Trials and Verdicts

The important result of the legal decision-making process is the verdict which can end the trial process and state the form of punishment for the convicted person.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Trials and Verdicts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, to understand the details related to interpreting the cases and law and to stating the verdict, it is necessary to analyze the processes related to different courts according to their jurisdiction, and to focus on the real-life examples in order to discuss the problems of accepting a plea bargain and of being wrongly accused. The question of the court’s jurisdiction is discussed when it is necessary to select which court can decide on the certain case appropriately. Following the Felkner v. Jackson case, it is possible to state that different courts are effective to discuss concrete issues and decide on the aspects of the case, but the process of the case resolution can be rather long and complicated. In 2011, Steven Frank Jackson was convicted of many sexual offenses. However, Jackson referred to the Batson v. Kentucky case, and focused on the issue of racism in relation to the California jury who discussed the case. Jackson’s petition was accepted and examined by the California Court of Appeal, and then the California Supreme Court decided according to the court’s jurisdiction to reject the necessity of the case’s review (Felkner v. Jackson, 2011). Nevertheless, the case was not unresolved even in relation to the Federal District Court. In this situation, the Supreme Court took the jurisdiction to provide the decision, and the previous courts’ decisions were defined as unreasonable. Finally, it is stated by the Supreme Court of the United States that the petition â€Å"for certiorari and the motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis are granted. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for t he Ninth Circuit is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion† (Felkner v. Jackson, 2011). As a result, it is possible to note that the decision to discuss the case in the Supreme Court of the United States is appropriate because of the necessity to resolve all the controversial points of the case which cannot be resolved in the other courts.Advertising Looking for research paper on constitutional law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The cases when the defendant accepts a plea bargain as an alternative to trial are also very controversial and complicated because this decision can be associated with a kind of pressure from attorneys and prosecutors. Furthermore, the defendant can change his or her decision during the process. Thus, to discuss the question in detail, it is necessary to focus on the Freeman v. United States case (2011). William Freeman was convicted of different crimes associated with drug trafficking and drug delivery. However, Freeman decided to develop the plea agreement under Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(c)(1)(C). The agreement meant that Freeman could plead guilty depending on receiving a specific sentence. The case was rather complicated, and it was decided in 2011 that referring to 18 U.S.C.  § 3582(c)(2), the sentence could be reduced â€Å"for the offense to which the defendant pled guilty† (Freeman v. United States, 2011). In spite of the fact that the plea agreement does not mean the alternative to the trial, the case is important to be discussed to decide whether or not justice was served. Referring to this concrete case, it is possible to state that the justice was served because the severity of crimes should be taken into account every time when the possibility of the plea agreement is discussed. The most problematic cases are those ones in which defendants are wrongly accused and later vindicated. One of the most famous case s is the case associated with the famous sportsman Brian Banks who was convicted of raping Wanetta Gibson. Brian Banks accepted a plea bargain because of the threat to be imprisoned for more than 40 years. However, in 2011, it became possible to state that Banks was not guilty, and he was vindicated. The most important aspect to be discussed in relation to the case is the fact that Wanetta Gibson lied during the first trial process in order to receive the significant financial compensation (Powers, 2012). The decision of the court could be different, but the lawyers failed to prove or not Gibson’s words. That is why, these details affected the whole trail process, and Brian Banks had to accept the plea agreement in order to avoid being imprisoned for a long period of time.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Trials and Verdicts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In spite of the fact, the United Statesà ¢â‚¬â„¢ legislative system should contribute to the people’s welfare and protection, there are many controversial verdicts and trials which can influence the statement of the principles of justice in the country. From this point, it is necessary to pay much attention to the controversial aspects and issues discussed during the trial processes in order to resolve cases in the appropriate courts with the focus on their jurisdiction and to avoid the ineffective decisions which can lead to the unalterable consequences. As a result, all the details of the case should be taken into consideration to decide on the person’s guilt and possible verdict. References Felkner v. Jackson. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/10-797.pdf Freeman v. United States. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-10245.pdf Powers, A. (2012). A 10-year nightmare over rape conviction is over. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/local/la- xpm-2012-may-25-la-me-rape-dismiss-20120525-story.html This research paper on Trials and Verdicts was written and submitted by user Alfonso Fletcher to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Zen in the Art of Archary essays

Zen in the Art of Archary essays As I sat around thinking of how I could answer this question, I realized that I had never experienced the feeling where I lost my ordinary sense of self-consciousness that Eugen Herrigel describes. I can come up with numerous occurrences in my life where I lost track of time, but not the loss of self-consciousness as well. I would imagine it must take vigorous training to learn this skill of such magnitude. Of course there are instances when I have become very relaxed where I just think to myself and lose track of my surroundings. However, to me this state of mind is more of a daydream state, which everyone has. It is still very far from losing your self-consciousness, because even with that feeling I can still say that I am thinking in terms of I and not in terms if IT. I cant say that I have ever felt this outside force of IT that Eugen mentions. Nevertheless, the closest occurrence I can think of is when reading a book, in which I am very interested. When I get into this s tate of mind I began to truly enjoy the experience, doing so with extreme focus on the text. This is the best example I can supply that contributes to a very concentrated state of mind. The book example came to mind because I felt there were similarities in the activities that led to the Zen state that Herrigel explained. When indulging in a great book I can feel myself getting caught up with every word, and hanging on to every little detail. I can read a textbook and have minutes feel as hours. When reading a great book time can just fly away, and I can feel myself becoming one with the book, where its no longer me reading but experiencing the words. I also feel this book example can relate to Eugen since he as well had to exemplify great focus in his breathing and in his form. However, I feel that it does not relate because, when reading a book, there is no need for me to achieve a purposeless ...

