Techniques Used In Pride And Prejudice

Techniques Used In Pride And Prejudice Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen explores the viciousness of social class and its breaking points. Set in 19th century in a rustic region of Longbourn, England the reader is confronted with the stark difference between the gentry and the common people. Austen uses a romantic novel to paint the biased views of the opposite ends of the social spectrum; the gentry riddled prejudicial hate and disgust and the commoners with their blinding pride. These two character flaws are both what separate the rich from the commoners and what also lumps them in the same category. To punctuate such character flaws, Austen uses the motifs of courtship and journey, satire, and the counterparts of characters in the separate classes. The third and fourth inflection points are where the story has reached its climax. In the attraction period Mr. Darcy has already proposed to Elizabeth and has been rejected. But in this crucial period of time Elizabeth has started to see the change within the character of Mr. Darcy. She in fact comes to fall in love with him, a sign that she is slowly coming over her pride of being an independent woman. Within the last inflection point there is a marriage, Jane and Bingleys, this ending scene marks the end of the barrier between the snobbish gentry and the common people. The theme of Pride and Prejudice is that social class can both define a character as well as set ones principles. The defining of character and principles is caused by a society who has become subjected to the severity of the social class rules in which the social class system is a binding force that coerce people to live life in the invisible confines created by intangible wealth. However, in regards to love all such rules are cast away. The idea that one may not rub elbows let alone marry someone who is beneath he/shes status are blind sighted by couples who are enraptures in their heated but seraphic love. Austen trying to send a message that love can transcend the barrier of social classes, but before that there will always be a clashing of beliefs and attitudes due to a contrastive upbringing. In Pride and Prejudice there are a total of seven marriages, but the two that constitute with the theme are the marriages of Jane and Mr. Bingley and Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Jane and Mr. Bingleys affair is a very straight forward affair; Mr. Bingley is a wealthy man and is desperately in love with Jane Bennet, a woman well beneath his stature, who loves him just as much. This couple wants to be together but the only force that holds them apart in the approval of the gentry. In the end Mr., Bingley forgoes all formalities and marries Jane (though he did gain the approval of Mr. Darcy, the man who all along disapproved of their union) which proves that love cannot be kept confined within the social formalities created by an exuberant amount of wealth. One other union that went against all of high societys standards was the marriage of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Though their first impression of each other had them at each others throats they soon come to find that they have much in common even though there is a noticeable difference in their statuses, and they slowly come to love each other. The societal obstacles that was placed in their affair was first the distrust and the low opinion Elizabeth had of Mr. Darcy but when they overcame that Lady Catherine became another problem. Lady Catherine is a very wealthy, powerful, and respected lady within all of England and even has a place in the royal court. She objects to the union between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth she plans to marry off her daughter to him. But in the name of love Mr. Darcy outs that all aside and marries a girl who is inferior to him. Jane Austens graceful narrative style was uncommon in her time. The time in which she wrote such an entertaining yet inspiring novel was a period in literature that mainly consisted of emotional excess, flowery wordiness, and many biblical allusions. Pride and Prejudice is written in a prose without containing one superfluous word and it also frequently breaks into dialogue that are very lively and very revealing of characters. In some of the passages the Austen enters the mind of some of her characters; though usually it is in the mind of Elizabeth because she is the main character of the novel, and it is there she will reveal her characters capacity for humor and self-criticism. Much of the novel is filled with dialogue that is important because they explain the true nature of the characters for example If he had had any compassion for me, cried her husband impatiently, he would not have danced half so much! For Gods sake, say no more of his partners. O that he had sprained his ankle in the first place!' (Chapter 3) Mr. Bennet does not really wish bad fortune on Mr. Bingley but is instead is trying to express that he has had enough with his wifes insufferable attitude. This way of revealing a characters character usually gives the Jane Austen used many techniques when writing Pride and Prejudice but one she used most frequently is creating characterizations. In any passage Austen uses direct narration to describe the background to the reader, but we also learn about the characters from what they do, how they act, and what others say about them. She is probably best known for her ability to capture characterization through what characters say and HOW they say it. Â  Pay attention to vocabulary and diction, syntax, sentence length, subject matter, and tone of voice. Â  If you focus on scenes of conversation as you review the novel you can really see how a character is different from one scene to the next. For example, the way Elizabeth speaks with Jane is very different from the way she speaks with the Bingley sisters, but both scenes serve to illuminate her character. She is open and honest with Jane, but reserved and brisk with the sisters. Â  This difference reveals a lot about her character. Each conversa tion she has reveals more facets of her character!

