Reflective Responses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective Responses - Assignment Example Likewise in an organization power is formal, comes to an individual through the position he holds in the organization (Robbins et al 2001), it demands obedience from subordinates to the commands given by his superior, irrespective of subordinates personal goals and interests and his legitimacy of power comes from authority he exerts (PPK 2013). However Weber also pointed out that just because he holds the position, the position power does not become his property rather it is the relationship between him and the subordinate and how he is able to exert his authority (PPK 2013). Because I have seen that even though individuals hold same position in an organization they do not have the same influence on their subordinates. It shows that position in an organization gives power however it is the relationship between the superior and the subordinate that actually defines it and make it effective. ... n is also relevant as of some of the most successful organizations is a result of their charismatic leaders who played a central role (PPK 2013) for example Bill Gates CEO of Microsoft, Steve Jobs former CEO of Apple etc., whose charismatic leadership not only resulted in one of the most successful products and services but also motivated and brought out the innovative qualities of their employees and used their creativity for a common goal that is organizational success. Their charismatic leadership and vision helped in establishing such huge and successful companies that are known for delivering innovative products with high quality example iPhone, iPad by Apple and Windows by Microsoft. †¢ â€Å"The most basic prerequisite of power is that one person or group believes it is dependent on another person or group for a resource of value† (McShane et al 2013, p.318). Reflect on this claim from a critical perspective, and illustrate your answer with a real-life example deri ved from PPK materials or from your own experience or observation. Power is definitely a function of dependency, the greater an individual depends upon other for a resource of value, and the greater the other person has power over the individual in a relationship. One person can exert power on another only when that person controls something valuable that is desired by another. For example in an organization a superior enjoys power over subordinates because through his position controls their rewards which subordinates consider as valuable and thus their behaviour is influenced because of that dependency. Reward can be in financial or non-financial (Robbins et al 2001). It is not only true in organizational perspective but also true in personal relationships. For example when children are dependent

The question of diversity and evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The question of diversity and evolution - Essay Example During the process of natural selection, the offspring obtain their biological traits from the parent organism. This process of inheritance is usually geared towards developing an organism that is best suited to survive in the eternal environment in which it is being born into (Söll, Nishimura and Moore). This is accomplished through inheritance. However, inheritance encourages and increases competition. This is because the natural selection and inheritance process provides only the best genetically material for the offspring. This creates a situation where the offspring competes with the parent organism for the available resources. However, the offspring is favored to best survive in this environment owing to the fact that the new organism ideally has the best possible genetic make-up available from the parent organism to best survive in their environment. Therefore, inheritance increase and encourages competition within a given ecosystem. This concept is generally true. This is because history has shown that the next generation is usually far much improved and more efficient in survival within their environment compared to the parent organism (Gibson). A good example is the history and evolution of man. Previous species of human beings were apes. Through the process of natural selection and inheritance, modern day Homo sapiens have the ability to best survive in the changing environment as compared to previous species from which human beings originated. These previous species have become extinct due to their inability to adapt and survive and the competition that they received from their more advanced and evolved counterparts. This argument can however be challenged. This can be achieved by looking at the fact that there are numerous cases where natural selection does not improve the species that originates from the parent organism. Again, human provide the best example to this. While the natural selection

The Film Industry Of Bollywood Cultural Studies Essay

The Film Industry Of Bollywood Cultural Studies Essay Bollywood, the second largest film industry is widely known for its form of creative art. It is a form of art with the ability to entertain, educate, and reflect and shape our sense of who we are and our understanding of the society in which we live in. In Hindi films there exits the hero and heroine, however gender hierarchy can be seen and importance is imposed on the male actor. One would agree that the Hindi film industry is male-centric, with limited space for females to be versatile in the character they play. The roles played by the heroine are the same guidelines seen within the Indian society. The Indian society is an influence to Bollywood and is what shapes and defines the roles played by females in films. The portrayal of women in Hindi films has been stable in correspondence to the norms and values contained by the Indian society. If the image [of women in the cinema] is submissive or secondary, it is the society who is responsible for it . . . filmmakers, keeping in min d the commercial aspect of films, simply highlight what exists (Prabhu 2001, 185). (6) India is known to be a hierarchal society, whether it is religion, northern or southern Indian all groups of people are ranked according to various qualities. Within gender hierarchy, men outrank women of the same or similar age, and senior relatives outrank junior relatives (1). This same concept is taken into the Hindi film industry where more emphasis is created on the male actor. From the beginning of the film process importance is on the male. For example within the internal aspects of film processing the second step is acquisition of leading male role and then followed by female acquisitions (class lecture). None the less, females are a priority in films; however their portrayals in films are steady and follow certain guidelines according to the roles played. Indian society has many norms and values, one being the role played by an individual in the society. In Indian society the dominant forms of patriarchal ideology how women are seen as subjected-as either the nurturing mother, the innocent wife, the vamp or the educated modern women. One or more forms of these roles are always portrayed in Hindi films. With these roles come specific characteristics that are viewed in the society which are then followed and expressed in Hindi films. For examples it known for an ideal women figures include passive, victimized, sacrificial, submissive, glorified, static, one-dimensional and resilient (3). These are the traits that are then brought into the film which not only reflect culture, but also shape culture. India is a religiously complex society with dominancy in the complex religion of Hinduism. In traditional Indian society there were definite and essential norm of behaviour that was usually passed down from the past. For example Sita, from the Hindu mythology of Ramayana was seen as ideal women, ideal wife as she was steadfastly loyal to her husband and obeys his wishes unquestionably (4).Hindi films have achieved this ideal of wifes self devotion. The Indian society is known to be restricted to strict rules and regulations which are to be followed by women. The moral of the Indian society states no independence in women and always is committed to her significant. For example a female in childhood is subjected to her father, in youth to her husband and after to her children. This interpretation of females can be seen in the film Mother India directed by Mehoob Khan. This film reveals the ideal characteristics of a mother played by Nargis. At the beginning of the movie it seen that sh e plays the typical role of a female who is married in an Indian traditional manner. The song Pi Ke Ghar Aaj Pyari Dulhaniya Chali is a significant with the line that states that it is a womens fate to leave home. This applies to the traditional moral of the female being passed on from the authority of the father to her husband who now she must be committed to. This is seen in the character. Dharma referring self-subsistence or a universal law or norm, which applies at the moral, the ritual and social level (5). This is another religious and mythological aspect that is inflicted upon women. This is also portrayed in the film through and expressed in the song Duniya Men Hum Aaye Hain. Here the lyrics in the song express that the only honour that a women has in her life is a womens dharma. In context of the movie it states that a women may overcome her struggles but with the conditions that are still expected with the role of a mother. After her husband leaving her she still has hope that he will return and keeps faith and raises her children on her own sacrificing whatever it takes from her. This shows the over stresses on the love for husband and the duties she has as a mother. It can be seen that in any case, in Indian society the first priority of females is to always keep in mind the norms and values placed on them as females. One may argue that these norms and values have changed within the Indian society with the progression of modernization. However, the lifestyle may have changed in roles of mothers, but the beliefs of the values and norms still exist. For example Kal Ho Na Ho directed by Nikhil Advani is a film set in New York with a modern setting. The role played by Jaya Bachchan shows similar characteristics of a mother which were portrayed by Nargis in Mother India. Jaya Bachchan, also a widowed female in the film experiences many difficulties due to her husband committing suicide. Even though the true reasoning behind the suicide is known by her, the blame is turned towards her by her mother-in-law. However, this does not stop her from being loyal to her husband as she stayed widowed and to the challenge to raise her children and show her devotee towards her husband. Throughout the film we see that she still supports her husband when people including her daughter talk negatively about him. Here she is also in the struggle of bringing her children up on her own and sacrifices all she has to raise them and keep them happy. In both Kal Ho Na Ho and Mother India the role of the mother can be seen to be dedicated with the qualities of self sacrifice, devotionally and religiously. If not seen as a traditional woman with traditional values, in Hindi films the female is then portrayed as the vamp or modernized women. Bollywood shows both the traditional and modernity of females, yet tends portrays the modern as immoral and favour the traditional aspects. The vamp is usually portrayed as morally dishonoured person and associated with everything that is disagreeable about the west (4). Again this is due to the norms and values seen in the Indian society. In this case women are seen as decorative objects and used for entertainment. Courtesan is another common role played by women which is attended for an arousing effect upon men. These types of roles are usually associated with protagonist character. The female is seen modern and revealing clothes and becomes an object of male desire. In many films with picturization of this role of female is usually seen to be glamorous and captures the females beauty in a sensual manner. An example of this is seen in the movie Sh olay directed by Ramesh   Sippy in the song Mehbooba Mehbooba. Here the female dancer appears very different from the other female lead roles. She is there for entertainment and to add glamour. Her clothes are revealing and she is used for the pleasure of the antagonist. A similar but slightly different scene is also seen in Kal Ho Na Ho with the song Its the time to disco. The difference in this song is that the lead female is in the song but is portrayed with a different characteristic that is not the usual in her role. Here Naina (Preity Zinta) is raised in New York but is a casual girl. This seen the her apparel as it is not revealing yet modernized. However, in the song a different perspective of her is seen when she gets drunk. Her clothes become more revealing and her actions are different. This is intended to show how a female may act when they go outside of their boundaries of the Indian society and the consequence of it. Jaswinder (Lilette Dubby) in the movie is would be seen as the vamp in the movie as her clothes are modish and she is flirty around men. Not only women who werent in traditional clothes seen as vamps. But those who didnt obey traditional rules. These would include who are adventurous, independent and values different norms. Thus, women commonly in Hindi films are either the modernized seductive role or the sophisticated tradition Indian women. There are many women in the Bombay film industry. Many have reacted with different opinions on how females are being portrayed. For example quoted from Ayesha Jhulka, an actress: You have to accept the fact that its a male-dominated industry. And you have to accept that basically heroes are given much more importance than the heroineSo its better to accept it and then carry on. You have your own place which nobody else can take. What you can do, the heroes probably cant do (7). Another opinion quoted by the actress Shabana Azmi: The one thing that hasnt changed only superficially I think, is in its portrayal of womenI think its a waste if you dont offer them and give them roles that are on par with their heroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I think that would be very interesting, and basically do films that are pro-women (7). Lastly. Actress Ritha Bhaduri states: At the moment I think character roles have more to say than the female heroine, actressà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦There are very few films that are wom en-oriented, or have a women dominating the whole thing (7). From these opinions of several actresses it can be conclude that many actresses are aware of the stereotypical roles given to women in Hindi films. The do feel that there isnt much importance strained on them, but also know that a film without a complementing female role with the male would not make much progress. Even though role of females are driven by the aspects in the Indian society, actresses have continued to accept the roles and play them according. As stated previously the main cause for this orientation is due to what takes place in the society. As the Indian society makes different progression a change in female roles in Hindi films will also be seen. In conclusion, the female roles played in Hindi film are very restricted and do not have space for variety. Either they are seen as objects to add glamour and entertainment to the film or they are portrayed with important roles such as mothers but with general Indian societal values that come with that role. Endnotes: http://www.heinonline.org.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/HOL/Page?men_tab=srchresultshandle=hein.cow/cowcs0040id=295size=2collection=cowterms=women|womens|Women|Womenstermtype=phraseset_as_cursor=#287 Class lecture http://www.saswat.com/blog/women_journalists_bollywood.html https://moodle10.yorku.ca/moodle/file.php/12062/Readings/Women_in_Indian_Cinema0001.pdf https://moodle10.yorku.ca/moodle/file.php/12062/Readings/Cinema_and_Society_in_India0001.pdf http://www.nzasia.org.nz/downloads/NZJAS-%20Dec07/02Booth6.pdf http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=GTEa93azj9ECoi=fndpg=PP8dq=portrayal+of+women+in+popular+hindi+filmsots=OkbhSM0gfBsig=nPH6-uJz2wCft5FsivGe-opdg1c#v=onepageq=portrayal%20of%20women%20in%20popular%20hindi%20filmsf=false http://www.englishforums.com/English/PleaseEditEssayBollywoodFilms/dxklq/post.htm http://saswat.com/articles/bollywomen.htm http://www.questia.com/PM.qst;jsessionid=1460AF79FA0D92C0202D67F85883F2D5.inst3_3b?a=od=98736980gserror=true Portrayal of women in Bollywood then, now and in the  past. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Changing-Face-of-Women-In-Indian-Cinemaid=87034 http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=Alk5iwv1y_MCoi=fndpg=PA146dq=general+gender+hierarchy+ots=8nq76NqH2Osig=VTnkZoje6Xd2i6c6GRTH9u123Eo#v=onepageq=general%20gender%20hierarchyf=false http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=kfVdxiSm-aYCoi=fndpg=PR7dq=hidden+messages+in+hindi+song+filmsots=yS1CgltbAHsig=zc15PBYPSwopVvlpkUpomMBDbT8#v=onepageqf=false http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=cgDHFFe7YM8Coi=fndpg=PA191dq=themes+in+hindi+filmsots=Mq6lmD7Dedsig=kli9MXI-zSzX8CPBq7DKU0VkGxk#v=onepageq=themes%20in%20hindi%20filmsf=false http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0022-3840.1996.00173.x/abstract