Magical journeys are used as a metaphor for internal liberation in the Research Paper

Magical journeys are used as a metaphor for internal liberation in the works of Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington - Research Paper Example Style of Art A.  The use of the surreal as a part of the imagination to gain freedom, even inside of walls (Varo) B.  The use of the surreal as magic to move into the unknown and beyond to find freedom (Carrington) V. Conclusion   Introduction The creation of expression through art is one which is based on creating specific topics and themes that provide insight through the artist. When looking at the works of Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington, it can be seen that there is a specific set of attributes that are defined with their works. These are based on expressions and personal beliefs of both of the artists. The artists use magical journeys as a metaphor for internal liberation through various works. Examining the magical journeys as well as how it relates to the liberation is one which redefines the expressions and concepts that are associated with the artistic works and the beliefs in which both of the artists carry. Background Information Remedios Varo was born in 1908 and died in 1963 and was a well – known Spanish - American painter. The works which she produced were best known for surrealist ideologies and anarchist concepts which opposed the politics and culture of the nation at this specific time frame. Varos was forced to move during the Spanish Civil War and was led into Paris. During this time, she met several other surrealist painters, including Gerardo Lizzarga and Benjamin Peret. She became a member of the group Logicophobiste where most of her artistic influences began to form. In 1941, she was forced into exile again, specifically with the Nazi regime that took occupation in France. This particular political movement led her to Mexico City where she remained for the rest of her life. During this time, she was introduced to artists Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Leonara Carrington1. The second artist, Leonara Carrington, is known because of the same influences and styles which were carried by Varo. Carrington was born in 1917 and died in May of 2011. Carrington was born in England to a father who was known for his textile manufacturing. Her father’s wealth allowed her to be governed by tutors and nuns; however, she was expelled from two schools for her behavior. Her father tried to change this by sending her to Florence, Italy, where she attended the Academy of Art. She later joined the Chelsea School of Art and then the Academy of Amedee Ozenfant. She was quickly influenced by surrealism from Paul Eluard and Herbert Read. By 1938, she was painting surrealist art and settled in France with her husband, Max Ernst. Both collaborated on several works; however, Ernst was arrested several times by Nazis because of the belief that he was a hostile alien. Both escaped to America; however, Carrington broke down mentally and was forced to return to Spain where she was placed in a mental institution. She later went to Mexico and New York where she was able to flourish with her paintings and which allowed her t o explore more surrealist artwork2. When looking at both of the artists, it can be seen that the history and the specific problems are similar. Both were in similar place in Europe and went through forms of exile from politics, specifically with the Nazi regime. Both were exiled into different countries where they underwent several influences that were based on the political problems

Strategic project management case study Assignment

Strategic project management case study - Assignment Example The country depicts human resource weaknesses in the health, education, and adult literacy sectors. The country has the right atmosphere of establishing measures that would help it to catch up with the developed nations in terms of education, technology, economic development, and adult literacy. As such, I present a project that will ensure that every student joining a public college accesses a laptop with a view of updating the technology of the nation. The project dubbed â€Å"One Laptop one Student Campaign† will seek to bridge the digital gap between Kenya and the developed countries. This will enhance technological development in Kenya. After doing a pilot project on the country, the project will aim at providing a reliable, low power, and cost effective laptops to all students in public colleges free of charge. Just like the "One laptop per child" project (Beaumont 2010, p. 1), the â€Å"One Laptop one Student Campaign† will adopt the principle that giving computers to students will consequently enhance educational progress in Kenya. The project will require the support of sponsors, the government, academicians, parents, and students. In ensuring the sustainability of the project, I will address myself to electricity shortages, cultural restrictions, low internet network, adequate equipment, and training, usability, and government restrictions. Ultimately, I will consider the merits and demerits of the project an d its probable impact on the education sector. This will determine the sustainability of the project. It is arguably true that in developing countries like Kenya, public college students belong to the low economic class compared to the private college students who belong to the wealth class where they can easily access laptops. The â€Å"One Laptop one Student Campaign† seeks to ensure the availability of laptops at home and in school for all students entering college education. The implementation of this project will

