Religious teaching Essay

‘Religious teachings offer the only sound basis for moral reasoning.’ Critically examine arguments for and against this opinion. Morality is the knowledge and practice of what is moral, which may, according to your personal view be instinctive, be associated with religion and culture, or be acquired by reasoning. Most, if not all religions have a ‘human moral code’, which follows God’s will. Religious people will consult their religious text, whether it is the Bible, Qur’an or Torah ect, when making a moral decision. Very often these religious texts will lay out a set of rules or guide lines. In Christianity it is the 10 Commandments, in Buddhism it is the 8 Fold Path. Although these ‘rules’ do provide a good moral base, if taken to their logical conclusion they are objective and absolute, leaving no room for the flexibility needed in today’s society. This is taking a Deontological approach; this is when a person has a set of rules that they consider to be absolutely right. They abide by these rules, as they are more important than the effect or outcome. We can use the example of abortion and the 10 Commandments. These religious laws state that ‘Thou shalt not kill’. If taken absolutely this means that abortion is wrong no matter what the circumstances are, even if the child will be born severely disabled or will be born into extreme poverty. For many people moral values are relative to a specific society, time and circumstances, and their moral view can change through changed circumstances, needs, beliefs and knowledge. This flexibility is known as relativism and is the opposite of absolute. This is also known as taking a Consequential approach, when a person looks to the outcome, and decides how to act to achieve that result. They have in mind the aim and believe that actions can be deemed moral if they achieve that aim – the end justifies the means. Because of this many individuals often experience conflict in making moral decisions because they have no absolute code of what is right or wrong. There are several different methods subjective morality: Utilitarianism is the view that you decide whether an action is right or wrong by looking at the consequences, and you should choose they action that will produce the most happiness/least-suffering to the greatest number of people. If we consider whether abortion is right or wrong using the utilitarianism view we would have to say that it depends on the individual situation, and whether the baby would be born healthily or not, and whether the baby would be loved, and the number of people affected by the pregnancy, amongst other things. Natural Law states that morality should use the ‘natural’ form of behaviour, and that humans and society should follow this ‘natural law’. Therefore anything that is deemed as ‘un-natural’ is wrong. This means that in the case of abortion it is always wrong, as pregnancy is a natural occurrence and it should not be ended un-naturally. Social contract theory claims that laws and morals are a human invention upon which we agree to make life better for ourselves. When making a moral decision a person would have to consider the impact upon society and people’s freedom, amongst other things. Once again considering the case of abortion, a person using social contract theory, would consider the effect having a baby would have on their lives, the lives of people around them, and how the life of the bay would be once it is born. I conclude by saying that I think that religious teachings do not offer the only sound basis for moral reasoning. I feel that the individual situation also needs to be considered when making a moral decision as every case has different circumstances. I also feel that although the religious laws do give a good, sound basis for morality the objective and absolute rules stated by religion do not leave room for the flexibility needed in today’s society.

Gothic Literature Essay

American Gothic Literature is a chance to experience the bizarre and scary natures of an individual. Authors such as Hawthorne, Faulkner and O’conner use the written word to paint these gothic images in the minds of their readers. Supernatural appearances and motifs such as ghosts and monsters, are embodiments of people’s deepest fears and longings. Authors often use creepy settings because it is what revolves around the event. For example, In The Cask of Amontillado it creates a creepy setting, â€Å"I busied myself among the pile of bones of which i have before spoken, throwing them aside†(83).This gives us a suspicious and vigorous feeling of who’s pile of bones that is? It creates an idea that murder has occurred. Another ideal of a direful set is in the story The Raven when the narrator says, â€Å"A distinctly dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor†(467). He clearly tells us what he remembers in December. About the fire tugging its ghost upon the floor. The dreadful settings makes the appearance of it’s leading to the event. Descriptions of characters let’s us know what the character will or may do.For example, In A Rose for Emily, the character Emily demands, â€Å"I want arsenic†. She demands wantin arsenic letting us predict what she may do with it. It gives us clues making a Gothic story more interesting. In Addition, the author of The Masque of the Red Death wrote, â€Å"His vesture was dabbed in blood and his broad brow, with the scarlet horror†(122). The Masque of Red Death is about to attack showing himself in blood with his scarlet horror. It scares the people primarily as to just killing them for a more captivating event .By creating an obscure character, people attend achieving Gothic greatness. The event is the climax of the story with many unexpected tragic stories. For example, in Good Country People Hulga yells at at Manly Pointer, â€Å"‘Give me my leg! ’ sh e screamed and tried to lunge for it, but he pushed her down easily†(12). Hulga did not expect for Manly Pointer to steal her bogus leg. He has always presented himself as a good Christian that is nothing but noble. Furthermore, an unforeseen event makes occurs in A Rose For Emily, â€Å"Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head.One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust, dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand iron-gray hair†(12). Even though Miss Emily aparted herself from the outside, her murder of Homer was sudden. Miss Emily having Homer’s dead body for so many years conveys there is more than just a solitary feeling in her. Death is usually where the story ends in a Gothic story to follow the sequence of fascinating menacing literature. Abnormal semblance of specters draw the structure of the people’s inmost anxiety and desire.