Spanish And French Monarchial Beliefs - The Escorial And Versailles :: essays research papers

The palace of Versailles was built by Louis XIV of France (1643-1715), and the Escorial was built by Philip II of Spain (1556-1598). By examining the aerial and frontal facades of these two palaces, it may be seen that there were many similarities and differences between the two kings’ perception and practice of monarchy. Each king set his own goals for his life, and concluded as to how a monarch ought to behave. Both Louis XIV and Philip II had religious duties to pay attention to, organized the distribution of power in their respective kingdoms, communicated with other countries and entities through war and diplomacy, raised militaries, and made plans for the expansion of their own beliefs, thoughts and practices. Aside from these aspects of the two kings’ beliefs and practices of monarchy, the architecture of their palaces reflected their ideals, or personal beliefs, and the interpretation made by the painters of the palaces reflects the attitudes of the two kings t oward life. The role of the king to the public during the reigns of Louis XIV of France and Philip II of Spain were not predetermined, so each king created for himself what he thought monarchy ought to be. Louis XIV and Philip II were both absolutists, and believed that they should be the supreme rulers of France and Spain, respectively. However, Louis XIV did not want to be a national symbol serving no legitimate purpose. He wished to control the military, economy, foreign affairs, and the administration of the kingdom and of justice. He believed that the king of France should be the best that France has to offer- being served by even the most powerful lords of France. Conversely, Philip II thought of himself as Catholic first, and king of Spain second. Opposite to Louis XIV, Philip II preferred to sit in the Escorial and pray, pour over records, and live more as a monk than as Louis XIV’s conception of a king. Philip II never wanted to take much of an active part in the administration o f his kingdom, except for the times when he wanted to use some of his various powers. However, after he had used it for a while (waging war, raising taxes, etceteras) he would let it lay dormant and return to his documents. Nor did Philip II ever wish to control most of the Spanish economy. The parts that he did control were ones that directly affected himself or his revenues, so vital in order to keep his army of immense proportions.