Mayor's management report department of homless services (NYC) Essay

Mayor's management report department of homless services (NYC) performance measures - Essay Example Homelessness has always remained a major concern for municipalities of towns and cities across the globe. New York City is a city with a staggering homeless population; experiencing a profound shortage of available housing at every rental level; a problem that has persisted throughout the city's history. To address this ill, chronic issue, in year 1993, the city government of New York City, established the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). Since then, all activities, resources and facilities; projects, inputs and workload; performance, statistical measurements and results of DHS, are published in annual Mayor's Management Report. The paper addresses the mission, goals and objectives of Department of Homeless Services. It quantitatively analyze the performance highlights of Mayor’s Management Report and discusses the DHS methodology in context to Six Sigma or the Theory of Constraints. Finally different features of performance measures are given. Department of Homeless Ser vices Homelessness is an ill and burgeoning phenomenon for human being; a disproportionate coercion against the health and well-being of masses who endure its deprivations. Homelessness badly upsets the most vulnerable group of society whose life chances and life expectancies are already reduced by poverty, discrimination, mental illness, substance abuse and other disabilities (Barrow 529)... For example according to a survey conducted by United Nations cyberschool bus (1985) an estimate number of homeless in Manhattans alone run as high as 90,000. 'This crisis can be best described as a national epidemic of homelessness that is destroying the family life and health of the poor, and affecting the most vulnerable section of the population- children' (Whyte 2004). In order to deal with this epidemic crisis, in 1993 the city government of New York established the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). "The mission of the Department of Homeless Services is to overcome the homelessness in New York City" (PMM Report 2007). After six years in 1999, DHS was given an independent Mayoral agency status. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) instigated its course of action with following long-term goals as given in Mayor's annual reports. Prevent homelessness. Conduct outreach to street homeless individuals. Provide temporary emergency shelter for eligible homeless people. Work with homeless individuals and families to develop and implement independent. To pursuit these long term goals Department of Homeless Services set following critical objectives. Increase the number of people prevented from becoming homeless. Reduce street homelessness. Ensure the availability of temporary shelter for homeless individuals and families. Maintain shelter safety and cleanliness. Increase client engagement and responsibility in moving to permanent housing. Reduce clients' length of stay in shelters. Increase placements into permanent housing. Reduce re-entries into the shelter services system (PMM Report 2007). MMR Performance Measures Analysis Quantitative Analysis The statistics given in MMR against the key service area of

