Applying Theory to Image Gramscis Theory of Hegemony

Introduction The theory of cultural hegemony is one of the most famous Marxist ideologies offered by Antonio Gramsci. In its general sense, this theory evaluates the domination of certain classes and nations over other representatives. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Applying Theory to Image: Gramsci’s Theory of Hegemony specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the beginning of the 1900s, the problem of social order was spreading with unbelievable speed and considerable outcomes, this is why the vast majority of political theorists were eager to offer their personal ideas to improve the situation or, at least, to find out the ways and help the society cope with the challenges. Antonio Gramsci was a unique theorist and philosopher; â€Å"his stress on the role of individual action and thought in history, his desire that workers create their own cultural institutions through devices like factory councils† (Lears 567) made him a really significant figure, and his ideas continue developing day by day. Nowadays, the concepts of hegemony may be perfectly observed in media as a powerful means to influence people’s minds and actions. The peculiar feature of hegemony in advertisements is the ability to be masked but still be influential for different spheres of life. In the chosen ad that depicts human dependence on technologies, hegemony is represented as thin but considerable strings, which control human actions and even thoughts; though there is no concrete person, who controls this situation, it still becomes evident that technological progress and people, who are involved into this progress, have a considerable impact on many things. Discussion Main concepts of cultural hegemony and identification of those, who rule. The current state of affairs shows that American culture has already spread over many other countries and got the necessary control over people. However, the va riety of ads and media prove that there is another powerful means that is considered to be more serious, more influential, and more dangerous because it is hard to define from the very beginning. To comprehend what plays a crucial role in our modern life, it is better to address the basics of the theory of cultural hegemony and define what promotes the division of classes and distribution of functions. Gramsci was not satisfied with the failure of the movements, which were raised by the Western European working classes; this is why he made an attempt to define what caused this failure and how the situation could be changed. Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More His works proved that class struggles would exist always and had to present clear ideologies and ideas, which would be able to make, develop, or prevent the revolution. He was not afraid to underline that bourgeoisie due to t heir economic domination and intellectual leadership were able to control the others and present own rules and conditions to follow. The reasons of why the image under consideration has been chosen. Among the variety of different ads, it becomes very difficult to define one concrete ad that will be able to depict the true nature of the cultural hegemony and apply this philosophy, taking into consideration all its issues. Nowadays, the problem of class inequality is not that burning as it was at the beginning of the 20th century. People have many chances to get education, find jobs, and earn money. Of course, there is a certain classification of people in accordance with their financial status, their race, and cultural interests. However, the ideas of the theory of hegemony and class struggles, which are so clearly defined by Antonio Gramsci, can be hardly observed at once. The chosen image of the person, whose hands are bound by white strings, may become a good example of how the c oncept of hegemony is still inherent to our everyday life. There are no emotions on this man’s face; it also seems that his eyes are closed. However, his hands move and his lips seem like moving. These movements may be connected to headphones in his ears. Against a background, there are the same images of this man, which may depict the rest of people, who have already made a decision to use those headphones. Another peculiar feature of this image is that all strings have no concrete beginning; all of them are up-directed. It is impossible to observe who guides these strings and why someone should guide these strings. â€Å"Have you become an IPuppet?† – this is the slogan of this image, the question to which is possible to get only after the mysterious leader is defined. Producers of the chosen ad and their intentions in respect to cultural hegemony. The producers of the chosen images are probably one of the companies, who try to compete with Apple. Inc. and p romote people to become free from constant formats and usual sources of music. It is not that important to define their name and functions, the main point of this image is that its producers offer people a new way of life, new opportunities, and new conditions. Modern technologies have already taken leading positions in human lives, and very often, people cannot work and think without these technologies, and those, who produce these technologies, understand how dependent people can be. This case may be regarded as the case of hegemony: one class (the producers of technologies) gets a chance to take leading positions and runs the lives and thoughts of another class (the users of technologies). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Applying Theory to Image: Gramsci’s Theory of Hegemony specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The intended meaning of the producers is to show the society how it may be controlled, being e ven unaware about this fact. It is high time to stop this dependence, it is high time to remember about personal freedoms, and it is time to become a meaningful part of this world and this life just like it is described in the theory of hegemony by Antonio Gramsci. The intended audience that can benefit from this advertisement. It is possible to assume that the intended audience is any person, who uses modern technologies and listens to the music through IPods. This kind of audience will be certainly interested into such ads because they get a good chance to evaluate their own positions and chose something better, something more convenient, and something more interesting, taking into consideration present demands and interests. People should have a choice in this life; they need to be open to different innovations; they should not be divided into classes and be ruled by someone else. This is the main purpose of the ad, and the audience behind all users of Apple and other common tec hnologies should comprehend that they become usual and similar to each other. But it is wrong; it is boring; and it is possible to change! Unbelievable ability of the ad to reflect the theory of hegemony by Antonio Gramsci. â€Å"The concept of hegemony encompasses all that exists in a society – ideological notions, works of popular art carried by the media, and so forth. And this makes the analysis of media difficult, because it is hard to put one’s finger on all the things one takes for granted and assumes are simply part of reality.† (Berger 63) This concept cannot be defined as pure monolithic or unified only. It is all about a complex that consists of several social structures. This very idea is described in the image chosen. There is a person in the middle of the picture, whose actions and conditions attract the attention from the very beginning. Against a background, the representatives of the same class are given. They are illustrated like the copies of the first man – the same movements, the same preferences, and the same technologies. However, there is one more class that can be hardly observed at once. This class is somewhere above; the class that control the movements of the man by means of the strings and the headphones, which serve as informative means. As Gramsci admitted such concepts like personal freedom, diversity, and variations should exist in order to fulfill this life; however, human predisposition to extremes makes all these concepts a bit strange and even dangerous.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The meaning of image in regards to the balance of power between different social classes. In order to have enough chances to continue living in this world, the society has to find out the necessary balance and be able to combine the demands of one class with the demands of another class. In this image, it is clearly observed that right now, ordinary people, the users of the technologies, cannot use their powers to struggle for their freedoms. These people are under some kind of euphoria, where those, who are above watch them and make decisions. Right now, the balance between the powers is not as powerful as it should be. Inequality of classes and the existed hegemony will be present until the vast majority of people re-evaluate their attitude to this world, their attitude to their lives, and their attitude to the technologies, which make people dependant. The phrase that takes place somewhere behind the person on the image iDont.com symbolizes one of the steps, which have been tak en by the society in order to achieve progress. However, there are still some questions to be posed. Why do the authors of this ad introduce the site, where â€Å"i† is not capitalized? Does it mean that a personality still does not deserve to be capitalized and become significant? This ad should be regarded as something more than just an image; it is a message, someone’s call to analyze the balance and define what classes should get more powers. Conclusion Gramsci’s theory of hegemony is considered to be one of the most complicated combinations of political, social, and cultural forces that has to be balanced and coordinated frequently. With the help of current advertisement and other types of mass media, people get a chance to observe how the theory that was developed more than a century ago remains to be appropriate and effective for the present time. The times, when certain social classes have power over other social classes seem to be gone, but still, some imprints may be recognized and show how short-sighted our society can be. The analysis of the image shows that in spite of the fact that people do not try to divide themselves into classes, they still become active participants of the divisions, created by themselves instinctively. Such advertisements help people discover how weak and dependant they can be and start evaluating everything from the very beginning in order to become free once again. Works Cited Berger, Arthur, A. Media Analysis Techniques. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2005. Lears, T.J. Jackson. â€Å"The Concept of Cultural Hegemony: Problems and Possibilities,† American Historical Review 90 (1985):567-93. This essay on Applying Theory to Image: Gramsci’s Theory of Hegemony was written and submitted by user Jaycee Andrews to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Hofstede Essay Example

