Rhetorical Theory Essay Example

Rhetorical Theory Essay Example Rhetorical Theory Essay Rhetorical Theory Essay Fantasy Theme Criticism Fantasy Theme Criticism: Symbolic Convergence Theory â€Å"Love The Way You Lie† COMM 311 Introduction Hip-hop and rap as a whole tend to be lumped together as bad for society, or the dragging down of American culture. The debate on the influence of music effecting the actions of America’s youth has remained salient for decades. The upcoming genre of ‘Rap’ or ‘Hip-Hop’ in recent years has sparked controversy because of the references to violence and sex portrayed in many song lyrics. Not only has the issues of drugs and crime been associated with hip hop, but the diminishing perception of women in our society has also been attributed to hip hop. It seems that rap is an easy scapegoat for the American population to ‘point the finger at. ’ Why is Hip-Hop important? No music is more important than the next. As soon as a genre starts portraying itself as something other than the simple concept of musical notes vibrating off the eardrums of listeners, it loses its focus and main purpose – to entertain. Political messages and social responsibility measures have always been visible in musical lyrics, examples such as R. E. M. and U2 as well as countless other bands have done it for years. Hip-Hop has become big business and anything that is marketable affects society one way or another. Hip-Hop also affects society on many different levels and it is inclusive of all people. The media attention that Hip-Hop gets gives meaning to the fact that people are able to see a side of a particular Hip-Hop artist and then the artist is then displayed as a more human element. Younger generations must understand the biases and politics involved with the generalizations of Hip-Hop. The music we listen to and the videos we watch are just like reading a fashion magazine. A perfect example is if we see beautiful women in certain clothes then we may want those clothes. When someone sees a Hip-Hop artist or rapper on televisions that is clearly successful, actions may be taken to duplicate behavior portrayed by that artist, in turn hoping to emulate success similar to that artist. Why is the Eminem song featuring Rihanna important? Eminem is one of a kind! He is the only white rapper to emerge and remain successful while opening the ears of a different audience- young Caucasian males. Barriers are broken down when people from different backgrounds can share common interest at shows and on the internet and Eminem has done an exceptional job at doing so. Eminem was ranked 79th on the VH1 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time. He was also ranked 82nd on Rolling Stone magazines list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was named the Best Rapper Alive by Vibe magazine in 2008. Eminem has achieved nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top 200. Eminem also has had 13 number one singles worldwide. In December 2009, Eminem was even named the Artist of the Decade by Billboard magazine. Are these credentials not enough for you? Let’s take a look at Rihanna she has achieved eight number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since first appearing on the chart on June 11, 2005. As of July 23, 2010, Rihanna has sold approximately 5,563,000 album units in the US alone. She has received several accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for Worlds Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/RB Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. She serves as one of Barbadoss honorary cultural ambassadors. In January 2010, Rihanna received two Grammy Awards for Jay-Zs 2009 single Run This Town. † These two celebrities are huge public figures! As for Rihanna, she appeals to a different demographic, the young African American female. With the combination of these two audiences, they amass to a huge portion of the American youth. Influencing the youth of American is monumental to the outcome of the Country as a whole. The youth of America is the backbone of our Nation. In theory, the influence we have on our youth can be set as a precursor for generations to come. The decisions made by the youth in any country will ultimately unravel actions and future ideas yet to come. For my analysis, I will examine possible subliminal messages and interpretations of Eminem and Rihanna’s song, â€Å"Love the Way You Lie,† specifically directed to the youth of America. I will show how this song is not solely comprised of vocals, lyrics and a music video, but a rhetorical action. The rhetoric involved perpetuates the desired symbolism and themes to reconstruct public opinion influencing the youth of America. By analyzing the lyrics and music video, I will reveal the connection between the subliminal messages and possible interpretations present in the artifact and their influence on the youth of America. Description of the Artifact The artifact I have chosen to depict is Eminem and Rihanna’s â€Å"Love the Way You Lie. † This is a very popular song racking up 338,000 downloads online in its first week. The music video of the song became an online phenomenon, gaining 6. 