Initiation Sylvia Plath

Chantal Chau Analysis of a Key Passage, Initiation by Sylvia Plath In Initiation by Sylvia Plath, the author suggests that conformity and having friends is a wonderful idea, yet the idea of having an individual identity and being an individual is stronger. In the excerpt, Millicent is slowly realizing that conforming and being a part of a sorority is not as exciting as it sounds, and being an individual offers more opportunities to become a unique person. Millicent is an average girl who no one really notices, when one day, a sorority group decides to allow her to join, but she must past their initiation test first.At first, Millicent is ecstatic, and proud that she can finally be a part of society, but slowing, and in the beginning of the excerpt, Millicent finds that being an individual can offer more. As she is talking to Liane Morris, another sorority contestant, she finds that in the sorority â€Å"they have a meeting once a week†¦ each girl takes turns entertaining at her house†¦ †, and how this is not all as exciting as she imagined. Millicent’s desire to know what the group does reflects the idea of hesitation, and how Millicent is now wondering if she really wants to be a part of this group.As she considers both sides of her decision to join, she realizes that joining the sorority would simply allow her to approach Herb, a male student she likes. Her thought â€Å"would he ask her out (if he ever did) just for herself, no strings attached? † bring the desire to be unique and original up and pushes past the need to be popular. Millicent is constantly considering the idea of not joining the sorority, and visualizing them as â€Å"pale grey-brown birds in a flock, one like the other, all exactly alike†. This analogy of conformity is very strong, because in a sorority, every girl is alike, with shallow personalities and beautiful exteriors.The sparrows are described to be â€Å"chirping†, which brings the idea o f being plain and restrained to the mind, because when birds are chirping, they are not expressing themselves; rather they are simply copying the other birds, with no desire to stand out from the rest. In Millicent’s mind, freedom and originality is described as â€Å"swooping carefree heather birds, they would go singing and cooing out across the great spaces of air, dipping and darting, strong and proud in their freedom and their sometime loneliness†. Heather irds are a mythological animal, meaning freedom has no defined description that originality does not exist in a solid form. They are described to be â€Å"swooping, carefree†, meaning there is no worry of being judged, and â€Å"dipping and darting, strong in their freedom† describes the happiness of a worry free life, where style and opinions are not judged or withheld, unlike the â€Å"chirping†, trapped, restrained sparrows which symbolize the sorority. Heather birds were â€Å"singing a nd cooing out across the great spaces of air†, showing that they could express their ideas and opinions without worry, though loneliness was a consequence.In the excerpt, it was stated that the heather birds were â€Å"strong and proud in their freedom and their sometime loneliness†, meaning that there will always be unique people in the world Millicent can relate to, though at times the individuality will stand out, and she will be alone. Through this mental debate, Millicent learns discovers that she could enter her imaginary great hall through â€Å"her coronation as a princess labelling her conclusively as one of the select flock†, or use â€Å"other ways of getting into the great hall, blazing with lights, of people and life†.When read closely, we can see that the mentions the sorority as a flock, demoting them to nothing but a group of beautiful shells with hollow insides, one alike the other. It is then that her decision to use â€Å"other waysâ₠¬  to enter this great hall, without being simply a hollow princes. Just before she is actually accepted into the sorority, the door to the basement opens, and the description of the â€Å"ray of light† that â€Å"sliced across the soft gloom of the basement room† shows the difference between identical, shallow girls and the deeper, unique members of the world.The ray of light that sliced across the room symbolized the epiphany she had, how she now knows that she cannot be a part of the â€Å"soft gloom of the basement room†, where everyone is the same, there is nothing special about anyone. As Millicent is leaving the basement, she hears the â€Å"song of the heather birds as they went wheeling and gliding against wide blue horizons through vast spaces of air, their wings flashing quick and purple in the bright sun† and in her final decision, her heart and soul joins the heather birds she has always been.From the beginning, Millicent has always seem to have known that she could never be a shallow pretty girl; throughout the story, there are little clues of her reluctance to be part of the sorority, such as when she was talking to Lou, a member of the sorority, and discovering the many useless things the sorority does. But when she realizes she has more than just one option, Millicent suddenly becomes hopeful, and more positives changes arrive, such as â€Å"how she could still be friends with everybody†, how she can still be herself, while still being in a group. The group of original people.