Hofstede Essay Example Hofstede Paper Hofstede Paper Hefted cultural dimensions analysis with multinational business management France, Britain, Germany , Italy Today, the world economic integration process , the companys multinational operations has become an unstoppable trend . But the Eastern and Western cultures have a huge difference . It is easy to generate conflict in business management. Cross-cultural management refers to: multinational companies operating in the presence of various cultural differences of people and things , management mechanisms, and properly handle the cultural conflict, maximize the potential of employees and to achieve corporate tragic goals. Hefted cultural dimensions contains five areas : power distance ( PDP ) * uncertainty avoidance (AJAX) individualism vs.. Collectivism ( DIVIDE). Masculinity vs.. Femininity ( MASS), long term vs.. Short term ( L TO ) . France China and France, as the East and the West has a long history and cultural traditions of the country, there are many differences between them on the Hefted cultural dimensions. Dimensions China France Hefted cultural From the table we can know that : France can accept a large power distance(PDP) . They urgently required to prevent operation of the uncertainty Therefore organizational structures tend pyramid . But the weakness of this pyramid structure is unwieldy information communication So the manager must know:French prefer to accept hierarchy . They focus on the relationship between family members backup , And hierarchical relationship between monarch. France on individualism vs.. Collectivism (DIVIDE) score far more than China . This means that in their society, individualism is the mainstream cultural values , and more respect for the value of the individual . So France is individualism . In sometimes French people do not like to be too intimate tit others , in order to avoid loss of independence. In the Masculinity vs.. Femininity (MASS) , China on MASS score higher than France . It shows that China tend to male values of society , but France tend to female social values. France focus on harmonious culture. France score high on uncertainty avoidance (AJAX) , so It has a strong uncertainty avoidance culture . It is the idealism, and it pursues absolute truth . The French dont like surprises . Before meetings and negotiations they like to receive all necessary information. From the number of the long term vs.. Horn term (I-TO) , we now Chinese culture are long-term oriented,however French culture is short- term oriented culture . French people like instant results . For most people they pay more attention to the current situation . Because in their view , the future is ambiguous , the most real physical presence in the here and now . People tend to make decisions and g et results quickly . They are accustomed to always adjust policy. In summary , Managers can not ignore to shape the value of the companies jointly . Common values can guide and encourage all employees to achieve business goals and work together . Learn from each other , and exert their own cultural superiority . At work , managers should arrange the main task , and every employee clear their jobs . The most important things is communication . France advantage is its advanced management concepts , management system is perfect standard operating procedures . Then the company should establish a strict hierarchy , respect the majority peoples view . France tend to female social value , so the company need to ensure the quality of life of employees . The wages make employee satisfaction , and respect for their human rights . Germany Germany is a rigorous and realistic national , It has a significant cultural differences between China . China France Hefted cultural dimensions Germany gets a low score on PDP , we can know it is a low power distance countries . A direct and participative communication and meeting style is common . Employees will not be too dependent on leadership , they like to solve the issue through discussion . Employees are free to close the boss , and they can make the difference ideas . But the final decision lies in the hands oaf big boss . The situation is similar to China . The score on DIVIDE is Geiger than China . Individualism is highly recognized in Germany . In Collectivist societies people belong to in groups that take care of them in exchange for loyalty . The German society is a truly individualistic one . Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. This is defined by the contract between the employer and the employee. Communication is among the most direct in the world following the ideal to be honest, even if it hurts and by this giving the counterpart a fair chance to learn from mistakes. The similar score teens China and Germany in MASS . The high score represent the society will be driven by competition. People rather live in order to work and draw a lot of self-esteem from their tasks. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches and technical devices. On AAU Germany is high than China . Germany has a high uncertainty avoidance . In combination with their low Power Distance, where the certainty for own decisions is not covered by the larger responsibility of the boss . In the target management process , Germans prefer to compensate or their higher uncertainty by strongly relying on expertise . In the corporate decision-making process, managers must allow employees to participate in the discussion and implementation of independent decisions, individual responsibility . The companys rules and regulations must be strictly and fine German employees compare advocating self- realization, and therefore in their daily work managers should encourage employees and listen to their suggestions . Germany has a strong heart to prevent uncertainty, but the extent of the right to the gap in the middle of the Tate, and therefore in their daily work to be considered. The PDP score is 35 , it is low . We know British power distance is small, so the business management in the UK, on the lower level are equal. Meanwhile, in order to work more convenient, you can always change between the posts. Britain stressed that equal rights, not the concentration of power . During the meeting employees can express their suggestions . A sense Of fair play drives a belief that people should be treated in some way as equals . There is a high score on DIVIDE(89) . Britain is a county that emphasizes individualism, they ore emphasis on the value of their own recognition. Usually after receiving a task, they are more willing to achieve through their own efforts, rather than seeking help for their own purposes. On weekends or holidays, the British prefer to produce their own furniture, trim gardens, making crafts, its not just the development of personal skills, and a way of leisure, but also reflects the Englishman for the individual pursuit. The score on MASS is 66 , Britain is a country masculine bias, not a pure enjoyment of national life . The dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life . In ordinary life, and still can not cover the feisty British heart, for the details of life, they always want to be perfect. And they have been known as a gentleman, very eager to succeed . In comparison to feminine cultures such as the Scandinavian countries, people in the I-J live in order to work and have a clear performance ambition. Luaus score is 35 , In this regard, the British have a weak uncertainty avoidance. Britons prefer huge change, do not like risk averse. Because Britain grace like innovation, leading them ahead of other countries in the first industrial revolution. And they are also strong emerging technology than any other country. But relatively conservative British in some ways, like life under the old regime . But the detail of how we get there will be light and the actual process fluid and flexible to emerging and changing environment. Planning horizons will also be shorter. Most importantly the combination of a highly individualistic and curious nation is a high level of creativity and strong need for innovation . Englishman always reflect the people-oriented philosophy, emphasizing that everyone is equal, so leaders must pay attention to the daily management and more. They do not want too much innovation, more to realize their value . Managers should respect each employee, and certainly their value , do well in rewarding good work . For the creation of the post of the company should not be too rigid, so that employees have greater opportunities for promotion, so better to stimulate the British feisty character . Italy The score of the PDP is 50 , it is the middle number . This dimension shows that Italians expect power distance . Northern Italy tends to prefer equality and a decentralization of power and decision-making . They like to make fun f authorities and breaking rules seems to be an Italian hobby . Before being invited to do so, you should say Signore or Signora followed by their last name and maybe even adding personal titles . The highest score is DIVIDE (76) . Let means Italy is an Individualistic culture . It has a slightly different meaning: someone that you know and can be useful for introducing the important or powerful people. They could see only themselves and their immediate family as relevant and important when being individualistic. Most Italians prefer doing business with people they know and trust. Decisions are then made within the in-group and meetings are used most of all to inform the other people about the outcome . The score on MASS is higher than China that the society will be driven by competition , achievement and success . Children are taught from an early age that competition is good and to be a winner is important in ones life. Italians show their success by acquiring status symbols such as a beautiful car, a big house, a yacht and travels to exotic countries. As the working environment is the place where every Italian can reach his/her success, competition among colleagues for making a career can be very strong. The second highest score is 75 on AAU . Italy, the people tend to be more risk-averse . Formality in Italian society is important and the Italian penal and civil code are complicated with clauses , codicils etc . In Italy the combination of high masculinity and high uncertainty avoidance makes life very difficult and stressful . To release some of the tension that is built up during the day Italians need to have good and relaxing moments in their everyday life , enjoying a long meal or frequent coffee breaks . So Italian people are eve warm, mood, and full of strength . In business, this dimension leads to rather formal behavior,where subordinates should not call their superiors by their first name , so some people should be polite . Managers must be careful scheduling, but do not let employees do too much risk or unpredictable thing . General manager must be very warm, full of strength, drive employee motivation Young people do not like to be controlled and the attack in the form they prefer the teamwork and open management style .

