Capital Punishment Should Not Be Banned - 1773 Words

For many decades capital punishment has been a controversial debate on whether it should be used for convicted felons or not. Some believe it is the right way to finally have justice and end crime while, others believe it is inhumane and considered murder. Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the process of ending one’s life through different execution methods. Capital punishment is a cruel and unusual way of ending someone’s life when they could be in prison for life. Capital punishment is expensive, does not decrease crime rates, and sometimes kills innocent people that have been convicted, while life without parole is a better alternative. Capital punishment is used throughout different parts of the world and has different types of execution methods. Capital punishment dates back as far as the Ancient laws of China, but the first recorded death sentence was supposedly reported in the sixteenth century. Decades ago, countries all around the world used differen t methods of torture and death sentencing such as crucifixion, beatings, stoning, and feeding humans to beasts. In today’s world, with more modernized technology, different countries have started to use more updated methods of executions. Besides the United States, China has been using the most updated execution method which is lethal injection. China, which has over a billion people, is known as the world’s most popular executioner. Legal scholar Liu Renwen states in the article â€Å"China revising capitalShow MoreRelatedshould capital punishment be banned?975 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishment is the death penalty given by the government of a country, to people who have committed hideous crimes like homicide, rape and so on. Death penalty has been a way of punishing people since ages. Although there are some countries that have abolished death penalty from their law, there are still many which still practise the act of killing a person for crime. Death pena lty is prevalent in the US, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Some of the ways of executing criminals are hangingRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Banned1515 Words   |  7 Pages Capital punishment has been a part of the nation’s history as it dates back to the British North American colonies. Capital punishment was also used as a way to remove those prosecuted for being â€Å"witches† during the famous Salem Witch Trials. These days the use of the death penalty has become an anachronism. In recent times has capital punishment become a place for argument to those supporting and those opposing the death penalty. Capital punishment should be federally banned for its inconsistenciesRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Not Be Banned1581 Words   |  7 Pages Capital punishment needs to be banned in California because it is morally wrong, it violates the constitution and it can cost the lives of innocent people. The death penalty is a legal punishment of execution wh en a capital crime has been committed. In the United States, there are 41 capital offenses that are legally punishable by death. The death penalty dates back to various centuries ago and it is still used in today’s world. Each year, thousands of people are put on death row for an averageRead MoreShould Capital Punishment Be Banned? Essay1788 Words   |  8 Pagespractices capital punishment. Americans pride themselves on living in the country that they believe does nothing wrong in terms of punishing those who commit heinous crimes. Unfortunately, that innocent image of America happens not to be true. Over 160 members of the United Nations (U.N.) have already banned capital punishment including the entirety of the European Union (E.U.). Even the Universal Declaration of Human Rights claims that capital punishment is wrong; therefore, punishment via deathRead MoreShould Capital Punishment Be Banned?908 Words   |  4 PagesRecently, in Oklahoma, 43 year old Clayton Lockett u nderwent a botched process for Capitol punishment. Although, according to the associated press, Governor Mary Fallin agrees that execution is the appropriate punishment for the most horrendous crimes, executions have been stopped until new protocol and procedure has been implemented. This unfortunate incident has brought back to light the issues behind the death penalty. Problems with current methods have become apparent and secondary methods doRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Not Be Banned2007 Words   |  9 Pages â€Å"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind; or does it?† Capital punishment, or the death penalty as is more commonly known, should not be, but, is a contemporary problem in the United States. Most of the entire world today has abolished the death penalty. However, there are still many states within the U.S. that still exercise this form of punishment. The most preferred method of execution which is exercised by more than 35 states in the U.S. Is lethal injection. Many countries today likeRead MoreCapital punishments should not be banned; people believe capital punishment is unconstitutional,900 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishments should not be banned; people believe capital punishment is unconstitutional, that the person on death row actually committed a crime that put them there. There are complaints about the money put out for capital punishment and some think that the death penalty sends the wrong message or that our government is broken. Even though peop le believe capital punishment should be banned, it should not be banned due to multiple reasons. In the United States, capital punishment (also knownRead MoreImagine Having A Criminal, Who Has Escaped From Multiple1663 Words   |  7 Pagespowerful and has lots of money. What should happen to this extremely dangerous criminal when he is caught again? This is where capital punishment would come into play. Some people say the capital punishment should not be banned in any U. S. state and many people say capital punishment should be federally banned. However, both sides would agree they want a safe society and that crime should have a punishment. A common misconception about capital punishment is that people think it is murder; thisRead MoreBanning Capital Punishment in the United States Essay1187 Words   |  5 PagesBanning the use of capital punishment in the United States Capital punishment (the death penalty) is a legal procedure which is known as the most severe punishment where the law authorizes execution as a punishment for criminals (Gerald, 2008). Many people claim that allowing such a punishment will help decrease the crime rate, and also give closure to the victim’s family, but if you as American citizens analyze this situation in more detail you can see that taking a life for taking a life is moreRead MoreBenefits Of The Death Penalty Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the most debated issues, whether capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, should be banned or still be used, is still a widely disputed issue at the heart of political debate. Many states recently have been abolishing capital punishment. Yet, as of October 2014, support for capital punishment is still strong as three fifths of Americans continue to back capital punishment. It is important that capital punishment is included as a punishment for all viole nt criminals for it can be

Comparing Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman Architecture Essay

