The Readers Response To The Novel Essay Example for Free

The Readers Response To The Novel Essay Written by Mary Shelley in 1816, Frankenstein is a novel that conveys several messages and themes. It was written at a time of social and political upheaval: the incredible advances in science and movements in art and culture were changing the way people lived dramatically. For example, the use of electricity, the French Revolution and the Romantic Movement, were leading people to have totally radical, bohemian lifestyles. Shelley allowed these revolutionary ideas to move and inspire her, enabling her to write one of the most remarkable and intriguing pieces of literature in the world. In the novel, Shelley uses three narrators: Robert Walton; Victor Frankenstein; and the monster, or modern Prometheus, as he was intended to be. The purpose of this essay is to explore what effect this has on our response to the novel overall. I shall do this by explaining how they affect our understanding of the main themes of the novel; the complex time and structure; and the narrators as characters. Mary Shelleys classic novel discusses three major themes: ambition and its consequences; the importance of family; and community and isolation. Victors horrific tale shows how blind ambition and ruthlessness can destroy you morally and physically. This happens to Victor as he loses everything dear to him and eventually his own life. Upon hearing Victors story of death and revenge, suffering and loneliness, Walton gives up his own ambition of discovering the North Pole, realising that he has sacrificed his sister for his obsession with success. Thus he is saved before it is to late. Victor on the other hand has caused his own downfall: he becomes so obsessed with his creation that he neglects his family by refusing to go home when Elizabeth writes to him. This ultimately leads to the deaths of his family, Justine and William are killed in the monsters fit of revenge, and his suffering and loneliness begin to devour him. The theme of the importance of family is reinforced throughout the novel. From Victors idyllic childhood, My mothers tender caresses, and my fathers smile of benevolent pleasure while regarding me, are my first recollections, to the monsters grief at his fathers death, close family relationships are regarded as precious and wonderful. This may be because Shelley lost her own mother when she was very young, and used her own personal experience to inspire her. Both Walton and Victor take their relationships with their sisters for granted, sacrificing them to pursue their own dreams. Victors experience shows that you cant have both: your family and your career to flourish. This idea id introduced very early in the book, when Victors departure to university is delayed by the death of his mother from Scarlet Fever.

The role and portrayal of Women in the media

The role and portrayal of Women in the media Introduction Media is considered as a traditionally male job and generally it is thought that women journalists can not skip the glass ceiling phenomenon. Pakistan is another minefield of challenges for journalists, especially female journalists. The problem prevails mostly in electronic media scenario as women are making more appearances on screen with the boom of private TV channels. They are considered less prominent. Female journalists working in developed countries are also facing such problems but Pakistani female journalists are in the initial stages towards progress. In Pakistan, with the advent of increasing number of private TV channels, female journalists quite often appear on our television screens. Anchor women, foreign correspondents, and special correspondents are omnipresent in the main broadcast news shows and in current affairs programs. They are considered beautiful and successful women, as well as trend-setters with respect to clothes, make-up and hairstyles. Print journalism, where the physical image is replaced by the reporters name, this phenomenon is much less prominent than electronic media. In spite of the large entrance of female personnel into the professional work of information, women on top of editorial staff are still a scanty minority: this is, however, no different to Western countries. Thanks to television, female journalists have acquired great visibility. Recently The International Womens Media Foundation announced that Rabia Mehmood, a journalist in the Lahore bureau of Express 24/7 Television in Pakistan, has received its 2010-11 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. Mehmood is the sixth recipient of the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist working in print, broadcast or online media the opportunity to focus exclusively on human rights journalism and social justice issues. Throughout her career, Mehmood has reported on topics such as womens rights, freedom of speech and political unrest. She has covered the survivors and victims of terrorist attacks, suicide bombings and hostage sieges carried out by militants in Lahore. Mehmood has also reported on internally displaced people who left Northwest Pakistan as a result of insurgency by terrorists and military offensives. But this is not the case of every female journalist. Most of them are assigned to cover social, cultural, soft stories, days events, or light events. But male journalists get the preference to get a significant assignment, stories which might be lead stories. With the evolution of time and in order to follow the west, Pakistani media is giving important posts to female journalists but in fact the power still lies in the hands of dominant males. Editorial Boards mostly consist of male members. Gender discrimination in journalism is very distinct and they are given the same benefits as to their male colleagues. Some of the most prominent women working in Pakistani electronic media are Aasma Chuhdry Dr Ayesha Siddiqa Katrina Hussain Bushra Rehman, Najia Ashar Naseem Zehra Saadia Afzaal Sheren Mazari Asma Sherazi Zahida Hina Sana Bucha Sumaira Nadeem Sana Mirza Ayesha Baksh And many more Theoretical Framework Gender Role Theory: Gender role theory posits that boys and girls learn the appropriate behavior and attitudes from the family and overall culture they grow up with, and so non-physical gender differences are a product of socialization. Social role theory proposes that the social structure is the underlying force for the gender differences. Social role theory proposes that the sex-differentiated behavior is driven by the division of labor between two sexes within a society. Division of labor creates gender roles, which in turn, lead to gendered social behavior. The physical specialization of the sexes is considered to be the distal cause of the gender roles. Mens unique physical advantages in term of body size and upper body strength provided them an edge over women in those social activities that demanded such physical attributes such as hunting, herding and warfare. On the other hand, womens biological capacity for reproduction and child-rearing is proposed to explain their limited involvement in other social activities. Such divided activity arrangement for the purpose of achieving activity-efficiency led to the division of labor between sexes. Social role theorists have explicitly stressed that the labor division is not narrowly defined as that between paid employment and domestic activities, rather, is conceptualized to include all activities performed within a society that are necessary for its existence and sustainability. The characteristics of the activities performed by men and women became peoples perceptions and beliefs of the d ispositional attributes of men or women themselves. Through the process of correspondent inference, division of labor led to gender roles, or gender stereotype. Ultimately, people expect men and women who occupy certain position to behave according to these attributes. These socially constructed gender roles is considered to be hierarchical and characterized as a male-advantaged gender hierarchy. The activities men involved in were often those that provided them with more access to or control of resources and decision making power, rendering men not only superior dispositional attributes via correspondence bias (Gilbert, 1998, p.