Deviance and Social Control

Deviance and Social Control Final Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for SOCL 101 Sociology By Social control is techniques and strategies used for preventing deviant human behavior in any society. All levels of society such as family, school, bureaucratic and government has some form of social control. Examples of family social control include obeying your parents rules, doing your homework and chores. School includes standards they expect of students such as being on time, completing assignments and following school ground rules.The bureaucratic organization emphasizes the rules and procedures among their workers. The government expresses social control through law enforcement and other formal sanctions. There are positive sanctions such as rewards for obedience and there are negative sanctions such as penalties for disobedience. Positive sanctions can include a pleasant smile of approval or range to a ceremony of honor. Negative sanctions include informal p enalties such as fear, ridicule, sarcasm and even criticism or formal penalties such as law enforcement, jail sentences, and fines. Conformity and obedience are two areas recognized for studying social control.Conformity means to go along with peers or individuals of our own status with the tendency to change our perceptions, opinions, or behavior in ways that are accepted by the group’s norms. Factors relating to conformity include areas such as size of the group, age differences, gender differences and cultural differences. On the other hand obedience, which is compliance with higher authority, can have an impact on social control as well. Factors relating to obedience include complying with authority figures, the feeling of personal responsibility, and the escalation of harm.With awareness of these factors the more likely someone is to conform along with their peers and obey authority. Sanctions are used to encourage conformity and obedience and are carried out through inf ormal and formal social control. Informal social control is carried out casually by ordinary people to enforce norms through laughter, smile, and ridicule. Formal social control is used to enforce norms through authorized agents such as police officers, judges, school administrators, and employers. Some laws, which are government social control, have been created due to society’s norms being important to people’s behavior.For example the prohibition against murder is a law among every member of society. Whereas fishing and hunting regulations are a law among those specific groups. Our textbook points out that sociologist see the creation of laws as a social process because these laws are not passed from one generation to another, but are evolving from continuous change in society of what is right and what is wrong. Society has accepted and followed these laws not because of peer group or authority figure but by means of belonging or even the fear of being viewed as dif ferent or deviant.In a sense we want to see ourselves and others to see us as loyal, cooperative, and respectful of others. Control theory is a view of conformity and deviance that stresses the social bond between society and individuals. Deviant acts, which violate social norms, may appear attractive to individuals but the social bond is used to help individuals from going toward those attractive deviant acts because of the fear of not belonging. A weak bond between society and an individual may actually push that individual toward a deviant act that he/she can benefit from.As explained by Peter Wickman (2009), â€Å"Deviance is behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society† (p. 160). There are different degrees of deviance we all experience here in the United States. On one end of the spectrum there are accepted forms of deviance, like being late to a meeting, or texting while driving. On the other end of the spectrum there is crimina l deviance, dog fighting, robbery, and possession of drugs are a few examples. However, the one thing that all deviant behavior has in common is it is all defined within a particular society and at a particular time.Deviant behavior is socially constructed with the people in power defining what is expectable and what is deviant. An example of deviance here in the United States can be found in our freedom of religion. Our society was created with a strong Christian background; attending church on Sundays is widely accepted and practiced among many of our citizens. Conversely, state that you’re a satanic worshiper and you will most definitely carry a social stigma. There are other forms of deviant behavior that people can unwillingly acquire through a social stigma.Being overweight can carry a stigma within our society because overweight people are assumed to be weak in character. Being grossly unattractive can also carry an unwanted social stigma. Social deviance is subject to different social interpretations and varies throughout different cultures. What is considered deviant in one culture may be considered normal in another. Dog fighting is an example of contrasting social deviance between the USA and Afghanistan. Getting caught dog fighting in the United States and you will be thrown in jail and carry a social stigma for the rest of your life.The professional footballer Michael Vick is an example of this negative stigma. Conversely, dog fighting in Afghanistan is widely accepted and practiced every Friday morning (The Scoop, 2002). Oddly enough this was not always the case. When the Taliban was in control there were strict punishments for men who were caught fighting dogs. The Taliban encouraged sports like football, cricket, and martial arts in lieu of dog fighting. This is an example of how deviant behavior can be constructed by the people in power and how deviance can shift from one social era to another.Deviance is a complicated subject. It can b e widely accepted or rejected within a society, and will change over time. Throughout my life I have witnessed many forms of once deviant behavior becoming more and more accepted. I believe there are two primary reasons behind this shift. The first is Colorado Springs becoming a larger more populated city and the second is the mass media. When we think of the sociological perspective on deviance some people don’t even know what deviance means. Everyone has seen some type of deviance in an informal way or formal sense.Society looks at people in a way that everyone should be the same. A person that has a lot of tattoos and piercing would get looked at that they are a bad person just because the way they look. Image, sexual act, and sexual orientation are a few ways that some cultures and people look to define deviance. Functionalist perspective is one key look into deviance. Durkheim focused on the study of crime. He believed that punishment within culture would help define nor mal behavior. The way he looked at things was in a way that he thought things could get fixed.While reading this I believe everyone has their own way to express themselves no matter what culture they were raised in. The look into the functionalist perspective has a lot to do with the perspective of the people and how they look at things. Internactionist perspective explains why rule violations accrue and how people fight from conforming. They state that by not following rules, which are set by certain people, that you are a deviant. There are so many rules out there. Cultural transmission is or stated by the ethnic group or race groups.When you are in school you tend to hang out with your ethic group or race because it’s where you fit in. Like when you see graffiti some people think it is a disgrace to the environment others think of it as art. Like when I look at graffiti I don’t look at it as bad, it’s an art and a talent. We all learn how to act by what socia l groups we are in or what we see. Everyone has their own perspective there is nothing we can do about that. We look at street racers as being deviant because they race. Race car drivers do the same things just in another place other than street.So why do street racers get looked at differently? That doesn’t make sense. Trying to maintain social control is what they try to keep in order. There are main roles in life such as police that try to control or enforce the rules of the world. Then you got teachers, doctors, lawyers, and other court officials that all try to keep the world one way. In this sense they all try to pick out your looks, deviant in their eyes. By social profiling was a way they were trying to pick out who they thought was doing badly. Now looking at sexual deviance or sexual orientation people believe it should be one way and only one way.The way society looks at it as you should be man and women. And sex should only be done one way. Also what is looked at as being sexual crime there are things that some people think that is against sex code such as bondage? They think it is a crime but some people like that. There are so many things in this world that people see as deviant but really isn’t. Conflict theory defines how there are lawsuits against or towards gambling, drugs and etc. Some cultures look at gambling as a past time but the law looks at it being bad. Why should the way we were raised or how we were brought up by against us.The justice system is and will always judge against us. While looking and reading on deviants everyone is deviant in some way, shape or form. I know that I am looked at as being deviant. There are many out there that will always judge. Also by reading this opens my eyes to how things really work. Why should there be social norms on society. This is all on the perspective view of others. In Sociology, crime is identified as a deviant behavior. It is deviant in that it goes against accepted or written rules and laws that guide a society.To understand crime and sociology, one must first understand the â€Å"Conflict Theory† founded by Karl Marx. Conflict theory sees society as two struggling groups engaged in conflict over resources. Under this theory, it is believed that the capitalist class (or the society elites) commits acts of deviance just as the working class does. The main difference is that society elites determine the rules regarding what is deviant. This difference among the people will always lead to conflict. This idea explains why there is crime in societies and why it will never cease to be.Sociologists classify crimes by three types: crimes against a person, crimes against property, and victimless crimes. Crimes against a person include any offenses where violence is used or threatened. Mugging and assault are examples of crimes against a person. Crimes against property include theft of property or damage done to someone else's property. Burglary and arson are crimes against property. Finally, victimless crimes are crimes that are against the law, but no victim exists. Prostitution and marijuana are common examples of victimless crimes. In sociology, all crimes fall into one of these three categories.A victimless crime is a term used to refer to actions that have been ruled illegal but do not directly violate or threaten the rights of another individual. It often involves consensual acts in which two or more persons agree to commit a criminal offence in which no other person is involved. For example, in the United States current victimless crimes include prostitution, gambling, and illicit drug use. The term â€Å"victimless crime† is not used in jurisprudence, but is used to cast doubt onto the efficacy of existing and proposed legislation; or to highlight the unintended consequences of the same.In politics, for example, a lobbyist might use this word with the implication that the law in question should be abolished. Victimles s crimes are not always so weighty. Some examples of low level victimless activities that may be criminalized include: * individual purchase and consumption of recreational drugs (provided one does not hurt anyone else due to the effects) * prostitution and/or soliciting for prostitution * public nudity or fornication * the consumption of pornography Crimes committed by persons for whom criminally punishable acts are a permanent occupation and the primary source of money.Persons who engage in professional crime have the skills and means necessary for criminal activity and specialize in some particular type of crime, such as theft or buying and selling of stolen goods. Professional crime has its own psychology and customs, but many times professional crimes tie in with organized crime. Organized crime is transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit.Some times criminal organizations force people to do business with them, as when a gang extorts money from shopkeepers for â€Å"protection†. Gangs may become â€Å"disciplined† enough to be considered â€Å"organized†. An organized gang or criminal set can also be referred to as a mob. In the United States the Organized Crime Control Act (1970) defines organized crime as â€Å"The unlawful activities of a highly organized, disciplined association†. Criminal activity as a structured group is referred to as racketeering and such crime is commonly referred to as the work of the Mob.In addition, due to the escalating violence of Mexico's drug war, the Mexican drug cartels are considered the ‘greatest organized crime threat to the United States', according to a report issued by the United States Department of Justice. White-collar crime is a financially motivated, non-violent crime committed for monetary gain. Within the field of criminology, white-collar cr ime initially was defined by Edwin Sutherland in 1939 as â€Å"a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation† (1939).Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was learned from interpersonal interaction with others. The term white-collar crime only dates back to 1939. Professor Edwin Hardin Sutherland was the first to coin the term, and hypothesize white-collar criminals attributed different characteristics and motives than typical street criminals. Sutherland defined his idea as â€Å"crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation. The introduction of white-collar crime was a relatively new issue to criminology at that time.He was urging other criminologists to stop focusing on the socially and economically disadvantaged. The types of individuals who committed these crimes lived successfully and were respected by soci ety in general-also criminologists; because these criminals were held to such a high regard, these individuals were given a blind eye to the crimes they committed. Our group choose this chapter ‘Deviance and Social Control’ to share with you all today, because we feel everyone can relate to the sociologists’ perspective regarding social control, deviance, and crime.We have learned law and society play an important role in social control, deviant acts to one person may in fact be part of another person’s culture, and crime has many different categories such as victimless crime, professional crime, and organized crime that all have formal penalties that are enforce by governmental authority. References * http://willapse. hubpages. com/hub/Thailand-Health–Safety-and-Risks-2-Crime * http://encyclopedia2. thefreedictionary. com/Professional+Crime * Attenborough, F. L. ed. and trans. ) (1922). The Laws of the Earliest English Kings. Cambridge: Cambridge U niversity Press. Reprint March 2006. The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 1-58477-583-1 * Schaefer, R. T. (2009). Sociology: A Brief Introduction. (8th ed. Pp. 160-163). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. * One good reason why dogs miss the Taliban. (2002), The Scoop. Canine Nation. Retrieved from http://dogsinthenews. com/issues/0201/articles/020124a. htm * http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=GHuI2JIPylk&feature=related Deviance and Social Control Deviance and Social Control Final Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for SOCL 101 Sociology By Social control is techniques and strategies used for preventing deviant human behavior in any society. All levels of society such as family, school, bureaucratic and government has some form of social control. Examples of family social control include obeying your parents rules, doing your homework and chores. School includes standards they expect of students such as being on time, completing assignments and following school ground rules.The bureaucratic organization emphasizes the rules and procedures among their workers. The government expresses social control through law enforcement and other formal sanctions. There are positive sanctions such as rewards for obedience and there are negative sanctions such as penalties for disobedience. Positive sanctions can include a pleasant smile of approval or range to a ceremony of honor. Negative sanctions include informal p enalties such as fear, ridicule, sarcasm and even criticism or formal penalties such as law enforcement, jail sentences, and fines. Conformity and obedience are two areas recognized for studying social control.Conformity means to go along with peers or individuals of our own status with the tendency to change our perceptions, opinions, or behavior in ways that are accepted by the group’s norms. Factors relating to conformity include areas such as size of the group, age differences, gender differences and cultural differences. On the other hand obedience, which is compliance with higher authority, can have an impact on social control as well. Factors relating to obedience include complying with authority figures, the feeling of personal responsibility, and the escalation of harm.With awareness of these factors the more likely someone is to conform along with their peers and obey authority. Sanctions are used to encourage conformity and obedience and are carried out through inf ormal and formal social control. Informal social control is carried out casually by ordinary people to enforce norms through laughter, smile, and ridicule. Formal social control is used to enforce norms through authorized agents such as police officers, judges, school administrators, and employers. Some laws, which are government social control, have been created due to society’s norms being important to people’s behavior.For example the prohibition against murder is a law among every member of society. Whereas fishing and hunting regulations are a law among those specific groups. Our textbook points out that sociologist see the creation of laws as a social process because these laws are not passed from one generation to another, but are evolving from continuous change in society of what is right and what is wrong. Society has accepted and followed these laws not because of peer group or authority figure but by means of belonging or even the fear of being viewed as dif ferent or deviant.In a sense we want to see ourselves and others to see us as loyal, cooperative, and respectful of others. Control theory is a view of conformity and deviance that stresses the social bond between society and individuals. Deviant acts, which violate social norms, may appear attractive to individuals but the social bond is used to help individuals from going toward those attractive deviant acts because of the fear of not belonging. A weak bond between society and an individual may actually push that individual toward a deviant act that he/she can benefit from.As explained by Peter Wickman (2009), â€Å"Deviance is behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society† (p. 160). There are different degrees of deviance we all experience here in the United States. On one end of the spectrum there are accepted forms of deviance, like being late to a meeting, or texting while driving. On the other end of the spectrum there is crimina l deviance, dog fighting, robbery, and possession of drugs are a few examples. However, the one thing that all deviant behavior has in common is it is all defined within a particular society and at a particular time.Deviant behavior is socially constructed with the people in power defining what is expectable and what is deviant. An example of deviance here in the United States can be found in our freedom of religion. Our society was created with a strong Christian background; attending church on Sundays is widely accepted and practiced among many of our citizens. Conversely, state that you’re a satanic worshiper and you will most definitely carry a social stigma. There are other forms of deviant behavior that people can unwillingly acquire through a social stigma.Being overweight can carry a stigma within our society because overweight people are assumed to be weak in character. Being grossly unattractive can also carry an unwanted social stigma. Social deviance is subject to different social interpretations and varies throughout different cultures. What is considered deviant in one culture may be considered normal in another. Dog fighting is an example of contrasting social deviance between the USA and Afghanistan. Getting caught dog fighting in the United States and you will be thrown in jail and carry a social stigma for the rest of your life.The professional footballer Michael Vick is an example of this negative stigma. Conversely, dog fighting in Afghanistan is widely accepted and practiced every Friday morning (The Scoop, 2002). Oddly enough this was not always the case. When the Taliban was in control there were strict punishments for men who were caught fighting dogs. The Taliban encouraged sports like football, cricket, and martial arts in lieu of dog fighting. This is an example of how deviant behavior can be constructed by the people in power and how deviance can shift from one social era to another.Deviance is a complicated subject. It can b e widely accepted or rejected within a society, and will change over time. Throughout my life I have witnessed many forms of once deviant behavior becoming more and more accepted. I believe there are two primary reasons behind this shift. The first is Colorado Springs becoming a larger more populated city and the second is the mass media. When we think of the sociological perspective on deviance some people don’t even know what deviance means. Everyone has seen some type of deviance in an informal way or formal sense.Society looks at people in a way that everyone should be the same. A person that has a lot of tattoos and piercing would get looked at that they are a bad person just because the way they look. Image, sexual act, and sexual orientation are a few ways that some cultures and people look to define deviance. Functionalist perspective is one key look into deviance. Durkheim focused on the study of crime. He believed that punishment within culture would help define nor mal behavior. The way he looked at things was in a way that he thought things could get fixed.While reading this I believe everyone has their own way to express themselves no matter what culture they were raised in. The look into the functionalist perspective has a lot to do with the perspective of the people and how they look at things. Internactionist perspective explains why rule violations accrue and how people fight from conforming. They state that by not following rules, which are set by certain people, that you are a deviant. There are so many rules out there. Cultural transmission is or stated by the ethnic group or race groups.When you are in school you tend to hang out with your ethic group or race because it’s where you fit in. Like when you see graffiti some people think it is a disgrace to the environment others think of it as art. Like when I look at graffiti I don’t look at it as bad, it’s an art and a talent. We all learn how to act by what socia l groups we are in or what we see. Everyone has their own perspective there is nothing we can do about that. We look at street racers as being deviant because they race. Race car drivers do the same things just in another place other than street.So why do street racers get looked at differently? That doesn’t make sense. Trying to maintain social control is what they try to keep in order. There are main roles in life such as police that try to control or enforce the rules of the world. Then you got teachers, doctors, lawyers, and other court officials that all try to keep the world one way. In this sense they all try to pick out your looks, deviant in their eyes. By social profiling was a way they were trying to pick out who they thought was doing badly. Now looking at sexual deviance or sexual orientation people believe it should be one way and only one way.The way society looks at it as you should be man and women. And sex should only be done one way. Also what is looked at as being sexual crime there are things that some people think that is against sex code such as bondage? They think it is a crime but some people like that. There are so many things in this world that people see as deviant but really isn’t. Conflict theory defines how there are lawsuits against or towards gambling, drugs and etc. Some cultures look at gambling as a past time but the law looks at it being bad. Why should the way we were raised or how we were brought up by against us.The justice system is and will always judge against us. While looking and reading on deviants everyone is deviant in some way, shape or form. I know that I am looked at as being deviant. There are many out there that will always judge. Also by reading this opens my eyes to how things really work. Why should there be social norms on society. This is all on the perspective view of others. In Sociology, crime is identified as a deviant behavior. It is deviant in that it goes against accepted or written rules and laws that guide a society.To understand crime and sociology, one must first understand the â€Å"Conflict Theory† founded by Karl Marx. Conflict theory sees society as two struggling groups engaged in conflict over resources. Under this theory, it is believed that the capitalist class (or the society elites) commits acts of deviance just as the working class does. The main difference is that society elites determine the rules regarding what is deviant. This difference among the people will always lead to conflict. This idea explains why there is crime in societies and why it will never cease to be.Sociologists classify crimes by three types: crimes against a person, crimes against property, and victimless crimes. Crimes against a person include any offenses where violence is used or threatened. Mugging and assault are examples of crimes against a person. Crimes against property include theft of property or damage done to someone else's property. Burglary and arson are crimes against property. Finally, victimless crimes are crimes that are against the law, but no victim exists. Prostitution and marijuana are common examples of victimless crimes. In sociology, all crimes fall into one of these three categories.A victimless crime is a term used to refer to actions that have been ruled illegal but do not directly violate or threaten the rights of another individual. It often involves consensual acts in which two or more persons agree to commit a criminal offence in which no other person is involved. For example, in the United States current victimless crimes include prostitution, gambling, and illicit drug use. The term â€Å"victimless crime† is not used in jurisprudence, but is used to cast doubt onto the efficacy of existing and proposed legislation; or to highlight the unintended consequences of the same.In politics, for example, a lobbyist might use this word with the implication that the law in question should be abolished. Victimles s crimes are not always so weighty. Some examples of low level victimless activities that may be criminalized include: * individual purchase and consumption of recreational drugs (provided one does not hurt anyone else due to the effects) * prostitution and/or soliciting for prostitution * public nudity or fornication * the consumption of pornography Crimes committed by persons for whom criminally punishable acts are a permanent occupation and the primary source of money.Persons who engage in professional crime have the skills and means necessary for criminal activity and specialize in some particular type of crime, such as theft or buying and selling of stolen goods. Professional crime has its own psychology and customs, but many times professional crimes tie in with organized crime. Organized crime is transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit.Some times criminal organizations force people to do business with them, as when a gang extorts money from shopkeepers for â€Å"protection†. Gangs may become â€Å"disciplined† enough to be considered â€Å"organized†. An organized gang or criminal set can also be referred to as a mob. In the United States the Organized Crime Control Act (1970) defines organized crime as â€Å"The unlawful activities of a highly organized, disciplined association†. Criminal activity as a structured group is referred to as racketeering and such crime is commonly referred to as the work of the Mob.In addition, due to the escalating violence of Mexico's drug war, the Mexican drug cartels are considered the ‘greatest organized crime threat to the United States', according to a report issued by the United States Department of Justice. White-collar crime is a financially motivated, non-violent crime committed for monetary gain. Within the field of criminology, white-collar cr ime initially was defined by Edwin Sutherland in 1939 as â€Å"a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation† (1939).Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was learned from interpersonal interaction with others. The term white-collar crime only dates back to 1939. Professor Edwin Hardin Sutherland was the first to coin the term, and hypothesize white-collar criminals attributed different characteristics and motives than typical street criminals. Sutherland defined his idea as â€Å"crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation. The introduction of white-collar crime was a relatively new issue to criminology at that time.He was urging other criminologists to stop focusing on the socially and economically disadvantaged. The types of individuals who committed these crimes lived successfully and were respected by soci ety in general-also criminologists; because these criminals were held to such a high regard, these individuals were given a blind eye to the crimes they committed. Our group choose this chapter ‘Deviance and Social Control’ to share with you all today, because we feel everyone can relate to the sociologists’ perspective regarding social control, deviance, and crime.We have learned law and society play an important role in social control, deviant acts to one person may in fact be part of another person’s culture, and crime has many different categories such as victimless crime, professional crime, and organized crime that all have formal penalties that are enforce by governmental authority. References * http://willapse. hubpages. com/hub/Thailand-Health–Safety-and-Risks-2-Crime * http://encyclopedia2. thefreedictionary. com/Professional+Crime * Attenborough, F. L. ed. and trans. ) (1922). The Laws of the Earliest English Kings. Cambridge: Cambridge U niversity Press. Reprint March 2006. The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 1-58477-583-1 * Schaefer, R. T. (2009). Sociology: A Brief Introduction. (8th ed. Pp. 160-163). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. * One good reason why dogs miss the Taliban. (2002), The Scoop. Canine Nation. Retrieved from http://dogsinthenews. com/issues/0201/articles/020124a. htm * http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=GHuI2JIPylk&feature=related