Black Masculinity Essay

What is an ethnic group? An ethnic group is a human population whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry . These ethnic groups are usually united by shared cultural values, common fields of communication, or religious practices. So perhaps the theory of Black masculinity can be considered an ethnic group. There is the obvious factors of being ‘Black’ and ‘male’ that connects these members in this group; they have skin color and gender in common. Perhaps this cultural group has come together to be more then just a group who have race and gender in common. It goes beyond that and Black masculinity has members who are not ‘Black’. Perhaps this questions if history, ancestry, and genealogy are factored in when becoming a members of a group. But will these members be truly accepted in the cult of Black masculinity. Within the dominant culture African American men have developed their own sense of identity. These men have integrated themselves into American society creating a culture of their own. They have established a language, a sense of dress, and behaviors. These protocols help this group of men emphasize their ethnicity and gender. Members of this group who follow these traits are considered to be part of the cult of Black masculinity. What is happening is that white men, because of the influence of pop culture, are permeating the boundaries of the Black masculine cult. This is an experience of somewhat reverse assimilation. At first it was the assimilation of the Black man into the white man’s world and now it is as if roles are reversed. How the white men see the Black masculinity portrayed through the media and want to be part of it. Anthropologist Fredrik Barth specifies three conditions under which ethnic groups develop and define themselves: (a) a dominant culture is present with the power to maintain conditions whereby other groups of people, (b) are stereotyped, and (c) are constrained to certain roles that function complementarily in the general culture. Barth argues that ethnic distinctions are born out of conflict . The above conditions are necessary for the maintenance of ethnic distinctions. So, the maintenance of ethnic diversity requires domination by one group of the rest. Using Barth’s definition of what an ethnic group is and which boundaries are defined by these rules this paper will prove how Black masculinity conforms to these guidelines establishing them as an ethnic group within the dominant culture. This paper will also explore the difference that is expressed by black males in American culture through the use of language, dress and behavior. The cult of Black masculinity will prove that ethnic groups can create something of their own while inventing a new culture in which they can partake in and be control of. Black Masculinity â€Å"A particular type of black masculinity–one defined mainly by an urban aesthetic, a nihilistic attitude, and an aggressive posturing–has made its way into the cultural mainstream in the last two decades. † There are many contributing factors but the image of Black masculinity has come about due to the popularization of hip-hop culture and the prominence of rap music and the â€Å"videomercials† that sell it. More specifically, it is the result of the popularity of the urban â€Å"gangsta† and his embodiment in the â€Å"gangsta† rap of artists such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Tupak Shakur. Black masculinity is the attempt for black males to incorporate what the dominant culture believes to be masculine. Most studies have, however regarded Black Masculinity as an alternative to social status, rather than as an extension of it. ‘Black Macho’ has been portrayed, therefore, as differing in kind rather than degree from the wider gendered power relations within Society at large†¦ It is however; only within the context of wider power relations — and as an extension of them –that Black masculinity can be fully understood†¦ Black masculinity is then perhaps best understood as an articulated response to structural inequality, enacting and subverting dominant definitions of power and control, rather then substituting for them. Rather than a hostile and withdrawn entity [black masculinity] can be seen as a base for interaction and negotiation with wider society . These men have taken an idea which already exists according to society and incorporated what they believe is their definition of masculinity. This expression of masculinity, according to Mercer and Julien: â€Å"subjectively incorporates attributes associated with dominant definitions of manhood – such as being tough, in control, independent – in order to recuperate some degree of power or active influence over objective conditions of powerlessness created by racism. † Black masculinity embraces the stereotypical role of what a Black man typically resembles. What the dominant culture portrays: the tough guy, more body then mind. This is received as negative because they are not achieving what the ideal is, what â€Å"Whiteness† is. So would this group of men be considered an ethnic group within the American society? According to Barth an ethnic group embodies the following: â€Å"Largely biologically self-perpetuating, shares fundamental cultural values, realized in overt unity in cultural forms, makes up a field of communication and interaction, has a membership which identifies itself, and is identified by others, as constituting a category distinguishable from other categories of the same order. † Those who choose to conform to these norms of this group will reject or discriminate against others and this leads to the inclusion of this specific group. Behavior How one behaves will determine what group they will fit into. These behaviors include how one dresses, acts and talks. Black masculinity has their own sense of dress, actions and even language. Depicted through the media the Black masculine male will dress â€Å"gangster†. There stereotyped baggie jeans and big t-shirts with the jewelry and baseball caps. This reinforces the hyper-sexualized stereotyped male in society. Recently, Richard G. Major’s concept of the â€Å"cool pose† has proved an insightful term for understanding the dynamics of black masculinity as it has developed in response to unequal conditions in the modern urban environment. In a series of closely related works (listed at the end of this essay), Majors argues that black males have accepted the traditional values of masculinity but are so restricted by social and political factors that many of them have been deeply frustrated by their inability to enact these traditional masculine roles. â€Å"In brief,† Majors explains, â€Å"cool pose originated as a coping mechanism for the ‘invisibility,’ frustration, discrimination, and educational and employment inequities faced by Black males. In response to these obstacles, many of these individuals have channeled their creative talents and energies into the construction of masculine symbols and into the use of conspicuous nonverbal behaviors (e. g. , demeanors, gestures, clothing, hairstyles, walks, stances and handshakes)† . Majors includes in his examples of the cool pose such diverse behaviors as the use of humor, feigned emotional detachment, and specific stylistic expressions like the black athlete’s inventive basketball dunking, football spiking, and end zone dancing, as well as black musical performers’ aggressive posing and graceful yet strenuous dancing styles. A prime ingredient of the cool pose as a compensatory form of masculinity is an exaggerated style of toughness: â€Å"Symbolic displays of toughness defend his identity and gain him respect; they can also promote camaraderie and solidarity among black males† . Unfortunately, as Majors is careful to point out, the ritualized hyper masculinity performed by many black men as a cool pose, particularly the preoccupation with enacting a tough persona is rife with the negative potential to promote dangerous lifestyles (e. g. , gang bangers, tough guys, drug dealers, street hustlers, and pimps) and to reinforce harmful stereotypes. These images illuminate the figure of the menacing Black male. He embodies images of the black heterosexual rapper, athlete, and movie star which challenge the racist depictions of black masculinity as incompetent, oversexed and uncivil, in the end a threat to middle class notions of womanhood, family and nation . Perhaps with these embodiments this is why Black masculinity is its own ethnic group. They were unable to assimilate into the dominant culture because they were seen as a hyper sexualized threat to white women. This left these men to create something of their own, through dress, language and action. This group uses language as another expression of social difference. African American Vernacular English is the language that is used to communicate, it is also known as Black English, Black Vernacular, or Black English Vernacular. Black English is also known as Ebonics, a combination of â€Å"ebony† and â€Å"phonics†, this language is spoken by many Blacks in the United States and around the world. Black masculinity has accepted Ebonics as their language because it is something that is unique to the African American culture. The problem with this form of communication is that it is not widely accepted within the dominant society. The children who are raised by men who are part of this cult of Black masculinity are told to speak differently because the form of communication that they have learned is not acceptable. This is a miscommunication and some parties tried to get Ebonics recognized as a language and to be taught in the school systems. This law was not passed but it was interpreted and they are now teaching the children how to translate African American Vernacular English into American Standard English. Jackson sees language as â€Å"badges and emblems of identity can be seen as a kind of message, the successful transmission, reception, and decoding of which necessary to the interaction is taking place. † This is why Black masculinity is as strong as it is because it embraces their own language and through this they are able to maintain relationships with others in this group of men. Such as the word â€Å"Nigga†, if this word were used by someone outside of this cultural group then they would be considered racist but through music and use within the group it is considered to be a term used to identify each other. It would be seen as odd if someone who did not embody Black masculinity started speaking in African American Vernacular English because they may not have the ancestry which allows them to embody Black Masculinity and their language. Boundaries To form a cultural boundary it is presumed that the borders would be between different homelands, ethnicities, religions or language groups. In the case of Black masculinity the majority are situated all over North America and the rest of the world. With such a diverse spread it would be hard to place physical borders on this group. â€Å"Ethnic groups are not merely or necessarily based on the occupation of exclusive territories; and the different ways in which they are maintained, not only by once-and-for-all recruitment but by continual expression and validation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In saying this, those who partake in the cult of Black masculinity erect borders through communication such as language and body language. Those who do not respond to these actions are not considered to be part Black male society. There is certain protocol which will be followed within the group and if this is not followed then there is the identification of an outsider who is trying to break through the borders. The problem with Black masculinity and the exclusivity of this culture is that it is widely available in pop culture. It would be easy for someone who is not part of this ethnic group to study the mass media and learn the traits which define Black masculinity. Black masculinity is based on ascription how people identify their culture and how they identify themselves within this culture. Their boundaries are socially constructed. Ethnic groups share common culture which includes shared religion, language, style of dress, housing, shared customs; attitudes, beliefs and most have the same perception of a common past. As discussed earlier this group embraces a shared common culture which separates them from the dominant culture. They have created themselves due to a particular historical circumstance and in this case it is colonization and the invasion of the White man. The identity of Black masculinity is reliant on how individuals embrace it, constrained by it; act on it and through this Black masculinity will have a separate identity as an ethnic group. To separate themselves they have must be able to distinguish them from the dominant culture by â€Å"creating appearance of cultural discontinuity†. Black masculinity has done this by assuming roles such as the gangster rapper, the black athlete or movie star. By creating these identities they are constructing a boundary between â€Å"us† and â€Å"them†. Overtime groups tend to become culturally more homogenous. This endangers the boundary and makes it harder to maintain but in order to preserve its distinct identity these boundaries need to be maintained by the group. Boundary maintenance serves to isolate the group from alternative value systems (according to which its members may find themselves ranked differently), preserves the group’s existing internal power structure, and provides a potential source of political power for the group through solidarity and numbers . Black masculinity is a strong force in the media and to follow what their cultural beliefs are would be easy. They have familiarized their culture with the dominant culture allowing anyone to be able to participate in their beliefs. This weakens their borders and makes it harder to maintain a stronghold at their borders. The only thing that would not be broken within Black masculinity is in the name. To be a true part of this ethnic group one would have to be a Black male. This is the only thing that will hold true to maintain the borders of Black masculinity. Biologically Self Perpetuating Black masculinity has become such a widely known phenomenon and even those who do not share the same ancestry seem to be able to embody traits of this group. Traditionally an ethnic group would share a common background and kin. Through the use of mass media the cult of the Black male has become highly sexualized and those who see this machismo want to be part of it. Ethnic groups are primarily endogamous and this new assimilation into their group will cause problems with this. This is a problem because it takes away from the power of what this group stands for and what they embody as the macho man. â€Å"In a social order where white beliefs form fundamental explanations of how individuals should enact their color-sex positions and associated role expectations, black males do not, regardless of their economic status or intellectual capabilities, have the cultural prerogative to take the initiative. † This quote redefines that there is a dominant culture and allowing assimilation this group is allowing the power to be taken away. As these men are portrayed as hyper sexualized in the media it introduces them to something that the dominant culture views as the ideal, this goes back to colonization and the want of what the White man has, the unattainable. â€Å"A major reason for the initial encounter was the mystique attached to the hitherto unavailable ‘the white goddess’ † . This â€Å"white goddess†, the unavailable, is the difference between the dominant culture and the Black Masculinity. Black men move between majority and minority cultures and must negotiate the racism and discrimination that accompany caste-like minority status. Frazier suggests that Black masculinity and male role identity must be viewed in these varying social and cultural contexts . Specifically, Black men are expected to conform to dominant gender role expectations (e. g. , to be successful, competitive, aggressive), as well as meeting culturally specific requirements (e. g. , cooperation, promotion of group, and survival of group) of the Black community. â€Å"certain patriarchal values such as physical strength, sexual prowess and being in control as a means of survival against the repressive and violent system of subordination to which they were subjected† . The dehumanizing aspect of this myth, a myth that Mercer claims many black men do not want demystified because it in some ways (e. g. , strength, sexual prowess) raises them above the status of white men, is that, while an emphasis on the body as brute force is a marker of the difference between male and female, it is also a key symbol in the division between nature and culture. Perhaps this is why Black masculinity came to be. It is argued that the members of the Black Power movement defined the politics of race within â€Å"metaphoric of phallic power,† which developed out of male activists’ desires to counter cultural articulations of black male inferiority , and that this is readily seen in the writings of influential figures such as Malcolm X, Huey Newton, Eldridge Clever, and Amiri Baraka. Wiegman further claims that the phallocentric perspective was also articulated through the macho, hyper masculine characters appearing in the blaxploitation films of the early 1970s. It is through Wiegman’s phallic theories about Black males that this ethnic group created the term and culture of Black masculinity. Conclusion Through Barth this paper has been able to discuss the boundaries which the ethnic group Black masculinity was able to control. They were able to create their own ethnic group in response to the dominant culture. They defined themselves through being Black males. They embodied what it meant to be. They did this by dress and action. This is recently obvious through the media and ‘gangta’ rap and perhaps with this embodiment they are able to prove that they are able to exist as a powerful force within the dominant culture. Black masculinity members are able to have their own sense of language whether it be verbal, Ebonics, of physical, â€Å"cool pose†. This is how they established members of the group and were able to communicate with each other by these means. They reinforced that the â€Å"cool pose† displays toughness and it gains him respect and from this it promotes solidarity within the group of Black males. The â€Å"cool pose† is not always a good thing. In the media the dominant society does not see the athlete but the gangster and the stereotype which is created by the dominant culture. They are seen as a threat and to keep them safe Black masculinity was created in an attempt to create values and rules of their own in order to obtain status in a dominant culture. To keep this group exclusive these Black men created a language of their own and through this they communicate and they are able to maintain a strong bond through these means of communication. Through the use of language they create borders. The borders which they created allow them to maintain who they are without being assimilated into the dominant culture. They have embraced and emphasized who they are and what they stand for. To protect this they erected borders such as similar dress/style, language, sense of history and shared customs. These aspects are unique to them but as popular culture embraced these aspects such as language and dress the borders began to break. One thing that the dominant culture could not break is their gender and race. They were African American men and no matter what the dominant culture did to try and assimilate them they had this to celebrate. This is important to maintain the strength of your borders. Black masculinity is a group of Black males who have been able to preserve that they are part of an ethnic group and they have history which needs to be respected. They are trying to sustain a culture that is slowly being integrated into the dominant culture. If this group follows what Barth has laid out in order to maintain boundaries then Black masculinity will be able to be whomever they want within the dominant culture. REFERENCES Alexander, C. The Art of Being Black. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996. Barths, F. Ethnic Groups and Boundaries. Oslo: Universitesforlaget, 1969. Frazier, E. Franklin. The Negro Family in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1939. Gray, H. â€Å"He Is a â€Å"Bad Mother*S%@! #†: Shaft and Contemporary Black Masculinity. American Quarterly. Vol. 50, No. 2, 1998. Gray, H. Cultural Politics. A Special Section:Black Masculinity and Visual Culture. Callaloo, Vol. 18, No. 2. (Spring, 1995). Jackson, J. Language Identity of The Colombian Vaupes Indians. In Baumand, R. ,Sherzer, J. , Exploration in the Ethnography of Speaking: Studies in the Socialand Cultural Foundations of Language. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Majors, R. , & Bilson, J. M. Cool Pose. New York: Lexington, 1989. Mercer, K. Welcome to the Jungle: New Positions in Black Cultural Studies. New York: Routledge, 1994. Mercer, K. & Julien, I. Race, Sexual Politics and Black Masculinity: A Dossier. London: Lawerence & Wishart, 1998. Smith, A. D. The Ethnic Origins of Nations. Oxford: Blackwell, 1987. Staples, R. Black Masculinity: The Black Male’s Role in American Society. San Francisco: The Black Scholar Press, 1982. Wiegman, R. Feminism, ‘The Boyz’ and Other Matters Regarding the Male: Screening the Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema. London: Routledge,1993. Wilikinson, D. Y. Expectations and Salience in White Female – African Male Self-Other Role Definitions. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1977.