**), but also higher status and authority as society progressed. The particular pattern of the labor division within a certain society is a dynamic process and determined by its specific economical and cultural characteristics. For instance, in an industrial economy, the emphasis on physical strength in social activities becomes less compared with that in a less advanced economy. In a low birth rate society, women will be less confined to reproductive activities and thus more likely to be involved in a wide range of social activities. The beliefs that people hold about the sexes are derived from observations of the role per formances of men and women and thus reflect the sexual division of labor and gender hierarchy of the society. The consequences of gender roles and stereotypes are sex-typed social behavior because roles and stereotypes are both socially shared descriptive norms and prescriptive norms. Gender roles provide guides to normative behaviors that are typical, ought-to-be and thus likely effective for each sex within certain social context. Gender roles also depict ideal, should-be, and thus desirable behaviors for men and women who are occupying a particular position or involving in certain social activities. Put is another way, men and women, as social beings, strive to belong and seek for approval by complying and conforming to the social and cultural norms within their society. The conformity to social norms not only shapes the pattern, but also maintains the very existence of sex-typed social behavior. In summary, social role theory treats these differing distributions of women and men into roles as the primary origin of sex-differentiated social behavior, their impact on behavior is mediated by psychological and social processes including developmental and socialization processes, as well as by processes involved in social interaction (e.g., expectancy confirmation) and self-regulation Social Construction of Gender Difference This perspective proposes that gender difference is socially constructed. This perspective believes that gender is socially constructed. Social constructionism of gender moves away from socialization as the origin of gender differences; people do not merely internalize gender roles as they grow up but they respond to changing norms in society. Children learn to categorize themselves by gender very early on in life. A part of this is learning how to display and perform gendered identities as masculine or feminine. Boys learn to manipulate their physical and social environment through physical strength or other skills, while girls learn to present themselves as objects to be viewed. Children monitor their own and others gendered behavior. Gender-segregated childrens activities create the appearance that gender differences in behavior reflect an essential nature of male and female behavior. Judith Bulter contends that being female is not natural and that it appears natural only through repeated performances of gender; these performances in turn, reproduce and define the traditional categories of sex and/or gender. A social constructionist view looks beyond categories and examines the intersections of multiple identities, the blurring of the boundaries of essentialist categories. This is especially true with regards to categories of male and female that are typically viewed by others as binary and opposites of each other. By deconstructing categories of gender, the value placed on masculine traits and behaviors disappears. However, the elimination of categories makes it difficult to make any comparisons between the genders or to argue and fight against male domination. Feminism, masculinism and religious views Some feminists see gender differences as caused by patriarchy or discrimination, although difference feminism argues for an acceptance of gender differences. Conservative masculists tend to see gender differences as inherent in human nature, while liberal masculists see gender differences as caused by matriarchy and discrimination. History of the struggle of female journalists: Since the 1960s, feminists have argued that it matters who makes it. When it comes to the mass media, who makes it continues to be men. Women working in the media have made some inroads. In 2001, the International Federation of Journalists reported that around the world, 38 per cent of all working journalists are women. Studies conducted by Canadian researchers Gertrude Robinson and Armande Saint-Jean have found that 28 per cent of newspaper editors are female. And according to San Diego State University communications professor Martha Lauzen, 24 per cent of American television producers, writers, and directors are women. Denis Monià ¨re, political analyst and professor at Quebecs University of Montreal maintains that even if the visibility of female journalists has grown in the last ten years, we shouldnt be too quick to shout victory. In 2002, the Canadian Newspaper Association reported that 43 per cent of Canadian newspaper employees are women. However, they account for only eight per cent of editors-in-chief and twelve per cent of publishers. Women employed in the sector tend to work in pink-collar ghettos; they make up 70 per cent of the advertising department, and 80 per cent of the accounting and finance staff. In addition to being un-represented in positions of authority, Monià ¨re thinks women are also under-utilized in covering the subjects considered most important-politics, economy and social trends. And when it comes to the evening news, women are almost invisible. The posting of Sophie Thibault in 2002 as the ten oclock news anchor for the national French-language channel TVA is a first for Canada. Most often, women are consigned to noon-hour shows, local newscasts, fill-ins and weekend spots. However, men continue to occupy approximately 75 per cent of the positions of power in the mass media. The 2001 study conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania is equally damning. The Center reports that only 13 per cent of the top executives of American media, telecommunications and e-companies are female. And that 13 per cent is not concentrated at the top: women constitute only 9 per cent of the boards of directors for these companies, and they hold only 3 per cent of the most powerful positions. CURRENT SITUATION: Women in Islamic nations are increasingly being heard, seen and listened to, thanks in part to leading female voices determined to make a difference, despite challenges ranging from motherhood to threats on their lives. One of the hostesses of a popular Saudi program called Speaking Softly says that until recently, she did not see people like herself on television. Muna Abusulayman is one of four anchorwomen on the show that deals with various issues in a talk format. Of the four, Abusulayman is the only one who wears a hijab, or headscarf. She is also divorced and lives alone with her child in Saudi Arabia. Women in the Middle East actually make up the majority of anchors and presenters on television. But, Abusulayman says, they are much less prominent behind the scenes and in other media like print and radio. Tasneem Ahmar, who runs a media and advocacy group in Pakistan as well as producing