The two ancient civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome were the best of the best during their time periods. Ancient Greece began around 2000 B.C. by the inhabitants known as the Mycenaean’s, followed by the Minoans. The Minoans built the foundation of Greece. The Roman Empire was founded around 753 B.C. by the two twins, Romulus and Remus. Romulus ended up killing Remus and built the city of Rome on one of seven rolling hills. Architecture was very important to both civilizations and they were always trying to out due the other. The architectural style of the Ancient Greeks and Romans was overall constructed and used differently. The ancient Greeks developed a system of orders which were known as columns. There were three different†¦show more content†¦The top if the column has a scroll like design. The Ionic order is mostly found in the eastern part of Greece and some of its islands along the coast (â€Å"Ancient Greece† 2). The base supports the columns. Th e capitol of the column has two volutes and they rest atop a band of palm-leaf ornaments (â€Å"Architecture in Ancient Greece† 1). â€Å"The most important feature of the Ionic order is the frieze† (â€Å"Architecture in Ancient Greece† 1). The area in ancient Greece where the Ionic order was most prevalent was around Greeks in Asia Minor and the Greek islands. A monument that includes the Ionic order columns is the temple of Athena Nike. The Corinthian order columns are the most extravagant type of column. It was the last column to be developed by the ancient Greeks. The Greeks did not really use this type of column to its full potential, but the ancient Romans did (â€Å"Ancient Greece† 3). Some examples of monuments or building that used the Corinthian order consisted of the temple of Zeus at Athens. It was probably the most notable of the Corinthian temples (â€Å"Ancient Greece† 3). The ancient Greek Acropolis was dedicated to the Goddesses A thena. Acropolis in Greek means â€Å"The Sacred Rock, The high city† (â€Å"Ancient Greece† 3). The Acropolis is known world wide. There are many extravagant buildings and monumentsShow MoreRelatedGreek And Roman Ideas778 Words   |  4 Pages Greek and Roman Ideals When considering the ancient Greek and Roman ideals you can see the distinct similarities in their art, government, monotheism, and architecture. The Romans duplicated many of the Greek styles and modified them to suit their lifestyles. Greece and Rome influences can be seen in art today with the use of concepts, techniques, and styles that were founded by the Greek classical ideal. These include techniques for carving sculptures and the construction of massive metropolitanRead MoreThe Influence of the Greeks and Romans on Architecture894 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction â€Å"Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.† (Gehry, 2012). What Frank Gehry was trying to say in simple terms was our culture cannot do without proper appreciation of its classical roots and it goes without saying that the Romans and Greeks have influenced art and architecture with its classical style in a number of different ways. Allow me to give a definition for the word classical. â€Å"Classical† refers to any art or architecture modelled after ancient RomanRead MoreComparing Greek and Roman Architecture Essay782 Words   |  4 PagesWhen comparing Greek and Roman architecture and design we see many similarities as well as differences. Greek culture and society came into fruition roughly 1250 years before the rise of the Roman Empire and Roman artisans were strongly inï ¬â€šuenced by their Greek predecessors. However, the Greeks were not without their own inï ¬â€šuences. Egyptian building styles and art were reï ¬ ned by the Greeks as seen in their use of column and lintel construction. It is notable that inï ¬â€šuence from Persia and the AncientRead MoreCompare Contrast Greek and Roman Art Essay651 Words   |  3 PagesCompare Contrast Greek And Roman Art And Architecture Compare/Contrast Greek and Roman Art and Architecture Since the onset of Greek and Roman civilizations centuries ago we have seen the art and architectural worlds evolve into what we know them as today. In fact, many of the ancient Greek styles were duplicated by the Romans and modified to suit their needs. We can still see a lot of Greek and Roman influences in the present day, especially in the architectural world. Below I will cite someRead MoreModern Er El Paso High School1694 Words   |  7 Pagesoutstanding and unrivaled beauty. To revive a great nations architecture in the modern era goes to show just how much of an impact an ancient empire had on humanity that extends almost two thousand years in the past. El Paso High school is a great example of Corinthian Style architecture that was predominant by the Roman Empire in the years of the Pax Romana. The building is a masterpiece that displays two ancient Roman styles of architecture, on its East Faà §ade and the other in the Southeast Wing.Read More Ancient Egyptian Greek and R oman Stele Essay1249 Words   |  5 PagesAncient Egyptian Greek and Roman Stele Just as we use tombstones to mark graves and commemorate our dead, so too did ancient civilizations. One way to do so in the ancient world was through the use of steles. A stele is a stone slab, usually decorated in relief and inscribed, that honored the death of a person. Three of the ancient cultures that had implemented the use of the stele were the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. In comparing an example from each civilization, it is possible to seeRead MoreGreek Influence on the Roman Empire Essay2942 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction Classical Greek culture had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire, which carried a version of it to many parts of the Mediterranean region and Europe. Greek culture influenced the development of Roman civilization because at first Rome absorbed ideas from Greek colonists in southern Italy, and they continued to borrow from Greek culture after they conquered Greece. Ancient Greece has had an enormous amount of impact on culture in the western world. For this reason, ClassicalRead MoreAncient Roman Buildings Influence The Modern Architecture Essay1828 Words   |  8 Pages Ancient Rome, one of the largest empires in ancient history, made incredible contributions to the modern world, especially in their stylish architectures. Not only continuing the legacy of the Greeks, the Romans also established their own remarkable architectural genre. This paper will compare the ancient Roman buildings with to the modern architectures: the Colosseum and Beijing National Stadium, Pantheon and Thomas Jefferson Rotunda, Arch of Titus and Arc de Triomphe, to investigate studyRead MoreAssignment 2: Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece1470 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment 2: Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece Assignment 2: Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece Andelle Gregoire World Cultures I Abstract Overall, Greek and Indian art had many similarities and differences. Even though they lived far away and had different beliefs, their depicted the same topics: Gods and goddesses, animals, royalty, myths, everyday life, and sports. Jewelry wise, they both used a lot of gold, although Indians used more beads and gems. In sculptureRead MoreEssay about Clash of the Titans Critique1162 Words   |  5 Pagesmasterpiece â€Å"The Clash of the Titans† tells the tale of Perseus, one of the first great hero’s of ancient Greece. The film has excellent set and costume design with very accurate depictions of ancient Greek culture. From comparing the art and architecture featured in the film to the examples we learned about in class and other examples I found myself, the film appears to be set around the high to late Greek classical period and also features influences from the Near East. Perseus is supposed to have

Dbq- Trade Free Essays

In the times of the early modern world, there was an increase in desire for new goods and resources, which led countries to explore different lands. More trade routes were made, allowing trade to erupt all around the world. Trade became an important force of change and had many effects on society and foreign relations. We will write a custom essay sample on Dbq- Trade or any similar topic only for you Order Now From 1300-1800 many European countries wanted to expand and make their lands more bountiful with more resources and goods from other places. Countries wanted what other countries had; for example different types of food and spices. This desire for new goods and resources drove countries to explore new lands and trade with other places so they can attain those things. For example, there was Vasco de Gama of Portugal who travelled to Calicut, India, claiming that he wanted to befriend the ruler of Calicut (document 4). In truth, the reason Vasco de Gama came to India was because he knew that other countries were bringing goods to India and he was interested in discovering what goods and resources they had. As more trade routes were being made, and more countries were exploring different lands; trade became an important force for change due to the exchanging of different resources and ideas. The Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere each had a lot to offer (document 2) and through the many trade routes that were made through the European sea trade (document 5), a lot of goods were now being exchanged. So a variety of lands now had different food, animals, metals, and diseases. In this new modern world, changes began to happen in different areas; lands were now being exposed to different resources unlike what they were used to because of the different goods and resources they were receiving. Another change that occurred because of this age of exploration and trading is the rising of a new merchant class (document 3). The merchants, not only did the trading of goods and resources but also of ideas. Since trading became so big, the merchants who were in charge of it became very wealthy and were always in demand for the goods that they had. These changes stuck in society, and there became a wider variety of goods, resources, and ideas all around the world. Trade provided the world with new resources that they have not seen, which also allowed relationships between countries to interact and improve. For example the letter from the governor of Sijilmasa in southern Morocco, to the king of Ghana in Western Africa (document 1). Even though these two kingdoms are not from the same religion or place, they have put aside their differences and agreed on the issue that merchants should not be imprisoned. Trade has let completely different people interact and communicate humanly even though they are not the same. Another example is what Pope Innocent III granted to Venice (document 6). Under normal circumstances the pope did not allow Venice to trade with Muslim because they were at war with them, but due to critical conditions, an acception was made, to allow the people of Venice to live well. Venice was now allowed to trade with the Muslims, so the relationship between those two lands were mended slightly due to this. In general because of the European sea trade and all the trade routes that there were, countries were forced to interact more with each other, so just in that aspect itself it improved relationships between countries, different lands, and leaders themselves. In the 1300’s to the 1800’s, goods and resources became more desirable so trade routes flourished throughout the European sea trade. Trade introduced new resources and ideas to different countries and lands, and came up with a new merchant class. It improved different countries relationships with each other and helped countries interact better. How to cite Dbq- Trade, Papers

The Enlightenment The Romanticism Movement free essay sample

Examines ideas of Franklin L. Baumer, James MacGregor Burns Francis Fukuyama on intellectual connections between 18th Cent. Enlightenment Romantic Movement of 19th Cent. Philosophy, religion, leadership, politics, revolution. The purpose of this research is to examine connections in intellectual history between the ideas of the Enlightenment and those of Romanticism, through the work of Franklin L. Baumer, James MacGregor Burns, and Francis Fukuyama. The plan of the research will be to set forth the thesis, assumption, and evidence of Baumer regarding the relationships between the Enlightenment and Romantic ways of thinking, and then to discuss how Burnss ideas of moral and transformational leadership and Fukuyamas ideas of social philosophy may be said to reflect Baumers elaboration of continuity and change in Western thought since the period following the late Renaissance. Any examination of the Enlightenment and Romanticism as critical forces in European intellectual history involves looking at decisive forces that have shaped individual and mass . We will write a custom essay sample on The Enlightenment The Romanticism Movement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page .

