How music benefits the lives, both intellectually and socially, of Research Paper

How music benefits the lives, both intellectually and socially, of mentally retarded people - Research Paper Example Music is a medium that can meet people’ s needs for achievement, belonging, significance freedom and fun, since it allows expression of self and is a means of finding meaningful and enjoyable communication with others. The power of music has been recognized for a long time as a means of promoting health and well-being; therefore, music therapy to mentally retarded people is a means of harnessing the power of music for effective and positive change to individuals. Music actively engages people in their development and behavioural change; hence, for mentally retarded people music permits them to transmit musical and non-musical skills to other facets of life, which brings them from isolation into active participation in the world. The act of making music to mentally retarded people and reacting to musical stimuli makes these individuals able to experience immediate psychological and physiological awareness in various levels. The concrete reality of being able to sense auditorial y, tactfully, visually and emotionally brings these persons into the present, which brings immediate results. From mental retardation, these individuals experience the world around them on a subliminal or unconscious level; nevertheless, through music mentally retarded people can experience life at the conscious level, which opens lines of communication because it awakens, heighten and expand their awareness. Music has many positive changes on different levels to mentally retarded people since it has the unique properties of facilitating creative expression within individuals who have nonverbal or face difficulties in communication skills. Moreover, music provides an opportunity for experiences that open the way leading to motivation in learning in all domains of functioning; as well, music creates opportunities for positive and pleasurable social experiences, which are unavailable to mentally retarded people. In addition, music develops understanding of self, others and the surroun ding which improves the working of mentally retarded people at all levels and improves their well-being as well as fostering their independent living (Barksdale, 2003). There are various fundamental reasons to the effectiveness of using music as a curative agent, which include music being a cross-cultural mode of expression with its nonverbal nature making it a universal means of communication. Music sound stimulus is unique in its power of penetrating the mind and the body regardless of an individual’s level of intelligence or condition; therefore, music stimulates senses, evokes feelings and emotions, elicits both mental and physiological responses and energizes the mind and body. Music’s intrinsic structure and qualities has the potential for self-organization in mentally retarded individuals since it influences musical and non-musical behaviour hence it facilitates learning and acquisition of skills. Music is an extremely efficient and aesthetic modality which appl ies to all people including mentally retarded people owing to its interdisciplinary nature. Music improves motor skill, cognitive skills, affective states and adjustment as well as social skills; hence, music’s interdisciplinary aspects supplement and reinforce therapies for mentally retarded individuals (Barksdale, 2003). Music has been successful as a therapeutic intervention for individuals with mental and physical disorders; hence, music has always been recommended combined with treatment policy in order to supplement medical treatment. Music therapy theory suggest music engages the mind, bringing awareness of self and others leading to positive change and as choice theory suggest, thoughts and feelings change in accordance with actions that satisfy the individuals involved, which music invokes (Barksdale, 2003). Musial activities are useful for motion, also motivate conscious reaction, and complete the power of sensory motivation; however, music

The Assessors Main Responsibilities Essay Example for Free

The Assessors Main Responsibilities Essay Assess the learner’s knowledge, understanding, skills and competence against the criteria set by the awarding body. The assessor must at all times display a fair and professional manner. High standards must be maintained and a thorough understanding of the standards and criteria each learner is working towards is needed. To plan and undertake assessments using the appropriate assessment methods for example, observation, questioning, discussion, recognising prior learning or examining work products. It is important to apply holistic assessment whenever the opportunity arises. All methods of assessment to be used must be agreed upon and understood by the learner. A thorough initial assessment of each learner must be done to ensure any special requirements can be met. It is important to be aware of learners targets and completion dates and work closely with teachers and tutors to ensure continuous progress is achieved. The assessor must support, guide and encourage learners through the assessment process and judge the competence of their work and recognise when a learner is ready for assessment. The assessor must ensure the assessment experience is a positive one for each learner, whether it has a formative or summative outcome. During assessment all VACSR (valid authentic current specific realistic) points must be followed to ensure all judgements and decisions are fair and correct. The assessor must promote equal opportunities at all times and take into account the individual needs and requirements of the learner. Every learner should be given an equal chance to succeed. After the assessment decision has been made constructive feedback must be given and any further planning and action that may be necessary must be agreed. The assessor must keep accurate and up to date assessment records so the learner can clearly understand and keep track of their progress and achievements. It is  important for the assessor to understand the value of reflective practice and continuous professional development (CPD). The assessor must undertake and provide proof of a minimum of 10 hours, 30 hours if a full time assessor of good quality CPD per year and be fully aware of current standardisation methods and procedures. To uphold their assessor status, the assessor will also be required to attend standardisation meetings and be observed carrying out assessment twice a year by the internal quality assurer (IQA). This ensures they are maintaining standards and have a full understanding of the criteria and may occasionally be observed by the external quality assurer (EQA) thus ensuring standards and quality are maintained at all times. The IQA will support any needs they feel the assessor may have. An up to date knowledge of centre policies and procedures for example, Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity and be able to deal with appeals and disputes is also required.