radio programs on womens issues, agrees with Abusulayman. With more than 25 years experience as a journalist, Ahmar says that, not unlike the West, most decision-making jobs, top executive positions, and tough assignments are given to men. Women normally are assigned very soft issues social issues, cultural issues, she said. There are very few women, youll find, who are doing hard political stories or economic stories or current affairs programs. Tasneem Ahmar thinks positive changes for women in the Middle East and the Islamic world are on the horizon. She predicts that a new wave of young women in the Pakistani media will have an impact in five to ten years in her country. These young girls who have come in, theyre very ambitious and theyre very hard working and I dont think anything is going to stop them from going to the top positions. While there is still a lot of work to be done, the women hope that their efforts and successes in the media will inspire not only women but men too. Or maybe there is truth to the old adage, the best man for the job is a woman. One woman in the Middle East who does cover tough stories and speaks out is May Chidiac. She is the host of a Lebanese TV program called With Audacity. Chidiac is known all over the Arab world for her tenacious journalism. A victim of an assassination attempt by suspected Syrian agents, she lost a hand and a leg in a car bombing in September 2005. After numerous surgeries, she went straight back to work. Reporter of an English Newspaper from Dhaka says that in most cases, chief reporters/assignment editors (almost everyone are male) do not assign them something special/important or significant reports. They are still assigned soft stories, days events, or light events. But male journalists get the preference to get a significant assignment, stories which might be lead stories. But the interesting point is that, many female journalists in our country now protesting this kind of attitudes and they are getting serious kind of assignment after fighting with their bosses. In Bangladesh, this is a very new phenomenon to appoint female journalists in electronic media, However, critics pointed that as female is more attractive then male in electronic media, so the media owners appoints the female journalists to attract audiences. About 15 percent female journalists are now working in countrys 11 state and privately run TV channels. On the other hand, in print media, we are very few female reporters are which any working journalist can count within 10 minutes. There are some other sectors of the media where female are more visible then reporting like hazardous and glamorous job for unknown reasons. Anam Istafa, Sub editor, National Herald Tribune openly admits that female journalists are usually assumed to be dumb and so tender hearted for Hard news coverage especially of blasts and natural disasters. She says that very rare females are at the executive positions in media news media business. Most of them usually follow guideline and policies by their male bosses. Policy and decision makers are predominantly men. Despite the increase of womens visibility in media organizations, journalists in South Asia are hardly seen in the decision-making positions. This was one of the several issues highlighted by more than 200 women working in the media from every SAARC country, who came together for the first time in Lahore, Pakistan, for a two-day meeting on Women in Media Challenges, Opportunities and Partnership. Women media persons from Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal pointed out that none of the print media in their country has ever had a female journalist heading the newsroom. Participants from India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka raised similar concerns, and also pointed out that man in their media organizations outnumbered women. Most of the participants cited long and difficult working hours, lack of incentives and appreciation to keep women working in the media, fulfilling household obligations and unequal wages as some of the reasons why women in the media are under-represented at various levels in South Asia. These were also some of the reasons why most female media persons, after working for few years, leave the profession for other jobs. Portrayal of women in the media as victims was also discussed extensively. Some of the participants pointed out that women make news in several South Asian news media only when they are victims of conflict, crime, natural disasters or terrorism. However, one of the guest speakers, Pakistans federal information minister, Qamar Zaman Kaira, said: Women journalists play an important role in voicing concerns of the victims in conflict areas, who are often women and children. Some of these victims are more comfortable sharing their experiences with female professionals. He urged women media persons to also take up more serious and hard-hitting issues relating to politics, security and conflict. Senior journalist in Pakistan, Shehar Bano, said at the conference that international research studies indicate transformation in news content brought on by an influx of women into the news media. Issues such as health, education, child care and women workers have gained prominent slots in newspapers, she said. Bandana Rana from Nepal said, however, that there are also many female media persons, who are confined to covering only feature articles on art, culture and lifestyle and very few female reporters are assigned business, economics or political stories. It was resolved during the meeting that female media persons should be given training opportunities to enhance their skills to cover all issues, along with mentorship programmes between senior and junior female journalists. Former Chairperson, Department of Mass Communications at University of Karachi, Professor Shahida Qazi said she is happy that more and more Pakistani women are now joining media. She recalled when in 1966 she had joined Daily Dawn Karachi as a reporter, many people were surprised. She said now more than 70 percent of Karachi University students are women. She said in the Department of Mass Communications, there are more female students than males. Former Secretary Information Department, and TV compere Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said declaration of the state of emergency and curbs on media in Pakistan have shocked journalists, writers and human right activists. She said the dream of gender justice and equality could not materialize until change of mindset in male population. She said even today in the practical field female journalists face many problems due to this dogmatic thinking. Rashdi said steps for empowerment of women should be taken from the home. She said parents should encourage their daughters to get higher education and work in every walk of life. Electronic media in Pakistan is highlighting gender-related issues in a better way in comparison to print media, because more women journalists work in TV channels. Pakistani women have entered the field of journalism after a tough competition. Now women journalists and photographers could be seen working in Pakistani society and it is a welcome change. Association of Television Journalists (ATJ) only has some 50 females among its 700 or so members around the country, but nearly half of them are concentrated in the business capital of Karachi. Women are highly visible in the Pakistani media as anchors and talk show hosts on dozens of private radio and television channels in various regional languages, besides English and Urdu. Women are paid less than their male colleagues for equal work and have to fight harder for the political or other high profile assignments Most identify sexual harassment as