6 million hits in its first 24 hours on VEVO, and 18 million views in five days. It broke a YouTube record for having the most views in 24 hours. By November 2010, the video had received over 200 million views. Eminem and Rihanna’s song â€Å"Love the Way You Lie† depict the relationship of a troubled young couple. This video produced by Joseph Kahn portrays the ups and downs that some couples must endure to make their relationship work. Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox portray the relationship of a young couple in the song’s music video. The music video starts with the young couple sleeping together in bed. From that point on, Megan Fox notices a phone number on her significant others hand. The idea that she is being taken advantage of enters her mind. That notion sparks controversy and the couple begins to fight. The scene becomes heated and even reaches the point where the couple physical assault and spit in the faces of one another. Both parties in the couple become easily agitated with one another as they continue to assault and randomly hook up and make out. Both the Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox are seen alone pondering as if they are deciding what to do or what will become of their relationship. Megan Fox expresses her emotions by crying to herself, on the other hand Dominic Monaghan is seen drinking in the bar to vent the way he feels in regards to his current situation. Things take a more optimistic stance as the couple tries to rekindle lost trusts. Dominic Monaghan is seen giving Megan Fox a stuffed animal that represents his love for her and shows that he continues to care about her. Dominic Monaghan blatantly steals a bottle of vodka from a liquor store. They are seen getting along on top of a building as they consume vodka together. Alcohol is helping the couple temporary fix their irritations of each other, yet they have much bigger problems. Dominic Monaghan is seen taking his aggression out in the bar as he physically attacks other bystander attempting to communicate with Megan Fox. The couple is then seen gazing into each other’s eyes, smiling but unsure of what to do. Megan Fox is then seen walking out of the house resembling her leaving Dominic Monaghan. As the video continues Dominic Monaghan is seen physically assaulting Megan Fox yet again. The house is set in flames in the backdrop; this resembles the previous chaos and end of their relationship. Fire burns everything, bringing nothing but physical ruin. On the other hand, with the end of one good thing starts the beginning of another. In theory the fire could possibly represent a complex symbol for warmth and comfort. In fact it could resemble new life. The stuffed animal that Dominic Monaghan gave Megan Fox is even seen set aflame as the couple goes their separate ways. The video ends with the couple lying in bed in the same exact spot where the video started, as if the whole thing were a dream. The context of the artifact is located within social arrangements. This popular song and music video is a form of entertainment. The song is used to target a specific social niche in order to generate revenue and become a success within its boundaries. If this song did not appeal to any social networks then it would not serve its purpose of selling CDs to generate revenue and publicize the artists. The fact that two celebrities (Eminem Rihanna) have collaborated together helps them reach out to publicize themselves as well as combine their social networks together. The artifact is not used within political means or economic arrangements. This is a great artifact to analyze because symbolic convergence is blatantly evident and people can easily share similar fantasy themes that create rhetorical visions. â€Å"Love The Way You Lie† constitutes evidence of symbolic convergence theory because it incorporates themes the rhetor knows will resonate with the audience. Another reason why this is a great artifact to evaluate is because of the popularity and controversy of this song. Millions of people hear this song each and every day and have not even thought about evaluating it in terms of rhetorical theories and criticisms. Theoretical and Methodological Framework Fantasy theme analysis is based upon the theory of symbolic convergence, which has two major assumptions: (1) reality is created through communication and (2) individual interpretations of symbols can converge and create a shared reality for those involved (Foss, 2009). This happens in a social context in which individual worlds and interpretations converge, resulting in a shared reality for those involved. Sonja K. Foss (1996) in her textbook, Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice, quotes Bormann as stating: â€Å"If several or many people develop portions of their private symbolic worlds that overlap as a result of symbolic convergence, they share a common consciousness and have the basis for communicating with one another to create community, to discuss their common experiences, and to achieve mutual understanding. Symbolic convergence occurs when individuals have jointly experienced mutual interpretations with similar emotional responses. † Although the message in these encounters is important, the act of sharing the message is the critical issue in these incidents. The basic unit of analysis of symbolic convergence is the fantasy theme. The fantasy is defined as a creative and imaginative interpretation of an event that makes it credible or believable to the participant, or rather the means through