What Ideas Would You Bring To Classroom?

What Ideas Would You Bring To Classroom? To make the learning of vocabulary more interesting, a variety of activities can be conducted. Students can have a board race in class, to practice the language use. The class is divided into two groups. The board is divided into two parts. One student from each group goes to the board. The teacher gives them a sentence to write. For example: write the word in the middle of the board, and the prefix and suffix at the right and left hand side of the root word. Students are to race to the board to indicate whether the word has a prefix or suffix. All students are allowed to help the person at the board but they are not allowed to refer to any books or reference materials. No points will be awarded if any one of the teams uses a book or any reference materials. This enables the students to review a lot of material and identifies common problem areas. Furthermore, it fosters cooperation and unifies the students as a group. The next activity is the dictagloss. The dictagloss has originally been devised as a technique for learning vocabulary in a foreign language. It is also a useful technique to encourage students to work together to extract meaning from complex text. The dictagloss is a very useful activity that helps students to use language in order to learn. Students will have to listen to a text being read and reconstruct it. As students can also construct written summaries, a dictagloss also requires the students to consciously focus on their knowledge of the content and the relationship between ideas and words. Another activity is the use of a short text. A selected short text is read to the class at normal pace. The students listen for meaning. The text is read again and as it is being read, students are to jot down key words and phrases. Working in small groups the students pool their words and phrases and attempt to reconstruct the text from their shared resources. Their version should contain the main ideas of the text and approximate the language choices of the passage. Each group of students produces their own reconstructed version, aiming at grammatical accuracy and textual cohesion but not at replicating the original text. Each group presents their finished version to the class and each text is analysed and compared and the students should then refine their own texts in the light of the shared scrutiny and discussion. Next, a library can be set up within the classroom. The library can be graded. This encourage the student to read as they can have access to library books easily. Through reading, students pick up new words and thus widen their vocabulary. The student who read the most number of books will be rewarded. To make learning of vocabulary more enjoyable, students can also act out or have a pantomime where they are given cards with instructions like Open the parcel noiselessly, or Walk across the room cautiously, and perform the actions without speaking. The other students will try to guess the word or expression that the student is pantomiming. Each time, a student guess correctly, points will be awarded. To teach synonyms and antonyms, the teacher hands out a list of words to each student. There should be two columns next to each word, label the heading of each column, synonym and antonym. The teacher then read out the synonyms and antonyms of those words. The students have to write these words next to the word they are the same or the opposite of. It can be presented as such:- At the end of the lesson, the teacher goes through the lists with the class using a board. When reading a passage, students can be taught different meanings of familiar vocabulary so long as the words are not out of context, recognizing definitions, guessing cause and effect, opposite or contrasting words or phrases, focus on Subject-Verb-Order, where students guess what the general sense of the word it is. If it is a noun, specify whether it is a person, place, thing, abstract idea. If it is a verb, state whether it is an action, or a feeling or emotion.. If it is an adjective, state what the adjective is describing- Good or bad, Size, Colour, Shape or Emotion? To enable students to learn vocabulary in a fun way, a game called Password can be introduced. In this game, the class is divided into two teams. One person from each team sits in a chair in front of the class. Those two people receive a card with a vocabulary card. The first person gives a one-word clue to his/her team. If no one from the team can guess, the second person gives a clue to his/her team. This alternates back and forth until someone from one of the team guesses the word, or until a specified number of clues has been given. Points will be given to each team with the correct answer. The winning team will be awarded. Bibliography: http://eca.state.gov/forum/vols/vol42/no2/p16.htm http://www.collaborativelearning.org/howearthwasformed.pdf http://www.learnenglish.de/Teachers/synonymantonym.html The TESOL textbook Using what you have read in this introduction to TESOL and your own knowledge, what do you consider to be the blocks which may prevent language learning? One block of language learning is language learning style, as students learn differently from others. Getting to know the students learning style will help to match the kind of activities carried out in class to ensure effective learning. Teachers can also be more versatile and adopt a variety of teaching styles to suit the different learnings styles of the students. Fossilization and false learners can hinder the student from learning the new language. Fossilization often means that certain aspects of the language were learned incompletely or incorrectly, such as grammatical features like conjugating verbs in the wrong fashion or using the wrong vocabulary, in such a manner that they cannot be unlearned and replaced with correct usage. Fossilization may also consist of a sort of subconscious clinging to aspects of the learners mother tongue, for instance, with syntax and phonology. This may reflect an inability to similarly unlearn characteristics of a mother language for the purpose of learning another; the