their biggest concern, according to Zebunnisa Burki, who has been coordinating South Asian Women in Media (SAWM) EFFORTS /STEPS TAKEN TO PROMOTE ROLE OF WOMEN IN MEDIA Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a more secure future for women reporters To mark International Womens Day on 8 March 2005, UNESCOs Director-General, KoÃÆ' ¯chiro Matsuura, launched for the fourth time the global initiative Women Make the News. UNESCO appeals to all media producing daily news to hand over editorial responsibility to women to cast the news on that day. UNESCO Supports Gender in Journalism Awards in Pakistan The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) organizes the Gender in Journalism Awards to honour excellence in gender sensitive reporting in the country. UNESCO supports the two awards, each carrying a cash prize of Rs 25,000 (US$ 400), that will be given to Pakistani journalists. One award recognizes models for excellence and best practices in coverage of gender related issues. It is open to both male and female journalists. The second award honours outstanding coverage of any issue by a female journalist. Its aim is to promote role models for women entering or planning to enter the journalism field. Journalists working in print media may nominate their own work, or editors and others may nominate articles that promote the objectives of the awards. Fiji Women Community Radio Initiative femLINKpacific (Media Initiatives for Women), a womens media NGO, launched in 2004 femTALK 89.2FM, a mobile womens community radio project. In January 2005, as a result of the grant of UNESCOs Intergovernmental Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), the femLINKpacific is taking the suitcase radio to women in their communities. The aim of the femTALK 89,2FM project is to not only create a new space on the radio waves for community based discussion, but also to provide practical opportunities for women within their own communities to highlight and address issues relevant to them. The main focus of femLINKpacifics range of community media initiatives is women speaking to women for peace. The decision making structures still lack equal representation by women and the capacity of women, especially from the rural population and the poor, to communicate openly on common matters should be increased. International Womens Media Foundation Since its founding in 1990, the International Womens Media Foundation has conducted training programs on five continents, in 26 countries and over the Internet with the goal of strengthening the role of women in the news media worldwide. The IWMF supports women in the media through groundbreaking projects, and innovative research and training designed to help women develop their skills and become leaders in their profession. Since 1990, the IWMF has honored more than 50 extraordinarily brave and hardworking journalists with Courage in Journalism Awards. The only international awards designed to recognize the contributions of women on journalisms front lines, the Courage awards recognize women who have faced physical attacks, prison terms, beatings, rape, and death threats to themselves and their families. Training Women Media Professionals Internews is one of the worlds leading trainers of female media professionals, training more than 25,000 women in media skills since 2003 alone. Internews helps women get on the air and in the newsrooms in societies where their participation has been marginalized, allowing for reporting on all issues-not just womens issues-to be done through the voices of women in that society. Mainstreaming Womens Issues To ensure that the media meet the needs of all audiences, Internews works to foster womens leadership in the media industry so that issues of vital concern to women are mainstreamed, integrated across all programming and not relegated to a niche market. In communities where specific gender issues are underreported, such as gender-based violence or womens health, Internews has developed special programs produced by and for women. Pakistans First Radio Program by and for Women In Pakistan, where only three percent of journalists are women, Internews has worked to increase the number of women working in media, training women at journalism programs established by Internews at universities from Peshawar to Rawalpindi to Balochistan. Internews launched Meri Awaz Suno (Hear My Voice), the countrys first independent syndicated program that features women as both producers and subjects. In 2003, Internews built a state-of-theart independent radio production facility in Islamabad where women journalists are trained in radio reporting and production and work on Meri Awaz Suno. The radio show airs on 19 independent radio stations across the country, and focuses on issues such as politics, education and health. Before Internews training, most reporters working on Meri Awaz Suno had little experience working in radio or journalism. Now they are leaders the first women in Pakistan to work as independent broadcast journalists, and role models for young women. Establishment of Forum Named :Women Journalists Pakistan (WJP) The women journalists of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad formally announced Women Journalists Pakistan (WJP) forum to address professional problems faced by them and find out ways to nurture their skills. The ceremony was organized at the National Press Club, Islamabad in which Javed Akhtar, Director News Associated Press of Pakistan, Absar Alam, Anchor person Aaj TV, Qatrina Hussain, Anchor person Express TV and Fozia Shahid Anchor Person ATV shared their through provoking ideas and views with a large number of female journalists present there. According to WJP members, the body is a non-political and intellectual-based forum that aims to provide platform to working women journalists in the print and electronic media. In addition to raising a collective voice on issues faced by women journalists, the forum will initially focus on two basic aspects networking and facilitating journalists avail media-related career-building opportunities. The WJP hierarchy is: Myra Imran of The News (Convener); Saadia Khalid, The News and Humaira Sharif of APP (Resource persons). Working Group: Ayesha Habib (Dunya TV); Sehrish Majid (Apna TV), Anila Bashir- (Samaa), Asma Ghani (The Nation), Maimoona (Khabrain), Siddrah Bokhari (APP), Naheed Akhtar (APP), Shumaila Noreen (APP), Zahida Mahmood (APP), Ghazala Noreen (News-One TV), Saadia Masood (Rohi TV), Nazia Hameed (Channel 5), Afshan Qureshi (Ausaf), Rukhsana Mussarat (Radio Pakistan), Shazia Seher (Apna TV). The WJP Advisory Board comprises the following: Qatrina Hussain (Anchorperson, Express TV); Absar Alam (Anchorperson Aaj TV); Ghazi Salahuddin (Member Editorial Board, Jang Group of Newspapers); Javed Akhtar (Director News, APP); Muhammad Ziauddin (Executive Editor, The Express Tribune); Shamsul Islam Naz (Secretary General, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists); Asma Shirazi (Anchorperson Samaa TV); Mazhar Arif (Executive Director, Alternate Media) and Fozia Shahid (ATV). Establishment of Aasha (the Alliance Against Sexual Harrasment) and a code of conduct for workplace WWO is among the civil society organisations which got together a few years ago to form Aasha, the Alliance Against Sexual Harassment (www.aasha.org.pk) in collaboration with the International Labor Organisation (ILO) and Pakistans Ministry of Women Development. Aasha developed a code of conduct for the workplace and a procedure to deal with harassment and discrimination. Geo TV, the largest private television network in Pakistan is among the few media organisations Aasha lists as a progressive employer. Its not necessary for every case to be a