Is Mark Twain a Racist?

Is Mark Twain A racist? Many believe certain things about Twain's â€Å"Great American novel,† makes it a racist book, like the overuse of the word, â€Å"nigger,† and the given depiction of the black slave, Jim. However, there is a substantial amount of evidence that this book was not written out of hate, but in hope that Twain could change the ideals of skin color of the white people around him. The first and foremost question most people ask when they read the novel is, â€Å"was Mark Twain a racist? There are assumptions that because of Twain's use of edgy language and writing in the point of view of racists, that he was a racist himself. Much of the article is Twain going into detail about the type of environment and adults this young boy has been raised with, and how racism against the Chinese is commonplace. For example, the Chinese are taxed twice as much as all the other races to mine for gold. Also, when they are caught stealing from a mine, they are hung. Ho wever, when the same happens to the other races, they are only asked to leave the mining camp (Galaxy).In one part, the narrator shares, â€Å"†¦ [the boy] found out that in many districts of the vast Pacific coast, so strong is the wild, free love of justice in the hearts of the people, that whenever any secret and mysterious crime is committed, they say, â€Å"Let justice be done, though the heavens fall,† and go straightway and swing a Chinaman. † (Galaxy) The reason why Twain lists these observations is to show the city of San Francisco that it is not the boy who's at fault, because, â€Å"What had the child's education been? How should he suppose it was wrong to stone a Chinaman (Galaxy)? In fact, in one part of the article, the boy says, â€Å"†Ah, there goes a Chinaman! God will not love me if I do not stone him (Galaxy). † With this article, Twain hoped that he could allow the adult of the city to see how foolish they have been acting towards the Chinese and it was not the boy who is acting childish, but it is the men whom the young boy looked up to. This is the same scenario with the controversy surrounding, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. † In both stories we see a young boy who lives in a society that is racist against a certain race only because they were raised that way.An example of this in, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,† is one of the first things we hear from Huck's father and his feelings about black people who have done well in the country. He refers to an African-American college professor who wore nice clothes and was intelligent. Also, since the man was from Ohio, he was also allowed to vote. It's interesting how Huck's father says, â€Å"It was ‘lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there†¦ (37)†.The irony in this is how Huck's father, a man who is obviously morally, financially, socially, and intellectuall y inferior to the professor he met, believes he is superior to the man because of their difference in skin colors. This confirms that Huck was raised in a racist environment, which means that things Huck says or does probably isn't out of hate, but because that's the way he's been raised in his home and society. Something very risky that Twain did to show others his position on slavery and racism was when he volunteered to help pay for one of the first black student's tuition at Yale University.In his letter do the Dean of the university explaining why he wanted to do this, he said, â€Å"We have ground the manhood out of them, and the shame is ours, not theirs, and we should pay for it (Fishkin). † This act and quote shows that Mark Twain felt personally convicted about slavery as a terrible mistake towards the black society and wanted to give something back to those affected. Therefore, with all his negative experiences with slaves and racism, why would this man write a boo k that goes against the ideals he so boldly defends?This book should not be looked at as an attack against African-Americans, but as another way Twain tried to repay the debt he felt he owed the slaves and their families (Fishkin). When the book first introduces Jim, it seems that the slave is almost superstitious to the point of idiocy. In chapter two, Jim falls asleep when looking for Tom and Huck in Mrs. Watson's yard. Tom takes Jim's hat and places it on a branch above his head, and when Jim wakes up he tells the other slaves a group of witches, â€Å"rode him all over the world, and tired him most to death, and his back was all over saddle-boils (14). Two chapters later, Jim pulls a hairball out of an ox's stomach and claims an all-knowing spirit lives inside (26). Many people find Jim's superstitions very offensive and racist because it emphasizes the idea that slaves had no hope in having a good life. Some believe that since the slaves were treated so poorly and had little c hance of escaping their sentence, they made up superstitions as a way to escape from their cruel reality. Most African-American advocates of anning Twain's novel from schools don't think their children should have to read about a time in their family's history where so much pain, suffering and dignity was lost. The fact that Twain makes Jim an extremely superstitious character, is interpreted by many as a racist action (Wolfson). However, who's to say that Jim's superstitions are not just a creative way for him to take advantage of certain things for his own personal gain? It's possible that Jim used the witch story from chapter two because he knew he'd gain popularity throughout the slave world.It even says later that slaves traveled from far places to hear Jim's witch story. As with the hairball, Jim could have just used it to get a quick â€Å"buck† from Huck, or other customers who wanted some questions answered, since Jim pretended the spirit wouldn't work unless it was paid. If Jim's superstitions are viewed in this light, he should be looked at as a very clever human being, rather than a hopeless slave, and no one with the same skin color as him should be offended (Fishkin). Another big issue people have with the book is its seemingly overuse of the word, â€Å"nigger. Throughout the book, the word is mentioned an overwhelming two hundred and fifteen times, something that many see as unnecessary, since the word comes with such a negative, degrading implication in today's world. However, there is much debate whether or not the term carried the type of negative connotation it has today, but even if people did use the name as an insult, there are still reasonable explanations as to why Mark Twain would use this word. First of all, Twain strived to make this novel as realistic as possible.If he had not used the language of his time or depicted characters the way they were in his time period, then no one would have taken his book seriously. It's poss ible that there were other names that were less offensive that he could have used, but doing so would not have been as effective in exposing the ugliness of racism as, â€Å"nigger† does. The word reinforced the book's idea that the societies of the southern United States lived in constant racism. Though it's unclear whether Shelley Fisher Fishkin supported this idea, she says in her book, A Historical Guide to Mark Twain: †¦ â€Å"nigger†] was integral to the project of presenting and indicating a racist society, whose illegitimate racial hierarchy was embodied in the use of that word, because it was central to dramatizing the failure of everyone in that society (black and white) to challenge the legitimacy of the status quo and of the word that cemented and reinforced it, and because the diction was realistic to the time and characters. (137) The relation between, Disgraceful Persecution of a Boy, and the novel at hand must also be analyzed.The young boy who sto ned the Chinese man didn't commit the crime because he hated the Chinese, he did it because that's what he was taught to do. When Huck referred to the slaves as, â€Å"niggers,† it's not out of hate that he uses the word, but because he was taught that's just what you call slaves. Another issue people have with this book is the overall depiction of the slave's intellect. In parts of the book, it's hard to even understand what Jim is trying to say because he hasn't been educated. People believe that making Jim sound intellectually inferior to every other character in the book is a racist move on Twain's part.However, when reading the novel, the reader must also realize that the author and the narrator are two different voices. The author, Twain, is an adult who is very against the idea of slavery. The narrator is a young boy who has been raised by a society who sees nothing wrong with enslaving black people. Thus, it is not Twain voicing his opinions through the thought proces ses of Huck, but it is Twain trying to portray an accurate, historical point of view from a young, white boy (Fishkin). Unfortunately, this young boy has been raised with certain biases against slaves, and Twain must honor that bias.If he doesn't then the book would be historically inaccurate. Also, one must remember that people living today were probably not Twain's target audience. Twain wanted to change problems in his generation, and in order to create a story that applied to the reader of his day, he would have to make the story as realistic as possible. Lastly, the most obvious argument is that it just wouldn't make sense to create a slave character who was as smart as the white people. If slaves were not allowed any formal education, how realistic would it be to write about a smart, literate slave?Finally, at the end of the novel, it seems Huck is thinking about running away from his home again, only because, â€Å"Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I ca n't stand it (307). † For this quote to truly hold any meaning, the reader must realize a â€Å"sivilized† person in the societies of the southern states back then would probably have owned and mistreated slaves. Hearing Huck say that he's sick of society teaching him how to be â€Å"sivilized,† could be his way of expressing the newfound feelings he has against slavery (Fishkin).To say that, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,† is a racist novel should be considered a ridiculous idea. Why would an anti-slavery and anti-racist man write a racist book? Twain wrote books and articles to justify his ideas to his reader, even if the ideas were absurd, like the idea of the black man being on equal ground with the white man. Though by the time the book was completed slavery was abolished and African-Americans were free, the mindsets of the southern white families did not change. These types of families were to whom Mark Twain was directing this book.He hop ed they would see the ugliness of racism and slavery, and see people past the color of their skin. One of Mark Twain's well known quotes on racism is, â€Å"One of my theories is that the hearts of men are about alike, all over the world, whatever their skin-complexions may be (Everett). † Twain probably never realized his novel about young Huck Finn would have gained so much popularity and attention so long after it's original publishing, but throughout every generation, his message of anti-racism should not be banned for its racist interpretations because it is relevant for any race, people, or community.

Nationalism in World War 1 Essay

Nationalism held a huge part in world war1 as it does in many wars. A major part of nationalism in world war1 is shown through Otto van Bismarck. Bismarck was a very tactical man and was great at thinking up strategies. It seemed he would do all he could to promote Germany and make it truly powerful over the rest of Europe by making a group of alliances that wouldn’t give France a chance to rise up to Germany since alone France was weak. Although Bismarck’s will to help Germany as much as possible was strong, the alliance he had made with Austria-Hungry and Russia (the league of three emperors) failed several times. It managed to rebuild itself but fell in 1887. Nationalism is more or less patriotic greed and because of Bismarck’s excessive use of it, it helped to carry on the war. His crewed tactics created long-term problems for European diplomacy. The end of his balancing act most likely caused Europe’s slide to war. Bismarck’s reign over Germany was brought to a halt after Wilhelm the second was crowned Kaiser in 1888. Bismarck resigned in 1890. Kaiser Wilhelm the second was another example of Nationalism and its cold grasp over world war1. Although he also wanted Germany to be great he worked differently than Bismarck. His public speeches carried Germany’s glory and might. He also proved very popular with the German people. Kaiser Wilhelm the second was a vain impulsive man who believed in Prussian domination over Germany. Wilhelm the second wanted to turn Germany into a large colonial empire and build a large army for her, to protect Germany. Because of his infection with nationalism Kaiser wilhelm the second lost an old friend Russia, who now allied with France bringing new problems to Kaiser Wilhelm the second. During Kaiser Wilhelms reign over Germany, the years 1890-1914 have been seen as a period of anarchy. Nationalism was a very strong force that affected the minds of many political groups. It also caused others. Examples of these are: The League of three emperors which wasn’t the most stable of the nationalist groups The dual entente, which was an alliance of France and Russia to crush Germany if they should attack either sides. (This shows what effect nationalism can  have on the friendship of countries) The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was britains desperate attempt to find an alliance to counter the dual entente and to make Britain more Superior. The Balkan League was probably the largest and most powerful nationalist alliance of its time. There greed through nationalism caused them to nearly drive turkey right out of Europe and to gain a considerable amount of Turkish states causing a great upset between the two groups. Later on this strong alliance came to a halt when the second Balkan war began when Bulgaria started quarreling with Greece and Serbia. Bulgaria felt like she got dealt the smallest hand and wanted more out of the arrangement so she attacked her former allies but Turkey joined in the war against Bulgaria to gain more power for her country from the land she lost in the first war. Bulgaria was defeated easily. This League was probably one of the largest examples of nationalism in world war1 because of all the greed for each region’s country shown in it. Therefore I conclude with saying that nationalism is contributed in world war 1 by greed through individuals and alliances alike and that nationalism is indeed the main cause of world war1.