native language so deeply hardwired into the brain that its paradigms cannot be replaced when attempting to learn a new and foreign language. Another block to language learning is language prejudice. Stereotypes and cultural bias, the teachers accent are factors that may affect the learning of the language. For example, foreign accents are everywhere and are here to stay; nevertheless, accented English, for example, is looked down upon, generally quite sternly. In addition, within what is refer to as a language, certain ways of speaking that language (AAE, for example) meet with great prejudice, social and racial in nature. Thus, all language teachers must work to overcome language prejudice, as it generally serves as a mask over class and racial prejudice should be tolerated too. One of the biggest challenge ESL teachers face is that one ESL class may consist of students from many nations, even if, for example, they are all Spanish-speaking countries. The cultures of Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Columbia, and Mexico , for instance, are very much different, so teachers should not assume that students who share a common native language will share similar cultural backgrounds. Even students from different regions of the same country will have different cultural beliefs and traditions that should be honored and preserved. Being more conscious of the different cultures will help to make a better teacher. Extensive research has already been done in the area of native language interference on the target language. Dulay et al (1982) define interference as the automatic transfer, due to habit, of the surface structure of the first language onto the surface of the target language. Lott (1983: 256) defines interference as errors in the learners use of the foreign language that can be traced back to the mother tongue. Ellis (1997: 51) refers to interference as transfer, which he says is the influence that the learners L1 exerts over the acquisition of an L2. He argues that transfer is governed by learners perceptions about what is transferable and by their stage of development in L2 learning. In learning a target language, learners construct their own interim rules (Selinker, 1971, Seligar, 1988 and Ellis, 1997) with the use of their L1 knowledge, but only when they believe it will help them in the learning task or when they have become sufficiently proficient in the L2 for transfer to be possible. Other factors that may prevent language learning is being overly self-conscious about their use of language, and a fear of being misunderstood. Not having enough exposure within the class and outside will also prevent language learning, as students will not have enough opportunities to use the language. Generally, the difficulties adults face include the following: 1. Self conscious 2. no respect for teacher 3. fossilized errors 4. personal issues / politics 5. intrusions 6. different levels / abilities However, the difficulties teachers face include 1. lack of interest 2. time management 3. body language 4. Teacher Talk Time 5. ensuring participation Bibliography http://hufs.davidboesch.com/GSE_YLDownloads/Reid.Joy.LearningStylePreferenesESLLearners.pdf http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/63102.aspx http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/interviews_W-ONeil.php http://www.yourdictionary.com/esl/ESL_Classroom-and-Cultural_Sensitivity.html http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/English_as_an_additional_language_-_Difficulties_for_learners/id/5023415 It seems reasonable to suggest that the motivation that students bring to class is the biggest single factor affecting their success. Comment (500-750 words) Students of all ages, all around the world, are learning to speak English. Some students want to learn English because it is on the curriculum in school, but for others, it reflects a kind of choice. Like an instrument, students may learn it for a practical purpose. They may have moved into a target-language community and they need to operate successfully within the community. Students could also learn English for a Specific Purpose, where they may need to learn the language for legal purposes, business, tourism, banking or nursing. For those who are studying at an English speaking University, they may need to take English for Academic Purposes. Some learn English as it will be useful for travel. A variety of factors can create a desire to learn. Perhaps the learners love the subject, some are motivated for a practical reason, like being able to acquire a skill or knowledge. The desire to achieve some goal is the bedrock of motivation and if it is strong enough, provokes a decision to act. For an adult, it may involve enrolling in an English class. This kind of motivation which comes from outside the classroom and may be influenced by a number of external factors such as the attitude of society, family and peers, to the subject in question, is referred to as extrinsic motivation, that is, the motivation that is generated outside the classroom. Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is the kind of motivation that is generated by what happens inside the classroom; this could be the teachers methods, the activities that students can take part in, or their perception of success or failure. Students may be both extrinsically and intrinsically motivated. However, the danger of being extrinsically motivated is that it is harder to sustain than intrinsic. As the subject gets harder, students may give up or get bored with it. As adult learners, they may have a wider range of life experiences to draw on, both as individuals and as learners, than younger students do. They are more discipline, and have a clear understanding of why they are learning things, and can sustain their motivation. However, they come with a lot of previous learning experience which can hamper their progress. Students who had negative learning experiences in the past may be nervous of new learning. Students used to failure may be consciously or subconsciously prepared for failure. The task of the teacher would be to sustain their motivation. This could be done through the