Kaiser William II - Cause Of World War I Essays - German Lutherans

Kaiser William II - Cause of World War I Kaiser William II "Kaiser William II of Germany, 1888-1918, by his personality and actions, contributed to the outbreak of World War I," Discuss. William II came to power prematurely, on the death of his father, at the age of 29. He lacked discipline, was arrogant and bad-tempered. He lacked political experience and maturity and was influenced in his youth by Hinzpeter who instilled in him the idea that a monarch should be independent and follow orders from none. It was obvious to all who were politically aware in Germany in 1890 that a clash would occur between the Chancellor Bismarck, and the Kaiser. When this clash did occur it was over the issue of German policy towards Russia. William favoured outright hostility towards Russia and when he expressed this belief to Bismarck he was met with disillusionment and disbelief. Bismarck realised that twenty years of his work was about to be undone by this impetuous imbicile. William has begun on his road to distruction for Europe. After the collapse of the renewed Dreikaiserbund in 1884, Bismarck recognised that there was a possibility that the isolated Russia would join with France who was in a similar situation. He recognised that this would be disaster for Germany as it would pose the constant threat of a two-front war. However, Bismarck convinced Russia to sign the Reinsurance Treaty and once again managed to insure Germany was safe. However, in 1890 when the treaty was due for renewal William, maintaining that his position "having been imposed on me from heaven." Allowed him to let this treaty lapse. He worsened the situation by refusing to let German bankers makes loans to Russian banks. French bankers took their place and in 1894 the Franco-Russian alliance fused the two together. For Bismarck, this was the ultimate blunder and Germany was faced with a nightmare war. William then adopted a policy of "Weltpolitik", that is now that Germany was a European power he wanted to make it a World power also. He hoped to do this by expanding Germany's number of colonies and by getting involved in international crises between other powers. However, this policy was to bring Germany into conflict with Britain and hence alienate a potential French ally. This began when he announced the construction of the Berlin-Baghdad railway. Baghdad was contained within a British Sphere of influence and was suspicious of the Kaiser?s actions. The second and more serious incident which turned the British against the Germans was the Kaiser's interference in South Africa. After the defeat of Cecil Rhodes in the Jameson Raid in 1895 by the Boers, William sent a telegram to Paul Kringer, the Boer leader, congradulating them on their achievement. The British saw this as a blatent interfernce in what they considered was a internal affair. For them, this proved that the Kaiser was a dangerous figure mwho posed a serious threat to the balance and stability which they wanted to maintain in Europe. Thus, when the Kaiser decided to build up military armaments, they felt they could not allow him to surpass their army size. Admiral von Tirpitz, a powerful military figure, felt that if Germany were to become a world power she needed a strong Navy. William was easily persuaded of this because of his love of pomp and parades and set about buiding up a Navy. The British sawm this as a war threat and pointed out that "the Royal Navy is a dire necessity- the German fleet a luxury" The bringing into operation of the dreadnought made all other ships obsolite because of its power and this a Naval Rce began between the two powers. Huge bitterness and suspicion lingered between the two and by 1914 the two were bitter enemies and Britain used the meek excuse of Germany marching on Belgium as an excuse to declare war on Germany. William's wanting to get involved in international eruses was also a cause of World War I, because of how hje failed to achieve anything at these conferences but to alienate other powers. He demanded an internationa; meeting on the question of French influence in Morocco thinking that opther countries would

The structure of personality Essays

The structure of personality Essays The structure of personality Paper The structure of personality Paper Sport psychologists have been interested in whether athletic success in an individual can be predicted by measuring personality for a number of years. During the 1960s and 70s there was a wealth of research being undertaken with regards to this subject. This essay shall attempt to understand the development and structure of personality, then take a look at different methods of personality assessment and finally try to understand the extent to which athletic success can be predicted by personality. Firstly, it is required that we should try to understand what personality is before trying to understand whether athletic success can be predicted by measuring it. Actually defining personality can be very difficult as it is so broad. In 1971, Edwin Hollander described personality as a structure with a core, middle and an outer layer that is affected by the social environment around it. This can be seen in figure 1 below. The core (or centre of ones personality) is protected from the social environment and so is usually unchanging. This core can be described as a persons morals or basic beliefs. The middle section is the way in which we usually respond to different situations, these responses give suggestions about the persons core, as it is what usually happens. The outer layer is the part that relies on the circumstances we are in. As the environments we find ourselves in are constantly changing then this is the most changeable part of our personality; therefore it may bear little resemblance to our central core (Horn, 1992). Hollander (1971) then went on to define personality as the sum total of the individuals characteristics which make him unique. This view looks at one aspect of personality that most psychologists would agree with, that it is unique to the individual. However there are those psychologists who see personality as a set of traits possessed by an individual and therefore enable this individual to act in a certain, consistent and predictable way (trait theorists). On the other hand there are those who believe that a persons behaviour is determined by the situation they find themselves in, therefore we would need to understand the situation before trying to predict the behaviour (state theorists). There are also those who believe that personality is a combination of both these two approaches and so depends on the persons core and also on the situation (interactional approach) (Woods, 1998). Firstly the trait theory implies that personality can be described as different traits belonging to individuals. These traits are frequently visible in an individuals behaviour so therefore knowing these traits can help to predict a persons behaviour. The most famous patrons of this theory are Eysenck and Cattell. Cattell identified 35 different traits that he believed described personality. Eysenck concentrated on related traits and grouped them together in two ways. He called these, two dimensions of personality and suggested that they had a biological basis. These dimensional traits were split into neuroticism-stability and intraversion-extraversion (Woods, 1998). The state approach or situational approach contends that personality is not a stable core but that it is built up out of our influences and experiences in society. Walter Mischel (1968) has done some research on personality and has found that individuals behaviour cannot be predicted through knowledge of their core traits. He believes that it is the environment or situation that can influence or dictate a persons behaviour. The basis for this argument is that we learn and so develop our personality through modelling and reinforcement. The third approach, interactional, takes into account a lot more than just situations or the core personality traits. This approach anticipates that when situational factors are strong then they are more likely to affect an individuals behaviour than any personal factors will. Likewise, when situational factors are not strong then personality is more likely to play an important role in influencing a persons behaviour. There are various methods of personality assessment such as rating scales, unstructured projective tests and questionnaires. A lot of these, however do not specifically concentrate on measuring personality traits in athletes and are more often used in clinical psychology (Cox, 2002). Firstly, rating scales require the use of a judge who observes an individual in a particular situation. The judge would use a checklist in order to record information relevant to assess the persons personality. These results can be quite reliable providing the judge has been well trained. There are essentially two ways in which the judge can assess personality using rating scales, these are during an interview, or with the observation of performance. Projective procedures may also be used to identify traits and reveal information about underlying motives in an individual. This procedure allows the subject to reveal their inner feelings through unstructured tasks. The main assumption when conducting these tasks is that if the individual being questioned does not think that there are any right or wrong answers then they are more likely to answer them truthfully and openly. Among these tests are the Rorschach Test, and the Thematic Apperception Test. There are other tests within this method of testing, however these are the most commonly used projective tests. Within the group of questionnaire tests there are two which have been used by sports psychologists in sports related research with athletes, these are the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and Cattells Sixteen Factor Personality Inventory (Cattell 16 PF). The MMPI uses a series of true-false questions in order to measure certain personality traits and conditions such as depression. The 16 PF measures 16 factors (traits), and how much of each, that Cattell though were descriptive of personality (Horn, 1992). Other methods of measuring personality include, the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style and the Profile of Mood States, however these tests do not directly relate to sport or physical activity and are more general, covering attentional styles and moods (Weinberg Gould, 1995). There are, however, sport related personality / psychological inventories such as the Athletic Motivation Inventory (AMI), the Winning Profile Athletic Instrument (WPAI) and the Troutwine Athletic Profile (TAP) (Cox, 2002). Other examples include, the Sport Competition Anxiety Test that measures competitive trait anxiety, the competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 to measure precompetitive state anxiety and finally, the Trait-State Confidence Inventory to measure sport confidence (Weinberg Gould, 1995). So, using these methods of personality assessment is it possible to predict athletic success in individuals? Cox (2002, p163), states that no scientific study to date has shown a strong statistical relationship between personality variables and athletic ability. Weinberg Gould (1995) suggest that it would be misleading and unethical to make predictions about an individuals behaviour based on these tests. Even valid tests may still have misleading errors when looking at results. These could be caused by individuals not understanding questions properly or perhaps the subject wants to appear calm and cool before a match to impress the coach and so in her precompetitive anxiety test she may answer the quest ions in a more desirable way (Weinberg Gould, 1995). Morgan (1980) published an article explaining that many sports psychologists are in debate over the credibility of personality research. Some believe that positive and accurate predictions can be made about sport performance from the personality tests. Believers of this view are said to be credulous, and may well use this information to predict athletic ability. On the other side of the argument are those who tend to be sceptical, brushing aside the idea that athletic ability can be predicted by personality tests (Morris Summers, 1995). Horn (1992) explains that there are no consistent findings in the research conducted on personality to show that athletes possess a general personality and that this differs from that of non-athletes. However, Vealey (1986) notes that personality differences between successful athletes and less successful athletes have been found in mood states, cognitions and coping abilities, as opposed to more enduring personality traits (Morris Summers, 1995). In conclusion, it can be seen that the structure of personality is so broad that it can be difficult to define but that there are theories that have been agreed upon by numerous psychologists and sports psychologists alike. There are also a wide variety of methods of personality assessment that can be used in sports related settings and also in sport specific settings. Finally, these tests cannot discover champions, however it is possible to use them as a tool in which to help the athlete become more successful, by finding weaknesses and working on them in practice.

