Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 28

Case Study - Essay Example The officials elected are there because of their relationship with the citizens; if they refuse to barter on behalf of those within their districts, then they are not upholding their moral responsibility to the people. It can even be argued that, as humans, we have a relationship with our environment and, therefore, a duty to uphold and protect it from harm. As the government tries to safeguard the environment it must also put to consideration the economic and financial gain they receive from Nestle Company through taxes and also providing employment to the citizens at much higher salary rates than any other company in the state. The bottled water market is worth â€Å"$6 billion in annual sales† (Barry & Shaw, 2014, p. 131), with monetary gain assured for Nestlà © if they triple their output. The company is also supplying water to the majority of the citizens in Michigan State with clean drinking water, the product they never used to have before it was launched. The company, however, has several negative impacts on the environment and entire ecosystem of Michigan State by increasing its pumping rate from 130 gallons per minute to 400 gallons per minute. Over a continuous period, the number of fish in the water body will decrease drastically due to water shortage and hence fishing will also be edged out of the economy of the state. Ideas relevant in this debate would be environmental justice and equity for the people in Michigan communities. If water rapidly disappears, it also becomes an issue of efficiency with the renewability of supplies becoming in question. Nestlà © has to deal with customer satisfaction, but also the satisfaction of their state business partners. It should work on modalities of moderating their production in manner that they will serve the customers to satisfaction and generate enough profit while at the same time conserving the environment not to infringe on other people’s right to use the water

Monday, October 28, 2019

Culture debasing Essay Example for Free

Culture debasing Essay The mass media is constantly around us, through newspapers and magazines, the internet, television and film etc. these are used by us everyday in our spare time and academic work. So are we influenced by this form of secondary socialisation in our lives to create a mass culture? And does this mass culture debase ordinary culture? In this essay I will use secondary research and my own opinion to answer this question. The media itself plays a big part in creating images through the way they report and advertise consumer products and moral panics. I feel that the type of media presentation demonstrated influences different subcultures into believing that what they are seeing is true, hence the change in their attitudes to different topics, music and fashion. Especially young people today can be nai ve and believe everything they see or hear on television or the internet, which could cause primary socialisation to change for the children, because of these views. This mass culture, I believe could destroy and make an ordinary culture into extinction through too much influence of babble and consumer products on television. Although you could ask what is ordinary and normal? Normal does not have a clear definition; as no one is completely normal, but ordinary seems to be defined as routine or customary, so an ordinary culture is considered the norm way of living. So what is mass culture? An extra- ordinary way people live, or is it a negative perception of some peoples choice of life? By using the textbook seventh edition Sociology Themes and Perspectives. I found that the development of the media was debasing the culture of ordinary people, which could cause problems for western societies. This comment could back up my opinion of a negative effect of media through a mass culture which could destroy the traditional thoughts and practices of western life. Dwight Macdonald had a theory about mass culture. He claimed that mass culture was very different from high culture and folk art. He states that mass culture is standardized and a commercial kitsch (popular culture which could be considered worthless) used by business to create a profit. This shows that Macdonald as well as I believe that mass culture is kitsch- worthless babble used to sell products, which also influences or brainwashes people into believing that anything merchandised is right or sick as teenagers of today say. Dwight also stated that mass culture takes less mental effort and that it tended to undermine high culture. So basically he is saying that mass culture is maybe for a different class of person.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

My Family :: Personal Narrative essay about myself

Have you ever been influenced by some important person that helped you be the person that you are today? I have been. The people that have had influence on me are the most important humans beings, my family. But before I begin talking about my family, I want to describe to you the place that we spend most of the time together which also means something important to me and my family. This place is called the family room. This room is small but cozy. It is painted in white and has three windows decorated with beautiful curtains. By the windows you can appreciate a nice view of some beautiful trees and a nice pool. On the walls there are some family photos like the ones that show where my brothers and I were born, my graduation photo, some family members photos like my grandparents, and some paintings made by one of my brothers. Also inside this room there is a nice home theater that includes a nice stereo and TV, and a new compact computer. But this is not all, this room has some very comfortable furniture and I can say that they are comfortable because I use them to watch TV, a movie, or just sit and rest. Also the furniture is used by my brothers to sit and play nitendo, to study, or play with the computer. But from all this furniture there is one chair that is the most cozy chair that I have ever sat upon and that is my father's chair. So this is our room, which is very important to us and has a lot of special things, but the most special part of this room is when it brings my family together. I could begin the book of my life with a picture of my parents. They are important because they helped in my development. Also, they gave me the things that I needed to grow up in the moment that I needed and they still gave me everything that I needed to become somebody in the future. Among these things is the education that I have received all in my life, my basic needs like food, clothes, medicine, a place to live, and the most important thing, the love. Like for example, by being there when I needed somebody to talk to and giving me speeches when I do something wrong.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Account for the success of pop music in Britain

Pop music is music charted by the number of sales, plays, etc that the song receives. It is not a particular genre or style of music, but simply the most popular for the tracked period of time, and usually targets a wide audience. To begin with I am going to discuss the history behind pop music from mid 1950's to the 1970's. In the mid-1950s, Britain was still feeling the pain of the war, with food and money shortages, and difficulty still part of daily life. Britain as a country was also in financial trouble, the economy was in bad shape. This was a grey time, and young British people/ British ‘kids' had no dreams, and they could only copy the images which they saw on television or in the media from the life of kids in America. These young Americans would be driving their own cars, and wearing the latest fashionable clothes. The British youth would watch and hear the latest ‘Rock ‘N Roll' music sounds from the States with artists such as Elvis Presley. During the 1950's British children had no a separate youth culture from their parents. The transition between child and adult was nothing huge or spectacular. The way that young people dressed was almost the same as their parents. They were not a separate group with their own values and customs. British youth culture was small, and was totally dominated by American trends and styles. The British music industry in the 1950's relied heavily on American music which led to British copies, of American-style music. The music industry was controlled from London but was out of touch with the needs and wants of the youth of Britain. However, even in this atmosphere, a uniquely ‘British' musical trend emerged in late 1956-57; this was called ‘Skiffle', (a kind of simple folk music played by a small group (friends), mainly with rhythmic accompaniment, usually a washboard to a singing guitarist). This simple style was easy for teenagers to play, just one guitar, and someone who could vaguely keep a rhythm on a washboard. Skiffle was made famous by Glasgow-born Lonnie Donegan. Lonnie was hugely popular and, an inspiration to the musical youth of Britain. There are many famous musicians and groups e.g. Eric Clapton (is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and co mposer. He is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th centuryy) who all say that Lonnie Donegan was a big influence on them. Music was different between the South of London compared to the North. In the cities outside of London, especially Liverpool, but also Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle had a musical revolution. In Liverpool, a ‘music culture' very different and separate from London was happening. In the North, the kids loved Rhythm ‘N' Blues, and Rock ‘N Roll, not the easy listening music that they had in the south. By the early 1960's northern cities had a large and highly competitive band scene emerging in which hundreds of ‘local' bands tried to find and perform the latest imported songs from America. Indeed it is often said that American Blues music, the music of black people, was originally from America but was found not popular but when it came over to Britain it succeeded to be popular and that's when Americans accepted it and then began to like it. In Liverpool, the music they played was a mix of the American music with a touch of the ‘Mersey' and ‘Liverpool' individualism. The concept of a ‘Mersey beat' was born. By the 1960's there were so many great groups in this Mersey scene such as ‘The Beatles' and everyone young in Britain decided they were number one. The Beatles went to America, and once The Beatles had ‘cracked' the American market, their success just kept flowing. Suddenly Britain, (mainly London), was ‘swinging', in the ‘swinging 60's'. Britain became the centre of the music and fashion world. There was a genuine energy, creativity and optimism which was totally the opposite of the mood of a few years before. The economy that influenced the music industry; in the early 1960's, the economy of Britain took off. Britain became a rich country; everybody had jobs and money, including the young people. In particular the youth of Britain had started to get more money, and acquire spending power and became independent. This meant that they bought more clothes and records. Young people became big business, and record companies and fashion companies wanted young people to buy their products and so advertising the message of youth. Britain succeeded largely when the US president John F. Kennedy was assassinated and it left America in a state of shock, without a sense of direction and vulnerable. The Americans looked to England for musical and artistic inspiration, and so Britain became dominant within the music industry. The impact of US films and music inspired a series of spectacular and distinctly British youth subcultures from the mid-50's to the late-70's. Many groups decided to drop out of British society. They decided to make their own small societies in Britain. Some wanted to change the whole country as well. In 1953 became the creation of ‘Teddy Boys/Girls' this was the first youth group in Britain. They dressed with a Rockabilly' style and with ‘quiffs', influenced by Elvis Presley, accessories such as flick-knives, crepe sole shoes, and they were typically from working-class London. They were not so revolutionary but rather violent. Therefore in Britain in the 1950's there was no real pop or rock music however in 1960's pop and rock music in Britain was the biggest, or second biggest revolution in the world. The culture of the 1960's was the hippies. The hippy values were a reaction to ‘money' and ‘normality'. These values were peace and love. The music of their interest was ‘The Beatles', ‘The Who', and ‘Jimmy Hendrix'. In 1963 became the ‘Mods' a Jamaican-rude boy/Italian-cool style, and US soul. The music that interested them were; ‘The small faces', ‘The who' and ‘Scooters'. This group were typically from a working-class background in London. The type of fashion they led was Fashion-Green army parkas, and Italian suits. In 1976-1979 became ‘The Punks', their interest was of artists such as ‘Sex pistols', ‘The clash' and ‘Bondage'. Their led a fashion of leather jackets and trousers with a ripped effect held back with safety pins. The 1980's was the return influences of pop which was having a greater impact in this decade than ever before. Hits in the US charts came from the UK, from artists such as â€Å"George Michael -Careless Whisper†, â€Å"Wham-Wake Me Up Before You Go Go† (both 1984), â€Å"George Harrison-Got My Mind Set on You† and â€Å"Rick Astley-Never Gonna Give You Up† (both 1988). The rock genre delivered a good number of pop hits this decade, with bands otherwise protective of their roots delivering briefly into commercialism. An example is a British-American rock band â€Å"Foreigner- I Want to Know What Love Is† (1985). One of the big trends in UK pop music this decade was the success of the boy band and girl band's, with early successes being Manchester's Take That and Ireland's Boyzone. The Spice Girls had their first hits in 1996 and dominated the next few years with many hit singles, and by the end of the decade there were many others, from boy bands Westlife and Five to girl bands B*Witched and All Saints. Many popular songs came from female artists. A few of the most significant are ‘Sinead O'Connor- Nothing compares to you' (1990), and the ‘Spice Girls- Wannabe' (1996). Following-up on the positive results of the eighties, songs from movie soundtracks continued to be popular. Defining hits of the genre include ‘Bryan Adams- Everything I do (I do it for you)' for Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves (1991). Pop became truly international in the nineties, with hits coming from diverse and distant locations but from Britain was; ‘Chesney Hawkes- The one and only' (1991), and ‘Babylon Zoo- Spaceman' (1996). Plus one of the best selling singles of all time, ‘Elton John- Candle in the Wind' (1997); Other British success was of the Spice Girls who have since become Pop icons, with Global hits such as â€Å"Wannabe† and â€Å"2 Become 1†. In the first decade of the twenty-first century Female singers have had a big successful influence on the pop music, with rhythmic ballads, hip hop pieces and dance tracks, some include; ‘Dannii Minogue- I begin to wonder', and ‘Sophie Ellis Bextor- Murder on the dance floor' both in 2001. A female band called ‘Girls Aloud' created by ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. Have become one of the most successful British pop groups of the decade, with a record-breaking 18 consecutive Top 10 singles (including three number ones) and five platinum albums (including a number one). They are Smash Hits poll winners, have won a TMF Award and have been nominated for two BRIT Awards. Girls Aloud hold the record for the shortest time between formation and reaching number one in the UK Charts (with their platinum-selling dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½but single â€Å"Sound of the Underground†), and have since become one of the few reality television groups to achieve continued success. For a contemporary pop group manufactured on reality television they have received unprecedented praise from broadsheet newspapers and the rock music press, with publications including the Observer Music Monthly and the NME giving their music rave reviews. The Observer has referred to â€Å"Bio logy† as the single of the decade. Traditional rock and modern rock made forays into pop with consecrated artists and newcomers both introducing songs to the pop music, ‘Franz Ferdinand-Take me out' was a good example. Franz Ferdinand is an indie rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 2001. The band first experienced chart success when their second single â€Å"Take Me Out† which I mentioned above reached #3 in the UK Charts, followed by their debut album Franz Ferdinand which debuted on the UK album chart at #3. Entirely digital productions integrated new technology and sounds, and as electronic (electro) dance music entered the mainstream, pop artists started using producers and re-mixers which contributed their styles to the genre an example were the ‘Gorillaz-Feel good inc'. Britain hit the pop charts with artists such as ‘Robbie Williams-feel good' (2003), ‘James Blunt- You're beautiful' (2005), and ‘James Morrison- You give me something' (2006). I conclude that Britain have been very successful within pop music, but with a very competitive competition against America. I personally felt that for each decade Britain increased their success within pop and it was down to many aspects but mainly to the talented artists in Britain and the individuality within the music itself.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