Leadership Case Study: Oticon

Leadership Case Study: Oticon A range of materials have detailed the various approaches to leadership, development of leadership and its management competency structure in a number of organizations. The information provided here is intended to communicate to the readers and markers whether or not actions, activities, and behaviors of Oticon and its President meet entrepreneurial texts. This paper also shows the different kinds of strategies adopted by a leader to help maximize the success of a business. Leadership as a complex process that concerns the extent to which a set of standards, qualities and or competencies can capture the nature that makes some leaders and organizations thrive and others unproductive (Burns, 1978). In Oticon, the political, structural, and cultural obstacles that are present in many organizations have not been a problem or hindrance to the company in obtaining its set objectives. Oticon has been able to meet its objectives because the leaders are aware of these hindrances and have come up with appropriate solutions to overcome them completely (Hofstede, 1977). Leadership style is the manner of directing, implementation of plans, and motivation of individuals in an organization. There are a number of theories that have been discussed to show their effectiveness in the organization. Power in Oticons leadership style has been streamlined to all managers. They have shown that change is good, but one should take note of the power source which greatly impacts the growth of the business and attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Power in this case leads us to understanding the importance of leadership roles in the organization. In the conclusion, we see the appropriateness of the leadership style used in Oticon Company (Yukl, 1989). Managing versus leading Leadership ensures that the organization and all the stakeholders do the right thing. It has the authority to set direction, make decisions, and create different policies. They also have the responsibility of ensuring that the organization is well managed, resources available are associated with expectations, and that they are operating within the legal and ethical boundaries stipulated. Management on the other hand, assures that the staff and volunteers of that organization follow to the latter the direction that has been set by the boards of directors and do things right. This is achieved through the use of strategic plans that relate to the operational plans which are later presented to the board to explain to them how well the operational plans have been implemented. The management ensures that the board understands the presented data (Vroom and Yetton, 1973). Lars Kolind displays to his managers and staff certain emotions which have enabled most of them understand and fully accommodate the feelings of others. His high emotional intelligence (EI) has vastly contributed to his role of instilling change in others working in his organization. For those with anger, enjoyment, love, and sadness while working, he has motivated them which have seen to the growth of the business. In the case study, we see that before using the disorganized organization strategy the profits obtained were very low. However, when Oticon started using it, more profits were obtained in a very short period of time. This was achieved by considering the emotional intelligence of its workers who were not sure of how effective the leadership style would help the organization obtain its objectives effectively. These attributes do transfer to leaders outside the business sphere for example, if one is always angry and sad, no one will be able to freely socialize with him/her f or fear of being assaulted. Those filled with fear cannot be able to do anything for their own not even engaging in any business. Leadership functions Effective leadership of change means that, when the leader uses new methods of administration to achieve the desired goals, the staff and managers should accept and implement them fully. The contingency or situational school of thought indicates that the style to be used is dependent on factors such as the situation, the people, the task, the organization, and other variables of the environment (Fiedler, 1967). Fielders contingency model is a theory under the situational school of thought that clearly postulates that managers do not have a single way that can be described as best for leading the organization. Situations will be the ones creating the different style requirements for managers. The best solution accorded for a managerial situation is conditional on the factors that encroach on the situation. For example, in Oticon, repetitive mechanical tasks have become a norm to the workers (dynamic environment), thus a more flexible, participative leadership style has been used. The leader-member relation is good because both the managers and employees relate with each other on a regular basis. The task is unstructured, but the power position is still maintained (Sims and Lorenzi, 1992) Variables of the environment can be measured by using favorable or unfavorable terms depending on the task oriented style. Managers do reshape their environmental variables to suit their leadership styles. Leader-member relations are the amount of devotion, reliability, and employee support received by the leaders. In an unfavorable relationship, the task is unstructured and the leader has possession of limited authority. Position power is measured with the amount of authority the manager sees that has been given to him or her by the organization for the sole purpose of directing, rewarding, and punishing those subordinates who fail to adhere to the rules and regulations stipulated. Positioning of power of managers depends on decreasing the favorable and increasing the unfavorable power of decision making of the employees of the organization (Clegg, 1975). Relationship-motivated style builds interpersonal relations and extends extra help for team work development in the organization. The task- motivated style leader has delight and fulfillment in accomplishment of the task at hand. Oticon Company sees to it that the satisfaction of the customer has been achieved; the company has established a good image which has seen to the increase of the sales record, and has outperformed its competitors. Leadership theories have developed from Great Man and Trait