activities the teachers ask the students to take part in, will, excite their curiosity or provoke their participation help them to stay interested in the subject. The teacher needs to select an appropriate level of challenge so that things are neither too difficult nor too easy. Appropriate teacher qualities need to be displayed so that students can have confidence in their abilities. Students feedback is important as it shows how students feel about the learning process. Students need to feel that the teacher really cares about them; if students feel supported and valued, they are more likely to be motivated to learn. Encourage the students to make decisions in class over the choice of activities. This make the students feel they have some influence over what is happening, rather than always being told exactly what to do. In this way, they are often more motivated to take part in the lesso n. Nevertheless, however much the teacher does to foster the motivation of the student, we can only offer our support and assistance by word and deed. Real motivation comes from within each student themselves. Without motivation, the students are unlikely to succeed. Bibliography: How to Teach English by Jeremy Harmer. Knowing a language is not just a matter of having grammatical competenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We have seen that we also need to add to communicative competence that is the understanding of what language is appropriate within certain situations The Practice of Language Teaching Harmer. Is there any place for teaching grammar in a formal manner? Give reasons for you answer and include a formal discussion of what you mean by a formal manner. One of the main reasons that people need to pick up a language is for the purpose of communication. Lessons hence ought to facilitate language use where it is not just bits and pieces of vocabulary slotted in, but also involves language functions such as inviting, agreeing and disagreeing, suggesting and so on which students need to learn using a variety of language components. As teachers of communication, we have to facilitate the communication built in by personalized and imaginative exercises where the student can use the structure for himself. (Harmer). Teaching grammar in the formal manner refers to teaching grammar by translating grammar, where students would look at the word, dictionary and change it into their own language; in other words, using meta-language. Another method of teaching grammar is the direct approach forming sentences around new words. For example, students are given 10 sentences in aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (achieving grammatical competence?). Grammar translation still has relevance today, though it is not practiced in the same way. Nevertheless, most language learners translate in their heads in very much the same way by comparing it to their mother tongue. However, a total concentration on grammar translation stops students from getting the kind of natural language input that will help them acquire language and it fails to give them opportunities to activate their own language knowledge. Translation and mindless repetition of grammatical structure that is taught in formal grammar will be avoided as students need to k now not only the correct grammar, but also where and how to use it. Audiolingualism capitalized on the suggestion that if we describe the grammatical patterns of English, we have students repeat and learn them. Grammatical structures were presented in simple situations which exemplified their usage. Crucially too, the structures were hence graded so that students learnt the easy ones first before moving onto things that were more complex. Audiolingualism argued that learning is the result of habit formation, where performing the correct response to a stimulus means that a reward is given; constant repetition of this reward makes the automatic response.Audio-linguak classes hence made extensive use of drilling in which students produced the same grammatical pattern, but were prompted to use the different words within the grammatical pattern, in the hope that they would acquire good language habits. Nevertheless, audiolingualism does not expose students to real or realistic language, and were therefore unlike to produce natural sounding language themse lves. Language is not just patterns of grammar with vocabulary items slotted in, but also involves language functions such as inviting, agreeing and disagreeing, suggesting which students should learn how to perform using a variety of language components. Students also need to know about the appropriacy of the when talking and writing to people in terms of the kind of language they use (formal, informal, tentative, technical). Hence communicative competence is not just about the language but also about language use. The second principle of Communicative Language Teaching in gaining communicative competence is that so long as the students get enough exposure to language and opportunities for language use the language learning will take care of itself. As a result, has been teaching students to communicate real messages, and not just grammatically controlled language. Giving students different kinds of language, pointing them towards aspects of style and appropriacy, and above all giving th em opportunities to try out real language within the classroom humanized what had sometimes been rigidly controlled. Another approach to teaching English, which Berlitz adopts is the Lexical approach, which teaches learners to be fluent in the language in a short 6 months. The last method used today in teaching grammar is characterized as postmodern; where there is a return to grammar and blended learning. Learning to communicate alone might not be sufficient in effectively conveying themselves, as spoken grammar differs from written grammar, and some phrases appear in spoken English that we would not necessarily write; spoken grammar moreover is more informal than written grammar. Nevertheless, classroom technique is important to good effective communication, and for the right application of grammar for students to convey themselves meaningfully.