Define Functional Organizations and Product Organization

Functional Organizations This is the traditional type of organization. Under functional departments, employees with closely related skills and responsibilities (functions) are located in the same department. Workers in each of these functions specialized in their tasks and knowledge. For example, senior management set rules and procedures as how to transfer the sales orders into the production schedule, how the customer service deal with complaints and warranty issues. They also have large input in the production process.The main advantage of functional organization is efficiency. It works best in small to medium-sized firms that offer relatively few product lines or services. Example of this functional organization will be for a company that manufactured outdoor BBQ stoves. The Sales people get the orders from the customers; the orders are transfer to the production department for production. Products are made and shipping department ships them to customers. Each department is rated by their department performance.Quality department could delay shipment if they feel the product is not meeting specification, affecting Sales target and their commission. Product Organizations Product organizations are formed based on a particular product, or service. Each of these departments can operate fairly autonomously. A key advantage is better coordination and fewer barriers to communication among the functional specialists who work on a particular product. , Therefore, able to response to customers in a timely way.On the other hand, the disadvantage is that product-oriented departments might actually work at cross purposes. For Example, Toyota has a luxury high end line of automobiles called Lexus in addition to their Toyota Brand. Dealer either sells Toyota or Lexus but not both. Each dealer has the same Sales and Service department. The logic behind this split is Toyota management believe the customers who buy the Lexus brand are more affluent and demand higher and bett er service.

Logistic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Logistic Management - Essay Example Outsourcing companies face the loss of tax benefits due to hiring foreign full-time workers. Federal tax penalties can also be imposed on outsourcing companies so as to boost domestic job creation. Reduction of the damage inflicted to goods in transits plays a vital function in cutting the costs of supplying the said goods. Companies, therefore, bear the responsibility of ensuring the safety of goods they are charged to transport. To achieve this, a company can establish policies that ensure their safety. Such policies include those covering package, insurance and providing appropriate means of transport. A company should ensure that the appropriate packing of the goods is done to secure them firmly to avoid rocking while in transit. Fragile goods sustain damage due to undesired movement during transportation. To secure fragile goods firmly during transportation, the use of products such as bubble wraps is employed. Companies have also use insurance to cover damages that may be incurred in transit; it also covers theft (Bowersox et al., 2012). The BUS 320 unit is a crucial course for decision-making in a company, as it shows the importance of weighing one’s decisions appropriately to come up with logical solutions. This way, after taking the course, the business person in an individual is brought out so that any vital aspects of a business can be factored and all perspectives covered. In this light, there is no room for errors, as all issues are dealt with effectively. In addition, this decision-making course allows for sound policies to be generated and implemented so that the institution that one works for or with ends up getting the best there is. This also applies to decisions that involve high risk business ventures as the higher the risk, the higher the returns. However, as this is not always the case, one can again look at all the aspects of the actions taken. This class provides sound skills and knowledge of the

Be an Anthropologist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Be an Anthropologist - Essay Example Physical anthropologists concentrate on anatomical and physiological structures of human beings with a major focus on their stages of growth and development. Question 2 Evolution refers to changes in inherited characteristics of biological populations from one generation to the other. The process of evolution leads to diversities in successive levels of biological organizations in species, individual organisms and life molecules such as proteins and Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Existing variations and patterns exhibited by bio diversity are believed to be shaped by gradual processes of speciation and extinction. Charles Darwin formulated a scientific argument for evolutionary theory through natural selection. Natural selection enables the genetic mutations that enhance reproduction to maintain commonality in successive generations of a population. Evolution occurs through changes in heritable characteristics of organisms (Bergstrom & Dugatkin, 2012). Evolution influences all aspects of behavior and forms of organisms such as character traits and physical adaptations through natural selection. Question 3 Physical anthropologists primarily study fossils of earlier organisms. Past species left records of their evolutionary history. Fossils constitute the morphological and anatomical records that physical anthropologists compare to discover lineages of the species. ... Question 4 The physical anthropologist selects resources, including the notebook, guides for identifying fossils and textbooks of paleontology. The second step is collecting of fossils from geologic formation from where the anthropologist can access. The anthropologist should select fossils from known or unquestionable sources since they are reliable. These fossils are considered reliable because the environmental contexts from which they originate from are known (Steckley, 2011). The anthropologist should examine the selected fossils carefully using lenses and take notes. The third step involves using field guides to investigate taxonomic identification and scientific classification of the fossils, including their kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. The anthropologist then labels the sketches using the guides and textbooks. The anthropologist studies the geologic map of the area where the fossil is found in order to determine the formation and geologic period f or the geologic deposit. The anthologist then studies the paleaolecology and paleaoenvironment in which the organism of the fossil lived (Steckley, 2011). The final stage of studying the fossil involves summarizing the fossil’s analysis based on observations and research. Question 5 Source (in-texed above) Question 6 The source above deals with the study of jawbones in identifying the evolutionary processes. The book has presents the process of evolution beginning from four billion years, although only a few photographs of jawbones are available for viewing (Duranti, 2010). The introduction of the book defines physical anthropology within

Preferred future, what changes do you forsee as an advanced practice Essay

Preferred future, what changes do you forsee as an advanced practice nurse. Relate it to health care reform - Essay Example In order to be a quality-focused pediatric nurse practitioner capable of maximizing patient care and building staff unity, the nurse must take a leadership role within the organization in order to drive improvements. With health care reform currently on the forefront of society’s consciousness, it will be even more important to develop sound leadership skills in order to assist in this change process and also to improve relationships with patients of different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. The future of health care, after potential reform, will change the methods by which nurses conduct their job role responsibilities. However, since this reform has not yet been built into solid legislation, it would be appropriate to compare this potential future for nurses with a preferred future to discuss how best to build a more effective organization. The future of nursing will require an individual with the ability to bridge gaps between colleagues, managers and patients in order to adjust to new health care reform-driven changes. Health care reform is going to mean new demands for pediatric nurse practitioners, especially in terms of how management and nurses interact. Health care reform is going to change the process of controls within the organization, requiring more unity between different professional ranks of the business. In order to facilitate quality relationships of this type, the nurse â€Å"must be a diplomat, helping people get past their conflicts with one another and facilitate their working together† (Grossman and Valiga, 2009, p.138). Unfamiliar changes to health care delivery, imposed by the potential new reform policy, are going to create different reactions from colleagues and superiors. In some instances, these changes may be so radically-different from current operations that members of the organization try to resist these changes through lack

The Man Who Was Almost a Man Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Man Who Was Almost a Man - Term Paper Example Throughout the story, Dave is seen to be a frustrated young adult since people never took him as a man as he wanted and acquiring a gun was a way of getting power and would demand respect using it even if it would mean killing a man. â€Å"The first movement he made the following morning was to reach under his pillow for the gun; in the gray light of dawn he held it loosely, feeling a sense of power could kill a man with a gun like this (Wright 75).† â€Å"Kill anybody, black or white, and if he were holding his gun in his hand, nobody could run over him; they would respect him (Wright 75).† However, instead of gaining the respect he was demanding, possession of the gun led him into more trouble and ruined his respect greatly. Some of the factors that were making Dave feel less of a man was the fact that his mom was waking him up every morning in order for him to go and work in the plow fields. To make the matter worse, she would go ahead and keep Dave’s money for him for she still felt that Dave was an immature young boy. Moreover, Dave is seen to be uncomfortable with the treatment he was getting at the field, claiming that he was not being respected as a man. All these factors pushed him to purchase a gun, which he bought from the olds man Hawkins’ store (Wright para20-23). However, Dave had to beg his mom like a little baby so as to be given some money to buy the gun, to a point of deceiving her that the gun would be for his father. Finally, the mother gave in on the conditions that Dave would be bring it straight back to her immediately he buys it as well as ensure that he return it to her every night before going to bed. A critical analysis of this story shows a complete failure by Dave to make himself recognized by the society as a man. A man is a male individual who possess qualities like strength, courage, fortitude and most importantly honor or respect among other

