mafia crime in the United States. The new American Mafia came to power during the Prohibition by organizing the sale of outlawed alcohol, but after Prohibition was revoked, the Mafia needed a new â€Å"racket.† During the war, the Mafia got government issued ration stamps and sold them on the black market. These days the Mafia is involved in running prostitution, unions, construction, and gambling. New York, also called the â€Å"City that never sleeps,† houses the Five Families of New York. These Families are highly influential and powerful crime families and each holds claim to certain â€Å"rackets.† The Five Families are: Gambino, Bonano, Lucchese, Colombo, and Genovese. While all people in the Mafia are required to maintain certain silence about the workings of the Family, a code of silence called â€Å"Omerta,† d... ...si in America as it was in Sicily. â€Å"Say what you will about me, but don’t think it applies to my family.† (Godfather II) The Mafia, a group of stylized criminals, exists as a hidden power in our world today and shall remain to do so into the new millenium by controlling underground markets and making this world an offer they can’t refuse. Bibliography The Godfather. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan. Paramount, 1972. The Godfather, Part II. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Al Pacino, Robert Duvall. Paramount, 1974 â€Å"La Cosa Nostra.† Online. World Wide Web. 4 June 1999. Available http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/9880/index.html La Vien, Douglas and Papa, Juliet . (1993) The Mafia Handbook. Penguin Books. Machi, Mario. â€Å"Mario’s Mafia Page.† Online. World Wide Web. 4 June 1999. Available http://www.naxs.com/people/mmachi/mafia Malta, J. Geoff. â€Å"The Godfather Trilogy.† Online. World Wide Web. 1 June 1999. Available http://www.jgeoff.com/godfather.html Wiseguy & Company, Inc. â€Å"Unofficial Homepage of the New York Mafia.† Online. World Wide Web. 4 June 1999. Available http://www.users.aol.com/whizkid01/index.html Word Count: 1132

King Richard Essay -- History England King Richard Essays

King Richard My report is on Richard I, byname Richard the Lion-Hearted. He was born September 8, 1157 in Oxford, England. He died on April 6, 1199 in Chalus, England. His knightly manner and his prowess in the Third Crusade(1189-92) made him a popular king in his own time, as well as the hero of countless romantic legends. He has been viewed less kindly by more recent historians and scholars. Richard was the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and he was given the duchy of Aquitaine, his mother’s inheritance, at the age of 11 and was enthroned as duke at Poitiers in 1172. Richard possessed precocious political and military ability, he won fame for his knightly prowess, and quickly learned how to control the turbulent aristocracy of Poitou and Gascony. Like all Henry II’s legitimate sons, Richard had no filial piety, foresight, or sense of responsibility. He joined his brothers in the great rebellion(1173-74)against his father, who invaded Aquistaine twice before Richard submitted and received pardon. Thereafter, Richard was occupied with suppressing baronial revolts in his own duchy. His harshness infuriated the Gascons, who revolted in 1183 and called in the help of the â€Å"Young King† Henry and his brother, Geoffrey of Brittany, in an effort to drive Richard from his duchy altogether. Alarmed at the threatened disintegration of his empire, Henry II brought the feudal host of his continental lands to Richard’s aid, but the younger Henry died suddenly(June 11, 1183)and the uprising collapsed. Richard was now heir to England, and to Normandy and Anjou, and his father wished him to yield Aquitaine to his youngest brother, John. But Richard, a true southerner, would not surrender the duchy in which he had grown up. Richard received Normandy on July 20, and the English throne on September 30. Richard, unlike Philip, had only one ambition, to lead the crusade prompted by Saladin’s capture of Jerusalem in 1187. He had no conception of planning for the future of the English monarchy, and put up everything for sale to buy arms for the crusade. Yet he had not become king to preside over the dismemberment of the Angevin Empire. He broke with Philip and didn’t neglect Angevin defenses on the Continent. Open war was averted only because Philip also took the cross. Richard dipped deep into his father’s treasure and sold sherif... ...of Hubert Walter, justifier and archbishop of Canterbury. It was Richard’s impetuosity that brought him to his death at the early age of forty-two. The Vicomte of Limoges refused to hand over a hoard of gold unearthed by a local peasant. Richard laid siege to his castle of Chalus and in an unlucky moment was wounded. He died in 1199. He was buried in the abbey church of Fontevrault, where Henry II and Queen Eleanor are also buried, and his effigy is still preserved there. Richard was a thoroughgoing Angevin, irresponsible and hot-tempered, possessed of tremendous energy, and capable of great cruelty. He was more accomplished than most of his family, a soldier of consummate ability, a skillful politician, and capable of inspiring loyal service. He was a lyrical poet of considerable power and the hero of troubadours. He was both an honored and despised man. Works Cited: A History of the Crusades; Vol. 3; 1954 Richard the Lion Heart; K. Norgate; 1969 Itinerary of King Richard the First; L.Landon; 1935 Loss of Normandy 1189-1204; 2nd Edition; 1961 Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings; A. Kelly; 1950 Encyclopedia Britannica Online; www.eb.com; 1999

Johnson and Johnson Case Analysis Essay example -- Business Marketing

Johnson and Johnson Case Analysis Introduction: Johnson and Johnson, commonly called J&J for short, is one of the world’s well known, largest, most decentralized and most diversified health care companies. Since 1887, Johnson and Johnson has been producing, manufacturing and selling products related to human health and well-being. Today J&J has over 200 autonomous operating companies and do business globally specializing in consumer products, medical devices and diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals. Consumer products are the company’s most recognizable segment, including popular brands like Tylenol, Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo and Band-Aid. The medical devices and diagnostics segment manufactures products including surgical equipment and contact lenses. The largest of the three segments is pharmaceuticals. Johnson and Johnson is poised for growth on many fronts. Their short-term outlook is bright due to a lead position in the drug-coated stent market. They should also see a substantial increase in prescription drug sales from the recently enacted Medicare regulation, which will grant prescription drug coverage to more Americans. In the long run, J&J should see consistent sales growth fueled by the aging demographics in the United States. Moreover, the medical supplies and services needed by the elderly population will increase simultaneously with the aging of the large baby boomer population. While there is no doubt that J&J is a corporation that has gone a long way and due to its reliability, culture and growth will continue to do well, analyzing the effectiveness of their current strategy is still essential. The question of whether J&J should become more centralized in order to adapt to the changing hospital industry needs to be addressed. Because of the changes in the hospital secto r and because of the changes that distributors underwent in order to meet the hospital changes, J&J inevitably needs to change as well and become more centralized. While I do not think it is possible or even necessary for J&J to become completely centralized, J&J should consider the benefits of becoming more centralized. If J&J continues to be as decentralized as they are they will have a hard time adapting to change, communicating within the organization and contact within the organization will decrease as well. In the recommendation portion of this case analysi... ... Weakness With regard to the internal environment, it is important to analyze J&J’s strengths and weakness. After reading J&J’s website, I was overwhelmed with the strengths that J&J possess. J&J is one of the main competitors in the race to produce the best and most widely used stent. They produced Cypher, a device that is implanted in arteries to help keep arteries open and prevent them from getting clogged. J&J currently posses the largest portion of the coronary stent market with their Cypher stent. Approved in April of 2003 and launched in May, Cypher is the only drug-coated stent to be supported by numerous tests, including four large-scale clinical trials involving 1,800 patients. In tests, Cypher proved more effective than bare metal stents at preventing re-blockage. Another strength that J&J possesses is having high barriers to entry. Entrance into the pharmaceutical industry is difficult. Pharmaceutical companies require large fixed costs, large set up costs and large r esearch and development costs. While this does not insure that new companies will not enter their market, it does give J&J some safety measure at being able to prevent and/or compete with new entrants.