Absurdist Performance of the Volkswagen Blue Motion Essay

Absurdist Performance of the Volkswagen Blue Motion - Essay Example Every component of this piece plays a role in creating the intended image about the Volkswagen model. The attendant is the most visible element of the advert. The tears flowing from his eye show that he is crying. He is wearing an overall and standing next to a gas station. From this, it is evident that heat work but sad. Next to him is a fuel gauge hanging on a tree. The gauge is indicating that the car is still full tank (Volkswagen Advertising). There is a Volkswagen symbol below the tree with the full fuel tank. This points out that the gauge shown belongs to the Blue Motion car. A car needs more gas when the gauge shows that there is a reduction in the fuel level. Since this is not the case with the one shown, it can be deduced that the Blue motion car does not need more fuel. From the two images, sadness might have been caused by the state of the gas business. The two visual representations demonstrates and supports the meaning being passed that the car does not use a lot of f uel as its consumption is extremely low. It complements the text below it which describes the car as one with superior performance by showing its efficiency in terms of fuel use. Car buyers are keen on this aspect and this may call them into buying into the idea of having the Volkswagen model. The weltering tanker also passes a certain message. As the tanker carrying fuel to the gas station moves, it leaves behind a cloud of smoke. The smoke from the tanker has covered all the trees left behind it with none of them having any green component. This image has been used to support the main idea of the piece. When one compares the trees behind the tanker and that holding the fuel gauge, a clear difference is seen. Below the fuel gauge is a â€Å"shell† (Volkswagen Advertising). While the tanker leaves behind a trail of weltering smoke, car whose fuel gauge is shown only leaves a single shell as the product of the combustion.

Discuss the Collapse of the Barings Bank. The solution that led after Research Paper

Discuss the Collapse of the Barings Bank. The solution that led after the collapse - Research Paper Example His superiors had approved his purchases on the Singapore markets, and immediate sales on the Japanese markets, whereby he could secure a small profit. On the contrary, he bought from the Singapore markets and held on to the stocks as a gamble on the future treads in the Japanese markets. Based on the existing literature (Bair 2015), it is apparent that Barings bank was bought by the Dutch bank called ING, at a total of  £1 and assumed all of the bank’s liabilities (Bair 2015). As a result, a subsidiary ING Barings, was formed. Huon’s (2015) study further revealed that ING sold its operations based in the USA to ABN Amro for $275 million. The rest of ING Barings, was integrated with its European banking division. By the year 2001, Barings Bank had only been left with Asset Management after selling operations stated above, and the rest being absorbed by ING Barings. ING went a step to split BAM and sold it to Mass Mutual and Northern Trust. Mass Mutual acquired BAM’s investment management activities, as well as the patent rights to use the Baring Asset Management name, whereas Northern Trust acquired BAMs financial services group. In response to the conflicting question on whether they managed to fix the financial problem or not, recent research (Anon 2015) proved that Barings bank never regained its stability as a complete investment corporation. However, Barings name still lives on as the Mass Mutual Subsidiary; Barings Asset Management. Further results (Glyn 2015) showed that the Bank’s private equity international, which included investment teams in India, Asia, and Latin America, was acquired by its respective management teams. These teams in the present days are Baring Vostock Capital Partners in Russia, GP investments in Brazil,Baring private equity in Asia and Baring Private Equity Partners in India. In regard to Leeson; the man

Artists Think Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Artists Think - Essay Example A question here arises as to why can’t the artists speak rather than sketching their feelings into a picture. An answer to this question is that some feelings cannot be expressed in words but rather can be expressed by sketching. These feelings can only be understood better by looking at the picture. Artists have a unique way of drawing these pictures to tell how they feel about these issues. They work on their drawing so that the audience can feel the theme of the drawing. Artists feel that a sketch can appeal more to an audience rather than simple words. It can be said that truly artists are able to express their feelings and emotions through a drawing. The pictures speak more than the words according to the artists as these pictures can present a whole picture of the event. The artists work on their drawings to give the audience a better picture of the whole event. It can be clearly said that these artists are able to express better in pictures than in speaking.

Minimum Wage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Minimum Wage - Research Paper Example People from different jurisdictions have different opinions and reasons on whether to raise the minimum wage or not. In my opinion, the minimum wage should be raised because of a number of factors that will be discussed in this paper. Statistics reveal glaring differences and variations in minimum wage among various EU member states. For example, in Bulgaria, the minimum wage as of 1st July 2014 stood at 174 Euros. This was extremely low compared to Luxembourg which had a minimum wage of 1,921 during the same period. This glaring variation in minimum wage should be bridged so that workers from both places can have almost equal chances of generating reasonable income. One region should not have such a high minimum wage yet another region has an extremely low minimum wage when both countries are EU member states. Inflation and recession have been common occurrences in the economic front over the years. For example, the value of money in the 1970s cannot be compared to the value of money now. More literally, the value of 10 Euros in 1973 is not the same as the value of 10 Euros in 2014. For this reason, even the minimum wage cannot stay at the same flat rate that it has stayed over the past years. What 10 Euros could do for a worker in 1970 is not the same as what it can do to the same worker in 2014, for example. The minimum wage has to be increased to accommodate these changes in the value of money as a result of inflation and recession (Card, 1992). Today, the productivity of a typical worker is much higher than what it used to be many years back. This is mostly because of advancements in technology which have increased productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency. For this reason, the workers at the bottom deserve to benefit from these gains of increased productivity. Many people around the world are relying in minimum wage jobs to earn a living and make ends meet. For example, between 2010 and

Discuss the different issues related to IT-enhanced firm performance Essay

Discuss the different issues related to IT-enhanced firm performance - Essay Example Technology can become the main source of sustainable competitive advantage and a strategic weapon especially in the hospitality industry (Buhalis & Main, 1998). Information plays a pivotal role in the description, promotion, distribution, amalgamation, organization and delivery of hospitality and tourism products (Main, 2002). Technology can offer advantages in the management of operations, in the delivery of services and also be useful as a strategic support system. It helps in forming strategic alliances, in developing strategic distribution methods, communicating with customers and partners, and satisfying consumer demand. Camisà ³n (2000) contends that there are two approaches to introducing IT into business – the first focuses on the introduction and management of IT and the second is the management of the systems that use IT. There is abundance of information available in any business and through IT business re-engineering is possible which can help to enhance the intra-organizational information systems. Markets have become turbulent which enhances the need for managers to be able to predict change. There is a need for information and information has become a strategic resource which can give a firm competitive advantage. Hence the role of IT has to be strategic so that it can back the management functions. The information systems should allow effective measurement and monitoring of the strategic factors. It has been found that firms that take up IT as an asset and dedicate specific resources to the information system have achieved their business goals. Hence information and technologies t hat optimize its management should become the main resource used by the administration. This also help to free up resources – mostly people – who can devote their time and attention to focus on other jobs that add value to business. To increase competitive

Anti-War Movement & Women Liberation Movement Research Paper

Anti-War Movement & Women Liberation Movement - Research Paper Example The fear had arisen due to communist victory in countries neighbouring Vietnam. Moreover, the country considered France weak in stopping the influence of communism in the region. Therefore, the administration viewed that France needed help to overcome the influence of communism from countries such as Japan and USSR (King Web). Moreover, the achievement of Vietnam independence in 1945 was seen as a threat of French existence. Initially, Ho Chi Minh had led the Vietnamese people to gaining independence from French and Japanese occupation (King Web). However, the French was not satisfied but willing to regain the lost colony. However, due to various challenges, the French sought the help of United States. In the speech, King notes,† Even before the French defeat we encouraged them with massive financial and military supplies to continue the war even after they had lost the will† (King Web). On the other hand, the government impression was that Vietnamese people were not prep ared for independence (King Web). As a result, the government was against the establishment of a genuine form of government established out of revolution. The government had been established without the assistance of China but indigenous forces and remnants of communists. The peasants had faith in the new leadership in implementing land reforms. On the other hand, the United States intended to control the administration of Vietnam. In fact, United States had a notion that Ho was not fit to unite the already divisive country. Therefore, United States ensures installation of their man Premier Diem (King Web). Diem became authoritarian, non-reformist, and failed to accept oppositions. Consequently, there were various revolts against the rule. As a result, the troops came in the country to quell the revolt against their chosen person. Moreover, military dictatorship of the United States continued after the toppling of Diem from power. However, in the United States, people were promised that military intervention was furthering the course of democracy and land reforms. Most, the message was delivered in terms of leaflets to the people. Additionally, United States deemed National Liberation Front as communist. As a result, the revolution was viewed as an enemy of the United States. Moreover, United States linked the death of Diem with communist activities in the region. Therefore, military advisors were sent to quell the groups of communism in south as well as the rebel movement. Moreover, the involvement was meant to curtail â€Å"aggression from the north† (King Web). In the 1960s, there was a rise of a new generation of students. Most of the students developed a culture of non-conformist. In fact, they resisted most of the ideal of America. One of the significant forms of resistance was organised in Berkley students against the House Un-American Activities Committee (Kitchell Web). They were against United States oppression of political freedom. There was also establishment of a radical student movement known as SLATE to inform Student on various issues regarding the country. As a result, there was increased interest in politics. Moreover, student participated in off-campus issues such as civil rights, nuclear production, and apartheid. Civil rights inspired student activism and helped students with rigorous objection. This was prominent among student of Morehouse College as opined by King (King Web). Victory in free speech and civil rights encouraged the student

Leading educational change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leading educational change - Essay Example In the book entitled Schooling by Design: Mission, Action, and Achievement, Wiggins and McTighe (2007, p. 108) discussed the theory behind the â€Å"Curriculum Design Cycle†. Although this particular framework is useful in terms of guiding the teachers on how to effectively change and create a new curriculum that can meet the needs of a commnity, this particular model is not applicable when it comes to the need to create educational vision on teacher empowerment. The Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievements in Schools (IDEAS) by Andrews (2008) is more applicable when it comes to implementing change for the entire educational institution. Lastly, Eacott’s Strategic Model is all about the use of strategies when managing educational administration or educational construct. However, after examining the modern context of educational administration, Eacott (2008, p. 353) found out that the available strategies that can be used in the field of education is â€Å"incomple te† and â€Å"flawed†. Therefore, among these three (3) models, the model presented by Andrews (2008) is more applicable when it comes to creating an educational vision that could empower the school teachers. ... ng, group discussion and voting are all equally important when it comes to encouraging all stakeholders to engage themselves in participating in the process of designing a clear and inspiring vision on teacher empowerment. The construct of parallel leadership is one of the main constructs of IDEAS. Basically, the context of parallel leadership is highly dependent on mutualism, personal expression, and shared purpose, values, and beliefs (Andrews, 2008). Using this theory, one can argue that it is essential for both the school administrator and the primary school teachers to develop mutual respect and trust at all times. After developing a sense of mutualism, both parties are expected to work together towards the development of a single vision that could strengthen teacher empowerment within the primary school setting. During the initiative phase, the school administor and the primary school teachers are expected to participate in brainstorming and/or group discussion process. Basical ly, brainstorming is all about encouraging the school personnel to generate group ideas (Isaken & Gaulin, 2005). This will then lead to discovering and envisioning stage (Andrews, 2008). By encouraging the school staff to participate in a group discussion or brain-storming session, the school leader will have the opportunity to detect the personal opinion or stand of each school staff with regards to certain strategies that can be used in the promotion of teacher empowerment. Teacher empowerment is all about being able to strengthen the decision-making power of the primary school teachers through the use of either administrative strategies or pedagogy (Di Gropello, 2006, p. 4). In some cases, excessive use or implementation of rules and regulations, and red tape serves as a barrier behind