Evidence to Critically Discuss the Potential Consequences of Essay

Evidence to Critically Discuss the Potential Consequences of Implementing ERP Systems - Essay Example into a single information system5, ensure that financial data is consistent with other departments on a real-time basis6, improve resource planning, enhance the integration of global and supply chain system, and requires less computer applications7. Most of the routine accounting tasks will no longer be necessary8. Therefore, it is expected that there will be lesser cost on hiring accounting staff. Furthermore, the use of ERP can help reduce the risk of data redundancy. Therefore, problems related to financial integrity is possible. Due to the fact that real-time financial data will be available anytime of the day, managers can easily make important business decisions9. Despite the advantages of implementing ERPs, the use of this technology can be very costly because of the need to maintain and upgrade the system, hire additional consultants and technical experts who can convert existing data and customize the system based on the nature of business10. Aside from the need to re-train people on how to maximize the use of ERP system, the company also need to consider the need to change their normal business process. 11. Implementing the use of ERP could result to lesser accounting personnel by eliminating routine jobs12. Because of fear of losing their job security, implementing ERP increases the risk of creating resistance-to-change among its people13. As a result, there is a risk wherein internal problem such as work-related attitude and behaviour would arise. How the Role of Management Accountants Change when ERPs were Introduced Ever since the ERP has been introduced in the market, the role of management accountants has been subject to a lot of changes. Instead of focusing on pure book-keeping practices, management accountants who are obliged to use the ERP system are expected to play the role of an â€Å"internal consultant† to the business14. It means that management accountants should one way or the other serve as the financial adviser of the company. Through the use of ERP system, the future book-keeping would definitely become automated in terms of data collection15. Even though management accountants are expected to retain their knowledge in book-keeping, the future role of management accountants is not limited to having a vast knowledge and understanding about the basic business management theories and practices but also strive hard to improve their communication skills, interpersonal skills, consulting skills, IT skills, and ability to work in team16. Associated with the implementation of ERP system, the line managers are somehow expected to play a significant role in the management of allocated financial budget17. To ensure that the management accountants will be able to allocate sufficient budget to line managers, the management accountants should be able to forecast necessary budget based on historical data18. One of the main reasons why management accountants should acquire sufficient knowledge and skills in business management is because of their need to constantly communicate and interact with a group of business managers with regards to several bu siness issues19. By doing so, management accountants will be able to gain better understanding on how different business indicators can be used in gauging the overall business performance. In the process of learning more about how the daily business operations work, management accoun

The Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Federal Reserve - Essay Example History, Structure, and Function The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 by Woodrow Wilson (Wells 2010). In the late 19th and early 20th centuries credit was controlled entirely by private banks. Farmers in the mid-western regions grew increasingly upset by this fact, as they complained that oftentimes the banks would alter their credit options at times when the farmers were vulnerable. The Federal Reserve was created as a compromise, with the banks still controlling credit, but the government determining the supply of funds (Wells 2010). While the intervening years have seen significant reforms in the way the Federal Reserve operates, its underlining function has remained the same. Private banks are able to borrow from the reserve at a discounted rate, they then loan this money to borrowers at the federal funds rate, or interest rate. As the Federal Reserve raises rates, so must the banks raise the rates of loans. This system is designed to ensure fair and equitable lending througho ut the country. The current chairman of the Federal Reserve, who was recently reappointed in January of 2010, and Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker preceded him (Johnson, Web). Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) The Federal Open Markets Committee is a branch of the Federal Reserve that has the responsibility of regulating the United States’ open market operations. While there are a great variety of committees and functions with the Federal Reserve, this committee perhaps is the most notable as it functions to make essential decisions about interest rates and the general growth of the supply of money within the country (Chandler 1971). These are factors that directly and significantly affect major aspects of the nation’s economy. In these regards, the FOMC is the primary monetary branch of the Unites States. The committee functions in a variety of complex, but well structured ways. In these regards, the committee meets and sets short-term objectives for long-term objec ts within a long-term structure of economic understanding. The short-term objectives work to ensure that the federal funds rate remains constant. In addition to regulating the federal funds rate, the Federal Open Markets Committee oversees operations that the Federal Reserve has overtaken abroad. They accomplish this task in close collaboration with the United States Treasury department. In terms of meeting structure, the FOMC is required by law to meet at least four-times per year, but generally they convene eight times annually (Chandler 1971). During the meetings, open reports are presented by committee members. The committee then works toward reaching a consensus in regards to policy decisions. During this entire process the Manager of the System Open Market Account oversees the policy presentations. What I Learned & My Point of View In research the Federal Reserve there was a great amount of structural and historical information I gained, but perhaps the greatest insights I gai ned were in regards to how the Federal Reserve functioned during the recent economic recession. When the recession hit the Federal Reserve began the process of lowering interests rates to increase consumer spending. At this point, the Fed has virtually lowered the interest rate to 0%. In addition to

Community Persuasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community Persuasion - Essay Example Additionally, the likelihood of parents to maintain a positive parenting image within the community is high when they greatly involve themselves in the community matters. Having lived in Huntsville community since I was born, I find there is a need for parents Huntsville to take responsibility for their children’s development in order to provide a successful future for them. This essay will seek to argue about the responsibility of parents on their children’s development and successful future. Even though it requires a lot of effort and commitment, it is essential for parents to design an enhanced, sensitive, and responsive parenting behavior which incorporates the aspect of constant parent/child interaction. I rest my case on this issue by declaring that legacy for children has a pilot study phase wherein it brings about a sense of community on both children and parents. For a greater and successful future, parents should take part in legacy intervention activities whi ch include cognitive and verbal stimulation. These intervention activities involve parent and parent to parent to child group meetings, participation in community activities/events, and visits to homes. Sensibly, this kind of interaction between children and their parents is what Huntsville needs because it serves as groundwork for a successful future life for the children since majority would try to copy their parents’ actions. Certain members of Huntsville claim that, parents only have the responsibility to bring up children until they are either two or three years old. However, such community members tend to forget that parents and guardians have a huge part to play in not only growth, but also in the development of a child. This is so because; children require guidance, principles, and strength in order to shape their future accordingly. As such, if they happen to lose parental figure, their chances of having a disoriented development and future are high. In view of this vein, I stand to advocate for children’s legacy by pointing out that children need parental guidance and support until they are at least eighteen. The first five years from their birth are very cognitive therefore, parental intervention at all times is also very pragmatic. I have heard some parents in this community speak of influence of other significant problems on children. They indicate that, no matter how they try to take responsibility for the development of their children, other significant problems crop up. As a result, they happen to lose sight of their overall goal and role in their children’s development and future accomplishment. Nonetheless, I would like to prove to you and the rest of the community members that such claims are just philosophical and aid to nothing when parents become keen on their children’s development and success in the future. Attributively, parents can bring out a positive influence on children and their development even when t here are other significant problems in their lives. Overly, the quality of relationship shared between and among a parent, child, and the community is very important when compared to any other parenting practice. Hence, in order to ensure that other significant problems do not interfere with the development of a child’s development and his or her subsequent, future success, it is vital for parents to understand that successful parenting style involves insightful and thoughtful decisions

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels The Communist Manifesto Essay

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels The Communist Manifesto - Essay Example All those in the ranks who have a desire or an occasion to have a better understanding of their own work should carry to mind the causes and the moving forces which is firm on the genesis of the Manifesto, the circumstances under which it appeared on the eve of the Revolution which rupture forth from Paris to Vienna, from Palermo to Berlin (Katz 2001). This is the only way will it be probable for people to find in the current social form the clarification of the propensity toward socialism, thus showing by its present the requirement the predictability of its triumph. Is not that in fact the fundamental part of the Manifesto, its core and its distinguishing character? (Labriola 1999). People should be taking a false road if it is looked upon as the essential part of the measures advised and proposed at the end of the second chapter for the unforeseen event of a revolutionary success on the part of the proletariat, or again the suggestion of political relationship to the other revolutionary parties of that era which are found in the fourth chapter (Labriola 1999). These indications and these measures, although they have the right to be taken into contemplation at the moment and under the conditions where they may be very vital for forming a exact estimate of the political action of the German communists in the revolutionary period from 1848 to 1850, hereafter no longer form for people a mass of sensible judgments for or against which we should take sides in each contingency (Labriola 1999). The political parties since the International have recognized themselves in dissimilar countries, in the name of the proletariat, and taking it obviously for their base, have felt, and feel, in amount as they are born and expand, the domineering requirement of adopting and in compliance in their program and their action to conditions are always different and multiform. But not one of these parties feels the totalitarianism of the proletariat so near that it

Should a Piece of Literature Be Judged on Its Literary Merits Essay Example for Free