History And Industry Trends Cisco Systems Inc Commerce Essay

History And Industry Trends Cisco Systems Inc Commerce Essay As a company that started from humble beginnings, Cisco has evolved and grown into the multinational networking and communications giant of today. In 1984, Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner, a couple working as computer staff members at Stanford University, created the startup known as Cisco Systems (Cisco systems). The companys first product was a multi-protocol router, which would set the tone for the coming years and helped outline its direction. Although Cisco has indulged in branching of products and dabbled in various market segments, networking primarily routers and switches have remained at its core. Cisco went public on February 16, 1990 and spent the remainder of the 90s ramping up for the Internet age (Cisco systems). It acquired numerous Ethernet and switching companies. By the time the dot-com boom rolled around, Cisco had implanted itself as a world leader: in order for the Internet to grow, many of Ciscos products were crucial to its infrastructure. This foundation-laying ideal positioned the company at the apex of the wave. In the spring of 2000, Cisco became the worlds most valuable company with a market capitalization of over $500 billion. In a move to increase the breadth of the brand and target consumers, Cisco rebranded itself in 2006 (and inclusively shortened its name from Cisco Systems). While primarily a business and enterprise oriented company, Cisco began its new initiative by acquiring home user minded names like Linksys and Flip Video. While the company has achieved phenomenal growth and successes, it is of course not without moments of decline. For example, the aforementioned Flip Video acquisition resulted in a flop, and was subsequently shutdown and dissolved in 2011 (Cisco discontinues flip, 2011). With this, Cisco announced that it would exit aspects of its consumer business which suggests a shift in focus. Once the dot-com boom was over and the bubble burst, Cisco experienced a major downturn and was forced to lay off almost 8000 employees and write down $2 billion in inventory (Fryer, 2008). This demonstrates the volatility of the technology industry and how important it is to forecast new trends. At the helm of the company, CEO John Chambers emphasizes on market transitions, quoting A market transition occurs when there is a subtle but clear disruptive shiftà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ A market transition gives you a glimpse of a new opportunity to take market share or move into new market adjacencies (Fryer, 2008). In the past, most businesses in the industry like Cisco followed market transitions directed by business now the industry has changed to follow consumers. Subtle discrepancies like this can spark differentiation of varying magnitude in order to capture new trends. By utilizing the VRIO framework, we can analyze Ciscos resource endowments and provide further insight on its background and competencies. While the company is differentiated in its products and services, not everyone of its resources is ranked highly on VRIO. Taking the Flip Video example, Cisco only received a temporary competitive advantage from it, and not a sustained one. The reason being, Flip cameras no longer became valuable nor rare. Smartphones were on the rise and contained built-in features that rendered Flip cameras redundant users could share videos and also capture them directly from their cellphones (Cisco discontinues flip, 2011). In comparison, Flip cameras were not perceived to be as valuable versus the time period before smartphones. Given this, these cameras were also not costly to imitate, since competitor manufacturers (market segment-wise) were implementing similar technologies already. By acquiring Flip Video in 2009, Cisco leveraged its business know-how an d infrastructure to demonstrate its capability to capture value. Flip cameras were at one point a popular commodity, but it soon tapered off once the previous 3 criterions of VRIO began to diminish. Once it came to this, Cisco was no longer able to capture its value and thus shutdown Flip. On the other hand, Ciscos router and switch resources provide the company a sustained competitive advantage and maintains high rankings in the VRIO analysis. Taking the Catalyst 6500 switch as an example, which was a key player during the dot-com boom (Cisco systems). Cisco strategically positioned itself with this switch and its other router technologies at this time, because Internet Service Providers necessitated an answer to the growing infrastructure demands. Resources like the 6500 provide Cisco with value. Over the years, Cisco has maintained a high-quality image and people equate its products as such. This increases its perceived value by consumers. For the most part, many of Ciscos resources are considered rare because although there are similar products from different competitors, the numbers are not great. Tying into the aforementioned rarity, due to the complex and continuously evolving nature of these high technologies, they are very costly to imitate. As a firm in general, Cisco has been organized to capture value on many of its products. Juniper Networks is one of Ciscos main competitors, and came out with products that siphoned away 30% of the switching and routing market share. In the end, Cisco was able to edge itself back into the leader seat by innovating and releasing upgrades to existing lines. To expand on Ciscos differentiation strategy and its diverse portfolio of product ranges, 3 market segments are targeted. The primary market for the firm is the corporate market, or large businesses. Cisco sells a multitude of products and services for this segment, ranging from borderless network solutions to collaboration suites like the IP phones and TelePresence video conferencing units (Collaboration products and,). Many of these products are sold to large enterprises like Bank of America, ATT, and General Electric. The contracts Cisco holds with these types of companies create a large bulk of its focus. Referring back to the dot-com boom case, Cisco sold its network solutions to many ISPs and ultimately catalyzed its market capitalization and proliferation to being the worlds most valuable company at the time. Aside from the corporate market, Cisco also offers less intensive and lighter scale solutions for small businesses in order to encompass a more diverse group of consumers. The company offers a variant of its routers and switches that are reduced in size and capabilities, but work for smaller networks. The WebEx web conferencing service is a popular offering (its technology was garnered through an acquisition), which allows users to seamlessly collaborate and share. Although Cisco made an effort to enter the home user market in 2006, with its The Human Network campaign, it is reassessing the scope of this venture (Cisco systems). As shown by Flip, the margins that Cisco requires to operate at a desired efficiency are not as great in the home user segment. Many of the companys pursuits in this area proved to be short-lived. While the TelePresence video conferencing suites originated as a corporate-oriented product, Cisco tried adopting it to the home users by offering Umi (Collaboration products and,). Unfortunately, this effort was not successful as the competition was too great and the offering was not valuable enough to consumers. At its heart, Cisco maintains its competitive advantages primarily through its business and corporate solutions. Macroeconomic Analysis PESTEL A firms macro environment consists of a wide range of political, economic, sociocultural, technological, ecological, and legal (PESTEL) factors that can affect industry and firm performance. These external forces have both domestic and global aspects. (Strategic Management Concept Textbook) Pestel stands for political, economic, sociocultural, technological, environmental and legal issues that the government can act on the Companys decisions or performances. Usually most of the articles from Wall Street Journal can be applied by Pestel Analysis. Political Political consideration that affect service provider and government spending patterns( Annual Report, pg.37) is one of the reason why Cisco believes that their company can be harmed by the economic and political reasons. Economic Cisco System explained how the fluctuation in the future with their stock price could happen due to uncertain global economic environment in their Annual report. They believe there are lots of risks on uncertainty of the global economic environment. As we see in their stock chart that they have had hard time during economic crisis of 2008. Stock analysis is provided under financial analysis section in detail of this report. The explanation about the fluctuations on currency exchange rates which are making negative impact on their financial reports is an example of how the economic changes can affect the companys financial well-being. Despite the fact that reason for this fluctuation is due to big portion of global expanding. However for this problem they found a solution by entering into the foreign exchange forward contracts and by reducing the short term impact on certain foreign currency receivables, payables and investments. (Annual Report, pg.38) Sociocultural Cisco System, the Cisco Foundation, UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) and the Government of the Jordan helped women in the Jordan to get into technology study and work as IT or ICT- Information Community Technology. In 2001 and 2002 they had a program to let the women in Jordan to be trained and work as much as men. In this sociocultural issue Cisco System had a great job involving in this program. Geographic, social, economic and racial boundaries are eliminated as the program extends to 149 countries with more than 10,000 Academies across the globe. (The Women in Jordan, 2001) So the company extended that program and it affected their social, economic and racial boundaries. Technological Continuity innovation in technology of network industry and uncertainties of the legal issues Cisco depends on the innovation more than the protection needed for their products and services by patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secret marks. Innovation is the key to be successful in the networking industry and Cisco has to rapidly innovate not to get in to the market, but also able to sustain competitive advantage. Environmental Cisco proudly partners with industry-leading companies to provide our customers with highly secure, interoperable smart grid solutions and services. We understand that modernizing the electric utility infrastructure around the world-from generation at a power plant to consumption in a home or business-is a huge undertaking. It requires the skills and expertise of many people to deliver on the promise of a smart grid. (Cisco website) Legal Most of the Ciscos products has software or licensed by the third party. Legally they have been sued several times regarding violation of the federal securities law, waste of corporate asset, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duties, and violation of the California Corporation Code. In addition they also had litigations of ordinary course of business, and intellectual property. They did not able to see any effect financially in their annual report, but it might affect their mission already. That can affect their stocks as well as their financial situations. (Annual Report 126,127) Financial Analysis Stock Stock Performance Graph Analysis (Annual Report page 46) The comparison with Cisco System, SP and SP Information Technology shows us that Cisco has a return of stockholders much lower than compare to SP and SP Information Technology. This Yahoo Finance Chart also shows that Cisco Stock Price had a problem right after 2008 just like other companies due to economic crisis on 2008, and got better later on. All the competitors recovered faster than Cisco after 2009 and continue to get well except HP. As of January 15, 2013 Cisco had a price of $20.98 while Hewlett Packard $16.53, Juniper Network 21.01. Revenue Compare to 2011, 2012 Revenue is increased about 7%. Cisco had 46.1 billion net sales and 12% increase on service revenue. Most of the revenue they received last year was from switching market and NGN Routing. They believe they can increase their revenue since they are into changing their strategies and innovating. Current Asset/ Current Liability Ratio Analysis Cisco has a quick ratio of 2012 3.49%. (61,933 / 17,731 = 3.49) Since it is more than one that means they can pay their current debt easily with their current assets. Since they have good amount of cash equivalency they need to invest more to increase and expand their company. Employees

