Money should not be an issue to receive treatment Marisel Diaz Essay

Introduction The Healthcare Reform policy sounds very complicated, even for our House of Representatives, which has been dealing with it for the past years. And for regular citizens, it is extremely complex to understand as well. During the Progressive Era, President Theodore Roosevelt was a strong supporter of health insurance. He believed that â€Å"no country could be strong whose people were sick and poor.† These days, we also have someone who shares the same philosophy, Senator Bernie Sanders, who is advocating for Universal Healthcare. I also share the same idea as Senator Sanders, that if we need to fix the Healthcare system, it should be in order to improve the life of all, not only of those who are able to afford it.   Despite the efforts of President Barack Obama, 27.6 million Americans still are without health insurance today (Kaiser, pg. 1). The insurance system is very complicated America’s Healthcare system has different kinds of insurance. For instance, life insurance, car insurance, home insurance; but only healthcare insurance becomes more complicated and more expensive. Currently, the United States uses a combination of public and private healthcare, and the cost is one of the highest in the world. Insurance. Is a contract between the insurer and insured, whereby the insurer undertakes to pay the insured a fixed amount in exchange of a fixed sum (premium) on the happening of a certain event (like at in a certain age or at death), or compensate the actual loss when it takes place, due to the risk insured. High prices for premiums. The amount health insurance companies charge each month for coverage. It must be paid every month, regardless of whether you use the services or not. For instance, premiums can be paid by the employers, shared by both the employees and the insured, and the plan’s sponsor. Deductibles. The deductible is a level expenditure that must be incurred before any benefits are paid out. Health insurance policies generally have yearly deductibles, which is less effective in removing moral hazard (Dewar, pg. 59). Coinsurance. Coinsurance is the proportion of the total expenditure that is paid by the insured. Coinsurance helps to reduce the moral hazard factor for the insured who has spent more than his or her deductible because healthcare is not free to the consumer (Dewar, pg. 59) Today, 27 million people have no health insurance The majority of people who are left uninsured are from low-income families or even moderate-income families that simply cannot afford the high prices of insurance, do not have the option of obtaining insurance through their jobs, live in states where Medicaid was not expanded, or simply are immigrants who are not eligible for coverage. A solution to the high prices of health care and uninsured citizens would be the adoption of a universal healthcare system. For instance, Canada has a national health insurance program, which is basically a government-run health insurance system covering the entire population. Universal care has proven to be less expensive and would likely improve health care access and outcomes for Americans (Gleason & Ridic, pg. 4). In addition, nationalized health care is a logical, moral imperative for the U.S., and it should be a right, not a privilege. One of the advantages of adopting a national health insurance will be the significant economic advantage because the entire population will have access to health care regardless of money. Most cases of bankruptcy are not caused by reckless spending. According to Deb.org, most citizens claim bankruptcy by financial hardship, and many of them are low-income individuals who cannot afford to pay unexpected major expenses, for instance, due to job losses or medical bills. According to a study published in early 2005, 46 percent of bankruptcies were related to outstanding medical conditions. For example, medical expenses not covered by insurance, or losing at least two weeks’ worth of work because of illness (Krulick, 2012). Additionally, copayments will be insignificant to pay. Citizens will not be filing for bankruptcy due to lack of money. Another advantage will be that physicians will receive payments on a negotiated fee service, and hospitals will receive global budget payments. Cons of adopting Universal Healthcare (Single payer system) In order to see the cons of the system, we should take a look at the outcomes and technology. I will remark that financial barrier does not exist. A research shows that approximately fifty-six percent of the respondents in Canada believed their health care system requires minor changes, and only five percent of the population think that Canada’s healthcare system needs complete rebuilding (Blendon, Leitman & Morrison, pg. 7).   Overall, Canadians are very content with their healthcare system.  The waiting list for diagnosis and surgery exist in Canada. The U.S. could experience waiting lists as well. The reason why Canada has been experiencing a waiting list could be because the government is currently spending less on healthcare than in other years. However, when Taiwan made the switch, wait times were not an issue. This could be different depending on the size of our population and how many people would utilize care once it is available to them. Higher taxes. Canada tax system represents the main revenue. Many of the benefits that Canadians enjoy are made possible through taxes. For instance, the government provides roads, schools, healthcare, social security, public safety, and others benefits to low-income families, charities, students, seniors, and people with disabilities. Tax revenues provide social benefits. Old age security, Canada child tax, working income tax, universal child care benefits. Canadian residents support their tax system by paying their fair share of taxes, and in return, they benefit from the programs and services provided by their government. Importation of drugs from other countries. Senator Bernie Sanders proposes a â€Å"rule that would allow pharmaceutical companies to charge fair prices for drugs developed with taxpayer-backed research.† It sounds very logical since all citizens are paying for it, prices for American citizens should be more economical. In 2013, per capita, spending on prescription drugs was $858 compared with an average of $400 for nineteen other industrialized nations (Kesselheim & Ross, pg. 12). We should be able to negotiate prescription drug prices. According to GoodRx discount, a 30-tablet supply of Invokana at a 100 mg dose will set you back $411 at Walgreens in the U.S., even with a coupon. Meanwhile, a month’s supply of that same dose of Invokana in Canada costs about $234. Having a competition in the market helps to reduce prices and open choices for patients or consumers. Importing prescription drugs from other countries will help to lower the prices and improve the quality as well. Another way could be, perhaps, the use of technology such as virtual doctor appointments. Innovation is a risk, but we will never know if we do not try it out. Additionally, the life style would be improved. Reducing poverty in the U.S. should be the most important thing to do. Inequities in the structure of societal resources vary and can be striking. According to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, â€Å"A population’s health is shaped 10% by the physical envi ronment, 20% by clinical health care (access and quality), 30% by health behaviors (themselves largely determined by social and physical environments), and 40% by social and economic factors.† (Senterfitt et al., 2013). Sometimes, the perception of paying more does not necessary means or makes things better. Conclusion: Despite having one of the best healthcare systems in the world, the bureaucracy that governs the healthcare industry has to be transformed to be more effective and to promote health, not just mitigate illnesses. References American Bankruptcy Institute. (2012). Annual Business and Non-business Filings by Year (1980-2011). Retrieved from http://www.abiworld.org/AM/AMTemplate.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=65139&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfmhttps://www.kff.org/uninsured/fact-sheet/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2545691?JamaNetworkReader=True&redirect=truehttps://www.cihi.ca/en/nhex_2014_report_en.pdfhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633404/Senterfitt, J.W., Long, A., Shih, M., & Teutsch, S.M. (2013). How Social and Economic Factors Affect Health. Social Determinants of Health, Issue no.1. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. https://berniesanders.com/issues/medicare-for-all/#more.