Should a Piece of Literature Be Judged on Its Literary Merits Essay Steven Brust once wrote: â€Å"In my opinion, the proper way to judge a novel is this: Does it give one an accurate reflection of the moods and characteristics of a particular group of people in a particular place at a particular time? If so, it has value. Otherwise, it has none. † (Brust, Steven. 2005. Sethra Lavode). Brust, quite clearly has joined this debate regarding literary theories. He claims that if aspects of literary piece, aside from its own merits, are not significant then it has no worth. It is continually and widely argued by critics of literature whether a book should be based on its literary merits alone, or if only certain aspects, such as history, regarding its writing should be relevant. The relationship between history and literary work is often questioned. There are four main models that have been devised to explain this. The first regards a piece literary work as universal and belonging to no time period. The model states that historical context has no significance in literary texts, and that both should remain autonomous from each other. Critics are concerned with literary texts being artefacts in themselves that surpass the possibilities of a particular time, thus the idea of specific historical context is dismissed. R. S. Crane supports this view and in an essay said history is part of â€Å"the general history of culture† whereas literature should be â€Å"imaginative works considered with respect to those qualities which can truly be said to be timeless†¦ quite apart from any knowledge of their origin or historical affiliation† (Crane, Ronald. 1967.‘History versus Criticism in the study of literature’, in The idea of the Humanities and Other Essays Critical and Historical, Vol. 2. Chicago: University of Chicago Press). In short, this model centres around the basis that a literary work should be judged on its, as Crane said, ‘timeless qualities’ for example the quality of its linguistic features and other aspects that give a work literary merits. The second model regarding history and literature is based on the idea that the historical context of a literary piece helps lead to proper understanding of it. A text is produced within a certain historical context but this should remain separate from the literary context. This model is often favoured by critics that analyse literary texts by considering their historical background and context. This can be regarded to any aspectwhether it is: political, cultural or linguistic. A 1934 study by Basil Willey: The Seventeenth Century Background: Studies in the Thought of the Age in Relation to Poetry and Religion shows even by its title a support for this model. It is implied that Willey and similar critics agree that historical context forms a foundation of understanding when studying a literary text. They would argue that literary work in order to be analysed must be understood and to be understood needs to be looked at in respects to its historical context. The third model when looking at the relationship between pieces of literature and history is essentially the opposite of the second. It centres on the idea that a literary piece can help us understand the time in which it is set. This is explanation talks about realist texts in particular and how they can provide creative depictions of historical events or periods. It assumes that literary texts are almost subordinate to their historical context and they are reflections of their time. For example Keith Thomas appeals to Shakespeare to justify this point of view: â€Å"In Shakespeare’s plays, the curses pronounced by the characters invariably work†¦ not just for dramatic effect† but that â€Å"it as a moral necessity that the poor and the injured should be believed to have this power of retaliation when all else failed† (Thomas, Keith.1971. Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Century England. London: Wensfield and Nicolson). This model is known as the reflective approach, it regards literary work as an aid to develop our knowledge of history using the historical context of a literary piece. The last model regarding literature and history is probably the most complex, though it is also seen as the most interesting to theorists. It claims that literary texts are connected with other discourses and this makes literature itself a part of history that is continually being written. Critics that agree with this theory, widely known as ‘new historicists’, argue that the question of the relationship between history and literature is wrong; despite their differences the last three models assume that ‘history’ and ‘literature’ are fundamentally separate. They distinguish between the interpretations of literary texts and the transparency of history. Stephen Greenblatt writes in an essay: â€Å"methodological and self-conscious is one of the distinguishing marks of the new historicism in cultural studies as opposed to historicism based upon faith in the transparency of signs and  interpretive procedures† (Greenblatt, Stephen. 1990. ‘Towards a poetic of Culture’, in Learning to Curse: Essays in Early Modern Culture. London: Routledge). Hence, new historicists argue that the making of the literary texts is a cultural practice, and only differ in their specific mode. No absolute distinction can be made between literary and other cultural practices. Theorists such as Hayden White, claim that this model implies that just like literary texts the ‘facts’ of history need to be read (tracing the past is similar to telling a story). In an extract from White’s book, Tropics of Discourse: Essays in Cultural Criticism, He writes: Histories ought never to be read as unambiguous signs†¦ but rather as symbolic structures, extended metaphors, that ‘liken’ the events reported in them to some form with which we have already become familiar in our literary culture†¦ By the very constitution of a set of events in such a way as to make a comprehensible story out of them, the historian changes those events with the symbolic significance of a comprehensible plot structure. (White, Hayden. 1991. Tropics of Discourse: Essays in Cultural Criticism. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press) Considering this we would come to the conclusion that methods of (critical) analysis should be suitable for both history and literary texts. In short, a new historicist perspective think that in the reading of a literary text the idea of historical context cannot be settled, and that this context is decided by a negotiation between the text and the reader Ultimately, the majority of literary theorists fall on the side that accepts the use and aid historical context when critically analysing a literary text. Only the first model seems to completely disregard historical context in literary work for the belief that a piece of literature should be ‘timeless’. The second and third model accept historical context as part of the method of analysing a literary piece. However, still confidently differentiate between literature and history, they are seen as merely aids for each other. The last model is set apart from the rest as it does not polarise the categories and treats them as to intertwine subjects that cannot be considered without each other. In my opinion historical context should be relevant to the reading of literary text, it is inevitable that the two should overlap especially during an in depth analysis of a literary text.

What Are The Motivations Of Dark Tourists?

