Violence And Pornography Essay Example For Students

Violence And Pornography Essay Pornography Sex or Subordination?In the late Seventies, America became shocked and outragedby the rape, mutilation, and murder of over a dozen young,beautiful girls. The man who committed these murders, Ted Bundy, was later apprehended and executed. During hisdetention in various penitentiaries, he was mentallyprobed and prodded by psychologist and psychoanalystshoping to discover the root of his violent actions andsexual frustrations. Many theories arose in attempts toexplain the motivational factors behind his murderousescapades. However, the strongest and most feasible ofthese theories came not from the psychologists, but fromthe man himself, ?as a teenager, my buddies and I wouldall sneak around and watch porn. As I grew older, Ibecame more and more interested and involved in it, became an obsession. I got so involved init, I wanted to incorporate into my life, but Icouldnt behave like that and maintain the success I hadworked so hard for. I generated an alter-ego to fulfillmy fantasies under-cover. Pornography was a means ofunlocking the evil I had burried inside myself? (Leidholdt47). Is it possible that pornography is acting as the keyto unlocking the evil in more unstable minds?According to Edward Donnerstein, a leading researcherin the pornography field, ?the relationship betweensexually violent images in the media and subsequentaggression and . . . callous attitudes towards women ismuch stonger statistically than the relationship betweensmoking and cancer? (Itzin 22). After considering theincrease in rape and molestation, sexual harassment, andother sex crimes over the last few decades, and also thecorresponding increase of business in the pornographyindustry, the link between violence and pornogrpahy needsconsiderable study and examination. Once the evidence youwill encounter in this paper is evaluated and quantified,it will be hard not come away with the realization thathabitual use of pornographic material promotes unrealisticand unattainable des ires in men that can leac to violentbehavior toward women. In order to properly discuss pornography, and be ableto link it to violence, we must first come to a basic andagreeable understanding of what the word pornographymeans. The term pornogrpahy originates from two greekwords, porne, which means harlot, and graphein, whichmeans to write (Websters 286). My belief is that thecombination of the two words was originally meant todescribe, in literature, the sexual escapades of womendeemed to be whores. As time has passed, this definitionof pornography has grown to include any and all obsceneliterature and pictures. At the present date, the term isbasically a blanket which covers all types of materialsuch as explicit literature, photography, films, and videotapes with varying degrees of sexual content. We will write a custom essay on Violence And Pornography specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now For Catherine Itzins research purposes pornogrpahy has been divided into three categories: The sexually explicit and violent; the sexually explicit and nonviolent, but subordinating and dehumanizing; and the sexually explicit, nonviolent, and nonsubordinating that is based upon mutuality. The sexually explicit and violent is graphic, showing penetration and ejaculation. Also, it shows the violent act toward a woman. The second example shows the graphic sexual act and climax, but not a violent act. This example shows the woman being dressed is a costume or being ?talked down to in order to reduce her to something not human; such as a body part or just something to have sex with, a body opening or an orifice. Not only does ?erotica show the entire graphic sexual act, it also depicts an attraction between two people. Her research consistently shows that harmful effects are associated with the first two, but that the third ?erotica, is harmless (22). These three categories basically exis t as tools of discerning content. Although sometimes they overlap without a true distinction, as in when the film is graphic in the sexual act and also in violence, but shows the act as being a mutual activity between the people participating. In my view, to further divide pornography, it is possible to break it down into even simpler categories: soft and hard core pornography. Hard core pornography isa combination of the sexually explicit and violent and thesexually explicit and nonviolent, but subordinating anddehumanizing categories, previously discussed. Soft corepornography is thought to be harmless and falls into thecategory known as ?erotica; which is the category basedon mutuality. In hard core pornogrpahy, commonly ratedXXX, you can see graphic depictions of violent sexualacts usually with a man or group of men, deriving sexualgratification from the degradation of a woman. You can also see women participating in demoralizingsexual behavior among themselves for the gratification ofmen. In a triple-X movie all physical aspects are shown,such as extreme close-ups of genitalia, oral, vaginal, andanal penetration, and also ejaculation. Much of the timeemphasis is put on the painful and humiliating experienceof the woma n, for the sole satisfaction of the male. Softcore pornography, or X-rated pornography, is less explicitin terms of what is shown and the sexual act is usuallyput in the light of mutual enjoyment for both the male andfemale parties(Cameron and Frazer 23). Triple-Xpornography is manufactured and sold legally in the UnitedStates. Deborah Cameron and Elizabeth Frazer point outthat other forms of hard core pornography that have to bekept under wraps, made and sold illegally in underground?black markets. These are ultraviolent, ?snuff, andchild pornography. Ultraviolent tapes or videos show theactual torture, rape, and sometime mutilation of a woman. ?Snuff films go even future to depict the actual death ofa victim, and child pornography reveals the use ofunder-age or pre-pubescent children for sexual purposes(17-18). These types of pornogrpahy cross over theboundaries of entertainment and are definitely hard core. Now that pornography has been defined in a fashionmirroring its content, it is now possible to touch uponthe more complex ways a community, as a society , views ordefines it. Some have said it is impossible for a groupof individuals to form a concrete opinion as to whatpornography means. A U.S. Supreme Court judge is quotedas saying, ?I cant define pornography, but I know it whenI see it? (Itzin 20). This statement can be heard atcommunity meetings in every state, city, and county acrossthe nation. Community standards are hazy due to the factthat when asked what pornography is to them, mostindividuals cannot express or explain in words whatpornography is, therefore creating confusion amongthemselves. Communities are left somewhat helpless in this mattersince the federal courts passed legislation to keeppornography available to adults. The courts assess thatto ban or censor the material would be infringing on thepublics First Amendment Right (Carol 28). MaureenOBrien quotes critics of a congressionally terminatedbill, the Pornography Victims Compensation Act, as saying?That if it had passed, it would have had severelychilling effects on the First Amendment, allowing victimsof sexual crimes to file suit against producers anddistributors of any work that was proven to have had?caused the attack, such as graphic material in books,magazines, videos, films, and records? (7). People in acommunity debating over pornography often have differentviews as to whether or not it should even be madeavailable period, and some could even argue this pointagainst the types of women used in pornography: ?A fargreater variety of female types are shown as desirable inpornography than mainstream films a nd network televisionhave ever recognized: fat women, flat women, hairy women,aggressive women, older women, you name it? (Carol 25). If we could all decide on just exactly what pornography isand what is acceptable, there wouldnt be so much debateover the issue of censoring it. The bounds of community standards have been stretchedby mainstreaming movies, opening the way even further forthe legalization of more explicit fare (Jenish 53). Inmost contemporary communities explicit sex that is withoutviolent or dehumanizing acts is acceptable in Americansociety today. These community standards have not been around verylong. When movies were first brought out, they wereheavily restricted and not protected by the FirstAmendment, because films then were looked upon only asdiversionary entertainment and business.Even though sexualimages were highly monitored, the movie industry was hitso hard during the Great Depression that film-makers foundthemselves sneaking in as much sexual content as possible,even then they saw that ?sex sells (Clark 1029). Filmswere highly restricted throughout the 30s, 40s, and 50sby the industry, but once independent films of the 60ssuch as: ?Bonnie and Clyde? and ?Whose afraid of VirginiaWoolfe (Clark 1029-30), both with explicit language,sexual innuendo, and violence started out-performing thelarger ?wholesome production companies, many of thebarriers holding sex and violence back were torn down inthe name of profit . Adult content was put into movieslong ago, we have become more immune and cant expect itto get any better o r to go away. Porn is here for good. .