The Theory of the Contestable Market

The theory of contestable markets, along with the static and dynamic views of competition, are used as theories to analyse how markets perform. The static view focuses on the structure of the market as the determining factor of competition, with the dynamic view focusing on dynamic aspects such as technology and entrepreneurship. The contestable markets theory has a different focus, focusing on the importance of barriers to entry and exit. Nonetheless it does incorporate features from both views.More importantly it shifts the focus and provides new insight into the workings of competition. The two differing views of competition will be examined, followed by an examination of the contestable market theory, concluding with an analysis of the degree to which there is synthesis. Static view of competition The static view of competition focuses on the market structure as the key determining factor in the performance and behaviour of firms. It is the neoclassical approach of competition, o rigination from the work of economist’s Cournot and Edgeworth.This traditional view sees market structure as rigidly determining firm's conduct (its output decisions and pricing behaviour), which yields an industry's overall performance, such as its efficiency and profitability. Firms limit their behaviour to a certain industry model or strategic logic that is built on frequent price cuts, in order to out-compete rivals and deter entry. An industry is considered competitive depending on its market structure. At one extreme is perfect competition, which is considered perfectly competitive. At the other extreme is a monopoly structure, with a sole producer, characterised by low competition.In between the spectrum is an oligopolistic structure, and a monopolistic structure. These structures embody less competition than in perfect competition, but more than in a monopoly situation. The characteristics of competitive markets are thus large number of firms, or in other words a low concentration ratio. The number of firms is determined by the market demand and the output level set at that which minimises average cost. As the number of firms that enter the industry increases, firms become price takers rather than price makers, and they are forced to apply the price that is set in order to survive in the market.They thus receive normal profits, as opposed to abnormal profits when the market structure was more concentrated (please refer to figure 1 below). Fig 1 Thus the organisation of industries is considered to be generated exogenously. Therefore the market concentration decides the nature of competition within each market. The static view of competition thus concentrates on the structural characteristics of competition, with a ‘structure-conduct-performance’ based paradigm, in which market structure decided conduct of firms, deciding their performance.The static competition approach excludes non-price competition, such as quality and product diff erentiation, and strategic behaviour which does occur. This view of competition has been criticised for ignoring the more dynamic methodology of competition, which will now be analysed. Due to the importance of market share in the static view of competition, the resultant policy implication calls for regulation of markets, in order to ensure low marker concentration, in order to move towards perfect competition, and its associated benefits. (Schwartz 1986). Dynamic view of competitionThe dynamic view of competition revolves around the role of the entrepreneur and firms using innovation to compete with their rivals. The neo-Austrian school of thought, in particular, Schumpeter, and those economists influenced by it have been redefining the concept along classical lines, although with a much greater emphasis on the entrepreneurial role, the role of discovery, and rivalrous competition. Performance in industries is argued to be characterized by dynamic competition, expressed through in novation and variation rather than through efficiency and price reductions, which is the case in the static approach.This view portrays competition as a process of change and evolution rather than a static state in which equilibrium will be reached. Hayek, a main architect of this approach, defines competition as a dynamic behavioural activity. Central to this activity is knowledge, how it is acquired and communicated through the economy. He criticises the neoclassical assumption of perfect knowledge, with the view that costs are not a given, and so not exogenous. Competition is a process of interaction with the environment, in which innovation, such as new methods of production and new products, are a response to the unique situation of the economy.It results in the optimal use of resources. (Auerbach 1988) Alchian believes that there is a natural selection process which results in a competitive outcome. Such competition depends not only on the physical possibilities but also the a bilities and attitudes of participants, the entrepreneurs and consumers. It therefore argues for property rights, as to increase the level of competition, forcing companies to undergo research and development and to innovate, in order to survive.For competition to be improved and sustained there needs to be a genuine desire on behalf of entrepreneurs to engage in competitive behaviour, to innovate and to invent to drive markets forward and create what Schumpeter famously called the â€Å"gales of creative destruction†. (Vickers, 1995, pp15). In the classic dynamic view, it argues that there is a tendency for rates of return to equalise, due to profit seeking behaviour, and the movement of capital from low profit areas to that of higher profit areas. However equilibrium may never be reached.Before the tendency for equalisation, the economy may have changed, such as the structure of demand, or the available technology, and products may have evolved. The general criticism of the dynamic view of competition is that is lacks the simplicity and decisiveness than the static view of competition. The policy implications of the dynamic view of competition is less concerned with regulation of markets, instead encouraging property rights in order to allow firms to benefit from their own research and development, allowing for technological advancement, and the ensuing competition.Theory of the contestable market The theory of contestable markets describes how competition will exist in any market if there are no barriers to entry and exit, as firms will be forced to act competitively in fear of new firms entering the market. The contestable markets approach to competition represents an alternative to the neo-classical theory of the firm. It came to prominence in the early 1980s, largely through the work of the American economist Baumol. The threat posed by the possibility of new firms entering the market is taken to be a key determinant of the behaviour of existing f irms.Accordingly, barriers to entry and exit play a crucial role. Its fundamental feature is low barriers to entry and exit; a perfectly contestable market would have no barriers to entry or exit. This means no sunk costs. Sunk costs will be low where the firm can sell or in other ways dispose of its capital equipment without cost. For example, a new airline might lease aircraft rather than purchase them and can then leave the industry at the end of the lease period without the costs of having to sell its aircraft.Contestable markets are characterized by ‘hit and run' entry, whereby if a firm in a market with no entry or exit barriers raises its prices above average cost and begins to earn abnormal profits, potential rivals will enter the market to take advantage of these profits. When the incumbent firms respond by returning prices to levels consistent with normal profits the new firms will exit. In this manner even a monopoly market can show highly competitive behaviour (suc h as in perfect competition), as it fears potential competition.Such optimal behaviour applies to the full range of industry structures. Natural monopolies are of course not included in such a theory, as by its nature barriers to entry and exit exist. In this view of competition, the direction of causation between the market structure and competition is reversed from that of the static view. The theory of contestable markets sees contestability as influencing the performance and conduct of firms, and thus deciding on the resultant market structure.Perfect contestability would lead to firms earning normal profit, embodying cost-minimisation behaviour, resulting in a cost-minimisation structure (P=MC= AC), whatever the actual form of the market structure. Thus, the market structure is determined by the price and output decisions, or the behaviour, of firms. In a perfectly contestable market, there would exist profit equalisation across firms and industries, such as in perfect competit ion, even under market imperfections, such as a concentrated structure. Under a contestable market there would be maximisation of consumer welfare due to cost and price minimising.Contestable markets would also result in optimal firm sizes (economies of scale), product-mix (economies of scope) and industrial organisation (dynamic efficiency). Compared to the static view of competition, the contestable market views is not so much competition within the market, but competition for the market. Attention has been shifted away from actual competition to potential competition. Critics of this theory includes the argument that perfectly contestable markets are rare, and thus should only be applied to specific cases.It is true that perfect contestability is an extreme, and should be viewed as a benchmark rather than the norm, but the same applies to perfect competition in the static view of competition. (Schwartz 1986). More empirical research is needed on the extent of free entry and exit. Criticism has also been placed upon the reaction time of incumbents as new firms enter the market, which is also a hotly debated subject. Contradicting assumptions of ultra-free entry and the response of firms is another criticised aspect of the theory. (Shepherd, 1984, pp585)In terms of policy implications, the theory suggests that competition policy should be as much concerned with the levels of barriers to entry and exit in a market as with existing levels of competition. Synthesis? There is much debate as to whether contestable market theory is a synthesis of the static and dynamic views of competition. Some observers comment that the theory may even be an uprising from the traditional theories (Baumol, 1982), and to the other extreme where it is a mere extension of the traditional theories of competition.The theory of contestable markets incorporates important concepts from the static view of competition. The relationship between market structure and competition is a major fac tor in contestable market theory as it is in the static view, however in the former, as stated earlier, the causation is reversed. So the relationship is still key, albeit with market structure being dependent upon its firm’s behaviour. Furthermore, barriers to entry and exit, which are important in the static view in terms of its negative effects in allowing incumbents to earn economic rent, are of prime importance in the new theory.Although the new theory turns it on its head and focuses on the positive effects of removing barriers, and the resultant competition that comes with it. Barriers are thus significant market determinants. Thus for some contestable market theory provides a static equilibrium theory of industry structure which is generally more applicable than before. The theory also points towards some dynamic interpretation of markets. Firms are able to enter on an ongoing basis, constraining market behaviour of incumbents.The degree of contestability of a market can change over time with technology, regulatory breakdown, or changes in other barriers altering the entry and exit conditions. An incumbent pricing optimally can protect them self against new entrants using the same technology, but can’t protect against innovation or technological advancements. Furthermore, the threat of competition should lead to a faster rate of technological diffusion, as firms have to be particularly responsive to the changing needs of consumers. Thus dynamic aspects of competition are also important in the new theory.Baumol et al have argued the contestable theory as a new general system to replace the original static and dynamic views of competition. However their analysis should only be treated as a specialised, extreme set of conditions, which are unlikely to be found in reality, due to rigid assumptions of contestability theory. Some have even argued that little has been added to the pre-existing entry and exit analysis. (Shepherd, 1984). Conclusio n Contestable market theory is an attempt to impose a dynamic mechanism upon a static equilibrium analysis, thus providing new and valuable insights into competition theory.It offers a host of new analytical methods, new tasks for empirical research, and new results. It allows the reconsideration of the domain of the invisible hand, yields contributions to the theory of oligopoly, provides a standard for policy that is far broader and more widely applicable than that of perfect competition, and leads to a theory that analyses the determination of industry structure endogenously and simultaneously with the analysis of the other variables more traditionally treated in the theory of the firm and the industry.It aspires to provide a unifying theory as a foundation for the analysis of competition. The theory manages to blends in some aspects from both the static and dynamic analyses of competition, however shouldn’t be seen as an overarching theory. It embodies a different focus t o the two traditional views of competition, as already mentioned. It should be applied to unique situations, on which the assumptions of the theory are built. The new theory provides for a new dilemma rather than the final solution.