What Are The Motivations Of Dark Tourists? On the 27th of April 2008, Josef Fritzl was arrested in Amstetten, a small town in Austria. It has shown that Fritzl sexually abused his daughter, Elisabeth, since she was eleven years old. When she was eighteen years old he locked her up in the basement underneath his house. Fritzl forced his daughter Elisabeth to write a letter to her mother where she stated that she had run away from home and joined a sect. The sexual abuse led to the birth of seven children. Three of these children were raised by Elisabeth in the basement and the other three were raised by Fritzl and his wife. One of the children died a few days after it was born. Furthermore, Fritzl convinced his wife that the three children they raised were exposed by Elisabeth. When one of the children that lived in the basement, the at that time nineteen-year-old Kersten, got ill Elisabeth convinced her father that she needed to be hospitalized. Because Kersten was not registered anywhere, one of the doctors informed the auth orities. After this, Elisabeth saw a program on the television in her basement that made a call up for the mother of Kersten. Then she convinced her father to bring her to the hospital, which led to the hearings of Fritzl and Elisabeth and the confessions of the cruelties that took place. After twenty-four years Elisabeth was freed from the basement and reunited with all her children (Wikipedia, 2010). This affair has received tremendous attention in the media and therefore the case is known all over the world. The affaire encompasses a painful and shameful episode on a national and local basis. Furthermore, the house of Fritzl has become a touristic attraction. Amstetten is dealing with an increasing amount of tourists that come to visit the house. When tourists visit the house, they often take photos of the house and of themselves in front of it. The articles on the internet show that the local authorities find this shocking (HLN, 2010). The phenomenon that people visit places that are associated with death, suffering and violence can be described as dark tourism. Thanatourism is a similar concept and also involves the visiting of locations associated with death and suffering, but an emphasis is placed upon symbolically experiencing a painful death. Another related concept is black spots, which can be described as commercial cemeteries of famous people or locations where death an d suffering took place. The house of Fritzl belongs to such places and visiting this location fits the description of dark tourism and thanatourism. The house of Fritzl, where the abuse and cruelties took place, can be seen as a symbolic reflection of this affaire and its tragic events. Furthermore, the house serves as a tangible object that invokes the memory of the Fritzl-affaire (Yull, 2003: 10-13; Logan en Reeves, 2009: 1-3; Rojek, 1993: 136). The phenomenon that people visit the house of Fritzl inspired me to formulate the following research question: What are the motivations of dark tourists? The case of the house of J. Fritzl in Amstetten. It is interesting to find out why tourists visit the house, if the media attention has played a role in the decision of people to visit the house and if certain characteristics, such as age and gender, affect the motivation of these visitors. The case of Fritzl offers a fascinating and recent case to go more in-depth into the motivations of dark tourists. Scientific and Social Relevance The scientific relevance of this research question lies in the fact that the subject of dark tourism is relatively new within the academic field. Several articles have been published on this topic, but as Stone (2006) argues: despite this increasing attention the dark tourism literature remains both eclectic and theoretical fragile (Stone, 2006: 145). Some researchers have already focused on visitor motivations of dark tourist sites. For example, Yull (2003) investigated why people visit the Holocaust Museum in Houston. However, according to Stone (2006) and Sharpley (2009) research first and foremost has focused on describing the different dark tourist sites, rather than on the consumption and experiences of visitors. This research will contribute to the understanding of visitor participation in dark tourism by taking the visitors of the house of Fritzl as the focal point of this research. Furthermore, the existing research has not focused on the motivations of visitors to dark tour ist sites, comparable to the house of Fritzl and therefore this research will add to and fill the gap in the existing literature. The social relevance of this research is harder to determine. However, finding out what the motivations of visitors are, might provide useful and relevant information for directly involved parties, other than the scientific community. For example, this information could offer the local community of Amstetten and (in)direct victims of this case a better understanding of what is going on and with what reasons people visit this site of horror. For example visitors might be motivated to visit this place to pay respect to the victims or remember the cruelties that took place, instead of entertainment purposes. Furthermore, the results of this research could even be relevant to society as a whole, since dark sites similar to the house of Fritzl seem to increasingly pop up and attract visitors world-wide. This research seeks to provide insights into why people a re motivated to visit these morbid locations. Theoretical Concepts and Hypothesized Relations As mentioned previously, several theoretical concepts are related to the phenomenon where people visit places associated with pain, death and suffering. Academic attention to this phenomenon increased in the twentieth century and several theoretical concepts were introduced. These concepts are black spots (Rojek, 1993), dark tourism (Lennon and Foley, 1996: in Yull, 2003) and thanatourism (Seaton, 1996: in Sharpley, 2009). These dark concepts will be briefly discussed in a more or less chronicle order, based on introduction in the literature. Another concept of importance for this research is visitor motivations (Sharpley, 2009: 12-15). Dark Concepts Black Spots Rojek (1993) coined the term black spots and argues that these locations involve commercial cemeteries of famous people or sites where death and suffering took place. In his research, Rojek (1993) also mentions that people increasingly visit these dark sites and that entrepreneurs initiate tours around these black spots. Examples of black spots are the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim-Brzezinka, Ground Zero in New York and the location where Princess Diana got killed in a car crash (Rojek, 1993: 136-145). Dark Tourism and Thanatourism Visiting places associated with death, pain and suffering is becoming increasingly popular. However, Sharpley (2009) argues that this is not a new phenomenon. In the Roman Empire, it was a common form of entertainment to attend a gladiators match. Another example are the public executions in the Middle Ages. Traveling to places where death and suffering are central elements can be defined as dark tourism. Furthermore, it involves consuming real or simulated places of death and horror. Visiting these places where actual cruelties took place by relatives or friends of the victims cannot be seen as a form of dark tourism. Thanatourism is a concept which strongly relates to dark tourism and was introduced in the literature in the same year as dark tourism. Thanatourism entails the visiting of locations associated with death and suffering, where visitors want to symbolically experience a painful death. This description points more to the motivations of visitors of dark sites. However, the term dark tourism is usually used in the academic field and no distinction is made between the concepts dark tourism and thanatourism. Therefore, I will use the term dark tourism in this research and make no difference between dark tourism and thanatourism (Lennon en Foley, 2000: 3-5; Yull, 2003: 10, 11; Sharpley, 2009: 3-19). Dark tourism involves the actual visiting of black spots. There are different black spots which are visited daily by tourists and therefore belong to sites of dark tourism. Furthermore, several tours are initiated around dark sites. Commercial motives, in terms of entrance fees, are often involved. Examples are the Jack the Ripper tour in London or the tour in Charleroi which shows you, among other dark sites, the house of the famous kidnapper and child molester Marc Dutroux. Visiting morbid museums, old prisons or battle field fall also under the category dark tourism. As discussed previously, the house of Fritzl fits the description of a black spots and inc reasingly attracts visitors. This research seeks to understand the motivations of these visitors (Stone, 2006: 145, 146, 152; HLN, 2010). Visitor Motivations For this research it is necessary to include visitor motivations as a theoretical concept. Motivations of individuals to visit regular tourist places include getting acquainted with other cultures and increase ones knowledge about these locations. Furthermore, motivations often involve entertainment purposes, such as having fun or seeking adventure. Relaxation, revitalization, being active and get close to nature are also common incentives to visit a certain location (Kozak, 2002: 225). However, these motivations of regular touristic locations might differ from motivations of tourists that visit black spots. Unfortunately, few literature is available that focus on visitor motivations of dark tourists. The literature that is accessible, uses similar research questions to the one is used in this research. Yull (2003) studied the motivations of dark tourists and focused more specifically on the motivations of visitors of the Holocaust Museum in Houston. Niemelà ¤ (2010) focused on visi tor motivations of the House of Terror museum in Budapest. This museum is built to remember the tortured and killed people during World War II. In addition, Poria, Reichel and Biran (2006) chose to investigate the motivations of the visitors of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Although the dark tourist locations used in these researches are museums associated with death and suffering and therefore differ from the dark site that is used in this research, similar motivations may be found. If different motivations are found, it could be argued that this difference is dependent on the specific dark tourist site. According to Yull (2003), motivations of dark tourist could involve entertainment purposes, such as providing a thrill, a novel experience or adventure. Furthermore, remembering the victims and the cruelties that took place or curiosity can also be motivations of tourist that visit the house of Fritzl. Although education might be more suitable as a motivation to visit a museum associated with death and suffering, individuals can also visit the house of Fritzl to learn something. For example, visitors might want to enrich their knowledge about the Fritzl-affaire. In addition, Niemelà ¤ (2010) argues that emotional involvement might also play a role in the motivations of dark tourists. Visitors might identify or have a personal connection with the cruelties that took place. Moreover, Poria, Reichel and Biran (2006) include two more motivations; tourists might visit a dark site, because it is famous or because they feel that the site is historically important (Yull, 2003: 146-159, 191-199; Niemelà ¤, 2010: 37; Poria, Reichel and Biran, 2006: 322). The media play an important role within the field of dark tourism. The media can report tragic events that take place all over the world. The attention that the media pay to tragic and horrible events serve as a stimulation for flows of tourism. Furthermore, media has the capacity to bring dark tourism sites to public consciousness (Yull, 2003: 125). Additionally, Lennon and Foley (2000) argue that the attention of the media to specific dark sites, might motivate individuals to visit the location in order to experience the reality behind the media representations. Since, the Fritzl-affaire received tremendous attention in the media, it will be likely that this attention has an influence on the motivation of visitors (Stone, 2009: 57; Seaton, 2009: 90; 95, 106; Lennon and Foley, 2000: 152). Operationalization of Theoretical Concepts In this section, the operationalization of the theoretical concepts will be discussed. To answer the question What are the motivations of dark tourists? The case of the house of J. Fritzl in Amstetten, I will conduct qualitative semi-structured interviews  [1]  with visitors of the house of Fritzl in Amstetten. This implies that a topic list will be made, consisting of topics that will be addressed in the interview. However, the order in which the topics will be discussed is not fixed and if necessary, the interviewer will probe for more information and adapt to new themes that are brought up by the interviewees. Furthermore, the interviewer can adapt to the level of comprehension of the respondents. The questions will be open, which means that no answer categories will be made (t Hart, Boeije and Hox, 2007: 274, 275; Gilbert, 2001: 123, 124). Several topics that will be addressed in the interview are outlined. First of all, it is important to include demographic factors of the v isitors, such as age, the country the interviewee lives in and the highest obtained level of education (primary school or less, secondary school, intermediate vocational training, higher vocational training, college or post graduate). Furthermore, the gender of the respondent will be noted during the interview. These demographic factors are included, because they are important background variables and might affect the motivations people have to visit the house of Fritzl. Other topics that will be included will focus upon the motivations of visitors of the house of Fritzl in Amstetten. It will be asked what attracted the visitors to visit Amstetten and what their primary reason is for visiting this town. I will seek to explore whether visitors come specifically for the house or if they have other motives or more than one reason to visit this town. Then, I will focus on the topic of why people visit the house of Fritzl. Although, similar answers to the research on dark tourist motivations described above maybe found, such as entertainment, curiosity, remembrance of the victims and cruelties that took place, emotional involvement, historical importance of the site or its fame, unexpected answers also need to be taken into account. Furthermore, it is essential to go in-depth into the answers and ask for further elaboration if necessary. Additionally, it needs to be explored whether visitors have multiple motivations to visit the house of Fritzl. Seeking to understand motivations of visitors of the house of Fritzl, demands for adapting to possible unexpected answers and the skills to react to this situation adequately. Furthermore, the role of the media will be addressed. Central themes will be, whether visitors are familiar with and interested in the Fritzl-affaire, if they have followed the case in the news, documentaries or on the internet. This will seek to explore whether media attention to the Fritzl-affaire affects the tourists in their motivation to visit the house. Next, I will focus upon if the visitors have previously visited other dark locations, where cruelties have taken place. It will be interesting to find out if there is a relationship between visiting the house of Fritzl and other dark locations and if we are dealing with tourists that have an interest in visiting dark sites in general. Plan for Data Collection For this research, the visitors of the house of Fritzl in Amstetten are the objects of study. Hence, it is necessary to come into contact with these visitors. For this research I choose to use qualitative semi-standardized interviews to answer the research question. Qualitative methods are used when a certain research topic is relatively new and unexplored. Furthermore, qualitative methods offer the possibility to go more in-depth into specific aspects of a certain phenomenon. Baarda, de Goede and van der Meer-Middelburg (1996) argue that qualitative interviews are a suitable method when ideas, motivations, opinions and experiences need to be investigated. Since this research seeks to explore the motivations of visitors of the house of Fritzl in Amstetten, it fits this description (t Hart et al. 2007: 253; Baarda et al. 1996: 18-20). I choose to use semi-structured, one-to-one interviews. This implies that topics will be formulated and addressed in the interview. Besides demographic questions, specific questions, answer categories or the order of the questions will not be fixed in advance. This gives the interviewer the opportunity to probe for more information if necessary or reflexively respond to new themes that might be brought up. This reflexive approach is essential, since motivations of dark tourists is relatively unexplored, especially in regard to locations comparable to the house of Fritzl. This may result in unexpected answers to be brought up. When standardized methods are used, this will not be possible. One-to-one interviews are used, because the interviewees will not be influenced by the opinions of others and may give them the feeling to speak more openly about their motivation(s). Furthermore, confidentiality and anonymity of the data will be guaranteed (Baarda et al., 1996: 18-24, 26-28; t Hart et al. 2007: 254, 261, 262, 267; Gilbert, 2001: 123-129). To interview the research participants of this research it is necessary to go to Amstetten, w hich is roughly a nine hour drive from Rotterdam. I will spend three days around the house of Fritzl and I will approach the visitors that come by. I will ask them if they are willing to participate in this research. This research requires purposive sampling, because I assume that only a small group of visitors of the house of Fritzl is accessible in these three days and this group will be likely to represent the visitors as a whole. Furthermore, using a probability sample is often unrealistic for small-scale or qualitative research (Gilbert, 2001: 62). The duration of the interview will be approximately twenty minutes and the amount of interviewees will depend on the willingness to participate. The aim will be to conduct ten to twenty interviews. Furthermore, the interviews will be recorded. Gilbert (2001) argues that recording is recommendable, especially when conducting non-standardized or semi-structured interviews. This, because this type of carrying out interviews requires an active participation of the interviewer within the conversation. By recording the interview, the data wont be lost and in contrast to making notes it wont obstruct or slow down the dialogue. It also signals that the responses of the respondents are taking seriously. Of course, the use of recording will be explained to the interviewees and their approval will be asked. Directly after the interview, notes will be made about the setting, the interview and the interviewee which can be used to recall the context of the particular interview (t Hart et al. 2007: 268-270; Gilbert, 2001: 61-63, 135-137). Plan for Data Analysis When the data is collected, the analysis of the data will begin. First of all, the recorded interviews will be verbatim transcribed. I choose to write down everything that is said, because then data wont get lost that might be of significance when the research progresses. Although, transcribing everything is time-consuming and labor-intensive, the low quantity of interviews makes it possible to do so. Furthermore, transcribing the data allows you to get familiar with the data and it helps facilitating thoughts and ideas about possible connections and underlying themes. Before analyzing, the transcripts will be checked by listening to the recordings once more and by carefully reading the written text. The demographic characteristics of the respondents will be shown on the first page of the transcripts. After this, I will offer the transcript to the respondents, so that accuracy can be checked and comments can be made. This improves reliability and validity of the answers (Gilbert, 200 1: 134-137). The transcripts will be read repeatedly with the aim to identify underlying themes and connections. By comparing and contrasting fragments within interviews and between interviews, fragments with an underlying connection will be categorized and labeled. Furthermore, it will show whether the earlier described motivations are found in the transcripts, or if new themes will be discovered. Similarities and dissimilarities between different respondents may emerge and might relate to their demographic characteristics. Eventually, the codified themes will be linked and compared to draw a full picture of the motivations of visitors of the house of Fritzl in Amstetten and answer the research question (Gilbert, 2001: 137, 138; t Hart et al. 2007: 176, 277). Discussion Gilbert (2008) describes six properties that a research question should have. The research question should be interesting, relevant, concise, answerable, feasible and ethical. For this research it is necessary to address two of these properties more in-depth, which are the feasibility of this research and its ethical dimensions. The research question, What are the motivations of dark tourists? The case of the house of J. Fritzl in Amstetten, is feasible to the extent that it can be answered within a relatively short period of time and with relatively low costs. Furthermore, the research participants are accessible. However, the search for visitors of the house of Fritzl might show difficulties. For this research I will spend three days around the house of Fritzl and approach the tourists that will visit the house. However, it is possible that on these particular days there will be no visitors at all. Consequently, finding research participants might be time-consuming and unpleasant ( Gilbert, 2008: 48). According to Gilbert (2008), it is of importance to take into account the ethical dimensions of a research question. While no specific approval is needed from institutions to conduct this research, this research involves a certain sensitivity. The reason for this, is that this study focuses upon an affair where people suffered and were mistreated. Therefore, this affair is sensitive to victims or relatives of these victims. Furthermore, this case might be sensitive to the neighboring residents or the whole community of Amstetten. Spending three days in front of the house of Fritzl to gather the research participants might be offensive to the residents. For example, they might be upset or feel that their privacy is violated. Consequently, it is necessary to work with discretion. Eventual publication of this research also involves ethical implications. Publication might cause harm to the different parties involved (Gilbert, 2008: 48, 49; Gilbert, 2001: 49-53). A la st brief comment I would like to make is about the weaknesses of Literature Baarda, D.B., de Goede, M.P.M. van der Meer-Middelburg, A.G.E. 1996. Basisboek Open Interviewen. Groningen: Stenfert Kroese. Gilbert, N. 2001. Researching Social Life (2nd edition). London: Sage Publications. Gilbert, N. 2008. Researching Social Life (3d edition). London: Sage Publications. t Hart, H., Boeije, H. Hox, J. 2007. Onderzoeksmethoden. Amsterdam: Boom onderwijs. Kozak, M. 2003. Comparative analysis of tourist motivations by nationality and destinations. Tourism Management 23, 221-232. Lennon, J.J. Foley, M. 2000. Dark Tourism: The Attraction of Death and Disaster. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Logan, W. Reeves, K. 2009. Places of Pain and Shame: Dealing with Difficult Heritage. USA/Canada: Routledge. Niemelà ¤, T. 2010. Motivation Factors in Dark Tourism: Case: House of Terror. https://publications.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/14984/Niemela_Titta.pdf?sequence=3 6 October 2010 Poria, Y., Reichel, A. Biran, A. 2006. Heritage Site Perceptions and Motivations to Visit. Journal of Travel Research 44, 318-326. Rojek, C. 1993. Ways of Escape: Modern Transformations in Leisure and Travel. London: The MacMillian Press. Sharpley, R. 2009. Shedding Light on Dark Tourism: An Introduction. In: R. Sharpley P.R. Stone. The Darker Side of Travel: The Theory and Practice of Dark Tourism. Bristol: Channel View Publications, 3-22. Stone, P.R. 2006. A dark tourism spectrum: Towards a typology of death and macabre related tourist sites, attractions and exhibitions. Tourism 54 (2), 145-160. Stone, P.R. 2009. Dark Tourism: Morality and New Moral Spaces. In: R. Sharpley P.R. Stone. The Darker Side of Travel: The Theory and Practice of Dark Tourism. Bristol: Channel View Publications, 56-74. Yull, S.M. 2003. Dark Tourism: Understanding Visitor Motivation at Sites of Death and Disaster. http://etd.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/89/YUILL-THESIS.pdf?sequence=1. 7 October 2010 Websites HLN, 2010 http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/960/Buitenland/article/detail/314386/2008/06/16/Toeristen-op-de-foto-voor-horrorkelder.dhtml 6 October 2010 HLN, 2010 http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/1901/reisnieuws/article/detail/269697/2008/05/08/Ramptoerisme-bij-Oostenrijks-gruwelhuis.dhtml 6 October 2010 Wikipedia, 2010 http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritzl-incestzaak 6 October 2010