Case 13-4 and 13-5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case 13-4 and 13-5 - Essay Example One such criterion is â€Å"the lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee by the end of the lease term† with the phrase â€Å"lease term† defined by paragraph 5(f) of SFAS No. 13 as a â€Å"fixed noncancelable term of the lease†. Since the lease is not cancelable and will transfer ownership of the machine after the lease term to Lani, this lease qualifies as a capital lease. For capital leases, Lani, who is the lessee, is required to book both an asset and a liability in her books. According to Paragraph 10 of SFAS No. 13, the amount recorded should be the higher of the fair value of the leased property and the â€Å"present value at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the year†. The minimum lease payments (and therefore the present value) should exclude the costs to execute the lease contract. The expenses that Lani may incur during the first year of the lease are the â€Å"executory costs† that Lani may reimburse to her lessor. These costs may include insurance costs, maintenance costs and transfer taxes that will be initially paid by the lessors but will later be reimbursed by the lessee. Such costs are clearly laid down in the lease contract and should be properly excluded from the minimum lease payments used to calculate the present value. According to Paragraph 13 of SFAS No. 13, the capitalized asset should not be offset against the liability recognized for the capital lease. The asset capitalized should be shown separately in the balance sheet of the lessee or in the notes to financial statements, net of the related accumulated amortization. Likewise, the related liability should also be shown separately in the liability section of the balance sheet or in the notes to financial statements. From the point of view of Doherty Company, which is the lessee in this case, the criterion or criteria that should be met prior to classifying the lease as a capital lease may be

Greek Mythology and Heracles Family Essay Example for Free

Greek Mythology and Heracles Family Essay The Greek heroes Heracles, Jason, Perseus and Theseus are all intriguing characters of Greek mythology. They each portray many different qualities and compare and contrast each other. For example the fact that Heracles was constantly a target of Hera and Theseus a target of Medea links them as characters. Also, Heracles frees Theseus from the chair of forgetfulness which also makes them similar. Even further, Perseus is from the city of Argos which happens to be where Heracles’ family is from as well. Another similarity between Heracles and Theseus is that they attack the Amazons together and both tend to rid the lands of certain monsters. Heracles also worked together in the Argonaut crew with Jason. All these heroes also tend to share great physical strengths and capabilities to defeat their enemies. These four heroes also differ from each other. Jason seemed to be portrayed as somewhat of a weaker character and Perseus seemed to receive much more help from gods and goddesses, even by Heracles, more than the other heroes did. It may have been because they favored him more. Another distinguishing feature is that Heracles was an average human being before he became immortal. As far as how each hero handles their quests, all four of them seem to mentally be prepared for each quest. They tend to each focus on the task at hand. For example, Heracles labors to catch a deer that is lightning fast; he perseveres for a year before he catches it. They all seem to show dedication and patience to each mission. However unlike Theseus who picks more dangerous routes, maybe for more of a mental challenge, Perseus does not seem to be as mentally focused but more on the physical side of things. Perseus is more physical and does not have to use as much intellectual thinking because he is gifted by nymphs and gods that give him the right tools to succeed on his quest. Heracles stands out as a physical hero since the day he was born by having to fight off the snakes that Hera sent his way and the fact that most of the twelve labors were aimed for his failure yet he succeeds. Another impressive success was the cleaning of the Augean stables by means of diverting 2 rivers. Each of these four heroes has honorable qualities that drives them in their quests and make them compare and contrast to each other.