technology Essay -- essays research papers

THURSDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- Following surgery, a single dose of the cancer drug carboplatin is just as effective, and less toxic, than the standard three weeks of radiation therapy traditionally used to fight stage 1 seminoma, a form of testicular cancer, British researchers report. In addition, treatment with carboplatin results in the development of fewer new seminomas compared with traditional radiation therapy, according to the report in the July 23 issue of The Lancet. For the past half-century, the standard care for seminoma has been to remove the cancerous testicle, usually followed by three weeks of radiotherapy. However, the researchers point to previous studies that found that patients followed for up to 30 years post-treatment still faced an increased risk of cancer in other organs, as well as heart disease. Patients may finally have a new option, however. "We have defined a new standard for patients with testicular cancer," said lead author Dr. Tim Oliver, a professor of medical oncology at St. Bartholomew's and The London School of Medicine. "It's proven to be as safe as radiation, and it's less toxic." In their study, Oliver and colleagues randomly assigned nearly 1,500 patients with stage 1 seminoma to a single course of post-surgery carboplatin or radiation therapy. After three years of follow-up, they report that survival without relapse was similar in both groups -- 94.8 percent among those who received carboplatin compare...

Cat in the Rain Essay

In his frictional story, â€Å"Cat in the Rain,† Ernest Hemingway sets the scene for his fiction in a hotel room in Italy on a rainy day. On the first reading of this short story it can be easily interpreted as a wife nagging her husband, who is lying in bed preoccupied reading a book. The young married American’s being in a foreign country on business or pleasure, (Hemingway does not say) one would expect that the expression of love would be more prominent even more so on a rainy day, however, this is not evident in Hemingway’s story. What Hemingway does illustrate is how an â€Å"American wife† feels starved for attention and love in her failing marriage. He uses a cat as a symbol of compassion an affection to express the woman’s need for these emotions. Her frustration with her husband, whom does not readily allow her to physically share these feelings with him, also becomes very evident in the story. Hemingway uses the heavy rains as a tool to confine the American couple to their room, thereby, allowing him to display the interaction between the couple and further demonstrate their deteriorating marriage. In the story, the â€Å"American girl† sees the cat through her window â€Å"crouched under one of the dripping green tables,† and immediately feels the need to rescue it. Here is where Hemingway begins to use symbols to express the girl’s determination to save her faltering marriage. He shows the girl’s eagerness to go through the heavy rains to save the cat. The cat represents what she wants in her marriage, affection and compassion, and the rain signifies In his frictional story, â€Å"Cat in the Rain,† Ernest Hemingway sets the scene for his fiction in a hotel room in Italy on a rainy day. On the first reading of this short story it can be easily interpreted as a wife nagging her husband, who is lying in bed preoccupied reading a book. The young married American’s being in a foreign country on business or pleasure, (Hemingway does not say) one would expect that the expression of love would be more prominent even more so on a rainy day, however, this is not evident in Hemingway’s story. What Hemingway does illustrate is how an â€Å"American wife† feels starved for attention and love in her failing marriage. He uses a cat as a symbol of compassion an affection to express the woman’s need for these emotions. Her frustration with her husband, whom does not readily allow her to physically share these feelings with him, also becomes very evident in the story. Hemingway uses the heavy rains as a tool to confine the American couple to their room, thereby, allowing him to display the interaction between the couple and further demonstrate their deteriorating marriage. In the story, the â€Å"American girl† sees the cat through her window â€Å"crouched under one of the dripping green tables,† and immediately feels the need to