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db , .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .postImageUrl , .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db , .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db:hover , .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db:visited , .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db:active { border:0!important; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db:active , .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4bce53b34d550a7c5868f71f300869db:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Triumphant Reconstruction EssayPornography is a multi-million dollar internationalindustry, ultimately run by organized crime all over theworld, and is produced by the respectable mainstreampublishing business companies (Itzin 21). Although thepublishing companies are thought to be ?respectable,people generally stereotype buyers and users ofpornographic material as ?dirty old men in trenchcoats,but most patrons of adult stores are well-educated peoplewith disposable income (Jenish 52). Porno movies provideadults of both genders with activities they normallywouldnt get in everyday life, such as oral pleasures ordifferent types of fetishes. Ultimately adultentertainment is just a quick-fix for grown-ups, asjunk-food would be for small children. Pornographys main purpose is to serve asmasturbatory stimuli for males and to provide a sexualvent. Although in the beginning, society saw it asperverted and sinful, it was still considered relativelyharmless. Today there is one case studie, standing outfrom the rest, that tends to shatter this illusion. The study done my Monica D. Weisz and Christopher M. Earls used ?eighty-seven males . . . that were randomlyshown one of four films?, by researchers William Tooke andMartin Lalumiere: ?Deliverance, Straw Dogs, Die Hard II,and Days of Thunder?, for a study on how they would reactto questions about sexual violence and offenders afterwatching. In the four films there is sexual aggressionagainst a male, sexual aggression against a female,physical aggression, and neutrality-no explicit scenes ofphysical or sexual aggression. Out of this study themales were more acceptable of interpersonal violence andrape myths and also more attracted to sexual aggression. These same males were less sympathetic to rape victims andwere noted less likely to find a defendant guilty of rape(71). These four above mentioned movies are mainstreamedR-rated films. If a mainstream movie can cause this kindof distortion of value and morality, then it should becomeevident that continuous viewing/use of pornographic filmsdepicting violent sex and aggression could lead v ulnerablepersons into performing or participating in sexualviolence against their partners or against a stranger. Bill Marshall, psychology professor at QueensUniversity and director of a sexual behavior clinic inKingston, interviewed one-hundred and twenty men, betweenthe years 1980 and 1985, who had molested children orraped women. In his conclusion he found that pornographyappeared to be a significant factor in the chain of eventsleading up to a deviant act in 25% of these cases (Nicols60). The results of this study should prove thatpornography obviously has a down side to it. According to Mark Nicols, a psychology professor atthe University of Michigan, Neil Malamuth, concludes quitecautiously that some messages combined with other factors,including the viewers personality type, in pornographycan lead to antisocial behavior and make individuals lesssensitive to violence. Dr. Marshall also quotes men inNicols article as saying, ?that they looked at pornographywith the intent to masturbate, but then became aroused,and decided to go out and assault a woman or child.? Menwho are drawn into pornography and use it frequently, havealso been proven to suggest more lenient prison terms forsex offenders? (60). If this previous statement is true,should we reevaluate how many men serve on juries forthese trials?Itzin gives possible support for these theories. Itcan be found in the case of an ex-prostitute who had herpubic hair removed with a jackknife and was forced by herpimp to be filmed reenacting what they had seen inpornographic movies; she was sexually assaulte d and forcedto have intercourse with animals, generally dogs. Anothersuch case is one of a woman who reports having metal clipsattached to her breasts, being tied to a chair, and beingraped and beaten continuously for twelve hours (22-24). The dehumanizing, degradation, and reduction of a womansbody isnt just a result of viewed pornography, it isoften inseminated into the production of a pornographicproject. During the making of ?Deep Throat?, a 1970spornographic film, Linda Marchiano (a.k.a. LindaLovelace), was presented to the public as a liberatedwoman with an ever present and unfulfilled appetite forfellatio. What isnt known to the general public is thatduring the making of the movie, she was hypnotized tosuppress the natural gagging reaction, was tortured whencaught trying to escape, and also held at gun-point by herboss, who threatened her with death (Itzin 22). Ms. Marchiano did escape and when her story was told, it wasrepeated by a number of women in the pornography business. According to DArcy Jenish many children are luredinto the pornography industry by choosing first to model. These young teens egos are boosted when they are told, and are asked ?if they workout. More often than not, they are told ?to take off shirts?, and then asked ?Do you feel nervous(36). These youngsters honestly dont know when too muchis too much, and what they dont know could put them inserious danger. Calvin Klein, once known for being a reputableclothing designer, is now known for his racy ads usingteens. Some feel he crossed the line when he chose thistype of advertising. Jenish observes that theseadvertisements ?featured an array of . . . teen-agedmodels dressed in loose jeans or hiked-up skirts, oneshowing bare breasts, others offering androgynous modelskissing? (36). If adults in positions of power act thisway, these youngsters cannot expect other adults to actany differently. Therefore they accept this type ofbehavior as normal. Diana Russell claims that tactics like these arebeing used more often in advertising and television, whichhas led media watchdogs and anti-porn activists to believethat this sort of masked imitation of pornography tricksmainstream television viewers into having an ?everybodysdoing it? attitude about pornography. She also feels thatthis attitude subconsciously leads them into seekingpornography out (39). We need to show the youngergeneration that everyone is not doing ?it, and that it isall right not to have sex if they feel pressured. Another problem anti-pornography activists believearises from regular viewing of pornography, is theacceptance of ?rape myths?. Rape myth is a termpertaining to peoples views on rape, rapists, and sexualassaults, wherein it is assumed that the victim of asexual crime is either partially or completely to blame(Allen 6). To help understand the rape myth a ?Rape MythAcceptance Scale? was established, which lists some of themost prominent beliefs that a person accepting the rapemyth has. They are as follows:1. A woman who goes to the home or apartmentof a man on their first date implies that she is willing to have sex. 2. One reason that women falsely report a rapeis that they frequently have a need to call attention to themselves. 3. Any healthy woman can successfully resista rapist if she really wants to. 4. When women go around braless or wearingshort skirts and tight tops, they are justasking for trouble. 5. In the majority or rapes, the victim is promiscuous or has a bad reputation. 6. If a girl engages in necking or petting and she lets things get out of hand, it is herown fault if her partner forces sex on her. 7. Women who get raped while hitchhiking getwhat they deserve. 8. Many women have an unconscious wish to be raped, and may then set upa situation in which they are likely to beattacked. 9. If a woman gets drunk at a party and has intercourse with a man shes just met there, she should be considered ?fair game?to other males at the party who want to have sex with her too, whether she wants toor not (Burt 217). Pauline Bart reports that studies held simultaneouslyat UCLA and St. Xavier College on students, demonstratethat pornography does positively reinforce the rape myth. Men and women were exposed to over four hours of exoticvideo (of varying types; i.e. soft, hard core, etc.) andthen asked to answer a set of questions meant to gagetheir attitudes of sex crimes. All the men were proven tobe more accepting to rape myths, and surprisingly, overhalf of the women were also (123). Once again, the womenin these films were portrayed as insatiable and in need ofconstant fulfillment. After so much exposure to women inthis light from films and books, it is generally taken forgranted that women should emulate this type of behavior inreal life(125). comment?Of all the studies and examples from real lifesituations connecting pornography with violent behaviorand sexual aggressiveness, none are more concrete than theactivities the Serbian military are part of every day nowin the Bosnian war. Part of th e ?ethnic cleansing?process the Serbs are practicing in Bosnia involves thegang-raping of all Muslim and Croatian women. AndreaDworkin states that it is mandatory for the Serbiansoldiers to rape the wives and female children of Muslimmen. Concentration camps are set up as brothels wherewomen are ordered to satisfy the soldiers in the mostpainful and dehumanizing ways imaginable. The women inthese camps are taped with cam-corders and the videos aredisplayed everywhere throughout the camps to lower thewomans will and need to resist. Were do the soldiers getthe inspiration to commit these crimes, from commercialpornography. Serbian troops are basically force-fed porn;it is present all through training and is made readilyavailable to (even pushed upon) the soldiers. They arebasically asked to ?watch and learn?. After the seed isplanted not much is needed to be done, because they arenaturally instilled with the desire to repeat what theyhave seen, and are not concerned with the feelings of thewomen. They have seen that some women have no feelingsand are meant to be used merely for sexual gratification(M2-M6). To add insult to injury, some of the tapes ofthese women being victimized have entered the blackmarket, being sold internationally, possible infecting theminds of millions. .