The Organisational Structure, Culture and Management Style of Sainsbury

The Organisational Structure, Culture and Management Style of Sainsbury A1.How the organisational structure, culture and management style inter-relates in the business and evaluate their impact and that of ICT on the performance of the business. The organisational structure in which Sainsbury’s uses is how Sainsbury’s move the ranks from highest to lowest. For Sainsbury’s to not have levels of different hierarchy then it would not give anybody a rank, which would make the aims of Sainsbury’s not do well in terms of not having someone to be a manager and manage all the staff and make decisions. Without the chain of command workers would be lost and would not know what to do. The way in which the hierarchal structure works for Sainsbury’s is that they have one Manager who looks after all of the operational staff by making the decisions of what they should do and guiding them with any queries or problems. The hierarchal structure in which Sainsbury’s has yet not been put down in terms of not working as they are very good in their selling of products and fails not to impress by being one of the most popular product chains in the UK as well as making a lot of profit on there way to success. The management style in which Sainsbury’s uses is autocratic where as explained before that there is only one manager on the store floor who watches over the other operational staff who are making orders from customers and serving the customers at the tills, also f...

Theodore Adorno’s notions of ‘standardisation’ and ‘pseudo-individualism’ might be applied to contemporary pop music

Basing your discussion on an analysis of at least 2 contemporary artists or bands, consider the ways that Theodore Adorno's notions of ‘standardisation' and ‘pseudo-individualism' might be applied to contemporary pop music. Do you see any problems or shortcomings from this approach? Popular Culture has enticed much research; with the increase of media studies there are a number of minds picking apart what they see. With icons filing up and saturating mediums such as television, magazines, radio stations to name a few, the celebrity filled industry is undoubtedly causing a stir amongst the masses. Theodore Adorno (1903-69) emigrated to England in 1934 to escape Nazism. He lived in the United States of America for 10 years, (1938-48) before returning to Frankfurt, where he was a member at the ‘Frankfurt Institute of Social Research'. Theodore Adorno was a key figure in the study of popular music and had intrinsic Marxist view on the capital nature of society. Adorno believed that the culture industry â€Å"is the central agency in contemporary capitalism for the production and satisfaction of false needs†. (Adorno, T and Horkheimer, M. 1977, p349). He argues that popular music is a mass-produced and shallow standardised part of the culture industry. This would suggest that all aspects of popular music including types of songs, song lyrics and parts of songs e.g. chorus, are all standardised. (Longhurst, B. 1995, p5). Popular music is therefore divided into particular categories or genres of music such as rock, pop, rap, heavy metal and reggae etc, however according to Adorno, all popular music is standardised consisting of verse, chorus, bridge, that are interchangeable from one song to another. The effects of standardisation are often hidden by what the industry calls pseudo-individualisation. These are incidental differences, also known as ‘frills' that are put within a song to disguise that it sounds the same. Adorno distinguishes sharply between pop music and serious music between high culture and low cultures. Serious music, which he regards as classical, Beethoven or Mozart for example, plays to the pleasures of the imagination offering an engagement with the world, as it should be. Especially due to this separation his theories were often attacked for being elitist. The comparison of pop music and serious music was a main topic for him. Adorno describes individuals who enjoy popular music â€Å"corrupt by immersion and open to the domination of industrialised capitalist systems.† (Longhurst, B. 1995, p8). This view accounts for the emotional needs that popular music may fulfil as ‘false and immature, rather than deep and/or penetrating. â€Å"Adorno continued to equate the form with Tin Pan Alley and jazz orientated variations of it, ignoring the rise of rock and roll in the early 1950's. This undermined his critique and resulted in his views generally being strongly rejected by more contemporary rock analysts.† (Shuker, R. 1994; 23). Adorno claims that Popular music is churned into a production line where everything sounds similar, it's an industry that exploits us for profit and social control, to accept certain conditions about the world in which we live through a capitalist society. It would be fair to say that to some extent this is true. We do live in a capitalist society and in the music industry the process of absorption is achieved by capitalism through advertising and marketing of a product with a pop star or pop band. Everything about them becomes a commodity, their clothes, image, likes and dislikes etc, transcends its immediate functional use to become a key symbol of a whole lifestyle. The argument implies that the rise of the popular music to mass status is a consequence of the symbolic strategies invested in it rather than the actual quality of the music. This essentially means that although the products of the culture industry are alike in most cases, some ‘individuality' is consciously added to make it different from the rest even though essentially it is the same product. This is pseudo individualism. Adorno uses the Hollywood star system as an example, â€Å"the more dehumanised its method of operation and content, the more diligently and successfully the culture industry propagates supposedly great personalities, and operates with heart throbs.† (Adorn, T. 1991, p87). A modern day example can be seen in boy bands such as ‘Westlife', ‘Nsync', ‘Backstreet boys' and the most recent ‘One true voice' derived from ‘Popstars the rivals', a spin of show produced originally as ‘Popstars' in January 2001. Although the music is very similar in structure, tonality and content, the customer can choose between several versions of these boy bands. It could be suggested, â€Å"the culture industry produces culture, which the masses consume unthinkingly and are thus confirmed as unthinking. It is a culture which produces satisfaction in the here and now, depoliticising the working class, limiting its horizon to political and economic goals that can be achieved within the oppressive and exploitive framework of capitalist society†. (Storey, J. 1998 p188). The audience, through a selection process selected the new boy band, One True Voice over a number of weeks. A group of 5 males aged between 17 and 22, they do fit into a typical boy band category. They released a Christmas song called ‘Sacred Trust' which is actually a cover version of another male group the ‘Bee Gees'. Adorno would claim that we as masses consume everything the business churns out and on a personal level I would agree as this appears to be both standardised and contains pseudo individualism as it is sung by a new group with added frills however this has been apparent in popular music for generations and manufactured groups will continue to use this method in order to generate more sales. We live in a consumerist society where these manufactured groups are providing a service for their audience. A major critique of this is that Adorno does not look at the emotional response of the audience and how standardisation is also a form of pleasure. By this it mea ns that standardisation is a form of security for the audience and this predictability is often welcoming. Adorno and other writers of the Frankfurt school, especially Herbert Marcuse (1898-1978) sees the process of the culture industry as a means of