Loyalty and Betrayal in a Political Context

Two recent Chinese films, Chen Kaige’s Farewell My Concubine (1993) and Zhang Yimon’s   Hero (2002), have gained worldwide attention, garnering numerous awards in the process. Although set in very different periods of Chinese history, both films deal with the themes of loyalty and betrayal played out against a vigorously political backdrop. This political philosophy even weaves through out the stories, marking a radical change from previous socialist-realistic Chinese films which mainly had an operatic focus. In the past, Chinese films were heavily censored and did not appeal to a wide audience. What occurred within the Chinese culture to allow for films which gained international acclaim and dealt freely with controversial concepts, such as   the political atmosphere of China? Both Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimon are Chinese fifth generation directors. This genre evolved after Mao’s death in 1976, causing film to have   the widest international impact of all the Chinese arts reborn since then. Distinguished by a quantum leap from the political and cultural heritage of Mao, and achieving an â€Å"aesthetic breakthrough† with radically politicized ideological implications, this movement nevertheless was formed in a crucible (Zhang, 203). The 1984 release of Kaige’s film Yellow Earth revealed the emergence of a major new movement in world cinema, the fifth generation, which gained its name from critics and scholars based upon a retrospective examination of Chinese film history. It   is one of the cinema’s most important â€Å"new waves,† along with German expressionism, the French new wave, and Italian neo realism. The canon is comprised of the works of a group of young film artists with similar aesthetic and ideological motivations. The fifth generation emerged from the first graduating class of the Beijing Film Academy; students who had encountered tumultuous changes within their own lives, not being allowed to finish their high school educations, ( which didn’t resume until 1977), but being sent instead to the countryside as â€Å"intellectual youth,† becoming soldiers or laborers.   Although Kaige’s father was a well known Beijing film director, Yimou’s father had been an officer in Chiang Kai-Shek’s nationalist KMT army and Yimou was shut out of most educational, financial and social opportunities available to many of his future classmates at the Film Academy. However, the arrival of the Cultural Revolution functioned as a great equalizer, as   most members of the fifth generation forfeited education, saw their parents publicly criticized, and their lives swept up in turmoil. Yimou took up photography during this time, while Kaige tried to join the communist party.(Ij, 1). According to Paul Clark in his book Reinventing China: A Generation and its Film, the cultural revolution forever changed the members of the fifth generation. They emerged from it challenged by their experiences, endowing their films with a more critical attitude toward the cultural revolution and a more humane and realistic take on the lives of their fellow Chinese. While at the Beijing Film Academy the students had a shortage of textbooks from which to work. The professors instead exposed them to foreign films. Thus the students became filmmakers by watching and analyzing these foreign works. After graduation the students were assigned to various urban and rural studios across China, creating works that tried to reconstruct a national cinema after ten years of neglect and oppression. Rejecting rigid formalism, the filmmakers   created more realistic lighting, and used better actors and editors. They also created more ambiguous, less didactic stories. With the catastrophe at Tianamen Square in 1989,   and the ensuing crackdown on the fifth generation in the 1990s by authorities who weren’t comfortable with   many of the politics contained within the films, the restricted filmmakers began looking for international financing. The resulting films brought more international attention to Chinese cinema than ever before (Clark, 205). The filmmakers’ goals were to present themselves as artists with an aesthetic sensibility and to comment on the totality of their culture and history at a metaphorical or allegorical level. By assuming the margins vis a vis the mainstream, the Chinese new wave cinema offers itself as a substitute for and a supplement to, the emerging nationalist cinema. With spectacular visual effects, idiosyncratic and forceful storytelling, the films are a cultural reconstitution of Chinese modernity (Zhang, 276). Although originally banned in China, which allowed only one public showing because the film showed communism in a bad light, Farewell My Concubine is considered to be one of the fifth generation’s seminal works in focusing attention   from international audiences toward Chinese films.   Farewell My Concubine resembles several other fifth generation films in that it is a tale of human lives set against the context of China’s turbulent political upheaval during the mid twentieth century. Because it recalls the collective trauma of the cultural revolution, Farewell My Concubine and its engagement in the national memory has frequently been interpreted as an epic national narrative. Yet it also functions as a cataclysmic tale of loyalty and betrayal, an intimate story surrounding two Peking Opera performers, Xiaolou and Dieyi,   who bond as the young boys then named Shitou and Douzi. They   are severely abused by their training master and experience many hardships. But their friendship gets them through their difficulties.   This bond produces intense and lifelong loyalty between the two boys. They continue to be inseparable, until a prostitute named Juxian comes between them   when she marries Xiaolou. Later, the Japanese invasion and cultural revolution intervene in their relationship, provoking various declarations of betrayal. The story begins in 1934 and spans 53 years until 1977. The two men’s lives are viewed against a backdrop of a country in upheaval as the movies journeys through various times in China’s history. Each section, which is integral to the plot,   shows a different era in the lives of the characters and the historical background from the Warlords through the cultural revolution, including the Japanese invasion of 1937 and the communist takeover (â€Å"Farewell My Concubine,† 1). As the movie begins, a young Dieyi is abandoned at the opera troupe by his own mother after she cruelly cuts off his extra finger. Even though his mother, a whore, deserts him because he is a burden, he quickly gains a loving replacement in the form of Xiaolou. During the early lives of Dieyi and the other young actor, Xiaolou, the fierce friendship forms as they train and   are punished, always looking out for each other. From the first Xiaolou watches out for his little friend. He finds him a place to sleep and rebukes all the teasers. Later, Dieyi runs away, promising his three coins to Xiaolou.   Dieyi tells the master after he returns that Xiaolou was not responsible, just to punish him, even though Xiaolou is punished anyway. At another point, when Dieyi can’t remember his lines to say that â€Å" I am a girl,† and shuts down,   Xiaolou punishes him by forcing a stick in his mouth so that Dieyi will stay around and remain in the troupe. Yet this act of pain is also an act of love and Xiaolou cries throughout as he administers this rebuke. Thirteen years go by and their hardships pay off as the boys grow up to become major stage stars; their loyalty continues even as they are famous performers in Peking. Their bond becomes even stronger as they become more acclaimed. Although they are as close as two men can be, Dieyi yearns for even more. Even though the subject of homosexuality is only once overtly referred to in Farewell My Concubine, its presence is never far from the surface.   Xiaolou rejects that sort of connection from Dieyi, yet   nothing still comes between them; or so it seems. After Xiaolou saves a prostitute with a fake declaration of engagement, she comes to him and forces him to make good on the public acknowledgement. They marry, and while Xiaolou makes his stage brother Dieyi, his best man, Dieyi feels betrayed and acts pettishly, refusing even to come to the party until the last minute, then leaving abruptly. With Juxian in the picture, Dietyi has a moral dilemma which becomes confusing to him. From the beginning his sense of identity has been muddled, with the master’s continual insistence that he say â€Å" I am a girl,† in his role as a female within the opera. Yet role acting and reality have become blurred for him. As a child his mother was a prostitute, he was raped by an old man, his friend was stolen from him by a woman, then he goes to Master Yeun in a sexual   relationship (â€Å" Farewell My Concubine,†1). Later, in Dieyi’s trial for fraternizing with the Japanese (said fraternizing occurring only because he is trying to save Xiaolou and is promised by Juxian that she will leave her husband and return to the brothel if he helps, but she reneges), all Dieyi’s friends try to cover for him, even lying that he had been taking away in handcuffs. Dieyi rebukes them publicly, saying that he sang of his own free will,   causing the others to lose face by his betrayal to their loyalty. As mentioned previously, Farewell My Concubine has been considered to be an epic national epic, but contrary to this popular perception, Kaige focuses on the intimate architectural spaces of his native city Beijing and recalls its past; the pain of betrayal is vividly depicted in the film as the two stage brothers are publicly forced to renounce each other with irreversible consequences. Those unfamiliar with the history of Chinese communism are in for a shocking crash course as the devastating scenes unfold (â€Å"Chinese Film, 1). During the cultural revolution, both men, betrayed by a boy Dieyi saved from death, are forced to parade as spectacles in full operatic regalia. Yet they resemble pathetic clowns with mismatched makeup and signs around their necks.   Xiaolou and Dieyi are made to kneel with countless others to confess their sins against the people. Touchingly, but to no avail, Dieyi attempts his usual trick of swooping Xiaolou’s makeup up in order to make it look better. However,   garish makeup seems to be the least of their worries. Forced to talk against each other, Xiaolou starts out in euphemistic terms, declaring Dieyi to be one who sang for all, both small and great; a man who is a consummate artist of the people and for the people. Yet this is turned against him and he must betray Dieyi with more vehement declarations.  Ã‚   Even though Dieyi sang for the Japanese in order to free him, Xiaolou declares him a traitor and also tells the masses of his illicit homosexual relationship with Master Yeun. After Dieyi calls Juxian a prostitute in retaliation, Xiaolou also renounces his wife, saying he never loved her. Her pain knows no bounds and as a result of his betrayal, she hangs herself. So much sorrow and damage occurs during these public denunciations which happen to also mirror the filmmaker’s own life.   Kaige remains haunted that he was forced to publicly denounce   his father during his   youth in the cultural revolution (â€Å"Chinese Film,† 1). The film ends as years later, when the revolution has ended,   the stage brothers are once again together in an opera.   During the performance Xiaolou announces he is too old. Whether intentional or not, Dieyi forgets the lines that say he is a girl; and Xiaolou prompts him. Dieyi continues with the play, only to stab himself and die. The friends are still together: in life and in death. Although different in style from Farewell My Concubine, Hero is a film that   has caused   unprecedented fervor, judging from the response of much of the population   of China. So far, it is the most popular   Chinese film ever released in the country, making phenomenal money there, only slightly less than Titanic. Despite being regarded by some Chinese as pandering to western tastes, the film also made enough money in the United States alone to cover production costs, providing a portal for many western viewers to begin watching other Chinese films previously unknown in the west. Like other films of the fifth generation genre, this movie demonstrates a rejection of  the socialist- realist tradition worked by the earlier communist Chinese filmmakers. With   the ever popular Jet Li as the star, the film is loosely based during the time of the warring  states, a period before the unification of China. This story has also been told in other  versions, notably Kaige’s The Emperor and the Asssassin (1998) and Zhou Xiaowen’s The Emperor’s Shadow (1996). Yet Yimon chose to develop his own historical story  based on the turbulent days leading up to the founding of the Qin dynasty when seven  kingdoms struggled for supremacy. This setting contrasts with the mystical â€Å"martial worlds† of   similar films which exist somewhere away from reality. (Qin in Wade Gilles  parlance is the same as Ch’in from which the English word for China probably derived). (Chinese Film, 2). With Hero Yimon is working out of the tradition of the wuxia pian: a swordplay or martial arts film. Not   to be confused with a kung fu movie, this concepts involves a more idealized realm of legendary heroes living marginalized, carefree lives on the edges of everyday society. Their weapons of choice are swords, spears, and daggers. In the typical wuxian film, some incident draws the swordsman into the everyday world, in order to fight, albeit reluctantly. However, he retains a firm moral compass to defend the helpless against corrupt officials or leaders. The genre has been a regular part of Chinese cinema since the 20s (â€Å"Hero,† 1). Yet the genre has been reconfigured by Yimon, who addresses the present by looking backwards and sideways; backwards to the 90s postmodern wuxia   persona and sideways to Hong Kong commercial cinema. Absorbing the subversive innovations of Hong Kong film directors Tsui Hark and Wong Kar Wai, Yimon also digs back to his roots, and recreates as wuxia pian, the cinema of pure spectacle and philosophical meditation that he as a cinematographer and Chen Kaige created in 1984 with Yellow Earth. Using spectacle rather than storytelling is one way to open up the complex world of Hero to the violent opposing critical reactions (Chinese Cinema, 2). Also, he no longer uses revenge as the sole element comprising the story. With Hero Yimon attempts to move martial arts beyond the concept of revenge, even as he explores what it means to be a martial hero (Kung Fu Cinema, 1). As the tale progresses, this film also incorporates themes of loyalty and betrayal, using a series of Rashomon flashbacks. Like the layers of an onion unfolding, each unraveled   tale produces additional insights. These accounts shape the story of how one man defeats three assassins who sought to murder the most powerful warlord   in reunified China ( IMDB,1) As the story begins, Jet Li, who is called Nameless, starts to recount his martial victories to the emperor of Qin, telling how he defeated each of the three assassins, all members of a neighboring kingdom, who are sworn to kill the king to avenge their subjugation. Thus the main protagonist is seen defending the cause traditionally attributed to the villain by protecting the thing that causes others to seek revenge. Yet subsequent flashbacks revisit and reinterpret the same events, elaborating on and changing the story as it continues. However, it is only after the initial setup that the king responds with his own version of events. As a new story unfolds, it is literally painted in a different color. Even as this account unfolds, there appears a third which happens to be the final version of the truth (Kung Fu Cinema, 1). Through each successive narrative, the viewer sees friendship and loyalty among the assassins, who then appear pained when it seems that they are betrayed. Each story has the characters questioning themselves and others regarding motives, wondering who is their true friend and true love, then going to extreme lengths to prove that love and undying loyalty. With each version motives are questioned as to whom is the true person and whom is the betrayer. Things are never what they seem. Sky allows himself to be killed because he is loyal to a higher cause, while Nameless appears to be loyal to the king when actually he wants to kill him because he destroyed his family and kingdom. Sky, Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Nameless appear to have differing relationships in each of the three versions. In one version Snow is furious that Broken Sword had a chance to kill the king, then refused; that he appeared to have betrayed their group. He tells Nameless why. His calligraphy   showed â€Å"our land.† Nameless later gives this calligraphy to the king. It is a Chinese proverb which states,† to suffer yourself when all under heaven suffer, to enjoy only when all under heaven enjoy.†Ã‚   This is concept greater than individual loyalty. Transcending personal vendettas, it calls for the greater good of the masses. Nameless ought to consider what is right for the majority, and not just what is right for himself. As a chivalrous hero of great skill in the wuxia tradition, Nameless is duty bound to do whatever is most righteous, no matter the personal cost to himself (â€Å"Hero†, 4). When Nameless gets the chance to kill the king and comes within ten paces of him to do so, telling him of his personal grudge, he too recalls â€Å"our land.† and allows himself to be executed for a greater good, becoming loyal to a country rather than just his immediate surroundings. Dying a criminal he is buried as a hero. In the meantime, there is always a relationship between Broken Sword and Flying Snow, one so powerful that it defies betrayal by other relationships. By the end, although Snow is confused whether Broken Sword really loves her, whether he is truly loyal, he shows her by refusing to defend himself in a fight. She kills him, then distraught over the act, kills herself so they will go home together. As Nameless debates over what to do in his meeting with the king, Yimon actually shows both characters as heroes. Both have causes to which they are loyal. One is a defender with raging inner turmoil, and the other is a unifier with raging outer turmoil as he struggles to bring all the competing kingdoms together. Yet Nameless undergoes a spiritual and emotional transformation as he finds that being a true hero means rising above one’s petty loyalties; it also takes trust to find a higher cause. Both men share insights that aid them to overcome their mutual conflict as they share the ideal that both want what is best for the masses. As Nameless empties himself of his own desires, renouncing what he wants, he becomes invulnerable. Led by Broken Sword, Nameless has grown to accept that his loyalties were merely provisional, way stations on the path to something greater, though less tangible. By doing so, he echoes the philosophical tenets of Daoism with his self emptying. (Cinema Scope,p. 9). Yet Yimou has been criticized for rewriting history, portraying the King of Qin as rosier than past historical accounts have shown. These accounts demonstrate that the man was a brutal tyrant. Additionally, the film’s strong adherence to sacrificing one’s individuality for the good of the many as filtered through the state is a concept the pro communist Chinese government was pleased with. However, at a press conference Yimou insisted that choosing which dynasty to put in the story was an aesthetic choice not preconditioned by any one political slant (Kung Fu, 1). Many critics deride Yimou over the position in the film, forgetting that this was one of several narratives. Granted, the story can be seen as putting the good of the many over the good of the individual; that loyalty to the masses trumphs individual loyalty. However, Hero can also be seen as a multiple narrative since the tales by Nameless and the king are mutually contradictory. In this context, tyranny is not simply a means to an end. Although viewers who want to align themselves with the king of Qin will see a paean to Chinese unity and totalitarianism,; the reading is there for the taking. But such a position neglects to take into account the film’s clear message of underminding the limited authority of any single individual and the idea of narrative as closure itself. Cinema Scope Magazine notes that Hero celebrates absence as spectacle, glorifying absolute renunciation and perfect nonviolence as preconditions for peace. Like Nameless, it speaks to power, underminding authority’s grip on narrativity. Instead of a struggle within the narrative, Hero puts the control of the narrative into dispute. It is really about who has control of the story: Nameless or the king. As filmed philosophically, it is Yimou’s continual challenge to any   state or empire. Hero is allied to Daoism, a set of ideals which finds fullness in absence, transcendence in renunciation, fullness in letting go. The Lao Txu Dao’s primary text was written during the time of the Warring States, the period of turmoil that ended with the unification of China under Qin. In Hero he is still years away from this great accomplishment, simply the king of Qin. Yimou’s best recent films The Story of Qiu Ju (1992) and Not One Less contain the same concept of speaking stories to power. Yimou has struggled with authorities over who gets to tell the authentic story; how divergent it can be from the official version . He still has movies such as To Live that are officially banned in China today because of their recount of the unacceptably critical history of the People‘s Republic of china form 1945 to the 70s   (â€Å"Hero,† 3). Both Farewell My Concubine and Hero are marvelous spectacles, demonstrating in differing styles various allegiances, alliances, and betrayals; even renunciation of individual loyalty for the greater good. A glimpse of turbulent Chinese history can be gleaned through the films. The international audience is so much the   richer for having these works in their repetoire. References Clark, P. (2005).   Republic of China: A Generation and its Films. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press â€Å"Chinese Film,† (2006). Wikipedia. Retrieved 5 August 2006. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/farewell_my_concubine/ CinemaScope. (2003). Vol 5, issue I, no14. Retrieved 4 August 2006. â€Å"Farewell My Concubine.† (2006). Chinese Cinema.org.   Retrieved 5 August 2006. www.chinesecinema.org â€Å"Hero,† (2004). Men’s Health. September. Retrieved 4 August 2006. Ij, F. (2005). â€Å"Review of Reinventing China: A Generation and its Film† Film Criticism. Vol. 30. IMDB.(2006). www.internetmoviedatabase.net   Retrieved 4 August 2006. Kung Fu Cinema. (2006). www.kungfucinema.com Retrieved 6 August 2006. â€Å"Movie Reviews,† (2006). Colossus.net. Retrieved $ August 2006 www.colossus.net Zhang, X. (1997). Chinese Modernism in the Era of Reform. Durham, NC: Duke U Press.                                          