Nanotechnology Uses to Enhance Computer Performance Essay

Although the core concepts of nanotechnology were introduced in the early 1950’s, nanotechnology was not properly introduced to the world until 1974. That was the year a Japanese scientist, named Tanigushi, coined the word â€Å"nanotechnology†. Nanotechnology refers to the constructing and engineering of systems at the atomic level. â€Å"Nanotechnology will be the major technology in development of every machine in coming years. † (Wifinotes, n. d. ) Nanotechnology will greatly improve the functionality and performance of computers. Body  In everyday terms, â€Å"Nanotechnology is based on manipulations of individual atoms and molecules to build complex atomic structures. † (Tarasov, 2009, pg. 1) Working at the atomic level is a very new technology. The size of a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. For comparison purposes, â€Å"A very fine human hair is about 10,000 nanometers wide, which is the smallest dimension we can see with the naked eye. † (Cook, 2005) Before research could begin, researchers had to first invent a machine that could work with such small particles. Their goal was to manipulate atoms and molecules into a particular configuration – a configuration capable of performing functions similar to a microprocessor. The technology prior to nanotechnology started out rather primitive. It was a major advance in technology when vacuum tubes were invented. They came into existence about the same time Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Vacuum tubes were first used in computers in 1946 until 1958. By then, vacuum tubes could not be made any smaller, so technology gave us transistors. Transistors were used in computers from 1959 to 1964. One transistor took the place of 40 vacuum tubes. When the limits of the transistor were reached, computer builders used integrated circuits from 1965 to 1970. In 1971, the microprocessor came into computer use. Faster and smaller than anything so far, the microprocessor led to the invention of personal computers. Now that the advancement of microprocessors has nearly reached its limits, it is now time for the next generation of processor, which some researchers say will be engineered on the nanometer scale. But, how will they manipulate particles on such a minute scale? Before manipulating atoms into the desired position, researchers had to see them first. Researchers had to invent a microscope that would allow them to see atoms. In 1981, IBM researchers invented the Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM). (University of Wisconsin, 2008) This microscope allowed researchers to â€Å"see† atoms. As it turns out, in 1989, researchers found they could actually manipulate atoms into the desired position with the SPM. †¦researchers have been able to manipulate and stabilize atomic-size structures in such a way that they can persistently maintain the qualities needed to be classified as viable, though still strictly experimental, computational devices. † (Goth, 2012) Atoms are constantly moving, so catching one to move around was very difficult. The atoms needed to be cooled down to near absolute zero, to -450 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature where most atoms hardly move. The Scanning Probe Microscope (Nanooze, 2005) After cooling the atoms, researchers were able to use the SPM to move individual atoms to a specific location. One at a time, they moved the atoms into position to spell â€Å"IBM†. It took them nearly an entire day to do it. See image below: Atoms arranged to spell IBM (Nanooze, 2005) Since the first manipulation of atoms had been demonstrated, researchers have continued to move atoms into complicated configurations, as shown in the figure below. Depiction of a nanotechnology produced gear set (Wifinotes, n. d. ) After all the groundwork had been laid, computer researchers turned their attention to using nanotechnology in the computer world. Their first target was the microchip. Current microchip technology limits have nearly been reached and the researchers went to work shrinking the size of the processors . â€Å"†¦ etching [lithography] techniques can only take features so far – anything below 22nm is just not feasible. † (European Nanotechnology Gateway, n. d. ) Right now, the newest chipsets using lithographic etching are being produced with 65nm features. Intel has realized a 10-15% improvement in drive current, which means greater performance, through the use of nanotechnology. Meanwhile, at IBM, to aid the shrinking of the processors, â€Å"researchers have developed transistors from carbon nanotubes. †( European Nanotechnology Gateway, n. d. ) Carbon nanotubes show great improvements compared to conventional silicon transistors. â€Å"The carbon nanotubes are long, thin strands of carbon molecules. In the lab, they delivered more than double the amount of electrical current compared to the top-performing transistors currently on the market. †( European Nanotechnology Gateway, n. . ) â€Å"A single strand of carbon atoms (red)†¦contained in a multi-walled carbon nanotube. † (American Institute of Physics, 2003) Lithographic etching is being replaced with a new process called â€Å"block co-polymer lithography†, or BCP. Scientists have found a process to create nano-scale patterns that is expected to be used in the manufacture of microprocessors. Using the new process, silicon wafer features have been developed between five and 20 nanometers thick – much smaller than the current 65 nanometers. In the figure below, you can see an image of a nano-scale microprocessor created by the BCP process: (Nanotechnology, 2011) According to Nanotechnology – Future Technology: †¦with the use [of] nanotechnology, it could be possible to transform desktop computers into computers that are the size of a watch but with more operating capacity and they will also last longer than current computers†¦Computers with the capabilities of current workstations will be the size of a grain of sand and will be able to operate for decades with the equivalent of a single wristwatch battery. This technology advancement will make computers more abundant, cheaper to manufacture, faster, and smaller. (Nanotechnology – Future Technology, 2012) When a processor’s feature size is reduced, it uses less electricity and produces less heat, thereby becoming more efficient and economical to operate. Being more efficient and economical also means faster, more reliable overall performance of the computer. Conclusion Nanotechnology will provide the world with advancements in electronics along with many other fields, such as biology, chemistry and medicine. In the future, nanotechnology will play a major role in the discovery of new components, such as nano-sized microprocessors, and will enhance many other existing technologies. â€Å"Nanotechnology will be the major technology in [the]development of every machine in coming years. † (Wifinotes, n. d. ) Nanotechnology will greatly improve the functionality and performance of computers.