Enterprise information systems For Microsoft Assignment

Enterprise information systems For Microsoft - Assignment Example Rolls-Royce is a motor and energy producing company, which resumed its operations in the private sector in 1987. The company grew and acquired new other firms (Rolls-Royce 43). Today the company is global business enterprise offering solutions in power and motor supplies. Economic growth and internationalization of the enterprise’s operations necessitated an installation of ERP. The company chose to use an ERP software package called SAP R/3 (Yusuf, Angappa, and Mark 251). Such a move by the company targeted to internalize its operations and manage data flow for efficient operations. The firm also attained corporate management of its operations and integrated individual functional units in the finance and manufacturing sectors (Yusuf, Angappa, and Mark 252). The business had used more than 1500 systems before it installed the EPR project, most of which the firm developed internally (Yusuf, Angappa, and Mark 255). The initial units were expensive in terms of operations as well as difficult to maintain and improve. The systems did not provide consistent, accurate, and accessible information needed for timely decision-making. The old systems were also not suitable for modern operations in the corporate world. As a result, the business unit sold some of the aging systems and replaced it with a new one. Implementation of the project required an intervention of a team of experts outsourced from EDS. During the process, the team met with a number of challenges, which may fall into three categories. The first was cultural, which meant that the firm was to overhaul the whole old system with a new one considerably because they could not suit each other. Some departments within the company did not find it easy and consequently, they needed training (Yusuf, Angappa, and Mark 256). The next problem related to corporate operations. The new system required a rigid plan of business for a successful working. It means that the workers had to adjust their modes of working to

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Assignment

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) - Assignment Example ch company it is possible to conclude that all three companies in question have complete FDD’s, while there are some small adjustments to formulations. 2. How much would it cost you to acquire the franchise rights for each of the companies? Is the franchise cost information from each company’s FDD different from figures listed on the company website? If so in what way? Houlihans Restaurant and Five Guys Burgers and Fries don’t reveal publicly information about its franchise cost information on its website, and therefore it is impossible to compare the numbers given online and those presented in FTC reports (Franchise Information - Houlihans Restaurant, n.p.; Franchise Opportunities: Five Guys Burgers and Fries). Â  Hard Rock Hotel offers on its website information for potential franchisees and claims that the standard Hard Rock site fee is no less than $350, 000 (Hard Rock Cafe Franchise & Development Opportunities, n.p). This minimum is higher than given in the FTC report, probably because the report was published in 2007, while now it is 2014. Houlihan’s Restaurant’s offering circular presented some cases of bankruptcy, where copmpany’s representatives were debtors in proceeding under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. These cases are multiple and raise concerns Hard Rock Hotels FDD raised several serious concerns mainly referred to litigation and bankruptcy cases. The company has got claims for tortuous interference, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy (Hard Rock Hotels, 5-6). While finally the parties entered into a settlement agreement, there are some serious concerns raised. On May, 2000 the company (Sunterra Corporation) filed a petition for reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Hard Rock Hotels, 7). Five Guys Burgers and Fries’ FDD raises less concerns comparing with two other companies as there were no bankruptcy cases. However, there was one litigation case according to which the

Saturation of Media is Causing Loss of Democratic Communication Essay

Saturation of Media is Causing Loss of Democratic Communication - Essay Example It is worth noting that free flow of information and fast transmissions are key advantages of media. The advances of media have been events of celebration in history but their increased use has reached a saturation point. The saturation is leading to a gradual loss of democratic communication. Society has embraced media without holding back. Media forms an integral part of human existence in the current world. Because of the increasing saturation, man is slowly losing the essence of democratic communication. Democratic communication is a two-way platform that allows individuals access to information and gives them the opportunity to raise debate and criticism of such information to qualify it as the absolute truth. Concerning social media, there are many social websites in society. These include facebook, twitter, MySpace, badoo, Skype, and netlog. Facebook and twitter have numerous subscribers in the American society. Most of the subscribers spent a lot of time on the websites but d ue to saturation level, they do little while online. Few subscribers create new information. On the contrary, people transmit the existing information. In addition, television, disk players, smart phones are all over in the society. People are in constant access with these forms of media such that they have forgotten the experience of life without any of them. Each time, there is a continuous flow of data and information from status updates, tweets, photos and videos from friends. The influence of media images, opinions, commentaries, critics, and observation has been blinding people from embracing the truth as it is in real life. There is so much available on data networks that influence the opinions and reasoning of people, that very few people can make unbiased analysis of events and happenings. People have allowed media to influence their daily relationships. The daily access to images over time has led to loss of the reality. Print media was the first to reach a saturation poin t and next came the era of the internet. Before the internet, came public broadcasting and television. Through all these, people access limitless information and images to a point whereby, they take what they see or hear as the truth. At the start of media, images were but representatives of the real objects. As saturation increases, people have allowed the media images to take the place of reality. Most of the people in society no longer take time to analyze things as they are in real life. They do not form opinions in communication without the influence of media and this hinders democratic communication. People have lost the autonomy in communication because they imitate what the media presents from the celebrities to movie characters. The media has multiple impacts on the political decisions of people. The public makes political decisions based on the media criticism and allegations. Very few people analyze the quality of leaders from real life reality. Therefore, the people rely on misleading compulsion from the media sources that do not reflect the reality on the ground. There is too much on any data source that one cannot discern what is true or false. Most of the forms of media do not allow a two-way form of communication. The people cannot effectively raise criticism on the data they receive. Nobody has the time to weigh out and criticizer the