Mobile commerce | An introduction

Mobile commerce | An introduction CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Mobile Commerce (m-commerce) can be widely defined as â€Å"any transaction, involving the transfer of ownership or rights to use goods and services, which is initiated and/or completed by using mobile access to computer-mediated networks with the help of an electronic device†. (R. Tiwari, and S. Buse. 2007)Business-to-consumer (B2C) mobile commerce (m-commerce) refers to consumers sharing information and purchasing products and services from sellers with their mobile devices (Balasubramanian et al. 2002). With the continuous development of telecommunication technology, mobile services ranges from email receiving and sending, shopping for goods and services, playing online interactive games, trading stocks and shares, reserve tickets, conduct banking and monetary transactions and even link to social networking sites to connect with friends.Mobile commerce constitutes payment for such goods, services and information. Users access a website or wireless access protocol (WAP) by entering the web address (URL) of the particular products required via the mobile phone browser. Text messaging (SMS) is another way users can ‘communicate with third party service provider. Depending on the tangibility of the product, the delivery of the product can be in the form of physical collection or downloaded digitally into the mobile devices. 1.1 Evolution of Mobile Commerce Finland is the ‘birthplace of Mobile Commerce. In 1997, the first SMS-activated Coca Cola vending machines was installed in Helsinki. Same year, mobile-based finance and banking service were also launched. Finland is also the place where the first sales of digital content, ring tones were downloaded to mobile phones, were made. In 1999, Philippines and Japan commenced a national commercial platform for mobile commerce, known as SMART and i-Mode respectively. Subsequently, mobile commerce associated services begun to sprout rapidly in other markets, from mobile parking in Norway, to sales of train tickets via mobile phones in Austria to the purchase of airline tickets in Japan. From 2002, public transportation commuters in Helsinki are able to purchase tram and undergrounds train tickets via mobile phones. The cost of the tickets is the same as those bought from a machine but without the queue. In Colorado, it is one of the first few places whereby one can order movie tickets and pay via mobile phone. A dedicated counter is arranged for the pick-up. Mobile vouchers or coupons are visible in many countries from Finland, Spain, Germany, and United States to Japan. The promotional items offered on discounts ranges from laptops to McDonalds. Ring tone and wallpaper downloading have been one of the first widely used mobile commerce services. Some mobile services providers offer mobile news services, such as headlines, sports, weather, sports to mobile subscriber, sometimes free when sponsored by mobile advertiser or at a monthly subscription cost to the user. Small-scaled mobile commerce doesexist in most markets, from SMS voting in reality shows like ‘American Idol to participate in promotion lucky draws to downloading mobile ringtones. External environmental factors do play a part in promoting the mobile commerce growth. Worldwide expansion of digitalisation and automation of sales proceduresin the e-business and e-commerce on the Internet allow easier transference to the mobile commerce environment. 1.2 Technology Mobile commerce is actualised by a series of interlinked technologies such as networking, embedded systems, databases and security. (Siau et al, 2003). Mobile devices, wireless systems and softwares enable a faster transmission of data, along with reliability and security. Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) is the second generation (2G) after the analogue cellular era. It is the basic circuit-switched system whereby users need to dial in to maintain connection. The 2.5G technologies consist of the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Enhanced Data GSM Environment where they make used of existing infrastructure but faster in terms of sending speed. This generation of mobile technology is meant for transference of multimedia and broadband applications. The third generation (3G) uses the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), which strives to provide higher bandwidth, faster transmission of voice, text, video, and multimedia for data-concentrated applications. UMTS allows users to be constantly connected to the Internet and its services worldwide, regardless of the devices (mobile or computers) used. As such, the mobile device can be integrated with functions of other equipment such as television, newspaper, organiser, computer and even credit card. In order to access web information to the mobile devices, the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) was designed. As an open and global standardisation for mobile applications, WAP aimed to connect and communicate mobile devices with other devices over wireless network on an interactive and real-time interface. Global Positioning System (GPS) uses a satellites system orbiting around the earth and is particularly useful location technology. It is essential to location based mobile commerce based applications, as it offers relevant information dependent on location. 1.3 Role of channel provider The roles of the 3G operators are more obvious than the voice-centric 2G. In fact, how these operators facilitate their roles will determine the adoption of mobile commerce. The carrier or Internet Service Provider (ISP) is the entity that delivers the data to and from the user. The initial stage of 3G-standardisation process started with dual layer model, the pure carrier and service and/or connection provider. It is viewed that this model will continue with carriers bring the main subscription provider. The gateway or portal is the entity centred to the services range. It is still unclear whether carrier will control it wholly. Regardless, it is definite that the number of content provider will increase. The role of banks in mobile commerce is considered critical since ease of payment is one of the determinant factors in adoption of mobile commerce. Certification authority is the entity that guarantees the transactions between the origin and destination. In addition to the above mentioned infrastructure requirements, a smartcard called UMTS Subscriber Identity Card (USIM) is compulsory in every device n order to make phone calls. The basic functions for USIM are security via shared secret key, personal information manager, and SIM toolkit applications. USIM is also a platform for applications or features such as public key security content copyright control, specification and cookies, data or application cache, authentication of users and plastic roaming. 1.4 Development of Mobile Commerce The extensive availability of Internet-accessible mobile phones is slowly creating a community of mobile commerce users. It is expected that this community might exceed the PC community. (Ahonen, 2002) With technology such as WAP or 3G, it is believed that electronic commerce information and/or interactive content will be adapted to the mobile commerce environment. While the majority of mobile commerce opportunities and purchases are business-to-consumer (B2C), the possibility of business-to-business (B2B) still stands. It is predicted that business users and their requirements will be fulfilled by the 3G services. A report by Accenture in 2001 â€Å"Future of Wireless†, has suggested that most business activities are easily accommodated for mobile commerce. With the rapid spread of mobile commerce, mobile phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola and LG had began to develop WAP-enabled smart phones to exploit on the market potential. Interestingly, it was the introduction of Apples iPhone mobile commerce based systems like FanGo that the platform started to move into actual applications instead of SMS systems. The key advantage of mobile commerce services is the mobility of conveniences. Mobile commerce allows users the ability to execute transactions regardless of the location and time. With such uniqueness, mobile commerce has experienced relatively greater success in markets like Japan in regards to individual adoption rate. In comparison, this novelty technology has yet to achieve widespread popularity in other markets like the USA, Australia and Singapore. Mobile commerce actualise the possibility of accessing information at anywhere and anytime. It provides users the chance to access the Internet regardless of location (subject to the network coverage of mobile internet operators), the ability to identify a single mobile devices location (Global Positioning System) and to retrieve and/or update information whenever needed. The features of mobile commerce can be categorised into the following: Ubiquity. The most distinct advantage of mobile commerce is its ubiquity. With internet-enabled mobile devices, users can obtain any information required. Also, the emerging mobile commerce applications allow users to engage in activities such as instant messaging, linking to social networking websites, conducting financial transactions or looking up for weather news. Dissemination: The wireless infrastructure that support instantaneous delivery of data to mobile devices allows an efficient distribution of information to a population. Personalisation. With the massive amount of information available on the Internet, it is important that the content users receive is relevant. Mobile commerce companies can create applications that allow customizable information and services applicable to users. Localisation. Another significant feature will be the ability to identify users physical location with prompted the creation of location-based applications. The Sekai Camera created by Tonchidot is one example of how far such applications can go. (Figure) Source: http://popupcity.net/2009/01/tag-the-world-share-spaces/ CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND 2.1 Mobile Commerce in Singapore Mobile commerce innovations were also introduced. June 2001, Coca-Cola partnered with SingTel on a Dial-a-Drink scheme to enable consumers to buy drinks from the vending machines via SMS, cost of the drinks will be credited to their phone bills. M1 has a similar development with Yeo Hiap Seng too. The largest taxi fleet company, ComfortDelgro, started a free SMS taxi booking service. This service, aimed to better match demand and supply, offers commuters an alternative channel to book a taxi apart from the â€Å"call-a-cab† scheme. Another interested application of mobile commerce will be the audience polling. When television station and/or web-based TV reality contests was newly introduced into the local media scene, audience support through SMS voting was a common trend. Although the hype is fading, SMS voting is still an alternative for media contests on top of online voting. It is evident in the Singapore Blog Awards 2009 where Rednano Mobile, the mobile platform of rednano.sg, powers SMS voting. Increasingly, real-time SMS service like messageLIVE provided by SingTel are used at events where audience can participate in lucky draws, comment, etc via SMS and it will be instantaneously reflected on screen. SMS transaction has been seen in local television charity shows such as the President Star Charity Show. It is observed that mobile payment method plays an important part to the success of mobile commerce. There had been several mobile payment initiatives launched in Singapore. Local banks have started rolling out mobile banking services way back in 2001. TELEMONEY by [emailprotected] Pte Ltd has also implemented mobile payment systems for retail and parking charges at Suntec City. NETS, too, phase in YW8 whereby moviegoers can reserve and purchase Eng Wah cinema tickets. However, the demand for these services was so low that some services ceased to exist. One of the main reasons for the unpopularity then was the complex usage procedure for mobile payments. Users first have to register and remember a sixteen-digit personal identification number. After which, users will be required to either send Short Message Service (SMS) or dial a specific number to confirm any purchase. Such inconveniences make mobile payment schemes difficult to gain prevalence. Nonetheless, there have been ongoing efforts to improve the telecommunication technology such as Near Field Communications (NFC) and mobile scan technology to facilitate mobile commerce. NFC allows users to make payment by tapping their mobile devices against a reader. Mobile scan technology involves the using of camera in mobile phone as barcode reader. Mobile barcodes are commonly used for information or service request or content from a website. It can be promotion details, discount voucher or code via SMS or MMS, or ring tone, MP3, or game download or activation, or click to buy human agent, or purchase concert or travel ticket. The set up costs is usually the responsibility of the products company while partnering with a mobile payment service provider. While Mobile commerce now remains at infant stage, there are a myriad of companies looking into SMS-based applications and WAP. The InfoComm development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has on-going research to identify the current local mobile commerce industry status and thereafter implemented several initiatives to encourage and support companies on mobile applications and/or platform development. At the official opening of imbX 2009, it was announced by Minster Lui Tuck Yew that the government intend to allocate $1.73 billion for new infocomm projects. Part of these projects will include the deployment of contactless point-of-sale terminals via NFC to promote electronic payment adoption and developing of applications on mobile commerce platform, location-based services and novel original mobile services. It is observed that service provider in the mobile commerce value chain, such as the wireless application providers, mobile operators, and other players, have been swift to introduce applications to the mass-market. However, the rate of adoption has been somewhat pale. 2.2 Statistics As of June 2009, Singapore has a mobile penetration rate of 130.6%. It is very common to for consumers to own more than one mobile device each. The mobile penetration rate has been on a steadily increase since 1997. 2009 also indicate an uprising trend lest for the stark drop of 3.2% in June 2009. While the mobile subscriptions averaged around 64000, the number of 3G subscriptions has increased over the past six months. Despite the positive increment, the market share of mobile commerce has yet to pick up similar pattern. Singapore pales comparison to Japan wheremobile commerce is a huge success, attributing more than $400 million in revenues yearly. NTT DoCoMos popular i-mode service allows users to buy soft drinks from vending machine, pay for food at fast food restaurants, and shop at online shops like Amazon.com, and buy most of goods via DoCoMos billing system. Companies like Visa also offer m-commerce services in Japan. Chart 2.1: Mobile Penetration Rate of Singapore, Q1-Q2 2009 Source: Statistics on Telecom Services for 2009 (Jan Jun), IDA Singapore. http://www.ida.gov.sg/Publications/20090304182010.aspx Chart 2.2: Singapore Mobile Market Source: Statistics on Telecom Services for 2009 (Jan Jun), IDA Singapore. http://www.ida.gov.sg/Publications/20090304182010.aspx Chart 2.3: Mobile Penetration Rate of Singapore, Annual, 1997-2008 Source: Statistics on Telecom Services for 2009 (Jan Jun), IDA Singapore. http://www.ida.gov.sg/Publications/20090304182010.aspx CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW 3.1 Mobile Commerce Process Mobile commerce consists of users participation in transactions via mobile terminals. From a users point of view, retrieving and sending information and purchasing products are regarded as the basic steps to mobile commerce. Most mobile commerce studies focused mainly on the purchasing stage but customers are involved in receiving and transferring information at the pre-purchase stage. Receiving information consists of conveying of information from seller to users mobile device. As it is important for customers to know about the products, make comparison between products and then make buying decision. Transferring information represent the directing of information from user to sellers. The information can be used to describe product and services requirements, registering, providing feedback and offering payment and/or delivery details. Purchasing is the act of buying products and services via mobile devices in return of monetary returns. The act of placing orders can be done through Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) properties of mobile device. It does not include making order by calling the seller from mobile phone. 