capitalist society to stabilize itself. Theodore Adorno claimed that popular music operates as a tool of social ‘cement'. Although his writings was published in 1941, his accounts on popular music does not account for the complexities of recent popular music and popular culture. He is heavily criticised due to his unchanging elitist views and it would be fair to say that popular music is not as monolithic as Adorno claims. The perspectives offer a relevant but quite pessimistic and what can be considered as narrow minded views of popular music. They have offered foundations for interpretation and understanding of music however many theories since have built on how audiences' contextualise and use the products of mass culture rather than what the culture industry does to the audience. Antonio Gramsci's (1891-1937) work on Hegemony opened many doors for thought, including ideas that ‘members of society negotiate with the products of the culture'. (Fiske, J. 1992, p309). Hegemony helps identify that popular culture is not simply imposed on the subordinates by the bourgeoisie and that people are not simply â€Å"passive and helpless mass incapable of discrimination and thus at the economic, cultural and political mercy of the barons of the industry†. (Fiske, J. 1987, p309) Fiske suggests that audiences draw contrasting ideas from different text. Madonna is a fine example where pleasure of the audience is in the â€Å"power of a severely suboridatly subculture to make their own statements and own meaning†. (Fiske, J. 1987, p233) These theories have their strengths and differences in helping unpack the tapestry of music. One element they all share is the acknowledgement that pop music has important social effects. Who are the main consumers of popular music? Youth are highest consuming marketing within pop music accounting for the highest percent of single sales. Bradley (1992) accounted the significance with youths and music as reaction to post war teenager with an increase in disposable income and new position in society. James Coleman (1961) highlighted the separateness of youth culture from adult society and its closeness to the market through consumption of popular music. Consumption has been linked to youth culture as far back as the 50's, where growing western markets created specific products and goods for the teenager. (Wulff, H. and Taliai, A. 1995). An example of success in popular music is Madonna. She is a key figure in the pop industry as a pioneer for breaking conventions within gender and sexuality, and has been around for 3 decades, now in her 50's still appealing to the youth, However much debate on Madonna has taken place focusing on her image rather than her music. She has been perceived as ‘the lowest form of irresponsible culture a social disease' and ‘an inauthentic product of the culture industry who was involved of the exploitation of others of the gain of that industry'. (Bryman, A. 2001). In relation to Adorno he may have perceived Madonna to be a cultural product, taking pseudo individualism to an extreme, which in turn made her very popular. Madonna moves from various genres of music and blends them together; she had a hit record with ‘Don't cry for me Argentina' a more operatic song very different to what is considered mainstream music. I feel that Adorno would have critiqued this as popular classical as she took something that can be considered elitist and brought it into popular culture. This view is contrasted with her comparison as an ‘organic feminist who ‘allows girls to see that the meaning of feminine sexuality can be in their control, can be made in their interests, and that their subjectivity's are not necessarily totally determined by the dominant patriarchy'. (McClary, S. 1991.) McClary in her analysis of Madonna has found her to be exceptional as a musician who has endured maintained an incredible amount of power as a successful female artist over three decades. A simple look at her back catalogue and it is apparent that she uses sexual power as a commodity alike many women throughout western history. Including seventeenth century composer Barbara Strozzie, who was one of a few women who broke through the elite circle of classical music, by posing bare breasted for publicity. It would be very interesting to know what Adorno would account for that. (Rosand, E. 1986). Madonna however ‘brings hypocrisy to the surface and problematizes it'. With publications of her book, sex and video discourses like ‘in Bed with Madonna' She takes a key role in the aggressor sexually. She connects the notions of power and sex and projects it back outwards into the main stream hands on hips Gautier bust pointy and proud. Her intentions never simplistic, it is possible her representations aim to detach stigmas and notions of taboo to certain sexual matters. ‘This may lead to greater tolerance for those engaged in these ‘perverted' practices' and a layered stream of meanings dipictable from her messages. Irony has been depicted as a key strategy in her possible master plan. In ‘Like a Virgin' her little girl voice and play with signs of famous temptresses, her pouts, her coquettish nature and using ‘†traditional music signs of childish vulnerability projecting her knowledge that this is what patriarchy expects of her and also her awareness that this fantasy is ludicrous†. (McClary,S. 1991, p153). A principal factor in the understanding of Madonna messages is the language of cultural experiences and perceptions that she speaks to her audience with. Madonna gives her audience standardisation in the sense that some of her music can be chopped and changed however she also gives her audience challenging and contrasting views about being a woman in today's society, that could be argued against Adorno as being engaging, testing and also plays to the pleasures of the imagination offering engagement to the world as it is now. Her audience within popular music are aimed specifically at the mass (for financial and wider broadcast of her messages) and ‘as evidence in that she plays for the lowest common denominator-that she prostitutes her art an extension of her self'. Prostitution is a service never the less, and it evident that she uses her role to play with traditional boundaries and identities. Madonna uses the tool of fantasy a mode typical of the culture industry, however she here compliance to the powers stop, as she twist notions within them. Her fantasies have been seen as ambiguous and unsuccessful for men and she has been compared to a genuine ‘Boy Toy' as male interpretations and reactions to a majority are often that of anxiety and unease rather than appease. (Rolling stone 508 March 28th 1989). On the other hand, the power of Madonna is undoubtedly clear, her vast empire of her Production Company, her own music label and a net value of 600 Million speaks volumes about her nature as a business women as well as an artist and social figure. It is fair to say that that although popular music in today's generation can be considered as standardized, and to a great extent, manufactured music will always be so, Adorno's views are out of date and biased as he had a very low opinion of popular music. Being a musician himself, his opinions were based on his own assumptions of high and low culture and although he did make some substantial claims about standardization and pseudo individualization, popular music today has more important factors to be dealt with such as the messages it is portraying. One being that we do live in a consumerist society where essentially everything is a product, even classical music today, which Adorno would have considered high art is now commercialized and used as a commodity to sell through advertising. Through it all music captures a moment or feeling that Adorno does not account for. Music is another form of expressing an emotion whether it is classical or pop music and it is there for enjoyment, to provide a service and an option to listen to whatever pleases the ear.