federal issue, commented a television producer who worked with Geo when Aasha started. Often the tension arises because of the widespread gender segregation in our society many of these youngsters dont know how to interact with each other. This leads to misunderstandings that the code helps to clear up. Another reason for growing sexual harassment may be that, with education, more people are crossing class barriers. Women coming into journalism earlier were relatively well-connected and self-confident. Many now come from lower-middle class backgrounds and have less confidence. Men find it easier to take advantage of or intimidate them, observed a senior journalist. Problems Faced by Female Journalists (Pakistan) It is an established fact that women are an integral part of the Pakistani media. Professionally, they match their male colleagues and their analytical and investigative skills are quite impressive. With their distinctive approach to political, economic and social issues, women journalists have successfully highlighted the human angle that had previously remained neglected. They have proven themselves, both in the print and the electronic media. Less than a decade ago, there were very few women in journalism. But things have now changed and with the opening of a string of television channels, many new faces have joined in. These motivated girls have been a valuable addition to the Pakistani media. Viewers, readers and listeners, have all appreciated their work. However, unfortunately the working conditions in the media houses have remained unchanged. Low salaries, downsizing, lack of professionalism, non-existence of basic facilities for employees like health, old age benefits etc, no job security and non-conducive work environment in majority of media organizations especially in the Urdu print media are indeed big hurdles. This has greatly affected women journalists because they are often the first ones to become victims of downsizing. Mainly due to social pressures, they cannot work in two or three places like their male colleagues and unlike their male colleagues women are reluctant to seek favors. The constraints they face due to overall environment in media industry become a hurdle in their way to assume journalism as a career but another dimension of this issue is the problems female journalists face within their community the biggest is their continuing struggle to become registered journalists within media bodies. Unfortunately, majority of the women journalists have only been granted associate membership which is actually not regular membership. The condition is worst in under developed areas where women, in most of cases, dont apply for membership. This apparently small problem has long lasting effect on the overall situation of female journalists and their growth in media industry. Due to non-registratio

African American Culture through Oral Tradition Essay -- Essays Papers

African American Culture through Oral Tradition African American folktales have origins rooted in West African literary and cultural forms of expression. When Africans were taken from their homeland and brought to America as slaves, they also brought with them their individual cultures, languages and customs. However, their white slaveholders suppressed this part of their heritage in them. Thus they had to find other ways of expression, mainly story telling and songs. It is incredible to see how African slaves could ever smile and laugh under the horrible and cruel circumstances, which were imposed on them by the brutal slaveholders. The whole body of folktales and spirituals arose from the experiences which slaves had on their plantations mingled with the memories and customs that they brought with them from Africa. They would tell stories using different methods such as acting, gesturing and singing. By these means they were able to elevate storytelling into an art. Most slave owners forbade their slaves from speaking their own language, and forced them to speak English. They were also forbidden from learning to read or write. In this manner slaveholders believed that they were keeping their slaves in ignorance so that they could neither rebel nor escape. They were greatly mistaken for many slaves would make use of their songs and stories to educate their people, and enlighten their minds and free their souls. For example the slave spirituals which they sang were a means with which they could communicate feelings of discontent and of homelessness and exile. However, not all their songs were of disparity and loss. They also sang songs expressing love, joy, and hope. Other than making use of lyrics as a form of expressi... ...Books, Inc; New York, 1963. Hamilton, Virginia. The People Could Fly. Knopf Publishing; New York, 1985. Jones, Gayl. Liberating Voices: Oral Tradition in African American Literature. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, 1991. Okpewho, Isidore. African Oral Literature. Indiana University Press; Bloomington, 1992. Plant, Deborah G. Every Tub Must Sit on It's Own Bottom: The Philosophy and Politics Of Zora Neale Hurston. University of Illinois Press; Chicago, 1995. Radin, Paul, Ed. African Folktales. Shocken Books; New York,1983. Smitherman, Geneva. Talkin and Testifyin: The Language of Black America. Houghton Mifflin; Boston, 1977. Wright, Lee Alfred. Identity, Family and Folklore In African American Literature. Garland Publishing; New York, 1995. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ã ¿

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Essay

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners BY MeltssaoT People in society today have rules, regulations, and guidelines to follow in order to maintain freedom, safety, structure, and self-discipline. If any of these rules are broken, there are consequences to follow. It depends on the severity of the crime on what type of punishment or consequence is given to an individual. If the crime is severe enough the individual may be deprived of their rights, freedom of movement, and sent to prison for a duration of time. If one is sent to prison then the ethical treatment of prisoner’s rights must be taking into consideration and analyzed. A prisoner/inmate is a person that has committed a criminal offence and depending on their criminal history he or she may be put on probation or confined to a county Jail or state penitentiary. Once an individual gets behind those block walls their lives then tend to belong to the deputies, correctional officer or warden that is employed by that facility. Within the prison system there is a division of power that exists. This power can leave feelings of powerlessness and dependency in the prisoners. We all have heard stories of correction officers using their power of authority to abuse and psychologically harm the prisoner. For example a couple of months ago in the state that I live in there was an inmate who was locked up for a minor charge of failure to appear. He was waiting for his dinner this particular evening, and the deputy almost slammed the inmate finger in the door. Of course this escalade into a verbal altercation between the two, and from there a physical fight broke out. The deputy which outweighed the inmate by over 100 pounds picked up the inmate and slammed him on his head onto a concrete floor multiple times until the inmate was unconscious. The Jailhouse officials rush this inmate to the ospital in which he went into a coma, and eventually was placed on life support. The family of this inmate was faced with a difficult situation which was either remove him from life support or leave him there to waste a away. In the end the family made the decision to remove their love one from life support, and the deputy was behind a