Dependency School of Development: Summary and Critique

Dependency School of Development: Summary and Critique In this essay I address the claim that the dependency school sees development from a Third World perspective.[1] I focus on two dependency theorists, Andrà © Gunder Frank and Fernando Henrique Cardoso, as a way to examine such a statement. First, I describe dependency theory in a historical context as well as in general terms, in order to clearly situate the school within Third World discourse. Second, I examine the specific theoretical characteristics of Frank’s theories, and some of the criticism of it and how they relate to Third World issues. Third, I discuss Cardoso’s scholarship in relation both to the dependency school and to Frank’s research by emphasizing his theoretical divergence from orthodox dependency theory. Next, I comparatively discuss Frank and Cardoso’s theories in relation to an overall discussion on dependency and development. In conclusion, I review the reasons why the dependency school incorporates a Third World perspective, particu larly a Latin American perspective. Throughout this essay I refer to ‘dependency theory’, yet I would like to point out, as Roxborough (1979) has stressed, that rather than viewing the notion of dependency as a â€Å"specific theory† or a â€Å"theory of dependency† it be seen as a paradigm (p.43).[2] This is because there are many competing theories and definitions of dependency as well as several historical intellectual shifts and revisions among dependency scholars (Hout, 1993). The dependency school of development is also variably referred to as the ‘structuralist’, ‘world economy’ and ‘underdevelopment’ schools (Bosch, 1997). It has its roots in theoretical debates discussing capitalism and Marxism (Gardner and Lewis 1996; Chilcote 1981; Roxborough, 1979; Frank, 1967). The earliest discussions emerging from the dependency school can be traced to the ECLA (Economic Commission of Latin America), established by the United Nations in 1948 whereby a radi cal group of scholars examined the inequities of North-South relations and trade. This enclave of scholars specifically focused on Latin American issues and the paradox of why these countries so rich in natural resources are so economically poor. The need for the ECLA forum arose from an academic and political reaction toward the inability of Latin American countries to halt the â€Å"imperialist siphoning-off of the surplus value produced by their working classes†, hence, the association of dependency theory with a Third World perspective (Johnson 1981, p. 58). The ECLA theorists argued that Latin American countries are subjected to an international system that manipulates and controls them from beyond their own borders (Staniland, 1985). These ideas, moreover, offered a critique of modernisation theories that view less developed countries in terms of an evolutionary process whereby industrialization and economic development are seen as stages that they must undergo in order to achieve higher incomes and living standards. In contrast, dependency theory views less developed countries as resulting from conditions generated by a broader global system of exploitation set within wider social and historical processes (Bilto n et al., 1996). The theoretical debates surrounding dependency theory hinge upon the central idea that it is pointless to study the development of Third World societies in isolation from more developed countries. Debates further the notion that western capitalism in the industrialized world is built upon its ability to dominate and control the resources of non-industrial less developed countries and must thus sustain its dominant position to advance its own interests. The historical basis for such domination is the significant accumulation of capital that occurred during colonization and the industrial revolution. The continuation of such domination transpires through neo-colonialism. As such, dependency theorists primarily focus on the political structures that shape the relationships between the First and Third World (Staniland, 1985). This main tenet of dependency theory is closely tied to what is widely refereed to as ‘world systems theory’, established by Immanual Wallerstein. In fact, ‘world systems theory’, is commonly viewed as an adaptation or extension of the dependency school (Chirot and Hall, 1982). Wallerstein (1974) views the world as an interrelated system, a world-economy, whereby each country is perceived in terms of its relationship to the whole. It is precisely through a world systems analysis that notions of ‘First† and ‘Third’ worlds have materialized as a way to portray the simultaneous differentiation and interdependency of distinct parts. Dependency theory suggests that the Third World â€Å"is not natural, but created through economic and political processes†(Gardner and Lewis 1996, p.17). Like dependency theory, ‘world systems theory’ is often criticized for being overly deterministic (Staniland, 1985). Two of the most prominent dependency theorists are Andrà © Gunder Frank and Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Frank and Cardoso are both ECLA scholars and associated with Latin American issues and the dependency school to the extent that they are often referred to as ‘dependistas’. Frank (1967) introduced the popular term ‘the development of underdevelopment’ and wrote specifically about how â€Å"the domestic, political and social structure of Chile was and still remains determined first and foremost by the fact and specific nature of its participation in the world capitalist system† (p.29). His work also attempted to address a major gap in the ECLA discussions: the role of class interests within Third World countries in creating cycles of dependency. To do this, Frank developed the notion of metropolis-satellite links whereby capitalism produces a developed center and its underdeveloped peripheries. He purported that the ties between metropolis and satell ite can also represent links between advanced capital cities and their hinterlands. This metaphorical binary aims to examine the relationships between industrialised and non-industrialised countries. Although revisionist dependency theorists now refer to these as core-periphery relationships, this metaphor still forms the basis for many contemporary critiques of global capitalism. According to this view, the peripheries supply cheap raw materials and labour to the core. In return, the core supplies them with obsolescent technologies, manufactured goods and debt. This results in peripheral economies being oriented toward the outside whereby resources flow toward the core and, in turn, continue to flow toward the more dominant economic interests of other cores. Capitalism is seen to necessitate the core-periphery division for the efficient allocation of resources in favour of dominant countries. . Despite, Frank’s intentional focus on class interests, he ignores questions of class formation and behaviour. In his analysis, the flow of resources between the divergent metropolis and satellite regions takes social classes as a given without specifically analysing their structures and roles in contributing to a system of domination. Hence, in Frank’s analysis, spatial relations are conflated with social class relations, a contentious point in criticisms of his work (Chilcote, 1981; Cardoso, 1972; Laclau, 1971). In other words, the shift of value from satellite to metropolis cannot always be viewed as an identical phenomenon to that of the exploitation of labour (Roxborough, 1979). Another point that provoked much commentary in Frank’s analysis of Latin American underdevelopment was his claim that Latin America has been a capitalist society ever since the sixteenth century. For Ernesto Laclau (1971), an Argentinian scholar, Frank had misread Marx’s definition of capitalism and was thus mistakenly reducing capitalism to a mere equation of exchange and enterprise omitting the equally important emphasis on modes of production. This was particularly important in regards to labour since, at that time, much labour in Latin America consisted of slavery and debt peonage as well as other pre-capitalist forms. Laclau does not question the premise that at the time of colonization, market economies became tied in with those of First World countries; his main point is that the participation of a country in a world economic system does not necessarily render it as being capitalistic. As such, he indicates that Frank confounds the production of commodities with the commoditization of labour, a criticism which led Frank to revise his work.[3] Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a Latin American sociologist who later served as the President of Brazil, draws ties between dependency theory and imperialism.[4] Using the work of Leninist theories, Cardoso (1972) makes parallels with the dependency school over their mutual use of the term ‘dependency’ and their shared observations about how imperialism furthers the capitalist agenda and necessitates economic domination over less developed countries. Cardoso’s analysis attempted to address those issues of social class that the dependency school had allegedly ignored. He looked at the social and economic as being inextricably tied together, stating, for instance, that â€Å"an economic class or group tries to establish through the social process a system of social relations that permits it to impose on the entire society a social form of production akin to its own interests† (ibid, p. 15). Cardoso went beyond the metropolis/satellite metaphor and the perceived asymmetry between First and Third Worlds by examining the political, economic and social links between the dominant local social classes within and between Third and First World countries (Cardoso and Faletto, 1979). For Cardoso, â€Å"political institutions at a given moment can only be fully understood in terms of the structures of domination because these express the class interests behind political organization† (ibid, p. 14). He thus envisioned the capitalist economy as growing toward an internationalization in which societies become divided into antagonistic classes. Cardoso’s delineation of class interests between and within countries departed from the more deterministic model offered by Frank, seeing dependency as varying by degree and thus allowing for a more unconstrained view of international relations. Furthermore, by placing dependency into situation-specific contexts, his position is a more relativist departure from that of Frank’s. Most importantly, Cardoso’s perspective is optimistic about the possibility that dependent relations can transform over time. In fact, Cardoso (1973) argues that in some contexts development and dependency can actually be compatible. This is a clear departure from Frank and other dependency theorists who are often labeled as having a stagnationist view toward development. Both Frank and Cardoso agree that exploitation from dominant states is a key operating factor in how regional economies develop but whereas Cardoso might focus on class interests, Frank will more broadly hold the forces of capitalism accountable (Bosch, 1997). In fact, Cardoso’s critics accuse him of not detailing the more general conditions and mechanisms by which global capitalism operates (Staniland, 1985). Whereas Frank is pessimistic about liberal and neo-liberal trade theory’s claims to create equality and more fairly distribute resources and the access to them, Cardoso is optimistic. Although Cardoso accepts the basic premise of dependency theory as describing third world countries as being conditioned by global agendas and constraints, he does not call for a socialist revolution, as does Frank, as a means to remedy these problems.[5] Yet Frank is also critical of his own former position that assumed that in order for Third World countries to achieve economic independence from the First World they could voluntary de-link themselves from broader economic systems thus controlling their own internal resources, such as raw materials and labour, to develop their own economies. Frank claims that â€Å"experience has shown it to be extremely difficult, if not impossible for voluntarist political action to de-link particular countries from the world economy† (Frank, 2002). Undoubtedly, as I discussed previously, the intellectual roots, vitality and application of dependency theorists have fostered around Third World issues and debates that, in turn, have greatly influenced development studies at large. I would make the case that even more specifically, dependency theory is also distinctively Latin American.