3.2 Mobile Commerce Adoption Activators and Inhibitors There are a significant number of studies carried out to identify and predict the upcoming activators and inhibitors of mass-market mobile commerce adoption. As seen in the review here, different authors have highlighted different factors as key activators/inhibitors to the adoption of mobile commerce. Gillick and Vanderhoof (2000) suggest five broad-natured inhibitors, namely the technology, standardization of industry, the business case, expectations of consumers, security and reliability. The last factor is one of the most commonly quoted. Most authors have quoted the lack of security and privacy could be the main obstacle to the growth of mobile commerce. E-Mori conducted a multi-market study for Nokia Networks and it was found that the lack of perceived need (Signorini, 2001), conservatism, and perceptions relating to the reliability and security of the technology are the main hurdles to adoption of mobile commerce; while convenience and control are found to be the key determina nts of demand. Buellingen and Woerter (2002) emphasize four vital success factors for the use of mobile services transmission rate, personalisation, data security, and user friendliness. Based on a survey by Strong and Old (2000) propose that ease of having ubiquitous Internet access will be the most essential for customers to engage in mobile Internet applications. The authors noticed substantial obstacles to rapid adoption to mobile Internet in the future are lack of awareness in content and application, high operating costs and the unfavourable comparison towards mobile Internet in terms of small screen size, awkward input, poor search functions, unstable or expensive connections, etc. On the other hand, many studies disputed on the fact that mobile commerce may encounter considerable growth with non-Internet adopters because of the lower costs and ease of usage with mobile devices involved. (MÃÆ' ¼ller-Versee, 1999; Vittet- Philippe and Navarro, 2000; Ropers, 2001) Vittet- Philippe and Navarro (2000) and Green (2000) believe that ‘user-friendly is the main point for mobile commerce adoption. As such, the limitations like small screen size, low bandwidth and the basic functions of mobile devices influence the design of mobile commerce applications interface. Likewise, the survey conducted by Carlsson and Walden (2002) noted that slowness in speed of service and small screen size of mobile phones attributed to the hindrance in mobile commerce adoption. On the other hand, Langendoerfer (2002) assumes that technological matters such as technical environment and mobile devices will not be the main reason for the slowness in widespread usage of mobile commerce. Rather, the concerns of users such as privacy and security have a larger influence on the slow take off. Shuster (2001) hypothesize that pricing will definitely have an influence on mobile commerce adoption. â€Å"Improved mobile devices, user-friendly shopping interfaces, effective applications and services, reduced prices, secure transactions, high bandwidth and network coverage† are the list of key success factors for escalating mobile commerce adoption from the online survey by Vrechopoulos et al (2002) It is also highlighted from a consumer survey (Anckar, 2002b) that mobile commerce adoption is driven by â€Å"convenience and flexibility to daily routines rather than excitement and entertainment†. It is also found out that consumers regard the function to fulfill instantaneous and time-sensitive needs as important adoption drivers of mobile commerce. Prior research has somewhat indicated that the main factors influencing the decision to adopt mobile commerce related to the services or device features has gone beyond the traditional function of a mobile phone, i.e. one-to-one voice communication. In line with this theory, consumer will be encouraged towards mobile commerce based on the fact that mobile device in transforming into a personal device, via which various transactions and activities can be carried out. 3.3 Traditional models Several studies have been carried out using conventional adoption theories and models like the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TBP). However, the main conclusion drawn by many authors was that traditional models are lacking to derive significant deduction on the determinants of individual adoption or rejection of mobile commerce. According to the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), the behaviour prior to any act (behavioural intentions) is established by variables like Attitude, Subjective Norm and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC). A users attitude linking to using mobile device to obtain, transmit information and purchase is believed to influence the users intention to carry out the three behaviours. Subjective norm is believed to have the same effects on users too. PBC is a factor of intended users behaviour via increasing insight of control, assurance and ease of performing act. Based on the research by Pavlou et al, (2007), the model of m-commerce adoption emphasize largely on â€Å"technology adoption (perceived usefulness and ease of use), technological characteristics (mobile device display features, mobile device portability, and mobile site navigability and download delay), information characteristics (mobile site informativeness, information protection, and personalization), and consumer characteristics (mobile users skills)†. TAM has influence many information system based findings (such as Lee et al., 2002; OCass and Fenech, 2003) pertaining to information technology adoption in set or mobile environment. Although many studies are in favor of TAM as a model to explain the decision of acceptance, it is still uncertain if the model is entirely appropriate with regards to different channels. The decisions to adopt mobile commerce are very different from the decision to adopt technology for carrying reasons. Firstly, users adopt mobile commerce as a new channel of commerce rather than as technology per se. Second, mobile commerce may consist of transactional and non- transactional element. This means that adopters intent to engage in mobile commerce should be viewed holistically. (Pavlou, 2002) As such, we need differentiate between the various levels of mobile commerce adoption as we study consumer adoption decision. Third, Eikebrokk and Sorebo (1998) pointed out that TAM is generally applied to singular target situation, based on the assumption that potential users are only faced with one specific technology. It is therefore argued that to acquire valid forecasts and justifications of technology acceptance with TAM since users are presented with situation whereby they can choose among alternative channels. Fourth, it is argued that TAM itself is imperfect as it does no t considered the influence of social factors in the adoption and usage of new technology or system. This shortcoming has to be taken into consideration when examining the adoption factors. Last, TAM assumes that usage is free and voluntary, that there are no obstacles to prevent user from adopting any technology as long as wanting to do so. This has lead to criticism from several researchers (Mathieson et al, 2001) and prompted some authors to supplement TAM with theories that hypothesize perceived risks as a pre-condition to the mobile commerce adoption. Pavlou (2002) emphasizes that the proliferation of the Internet has brought uncertainty and risk in the adoption of system. It therefore require the integration of variables that capture concepts in current technology adoption models by reflecting that trust and perceived risk are directly linked to the intent to transact via mobile devices. One reason for the inadequacy of traditional models is that the relationship between users and mobile commerce has not been clearly defined. Past methods only analysed the interaction between the users and the technology or between people in a network connections. On the contrary, mobile commerce users interrelate in three directions, in technological aspect, as members of networks and as consumers. These three roles need to be incorporated in order to achieve a greater understanding of mobile commerce adoption. The adoption of mobile commerce the interaction of consumers and sellers via mobile transactions is different from the usual electronics commerce due to the nature of location-independence, instantaneous real-time exchanges, the distinctive interface of mobile devices, and the unique aspect of mobile devices like small screen size and low bandwidth. Therefore, mobile adoption is not merely an issue of usability of system or acceptance of technology. It should include several consumer pre-purchase actions such as researching for information, providing details and act of purchasing using mobile devices. This paper will re-examine present literature of voluntary adoption of m-commerce services by individuals to emphasize the need to approach the three aspects of mobile commerce together in order to attain a holistic comprehension. The current mobile commerce industry of Singapore will be evaluated based in this research. It will enable stakeholders of the mobile commerce industry to gain informative insight on the acceptance of mobile services. Hence, this will result in wiser decision-making in terms of business strategies and provision of the product and services. CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY 4.1 Survey The self-administered survey was hosted online on speedsurvey.com, under the domain http://mobilecommercesingapore.speedsurvey.com/. The reason for having such an unsupervised survey technique was that the 16 questions were simple to understand and followed a direct logic. The respondents are made up of 12 females and 24 males and all the respondents own a mobile phone. They survey instrument covered 16 questions pertaining to the users insight and purpose associated to mobile commerce and also their experience with the mobile commerce and mobile Internet. In this paper, there is a section in the questionnaire where the respondents were requested to specify to what extent does they agree or disagree with the statement related to the considered significance of different proposed benefits and obstacles to mobile commerce. The data collected were used to identify the activators and inhibitors that cover critical or non-critical factors that impact consumers decision in adoption or not adopting mobile commerce. 4.2 Results and Discussion Over 41% of the respondent have a bachelor degree and about 50% of them holds a master or doctorate degree. All the respondents own a mobile phone and about 75% have Apple iPhone. This will mean that their service provider is SingTel since the Telecommunication Company has a monopoly on the distribution of the Apple iPhone until 2010 when the other 2 Telecommunication Company will also have the distributor rights. Incidentally, it is reflected from the data collection that the most common item purchase via mobile is the phone applications. Also known as widgets, these applications can be downloaded on the iApps or iTunesstore via the phone Internet browser. In terms of frequency, it is has the most recent item purchase. More then 40% of the respondent has purchase widgets for the past 1 week. Out of the 36 respondents, 34 of them has purchased (buy/order/reserve/download) item at least once for the past 12 months. None of them has bought items off the vending machine via the mobile p hone. The purchase of other items such as requesting for information and buying multimedia content by SMSto a specific 5-digit number are rather sporadic. Over 40% of the respondents agree that using mobile commerce saves them time, with the other 30% strongly agreeing. There are about 70% of them who see that using mobile commerce is fashionable and trendy. With regards to the mobile commerce being an invasion of privacy, there are equal responses from those who agree, strong agree and disagree. However, about 80% of the respondents think that it is safe to make purchases using mobile commerce. The majority of the respondents agree that they have the necessary means and resources to use mobile commerce. Same, the respondents also agree that they will seek information about the new product or services. Among those that had never performed a mobile transaction before, the reasons mainly evolved around unawareness. Mostly, they are do not possess enough information to get started or use it, or no idea how much it will cost. It is much preferred to use other devices such as computer or payment kiosks such as SAM or AXS to perform the transaction. It is commonly believe that mobile commerce is expensive and will cost too much. However, it is indicated that they are willing to try to mobile commerce mainly if it was easier to obtain information from the Internet via mobile phone. This will also comprise of ease of access to rich media on mobile devices and user-friendly navigation on their mobile devices. 4.3 Limitations of the survey The data collected from the survey is highly non conclusive for several reason. Firstly, the size of respondents is less than 50; therefore the results are not substantial. Secondly, the profile of the respondents is too skewed towards certain segments; mainly male that has Apple iPhone. Hence, the data is not representative enough. Thirdly, the structure of the survey was not well organised. The lack of logic and guided instructions, which is critical in self-administered survey, may somewhat confused respondent. 4.4 Suggestions for future research It is seen that Apple iPhone may be a boosting factor for the future mobile commerce phenomenon. The intuitive design and ease of navigation of the iPhone may propel more and more users to perform mobile commerce transaction. Also, with the fact that all three Telecommunication Companies are offering iPhone from 2010, it is believe that the market share of iPhone will expand rapidly. It is therefore suggest that an iPhone focus study may be undertaken in the future to better understand the effect of iPhone, iPhone applications, iApps, and iTunes store on mobile com Qualitative and Quantitative Research on Fear of Crime: Rape Qualitative and Quantitative Research on Fear of Crime: Rape Research Portfolio Introduction The beginning of this portfolio will be introduced by two main types of crime data. They come in the form of qualitative and quantitative. They both show and represent crime in different way, and it also gives a clear idea of how crime has a big impact. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, but this portfolio will examine their differences along with their similarities. They both have something to offer researchers and can also be mutually exclusive. Following this, the portfolio will include a personal observational experience that explores the process of effective data collecting. The method of observation has many strengths yet many flaws, and obtain qualitative data. This final part of the portfolio will also examine the sexual violence in relation to gender, with research to support it. It will use statistics to weight up and support the argument. Portfolio Part 1: The Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitate Research. There are two types of data when it comes to research; Qualitative and Quantitate. Quantitative data is the process of managing the natural world through a mathematical formula, especially statistics. Crowther (2007, p.72) suggests that ‘Quantification is, inescapably, about counting the number of cases. There is a belief that the number of cases provides a reliable measure of a particular aspect of the social world’. Quantitate data is fact and cannot be questioned; in contrast to this qualitative data is more difficult to define as it focuses on getting quality rich data that gives great understanding. One major debate of Qualitative research is whether statistics and numbers can tell us anything of important or substantial about social life. Crowther (2007, p.76) proposed that ‘Quantitative data does not capture the complexity of human experience. It is not possible to deal with human emotions and subjectivity. Statistics are not facts that exist independently o f human interpretation: they can only be made meaningful as part of an interpretive process.’ Quantitate research tends to be on a relatively large scale, having large amounts of numerical data and using statistical procedures to analyse the data and reach conclusions; it tries to find ‘representative samples and generalizable finding’. In contrast to this qualitative research tends to have much smaller samples, and therefore is on a much smaller scale (Newburn, 2007, pp.898-899).Qualitative data is ‘large, unwieldy database of transcripts, fieldnotes and/or documents and the aim of this discussion is to explain how these data can be managed and analysed. However, unlike quantitative data, there can be no clear-cut and widely accepted ‘rules’ or procedures for qualitative analysis’ (Crowe and Semmens, 2006, p.176). A Quantitative research method is surveys. They are extremely large scale and can be sent out to almost anyone, most people have participated in a survey in their lifetime. Surveys obtain data through a standardised questionnaire and although they are primarily used for large amounts of quantitative data, they can also have a qualitative element (Newburn, 2007, p.899). One of the most common form of survey is postal survey, they are extremely easy, cheap and simple. Postal surveys are self-completed, which may explain why the response rates are very low; even if someone may be interested in completing the survey they may just forget, as it is not a top priority. In contrast face-to-face interviews have a much greater compliance and also they can sort out any misunderstandings the participant may have about the questionnaire (Newburn, 2007, p.900). Telephone surveys are in the middle postal and interview surveys, as they are more personal than postal but less expensive than face to fa ce. This method has practical issues, such as how will the researcher obtain the numbers to have generalised data? Even after overcoming this obstacle there is still the issue of mobile phones being turned off and going through to voicemail. The last type of survey of internet based surveys, they are also cheap and easy but like telephone surveys if depends on whether the researcher has the appropriate contact information like emails; internet based surveys also compare to postal surveys as the response rate is very low (Newburn, 2007, p.901). Surveys are known for being easy but Crowe and Semmens (2006, p.131) suggest that ‘this apparent simplicity can, however, be deceptive since your chosen means of administration is not guaranteed to produce reliable results, or a high response rate’. There are three types of interviews; structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. Structures falls into the quantitate category whereas semi-structured and unstructured fall into the qualitative category. Structured interviews are planned out with set questions without deviation and are ‘good at finding number of time an individual has been a victim of crime over the past 12 months. But cannot tell the subjective experience of victimisation’ (Crowther, 2007, p.100). Unstructured research allows the investigator an understanding of depth and detail and how participants perceive matters. Each question is open ended with no structure and the interview is very much like a conversation, but with the interviewer steering the interview with a topic guide (Newburn, 2007, p.904). Semi-structured falls in-between structured and unstructured, as t is fairly formal with a basis of questions, but can deviate and explore in further detail; the interviewer does not feel bound and lea ves room for the respondent to talk. Both semi-structured and unstructured ‘give more room to express own values and attitudes’ (Crowther, 2007, p.101). These methods are extremely time consuming and tend to have small samples, making it hard to generalise the findings. Portfolio Part 2: A Reflection on the Experience of Conducting an Observation Crowe and Semmens (2006, p.101) suggested that ‘knowledge of natural world is gathered through systematic objective and repeated observations of naturally occurring phenomena’. This form of data collecting is largely a product of qualitative data. We place ourselves in an environment and simply watch the behaviours of others; taking into consideration the context we detect how an individual in behaving and why they are behaving like that. This gives us incredibly rich and vivid information that simply cannot be oppressed into stats and figures. Kawulich (2005) states that ‘observations enable the researcher to describe existing situations using the five senses, providing a â€Å"Written photograph† of the situation under study’. The observation was conducted in a bus station over a one hour period on the Saturday 2nd May 2015. The main topic of the observation was to examine what behaviours people were doing and scrutinise why. In terms of weather, the afternoon of the 2nd was cold and raining, as a result of this the majority of people were wearing larger winter coats with hoods; a lot of people were carrying umbrellas and had damp clothing and hair. As the bus station is in the centre of Leeds we can assume that the majority of people there did not live in the centre and were possibly having a Saturday shopping day or a ‘day out’; and were travelling home. The bus station was very busy and full with constant movement, and what was interesting was that it seemed quiet from what you would expect of a heavily crowded room. Upon observing the room it was noticed that the atmosphere of the bus station was calm and patient. Many of the individuals were seated quietly waiting for their bus or checkin g the times and showed no elevated emotions, they gave off a sense of cool and composed. There seemed to be a social expectation of behaviour when others entered and exist the bus; Individuals in the bus station waited for those to exit the bus, but always formed a line at the door in a ‘first come first serve’ mentality; it appeared that everyone followed the ‘rules’. Upon arriving at the bus stop it was noticeable that the room was very large and long, so deciding a place to conduct the observation proved to be difficult. In order to try and get a full experience and be in equal distance to everything, the observation was carried out in the centre of the bus station, seated as if waiting for a bus; and as the observation was open and unstructured there was no behaviours that were expected. In the observation it was conducted as the investigator was a participant-as-observer; this included sitting waiting for the bus, but not participating with the behaviour of everyone surrounding, such as getting on an off the bus (Crowe and Semmens, 2006, p.101). Data was collected in the form of note taking, balancing observation and writing equally. To make the note-taking for efficient, abbreviations were used; and only words that were contained necessary information and words that were necessary for the sentence to make sense were used. Because the bus stat ion was so busy it made it impossible to see and record every event and behaviour that happened. Because the room was in constant movement, it was difficult to record certain patterns of behaviour (Crowe and Semmens, 2006, p.110). In terms of success, the method of note-taking proved to be well organised and easy to refer back to, but one thing that could have been improved was how much information could have potentially been recorded. If the observation was to be repeated a possible improvement could be move around the bus station after certain time lapses, to ensure the full bus station was covered and recorded in comparison to sitting in the centre doing a 360 ° surveillance. Another possibility would be to bring an assistant observer(s) that recorded an area designated to them; this method may cover a much larger range of qualitative data. Observation as a data collecting method can be very time consuming, having it been said that to have a valid observational research study, it should have a minimum of a year of research, but meanwhile it does generate rich qualitative data. This method arises certain ethical issues, recording and using information of their behaviour can be seen as an invasion of their privacy; as researches, in an open observation, do not ask for consent. It can be argued that if an individual knows they are being recorded, then they will change their behaviour to what they think is ‘right’ and ‘acceptable’, wanting to please the researcher. This concludes that the data gathered is unreliable and unusable as it is not genuine (Crowe and Semmens, 2006, p.114). Portfolio Part 3: Analysing Crime Statistics Describe Sexual Violence in relation to gender. Newburn (2007, p.818) suggested that men have a much greater risk of being a victim of violent crimes than women do. A survey study in 2004 recorded that ‘women had a 6.3% chance of becoming a victim whereas men had a 14.6% chance’. Although these studies suggest men are more likely to become the victim of all violent crime, it has been found that women have a much greater risk to ‘intimate violence’ (Newburn, 2007, p.819). According to the Office for National Statistics (2013) a CSEW Survey, similarly found that ‘young women were much more likely to be victims of sexual assault in the last year’. The British Crime Survey found 6% of women reported non-sexual partner abuse, 3% reported sexual assault and 9% reported stalking; And in 1991 a survey discovered that one in four women had experienced rape-attempted rape in their lifetime (Newburn, 2007, pp.819-820). The Guardian (2013) states that between ‘2009/10 and 2011/12 there were an esti mated 78,000 victims of rape per year in England and Wales – 69,000 females and 9,000 males’. In the last 30 years there has been a significant increase in the awareness of rape. Studies that were conducted in the 70’s have shown that women who reported rape were seen more as complainants than an individual making a serious claim; Officials were highly unsympathetic. Women were given a list of things not to do, such as ‘don’t go out alone at night’, ‘Don’t use public transport at night’, ‘Don’t take shortcuts’, ‘Don’t cross commons or parks on your way or use alley’, and finally ‘don’t walk down badly lit streets’ (Newburn, 2007, p.822). This advice has been highly criticised with many stating it takes away the woman’s independence and implies that women are the ones at fault if they do not follow the ‘rules’. These rules, although are a precaution, make women feel that if they do any of these things, then they will surely be a victim on sexual assaul t. This can be seen in the SPSS graph below as in both columns ‘very worried’ and ‘fairly worried’, it is significantly higher than in the men’s column; presenting that there is a distress in women that they have been subjected to. In correlation with this theory Russell Pond (1999, p.82) states that victim surveys have opened up a whole new line of enquiry, leading to the fear of crime debate. This concept has become a serious tool of social control, and has become more of a problem than crime itself. One major aspect of the fear of crime is the assumption that men are less likely to admit fear. Maguire et al (2007, pp.387-389) suggested that in terms of society men have a pressure telling then to be ‘masculine’ to be strong and brave and have little fear. This is carried onto the crime world, men are expected to be dominant and reject abuse. This idea can be seen in the SPSS Graph below; the vast majority of males are either not very worried or not worried at all. This can imply that men feel they will be judged if they admit to fear so they chose their answer based on what is expected of them. The Level of Worry That Males and Females Have on Being Raped. One issue with the fear of crime debate is defining fear, how do we measure fear? Fear usually correlated with risk and danger which can be seen with men going out and consuming alcohol; this is a risk, but men will admit to little fear (Pond, 1999, p.82). Men are more likely to act in risk-seeking behaviours than women. Walklate (1995) suggests that fear is a ‘gendered phenomenon’. She states that the fear of crime is ‘†¦rooted in a male defined rationality based risk management view of fear which cannot tap the kinds of experiences that underpin women’s responses’. Pond (1999, p.83) also refers to Farrel et al who suggested that crime was significantly misinterpreted in the way it is recorded. He said ‘Their suggestion is that quantitative methods based on surveys give a greater incidence of fear than qualitative methods based on interview’. In an extremely controversial argument made in Patterns in Criminal Homicide (1958) by Wolfgang, he defined victim-precipitated offences as those ‘in which the victim is a direct positive precipitator in crime’. Amir suggested that one fifth of rapes were victim precipitates where: ‘the victim agreed to have sexual relations but retracted; or did not resists strong enough; or entered vulnerable situations sexually charged’ (Pond, 1995, p.78). At the time was a new emerging feminist movement, of which was highly critical of this approach. Conclusion In conclusion we can see the clear differences between qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative focuses on numeric data and with what is countable, whereas qualitative tends to focus on words and meaning. These two types of data are very different but the measures and methods we use to obtain them can occasionally go hand in hand, complimenting each other. The data obtaining method of observation was very educational as it displayed a personal experience of what went right and also how improvements could have been made, for example moving around and creating a large radius of observation would have improved and made diverse data. The final chapter it was found that women have a much greater chance of rape and sexual violence happening to them. But it also showcases that women are more worried about it; as more pressure and attention is placed upon them to avoid it, creating a slight sense of paranoia. Bibliography Crowe, I. and Semmens, N. (2006) Researching Criminology. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill. Crowther, C. (2007) An Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillian. Kawulich, B. (2005) Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method. Forum: Qualitative Social Research [Online], Vol 6 (2) May, Chapter 2. Available from: http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/466/996> [Accessed 6 May 2015]. Maguire, M. Morgan, R. Reiner, R. (2007) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology. Devon: Willan Publishing. Office for National Statistics (2013) Focus on: Violent Crime and Sexual Offences, 2011/12 [Online]. London. [Available from: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/focus-on-violent-crime/stb-focus-onviolent-crime-and-sexual-offences-2011-12.html#tab-Introduction-and-sources> [Accessed 7th May 2015]. Pond, R. (1999) Introduction to Criminology. Winchester: Waterside Press. The Guardian (2013) Rape: crime and punishment [Online]. [Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/11/male-female-rape-statistics-graphic> [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Walklate, S. (1995) Gender and Crime. Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall.