minor criminal matter the question is did he deserve to be treated less than a human being? Did he really deserve to die? Some people might argue the fact that because he was locked up then he deserved the treatment that he got and others might voice the difference. I personally say no, because this is still a life and even though he made a mistake there should have been a correct way to go about punishment for this inmate if he really had got out of order. When law abiding citizens and correctional officers look at prisoners, it does not matter what the crime was or how severe the punishment, a prisoner is a â€Å"nobody. † In the United States there are many people that may agree and have strong feelings when it comes to this statement. In ethics a utilitarian may say that human beings should focus on the potential rules of an action and determine what would happen if e or she follows the rules. Utilitarian theory states the moral worth of an action should be determined specifically by its usefulness in maximizing utility and minimizing negative utility. The world as a whole has a moral code on how people should conduct themselves, on what is right and wrong. The belief of the utilitarian theory can be used in prisons to help those that really want to be rehabilitated. I am not saying that this theory will work for all, but there are some men and women that deserve another chance in life. We have to realize that everyone makes mistakes n their life, some are worse than others, but in the end everyone still deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter what they may have done. I have heard stories about men that may have raped or killed a little child is sent to prison the correctional officers tend to sometime turn their heads and let the other inmates beat him or rape him until he is almost dead. I don’t agree with the fact that he hurt a child but at the same time I don’t think that its morally right that they allow the other inmates to Jeopardize what little bit of freedom that they may have behind hose prison walls either. The ethical solution to this is when you do have a child rapist sent to prison put those type of people in a area amongst themselves and maybe have counselors around where they can get a better understanding of this person sick mind because sometimes these people that do these type of things have had some type of trauma when they were a child. It is unethical to confine an individual to a correctional facility and expose this individual to danger. When you talk about ethics in prison, in the eyes of some that is either driving by hat facility yard every day or has never really been behind those thick masculine bars then one may say that these people are animals and they deserve to be behind those bars. Once behind those bars their life changes because they have to be told when to eat, when to sleep, when to walk and talk. If an inmate is not like by a correctional officer or if one does not follow order then they may be deprived of food or even yard time. Torture and beatings will not correct their behavior but will make them more aggressive so that choice is not the best. If any of these things should appen then this may lead to riots and in serious scenarios, killing of security guards. It is best to provide the basic needs such as food to the prisoners so that there is a harmonious reaction between the prisoner and the correction officer. The utilitarian would say that inmates should follow a morally right rule that would result in happiness in which once they are return to society they can determine what rules citizens. Learning positive rules will result to good behavior and a change of mind that life without freedom is something that one may not want to return to. In contrast†¦..

Free Essays on Dying with Dignity

â€Å"Dying with Dignity† Understanding Euthanasia By: Derek Humphry I found that this book â€Å"Dying with Dignity† by Derek Humphry, dealt with euthanasia in a very straightforward manner. The subject is a touchy one and Humphry is not afraid to use the word "suicide". What I particularly liked was the fact that he was not trying to convert people to his point-of-view, he just presented the facts and allowed the reader to make choices for themselves. The author also discussed making choices for family members who have lost the ability to make choices for themselves. As part of the author's efforts to help readers put euthanasia in perspective, he also provided statistics so that the reader could compare their own opinions to how others feel about the various aspects of euthanasia. Euthanasia is just another word for â€Å"mercy killing† as some people put it but it also means good death. I look at it as more of a good death if it is performed with the right procedures and if a person has a legitimate reason to be put to death but many people would not agree with me that it should be legal. There are several categories of euthanasia but in general they are all somewhat alike, the kind I think it should be allowed and not looked bad upon to give the doctors that assist in the death is voluntary euthanasia. Their will always be pros and cons of euthanasia but I think that when a person makes the decision themselves and asks a doctor for help it should be legal if the person is mentally stable and has a good reason or reasons to want to end their life. Humphry believes that voluntary euthanasia will become lawful within the next few years. He said on page 164, â€Å" I believe that the right to choose to die with dignity at life’s end is the ultimate civil liberty for a person who has given the matter careful consideration and taken all possible steps to advise others. If we cannot die according to our personal wishes, then we are no... Free Essays on Dying with Dignity Free Essays on Dying with Dignity â€Å"Dying with Dignity† Understanding Euthanasia By: Derek Humphry I found that this book â€Å"Dying with Dignity† by Derek Humphry, dealt with euthanasia in a very straightforward manner. The subject is a touchy one and Humphry is not afraid to use the word "suicide". What I particularly liked was the fact that he was not trying to convert people to his point-of-view, he just presented the facts and allowed the reader to make choices for themselves. The author also discussed making choices for family members who have lost the ability to make choices for themselves. As part of the author's efforts to help readers put euthanasia in perspective, he also provided statistics so that the reader could compare their own opinions to how others feel about the various aspects of euthanasia. Euthanasia is just another word for â€Å"mercy killing† as some people put it but it also means good death. I look at it as more of a good death if it is performed with the right procedures and if a person has a legitimate reason to be put to death but many people would not agree with me that it should be legal. There are several categories of euthanasia but in general they are all somewhat alike, the kind I think it should be allowed and not looked bad upon to give the doctors that assist in the death is voluntary euthanasia. Their will always be pros and cons of euthanasia but I think that when a person makes the decision themselves and asks a doctor for help it should be legal if the person is mentally stable and has a good reason or reasons to want to end their life. Humphry believes that voluntary euthanasia will become lawful within the next few years. He said on page 164, â€Å" I believe that the right to choose to die with dignity at life’s end is the ultimate civil liberty for a person who has given the matter careful consideration and taken all possible steps to advise others. If we cannot die according to our personal wishes, then we are no...