The big idea...read the requirement i send you carefully Essay

The big idea...read the requirement i send you carefully - Essay Example Housing in city is an important issue that affects millions of people in the modern times. The rentals are skyrocketing mainly due to imbalances in demand and supply for housing. Ideas relating to the best utilization of resources and efficiency in human resources management for improved organizational performance call for innovative mindset in organizing, controlling and directing the workforce. Aghazadeh, S. (2003, p. 201) stated â€Å"Human resource management must change as the business environment in which it operates changes.†Ã‚  Competitive edge in business operations leads to sustainable growth and development. A strategy that takes care of transportation and housing problems of the employees can be considered as the best idea from the view point of corporate social responsibility also. This paper seeks to highlight the benefits that could be attributed to this idea from the perspective of human resources management, profitability and sustainability of the organization and corporate social responsibility. ... Technological developments in the field of information and communication technology could be properly leveraged in this idea to mitigate the hardships arising out of transportation and housing in cities to the people as well as society at large due to pollution. Digital convergence of technologies created synergy in business operations resulting in an array of opportunities. Even Alvin Toffler in his ‘Future Shock’ could neither predict the use of mobile phones by a common man nor its impact on the business and society. Digital convergence has provided an excellent platform for the big idea in relation to human resources management in business organizations. According to the Society for Human Resources Management (2008, p. 17) â€Å"Organizations that formally offer telecommuting from a satellite location or telecommuting from other locations deem this flexible work arrangement to be very successful.† Human resources management Matiza, L. (2013, P.2) stated  "Human Resources Management is basically a way of managing humans at their workplace in search of performance and rating it well in order to also remunerate them well.† Managing humans at their workplace signifies that the people work for the company assembles in a firm’s place of work at a particular time for performance of their duties. Human Resources Management involves rating of their performance as well. The firm should remunerate the employees based on their performance. Kayode, O. (2012, p. 1) stated â€Å"Now, more than ever, organizations need to place greater emphasis on attracting human capital rather than financial capital... effective human resource management is the best

Strategic HRM(Human Resource management) can be utilised as a Assignment

Strategic HRM(Human Resource management) can be utilised as a competitive advantage today - Assignment Example They must show how the role of HR can be maximized to make an organization successful. Strategic HRM is defined by its role in addressing two crucial needs in an organization- delivering strategic forecasts on the business by making it possible for the organization to source, evaluate and motivate employees in an increasingly dynamic business environment, and providing administrative services that are consistent, cost-effective and responsive to every department within the organization (Regis 2008, p.5). This depicts the evolution of the HR function where an employee has to go beyond the traditional job description. HRM should hence be involved in creation of business strategies because the function of employees is paramount within an organization; for this reason, HR professionals are referred to as strategic business partners. Strategic HRM is important since it facilitates reinforcement of an organizational culture, encourages commitment among employees and promotes a willingness among employees to act flexibly so as to bring about achievement of an organization’s goals that will in turn help it realize excellence. Alternatively, strategic HRM can be defined as all the activities that affect behavior of individuals within an organization, in their efforts to put together and implement its strategic needs. This entails creating a pattern within an organization, thus it is said to facilitate reinforcement of an organizational culture, where employees are informed and part of long-term strategic planning of attaining the organization’s goals and vision. The fundamental aim of strategic HRM is to create strategic capability in employees by ensuring they are skilled, committed and strongly motivated (Armstrong & Bacon 2003, pp.41-42). Strategic HRM is seen as being different across various organizations although certain themes stand out and these are summarized by the fact it imposes a cultural change defined by changes in attitudes, behaviours and values (Wright& McMahan 2011, p.94). Analysis of advantages realized by corporations that practice Strategic HRM for competitive advantage Gaining competitive advantage may either be by being a differentiator or a low-cost leader. It includes decisions, relationships, resources and capabilities that allow an organization to take advantage of opportunities in the market while avoiding threats to its desired position. A corporation that practices strategic HRM whether it is a low-cost leader or differentiator, is able to have continuous innovation, highly skilled and competent workforce making it possible to quickly and efficiently meet customer’s needs and preempt its customer’s moves. Breaking it down, two advantages that a corporation can attain as a result of instituting strategic HRM for competitive advantage include consolidating extensive technologies

Strategic Business Plan for Coca Cola Case Study

Strategic Business Plan for Coca Cola - Case Study Example It manufactures and markets almost 400 brands of beverages in over 200 countries across the world, while over 70% of its revenue comes from within United States alone. It describes itself as a 'local company' as it makes use of local and regional people for its employee base. (Nelson et al, 2006) This paper will study the ways in which the HRM can be conducted so as to up the performance of the company. This will be done through a SWOT analysis as well as an analysis of the industry and competitor base. Finally, the improvement, implementation and management reviews will be put forward. The soft drink industry is one of the largest in the world. In countries like the US and India alone, this industry boasts of a turnover between 6 Billion dollars and 60 Million dollars. This is an industry that caters to the creation of non alcoholic and soda based beverages. The US figures alone for this industry have been depicted below. (Nelson et al, 2006) Michael E Porter has paved the way for revolutionary strategising trends and a whole new perspective on competition through his competitive advantage theory. In the corporate world, Porter's first book Competitive Strategy (1980), which he wrote in his thirties, became an international best seller, and is considered to be an authoritative piece of work on corporate strategy. The book, which has been published in nineteen languages and re-printed approaching sixty times, changed the way business leaders' minds worked. Further, it remains a guide of choice for strategic managers on a global scale. Apart from being rich in lessons about why and how industries, regions, and nations succeed or fail, this book is of great value as the first serious attempt to develop a really original grand theory of national economic development processes since the early years of Postwar development economics, and one of the most original ways of thinking about development policy in years. Source: M E Porter, 1998 This brings us to a discussion on the technicalities of the model proposed by Porter. Porter's Five Forces model provides suggested points under each main heading. When taken into consideration individually, each of these gives rise to the development of a broad and sophisticated