Adults with Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental disorders in the adult stage. Anyone can develop anxiety and depression but its not something to worry about since both can be cured with medication or therapy. It may be caused by different factors and adults more often experience this mental condition.Anxiety and depression are two conditions that should be addressed immediately because it affects people's social life and other life processes. There have also been documented cases that adult who suffered from these commits suicide. This paper discusses the meaning of anxiety and depression among adults and at the same time describe how to get medical treatment before something worse happens.Defining Anxietyâ€Å"Anxiety, in the simplest sense is defined as a form of response or reaction† (Callanan, 1992, p.50). It is one state of emotion wherein individuals tends to feel lesser or more anxious toward a particular event in their life (Callanan, 1992, p.50). Anxiety can be seen as an extreme state of shyness indicated by blushing.Shame occurs when one sees himself as being responsible for negative outcomes or for failing in public. Anxiety is also characterized by a discomfort when performing in front of an audience (stage fright) which can lead to an inhibition of speech.This is one good way to test anxiety because the individual is afraid of being under the scrutiny of others. Both kinds of apprehension in face of tests and interactions share this aspect of evaluation anxiety. The state of anxiety refers to the acute feeling in the process of emotional experiencing.The trait of anxiety refers to a proneness to respond with state anxiety in threatening situations. It can also be defined as excessive worrying which involves fearful reaction (Callanan, 1992, p.50).Although the aforementioned statements cited negativity about the definition of anxiety, Margie Callanan on her book entitled â€Å"Anxiety. In Adult Psychological Problem† (1992) s tated that anxiety is also vital for adult's life survival (Callanan , 1992, p.50).â€Å"It also seems to be a feature of being successful since classic laboratory studies shows that people with moderate levels of anxiety leads them to optimizing task performance and that too much little of anxiety leads to worse performance† (Callanan , 1992, p.50).Defining DepressionDepression is not merely feeling lonely or down. Feeling lonely at times is normal for any person but when this mood persists for weeks or even months, this is no longer a simple case of loneliness. The person experiencing this is under a depressed state (Yip and Lee, 2003, pp.5-11). Depression is a common illness but is also severe.Many people fail to get treatment for this kind of disorder but with proper consultation and treatment, even the worst cases of depression can be cured. Depression in its own meaning is not life threatening but it could have drastic effects on the patient's life as well as the lives of the people around him (Yip and Lee, 2003, p. 157).There are different types of depression but the most common are major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder (Yip and Lee, 2003, p. 7). Other forms of depression are psychotic depression, postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and bipolar disorder (Yip and Lee, 2003, p. 19).Describing Adults who experiences Anxiety and DepressionCauses/OriginsNo matter what aspects caused the anxious or depressive state among adults, it is no mere state if mind and it may be traced to some physical changes as a person ages because the brain as undergoes an imbalance of neurotransmitters, which is known as the chemical that carries from in the brain and in the nerves (Goroll, et.al., 2003, p. 807).Trauma and stress from financial problems, failed relationships, the death of someone dear, and other extreme life changes are factors that could result in either anxiety or depression. Pessimistic people are also more prone to thes e (Goroll, et.al., 2003, pp.50-58).Other medical conditions such as heart ailments, obesity, HIV and cancer may also lead to anxiety and depression (Goroll, et.al., 2003, pp.49-54). It may also worsen some medical conditions since it weakens the immune system. Some medications may also constitute depression. Moreover, other psychological disorders like schizophrenia for example have been noted to accompany anxiety and depression (Goroll, et.al., 2003, p.79).DiagnosisMagnetic Resonance Technology (MRI) indicates that the brains of depressed people look different from the brain of normal people (Goroll, et.al., 2003, p.300). The area of the brain that is responsible for mood and behavior do not function normally for adult people with anxiety and depression.Talking to the patient is the best step in the diagnosis of anxiety and depression. The doctor should try to find out if symptoms have began to manifest to figure out if there is anxiety and depression and what stage has been reache d.The symptoms could last for the adult's remaining years and may inevitably affect his/her personality and work habits, in which case, other people could lose empathy for the patient. Depression also causes other various changes in behavior (Goroll, et.al., 2003).TreatmentTreatment is never a problem for anxiety and depression patients since even the most extreme cases can be cured. One other disease has been ruled out, and the doctor is certain that the patient is suffering from anxiety and depression (Goroll, et.al., 2003, p. 109).Adult patients who experiences anxious and depressing conditions are usually given prescriptions for countering the said feelings. There are anti-depressants made in order to normalize the secretion of brain chemicals such as neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine (Goroll, et.al., 2003, p.49).These chemicals aid in regulating the mood of a person and as previously stated, neurotransmitters are secreted in abnormal levels under depression. Thus, normalizing the secretion of this chemical will help the patient recover from depression. These anti-depressants may however have side effects such as headache, nausea, insomnia and nervousness, agitation and sexual problems.Psychotherapy or â€Å"talk therapy† is also another form of treatment for adult anxiety and depression. Cognitive behavioral-therapy and interpersonal theraphy are two forms of psychotherapy that have been proven to work for adult who has anxiety and depression. These kinds of therapy may, however, only be effective for mild to moderate cases of adult anxiety and depression. More severe cases might call for both anti-depressants and psychotherapy (Callanan, 1992, pp.24-42).   If anti-depressants and psychotherapy do not work, electro convulsive therapy, also know as shock therapy is another treatment option. Shock therapy has gained a negative reputation in the past but it has been proven to provide relief for patients that have severe depression (Cal lanan, 1992, p42).Herbal remedies such have been used by some people for some time but research indicated that it is not effective in the treatment of depression. Other research indicated that the plant has components that produce unfavorable reactions with other medications (Goroll, et.al., 2003, p.641).ConclusionAnxiety and Depression are common mental disorders and yet, many fail to get treatment for it because it often goes undiagnosed. Adult people and their family should be aware that anxiety and depression should be taken seriously and whenever the symptoms occur, professional help should always be sought.The two can easily be cured so enduring it should never be an option since it does not affect only adults, but also the people around them.References:Callanan, M. (1992). Anxiety. In Adult Psychological Problems. Champion, L.A., & Power,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   M.J. (Eds). New York: Routledge.Goroll, A.H., Mulley, A.G., & Mulley, A. Jr. (Eds). (2006). Primary Care Medicine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Amsterdam: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.Yip, P.S., & Lee, D.T. (2003). Depression Among Elderly and Postpartum Women. In   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Depressive Disorders. Maj, M. & Sartorious, N. (Eds). New Jersey: John Wiley and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sons.