Madonna’s Sex Book Essay

?According to Giselle Benatar of  Entertainment Weekly, there are two versions of how Madonna came up with the idea for the book. One was that she conceived the idea of an erotic photography book during the shooting of the film  A League of Their Own  in the summer of 1991. [1]  The second one is that  Judith Regan, vice-president and  editor-in-chief  of  Simon & Schuster, flew to  Los Angeles  in March 1991 to meet with Madonna and her manager  Freddy DeMann, armed with a proposal for a similar collection of photo-erotica. [1]  The singer had initially verified whether Regan had approached any other celebrities with this concept, as Madonna would be interested to be a part of it only if it was a unique idea. [2]  By the end of the meeting Madonna had agreed â€Å"in principle† to do a book called  Madonna’s Book of Erotica and Sexual Fantasies. She told Regan that DeMann would call her and work out the details regarding the book. [3][4]  However, Madonna never got back in touch with Regan, who assumed that the singer did not want to proceed with the idea. [1]  Madonna’s publicist Liz Rosenberg never confirmed nor denied Regan’s claim, but according to Benatar, Madonna started working on  Sex  before wrapping up  A League of Their Own. [1]  At firstWarner Bros. Records  and the executive directors at  Time Warner  were reluctant to allow Madonna to publish such a book, but finally gave in to the idea. Madonna, however, was forced to sign a contract that forbade her from showing  child pornography,  bestiality  and  religious imagery. [1]  Not long after signing this agreement Madonna founded  Maverick, a multi-media entertainment company. Since by contract she had total artistic control over any of the work released by Maverick, the agreement she signed with Time Warner concerning what not to do in  Sex  became obsolete. [5][6][7] Some of the pictures for the project were shot at  Hotel Chelsea, New York. Other locations included Times Square’s all-male burlesque  Gaiety Theatre. Originally to be titled  X, Madonna changed her mind when  Spike Lee’s film  Malcolm X  began to be promoted. (The film was released three weeks after the book. ) She would go on to tell  Vogue  magazine: â€Å"This is a really good symbol, and I thought of it first. â€Å"[8]  Warner Bros. commented that  Sex  was very difficult to produce, requiring contributions from many different printing and publishing companies. [9]  They also stated that in order to generate any profit, the book would have to sell at least 350,000 copies. [10][11]  Madonna hired top-notch talent for the development of the book;[12]  she counted on the help of friends from the music, film and fashion industry. [9]  The singer hired  Fabien Baron  as the art director,[13]  fashion photographer  Steven Meisel, editor  Glenn O’Brien, make-up artist Francois Nars and hairstylist Paul Cavaco. [1][6][14]  The  Sex  book had a range of influences – from punk rock to earlier fashion iconoclasts like  Guy Bourdin  and his surrealism, and  Helmut Newton, in its stylized, sado-masochistic look. [15]  Madonna originally wanted the book to be of an oval shape in order to simulate a  condom  but the printing and manufacturing of such a book would have been too expensive. Meisel would later comment: â€Å"Madonna and I can keep up with each other† and that â€Å"I’m doing things to make people think too. It’s not really to antagonize or to push people’s buttons. It’s really to present another way of seeing things. â€Å"[1] The pictures were taken almost entirely in  Super 8  format, and most of the photo shoots took place in  New York City  and  Miami. Locations in New York City included the  Hotel Chelsea  and Times Square’s all-male burlesque  Gaiety Theatre  (dancers from theatre participated in one of the book’s photo sessions), whereas in Miami the majority of the sessions were shot at a house Madonna had purchased just before starting the project, and in several beaches and streets. [1][5][16]  One morning during the four-day Florida shoot Madonna was prancing around her 14-bedroom house in Miami completely naked, when someone jokingly suggested she go out on the street, then, according to Baron â€Å"the next thing we’re in the street† where allegedly â€Å"cars screeched to a halt, motorists whistled, and one entranced cyclist fell off his bike. â€Å"[1]  This was just one of the many crazy episodes that took place during the shooting of the book. According to Baron, during the photo shoots â€Å"[Madonna]’d do something crazy and then we’d come up with something even crazier†. One of the most shocking photographs made for the book, which featured two women in  post-punk  attire flanking Madonna with one of them holding a knife to Madonna’s crotch, was dismissed as it was considered too violent. At some point, while the book was being produced, some of the photographs were stolen, but were quickly recovered by the  FBI. [1]  According to  New York  magazine, there were approximately 80,000  photographs taken for the book,[17]  but only a handful made the final cut. [1]  The printing of the book was extended for 15  days[11]  making the total production process last about eight months. [18] Design and content[edit] The picture shows the leather string worn by Madonna in theSex  book, as well as in the â€Å"Erotica† music video. Below the string, an image from the book can also be seen. Wrapped and sealed in a  Polyethylene terephthalate  (PET) Mylar bag,[19][20][21]  Sex  contains 128  pages and is  spiral bound  with an  aluminium  cover that has the word â€Å"Sex† stamped in the middle[14][22]  and a warning label. [23]  The front page also shows Madonna against a sky blue backdrop. [22]  Three different types of paper were used for the printing of  Sex  and the design was overseen by Madonna and Baron & Baron Inc. (consisting of Fabien Baron and the photographer Siung Fat Tjia) who had previously collaborated with the singer designing the cover art of her fifth studio album,  Erotica. [11][24]  As this was the first project for Maverick, the packaging was crucial; however Madonna did not have faith in Warner Book’s â€Å"mass-market† publication process. Hence Baron suggested to transfer the packaging job to Nicholas Callaway’s bespoke Callaway Editions. [25]  Charles Melcher, co-publisher with Callaway for the book, said that they usually did â€Å"exquisite art books, $100 high end, beautiful things†. But it was a challenge for them to process Madonna’s ideas into reality. The artist wanted the packaging to be sealed, so that the reader had to tear it up and read. [25]  They considered various kinds of clasps before zeroing on the idea of the sealed bag as a reference to a condom package. The metal cover was Madonna’s idea, who took the inspiration from the 1979 album,  Metal Box  by  post-punk  band  Public Image Ltd. [26]  Melcher recollects, â€Å"We were talking about materials for the cover, and we went into her kitchen. [Madonna] pointed at the metal plate at the back of her stove and said, ‘I want something like this’. I was very impressed with the way she interacted with her world to source things. â€Å"[26]  The company bought about 1,500,000 pounds (680,000  kg) of aluminium, a pound for each book. The designers had to do the front and the back covers, while rolling, stamping and ionizing the metal. [26] The book opens up with the introduction: â€Å"Everything you are about to see and read is a fantasy, a dream, pretend†. [27]  Throughout  Sex, Madonna offers  poems, stories, and  essays. [5]  She also uses the  pseudonym†Mistress Dita† as a homage to German actress  Dita Parlo; her friends in these stories are Bunny, Dex, Stella, Chiclet and Stranger. [3][28]  According to biographer  J. Randy Taraborrelli, a big part of the book is read as a letter to a  pornographic magazine. [3]  As a thank you for recovering the stolen pictures during the making of the book, in the credits of the book Madonna mentioned the FBI for † †¦ rescuing photographs that would have made  J. Edgar Hoover  roll over. â€Å"[14][29]  Madonna also wanted to explore the notion of power in  Sex. Melcher said that the artist wanted to talk about â€Å"gentle and hard, soft and violent [in  Sex]. She was playing out all those elements in her book. That was reflected in the materials: uncoated, soft paper on the inside and hard metal coating on the outside. â€Å"[25] Just like the text—which was mostly written on top of photographs—the photographs on the book are highly sexual and depict  nudity, simulations of sexual acts,  bondage,  homosexuality  and  analingus, with accessories such as knives, whips, masks and chains[5][17][30][31]  although full  intercourse  is never shown. [14]  Aside from unknown models, featured in the book are actress  Isabella Rossellini, rappers  Big Daddy Kane  and Madonna’s then boyfriend  Vanilla Ice,[18]  model  Naomi Campbell,[32]  gay porn star  Joey Stefano,[10]  actor  Udo Kier, socialite  Tatiana von Furstenberg, and nightclub owner Ingrid Casares; however theheterosexual  photos in the book involve only Madonna and Vanilla Ice. [14]  Madonna herself is featured partially or completely naked. One of the book’s most famous photographs shows Madonna  hitchhikingcompletely naked in Miami. [3]  The book also reflects a great part on Dita’s perspective towards her own sexuality. Dita writes in  Sex  that her â€Å"pussy† is a temple of learning[33]  and that exposing it, is really a homage to it (â€Å"It’s hard to describe it smells like a baby to me fresh and full of life. I love my pussy, it is the complete summation of my life†). [34]  Sex  contains statements like â€Å"ass fucking  is the most pleasurable way to get fucked and it hurts the most too†. [3]  Others include â€Å"[t]here is something comforting about being tied up. Like when you were a baby and your mother strapped you in the car seat. She wanted you to be safe. It was an act of love†[20]  and â€Å"I wouldn’t want a penis. It would be like having a third leg. it seems like a contraption that would get in the way. I think I have a dick in my brain†. [20][31]  In  Sex, Dita also pointed out that â€Å"A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want†. [35]  The book includes Madonna’s perspective on  pornography: â€Å"I don’t see how a guy looking at a naked girl in a magazine is degrading to women. Everyone has their sexuality. It’s how you treat people in everyday life that counts, not what turns you on in your fantasy. If all a person ever did was get off on porno movies I would say they are probably dysfunctional sexually, but I don’t think it’s unhealthy to be interested in that or get off on that. I’m not interested in porno movies because everybody is ugly and faking it and it’s just silly. They make me laugh, they don’t turn me on. A movie like  In the Realm of the Senses  turns me on because it’s real. I’ve been told there are some good  Traci Lords  movies but I’ve never seen them. I wouldn’t want to watch a  snuff movie. I wouldn’t want to watch anyone get really hurt, male or female. But generally I don’t think pornography degrades women. The women who are doing it want to do it. No one is holding a gun to their head. I don’t get that whole thing. I love looking at  Playboy  magazine because women look great naked. â€Å"[20] Release and promotion[edit] Rapper  Vanilla Ice  (left) and model  Naomi Campbell  (right) are among the celebrities that appeared in the book. Both appeared in explicit images along side Madonna. The initial preview of the book was met with a huge amount of controversy, as it showed a nude Madonna wearing a rabbit’s tail, shaving the  pubic hair  of a naked man, and cavorting outdoors with a dog, suggesting  bestiality. [8][17]  The Vatican  urged its people to boycott the release, saying that it was â€Å"morally intolerable†. [36]  Indian customs officials said that the book offended the country’s public morality. The  Press Trust of India  (PTI), India’s domestic news agency, quoted a top customs official as saying the book would be seized under a section of the Customs Act prohibiting entry of indecent literature. [37]  Citizens of  Alexandria, Virginia  filed a complaint with the city’s police department on behalf of a group called the Rapides Parish Chapter of American Family Association, claiming that it violated Louisiana’s anti-obscenity laws. [38]  South US Baptists did not want their Bibles coming off the same printing presses as Madonna’s  Sex  and threatened to stop doing business with a Chicago printer. The Nashville-based Baptist Sunday School Board, a division of the Southern Baptist Convention, reviewed their $2. 