[6] First, its origins emerge from a think tank focused on Latin America as a region. Second, its main proponents are Latin Americanists of which many are also Latin American nationals. Third, the application and analysis of the dependency school of thought has been on Latin American development. Fourth, its popularity among Latin American scholars and policymakers has made it an important intellectual school of social thought within Latin American academia and politics. Through Latin American intelligentsia, such as Cardoso, dependency theory has even entered mainstream Latin American politics. Overall, Latin Americanists have used the main argument s of dependency theory to stress how the structural climate of the world economy shapes Latin American economies. As such, through dependency theory, they have strongly influenced the international scholarship on development. In conclusion, the dependency school, unlike other development perspectives, distinctively represents a Third World view. The debates inspired by the dependency school have given voice to a Third World perspective, in terms of focus, point of view and representation. As I have shown, there are equally as many excellent expositions as there are criticisms of Frank and Cardoso’s studies and the dependency school at large (Smith 1981). What is significant is how these provocative and critical debates ultimately touch upon broader themes that, like the dependency school itself, address expansive global, economic, political and social issues. References: Bilton, Tony et al. (1996) Introductory Sociology, 3rd edition. London, Macmillan. Ahiakpor, James C.W. (1985) The success and failure of dependency theory: the experience of Ghana. International Organization, 39(3), 535-552. Bosch, Gerald R. (1997) Eric Williams and the moral rhetoric of dependency theory. Callaloo, 20(4), Special Issue: Eric Williams and Postcolonial Caribbean, p 817-827. Cardoso, Fernando Henrique (1972) Dependency and development in Latin America. New Left Review, 74,83-95. Cardoso, Fernando Henrique (1973) Associated dependent development: theoretical and practical implications.In: Alfred Stephen (ed) Authoritarian Brazil: Origins, Policies and Future. New Haven, Yale University Press, p.142-76. Cardoso, F. H. and Faletto, Enzo (1979) Dependency and Development in Latin America. Berkeley: Pergamon Press. Chilcote, Ronald H. (1981) Issues of Theory in Dependency and Marxism. Latin American Perspectives, 8 (3/4), dependency and Marxism. 3-16. Chirot, Daniel and Hall, Thomas D. (1982) World-System Theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 8, 81-106. Frank, Andrà © Gunder (1967) Capitalism and underdevelopment in Latin America: historical studies of Chile and Brazil. London, Monthly Review. Frank, Andrà © Gunder (1984) Critique and anti-critique: essays on dependence and reformism. New York, Praeger Publishers. Frank, Andrà © Gunder (2002) Interview. In: Practical Strategies For Social And Economic Development. Aurora online (Simmons, Tony). February 2002. Available from: http://aurora.icaap.org/gifs/frank.gif [Accessed July 7, 2005]. Gardner, Katy and Lewis, David (1996) Anthropology, development and the post-modern challenge. London, Pluto Press. Hout, Wil (1993) Capitalism and the Third World: development, dependence and world system. Aldershot, Edward Elgar. Johnson, Carlos. (1981) Dependency theory and the processes of capitalism and socialism. Latin American Perspectives, 8 (3/4), Dependency and Marxism, 55-81. Kleemeier, Lizz Lyle. (1978) Review: Empirical tests of dependency theory: a second critique of methodology by Vengroff, Richard. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 16 (4), 701-704. Laclau, Ernesto (1971) Feudalism and capitalism in Latin America. New Left Review, 67, 19-38. Roxborough, Ian (1979) Theories of Underdevelopment. London: Macmillan. Smith, Tony (1981) The logic of dependency theory revisited. International Organization, 35 (4) 755-761. Staniland, Martin (1985) What is political economy? A study of social theory and underdevelopment. New Haven: Yale University Press. Wallerstein, Immanuel (1974) The modern world system: capitalist agriculture and the origins of the European world economy in the sixteenth century. New York, Academic Press. 1 Footnotes [1] The analytical categories of First World, Second World, and Third World are used to make a distinction between the different levels of economic development among nations/states. [2] The dependency school is similarly also refereed to as a ‘perspective’ (Kleemeier 1978, 701). [3] Frank (1984) later incorporated Laclau’s criticisms, which strongly influenced the direction of his future work, particularly in his volumes on world capitalist history. [4] Cardoso also served as the President of Brazil from 1994 through 2002. [5] Frank has revised his former position that once assumed that â€Å"significant political change could free any people from these economic and historical determinants.† (Frank, 2002) [6] I am not implying that dependency theory is exclusively debated around Latin American issues, see for example Kleemeier (1978) and Ahiakpor (1985). Apocalypse Now: An Anti-War Message Apocalypse Now: An Anti-War Message The 1979 movie Apocalypse Now was created in an extremely deliberate and thought out fashion by Francis Ford Coppola. There is a purpose behind how he filmed and what he filmed. Each edit, angle, shot, sound, transition, and lighting technique was filmed in such a way in order to convey meaning. The cinematic tools that Coppola utilized in the making of Apocalypse Now encouraged the American public viewing the film to take an honest look at how warfare is really conducted. Like many other movies created about the Vietnam War, such as Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now has an anti-war message within it. This attitude is a shift in the way the American public had viewed war, since usually they were very patriotic and supportive. By making films that raise up issues regarding war, directors were taking advantage of the already troubled public and challenging them to look deeper and question the way in which they had previously viewed warfare and the preparation given to soldi ers for it. The film techniques allowed Coppola to condemn military recruiters as well as army officials who did not properly prepare and condition soldiers to withstand the psychological affects of warfare. His method of filming also displays a critique of politicians who mandate warfare for political expediency. In this paper, I will discuss how Coppola used cinematic tools strategically in his film Apocalypse Now to show warfare for what it truly is and the effect on soldiers that combat had in order to inspire society to re-evaluate and change its attitude towards war. Apocalypse Now is a film that follows Captain Benjamin Willard on his second tour in the Vietnam War. When the film begins, it finds Willard in a hotel room in Saigon, Vietnam waiting for his next mission. In this scene, Willard offers a vague picture of his first tour in Vietnam and expresses how desperate he is to return to action. In the following scene, Willard is sent for by army officials and given his next mission which is to locate and murder Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, an American green beret who went rogue, created his own army of native Vietnamese people and subsequently appointed himself as a god over them. To complete his mission, Willard is accompanied by four soldiers who do not know the purpose of his mission, as it is classified information. On their expedition to find Kurtz, Willard and the crew come across Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore, who commands them to take part in a brutal and merciless attack on a small Vietnamese village. As Willard and his crew continue on their journey upriver towards Kurtz, they attend a Playboy show, massacre a crew of Vietnamese fishermen, and fall under the surprise attack from natives on shore. When they finally reach Kurtzs camp, Willard is taken captive by Kurtz and forced to listen to Kurtzs philosophical concerns at length, for days. Upon being set free, Willard enters Kurtzs private rooms and fulfills his mission, finally killing Kurtz. When the natives realize that Kurtz has been killed, they bow to Willard and accept him as their new leader and god. However, Willard passively rejects the role of their leader by taking the remaining member of his crew, boarding their boat, and riding away from the native camp as the film ends. Within the film, there are various scenes that show the chaos, uncertainty and absurdity of warfare that often leave soldiers in a state of psychological trauma long after their time in combat. As a result of this story being told through the medium of film, Coppola is able to use cinematic tools he would otherwise not have had at his disposal. There are two particular scenes in which the tools he employs help to convey the significance of the scene with more impact. These two scenes are the opening scene of the movie and the scene known as Ride of the Valkyries. These scenes and the five cinematic elements employed in them, will be the focus of this paper. In the opening scene of the film, Coppola employs elaborate editing techniques in order to show the phycological damage that Willard has been suffering from since his first tour in Vietnam. Although the focus is obviously only on the character of Willard, Coppola means for this to be a display of what happens to the mind of any soldier after returning from combat, where their minds are in a state of psychological turmoil.   The scene shows a green, peaceful treeline in Vietnam and then shows it exploding in flames as numerous helicopters fly close by (Apocalypse Now, 0:01:10). The film then transitions from this image in a smooth fade away to Willard lying in his hotel room (0: 03: 55). As the transition continues, it shows Willard take a long drag from a cigarette as the ceiling fan above him rotates fast and loud. The fade in this scene is significant because of its smooth transition from one picture and place to another; the helicopters in the scene with the trees make an n ear identical sound to the ceiling fan and the propeller of the helicopter looks like the ceiling fans blades rotating in Willards room. The way Willards cigarette lights up has the fading image of exploding fiery trees in the background. The editing is magnificent. It is clear from the scene, that the explosions and helicopters are memories from Willards first tour in Vietnam. The images of the blown-up trees cut and edited into the images of Willards tortured face in the hotel room portray a man who is really struggling with what he has experienced. While most memories fade over time and details are forgotten, victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder often remember their traumatic experience vividly and the same way every time they think about it (Vees-Gulani 55). For many, it is not even that they are remembering but rather they are living in a continual presentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and] an endless present (Vees-Gulani 55). The memories that Willard cannot escape from, from his first tour, are persistently intrud[ing] on him (Vees-Gulani 62).   