Nestle Food Processing Company Marketing Essay

Nestle Food Processing Company Marketing Essay Nestlà © Pakistan Limited, the Groups principal activities are to manufacture process and sell food products and ancillary equipment. The food products include diary, confectionery and culinary products, coffee and beverage and drinking water. The major brands include MILKPAK UHT, NESTLE EVERYDAY, LACTOGEN and NESCAFE. It operates in Sheikhupura, Kabariwala, Islamabad and Karachi. The Milkpak Sheikhupura factory had commenced operations in 1981 as a producer of UHT milk. By 1988, it had expanded its operation and was also producing butter, cream, ghee. To target the large potential offered by the tea-creaming segment, Nestlà © everyday tea-creamer was launched in 1992, supported by integrated marketing, focused distribution with sampling drives and excellent consumer acceptance, the brand has shown strong growth and holds great promise for the future. Nestlà © Pakistan is proud of its commitment to excellence in product and safety and quality and providing value and services to its consumers. On the social front it is very responsible when it comes to environmentally sound business practices and corporate social responsibility. Nestlà © Pakistan operates in many ways but people products and brands are the main flag bearers of the companys image. Nestlà © Milkpak Ltd. is the market leader in food and beverage industry. They are producing high quality well known brands. The core raw material of Nestlà © Milkpak is milk. Over the last thirteen years the company prime concern has been to improve the quality and volume of milk for UHT processing and for other milk base products. So the company has twenty-five milk collection centres in Pakistan. Nestlà © Pakistans supply chain makes sure that Nestlà © products are available, no matter wherever in Pakistan. Nestlà © integrate processes from the farm to markets, and ensure products are delivered to consumers at the right time, the right cost and in the right quantities. At the Village Milk Collection Centre the farmers milk is poured into aluminium churns. The agent checks the milks freshness and purity, and enters the quantity into the farmers logbook. He takes it to one of Nestlà ©s 1308 Secondary Reception and Cooling Stations, about 2-4 kilometres away. Along with correct cooling, pasteurization is one of the most important processes in the treatment of milk. Temperature and pasteurization time are very important factors which must be specified precisely in relation to the quality of the milk and its shelf life requirements. The pasteurization temperature for homogenized, HTST pasteurized, regular-grade milk is usually 72-75  °C for 15-20 seconds. Nestlà © is the worlds largest food and beverage company in terms of sales. Due to strong brand name product will gain a wide consumer acceptance from all over the Pakistan. The biggest strength would be the strong brand name, the risk in investing would be reasonable be very low. Nestlà © will set a complete transparent manufacturing system for customer satisfaction in terms of hygiene. Nestlà © strengthen their product by broad distribution network by increasing the capacity for innovation which will lead to an improvement in sale growth. Nestlà © will be organising a team which will inspect and observe the accumulation (stock) on daily bases to prevent any damages occurring and also in order to keep the inventory fresh. Nestlà © will make sure that they are not having surprise shortage, weather it is winter or summer no matter what circumstances are. Further strength would be skilled labour, educated staff, large number of offerings and pre-purchase virtual display; arrangement of events, good background of the company, easy to approach outlets and physical evidence. The main weakness of Nestlà © product is the lack of an established good standing. The competitors have been around for decades and therefore have a loyal base. The second biggest weakness would be the lack of capital, establishing such an enormous and gigantic plant there will be a need of acquiring financial support in terms of loans from the bank. Spending millions in a strong brand is no guarantee to wealth. It may the safest way to get into the business, but it is not necessarily the cheapest. Further weakness would be small target market, lack of awareness among the target market and dependency on others like governments and sponsors for the arrangement of events. The biggest opportunity would be considered geographically. Pakistan is situated in an area where have summers most of the time. People love as well as enjoy eating ice-cream in the season. Due to strong brand name in the market, Nestlà © product has a great potential of earning profits. To make the product successful, the company will be utilizing the highest degree of technology in calculating customers satisfaction as well as their feedback. Gaining initial success the next step would be opening a parlour where people can enjoy all the flavour under one roof. Further opportunities would be increasing interest of people ad few and weak competitors. Threats Nestlà © is facing the threats by worldwide community due to its violation of international marketing standards. Many conferences and campaigns have been held against Nestlà © in this regard which can damage the name and trust of its customers. Another threat is due to the increasing popularity of its competitor OLPERS in local and international markets. Further threat would be the major player may enter target market, the legal and ethical issues, market segment growth could attract new entrants and economic slowdown can reduce demand. Stage 3: Strategy Formulation Milkpak will position Nestlà © product as a high quality product consumer focused. Messages like They knows your taste better than us, Nestle Milkpak now at your door step; Add additional flavours to your life will help to portray Nestlà © picture clearly and distinctly. Milkpak will position Nestlà © product against the competitors and gain competitive advantage through the efficient promotional methods, using innovations, and by reaching closer to the target market through the arrangement of events like Basant, Valentine day and etc. In short consumers will view Nestlà © as a product providing highly quality, in terms of taste, customer focused and, at the same time reasonably priced as compared to others. 3.0 Core Competency of Nestlà © To pose Nestlà © product against the competitors, the company will be using differentiation strategy which will not only differentiate their own from others but also give an edge over others. Nestlà © core products will be very beneficial especially in terms of quality, health, and hygiene and most important consumer satisfaction. Nestlà © augmented products will include consumer satisfaction, warranty to retailers in terms of expire, delivery and after sales services. The companies all over the world get some competitive edge based on some features which other companies dont have. For example, as the Dell has the competitive edge over other computer manufacturer companies, because they use built-to-order Strategy while no other company in computer industry use this strategy. Similarly in Pakistan nestle has their competitive edge based on the strategies like product differentiation and customer oriented. Nestlà © is using the product differentiation strategy by providing the superior quality products. Their main focus is to keep the customers loyal. They bought shelve space in different departmental stores to attract the customers. They tried to reach each group of people in which they have succeeded. Besides, customer satisfaction is the focal point for the company. They provide hygienic products to their customers. Products are also verified by health and safety measures and international quality standards.

normandy :: essays research papers

A Day in June: The Invasion Of Normandy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Green water splashes aboard the small wooden landing craft soaking the men inside with cold salt water. The nearing of exploding shells sends fright and adrenaline pumping through their veins. As the beach draws closer officers begin to bark out orders over the sound of gun fire. The landing craft stops with a jolt and the loading ramp slams down on the wet sand. Bullets come whizzing by cutting down the first three rows of soldiers. The remaining men jump over the sides and plummet into the murky water, hoping to get ashore alive. The invasion of Normandy could be the turning point of the war in favor of the Allies or it could be the rise of Nazi Germany and the beginning of a fascist era.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   June 5, 1944: the Buildup   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Around 3:30 a.m. General Dwight D. Eisenhower walked into his headquarters in a mansion on the southern coast of England. In a few short moments he would have to make one of the most influential decisions of World War II. Should the Allied forces invade Nazi occupied France at Normandy or not? He consulted with his fellow officers on the matter, and after ten minutes of pacing around the room he gave the go ahead. Within hours an armada of 5,000 Allied ships was making its way toward Normandy France. Along with this armada the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Divisions were up in the air ready to be dropped behind enemy lines. Little did they know the two divisions would loose up to seventy percent of their men and be dropped as far as ten mile away from their drop zones. As was part of the plans U.S. and British bombers were to go ahead and drop bombs on key targets, but most of the bombs missed or did little damage to the concrete block houses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After this the two airborne divisions would go and be dropped behind German lines to help out the forces on the beach, this help never came. Then Rangers and other troops would storm ashore and take the beaches. In the invasion of Normandy some 150,000 troops landed on the beaches. The objectives of these men was to take the five Normandy beach heads. The beaches Utah, Gold, Sword, and Juneau were all taken by the British and Canadian troops. The biggest and most heavily armed beach, Omaha, was invaded by U.