which interpretation is accomplished in communication. Bormann (1972) states in his article Fantasy and Rhetorical Vision: The Rhetorical Criticism of Social Reality that participants in a fantasy theme are interested in the personal satisfaction found and are not troubled by contradictory details or evidence that might exist within the communication. As the participants participate in the story, similar emotions and interpretations will be present among the members of the group. The fantasy theme then becomes the groups experience and results in a shared reality for the participants (Griffin 1997). There are three types of fantasy themes included in Bormanns theory: (1) setting themes, which name the scene of an action, (2) character themes which describe agents or actors in the drama, assign motives to them and portray them as having certain characteristics, and (3) action themes which are the plot lines in which the characters engage. (Foss, 1996) The next level in analysis is observing fantasy types within a community. A fantasy type is a repeated fantasy theme that includes similar scenes, characters, and plots that are shared by the members of a community. Griffin (1997) observes that most fantasies do not chain out but rather fall on deaf ears, but that chaining out occurs when people catch on to a fantasy theme and then continue to spread the theme which then feeds into the overall rhetorical vision or a unified putting together of various shared fantasies. When a fantasy type is developed the rhetors involved are able to give a general story and the audience is able to fill in the details of the entire scenario. Included in the rhetorical vision of a community one will find fantasy themes which share the values, practices, heroes, and villains within the rhetorical group. Actions that make little sense to someone outside the rhetorical vision make perfect sense within the context of the group involved (Griffin 1997). Fantasy theme method suggests that the individual and collective dramatizations of a groups goals, scope, and activitiesthe groups conceptualized reality, or fantasy themecan be used to study social movements. Based on the notion of fantasizing in small groups, this analytic approach provides a method of discovering how communication creates social realities for groups of people (Foss, 1997). Fantasy theme analysis, as Bormann (1972) structured it, provides unique insight into the mentality and worldview of social groups. Foss (2004) summarizes the theory of symbolic convergence as a reference to the way narratives invite audiences to identify with the characters by using commonly established themes that the audience will immediately respond to as a cue to aid understanding. Bormann designed this method to help explain how common symbols and values are developed through group communication. Methodological Framework Fantasy theme criticism consists of four steps: 1. Select an artifact 2. Analyzing the artifact . Formulating a research question 4. Writing the essay Analyzing the artifact consists of two steps: 1. Coding the artifact for setting, characters, and action themes 2. Constructing the rhetorical visions from the fantasy theme a. Theme- Patterns b. Major and Minor- Frequency and Intensity Coding consists of settings, characters, actions, and character theme codes. I will analyze the three main fantasy themes used in the song: violence, drugs/alcohol and deception. These three powerful pieces of the song all show different ways that American’s youth can be influenced purely through a rhetorical framing of issues. At one point or another, these themes will have to be dealt with in the life process of today’s youth. Analyzing how these themes function within the song will illustrate certain subliminal messages and influential factors that affect America’s youth. I will follow three of Bormann’s steps to complete my analysis. During fantasy theme analysis I must look for patterns within the song- based on frequency and intensity. Symbolic convergence frames the theory that communication creates reality. As for reality, it is not only created for individuals but also groups; sharing that sense of reality. The first step is to situate the song within the network of America’s youth. The second step is to examine the song for evidence of symbolic convergence and the fantasy themes used to perpetuate the subliminal messages and possible interpretations that remain transparent. The final step is to present the rhetorical vision America’s youth can create and be influenced by. These steps will complete my analysis of Eminem and Rihanna’s â€Å"Love The Way You Lie† in order to further understand how America’s youth is being influenced by hip hop culture in today’s society. Analysis Descriptive Analysis Descriptive analyses involve direct observation of behavior and environmental events in naturalistic contexts. Research in descriptive analysis has focused on a variety of areas including descriptions of naturalistic observations of behavior and environmental events, integration of descriptive and functional analyses, comparisons of outcomes from descriptive and functional analysis, and quantitative analyses of behavior and environmental events (Sloman 2010). Using Campbell’s seven elements of rhetorical action I will delve into the descriptive analysis. The purpose, or central idea of