Characteristics of the Romantic Music Period

It is arguable that some Romantic music made greater demands upon its listeners than did music of previous historical periods. What were those demands? Why did these changes come about? And what strategies can you formulate for listening to this music today? In consideration of the musical changes present in the Romantic era, this essay will contend that these changes are very much related to the wider social and technological changes in society around that time. Thus, it is important to identify the broad time period encompassed by this era. The definition of Romanticism in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is: â€Å"A movement or, more commonly, period of cultural history. When understood as a period, Romanticism is usually identified with either the first half or the whole of the 19th century. The term is used with reference primarily to the arts, but it can also embrace philosophy, socio-political history and, more widely, the ‘spirit’ of the era. † [i] Consequently, this essay views that Romantic music encompasses the whole of the nineteenth century and will consider some of the key changes which occurred around that time period. It has been argued that these changes have resulted in music which makes greater demands upon its listeners and this essay will highlight these demands and how they were influenced by those social and technological changes of that time, concluding with strategies for listening to this music today. Some of the music which can be used to illustrate these changes are specific works by Beethoven, a composer, who is viewed as a major influence on the music of the nineteenth century. This can be evidenced by the Grove article on Romanticism, which deems it to be widely accepted that Beethoven â€Å"inaugurated a ‘Romantic era’†[ii]. The demands of Romantic music are characterised by several key changes. These changes can be summarised as follows: an increased intensity, both technical and musical; a greater use of radical contrasts in the music and a significant increase in the length of musical compositions. The increased intensity of Romantic music can be demonstrated by an analysis of the Diploma syllabus of the ABRSM[iii]. This syllabus provides an â€Å"authoritative assessment framework† [iv] for technical and musical ability and one can see that the vast preponderance of its pieces fall into the Romantic category. Furthermore, as one progresses through the levels of syllabus, the â€Å"repertoire becomes more demanding† [v] and the volume of Romantic pieces increases steadily. A major factor in this change is the related technological advancements of that time period which resulted in the upgrading of a number of musical instruments to more advanced forms. This can be illustrated with reference to the specific example of the piano, an instrument refined considerably during the Romantic period. Key changes incorporate the introduction of modern style pedals, greater string diameters and tensions, an extended number of octaves, the double escapement action and the cast iron frame[vi] [vii]. Thus, the instrument of the nineteenth century is far superior to its eighteenth century counterpart. The resultant musical changes include a greater quantity of octaves available and a greater range of power and dynamics made available to the composer. This had the obvious corollary of composers producing pieces with greater use of radical dynamic contrasts. According to Winter[viii], Romantic composers used their new piano to great effect: The single most important development in the sound of the Romantic piano was doubtless the new emphasis on the sustaining (or damper) pedal. † These key changes of distinctive contrasts and increased intensity were aided by the accompanying social change in music around the Romantic period, which can be characterised by the rise of the virtuoso. Franz Liszt, the legendary pianist, dazzled audiences across Europe, garnering rave reviews wherever he travelled, considered by The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians to be â€Å"the greatest piano virtuoso of his time† [ix]. The improved piano was critical to his displays of technical prowess. Without it he would not have been able to play pieces as demanding on the instrument. The â€Å"hitherto unimagined difficulty† [x] of his Vingt-quatres grandes etudes pour le piano[xi], was considered too much by the composer, he revised the Etudes and later published his Etudes d'execution transcendante[xii], – the latter still ferociously difficult but surpassed in that respect by the former. Given that a key feature of Liszt’s playing style and compositions was technical skill, one could argue Liszt could not have been the performer, or composer, he was, in the preceding century. Nicolo Paganini was another virtuoso of the highest calibre – a violinist[xiii]. He, too, gave fantastic performances to rapturous crowds in numerous countries. William Ayrton, editor of The Harmonicon, remarked that: â€Å"[H]is powers of execution are little less than marvelous, and such as we could only have believed on the evidence of our own senses; they imply a strong natural propensity for music, with an industry, a perseverance, a devotedness and also a skill in inventing means, without any parallel in the history of his instrument. † [xiv] Paganini, similar to Liszt, composed works for his instrument, which were considered some of the hardest in its repertoire[xv] – pushing the boundaries of the Romantic violin to previously unseen heights. An excellent way for a virtuoso to show off their talents is a concerto. The concerto provided a perfect vehicle to showcase the new technically advanced instruments and the music that could be performed on them[xvi]. One characteristic of Romantic concertos is their length. Indeed, this increased length is another key aspect of Romantic music as a whole. To take one concrete example of this, Vladimir Askenazy’s interpretations of Beethoven’s piano concertos[xvii] are significantly greater in length than his interpretations of Mozart’s concertos[xviii]. Further illustration of this is the opening movements of Beethoven’s piano concertos numbers 4 and 5, which both last longer than a number of Mozart’s concertos in their entirety and are longer, by far, than any of Mozart’s first movements. Similarly, other forms of musical composition demonstrated increasing length during the Romantic era. Beethoven’s Piano Sonata number 29 ,‘Hammerklavier’, being a case in point, according to Marston[xix], the extremely long solo piece was â€Å"most likely the longest ever written at that time†. The Hammerklavier sonata is also a perfect example of the other previously stated Romantic characteristics. The use of pianississimo and fortissimo a bar apart in the final section of the first movement is but one example of the radical contrasts present in the piece as a whole[xx]. Another hallmark of Romantic music is present in this piece: extreme technical difficulty – Andras Schiff declared Hammerklavier â€Å"virtually unplayable† [xxi]. This increase in length was also evident in the Romantic symphony. One striking example being Beethoven’s Symphony number three, ‘Eroica’, first published in 1804 [xxii], at the very dawn of musical Romanticism – its opening movement â€Å"dwarf[s] any comparable previous movement† [xxiii]. According to Bonds[xxiv], Eroica is the start, for Beethoven at least, of music displaying profound Romantic characteristics: â€Å"Particularly from the ‘Eroica’ onwards, Beethoven was seen to have explored a variety of ways in which instrumental music could evoke images and ideas transcending the world of sound. Overall, these properties of Romanticism were influenced by the social changes of the nineteenth century. These changes meant that composers of the Romantic era had greater freedom than ever before. Unlike