Indian New Deal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Indian New Deal - Essay Example Although he was sympathetic to Indians, he depicted them in a stereotypical manner. Collier, who has made the Indians' cause his own, determined to change all that. He proposed a bill-the Wheeler-Howard bill drafted by the Office of Indian Affairs and the Office of the Solicitor of the Interior Department-which was designed to rehabilitate the Indians and give them land settlement. When Collier took office the records of the Indian Bureau showed that the Indian lands had shrunk from 113,000,000 acres in 1887, when the land-allotment law was passed, to 47,000,000 acres (Nichols 133). Tribal funds had been reduced from $500,000,000 to $12,000,000, and 93 percent of tribal income was being used for bureau maintenance. Politicians were in complete control; graft was said to be wholesale. Federal money was being wasted on boarding-schools, which took children from their parents and tried to make white children of them, and a national scandal was exposed at the asylum for Indians at Canton, South Dakota. Tribal and social customs were being suppressed. Collier put the bo

Classroom Communities and My Own Experience Assignment

Classroom Communities and My Own Experience - Assignment Example For some teachers it was a class camping trip and for another calling her students family members. By doing so all the students were seen in the same manner and not judged based on their race, culture or religion. The hard truth is that African Americans have been thought of as the most difficult to teach and control. They lag behind their white class fellows raising the need of separate schools for the black community. Why is it that even after fighting for equality and civil rights a need for separate educational institutions has risen? According to the latest statistics African American students are less academically successful compared to their white counterparts based on every standard of accomplishment (Ladson Billings 2009). Their school dropout rate is much higher and so is their suspension percentage. These realities have formed a certain expectation from this group of students in the minds of teachers. They automatically assume or have this in their subconscious that if a s tudent is Africa American he will not be as good a student as a ‘white’ American. The teacher has socially categorized students in her brain which should not be the case. As told in the story by Meier in ‘The First Day’ is that the two teachers wanted to set a positive tone on the very first day and they saw the students as one community rather than setting up opinions based on their color or race. They ran the class in such a way that would make the students think that they are all in the same boat. In the article ‘Toward a Pedagogy of the Oppressor’ by Michael S. Kimmel being white, male and heterosexual is compared to walking ‘with the wind’ whereas walking against the wind is the same as being black, gay or female. It is only when you walk against the wind when you feel its strength and force. The article also talks about the privileges of the being the majority and how these are invisible.

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Psychology - Essay Example Piaget divided development into a Sensiormotor Stage (birth to age 2), a Preoperational Stage (ages 2-7), a Concrete Operational Stage (ages 7-11), and a Formal Operational Stage (ages 11- adult). Each stage is marked by certain abilities, such as the ability to understand conservation of mater or the ability for hypothetical thinking. Erikson’s work closely resembles Piaget’s, but it is showing the development of a person’s social intelligence and self-awareness, not cognitive ability. Erikson believed that we went through eight different levels of psychosocial development, each one possessing a unique crisis for the individual’s understanding of who they are and where they fit into society. Stage 1 is Trust v. Mistrust, Stage 2 is Autonomy v. Doubt, Stage 3 is Initiative v. Guilt, Stage 4 is Industry v. Inferiority, Stage 5 is Identity v. Role Confusion, Stage 6 is Intimacy v. Isolation, Stage 7 is Generativity v. Self-absorption and Stage 8 is Integrity v. Despair. Erikson suggests that if the conflict of each stage is not successfully resolved, the final adult will be a person that has emotional baggage. They will have a difficult time reconciling conflicting feelings that should have been resolved at an earlier stage. Both of these theories are as relevant today as they have ever been. Students may use different technology and have a different social environment than they once did, but they still must follow these stages of development in order to be fully functional human