Online Essays

Online Essays Students are having a lot of problem in writing an essay nowadays. With the increasing burden of homework and sometimes, part-time jobs, the students cannot possibly write their own essays. There are students who do not have the ability or time to write their essays themselves. They do not know how to write and what to put into writing. Many students look for essays online. If they copy from a book or website, it is plagiarism. So, what do they do? The answer comes in the form of the numerous online essay writing companies that help students who need guidance in writing their essays. However, this method also has a drawback. Several companies that claim to provide online essays for sale are fraud. They ensnare the students into their traps, loot their money, and waste their time. This is probably one of the few reasons why students are afraid of taking help from online essay writing companies. These companies may spring up anywhere and make false promises for the sake of earning money. They trap students, who are inexperienced in recognizing such online custom essay services. However, we cannot let this reason become a hurdle in their way for essay writing. One can easily save money and prevent the risk by identifying these companies, but how to recognize them? The following points will help you to distinguish between real and hoax companies: 1.  Is the company making too many promises? If so, there is a chance that the company is a fake one. Fraud companies usually make too many promises, as they do not have to fulfill them. 2.  Is the company making too many offers? If the company you are asking for essay assistance is making too many offers, and is trying to give you high (and probably false) hopes, there is a chance that the company is a fraud. 3.  Is the company undertaking too much? If so, think again. The company might be a fraud because many hoax companies promise to do unbelievably large online essays in a short period of time, and ask a lot of money for it, which they usually get. 4.  Is the company willing to give its telephone number and/or address? Fraud custom essay companies have robbed over millions of people, and they definitely do not want to be tracked. A company that does not give full information to the customer about itself has an 80 percent chance that it is a fraud. 5.  Do the company support staff/employs directly talk to you? If no, the company might be a fraud. Fraud companies are normally run by only a few people and do not have many employs. For more information on how you can save yourself from the curse of these fake companies, you can contact our online custom essay writing service where you can get online college essays, online school essays, online high school essays provided by professional online essay writers.

Online Business Issues

Online Business Issues Big Data and eBusiness Relevance Nowadays, more people get to know the term Big Data and try to understand its essence and make use of it to benefit in the chosen activities. According to Yin, Jiang, Lin, Luo, and Liu (2014), Big Data makes it possible to open a new era of science and human abilities to discover it through data-driven computing.  Many scientists and researchers offer their ideas on how to develop the Big Data paradigm and why people need pay more attention to this concept.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Online Business Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, Jao (2014), the CEO of one of the retention automation platform for eCommerce, admits that Big Data is beneficial from a variety of perspectives: it helps to improve business, choose the best advertising, decide on the marketing strategies, control customer retention, etc. It is hard to imagine the world of eBusiness, and eCommer ce in particular, without Big Data. Its impact remains to be huge, and the following examples can prove its urgency.  First of all, the organisation of information can be facilitated. For a long period, different companies have been challenged to collect, save, and keep data from different sources at one place. It was necessary to spend much time analysing each piece of the source chosen. Big Data helps to extract a certain value from data given (Nwokpoku 2015). People, who are involved in eBusiness, win a lot with Big Data concept due to the existing relevance by means of which people can combine data from browsers, social media, and different records and underline those ideas that become more important.  Secondly, Big Data provides business people with an opportunity to make decisions that are more informed and data-driven. The key features of this concept are variability, velocity, variety, and value (Gandomi Haider 2014). They show that each piece of information is a powerf ul combination of different credible facts that may touch upon different spheres of life and help people make fast and properly-grounded decisions. Such ability is necessary for the world of eBusiness; therefore, this relevance cannot be neglected in the analysis. Thirdly, the personalisation of information becomes possible with Big Data. Though some people may think that such general concept with a variety of sources can hardly promote privacy or similar issues, Big Data is created to help sellers observe the changes of users’/consumers’ behaviour and make the necessary connections to realise what can be done more to achieve more efficient results. Finally, it is wrong to believe that Big Data and eBusiness relevance is only about some positive aspects. All people, who are going to use it, should remember that Big Data is a complex mechanism that can work only for those, who know how to use it, when to stop or change a direction, and how to make the correct solutions. Big Data, as well as eCommerce, is a big world of information from different regions. It is so hard to get lost, and people should be ready for any challenge.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How to handle Big Data for a company As Chief Information Officer (CIO), I want to underline that it is not an easy task to handle Bib Data for any company. Each manager has to be ready to learn a lot and improve personal knowledge constantly because the majority of technical errors happen because of people, who make mistakes, not because of some technological glitches. I want to underline that Big Data should be treated in two different ways: on the one hand, it is a marketing term that involve people, their needs, interests, and offers; on the other hand, it is a technical term because it depends on technologies and the way they can work.  