theories to Transformational leadership. These early theories focused mainly on the characteristics and behaviors of leaders who have achieved success, while the modern theories put into consideration the role of followers and the contextual nature of those leading an organization (Hersey and Blanchard, 1977). Transformational leaders have displayed behaviors that are linked to five basic styles of transformation: Idealized behaviors (living on ones ideals), Inspirational motivation where leaders inspire others, Intellectual stimulation where others are being stimulated, Individualized considerations that deals with coaching and development of individuals, Idealized attributes which include respecting, trusting, and having faith in others. These leaders are proactive in many unique ways. They optimize on development which includes the maturation of ability, motivation, attitudes, and values of the organization (Likert, 1961). Transformational leadership is the approach taken by most leaders in creating a shared vision, develop and coach employees who will become future leaders, encourage innovation in others in the organization, and act with high ethical standards and integrity (Bass Avolio 1994). Dispersed leadership is an informal, emergent, or dispersed leadership where the leaders role has been dissociated from the organizational hierarchy. At all levels of the organizations, individuals have been given the power to exert leadership influence over their workmates hence influence the leadership of the organization. Oticon is a good example. The tasks of the managers have been restructured. A charismatic leader is based on self-belief where people follow others whom they admire (Gordon, 1998). This method of leadership is not a good way of conceptualizing leaders since there are those who dont have the charisma of attracting individuals but are admired. Leaders do not perform their roles. Their concent ration drifts to pleasing individuals at the expense of attaining the organizational goals. Leaders functions from the above with regard to change addresses the need for the leaders to inspire employees rather than direct them, involve them in decision making rather than divide, encourage diversity and challenging methods rather than accept the old routine that was being used, encouraging employees to think widely, trust in the projects they come up with and support them, and commitment of the leaders in ensuring that their projects are carried out effectively by the organization by providing them with the resources they require are just a few of the functions (Bass, 1985). Leadership Roles Oticon Company is different from other existing companies since they instilled change in the workplace for the better by using a different kind of leadership style in leading and managing the organization. In creating a vision for the organization, I will bear in mind the objectives of the organization which are of importance when stipulating the vision. If one does not put it into consideration, the goals and objectives of the organization may not be attained in time. Teams have managed to access shared information that has helped in lifting the performance of the organization, but in places like banks and hospitals, such freedom has been minimized to the leaders only since this will bring about confusion in the organization as it deals with very sensitive matters (Daft, 2002). Substantive actions and results of management concerning changing the decision making patterns are the decisions that largely result from external constraints and power-dependence. Symbolic action (expressive) is where management uses symbols and political language in legitimizing and rationalizing the policies and decisions of the organization. The effect of symbolic action is participatory decision-making that reflects the occurrence taking place in the current world (Bennis and Goldsmith, 1997). Oticon Company workers should be given training and education programs that relate to substantial change that is bound to come their way in the next financial year if need arises. Many organizations that try to impose change on the organization end up failing to meet the targets they intend to achieve since the workers are against the form of change being imposed on them. The structure of the organization was changed and needed to be communicated to the workers so that they can be aware of how activities are being conducted in the new organization (Byrd, 1987). By communicating to the workers, the leaders were presenting them with the new responsibilities accorded to them by the President of the Company. Redesigning of the jobs enabled the organization to have a high quality of work performance since the needs and capabilities of the employees were fully met. Face-to-face dialogue of the management (Campbell, 1970) and employee made communication effective and thus they related on a very common ground that enabled them to exchange ideas and information easily without being distorted at any given time. Not specifying the workstations made it possible for all the workers to mingle and get to know each other well, this contributed greatly to the cohesion that existed among them (Belbin,1993). The idea of projects made employees more active in the activities of the company and thus they aimed at maximizing profits and satisfying the customers whom they served. Developmental change has been able to reinforce the need for incremental change orientation process because it is people oriented (empathetic). The leader determined that the maturity level of the employees in relation to the task to be accomplished increased greatly thus reduction of the task behavior by the leader had changed and relationship behavior was increased (Bergmann, Hurson, Russ-Eft, 1999). Conclusion Emphasis has been made on the key points of change in leadership as part of the set management functions stipulated, and these functions can be traced back to the works of many philosophers. The functions of leaders in the traditional society have changed due to the shift that has occurred in the sources of personal power (Bunce, 1981). Technology was an attribute associated with the growth of an organization, but it is not the case. The one factor that contributes to an organizations growth and expansion is effective leadership skills used. Emotional intelligence has also been discussed widely. Theories have also been cited to