The economic benefits of Sustainability Reports Dissertation

The economic benefits of Sustainability Reports - Dissertation Example The procedure is termed as sustainability report. This feature is developed and used extensively in order for companies to strike a balance between them, the society and the environment (GRI, 2012). The people, planet, and profit are the three elements which are considered while studying the elements of sustainability report. Emphasis is given to the stakeholders rather than the shareholders as they are the ones who are mostly directly or indirectly influenced by the activities or the action of any company. The sustainability reporting provides a platform for communication between the company and the stakeholders. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the use, importance, barriers and the economic benefits of using the sustainability report by a company in the daily practice. This allows the society to understand and judge how well an organization or a company is performing. The need of the hour is to make sustainability report a mandate and common practice to benchmark performance. Sustainability reporting – application within organizations Sustainability refers to the ability of maintaining an outcome over time without causing an ecological imbalance or exhausting the resources on which the result would depend. There are various theories and models of sustainability which are studied and considered. Some of them are the economic, ecological, political models etc (Jenkins, 2009). Sustainability reporting enables a company to communicate openly, positively and effectively with its stakeholders. This is crucial for maintaining and meeting the financial goal or the profitability of the company. The stakeholders, on the basis of the reports, can compare and analyze the performance of the company with others and to check on their own performance. Those organizations, which succeed in tailoring their communication with the stakeholders, to present a detailed analysis can convince them as to the fact that their company is working in tandem with the social, economic and environmental practices for long term growth. The success lies in a clear understanding of the true values of reporting and the issues associated with the making and execution of the sustainability reporting (KPMG, 2008). The management and the senior officers want to get the green label for their company, which is self explanatory by itself, that is it would prove that there is perfect alignment in t he company’s sustainability strategy, the environmental impacts and the social implications, as well. Sustainability reporting has now made its place in almost all sectors of business. Three out of Australia’s four largest banks publish annual sustainability reports (KPMG, 2008). Here, the reporting is considered as TBL (triple-bottom-line) business accountability. People, planet, and profit are taken into consideration while evaluating the reporting practices (vivodepot, 2008). Sustainability reporting involves a series of guidelines or a set of rules and regulations to be followed by the companies. As the aim is to deliver in accordance with the social,

Discussion question 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Discussion question 2 - Essay Example Effectiveness on the other hand is concerned with achieving a stated objective. Effectiveness aims to ensure that the outcome of a process is the one that was intended when the production process was beginning. When considering effectiveness only, an organisation may explore different ways of achieving the end result. Effectiveness alone may not be enough in regards to the limited resources with which organisations have to work with therefore a balance between efficiency and effectiveness needs to be achieved so that after the production process, the organisation has not only achieved the main goal ,but it has also used a cost effective efficient process. Management can improve both efficiency and effectiveness simultaneously though the maximum benefits may not be achieved immediately. Efficiency could be improved by creating a conducive working environment for workers. This may include allowing flexible working hours. This way workers who are more productive in the mornings work in the morning while those who are more productive late at night work then.By allowing workers flexibility in their working, they end up being more efficient. Identifying workplace processes and mapping them helps determine if there are any unnecessary or redundant processes interfering with workplace efficiency. If such processes are eliminated or done away with efficiency is greatly improved (Kejz?ar 728). Embracing new technologies for example use of I pads in businesses increases computing flexibility and portability, greatly improves efficiency. Another way of improving efficiency at workplace is by encouraging teamwork among employees. This enables them to communicate more effectively .For instance if they are involved in teamwork activities outside the workplace as in a teambuilding retreat they are more likely to carry the lessons learnt back to the workplace .This way processes become become more efficient and the main objective of the organization is met thus both efficiency and effectiveness can be improved simultaneously Societal factors are external forces or factors emerging from changes and trends in the society that have impacts on organizations beyond their control. They include social cultural factors, legal factors technological advancements and international factors such as the global recession. Societal factors affect the theory and practice of management in various ways .For instance, current trends and attitudes are having a huge impact on how organisations and businesses are managed .Development of internet has led to many organisations turning to the world of online marketing and advertisements to enable them reach a broader range of clients. Many high street organisations are capitalizing on the popularity of the worldwide web to come up with exclusive online ranges of their products and goods. Changes in the society are resulting in organisations allowing a proportion of their employees, some with young children and others who have hect ic schedules to work from home (Kejz?ar 524). This way the employees who are not able to work from the office are not lost thus the employer does not have to look for new employees who might need training and take time before they become as efficient as the previous

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example The aim was to ascertain the level of understanding the men had of prostate cancer, of the treatment options available to them as well as knowledge of any potential side effects The researchers obtained their data and the resultant statistics used convenience sampling and questionnaires administered by general practitioners. Using these methods the researchers discovered that 80% of the group were unaware of the role of the prostate. Almost half did not realize that it was the commonest internal male cancer and roughly one third knew nothing about possible treatments. Just over half had no knowledge of treatment side effects. When it came to making a decision about possible treatment 70% answered that they would consult a doctor and then make their own decision. With these statistics in mind the researchers concluded that there was a definite deficit of appropriate knowledge among these men and that they preferred there to be some medical involvement in decision making. They also dis covered a number of misconceptions held by members of the research group.

Sustainable Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sustainable Tourism - Essay Example It has attributed to change in the tourism industry. Development and marketing strategies have been included into the industry hence ensuring the strength and uniqueness of the sector (Cerina, Markandya & McAleer, 2010). The sustainable tourism has brought with it development benefits to the locals (Jamieson, 2006). It has resulted in the creation of jobs to the locals and hence enhancing their life improves in society. As compared to the past form of tourism where the locals benefited less the new form enhanced more opportunities. The locals also benefited in since there has been creation of business resulting from sustainable tourism (Miller & Twining-Ward, 2005). The infrastructure improvement is evidence of sustainable tourism the sector has ensured the locals enjoy the benefits of the tourism industry. The result of sustainable tourism is increased revenue. The revenue collected from the sector is then channel into other economic activities and the remainder reinvested into the sector. The re investment aspect makes the practice unique as compared to other forms of tourism. Money acquired from the sector is then used in conservation and community based project with the aim of involving the locals and the sector (Robinson & Heitmann, 2011). In Black Sea region, tourism has recognized the way of life of the locals and their value and the determination in promoting tourism, this has made hence locals take responsibility feeling part of the process. These are the reasons sustainability now pervade all forms of tourism development in turkey (Wang, 2011). Current Approaches to Tourism Development Tourism in Black Sea region has had many approaches which mainly focused on environmental and economical and socio cultural aspects (Castellani & Sala, 2009). The importance of the three is ensuring that as much as the sector targets to attract more players, the three are then combine to form a more sustainable tourism industry. They include ecotourism at Karagol-Sahara national parks done based in proving the values and benefits of the tourism industry and still keeping in mind the environmental factor. It has included the private sector to its policies. Ecotourism lacks in the ability to gather more tourist. The limited number of tourist generates less revenue, due to their small number of tourist. They lack in physical infrastructure will eventually affect the entire industry (Edgell, 2006). The form of tourism approach may hence result to negative effects and the whole issue of sustainable tourism may be put to test. Ecotourism focuses on the environmental factor of the tourism industry. The other approach by the Karagol-Sahara national parks is pro-poor tourism in which it focuses on profits from the industry being channeled to the poor in society (Herremans, 2006). The aim of the tourism practice is to try and eradicate poverty amongst the local communities. The practice usually focuses on creation of job opportunities by reinvesting the rev enue collected to other economical uses. The tourism approach main components include improving the available economic benefits. The other component is dealing with both social and environmental impact lastly it focuses on policy reforms in that the normal way of doing business is transformed to include the plights of the local people (Knowles, Diamantis & El-Mourhabi, 2004). Lastly is the conventional tourism in which money from tourist is not channeled to the

Retirement Age Policy Essay Example for Free

Retirement Age Policy Essay The issue whether government should set a limit on the retirement age remains controversial. Some people believe that there would be infeasible for different people who have different needs while others claim regardless of distinctions in people’s priorities, this policy guarantees fairness for all. I agree with the former view. It is undeniable that the nature of work has a big say over people’s length of working time. While some builders, cleaners find that they can only work till the age of forty for their assiduous and tedious labor, politicians who gain experience through time can only reach their zenith in their sixties or seventies, as in the case of Hilary Clinton or Geogre. W. Bush. As for writers whose inspiration springs up at any time of their life, whether young or old, the limitation on their age retirement would stifle their creativity and render them less discouraged to pursue this career. Another reason for the absolute impossibility in the implementation of this policy is the variance in people’s priorities. Unlike women who may be concerned with their families rather than their own jobs and cut-short their career by staying at home and taking care of their families, some scientists are able to dedicate their entire life to the cause of giving birth to revolutionary ideas and would feel unfair if they are supposed to say goodbye to their unfinished dreams. Equally important, the current state of health and economic scenario of the whole nation should be taken into consideration when it comes to the decision of setting age retirement. In case of people handicapped, it would be far-fetching for them to prolong their career till the required age, as opposed to others who struggle with cancer and are reluctant to terminate their desired career. Regarding the picture of workforce of each nation, say, Vietnam where young labor is redundant, this policy is workable. However, Japan is likely to lengthen age retirement when faced with the overwhelming domination of aging population and a serious dearth of young labor.