their counterparts in previous historical periods, they no longer had to be almost entirely dependent on the church or the state or weal thy, upper-class patrons[xxv] [xxvi]. As highlighted previously, musicians could support themselves by giving public concerts, â€Å"Paganini earned so much money in one year that he could have bought 300 kilos of gold. [xxvii] [xxviii] As we can see in this example from Grove, the orchestra of the Romantic age was distinctly different from its predecessors in that it was not for the personal amusement of royalty or a symbol of status: â€Å"During most of the 18th century orchestras had been an accompaniment to and an expression of aristocratic court culture; in the 19th century the orchestra became a central institution of public musical life. † [xxix] Given the demands illustrated through these changes, several strategies are suggested. One possible strategy would be to learn a piece. As reading music is a necessary precursor to this, it would be a required and fruitful use of one’s time to learn to do so if the skill has not already been learnt. Learning to play a piece of music would be the ideal realisation of this strategy. However, this is not always possible and would be impractical for a piece with a large number of parts – a symphony, for example. Nevertheless, one can study and appreciate the technical or musical difficulty involved in a piece without being able to master it. Once able, listening to a piece of music whilst consulting the score is also a useful tool for following a piece and picking out specific parts. This is especially true of any orchestral piece. Another related strategy would be to try and put oneself in the shoes of a listener of the Romantic era. Listening to recordings performed on period instruments would be an ideal method of doing this. Also, learning more about the people of the period and what it would have been like for a nineteenth century person to listen to a certain work for the first time would be a further way to pursue this strategy. To learn, and appreciate, any other art forms linked with a piece of music is another strategy for listening to Romantic music – for example, Beethoven’s Symphony number 9. Beethoven based the final movement on the poem ‘Ode to Joy’ by Friedrich Schiller[xxx] – the movement is scored for orchestra, four vocal soloists and a choir – who sing the words of the poem. The case can be made that, to fully appreciate this work, one must appreciate the poem on which it is based. Additionally, understanding of the language the words are in – German – would take this strategy even urther. Separating a piece of music into parts is another strategy for listening to Romantic music. For example, a symphony or sonata can be listened to as individual movements, easier to absorb than, perhaps, thirty minutes or an hour’s worth of music. Exploring huge compositions or collections at one time is not the correct strategy, the sheer volume of n otes can be daunting and there is a danger that listening to too much music dulls one to the finer points of that music, it simply becomes noise. The distinct movements many composers put in their music should be utilised when first discovering a work, only once more understanding is cultivated should one attempt to listen to an entire concerto, sonata or symphony. Conclusively, it has been shown that Romantic music made greater demands upon its listeners than did music of previous historical periods. These demands were: increased technical and musical intensity; the use of bold, vivid contrasts and a considerably augmented duration of musical compositions. These changes came about due to technological advancements of the period, less reliance on patronage and the ‘musician’ became a respected and viable profession in the nineteenth century. There are many strategies which can be devised for listening to Romantic music, in the present day. These are: learning how to read and play music; to put oneself in the shoes of a listener of the time period; to study any art forms which are linked to a piece of Romantic music and dividing a composition into more easily manageable sections. These strategies will further aid the listener in appreciating and understanding Romantic music. ———————- [i] Jim Samson, â€Å"Romanticism†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [ii] Jim Samson, â€Å"Romanticism†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (1. History of usage) [iii] ABRSM, â€Å"Music Performance Diploma Syllabu s from 2005†, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [iv] Ibid. [v] Ibid. [vi] Philip R. Belt, Maribel Meisel/Gert Hecher, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (5. The Viennese piano from 1800. ) [vii] Michael Cole, â€Å"Pianoforte†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (6. England and France, 1800–60. ) [viii] Robert Winter, â€Å"Pianoforte†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (2. Romantic period) [ix] Alan Walker, et al. , â€Å"Liszt, Franz†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, , [Accessed 2 December 2009] [x] Howard Ferguson and Kenneth L. Hamilton, â€Å"Study†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xi] Franz Liszt, Vingt-quatres grandes etudes pour le piano, 1839, Vienna: Haslinger [xii] Franz Liszt, Etudes d’execution transcendante, 1852, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel xiii] Edward Neill, â€Å"Paganini, Nicolo†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xiv] Edward Neill, â€Å"Paganini, Nicolo†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (7. France and Great Britain, 1831–4, and last years, 1835–40. ) [xv] Ibid. [xvi] Arnold, Denis and Timothy Rhys Jones, â€Å"con certo†, The Oxford Companion to Music Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xvii] Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven: The Piano Concertos, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, cond. by Georg Solti, (Decca, 1995) xviii] Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart: The Piano Concertos, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. by Vladimir Ashkenazy, (Decca, 1995) [xix] Nicholas Marston, â€Å"Approaching the Sketches for Beethoven's ‘Hammerklavier’ Sonata†, Journal of the American Musicological Society, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Autumn, 1991), p. 404-450, University of California Press on behalf of the American Musicological Society, p. 404 [xx] Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 29 ‘Hammerklavier’, 1891, Stuttgart: J. G. Cotta Final three bars of first movement – â€Å"Allegro† [pic] [xxi] Andras Schiff, Lecture on Piano Sonata no. 9 ‘Hammerklavier’ by Ludwig van Beethoven, Wigmore Hall, May 2006, Published by The Guardian, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xxii] â€Å"‘Eroica’ Symphony†, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 2nd ed. rev. Ed. Michael Kennedy. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xxiii] Mark Evan Bonds, â€Å"Symphony†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (II. 19th century, 2. Beethoven) [xxiv] Ibid. [xxv] Joseph Dyer, â€Å"Roman Catholic church music†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (V. The 19th century, 1. Catholic church music and the Romantic aesthetic. [xxvi] Joseph Dyer, â€Å"Roman Catholic church music†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (IV. The 18th century) [xxvii] John Spitzer and Neal Zaslaw, â€Å"Orchestra†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (7. The Romantic orchestra (1815–1900). ) [xxviii] Edward Neill, â€Å"Paganini, Nicolo†,Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (8. Playing style. ) [xxix] John Spitzer and Neal Zaslaw, loc. cit. [xxx] Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony no. 9, ca. 1925, Leipzig: Ernst Eulenburg

What Ethical Issues Does Ethnography Raise How Might We Deal with These?