I Will Be a Writer :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

I have always seen myself as an inward person who best expressed his thoughts on paper for all to see. That is why I see writing as my natural career choice; not only is it what I do best, but both my parents' first career were journalism. Reading is my first love, and while reading a book I often find myself lost in a totally different world, one that exists only in the imagination of the author and in my own mind. I know I want to be a writer, and my performance in school contests as well as in the National Council of Teachers of English competition has made me believe I have the talent to be successful. I don't think I want to write novels; short stories and journalistic articles are more my forte. My years of writing for the school newspaper have not only strengthened my talent in this field, they have also introduced me to the thrill of seeing my work read and enjoyed by my peers. Â   Although my primary career goal has always been writing, that is by no means my only interest. I work in a baseball card and comic book shop, and have been collecting baseball cards since I was five years old. I think I could perhaps write for one of the major trade magazines, a job that wouldn't reach as large an audience as a newspaper but would allow me to combine two of my loves. I also have considered a career in sports writing, owing mostly to my love of the Chicago Cubs and baseball in general. Â   I fear that writing solely so other people can enjoy reading a work and can share the author's thoughts is a dying art. Nowadays, every book and story has to be turned into a movie, presumably so that the masses do not have to invest any time or intellectual energy in actually reading something enjoyable. While I attribute this partially to a decrease in the attention span of successive generations of Americans, it is also due to an increase in the desire for immediate rewards by writers. It is not enough to write a good book; it must be a bestseller, with a movie deal, an audio book, a book tour, and a round on the talk show circuit. I would be perfectly happy writing what I consider high-quality works without having to make millions to prove to the world that I have talent.

George Zimmerman Essay

There is a continuing racial divide in this country and the Trayvon Martin case illustrates it. I say this because here are the facts in this particular case, George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old white man shot and killed Trayvon Martin an unarmed 16-year-old black boy, after buying a bag of Skittles and a iced tea from a local 7-Eleven store as he was returning to his father’s girlfriend’s apartment inside their gated community. Trayvon Martin was an unarmed, 16-year-old who was killed by a neighborhood watch member as he walked to his father’s home in a gated community. George Zimmerman, the man who admitted to shooting and killing him, was not initially arrested or charged. After nearly 6 weeks and considerable public outcry, prosecutors charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder in the case, which has become a flashpoint in the conversations about racial profiling and gun laws. February 26, 2012, a 17-year-old African-American named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed As he returned from a local 7-Eleven after buying a bag of Skittles and iced tea. by was George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old white man. The shooter admits killing Martin, but claims he was acting in self-defense. After that he was then spotted by Zimmerman while returning to his father’s girlfriend’s apartment inside their gated community when Zimmerman called 911, explaining that Trayvon, who was wearing a hoodie at the time, a pair of blue jeans, and red/white sneakers, looked suspicious. Zimmerman then pursued Trayvon even after he was told not to by the 911 dispatcher. When Zimmerman approached Trayvon, the two got into a scuffle, resulting in Trayvon taking a bullet to the chest at point blank range. Here is what everyone should know about the case: 1.  Zimmerman called the police to report Martin’s â€Å"suspicious† behavior, which he described as â€Å"just walking around looking about. † Zimmerman was in his car when he saw Martin walking on the street. He called the police and said: â€Å"There’s a real suspicious guy. This guy looks like he’s up to no good, on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around looking about†¦ These a**holes always get away† 2. Zimmerman pursued Martin against the explicit instructions of the police dispatcher: Dispatcher: â€Å"Are you following him? † Zimmerman: â€Å"Yeah†Ã‚  Dispatcher: â€Å"OK, we don’t need you to do that. † 3. Prior to the release of the 911 tapes, Zimmerman’s father released a statement claiming â€Å"[a]t no time did George follow or confront Mr. Martin. † 4. Zimmerman was carrying a 9 millimeter handgun. Martin was carrying a bag of Skittles and a ca n of iced tea. 5. Martin weighed 140 pounds. Zimmerman weighs 250 pounds. 6. Martin’s English teacher described him as â€Å"as an A and B student who majored in cheerfulness. † 7. Martin had no criminal record. 8. Zimmerman â€Å"was charged in July 2005 with resisting arrest with violence and battery on an officer. The charges appear to have been dropped. † [Huffington Post] 9. Zimmerman called the police 46 times since Jan. 1, 2011. [Miami Herald] 10. According to neighbors, Zimmerman was â€Å"fixated on crime and focused on young, black males. † [Miami Herald] 11. Zimmerman â€Å"had been the subject of complaints by neighbors in his gated community for aggressive tactics† [Huffington Post] 12. A police officer â€Å"corrected† a key witness. â€Å"The officer told the witness, a long-time teacher, it was Zimmerman who cried for help, said the witness. ABC News has spoken to the teacher and she confirmed that the officer corrected her when she said she heard the teenager shout for help. † [ABC News] 13. Three witnesses say they heard a boy cry for help before a shot was fired. â€Å"Three witnesses contacted by The Miami Herald say they saw or heard the moments before and after the Miami Gardens teenager’s killing. All three said they heard the last howl for help from a despondent boy. † [Miami Herald] 14. The officer in charge of the crime scene also received criticism in 2010 when he initially failed to arrest a lieutenant’s son who was videotaped attacking a homeless black man. New York Times] 15. The police did not test Zimmerman for drugs or alcohol. A law enforcement expert told ABC that Zimmerman sounds intoxicated on the 911 tapes. Drug and alcohol testing is â€Å"standard procedure in most homicide investigations. † [ABC News] The Martin case had been turned over to the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office. Martin’s family has asked for the FBI to investigate. The â€Å"Stand your ground† law is covered in Florida, by Florida Statute 776. 032 â€Å"Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use of force. This law states: (1) A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776. 012, s. 776. 013, or s. 776. 031 is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943. 10(14), who was acting in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identifi ed himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer. As used in this subsection, the term â€Å"criminal prosecution† includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant. To further understand this law, we must examine the permitted circumstances provided under Florida Statutes 776. 012, 776. 013, and 776. 031. Florida Statute 776. 012 â€Å"Use of force in defense of person† states: A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if: (1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or (2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776. 013. Florida Statute 776. 013 mostly provides circumstances related to residential settings, acts during burglaries, suspected burglaries, and the likes except section (3) of the Florida Statute. Florida Statue 776. 13 section (3) states â€Å"A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony. † What these Statutes ultimately provide for George Zimmerman is immunity from prosecution for using deadly force. To further explain, we must first depict the specifics and lack thereof contained in these statutes. George Zimmerman claims that he was following Trayvon, lost sight of him and was returning to his vehicle. During the process of returning to his vehicle, Trayvon snuck up behind him, punched him in the face, knocked him to the ground and beat his head to the ground. What the media claims happened, is that Zimmerman chased down Trayvon, attacked him, and shot him due to racial profiling. Now, we must examine the applicability of the â€Å"Stand your Ground† Law in Florida. This law both covers some areas of law and ignores others. For example, both claims regarding how the altercation was initiated- whether Zimmerman chased after Trayvon or Trayvon came up to Zimmerman are inapplicable. Under the Florida statute, neither case really matters. Why? Because under Florida Statute 776. 013 provides both individuals immunity for being at the location. Whether either or was following the other does not matter because both individuals had a right to be there. What puzzles most individuals and has turned into a media circus of â€Å"Arrest Him† is the fact that no one really knows who attacked who first. According to reports from Robert Zimmerman; both Sr. and Jr. , father and brother of George Zimmerman, Trayvon struck George first. Neither man was at the scene when the attack took place, so both were simply relaying information provided by George. If this stands true that George Zimmerman was attacked by Trayvon Martin, the two wrestled on the ground, and George Zimmerman ultimately ended up shooting him, this law protects Zimmerman. Now, what the majority of Americans believe is that George Zimmerman â€Å"stalked† Trayvon Martin. So, we shall apply the Florida Statute for Stalking into this story in order to determine whether or not George Zimmerman was indeed stalking Trayvon Martin. The crime of â€Å"Stalking† is covered under Florida Statute 784. 048 â€Å"Stalking; definitions; penalties. † I want to you to recognize this term, used commonly throughout this statute. â€Å"Course of Conduct. † Under Florida Statute 784. 48 section (b) â€Å"Course of Conduct† is defined as a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a period of time. Now through this, we can see that this claim of â€Å"stalking† because George Zimmerman is believed to have followed Trayvon does not apply as a â€Å"series of acts† but we shall further analyze what stalking is, with â€Å"course of conduct† applied in the statute. Stalking is defined under Florida Statute 784. 048 section (2) as â€Å"Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows, harasses, or cyber stalks another person commits the ffense of stalking, a misdemeanor of the first degree. † Now through this, we can clearly see that â€Å"stalking† is not the applicable term that applies to George Zimmerman, thus the act, if at may have been, of â€Å"following Trayvon† is not, by any Florida Statute, an illegal act. Because George Zimmerman was not stalking Trayvon Martin, does this mean George Zimmerman is innocent? There is no guarantee that George Zimmerman is innocent. Following someone may be viewed as â€Å"wrong,â₠¬  but by means of legality, it is not a legal act. Ultimately, this will come down to two things. Who struck who first, and; if Trayvon struck Zimmerman first, if he truly did fear for his life. This is not something we as Americans have the ability to determine. We have not seen any release of a medical record, but yet everyone says George Zimmerman is guilty and needs to be punished. So, if applicable, this law demonstrates that George Zimmerman was not in the wrong for following Trayvon and ultimately if it is a crime it is to be determined by who hit first and if there was a reasonable fear to justify the killing.