Planning practices and training Essay Example for Free

Planning practices and training Essay I am going to do my practise sessions for a beginner, who has little experience and very basic skills in trampolining, such as straight bouncing and stopping. By the end of these sessions, they should be able to do a short sequence of simple skills, becoming more confident and fluent in the execution of them. Each sessions length will depend on the time needed to learn and practice a skill. Routine: 1. Tuck jump, 2. 1/2 twist jump, 3. Straddle jump, 4. Full twist, 5. Pike jump 6. Seat drop to feet. Warm up: Pulse raising activities: o 20 straight bounces with correct arm movements on the trampoline, 5 star jumps and 5 leaps, on the floor. o These simple exercises are appropriate for younger children (usually beginners) and as they are easy. o They also use the muscles required in trampolining. (Quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles.) Mobility activities: o 10 shoulder shrugs, 10 large circular motions with arms (forwards and backwards) neck movements, elbow and knee flexions and extensions and hip rotations. o These loosen the joints to be used, (shoulders/hips/neck) and help injury prevention. o They are simple. Stretches: o Quadricep stretch, by holding the foot behind the performer and pushing the hips forwards slightly. o Hamstring stretch, by bending one leg at the knee and putting the other leg out straight so that the heel is on the floor. The hands should rest on the bent knee. o Calf stretch, by putting one foot back and parallel but not adjacent to the other foot, and pushing down on the back heel until a slight strain is felt. This warm up should be done before each session and will increase heart rate, so the body is warm. By the end of the sessions, the performer will probably be suppler (more flexible) therefore will have to push the stretches further. Their cardio vascular endurance should increase too. Warm down: o 10 straight bounces and walking around the trampoline 2 times to decrease the HR and rid of any lactic acid. Gentle stretching will increase flexibility. Session 1: Aim-Learn and practice shapes. Tuck, straddle and pike jumps. (Duration-1 hour) Warm up. Start by showing a demonstration of each skill separately. Teach and do a broken down run through of each slowly and finally re-demonstrate the skill. Tuck jump-At the top of the bounce, the knees are bought up t the chest and the hands to the shins. Push the legs back down afterwards, and stop. Straddle jump-At the top of the bounce bring both legs out to the side and to the front, so an angle above about 100`dergees is formed. Touch between the knees and the feet, anywhere on the shins. Bring legs back together, down and stop. Pike jump- Involves bringing both legs out straight in front of. Ideally, the angle between the trunk and the legs should be 90à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. The legs should be squeezed together, straight, with pointed toes, and the hands should touch the tops of the legs anywhere between the knees and toes (although the nearer the toes the better it is.) These should be learnt in about 40 minutes on a class of 5-8 performers. Practicing of the skills should take place for 20 minutes, so the performers can learn the feel and begin to improve their feel of the skill-specificity. Warm down. Session 2: Aim-Practice and develop tuck, straddle and pike jumps. Learn and develop 1/2 and full twists. (Duration-1hour, 15 minutes) Warm up. Start by practicing the skills from session 1. Do these, correct and improve for 15 minutes. Show a demonstration of and 1/2 twist, to introduce variation. Explain and teach it: To twist, the performer should stretch out of the trampoline and twist with the arms above the head. Look for the mats as reference points. Practice 1/2 twists for 25 minutes. Show a demonstration of a full twist, to introduce variation. Explain and teach it: To twist, the performer should stretch out of the trampoline and twist with the arms above the head. Look for the mats as reference points. Practice full twists for 30 minutes. These are more demanding. Control and tension are required for good twists. This will overload the performer with information with this session, but a lot will need to be practiced. Warm down. Session 3: Aim-Practice shapes in a sequence, e.g. 3 tuck jumps, 3 straddle jumps then 3 pike jumps. Practice twists. Start to integrate twists on the end of skills, to introduce variation. (Duration-1hour, 10 minutes) Warm up. Practice skills separately from session 1 to refine the skill, for 10 minutes. Practice twists for 20 minutes, to build confidence in the performer and to improve the skills. This will help the performer consolidate knowledge and progress. Do each of the shaped bounces with a 1/2 twist before. Do the skill again with a 1/2 twist after. Practice these for 40 minutes. This is using overload methods to teach here. Each performer will find this tricky at first but will get to an appreciation of the joint skills and will probably be able to do them by the end of the session. Session 4: Aim- To introduce the seat drop skill to the performers and practice the shaped bounces with full twists and 1/2 twists before and after each skill. (Duration-1 hour, 10 minutes.) Warm up. Practice full and 1/2 twists so the performer is confident with them. 10 minutes. Practice each shaped bounce with a 1/2 twist before and after, then with a full before and after the skill. Do this for 30 minutes. Demonstrate, explain and teach the seat drop. This move sounds easy, but it is more difficult to do well. For a good seat drop, the performer should stretch to the top of the jump pushing the hips forward slightly at the same time. On the way down, pointing the toes towards the mat will allow the performer to land sitting on the trampoline. The correct position is with the legs together, leaning slightly backwards with the hand just behind, and to the side of, the bottom. Fingers should point the same way as the toes. Integrating moves into/out of seat drops introduces variation. Practice and get familiar with the seat drop position and practice from standing and with a small bounce beforehand for 30 minutes. Getting more confident. Warm down. Session 5: Aim Improve seat drops and run through routine in two stages, then as a whole. (duration-1 hour,15 minutes) Practice shaped bounces with 1/2 and full twists before and after for 10 minutes to refine the skills together as one. Do specific skills then practice as a whole. Re-talk through and demonstrate seat drops, as these are a more difficult skill. Practice seat drop position, seat drops from standing and seat drops with a small bounce before, for 20 minutes. Go through skills 1-3 of the routine until they run smoothly together and practice. Approximately 10 minutes. Go through skills 4-6 of the routine until they run smoothly together and practice. Approximately 15 minutes because the seat drop adds difficulty. Run through the whole routine until it runs quite smoothly. About 20 minutes. The performer should have shown progression through the last five sessions, and can now apply them fully to a routine. Warm down. Session 6: Aim- to refine the routine as a whole. (Duration- 1 hour, 10 minutes.) Warm up. Practice seat drops with height for 15 minutes. Go through the whole routine, spotting any difficulties and practice the difficulties, i.e. skills 3-5 could be hard to do. Do this until the performer is comfortable with the difficulties, for up to 30 minutes. Practice the whole routine through for 20 minutes.