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba , .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .postImageUrl , .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba , .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba:hover , .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba:visited , .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba:active { border:0!important; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba:active , .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1d8e9ce6725911c956a2c45dd700ddba:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Nu Wa Myth - Chinese Myth And Legends EssayPornogrpahy has enamored itself as a large part ofour modern society. It is seldom discussed and oftenhidden as a dirty secret, but porn still seems to play amajor part in the shaping of our morals and behaviors. Although some say pornography is relatively harmless, aconsiderable larger group seem to uphold the assumptionthe porn works in negative and disruptive ways on thosewho view it and participate. Nearly all the researchsupports this assumption, so it is evident the the topicis in need of much more examination and debate. Even though the majority of modern society viewspornography as objectionable and sometimes obscene, thereare some that do not agree with the assumption thatpornography is guilty of the defamation of women and theirsexual roles. Social observationalists, such as MaryWhite, at the University of Michigan often agree with herstatement on the part women play in pornogrpahy whichexplains that ?since most pornographic material plays upto male fantasy, women are usually the aggressors, hencewomen are given a semblance of empowerment. Also, themajority of these women in the material are veryattractive, therefore seen as the forms of beauty anddesire, something to be respected and worked for? (72). Although White may not realize it, this statementreinforced most of the arguments made in support of thenotion that pornography is subordinating and degrading towomen. By saying that being sexually aggressive gives awoman empowerment, she limits a womans ability to reachempowerment to sexual activit y alone, and by claiming thatthe use of attractive women in pornographic material lendsto a view of women being desirable, she inadvertentlyexcludes women that dont fit societys mold of the modelphysical female, (i.e. overweight, small breasted, short,etc.). Most of the arguments similar to Whites followthe same line of reasoning, and are easily broken down inthe same manner as hers. In regards to pornogrpahy perpetuating violent actstoward women, pornography defenders claim that the use ofpornographic material can act as a cathartic release,actual lessening the likelihood of males committingviolent acts. The reasoning is that the pornogrpahy cansubstitute for sex and that the ?want to commit sexualcrimes is acted out vicariously through the pornographicmaterial (Whicclair 327). This argument, however, doesnot explain the crimes committed by serial killers likeTed Bundy and John Wayne Gacey, who regularly viewedpornography during the lengths of their times betweenmurders and rapes (Scully 70). By saying that pornogrpahywould reduce harm to women through cathartic effects,pornography defenders display a large lack in reasoningbecause through their argument the rise in the productionof pornography would have led to a decrease in sexualcrimes, but as has been shown previously, that simply isnot true. Pornographers and pornography defenders proclaim thatthe link between pornography and violence is exaggeratedand that the research linking pornography to sexual crimesis inconclusive. They state that the fundamentals of sexcrimes are found inherently in the individuals and thatthe sexual permissiveness of American society cannot beblamed on the increase of pornographys availability(Jacobson 79). David Adams, a co-founder and executivedirector of Emerge, a Boston counseling center for malebatterers, states, ?that only a minority of his clients(perhaps 10 to 20 percent) use hard-core pornography. Heestimates that half may have substance abuse problems, andadds that alcohol seems more directly involved in abusethan pornography? (Kaminer 115). The statement made byAdams and the view that pornography does not contribute tothe act of sex crimes is heavily outweighed, however, bythe various studies connecting violence and pornography. Bill Marshalls observations on his patients and theexamp les of individual crimes originating frompornography, show this acclimation to be invalidated. Some also say that attacks on pornography merelyreflect the majority of feminists disdain for men,cynically stating that people who fear pornography thinkof all men as potential abusers, whose violent impulsesare bound to be sparked by pornography (114). ResearcherCatherin MacKinnon, says that ?pornography works as abehavioral conditioner, reinforcer, and stimulus, not asidea or advocacy? (114). However, this idea is proven tobe false by the use of pornography in and by the Serbianmilitary. This example shows that pornography doesadvocate sex crimes and that ideas of sexual violence areable to be stemmed from the viewing of pornography. Pornography has become to most just another one ofthose cold, nasty facts of life that cannot be stopped, sosome choose to ignore it. This attitude has to change. After reviewing the abuse and subordination delegated towomen as an almost indisputable result of the massinfiltration of pornography into modern society, it shouldbe impossible for someone not to want to do somethingabout it. What can be done is for those concerned to tryto spread the word and educate others as much as possibleto the dangers of this sort of material. If people knewthe roots of some of their more violent behavior, it couldbe deminished, thus protecting the future and health ofour communities. From its inception, in most cases, pornography is amedia that links sexual gratification and violencetogether. This fact can only lead a rational mind to theconclusion that a chain of events will begin, combiningsex and violence further in the minds of those who watchpornography and will ensure an unhealthy attitude towardswomen and their sexual identities. Only throughdiscussion and individual action can the perpetuation ofthe negative impacts of pornography be swept from theclosets and dark corners of the American household. Works CitedAllen, Mike. ?Exposure to Pornography and Acceptance of Rape Myths.? Journal of Communication. Winter,1995: 5-21. Bart, Pauline B., and Patricia H. OBrien. Stopping Rape:Successful Survival Strategies. New York: PergamonPress, 1985. Burt, M. ?Cultural Myths and Supports for Rape.? Journalof Personality and Social Psychology. 38 (1980): 217-230. Cameron, Deborah, and Elizabeth Frazer. The Lust to Kill. New York: New York UP, 1987. Carol, Avedon. ?Free Speech and the Porn Wars.? NationalForum. 75.2 (1985): 25-28. Clark, Charles S. ?Sex, Violence, and the Media.? CQResearcher. 17 Nov. 1995: 1019-1033. Dworkin, Andrea. ?The Real Pornography of A Brutal WarAgainst Women.? Los Angeles Times. 5 Sept. 1993,M2+. Itzin, Catherine. ?Pornogrpahy and Civil Liberties.? National Review. 75.2 (1985): 20-24. Jacobson, Daniel. ?Freedom of Speech Acts? A Response to Langton.? Philosophy Public Affairs. Summer 1992: 65-79. Jenish, DArcy. ?The King of Porn.? Macleans. 11 Oct. 1993: 52-56. ?Did Sexy Kalvin Klein Ads Go Too Far Macleans. 2 Oct. 1995: 36. Kaminer, Wendy. ?Feminists Against the First Amendment.? The Atlantic Monthly. Nov. 1992: 111-118. Leidholdt, Margaret. Take Back The Night: Women onPornography. New York: William Morrow and Company,Inc., 1980. Nicols, Mark. ?Viewers and Victims.? Newsweek. 10 Aug. 1983: 60. Russell, Diana E.H., ed. Making Violence Sexy: FeministView on Pornography. New York: Teachers CollegePress, 1994. Websters Dictionary. Miami Florida. P.S.I. Associates. 1987: 286. Weisz, Monica G., and Christopher M. Earls. ?The Effectsof Exposure to Filmed Sexual Violence on AttitudesToward Rape.? Journal of Interpersonal Violence. March 1995: 71-84. Whicclair, Mark. R. ?Feminism, Pornography, andCensorship.? Contemporary Moral Problems. ed. JamesWhite. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: 1994. White, Mary. ?Women As Victim: The New Stereotype.? Spin. Apr. 1992: 60-65.