1  million ($3,529,215 in 2014 dollars[39]) printing contract with R. R. Donnelley & Sons. Board President James Draper said he was infuriated that Donnelley also printed â€Å"such an obscene book†. [40]Entertainment Tonight  reported that Madonna herself had initiated the mayhem with the explicit content in the music video for â€Å"Erotica†, walking bare breasted at designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s fashion show and posing nude in  Vanity Fair  magazine. [41]  A writer for  The Sacramento Bee  said that since the press wanted â€Å"controversy†, Madonna was willing to provide them â€Å"fodder† with her â€Å"antiques†. [42] Madonna then said she was â€Å"doing this to liberate America — free us all of our hang-ups†;[5]  she also revealed in a letter that â€Å"This book doesn’t tolerate risky sexual practices†. [3]  Nicholas Callaway from  Callaway Arts & Entertainment  said that the book was â€Å"inevitably going to be controversial. The book explores every aspect of sexual fantasy. It’s hard to calculate the effect, [but],  Sex  should be considered ‘art'†. [43]  Originally it was rumored that  Time Warner  was nervous about the release of the book; however, in an interview with  Vanity Fair, William Sarnoff, president of Warner Books, said he felt that Madonna â€Å"should pursue all avenues of creativity as she defines it†. The Warner company had also previously assured that they would make sureSex  reached its main  target audience  and also reminded that the book was safely wrapped in a Mylar bag to prevent in-store peeping and contained a warning label. [5]  Michael Kilian  of theChicago Tribune  published an article on October 7, 1992, regarding the then upcoming release of  Sex: â€Å"Prepare thyself, [†¦ ], The mega-event of the millennium is to occur in precisely two weeks. It’s an event far more mega than the November election, the collapse of communism or even the crowning of  Leanza Cornett  as the new  Miss America. † Kilian also described it as the â€Å"personal sexual fantasy picture book in all Christendom, then it goes far beyond all previous ‘truly twisted’ personal sexual fantasy picture books—perhaps beyond all imagining what such a book could be†. [43] On October 15, Madonna threw a pre-release party at New York City’s Industria Superstudio, and signed all the invitations under her  Sex  alter ego  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Dita†. [44][45]  During the party, Madonna showed up dressed as  Little Bo Peep  and even carried with her a stuffed toy lamb. [29]  Madonna’s publicist Liz Rosenberg showed concern at first due to â€Å"what the parents of America’s impressionable teens will soon be thinking† but later said that it â€Å"all depends on your idea of lovemaking, which in Madonna’s case, should give new meaning to the word erotic†. [5]  Both  Waldenbooks  and  Barnes & Noble  prepared corporate statements that the managers could share with customers who are offended by  Sex. (Both statements defended the right of bookstores to provide â€Å"diversity and choice† to customers and say censorship is not the role of bookstores. )[23]  Many book stores, too, stated that the book would not be sold to anyone under 18 and that it would be for display only behind the cash register. [5][23]Bookstore owner David Epstein stated that â€Å"The feeling of most people who have ordered the book is that Madonna is something special, that this is cutting-edge art, [†¦ ], they’re not the kind of people who are buying it because it’s smut and dirty pictures. People are interested in it as art. â€Å"[23] Sex  was finally released on October 21, 1992, by editorials Callaway and  Warner Books;[14][43][46][47]  it was also the first work released by Madonna’s company Maverick. [1][5]  To accompany its release, a  comic book  as well as a promotional single containing a stripped-down version of â€Å"Erotica†, titled â€Å"Erotic†, were made available. The book was released by Madonna as alongside her fifth studio album  Erotica, which had been released a day earlier. [5]  With an initial print run of one million copies of the first edition in five continents and in five languages,[47]  the price of the book was $50 ($84 in 2014 dollars[39]) at retail, making sex an â€Å"expensive visual book†. [43][46]  Nevertheless, the book managed to break records regarding the number of copies pre-ordered before the release. Nicholas Callaway pointed out that the book was an unprecedented hit, because the print run of an average art book ranges between 5 and 10,000  units. [11]  He described it as â€Å"the largest initial release of any illustrated book in publishing history†. [10][11] Due to the high scandal and controversy surrounding the book, there wasn’t really any need for Madonna to promote it;[30]  however, one of the few promotions for the book Madonna did, was appearing on the cover of the October edition of  Vogue, where she appeared dressed in â€Å"Hippie trip† fashion. These photographs were taken by Meisel. [48]  After the book was released, on October 22, 1992,  MTV  aired a special called  The Day in Madonna, hosted by  Kurt Loder  (the title of this special was a pun of the title of the channel’s daily show  The Day in Rock), which profiled the release of Madonna’s  Sex  and her album  Erotica, even taking the book to the streets to allow people, including a sex therapist and group of real-life New York Citydominatrices, to view it. MTV also interviewed many people who had viewed the book on the day of its release at the HMV music store in New York City. In celebration of the release of the book, the store held a Madonna look-alike contest and set up a booth where people could view the book for one dollar a minute, with all of the proceeds going to Lifebeat, the music industry organization founded to help fund AIDS research. [9] Critical and commercial reception[edit] â€Å"I don’t think sex is bad. I don’t think nudity is bad. I don’t think that being in touch with your sexuality and be able to talk about it is bad. I think the problem is that everyone is so uptight about it and have turned it into a bad thing when it’s not, if people could speak freely, we would have more people practicing safe sex, we wouldn’t have people being sexually abused. † —Madonna discussing the negative backlash surrounding the book. [12] The book received negative reaction from critics,[47][49][50][51]  conservative and  feminist  Ã¢â‚¬Å"anti-porn† groups,[1][52]  due to its sexually explicit photographs which many characterized as â€Å"hardcore pornography†. [53]  Taraborrelli opined that much of the book appears surprising and not shocking. [54]  He derided the whole concept as childish and impetuous rather than an adult book. According to him, though Madonna insisted that she was trying to demystify sexuality altogether, the author believed she just wanted to publish pornographic text and pictures and get away with it. â€Å"She was being a brat, not a revolutionary†, the author concluded. [54]  Author  Lucy O’Brien  declared that the book was a bold, harrowing exercise in frustration, and despite Madonna’s attempt at invincibility, the book appeared as â€Å"a curious act of self-destruction†. [55]†The overwhelming effect of the book is numbing,† complained  Rolling Stone. â€Å"The images are derivative, and Madonna herself seems far too eager to shock; that, not even prurient arousal, seems the ideal response the book tirelessly seeks. The potency of  Sex’s subject matter is dissipated by Madonna and Meisel’s self-congratulatory – and silly – sense of their own ‘bravery,’ as if their naughty games were somehow revolutionary. â€Å"[56] Roger Catlin from the  Hartford Courant  said that the passages from the book were â€Å"too dirty to quote here, even the funny ones†. [8]  The Daily Beast  said that â€Å"the book is neither groundbreaking (save that it features a major star) nor particularly sexy [†¦ ]  Sex  is convincing only when it’s playful, as when she appears nude in a Miami pizzeria, chewing a slice while a baffled customer looks on. Elsewhere, she’s simply undressed with no place to go†. [19]  Richard Harrington from  The Washington Postgave the book a mixed review by saying: â€Å"Is  Sex  shocking? not really. Mostly because it’s Madonna, and somehow we’ve come to expect this from her. Is  Sex  boring? actually, yes†. [18]  During her review of the book, British author  Zoe Heller  from  The Independent  wrote that it was â€Å"the women who once saw Madonna as a witty feminist role model who have been most alarmist about her latest pornographic incarnation† and that â€Å"previously, they say, Madonna played with traditional images of feminine sexuality in a subversive, ’empowering’ way. But now, with sado-masochism and rape fantasies, she has gone too far. â€Å"[34]  Calvin Tomkins, author and  art critic  for  The New Yorker, wrote that â€Å"unfortunately, the book is going to be mistaken for  pornography†. [57]  In his review,  Ed Anger, columnist for  Weekly World News  said that: â€Å"Madonna may be the best singer in the world today, but she has no right to take off her clothes in her book†. [58]  Vanity Fair  deemed it â€Å"the dirtiest coffee table book to ever be published†. [12]  Caryn James from  The New York Times  was negative in her review stating that â€Å"There is plenty here to offend the meek (whips and chains), the self-righteous (gay men and lesbians), not to mention the tasteful (a tacky and cluttered art design)†. [14]  Vicki Goldberg  from the same newspaper was also dismissive of the photography of the book saying that â€Å"Unfortunately, not many of the images are very good photographically. Many are just pictures, or just porn†. [47] Despite all the controversy and negative backlash, which included the book being banned in Japan shortly after its release,[59]  Sex  proved to be a commercial success, selling 150,000  copies on its release day in the United States alone. [60]  Hundreds of copies of the book were pre-ordered, prompting book sellers to say that  Sex  was â€Å"shattering their sales records for advance purchases†. [61]  A week later, the book’s sales exceeded the 500,000  units[1]  and eventually topped  The New York TimesBest Seller list. [18]  Giselle Benatar wrote in her article â€Å"Sex & Money†: â€Å"This isn’t the publishing event of the year, it’s the publishing event of the century. â€Å"[1]  A day earlier, Tyra Braden from  The Morning Call  wrote that she and some friends concluded that the book â€Å"might become a collector’s item a few years down the road†. [22]  In just three days, the book had managed to sell more than 1. 