rescue it. Here is where Hemingway begins to use symbols to express the girl’s determination to save her faltering marriage. He shows the girl’s eagerness to go through the heavy rains to save the cat. The cat represents what she wants in her marriage, affection and compassion, and the rain signifies the struggles she is willing to go through to better her marriage, even if it means getting wet in the process. The â€Å"American girl† believes this is a challenge she alone has to endure. Thus, when she announces that she is going to rescue the cat from the rain and her husband George offers to be the hero in the rescue attempt, even though it was a halfhearted offer, she quickly replies â€Å"No, I’ll get it. With the help of the maid she goes through the rain in search of the cat but when she gets to where she saw it last it has disappeared. The â€Å"American wife† becomes even more irritated with herself and her husband when she returns to the room empty handed. She desperately wanted the cat, â€Å"I wanted it so much,† but more so, she wanted change in her marriage and change in her appearance. She was tired of her boyish look and felt she needed to be more feminine, â€Å"I get so tired of looking like a boy. However, George was contented with how things were. He barley even shifted from his book when she began scrutinizing her appearance. The only comment of support he could offer was, â€Å"You look pretty darn nice,† but she required more for herself. The cat, even though symbolic, would have allowed her to express her feelings of affection and compassion, â€Å"I want to have a kitty to sit on my lap and purr when I stroke her. † George, being insensitive to her needs, did not even offer himself as an outlet for her emotions. Instead his remark to her was, â€Å"Oh, shut up and get something to read,† as she continued to utter her discomforts in her appearance and her femininity. Hemingway’s fictional story does have a surprising ending when the maid brings the â€Å"American wife† a â€Å"big tortoise-shell cat†. The â€Å"American wife† receives what she wanted, an outlet to express her affections and compassions, but in fact, it would not help her marriage. The cat was just a symbol of what she wanted from her husband, George. Unless she can convince him to be more open with her and more lovingly expressive with her, her marriage will still falter.

Examines sins effects on various characters in The Scarlet Letter and evaluates their responses to it.

Examines sins effects on various characters in The Scarlet Letter and evaluates their responses to it. Individuals resolve similar problem in different ways. In his novel, "The Scarlet Letter", Nathaniel Hawthorne explores this idea through the characters of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth and their reactions to sin. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth each have a unique response to sin: Hester acknowledges sin; Dimmesdale buries sin; Chillingworth avenges sin. Hester's response to her sin is the most successful, and she eventually overcomes her shame. Through his use of characterization, Hawthorne explores the effects of sin on various characters, suggesting that the most beneficial response to sin is truth.The actions of Hester Prynne throughout The Scarlet Letter are utilized by the author to examine the success of her response to sin. The novel begins with Hester being condemned by the community for her adulterous sin. The crowd gathers to "stare at the ignominious letter on her breast" and witness "the spectacle of guilt and shame of Hester Prynne's di sgrace" (Hawthorne 55-56).This is the title page for the first edition of Th...The scaffold, which Hester is forced onto during her denunciation, is considered the ultimate manifestation of "ignominy" in Puritan society, and is where Hester is first exposed to the "guilt and shame" that she will be required to endure publicly as a result of her sin. When first subject to such humiliation, Hester is depicted as unable to face reality: "she clutched the child so fiercely to her breast...she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real" (Hawthorne 59). Hester is initially incapable of coping with her sin and is required to use the scarlet letter as evidence of its veracity. However, being forced to wear the scarlet letter on her bosom compels Hester to develop the ability to deal with the repercussions of her...