Behavioral Patterns and Projective Test

Personality depicts the unique thinking that defines the character of a certain individual. In order to understand the means of a certain individual’s personality, psychologists constructed a lot of different personality measurement. The most common measurement is done through the means of examination. Test or personality test is the most common conducted personality scale; this is where a certain individual is provided questions regarding his/her mood, personality itself, and other personal characteristics.One example of the measurements created by certain psychologist is the Big Five Personality Measurement. The structure of this personality measurement is said to be constructed on a hierarchical model of an individual’s personality traits. This measurement is structured with 5 and 10-itemed inventories which are to be evaluated. This is a short-time personality test and is used when there are situations which need a short-time-consuming personality measurement (Gosli ng, 2003). Another measurement is the Mood Survey which is the measurement used for measuring a certain individual’s sad and/or happy mood.This includes a questionnaire about mood, a personality scale instrument to determine whether sad or happy mood and the conducted mood surveys (Bill Underwood, 1980). The Mood survey is explained having two particular subscales namely the Level and Reactivity. These said factors or subscales are interrelated essentially that has an unchanging advantage on a certain state of mood scale. This is effective both in depicting a certain person’s personality characteristics and figuring out new idea about the origin and causes of mood and mood change (Bill Underwood, 1980).These two measurements are tested and were already used by psychologists in order to explain or define a certain individual’s personality so as to its origin, factors, and or reasons of change. References Bill Underwood, W. J. F. (1980). The Mood Survey: A Persona lity Measure of Happy and Sad Moods. Journal of Personality Assessment, 44(4), 404-414. Gosling, S. D. , Rentfrow, P. J. , & Swann, W. B. , Jr. (2003). A Very Brief Measure of the Big Five Personality Domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 504-528.

Educational reform Essay Example

Educational reform Essay Example Educational reform Essay Educational reform Essay The subject of educational reform in light of the internet generation is one that is both controversial and thought provoking. When you look at quality of sources books are reputable but persistently outdated; the internet is updated constantly and cost- effective. The internet also provides incomparable numbers of sources for information, whereas a classroom has a regimented set of curriculum support from books and handouts. Classroom settings also only provide a peer to peer connection in eyesight, with a narrow scope of life experiences to diversify opinions. The internet is in no way crippled in that way, and diversity promotes creativity and growth. These reasons alone are enough of a reason why I believe that education is better provided when offered over the internet. When it comes to current information on the internet, there are a wealth of places that can further your research and provide a plethora of knowledge for free. Books in classrooms arena anywhere near free and the books are written from some time before the turn of the millennium, if not before the nineties. Books are constantly being re-written, too; they arent a cost-effective means of conveying information anymore. The internet is always being updated and peer-reviewed for accuracy, and you obviously dont have to buy it every time a new source is introduced. In classrooms, the teacher provides information through mediums of leaflets, books, printed handouts and movies. Setting aside the previously conveyed points of cost and out dated information, these methods are also narrowed in scope simply by the fact that it is regimented. Simply put, if the teacher doesnt provide another means of the information, the students arent guaranteed to get enough. The internet is frequently akin to an ocean of information, everywhere you look you can find sources and studies, and quite often you can gain the same ideas provided in the source material and then some because there is an unlimited scope at your disposal. The internet is no longer the next big thing, it is the now. Every first world country has access to some form of the internet, and with it they bring their own experiences ND knowledge. There is simply no accurate way to bring this kind of diversity into a classroom setting in any other way. Subjects like racism and bigotry simply cannot exist without a narrow minded scope of ideology, and meeting people from other countries or even other states can help broaden the horizons of knowledge for students. Diversity in general is highly touted as a way to solve problems and bring new ideas to the table, why wouldnt you want such a good thing for students in the ext generation? Without a higher standard of learning, the United States will remain falling on the list of countries with college graduates. Outdated sources of information and limited mediums of conveyance are easily to blame, and the solution lies before us on nearly every smart phone and computer; the internet is the ultimate conveyance of school. We need to move with other developed countries into the now, not stay in 1976 when your book was printed and your teacher was born.