JPMorgan Chase Essay

JPMorgan Chase is one of the oldest and most respected banks in the United States. However, during the summer of 2012 Chase announced trading losses and bad investment decisions that resulted in a loss of approximately $5.8 billion. Not only did they report this substantial loss they admitted to falsifying their first quarter reports, were they where attempting to conceal the massive loss. Three months prior to this event JPMorgan Chase was viewed as the top American bank. The first question to be discussed in this paper will be what actions can Administrative Agencies such the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and or the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) take to prevent high risk gambles in securities/banking which are one of the main cornerstones of this country’s economy. According to the SEC, their â€Å"main mission is to protect investors, to maintain fair, orderly, efficient markets and facilitate capital formation† (www.sec.gov) One of the ways that SEC does this is by requiring public companies to disclose meaningful financial information to the public to help the public decide which companies will be the best to invest in. In response to the JPMorgan Chase revelation SEC Chairperson Mary Shapiro told the Senate Banking Committee that â€Å"her agency’s investigation is limited, because the trades happened in divisions of the banking giant that are not subject to SEC regulation†. She also stated that â€Å"we (the SEC) did not have any direct oversight or knowledge of the transactions†. In addition to the above statements Ms. Shapiro stated that â€Å"the SEC’s investigation would target the appropriateness and completeness of the entity’s (JPMorgan Chase) financial reporting and other public disclosure s† (Liberto, 2012). Next I will discuss the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) main purpose as well as some of its other responsibilities. The Commodity and Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC)  main purpose is to regulate commodity futures and options markets. Its goals include the promotion of competitive and efficient futures markets and the protection of investors against manipulation, abusive trade practices and fraud (www.sec.gov). Gary Gensler, chairman of the CFTC told the Senate Banking Committee that â€Å"he couldn’t provide specific information about the investigation, but he did say that he first learned about the questionable trades from press reports. He also stated that the CFTC does not have regulators on the ground to look at bank trades yet. Chairman Gensler also told the Banking Committee that currently, the American public is not protected in that way (e.g. having regulators looking at the trades as they happen) (Liberto, 2012). Regulators have been struggling for months trying to figure out who should be included in a new crackdown on swaps and derivatives. Swaps and derivatives are complex financial bets derived from other financial products. Gensler made it clear that once the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reforms are fully implemented it will be illegal for JPMorgan Chase to make the kinds of trades that resulted in the $5.8 billion loss. He also clarified that Dodd-Frank allows for trades made to hedge against â€Å"individual and aggregate positions† – not to guard against future economic losses, as the JPMorgan trades have been described (Liberto, 2012). Next I will cover the elements of a valid contract, as well as discuss how consumers and banks each have a duty of god faith and fair dealing in the banking relationship â€Å"A contract is a legally enforceable promise or set of promises. If the promise is broken, the person to whom the promise was mad – the promise – has certain legal rights against the person who made the promise – the promisor† (Bagley, 2012). There are 4 basic elements to a contract and they are: 1) offer and acceptance, 2) consideration, 3) both parties must have the capacity to enter into a contract, 4) the contract must have a legal purpose. â€Å"The offer is a manifestation of willingness to enter into a bargain that justifies another person in understanding that his or her assent will conclude the bargain† (Bagley, 2012). Acceptance indicates the receiving person’s willingness to enter into the agreement proposed in the offer (Bagley, 2012). Consideration is something of value that is provided by both parties (Bagley, 2012). Lastly, a valid contract requires that both parties have the capacity to enter into the agreement (Bagley, 2012. Next I will discuss the duty of god faith and fair dealing  in the consumer/banking relationship. Prior to 1929, Massachusetts expressly provided that good faith was applicable to all contracts. In 1929, the Supreme Judicial Court, in addressing a breach of contract claim under an option agreement for the purchase of stock in an oil-producing leasehold, expressly stated, for the first time, that there was an obligation of good faith and fair dealing in all contracts. The court emphasized that a business contract â€Å"is to be interpreted as a business transaction entered into by practical men to accomplish an honest and straightforward end†. Beginning in 1936, the duty of good faith was defined as a covenant â€Å"that neither party shall do anything which will have the effect of destroying or injuring the right of the other party to receive the fruits of the contract†. This â€Å"fruits† articulation of the duty of good faith remains intact today and is regularly quoted as the operative standard (Weigand, 2013). The next topic is to compare and contrast the differences between intentional and negligent tort actions. There are several types of intentional torts and they are: torts against persons, intentional torts that involve personal property, and intentional torts with regard to economic interest and business relationships. There are also several types of negligent torts. Two of which are: duty to rescue and duty to invitees. Intentional torts against consist of battery, assault, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and invasion of privacy. The key word in all of these intentional torts is intent or purpose to cause harm to another. Intentional torts against property include trespass of land, nuisance, conversion, and trespass to personal property. Intent and purpose are also why these are considered intentional. The key difference between these two torts is that one is against people and the other is a misuse of another’s property. An individual has to purpose commit these acts. Negligent torts consist of different types of duties. Duty is when a person with a legal duty to another is required to act, reasonably, under the circumstances to avoid harming the other person. Some examples of this are duty to rescue and duty to invitees. Duties are basically an obligation that one person is legally bound to perform for another. In comparing the two types of torts we find that intentional torts are torts that people commit against other people. Negligence also others but it is a failure to perform that causes the injury or unjust action. An  example of this comparison is the intentional tort of battery and failure to perform the duty to rescue. When I commit battery I cause harm to another, when I fail to perform the duty to rescue the other individual also suffers harm but it is because I failed to act. In contrast intentional torts are actions committed against another and negligence is when I fail to take action on another. Next I will discuss the tort action of â€Å"interference with contractual relations and participating in a breach of fiduciary duty†. Interference with contractual relations protects the right to enjoy the benefits of legal ly binding agreements. It provides a remedy when the defendant intentionally induces another person to breach a contract with a plaintiff. Interference with contractual relations requires intent to interfere. The existence of a contract is the difference between tortuous interference and the more difficult to prove tortuous interference with prospective contractual relations. The most famous case of tortuous interference was Pennzoil v Texaco which occurred in 1983 (Bagley, 2013). Similarly a defendant who knowingly participates in, or induces a breach of fiduciary duty by another commits the tort of participation in a breach of fiduciary duty. Lastly, I believe that if god grounds exist for the interference, such as exists in the JPMorgan Chase case then I should be able to prevail in the tort action. Lastly, I will cover how banks protect the software that allows for online transactions. Most banks protect the customers who participate in online transactions through what is called the Online Banking Guarantee. This protection covers your banking and personal information. It is the banks responsibility to ensure the customers protection while the customer engages in online transactions. In most if not all case the customer is 100% covered in the case of theft of funds. One of main defenses for software protection is through complex encryption systems. Another deterrent is simply the vast amount of software that is available for online banking. So between the wide array of software and encryption systems online banking transaction are relatively safe. In this paper I have covered several topics and they are as follows: What actions Administrative Agency’s take to be effective in preventing high-risk gambles in securities and banking, the elements of a valid contract and the duty of good faith and fair dealing between banks and consumers, comparing and contrasting intentional and negligent torts, the tort action of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Interference with contractual relations and participating in a breach of fiduciary duty, and lastly, how banks protect the software that they use for online banking. References Bagley, C. (2013). Managers and the Legal Environment: Strategies for the 21st Century, 7th Edition. Mason: South-Western, Cengage Learning. Liberto, J. (2012) CNN Money. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2013, from http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/22/news/economy/jp-morgan-senate/index.htm U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2013, from U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission: http://www.cftc.gov/index.htm U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2013, from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: http://www.sec.gov/ Weigand, T. (2013) . The Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealng in Commercial Contracts in Massachusetts, Massachusetts Law Review. Retrieved 10Sep13

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Blackadder Goes Forth Ending Essay Example