Regional Security Complex Theory

Regional Security Complex Theory This chapter will provide an in-depth look at a range of theoretical approaches to the concept of energy security. It is expected by examining several theoretical approaches we will be able to determine a comprehensive understanding of what constitutes energy security. A range of academic approaches exist which can be utilised in order to understand the origins, prerequisites, and consequences of any given type of security. Throughout this chapter we will be taking the concept of energy security and firstly examining approaches to understanding it as part the existing theoretical framework. Secondly, efforts will be made to comprehend the securitization of energy as a part of broader and more contemporary political architecture. The scope of this literature review will extend to the work of founding theorists, as well as contemporary literature, journals, and reviews. 2.1 Understanding Security Since the eventful oil disruptions of the 1970s, energy security has slowly but surely assimilated itself into the key debates of IR theory (Bohi and Toman, 1996: 32). Energy security discourses are varied and volatile at the best of times. If we are to comprehend energy security, we must first have a clear understanding of how security can be approached and conceptualized. Is it a response to threat or a strategy to evade threat? Or perhaps neither? Security is a both a highly contended and heavily debated concept. Owing to its inherently multifaceted premise, it is rare now for a political article not to refer to security in some form or another (Neocleous, 2000: 11). Irony lies in the fact that our present inability to define security has, as a result, caused the international society and our interpretation of it to be less secure as a whole (Booth Wheeler: 2007: 94). What is exceedingly clear, however, is that our understanding of security and what it entails has moved well beyo nd the claim that security studies should focus only on the threat, use and control of military force (Nye and Lynn-Jones in Walt, 1991: 212). It is interesting that our understanding of security has only relatively recently been contested. We can classify security either as defensive (a response to a threat) or offensive (interaction with other actors for state gain) (Grafstein, 2002: 139-165). Traditional thinkers have conventionally classified security primarily as a defensive mechanism (i.e. power measured by war and military strength). Kenneth Waltz built further on this assumption in his book, Theory of International Politics. By suggesting that, in an anarchic international system, the incentive of every state is to put itself in a position to be able to take care of itself since no one else can be counted onto do so, he suggests security will remain an inherently defensive mechanism. Barry Buzan, on the other hand, took this further and attempted to dissect this highly complex term by questioning the very legitimacy of security itself (1997: 5-21). Buzan, Ole Wà ¦ver, and Jaap de Wilde form the foundations of the C openhagen School of security studies, which focuses on the process of securitization, regional security complexes, and sectoral security. This has conversely been criticized by those of the Critical Security Studies school of thought, which itself is set in contrast to the assumptions of neo-realism and realism. As such, we can see how security has undergone and will continue to undergo analytical re-evaluation thanks to recurrent contestation of this concept within the field of IR. As a result of this unremitting confrontation, the scope for what constitutes security has broadened significantly and developed into a dynamic yet still unbalanced concept. Thus, how might we define begin to security, and at what point does a states action, agenda or thinking become a security concern? It is useful here to refer to Buzan et al.s definition of security: It is when an issue is presented as posing an existential threat to a designated referent object (traditionally, but not necessarily the state, incorporating government, territory, and society). The special nature of security threats justifies the use of extraordinary measures to handle them (1998: 21). Conceptualizing security as such posits that if a concern is deemed to be a security issue, it must be presented to and subsequently accepted by an audience: indeed, Buzan, Wà ¦ver and de Wilde further clarify that securitization is not decided by the securitizer but by the audience (1998: 31). In adopting their understanding of securitization as a speech act, we can see how this process creates rights, obligations and responsibilities which are decided not by the securitizer but by an audience (Buzan  et al. 1998: 25-31). Taking this approach, we can apply this framework in understanding why the need to find, secure and diversify energy supplies has been construed as a leading security concern for many states. As Luft and Korin note, energy security is very much in the eyes of the beholder (2009: 1). By having a succinct critical framework for analysis, we are better able to understand the actions, reactions, and needs of states who consider their energy security to be threatened. What follows is a range of theoretical and analytical approaches for conceptualizing energy security. 2.2 A Realist Scope No IR theory accentuates the position of security more than realism, yet there is rarely a critical analysis by realists to explain what security actually means (Baldwin, 1997: 21). The presence of realism simply cannot be ignored when trying to frame the concept of energy security, and although it fails to address some of the key reasons as to why energy is a contemporary security concern, it is nonetheless a theoretical standpoint which has been synonymous with mid-twentieth century security studies (Baldwin, 1997: 9). Sustained by centuries of progressive and traditional thought, the realist stance is backed by great intellectual contributions from Rousseau, Thucydides, Hobbes and Machiavelli to name but a few (Deudney, 2011: 18). Realism is not a single theory, but a cluster of progressive theories with shared core values: Realism focuses on power struggle, national interests, competition between states, and conflict over resources. To realists, international politics is characterised by a zero-sum game: one sides gain is the other sides loss. Therefore, relations between states can only produce competition and conflicts (Bathily, 2009: 185). Realism is a state-centric theory, the classical premise of which declares that the international system is anarchic and within this system states strive for survival and cannot rely upon other states, since every state has the potential to harm through use of military force (Mearsheimer: 1994/95: 9-10). Hans Morgenthaus contributions to the realist paradigm discuss the inherently flawed nature of humans, suggesting that our innate selfishness and desire for power leaves no room for moral principles when understanding the behaviour of states (Morgenthau in Donnelly, 2000: 15-16). Donnelly further emphasises that, realism emphasizes the constraints on politics imposed by human nature (2000: 9), demonstrating that if energy security is accepted as a realist security concern, states will strive for survival by resolving this issue without concern for moral or human principles. Kenneth Waltzs development of structural realism (also referred to as neo-realism) explains the international system by identifying a central and anarchic state, then subsequently relating this object to the interaction between constituent elements of the system (e.g. states in search of survival). These components are further characterised by the balance and distribution of power; in this context, their capability and proficiency in terms of seeking survival and energy security (Waltz in Booth, 2001: 5). The fundamental approaches to energy security under Waltzs structural realism are summarised by Luft and Korin as follows: 1) States are inherently predisposed to egotism, and will therefore pursue hegemony through use of whatever powers they may possess. 2) Structural realists stress that energy commodities have historically held value beyond simply that of commercial pricing they emphasise how resources have repeatedly been used strategically as means of directing foreign policy and asserting dominance. 3) Although realists will take into account the influence of mutual cooperation and independent institutions, they also maintain that culture, history, and economic tendencies and trends do play a crucial role and cannot be ignored when understanding energy security needs and concerns (2009: 340). Approaching energy security in such a manner allows us to see why states might prioritise energy security over other concerns; however the realist paradigm has always prioritised military security in their understanding of security as a whole. Engaging with strands of realist though explains why self-interest of states and the struggle for dominance is an occurring theme in the international system, but the critical flaws of Waltzs structural realism lie in the fact that he largely discounts the importance of geography and geographical regions, while also paying little attention to technology as an influential shaping force (Deudney, 2011: 29-30). When endeavouring to find a position for energy security in a theoretical framework, it is evident that realism does not offer a fully logical and explanatory approach to the concept. As mentioned earlier, Buzan (of the Copenhagen School of security studies) deems anarchy to be the key feature within the international system, and splits security concerns into 5 categories (political, military, societal, economic, environmental); energy security, however, is not explicitly identified within these categories (Buzan, 1991: 19). Although this categorization is evidently broadening the approach to security, a prominent weakness of the theory is its inability to account for the impact of other actors and structures on securitization, while giving too much attention to how international anarchy is constructed politically. The main critic of Buzans work is Bill McSweeney, who claims that the key flaw within Buzans work is his inability to break away from the neo-realist assertion that the state is always the main object for analysis (2004: 123). 2.3 A Liberal Understanding Liberalism and security are concepts which have in recent times both clashed and contradicted each other. Hyde-Price understands this to be a result of liberalism misunderstanding the nature of power (2007: 16). The core value of classical liberalism are neatly summed up into four components up by Kelly: All individuals are of equal and ultimate moral value. This individualism is ethical and not sociological or psychological. Equality of concern and respect is cashed out in terms of a set of basic rights, civil liberties and economic entitlements. These rights entail accompanying responsibilities and duties. Ethical individualism and equality of concern and respect does not entail moral scepticism about objective values. It is instead concerned with the moral limitation of coercion or political power (2004: 13). What can liberalism offer in terms of conceptualizing energy security? Bathily forms a coherent and persuasive argument for approaching it from a liberal perspective. They assert that liberalism in fact challenges the very notion of security in any form and suggest that the realist egocentrism, struggle for survival and innate fear of external threat could be substituted by a so-called liberal logic, wherein states maximise absolute gains and generally prioritise economic development over that of political. In doing this, they predict that traditional elements of security will become sidelined and therefore the security agendas will eventually become redundant. Liberals view naturally occurring resources such as oil to be strategically unimportant, given the frequent rate of discovery around the world. This consequently turns oil from an economic fortune to an ordinary commodity. They further believe that resource management is not the responsibility or the right of the governing bod y, and that management should be decentralized and democratised to multiple, non-governmental actors (2009: 183-184). In some ways, the liberal take on energy security is a valid and applicable one. It explains why actors controlling the resource industry have freedom and independence from government decree which is true in many states and explains why the need for peaceful cooperation and mutual reliance is present in the international system today. What is fails to address, however, is the rising concern for resources in resource poor nations, which in turn has caused political instability, egocentric policy making, and the rise of resource nationalism (this will be examined further on). When trying to understand energy security, liberalism places too much emphasis on the importance of moral human nature in relation to political and resource-based relations, and does not provide enough focus on the importance of geographic, economic, regional and political involvement. 2.4 Energy Security and the Regional Security Complex Theory Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) offers a somewhat more contemporary and relevant approach to conceptualizing energy security. The founding academic linked to this particular theory is Buzan, with further contributions from Wà ¦ver. A regional security complex has been defined as a group of states whose primary security concerns link together sufficiently closely that their national securities cannot realistically be considered apart from one another (Buzan, 1991: 190). It is argued by Buzan and Wà ¦ver that the security complexes of states depend primarily on the pressures deriving from geographic proximity, and the interplay between the anarchic structure and how balances of power play out in the system. They view the world as regional clusters, whereby security complexes are magnified within these clusters (2003: 45-46). Buzan and Wà ¦ver further clarify the central ideas of RSCT as follows: The central idea in RSCT is that, since most threats travel more easily over short distances than long ones, security interdependence is normally into regionally based clusters: security complexes. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Process of securitization and thus the degree of security interdependence are more intense between actors inside such complexes than they are between actors inside the complex and outside of it (2003: 4) Here, it is supposed that both mutual and rival interests can contribute towards the formation of such a region, and in this case, ensuring energy security would be one of those interests. A major benefit of RSCT is that it allows analysts to confront common conceptions and thus discuss security concerns between members of a given security complex this dispels the overly generic assumptions of liberalism and realism, and suggests that the concept of energy security can be analysed and approached by varying methods, but all within the scope of RSCT. Furthermore, applying Buzans theory gives an explanation as to why security concerns vocalized by one state are frequently echoed around neighbouring states with a relatively short time frame (Sheehan, 2005: 49-50). The strengths of RSCT also lie in its ability to be adaptable and logical RSCT, unlike the traditional theoretical approaches, does not rely on sweeping generalization of defining concept such as human nature. RSCT confidentl y explains the occurrence of energy complexes and relations between two or more states within a region, and further demonstrates how energy has become securitized within a given geographical area (Buzan, Wà ¦ver and de Wilde, 1998: 31). To classify an energy security complex, however, it is necessary to understand the nature and level of energy dependencies through studying the energy profile of a given state: e.g. the extent of external dependence, diversification possibilities, trade levels, domestic supplies etc. This in itself highlights the problematic nature of RSCT if a state is said to have 100% dependency for, say, oil, this contributes to the securitization of energy. On the other hand, if oil only constitutes 10% of the states energy profile, this brings about an entirely different view. Therefore, in order to analyse energy security from this standpoint we must choose whether it is more beneficial to group together major energy sources, or to base our understanding upon aggregate energy reliance of a given state. Further to this, it is crucial to acknowledge that energy security also entails a need for supply security and demand security. In addition, dependence can be both positive and negative between two or more states. While RSCT presents a plausible and applicable framework in terms of understanding energy security, it is limited in that it does not address the interaction of states at a global level. With the possibility and indeed reality of constructing long energy export pipelines and transport energy by land and sea, we can see that energy (inter)dependence between states from different regions is both real and developing. Furthermore, it is undeniable that with the rise of globalization, the integration and transfer of knowledge, and the power of technology, energy security is not confined solely within regional complexes. 2.5 Critical Security Studies (CSS) Increasingly, IR theorists have been left searching for a concept to shed light on why structures and responses within the international society are increasingly determined by shared ideas rather than material forces, and that the identities and interests of purposive actors are constructed by these shared ideas rather than given in nature (Wendt, 1991: 1). In contract to the realist and neo-realist assumption that security is primarily defensive, traditional and in pursuit of hegemony, CSS significantly broadens the concept of security. It brings in the notion of instability-of-the-object within the international system, and conceptualizes security not as an absolute feature but as a constructed quality which is dependent on shared ideas rather than state-centric gain (McSweeney, 1991:1). CSS has already been subject to diversification since its appearance in the 1990s, but several key aspects characterize this school of thought. They are summarised by Vaughan-Williams below as foll ows: The focus of analysis within CSS is called the referent object this can be an actor, sector, or concept which requires securitization The broadening of security. This refers to the move away from narrow and traditional views of security defined in terms of military strength, and posits concerns within other sectors as security issue The normative approach suggests what must or ought to be secured and analysed. The derivative nature of security. This idea speculates that our methods of understanding the world have a profound effect on the way we approach and conceptualize security (2010: 4).