Buddism: Political, Social and Economic Essay

Ancient China was a time of for religious influences. Belief systems dominated China from 500 B. C. E to 1000 B. C. E. The impact these beliefs left on the country were. A particular belief system, Buddhism impacted China profusely. This belief system impacted china in a number of various factors. The belief in Buddhism impacted China china’s culture through many political, social and economic stances. After defeating 100,500 men in violent warfare, Asoka felt great remorse. Despite the victory he was consumed with grief. Asoka found comfort in the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama and converted to Buddhism. After his conversion, he began to govern his kingdom under the teachings of Buddha. The laws and principles of non-violence, virtue and love where strictly enforced in the kingdom. Buddhism strongly reigned over Asoka’s political empire. With the belief system he was able to bring the kingdom from a state of warfare to peace the India has not seen since his reign. Because of his conversion to Buddhism, Asoka remains one of the greatest leaders of antiquity. One of the greatest impact religion can have is it’s social appeal. While India was being controlled by the Caste system, so were religions. Your social class also determined your religion. Buddhism was highly popular with the lower cast. The practices and rituals were affordable for those who could not afford. Because of Buddhism, Monks had homes in the monosaries. Buddhism greatly accommodated the people of low social status but that didn’t mean those of higher class could not practice it too. Soon after Buddhism had become so wide spread that Mahayana Buddhism became the Buddhism â€Å"for the masses† According to Buddha, the root of all evil is suffering. This is not the average economic principle. Siddhartha Gautama made this theory however when he abandoned his lavish life to find enlightenment. He witnessed much suffering and made a very impactful theory. After this great revelation, Buddha strived to base his economics of selflessness. His teaching thought that material wealth was not important. He insisted that obsessing over one’s self was the cause of suffering and the only way to be ended is through giving up your love and attachment for material possessions. After sometime the popularity of Buddhism died out. However, the impact it left on China from 500 B. C. E to 1000 B. C. E did not. The spread of Buddhism shaped China as a whole for many centuries to come. From 500 B. C. to 100 B. C. E, Buddhism impacted society’s structure in many aspects of history.

MANAGEMENT SOCIAL PLACE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MANAGEMENT SOCIAL PLACE - Essay Example e expectation of privacy is a legal phrase which suggests that individuals have certain amount of expectation of privacy and this expectation should only be protected if the individual believes that he/she should have privacy and the society is even of the view that an individual should have privacy (Walsh 318). If an individual is posting certain personal details such as pictures and texts over the social media without protecting them with privacy settings, they do not want to keep those posts private and cannot use the expectation of privacy clause. Under employment law individuals have certain rights to privacy in relation to social media. Under the 14th amendment as well as off duty statutes employees have the right to privacy and employers are restricted from infringing upon these rights. This means that employers cannot access the social media content of an individual while making hiring decisions. they can only access this information if they have obtained consent from the applicant, but this information should only be used if other background checks such as conduct of the employee in previous jobs are consistent with the content found on the applicant’s social media

Media for Marketing and Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Media for Marketing and Advertising - Essay Example The report includes a comprehensive SWOT analysis including charts and relevant diagrams. Also, this paper exhaustively examines the target market and their needs as well as any possible stumbling blocks that the company may encounter when dealing with this particular niche. In addition it conclusively discusses the marketing mix that is the product, the place, promotion and the price of the toy in the UK market. Company’s Overview Hangzhou Kebo factory limited was established in the year 2004 with the main aim of developing and producing better quality toys professionally as explained by Hangzhou Kebo Toy Factory INC. Their toys are aimed at promoting creativity in children and have a high education value. Since then the company has spread its wings to countries outside Asia to as far as Europe. As a matter of fact, the company claims to export up to 80% of what they manufacture. Their biggest importers are the United States of America, Australia, Japan, West Europe and Korea where they have managed to attain a significant market share in these particular countries. The company takes pride in the quality as well as creativity of their products not to mention their expanding popularity. Hangzhou Kebo factory limited boasts of producing many major products including; educational toys, plastic toys, wooden toys and promotional gifts. Toys exported from China The graph above shows the value of toys exported from China. ... The products are designed to assist children to learn about different colours and shapes as well as helping them develop their capability for logical thinking and keen observation. Additionally, their toys can help children learn scientific concepts and this helps to develop their creativity, flexibility, self- confidence and intelligence in their early years. Versatile products Not only can their products be used for games, they can also be used as teaching aides. This ensures that their users get to enjoy both sides of the coin without a hassle. This is both convenient and helps to save time. It also ensures that learning is fun and acts as a measure to avert boredom. Brand reputation Their products have reported high sales and have been well received by customers globally. The company has worked with some of the renowned games and toys producers including Wonderland in Thailand and HABA in Germany (Trader China 2011). The company has secured a considerable market share not only in Asia but also in the Middle- East, U. S. and Europe. Weaknesses The company faces a major challenge as it will be introducing a new brand in the market not just a new product (Alibaba.com 2011). Acquiring new customers will most likely prove to be difficult as the target market already has a brand of their choice (Brassington and Petit 2003). Therefore, it will take a lot of advertising and marketing to sway the customers to take up this new brand as the brand of their choice. The product’s characteristics do not differentiate as much from other existing products in the market. As such the company’s products, that is, the toys they manufacture may not be that different from those already in circulation (Trader China 2011). This will result in the company’s loss if