Blackadder Goes Forth Ending Essay Example Blackadder Goes Forth Ending Paper Blackadder Goes Forth Ending Paper A situation comedy, or a sit-com, is a comedy series projected from radio or television. The programme itself is based upon how characters react to unusual or comic situations. Situation comedies follow specific characters that encounter situations and then they try and deal with them. In each episode of a situation comedy, the story follows the same characters. Most situation comedies are set in a specific place that forms the set for every episode. A flat is commonly used in situation comedies for the set. Popular examples of flat share situation comedies are Only Fools and Horses and Friends. These two sit-coms are extremely popular, and both are set in a flat. Situation comedies used to form gaps in between more important shows. This was soon changed as the demand for sit-coms massively grew. They are now one of the most dominant television genres around. Blackadder is a situation comedy. It is a most unusual sit-com as in each series the scene is based on a different timeline. Blackadder has been through Elizabethan times, many other timelines and important historical times, and then ends up with the final series in World War One. Most other sit-coms dont do this instead each of their different series is set on the same timeline and in the same place. This is one of the points that make Blackadder different, as in each series the eager watchers dont know what to expect. Blackadder goes forth is also different from the usual sit-com as it is the same situation every episode. The majority of sit-coms dont do this, instead they are based in the same place, but with a different humorous situation with which the characters have to deal with. In Blackadder Goes Forth the situation is exactly the same just the characters deal with it differently. The situation is that Blackadder himself is trying to escape and relieve himself of the hideous atrocities of the First World War. Of course like in any other sit-com, things go very wrong for him and comic experiences pop up along the way. Altogether Blackadder fits into the situation comedy genre in a sense, as it is a sit-com, but is totally different from the majority of other sit-coms. Blackadder has a different story every episode, involves the same characters in every episode, and takes place in the same place in every episode. The differences of Blackadder to the mainstream of sit-coms are shown obviously. This is shown in many ways; one is that Blackadder is set in different historical time in each different series. This attracts viewers to watch Blackadder, because they want to see something new rather than the usual flat share show with people shouting bawdy jokes. This is why the producers of Blackadder have made the show different from the usual sit-com. Another reason why Blackadder is different from most sit-coms is that the situation is the same in every episode of Blackadder. Nearly every other sit-com has different situations and different ways in which the characters tackle these situations. Blackadder Goes Forth doesnt. The situation is of Blackadder trying to escape the war in any way he can. He tries lots of different approaches to deal with his problem, but every episode he fails. This becomes very amusing as no matter how hard he tries; he just cant get out of fighting in the war. Another very important feature in Blackadder that is dissimilar to other sit-coms is the way that even though the scene is set on a historical time scale, Blackadder still has 20th Century views. All the other characters in the whole programme have views of life that relate to the time scale that they are set in, while Blackadder has views of life that we would. This is what makes Blackadder so hilarious to us, as we can relate to precisely what Blackadder is saying and thinking, while all the other characters in the play are trapped in that time zone with historical thoughts, Blackadder makes fun of all the stupid things that happened within that time zone and has the same views and points to express as we do. The one other reason why Blackadder Goes Forth doesnt fit well into the genre of situation comedies is that Blackadder uses satirical comments and elements throughout the programmes. This makes the programme extremely funny, but also makes a point in which we can understand and learn from. Satire is using humour or exaggeration to show what it is bad about a person or thing. Blackadder uses this strongly in all of its episodes in all of its series. Blackadder: Well George, I strongly suspect your long wait for certain death is nearly at an end This is portraying the scene that everyone who wanted action in the war is going to be sent to his or her deaths. The reason why the produces of Blackadder decided to make different historical time scales for their series was possibly so they could use satire to make a point about those different time lines. With Blackadder using satire in this way it gives viewers the humour and hilarity that we get and love from all sit-coms, but also spreading a point across the country about how bad those situations were and how badly our ancestors handled them. So the reason why Blackadder is a funny character is because he is the only sane man and fools surround him. This makes us learn from mistakes that have happened in the past but also provides us with the amusement that we want when we watch a sit-com. Satirical elements are present in Blackadder, even in the title sequence at the start of each episode. There are many satirical elements in the title sequence; the first one being the two rows of five men marching after a sergeant majors command. The first row of soldiers is bandsmen wearing the traditional red colours of the English army. The second row of soldiers is armed forces, wearing the up-to-date camouflage green. This is satirizing the tactics of the British army. The way in which Blackadder does this is by having the bandsmen in red marching in front of the armed forces, it symbolizes that the bandsmen are more important. It shows that playing instruments and wearing smart colours and clothes into battle is more important then staying undetected with camouflage and looking scruffy. This satirizes British tactics and approach to war. It also shows that the British army is out of date, as fighting in bright colours was a thing of the past, showing that the commanders were just old forgotten war heroes who needed to be slapped up-to-date if they wanted to keep their men alive. It also satirizes the fact that blood is to come for those soldiers are behind. The blood red of the bandsmen shirts marching in front of the armed forces means that blood is to come for them and pour from their bullet stricken bodies. There is a character in Blackadder Goes Forth, named baldrick. In the title sequence he is out of place in the band and is franticly running around to find his place. Baldrick is a private in the army. This satirizes the privates as being stupid and out of place fighting in such a war. Also that Baldrick is in the band, and not in the armed forces row like he should be satirizes that he is out of place in the army, and will do more good playing a triangle in a parade. As baldrick is out of place, there is still no place for him in the ranks of men as both are of equal numbers and there is no more room for him. This emphases the point even more that the dim privates are out of place in the war, and they shouldnt be put there, as they dont understand it. How can a man be expected to shoot if he cant even find a place in a band? This is the satirizing point that Blackadder is making when the character baldrick is out of position. Also in the title sequence General Melchett and Captain Darling are standing atop a podium watching the soldiers march. General Melchett is wearing cavalry clothes. This satirizes the generals in the war by showing that they are out of touch and out of date with the tactics of war. They still think that cavalry are the best option to winning a battle, but now that machine guns have been invented cavalry are useless. Yet the generals do not know this, and assume that old tactics are good, but they arent. Captain Darling is cowering behind the General. This satirizes the Captains in the war. This shows that they were cowards and used the Generals as protection to stop them having to fight. Further on in the title sequence Lieutenant George is smiling in a childish way as he marches forwards. This is satirizing the pompous Lieutenants. Showing that they believe that war is just a game, and they should enjoy every minute off it. This is of course the wrong attitude to take to war, as you killed be obliterated any second. Aside from the title sequence, the whole programme contains satirical elements throughout its course, one of these being the living conditions of the soldiers shown in the programme. Blackadder opens up the programme of the last ever episode of Blackadder goes forth with: Hullo, Somme Public Baths. No running, shouting or piddling in the shallow end. Aside from this being droll, it also makes a great satirical point on how the living conditions of the soldiers actually were. The soldiers were caked in mud up to their elbows and sopping wet with the continuous moral beating rain. It satirizes how bad the living conditions really were by basically saying it was wet, and the rain was the least of the soldiers problems at that time. Private baldrick explains that the coffee that all the soldiers have been drinking for months is actually hot mud. He also describes what each of the elements of the coffee is. He states that the milk is saliva, the sugar is dandruff and although he doesnt state what the chocolate sprinklings are, he gives us a very good idea of what they could be! All this satirizes the living conditions of the poor soldiers that had to live in here day in and day out. They were soaked in rain, encrusted in mud, and drinking hot mire with all manner of things inside, but worst of all being pounded by shells all day long. Blackadder Goes Forth also satirizes everyones attitudes to war. Starting with the Generals, they had the worst attitude towards war. As the Generals were not in the trenches and not experiencing the horrors of war, they had no idea what it was like. The generals still thought war was what it used to be, fighting against unarmed enemies that cant win the fight. As general Melchett explains, That pigmy woman with the sharpened mango could have seriously Apart from this being comical, it has a real satirizing point to it. The old wars in which the English used to fight were against aborigines with no weapons other than maybe a spear. The English couldnt really loose a battle against such little an opposition, and from that day they thought they could win any battle that faced them, as they were full of themselves over their glorious victories. This is the attitude that the generals still possessed when commanding in World War One, especially in the Somme area that Blackadder goes forth is set. It satirizes the generals lack of understanding of modern warfare, and shows how they believe they will always win. In the episode Goodbyeee, Field Marshall Haig is playing with toy soldiers. This is satirizing the generals perspective of warfare, and apart from it being hilarious it proves just what the generals were like. They thought that war was a game and that it didnt matter who won or lost. This is shown as Haig knocks over a handful of the plastic soldiers on his model battlefield. Blackadder himself satirizes the advance and progress the army has made while at war, Weve advanced as far as an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping. Apart from this being droll, it satirizes how far the army progresses with such stupid and out of date tactics and childish generals. This relates highly to World War One as the army progressed about a few inches a year, as the generals just didnt know what to do. Another main thing that is satirized is the ranks of different troops. With the generals, they thought that war was just a game. This is shown and satirized in Blackadder by the way the general plays with toy soldiers. He used this as his tactics, moving individual toys and then knocking them over in one fell swoop. This actually shows that he expected his men to die, but sent them in regardless of the consequences, as he was bored of sitting in one place for a long period of time. Being incredibly child-like satirizes the lieutenants. This is shown in the character George. He is satirizing the pompous upper-class lieutenant. He always has a silly grin on his face and relates everything that happens in the war to a well know game of some sort. He even states that he played tiddly winks when signing up to volunteer for the war. He makes such remarks as by saying, we ducked and we dived. This is satirizing views of many soldiers in the war, as they just didnt have a clue about what it was really like. They just thought it was like participating in a sport match, and whatever the outcome, no one would get hurt, but how wrong they were. The other rank that is displayed and satirized in Blackadder is the private. Baldrick plays this role, and acts as the dim private, which is exactly what he is. He is always one step behind everyone else, in the mental way, and in the literal way. As in the title sequence he is behind everyone, and in the speeches he is behind everyone. He is satirizing the low-class dim private. At the end of the last episode Goodbyeee, just before they are about to go over the top, baldrick is more concerned about getting a splinter while climbing the ladder then getting mowed down in a hail of lead by a machine gun. This is because he doesnt understand what is going on. This is satirizing the fact that the dim people shouldnt be there, because if they dont understand what they are doing, how can they possibly fight? Captain Blackadder plays the other rank. He is the only commonsensical man in the whole warfare situation. This is how Blackadder is made funny, as he satirizes everything around him and makes fun of everything. He shares our views of the war, and tries in vain to get out of fighting just as we would, but to no amend, as the generals cant understand why he would possibly not want to go out and fight. This satirizes the generals lack of understanding. Fools surround Blackadder, this satirizes that everyone fighting was a fool, and with such stupid people everywhere, how can they win the war. It also satirizes that no one understands the war, no matter how clever or how high rank. And that everyone is as stupid as the private as they have no idea to fight a war more than he does. The equipment is the last thing that is satirized. This is done by the sticks that the higher ranking officers hold. These sticks do nothing at all. I wouldnt want to face a machine gun without one of these George explains to Blackadder. This is satirizing the fact that some of the equipment had no purpose, and some of the people didnt have a clue what a machine gun could actually do to you.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on The Moon

The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth: orbit: 384,400 km from Earth diameter: 3476 km mass: 7.35e22 kg Called Luna by the Romans, Selene and Artemis by the Greeks, and many other names in other mythologies. The Moon, of course, has been known since prehistoric times. It is the second brightest object in the sky after the Sun. As the Moon orbits around the Earth once per month, the angle between the Earth, the Moon and the Sun changes; we see this as the cycle of the Moon's phases. The time between successive new moons is 29.5 days (709 hours), slightly different from the Moon's orbital period (measured against the stars) since the Earth moves a significant distance in its orbit around the Sun in that time. Due to its size and composition, the Moon is sometimes classified as a terrestrial "planet" along with Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The Moon was first visited by the Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 in 1959. It is the only extraterrestrial body to have been visited by humans. The first landing was on July 20, 1969 (do you remember where you were?); the last was in December 1972. The Moon is also the only body from which samples have been returned to Earth. In the summer of 1994, the Moon was very extensively mapped by the little spacecraft Clementine and again in 1999 by Lunar Prospector. The gravitational forces between the Earth and the Moon cause some interesting effects. The most obvious is the tides. The Moon's gravitational attraction is stronger on the side of the Earth nearest to the Moon and weaker on the opposite side. Since the Earth, and particularly the oceans, is not perfectly rigid it is stretched out along the line toward the Moon. From our perspective on the Earth's surface we see two small bulges, one in the direction of the Moon and one directly opposite. The effect is much stronger in the ocean water than in the solid crust so the water bulges are higher. And because the Earth rotates much faster than the Moon... Free Essays on The Moon Free Essays on The Moon The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth: orbit: 384,400 km from Earth diameter: 3476 km mass: 7.35e22 kg Called Luna by the Romans, Selene and Artemis by the Greeks, and many other names in other mythologies. The Moon, of course, has been known since prehistoric times. It is the second brightest object in the sky after the Sun. As the Moon orbits around the Earth once per month, the angle between the Earth, the Moon and the Sun changes; we see this as the cycle of the Moon's phases. The time between successive new moons is 29.5 days (709 hours), slightly different from the Moon's orbital period (measured against the stars) since the Earth moves a significant distance in its orbit around the Sun in that time. Due to its size and composition, the Moon is sometimes classified as a terrestrial "planet" along with Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The Moon was first visited by the Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 in 1959. It is the only extraterrestrial body to have been visited by humans. The first landing was on July 20, 1969 (do you remember where you were?); the last was in December 1972. The Moon is also the only body from which samples have been returned to Earth. In the summer of 1994, the Moon was very extensively mapped by the little spacecraft Clementine and again in 1999 by Lunar Prospector. The gravitational forces between the Earth and the Moon cause some interesting effects. The most obvious is the tides. The Moon's gravitational attraction is stronger on the side of the Earth nearest to the Moon and weaker on the opposite side. Since the Earth, and particularly the oceans, is not perfectly rigid it is stretched out along the line toward the Moon. From our perspective on the Earth's surface we see two small bulges, one in the direction of the Moon and one directly opposite. The effect is much stronger in the ocean water than in the solid crust so the water bulges are higher. And because the Earth rotates much faster than the Moon...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The History of Chinese New Year