Life of George Eliot aka Mary Ann Evans Essay -- essays research pape

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) lived from 1819 to 1880. She was raised in a very traditional family. Her father was a farmer who managed various estates, and he made certain that his daughter was given a very strict Methodist education. She attended a series of boarding schools where she learned that which was typical for a young lady in the early part of the nineteenth century -- subjects such as French, piano, and handwriting. While at these boarding schools, she frequently turned to fiction as a form of amusement, establishing at an early age the foundation upon which her later novels would be based. Despite this traditional upbringing, though, Mary Ann Evans lived an adult life that many considered to be utterly scandalous. In the mid-1840's she began to question seriously the Christian faith in which she was raised, and by the end of the 1840's she had abandoned the church altogether. This questioning of religion may have initiated her literary career, though, her translation of Das Leben Jesu, a controversial inquiry into the tenets of Christianity, gained her some notice in L...

History of Budweiser

In 1860, Eberhard Anheuser spearheaded the rise of the brewery that was located in St. Louis was about to flourished and was full of promise. The Anheuser family have endured the adversities of the industry and retained the popularity of their product. Budweiser is one of the world's premiere and largest purveyors of beers in the world today (Budweiser. com). It boasts of the two highest grossing beers in the world – Budweiser regular and Bud light (Budweiser.  com).Anheuser-Busch breweries was founded by a German immigrant named Adolphus Busch in 1876 and eventually adopted the name Budweiser. The name Budweiser has an evocatived feel in it and made the beer label distinct. The Busch Family was the pioneer brewery to utilize pasteurization in order to keep the freshness of the beer which fueled their success in the first years of its business.They also used the artificial refrigeration for beer and the first brewery yo use refrigerated railroad cars in order to sustain the beer's freshness and keep it chilled while being transported. Budweiser was the first brewery to bottle beer extensively for them to send it to outbound markets (Protz. 1964). Budejovicky Budvar was found in Ceske Budejovice in 1895. The beer has been brewed in Budejovice since the 14th Century in the Czechoslovakia. The German name of the Czech town Ceske Budejovice is where the name â€Å"Budweiser† originated.Budweis is where the beer was made in the Middle Ages and thus implying the place and origin of the brew. Budweiser means the beer of the Budweis area, Whereas Champaign in France describes the wine of the Champaign wineries. Logically, the Czechs claim to have the right to the name from long before the Americans even started the beer brewing (Protz. 1964). Reference Budweiser. 2007. History of Budweiser. Retrieved February 1, 2008, from Budweiser. com Protz,R. 1951. History of Beers. Encyclopedia of Beers.