Globalization and media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Globalization and media - Essay Example In an important 2006 article, Schiller asserted that we should reassess any notions we have that the era of cultural domination is over. He looks back over the last quarter century, and draws parallels between the situation faced then, and that with which we are now confronted. On the whole, he concludes that very little has actually changed. Revisiting this comparison is a worthwhile exercise in attempting to distil the essential nature of the debate between those who hold cultural imperialism to be a relevant concept, and those who would have it dismissed as archaic. Schiller noted that in the 1980s, there was a clear division between the western and industrialized ‘First World’, a ‘Second World’ made up largely of the countries aligned to the socialist blocs led by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, and a ‘Third World’ made up of those countries which had gained independence in recent decades (295). Across all of thes e categories, the United States was, politically and culturally, the most powerful state, with the Third World deliberately being targeted with American cultural exports, and a vision of an American lifestyle to aspire to. As Schiller himself concedes, there have been some important alterations to the global cultural landscape in the intervening decades. For one, the Second World has practically disappeared. Those countries which might still be grouped in this category, such as China and Vietnam, are increasingly open to American and other Western cultural imports, while some, such as the countries of the former Soviet Union in Eastern Europe, became an area in which American-style cultural norms flourished after the collapse of government from Moscow. Furthermore, we are now consciously witnessing the political and economic decline of the United States, in relative terms, when compared to the fast-growing economies of China and India. The Chinese economy, for example, has just over taken the Japanese in order of size. This raises pressing questions about whether American cultural dominance can be sustained in a world where its political dominance in diminished. Schiller argues that ‘Cultural submersion’ to American norms remains powerful, and this term has in fact been broadened beyond just watching American television programs and movies, to shopping in American-style malls and going to theme parks. There is, of course, a change in the cultural sphere which has been even more important than all of this, and that is the broadening of the definition of media, to cover what we now collectively refer to as the ‘social media’ – including the blogosphere and the social networking websites which have proliferated in the past decade. This issue will be discussed in more detail below, but Schiller argues that despite the rise of new media, television retains its former importance. He claims that the emergence of satellite and cable net works has prevented this happening (297). At this point his argument becomes less powerful. In the early 1990s, as the Soviet bloc collapsed and American culture seemed triumphant all over the world, Schiller’s contention stands firm, but in the present decade, with revolutions and uprisings, as well as broader internal debate and opposition being fuelled by websites and forums that are independent of any political authority, the

Red Spot Markets Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Red Spot Markets Company - Essay Example Possibly, a third and more strategic issue is the decision to close down the Providence center and shift all operations to Newburgh. First, we try and understand the impact of the first problem. Shrinkage directly impacts retailer margins since it is a loss of inventory. This is of concern to the senior management. At the operational level, this leads to a different kind of conflict. The DC (Distribution Center) loads cartons in which, as per the delivery note or shipment advice, a specified number of bottles or packs of a particular product is packed. However, when the stores receive the goods and they find shortage, then they report it as short receipts and make a note accordingly. Often, the DC employee states that it is not his problem and blames in-transit loss of goods. For the stores, it is a problem since the shelves would not be fully stacked. Repeated complaints from stores would imply the seriousness of the problem. Yet, managers who seek to address such problems need to d iscuss with DC personnel and with the store teams on these issues. Decisions cannot be taken without consulting both sides. The second problem is handling a dominant employee who seems to exert both a positive and negative influence on his team members. The situation would have been positive if, even in Bigelow’s absence, the DC operated smoothly with very minor lapses due to lack of leadership. But we find clear evidence that he has been able to influence his co-workers to sabotage daily operations because of his unjustified suspension. This kind of negative influence is bound to affect the company in the long run. It shifts the focus from an impartial, unbiased dedication to work to dependence on a single person, who can drive day-to-day activities. For an aggressive DC manager, Bigelow is bound to create problems. He is unlikely to take orders from his superior. In fact, Bigelow has been trying to lord over his superiors. A second problem is that such a leadership (Bigelow ’s) would foster a cover-up of real problems. For instance, if two or three poor performers are there in his team, then Bigelow would try to cover their shortcomings. This would impact worker morale and productivity. A similar attitude of covering up of performance metrics (such as shrinkage) would ensue since we have glimpses of such acts towards the end of the case. The third issue, more strategic in nature, calls for a decision to shut down the DC in Providence and shift to Newburgh. This could have a bigger impact on the company. The first is that there must be a thorough assessment of whether the Newburgh facility can handle the volumes which were earlier managed by the Providence DC. It needs proper computation of DC space, forklift movement space and additional personnel needed to man operations. The second point of concern is the distances which need to be served if all logistics were to be managed from the Newburgh center. Response time may increase leading to empty or partially replenished shelves at the retail stores. This would directly hit the store revenues. The third issue would also lead us to the problem of managing retrenchment or re-allocation of personnel from the Providence DC. Employees with strong roots may resist any attempts to re-locate and they may be willing to give up their jobs. Additionally, this could result in legal problems if any of them decide to sue the company. Plus, there could be talented, good performers at the Providence DC, who may not

Gene One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gene One - Essay Example The success that Gene One has had in eight short years has presented a quandary concerning the strategic path Gene One's future. Should Gene One execute of strategy of constancy and continuity Will this type of strategy keep Gene One's competitors from gaining ground on Gene One's share of the market place over the next several years After careful consideration of these perplexing questions, the leadership of Gene One has decided an alternate strategy, as Gene One has not achieved all that they have by continuity alone. Gene One has taken risks that were founded on sound strategy and faith that intelligent men and women with innovative ideas and unsurpassed drive and passion cannot be stopped. These type of people are winners and they accomplish their goals. These factors set the stage for constantly evolving ideas that provided multiple benefits that were accomplished in record time. Seldom has this type of success been achieved in the biotech industry which is considered a risky bu siness in some cases. That said, the Gene One leadership has decided that Gene One must be given an opportunity to experience its maximum growth potential before some piggy back organization with lucrative investors siphon off strategic market areas previously held by Gene One. As with any strategy, there are risks involved. ... As with any strategy, there are risks involved. However, due to Gene One's financial stability, strong leadership and growth potential, these risks are just obstacle that can be turned into positive opportunities. Please note the following: Economic Packages (founders of Gene One, board members and essential personnel) While IPO capital is of extreme importance concerning Gene One's preparations to go public, this topic can not be considered if it does not include job security and economic packages that reward the founders, board members and essential personnel at Gene One for their contributions that have led to the meteoric rise of Gene One over an eight-year timeframe. This is not a difficult problem to solve due to the strategy that will restructure and diversify Gene One while maintaining its technological and competitive edge over the competition. IPO Capital The following is a brief bio of Charles Jones, Gene One's marketing officer: "Two years after Gene Ones's start-up, Don Ruiz, Chief Executive Officer for Gene One, recruited 35-year-old Charles because of his reputation for "smart" risk taking and his biotechnology connections. Don saw him as the perfect person to develop and implement Gene One marketing strategy. Self-confident and moral, Charles easily garners trust for himself and the company." Ruiz, Gene One Company Overview Report Gene One 4 The Gene One leadership feels that while Charles is limited in his abilities to personally design and implement a marketing infrastructure, his overall talents and track record suggests that

Christianity in Nigeria as Portrayed in Things Fall Apart Essay

Christianity in Nigeria as Portrayed in Things Fall Apart - Essay Example Religion to a primitive man is a critical issue and is mostly practised in a primitive manner. They practise all throughout the year and it sin opt a one day event on the week as seen by the Europeans. To them all activities that occur in society have to be followed by religious ritual activities and this was being opposed by the Europeans who felt that a specific day had to be set on the week where everybody would worship God (Achebe 94). The complex rituals were regarded as being primitive by the European missionaries and they felt that through introduction of Christianity they would teach them how to worship only one God. This was considered to be a great crime by the Ibo whom according to their culture thought that the Europeans were trying to disrespect egwugwu who was a representative of the ancestral spirits for the people. One of the warriors in Ibo gets converted and even kills his ancestral spirit leaving the whole clan weeping since according to them a great evil had been done. Those who get converted into Christianity are excommunicated from the Ibo society while others escape death narrowly. Introduction of Christianity would take time since in the Ibo culture religion was granted many responsibilities in the society which Christianity had omitted. Culture was conflicting with the interests of the Christians. For instance, Nneka had given birth to four sets of twins all of which had been abandoned in the evil forest a cultural trait that the missionaries were against. There was strict attention being paid to taboos and rituals and this was not the case with the missionaries who continued to recruit more people into their church including the pregnant woman who was recruited in the 28th day when the villagers expected them to die after clearing the evil forest. Such issues were being rejected by Christianity making it a challenge for people to accept Christianity (Achebe 104). They feared punishment from their personal chi and an end to their genera tion. There exists a very narrow space between an individual and their identity with their ancestors. This is attributed to the fact that they consider their ancestors to be intermediaries between them and their gods. Mr. Kiaga for instance has been recruited to Christianity and is encouraged to recruit more Africans but is afraid that the father can learn of it. The land of the living existed among the individuals and this was a hurdle that the Europeans had to handle first before introduction of Christianity. They were expected to do away with such aspects and this alone created conflict long before they thought of introducing and converting people into Christianity. However all was not fruitless as they succeeded in converting a few Africans with whom they worked with though the society could not accept them as they were regarded as being evil and outcasts. This is because they were not respecting their personal god (chi) and the ancestral spirits (Achebe 105). The ancestral spir its were ordered to punish them. The conflicts began to be widespread with the Christians experiencing the challenge of obtaining land in order to build a church. The outcasts, low ranking men who had no title in the society were among the first individuals to be converted into Christianity.