Horror and despair Essays

Horror and despair Essays Horror and despair Essay Horror and despair Essay By the time we reach chapter 11, the creature has killed Frankensteins brother and condemned his nanny to death by claiming that she committed the murder. At this point we are not inclined to feel sympathy for the creature. After fleeing from the laboratory on the night of his birth, the monster discovers himself cold, unfed, and lonely in the mountains outside Ingolstadt. He describes himself as a poor, helpless, miserable wretch. This quote shows that the creature has taken on Frankensteins name for himself and is recognising himself in the mould that Frankenstein has cast for him. He searches for food and shelter in the woods. Later he finds a cottage and watches and learns form the cottagers about many different aspects of life including how to speak. He hears his own voice for the first time which frightens himself into silence. He clearly feels insecure as well as scared. Mary Shelley is implying that the creature had finally found out why people were so scared of him, and by saying that his voice scared him it suggests that he now knows why people are so mean towards him. The reader is drawn towards sympathy for the creature by the fact that he tries to explain how he feels about being bought into a strange and unknown world where everyone provokes him because he is different. This is portraying prejudice and discrimination against anything or anyone who is different. The language in this chapter helps to create sympathy for the creature as when he states that the clothes he found were insufficient to secure me this creates a sense that even though he is made from adult body parts the create still has to get used to the surroundings just like a new born baby would have to. When the creature first wakes up his reactions are that of a very small child, just learning to walk or use their senses, a strange multiplicity of sensations seized me, and I saw, felt, heard and smelt at the same time. He describes to Frankenstein that it was a long time before he got uses to his four senses. When he tells Frankenstein about wandering through the woods of Ingolstadt, he describes hunger and thirst as being living objects. This could imply that he still needs to get used to the idea that not all things are living but that some are inanimate. This personification suggests persecution. In my view the creature was not born a horrible monster. I believe that because Frankenstein was so surprised that his creation actually worked, and also cowardly towards him, it gave the creature a sense of not belonging and loneliness. On his first encounter with humans, the creature is given the perspective of the barbarity of man. With every meeting of humans, the creature is tormented and hurt in such a way that it starts to make him fight back and reinforces the initial perspective. I believe this to be the cause of turning the creature into a horrible monster; had his experiences been different he may have turned out to be an entirely different type of being. At the end of the book the monster is thrown into despair when he finally stands over the dead body of Frankenstein, and realises that he has destroyed himself by destroying Frankenstein and all he loved. He is described as howling with despair. In my opinion evil can mean very different things. It could mean a person being morally bad or wrong. I think that because Frankenstein created such a miserable wretch, this could in some instances be classed as malicious, since it was Frankensteins desire to create a thing that he could bring back to life. However I do not believe that Frankenstein intended it to cause harm but maybe knew deep down that it was a possible outcome of his actions. In some ways the creature is hardly different to Frankenstein. In some instances the creature deliberately causes great harm and pain to several members of Frankensteins family including Frankenstein himself. It was after all Frankensteins deliberate actions that created the creature in the first place. It is almost as if it was his alter-ego. Because each narrator tells his own story, I think that it has some impact on the effect that it tries to cast over the readers sympathy. As a reader you find that your sympathy switches from Frankenstein, the creature and even Henry Clerval. The story is told in the first person narrative and this has a powerful effect on the reader. For example, when Frankenstein is describing his work towards his creation, he is consumed with his own ambitions and gives no thoughts to the consequences of his actions. This leads the reader to have little sympathy with him. In some measures the creatures actions are justified because of what he suffered. He was given no opportunity to develop any kind of warmth or love because he did not experience it himself. Everywhere he went he was harmed in someway, whether it was mentally or physically. This is shown when he is describing his experiences to Frankenstein. The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped. In conclusion, I felt as a reader, most sympathy with the creature because he was brought into the world with no real sense of right or wrong, just as a child would be. However, he does not have the support of a family and is not shown love and support to enable him to grow in a way that society perceives as right. I think Mary Shelley is warning that meddling with science and things beyond our understanding could have consequences so bad that we cannot even imagine. Mary Shelley had terrible experiences of birth. Her mother died the day after she was born and she gave birth to several stillborn children. I think that the horror of these circumstances led her to express her feelings of grief and despair in the writing of this novel. I also think that there is an element of her blaming herself for these awful events in her own life. Mary Shelley combines these terrible events in her own life with the scientific experiments of the day to produce this tale of horror and despair.