Free Essays on Terrorism

The Good, the Bad, the Terrorist? Terrorism by nature is difficult to define. Acts of terrorism conjure emotional responses in the victims as well as in the practitioners. No two writers agree on what is terrorism. Even the U.S. government cannot agree on one single definition. The old adage, One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter is still alive and well today (Terrorism Research Center: Definitions 1). Although many people believe that terrorism is evil, it is merely misunderstood because there is no set definition. Terrorist are responsible to most of the freedom movements in every country. Terrorist have used violence to get their point across to the public. These acts are often necessary for the success of the movement or cause. The use of this violence can be justified in several ways. You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs has been used by terrorist to describe their actions. Terrorism has been used by governments and against them. It has been used as part of a campaign by guerrillas who have widespread support and by small groups. Terrorism has been used in societies where grievances can be expressed freely and where free speech is suppressed. In a well organized guerrilla campaign, for example, the main goal might be to destroy the governments military forces. The violence is limited to acts which will achieve that objective. This might be destroying a factory which is making arms, or putting out of action part of the government army, or bombing an airfield so that it cannot be used by government aircraft. In some cases, the use of terrorism appears to be a reaction to the disintegration of law and order. A stable society has normally evolved peaceful ways of keeping order and handling disputes between its members without violence. Once law and order breaks down, as they do in civil wars, members of society have to defend themselves in different ways. There may be in a situation where government forces... Free Essays on Terrorism Free Essays on Terrorism Terrorism has affected every American’s life within the past year in numerous different ways. It is an extremely complicated topic, and its destruction has succeeded far beyond the deaths of thousands of people and destroyed buildings. The memory of the September 11 attacks will have a lasting impact especially on all who lived through that day, as well as on future generations. The threat of terrorism has become very real in the past year, and has changed the morality and hopes of every American. Americans know and understand what happened on September 11 - that terrorists of the Taliban hi-jacked two places and flew them into the World Trade Center. However few people, especially the younger generations, realize that the threat of the Taliban has existed for decades and was mostly ignored by the U.S. They also mistakenly associate the violent acts that occurred on that day to the Islamic religion, since the terrorists claimed that they were fighting in the name of Islam. These situations have caused Americans to feel completely unsafe around Muslims or those of Arab decent, altough a minute minority of these people have relations to terrorism. The threat of terrorism has caused Americans to feel that their freedom and safety are constantly threatened, and that they are living under the daily fear and anger that they could be next. The Islamic faith is based on the values of peace and morality. It is against the Islamic faith to perform any acts of violence. Osama bin Laden claims that the Taliban is fighting in the name of Islam, against the Western values. He resents and is disgusted by the American luxuries: fast food, alcohol, democracy, freedom, television. Americans take these things for granted and do not realize that it is not like that in much of the world. The Taliban feels that Americans are trying to â€Å"westernize† the east and the Islamic faith. He has taken the extreme approach to stop this from happe... Free Essays on Terrorism Terrorism† After the World Trade Center tragedy on September 11, 2001. Many people realized terrorism is a big problem. Especially here in the United States. Terrorism is affecting us everyday not only here in the United States but in other parts of the world for example in †¦. Colombia, Afghanistan, Qatar, Jordan and many other countries. While I was in the process of doing my I –Search I came along a lot of questions that I was interested to find out the answer to. Like what exactly is terrorism? Who were the first terrorists? And what were some other terrorist attacks that have occurred here in the United States? And last but not least how can terrorism be prevented? I hope to find these answers to my questions by using traditional and non- traditional sources. For my first question, which was, what is terrorism? I found out that terrorism is the extreme use of violence and crimes against the person in order to achieve a political or other social aim. This term was first used to describe the actions of a state against its citizens later it was used to describe also the actions of individuals. I found the answer to my question by using traditional source. I used a book called â€Å" Inside Terrorism† by Bruce Hoffman. For my second question who were the first terrorists? I was extremely surprised by the answer. Who could of thought terrorism started way back hundreds of years ago. An American group who called themselves Ku Klux Klan (also known as KKK) were the first real terrorist. Ku Klux Klan used violence to terrorize blacks and their sympathizers in the period following the end of the Civil War in 1865 and during the 1900’s. In the 1930’s Adolph Hitler of Germany, Benito Mussoini of Italy, and Joseph Stalin of Russia used terrorism to discourage opposition to the governments. I found this answer in a book called â€Å" Terrorism in The 20th Century† (A narrative encyclopedia from the anarchists through the weather m... Free Essays on Terrorism â€Å"Bring us your poor, your sick†¦.,† that is what the sign reads at Ellis Island; the very place that had to be evacuated during the horrors of September 11, 2001. Now, Americans may need to revise their ideals in order to ensure our safety. Since our enemies no longer ally themselves with a specific country, but a cause, we need to pose the question of what to do with our immigration poly. More specifically, should the United States put restrictions on immigration now that we’re not sure of exactly who the enemy is? â€Å"How much freedom are you willing to give up to protect America from terrorists? In the year since September 11th, with the talk of national ID cards, face recognition technology and racial profiling, some experts say law enforcement has gone too far, others say authorities haven’t gone far enough†(Dershowitz, 1). America is traditionally known as the land of the free. Our borders are open to anyone seeking freedom of persecution, violence, or poor living conditions; after all, our country was founded by Protestants seeking freedom from religious persecution. However, since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, American citizens and administrators alike have been reconsidering our, â€Å"open door policy† towards immigration. Some arguments in favor of closing our borders to immigrants are strong and persuasive. It is argued that a primary way of protecting American citizens is to restrict anyone else into our country. It is hard and almost impossible to find out exactly who has Al Qaeda links since it is a cause instead of a nationality. Therefore, the only way to protect our citizens is to close our borders to all people in an attempt to, â€Å"root out terrorism and assure our homeland security† (Cahill, 2). For example, in December 2001, a man named Richard Reid, a British citizen with Al Qaeda ties, boarded a transatlantic flight headed for Miami with explosives in his shoes. Reid pled guilty to all ... Free Essays on Terrorism Terrorism is the deliberate act of killing innocent people to achieve their political goals. In recent years terrorism has become one of greatest threats to the world’s future. There is no place in the world that is safe from terrorist attacks. There are many forms of international terrorism such as biological, chemical, nuclear, and environmental. These collective entities make terrorism a destructive threat against the humanity. Terrorism is my single greatest fear for the future of the world, because there is no way to insure global immunity from terrorism. However, we can only take preventive steps in national security to fight such meaningless attacks. My concern about the issue is the danger of mass destruction in which could lead to killing of large numbers of civilians. However, with all the dangers that terrorists impose to us; we don’t have to let the fear cripple us from our daily activities. We have to fight with these fears, since changing behavior as resu lt of fear counts as a victory for terrorists. Before the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, I did not think of terrorism as a major threat to the United States and the world. I always thought of terrorism as groups of people who use small bombs to attack innocent civilians to just draw attention. While witnessing smaller incidents in the daily news in Israel and Palestine, the number of casualties never seemed to be as shocking as the September 11th event. However, today the terrorist attacks are becoming more lethal. They try to use any kind of weapon ranging from airplanes to nuclear bombs, as a means to kill as many people as possible. Who would have thought that one-day terrorist would hijack airplanes and crash them into the world trade center. I cannot forget the morning of September 11th when my sister woke me up and told me that an airplane hit the World Trade Center. At first I though it was just an accident. Then, after the second... Free Essays on Terrorism The world watched in horror as television broadcasts showed the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center burn and collapse on September 11, 2001, killing as many as 3,000 people. For many Americans the shocking images didn't end there. Later that day, broadcasts showed footage of Palestinian youths celebrating the U.S. attacks. What is the meaning of this hatred? How could anyone be celebrating the murder of so many innocent civilians? Americans were shocked to see that others would ever wish us pain. In the aftermath of such a tragic event it is important not only to discuss the act itself, but to ask questions as to why the attacks happened and why it hurt so much to see others cheer at the sight of our pain. At an early age, Americans are taught that everyone wants to be American and that the â€Å"American Dream† is the only way to live a full and happy life. This incident has brought awareness that the U.S. is not universally known as the beloved big brother w e often depict ourselves as. In understanding Anti-American resentment we have to look at the reasons for it, faults in past and present U.S. foreign policy, and the best action with regard to future international peace and security. In the wake of September 11th terrorist attacks, many Americans asked the question â€Å"Why do they hate us?† Some say that certain Muslim groups hate our democracy and the freedoms our government allow us. After the terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush addressed the issue during a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress: "Americans are asking, 'Why do they hate us?' They hate what they see right here in this chamber: a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other." (Elliott) U.S. President Bush might disagree, but some say the terrorists' actions were direct... Free Essays on Terrorism â€Å"I wish I could hate you Bin Laden you BRUTE! I’d throw you out of an airplane With no parachute! I wish I could hate you, And SHOUT as you fall, But I WONT because HATE, Is what stated this all†( iserv.net/~ige/rj/terror9.html) This poem was written by a 13 year old. A 13 year old that has not even lived a quarter of a century. Imagine growing up in a world where people are afraid to fly; a world where a country plans their day around a terror rating, which is forever changing. At religious institutions where people go to observe holly holidays, they need to pass through a metal detector before entering the building. And to make matters worse America’s Commander and Chief believes the men and women over seas are progressing, on the contrary there are still troops dying. How can this be considered progress? Due to peoples different experiences in their past, how one pictures these examples will differ. This holds true when looking at Terrorism. The American Heritage Dictionary defines terrorism, â€Å"as the use of terror, violence, and intimidation, to produce a feeling of fear and discomfort.