show how the Company uses the leadership style to manage and lead its employees effectively. Leadership roles and functions are also seen to be changing with time bearing in mind that if a leader wants to achieve effectiveness in his work, then change of leadership should be looked into. Several skills and attributes that are desired by most leaders are very essential. Strategic and operational, traditional management and leadership styles have been discussed to show how they have managed to embrace the various skills available for an effective change in a leader to emerge (Kreisberg, 1992). Leadership style effectiveness can be adopted at different levels as discussed depending on the change itself. We are now conversant with the approach to take when situations arise and the type of leadership style to adopt. Can the Concept of Realism be Plausibly Applied to film? Can the Concept of Realism be Plausibly Applied to film? Realism is arguably the most important concept within film theory. Since its inception, film has generally been concerned primarily with facsimileing real life events for the audience via photographing and camera techniques. In the process, the aim of film from its early days has been to realise both fictional and non‑fictional events. As Ellis (1998:38) explains, the essence of cinema has always maintained an ongoing and deep‑seated relationship with both visual and aesthetic reality. â€Å"Cinema as a photographic medium instantly poses its images and sounds as recorded phenomena, whose construction occurred in another time and place. Yet though the figures, objects and places represented are absent from the space in which the viewing takes place, they are also (and astoundingly) present.† It is important not to confuse cinematic realism with the realistic and naturalistic dramatic output of theatres. Though the two have often collaborated and interchanged over the past one hundred years, the reality inherent in plays is inevitably different to the reality inherent in films. Theatre by nature, with its long pauses, set changes and asides to the audience, is inexorably less realistic than cinema where the division of scenes and the pace of the plot are subject to the whim and the taste of the film‑maker. Moreover, whereas realism is a difficult term for theatre analysts to digest dictated entirely by the skills of the actor (Styan, 1983:1) the film‑maker is able to use scenery, music, lighting and architectural design in order to re‑create a particular context or feeling. For the purpose of analysis, the following account of realism and films must adopt a dualistic approach. One the one hand, the essay must seek to define realism within film theory, especially with regards to conceptualising the different kinds of realism prevalent in cinema. On the other hand, it must necessarily look at examples of realism in action to show how film‑makers are able to apply theory to practice in a seamless transition. A conclusion will be sought that attempts to show that the realism is the most important paradigm in not only in film but in all serious artistic and creative endeavours. Although realism in film theory would appear to be a straightforward concept, roughly adhering to the Greek idea of memesis (imitation), the history of film has coincided with the history of modern western philosophical tradition, which since the middle of the nineteenth century has sought to rebel against the classical notions of the romantic movement in fiction and in painting (Stam, 2000:15). This signals that realism is a relatively recent phenomenon in western artistic ideology. As such, it would be naà ¯ve to presume that it has not been (and will not continue to be) the subject of vast theoretical changes. The following is therefore a brief overview of the variations of realism in film that have been witnessed throughout the past century. Early films could not hope to achieve realism on camera until the advent of sound. With this development, film was in possession of sight, sound and context to aid its replication of real life. This facilitated the classical era of American film with classical realism used as a staple part of the Hollywood diet in the films of the 1930’s and 1940’s. The aim was to create spatial and temporal continuity. Classical realist films achieved this via the utilisation of conventional devices for denoting the passing of time, editing devices and the adoption of a strict etiquette with regards to changing from scene to scene (such as camera close‑ups.) It is important to note that this classical ideal of film theory did not seek to exactly replicate real‑life scenes so much as present â€Å"an optical illusion of truth.† (Stam, 2000:143). This, it was hoped, would result in the production of a transparent kind of film, removing all traces of the physical and technical construction of the movie in the process. Yet, by definition, classical realism in films could not bequeath an overly elaborate plot. Rather, the concept of classical realism is concerned with episodic construction in order to convey the naturalism of the movie. â€Å"The structure of the realist film, one that attempts to look at the world objectively, differs from that of the usual narrative film in either being very simple or episodic†¦ Each episode or sequence of the film suggests random occurrences that are typical and representative of the people or environment portrayed.† (Wead and Lellis, 1981:325) Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) is a prime example of this classical early Hollywood realism in action. The movie concentrates on portraying the realism of the American crime era in a way that had not been attempted beforehand. Whereas previous productions had tended to sway towards the stereotypical view of the underworld, Angels with Dirty Faces looks to a depicting a classical realist film with characters that are believable with a plot that rests solely on the human element of the complex world of the American gangster rather than the more idealistic, impressionist view that had hitherto been championed by Hollywood impresarios. The American model of realism has been applied with equal vitality to European cinema where the depiction of another kind of reality has been achieved, particularly since the end of the Second World War. This is not surprising as artistic realism cannot thrive in a climate of oppression and authoritarianism like that