Spanish Expressions Using Ir

Spanish Expressions Using Ir Like its English counterpart to go, the Spanish verb ir can be used with an incredible variety of meanings. The meanings of phrases using ir cant always be determined logically merely by knowing the meanings of the individual words, so they are best learned through actual use or memorization. Using ‘Ir A’ as a Type of Future Tense By far the most common expression using ir is ir a followed by an infinitive. For most purposes, it is the equivalent of the English to go to followed by a verb. Thus voy a estudiar means I am going to study. This use of ir a is extremely common in Spanish, so much so that in some parts of Latin America it is the de facto future tense. It even has a name- the periphrastic future. (Something periphrastic uses more than one word.) Where it is in common use, it all but replaces the standard or conjugated future tense in standard speech. In other words, a sentence such as Vamos a comprar la casa can be translated as either We are going to buy the house or We will buy the house. Other Phrases Using ‘Ir’ Many of the other expressions using ir are formed by following ir with a prepositional phrase. Following are some of the most common. Keep in mind that some of the expressions here can also be translated literally. For example, while ir de has two idiomatic definitions given here, it can also be translated literally. For example: Mi tà ­a va de trabajo a trabajo. (My aunt goes from job to job.) ir a (or, less commonly, ir para) destination: to go to (a place). Fuimos a la playa. (We went to the beach.)Quienes fueron a Espaà ±a? (Who went to Spain?) ir en vehicle: to travel by (type of vehicle). Less commonly, the preposition por can be used instead. Voy en autobà ºs. (I am traveling by bus.)Nos iremos en taxi, porque no quisiera depender de nadie. (Well go away by taxi, because we dont want to depend on anybody.) ir para infinitive: to go to verb, to go in order to verb, to go for the purpose of verb. Vamos para conocer a mis padres. (We are going in order to meet my parents.)Quiero ir para aprender espaà ±ol. (I want to go in order to learn Spanish.) ir para type of job or career: to go to become someone with the stated type of job. Pablo va para mà ©dico. (Pablo is going to become a doctor.)Debe ir para el candidato presidencial. (She should go become a presidential candidate.) ir gerund: to be doing something, usually with the connotation of doing so gradually or laboriously. Voy aprendiendo la leccià ³n. (I am slowly learning the lesson.)Él va construyendo la casa. (He is gradually building the house.) ir tirando: to manage or get by. Vamos tirando por mucha ayuda. (Were getting by with a lot of help.)Ahora con la crisis las cosas estn malas, pero vamos tirando. (Things are bad with the crisis now, but well manage.) ir andando, ir corriendo: to walk, to run. Va andando a la escuela. (He is walking to the school.)Fue corriendo a la escuela. (He ran to the school.) ir de: to be about or be the subject of (when said of a book, movie, speech, etc.) El seà ±or de los anillos va de un hobbit. (The Lord of the Rings is about a hobbit.)Romeo y Julieta va de amor. (Romeo and Juliet is about love.) ir de: to think of oneself as. Roberto va de inteligente. (Roberto thinks hes smart.)Los jovenes de esa escuela siempre van de invencibles. (The teens at that school always think theyre invincible.) ir de, ir con: to be dressed in. Él va con camisa blanca. (He is wearing a white shirt.)Ella va de azul. (She is dressed in blue.) ir de compras: to go shopping. Fuimos de compras. (We went shopping.)Es imprescendible que vaya de compras antes. (It is vital that he has gone shopping earlier.) ir por: to search for, to go in search of, to go for. Vamos por una casa nueva. (Were off in search of a new house.)Mis hijos iban por un regalo para mà ­ y ya no regresaron. (My children went to get a gift for me and still havent come back.)  ¿Cà ³mo indirect object pronoun ir?: How goes it (for you, him, her, etc.)? This concept can be expressed colloquially in many ways.  ¿Cà ³mo te va? (Hows it going?) ¿Cà ³mo le va a à ©l? (Hows it going for him?) irse por las ramas: to beat around the bush, to get sidetracked. El testigo se fue por las ramas. (The witness beat around the bush.)Ella solà ­a siempre irse por las ramas y nunca llegar al grano. (She would always ramble on and never get to the point.)