5  million copies worldwide. [1] Social impact and aftermath[edit]. Madonna’s performances inThe Girlie Show World Tour  faced negative reactions from conservative groups who deemed the singer immoral. Dubbed at the time â€Å"The Queen of obscene†,[62]  Madonna and the  Sex  era is considered by many as the artist’s most controversial and transgressive period. [63][64]  The book, widely panned by the press, is regarded as one of the factors that shaped the social reaction and critique towards Madonna during the early 1990s. [31]  Her fifth studio album  Erotica  was affected by the negative press surrounding the book. [65]  In March 1993Spin  magazine wrote an article praising the book,[66]  but months later in  Mexico,  social communicologist  Nino Canun presented a  television special  called  ? Y Usted que Opina? (en: And what’s your opinion? ), where the audience, among them a  priest, presented their arguments as to why â€Å"this morally clueless singer shouldn’t perform in the country†, making reference to the then upcoming  Girlie Show World Tour  which was set to visit Mexico. Later, during her concert in Mexico, Madonna wore a  charro  sombrero  and simulated an  orgy  with her dancers onstage, as a response to these comments. [67]  Continuing her provocative imagery, Madonna starred in the erotic thriller  Body of Evidence, which featured the singer fully nude and in scenes engaged in simulated sexual acts. [68]  In March 1994,  Madonna appeared as a guest  on the  Late Show with David Letterman, using profanity that was required to be censored on television and handing Letterman a pair of her underwear and asking him to smell it. [69]  The releases of her sexually explicit film, album and book, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman all made critics regard Madonna as a sexual renegade. She faced strong negative publicity from critics and fans, who commented that â€Å"she had gone too far† and that her career was over. [70]  Later on the song â€Å"Human Nature† from her sixth studio album  Bedtime Stories  (1994), Madonna addressed the public backlash the book was still receiving, particularly with the lines â€Å"Did I say something wrong? Oops, I didn’t know I couldn’t talk about sex. I must have been crazy,† as well as the line â€Å"What was I thinking? â€Å". [31] The perfect iconic goddess of  True Blue  had all gone. In the same way that sixties beauties like  Nico,  Marianne Faithfull  and  Brigitte Bardot  set about destroying their beauty after they were famous, the very thing they felt limited them, Madonna annihilated hers. Within a few short years she moved from teasing flirtation to desperate sexual display. It is ironic that after the triumph of  Like a Prayer, she hits this bathos. Being a blond again set her off in the wrong direction. It was as if with the  Sex  book she showed the underside of the Hollywood dream —Lucy O’Brien,  Madonna: Like an Icon, page. 254[71] Madonna herself would later say: â€Å"I wouldn’t say I regret it. I’ve made mistakes and learned from them. Most people want to hear me say that I regret publishing my  Sex  book. I don’t. What was the problem was releasing my  Erotica  album at the same time. I love that album and it got overlooked. â€Å"[72][73]  However, author Andy Koopmans in his book  Madonna  (2002) would comment that the singer regretted both publishingSex  and recording  Erotica  and that the book â€Å"had affected everything she did later†. [74]  It was not until 2003 that Madonna would once again declare that she regretted nothing; â€Å"I’m not apologising in any shape or form [†¦] I was interested in pushing buttons and being rebellious and being mischievous and trying to bend the rules. There was a lot of irony in the  Sex  book and I am poking fun at a lot of things and I am being kind of silly and adolescent and I am being very f you, if a man can do it, I can do it. â€Å"[75]  A year earlier on 2002, Naomi Campbell confessed to â€Å"have a lot of respect for Madonna being bold enough to come out and do a book on sex. I’ve never reneged on that†. [76]  However in 2009, rapper Vanilla Ice, who was Madonna’s boyfriend at the time of the book’s creation, confessed to not being happy with the book once he saw it. â€Å"My friends were like, ‘Dude, that’s cool man’, but I was like, ‘I’m dating her, it’s not cool to see your girlfriend with all these other people’ [†¦ ] It kinda ruined the whole thing. I wonder what her kids think of that book? Here she is writing kids’ books now but they’re going to see it and go, ‘Mommy, what were you thinking? ‘†[77]Another of the book’s models, actress Isabella Rossellini, told  Out  magazine that she regretted her participation on the book; â€Å"I don’t think the book worked, even though the photos were extraordinary, and some of them quite memorable. I think there was a little bit of a moralistic sort of ‘I’ll teach you how to be free! ‘ – and that bothered the hell out of me. â€Å"[78] Later reviews towards  Sex  have become more positive. The authors of  The Porning of America: The Rise of Porn Culture, What It Means, and Where We Go from Here  (2008) have commented that â€Å"the book is particularly interesting in the way that, like many of Madonna’s works, it portrays sex in terms of domination and power†,[31]  whereas Jane Raphaely, editor-in-chief of  Cosmopolitan  praised Madonna’s â€Å"liberated behavior on  Sex  [†¦] the fact that she takes all forms of pornography and systematically demystifies it by putting it under her control†, in an article in 1996. [79] Brian McNair, author of  Striptease Culture: Sex, Media and the Democratisation of Desire  (2012) praised this period of Madonna’s career, saying that she had â€Å"porno elegance† and that â€Å"Sex  is the author of a cultural phenomenon of global proportions [due to the critics] and thanks to this Madonna established her iconic status and cultural influence†. [28] Legacy[edit] Sex  is now considered a bold,  post-feminist, work of art,[64][80][81]  besides being labeled a â€Å"cultural book†. Martin Amis  from  The Observer  wrote an essay discussing the book’s cultural meaning. [28]  Critical theorist  Douglas Kellner  affirmed that withSex  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Madonna became herself, an artifact of  pop culture†. [82]  French academic writer  Georges Claude Guilbert  (author of three books about Madonna) described  Sex  as one of the most successful publicity stunts in history[83]  whereas Russell W. Belk, author of  Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing  mentioned that the book is a  quality  product in  marketing. [84]  In 1992, Madonna had generated more than US$500  million ($840,289,305 in 2014 dollars[39]) to Time Warner in sales of both albums and the  Sex  book, despite the negative feedback. [85]  However, Taraborrelli commented in his book,  Madonna: An Intimate Biography, that those â€Å"who knew Madonna well at that time, knew what was really going on with her: theSex  book—and the outrageous antics that preceded it and would follow it—was really just something she used as a barrier between her and the rest of the world. â€Å"[54] For years it had seemed to Madonna that both her personal and professional life was extremely scrutinized by the public and  media, and although she had started this scrutinizing by her provocative works, she was tired of it. [54]  Being vexed at this interest in her personal life, Madonna fought back by creating the persona of a renegade, something so outrageous as to defy explanation, something found objectionable by most people. Taraborrelli said that in Madonna’s view, â€Å"she had no other way of fighting back†. [54]  The Boston Globe’s Matthew Gilbert analyzed the singer’s provocative attempt in an article published in the newspaper: â€Å"Madonna’s motive for baring her breasts to the public feels more like personal gratification, less like commitment to a cause. She’s not out to change the world. Let’s face it: Few people get erotic in front of millions of viewers for purely selfless political reasons. It’s hard to escape the view of Madonna as a difficult Catholic adolescent aiming the finger at everything repressive. And many of her songs are addressed to an authority figure of her youth — from God and Jesus Christ to her own father. The heart of Madonna’s outrageousness seems to lie beneath her liberal rationales, as if she’s acting out something private and the world is her couch, not to mention her bank. Her politics are largely Electral. â€Å"[86] According to some writers,  Sex  also helped Madonna make a name in the  porn industry,[62]  and earned her the title of  S&M’s first  cultural ambassador[87]  and was praised for recreating â€Å"porn-chic†. [88]  Humberto Quiroga Lavie pointed out that it was the fact that  Sex  was considered pornographic that helped it become a  bestseller. [89]  Steve Bachmann, on his book  Simulating Sex: Aesthetic Representations of Erotic Activity  pointed out that â€Å"perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Madonna’s sexual phenomenon is the extent to which her book marked a new threshold in the pornographic franchise†. [90]  McNair wrote in his book that â€Å"Sex  brought out the personal underground to the surface of pop culture†. [28]  London art criticSarah Kent  wrote in  Time Out  magazine that the timing of  Sex  was â€Å"impeccable. [15]  Obsessions about the human body was in vogue, with Madonna’s book as well as artist  Andres Serrano’s â€Å"cumming shots† and  Jeff Koons’  The Jeff Koons Handbook, the latter portrayed fairytale pictures of the artist having sex with his pornographic actor wife,  Cicciolina. [15] Sex  has also become an important book in the  LGBT  community. Ben Shapiro, author of  Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future  wrote that due to its iconic status â€Å"Sex  adorns the coffee tables of hundreds of gay men andsperm banks†. [91]  Mark Blankenship, from the LGBT-oriented website New Now Next stated that â€Å"literature changed forever† with the publishing of  Sex. [92]  Madonna’s portrayal of  lesbian  love scenes in the book sparked debates about her own sexual preferences. [93]  This was an adjunct to the singer’s public relationship with comedienne  Sandra Bernhard, with whom she cavorted around, visiting lesbian night-clubs as well as partying. The LGBT communit