â€Å"Love The Way You Lie† is to relate to potential listeners in an attempt to sell CDs and promote their music. One of the main goals of the song is to relate to listeners so the listeners will in turn admire the artist and become a fan of his/her music. Eminem wants us to believe that creating violence in his song and music video is acceptable and/or ‘cool. ’ One lyric that represents this statement reads: â€Å"†¦ it’s a steel knife in my wind pipe I can’t breathe but I still fight while I can fight. The target audiences that Eminem and Rihanna are reaching out to are limited to none. Anyone that can listen and enjoy music is a target audience. On the other hand, those affected by the vulgar lyrics are none other than America’s youth! One aspect of growing up is finding out who you really are and what you like to do. At the ages of 13-18 I feel like you are more prone to adopt values and ideas that yo u see in the everyday media. Prospective audience members or listeners are asked to adopt these violent actions into their lifestyles. Eminem is personified in the song as a dead beat cheating boyfriend that has nothing going for him. Why would anyone want to adopt that persona? The tone of the song is depressing. The lyrics are dramatic and loaded with violent verbiage and deceitful actions. Eminem’s attitude towards the audience is somewhat as a peer and a superior. Eminem is viewed as a peer because he is trying to relate his music to the audience without turning them off or leaving anyone out. At the same thing, Eminem is seen as authoritative because he hints to the audience that what he saying he has already done before. An example of Eminem’s authoritative behavior in his lyrics would be: â€Å"I can’t tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like† in this he is already stating that he has performed these actions. The structure of the song dwells on relationships people have with one another. Eminem gains attention by introducing his perspective and by the use of vivid figurative analogies. Eminem tries to create a shared reality with the audience by use of similar past relationships. If one person has had a rough relationship in the past, they will automatically become more susceptible to liking the song and its ontents. The song is also chronologically structured, starting with the young couple in the bed, and develops as they fight over time. Eminem himself is supporting materials for the themes he portrays in his song. He is notorious for his rough divorce with ex-wife Kimberly Mathers. Rihanna is also known for her tragic experience with abusive boyfrie nd Chris Brown. Strategies used to capture listeners include a catchy chorus as well as clever bold lyrics. Eminem alludes to a previously dramatic relationship when he states: â€Å"I’m superman with the wind at his back, she’s Lois Lane. This strategy is set up so that anyone who previously watched superman can easily create a shared reality and relate to the song. Critical Analysis In following three of Bormann’s steps to complete my analysis, many patterns of drugs/alcohol, violence and deception are drawn throughout the song. Symbolic convergence frames the theory that communication creates reality. The reality Eminem creates through his lyrics and seen in the music video is a perception for America’s youth to view. One filled with alcohol abuse, drugs, violence and lies. The song is already situated within the media network of America’s youth. Subliminal messages perpetuated here include those of alcohol abuse, lies and deceit and acts of violence been seen as acceptable. My rhetorical vision states that people do not need to lie, consume drugs or alcohol or be violent towards one another in order to be successful. Eminem Rihanna’s â€Å"Love the Way You Lie† contains three fantasy themes that are significant to the overall rhetoric to this song. The three themes are categorized as drugs/alcohol, violence and deception. As I immersed myself and scored through the lyrics of the song, some of the single worded (action themes) that helped me select these fantasy themes include: burn, cry, lie, fight, high, drunk, huffin’ paint, suffer, suffocate, hate, running, insane, laid hands, stoop, barley breathe, hit em, sick, spit em, throw em down, rage, separate ways, broken records, leave, fall back, temper, blinded, crazy, pissed, fist, apologize, liar and set this house on fire. As for the music video, certain actions took place to help me narrow down my fantasy themes. These actions include: fighting, spitting in face, walking out, punch, drinking alcohol, stealing, yelling, shaking, hitting and burning. Setting themes include the house in the music video, the liquor store and the bar. Characters involved are Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox’s character as well as Rihanna and Eminem referencing â€Å"I† and â€Å"You† throughout the lyrics. Violence In terms of violence, the vulgarity of the lyrics emulate to America’s youth that those specific actions and words are acceptable. It is not necessary for 13 year old children to hear lyrics like â€Å"I’m a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire. I feel that having a strong family background is crucial for children in terms of being raised more level headed but statements like that are just unnecessary. The intensity of the violence in the music video is harsh. At