Medieval Methods for Making Fabric From Wool

Medieval Methods for Making Fabric From Wool In the Middle Ages, wool was turned into cloth in the thriving wool production trade, in home-based cottage industry, and in private households for family use. Methods could vary depending on the wherewithal of the producer, but the basic processes of spinning, weaving, and finishing cloth were essentially the same. Wool is usually sheared from sheep all at once, resulting in a large fleece. Occasionally, the skin of a slaughtered sheep was utilized for its wool; but the product obtained, which was called pulled wool, was an inferior grade to that shorn from live sheep. If the wool was intended for trade (as opposed to local use), it was bound up with similar fleeces and sold or traded off until it reached its final destination in a cloth-manufacturing town. It was there that processing began. Sorting The first thing done to a fleece was to separate its wool into its various grades by coarseness because different types of wool were destined for different end products and required specialized methods of processing. Also, some types of wool had specific uses in the manufacturing process itself. The wool in the outer layer of fleece was ordinarily longer, thicker and coarser than the wool from the inner layers. These fibers would be spun into worsted yarn. The inner layers had softer wool of varying lengths that would be spun into woolen yarn. Shorter fibers would be further sorted by grade into heavier and finer wools; the heavier ones would be used to make thicker yarn for the warp threads in the loom, and the lighter ones would be used for the wefts. Cleansing Next, the wool was washed; soap and water would usually do for worsteds. For the fibers that would be used to make woolens, the cleansing process was particularly stringent and could include hot alkaline water, lye, and even stale urine. The aim was to remove the wool grease (from which lanolin is extracted) and other oils and greases as well as dirt and foreign matter. The use of urine was frowned upon and even outlawed at various points in the Middle Ages, but it was still common in home industries throughout the era. Following cleansing, the wools were rinsed several times. Beating After rinsing, the wools were set out in the sun on wooden slats to dry and were beaten, or broken, with sticks. Willow branches were often used, and thus the process was called willeying in England, brisage de laines in France and wullebreken in Flanders. Beating the wool helped remove any remaining foreign matter, and it separated entangled or matted fibers. Preliminary Dyeing Sometimes, dye would be applied to fiber before it was used in manufacturing. If so, this is the point at which the dyeing would occur. It was fairly common to soak fibers in a preliminary dye with the expectation that the color would combine with a different shade in a later dye bath. Fabric that was dyed at this stage was known as dyed-in-the-wool. Dyes usually required a mordant to keep the color from fading, and mordants often left a crystalline residue that made working with fibers extremely difficult. Therefore, the most common dye used in this early stage was woad, which did not require a mordant. Woad was a blue dye made from an herb indigenous to Europe, and it took about three days to use it to dye fiber and make the color fast. In later medieval Europe, such a large percentage of wool cloths were dyed with woad that cloth workers were often known as blue nails.1 Greasing Before the wools could be subjected to the harsh processing treatment that lay ahead, they would be greased with butter or olive oil to protect them. Those who produced their own cloth at home were likely to skip the more rigorous cleansing, allowing some of the natural lanolin to remain as a lubricant instead of adding grease. Although this step was done primarily to the fibers intended for woolen yarn, there is evidence that the longer, thicker fibers used to make worsteds were also lightly greased. Combing The next step in preparing wool for spinning varied depending on the type of wool, the instruments available and, oddly enough, whether certain tools had been outlawed. For worsted yarn, simple wool combs were used to separate and straighten the fibers. The teeth of the combs might be wooden or, as the Middle Ages progressed, iron. A pair of combs was used, and the wool would be transferred from one comb to the other and back again until it had been straightened and aligned. Combs were usually constructed with several rows of teeth and had a handle, which made them look a little like a modern-day dog brush. Combs were also used for woolen fibers, but in the central Middle Ages cards were introduced. These were flat boards with many rows of short, sharp metal hooks. By placing a handful of wool on one card and combing it until it had been transferred to the other, and then repeating the process several times, a light, airy fiber would result. Carding separated wools more effectively than combing, and it did so without losing the shorter fibers. It was also a good way to blend together different types of wool. For reasons that remain unclear, cards were outlawed in portions of Europe for several centuries. John H. Munroe posits that the reasoning behind the ban could be a fear that the sharp metal hooks would damage the wool, or that carding made it too easy to fraudulently blend inferior wools into superior ones. Instead of carding or combing, some woolens were subjected to a process known as bowing. The bow was an arched wooden frame, the two ends of which were attached with a taut cord. The bow would be suspended from the ceiling, the cord would be placed in a pile of wool fibers, and the wooden frame would be struck with a mallet in order to get the cord to vibrate. The vibrating cord would separate the fibers. Just how effective or common bowing was is debatable, but at least it was legal. Spinning Once the fibers were combed (or carded or bowed), they were wound on a distaff a short, forked stick - in preparation for spinning. Spinning was chiefly the province of women. The spinster would draw a few fibers from the distaff, twisting them between thumb and forefinger as she did so, and attach them to a drop-spindle. The weight of the spindle would pull the fibers down, stretching them out as it spun. The spinning action of the spindle, with the help of the spinsters fingers, twisted the fibers together into yarn. The spinster would add more wool from the distaff until the spindle reached the floor; shed then wind the yarn around the spindle and repeat the process. Spinsters stood as they  spun  so that the drop-spindle could spin out as long a yarn as possible before it had to be wound up. Spinning wheels were probably invented in India sometime after 500 CE.; their earliest recorded use in Europe is in the 13th century. Initially, they werent the convenient sit-down models of later centuries, powered by a foot pedal; rather, they were  hand-powered  and large enough so that the spinster would need to stand to use it. It may not have been any easier on the spinsters feet, but much more yarn could be produced on a spinning wheel than with a drop-spindle. However, spinning with a drop-spindle was common throughout the Middle Ages until the 15th century. Once the yarn was spun, it might be dyed. Whether it was dyed in the wool or in the yarn, color had to be added  by  this stage if a multi-colored cloth was to be produced. Knitting While knitting wasnt wholly unknown in the Middle Ages, scant evidence of hand-knitted garments survives. The relative ease of the craft of knitting and the ready availability of materials and tools for making knitting needles makes it hard to believe that peasants didnt knit themselves warm clothing from wool they got from their own sheep. The lack of surviving garments isnt at all surprising, considering the fragility of all cloth and the amount of time that has passed since the medieval era. Peasants could have worn their knitted garments to pieces, or they may have reclaimed the yarn for alternate uses when the garment grew too old or threadbare to wear any longer. Far more common than knitting in the Middle Ages was weaving. Weaving Weaving cloth was practiced in households as well as in professional cloth-making establishments. In homes where people produced cloth for their own use, spinning was often the province of women, but weaving was usually done by men. Professional weavers in manufacturing locations like Flanders and Florence were also usually men, though women weavers were not unknown. The essence of weaving is, simply, to draw one yarn or thread (the weft) through a set of perpendicular yarns (the warp), threading the weft alternately behind and in front of each individual warp thread. Warp threads were usually stronger and heavier than weft  threads  and came from different grades of fiber. The variety of weights in warps and wefts could result in specific textures. The number of weft fibers drawn through the loom in one pass could vary, as could the number of warps the weft would travel in front of before passing behind; this deliberate variety was used to achieve different textured patterns. Sometimes, warp threads were dyed (usually blue) and weft threads remained undyed, producing colored patterns. Looms  were constructed to make this process go more smoothly. The earliest looms were vertical; the warp threads stretched from the top of the loom to the floor and, later, to a bottom frame or roller. Weavers stood when they worked on vertical looms. The  horizontal loom  made its first appearance in Europe in the 11th century, and by the 12th century, mechanized versions were being used. The advent of the mechanized horizontal loom is generally considered the most important technological development in medieval textile production. A weaver would sit at a mechanized loom, and instead of threading the weft in front of and behind alternate warps by hand, hed merely have to press a foot pedal to raise up one set of alternate warps and draw the weft underneath it in one straight pass. Then hed press the other pedal, which would raise the other set of warps, and draw the weft underneath  that  in the other direction. To make this process easier, a shuttle was used a boat-shaped tool that contained yarn wound around a bobbin. The shuttle would glide easily over the bottom set of warps as the yarn unspooled. Fulling  or Felting Once the fabric had been woven and taken off the loom it would be subjected to a  fulling  process. (Fulling wasnt usually necessary if the fabric was made from worsted as opposed to woolen yarn.) Fulling thickened the fabric and made the natural hair fibers mat together through agitation and the application of  liquid. It was more effective if heat was part of the equation, as well. Initially,  fulling  was done by immersing the cloth in a vat of warm water and stomping on it or beating it with hammers. Sometimes additional chemicals were added, including soap or urine to help remove the natural lanolin of the wool or the grease that had been added to protect it in the earlier stages of processing. In Flanders, fullers earth was used in the process to absorb impurities; this was a type of soil containing a significant amount of clay, and it was naturally available in the region. Though originally done by hand (or foot), the  fulling  process gradually became automated through the use of fulling mills. These were often quite large and powered by water, although smaller, hand-cranked machines were also known. Foot-fulling was still done in household manufacturing, or when the cloth was particularly fine and wasnt to be subjected to the harsh treatment of hammers. In towns where cloth manufacture was a thriving household industry, weavers could take their cloth to a communal fulling mill. The term fulling is sometimes used interchangeably with felting. Although the process is essentially the same,  fulling  is done to cloth that has already been woven, whereas felting actually produces cloth from unwoven, separate fibers. Once cloth was fulled or felted, it could not easily unravel. After  fulling, the fabric would be thoroughly rinsed. Even worsteds that didnt need  fulling  would be washed to remove any oil or dirt that had accumulated during the weaving process. Because dyeing was a process that immersed the fabric in liquid, it may have been dyed at this point, especially in home industries. However, it was more common to wait until a later stage in production.  Cloth  that was dyed after it was woven was known as dyed-in-the-piece. Drying After it was rinsed, cloth was hung up to dry. Drying was done on specially-designed frames known as tenter frames, which used tenterhooks to hold the cloth. (This is where we get the phrase on tenterhooks to describe a state of suspense.) The sturdy frames stretched the fabric so that it wouldnt shrink too much; this process was carefully gauged, because fabric that was stretched too far, while large in square feet, would be thinner and weaker than fabric that was stretched to the proper dimensions. Drying was done in the open air; and in cloth-producing towns, this meant the fabric was always subject to inspection. Local regulations often dictated the specifics of drying cloth in order to ensure quality, thus maintaining the reputation of the town as a source of fine cloth, as well as that of the cloth manufacturers themselves. Shearing Fulled fabrics- especially those made from curly-haired woolen yarn were often very fuzzy and covered with nap. Once the fabric had been dried, it would be shaved or  sheared  to remove this extra material. Shearers would use a device that had remained pretty much unchanged since Roman times: shears, which consisted of two razor-sharp blades attached to a U-shaped bow spring. The spring, which was made of steel, also served as the handle of the device. A shearer would attach the cloth to a padded table that sloped downward and had hooks to keep the fabric in place. He would then press the bottom blade of his shears into the cloth at the top of the table and gently slide it down, clipping the fuzz and nap by bringing down the top blade as he went. Shearing a piece of fabric completely could take several passes, and would often alternate with the next step in the process, napping. Napping or Teaseling After (and before, and after) shearing, the next step was to raise the nap of the fabric enough to give it a soft, smooth finish. This was done by grooming the cloth with the head of a plant known as a teasel. A teasel was a member of the  Dipsacus  genus and had a dense, prickly flower, and it would be rubbed gently over the fabric. Of course, this could raise the nap so much that the cloth would be too fuzzy and had to be sheared again. The amount of shearing and teaseling necessary would depend on the quality and type of wool used and the result desired. Though metal and wood tools were tested for this step, they were considered potentially too damaging for fine cloth, so the teasel plant was used for this process throughout the Middle Ages. Dyeing Cloth might be dyed in the wool or in the yarn, but even so, it would usually be dyed in the piece as well, either to deepen the color or to combine with the previous dye for a different tint. Dyeing in the piece was a procedure that could realistically take place at almost any point in the manufacturing process, but most commonly it was done after the fabric had been sheared. Pressing When the teaseling and shearing (and, possibly, dyeing) was done, the fabric would be pressed to complete the smoothing process. This was done in a flat, wooden vise. Woven wool that had been fulled, dried, shorn, teaseled, dyed, and pressed could be luxuriously soft to the touch and made into the finest clothing and draperies. Unfinished Cloth Professional cloth manufacturers in wool production towns could, and did, produce cloth from the wool-sorting stage to the final pressing. However, it was quite common to sell fabric that wasnt completely finished. Producing undyed fabric was very common, allowing tailors and drapers to choose just the right hue. And it was not at all uncommon to leave out the shearing and teaseling steps, reducing the price of the fabric for consumers willing and able to perform this task themselves. Cloth Quality and Variety Every step along the manufacturing process was an opportunity for cloth-makers to excel or not. Spinners and weavers who had low-quality wool to work with could still turn out fairly decent cloth, but it was common for such wool to be worked with the least possible effort in order to turn out a product quickly. Such cloth would, of course, be cheaper; and it might be used for items other than garments. When manufacturers paid for better raw materials and took the extra time required for higher quality, they could charge more for their products. Their reputation for quality would attract the wealthier merchants, artisans, guildsmen and the nobility. Although sumptuary laws were enacted, usually in times of economic instability, to keep the lower classes from garbing themselves in finery ordinarily reserved for the upper classes, it was more often the extreme expense of the clothing worn by the nobility that kept other people from buying it. Thanks to the diverse kinds of cloth manufacturers and the many types of wool of different levels of quality they had to work with, a wide variety of wool cloth was produced in medieval times.

Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Method - Essay Example All participants were working at least part-time jobs, and had completed high school. The informed consent form will be read out loud to each participant, as well as being printed in English. All participants shall be assured of their rights to confidentiality, anonymity, and voluntary withdrawal without penalty. It was emphasized to the participants that no personal information would connect them with their responses, as code numbers would be used to de-identify all information that they provided. When each participant acknowledges that they understand the requirements of them in the study they will be asked to sign the consent form. Two booklets were designed for this study. A variety of media pertaining to the "Oklahoma Bombing" in 1995 (i.e., a "Political Terror Act"), and the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 (i.e., a "Religious Terror Act") were presented in either of an 8-page booklet. Each booklet presented media materials which emphasized the act as either "political" or "religious" in the text of the articles (e.g., "Terrorism and Religion" Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Vol. 20, November 2001).