Is Sociology a Science

Is Sociology a science? This paper will aim to explore the question ‘Is Sociology a science? ’ We will explore the definitions of Science and Sociology and then go onto examine various perspectives and theories surrounding the subject heading. Sociologists such as Durkheim, Comte and Weber will be examined. This paper is intended as an overview of two different schools of thought, those of positivist and anti-positivist approaches I will outline the main principals for each Sociologist covered. I will then give my personal views on the question, and attempt to answer it within my conclusion. Firstly, in order to examine the essay title it must be laid out exactly what we mean by ‘Science’ and ‘Sociology’ Science definition. Science is, according to the Oxford dictionary 2002 â€Å"The systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiments†. Sociology definition. Sociology on the other hand is described as, according to the Hutchins encyclopaedia , â€Å"the systematic study of the origin of human society, in particular of social order and social change, social conflict and social problems. It studies institutions such as the family, law and the church, as well as concepts such as the norm, role, and culture. Sociology attempts to study people in their social environment according to underlying moral, philosophical and political codes of behaviour. † There are various ‘schools of thought’ when it comes to answering the question we are debating. This paper will take a brief look at approaches such as positivist and anti-positivist approaches. It is often debated that thee are two separate schools of thought when discussing Sociology. There is the first notion that Sociology is based on fact and figures using quantitive data and analysis. The second suggestion is that Sociology is based on qualitative data and is surrounded by the need to understand why’s, where’s and how’s that make up society. It is only right to start with the views of Emile Durkheim, who is seen as some, the father of sociology and one of the greatest positivists of all time. The term ‘positivist’ simply relates to a person/group of sociologists whom believe that Sociology to be a science ie quantative data analysis He expressed the need for quantitive data and in depth analysis in order to gain a true insight. He appreciated the fact that data and results were an accurate way of analysing and assessing the world and he applied these principals to the examination of society. In his text ‘The Rules of Sociological Methods’ (first published in 1895) Durkheim set out how he believed logic and methodology was the key to the successful study of ‘sociology’. Emile Durkheim carried out what could be described as a famous study where he studied the suicide rates of European countries. This process weighted heavily on analysis of data and actual facts, just as science is based on facts. Durkheim’s argument was that any theory should be backed up with evidence. This evidence could only be found by the gathering and analysis of data. He believed that the correct route was to gather the data and develop theories that supported that evidence. Positivists view things â€Å"in the same state of mind as the physicist, chemist or physiologist when he probes into a still unexplored region of the scientific domain† (Durkheim 1964: xiv). Durkheim is what we would call a ‘Positivist’. Positivists believe that there are many similarities to the research methods embraced by scientists. When we consider this fact is it very easy to state that a posivitist will only study when its subjects and analysis can be quantified ie they are measurable, and can be observed and reported on. Auguste Comte, whom is arguably one of the first Sociologists, sought an empirical way of thinking towards sociological issues . Comte states that sociology should only be concerned with matters where you can get results based on data collation and facts- not based on assumption. Comte believed it was possible to have a good handle on the prediction of further trends and patterns within society. Empirical evidence is the key in positivism. Comte argued that positivism goes through three stages, † the law of the three stages†. It ‘claims that human efforts to understand the human world have passed through theological, metaphysical and positive stages. ‘ (Giddens, 2006, page 11) Now we will go on to examine the ‘other sides of the coin’ and look at the subjectivists’ and realists sociologists’ theories regarding sociology as a science. Various writers could be seen to be labelled anti-positivist, or believers that sociology is not a science. Such sociologists believe that the researcher should concern themselves with human cultural norms, values and processes that are viewed from a subjective perspective. Weber (1864-1920) defined sociology as ‘a science which attempts the interpretive understanding of social action in order to thereby arrive at a casual explanation of its course and effects’ (1964 p88). Weber was one of the founders of the â€Å"Verstehen† method, along with Simmel. Verstehen simply means â€Å"understanding† or †interpretation†. This method involves an outsider attempting to relate to a person or persons from a specific group of people from their point of view. The realists approach to Sociology generally consist of accepting that there are differences between science and sociology – but it should be mentioned that this approach does allow for a social science. Andrew Sayer (1992) expressed differences between ‘open and closed systems as arenas of study’ (Sociology in focus 638)A good example of this ‘closed system’ would be a science lab where conditions can be heavily controlled, this gives way to fixed conditions that can be maintained or fluctuated by the lab. It has to be noted that a large amount of scientific research takes place outside of a controlled environment and this would be classed as an ‘open system’ Sayer argues that the behaviour and interaction of human beings takes place in open arenas and therefore the results cannot be predicted with any accuracy attached to it. But realists do not rule out completely the fact that sociology is indeed a science. Realists can be perceived to argue that the study named sociology could be based on the same principals as ‘science’ in the fact that both are concerned with exploring and evaluating an end roduct. Ray Pawson described the notion that there are two separate types of sociology as the ‘methodological myth’. He argues that two sociologies do not exist and that sociology is made up from a wide range of opinions Conclusion It has been shown within the context of this paper that Sociology can be viewed from both perspectives ie. As a science and t he opposing view that it cannot be classed as a science. From a personal perspective I believe that Sociology is indeed a science, if carried out in its ‘true sense’. In order for sociologists to be taken seriously in the world we must quantify what we are saying. This must be done with the assistance of data and observation, then opinions must be formed based on this data and facts we have collated. It is simply not good enough to provide readers with ideas of what may be true, as this is surely just opinion, rather than fact! If sociology was solely about opinions rather than showing empirical evidence to back up ones claims then surely each and every individual on the planet could rightly call themselves sociologists.. Bibliography Bilton, T, Bonnett, K et al (1996) Introductory Sociology 3rd Edition. Mc Millan Press: London http://sociology. org. uk/atssp7. htm. Accessed 14/2/2010 Cotgrove, S (1967) The Science of Society: An Introduction to Sociology, Allen & Unwin: London Hutchins encyclopaedia Keat & Urry (1975) Social Theory as Science, Routledge: London Oxford Dictionary ( 2002) Taylor et all (2000) Sociology in focus Causeway press:London www. jstor. org/stable/4026005 accessed 1/2/10 http://www. emile-durkheim. com/ accessed 18/2/10 Is Sociology a Science Is Sociology a science? This paper will aim to explore the question ‘Is Sociology a science? ’ We will explore the definitions of Science and Sociology and then go onto examine various perspectives and theories surrounding the subject heading. Sociologists such as Durkheim, Comte and Weber will be examined. This paper is intended as an overview of two different schools of thought, those of positivist and anti-positivist approaches I will outline the main principals for each Sociologist covered. I will then give my personal views on the question, and attempt to answer it within my conclusion. Firstly, in order to examine the essay title it must be laid out exactly what we mean by ‘Science’ and ‘Sociology’ Science definition. Science is, according to the Oxford dictionary 2002 â€Å"The systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiments†. Sociology definition. Sociology on the other hand is described as, according to the Hutchins encyclopaedia , â€Å"the systematic study of the origin of human society, in particular of social order and social change, social conflict and social problems. It studies institutions such as the family, law and the church, as well as concepts such as the norm, role, and culture. Sociology attempts to study people in their social environment according to underlying moral, philosophical and political codes of behaviour. † There are various ‘schools of thought’ when it comes to answering the question we are debating. This paper will take a brief look at approaches such as positivist and anti-positivist approaches. It is often debated that thee are two separate schools of thought when discussing Sociology. There is the first notion that Sociology is based on fact and figures using quantitive data and analysis. The second suggestion is that Sociology is based on qualitative data and is surrounded by the need to understand why’s, where’s and how’s that make up society. It is only right to start with the views of Emile Durkheim, who is seen as some, the father of sociology and one of the greatest positivists of all time. The term ‘positivist’ simply relates to a person/group of sociologists whom believe that Sociology to be a science ie quantative data analysis He expressed the need for quantitive data and in depth analysis in order to gain a true insight. He appreciated the fact that data and results were an accurate way of analysing and assessing the world and he applied these principals to the examination of society. In his text ‘The Rules of Sociological Methods’ (first published in 1895) Durkheim set out how he believed logic and methodology was the key to the successful study of ‘sociology’. Emile Durkheim carried out what could be described as a famous study where he studied the suicide rates of European countries. This process weighted heavily on analysis of data and actual facts, just as science is based on facts. Durkheim’s argument was that any theory should be backed up with evidence. This evidence could only be found by the gathering and analysis of data. He believed that the correct route was to gather the data and develop theories that supported that evidence. Positivists view things â€Å"in the same state of mind as the physicist, chemist or physiologist when he probes into a still unexplored region of the scientific domain† (Durkheim 1964: xiv). Durkheim is what we would call a ‘Positivist’. Positivists believe that there are many similarities to the research methods embraced by scientists. When we consider this fact is it very easy to state that a posivitist will only study when its subjects and analysis can be quantified ie they are measurable, and can be observed and reported on. Auguste Comte, whom is arguably one of the first Sociologists, sought an empirical way of thinking towards sociological issues . Comte states that sociology should only be concerned with matters where you can get results based on data collation and facts- not based on assumption. Comte believed it was possible to have a good handle on the prediction of further trends and patterns within society. Empirical evidence is the key in positivism. Comte argued that positivism goes through three stages, † the law of the three stages†. It ‘claims that human efforts to understand the human world have passed through theological, metaphysical and positive stages. ‘ (Giddens, 2006, page 11) Now we will go on to examine the ‘other sides of the coin’ and look at the subjectivists’ and realists sociologists’ theories regarding sociology as a science. Various writers could be seen to be labelled anti-positivist, or believers that sociology is not a science. Such sociologists believe that the researcher should concern themselves with human cultural norms, values and processes that are viewed from a subjective perspective. Weber (1864-1920) defined sociology as ‘a science which attempts the interpretive understanding of social action in order to thereby arrive at a casual explanation of its course and effects’ (1964 p88). Weber was one of the founders of the â€Å"Verstehen† method, along with Simmel. Verstehen simply means â€Å"understanding† or †interpretation†. This method involves an outsider attempting to relate to a person or persons from a specific group of people from their point of view. The realists approach to Sociology generally consist of accepting that there are differences between science and sociology – but it should be mentioned that this approach does allow for a social science. Andrew Sayer (1992) expressed differences between ‘open and closed systems as arenas of study’ (Sociology in focus 638)A good example of this ‘closed system’ would be a science lab where conditions can be heavily controlled, this gives way to fixed conditions that can be maintained or fluctuated by the lab. It has to be noted that a large amount of scientific research takes place outside of a controlled environment and this would be classed as an ‘open system’ Sayer argues that the behaviour and interaction of human beings takes place in open arenas and therefore the results cannot be predicted with any accuracy attached to it. But realists do not rule out completely the fact that sociology is indeed a science. Realists can be perceived to argue that the study named sociology could be based on the same principals as ‘science’ in the fact that both are concerned with exploring and evaluating an end roduct. Ray Pawson described the notion that there are two separate types of sociology as the ‘methodological myth’. He argues that two sociologies do not exist and that sociology is made up from a wide range of opinions Conclusion It has been shown within the context of this paper that Sociology can be viewed from both perspectives ie. As a science and t he opposing view that it cannot be classed as a science. From a personal perspective I believe that Sociology is indeed a science, if carried out in its ‘true sense’. In order for sociologists to be taken seriously in the world we must quantify what we are saying. This must be done with the assistance of data and observation, then opinions must be formed based on this data and facts we have collated. It is simply not good enough to provide readers with ideas of what may be true, as this is surely just opinion, rather than fact! If sociology was solely about opinions rather than showing empirical evidence to back up ones claims then surely each and every individual on the planet could rightly call themselves sociologists.. Bibliography Bilton, T, Bonnett, K et al (1996) Introductory Sociology 3rd Edition. Mc Millan Press: London http://sociology. org. uk/atssp7. htm. Accessed 14/2/2010 Cotgrove, S (1967) The Science of Society: An Introduction to Sociology, Allen & Unwin: London Hutchins encyclopaedia Keat & Urry (1975) Social Theory as Science, Routledge: London Oxford Dictionary ( 2002) Taylor et all (2000) Sociology in focus Causeway press:London www. jstor. org/stable/4026005 accessed 1/2/10 http://www. emile-durkheim. com/ accessed 18/2/10