one point in the video Megan Fox spits in Dominic Monaghan’s face. Again, this is not accept able behavior and should not be exemplified. Professional athletes are fined thousands of dollars for spitting in an opponent’s face but this music video makes it seem like it’s a regular occurrence. The frequencies of violent words in the lyrics are very high as well as intense. There are multiple clips in the music video where the couple physically assaults one another. The more America’s youth sees this behavior as acceptable, the more likely it will be duplicated. Drugs Alcohol Eminem’s reference to drugs and alcohol is salient in the lyrics as well as the music video. In the music video Dominic Monaghan goes as far as to steal a bottle of liquor from the store; shortly after he is seen rekindling his relationship with Megan Fox. This chain of events makes it seem like alcohol is the remedy for life’s problems. I only wish this was true! Fortunately I’ve reached an age where I can decipher good and bad choices when a problem arises, as for 14 year olds, not so much. The music video is creating a reality in America’s youth that depicts the consumption and abuse of alcohol as acceptable. Recent test results support the predictions that the relationship between media exposure and alcohol use was mediated by peer norms and positive expectancies and that the relationship was partially moderated by language preference (Jeong Hecht, 2010). Other references in Eminem’s lyrics relate to inhaling household products which is terrible for the overall health human body. The lyrics read â€Å"High off her love, drunk from my hate, it’s like I’m huffin’ paint. † Deception The song references to lying nine times before coming to an end. With the song being approximately 4 minutes and 30 seconds long, that means on average they are referencing to lying every 30 seconds. That’s a lot of lying! The devious behavior Dominic Monaghan’s character partakes in by having a random phone number written on his hand should not be idealized on how to act in any relationship. This behavior may cause insecurities to arise in young women about their own boyfriends. The fact that Dominic Monaghan was out hitting on girls makes other women question if their significant other is doing the same exact thing. Not only does it make women appear unsecure about their relationship, but makes males seem like a distrustful partner. People should not strive for these feelings or negative attributes but they are being casted on upon the youth of America. Implications, Discussion, and Limitations Young adulthood is a very important time in someone’s life. Decisions are made that can benefit or destroy the rest of that person’s life. Why would we want the backbone of America to be exposed to violence, drugs and alcohol? I don’t know. As many others have said in the past, communication creates reality. This Eminem and Rihanna song communicates a fictional reality to the youth of America. It baffles me that a child could simply turn on the television and be exposed to the violence portrayed in this video. One limitation I encountered was that I only had 13 weeks to research the song, fantasy theme criticism, symbolic convergence theory and write the paper. The fact that I only had 13 weeks to write the paper gave me limited access to information on the topic. Another limitation I encountered was the use of only one rhetorical methodology. I understand that there is a part II of the song and would like to have the time to research that as well. I believe Fantasy theme is a great method for researching this song. On the overhand if I were to do it over again I would probably choose narrative criticism. There are serious social implications that may come about due to the content of this song. Implications for shoplifting, underage drinking and drug use are bound by imprisonment in the United States. I for sure wouldn’t want my child to be viewing this video on television. For future esearch I would recommend narrative or fantasy criticism and would definitely include part II of the song. As for the larger issue I’m concerned, it’s the wellbeing of the United States of America. References Bormann, E. (1972). Fantasy and rhetorical vision: The rhetorical criticism of social reality. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 58, 396-407. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from Academic Search Premier database. Foss, S. (2004). Rhetorical criticism: Exploration and practice (3rd ed). Waveland press, Long Grove. Littlejohn, S. W. (2002). Symbolic convergence theory. In Cavanaugh, D. (Ed. ) Theories of Human Communication (pp. 57-159). New Mexico: Wadsworth Group. Pineda, R. , Sowards, S. (2007). Flag waving as rhetorical argument: 2006 immigration demonstrations and cultural citizenship. Argumentation Advocacy, 43(3/4), 164-174. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from Communication Mass Media Complete database. Bormann, Ernest G. (1972). Fantasy and Rhetorical Vision: The Rhetorical Criticism of Social Reality. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 58, 396-407. Foss, S. K. (1996). Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration Practice. (2nd ed. ). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland. Griffin, EM (1997). A First Loo k at Communication Theory. (3rd ed. ). NY: McGraw-Hill.