Film Analysis Of Double Indemnity Film Studies Essay

Film Analysis Of Double Indemnity Film Studies Essay From the moment they met, it was murder! This is the legendary tag line for Billy Wilders most incisive film noir, Double Indemnity, even though in 1944, when it was first released in New York on September 11, critics called it a melodrama, a elongated dose of premeditated suspense, with a pragmatism evocative of earlier period French films [poetic realism of the 1930s], with characters as rough, solid and inflexible as steel. Even though James M. Cain is accredited as the original novel and Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder contribute to screenplay credit, the film is in fact based on the case of Ruth Snyder, a criminal murderess who breathed her last breath in the electric chair on January 13, 1928. Supported by Miklos Rozsas throbbing film score and John Seitzs expressionistic black-and-white camera work, Wilder had no valid idea he was filming in a technique called noir; he found out about this many years later, to his great astonishment. In Double Indemnity, Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), a to some extent cute but dim insurance agent, becomes prey to the charms of a flirtatious blonde, Phyllis Dietrieckson. (Barbara Stanwyck), an anklet-sporting femme fatale/housewife. She plots to kill her husband in a railroad mishap that would bring her a double indemnity insurance imbursement. What makes this film a wonderful case in point of the culture and style of film noir is that, as stated by the movie production convention of the period, jealousy becomes a part of Walters relationship with Phyllis after he does the crime. Thinking she has an additional, much younger admirer, he murders her in a rage of jealousy, then in all probability bleeds to death from a shot fired by the perishing Phyllis, having first relegated the complete story of the film in a two-hour flashback. (In the new novel, Walter and Phyllis go off jointly on a journey, happily back together.) in accordance with with the crime doesnt pay principles of the era, Billy Wilder even added a shot of Neff dying in the San Quentin gas chamber, but thought the film looked better with the film concluding as Neff hears the wails of police and/or ambulance sirens approaching. Double Indemnity is the most excellent example of a noir film to date: rough as sandpaper, with acerbic, wrenching dialogue and practical sets. Watch Walter and Phyllis as they get together in a luminous white southern California superstore, sporting dark glasses, not shopping or still watching each other while plotting up plans for a homicide. And those magnificent lines: Yes, I killed him for money and for a woman. I didnt get the money and I didnt get the woman. Pretty, isnt it?, There was no way in the world I may perhaps have known that murder occasionally can smell like honeysuckle, or I couldnt hear my footsteps. It was the walk of a dead man,. Double Indemnity moreover has a homoerotic bond between Walter Neff and Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), the claims examiner who believes Phyllis, but not Walter, of the crime. Wilder underplayed the father-son relationship in addition to the police routine constituent that could have made his film a detective tale more willingly than a twisty noir, which is what it in actuality is. Wilder took the focal point off Robinsons role and cultivated his viewpoint, in disparity to the many detective films of the age that instigated in novels of Raymond Chandler, his co-conspirator. By modeling Double Indemnity into a homicidal melodrama with sexual insinuations, Wilder produced a rational crime accomplishment. The Book and The Film Wilders film and Cains novel even supposing it does not credit the book as its source. Body Heat can be expressed as a masquerading or unacknowledged remake, a film that repeats basic story units from the Cain novel (and Wilder adaptation) but changes the details of its name, location, period, character names and the those like it. For want of a screen credit recognizing the source property, the remake becomes a hypothetical construct or role of the films production and response. Imperative here is Cains standing, and the untimely 1980s revitalization of notice in Cains work, nevertheless more important is Double Indemnitys advantaged place in the noir principle. A small number would refute that Double Indemnity is a perfect film noir and one of the most significant movies in Hollywood history. It was an unconventional film, challenging almost a decade of Production Code battles to Cains literature. Frank Krutnik in the same way declares that Double Indemnity was traditionally signif icant in the growth of the 1940s erotic crime thriller, setting up through its depiction of the Cain tale a model for the story structures of following film noirs. Lately, Brian De Palma (whose reverence to Alfred Hitchcock are well known) has paid compliment to film noir, by the opening scene in Femme Fatale (2002) with the title character, Laure Ash (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), mirrored in a hotel room television screen as she gazes at the Barbara Stanwyck model in Double Indemnity. These instances of Double Indemnitys repute and standing in film history help make clear why critics such as Leitch openly match up Body Heat to Wilders version, but do not take heed to Double Indemnity had previously been more honestly remade as a lesser-known movie for television, intended for by Jack Smight in 1973. Double Indemnity starts with Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), bleeding from a bullet wound, stumbling into his office in the Pacific Insurance Building. Neff talks into his dictaphone and his narrative of an unholy love and an just about perfect crime unfurls in flashback. Neff is an insurance salesman who becomes entangled with the beautiful and treacherous Phyllis. Phyllis encourages Walter not only to lend a hand her take out a $100,000 life insurance policy on her spouse, but also to assist her in murdering him. Jointly they simulate Dietrichsons inadvertent death in order to meet the criteria for the double indemnity, but things go awry when Neffs manager, Barton Keyes, starts to infer murder. Neff starts an acquaintance with Phylliss step-daughter Lola, who suspects that Phyllis has started going out with her (Lolas) previous boyfriend Nino Zachetti. Believing he has been deceived, Neff plots a plan to murder Phyllis and trap Zachetti. In an argument in the gloomy, Dietrichson sit ting room, Walter slays Phyllis, but not before she gravely stabs him. Towards the end, the narrative turns back to the current day where the dying Walter is reassured by the paternal Keyes. Even though Wilders Double Indemnity is frequently thought of as the original alongside which Kasdans noir remake is weighed up, Body Heat can more generally be seen as a remaking of Cains composition (or no less than those works by which he is best kept in mind). Some critics go as far as to dispute that Double Indemnity was a case of auto-citation, produced by [Cain] in full familiarity of the fact that he was paying his own homage to [The] Postman: Both tell fundamentally a similar story: an all too obedient male is enchanted by a physically powerful and scheming lady. With her inspiring it and with him ironing out of the details, the disloyal couple carry out a perfect murder of the womans husband. Afterward, when they are practically free, providence (or irony) swipes them with its gigantic lumbering paw and they are given their just desserts but for different reasons. Such an association makes possible for one to recognize noir essentials for example the hard-boiled conversation and portrayal of bare (and graphic) animal covetousness that are universal to both The Postman and Double Indemnity. For example, Body Heat is considered for dialogue for example Neds You shouldnt wear that body, and Mattys Youre not too smart, are you? I like that in a man. On the other hand, at an even higher plane of generalization, it can be said that Body Heat at the same time refers to and remakes the noir genre to which its intertexts belong. Film Noir For a moment or two, both the problem movies and the semi documentary crime thrillers made it appear that Italian neorealism had established a habitat in an anxious, if prosperous, America. One of the preeminent things that is taking place in Hollywood is the propensity to move out of the placeto support imaginary pictures on information and, more significantly, to shoot them not in decorated studio sets but in authentic places. But an additional assortment of postwar American film, one which was dependent on the restricted environment of the studio on top of bona fide locations for its representation of the sordid underbelly of American life, soon became apparent. This was film noir (more exactly, black film), invented and named by French critics in 1946 when, experiencing American motion pictures for the first time ever since 1940, they alleged a weird and wonderful new mood of cynicism, dimness, and depression in definite crime films and melodramas. They came up with the term from the Serie Noire detective pulp fiction books then all the rage in France, many of which were renditions of works by members of the hard-boiled genre of American crime authorsDashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and James M. Cain (afterward coupled by Mickey Spillane, Horace McCoy, and Jim Thompson)whose books were also recurrently tailored in films noir. In the vein of the novels, these films were set apart by a subdued atmosphere and realistic violence, and they presented postwar American cynicism to the extent of nihilism by presuming the total and hopeless corruption of society and of everyone in it. Billy Wilders acidic Double Indemnity (1944), which shocked Hollywood in the year of its release and was just about banned by the authorities, may be considered as the archetype for film noir, even though some critics trace the origins back to such rough but significantly less pessimistic films as This Gun for Hire, High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, and Stranger on the Third Floor. Mo dified by Wilder and Raymond Chandler from a James M. Cain novel, Double Indemnity is the squalid story of a Los Angeles insurance agent (Fred MacMurray) sexually ensnared by a clients wife into killing off her husband for his death reimbursement; it has been declared a film without a solitary trace of compassion or love. Without a doubt, these are characters remarkably missing from all films noir, as conceivably they seemed not present from the postwar America which created them. Like Double Indemnity, these films succeeded upon the unembellished interpretation of greed, desire, and unkindness because their fundamental theme was the profundity of human immorality and the absolutely unheroic character of human beingslessons that were almost not taught but without doubt re-emphasized by the one of its kind horrors of World War II. Nearly everyone of the dark films of the late forties take the structure of crime melodramas for the reason that (as Dostoevsky and Dickens recognize) the devices of crime and criminal detection afford an ideal metaphor for dishonesty that cuts across conformist moral classes. These films are frequently set in southern Californiathe geographical archetype for a social order in which the breach between anticipation and reality is determined through mass hallucination. The cent ral characters are regularly unfeeling antiheroes who chase their foundation designs or basically drift aimlessly from side to side in sinister night worlds of the metropolitan American harsh world, but they are even more frequently decent people trapped in traps set for them by a crooked social order. In this concluding sense, film noir was immeasurably a cinema of moral nervousness of the kind experienced at various times in postwar Eastern Europe, most lately in Poland at the pinnacle of the Solidarity groupi.e., a cinema about the environments of life enforced on truthful people in a untruthful, self-deluding society. The moral unsteadiness of this world was rendered into a visual style by the expert noir cinematographers John Alton, Nicholas Musuraca, John F. Seitz, Lee Garmes, Tony Gaudio, Sol Polito, Ernest Haller, Lucien Ballard, and James Wong Howe. These technical masters turned into moral vagueness obviously real through what has been called anti conventional cinematography. The method incorporated the all-encompassing use of wide-angle lenses, allowing even more and greater depth of field but causing animated deformation in close-ups; inconspicuous lighting and night-for-night filming (that is, essentially shooting night scenes at nighttime more willingly than in bright daylight with dark filters), both of which produce ruthless contrasts between the light and dark spheres of the frame, with dark outweighing, to match the moral disorder of the world; and pointed, unnatural set-ups. If all of this spears to be suggestive of the artificial studio modus operandi of German Expressionism, it ou ght to, for the reason thatlike the Universal horror phase of the thirtiesfilm noir was fashioned to a large degree by German and Eastern European migrs, a lot of of whom had gained their basic training at UFA in the twenties and near the beginning of the thirties. The noir directors Lang, Siodmak, Wilder, Preminger, Brahm, Litvak, Ophls, Dieterle, Sirk, Ulmer, and Bernhardt; the director-cinematographer Rudolph Mat; the cinematographers Karl Freund and John Alton; and the musicians Franz Waxman and Max Steiner had all been linked with or inclined by the UFA studio technique. On the other hand, given its subject matter, film noir could barely break out of the general pragmatic predisposition of the postwar cinema, and noir directors recurrently shot outside shots on location. Such wartime modernizations as slighter camera dollies and moveable power packs, higher speed lenses and additionally sensitive, fine-grain film rolls cut down the logistics of position shooting and aided to generate for film noir a nearly standardized visual method. For this motive, it has become trendy to discuss film noir as a category (some consider it is a genre) of idealistic or expressive pragmatism; but its inheritance includes such a wide variety of cultural influencesGerman Expressionism and shock exploitation, American gangster movies from the thirties, Sternbergian exoticism and self-indulgence, the graceful pragmatism of Carn, the case-hardened institution of American fiction, the forties cultural significance and fame of Freud, postwar American disenchantment (particula rly a sagacity of sexual betrayal amongst GIs coming back home) and the flourish of cinematic practicality it created, cold war mistrust, and for sure, Citizen Kane that it is probably better to typify it as a cycle to a certain extent than to draw up the boundaries too rigidly. Double Indemnity (1944), d. Billy Wilder, Paramount, 107min., bw, sc. Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler from the novel by James M. Cain, ph. John Seitz, m. Miklos Rozsa, v. MCA.