Ethics can be defined as a â€Å"set of moral principles and beliefs that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity† with its main principle of doing ‘good’ and preventing harm (Oxford Dictionaries: 2011). However Orb et al (2002:93) states that Ethical issues can best be described or expressed as the â€Å"tension between the aims of research to make generalizations for the good of others, and the rights of participants to maintain privacy. Ethical issues and moral dilemmas are seen to arise in almost any type of research concerning human participants; in quantitative, biomedical, psychological, anthropological and sociological research. The infringement of some ethical issues which arise are considered to be more serious than others; however in order to minimise these ethical dilemmas, researchers must follow and obey a strict set of ethical guidelines in order to protect and minimise harm caused to participants or research subjects.Ur ie Bronfenbrenner suggests that there is no way of conducting research without breaching the principles of professional ethics, and that the only way of avoiding such dilemmas is to cease the conduct of any research (Fine 1993:267). Clearly there a variety of differing ethical dilemmas which occur in research, however those which arise in ethnographic research are in complete contrast to those ethical dilemmas raised in biomedical or quantitative research, where some might suggest that ethical problems are greater (Alder et al 1986).Punch (1994) goes further in suggesting that qualitative studies such as ethnography rarely, if ever, raise ethical issues (Orb 2000:93); however this statement is heavily debated. This essay aspires to discuss and analyse the ethical issues which arise in ethnography and discuss how valid and harmful these issues really are. The paper will also seek to discuss how researchers may overcome these ethical dilemmas and as to whether they are really effectiv e means to dealing with the issue.However, firstly this essay will commence by giving a brief history of ethics, draw upon problems concerning the ethical review board guidelines and outline two contrasting dimensions of ethics. Today ethics are seen to be used as a tool to guide and direct research studies, however it seems that before the mid 1950’s research studies gave little regard to ethical guidelines or their research subjects causing a great deal of harm and distress to individuals and cultures (Akeroyd 008:133). An extreme example of this happened in America, from 1932 to 1972, many African American people where deliberately left untreated for syphilis as researchers wanted to find out what would happen if the illness was left (Orb 2002:93). Questions are today raised as to whether these studies should be disregarded as so many ethical issues and dilemmas were raised in pioneering research.However, today research studies are under strict regulation and scrutiny from ethical review boards, that have developed guidelines and controls which must be obeyed during any type of research. In the US, the Institutional review board (IRB) review all federally funded projects and require the researchers to follow a strict set of rules whilst conducting their studies, such as informing their participants of the objectives of research, obtaining consent from participants, protecting them from harm and so forth (Murphy and Dingwall 2007:340).However the ethical guidelines set by Institutional Review Boards have been criticized greatly by many social scientists claiming that the codes set have been designed around biological or quantitative models of research which are totally inapplicable nor relevant to social research and in particular ethnographic studies (Akeroyd 2008:147). Social scientists argue that the ethical guidelines set are not sensitive to ethnographic research and due to this may cause harm to individuals or groups studied; further they argue that the guidelines are liable to constrict research unnecessarily (Murphy and Dingwall 2007).In ethnographic research it would seem that ethical dilemmas are strongly correlated to the ontological and epistemological foundations of the research. However there seem to be two differing dimensions in explaining ethical issues, firstly is the concequentialist approaches and secondly there is the deontological approaches and in order to accomplish good quality research both approaches must be regarded. The consequentialist approaches are primarily concerned with the outcomes of the research and as too whether the participant is harmed during the study, and if they were, did the ends justified the means?The deontological approaches are on the other hand concerned with the participant’s rights, such as were they treated with respect, informed consent and did were their rights to privacy and autonomy attained (Murphy and Dingwall 2007:340). Many presume that these approaches are in competition however they are not because in actual fact these two contrasting approaches work in sync in order to protect participants from harm whilst also respecting the rights of participants.Beaucamp et al (1982) were one of the first to consider the consequentialist and deontological approaches and devised a list of ethical principles to be complied with when conducting research (Murphy and Dingwall 2007:340). In their list of principles BeauChamp et al noted Non-maleficience, Beneficence, self-determination and justice. They noted that Non-maleficience, requires the researcher to protect participant from harm and Beneficence suggests that the research must discover and obtain something of significance from the research for it to be ethical; these two approaches fall under the consequentialist approach.The deontological approaches outlined by Beaucamp et al are Self-determination, where the researcher must respect participant’s views and beliefs and Justice where the res earcher is required to treat participants as an equal to themselves. Here firstly the consequentialist approaches to ethics will be discussed. Unlike in biomedical research, if harm occurs within ethnographic fieldwork it is likely to be indirect rather than direct.When biological scientists are testing new drugs or surgery they directly put the research participant under risk of harm and the harm will occur during the procedure; however in ethnography the harm which occurs is not so obvious, visible or direct. It would be foolish to think that ethnographic field work was free from the problem of endangering participants; as it can harm individuals, but just not in the same way as biomedical research. In ethnographic field work if harm has taken place, then the participant will most probably not feel the effects until after the study has ended.In ethnography, if participants are ever harmed, they are usually harmed when the research studies they have participated in have been publis hed or publicized (Murphy and Dingwall 2007:341). The reasons which lie behind this are due to the fact that once the work of an ethnographer has been published they have no control over how individuals read or interpret their work and how other people will use their work in the future (Akeroyd 2008). Through the publication of the researchers work research subjects can be put under a great deal of stress, apprehension and embarrassment and through this their confidence and self-worth can become damaged.Participants may become embarrassed about views they hold if they sense that the researcher disagrees with their outlook or if the researcher makes it apparent that they are surprised that they hold such views. Furthermore this embarrassment and anxiousness caused by research may be likely to increase if the media hype the publication of the study, even in cases where the participant’s identity remains anonymous (Murphy and Dingwall 2007:347). An example of a study where the r esearch subject was embarrassed and harmed through the publication of research is ‘Whyte’s Street corner society study’.Richardson (1992:114) writes about ‘Docs’ reaction after reading what was said about him in the study, he suggests that Doc was embarrassed about what was said about him and his sense of pride and self respect was damaged. After the publication of the study ‘Doc’ pleaded with Whyte never to reveal to anyone who he was and to keep his identity anonymous. Boelen writes how ‘Docs’ sons believed that the Street Corner study ruined their father’s life (Richardson 1992:115).In response to this criticism some social scientists have suggested that ethnographers and their participants should work in partnership when producing reports (Murphy and Dingwall 2007). Others have suggested that too deal with such problem, all studies should present their participants with the right to reply. Some research subjects h ave sent letters to their local papers in response to publications they have taken part in. (Slack 2011) Another way in which ethnography is seen to cause harm is through offering ‘tools’ to those in power.Governments and army’s have been seen to use ethnographers in order to manipulate communities and cultures for both economic and political gains. These bodies of power have used ethnography to control those who are weak and powerless. Burgess (1985) suggests that â€Å"ethnographic studies increase knowledge of the adaptive behaviours that actors use of their feelings† (Murphy and Dingwall 2007:341), and we see examples of this happening today. The American department of defence have invested $40 million into a programme they consider to be a â€Å"Crucial new weapon† in their war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. They have hired ocial scientists and anthropologists so that they can grasp an understanding of tribal relations; and as this is seen to be working they are now looking to expand this ‘human terrain team’ (Rohde 2007). The head of the human terrain team see’s the work conducted as vital and defines it as a â€Å"scholar warrior† and as â€Å"rare work of applied scholarship† (Times Higher education 2010). However although it would seem that many anthropologists are happy for their work to play a vital role in shaping military and foreign policy a great number are in firm opposition and are against the militarization of anthropology.Some believe this program is unethical, dangerous and ineffective. They believe it to be unethical as it breaches many ethical codes of practice such as no informed consent and can cause great harm to the research subjects (Network of concerned anthropologists). As previously noted, ethical guidelines state that research should only be authorized and carried out, and is only deemed as ethical if the study has some significant anticipated benefits. Howe ver in ethnography this is a problem. Predicting and anticipating the outcomes and potential benefits prior to research studies is proven to be extremely difficult.In biomedical studies these are much easier to predict and more obvious. However in favour of ethnographic research the risks are not as likely to be as damaging as those displayed in biomedical research (Arskey 2008). It would seem that many would consider that the emotional harm as a result of ethnographic research is far less damaging that that of physical harm such as the testing of new surgery seen in biomedical research; however ultimately the researcher has less control over the participant (Thorne 1980).Harm could also be said to occur in ethnography due to the difficulty in preserving anonymity, as it is clear that no ethnographer can guarantee this. This is due to the fact there is a possibility that field notes transcripts might be read (Murphy and Dingwall 2007). However a suggestion to counteract this problem would be that once researchers have finished with such documents they should destroy them at the earliest possible point they can so that no prying eyes see the information.Furthermore it would seem that there is only ever a small number of qualitative ethnographic research studies ever carried out, and when research is conducted in an overt manner participants will know that the study has taken place and therefore when the work is published will be able to easily identify themselves or their society in the published work. It could also be argued that the close emotional relationships which are formed during ethnographic studies are harmful to research subjects.Unlike in quantitative and biological research, qualitative ethnographic research offers the opportunity for participants and researchers to form close relationships during the period of the study (Richardson 1992). However, when the study finishes and is completed, usually more often than not, the relationship and friendshi p between the participant and the observer also end. This in turn is harming the participant as they are experiencing a loss. Again an example of this can be drawn from the Street Corner Society study conducted by Whyte. Many wonder how ‘Doc’ must have felt after Whyte left, after spending so much time with him.Did ‘Doc’ feel hurt? Because we know that one of the most important thing in ‘Docs’ life was friendships (Richardson 1992:116). Researchers must be careful of the cathartic effects of ethnographic research as the process of legitimise deviant behaviour can be damaging to society, as people may begin to think it is okay to act in such a way. Fine (1993) states that the research conducted on the extremely racist group of the Ku Klux Klan were guilty in doing this. He suggests that the researcher in this study â€Å"dehumanized their informants placing them outside our moral community in the guise of justice† (Fine 1993:272).The rese archer adopted a sympathetic stance to the views of group, and this is clearly not always a positive characteristic, and can be considered to be unethical. In contrast to biological and statistical research, ethnographic work is based on observations and interpretations of what they see. Clearly the researchers own beliefs and values may influence what they write, and what they chose not to write about in their reports. There is much evidence supporting this notion. Fine (1993:227) suggests that readers who believe what they see in quotations marks are foolish because how do they know that is what actually was said or happened.He suggests that maybe what we sometimes see put in quotation marks are lies and misunderstood interpretations. This can be damaging to research subjects or communities under study as they may be portrayed as people they’re not e. g. racist. A programme on Channel 4 called â€Å"Love thy neighbour† is a prime example. In this reality TV show, the village people partake in choosing who gets to live in their village, and as a black family were voted out, these individuals are now portrayed as being racist.However in response to this criticism it could be said that this type of research is ‘conscious raising’, and may get individuals to think twice about their actions and behaviour (Hammersley and Atkinson 1995). The Deontological approaches and dimensions of looking at ethics usually take in to consideration the participant’s rights to privacy respect and self determination that may be infringed. The discussion about privacy and rights within research has been bought to the fore front after the antagonistic response from some previously studied communities, participants and native anthropologists (Murphy and Dingwall 2007:343).Some make the assertion that the rights of the participants are not always regarded just because they have signed a consent form (Akeroyd 2008). Others go further in saying that cons ent forms don’t really protect participants; they are devised primarily to protect the researcher in an event of law action, and in many cases after signing consent forms participants will still be unaware of what the research is about and what their rights are. It is suggested that these consent forms will just reinforce the unequal relationship between the research and their subjects (Homan 1980).Furthermore