Pricing Strategies for NIVEA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Pricing Strategies for NIVEA - Essay Example For this reason Nivea launched the ‘Nivea for Men’ in the year 2008 (The Times 100, 2008). In the face care category, Nivea Visage is the most successful product in the markets of Europe, France, Austria, and Germany. In Germany this product captured 1% market share, in Austria it surpassed 1% market share just 3 months after product launch, in France it covered more than double the target market share (Maschauer & Et. Al., 2004). In Germany’s shower segment, Nivea Bath Care occupied 11.9% share, in bath product segment Nivea Bath Care occupied 11.5% share, in the liquid soap segment, it occupied 7% of market share and in solid soap segment Nivea Bath Care occupied 13.6% market share (European Cosmetic Markets, 2007). Beiersdorf operates in imperfect competitive markets. There are generally many sellers in this type of competition. The offered products are primarily differentiated. There are competitor brands present such as Rexona, FA, Palmolive, Dove and many ot hers. There is free entry for entering the market and company can sustain in the long run. The products are also differentiated. The product cost in this type of competition is determined by market power and buyers or sellers have ideal information about the brand of the company (Reynolds, 2005). During 1970 to 1980, Nivea extended the brand to a wide range of skin care products, such as Nivea creme and Milk Soap among others. Nivea creme first came in the market of Germany in the year 1912. In Europe, this creme was launched in the year of 1912, in the United States it was launched in the year of 1922 and in other countries including South America, it was launched in 1926. The other products of the brand are body soap, powder and sun protection... Nivea is one of the leading names in the global consumer products market pertaining to skin care and beauty related products. The discussion will further proceed with identification of certain factors such as market share and products of Nivea along with the competition that the company faces. In the subsequent section of the assignment, value based market segmentation will be applied along with its six relevant steps in order to comprehend the market and consumer segment of Nivea. Nivea has emerged as a popular name in superior quality skin care and beauty products. It is one of the biggest cosmetic brands which transformed from a skin care product to a trustworthy personal care product for all family type. Nivea has been able to create a niche for itself in not only European market but also global market. It has been able to withstand tough competition globally and has emerged as a leading player. It has expanded its operations in many new markets such as South America, Eastern Eur ope, Central America and Asia. Nivea occupies almost 15% of men’s fairness market. Sales of male skincare products have increased after launching of the ‘Nivea for Men’. The company wanted to raise its share in the UK male skincare segment. Value based segmentation facilitates pricing with actual value perceived and delivered to customers. This provides information that which type of customers are paying most profitable price. For making a value based segmentation six steps are needed.

The sublime Kant & Burke Essay Example for Free

The sublime Kant Burke Essay In Neil Hertz’s essay, The Notion of Blockage in the Literature of the Sublime, Neil uses the work of William Wordsworth to makes a connection to the very distinguished and particular notion of the mathematical sublime by Immanuel Kant. The mathematical sublime is the perception that reason has this superiority over imagination because reason and logic is boundless whereas imagination is limited to what we have personally experienced through our senses. When in the presence of something that embodies the overwhelming magnitude of an idea that we cannot comprehend at first glance (the sublime), Kant believes that reason has the upper hand over the senses. By means of reasoning, we as individuals can determine that there is some claim to final totality. When this reasoning comes face to face with an agent of the sublime, our logic is able to understand the failure of our ability to grasp the enormity of something so thought shattering that it eventually leads to the realization that our reason is more reliable than our senses. The sensory faculty bases its understanding on empirical evidence and in this case would have no influence over our train of thought because we have never experienced anything quite like the sublime. Kant labels this as the blockage and associates it with a negative feeling, this feeling of displeasure stems from the fact that in order to grasp the concept of the sublime the individual must realize that their previous cognitive limits were not developed enough. Hertz has a different idea about the result of experiencing the mathematical sublime, he believes that it brings us pleasure by means of displeasure but the pleasure and power of overcoming our imagination’s shortcomings bring us a greater satisfaction than we could have experienced without this knowledge. Hertz then applies several excerpts from book 7 of Wordsworth’s The 1805 Prelude. Wordsworth’s literary works reinforce Hertz’s position upon the sublime and his concept of blockage. Before he begins analyzing the literary works, Hertz lays down the foundation of the sublime and states, with the use of Weiskels argument that â€Å"The cause of the sublime is the aggrandizement of reason at the expense of imaginative apprehension of reality and at the expense of reality. †(Hertz, 51) After attaining this level of consciousness is it easier to assess the effect of the sublime and how it creates a new insight by means of comprehending that the sublime consists of structure and disagreement. Kant voices a very similar idea as Weiskel just a couple sentences later, â€Å"the very moment in which the mind turns within and performs its identification with reason. †(Hertz, 51) He uses this notion of blockage in relation to Wordsworth’s poems, and how we have difficulty in grasping the concept before we recognize and understand the sublime and how it unites the mind when it is filled with such a grand sensation. Unto myself, The face of every one That passes by me is a mystery! Thus have I looked, nor ceased to look, oppressed By thoughts of what and whither, when and how. All laws of acting, thinking, speaking man Went from me, neither knowing me nor known. (Hertz, 58) Wordsworth is making reference to the publication and how everyone is the same but different at the same time, whilst making allusions to the sensory approach and how he does not understand the incident to its furthest degree. He is stuck on the mathematically sublime until he advances in his text analysis and stumbles upon the blind beggar. Or emblem of the utmost that we know Both of ourselves and of the universe, And on the shape of this unmoving man, His fixed face and sightless eyes, I looked, As if admonished from another world.

Ethical decisions and informed consent Essay Example for Free

Ethical decisions and informed consent Essay In all counseling programs meant for children and adolescents, it is very important that the parents be involved. The parents would require knowing the results of the psychological analysis, most probably in concern for the well being of their wards. However, in certain cases, the children or the adolescents might not intent the parents to know the details of their case. Like an adult patient, the child patient would want to ensure confidentiality of their case. However, it is also important to know that the child would not be in a position to make a proper decision regarding their treatment. Hence, it is very important to ensure that confidentiality exists to a limited extent in such cases. The counselors would have to protect the adolescent and the teenager regarding the individual case. They have to maintain strict confidentiality and should not inform anybody about the details of their case. However, the counselor would also have to inform the parent, as the parents are in the best position in making a valuable decision about their wards. The child or adolescent may be acting out of immaturity in these cases. It is also important to keep in mind that issues regarding the sexual activity of the child and the interventions required for the treatment of a sexually transmitted disease differs from one state to another. Certain issues such as abuse, neglect, presence of any risk or danger to others, etc, have to be reported to the parents. The counselor should be aware that the parents have rights of the children. Only the relevant information has to be disclosed to the parents so that they can make an informed decision for the welfare of their wards. The information presented should be accurate and comprehensive. In this case the parents would have to be informed if any case of neglect, abuse, harm to the child, etc is present. Treatment of a sexually transmitted disease may have to be reported in case the child may cause the risk of transmitting it to other people. The counselor should also try to determine if any danger is present for the 15-year-old client from any other party. If any such danger were present, the counselor would have to ensure that the child is adequately protected by informing the parents. In all cases, the counselor, to determine the need for informing the parents, should conduct a thorough assessment of the situation.