† Terrorism can be a school shooting, to a bombing on a bus in Israel. Terrorism affects individuals, Americans, and people all over the world in many different ways. Depending upon the act of terror each person may react differently due to the situation. If a person were to loose a loved one, they would react completely different then someone who had just seen what happened on the news. Take for example, The Shootings at Columbine. Yet people all over the world question why someone would do something so inhumane. There are many different reasons why a person would commit such a heinous crime. These problems going through a person’s brain could stem back to their childhood. It could have been because of their improper upbringing. It could be because these people are the ones who got picked on because they were dif... Free Essays on Terrorism The Good, the Bad, the Terrorist? Terrorism by nature is difficult to define. Acts of terrorism conjure emotional responses in the victims as well as in the practitioners. No two writers agree on what is terrorism. Even the U.S. government cannot agree on one single definition. The old adage, One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter is still alive and well today (Terrorism Research Center: Definitions 1). Although many people believe that terrorism is evil, it is merely misunderstood because there is no set definition. Terrorist are responsible to most of the freedom movements in every country. Terrorist have used violence to get their point across to the public. These acts are often necessary for the success of the movement or cause. The use of this violence can be justified in several ways. You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs has been used by terrorist to describe their actions. Terrorism has been used by governments and against them. It has been used as part of a campaign by guerrillas who have widespread support and by small groups. Terrorism has been used in societies where grievances can be expressed freely and where free speech is suppressed. In a well organized guerrilla campaign, for example, the main goal might be to destroy the governments military forces. The violence is limited to acts which will achieve that objective. This might be destroying a factory which is making arms, or putting out of action part of the government army, or bombing an airfield so that it cannot be used by government aircraft. In some cases, the use of terrorism appears to be a reaction to the disintegration of law and order. A stable society has normally evolved peaceful ways of keeping order and handling disputes between its members without violence. Once law and order breaks down, as they do in civil wars, members of society have to defend themselves in different ways. There may be in a situation where government forces... Free Essays on Terrorism Terrorism Why do people resort to such violent acts as bombing, assassinations, and hi-jacking? How do individuals and organizations justify these acts of terror. These acts can be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is an growing international problem. During the last twenty years, new terrorist groups have sprung up al lover the world. Governments have had little success in their attempts to resolve issues in which terrorism is used. A major problem in discussing terrorism is establishing a generally accepted definition. Terrorism can be described as the unlawful use of fear or force to achieve certain political, economical, or social aims. Because it is so hard to define, organizations like the United Nations have had great difficulty drawing up policies against terrorism. Terrorist actions may be committed by a single individual, a certain group, or even governments. Most terrorists, unlike criminals, claim to be dedicated to higher causes, and do not believe in personal gain. The methods used in terrorism include threats, bombings, the destruction of property, kidnapping, the taking of hostages, executions, and assassinations. There are many reasons why political groups attempt to bring about radical change through terrorism. People are often frustrated with their position in society. They may in some way feel persecuted or oppressed because or their race, religion, or they feel exploited by a government. Any group that uses terrorist actions have very complex and powerful reasons to engage in those activities. The use of terror to achieve goals is not a new idea in history. One early terrorist group, the assassins, flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. The assassins used murder to dispose of their enemies, and their name has come to be used for one who kills for political or religious reasons. Government terrorism dates at least from immediately after the French Revolution, in 1789. Durin... Free Essays on Terrorism Terrorism "To kill Americans and their allies, both civil and military, is an individual duty of every Muslim who is able, in any country where this is possible." -Osama Bin Laden 8:55 A.M. EST: A Boeing 767 Jetliner with 92 people on board crashes into the North tower of the World Trade Center in New York. 9:05 A.M. EST: A Boeing 757 Jetliner with 58 people on board crashes into the South tower of the World Trade Center causing a huge explosion. 9:43 A.M. EST: A third plane crashes into the Pentagon causing a portion of one side of the five-sided structure to collapse. 9:50 A.M. EST: All U.S. airports shutdown and American airspace is closed. 10:07 A.M. EST: South tower of the World Trade Center collapses. 10:27 A.M. EST: North tower of the World Trade Center collapses. 10:30 A.M. EST: Boeing 757 en route to San Francisco crashes southeast of Pittsburgh. â€Å"Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet, unyielding anger†¦America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world and we stand together to win the war against terrorism†¦This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our . .. Free Essays on Terrorism Since the events of September 11, 2001, the United States of America as a whole people do not feel nearly as secure as they used to. In light of the terrorist attacks, citizens have taken a much closer look at the tremendous vulnerabilities America has. Dams, chemical plants, malls, and stadiums are just a few of the numerous potential terrorist targets. Obviously these facilities need to be protected at a heightened state of alert. What can the United States do as a country to stop these threats? They must retaliate to put terrorist on the run, making them contemplate long and hard about attacking American civilians again. Many believe that if Osama bin Laden is killed the problem would be solved. This is not so, terrorism networks must be destroyed for the problem to be resolved. In order to do this the United States must form a global task force against terrorism. If the United States, with the support of the rest of the world does this, terrorism will be diminished and c itizens everywhere can feel secure once again. In response to terrorism, the United States must retaliate against known terrorists, institute new precautions, and establish a global task force. The first step in fighting against terrorism that the military must take is to collect information. They need to locate enemy training camps, facilities, aircraft runways, and underground caves. Caves, buried in mountainous terrain, house terrorists, their weapons, electricity, tanks, command centers, and sleeping quarters. Most information obtained on these positions come from satellites taking pictures from space. Another source of information comes from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). They acquire their knowledge through techniques in espionage, known most commonly as spying. By using satellites and espionage, the United States will gain the knowledge they need to strategically hit key terrorist training camps, weaponry, airports, and so on. After... Free Essays on Terrorism Terrorism Terrorism, until the recent attacks on the US, has remained a dormant issue in the media. After the recent attacks people have many different thoughts on terrorist and the attacks. Although it has been around for centuries, the organized use of violence to target non-combatants for political purposes is one of the most effective ways to gain media attention. Mainly used by extremist groups in the hopes of gaining recognition for their cause (whether it is religious, political or otherwise.) Several attacks on the US have recently made headlines The attack on the USS Cole (October 12, 2000), US Embassy bombings in Kenya + Tanzania (August 7, 1998), Oklahoma City bombing (April 19, 1995) and finally the World Trade Center bombing on February 27 1993. There were overt threats made to the US government regarding these attacks but most were dismissed as hoaxes. What we need to recognize about terrorism is its message. Attacks are always perfectly planned and precise, almost showing that t hey could do better. The most recent attack on America has been on the WTC and pentagon. Which thousands of innocent people died because Al-Quaida flew three, passenger aircrafts into both towers and crashed one into the pentagon, the United States’s best-guarded facility. Hopefully these deaths were not in vein, now other countries have joined George Bush in the war against terrorism and are launching repeated air and ground strikes and searches on Afghanistan ( Al-Quaida’s supposed base.) They hope that these attacks will prevent any further events from happening. These attacks have in my view displayed that the Taliban can control the US economy and hit any target they wish, no matter how well guarded it is. Perhaps the American government should have been more cautious and handled the threats more carefully. Maybe they were being too proud and this is why the Taliban believe it is justifiable to kill innocent people, or they chose to... Free Essays on Terrorism Terrorism in the Webster’s New American Dictionary is defined as â€Å"the systematic use of intense fear as a means of coercion.† In this day and age, the term terrorism is more than just the use of intense fear as a means of coercion but includes the use of terrorism as a means of revenge and pure sport and also as a means of suppression. While the dictionaries definitions says that it is the use coercion to promote certain ideologies, some of the most cleverly hidden terrorism today is the terrorism used to suppress some ideologies or certain ethnic groups or societies. The popular image of terrorism is of extremist groups trying to rebel or promote their ideologies by blowing up airplanes, buses, government buildings, or taking hostages. By defining terrorism thoroughly, we can begin to look at what terrorism is really about. The use of terror is usually a tool to promote ideologies according to the dictionary but what about the use of terror for revenge? After the Serb withdrawal from Kosovo this past month, there was a rash of terrorist acts committed by Albanians against Serbs. The Serb civilian population of Kosovo was not a threat to the Albanians but the violence against them was not one of coercion but of revenge. The hostage crisis at the American embassy in Teheran twenty years ago was another example of terrorism based on revenge. While that incident involved the political theme of the revolution in Iran and the authorities used it to promote their Islamic ideology, those that carried out the hostage crisis took over the embassy in a fit of rage and under the euphoria of anger against anything American. They had already achieved their goal, which was to rid the American backed Shah who ruled the country with terror; the hostage crisis was merely an outburst of revenge against the west. Terrorism is not just coercion, but it also revenge. The use of terror to punish the victim and remind them of what the enactor of the ter... Free Essays on Terrorism â€Å"Terrorism has been practiced throughout history and throughout the world. The Spanish Inquisition used arbitrary arrest, torture, and execution to punish what it viewed as religious heresy. After the American Civil War (1861–65) defiant Southerners formed a terrorist organization called the Ku Klux Klan to intimidate supporters of Reconstruction.† (Internet reference) The above-mentioned are just two of the many terrorist acts not typically considered to be terrorism. So, what is terrorism? There is no concrete definition; instead there are many, which are based on individual and self-centered views. When defining the term we tend not to ask the following: Does terrorism need to involve the killing of many people or can it affect just one person? Can it involve simply the destruction of property, with no injuries? Can governments commit acts of terrorism, or is the term reserved only for people who operate outside of governments? Must terrorism involve the people of one country attacking citizens of another country? Does motive make a difference? Does terrorism need to be intentional? Many of us limit ourselves to the belief that terrorism only involves the people of one country attacking those of another. This is the case today; post 9-11 and with the strong media influence most have been brainwashed into associating terrorism with the â€Å"cowardly acts† committed by a group of people against the government and citizens of either their own or foreign country. We have also begun to put faces to this one-dimensional definition, those being Osama Bin-Laden, Saddam Hussein, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban to name a few. With the influence of the U.S. the world has become defensive. We are now at war against terrorism. But how can we put an end to something that we cannot define? The answer to that is to base the solution on your definition of the problem. This has been and is the case today. Countries define the term according to ...