which characterised mainland Europe during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. The life span, for instance, of leftist film‑maker Brecht was directly related to German politics at the time. In addition, it is surely no coincidence that the heyday of French poetic realism in mainstream French cinema (where Jean Renoir stands out as the most prominent realist film‑maker of his day) came in the late 1930’s, just before the collaborationist Vichy regime strangled the creative life out of all of the national arts. It is an important point and one that should be remembered throughout the remainder of the discussion: realism is directly affected by t he social and political context in which it is expressed. Moreover, when this expression is denied by law it likewise affects the vision of realism that a film‑maker wishes to convey. Post‑war incarnations of realism were reflective of the mood (certainly in Europe) in the immediate aftermath of fighting. Indeed, after this point, cinema was increasingly seen as the vehicle through which to transport real life to the viewer. This was a highly significant factor in the realism and neo‑realism of the time. It is worth remembering that cinema was partly responsible for the unprecedented carnage of the previous decades with the fascists in particular using film as a means of propaganda to seduce the people into acquiescence. Thus, neo‑realist film‑makers of the post‑war era such as Orson Welles and Roberto Rossellini wished to seduce the audience back into seeing cinema for the positive medium that it is, not the tool of despotic politics it had hitherto come to represent. â€Å"In spite of conflicts of style, neo-realism tends to give back to the cinema a sense of the ambiguity of reality.† (Bazin, 1997:69) In the UK, the concept of realism has been applied to film with arguably greater frequency and arguably a more accurate result than in any other comparable western country. British cinematic realism differs from the American and European models of realism in its strict representation of social reality, bequeathing the cinematic concept of social realism. Certainly, with its bleak architecture and temperamental weather, Britain provides the realist film‑maker with the raw materials for accurately depicting the social realties of modern life. These films are consequently oppressive with a strong focus on the human element. In this sense, British social realism can be seen to be apolitical, though it can also be argued that this can never really be the case. Regardless of such theories, social realism is a highly useful means of understanding the value of realism in movies. The late 1950’s and early 1960’s witnessed a spate of such social‑realist films. Room at the Top (1959), Look back in Anger (1959), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) are all testimony to the introspective path that British film had taken in the post‑war years. Part of the impetus behind this change in direction can be attributed to the domestic artistic world being opened up to younger film‑makers of varying degrees of social class who wished to portray British life as they saw it as opposed to British life as viewed through the eyes of the traditional socio‑political elite. This ‘kitchen sink’ realism was superseded by a more urbanised, radical realism in British film in the last decade of the twentieth century. The major difference between the two is the way in which the realism of the 1990’s was so much more pessimistic in its outlook than the realism of the m iddle of the century. No one film‑maker better represents this slip into melodrama than Ken Loach the architect of â€Å"documentary realism†. (Hill, 2000:182) At this point, mention must be made of the alternatives to realism as a dominant film theory. While European and North American cinema continues to view realism in all of its forms as a highly useful means of social and cultural expressionism, the movies that tend to make by far the most money at the box office continue to be the typical Hollywood blockbuster. These films are defined as cinematic escapism: the diametric opposite to films that rely on depicting realism to tell a story. Blockbusters are increasingly divorced from the social realties of the day with science fiction movies being a luminous example of the way in which cinema and realism are often at odds with one another; an uneasy alliance between make‑believe and the movies that has served to make Hollywood cinema the most profitable industry in the USA. In terms of consumption, it would appear to be that it is not the films of realism that are the most important partners in film; rather it is the non‑real ism, escapist films that appeal to the most broad‑based conception of the public audience. Indeed, focusing on the viewer and the audience asks further questions as to the ultimate validity of realism in films. Although the actor, the director and the producer may all feel that they have collaborated in making a truly realistic film, their judgement is in the end irrelevant. Movies may be made by film‑makers, but the final verdict on its artistic (as well as commercial) success always resides with the audience. As such, it is surely the viewer and the audience who must state whether or not a film is realistic. This, of course, â€Å"involves readerly or spectatorial belief, a realism of subjective response, rooted less in mimic accuracy than in a strong desire to believe on the spectator’s part.