European Telecommunications Policy on Liberalisation

European Telecommunications Policy on Liberalisation Introduction This paper critically discusses the European telecommunications policy which is mainly intended to liberalise all telecommunications goods and services. Telecommunications policy is concerned with fixed telephone network, telephone (voice) service, other services based on the telephone network, mobile telephony and electronic information network services such as the internet. Communications technologies services serve as a vital link between industry, the services sector and market as well as between peripheral areas and economic centres.[1] There is therefore no question as to the importance of having a telecommunications policy in place to ensure industrial competitiveness and economic and social cohesion. What cannot, however, escape comment is the kind of telecommunications policy introduced in Europe by the European Union. Background information European telecommunications policy started with a Council Decision and Resolution on standardisation of in the field of information technology which was adopted in 1987.[2] The aim of the Decision and Resolution was to create a European market in telecommunications equipment. This was meant to ensure that competition prevails across member states and also to ensure exchange of information, the convergence of industrial strategies and the creation of exploitation of a vast European information technologies and telecommunications market. A Directive was issued in 1999 to establish a single market for radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment. The Directive also prescribes the mutual recognition of their conformity based on the principle of the manufacturer’s declaration.[3] In order to succeed in creating a single market in telecommunications services it was realised that telecommunications markets had to be liberated so that user would be able to procure and connect terminal equipment without the obligation of applying to a single national telecommunications authority. To this end, member states are therefore required to bring an end excusive and special rights remaining in the telecommunications, the restrictions on the installations used for mobile networks as well as the interconnection between such networks. Suppliers of telecommunications services are also entitled to use capacity on cable television networks for all communications services, main data communications, closed corporate networks and multimedia services. Complete liberalisation of voice telephony and telecommunications infrastructure was are intended to be achieved. National regulatory authorities are also required to contribute to the development of the internal market by way of co-o peration with each other and with the Commission to ensure the consistent application in all member states. In 2002, a Directive[4] was issued for the establishment of a harmonised regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services throughout the European Union. The Directive takes account of all electronic communications networks and services within it scope. The electronic communications networks and services include transmissions system and routing equipment as well as other resources which permit the conveyance of signals by wire, by radio, by optical or by other electromagnetic means. They also include satellites networks, fixed and mobile-terrestrial networks, electricity cable system networks used for radio and television broadcasting, and cable television networks. There is also what is known as the â€Å"telecoms package† under which four specific directives were issued. One of these Directives concerns access. It is intended to provide a framework for rules that are applicable to specific products or service markets in particular geographical area. It is also intended to address identified market problems between access and interconnection suppliers.[5] For example, it gives operators of public communications a right and also impose obligation on them to negotiate interconnection with each other for the purpose of providing publicly available electronic communications services, so as to ensure provision and interoperability of services throughout the European community. One of the specific Directives also concerns authorisation. It is intended to implement an internal market in electronic communications networks and services through the harmonisation and simplification of authorisation rules and conditions in order to facilitate their provision throughout the community. [6] The Directive requires member states to ensure the freedom to provide electronic networks and services, subject to certain conditions set out in the Directive. Member states are therefore obliged not to prevent an undertaking from providing electronic communications networks or services without proper reasons.[7] The Directive also stipulates that the general authorisation system should apply to all such services and networks irrespective of their technological characteristics and should limit administrative barriers to entry into the market to a minimum. Another of the specific Directives concerns universal service and users. It is intended to ensure universal service provision for public telephony services in an environment of greater overall competitiveness, with provisions for financing the cost of providing a universal service in the most competitively neutral manner and for ensuring a maximum of information transparency.[8] Also, the Directive is intended to ensue the interoperability of digital consumer television equipment and the provision of certain mandatory services. Furthermore, the Directive establishes the rights of users and consumers of electronic communications service. The fourth specific Directive concerns the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communication sector.[9] It harmonises the provision of member states required to ensure an equivalent level of protection of fundamental rights and freedoms and in particular the right to privacy. It also ensures the free movement of such data and of electronic communication equipment and services in the community. There is an axis of the European telecommunications policy called the â€Å"technological development in telecommunications, which is pursued by research in advanced communication technologies and services. European research technological development policy is directed towards strengthening the scientific and technological basis of community industry and encouraging it to become more competitive at international level, while promoting all the research activities considered necessary by virtue of other chapters of the Treaty.[10] Other axis is known as â€Å"trans-European telecommunications network†. The networks are national digital networks which aim to introduce innovative trans-European services in the general interest. They also aim to contribute to the development of the information society in terms of growth, employment, social cohesion and participation for all in he knowledge-based economy.[11] Assessment of the policy The European telecommunications policy is said to have contributed greatly to the development of the telecommunication industry.[12] A member of the European Union Commission responsible for information society and media also claims that: â€Å"†¦ good implementation of the EU framework is paying off. EU countries that have applied the EU rules in a timely and efficient manner, following the principle of competition, have clearly achieved the best results in terms of investment in new networks and take-up of new innovative services It is rare for issues to arise where social justice and economic reality go hand in hand. I believe this is the case for the Information Society. All countries will have to liberalise their telecom networks in the end. This is unavoidable. Those that fight against it often do so in the name of social justice. They argue that liberalisation will reduce economic and social cohesion. The rich will get richer and the poor will be poorer. However, there is no inherent conflict between liberalisation and social justice in the field of the Information Society.†[13] According to the Commissioner, Variations of regulatory approach are today an obstacle to the internal market and to effective competition: If a national regulator in country A applies the EU rules vigorously to the operators on its market, while the national regulator in country B adopts a more lenient policy towards the dominant operator by adopting remedies later or in a less efficient way, this gives companies in country B an unfair competitive advantage over companies in country A. In Europe’s internal market, this is unacceptable. The Commissioner expressed belief that the Commission should be able to ensure consistency in remedies proposed by national regulators to enhance competition in market dominated by one or more operators. This, the Commissioner said was a logical adjunct to the Commission’s current role as regards market definitions and market power assessments. The Commission has three functions within the telecommunications area: the promotion of European telecommunications policy; regulation of competition and as a watchdog on the application of the Treaty of Rome. The commissioner’s remarks show that the aim of the policy has not been fully achieved. It is correct to say that, the European telecommunication policy has its shortcomings. First of all, one wonders how a policy which has separate national regulators for each member country can be said to be effective. There is no doubt that if the EU wants to achieve a real level playing field where telecommunication operators can compete satisfactorily with one another then there must be an independent telecommunications authority whose duty would be to ensure efficient implementation of the rules across member states. Such an authority would have the authority to require national regulators to co-operate with it. It is argued that the creation of a centralised authority was successf ully prevented by member states even though centralisation was regarded as a necessary step in the process of liberalisation and promotion of an integrated enfrastructure.[14] One criticism directed at the policy is that the regulatory regime has evolved which is framed and instructed by European guidelines but varies from member state to member state in several respects without a short-term or medium-term perspective to converge on a single regulatory model.[15] Alabau (2006) also argues that one does not have to analyse it very hard to realise that what the Commission wanted to do was simply to impose a single European licence, making services subject to the same policy that it applied to the free movement of goods. That was why the Framework Directive referred to Article 8 of the Treaty. In his view, the Member States were not going to give way on the mutual recognition of licences. Granting licences for operating telecommunications services in their territory represented an area of sovereignty that they simply were not prepared to give up. This situation, which might have made sense in the case of value added services, verged on the unreasonable when the decision to liberalise voice telephony services and infrastructures was made.[16] It was revealed during the EU telecom conference in Geneva in 1999 a number of issues could be identified. The first was the degree of independence enjoyed by national regulators. At a minimum, regulated authorities must be independent of the telecommunications operator(s) if any liberalisation of services is to be successful. Competitors should not enter a market unless the dominant operator is subject to independent regulation to ensure that monopoly services are provided to competitors at a price that allows them to compete effectively. Second, it was observed that notwithstanding the progress that has been made in many market segments, incumbents still largely dominate national markets. The biggest problem in this respect is their overwhelming dominance in local access networks. Some member states are believed to have already responded to this by forcing the incumbent to unbundle the local loop. Third, wide variations in the degree of competition between Member States are inevita ble, given their different starting points. However, this is also the result of differences in the regulatory framework, which in some areas is not consistently applied. It is for European Commission to set an overall telecommunications policy framework in the distribution of licenses. The duty of the National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) was to implement such objectives through specific legislative measures. All member states awarded more than one license in accordance with EU competition rules. However, while some states preferred to award licence through auction, others opted for what is known as the â€Å"beauty contest†. There are a number of flaws associated with either of these options. In any member state where auctioning was preferred, it emerged that the auctioning was problematic. The licence fee is said to be extremely high. â€Å"The danger of an open-ended auction is that the companies, in trying to outdo each other, will drive up the costs ridiculously.†[i] The ‘ridiculous costs’ of licenses may generate a chain of events with profound implications on 3G services and on overall economic welfare. One argument against auctioning states that due to the high cost of spectrum, telcos are forced to pass these costs on to consumers via higher prices, which in turn, retards the development of mobile data services due to lower mobile uptake by consumers). Ultimately, the deceleration in development will have wide-ranging implications for national economies as a whole†.[17] Auctions is also said to favour well-capitalised incumbent telcos which can afford to pay high premiums for spectrum, while smaller, possibly more innovative telcos who may be able to develop products faster while providing it at a better service, are left out due to capital constraints. Consequently, fewer competitors will exist in the market, keeping prices higher and products and services less innovative.[18] With regard to licence fee, the British Government has been criticised. It observed that higher prices to the consumer and the threat of investment stifling in 3G networks were both risks that might delay the rollout of 3G services and ultimately, adversely affect a country’s economic development. Many governments, including Ireland, have chosen not to use an auction to avoid the aforementioned risks. According to Professor Peter Cramton from the University of Maryland, beauty contests suffer from several problems. First, they are extremely slow and wasteful.[19] Second, beauty contests lack transparency. It is difficult to see why one proposal won out over another. Worse yet, the ability of the regulator to successfully identify the best proposals is limited.[ii] The Radio communications Agency, which manages the UK’s radio spectrum, admits it considered various options for 28GHz, including a beauty contest. But in a report on the two processes, it concluded that with a beauty contest it would be difficult to keep the selection procedure 1) objective, 2) non-discriminatory and 3) transparent, as required by the EC Licensing Directive.[20] It argued that the danger of utilizing beauty contests as a basis for assigning licenses for 3G mobile networks is that the criteria may be influenced by subjectively biased national factors that may prejudice open decision making.[21] Conclusion It will be unfair to say that the European telecommunications policy has not achieved any success. One may to a large extent agree with the assertion that the policy has contributed greatly the development of the telecommunication industry. However, as seen above, the policy is far from perfect. The entire blame cannot be shifted to the European Commission. The unwillingness on the part of member states to have an independent European telecommunications authority has contributed to the problem. Having identified this as a problem herself, the EU Commissioner responsible for information society and media stated at the 2006 European Competitive Telecommunications Association conference that the most effective and less bureaucratic way to achieve a real level plying ground field for telecom operators was to replace the present system by an independent authority that will act like European Central Bank. One cannot but only that in future member states will realise the need to have such a system in place. References Chapman, Matt. â€Å"Auction of Radio Spectrum Comes Back to Haunt Telcos,† Network News,  Sep 6, 2000 Eliassen, Kjell, A. and Sjovaag, Marit. European Communication Liberalisation. London:  Routledge. 1999 Lehr, W. and T. Kiessling. (1999). Telecommunication Regulation in the United States,  Europe: The Case for Centralized Authority. In S. Eisner Gillett and I. Vogelsang,  eds, Competition, Regulation, and Convergence. Current Trends in Telecommunications Policy Research. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 105-20. Reding, Viviane, Review of the EU Telecom Rules: Strengthening Competition and Completing  the Internal Market†. 27 June 200http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/422> Schneider, Volker and Werle, Raymund, Telecommunications Policy. In Graziano,  Paolo, and Vink, Maarten, eds Europeanization: New Research Agendas. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (2006). Chapter 20  Nourafchan, Raphael. The Political Economy of European Telecommunications Policy: auctions  versus Beauty Contests Footnotes [1] Moussis, Nicholas, Access to European Union: Law, Economic Policies. Rixensart, Belgium: European.  Union Services [2] Repealed, see Council Decision (1999/468 EC) [3] Directive 1999/5/EC [4] Directive 2002/21/ EC [5] Directive 2002/19/EC [6] Directive 2002?20/ EC [7] The reasons are set out in Article 46(1) of the Treaty [8] Directive 2002/22/EC [9] Directive 2002/58/EC [10] Decision 182/1999/EC [11] Decision 336/97/EC [12] Liikanen, Erkki, Telecom 1999 Conference, Geneva, 1999. 07 August 2007. http://ec.europa.eu/archives/commission_1999_2004/liikanen/media/speeches/19991010.htm> [13] Reding, Viviane, Review of the EU Telecom Rules: Strengthening Competition and Completing the  Internal Market†. 27 June 2006. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/422> [14]  Lehr, W. and T. Kiessling. (1999). Telecommunication Regulation in the United States,  Europe: The Case for Centralized Authority. In S. Eisner Gillett and I. Vogelsang, eds,  Competition, Regulation, and Convergence. Current Trends in Telecommunications  Policy Research. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 105-20. [15]  Schneider, Volker and Werle, Raymund, Telecommunications Policy. In Graziano,  Paolo, and Vink, Maarten, eds Europeanization: New Research Agendas.  Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (2006). Chapter 20 [16] Alabau, Antonio, â€Å"European Union and its Electronic Communications Policy; Thirty Years In Perspective† [17]Nourafchan, Raphael. The Political Economy of European Telecommunications Policy: auctions versus Beauty  Contests [18] Ibid. [19] Even with streamlined hearings, it took the FCC an average of two years to award thirty cellular licenses. Competitors  Spend vast sums trying to influence the regulator’s decision (Peter Cramton 2001). [20]  Chapman, Matt. â€Å"Auction of Radio Spectrum Comes Back to Haunt Telcos,† Network News, Sep 6, 2000 [21] Telecoms Standards Approvals Review, â€Å"3G Licensing: France to Use Selection Process,† Jun 20, 2000 [i] [ii]

Analysis of Still Life With Peppermint Bottle by Paul Cezanne Essay

Analysis of Still Life With Peppermint Bottle by Paul Cezanne Paul Cezanne is considered one of the greatest and most memorable artists of the Post-Impressionist period. His techniques were admired and greatly influential in the development of Cubism and many other modern art movements. He employed several styles in his works, such as his still life productions. In 1894 he produced a brilliant piece of work entitled â€Å"Still Life with a Peppermint Bottle†. Through this work he used elaborate techniques that most artists had not even discovered during his era. Cezanne mastered the technique of still life. In his paintings he used random objects such as a peppermint bottles and fruit (these examples taken from his painting, ‘Still Life with a Peppermint Bottle’), which symbolized the private part of man’s nature. Jane Roberts supports this idea in stating that, â€Å" †¦ man will gladly surround himself with beloved knick knacks with which he can be isolated with and alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Roberts 213). She goes on to say that these objects are contemplative in nature, allowing man to sit and ponder their meaning. When I speak of contemplation, I mean that every object is taken into account and their meaning of existence and placement are reflected upon. The fruit on the table has many other meanings besides being edible or for human use. By observing the fruit, you come to realize that the fruit is not being used for a human purpose, such as for food. It is something to be contempla...