The History of Chinese New Year The most important holiday in Chinese culture around the world is undoubtedly Chinese New Year, and it all started out of fear. The centuries-old legend of the origins of the Chinese New Year celebration varies from teller to teller, but every telling includes a story of a terrible mythical monster preying on villagers. The lion-like monster’s name was Nian (Ã¥ ¹ ´), which is also the Chinese word for â€Å"year. The stories include a wise old man who counsels the villagers to ward off the evil Nian by making loud noises with drums and firecrackers and by hanging red paper cutouts and scrolls on their doors, because Nian is scared of the color red. The villagers took the old man’s advice and Nian was conquered. On the anniversary of the date, the Chinese recognize the â€Å"passing of the Nian,† known in Chinese as guo nian (è ¿â€¡Ã¥ ¹ ´), which is synonymous with celebrating the new year. Lunar Calendar The date of Chinese New Year changes each year because its based on the lunar calendar. While the western Gregorian calendar is based on the Earth’s orbit around the sun, the date of Chinese New Year is determined according to the moon’s orbit around the Earth. Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Other Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam also celebrate the new year using the lunar calendar. While Buddhism and Daoism have unique customs during the New Year, Chinese New Year is far older than both religions. As with many agrarian societies, Chinese New Year is rooted in a celebration of spring, like Easter or Passover. Depending on where its grown, the rice season in China lasts roughly from May to September (north China), April to October (Yangtze River Valley), or March to November (Southeast China). The New Year was likely the start of preparations for a new growing season. Spring cleaning is a common theme during this time. Many Chinese families clean out their homes during the holiday. The New Year celebration could also have been a way to break up the boredom of the long winter months. Traditional Customs On Chinese New Year, families travel long distances to meet and make merry. Known as the Spring movement or Chunyun (æ˜ ¥Ã¨ ¿ ), a great migration takes place in China during this period as many travelers brave crowds to get to their hometowns. Though the holiday is actually just a week long, traditionally its celebrated as a 15-day holiday when firecrackers are lit, drums are heard on the streets, red lanterns glow at night, and red paper cutouts and calligraphy hang on doors. Children are also given  red envelopes  containing money. Many cities around the world hold New Year parades complete with dragon and lion dances. Celebrations conclude on the 15th day with the Lantern Festival. Food is an important component of New Year. Traditional foods to eat include nian gao  (sweet sticky rice cake) and savory dumplings.   Chinese New Year vs. Spring Festival In China, New Year celebrations are synonymous with Spring Festival (æ˜ ¥Ã¨Å â€š or chÃ… «n jià ©), which is typically a week-long celebration. The origins of this renaming from Chinese New Year to â€Å"Spring Festival† are fascinating and not widely known. In 1912 the newly formed Chinese Republic, governed by the Nationalist Party, renamed the traditional holiday Spring Festival to get the Chinese people to transition into celebrating the Western New Year. During this period, many Chinese intellectuals felt that modernization meant doing all things as the West did. When the Communists took over power in 1949, the celebration of New Year was viewed as feudalistic and steeped in religion, not proper for an atheist China. Under the Chinese Communist Party, Chinese New Year wasnt celebrated some years. By the late 1980s, however, as China began liberalizing its economy, Spring Festival celebrations became big business. Since 1982, China Central Television has held an annual New Year’s Gala which is televised across the country and via satellite to the world. Over the years, the government has made several changes to its holiday system. The May Day holiday was increased and then shortened to one day, and the National Day holiday was made three days instead of two. More traditional holidays, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day, are emphasized. The only week-long holiday that was maintained is Spring Festival.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Achieving water neutrality in the Severn Trent region (technical Assignment

Achieving water neutrality in the Severn Trent region (technical report) - Assignment Example The second vital factor is the consideration of the accessibility of water resources both in the future and in the present-day, which can be used to meet the demand for water in areas of Wales and England. Severn Trent serves to bring in water neutrality and efficiency, and it occupies most of the East midland regions. Keeping new developments in mind, the notion of water neutrality serves as a crucial concept. This is so basing the ideologies on water resource management. It can be termed as offsetting the demand for water in a certain community at hand by making existing buildings and homes in the region, to an increasing extent, more water efficient (Environment Agency, 2007). In simpler terms, the up to date house developments should be equivalent to the total demand for water in a certain area. Notably, most studies undertaken on water neutrality have a background related to the definition of the notion. It is imperative to note that the Environment Agency performed a study on the possibility of attaining water neutrality in the Thames Gateway region (Community and Local Government, 2007). This served as a crucial part of the government policy for housing growth which targeted the betterment of the affordability of housing. In order to address this issue, the government’s 2007 Green Paper on Housing was tasked with devising a policy to establish over 3 million new homes by the year 2020. This was to be achieved by working with the rate of 240,000 homes annually. This paper delves to pinpoint that the auxiliary increment in housing would have to be planned for pre-existing Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) for recent and existing eco-towns as well as points of growth. The growing trend in housing projects and insubstantial water supplies combined with the threats of variations in climatic conditions, led to the further exploration of

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Growth Strategy of Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Growth Strategy of Zara - Essay Example Strengths and the particular faults or weaknesses comprise the internal factors while the prospects and threats comprise the external factors (Torun 7). In terms of the firm’s strength, it is undoubted that the entire management concerned with its operations ensures quick delivery of new merchandise. This contributes to the efficiency of its operations to a given extent. Moreover, the affiliation has armed itself with ingenious innovators with diverse and creative ideas with regard to its apparel designs that make it be competitive in the marketplace. Moreover, Zara’s chain management techniques are ingenious and emanate from the prospective management aptitudes of its management personnel (Torun 7). However, in its daily operations, Zara still portends various weak points in terms of its management, in the case of selling its name to the entire global extent. In this regard, it is factual that the affiliation does not invest much into advertising itself on the global market. Lack of advertisement is a hazard to the business strategy as it is a barrier to the expansion of its services to the international level. Besides, the current advertisements are apparently few and not numerous numbers of prospective customers to the chain are conversant with it. With regard to the external examination of factors, opportunities are available for every affiliation that has a dynamic and effectual growth strategy. Furthermore, Zara is not an exception to them as it has prospects as inculcating online markets where it can sell its merchandise even without bodily contact with their clientele. This makes it possible for immense growth (Torun 7). Moreover, the availability of worldwide markets is another prospect. Additionally, it faces potential threats like overt competition from both worldwide and local competitors.

Journal Entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journal Entry - Essay Example This not only helps us keep to the point and on the right track in the way of achieving our goals, but also makes us more confidant as we know what we want and what we need to do in order to accomplish our goals. Knowledge of self also has a good effect on others and others tend to think good of us because we are never impressed with people that are confused and unsure about what they want in life in general and in a particular setting in particular. One factor that I like about the chapter is that the author has supported the arguments with credible sources. Another factor that is worthy of appreciation is that the author has tried to make a holistic approach in discussing and analyzing various aspects of self-knowledge, be it the levels of management in an organization, or the three levels of self i.e. individual, interpersonal, and collective. Yet another factor that I like about this chapter is that it is not just a discussion of what self-knowledge is and what its different aspects are, but also mentions different exercises and activities doing which one’s knowledge of self can be increased. I did all of the activities mentioned in the chapter and as a result of this found a significant increase in my self-knowledge. These activities were quite interesting and easy to do. I intend to do these exercises and activities periodically; probably once every three months to see how I have changed as a person over the period. The author has made it very easy for the readers to understand him by not just discussing the complicated terms, but also defining them first e.g. emotional challenges and value maturity. I personally believe that knowledge of self is fundamental to one’s improvement as a human being. One cannot improve one’s personality unless one does not identify one’s flaws, strengths, and weaknesses. Reflection on

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Ebooks use in the Academic Field Research Paper

Ebooks use in the Academic Field - Research Paper Example Portability is also an advantage, which is clear, since it counters the bulkiness of paper books. E-books have various limitations though. For instance, some students considered e-books to be destructive and limiting since they cannot be highlighted while reading. Power failures are also a factor that greatly limits the use of e-books in the academic field. For a long time now, the public has been trying to adapt to the current technology. Technology brought with itself a multitude of factors including both benefits and limitations. Individuals could now purchase items online since there were online markets. In addition, e-learning also emerged, which involved studying from home. Individuals could now take courses without having to attend classes in school. Therefore, technology has indeed entered the world in full force without leaving any aspect of life behind (Li et al. 2011). Different generations have been affected by technology since it touches every part of life. This brings in the issue of e-books. Previously, paper was all over the world. No one knew that there could be any other form of reading apart from the physical paper. Therefore, students would carry textbooks to schools and exercise books for writing. Although the technology had already manifested itself into the world, it had not yet taken over libraries. Libraries ar ound the world were still fully stocked with printed books, books stores were still selling and publishers were still doing their jobs. However, in the year 1971, out of a project named Gutenberg, the first digital library of books was created. In the year 1993, Apple Company also started its journey towards the innovation of digital reading (Li et al. 2011). In 1999, the Franklin EB-500 Rocket eBook was invented. However, the book could only hold 4000pages and its battery life could only last for a maximum of 33 hours. Therefore, the book was not

The British Empiricists and Kant's Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The British Empiricists and Kant's Ethics - Essay Example First, because of the theory of conatus, painful things happen to us because of external and not internal causes. And second, passive emotional states or passions, arise only from inadequate ideas – anger, fear, hatred, occur because of ignorance or incomplete understanding of their external causes. Therefore, in so far as we have an adequate idea of our emotions and their causes, we will not be subject to passions. The British empiricists all believe that knowledge is derived from experience alone. This aspect of arriving at knowledge seems quite interesting from the point of view of Locke, Berkley, and Hume. For Locke, our mind is a blank and clean slate, which he calls â€Å"tabula rasa.† Thus, all ideas and knowledge can only come to us and are founded upon experience alone. On the other hand, for Berkeley, all that we ever know are the qualities of an object that our faculty of vision is capable of sensing. Hence, it implies that any given object is the summation of its perceived qualities. Lastly, Hume sets out to achieve the limits of our knowledge. Herein, as far as knowledge is concerned, we are limited to our impressions and their corresponding ideas, which manifest in constant conjunction through experience. We have no way of knowing what causes them. For Hume, if an idea has no corresponding impression, then it is meaningless, that is, it does not exist. Kant’s ethics distinguishes between â€Å"acting in accordance with duty† and â€Å"acting for the sake of duty.† The latter are actions that have moral worth, while the former has no moral worth. Moreover, Kant explains another way of determining whether an action is morally good or not. This is presented in The Categorical Imperative. This principle states that before I will a certain mode of conduct, I should see to it that my subjective course of action could be universalized as a moral legislation. If my desired act involves certain contradictions, then my act cannot qualify as  a moral law and must be rejected. However, if it is devoid of contradictions then, it can be morally acceptable.  Ã‚  

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Ebooks use in the Academic Field Research Paper