For him, something as mundane as a ceiling fan materializes into a combat helicopter and the burning of a cigarette is an explosion. Often throughout the movie, it seems as if Willard is one of the only men still sound of mind, but the first scene with its masterful edits to Willards first tour flashbacks clue the viewer in on the fact that Willards PTSD made him bound in the timelessness of warfare (Vees-Gulani 89). For the viewer to fully appreciate the genius of Coppolas use of editing in this scene, one must recognize that PTSD is an illness that plagues the victim relentlessly and constantly. By displaying this scene and these ideas in one seamless transitional edit, Coppola is indicating to the viewers that soldiers who return from war may look physically unscathed, but that does not mean they are not haunted and harmed by their experiences in combat. Another technique utilized in this first scene is that of lighting. Coppola strategically uses it in order to set a certain mood and feel for the scene. As Willard lies on his bed, he looks at the ceiling fan, which is black and yet there is a slight flicker of light from the fan. It catches the viewers eye and helps to create a more ominous scene, really giving the viewer a feeling for what was happening within the scene. It is fascinating that something so small as a flicker of light can add so much insight to a scene and enrich ones overall understanding of a story. In a captivating interview with Apocalypse Nows production designer, Dean Tavoularis, Tavoularis described how the films cinematographer Vittorio Storaro purposely choreographed the lighting cues on many shots to add an extra level of significance to scenes and that the speck of light in the opening scene from the fan was one of such times (Gentry 96). He described how the flicker of light in this scene is like an irri tation, an insect, an element that gets across to the viewer and adds to the chaotic scene to help display the psychological trauma that Willard is dealing with.   The flicker lasts for hardly a second, but it was intentionally put in at that time to help further the story and its message. Attention grabbing, this cinematic tool is used to its fullest potential in this scene. The music in Apocalypse Now is also a cinematic technique that Coppola capitalizes on. Coppola deliberately chose the song This is the End to critique the sentiments preached by many of the benefits one receives when they serve in the army in order to ignore their societal duty to look after the wellbeing of veterans. Coppola is criticizing the way in which soldiers are prepared, or in from his standpoint under prepared, for war and how upon their return from combat, with their physical and mental scars, society neglects them. The song This is the End begins slow with pleasant guitar and a soft melody. The song fades out for a bit but then plays again as the scene transitions to Willard intoxicating himself in his hotel room (0:05:58). However, when the song fades back in, it sounds dramatically different. The guitar has picked up speed, the tempo is faster and the singer screams, Fuck! Fuck me!. As the songs intensity increases, the scene shows Willard strip naked, cut himself and c ry uncontrollably. Coppola used the feeling given off from the crazed music to increase the intensity of the scene.   He uses the music almost as a metaphor for a soldier in their war experience. The soldier starts off by being told the war will award them with lifelong skills, such as loyalty and respect. However, they are not equipped for the psychological and emotional suffering from being in combat, the effects of PTSD, or the high suicide rates amongst veterans. The music starts out slow and pleasant but they soon find out on their own that the music changes, it is not predictable, it can become violent. Using music as a cinematic tool in Apocalypse Now, Coppola presses Western societies to stop romanticising the idea of war. Towards the close of the scene, Willard is bleeding and crying on the floor of the hotel room (0:07:16), and the viewer can hear the song This is the End playing but cannot hear Willards crying. The silence of Willards cries is a message as well. The unheard cries of Willard can be seen as the unheard soldiers upon their return from war. They come back from combat scarred physically and mentally. Their minds cannot rest, they are never completely at ease and the constant suffering leads many to turn to destructive substances, like alcohol and drugs, just to escape from their own minds for a time. This is not a case of one veteran but rather a horrible trend that occurs to many, and it can be seen as a clear sign that they are calling out for help. Yet, it seems that Western society chooses to close their ears to their cries. The Music in the scene is used to send a message from Coppola that he condemns Western societies who promote war but deafen themselves against the cries of the s oldiers suffering, which they helped to create. Coppola is highlighting how there is a great need for honesty about what effect the army can have on ones life before soldiers are enlisted and how adequate resources are needed for their recovery when they return from combat. In the scene known as March of the Valkyries, Lieutenant Kilgore orders an air attack on a Vietnamese village. It is in this scene that Coppola uses the tool of camera shots and angles to showcase to the viewer the absurdity and violence that soldiers endure during warfare. It is clear from the contrasting shots that Coppola used that he wished viewers would re-evaluate their opinions on war and question politicians inclination to engage in war. Coppola uses close-up camera shots in order for the viewer to feel as if they are in the sequences in the March of the Valkyries scene. As the helicopters approach the village, the viewer is privy to a conversation between Lieutenant Kilgore and a soldier named Lance, an expert surfer, as they discuss the different types of surfboards they prefer (0:36:20-0:36:55). The absurdity and backwardness of this conversation at that time is dumbfounding. They are in a helicopter that is about to attack and kill an entire village of Vietnamese soldiers and innocent civilians and yet, the Lieutenant does not review the battle plan with his crew or tell them to reflect on what they are about to take part in. Rather then do any of these normal and expected things, he is instead choosing that particular time to talk about one of his favourite hobbies. The only people in the frame of the shot are Kilgore and Lance, from their shoulders up, making the viewer feel as if they are part of the conversation as well. This is a strategic tool use by Coppola to get his audience to understand the soldiers who have these mundane conversations at inappropriate times and how these interactions skew with the soldiers sense of morality. It becomes clear that the soldiers have a hard time dealing with the guilt of murdering entire villages when it is equated to regular past times by their officers. The contrast of what they are going to do in the scene and what they are discussing is made evident through the cameras close shots. It is another example , by Coppola, of how army officials do not prepare soldiers for warfare since they make it less serious and make the consequences less harsh with conversations such as the one Coppola zooms up on. Another example of a shots that Coppola uses to showcase the absurdity of war it close to the end of the March of the Valkyries attack, is when he shows two long shots. The first is of rockets and ammunition hitting the water, causing five enormous explosions of water to shoot up (0:44:55), and the second is of napalm bombs being dropped on the village, producing a huge fire (0:48:55). By zooming out on this shot, Coppola is showcasing the violence and devastation of war in all its totality as well as the beauty of nature. The blending of the beauty and the destruction enters the soldiers awareness, making them flinch and recoil in horror and at the same time exclaim, Its really exciting, man! (0:45:00). The contrast can add to soldiers mixed feelings about the war, morally and emotionally. Its exciting and incredible and its also terrible and monstrous. These long shots are used by Coppola to show that when you zoom out fighting for ones country seems brave and courageous but up clo se it can hurt the soldiers in ways that are ignored by society. The camera angles that are used in Apocalypse Now are also used by Coppola to critique war and its effects on soldiers. Kilgore and his helicopter unit land by the shore as the March of the Valkyrie battle ends. As they all try to take cover in a ditch, Kilgore stands above ground in the open and shouts orders. (0:46:02). The angle that the camera shoots Kilgore at is at level with the soldiers in the ditch, so it is as if the viewer is in the position of the soldier. He is shown to be glorious leader that none of them would disobey, even if his command seems insane such as when he says, If I say its safe to surf this beach, Captain, its safe to surf this beach! (0:47:10). During war, it is expected that soldiers will obey their commanding officers without question. There are times when this is absolutely necessary, however it can also lead to issues with trust. In an instance where a soldier witnesses his officer commanding a fellow soldier to do something that in turn leads to his death, the soldier may have issues trusting the judgement of his commanding officer. When officers in leadership positons, and by extension, the politicians who declare war, are given all knowing and godlike statuses among soldiers and society, it can create psychological trauma for soldiers and questions of faith within larger society. The camera angles used by Coppola are to put the viewer in a soldiers shoes and to understand that leaders should not be seen as all knowing and all powerful and that it is important to question their choices before accepting them. It is clear that Francis Ford Coppola used many cinematic techniques in Apocalypse Now in order to convey to society that they must re-evaluate their views on war and be more considerate of the soldiers who have been hurt physically and mentally by it. The way in which he cut and edited scenes showcase the trauma that continues to haunt soldiers even after they return from war. Lighting is also used as a technique to further this message. The use of sound in certain areas and not in others is employed to accuse society of turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the veterans who do not receive proper rehabilitation upon their return. Another technique Coppola used was to zoom in or out on specific camera shots to display the absolute absurdity of war and the effects that has on soldiers. Lastly, Coppola utilized camera angles to encourage society to think for themselves and never trust a leader without first questioning their true intentions, especially in the context of war. These five cinematic elements help to tell the story of Apocalypse Now in a way that a novel never could, since it is not just a film with a captivating plot but rather a movie in which cinematic techniques force the viewers to reconsider some troubling societal issues. References Apocalypse Now. (1979) . Retrieved March 20, 2017, from https://solarmoviez.to/movie/apocalypse-now-6743/74126-8/watching.html Gentry, R. (2010, Winter-Spring). Dean Tavoularis. Post Script, 29(2), 93+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/ps/i.do?p=EAIMsw=wu=yorku_mainv=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA247223175asid=3fccc0d830aca85bdf6a33f51c16a1bf I found this source to be very helpful in my understanding of the movie Apocalypse Now since it is an interview that addresses not only the movie, but also some of the cinematic techniques used to create it. The interview covers a variety of topics about the film like plot, symbolism, character development and the tools used to showcase all of these ideas in the best possible way. Although I did not end up using many quotes from it, I found that it expanded my knowledge of the way in which the director and those who advised him chose to portray certain scenes. This source backed up the most essential of points for my essay, that everything Coppola did was deliberate and in order to draw the audiences attention to certain things. Vees-Gulani, Susanne. Diagnosing Billy Pilgrim: A Psychiatric Approach to Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction 44.2 (2003): 175-184. Retrieved from http://literature.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/searchFulltext.do?id=R01664027divLevel=0area=abellforward=critref_ft I found this source to be incredibly useful on the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Soldiers. The source is an analysis of an antiwar novel in which the author wrote about their own experiences in World War II. I found that many of the points that were made about this man and his novel also applied to the soldiers in the film Apocalypse Now. When discussing PTSD and how it feels for an individual, it really seemed to be in complete conjunction with the way Coppola portrayed Willard in the opening scene of the movie. This article helped me to see the techniques that Coppola was using were in order to show PTSD as realistically as possible.