Engineering Materals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engineering Materals - Essay Example Crevice corrosion is a localized and geometrically controlled form of corrosion. They are the products of situations containing a stagnant solution and corrosion friendly microenvironments. This type of corrosion can occur between rivet heads, lap joints, in threads and anywhere a small crevice is formed in which at least one side is a metal. As in all types of corrosion, an anodic reaction: exists which propagates over the entire surface. However, the geometry of the crevice restricts cathodic reaction such that the dissolved oxygen cannot be replaced. Thus the region within the crevice becomes exclusively anodic while the region outside becomes cathodic. An electric imbalance result attracting the negative ions into the crevice. The small size of the crevice screens the incoming ions such that the concentration of the chloride and the hydrogen ions increases within the crevice. The pH of the solution within the crevice decreases from 6 to as much as 2 or 3. This increased acidity causes further corrosion within the crevice resulting in massive material erosion from within the crevice region. In most cases, crevice corrosion is not visible from the outside and this hidden nature makes inspection as well as rectification difficult. This is schematically represented in the figure shown: Pitting corrosion is a form of localized corrosion as it does not spread laterally across an exposed surface rapidly but penetrates into the metal very quickly, usually at an angle of 90o to the surface. Stagnant solution conditions favor pitting corrosion. The presence of halide ions, chloride, fluoride bromide and iodide, can all pit metals. The most aggressive ion depends on the metal and ion combination. The effect of pitting is to cause holes on the metal surface which can corrode a large amount of material from the surface. The mechanism of pitting can be divided into two processes – the initiation

Investigating a Case Study of a Literacy Learner Essay

Investigating a Case Study of a Literacy Learner - Essay Example Asked about her educational background, she gave confusing answers as to what level she finished school, because she mentioned something about earning a certificate to be a primary school teacher. She kept saying â€Å"grade 2 teacher†, and it was unclear if she meant she can only teach second grade or â€Å"grade 2† was a level of skill in Nigeria. Sarah understands that learning the English language well will open many doors for her. Being a second language, she admits difficulty in mastering it because back home, she uses her native language which is Yoruba. Her parents are illiterate people and she does not speak English to them. She adjusts her language to the people she relates to. If her friends understand English, then she speaks to them in English, but if not, then she resorts to her native language. She enrolled in the current class to further her skills in the English language. She knows that her vocabulary skills will improve with reading books and if there are words she does not understand, then she refers to a dictionary to check its meaning and how it should be pronounced. Her use of language can sometimes be unclear due to the run-on sentences she attempts to express. Her listener can get lost in comprehending what she means. Sometimes, she contradicts herself. She said â€Å"I don’t borrow any story book . I borrow my English, vocabulary yes†. It might be confusion on her part on the proper use of the English language, as she may be trying to translate what she wants to say from her native language. She admits, â€Å"I try for example I try to speak more than the way I am to have more knowledge in English to improve in order to further my education because for any step I want to take English is desiring me for that.†. Although to her listener, she may seem to say the say things in the same sentence, one needs to consider that it may be the way she emphasizes a point in her native Yoruba. To English speakers, it may sound too wordy and somehow nonsensical, but to Sarah it might make perfect sense. . Still, her interview provides much information on her yearning to improve herself, to reach her dream of becoming a nurse. It also reflects on how she treats people. From her explanation of her work experience, she enables people to be independent and not to be stagnant, and she would do anything to help them. She is indeed a lifelong learner and encourages others to be the same. Her overwhelming desire to optimize her potentials makes her move towards her goals, and she tries to overcome potential impediments such as work or busy schedules. The motivation to learn is affected by the reinforcements to learning namely intrinsic motivation or the inner drive to learn which leads to personal fulfillment; extrinsic motivation, which consists of rewards such as high grades or a prize for performing well; social reinforcement, an example of which is praise and approval from significant persons in an individual's life; and achievement, or the attaining of the learning goal. Having an interplay of the four kinds of reinforcement is the most effective way to motivate a learner to pursue more knowledge and acquire more skills (Stoll, L., Fink, D. & Earl, L., 2003). From the interview, Sarah’s main motivation is to be a nurse so she can continue enabling ot hers. Her journey to learning is more intrinsically motivated. Even how she assesses her improvement is intrinsic, as she said, â€Å"You know that when you love something you have to put all your effort because you are looking to achieve something on it, you have to put your effort how difficult it is you have to continue. When it’