A Common Chain Among Literary Works †Literature Essay

A Common Chain Among Literary Works – Literature Essay Free Online Research Papers A Common Chain Among Literary Works Literature Essay How do six novels create a common chain that relates to each other? The following novels: The Stranger, The metamorphosis, One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, Cry the beloved country, Heart of Darkness, and Things fall apart all have one simple relation: Loneliness. In the novel The Stranger, we find a character, whose name was Meursault, who lives alone in an apartment. He goes through his normal routine everyday: eats in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, eats again and sleeps. When he is eating dinner, he usually sits on his balcony and observes pedestrians walking about. If he talks to someone, its usually a vague conversation that he is never interested in. But most of the time, he finds himself alone and trapped in his apartment, which is a huge sign of loneliness. In the same way, trapped in four walls is Gregor, from The Metamorphosis. This man, has a similar routine to Meursaults, he wakes up at the same time every morning to not miss his train, works to sustain his family and comes back home. One day Gregor realizes he has turned in a giant cockroach. He tries to accustom himself to his new lifestyle which he finds hard because not only is he stranded in a room, but he struggles very deeply with the loneliness he’s feeling after he understands no one accepts him. Gregor also fails to adjust to his identity. Ivan from One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich also has the same identity struggle, but in a different way. In a way that he is trying to be different and show uniqueness unlike the rest of the replicas in the work camp he is being held at. Facing this and many other problems, he also faces loneliness because not only is he being imprisoned for 10 years (which is a lie), he is away from his family and friends, and really finds no one in comfort to be with in the camp. Therefore, looking at loneliness in the eye and while trying to find uniqueness, what else makes it harder is the separation between the prisoners (which are also labels) which are the men who lick out bowls, the men who put their faith in the infirmary and the squealers and screws. Having a separation problem, or more specific, segregation problem, is the country in which Reverend Kumalo (from Cry the beloved country ) which is South Africa. They struggle with apartheid which is a culture of oppression and also the segregation between races, in this book being the White Anglo race and the Black Indian race. The white men seem to own all the land and experience better luxuries than the poverty the black men have to endure with. Kumalo experiences loneliness in a way that he seems to be the only one having hopes for his mislead family members living a city called Johannesburg. While this, certain white men and women have the wrong idea that they are much better, that they have personal power and also great wealth (this can be interpreted in many ways). A much severe condition of this would be called, megalomania, and in the novel. The heart of darkness a specific character experiences this. His name is Kurtz, he is obsessed with collecting ivory, leading the plants stated in Africa and is also full of himself. He has all these workers in such control that even when they are talking about him without his presence, they choke up words that they don’t even agree with themselves. At the end Kurtz is found on his death bed, without anyone that cares about him by his side. This is only a reflection of loneliness, and knowing that he was dying alone with his secrets laying unrevealed. In this novel, the white men always misinterpret the actions of the natives, or the savages as they are referred by the ivory collectors. They are considered ignorant, naà ¯ve, and dangerous. In the same way, characters from the novel Things fall apart consider the actions of the missionaries that have arrived at their homeland very ignorant too. They only see it as this because its not part of their culture. The white Christian missionaries and also the native missionaries have very different beliefs that only sound crazy to the ears of the natives from this African country. Also, the missionaries’ customs and ways of being traits, character, morals and rules) are extremely different from the beliefs of the natives (the missionaries would think these are foolish too). One person we find lonely in this novel is, Okonkwo. After the missionaries had settled in and after he returned to his fatherland after his exile, he’s experiencing this because he seems to be the only man that actually cares about what’s going on, because even one of the high ranking men in that tribe has given in to the missionaries (no one seems to be on his side about violence ). This man is also very emotionless, with anger being all that defines him. Instead of actually believing in a god, he only walks about tradition so he doesn’t make himself look bad. A really good example of this is when Agbala’s Priestess takes Enzima to Agbala’s Cave (you’re not suppose to follow her) and Okonkow along with Ekwefi did. In this same way of being emotionless and doesn’t necessarily believe in any higher power is Meursault, from The stranger. As told earlier, he follows a routine and if actually communicates with anyone, it’s a very vague communication, he doesn’t express emotions (specially that of love which is very exposed to him), and the light (representing God), bothers him and he denies it. To sum it all up, one common trait that each of the novels had was the factor of loneliness. Each novel had a specific connection to the other, but they all involved a sense of loneliness in the book in general or just one of the characters. This created a chain, and the examples of loneliness vary from being lonely yourself and having no one to having people not believe in what you believe in, thus causing a loneliness. Research Papers on A Common Chain Among Literary Works - Literature EssayThe Masque of the Red Death Room meanings19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoWhere Wild and West MeetNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Hockey GameHip-Hop is ArtThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionQuebec and Canada

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Case Study

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - Case Study Example   This is made possible for the various forms of interrelationships established in the organization as persons interact with one another in the different levels of its structure, carries with it the core belief that each member of the organization are working towards the achievement and realization of the organization’s goals as they achieved human development and excellence in their field of expertise. And that actions performed by all its players are considered as within the purview of the organizations good. Thus, it is assumed as given and therefore not questioned the truism of the belief that workers and employees do not just perform their tasks in an excellent manner in order to yield a good product but that they have a sense of loyalty to the organization where they are members. However, the relationship between the organization from the management level and the employees is not always a bed of roses. Critical issues demanding decisive actions and decision making some times arise as some factors and judgments may tend to disturb the â€Å"harmonious† balance of the organization. Business has always been considered as â€Å"amoral.†(De George, 1999, p5) Implying that basically business enterprises have no other interests than to gain profit. Thereby, presenting the notion that businesses do not bother itself to question of right or wrong which is the interests of morality and ethics but are, instead, concerned with the question of how companies will be able to increase its gains and profits. This view, in fact, is also held by the Noble Laureate Milton Friedman that â€Å"the only social responsibility of business was to increase profit.†(Davies, 2000, p 99)  Ã‚  

Child Protective Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Child Protective Services - Essay Example Arguments from both parties will then help the reader reach a conclusion; of their own. Going through a brief history of the CPS, in 1655 the first criminal case was brought up against child abuse in the courts of what is now the United States of America. In 1825, states made laws to protect the rights of children and granting the authority to several agencies to remove children from the custody of parents and guardians who were proved unfit to perform the parental duties (Thomas, 295). By 1974, 49 U.S States had passed the law; hence â€Å"Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act† (CAPTA) was passed by the federal government (Pecora et al, 232). This act established CPS which started functioning by 1974. Thesis CPS is an important part of the present society; it should be made a affirm agency with law enforcement agencies on its call so it is a powerful force against those who embark upon the future of our future generation. A lot of hue and cry has been raised against the CP S and its services but every establishment has its own defects, so does the CPS. As the amount f cases per year registered increases every year, more work has to be put in to secure our future. Basic argument is about the downsizing of the program due to its inefficiency to tackle the modern problems. However, the ball is in the government’s court, to effectively finance the program so no child goes unattended as the worker to case ratio is going out of hand. Support Many people in the social service setups have been calling out for betterment in the current system. Abuse and neglect in children is still prevalent; the system has loopholes through which parents and foster care givers are benefitting, covering their deeds by the noble act of performing their responsibility, key word being ‘act’. Every coin has two faces; both are different, almost opposites. American sentiment toward residential placement for troubled youths is increasingly troubled, passive and e ven aggressive. Even then, many families are too weak to keep their youth unharmed. Foster families are not available for as many as 840,000 children who will require placement by 1995. The most empirically supported criticism of residential placement is its limited positive influence on post placement problems such as delinquency (Pecora et al., 1992). Children are living on roadsides as their parents are to poor or drunk to even know their own self, let alone take care of their offspring. Also, child abuse is an issue which will have disastrous effects on the upcoming generations. CPS comes as the only ray of hope. They take these distressed children under their care and place them with caring, willing families; who have taken the pledge to help the society. In this criminal world, child molesters and drug addicted parents are a big threat to the safety of children. CPS is the right organization to counter these threats. Some extreme steps have to be taken in order to make CPS a r eckoning force like the IRS. Opposition Child Protective Services also has some basic errors. There is huge cry from many quarters of the society that this service should be suspended. If the next generation has to be protected in their homes, this system has to transform radically. The main issue is the anti-family mindset of the CPS. Foster placement should be the last option for the CPS, not the first one. With improper check and balance in the system, the system that was