Price (1996) believes that â€Å"consent forms risk jeopardizing anonymity making people more identifiable† (Murphy and Dingwall 2008:343). Ultimately consent don’t guarantee the total protection of participants identities (Akeroyd 2008). However Bulmer (1980) is a great believer in informed consent, and believes it to be an essential part of any research. Bulmer (1980) is a critic of covert research and argues that this method of research can cause a great deal of harm to participants whilst also violating their rights and autonomy; he sees this type of r esearch as a betrayal of trust.Edward Shills goes further and suggests that this invasion of privacy is a nuisance as it interferes with individual’s lives and cultures (Homan 1980:52). Furthermore critics argue that those who carry out covert research are reinforcing the idea that all social scientists are devious and untrustworthy. However although ethical review boards guidelines and some critics believe that covert research is unethical and breaching the rights of participants, Homan and other supporters of covert research believe that in some cases this research method is acceptable to use, for example a study on secretive communities.Several researchers have adopted the covert role and Laud Humphreys and his ‘Tea Room’ study is one of the most notable; however this study was subject to much scrutiny once it was published as it was seen to be breaching a tremendous amount of ethical guidelines. Questions are raised as to whether it is ethically right to dece ive participants’ but also is it ethically right that research subjects don’t get to know anything about their researchers background as they know so much about theirs. Researchers rarely disclose personal information and if they do some lie.Diane Wolf (1996) claims that many ethnographers have lied about marital status, national identities or religious beliefs; and she is one of those, as during research she lied about her marital status to her research subjects (Denzin & Lincoln 2003). Moral and ethical questions are raised asking whether it is right and proper for the researchers to have all the power in shaping, designing and undertaking studies; researchers are portrayed to be more competent due to this. It is queried whether this is really appropriate? (Denzin & Lincoln 2003).However feminist argue that to evade such a problem the research subjects should be involved in the planning stages of research and have a say in the types of questions asked. However the pr acticality and sensibility of this idea is questioned, is this really an appropriate way of dealing with the problem? Many argue not. Some suggest that this would be impractical and some participants might not want to contribute. It has further been suggested that this is an obscene idea because at the end of the day it is the researcher who has the final word on what is going to be researched (Murphy and Dingwall 2007).Although it would seem the power status between the researcher and research subjects is less reinforced and not so clear within ethnographic research in comparison to other kinds of research; there are some concerns raised about the way that ethnographers can objectify, manipulate and take advantage of research subjects either during the period of the study or in published work. However some argue that the researcher controls are not in fact a breach of the research subjects’ independence and rights, and is not manipulative in anyway (Hammersley & Atkinson 199 5).On the other hand Fine (1993:284) proposes that it is sometimes the case where female ethnographers are objectified rather than the research subjects, due to the fact we live in a sexist world. Moreover Murphy and Dingwall (2007) argue that in some cases it would seem that the research subjects manipulate and exert power over the researchers conducting ethnographic studies. They propose that this happens through refuting the researcher the privilege of conducting research on themselves or their community or through manipulating what they study and not allowing the researcher to have full responsibility and say over the research.However, although it is questionable whether there is a problem of power imbalance between the research and their research subjects, feminists have suggested ways of dealing with this. They attempt to readdress power imbalances in relationships between the researched and researcher, by not enforcing the power the researcher has and balancing relationship s tatuses, making relationships more intimate and authentic (Murphy and Dingwall 2007).However, other critics have replied to this suggesting that the development of closer, sympathetic relationships are far more unethical and dangerous as manipulation on the researchers behalf becomes far easier as participants are more likely disclose thoughts and feeling to whom they feel close to. Furthermore participants may not wish for a relationship with an individual who is researching them (Akeroyd 2008) Once the researcher has published their research findings they usually gain scholarly recognition and financial benefits, whereas the studied groups or individuals gain nothing on this level.As Richardson (1992: 116) points out Whyte is recognised as the single author to the Street Corner Society and â€Å"received all the fame and fortune†, but questions are raised queering if the publication of the study would have been possible at all without ‘Docs’ help . The fortune made in the Street Corner study could have improved ‘Docs’ life a great deal, and a small percentage of the financial could have changed his life. However once the study ended ‘Docs’ fortune did not change, as he remained jobless for practically the rest of his life and living on the bread line.However it would seem that some researchers believe that through giving participants feedback and insight to the research moral dilemma of their financial and scholarly gains are resolved. On the other hand other ethnographic researchers may not feel that this enough and share the royalties from their published work (Slack 2011). Finally a further ethical dilemma concerning ethnographic research methods is that all the data and publications are based primarily on the interpretations made by the researcher, but it is queried whether the researcher has the right to do so (Hammersley & Atkinson 1995).As Calvino (1998:257) states, communities or subjects can become †˜confrontational’ if they feel that the interpretations made of them are inaccurate and mistaken. Murphy and Dingwall (2007) claim that for research to be ethical they must produce accounts that convey the research subjects standpoints and views. However it is argued that ethnographers can and do sometimes take advantage of their empowered roles and construct their own versions of events and interpret data in ways they wish to display such groups.However in order to overcome this dilemma, it has been recommended that researchers should back their analysis and understanding with proof and verification that what was said and done did really happen (Akeroyd 2008). Therefore in conclusion, it is evident that ethnography can and does raise some ethical dilemmas causing harm and infringes the rights of many participants; however it is the duty and obligation of researchers to minimise these effects, even if they hold negative views and dislike the research subjects.Furthermore it is somewhat clear that ethnography can give valuable insights in to unexplored cultures and individuals, however on the negative side it is also seen as a damaging ‘tool’ used by those in power . It is obvious that today, unlike in the past, practically all research abides by ethical guidelines, set by ethical review boards and if they don’t researchers are held liable. Nevertheless, in the near future it is imperative that ethical guidelines should be amended so that they are specific to the issues surrounding ethnography. It is clear that this is the only way that ethnography will be almost fully ethical.