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Corporate finance - Essay Example Market efficiency is a crucial factor in deciding the investment strategies of an investor. If the securities market is efficient, the best estimate and returns will be reflected in the price of the shares and there will be no undervalued securities that would offer higher return than expected. However, opposite could be the case in the weak efficient markets. (WOOD, DASGUPTA & POSHAKWALE, 1995) THREE FORMS OF MARKET EFFICIENCY BY FAMA (1970): In this aspect the most contributing work was presented by Fama in 1970. He formulated a market efficiency hypothesis (EMH) which discussed the three types of market efficiency that can prevail in a capital market depending on the available information in the market. These three forms of market efficiency are (1) Weak form efficiency (2) Semi-strong form efficiency (3) Strong from efficiency. 1. Weak Form Efficiency: The weak form of market efficiency hypothesis asserts that the current stock price reflects all the information related to histor ical prices or past price movements only. This information includes trading volume, rate of return and market generated information etc. This form of market efficiency assumes that the current stock prices reflect all the past information and no one can earn huge profits by knowing information which is known to everyone in the market. This implies that the future rate of return can’t be predicted by using past rate of return and can’t provide with huge abnormal returns. In order to predict the movement of prices based on the past information a technique called technical analysis is sued widely. (BHOLE. 1982; CLARKE, JANDIK & MANDELKER, 2001) 2. Semi-Strong Form Efficiency: The semi-strong form of market efficiency hypothesis explains that the current stock price reflects all the publicly available information along with the historical information. The available public information includes: stock earnings and prices, declared dividends information, political, economy an d company related news, dividend yield ratio, price earning ratios, announce merger plans, available information in company’s financial statements, financial situation of competitors and stock splits etc. The assertion behind this form of market efficiency is the same that no one can earn huge profits by knowing information which is known to everyone in the market that is the information is public. In this way the public information is already absorbed into market prices and the investors can’t yield above average profits in such investments and markets. (BHOLE, 1982; CLARKE, JANDIK & MANDELKER, 2001) 3. Strong form Efficiency: The strong form of market efficiency hypothesis explains that the currents stock price reflects all the available information including public and private information both. It encompasses both the weak and semi-strong form of markets. In this hypothesis the emphasis is on insider dealings. It implies that, when both public and private informatio n is reflected in stock price, the directors or the bunch of individuals in the company who have more knowledge of the company will not be able to benefit from the above average profits. The difference between semi-strong and strong efficiency is that in a strong efficiency market nobody will benefit from the information that

Saint Juliana of Nicodemia Essay Example for Free

Saint Juliana of Nicodemia Essay The saint I chose for Confirmation is Saint Juliana of Nicomedia. A saint is a person who lived a moral, compassionate, and holy life who can be a role model to Catholics. You are supposed to choose a saint for Confirmation because you need someone to look up to for support. During tough times, you could ask for assistance through your journey of life. Saint Juliana lived in Nicomedia during the rule of Diocletion. This ruler was inflicted much persecution on people of different religions and had ery cruel punishments established. Both of Juliana’s parent were pagans and betrothed her to the senator, Eleusius. Juliana denied strongly for she was a bride of Christ and always worshiped secretly away from her parents and fiance. Her love for Christ persisted and Eleusius at last found out about her secret faith. He constantly asked her to turn away from Christ and accept his proposal, for the government would get to her and kill her. Her parent pleaded but Juliana’s love for Christ persisted. Finally the government got involved and Juliana was tortured endlessly in all sorts of cruel ways. In the end, she got beheaded. Juliana suffered Christian martyrdom and is usually represented with a devil whom she leads by a chain. I chose Saint Juliana because of her relentless mindset. She was never ashamed of her faith. Juliana was taken to her limit in all she did for Christ. She was tortured, killed, and persecuted all for her faith. I ask her to give me courage and strength when people question my faith.

essay :: essays research papers

Coach Nestled along the Massachusetts shore, lined with oaks that may have seen the arrival of the first Americans, there is a quaint baseball park, bordered only in the outfield by a thatched wooden fence and some pines. The Pawtucket Pawsox of the Cape Cod League call this unique sanctuary home. Today is a Friday evening. The sun slowly pulls the last traces of orange from the sky, and the skyscraping light towers illuminate a 6 foot 4 inch right-hander, made only taller by the Georgia clay mound. Like most in the minor leagues he is a fighter and a worker. He is far from home and at the climax of a magical journey of a career.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reaching local stardom at an early age, Aaron Knieper pitched in all of the big games. He pitched in all of the not-so-big games too. People could see the potential that this lanky kid from Saginaw, Michigan possessed. As he piled up innings in his youth, they only contributed to more to his experience but were slowly taking their toll on his meal ticket, his arm. Aaron was still careful about his health, but youth often disguises ignorance. As his body matured, it ceased to stretch in ways it had before, and his workload drastically increased upon being drafted by the Boston Red Sox out of college. Now he was playing for a job. Then, one fateful day everything changed. It was his elbow. And there it all ended.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most young athletes dream of becoming professionals, but those dreams almost always end at or before the college level. It is a major disappointment for those who are told that they are not good enough to play anymore, yet Aaron was. He had almost reached the show and it killed him inside. He wasn’t ready to let anyone tell him that his career in baseball was over. His stubborn pursuit of a dream, which had carried him this far, would now have to change with no hope of returning to professional baseball. He went back home and spent some much missed time with his mom and sister, for his father had passed away when he was young. Most of time was spent relaxing in front of the television pondering what to do next. Aaron had never had a â€Å"real† job and did not even finish college. It was then that he decided to follow his passion, baseball.

Yes Men Fix the World, Ethics of Protest and Bringing Issues to Light

AG401 Film Yes Men Fix the World, the Ethics of Protest and Bringing Issues to Light 1. What ethical/moral/philosophical constructs are the activists operating under with respect to their tactics in protest? The Yes Men use Utilitarian Ethics of Duty and Rule Consequentialism. With this mindset, they carry on pranks and hoaxes to reveal the lies of large corporations and government. In the theory of Duty-Based Ethics, people do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. These large corporate giants do nothing but take the toll on others’ misfortunes.An example of Duty-Ethics can be seen when Andy impersonates Jude Finisterra, a spokesperson for Dow Chemicals, being interviewed on BBC regarding the Bhopal Legacy catastrophe of Union Carbide and its deadly gas leaks in India. He is quoted saying, â€Å"this is the first time in history that a publicly owned company, of anything near the size of Dow, has performed an action which is significantly against its bottom lin e, simply because it’s the right thing to do. † In theory of Rule Consequentialism, it states that an action is morally right just because it is required by an optimific social rule; relating back to Duty Ethics.With the motive under Rule Consequence, the Yes Men planned to set a course of actions which might trigger a reaction so that corporate giants and government may conform to such a social rule. As long as the outcome is of a happy ending for the public, Mike and Andy will have succeeded to change and affect society in ways that money could not. To correct an action which harms society more than benefits it, sometimes ridiculing and exposing the negative aspects of it might be the only course for corrective action. 2. Do the tactics distract from the message or lend power to the message? On what ethical grounds?In theory, such pranks and hoaxes are supposed to create change as a result from negative publicity. This derives from Kantian Ethics, which actually goes against Consequentalism, kind of an oxy-moron. Although it is morally just, their actions do have negative consequences to certain parties. As far as exposure goes, their tactics seemed have to work in their favor, and the Yes Men have also defied legal repercussions in every scenario. And by bringing such important public issues into light, some objectives were achieved; transmitting the power of voice towards the public, and conveying the theory of moral duty to the companies.However, their main purpose was not accomplished, and their tactics seem to have failed again; in fact nothing significant was taken into consideration or changed by any of the targeted corporations, or even the government entities. For example, in the Catastrophic Loss Conference, Andy and Mike pose as representatives from Halliburton; which they have claimed was the top company in extracting profits from a disaster. Halliburton has made hundreds of millions of dollars off the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and now the Yes Men have arrived to presenting another invention called the SurvivaBall; again to â€Å"profit† off some disaster.Their tactic was to create the â€Å"biggest joke ever by making fun of stupid concepts with stupid ideas. † And with something as simple as the SurvivaBall being so useless, it relates to the concept of Big Corporate making money off others’ misfortunes instead of solving the problems which lay before them; the ironic part is that the SurvivaBall is actually more useful than what the government or companies like Halliburton have created for disasters. But to their shock when all was presented, their attempts of letting people know what â€Å"sucked about letting greed run our future,† was instead greeted with business cards. . What about the ethics of law enforcement in dealing with activists? If anything was taken from this documentary, it was that companies cannot learn to behave differently by themselves; government has to mak e rules to control them. To fix the world, it is going to take more than two guys, cheap suits, and fake websites; it would take millions of people. When activists begin threatening for change, law enforcement entities may only deal on legal premises; as there is a right to freedom of speech and to assemble and petition the government.If no harm and damage or rioting is caused, law enforcement may only be there to prevent incidents. An example may be observed with over two dozen people wearing SurvivaBall costumes demonstrating in the East River; where police shut down the demonstration for lack of a permit. Andy Bichlbaum was arrested on an outstanding parking ticket charge and a handful of others were served with summons and tickets for disorderly behavior and creating hazardous conditions. So they also tried this, attempting to cost HUD more money and put some out of jobs.They hope to expose to the public by making a mockery of an entity in able to stimulate a solution or action. But it never works. Mike Bonanno Andy Bichlbaum Duty-Based Ethics Jude Finisterra, faking as a spokesperson for Dow Chemicals regarding the Bhopal Legacy catastrophe of Union Barpide and its deadly gas leaks in India, quoted saying that â€Å"this is the first time in history that a publicly owned company, of anything near the size of Dow, has performed an action which is significantly against its bottom line, simply because it’s the right thing to do. However it was hilarious that he noted they were going to liquidate $12 billion in assets to provide care and compensation to the victims and their families. Halliburton #1 company in extracting profits from a disaster. Made Hundreds of millions off Katrina, and now (name) and (name) are presenting the Survivor Ball, to â€Å"profit† off a disaster. Biggest joke ever, of how to make fun of stupid ideas, well, with stupid ideas. For example, something so simple of a Survivor Ball is useless, also like the concept of mak ing money off others’ misfortune instead of solving the problem.But the ironic part of this is that the survivor ball is actually more useful than what the government or companies like Halliburton have created solutions for disasters. But what their attempts of letting people know what sucked about letting greed run our future, but instead of freaking out, they just took their business cards. Companies cannot learn to behave differently by themselves, government has to make rules to control them. So they also tried this, attempting to cost HUD more money and put some out of jobs.