The ECommerce Environment of Singapore Essay -- GCSE Business Marketin

The ECommerce Environment of Singapore Geography The Republic of Singapore is located in southeast Asia, south of Malaysia and northwest of Indonesia. The island measures a total of 637 square kilometers with a coastline 193 kilometers long. Singapore is generally comprised of lowland areas with a central plateau in the middle of the island. Its elevation ranges from the Bukit Timah, (166 m.), to the Singapore Strait which is at sea level. Its climate is tropical and wet. Precipitation occurs on 40% of all days, (70% of days in April). Singapore's two biggest natural recourses are its fishing industry, and its deep water ports. Singapore is also a focal point for most Southeast Asian sea routes. History Singapore was originally settled by Great Britain in 1819 as a port of call. The British used Singapore to extend their territories in Indonesia. It remained under British rule until 1941 when Japan bombed and captured Singapore. After three years of Japanese rule, British forces returned to the island. By this time Singapore was longing for self-government. Singapore realized its need for independence in 1959 holding its first general election. The new, independent Singapore was voted into the United Nations in 1965. On December 22, 1965, Singapore became a republic electing Yusof bin Ishak as its first president. Infrastructure In Singapore's short life as a republic, it has developed a sound infrastructure. In the way of transportation, Singapore has a total of 105 kilometers of railways used for commercial and personal transportation. It has also built over 3,000 kilometers of highways, 2,936 of which are paved. Singapore also boasts a 67 kilometer mass transit system with 42 stations. The mass transit system is the preferred means of travel in Singapore due to the fact that only one of every ten people own an automobile. Singapore produces 28 billion kilowatts of electricity annually. One hundred percent of Singapore's electricity is produced by means of fossil fuel. An estimated 97% of all residents live in households with electricity and running water. Singapore's leading industries include: electronics, petroleum refining, oil drilling equipment, rubber products and rubber processing, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology, and financial services. Technological Infrast... ...panding Connections Singapore's current US connection of 45 Mbps is growing everyday. Local internet providers have begun expanding their connection speed and size through the use of satellite links. It is estimated that in the next ten years the number of internet connections in Singapore will almost be double what it is today. Summary Electronic Commerce is changing the way business is conducted today. Singapore has positioned itself to become a major part of the E-business trend. Developing technology, government support, and growing internet awareness make Singapore an ideal environment in which E-commerce can thrive. Lee Yock Suan sums up Singapore's E-commerce environment by saying ,"We want to be plugged into this global development, and position Singapore as an international E-commerce hub." References WWW.Singstat.gov 202.42.217.232/ WWW.Geography.com.sg WWW.TheStandard.com Rajakru, Dang Journal of Contemporary Asia, vol 26, 1996, p. 3-27 The state, family and industrial development: the Singapore case. Graham, Mark Industry Week, vol 249 no 7, 2000,p. 37-40 Singapore lures technology: it's clean, green -- and a powerful machine.

This self-portrait is the last ever self-portrait painted by Vincent Es

This self-portrait is the last ever self-portrait painted by Vincent van Gogh before he died on the 29th July 1890 as a result of a self-inflicted bullet wound. This self-portrait is the last ever self-portrait painted by Vincent van Gogh before he died on the 29th July 1890 as a result of a self-inflicted bullet wound. The first thing I notice when I look at the painting is the amount of blue used to create the background, the jacket and also the darker, shaded areas on van Gogh’s face. I think van Gogh did this for a few reasons, * One reason could be to show the way that he felt while he was painting, which could of been sad or â€Å"blue†. This is a possibility as van Gogh was known for his sad lifestyle which would eventually lead to him mutilating his ear after an argument with the artist Paul Gaugin, becoming a voluntary patient at the St. Remy Mental Asylum and then finally, shooting himself in a suicide attempt and dying two days later. * Another reason for the exaggerated use of blue could be down the fact that van Gogh wanted to make the reader feel as if it was cold or icy in the painting. * One more reason could be to give the impression that van Gogh is standing outside and the blue is the sky in the background. I can tell that van Gogh is not at a happy time in his life as his expression is gloomy and miserable. I think that the odd swirls in the background could be seen as symbolic of his mental state at the time. Whilst van ...

Indian Republic Day Speech Essay

India celebrates our 64th Republic Day which is one of three national days in India. Commonly 64th Republic Day is a public holiday in most of the countries to honor the day on which the country first became republics. In such some are Commonwealth countries, the British sovereign was ruling the state until the change of status. Even though India obtained freedom on August 15, 1947, Indian Constitution implemented and came into effect only on January 26, 1950. King George VI, the last and only â€Å"King† of the modern India, was leading our state during the evolution period from 1947 to 1950. Lord Mountbatten and C. Rajagopalachari were serving as the Governors-General of India at that time. Afterwards Rajendra Prasad was elected as the first president of India on January 26, 1950. With this the Parliament officially approved the Constitution of India and declared itself as a â€Å"Republic† on January 26, 1950, a date thereafter celebrated every year as Republic Day in India. Lets know about India Republic Day official celebration in New Delhi. According to the Republic Day celebration on January 26th every year a grand parade is held in New Delhi, the Capital of India, beginning from Raisina Hill near the Presidential Palace Rashtrapati Bhavan, along the Rajpath, past India Gate and on to the historic Red Fort in the heart of the city to honor this occasion. Defence forces of state, Indian Army force, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force performs the past in parade with their ceremonial dress and official decorations on this auspicious occasion of Republic Day. At the end of parade Air Force jets perform a colorful flypast by in a Tiranga formation which is adventurous and eye-catching at a time. Similar celebrations with such parades are held in the capitals of all the states of India on the Republic day. The Governor of the each state takes the salute in their respective celebrations. More over all official government offices will also celebrate this national day which is also considered as people’s day. Once this salutation gets over, a 21 gun salute is presented, the President unfurls the National Flag and the National Anthem is performed. This regards the beginning of the parade. The Republic day Parade commences with winners of bravery awards passing the President in open jeeps. We all are proud to be Indians and would salute the great glory of our country. By saying this I would like to finish my speech.