Free Essays on Surveillance

Privacy is a privilege that most people take for granted, it’s simply thought of as a sort of God-given right that we, as human beings, are entitled to, the right to have our own space, to be safe, and to be left alone. As technology advances at an alarming rate people began to worry about what adverse effects these new technologies will have on them. Are their concerns justified or just wrought from a fear of change? David Brin’s vision of city life in the near future is almost one of complete paranoia and exaggeration. The cities he outlines seem too horrible to be real, from some sci-fi movie, a city on a far off planet ruled by an evil dictator. An existence without privacy is scary to think about, always looking over our shoulders wondering who is watching and why. Brin’s theories of the future, some will argue, may not be too far off the mark, but is it realistic to think that on this vast planet we inhabit, all cities, towns, and populous areas will be under the watchful eye of the men upstairs, of course not. In the future we will have to deal with surveillance and privacy rights, there is no question, but not to the extent that Brin suggests. Technology will be instituted all over the world as an ally in crime prevention, taking the form of, cameras, microphones, satellites, and unfathomable high-tech tracking systems and devices. We are seeing the beginning of this already, but Brin takes the implementation of these technologies to extremes, which are incredibly unlikely scenarios for our own future. With so many cities and so many buildings in the U.S. alone, it’s silly to assume that everyone will have access to the happenings everywhere all at once. Some cameras positioned on street lamps in downtown New York with citizens safety in mind is one thing, but to have camera like devices capable of being everywhere and seeing everything isn’t likely ever and certainly not within the next 10 to 20 years. Yes,... Free Essays on Surveillance Free Essays on Surveillance Privacy is a privilege that most people take for granted, it’s simply thought of as a sort of God-given right that we, as human beings, are entitled to, the right to have our own space, to be safe, and to be left alone. As technology advances at an alarming rate people began to worry about what adverse effects these new technologies will have on them. Are their concerns justified or just wrought from a fear of change? David Brin’s vision of city life in the near future is almost one of complete paranoia and exaggeration. The cities he outlines seem too horrible to be real, from some sci-fi movie, a city on a far off planet ruled by an evil dictator. An existence without privacy is scary to think about, always looking over our shoulders wondering who is watching and why. Brin’s theories of the future, some will argue, may not be too far off the mark, but is it realistic to think that on this vast planet we inhabit, all cities, towns, and populous areas will be under the watchful eye of the men upstairs, of course not. In the future we will have to deal with surveillance and privacy rights, there is no question, but not to the extent that Brin suggests. Technology will be instituted all over the world as an ally in crime prevention, taking the form of, cameras, microphones, satellites, and unfathomable high-tech tracking systems and devices. We are seeing the beginning of this already, but Brin takes the implementation of these technologies to extremes, which are incredibly unlikely scenarios for our own future. With so many cities and so many buildings in the U.S. alone, it’s silly to assume that everyone will have access to the happenings everywhere all at once. Some cameras positioned on street lamps in downtown New York with citizens safety in mind is one thing, but to have camera like devices capable of being everywhere and seeing everything isn’t likely ever and certainly not within the next 10 to 20 years. Yes,...

A Childs Mind in the Hand of a Genius essays

A Childs Mind in the Hand of a Genius essays Drunken Kaiser, that is the nickname Theodor Geisel was called as a child. The brewery owned by his father and his German descent contributed to the name, a name that only led to rocks, bottles and obscenities tossed in his direction. There was no fighting back, instead over the course of his 86 years he created some of the greatest cartoons, books and even films to grace the eyes and ears of adults and children everywhere. Described by Jonathan Cott, an author in his own right as, ...a genre, a category, an institution, Mr. Geisel contributed more to a society than his stories but gave the world something to hold onto forever. His sixty plus books have been translated into 15 languages and are read in over 45 countries. Looking back on his lifetime he witnessed and shaped the minds of children, adults and politicians. Either through cartoons during WWII or in books so simple the vocabulary rarely reached over 400 words. The messages werent always clear but the morals dealt with nuclear arms, the environment, war, racial tolerance, and antifascism. Still the text was simple enough for a five-year old to read. Youth, its something we all possess, others hold onto it while some let it slide from their grasps as they seemingly age. Dr. Seuss captured the minds of children starting after the end of the Second World War. Helen Geisel, his 1st wife, said once, His mind never grew up, and that was true in a sense; he showed children something they could understand. His logic regarding important issues of the time and those to come in the future was easily understandable by the youth. But not only did parents read the books to children they read them for themselves. The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Lorax are all classics, the hundred year old grandma that lives down the block still remembers the first time she encountered Dr. Seuss...

Tips for Writing Broadcast News Copy

Tips for Writing Broadcast News Copy The idea behind news writing is pretty simple: keep it short and to the point. Everyone writing for a newspaper or website knows this. But that idea gets taken to a new level with it comes to writing copy for radio or television broadcasts. There are lots of tips for broadcast news writing that make the job a little easier. Keep It Simple Newspaper reporters who want to show off their writing style occasionally insert a fancy word into a story. That just doesnt work in broadcast news writing. Broadcast copy must be as simple as possible. Remember, viewers arent reading what youre writing, theyre hearing it. People watching TV or listening to the radio generally dont have time to check a dictionary. So keep your sentences simple and use basic, easily understood words. If you find youve put a longer word in a sentence, replace it with a shorter one. Example: Print: The physician conducted an extensive autopsy on the decedent.Broadcast: The doctor did an autopsy on the body. Keep It Short Generally, sentences in broadcast copy should be even shorter than those found in print articles. Why? Shorter sentences are more easily understood than long ones. Also, remember that broadcast copy must be read out loud. If you write a sentence thats too long, the news anchor will be gasping for breath just to finish it. Individual sentences in broadcast copy should be short enough to be easily read in one breath. Example: Print: President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats sought to ease Republican complaints about a massive economic stimulus plan Friday, meeting with GOP leaders in the White House and promising to consider some of their recommendations.Broadcast: President Barack Obama met with Republican leaders in Congress today. The Republicans arent happy with Obamas big economic stimulus plan. Obama says hell consider their ideas. Keep It Conversational Many sentences found in newspaper stories simply sound stilted and unwieldy when theyre read out loud. Use a conversational style in your broadcast writing. Doing so will make it sound more like real speech, as opposed to a script someone is reading. Example: Print: Pope Benedict XVI joined U.S. President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II on Friday by launching his own YouTube channel, the latest Vatican effort to reach out to the digital generation.Broadcast: President Obama has a Youtube channel. So does Queen Elizabeth. Now Pope Benedict has one, too. The pope wants to use the new channel to reach out to young people. Use One Main Idea per Sentence Sentences in newspaper stories sometimes contain several ideas, usually in clauses that are broken up by commas. But in broadcast writing, you really shouldnt put more than one main idea in each sentence. Why not? You guessed it - put more than one main idea per sentence and that sentence will be too long. Example: Print: Gov. David Paterson appointed Democratic U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand on Friday to fill New Yorks vacant Senate seat, finally settling on a woman from a largely rural, eastern district of the state to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.Broadcast: Gov. David Paterson has appointed Democratic Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to fill New Yorks vacant Senate seat. Gillibrand is from a rural part of the state. She will replace Hillary Rodham Clinton. Use the Active Voice Sentences written in the active voice just naturally tend to be shorter and more to-the-point than those written in the passive voice. Example: Passive: The robbers were arrested by police.Active: Police arrested the robbers. Use a Lead-In Sentence Most broadcast news stories start with a lead-in sentence that is fairly general. Broadcast news writers do this to alert viewers that a new story is being presented, and to prepare them for the information that is to follow. Example: Theres more bad news today from Iraq. Note that this sentence doesnt say very much. But again, it lets the viewer know that the next story is going to be about Iraq. The lead-in sentence almost serves as a kind of headline for the story. Heres an example of a broadcast news item. Note the use of a lead-in line, short, simple sentences, and a conversational style. Theres more bad news from Iraq. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush outside Baghdad today. The Pentagon says the soldiers were hunting insurgents when their Humvee came under sniper fire. The Pentagon hasnt yet released the soldiers names. Put Attribution at the Start of the Sentence Print news stories usually put the attribution, the source of the information, at the end of the sentence. In broadcast news writing, we put them at the beginning. Example: Print: Two men were arrested, police said.Broadcast: Police say two men were arrested. Leave out Unnecessary Details Print stories tend to include a lot of details that we just dont have time for in the broadcast. Example: Print: After robbing the bank, the man drove approximately 9.7 miles before being apprehended, police said.Broadcast: Police say the man robbed the bank, then drove nearly 10 miles before he was caught. Sources Associated Press, The. Rep. Gillibrand gets Clintons Senate seat. NBC News, January 23, 2009. Associated Press, The. Vatican launches Pope YouTube channel. CTV News, January 23, 2009. jengibson. Simplifying Print Writing. Course Hero, 2019. What makes good broadcast writing? StudyLib, 2019.

Citizen Kane (Movie) Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Citizen Kane ( ) - Movie Review Example but miserable person who has accomplished nothing; in fact, his political dream does not come true and at his death he cannot avoid to remember the only time in his childhood when he received true joy from riding a sled with a ‘Rosebud tag’ on it. Most critics have figured out Kane as a man who had no political ideology, but only a man guided by greed for power in the society. This seems to explain his misery despite being a rich politician at the time he finally loses his last breath. This article seeks to examine the relationship between Kane’s political ambitions and the media influence on the public that was evident during his time. Through flashbacks that cover the political life of Kane, it is noticeable that he lacks a political ideology while pursuing his political ambition, but uses the media to pursue his own personal goals. After starting a journalist firm, he employs a captivated writer, Thompson, who is proficient in writing sensitive material. He is featured on every cover page of the magazines and newspapers that Thompson produces for the public (Carringer 42). The aim of this kind of media coverage is to keep Kane a relevant political icon throughout the state by making him famous and popular among the people. The newspaper portrays him as prominent owner of newspaper producing firm, radio stations and much more wealth. He seems to bear the opinion that political success is based on personal wealth, rather than political ideology. Consequently, he does not have any public interest at heart or any political goal that would impact on the population he expects to serve. By failing to devise any politic al goal or even strategy, it is possible to regard Kane as a man who lack all the dimensions of an ideologist in his political war. Secondly, Kane is prompt to influence the minds of the people by using media power as a platform to campaign for his election. In a conversation with his mistress, Susan, he boasts on his authority to control and