Ebooks use in the Academic Field - Research Paper Example Portability is also an advantage, which is clear, since it counters the bulkiness of paper books. E-books have various limitations though. For instance, some students considered e-books to be destructive and limiting since they cannot be highlighted while reading. Power failures are also a factor that greatly limits the use of e-books in the academic field. For a long time now, the public has been trying to adapt to the current technology. Technology brought with itself a multitude of factors including both benefits and limitations. Individuals could now purchase items online since there were online markets. In addition, e-learning also emerged, which involved studying from home. Individuals could now take courses without having to attend classes in school. Therefore, technology has indeed entered the world in full force without leaving any aspect of life behind (Li et al. 2011). Different generations have been affected by technology since it touches every part of life. This brings in the issue of e-books. Previously, paper was all over the world. No one knew that there could be any other form of reading apart from the physical paper. Therefore, students would carry textbooks to schools and exercise books for writing. Although the technology had already manifested itself into the world, it had not yet taken over libraries. Libraries ar ound the world were still fully stocked with printed books, books stores were still selling and publishers were still doing their jobs. However, in the year 1971, out of a project named Gutenberg, the first digital library of books was created. In the year 1993, Apple Company also started its journey towards the innovation of digital reading (Li et al. 2011). In 1999, the Franklin EB-500 Rocket eBook was invented. However, the book could only hold 4000pages and its battery life could only last for a maximum of 33 hours. Therefore, the book was not

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Fin hw1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fin hw1 - Assignment Example lobalization and International Business, Johan asserts that indeed, sweatshops are an essential stepping stone if a developing country is to achieve economic progression. I fully concur with the statement for several reasons. In the documentary, Taiwan is presented as one of the countries that has seen the fastest economic growth rate in the last four decades. The same thing has also been seen more recently with the adoption of sweatshops in Vietnam, another country showing signs of gradual economic progress. Looking at these two examples, it is easy to tell that the countries in question had to endure the awful working conditions that come with the sweatshops for a short time in order to gain the economic progression at the end of it. Countries such as Kenya which declined to open up to the foreign â€Å"exploitation† have been forced to lag behind economically since little foreign investment made way into the country due to its restrictions towards adopting the sweatshops. In conclusion, it is true that sweatshops do a substantial harm to a country in terms of environmental deterioration and advancement of poor working conditions. However, it is important to understand that in most cases, the conditions provided in these sweatshops could be even better than those currently in place in that country. The baseline of it all is that sweatshops are key in stimulating the growth of a country through the creation of jobs and provision of skills that ultimately form the basis of development after the short stint of

Monday, October 14, 2019

Identifying terms Essay Example for Free

Identifying terms Essay Oppression The definition of oppression is broad as it encompasses many subgroups but according to Hurtado (1989), oppression is caused by society’s view that men, both white and of color, are more powerful then women. Oppression is not classified only by gender differences but other societal groups as well. Gender is only one category of many, such as, race and ethnicity. Social class is another category is which the wealthy have oppressed the poor. An example of this would be the opportunities for wealthy Americans to afford housing and health insurance and the job opportunities afforded them. Many women of color, African American, Asian, and Hispanic are found to be working in low wage jobs more often then white women. The minorities are unable to receive the same educational and financial benefits as the majority and so they must settle for less. Economic differences can be found between white men and white or colored women, colored men and colored women, and white women and women of color. This difference represents the different levels of oppression, with white men being the top oppressors. In today’s society, most oppression is seen in social class. As the wealthy are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and the middle class is slowly being wiped out. Therefore the poor are at the mercy of the rich. Beyond Bean Counting The United States has become obsessed with classifying society into subgroups, causing each group to have a stereotypical value. Lee (2001) wrote of her personal experience with her growth and understanding of feminism. Bean counting is considered the attempt to classify people according to class, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation (2001). Bean counting is marginalization, considering certain societal groups as inferior or as being limited as to their abilities. Women, and especially women of color, have been marginalized throughout history, by being considered the fairer sex. Different ethnic groups have excluded one another by not recognizing their similarities and accepting their differences. Lee (2001) explains that by bean counting women are causing immobilization and narrow thinking. Seduction and Rejection White men are socialized into believing women are inferior, however they are also taught that white women, though inferior, are an appropriate choice for relationships (Hurtado, 1989). This socialization causes the oppression of women; especially women of color because they are seen as a deviation from the norm and they are then excluded from the many rights given to those who fit the norm. White men and women tend to have a better chance at a good education, financial assistance etc. however colored men and women do not share the same good fortune, they are rejected from the benefits that white men or women can receive. Heterosexuality as a Modern Invention Lorber (1992) explains in her article that women and men were not seen as biologically different pre-eighteenth century and once that difference was established women began to suffer gender inequalities. Society has become two classes; men and women, which has created gender stereotypes of each. Today’s society compares women to the abilities of men because society see’s women as so biologically different than man; and thus inferior. Heterosexuality categorizes men and women as seen as the norm. Compulsory Heterosexuality Compulsory heterosexuality is the assumption that men and women are naturally attracted to one another and to defy the norm is deviant behavior. Lee (2001) describes this â€Å"norm† as excluding many other groups in society. As Lorber (1992) explains, society has created social differences between men and women and with that, ideals which consider heterosexuality to be the right way. This has caused homosexual individuals to be discriminated against. Any person not practicing the â€Å"norm† is considered wrong and therefore has fewer rights than others. Homosexual or bisexual women are forced to compete not only with men being superior, but also heterosexual women. Women of color are in even fiercer competition for their rights, as they are seen as in society as inferior to white women, heterosexual women, men of color and heterosexual men.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System | Essay

Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System | Essay Abstract The importance of recognizing the fundamental concepts of issues in the Canadian criminal justice system is critical in the illustration of justice to minorities predominately Blacks and Aboriginal. Blacks and Aboriginals have been challenged socially, economically and politically. In examining the Canadian criminal justice system, it can be concluded there are many complications in attempting to justify the outcome of a case. It is imperative to recognize if the Canadian judicial system is simply responsible for the over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals in the justice system. This paper will further examine and critically analyze the flaws of the justice system. The processes of prosecuting an offender sometimes rely on the jurors. The importance of selecting jury needs to be further addressed. Thus, this paper will examine different aspects of the Canadian criminal justice system in relation to the existence of racial discrimination. The foundation of Canada was formed by the Aboriginals continuing to the colonial revolution to become a multicultural country. However the diverse races that are existent in Canada have been in conflict. Racism has lingered for countless years wherein complete abolishment will be unsuccessful providing marginalization and stereotypes are existent in society. It is noteworthy to recognize the race-related injustice minorities experience within the criminal justice system. Though the different systems and procedures in the criminal justice system are designed to protect society, minorities are often challenged with stigmatization. Evidence from the Canadian society indicates an over representation of minorities within the criminal justice system to the extent that there are concerns regarding wrongful convictions such as Donald Marshall, Jr. Prevalent oppression of these races lead to the failure of the justice system to be a reliable source of integrity to citizens, failing to build confidence. This paper will discuss the importance of fair and equal treatment in the justice system. The failure to recognize the injustice minorities encounter often results in the constant practice of systemic discrimination. Discriminatory practices such as racial discrimination and racial profiling are still prevalent within the Canadian Criminal Justice System. The significance of addressing this issue is having an impartial mindset in the judicial system when a minority is convicted. This issue can be addressed as systemic discrimination leading to the over representation of Black and Aboriginal in prisons in Canada. The key areas I will focus on are: the white dominated jury selection in trials involving minorities. I will examine if the criminal cases are a result of systemic discriminatory practices or if it is the complications within those cases. In addition I will also analyze the reason why there is an over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals within the Criminal Justice System and if Canada violates the legislated human rights identified under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and possibly the Criminal Code. This paper will consist of various studies conducted to examine whether racial discrimination is existent in society. Many studies have been conducted to determine if racial prejudice is present through arrests and court systems resulting in the over population of the prisons. In this paper I will analyze various sources of literature review, reports, articles, cases, theories and studies to enhance my arguments and persuade the reader to implement solutions to help reduce the partial treatment in all levels of the criminal justice system. By addressing the fundamental issue in society it raises awareness of the possible solutions that can be addressed. This is a topic of interest as I can relate as a minority. I hope to limit the partial practices in the Criminal Justice System. The analysis of criminal court cases such as R. v. Williams (1998), R. v. Khan (2004), R. v. Marshall (1971) will support my arguments regarding existing mistreatment of ethnic minorities with the Canadian criminal justice system. I will also discuss that stigmatization of blacks and Aboriginals are still prominent in todays society in the arrest and court processes. In this paper, I will explore why such injustice is still occurring and what actions can be taken to minimize stigmatization. I will draw attention to the various forms of injustice within the Canadian criminal justice system. Through analysis of particular cases I will draw attention to the types of discriminatory practice that exist. I will also make recommendation on how to bet ter address the existing racism problems within the current justice system as addressing such mal practices are vital in improving the justice system. Historical Concepts of Race: It is vital to consider the historical background of the racial backgrounds that will be focused on in this paper. It determines the fundamental cause of the problem today that affects many lives. It is imperative to recognize the aspects that will facilitate for a better understanding of the outcomes of cases. In addition this will confirm the challenges minorities have faced are still present today. Mosher (1998) has proven, The analysis of racial inequality in diverse historical contexts allows us to establish a perspective from which to view contemporary problems (p.28). Blacks in Canada As a result of colonialism, Canada has attracted immigrants from all over the world including blacks. In 2006, data collected through surveys concluded the black population increased to over three quarters of a million approximate 783,000 (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). Though the population increased significantly from the earlier years, the representation of blacks within the Canadian population remains at 2.5%. The black population in Canada fails to be equally scatter in population distribution, as a result only concentrated in specific cities. The migration of the black population is diversified from the country of origin with different composition of cultures, values and beliefs. The survey concluded Canadas black population suffers from economic and social disadvantage (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). The progress of multiculturalism in Canada through the colonial revolution significantly affected the black population. Historically dated, the prominent severe practice of slavery of black individuals was practiced in the United Stated and the Caribbean. Nonetheless, Canada also had some sort of involvement. It has been evident in the ownership of slaves by six legislators of Upper Canadas first parliament (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). This illustrates the foundation of collectively placing the black population in social disparity from the beginning. Thus, the impact of disadvantage continues to the present day. The poor treatment of white elites towards the black population often denied the basic rights of individuals. The stigmatization of blacks led to segregation in school as well as public life along with limitations of owning properties (Winks, 2008). The hostile treatment of the white population towards blacks was very explicit in comparison to todays society. Although issues of racial discrimination have been addressed it is still implicitly prominent today. Stereotypical views The historical perspective of the blacks in Canada can further illustrate the root of the problem of society today. The beliefs and stereotypes that have been the first perspective of whites towards the black population have been instilled in individuals continuing to carry those set of beliefs. According to a recent survey, results have shown one third of the Canadian population report being at least slightly racist (Leger, 2007). The mentality that has been created about the black population being socially and economically underprivileged has found a way to make members of society believe they are continually being stigmatized. On the earlier years, whites have always had the upper hand in contrast to blacks, this has implicitly continued by examining the members of the criminal justice system from the police system to the members of the judiciary. As racial discrimination has formed in various ways from the beginning, it has had adverse affects on the black population of todays so ciety and the law. Thus, the mentality from the slavery days have evolved and integrated into the justice system, affecting the method of serving justice to blacks. The issue of racial discrimination in Canada is a controversial topic. In contrast, the most common explicit evidence of racial discrimination is racial profiling evident through anecdotal accounts. The debate in Canada consists of the scepticism of the general public with focus on systemic discrimination that exists in the justice system and if there is equal access to services offered within the Canadian criminal justice system (Wortley, 2003). Canada in comparison to the United States lacks the resources for empirical evidence to further assess the amount of racial discrimination in the justice system. However, the minimal research conducted has evidently illustrated the prevalence of discrimination within the black and First Nation group of minorities. Indigenous First Nations suffered through a devastating history however one may not assume it has been completely stopped. Surprisingly, in the present day the mistreatment of police forces or other authoritative figures have not simply justified fair and equal treatment. Many scholars have attempted to study the relationship of the treatments of the criminal justice system through the communication processes (Roberts, Doob, 1997). Historically, Aboriginals were seen as a barrier to colonization and progress, as an outcome they were subject to unjust treatment and were forced to assimilate into Canadian life. They were also subject to convert from red men to white this was accomplished by forcing them into residential schools where they suffered a tremendous amount of torture (Dickson-Gilmore, 2005). During this process, First nations have been stripped away of culture: they were forced to surrender land and degraded to the reserves while they were prohibited to have an Aboriginal model of family, social life and spirituality (Dickson-Gilmore, 2005). As Indigenous have been rejected culturally, socially and politically it is a contributing factor to why society has stereotypical views. As the mandatory placement of Aboriginals on reserves, it has resulted in the constant use of drugs and alcohol as they are excluded from the rest of society. Aboriginals have suffered through a disadvantaged past from being stripped of all kinds of identity and being put aside into the reserves. It is very easy to stereotypically judge an individual. Players in the criminal justice system are also humans and are aware of the historically disadvantaged past of the First Nations. The assumption all Aboriginals are the same can affect the outcome of cases wherein an Aboriginal is involved. The stigmatization that has been established about the Indigenous continues to prevail in society today as it is evident in the criminal justice system. Media The media has become a significant influence on the general public. From the television shows, movies and news it has managed to instil certain information, perceptions in the heads of its viewers and/or listeners. Prominently, the media will portray all the negative characteristics of a certain race which leads to the creation of stereotypes. Studies have shown the biasness of the Canadian media and the unfairness of media representations (Mahtani, 2001). Considerably, the media is a powerful medium to deliver knowledge to the public, selecting certain images of minorities to govern the publics perspective (Fleras and Kunz, 2001). As a result, pessimistic representation of minorities includes stereotypes and beliefs such as: threatening, deviant, and irrelevant to the construction of the nation. The negative traits of minorities depicted in the media automatically become the everyday perception of the public. It is rare to see minorities on a television show, however if they are fea tured on a show they are depicted as criminals or deviant (Mahtani, 2001). Thus, the images or the actions/role of a minority depicted in the media is considered one sided portrayals or articles become reality in the minds of Canadians (Fleras and Kunz, 2001) in addition to confirmation of the stereotypes already created. The media often creates a picture of poor black men involved in drugs or violence. Chances of a successful black man being featured in a news broadcast have decreased in the likelihood. The media generates a subliminal message of stereotyping black men. Focusing on a particular race stories emphasizing certain characteristics and eventually transfers those characteristics into a social norm (Fleras and Kunz, 2001). In addition, Aboriginals who have claimed the land of Canada primarily are also portrayed as alcoholics and violent individuals facilitating in the general stereotypes. These stereotypes are consumed in individual beliefs including the police and judicial system. According to Scot Wortley and Akwasi Owusu-Bempah (2010) media analyses have depicted Black people in Canada have a heightened chance of being portrayed as criminal offenders rather than victims. The Black population have often complained regarding the news media and other forms of popular culture (film, music, etc.) about the portrayal often enhancing the stereotypes that already exists. This depiction of the particular race usually places a strain on the treatment of the members of the criminal justice system. Scot Worley (2002) has performed extensive research within the Toronto star. In his findings, he discovered almost half of all stories depicting Black people are related to crime and violence, in comparison to 14% of its counterparts of white victims. In addition to the results, he also found that white victims received more media coverage than Black victims. These biases of large mediums affect an individuals sub consciousness. Treatments of minorities According to Nelson (2004), extensive research of the differential treatment of Aboriginals has been ongoing historically to present. A summarization of the results consists of similar cases of confrontations between first nations and the police due to harassment, racism or aggressiveness through force to restrain the fighting of Aboriginal groups for treaty rights and land claims. Government has imposed solutions in an attempt to reduce incarceration rates for First Nations. The method of restorative justice is encouraged to decrease the over representation of Aboriginals in the entire Criminal Justice System (Nelson, 2004). In addition, scholars have also studied the perception of police and interactions with the black community. Henry Hastings (1996) has conducted a research of how criminal activities are racialized resulting in the confirmation of negative perceptions affecting the treatment of blacks in the criminal justice system. Chart above (Wortley Owusu,-Bempah, 2009, Unequal before the law: Immigrant and Racial Minority Perceptions of the Canadian Criminal Justice system: http://www.springerlink.com/content/036768l1221r238m//fulltext.html#Fig2): Percent of respondents who believe that a black person would receive a harsher sentence than a white person convicted of the same crime The chart above is a depiction of the confidence of the general public in the justice system. As previously mentioned, the perceptions of society towards the Black population have not changed. As a result a survey has been conducted based on perception of three major ethnicities: White, Chinese and Black. The public beliefs of mistreating Blacks had forced the police enforcement to implement the idea of designing strategies to eliminate or reduce the belief of targeting racial minorities. An action plan of recruiting minority groups in the police force has been implemented. Evidentially, these anti-racism programs have not been well examined, due to the significant amount of increase still prevalent in this survey. Stenning (2003) has stated, if such efforts are effective, perceptions of racial bias in policing and the courts should have decreased significantly over the past 10 to 15 years. Racial Profiling A prominent form of racial discrimination is racial profiling. Evidence of surveys conducted still find racial profiling to be a common problem. An academic literature definition of racial profiling is defined as: significant racial differences in police stop and search practices, significant racial differences in Customs search and interrogation practice and particular under or sting operation which target specific racial/ethnic communities (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010, p.17). Various studies conducted in the United States, Great Britain and Canada have all concluded that Black people have an increased chance of being stopped, questioned and search by the police (Tanovich, 2006). This issue has been brought to the attention of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in 2003 with a compilation of detailed testimonial from over 800 individuals in Ontario with a majority composition of black felt they have been a victim of racial profiling. If racial profiling exists it is evident that rac ial discrimination also exists and is somewhat visible in the justice system. Racial profiling within in the society by police, at every level of the justice system influences the statistical information of minorities in the Canadian criminal justice system. Players in the Criminal Justice System The explanation of the over representations of black and Aboriginals in the criminal justice system can simply be explained through the thorough analysis of the judicial system. Canada was originally established in a Eurocentric focus presently continuing justifying the flaws of the criminal justice system and the ignorance towards minorities. The limited representation of minority in the judiciary contributes to the factor of the lack of recognition of minority needs. Essentially, it is vital to implement affirmative action in the courts to avoid stigmatization of race (Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, 1995). In addition, in the event of final decisions in court, majority of jurors selected are of a white decent while the criminal offender is often black or Aboriginal with programmed stereotypes. As a result, jury decisions often incarcerate blacks and Aboriginals creating the over representations in prisons. By examining the judicial system it is easy to conclude the racial consistency is prominently white males. This reflects not only the European colonization in early years but the current patriarchal society. According to Hamalengwa (2003), a white lawyer had stated, bringing the racial animus in a criminal case will alienate the judge, police, prosecutors and the jury, all of whom are most likely White and will likely ensure a conviction (p.9). The credibility of this statement is accurate as it is a primary source. When the