Lifetime of Color Essay

In the 1900s, the world was suddenly enveloped by vagueness and uncertainty on what the future will bring. Prior to this period, the ambience was definite and secure. In relation to the art world, many artists were trying to outgrow the traditional styles that flourished all over the world. They wanted to create something different based from the conventional aesthetics popularized by the Renaissance. These artisans were considered as the founders of Modernism because they were trying to search for ways on how to display their new found outlook to ambiguity. This scenario laid the grounds for the founding of Cubism. This avant-garde art style movement began when a French painter called Paul Cezanne began to change his Impressionist style. Cezanne shifted from painting landscapes with pastel colors and soft brushstrokes to concentrating on portraying his own interpretation of the â€Å"shapes and forms† and he stayed away from rendering a realistic pictorial output. More so, he put more importance on the painting as a whole rather than focusing on the subject or the theme. Then, another artist came into the picture named Henri Matisse who also paved the way for the development of Cubism. Together with Louis Vauxcelles, an art critic and French journalist who â€Å"coined the term ‘les fauves’ (the wild animals) for the artists of Fauvism,† Matisse discovered an unusual painting by George Braque at the â€Å"Salon d’ Automne. † He said that the artwork incorporated â€Å"little cubes. † Braque’s painting showcased the landscape of the South of France with a surprising twist of including â€Å"two ascending lines meeting at the top and between several cubes. † This work of art provided artists who were looking for change with a new direction. Braque was the very first artist to create a cubist painting. Since then, despite the negative criticisms, cubism became an established style and art movement. The term â€Å"cubism† was developed by Vauxcelles when he was writing a report about the â€Å"Salon des Independants in 1909. † Through the ingenuity and innovation of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, cubism has gained a big following in France and rest of the world. According to Picasso, Cubism has tangible goals. We see it only as a means of expressing what we perceive with the eye and the spirit, while utilizing the possibilities that lie within the natural properties of drawing and color, That became a source of unexpected joy for us, a front to discoveries. (Gantefuhrer-Trier, Gantefuhrer and Grosenick 2004, 6) It is evident that Cubism is the brainchild of Picasso and Braque. They were responsible for the proliferation of a modern, radical and powerful art style that significantly influenced the 20th century. The main focus of this style and movement is the â€Å"complete denial of Classical conception of beauty. † The untrained eye evaluated the by-products of the cubists as perplexing but for the avant-garde, they perceived cubism as the way to the future. In cubism, many traditional elements such as proportions, lines, perspective and forms are distorted. As a result, the visual representation looked like â€Å"a field of broken glass. † Because of this, cubism became known for its â€Å"geometrically analytical approach to form and color, and shattering of object in focus into geometrical sharp-edged angular pieces. † To form these unusual shapes, a systematic deconstruction was employed to create an illusion of three- dimensionality. Many cubists doubted the integrity of â€Å"whole† images because for them these were the synthetic and conventional outputs of the past artisans. They believed that â€Å"perspective space is an illusory, rational invention, or a sign system inherited from works of art since the Renaissance. Moreover, cubism has two major branches namely: Analytical cubism and Synthetic cubism. The former is defined as the intellectual distortion of a subject matter producing hard to interpret and ambiguous materials. Meanwhile, the latter is more â€Å"experimental nature of a collage† and highly decorative. It is easier to comprehend than analytic cubism because the images and forms are not that distorted and abstract. Since its inception, Cubism became a worldwide phenomenon in the field of art. It continues to challenge artists even in the contemporary period to advance the art style and the movement to better reflect culture and society. Pioneers of Cubism The growth of cubism in the 20th century is accredited to Pablo Picasso and George Braque. Both worked hand in hand in exploring and at the same time experimenting with a technique aimed at flattening space. They utilized bold colors, raw shapes and flattened space to display their non-conformist approach towards art. It was the focus on conveying emotions rather than the â€Å"intellectual experiment with structure† that set cubism from other avant-garde movements such as Fauvism. Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso was a native of Spain. At an early age, he was already producing remarkable works of art. In the early 1900s, Picasso moved to Paris where he developed an artistic phase called the Blue period. This was the time when he used various â€Å"shades of blue† in portraying the darker side of particular place. By the time he met Fernande Oliver, Picasso’s gloomy works transformed into bright shades of red that became known as his Rose period. The circus theme seemed to be the favorite subject of Picasso during this period. By 1906, he went to Spain that marked another modification in his art style. During his stay there, he was greatly influenced by â€Å"African, Green and Iberian art. † He incorporated geometrical forms that made his paintings very forward-looking. Then, Picasso met another intriguing artist named George Braque. In 1908 to 1911, they developed a unique style of painting landscape wherein they included cube shapes or forms in the picture. This became known as analytic cubism. This style was formed by â€Å"by breaking down and analyzing a object† and utilizing a monochromatic earthy brown color scheme. By 1912, Picasso started to use other elements in his artworks that resulted to the creation of collages which is also known as synthetic cubism. This style is more for decorative purposes. In the late 1920s, Picasso moved to Rome, Italy where he got married. In this period, he painted â€Å"neoclassical pictures of women and pictures inspired by Greek mythology. † By the time WWI broke out, Picasso created Guernica, to demonstrate his opposition over the bombing of â€Å"Basque town of Guernica on April 26, 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. † The painting was filled with symbolisms that represented the wickedness attached with the bombing. By the time of the end of WWII until Picasso’s death in 1973, his paintings veered towards more somber theme dealing about death. Some of Picasso’s famous artworks include Woman with a Crow (1903), Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), Geometric Composition: The Guitar (1913) and many others. George Braque On the other hand, George Braque also lived a full life personally and professionally in the realm of art. He studied painting at the â€Å"local art school in Le Havre,† France. This was followed by a more formal training at the â€Å"Academie Humbert and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in the studio of Leon Bonnat. † Braque started out with impressionism wherein he was influenced by Matisse and Derain. By 1906, he got immersed with Fauvism and started to use light and bright colors combined with undulating patterns. But he stood out from the rest of the fauvists when he employed â€Å"architectonic solidity of composition and an emphasis on strongly defined volumes rather than color and brushwork. † The year 1907 became a crucial time for Braque and cubism. This was the time when Braque was once again inspired by Paul Cezanne and this was also the time when he met Pablo Picasso. Because of them, Braque’s outputs developed into something more radical. After only three years, the tandem of Braque and Picasso produce a new form art style called the analytic cubism which is described as the â€Å"nonillusionistic and nonimitative method of depicting the visual world. † The partnership of these two artists was mutual and their connection was so strong that their artworks cannot be distinguished from one another. The Violin and Pitcher (1910) is a very suitable example of an analytic cubism by Braque. Most of his paintings during this period were fragmented resulting to a â€Å"compact pictorial structure. † In 1914, Braque ventured into another phase of cubism which was called synthetic cubism wherein the artistic treatment included the use of â€Å"brightly dotted decorative passages. † Then, he moved to Normandy, France in the 1930s which have influenced Braque to shift his themes to seascapes. His painting style employed the use of â€Å"ornamentation and patterned surfaces. † From the 1930s to the 1950s, Braque grew interests on birds, melancholic themes, brilliant fauvist colors that were all seen in his â€Å"sculptures, graphics, book illustration, and decorative art. † Famous Cubist Artworks In the early 20th century, a new wave of artists have emerged that embraced a new progressive art style that had made a significant influence in the art world and the rest of the society and this was Cubism. This innovative movement aided in the development of contemporary art. More so, cubism led to the activation of many artists’ creative geniuses and induction of their bravery to go against the flow. Because of this, numerous masterpieces have emerged that embodied the unique principles and avant-garde style of cubism. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso (1907) This painting showed Picasso’s portrayal of sexuality and his defiance over the traditional rules on visual elements and principles of design. The images integrated illustrated five naked female â€Å"prostitutes in a brothel. † In terms of form, human bodies were deformed with distorted body proportions. Also, out of the five figures, three were wearing ancient African masks that made the painting more interesting. More so, the â€Å"bold, brash diagonal lines and angular planes added a sense of violence to the composition. † The colors used were a mix of bold hues of reds and blues that were combined with the subtle pink and flesh tones. Through this, each figure was able to stand out from one another. Another intriguing factor of the painting is the â€Å"two central figures† that appeared to be looking directly at the viewers. This was probably intentional on the part of Picasso to grab the attention of the viewers. The Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is one of the first models for analytic cubism that successfully demonstrated that three dimensionality can be achieved even without the employment of perspective. Violin and Pitcher by Georges Braque (1909-1910) This still life painting is another example of analytic cubism. Based on the title, the main focus of this artwork is the violin and the pitcher. Many believed that Braque developed a fascination with musical instruments even if he did not know how to play. For him, painting these instruments was his way of showing his departure with naturalism. The treatment on the primary figures was distorted in order to illustrate disintegration. The violin was twisted at the bottom to make the other parts more visible. On top of the violin is the pitcher that was also drawn in fragments to create an illusion of depth. The contrast of the shades of red and grey added more dramatic effect to the series of geometric shapes strewn all over the canvas. There is also a nail on top of the painting but it serves no real purpose unlike in Braque’s earlier painting, Violin and Palette. Underneath the nail is a â€Å"piece of paper† wherein the top right corner was folded that provided a flattening effect on the plane. This also projected a shadow that created an illusion of light â€Å"being beamed down from the top right corner. † Glass of Beer and Playing Cards by Juan Gris (1913) Juan Gris was part of the founding of Cubism together with Braque and Picasso. He pushed for the advancement as well as for the growth of this art movement. In his painting of the Glass of Beer and Playing Cards, it is ruled over by vertical lines that divide the canvas into several segments. A coherently silhouetted beer mug might be established by shifting the vertical band that constitutes the right side of the mug upward so that the white outline becomes contiguous with the outline of the fully modeled form of the mug to its left. But this realignment would in turn disalign the continuity between the blue curvature on the orange wallpaper and the edge of the sand to the right, both forms constituting a view from above of the beer’s foam. Changes or transformations in the appearance of an object seem to occur in a number of directions: they follow the alternating rhythm of vertical bands but also the contrapuntal system of horizontal bands. Occasionally there is also a sense of transformations occurring in depth, as if Gris had peeled away the surface of certain vertical bands to reveal an alternate mode of representation or point of view beneath. Still Life with Chair Cane by Pablo Picasso (1912) This is first painting of Picasso to represent synthetic cubism. It was one of the first illustrations of a collage painting. The elements present in the artwork are woven chair cane, various geometric drawings, newspapers, painted letters and wine labels which were all encapsulated by a rope around the oval canvas. In contrast with analytic cubism, this painting is less on deconstruction but more on juxtaposing different elements for decorative purposes. Since there is only a minimal presence of fragmentations, depth is nonexistent making the painting more flat. Art in the 1900s During the 1900s, several other art movements have emerged aside from Cubism. Some of these movements were the Abstraction, Fauvism, Futurism, Dadaism and Surrealism. The only common factor that binds these art movements is their ability to reject tradition and their flair for the modern aesthetics. In abstraction, the artists choose not to depict reality. The images are disfigured, the details are left out and the conventional perspective is altered. Meanwhile, Fauvism is known for its use of colors in portraying emotions. Fauvists created their masterpieces by imperfectly treating colors in an arbitrary style. On the other hand, Futurism is characterized by the abandonment of the â€Å"static and irrelevant art of the past and celebrating change, originality and innovation in culture and society. † This style celebrates the power and vivacity of machines. Moreover, Dadaism is another movement that garnered positive as well as negative feedbacks from art aficionados. This style is defined as â€Å"nihilistic, anti-aesthetic and a reaction to the rationalization, rules and conventions of mainstream art. † For Dada artists, their artworks are intended to be anti-art. The last movement is Surrealism which existed through the art style of Dadaism. Surrealist art was greatly influenced by the â€Å"theories of Dr. Sigmund Freud and the unconscious† which are represented in a dream or fantasy-like manner in paintings. Though cubism had a lot of competition, it still managed to continue to influence 1920s and even way beyond to the contemporary period. Today, many modern artists are using cubism in sculptures and architecture. Cubism had become more bold and experimental. It seemed like the artists have eliminated all boundaries for the sake of the enrichment of their creativity. Like in the 1900s, many modern artists are still faced with several challenges on how to make their artworks more pleasing to the public eye but at the same time they still want to render a significant importance to their own point of view in order not to compromise their artistic integrity for public support. The House of the Black Madonna in Czech Republic and Cal Poly Pomona University library in California symbolized that the spirit and philosophies of Cubism during its initial phase are still as intense and provocative as it is today. Conclusion In conclusion, Cubism has created a revolution in the world of art. It defied the conventions and traditional practices that have dominated in the 1900s. For many artists, it was not easy to challenge the existing status quo. But because of their yearning for change and their craving for stimulation, they were able to withstand the scrutiny and rejection made by society. Through the resilience and the drive of the cubist style for progress, it was able to endure the test of time that it continues to persist in the 21st century. Moreover, this art style and movement is an evident symbol of how human beings can perceive the world in a totally different way. More so, cubism has showcased the value of intellectual freedom and distinctive aesthetic, in which significantly contributed to the development of the visual art. Overall, cubism is a form of art that will keep on evolving for the expression and celebration of human’s vision, passion and imagination. BIBLIOGRAPHY â€Å"Art timeline. † 2007. A Lifetime of Color. http://www. alifetimeofcolor. com/study/timeline. html (accessed April 24, 2009). â€Å"Cubism. † 2007. Huntfor. com. http://www. huntfor. com/arthistory/C20th/cubism. htm (accessed April 23, 2009) Drinkwater, Lee. â€Å"Georges Braque Violin and Pitcher. † 2009. Lycos. co. uk. http://members. lycos. co. uk/cubist_movement/violin. htm (accessed April 24, 2009). Gantefuhrer-Trier, Anne, Gantefuhrer, Trie and Grosenick, Uta. Cubism. Germany: Taschen, 2004. â€Å"Georges Braque. † 1999. Discoverfrance. net. http://www. discoverfrance. net/France/Art/Braque/Braque. shtml (accessed April 23, 2009). Grisham, Kathleen. â€Å"Analytical Cubism. † n. d. West Valley College. http://instruct. westvalley. edu/grisham/1d_analycub. html (accessed April 23, 2009).