FAMILY HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

FAMILY HISTORY - Essay Example In a well-documented case of Hawkins versus Town of Shaw, the town was alleged to have contributed towards racial discrimination, particularly against the African Americans. The main argument was led by the grounds regarding municipal services in African American dominated neighborhoods (Ellington and Jones, 1971). On average, African Americans households had low access to water sewers as compared to their White town-dwellers. Also, African Americans were deliberately settled in areas with low water pressure which reduced the volume of water for their usage. As the case progressed in court, the city showed signs of unrest as African Americans endeavored to acquire equal municipal services as opposed to their current inferior water system. Tensions in the town heightened later that year. The Hawkins versus Town of Shaw had already brought the small town into the limelight. Only a year later, my great-great-great grandfather and grandmother – named Willie and Hattie Sanders – moved out from the town travelling a distance of more than 650 miles to make it to Chicago. They sought to find peace in a larger city like Chicago and their move was mainly motivated by an attempt to escape from the trouble spot. Chicago being a comparatively larger city was relatively peaceful and provided greater job opportunities for my ancestors. They ultimately found a job, bought a home, and settled in the city to allow their coming generations to thrive in the city. Since then the family has settled quite well in Chicago that out family identifies with the city though it also remembers where it came from. I am often told by my uncle that diabetes runs in our family. My great grandfather and grandfather died of diabetes and a few years ago my uncle was diagnosed with diabetes. All of them had Type II diabetes which is characterized by a hereditary factor. The fact that my uncle has also been diagnosed with diabetes, even though he is in his mid-30s, points towards the genetic

Summerize articles Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summerize articles - Article Example Meanwhile, the article of Candice Wheeler, the ability of one to be able to comprehend and make things that has the beauty of color and the grace of lines are a gift; however, it is also true that even these gifts must actually confer to certain laws. In this case, decorative and applied art may be classified as one of the most important qualities of mankind, for it enables us to achieve endless sensual pleasures, and that it brings lofty satisfactions to men. In this case, applied art to decorative art is like child to man; wherein applied art subsumes itself with the laws of decorative art, but it transcends it by unifying thought and art with things that are useful to the everyday existence of man. The third article, written by H. Muthesius and H. van de Velde, focuses on the standardization of architecture. According to them, it is through the standardization of architecture where it will have universal significance. In this case, they outlined different points to illustrate why standardization in architecture is important. According to them, an unfailing good taste is actually brought about by standardization as understood in concentration. In addition, it is essential to have a universal high level of taste in order for their (German) works to have relevance abroad, and that the creation of a creative development is the most urgent task of their era. Speaking for the German association of artists, industrialists and merchants (Deutscher Werkbund), the authors emphasized that they are able to give meaningful exhibitions only when they are restricted to the best and most exemplary. The next article, written by Herman Muthesius, outlines the aims of the Deutscher Werkbund, the national association of artists, industrialists, and merchants in Germany. In this article, the author argues that it is important for their movement to undergo an artistic reform, a reform that focuses on improvement on the impression that their epoch consists that of a lack of cultur e. However, due to the funding of their movement, their works has already gained universal significance, which is an expression of their continued effort for cultural refinement and beauty. However, Muthesius also noted that their task does not end here, given that they must continue to refine their art and improve their technique. In addition, they must also strive to attain a high cultural achievement. Meanwhile, the article written by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser talks about the evil of â€Å"shabby, mass produced goods,† especially in terms of how it has severely affected the way goods are made creatively. In this case, the authors actually argue that these errors will be corrected, in order for artists to regain a high degree of artistic creativity in their works. In this case, the author argues, that it is actually important to be able to establish an inner relationship between the public, the worker, and the designer; wherein guiding principles in their work would include utility, function, good proportions, and as well as the proper treatment of the respective materials used. In this case, they must not compete with cheap work, but rather set high artistic and creative

Governance and Politics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Governance and Politics - Assignment Example The prosperity of an organization or a nation highly depends on its political willpower and framework. Organizations adapt political strategies that will enable them to impact on the formulation and implementation of policies and regulations that affect them. These strategies could be reactive or proactive. Non-profit organizations are more democratic than profit organizations. This allows them to adapt proactive political strategies. These include government association and ‘Action’ Advocacy for example electoral, legislation, media, international, grassroots, public education and opinion shaping and legal advocacy. These political strategies are ‘outward-focused ‘and allow for dialogue, and often contest, with the government, for-profit organizations and the public (Bruce, 1992). For-profit organizations are less democratic. They usually adapt reactive political strategies as a means of presenting or defending their political positions on certain issues. Examples are direct and citizen participation, and representation strategies. These strategies give little room for dialogue with non-profit organizations and the public. If the nonprofit organization were a public education organization, the strategy would change to societal force mobilisation so ·ci ·e ·tal  Ã‚   Diversity on board enables an organization to benefit from the varied pool of thoughts and experiences. This enhances the organization’s problem-solving ability and its ability to utilize available global opportunities. According to Ramiez (2003), board diversity also helps to avoid remove corruption which is normally encouraged by close relations among board members. It enables a board, on behalf of the organization, to achieve a global reach for their business. This is a sign of improved effectiveness. This is true especially if the diversified

Impact of Capital Structure on Financial Performance of Real Estate Essay - 1

Impact of Capital Structure on Financial Performance of Real Estate Firms Listed In Chinese Stock Exchange - Essay Example The study analyses the listed firms based on the following objectives The study is a descriptive research design that explores the capital structure of companies listed in the Chinese stock exchange in seeking to describe their impact on the financial performance of the same companies. Information about 20 companies was collected from the official website of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE). The companies were selected in accordance to the composite index of the SSE, to ensure the findings can be generalised to other firms. Quantitative data analysis methods have been utilised in analysing the data gathered form the research with regression analysis being utilised to enhance the quality of the research findings. . Different financial ratios of companies have been calculated and an industry average determined. The ownership of the listed firms is mainly by the government and legal institutions who own 28% and 24% respectively. The total debt and long term debt of the listed companies is 50.49% and 10.15% respectively. The equity over fixed asset ratio for the companies is at 92.77%. There has been a significant drop in the return on assets value which is currently at 9.74%. Chinese firms have an average liability of about 45% while the average liability of the G-7 countries in 54%. Most of the Chinese companies listed on the SSE utilise a short term financing options and this has been the man characteristic of their capital structure. The capital structure adopted by these firms has the greatest impact on their performance. The companies listed in the SSE have been posting high profits and have financial debts which are lower than the average industry level. These firms are mainly financed through equity capital which is not a debt. Low debts have had a significant effect in resulting to the high profits since there is a reduced level of interests paid, ensuring the

The Causes of Suicide in the Military Research Paper

The Causes of Suicide in the Military - Research Paper Example (Alvarez) It is evident from the graph that the suicide rate has been almost doubled in 2008 compared to the 2003 statistics. In any case, one thing is for sure; suicide rates among American military personnel are growing rapidly in recent times because of various reasons. Even though military authorities are trying hard to reduce the suicide rates among soldiers, so far they failed to do so because of the complex reasons associated with suicides in military. This paper analyses the causes and effects of suicides in American military. Suicide rates among American military personnel have been more than that among American civilians in recent times. The above fact clearly suggests that there should be some specific reasons to the increased suicide rates among soldiers. The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide proposes that three necessary factors are needed to die by suicide: feelings that one does not belong with other people, feelings that one is a burden on others or societ y, and an acquired capability to overcome the fear and pain associated with suicide (Bryan, et al. p.1044). Feelings that one does not belong with other people seems to be the major reason for increasing suicide rates among soldiers. ... Socializing is an essential activity required for each human being to maintain a stable mental health. Military life provides less diversity for socializing activities. It should be noted that in normal life a person’s socializing habits takes place in a diverse environment; socializing with family members, socializing with relatives, socializing with peers, socializing with opposite sex, socializing with friends etc. On the other hand, in military life, socializing is only a one way traffic; socializing between the soldiers and that also only on specific occasions. Thus feelings of loneliness or feelings that one does not belong with other people may increase among soldiers, which may finally develop frustrations and subsequent suicide attempts. Feeling of unworthiness or feeling that one is a burden on others or society is another reason for suicide tendency among soldiers. As mentioned earlier, military life provides only limited opportunities for family life as far as a so ldier is concerned. A soldier may not be able to fulfill his family and social commitments while working in the military. The failure to fulfill these commitments may generate feeling of unworthiness among soldiers. Such feelings can also cause the development of suicide tendency. Acquired capability to overcome the fear and pain associated with suicide is the third major reason for increased suicide rates among military personnel. It should be noted that soldiers are brave people and they are engaged in acts like killing of enemies. In other words, killing or dying is not a fearful act for them. Thus when the feeling of unworthiness develops, soldiers are not hesitant in committing suicide. Army

Impact of Capital Structure on Financial Performance of Real Estate Essay - 1

Impact of Capital Structure on Financial Performance of Real Estate Firms Listed In Chinese Stock Exchange - Essay Example The study analyses the listed firms based on the following objectives The study is a descriptive research design that explores the capital structure of companies listed in the Chinese stock exchange in seeking to describe their impact on the financial performance of the same companies. Information about 20 companies was collected from the official website of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE). The companies were selected in accordance to the composite index of the SSE, to ensure the findings can be generalised to other firms. Quantitative data analysis methods have been utilised in analysing the data gathered form the research with regression analysis being utilised to enhance the quality of the research findings. . Different financial ratios of companies have been calculated and an industry average determined. The ownership of the listed firms is mainly by the government and legal institutions who own 28% and 24% respectively. The total debt and long term debt of the listed companies is 50.49% and 10.15% respectively. The equity over fixed asset ratio for the companies is at 92.77%. There has been a significant drop in the return on assets value which is currently at 9.74%. Chinese firms have an average liability of about 45% while the average liability of the G-7 countries in 54%. Most of the Chinese companies listed on the SSE utilise a short term financing options and this has been the man characteristic of their capital structure. The capital structure adopted by these firms has the greatest impact on their performance. The companies listed in the SSE have been posting high profits and have financial debts which are lower than the average industry level. These firms are mainly financed through equity capital which is not a debt. Low debts have had a significant effect in resulting to the high profits since there is a reduced level of interests paid, ensuring the