† (Stam, Burgoyne and Flitterman‑Lewis, 1998:185) Therefore, in the final analysis, each and every viewer will have a different opinion with regards to whether a film was on the whole realistic or not. No two viewpoints are ever likely to be the same. This is surely the defining reason why films are made: to encourage divisions of opinion and cultural debate on matters that are of relevance to the society in which the audience lives. Only films that are rooted in the concept of realism are able to achieve this kind of debate, which is in itself testimony to their ultimate value to the artistic community. Those films which seek to transport the audience away from reality are generally more concerned with the enormous commercial impact of films in the modern era, not with inciting intellectual debate. Serious film‑makers, on the other hand, will always tend to be attracted to the inherent realism afforded by the technology of film and it is for this reason that it is surely the most fundamental paradigm not only of film‑ making but also of any artistic endeavour that truly seeks to engage its audience in any meaningful way. BIBLIOGRAPHY Braudy, L. and Cohen, M. (Eds.) (1999) Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings Oxford: Oxford University Press Ellis, J. (1998) Visible Fictions: Cinema: Television: Video London: Routledge Lay, S. (2002) British Social Realism: from Documentary to Brit Grit London: Wallflower Lehman, P. (Ed.) (1997) Defining Cinema London: Athlone Murphy, R. (Ed.) (2000) British Cinema of the 90s London: BFI Stam, R., Burgoyne, R. and Flitterman‑Lewis, S. (1998) New Vocabularies in Film Semiotics: Structuralism, Post‑Structuralism and Beyond London: Routledge Stam, R. (2000) Film Theory: An Introduction London: Blackwell Styan, J.L. (1983) Modern Drama in Theory and Practice, Volume 1: Realism and Naturalism Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Wead, G. and Lellis, G. (1981) Film: Form and Function Boston: Houghton Mifflin Selected Articles Bazin, A. (1997) The Evolution of the Language of Cinema, in, Lehman, P. (Ed.) Defining Cinema London: Athlone Hill, J. (2000) Representations of the Working Class, in, Murphy, R. (Ed.) British Cinema of the 90s London: BFI

Music Television: Modern Phenomenon or Passing Fad? Essay -- Media Mus

Music Television: Modern Phenomenon or Passing Fad?    Dr. Pitton’s Comments: This student was asked in this essay to write about the causes of a modern phenomena. In active prose, she did an excellent job both of detailing the popularity of music television in today's society and offering a variety of creative and innovative reasons for this effect.    MTV promotes a romanticized teen lifestyle, reflecting the images of famous artists that differ with the realities of the â€Å"Generation X† lifestyle. While some view the station as â€Å"illustrated radio† or an entertainment network for viewers’ pleasure, others more accurately consider it as an advertising enterprise that endorses products and promotes attitudes (O’Neil 12). Whether or not MTV critics agree with these â€Å"messages† that, the network sends out, it has become a huge franchise generating large profits and great popularity. MTV’s entertainment, commercialism, and messages satisfy and influence many types of viewers, giving us, the viewing audience, a better understanding of the immense popularity of Music Television (MTV). As the entertainment mogul, MTV jumpstarted careers and dictated nearly every move in pop-culture. Its â€Å"children† range from Madonna to Britney Spears. With 1988’s â€Å"Yo! MTV Raps,† it brought hip-hop into the mainstream; with 1992’s â€Å"The Real World,† it laid the groundwork for reality television. By the mid-80’s, as group of competitors enticed MTV’s young audience, the network reinvented itself. The anchor in 1987 was the pop-trivia show â€Å"Remote Control.† Even with all the shows that have stemmed out of MTV, their music videos are still a major priority. Commercialism is as showing too much regard for pro... ...ie Allen says, â€Å"MTV made us look at the sound of music† (83). Works Cited Allen, Bonnie. â€Å"The 1980’s.† Essence Dec. 1989: 82-84 Daspin, Eileen. â€Å"Davis Horowitz: I Want My MTV† Management Review Oct.1985: 19-20. Denisoff, R. Serge. Inside MTV. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1989. Dupler, Steven. â€Å"New MTV Prez: No Big Changes Planned At Channel.† Billboard 27 May 1989: 55. Hamerlinck, John. â€Å"MTV and Morality.† The Humanist Jan./Feb. 1995: 43. Hedegaard, Erik. â€Å"New MTV Channel Aims For Older Audience.† Rolling Stone 11 Oct. 1984: 38. Newman, Melinda. â€Å"MTV Spreads The News.† Billboard 18 Feb. 1989: 55. ---. â€Å"MTV Taking A Harder Look At Vids?† Billboard 18 Nov. 1989: 1. Smith, Glenn. â€Å"MTV Parlors.’ Popular in Taiwan.† Billboard 16Sep. 1989: 63. â€Å"Viacom Buys MTV.† Fortune 30 Sep. 1985:10-11.

Leonardo Pisano :: essays research papers

Leonardo Pisano   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I researched a scientist or rather a mathematician that made contributions to his discipline such that they have affected a majority of the people that have lived on this earth since his time. His name is Leonardo Pisano. It is hypothesized that Leonardo was born in the town of Pisa which is in modern day Italy circa 1170. Leonardo moved at a young age with his father to a town in northern Algeria. Leonardo’s father held a diplomatic post where his job was to represent the merchants of the republic. At a young age Leonardo worked with numbers learning the in and outs of accounting and balancing books. In Algeria and other countries that he visited with his father he learned different numbering systems and how they had advantages to the one that he grew up with. In Algeria from the Arabs he learned the base 10 system and was responsible to spreading this system across Europe which in turn was spread across the world and is now the most widely used number sys tem (Connor 1998). Most people today know Leonardo by his nickname Fibonacci.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By the turn of the century Fibonacci had returned to Italy and began to write texts. He wrote on number theory, geometry, algebra, and documented problems and proofs. Fibonacci lived before the printing press had been invented and all copies of his books had to be had written copies from his own hand written copies. Today we still have four of his books; Liber abaci (1202), Practica geometriae (1220), Flos (1225), and Liber quadratorum.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to an article by Keith Devlin, Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University, Fibonacci’s first book Liber abaci is â€Å"the book that gave numbers to the western world†. Fibonacci was born in the Roman Empire and therefore was taught in his youth the Roman numeral system which is very limiting when one wants to calculate complex equations. As mentioned earlier Fibonacci traveled extensively in northern Africa with his father where he learned the base ten system from the Arabic people who in turn learned it from the people of India who developed it sometime in the first millennium. In his book Liber abaci or â€Å"The Book of calculation† he documented the system in detail that he learned from the Arab traders including its efficiency in performing arithmetic (Delvin 2002).