Writing Effective School Policy and Procedures

Writing Effective School Policy and Procedures Writing policy and procedures for schools is a part of an administrators job. School policies and procedures are essentially the governing documents by which your school district and school buildings are operated. It is essential that your policies and procedures be current and up-to-date. These should be reviewed and revised as necessary, and new policies and procedures should be written as needed. The following guidelines are tips and suggestions to consider when you are evaluating old policy and procedures or writing new ones. Why Is the Evaluation of School Policies and Procedures Important? Every school has a student handbook, support staff handbook, and certified staff handbook which are loaded with policies and procedures. These are vital pieces of each school because they govern the day-to-day occurrences that happen in your buildings. They are valuable because they offer the guidelines for how the administration and school board believe their school should be run. These policies come into play every single day. They are a set of expectations that all constituents within the school are held accountable by. How Do You Write Targeted Policy? Policies and procedures typically are written with a specific target audience in mind, This includes students, teachers, administrators, support staff, and even parents. Policies and procedures should be written so that the target audience understands what is being asked or directed of them.  For example, a policy written for a middle school student handbook should be written at a middle school grade level and with terminology that the average middle school student will understand. What Makes a Policy Clear? A quality policy is both informative and direct meaning that the information is not ambiguous, and it is always straight to the point. It is also clear and concise. A well-written policy will not create confusion. A good policy is also up-to-date. For example, policies dealing with technology probably need frequently updated  due to the rapid evolution of the technology industry itself. A clear policy is easy to understand. The readers of the policy should not only understand the meaning of the policy but understand the tone and the underlying reason the policy was written. When Do You Add New Policies or Revise Old Ones? Policies should be written and/or revised as needed. Student handbooks and such should be reviewed on a yearly basis. Administrators should be encouraged to keep documentation of all policies and procedures that they feel need to be added or revised as the school year moves along. There are times to put a piece of new or revised policy in effect immediately within a school year, but the majority of the time, the new or revised policy should go into effect the following school year. What Are Good Procedures for Adding or Revising Policies? The majority of policy should go through several channels before it is included within your proper district’s policy book. The first thing that has to happen is that a rough draft of the policy has to be written. This is usually done by a principal or other school administrator. Once the administrator is happy with the policy, then it is an excellent idea to form a review committee made up of the administrator, teachers, students, and parents. During the review committee, the administrator explains the policy and its purpose, the committee discusses the policy, makes any recommendations for revision, and decides whether it should be submitted to the superintendent for review. The superintendent then reviews the policy and may seek legal counsel to make sure the policy is legally viable. The superintendent may kick the policy back down to the review committee to make changes, may kick out the policy completely, or may send it on to the school board for them to review. The school board can vote to reject the policy, accept the policy, or may ask that a part be revised within the policy before they accept it. Once it is approved by the school board, then it becomes official school policy and is added to the appropriate district handbook.

SOCIOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

SOCIOLOGY - Essay Example A great deal of research work has shown that violence has deep and long lasting effects (Johnson, 2008). Psychologists admit the fact that children pass 13 hours in a week (boys) and 5 hours (girls) in playing video games. Dr. Anderson and his co-workers demonstrated that violent video games develop the feelings of hostility (Anderson et al, 2003). Theorist’s stress that people should wisely think and select what they want to watch on TV. Sociologists made research and found that whatever TV news broadcast or newspapers write is all based on their own thinking knowledge. TV news has influenced people in different ways .the news of terrorism, murder, thefts and crime makes people feel hostile and aggressive. Researchers found a relationship between the media and the conduct. The principal and the foremost effect is to copy what is being shown. Secondly, it makes people insensitive making them hard-hearted about rest of the world. Others say that violent news makes people dreadful about the problems and pains of others (Johnson, 2008). Conclusion: Psychologists unite about the effects of TV news while research in this are is quite difficult to measure. A psychologist mentioned is very difficult to prove the relationship between violent media and the conduct through specific methodology. Anderson, C.A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L.R., Johnson, J., Linz, D., Malamuth, N., & Wartella, E. (2003). The influence of media violence on youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Vol. 4, pp.