The Collectivisms Versus Individualism Appeals Cultural Studies Essay

The Collectivisms Versus Individualism Appeals Cultural Studies Essay Love the Internet, love being free-spirited, love getting up late, love the late night food stands, love car-racing and T-shirts for 29RMB as well. I am not a standard-bearer, nor am I someones spokesman, I am HanHan, I just represent myself. When you read this script, do you think that it is an advert launched in the western markets? Actually, it is an advert campaign of a fashion apparel B2C company in China. It is quite interesting to launch an ad which claims I-conscious in a highly collectivistic country. In this essay, the writer will mainly analyze the cultural values behind the ad and discuss how this ad is trying to change the attitudes of the Chinese from group-oriented to self-oriented by using consumer behavior frameworks, such as Maslows hierarchy of needs, Fishbeins behavioral intention model and advertising engagement modes. Background Vancl is a B2C company who sells quality fashion clothing and accessories on-line in China (Appendix 1). It was founded in 2007, and now it has become the NO.1 Chinese fashion apparel B2C enterprise who is occupying 28.4% market share, according to the Report of e-business on fashion apparel industry in China 2009-2010 (http://en.vancl.com). As the concept of the company is to provide quality and stylish apparel at a reasonable price, it considers urban young adults from 18 to 28 years old as its target audiences (http://en.vancl.com). In order to target more consumers and enhance the influence of the brand, Vancl launched an advertising campaign (Appendix 2) in 2010, which achieved a huge success in China. This study is aim to analyze the culture behind the ad campaign based on consumer behavior area. Literature Review Collectivism versus Individualism Appeals in Chinese Adverts Hofstede (1980) developed an individualism-collectivism dimension to differentiate culture. This concept was concluded by Oyserman et al. (2002) that collectivism could be considered as the opposite of individualism, which was usually reflected in the East Asian culture. In thecollectivistic culture, concept of self is relevant to others and the society as a whole (Mooij 2004), which cannot be separated from their social context (Phillips 1976; Shweder 1984). Thus, Families, work groups, social roles, positions, or relationships should be offered as the top priority in an individuals behavior (Mooij 2004, p.96). In the communication level, Individualism-collectivism dimension divides the self-concept into independent self and interdependent self appealed by low-context and high-context communication, affecting in the communication behavior (Mooij 2004). In general, high-context communication occurs more prevalent in collectivistic culture while low-context communication reflects a communication style in individualistic culture (Hall and Hall 1987, Zandpour et al. 1992, Mooij 2004). Therefore, more copy is used in adverts developed in the individualistic countries. By contrast, collectivistic countries use more visual elements in their ads (Mooij 2004). According to Hofstedes (2001) framework of culture dimensions, China is a highly collectivistic country. Collectivism concept congests in the daily life of Chinese. For instance, people are more likely to say, I often watch basketball games with my family and friends. instead of I am a sports fan.' (Liang and Joseph 2010, p.189). Consequently, the level of collectivism may have an impact on the design of local advertising. A host of researchers (for example: Dana et al.1993; Han and Shavitt 1994) have found that collectivistic ideas appear in adverts are more prevalent in the higher collectivism countries, such as China, Japan and South Korea, etc. Similarly, Carolyn (2001) pointed out that group consensus appeals more in Chinese adverts than in American ads. And unlike the commercials in U.S., Chinese were generally we-conscious instead of I-conscious. A research, conducted by Cheng and Schweitzer (1996), identified three main cultural values, in terms of modernity, youth and family dominated in Chinese advertisements, which were much different from the results in the United States (enjoyment, modernity and individualism). Besides, the study also found that comparing with the idea of individualism and manipulation over nature, harmony of social status and oneness with nature were much more frequently discovered in the Chinese advertising (ibid.). Some researches (for example: Belk et al. 1985; Belk and Pollay 1985; Belk and Bryce 1986; Mueller 1987; Paek et al. 2004), however, revealed that the style of the advertisements in some eastern countries was tending to be Americanized and becoming more individualistic orientations. Zhang and Shavitt (2003), for instance, analyzed 463 Chinese advertisements and found that both modernity/individualism values and tradition/collectivism values existed or dominated in Chinese Ads. The former values were more prevalent in personal use products ads, while the latter were more common in the ads promoting shared products. Difference in Appearance and Fashion Advertising Appeals across Culture Mooij (2004) used three culture dimensions, in terms of uncertain avoidance, power distance, and individualism-collectivism, to explain the different needs of appearance in different countries. A map (Appendix 3) was designed to illustrate the importance of appearance in the different cultural valued countries by using individualism-collectivism and uncertain avoidance dimensions, according to the country scores calculated by Hofstede (2001). Mooij (2004) claimed that the degrees of uncertain avoidance determined the proportion of consumption spending of individuals, while the dimension of individualism-collectivism differentiated the purpose of well-dressing between suitability of occasion and earning face. Besides, the higher power distance of culture was, the more degrees people would depend on others. Moreover, Mooij (ibid.) mentioned that self-consciousness was another factor to identify the differences in appearance. Similarly, Phillips and McQuarrie (2010) reviewed numerous of researches (for example: Green and Brock 2000; Holbrook and Hirschman 1982; Petty and Cacioppo 1981) and concluded five modes of fashion advertising engagement (Appendix 4) to illustrate the current situation of fashion ads worldwide. Among these five modes, many scholars (e.g., Murray 2002; Bannister and Hogg 2004; Thompson and Haytko 1997; Richins 1991) found that the engage for identity mode was the most common and traditional model appealed in the fashion adverts, which exactly coincided with Evans (1989) conclusion of three trends in fashion industry: (1) Peoples use of fashion reflects a desire to manifest the self; (2) the desire for self-expression is growing; and (3) there is a continuing need to match female (still the main buyers of clothing and cosmetics) self-images and brand images in more congruent ways (p. 10-11). Evan (ibid.) also suggested that self-expression and branding image were more important than fashion and styling newness when promoting a fashion brand. In General, the advertising appeals in collectivistic counties were more group-identity, while self-identity adverts worked more efficiently in individualistic countries (Cheng and Schweitzer 1996). However, Vancl uses a contrary ad appeals to promote the brand. In the next part, a detailed semiotic analysis will be conducted to explore the different appeals in this advert. Semiotic Analysis According to Solomon (2008 p.103), semiotics is a study of the correspondence between signs and symbols and their roles in how we assign meanings ¼Ã…’which can be interpreted into different information based on the knowledge, culture values, personality and skills of different interpreter. Therefore, analysis of semiotic elements containing in the advert, can help the researcher understand detailed information the advert wants to deliver. There are three components in every marketing message, which should be combined when analyzing an advert, namely an object (product), a sign (symbol), and an interpretant/meaning (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2004). Vancls advertising campaign is developed to two versions divided by gender. Each version includes large amount of signs and symbols which ccn be interpreted. For example, the price of the clothing marked in the advertisement gives a rough idea of the target audiences. Then the audiences analyze this information using their knowledge, persona lity and skills based on the different culture, such as considering the average price of this kind of clothing in the market, and calculate that the price is affordable and reasonable. Another interpretation of price can be considered as high uncertain avoidance. More specifically, if consumers have known the price before they purchase, they can avoid the risk of buying inappropriate products. Thus, in this ad, marked price can be interpreted into both price-friendly and avoidance of risk (Figure 1). Adapted from Solomon, 2008. A Semiotic Relationship. Object Vancl clothing Sign Marked price Interpretant Price-friendly Risk avoidance Personality Skills Knowledge Culture Figure 1: An Example of a Semiotic Relationship in Vancl Advertising In order to understand the messages interpreted in this advertising campaign by different targets, the writer interviewed five people who spoke Mandarin by asking them to use three words to describe the personality containing in this ad. The top three personalities referred most frequently were self-conscious, lively and enjoyment in life. Here, self-conscious means that the ad is I-conscious oriented, expresses a sense of confidence, self-respect and self-fulfillment. Lively can be explained that the ad appeals are more related to daily life and realistic, while enjoyment in life means that a sense of fun, enjoyment and happiness towards life. Based on this interview result, a detailed semiotic analysis is conducted and summarized (Appendix 5). According to Maslows hierarchy of needs theory (1987), clothing can be categorized to the physiological needs, which is the most basic need of humans. However, from the results of semiotics interpretation, the writer found that Vancl focused on targeting the audiences to the forth level needs self-esteem needs (Appendix 6). As it is shown from the survey, Vancl encourages people to be confident and self-respect, clothing is no matter the basic needs of human beings. Wearing Vancl apparel can help the consumers achieve to self-esteem level. Moreover, another finding is discovered. The three personalities concluded by the respondents are much similar to the elements (excitement, fun and enjoyment in life, self-fulfillment, self-respect, etc.) of the List of Value (LOV), a value approach developed by Kahle and Timmer (1983). Surprisingly, these three personalities, which generally occur in the most western counties, are opposite to the culture value in China concluded by Hofstede (2001, Figure 2). As it is shown by the individualism index, the score (20) is lower than the average of other Asian countries (24), which means that China owns a highly collectivistic culture. Chinese consider group as their priority, focus more on their families, friends and society as a whole, than themselves (Mooij, 2004). The writer analyzes the ads in depth on the basis of the Hofstedes culture values (Appendix 7) and finds that, although collectivism deeply influences on the development of Chinese advertisements, Vancls ad campaign, howeve r, pays a lot attention to self concept. Take the script as an example. The copy of two versions keeps the format of Love à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, I am not à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, I am à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, which is much different from the we-conscious adverts in collectivistic countries. It emphasizes self, and gives the opinions of the individuals instead of groups, which reflects an individualistic cultural value. Individualism Masculinity Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance Time Orientation China Low Individualism (20) Masculine (66) High (80) Low (30) Long (118) Figure 2: Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Culture China Furthermore, this campaign seems to reform the advertising layout from a traditional way to a new style. As it is shown, there are two versions exclusively designed by gender. The layout of these two versions is similar: there is an image of the spokesman in the left of the picture, while a script containing large information in the right. This is also an uncommon way of the traditional Chinese advertisements. Lastly, according to Fishbein and Ajzen (1980), brand attitude and subject norm are two components which influence the intention and finally determine the purchasing behavior. In highly collectivistic countries, subjective norm stands for an important position in this evaluation process (Lee, 1991). In this case, however, Vancl shifts consumers focuses from subjective norm to brand attitude (Figure 3). Therefore, it can be considered that Vancls ad is trying to change Chineses attitudes from collectivism to individualism. Adapted from Fishbein and Ajzen, 1980. Fishbeins Extended Model of Behavioral Intention. + + Behavioral Intention Vancl Normative Beliefs Friends recommend the brand to me, it seems suit me. Norm Evaluations When wearing Vancl, I am more acceptable among friends and feel that I am one in the group. Collectivism Subjective Norm + Brand Beliefs Just be yourself Belief Evaluations When wearing Vancl, I seem to achieve a unique and self-esteemed life like the celebrities own. Self conscious Brand Attitude Figure 3: Model of Behavioral Intention of Vancl How to Change Attitudes Undoubtedly, it is not facile for a brand to change the attitudes of consumers, especially changing an ingrained notion which has rooted for thousands of years. Harmony is a central concept of Confucian, which results in the group-oriented behaviors in Chinese. According to the appearance map (Mooij, 2004), China is categorized in the left-bottom quadrant, represents a culture of low uncertain avoidance and highly collectivistic. People in this kind of culture pay a lot attention on face, context, low-structured and conformity, who generally buy clothing based on others opinions. What is Vancl doing is to shift the appearance concept of Chinese from the left-bottom quadrant to the right-bottom quadrant, where UK and U.S. are, representing an individualistic culture. Consequently, Vancl engages the ad with self-identity concept. During this attitude changing process, the ad focuses on the elements of celebrities and scripts to evoke the ideal self of the consumers (Figure 4). Adapted from Phillps and McQuarrie, 2010. Modes of Advertising Engagement in Womens Fashion. Mode of Engagement Ad Element Focus Processing Style Conceptual Metaphor Engage to Self-identity Celebrities Scripts Attitude Changing Process Ideal Status Figure 4: Mode of Advertising Engagement of Vancl From analyzing the ad, some clues of the reason why Vancl successfully changes the attitudes of its consumers can be discovered. Firstly, the boom of Chinese economy contributes to the process of culture exchange. An Increasing number of foreign enterprises develop their business in China and bring their culture. Besides, the development of technology helps Chinese access to the culture from different countries via TV, Internet, etc. All these are unconsciously influencing the cultural values of Chinese, which provides a prerequisite for Vancl to implement this advertising campaign. Moreover, the effect of celebrity plays an important role in the attitudes changing process. As what suggested by Malhotra (1988), using a spokesperson was an essential marketing strategy to help to match the brand image with consumers self-concept. HanHan and WangLuoDan, the two spokesmen Vancl selected, own high preferences among Chinese youth, and their characters meet the image of Vancl as well. As celebrities represent a sense of credit, attractiveness and power (Kelman, 1961), consumers can be easily influenced. Especially in the collectivistic countries, consumers are eager for the acceptance from peers and society, following celebrities is a clever way to make them acceptable. Finally, the execution of the ad assists in achieving the purpose of attitude changing. The different version by gender designed on the basis of different cultural value of males and females, targets to audiences widely and accurately. The scripts express the opinions of a unique attitude towards life from the celebrities, which influence consumers powerfully. Since China ranks high score in collectivism, the scripts are designed on this special situation: claim to be I-conscious; meanwhile, meet the traditional cultural values of Chinese. More specifically, although most of the scripts advocate self-identity, at the end of the scripts, Vancl utilizes the collectivistic culture to call for in-group and offers a sense of involvement. The last sentence, I am like you; I am Vancl (common people), gives the consumers a hint that it is not difficult to achieve such life as the two celebrities own, wearing Vancl helps to be this ideal self both in the private context and social context. Thus, it can be concluded that three factors contribute to help Vancl change the attitude of Chinese consumers, namely impact of other culture, influence of celebrities, and elaborate ad execution (such as scripts and visual design, etc.). These three factors combined as the persuasion stimuli, affect on the attitude changing process from collectivism and group-oriented to individualism and self-conscious. This impact is not only influence the target audience, but also powerful to publics. Consequently, wearing Vancl is a personal choice, which helps consumers achieve their ideal self. As the attitudes of publics are changed as well, it unifies the opinion of what others think of you and what you really want to be (Figure 5). Actual Self Collectivism Group-identity Impact of other culture Elaborate execution of ad Influence of celebrities Attitude Changing Focus on self Just be yourself Self-oriented Idea Self Self-esteemed Confident Enjoyment of life Social Self Unique Confident Enjoyment of life VANCL Appeal to Individualism oriented Involvement In group Figure 5: Framework of Attitude Changing Process of Vancl Advert In conclusion, self-concept plays an important role in Vancl advert campaign. The ad delivers the message that Vancl represents who you are and what you are not' (Rune and Rosemary 2006, p.868). Thus, wearing Vancl can promote self-concept of consumers, and correspondingly bolster up their actual or ideal view of themselves (Fournier 1998). Based on this purpose, Vancl uses two spokespersons, who own high reputation among Chinese youth and also have a unique lifestyle, to help the brand promote self-concept. As Carroll (2009) referred, this is an efficient way for a brand to shift the culture from that brand to consumer. Moreover, using celebrities also helps Vancl persuade or change the attitudes towards their consumers (Kardes et al. 2010) from group-oriented to self-conscious. Just like Kelman (1961) claimed, attitudes could be changed through three processes: internalization, identification and compliance. For consumers, HanHan and WangLuoDan represent a credible, attractive and powerful image. Thus, their persuasion could help the brand reform a new attitude or behavior to attract the consumers to imitate through the referred three processes (ibid.), and finally achieve the purpose of changing the attitudes of their consumers. Limitations Admittedly, the article may not have analyzed the advert roundly, and still have some limitations as well. Firstly, as it is an ad in China, the translation of the copy may not very accurately due to different language expression, which may cause some different interpretations of signs or symbols and correspondingly influence the different understanding of this advert. Moreover, the frameworks developed in this study are exclusively suitable for Vancl. Although celebrity endorsement has become increasingly popular since 1970s (Tom et al., 1992; Agrawal Kamakura, 1995), there are not enough studies to prove that it works on most of adverts which try to change the attitudes of their consumers. Thus, Further quantitative and qualitative researches are required for determine whether the model of this study also suit for other brands or industries in China. Finally, consumer behavior across is a deep and wide topic, which can be reflect to other subjects, such as psychology, sociology and history, etc. Therefore, there may be still some factors across other subjects influencing the attitude changing process of Vancl advert. Conclusion This article begins with a rough introduction and background of the Vancl advert campaign in China. The literature review part focuses on collectivism-individualism culture dimension and cultural appeals in Chinese adverts, difference in appearance and fashion advert appeals between different cultural values. Moreover, self-concept and celebrity endorsement are also included. Semiotic analysis gives an outline of the advert and helps to understand the advert thoroughly. In order to acquire more accurate message and cultural values containing in the ad, a survey is conducted among five Chinese speakers. Consequently, three main advert personalities are determined, namely self-conscious, lively and enjoyment in life, which could be explained to the self-esteem needs by Maslows hierarchy of needs. Then Fishbeins extended model of behavioral intention help to define the influence of the Vancl ad on the purchasing behavioral intention. The next part explains the methods Vancl used in the ad to change the attitudes of consumers from group-conscious to self-conscious by using an adapted advertising engagement model. And then a framework of attitude changing process of Vancl advert is finally developed. Recommendations Based on the limitations and conclusion parts, the writer summarizes some recommendations both for further research and brand managers. For further research, more quantitative and qualitative researches should be conducted to create a model, which suits for different brands in other categories who want to develop a self-identity advert campaign in a highly collectivistic country. Besides, more subjects, such as psychology, sociology, history, economics, etc., should be related to determine other factors which affect the attitude changing process, so that the model can be modified. For managers, the collectivism level of different products is different. Thus, claiming self-identity in the ad is another way when promoting a less collectivistic product in a highly collectivistic country, such as clothing and cosmetics. In the collectivistic countries, it seems to be a unique way to promote a brand and help the advert outstanding among other ads, however, it is not omnipotent. What should managers do, is to analyze the market accurately and frame an advert campaign which precisely suit the brand.