Definition Essay - The Many Ways to Define Service :: Definition Essays

Definition Essay - The Many Ways to Define Service    The service will soon end.   When one reads the prior sentence what exactly does he see coming to an end?   Depending upon one’s hobbies, peers, and cultural status, certain words may take on a sense of ambiguity.   The definition as stated in The Oxford English Dictionary, â€Å"work done for somebody else as a job,† is seemingly accurate. A possible influencing factor on one’s definition of service could be the SLWP work the entire WRA135 class has contributed to the YouVote website.   With the dedicated service to the website, and in turn the viewing community, the student may have come to view the word service as a term describing the help of others. Throughout the years the definition of service has developed according to the morals of the times and situations.   The ubiquitous concept of slavery in the 1800’s could have affected the definitions recorded in The Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, which defines service as, â€Å"the menial business of a servant; anything done by way of duty to a master.†Ã‚   Along with the turn of the millennium came worries of war, and American citizens placed emphasis on our armed forces.   With these thoughts imbedded in the authors’ minds it is not surprising that an emphasized definition of service in The Encarta World English Dictionary is stated as, â€Å"a government agency; armed forces.† After the principles of a certain time period have faded away the usage of a word associated with these principles begins to diminish as well, and the word may take on a newly developed meaning.   Perhaps due to this theory, one may not be familiar with one of the many definitions of the word service.   According to The Encarta World English Dictionary one description of the meaning of the word service is, â€Å"copulation with a female animal. Used of male animals, especially studs.† Not because of unfamiliarity, but because one may have never really stopped to examine the many variations in definitions, one may not have realized how often the word service can be applied to many varying situations.   For example Oxford’s English Dictionary’s entry of service states, â€Å"active devotion to God, as through good works or prayer.†Ã‚   An individual could have forgotten, but has now been reminded, of this form of service. With a newly gained open-minded outlook on vocabulary, in particular the word service, one should be able to recognize the many ambiguities words have to offer.