issue of race is raised in the court systems, it is often denied the attention and action for equal justice of minority groups such as Aboriginals and Blacks Police According to Parker et al (2005), there has been sufficient evidence to conclude police have an increased likelihood of making arrests in cases involving whites compared to non white victims as well as scenarios with a white victim and a black offender. These results show that whites are much more favourable within the justice system emphasizing on the higher value placed on them in comparison to blacks. Further analytical examinations of police biasness of whites during arrests have been studied. In Toronto during the period of 1996 throughout 2001 there have been 10,000 arrests involving drug possessions which was composed of 38% of black suspects and 23% whites. All accused persons were taken to the police station for report processes. However accused white individuals were likely to be discharged in contrast to black individuals who were most likely to be detained overnight for a bail hearing. As there is an overwhelming over representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system, over and under policing contribute to these statistics (Rudin, 2005). Over policing refers to the practice of policing targeting people of particular ethnic or racial backgrounds or people who live in particular neighbourhoods (Rudin, 2005, p.1). This results in the police structuring a different approach towards Aboriginals with the assumption they are violent, dangerous and more likely to be involved in criminal activity. In contrast to the over policing, Aboriginals are underrepresented to being victims by police. This a reflection of the government who often disregard the Aboriginal rights claims and ignore the suffering they continue to experience (Rudin, 2005). Though there have been collective efforts to strategically reduce racial bias in the justice system, it is still questionable whether it is actually effective. One of the approaches that has been recently been put in effect is minority recruitment. It is the idea of hiring minorities to diversify policing and the other sectors of the justice system (Stenning, 2003). Results of this strategy have improved in diversifying the police. In 1994, the police force was composed of 6% minority members compared to the significant increase in 2009 to 19% (Wortley McCalla, 2008). Diversity has evidentially been proven to exist as the two out of the four Deputy Chiefs are black as well as the September 2009 graduates reported to have been the most multicultural class of recruits (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). As the police are creating a racially diversified environment there is no guarantee that minority members are free of racial discrimination in the work force. The problem of racial discrimination will be difficult to completely eradicate, considering the historical aspects of Canada and the existence continuing into the workforce. Police are a vital variable to consider when dealing with the racial background of one of the primary source for arrests and convictions. As mentioned previously, the police force had been historically composed of a majority of white racial background until recently creating bias to those minorities from internalized beliefs. Jurors Critical Race Theory was created in the 1970s acknowledging racism adopting the ideology from the United States. It is a socially constructed concept attempting to show the structure of law including antidiscrimination law accommodating and facilitating racism (Aylward, 1999). The implication of the Critical Race Theory intensifies the application of power within the criminal justice system. Initially, the aims and objectives of the Critical Race Theory emphasizes on race and power. It fundamentally deconstructs society by categorizing racial hierarchies. However, the recognition of racism reproduces inequality, further minimizing minority rights. The concept deconstructs position of minorities while reconstructing juror bias (Aylward, 1999). In the Canadian context critical race theory is often applied to the races that are more prominent to racial discrimination, Blacks and First Nations. Jury Selection In addition, the jury selection process is most likely to reflect the judiciary representation. National Law Journal conducted a study containing a sample of 800 jurors, 42% were White jurors in contrast to the 25% of Black jurors teaming up with the police officers rather than defendant present in the case (Hamalengwa, 2003). In circumstances of cases wherein race is involved, it is often a minority attempting to indict a representative of the criminal justice system such as the police with an all white jury. The study observed that jurors are more biased by empathizing with victims of their own race and lenient of defendants of the same racial background (Hamalengwa, 2003). Thus, to achieve an equal administration of justice it is essential to select a racially mixed jury. In the case of R. v. Williams jury selection depicted the flaws of the criminal justice system. Victor Daniel Williams, an Aboriginal accused of a robbery charge denied accusations. At the primary trial, the judge permitted questions posed to potential jurors. As a result of this, the Crown had applied for a mistrial on the basis of procedural errors and the unfortunate publicity of the jury selection process (R. v. Williams, 1998). At the second trial the judge had dismissed any motion from the accused. In conclusion of this trial the court had admitted to the widespread of discrimination against First Nations within the community. In cases where the defendant believes the jury might have prejudiced towards the particular race such as Aboriginal, the prosecution and defence have the right to challenge potential jurors for cause on the ground of partiality (R. v. Williams, 1998). Questions the defendant may ask the potential jurors whether they have already possess a prejudice towards the racial group altogether if so, if it is possible for the jurors to make decisions without the bias they posses. The case was a lengthy process of arguing why the jurors were questioned as it is presumed that jurors will function without biasness. Counter arguments have stated it if the prejudice of society is widespread how are the jurors able to remove it for the trial defeating the purpose of section 638(1)(b) (R. v. Williams, 1998). As the case concluded, extensive bias continues to uphold against Aboriginals. In contrast, British Columbia and the attending judge held the evidence was not sufficient to determine potential ju rors prejudiced. The R. v. Williams case has depicted the outcome of jury bias. However, this could be further prevented if the jury selection process was racially mixed with different backgrounds and a variety of perspectives. The outcome of the case would differ greatly. This case could be referred back to the stereotypes instilled in individuals. The general public assumes Aboriginals and prisons are constantly correlated. The implication of this stereotype can be further expanded to the uncivilized and lack social and moral order essential in society (R. v. Williams, 1998). In the case of R. v. Williams jury selection depicted the flaws of the criminal justice system. Victor Daniel Williams, an Aboriginal accused of a robbery charge denied accusations. At the primary trial, the judge permitted questions posed to potential jurors. As a result of this, the Crown had applied for a mistrial on the basis of procedural errors and the unfortunate publicity of the jury selection process (R. v. Williams, 1998). At the second trial the judge had dismissed any motion from the accused. In conclusion of this trial the court had admitted to the widespread of discrimination against First Nations within the community. In cases where the defendant believes the jury might have prejudiced towards the particular race such as Aboriginal, the prosecution and defence have the right to challenge potential jurors for cause on the ground of partiality (R. v. Williams, 1998). Questions the defendant may ask the potential jurors whether they have already possess a prejudice towards the racial group altogether if so, if it is possible for the jurors to make decisions without the bias they posses. The case was a lengthy process of arguing why the jurors were questioned as it is presumed that jurors will function without biasness. Counter arguments have stated it if the prejudice of society is widespread how are the jurors able to remove it for the trial defeating the purpose of section 638(1)(b) (R. v. Williams, 1998). As the case concluded, extensive bias continues to uphold against Aborginals. In contrast, British Columbia and the attending judge held the evidence was not sufficient to determine potential jur ors prejudiced. Though, the case itself was based on the conviction of robbery, it is imperative to note and understand the trials by judge and jury as there is an increased likelihood the outcome of the case is based on systemic discriminatory practices. Systemic Discrimination It is not surprising to see the prominent race in Canadian prisons consists of the minority groups that are often faced with obstacles. Both Blacks and Aboriginals have suffered through a disadvantaged history mirroring the result of how they function in society leading them to prison. However, as these groups are prone to committing more criminal activities in comparison to other races, the partial verdicts of judges and jurors are significantly influenced. Hence, it results in the over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals in Canadian prisons. Canadian Prison System The table below illustrates statistics of the composition of the Canadian prison system. It can be concluded through examination of the charts that Aboriginals and Blacks have the greatest amount of incarceration into prisons. The general population of Blacks and Aboriginals composed in society compared to the ratio that are incarcerated have significant differences and make up majority of incarcerated individuals. The over representations of these particular races in the prison system can cause the general population to question the justice system. Inevitably, factors to consider when analyzing this chart include the consideration of the actual crime committed or the injustice of the courts to properly provide justice to offenders due to racial bias or discrimination. R. v. Marshall (1971) Donald Marshall was an average seventeen year old. As a youth, it is more likely to get in trouble with the law for petty crimes such as consumption of alcohol or smoking. He was the typical young man who would break the law and participate in underage drinking and smoking. He was walking down the street and coincidentally had an encounter with one of his friends whom was African Canadian. The two individuals were involved in a conversation until two other gentlemen from across the street decided to ask for a lighter. As youths it is also most likely individuals are more violent. As a result one of the two males had stabbed Marshalls friend resulting in his death the very next day (R. v. Marshall, 1971). Marshall was not arrested long after the incident. Shortly, he was arrested and charged with murder with a three day trial. He was then acquitted as were the police in his arrest. The police had strongly believed Marshall was responsible for his own conviction and miscarriage of justice was visible. As years passed, the man who actually committed the crime was charged with manslaughter sentenced in prison for 3 years. A Royal Commission had identified Marshall as a victim of wrongful convictions. Marshall was then compensated a total amount of $700, 00.00 upon his release for wrongful convictions (R. v. Marshall, 1971). In this case of wrongful convictions, the integrity of police discretion can be questioned. There are many factors that have resulted in the wrongful conviction. Though everyone posses internalized beliefs, the criminal justice system should attempt to avoid partial judgements. In careful investigation and examination of this case, there is a great possibility of avoiding the problem. It is imperative for the criminal justice system to reduce judgements based on colour. Lack of analysis in cases are leading to the over representations of minorities such as Blacks and First Nations in the prison system. Systemic discrimination exists in society and addressing the problem should facilitate in reducing the problem. As the historical perceptions of social disparities of the black and indigenous population of Canada continue to be a factor in being racially discriminated, it is vital to recognize the foundation of systemic discriminatory practices in the Canadian Crimin Emirates Stadium: Project Management Emirates Stadium: Project Management 1.0. Introduction The PMI defines project management as ‘the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources through the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve pre-determined goals of scope, cost, time, quality and participant satisfaction (Smith 2002) â€Å"Through the project management process, business needs and requirements are transformed into deliverables or outputs the project will provide to meet; this transformation process is made up application of constraints such as time, cost, quality, motivation and application of project management tools and technique.†(APM 2002) According to Dinsmore, and Cabanis-Brewin (2006), project management processes are grouped into the following areas: they are initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing. A good project manager must be skilled in applying this knowledge and be able to integrate these activities as the project moves through its life cycle. The aim of this report is to critically evaluate the project management challenges and the management approaches in the construction of Emirate Stadium described in the groups presentation. Some of the challenges identified in group discussions includes; time constraints, planning approval, design and site constraints, procurement path, organizational/stakeholders management..This report compares some of the identified challenges with the established best practice in project management. The second part of the report is develop guideline for the 2012 Olympic Stadium which will include an overview of the difference between managing a single, simple project and a project that is part of a large complex programme of work, also to outline the project management challenges of the 2012 Olympic Stadium. 2.0 The Emirates Stadium 2.1 Background of the Emirate Stadium complex The need to generate additional revenue from the football event and also to provide a state- of the- art facilities for the fans is identified as the requirement for a new football stadium to replace the existing one .by Arsenal Football Club The Emirate Stadium is located in Holloway in London Borough of Islington town. The stadium is located in a high density residential area therefore restricting feasibility of increase capacity. Over 2000 new homes were built in Islington as part of the project. Two of the key points in the club brief to design team were for the pitch to be as good as Highbury, and to create an exhilarating stadium atmosphere through the design. Over 2,500 legal documents were signed in order to give the project full clearance. The overall project put at about 390million pounds. . It was opened in July 2006, with seated capacity of 60,432 making it the fifth largest football stadium in the UK 2.2 Main Project management challenges identified by different groups Based on the group presentations some of the main project management challenges identified include: * Time constraints, * Planning and consent approval, * Design and site constraints, * Procurement path, * Organizational/stakeholders management * Document control 2.3 Some of the management approaches considered by the group include; * Involving contractor in early stage of the process * Design and Build contract * Site investigation * Collaborating planning and possible overlap during construction to meet deadline * Several procurement path * Involvement of the stakeholders * Redesigning to suit the shape of the site * Understanding of the scope of the project. 2.4 Evaluation of project management challenges and approach in the group work 2.4.1. Involving contractor in early stage of the process. This can help in integrating the contractors idea and expertise in the planning and design process, although, Austin, Baldwin and Wasket (2000) identified that it might result in uneven design workload while they wait for consultant and other contractors to develop their own design, this result in the client paying for retainer while the project is yet to start, thereby increasing the cost of the project. Therefore it might be beneficial to delay the introduction of contractor early 2.4.2 Time constraints It can be seen that in the case of Emirate stadium, delivering the project on time is very crucial; to enable the club to meet up with football season, Harrison and Lock (2004) stated that delivery a project on time is an extremely important objective to client as well as avoiding the risk of being skimped in respect of quality and reliability of being close to the budget but most time all the objective of the project cannot be met. 2.4.3 Planning and consent approval. Two sets of people are involved in planning; they the client and the contractor .Obtaining the consent approval and satisfying planning requirement as well as defining the project goals, ensure availability of funds and selecting the design is the primary responsibility of the owner, this is one aspect that group presentations did not consider. On the side of the contractor, proper planning and scheduling contributed to their delivering the project on time. 2.4.4 Contract /procurement strategy The contract strategy used in the construction of Emirate Stadium is identified as Design and Build. The type of contract is assumed to be the best when time constraint is considered, Rowlison and McDermontt (1999) reported that Design and Build approach involving overlapping of design and construction phases leads to economics and fast project, though the client has to limit the variation to minimum , finds evaluation difficult and also have to make early decisions. However, Aritua, Bower and Turner (2006) reported that Design and Build procurement options has been criticized for being cost rather than design quality driven. Chan and Yu-Ann 2005 identified design liability as the most important practical problem encounters in design and build system. 