Madness in Wuthering Heights

AP Literature and Composition The Maddness of Wuthering Heights What is madness? It is defined as the state of having a serious mental illness, extremely foolish behavior, according to Oxford Dictionary. To an author, however, it can be so much more. In her novel, Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte had a method behind the madness, so to speak, using it to make many main points throughout the novel. She employs this madness specifically in her character Heathcliff, whose own emotions driven him to insanity. Through what causes him to go mad, and his actions as a result, the story is develpedHeathcliff’s madness derived from multiple factors but is rooted from hate shown by Hindley. When Mr. Earnshaw founb Heathcliff in the streets and took him in (page 36), he treated him like his son, sometimes even better than his own children. This created Hindley’s resentment for Heathcliff. Hindley did not like the attention Heathcliff recived from his father, therefore wanted to make Heathcliff as miserable as possible. When Hindley makes him a servant of the family, after Mr. Earnshaw’s death (page 43), he makes his distain know, with constasnt abuse and ill-treatment.It would give reason to Heathcliff’s loathing of Hindley. No one would agreeably go through that adversity without good reason. Therefore, it would seem reasonable for Heathcliff to leave when he thought Catherine was going to leave him. All of the time he spent away, would leave time to grow rueful to Hindley, and plot revenge for his mistreatment. He became so consumed by revenge, that he became void of any previous emotion. He lost care for anything other than shaming Hindley and gaining control of the Heights. He didn’t care who got in his way, and used others for his own selfish reason.This was the reason why Heathcliff married Isabella (page 131). Isabella would not have known of his schemes, as Heathcliff kept his true character hidden; he kept his madness well hidden. After Catherine’s death, he would have no other purpose to live but to fulfill his plan, even using Cathy (Catherine’s daughter) and his own son, forcing them to marry (page 248). Therefore, there is no question that the theme that the desire for revenge can consume someone is not a question. Heathcliff’s thirst for revenge was caused by his madness, nd it is present in most of the book. Another probable cause of Heathcliff’s madness is his love and obsession with Catherine. Heathcliff is treated terribly by all but Catherine, and she becomes his solace; his only friend. Her companionship is likely what kept him sane for longer. When she distanced herself, growing closer to the Lintons after staying there for several weeks (page 52), his attitude changed. Resentment and jealousy begin to form. She was not spending as much time with him, leaving him to endure whatever punishment Hindley forced on him.He was losing the one person he had left who seemed to c are about him Therefore, when she announced she was going to marry Edgar Linton, he ran and did not return for years (page 84). While he was away, he probably lost sight of reason, of what he previously thought mattered. He was likely angry that she would leave him for someone he did not like; that she wouldn’t be with him. His madness only worsened when she died, as the thought of life without her was too much for him to bear. He caused her death by running off with Isabella. His madness led to Catherine’s lapse from reality.She lost her mind over his actions, and as a result he lost her. His madness was caused by love, as he didn’t know how to grieve. The message of spiritual love and torment that is present throughout the story is shown throught this aspect of Heathcliff’s madness. He loved Catherine desperately, and her death tormented him for the remainder of his life. His madness nearly ruined the lives of the others around him, stopped only by his own death. Was Heathcliff mad before he arrived at Wuthering Heights? It is not said, but how it developed is crucial in developing the story.

Improving Communications by Building Community At Microsoft †Communications Essay