The Godfather :: essays research papers

The Godfather Directed by Francis Ford Coppola Based on Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather was based in the late 1940's in New York City. The story is about the Corleone family, which is headed by Vito Corleone. He had four sons. The quick to act older son is Santino, also known as Sunny. The next son is Fredo and the youngest son is Mechael which was in the military at the start of the movie and later stepped up to be the head of the family business. Finally, there is the adopted son Tom who Sunny found in the streets of New York homeless. He took him in seeing how his life was so terrible and Sunny's life was so good. Vito also had a daughter, Connie who went through the pain of the family business and she was not even involved in it. The movie starts off at the wedding of Connie and her husband Carlo. Vito promises Carlo a good future, but will not ever let him be a part of the family business. After the wedding, Virgo Salatso, a herione dealer from Italy is looking for the Corleone family backing by money and protection from the law, as they have control over the local government. Vito wants no part of the heroine dealer and little does he know all of the other mob bosses are going along with Salatso. Vito had no idea his noncompliance with Salatso would start a war between the families of New York. This led to Virgo's men to shoot Vito but not killing him. This outgraged Michael and this led to the revenge of him shooting a police captain under Virgo and the shooting of Mr. Salatso. After this, the family sent Michael to Sicily to hide out. While Michael was in Sicily, he fell in love and got married to a woman named Apolonia but their love was short lived because a hit was put out on Michael. Apolonia was kill ed by the car bomb that was intended for Michael. Also, while Michael was in Sicily, the bosses put a hit on Sunny. The other bosses used Carlo, Connie's husband to set him up. Carlo beat yup Connie and Sunny and was sent to her aid. On the way he had to ggo through a tollbooth where he was met by heavy machine gun fire and was killed. After everything died down, Michael was summoned back to America.

Capital Punishment Essay -- essays research papers

More than 4,300 people have been executed in the United States since 1930. There is no way of knowing how many people have been executed in the United States because executions were once a public affair with no central agency keeping track of them. In addition to these judicialy imposed actions, there were 4,730 recorded lynchings by vigilantes in the U.S. with most being publicly displayed. Some people, such as Pope Johm Paul II believe that these punishments are cruel and outright evil. While on the other hand, many feel that these actions taken are well deserved, like Missouri’s Gov. Mel Carnahan who has allowed 22 men to be executed during his 7 years in office. I believe that Capital Punishment is a neccesity in our society being that the crime fits the punishment, such as murder and rape.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many offenders of these malicious crimes often end up being released out into society only to be back on the same track of mischief. Eighty percent of first time violent sexual offenders, such as kidnapping rapist and child molesters, commit the same crimes again after their release from prison (where they had zero rehabilitaion). The average time served by first time kidnapping rapist and child molesters is 4 ½ years. In 4 ½ years they’re terrorizing children once again. If these repeat offenders would have been terminated, we would not have to worry about them roming our streets once again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the high rate of crime we have...

Three Arthurian Misfits of Gawain and the Green Knight :: Essays Papers

Three Arthurian Misfits of Gawain and the Green Knight "Hevys hys handys one heghte, and to the hevene lokes: 'Qwhythene hade Dryghttyne destaynede at his dere wille That he hade demyd me todaye to dy for yow alle.'" p. 264 Awholly determined and brave commitment, mouthed by a gracious king. The Gawain poet, however approaches Arthur much differently in his tale. In stanza five, he describes the hot-blooded nature of the king, who makes rash demands as a rule before eating. Stanza twelve shows us a king who is overwhelmed in speech by the Green Knight, and who seems to have ignored the challenger's statement of peace completely. Finally, the court is utterly ridiculed, to a point at which Arthur accepts the challenge rashly in stanza fifteen, akin to a child taking a swing at another after so much urging. The usual grace and courtesy with which King Arthur is usually endowed is clearly subverted by these stanzas in Gawain and the Green Knight, seemingly to no purpose other than comedy. Here we shall discuss the elements of the three stanzas described above, with their uncharacterisitic treatment of Arthur, and take a deeper look into their purpose within the poem. Stanza five elaborates on Arthur's desire to hear a marvelous tale before he joins in the feast. He appears to stand - "He stightles stif in stalle;" (104) he is not seated at the head of the feasting table, next to Guinevere as he should be. Instead, he is ready to listen to a tale "Of alderes, of armes, of other aventurus;" (95) or joust with a challenging knight - with the risk of losing his life. The wish of the king for deadly sport seems inappropriate in the Christmas setting of the poem, possibly even irreverent in light of the religious aspects of the holiday. Though the king's demands are childish or "child-gered" (86), he sets the scene for the appearance of the Green Knight, which effectively fulfills the request as Arthur "that aventure byholdes" (250) in stanza twelve. The impression of Arthur delivered by the poet is not a dauntless, seasoned leader, but an impatient, belligerent boy. We already know of his strange pre-dining antics, and we are also told that, "His lif liked hym lyght, he lovied the lasse | Auther too longe lye or too longe sitte," (87-88). He is too restless to stay lying or sitting for long, and thus he stands at the the end of the stanza. Three Arthurian Misfits of Gawain and the Green Knight :: Essays Papers Three Arthurian Misfits of Gawain and the Green Knight "Hevys hys handys one heghte, and to the hevene lokes: 'Qwhythene hade Dryghttyne destaynede at his dere wille That he hade demyd me todaye to dy for yow alle.'" p. 264 Awholly determined and brave commitment, mouthed by a gracious king. The Gawain poet, however approaches Arthur much differently in his tale. In stanza five, he describes the hot-blooded nature of the king, who makes rash demands as a rule before eating. Stanza twelve shows us a king who is overwhelmed in speech by the Green Knight, and who seems to have ignored the challenger's statement of peace completely. Finally, the court is utterly ridiculed, to a point at which Arthur accepts the challenge rashly in stanza fifteen, akin to a child taking a swing at another after so much urging. The usual grace and courtesy with which King Arthur is usually endowed is clearly subverted by these stanzas in Gawain and the Green Knight, seemingly to no purpose other than comedy. Here we shall discuss the elements of the three stanzas described above, with their uncharacterisitic treatment of Arthur, and take a deeper look into their purpose within the poem. Stanza five elaborates on Arthur's desire to hear a marvelous tale before he joins in the feast. He appears to stand - "He stightles stif in stalle;" (104) he is not seated at the head of the feasting table, next to Guinevere as he should be. Instead, he is ready to listen to a tale "Of alderes, of armes, of other aventurus;" (95) or joust with a challenging knight - with the risk of losing his life. The wish of the king for deadly sport seems inappropriate in the Christmas setting of the poem, possibly even irreverent in light of the religious aspects of the holiday. Though the king's demands are childish or "child-gered" (86), he sets the scene for the appearance of the Green Knight, which effectively fulfills the request as Arthur "that aventure byholdes" (250) in stanza twelve. The impression of Arthur delivered by the poet is not a dauntless, seasoned leader, but an impatient, belligerent boy. We already know of his strange pre-dining antics, and we are also told that, "His lif liked hym lyght, he lovied the lasse | Auther too longe lye or too longe sitte," (87-88). He is too restless to stay lying or sitting for long, and thus he stands at the the end of the stanza.