To benefit from Big Data, it is important to pay more attention to a company’s informative lifecycle process. It is not enough to check the quality of information; it is necessary to consider the insights and criticise them on a professional level. The company should have powerful leaders, who can set the goals clearly, choose the most talented managers, who can organise the work with information, and underline the importance of a company as a whole because Big Data is for a team not for one person (McAfee Brynjolfsson 2012). Impact of the Internet on Porter’s 5 Forces Model The sphere of eBusiness undergoes considerable changes because of the Internet and people’s burning desire to use it all the time. Still, the changes are not always positive. The Internet is one of the most unpredictable inventions on the earth, and it is hard to guess if it is a chance or a challenge. As many business models and strategies, Porter’s model undergoes certain changes as soon as the Internet spreads i ts power over people. Though Karagiannopoulos, Georgopoulos, and Nikolopoulos (2005) found out that the Internet did not promote significant changes, and this traditional model can be used for the examination of business and its peculiarities. Porter’s model is a powerful attempt to analyse the world of business with its threats of entrants and substitutes, power of buyers and suppliers, and rivalry that has been developing during a considerable period (Hax 2009). It helps to understand if the company is profitable enough for competitions and investments. The modern world of business depends on how its people can use Porter’s model and choose the most appropriate ways to succeed. At the same time, the modern eBusiness world has been dramatically changed because of the Internet and the opportunities available. Therefore, the impact of the Internet on the Five Competitive Forces remains to be crucial and cannot be controlled by those, who know a little about actual abili ties of the Internet.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Online Business Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All business students are provided with knowledge about the Internet’s direct impact on business. Though students spend much time learning and analysing the current opportunities and technological progress, they cannot understand how exactly this issue defines the quality of all work done. Not all business people are ready to compare the possibilities of the past with the possibilities of the future to make the correct decision today. Porter’s model is about the analysis, and if the Internet changes the compositions of the analysis, it will change the essence of the analysis itself. It is wrong to believe that no dramatic changes can happen to the model. It is inappropriate to believe that the change of one aspect can lead to the change of another aspect. It may happen that the Internet can in fluence the bargaining power of buyers or substitutes and has nothing to offer to change the threats of entry. Therefore, the analysis of each dimension is necessary. How the Internet Changes the Game The Internet has enough powers to impact business games modern people are so eager to play day by day and promote economic benefits (Bernard Souza 2009). Even if people do not want to agree with the fact that they are the players that can win or lose one day, all business people want to use their thinking abilities and chances to achieve more (Werbach Hunter 2012). Each dimension of Porter’s model changes because of the power of the Internet to business. The bargaining power of customers and buyers may be considerably increased due to a variety of information available through the Internet. The threat of new entrants and substitute products may be also changed, still, it is hard to predict what kind of changes can be. On the one hand, it is easier to enter a new market with th e Internet because there is no necessity to open a real store or business centre or something else (Morais, Pires, Moreira 2012). It is enough to create a captivating site and make people learn about their possibilities for the services offered. On the other hand, people can get access to many e-business companies that can offer the same services at more reasonable prices. Therefore, the level of substitutes and abilities of business players can be dramatic for each other. The peculiar feature of the Internet is its ability to create unexpected outcomes and influence the whole system in the most unpredictable way. And if Porter’s model has been always about something that is expected and can be explained, it cannot stay this way because of the Internet opportunities for people, who develop e-business.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The rivalry achieves a new stage because of the Internet as well. People have to think how to spread their services and offers globally. It is not enough to achieve some local benefits. It is more important to inform as many people as possible to underline the urgency and success of the chosen business. Reference List Bernard, RRS Souza, MP 2009, ‘Dominance in online business games competitions’, Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 36, pp. 287-294. Gandomi, A Haider, M 2014, ‘Beyond the hype: big data concepts, methods, and analytics’, International Journal of Information Management, vol. 35, pp. 134-144. Hax, AC 2009, The Delta model: reinventing your business strategy, Springer Science Business Media, Cambridge, MA. Jao, J 2014, ‘Why big data is a must in ecommerce’, The Big Data Landscape. Web. Karagiannopoulos, G.D., Georgopoulos, N. and Nikolopoulos, K 2005, ‘Fathoming Porters five forces model in the in ternet era’, Info, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 66 – 76. McAfee, A Brynjolfsson, E 2012, ‘Big Data: the management revolution’, Harvard Business Review. Web. Morais, EP, Pires, JA, Moreira, R 2012, ‘E-business maturity: constraints associated with their evolution’, Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 280-300. Nwokpoku, J 2015, ‘Big data: driving e-business through open access’, Vanguard. Web. Werbach, K Hunter, D 2012, For the win: how game thinking can revolutionize your business, Wharton Digital Press, Philadelphia, PA. Yin, H, Jiang, Y, Luo, Y, Liu, Y 2014, ‘Big data: transforming the design philosophy of future internet’, IEEE Network Magazine, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 14-19.