Improving Communications by Building Community At Microsoft – Communications Essay Free Online Research Papers Improving Communications by Building Community At Microsoft Communications Essay In the early years, microsoft.com was just one of many computers tucked under a table at the end of a long hallway. It was designed to test Microsofts first 32-bit Windows implementation of TCP/IP, the software plumbing in Windows that enables Internet communications. Today, microsoft.com is the fourth-largest web site, powered by internal and external servers all over the world and visited by millions of customers daily. How the site got where it is now is a story of intelligent management decisions, especially in the area of communications. Microsoft sought out to build a strong organizational communications model to serve as the communications guiding force for all levels of Microsoft employees and customers. Some of the obvious questions to be addressed were: 1. Is the communications model currently in use adequate? 2. Do shareholders have any concerns about its communications methods? 3. How do employees communicate in the workplace? 4. Are employees allowed to communicate freely? 5. How does the public feel about communicating with Microsoft through its web portal? Is it user-friendly? This paper is a review of what the company implemented to advance managerial communications. Situation In 2006, Microsoft initiated Road to Excellence, the companys strategy was to significantly gain more World Wide Web market share, but there was a problem. The company had become a victim of its own rapid growth, mainly in its software division. A disparity in communications had arisen between key decision makers across the organization due to a simple lack of manpower. A strategy needed to be devised to address impending chaos. The strategy encompassed several initiatives and goals across divisions that focused on improving internal and external communications to boost overall performance and deliver sound growth. Microsoft Development and microsoft.com needed to align various levels of leadership and ultimately all employees with communications initiatives that could be truly measured, evaluated and improved. Strategy Implementation Recognizing the value and power of strategic change and communications to align employees with new goals, Microsoft asked CAB and Associates, a marketing consultant group, to conduct an audit of the value of its entire communications function. CAB was also asked to make recommendations for the launch of the audit as well as recommendations for sustained communications outreach. In working with the CAB team, the first step toward aligning employees to performance goals was to conduct an assessment of employees current perceptions. To determine the degree of employee understanding of the organizations vision and growth initiatives as well as the effectiveness of existing internal communications, CAB conducted qualitative research and quantitative surveys of employees perceptions and preferences (Corder, 2006, p. 21). To do so CAB created three teams to thoroughly evaluate and score Microsoft’s current communication processes, provide feedback, and suggest solutions for findings. Team I â€Å"Community Central† This team had the responsibility of â€Å"building community† within Microsoft by using any and all methods, within its reach. Paramount to this entire program was to build trust, which was vital in order to maximize unbiased results. It was their responsibility to correctly interpret, and share the mission, vision, and values of Microsoft’s communications goals. Team I initiated the process by building collaborative teams, using collective inquiry that were results, not intentions oriented, and that promoted continuous improvement (DuFour, 1998, p.25). Other responsibilities included evaluating the performance and findings of all sub communications assessment, and training communication training teams. Even though it was the command center for this communications improvement program, it was promoted to be seen as a support system available to all teams and participants, thus further reinforcing the â€Å"community† concept. Team II, Internal Communications â€Å"The Organization† The leaders of Microsoft knew they needed to transform the way in which employees thought about, measured, and managed communications within the business. After considerable research, they decided that using a computerized survey scorecard approach was the best way to align the organization with the companys communications goals. A team was designed to study all internal communications of Microsoft. For this evaluation, CABs internal communication department was particularly interested in deriving information in the areas of strategic message retention, perceptions of senior leadership, the companys vision and goals, correct communication channel selection, and evaluation of vehicle effectiveness and preferences (Munter, 2006, p.23). Additionally, they wanted to determine how employees were currently receiving and using information about Microsoft in general, and as a whole and the external marketplace. The Organizational Challenges Comprised of members from key areas of the business, Team II worked with CAB to develop a customized survey and scorecard for the company. How should the company launch their surveys and have employees understand how to transform their mental model of the business, given all of the other operational initiatives that were underway? An Integrated Solution A Survey Scorecard Knowledge Map (SSKM) was developed using multiple proprietary software packages that were deployed at random sites through one hour working sessions at various working hours and conditions (office, distribution, sales, etc.). The map was used to launch the scorecard concept, raise the participants awareness level and have each person critically think about his or her role in the business without having to worry about job responsibilities or distractions. The assessment found that while employees had positive perceptions of the companys direction and strategic initiatives, they were not retaining key messages around the new strategy. They also felt deluged with e-mail communications, liked CABs print publication but felt it to be less effective in terms of conveying information, and preferred, instead, more personal communications from senior leadership. Team III, External Communications â€Å"The Marketplace† Another leading software manufacturer and distributor faced unprecedented change. Customers were trimming internal operations that werent seen as core. Customers expected the steel vendors to offer these operations as value added services at a minimal price. In addition, the amount of business that was sold off of list price had fallen from 70% to 30% in three years and the downward pressure on pricing was increasing dramatically. This team had the privilege of evaluating Microsoft’s external communications. The team designed and implemented e-mail and print assessments, conducted telephone interviews, captured a representative sample of customer input from a base that included participants at all levels, geographies and years of experience. In total, approximately 4,520 persons were surveyed. Results The CAB internal communications team had restructured all employee communications to better focus on company performance and progress-tracking. Microsoft was now in a stronger position to support senior leadership with practical advice on implementing quarterly, cascaded employee communications forums, and have redesigned print and electronic publications to reflect growth initiatives and goals. In addition, the communications campaign, delivered through a computer delivered scorecard had enabled employees to better anticipate the level of performance required within the context of their assigned duties. Improved communications were proven to be at the heart of delivering results and winning support from every area of Microsoft that eventually improved the companys profitability, growth and market share. In fact, communications were found to be so important that they need to be strategically managed in the same way that operations, finance, administration, technology, human resources and other facets of the business were managed. There had never been a time when effective communications had been more important. Microsoft had entered a business era that had been transformed by constant change and transition, leadership challenges, evolving technologies, and global markets that were best described as unpredictable, fast-paced and unforgiving. CAB provided strategic counsel, expert guidance and implementation support on all critical communications issues. CAB’s global team of communication and business professionals helped Microsoft understand, enhance, and manage the perceptions of their company in the eyes of their critical audiences: Shareholders and the investment community The companys senior management team and Board of Directors The companys employees, at every level The media and, by extension, the public Opinion leaders who impacted corporate reputations CAB took the initiative to enhance shareholder value by fostering clearer two-way communications with the investment community, and aligning employees at all levels to ensure commitment to the Microsoft’s vision, values and communications operating Communications Strategy 8 strategy. CAB’s combination of professional expertise, geographic reach, breadth of services, and depth of resources was proven to be truly unique in the corporate communications consulting industry. Conclusion Based on the results of these assessments, Microsoft developed a comprehensive recommendation for multi-level, aligned communications that focused on the companys growth strategy. Also based on the facts, CAB provided recommendations for a communication campaign to launch an ongoing survey process to a random selection of Microsoft’s general employee audience. The launch included a celebratory event concept to further build community and promote employee buy in that offered a continuous flow of updates, available to employees and shareholders. CAB helped accomplish these tasks by delivering measurable business results. Their approach began with a careful identification and analysis of Microsoft’s key constituents, their perceptions of the company, their behaviors that resulted from those perceptions, and the drivers of information that would improve those perceptions. Experts in CAB and Microsoft’s corporate and financial communications were deployed in every major facet of the business to include the input of everyone involved with Microsoft, especially professionals with extensive backgrounds in senior communications management, journalism and marketing. With this in place, the teams had what they needed to offer the best assessments and solutions for overall communications at Microsoft. References Corder, L. (2006). The Snapshort Survey. Chicago: Dearborn Trade. DuFour, R. (1998). Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington: National Educational Service. Munter, M. (2006). Guide to Managerial Communication (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Research Papers on Improving Communications by Building Community At Microsoft - Communications EssayThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part OneMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenTwilight of the UAWInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of Self

Benefits & Costs of Collaboration in IT Workplace

Two or more people or organisations ing together for a mon goal is a collaboration (Schuman, 2006). It is a joint effort (Rouse, 2016) and by definition excludes individual work. Information Technology (IT) is the use of puters, networks, storage and other infrastructure to store, retrieve, process, and share electronic data and is often employed in the context of business as opposed to personal use (Bigelow, 2015). This short paper discusses the benefits and costs of collaboration in an IT workplace. Collaboration promotes a superior quality of work by supporting the division of labour on which our present-day society is based. The ever-increasing specialisation in technology, processes, and customer requirements mean that an individual in an organisation can specialise and thus excel in one or just a handful of domains to be adding value to the entity's mission (Belcher, n.d.). This requirement implies we need to bring together people of different skills to achieve goals, thus, collaboration. Multiple minds working together leads to that many ideas and leads to achieve the task at hand. Collaboration helps build team morale and helps increase job satisfaction (Boyer, n.d.). It increases the chances of interaction among the team members which may aid in honing resilient teams which will care about the quality of work they produce. Collaboration requires the participation of multiple people, and thus the need to keep them on the same page, and thus meetings. It leads to meetings which are often inefficient and result in wasting time (Harmon & Cullinan, 2016). Collaboration may lead to useless power struggles (Belcher, n.d.). In the absence of a real authority figure, some individuals may attempt to gain power rather than concentrate on the task at hand. It may also lead to covert conflicts in working styles of individuals (Belcher, n.d.) who would rather like to work solo. Some of these people of these employees may take out their tension on the work, thus being detrimental to the organisation's goals. Belcher, L. Advantages & Disadvantages of Collaboration in the Workplace. Chron. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://smallbusiness.chron /advantages-disadvantages-collaboration-workplace-20965.html Bigelow, S. (2015). What is Information Technology (IT)? - Definition from WhatIs . TechTarget. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://searchdatacenter.techtarget /definition/IT Boyer, S. The Importance of Collaboration in the Workplace. Nutcache. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://www.nutcache /blog/the-importance-of-collaboration-in-the-workplace/ Harmon, S. & Cullinan, R. (2016). The Dark Side of Collaboration. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost /shani-harmon/the-dark-side-of-collabor_b_9825020.html Rouse, M. (2016). What is collaboration? - Definition from WhatIs . TechTarget. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://whatis.techtarget /definition/collaboration Schuman, S. (2006). Creating a culture of collaboration (1st ed.). San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass.

Land Desertification in China ( only climatic factor) Essay

Land Desertification in China ( only climatic factor) - Essay Example So China’s arid climate through its consequences of overflows and droughts constitutes a menace to the full-fledged life support of the Chinese and their future generations. In this regard one of the primary concerns is the functioning of the appropriate technologies aiming at recovery of the degraded soils. In the point of the discussed theme there are two key terms, namely: degradation and desertification. Degradation is the steady deterioration of soil characteristics as a habitat of biota, and reduction of its fertility as a result of the influence of natural or anthropogenic factors. Desertification is a process of irreversible changes in soil and vegetation, and reduction of biological productivity, which in extreme cases can lead to the complete destruction of the biospheric potential and turning of the territory into desert. The primary concern of desertification in China is a food crisis, as the issue is the main cause of aggrieving the country’s stores of wheat and rice, which form the basis of China’s agriculture. â€Å"According to a general survey of the country, the total area of †¦ regions vulnerable to desertification has reached †¦ 34.6 percent of the entire territory† (Longjun). In the context of the most grounds intended for sowing of the seeds, the percentage of the lands under desertification is critical. Moreover, it rises with the demographic problem of China or the top-priority challenge for survival of the Chinese. Overpopulation of the country is a well-known issue, and desertification in this respect is extremely hazardous for the great number of people whose needs don’t decrease with the degradation of soils. As for the secondary concern of the issue, it deals with the dwindling water supply as well as groundwater decrement. It goes without question that the consumption of water for China’s agricultural needs, human wants, and for the artificial irrigation of the arid lands substantially wreaks havoc on the