2.5 Best practice in project management The best practices in project management are those practices that are generally agreed that their application in the project has shown to enhance the chances of success over a wide range of projects. (PMBOK, 2004) Atkinson (1999) queried, if successful project management means doing something right, that result in a project which was implemented on time, within cost and to a quality parameters requested, but which is not used by the customers, not liked by the sponsors and does not seem to provide either improved effectiveness or efficiency for the organization Kerzner (2006) affirmed that best practices in project management are those actions or activities undertaken by the company or individual that led to a sustained competitive advantage, it can be learned from both failure and success. Defining project objective at the outset and establishing relative importance of these objectives is crucial (Smith 2002). The Primary objectives of the project are usually measured in terms of time cost and quality, whilst it may be possible to meet one or two of the objectives, meeting all three of them is almost impossible. (Smith, 2002). However, the general knowledge, skills and processes described in general agreement documents of project management should not always be apply uniformly to all projects, the project manager and the team is responsible for determining the appropriate process and tailored it down to suit the specific project, because every project is unique on its own. (PMBOK, 2004) 3.0 The 2012 Olympic Stadium complex 3.1 The background of the 2010 London Olympic Stadium. The 2010 London Olympic Stadium is located at the south of Olympic park Stratford, East London. The EDAW consortium working with Arup and Atkins was appointed by Olympic delivery Authority (ODA) to develop the master plan and the design of the Olympic Park, while the design of the Olympic venue or the Athletes Village was tendered separately. In 2007, The Olympic Delivery Authority Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the consortium known as Team Stadium to design and build the Olympic Stadium. The consortium is made up the designer, Hoks sport. Main contractor Sir Robert McAlphine, structural engineer Burro Happold, service engineer and landscape designer. The project was estimated at 498miliion pound. The stadium consists of a lower tier of 25000 permanent. Seats set into the landscape with an upper tier of 55000 temporary seats. The sunken bowl built into the ground will contain the field of play and lower permanent seating. However, facilities for athletes within the Stadium include changing rooms, medical support facilities and an 80m warm-up track. Spectator services, refreshments and merchandise outlets will be located outside the venue on a ‘podium that will surround the Stadium, rather than being located within the Stadium itself. Constructions began three months ahead of schedule and it is expected to be completed by 2011. In addition, construction works in other parts of the Olympic village is still on-going, while some are close to completion, others are yet to start. This is based on the planned milestone schedule set out by the Olympic Delivery Authority., According to the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, some completion date has been moved further, this is to avoid the venue been completed and standing idle in the years before Olympic, as this call for additional cost of maintenance. (Culled from official site of 2012 Olympic). 3.2. The outline of the Olympic Stadium â€Å"People will be able to see with their own eyes a stadium which is designed to be different: an innovative and sustainable design which uses temporary elements to meet a complex brief, a stadium built for both Games and legacy†.(Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt). The design of London 2012 Olympic Stadium is much more than dazzling or ‘out of this world Architectural structure that is norm of modern day Olympic stadium. â€Å"The emphasis in the design has been on minimizing the quantity of material, whilst still producing the required performance, ensuring the sustainability of the stadium after the games give rise for incorporation of some temporary structures. However, design and construction of such large and complex project need effective and efficient management to deliver the agreed scope of the project. The management approach in multi-projects is generally different from single project. Flexibility management process with explicitly define rules and procedure can be a source of success with large complex project. (Dietrich and Lehtonen 2005). Baccarni (1996) defined project complexity as project that consists of varied interrelated parts and be operationalised in terms of differentiation and interdependency .On the hand Coffman believed that complex project comprises of subset of project that are composed of so many different facets that no individual or small team possesses all of the knowledge, experience, or skills required to design and implement them. Considering 2012 Olympic Stadium as a part of Olympic park which consists of interrelated and multidisciplinary projects that demand exceptional level of management and system approach which will be described to be inappropriate for a single project Looking at the technical and organizational complexity of the Olympic park, it is clear that it requires involvement of lots of multi-disciplinary contractors, sub contractors, supply chain, trade, different technology and specialties. Williams (1999) sees technical complexity as a three-fold concept: the variety of task as the degree of interdependencies within these tasks, and the instability of the â€Å"assumptions upon which the Tasks are based.† Complex project requires proper structuring and scheduling in terms of Work Break down Structure and further down into related bid package for the qualified construction firms .to bid .For effective organizational management, the services of a planner, scheduler, contract administrato r, legal adviser, procurement engineer, accountant will be require in a complex project unlike a single project where all the task will be handle by the project management.. Moreover, managing a large, multi-projects environment or complex projects is refers by some author as programme management, Fern(1991), stated that the common theme of programme management can be identified as the co-ordination of projects to gain benefits that it would not be possible to obtain were the projects managed independently. He also defined programme management as the coordinated support, planning, prioritization and monitoring of projects to meet changing business needs. Pellegrinelli(1997) pointed out that programme management is not same as multi-project management, that the nature and practice of program management are much more than resource management though management of scares resources or the establishment of appropriate information system is identified as core elements of programme management. Fern (1991), proposed single objective programme model as one of the generic models to describe how organizations define and practice programme management. According to Fe rn (1991), programme with single objective are often called macro-project or simple project which consists of large numbers of project which run concurrently, often employ large numbers of contractors and can benefit from programme management techniques. Furthermore, the differences between managing a simple project and a project that is part of a large complex programme, can be identify in the description of project and program by Pellegrinelli(1997) and Fern (1991), which states that project is a group of related task(activities) which together satisfy one or more objectives, while programme is a frame work for grouping existing projects (or defining new projects) and for focusing all the activities required to achieve a set of major benefits. Some of features of managing a simple single project include project manager been responsible for directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives, while a large complex programme involves having a programme manager facilitates the interaction of other managers and team manager responsible for work package. In addition, a single simple project have a set objective and self dependent for delivery, which entails, ensuring that trade-offs between scope, quality, time and cost are satisfactory and acceptable(Wideman,1990), while multi-project is interrelated and interdependent with other project in the programme. Significant increase in the number and independence of element between disparate project within a programme raise structural complexity to a level higher than that of single projects (Blismas et al 2004) A single project has a linear life cycle and fixed duration in which performance of the project is measured; while in multi-project duration depends on the delivery of the entire project in the programme Single project involves one main contractor with few sub contractors while multi-project involves large number of contractor, sub contractors and supply chain. Other features of a single project includes managing risk and uncertainties in line with the project scope and objectives, abbreviated planning process and Single client management In addition, scheduling and resources allocated is more complex than that of a single project the need and priority of a particular project is considered, detailed communication, organization and strategic management, multi-stakeholders management, development of software for project planning/scheduling and system control. 3.3. GUIDELINES FOR 2012 OLYMPIC STADIUM The purpose of these guidelines is to help in organizing, planning and control 2012 Olympic Stadium to achieve the project objectives. The guideline covers the life cycle of the project from initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling and closure of the project. 3.3.1 Initiation * This is the beginning of the planning phase, the need is identified, resources, preliminary drawing and block diagram is produce, analysis including budget estimation, project charter including cost, task, and deliverable schedule, scope is defined and impact assessment initiated, conceptual design created followed by detailed design and planning 3.3.2 Project planning This include developing management Plan, scope planning and definition, creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), activity definition and sequencing, Resource estimating and allocation, Estimating budget and cost control, activity duration estimating, schedule development, human resource and communication planning, risk management planning, contracting, purchases plan (PMBOK, 2004) * Management Plan: is necessary for the development of preliminary project scope statement, project management processes, environmental factors and organizational process assets. (PMBOK, 2004) Scope planning and definition is essential for creating project scope management plan that documents how the project scope will be defined, verified and controlled and also the creation and definition of WBS. Secondly development of detailed scope statement as basis for future project decisions. (PMBOK, 2004) * Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): â€Å"Developing WBS with a corresponding project organizations and functional responsibility chart (Wideman,1990) Establishing the programme work breakdown structure and breaking it into work package for contract purposes†. (Wideman,1990) Activity definition and sequencing is crucial in identifying specific activities that needs to be performed to achieve project deliverable and also identifying and documenting dependencies among schedule activities. It contains the activity list and attributes, milestone list, requested change and approved change requests project schedule network diagram. (PMBOK, 2004) * Resource estimating and allocation is important in estimating the type and quantities of resources required by each work package * Estimating budget and cost control: Each work package is treated essentially as a separate and autonomous effort requiring resources and input from variety of source (Clough et al, 2000).†At the earliest possible time, an acceptable program budget breakdown must be established, which properly reflects the best estimate of the work required to achieve the overall project objectives. This will form the basis for regular cost monitoring and reporting† (Wideman, 1990) * Contracting, purchases plan: Laws and regulations will require public bidding procedure in the government owned project. Advertisements of the project are required to ensure that all contractors who might have interest are offered equal opportunity to bid. A number of work packages may be assembled into a contract package for procurement purposes(Wideman,1990) Type of contract strategy and procurement route to be use and allocation of risk of project is identified * Human resource and communication planning: this is necessary in identifying and documenting roles and responsibilities and reporting relationships, secondly. Information and communication needs of the projects stakeholders are determined. (PMBOK, 2004) * Risk management: The purpose of risk management process is to make effective project management decisions about what happens on the project in future. This consist of risk source identification, risk impact assessment and analysis and managerial response to risk in the context of the project (Smith, Merna, Jobling, 2006) 3.3.3 Execution stage This involves coordinating people and resources, integrating and performing other project activities. Some of the activities of this stage include Directing and managing project execution, performing quality assurance, acquiring and developing project team, information distribution. Selection of consultant, supply chain contractors and sub contractors. (PMBOK, 2004)  · Directing and managing project execution. This process is necessary for directing the various technical and organizational interfaces that exist in the project to execute the work defined in the project management plan. Some of the activities here consist of approving corrective and preventive actions, approving change request and defect repair, validating defect repair, administrative closure procedure. (PMBOK, 2004)  · Acquiring and developing project team: this is essential for obtaining human resources needed to deliver the project and also for improving the competencies and interaction of team members to enhance project performance. (PMBOK, 2004)  · Information distribution: design and foster intensive, open and timely communication within the project stakeholders. Employ multiple channels and mediums, in particular modern information technology and extensive face-to face interactions. Prepare systems that prescribe for most processes simple and brief procedures for flexibility of details. Restrict optimization to the essential. * Selection of consultant, supply chain contractors and sub contractors. This process is essential for reviewing bids and proposal, selecting from among the potential contractors and negotiating a written contract, it also entail risk allocation between the client and the contractor. (PMBOK, 2004) 3.3.4 Monitoring and controlling This process is crucial for collecting, measuring and dissemination performance information, and assessing measurements and trends to effect process improvement Integration and ongoing progress is monitored against agreed milestones, results reported in accordance with mechanisms identified in the communication plan.Secondly monitoring changes and recommending preventive action in anticipation of possible problem is an important element of monitoring and controlling (PMBOK, 2004) 3.3.5 Health and safety and environment Maintenance of health and safety on the site is vital for a successful project delivery. Mandatory personal protective equipment for all the workers on site is necessary Also all the site machine and equipment should be working properly. Workers should be properly trained to use the equipments. 3.3.6 Project closure: this involves closing of project and contract closure. It is necessary for finalizing all activities, completing and settling each contract, including the resolution of any open items and closing each contract applicable to the project. (PMBOK, 2004 3.4 Outline of Project Management Challenges 2012 Olympic Stadium Some of the project management challenges: Design constraints: * This involves getting an aesthetics design which depicts legacy of modern day and world class Olympics, as well as being iconic, environmentally friendly and sustainable in terms of future use and maintenance. * Time constraints; Meeting deadline for the project for the Olympics events is very crucial and one is of the major indicator of measuring success or failure of the project. * Site constraints The soil/site ground is poor from engineering and environmental viewpoint. Owing to past use of the site which resulted in uneven settlement that can only support very light construction. Site is located between two branches of River Lea an old embankment containing sewage artery. The above constraints call for redesigning to suit the site location and environment. * Complexity of the project The multi-project nature of the project involves managing large numbers of subcontractors and supply chain. The construction of the stadium is just one component in the Olympic park, * Resource allocation and scheduling Efficient allocation of resources in multi-project environment is a major challenge facing the programme manager, as this can lead to success or failure of the projects. * Global recession and price inflation The world economic crisis of 2009 is a major challenge for the project, as this will cause price inflation for goods and services required for the project. The initial project estimate will no longer be feasible. * Stakeholders management The project has different level of stakeholder. They include the financier, the host community, the supporters, the critics, the press and the general public. * Project Co-ordination and document control.. The complexity of the project comprises large number of document which might have minor and major changes from the initial design that need to be communicated to people involve with the project. * Logistics Challenges Transportation of huge numbers of workers and materials to the site using the existing means of transportation, amid the busy city of London. * Health and Safety Maintaining safety in the site is a major challenge in construction site with large number of workers and ensuring that all contractors adhere to the health and safety rule in the site. 3.5 Conclusion The facts remains that projects are distinctive and unique in their own way. Project life-cycle as well as their requirements is different from each other. What worked for one organization in a particular project might not work for another; it all depends on the organizational culture and values, project environment, interpersonal skill, etc. The general guideline as contained in the Project Management Body of knowledge is only to serve as a guide that needs to be tailored down to suit a particular project. Also it can be seen that project management is more of a practical discipline than theoretical, this can be deduce from the uniqueness of every projects, because change is inherent in any project. There must be a change from the laid down planned and schedule strategy, change therefore cannot be eliminated, most especially in construction because of the project uncertainty, it is expected that plan must change. The ability of the project manager to apply the principles of risk management and improve effective change management will determine result of the project. 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