Advergames

Synopsis Advergames – Advertising into your subconsciousness Disposition This paper investigates how advergames and anti- advergames have made a ground in our culture. I will explore how the anti- advergame movement utilizes the procedural rhetoric in order to create awareness. Furthermore I will come to a conclusion about why or if we need the anti – advergame movement. What exactly is advergames? Advergames is a great way to reach out to the consumers in a subconscious manner. Advergames are video games which contains advertisement for a product, service, or company. – Advergames are created to fill out a purpose – often to promote the company or one of the products. These games are often distributed freely as the game is a marketing tool. – Advergames can also be less obvious in their advertisement with product placement in the game. The video games is an alternative form of advertising with some advantages: they are cheap, fast, and have an extr aordinary peer-to-peer marketing ability. Advertising within a video game allows for more exposures to the product than traditional ads because, according to Ellen Ratchye– Foster, a trend analyst for Fallon, â€Å"anyone who buys these games devotes weeks and weeks to getting through their levels. † This means that the consumer will see the advertisements over and over while they play, thus it may resonate with them. †1 Product placement – â€Å"Product placement in-game-advertising is most commonly found in sports titles and simulation games. For advertisers an add may be displayed multiple times and a game may provide an opportunity to ally a product's brand image with the image of the game. – Such examples include the use Sobe drink in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent – While product placement in film and television is fairly common, this type of in-game advertising has only recently become common in games. â€Å"2 1 http ://advergamingtoday. blogspot. com/2006/02/just-product-placement. html 2 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Advergaming What is anti – advergames? Anti- advergames are games that challenge players to rethink their relationship with consumption and encourage corporate critique. â€Å"Advertisers, governments and organizations mount huge campaigns to show us what they want us to see, and we want to expose what they're hiding,† 3 In order to create awareness for the consumer (or more precisely the player) molleindustria. org and others create anti – advergames. The video games satirize big companies and question corporate polices ranging from how cattle are raised (The McDonald’s Videogame) to low pay for workers (Disaffected! . â€Å"I've always had a complicated relationship with advertising,† Bogost said. â€Å"It's everywhere, and it's becoming more and more parasitic. Yet, because it's everywhere it has the power to influence people positively as well as negatively. † 4 When attempting to sell games as a persuasive medium, those in the business early on found it useful to refer to this class of games as serious games. Ian Bogost wrote the book †Persuasive games† where he analysed the rhetoric these games used in their attempt to share information. Persuasive games – Ian Bogost †A book about how videogames make arguments: rhetoric, computing, politics, advertising, learning. In Persuasive Games, Ian Bogost explains how companies with the video game as a medium can make arguments and influence players. The games represent how the real and artificial/imagined systems work, and the players are invited to an interaction with the system to form an opinion about them. Bogost analyses the unique functions of rhetoric in software and especially in videogames. He argues that videogames because of their representation of procedurality open a whole new domain for persuasion, a new form for rhetoric. 5 3 http://www. molleindustria. org/node/149 4 http://www. molleindustria. org/node/149 5 http://www. bogost. com/books/persuasive_games. shtml This new form is called â€Å"procedural rhetoric† and is a form of rhetoric that is tied to the core affordances of computers which is running processes an executing a rule-based symbolic manipulation. 6 Procedural rhetoric is the practice of authoring arguments through processes. Computer games are interesting in this regard because they are some of the most complex processes that exist. †Covering both commercial and non-commercial games from the earliest arcade games through contemporaty titles, I look at three areas in which videogame persuasion has already taken form and shows considerable potential: politics, advertising, and education. The book reflects both theoretical and game-design goals. †7 The McDonald’s Videogame example McDonald’s video game is a good example of procedural rhetoric. The game was designed to persuade you that McDonald’s business model is corrupt. The McDonald’s Videogame mounts a procedural rhetoric about the necessity of corruption in the global fast food business, and the overwhelming temptation of greed, which leads to more corruption. In order to succeed in the longterm, the player must use growth hormones, he must coerce banana republics, and he must mount PR and lobbying campaigns. â⠂¬ 8 The game makes a procedural argument about the inherent problems in the fast food industry, particularly the necessity of overstepping environmental and health-related boundaries. Critical Play – Mary Flanagan While Ian Bogost's procedural rhetoric explore the expressive processes in video games, Mary Flanagan examines the theories of critical play which considers how designing a play space in a 6 7 8 9 http://www. bogost. com/books/persuasive_games. shtml http://www. bogost. com/books/persuasive_games. shtml The Rhetoric of video games, Ian Bogost p. 127 The Rhetoric of video games, Ian Bogost p. 127 video game can be a kind of social activism. Definition of critical Play To Flanagan, critical play â€Å"means to create or occupy play environments and activities that represent one or more questions about aspects of human life,†10 and â€Å"is characterized by a careful examination of social, cultural, political, or even personal themes that function as alternates to popular play spaces. [†¦] Thus the goal in theorizing a critical game-design paradigm is as much about the creative person’s interest in critiquing the status quo as it is about using play for such a phase change†11. The connection that this process has with social activism is that the games that people play and how they play those games change in response to culture. The doll example A simple example of critical play in a natural setting is playing with dolls. They are often used to enforce gender roles and stereotypes, many young girls today and in the early days of the doll industry would use dolls to break down social roles. Violent fantasies, macabre funerals, and other forms of changing the way play worked with dolls provides a striking example of critical play in its natural form. 2 10 Critical Play: Radical game design, Mary Flanagan, p 6 11 Critical Play: Radical game design, Mary Flanagan, p 6 12 http://www. popmatters. com/pm/post/128966-mary-flanagans-critical-play Anti – advergames Ian Bogost is one of the founding fathers of anti- advergames and in his book Persuasive Games he describes how procedural rhetoric can be used to understand the problems in our culture. â€Å"Disa ffected! Does not purport to proceduralize a solution to Kinko's customer service or labour issues. But its procedural rhetoric of incompetence does underscore the problem of disaffection in contemporary culture, on both sides of the counter. We're dissatisfied or unwilling to support structures of authority, but we do scarcely little about it. We go to work at lousy jobs with poor benefits and ill treatment. We shrug off poor customer service and bad products, assuming that nothing can be done and ignoring the reasons why workers might feel disenfranchised in the first place. We take for granted that we can't reach people in authority. These problems extend far beyond copy stores. Disaffected has, like the McDonald’s video game, no solution to how we change the problem. The game attempts instead to inform and educate the users by using the procedural rhetoric, showing how the organisation/world through processes affect everyone. The question is, does anti – advergames really have the effekt that Bogost and other gamedesigners think it does? Its a question with more than one side. On one hand people do get a better understanding of the structure and the core of the message but how is that different form any other campaign? On the other hand we already know that Billion dollar companies may be a little rough around the edges and that morally the best thing (in a perfect world) would be to avoid the products and companies altogether. So why do we need anti – advergames to inform us about the dangers? The point is to create awareness. There arent any (easy) solution to the problems so the next best thing is to make people aware of how the system works so that we dont stand idly by. This does not mean that the anti- advergames are created in a belief that the user, by playing the video game, is fully enlightened on completion of the game. Often the player already has insight in how the system works as the people who aren't interested in the critique wont be interested in the game either. None the less designers like Ian Bogost and Paolo Pedercini (molleindustria. org) feel their work will have some effect. At the very least, they contend, players might start thinking about corporations in new ways. The games, Pedercini said, â€Å"can make people ask some questions, and for instance read a book or consider that there are a lot of motivations to change their lifestyles. â€Å"13 Brad Scott, director of digital branding at Landor Associates has an other opinion: â€Å"I don't know that they would have that negative effect on the brand,† Scott said. â€Å"You can almost use it as, ‘Boy, we've become such an icon as a brand that we're being mimicked by video games. † 14 I cant say which statement I think is correct but I think that advergames are a great way of advertising. There is an enormous amount of people who play video games, â€Å"according to the Interactive Digital Software Association, as many as 60% of Americans over age 6 play them. Putting that statistic together with the number of people using the internet, you have a phenomenal amount of people you ca n market to. â€Å"15 This great area of potential would of course be a great place for marketing, both commercial and non-commercial. It would be a waste not to utilize it especially if the people aren't as offended or as immune as to other of the more traditional methods of advertising. 13 http://www. molleindustria. org/node/149 14 http://www. molleindustria. org/node/149 15 http://advergamingtoday. blogspot. com/2006/02/just-product-placement. html 7 Digital Kultur Conclusion Advergames are becoming more and more popular as the availability to the internet increases. The video game is like any other media being used to the benefit of the marketing industry and why not? The anti – advergame movement with Ian Bogost criticise the marketing industry for being omnipresent and overpowering in its behaviour but is itself a game that has an agenda. Despite all, the anti – advergames are needed. The goal is not to come up with a solution, but to create awareness, and that is exactly what they do. We have an anti advertising forum in any other media, why not in the video games? 8 http://advergamingtoday. blogspot. com/2006/02/just-product-placement. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Advergaming http://www. molleindustria. rg/node/149 http://www. bogost. com/books/persuasive_games. shtml http://www. popmatters. com/pm/post/128966-mary-flanagans-critical-play http://www. molleindustria. org/node/149 Texts Ian Bogost, ‘The Rhetoric of video games, in The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning, Cambridge, MIT Press, 2008 Ian Bogost, ‘Procedural Rhetoric' [extract], in Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videoga mes, Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, 2007 Mary Flanagan, ‘Introduction to Critical Play', in Critical Play: Radical Game Design, Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press 2009 9