Consider a particular real organization of your choice which has an Essay

Consider a particular real organization of your choice which has an international profile. Discuss how the organization is adopt - Essay Example The company is primarily engaged in manufacturing vehicles for the purpose of selling them to the general customers. The company was originally established in the year 1903 by Henry Ford and since then, the company has produced more than 260 millions of vehicles (Austin, 2001). It is worth mentioning that the automobile industry has grown to be much competitive in nature over the preceding few decades, particularly after the advent of the globalisation process. At the same time, the continuous advancement in the technological aspects has also contributed towards altering the business models and forcing the companies like Ford to incorporate radical changes in their respective supply chain and logistics operations for sustaining business in this competitive landscape. The company, during the year 1995 has initiated a plan to restructure its business model and other key areas of its activities such as Order to Delivery (OTD) and Ford Production System. The company with new structuring plan indented to reduce OTD and further desired to convert its supply chain based operations from push type to pull (Cao & et. al., 2010). In its structuring plan, it can be viewed that the ultimate aim of the company is to perform effectual supply chain along with logistics operations in a cost-effective manner (The Saylor Foundation, 2013; Ha, 2008). Correspondingly, this essay intends to discuss the sustainability and the green supply chain in the context of The Ford Motor Company. The Marketing Channels and Logistics Frameworks, Models and Theories and Latest Trends The marketing functions generally focus upon developing the tasks that are executed by the distribution systems and also the associated utilities of these functions. In this similar concern, marketing channels are viewed as the set of inter-reliant organisations that are engaged in the process of making certain products or services for consumption purpose. The marketing channels eventually draw attention to certain g roup of members such as wholesalers, distributors and retailers among the prime. These members are commonly engaged in the distribution system and are generally responsible for deliverance of products or services from the point of inception to the point of final consumption. It is worth mentioning that management of such marketing channels requires planning, organizing, coordinating, directing along with controlling efforts of channel members. For example, Ford Motor has articulated certain global terms and conditions especially for its suppliers that are duly required to be abided by them in order to conduct business with the company. Any supplier, who do not abide by the established sets of code of conduct which formulated by the company is liable to be terminated from the contractual arrangement (Borade & Bansod, 2007). In the contemporary business environment, most of the organisations are involved in providing customer-oriented view of marketing channels. The domain of marketin g channels typically includes market channel structure, governance and relationship management. In this regard, it can be firmly stated that the effort of one group in

Being A Good Father :: essays research papers

Being A Good Father   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the essay â€Å"My Father’s Son† and the poem â€Å"my father’s son† written by the same author, Mel Donalson and have similar titles, they have different ways to express the son’s feeling of his father’s character, merit and devotion to his family. Both essay and poem’s main ideas center around affection and father’s commitment to his family. However, the poem only describes the cold weather and the father’s image in his regular life style without expression of the author’s deep feeling. It is understandable that the poem mainly expresses the author’s naà ¯ve character during his childhood. On the other hand, the essay is more detail in describing the author’s different feelings from his journey from boyhood to manhood. Unlike the poem, Donalson focuses on his life’s experience and development with his changeable attitude to father: from ungratefulness and contemp t to thankfulness and respect. Although both the poem and essay are different in form and narrator, they share the same elements and visual images to support the author’s message of respect between a father and son.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author, Donalson, uses visual images in both the poem and essay to describe the respectable father whom the author had. He uses the word â€Å"gladiator† to describe his father. â€Å"Gladiator† literally means man trained to fight with weapons at public shows in an arena; however, it symbolizes his father’s courage and tolerance of hard-working environment. In the poem, the poet portrays his father as â€Å"dark and beautiful† and uses the phrases â€Å"broadness of his back,† and â€Å"a large dry hand† to describe his father. â€Å"Dark and beautiful† tells the reader that the author knows his father’s humble origin in the South but he still appreciates his father’s appearance. â€Å"Broadness of his back† shows his father is a strong and powerful man. All those merits of his father give reason that his father is a respectable man. In the essay, similar descriptions used to describe his f ather like â€Å"dark shadow moving against the white background,† â€Å"dark face hidden beneath a knit cap,† and â€Å"his giant steps.† Donalson emphasizes his father is a big and powerful man. His endurance and responsibility to his family really please the author. His father never did anything special besides â€Å"piling the Christmas gifts† and â€Å"covering the car insurance† to his son but he can still manage to endear himself to his family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In contrast to the poem, Donalson uses limited omniscient narrator in his essay to reveal to the reader his deep feelings of respect to his father.