To Kill A Mockingbird: Scene Analysis :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An important scene found in the movie To Kill A Mockingbird is a scene concerning Mr. Tate recoiling upon the outcaste, Boo Radley, and unraveling a new perception of friendship. Atticus Finch (played by Gregory Peck), his daughter Jean-Louise Finch, also known as Scout (played by Mary Badham), and Boo Radley (played by Robert Duvall) all play an important role in the scene. As scout relates what had happened, she notices a man in the corner of the bedroom behind the door. She identifies the mysterious man as the one who grabbed Mr. Ewell and carried Jem home when she says, â€Å"Why, there he is Mr. Tate. He can tell you his name . . .† The sheriff, Mr. Tate, moves the bedroom door revealing in the light a frightened, gentle, and pale Boo Radley. And as he conveys a loving look, Scout gazes at him and smiles. In the meanwhile, Atticus had already introduced Scout to Boo. Then, Scout and Boo hold hands and walk over to the side of Jem’s bed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The challenge of taking a novel and translating it into film falls into the work of the screenwriter. The Academy Award winning screenplay was faithfully adapted by screenwriter Horton Foote from the 1960 novel of the same name, To Kill A Mockingbird. For the most part, Foote utilizes Harper Lee’s words. There is, however, one noticeable formality seen in the movie and not in the book. This formality takes place when Boo appears and Atticus states, â€Å"Miss Jean-Louise . . .† Her name does not appear this way in the book but does in the movie in order to exert a certain idealistic fervor of the Finch household that belongs in every household that adults should be respectful and well-spoken.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A screenplay is entirely useless unless if there are actors to bring it to life. When Mary Badham leans against the bedpost and wraps her hands around it, she is implying that, at least at first, there is reason for Scout to fear Boo. But then Mary Badham puts her hand out towards Boo effectively inviting him back into society. And when the young six-year-old actress smiles, Robert Duvall (playing Boo) immediately enters a relaxed state which demonstrates the character’s affection and trust of children. During this time, Atticus (played by Gregory Peck) pulls out a handkerchief as a sign of nervousness, and also to imply that men feel very uncomfortable during emotional situations.

Fixing California Drought Essay

In an attempt to find a solution that would best resolve the water drought crisis in California, we’ve all heard how we could apply technology such as desalination or green-friendly practices such as water conservation. Finding those who divert water wrongfully is just as challenging as it is to preserve the precious resource. Tough statewide regulations have been already rolled out this year in a bid to punish those who misuse it. Under the emergency conservation restrictions, hosing down driveways and sidewalks is prohibited, along with landscaping that causes excess water runoff that gets noticeable on sidewalk curbs. Californians who wash their cars on their properties must have a hose shut-off nozzle. An offender should expect fines up to $600 a day for unjustified water usage. About 40 percent of all drinking water in Los Angeles is used for landscape irrigation, according to the Department of Water and Power of California. Outdoor watering with sprinklers is restricted to three days a week, with different watering days for odd-numbered and even-numbered street addresses. With new restrictions and ordinances, it’s been reported that some agencies have received more than 30,000 complaints but only issued 300 files through April of 2014. First-time offenders receive a warning. This shows that wasteful water enforcement by city and state departments haven’t put enough effort in a bid to punish violators. Although it has been found that humans had very little to do with the start of the drought, California citizens can affect the duration of it. Ultimately, the only thing that will truly end the drought is drastically increased rainfall. One foot of rainfall would be needed a month to put an end to the effects of the drought. However, there are ways presently available that can help conserve water. This should be a prime focus, as it is the best hope of preventing further damage to our ecosystem. While California cannot control the amount of rainfall it receives its people can slow the growing water deficit; which recently measured at 62 trillion gallons Works Cited: Don Thompson. â€Å"Save California water regulators approve fines for water wasters.† The Associated Press / Los Angeles Daily News. Web. 15 Jul. 2014.