Lang’s Alcohol Study: An Analysis

The study conducted by researcher Alan Lang on the effects of alcohol represented one of the first approaches to using the double-blind form of study. A double-blind study is a type of study in which neither the participants nor the experimenters themselves know who has received the treatment. In Lang’s (1975) study, he and his colleagues pre-tested amounts of vodka and tonic water, and plain tonic water, to determine whether or not the two can be significantly differentiated from one another. After learning that the two were virtually the same in taste, they recruited college men who described themselves as social drinkers to become participants in the study. Some of the participants drank vodka and tonic water while others drank tonic water alone. It was then revealed in the study that practically half of the men who drank vodka and tonic water thought they were drinking tonic water only, while those who did drink tonic water alone thought their drink was mixed with vodka. The last part of the experiment entailed provoking the participants, and the result was that those who believed that they had drunk vodka displayed more anger than those who thought they had drank tonic water only. It can be said then that the primary purpose of Lang’s entire study was to discover the effects of alcohol on human behavior. However, his study deviated from the normal process of using alcohol as a means of studying behavior because of the incorporated element of a double-blind. Also, his study could be defined as a correlational one, as it basically sought to find a relationship between the alcohol and the provoked aggressiveness among the participants. Only a primary source was used, and the subjects in this case were college students of the male gender. As for the selection of the participants for the study however, random selection was not utilized as only men who specifically described themselves as social drinkers were chosen to take part. The reason for this was probably because it was imperative for the results of the study that the participants be drinkers by nature, as only they could effectively have the best chance of differentiating vodka and tonic from tonic water alone. To do random selection would have been difficult as the researchers would have no guarantee as to the drinking preferences of the participants. The sampling method used was also not stratified, as in stratification, the sample population is first divided into a number of parts or â€Å"strata,† in order to relate it to the major variables being studied. The independent variable (IV) in this case is the alcohol given to the participants, whether it was vodka and tonic or plain tonic water alone. The dependent variable (DV) was the response of the participants, specifically the level of aggression displayed in response to the provocation done by the researchers. The theory for this study is that it was done in order to determine the effects alcohol could have on behavior, regardless of whether it (alcohol) was actually given or if it was merely perceived. A probable hypothesis would be that it the mere perception that alcohol was a part of one’s drink could effectively lead to a change in behavior on the part of the participants, without the need for the actual consumption of the alcohol. As evidenced by the documented results, this is exactly what happened. While the research is for the most part valid, especially with the use of the double-blind approach, there are nevertheless certain flaws in the procedure and methodology that could be improved upon by those who would later conduct related studies. First of all, the length of time with which the experiment was done could have been lengthened so that there would be more time to test the reactions of the participants. The use of other forms of alcohol other than vodka and tonic water would have also been a welcome addition to the process of the research, as it would lend even more credibility to the results of the study. The provocation itself could be placed under question; the researchers should have first taken steps to make sure that the provocation would not unknowingly trigger any previously stored extreme emotions. As an example, if one of the participants were black and the provocation was racially charged, this could serve to heighten the aggravated response of the participant as opposed to what would have been only a normal reaction. Perhaps the largest extraneous variable of all was the non-random selection of participants for the study. While it is noted that the researchers needed participants to be social drinkers to validate the differentiation process, there could have been other ways to better improve selection and reduce bias and other threats to validity. What could have been done was to select a large population of college students randomly and then determine who among those selected were drinkers. From that sample, the researchers could have then applied another randomization process to come up with the final list of participants. Nevertheless, in summary the Lang study has proven to contribute much to the body of knowledge in psychology, and for all its faults, still remains to be one of the classic psychological experiments worthy of emulation. Works Cited Rathus, Spencer. Psychology: Concepts and Connections, 9th Ed.. Thomson and Wadworth, 2007. Jung, John. Psychology of Alcohol and Other Drugs: A Research Perspective. Sage Publications, Inc., 2000. Haggert, Steve. Medical Psychology of Alcohol Drinking and Addiction: Index of New Information and References. Abbe Pub Assn. of Washington D.C., 1996 G

The State Is The Pinnacle Of Civilization - 1600 Words

Officer Wilson was found not guilty through an extensive grand jury investigation. This process is one of many afforded to citizens of the state. There are many elements that make up the state laws being one of the many facets. Many would argue that the state is the pinnacle of civilization. How the state started has been debated by many political theorists more specifically Aristotle and Thomas Hobbes. At least one thousand years separates these two thinkers, but both have postulated the formation of the state and its contribution to different entities one being the relationship between the individual. Each of their works, Politics and The Leviathan outline differing viewpoints on the formation and the purpose of the state and its importance to politics and government. The highest form of human civilization for Aristotle is the city-state. A city-state is the highest form of partnership. There are other partnerships in the city-state such as the relationship between man and woman, master and slave. What is important is that these relationships strive to achieve some good. Therefore, the city-state with its collection of relationships is the highest form of good. Aristotle reiterates this idea when he states, â€Å"every state is a community of some kind, and ever community is established with a view of some good† (Book I, Chp.1). These partnerships help secure a human being self-sufficiency. Just as a city-state is a collection of smaller partnerships, politics isShow MoreRelatedA Short Note On The Edict Of Milan873 Words   |  4 Pages After the fascinating discoveries from Marco Polo, another event that was significant throughout Western Civilization is the Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan was a declaration that permanently established religious tolerance for Christianity within the Roman Empire. 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