Opportunities for Company Essay

Opportunities for Company Q to lead in the area of social responsibility Company Q’s attitude towards social responsibility appears to be nonexistent, possibly through ignorance or disconcert. Either way the lack of social responsibility affects their business and community’s perception of their business. It appears that the company management has never developed and ethics program that clearly defines the corporate culture including provisions for social responsibility. Profits, or at least a lack of losses appears to be a primary motivating factor for company Q’s management’s decisions. Company Q has been attempting to cut losses by closing stores that were losing money instead of finding innovative ways to increase revenues and profitability for the stores. Based on the known information, Company Q still has ample opportunity to build a socially responsible reputation within the community it serves and at the same time create profits for its shareholder s. Simple and cost-effective changes could be implemented in a relatively short amount of time and the benefits to the community, employees and the company itself could be realized within a reasonable amount of time. There are at least three ways that Company Q can make a positive affect within the community that it serves while increasing revenues and profitability for shareholders. First area of improvement: Take those previous customer requests for health conscience and organic products and turn them into reality within their stores. For many years, Company Q’s customers have been requesting health conscience and organic products sold at Company Q’s stores. The company’s efforts to provide this for its customers have been weak at best. The company’s management has the ethical duty to be positively reactive to its customers requests, so long as those requests are not illegal, immoral, irresponsible or unethical. Since requests are for products that benefit the health of customers, company Q needs to act to deliver those requested products in a manner that is consistent with its goals of profitability. In this case, the company has the ability to show social responsibility in bringing healthier products into its stores and have the added benefit that these items are high-margin, delivering profit opportunities to company shareholders. Because the items are high-margin, the costs of purchasing a reasonable supply and variety of items is relatively low as compared to lower margin items that are most  likely currently stocked in each store. The company even has an opportunity to reduce costs in the stores purchases by eliminating similar products that are lower in margin to the ones that they will be bringing in based on customer requests. Promotion of the social responsibility plan is important. With no additional cost in advertising, company Q can promote these new healthy products in its ad vertising. Doing so can bring back some of their lost business as well as bring in new customers to the stores. This situation is a win not only for Company Q but is also a win for customers and employees. The additional profits from higher-margin items will assist the company in creating wages that are appropriate for each position and opportunities for advancement in pay and position for its employees. This can help create an atmosphere that retains employees and reduces turnover, consequently, reducing the costs of obtaining and training new employees on a regular basis. Second area of improvement: Donations to local food banks, shelters and other charities Company Q experiences a direct loss of not only the potential profit from but the actual cost of day-old items that are thrown away. In doing so, the company experiences these costs with no benefit to the company. This method of handling the old items not only costs the company dollars in loss but also does not allow the company to reap the benefits of a socially responsible positive image to its customers and employees. Company Q’s management has taken the approach that by donating the day-old items it leaves the possibility for employees to steal from the company. A thorough plan of documentation for the donation process will help in ensuring that the donations go where they are intended and minimize risk of employee theft. One part of this plan would be to have the food bank pick up the donated items on a daily or weekly basis. As part of the donation process the food bank employee and the store employee would sign an inventory of the items picked up. This inventory tracking could be used by the stores as proof for prospective tax deductible donation on federal and/or state taxes. Any legal reductions in tax liability, improves profitability for the company. Company Q can benefit with a more socially responsible image to its customers and employees each time the food bank truck pulls up to the store and is being loaded with donated food. Food banks are not the only opportunity to show company philanthropy to the community. Making donations and collecting donations from the community for  homeless shelters and other worthy charitable organizations is yet another avenue to show the community that Company Q is active in social responsibility. Shelters and other charitable organizations are in need of items that the stores may not be able to sell to their customers for donation, but when customers and employees bring in donated items such as clothing, personal appliances and possibly furniture, these items could be collected at or near the store and be picked up by these charitable organizations. This gives the store an opportunity to receive business from those that are dropping off donations, by going in to the store and purchasing items that they may need for themselves and do it in one simple trip. These type of donation events can be listed in their existing advertising and give customers another reason to come by the store. Third area of improvement: Create opportunities for employees as well as customers to share in the charitable activities that promote social responsibility. As part of its change in being more socially responsible, Company Q could directly involve its customers by making donation bins available in stores for customers to purchase items and donate to the food bank. Advertising this in the store is good, but including it in their existing ad campaign could bring in customers that appreciate socially responsible businesses. Not only is this the sale of the items additional revenue for Company Q, but it allows customers to be directly involved in donation, which in turn creates even more goodwill for Company Q. In addition to customer involvement, employees can be directly involved in developing a socially responsible image of the company. Company Q could organize and promote employees assisting at food bank locations. These employees could go in for one day each month or each quarter and work within the food bank in one of many areas that the food bank needs physical labor for. Company Q could pay the employee’s their regular wages and be may able to take tax deductions for the wages paid to employees while assisting the food bank. This approach is another win for all parties involved. The food bank wins with donated labor, the employees win by being paid for the time worked at the food bank and Company Q wins by showing social responsibility in its community and gaining goodwill for itself in the process. In conclusion, Company Q can develop an ethics program and implement a plan for social responsibility that helps those within its community and increase its revenue and profits  in doing so.