NE and Chessapeake DBQ essays

NE and Chessapeake DBQ essays The victory over the Spanish Armada left England with a window of opportunity to explore the unchartered New World. Many set off to sea in search of a future unknown. As a result of this opportunity, English settlement of the North America became inevitable in the late 1500s and early 1600s. By the 1700s, there were two prominent colonies in the New World, New England, and the Chesapeake Region. Both of the colonies were English in origin, however, the similarities ended there between the two. In fact, the New England and Chesapeake colonies were the opposite of each other for a variety of reasons. By analyzing the reasons for colonization, the colonists actions, leaders and governments, and religious beliefs, the two colonies become two distinct and different societies. The seed of difference between the New England and Chesapeake regions was planted in their respective reasons for settlement and colonization. The Chesapeake region was colonized for economic reasons. The charter for the Chesapeake area was given to the London Company in England by Charles I. The London Company gathered an array of people, consisting of all males either rich or poor. These colonists slowly ventured to the New world in search of profit and gold, an absolute get-rich-quick scheme. (Document F) Eventually, more people were brought over to colonize, but hardly ever women. In a 1635Virginia-bound ship, the ratio of men to women was over 6:1 and no children were on the ships list. (Document C) Nuclear families were not desirable or the intention for the Chesapeake region. On the contrary, the colonists in New England region settled because they were in search of a place to create the perfect religion. Originating from the Netherlands and venturing to New England due to religious repression, the Puritans, as they were called, established their families and lives in the colony. Young...

Chumash uprising 1824 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chumash uprising 1824 - Research Paper Example This binary between the colonial and the colonized cultures was, understandably, something that the native communities found very hard to digest. The Chumash Uprising of 1824 was one such revolt that made it clear to the Spanish colonizers that a mindless devaluation of indigenous cultures and traditions would not be tolerated. There was little that these cultures could do in these situations in terms of their military might; however, they were able to mount cultural challenges through the preservation of their own cultures. This is what the Chumash did as well. Despite reverses as far as the military aspect of their revolt was concerned, they preserved their culture in certain ways through a following of their own religions and modes of production. However, one needs to explore why the Chumash felt the need to revolt in the first place. This was definitely because of the Spanish attempts to efface their culture and the indigenous modes of being. This led to tension that then bubbled over in the form of the Chumash uprising of 1824. This was then something that can be looked at as an assertion of an indigenous identity and the symbols and signs that are attached to it. The Spanish attempt to spread Catholicism was also a potent cause for the uprising. Indigenous cultures all around the world had religions of its own. The Chumash were no different as far as this aspect was concerned. They had their own religions and ways of living. This was what the Spanish colonizers chose to challenge as part of their mission. This was part of an impulse where they believed that they had a good knowledge of the Chumash society and their culture. This knowledge is what they used for the purpose of exercising their control over the Chumash society. Edward Said, in his seminal work on postcolonial societies and the phenomenon of colonialism, says that this notion of knowledge was then converted into power by the colonizers (Said 2000, 12). However, their imperfect knowledge led t o slippages in the exercise of their power and laid open room for revolts and uprisings such as the one that was carried out by the Chumash. The interstices of colonial narratives need to be looked into for a better understanding of such issues. They would help one understand the points at which the colonizer’s power was subverted and challenged. This would then lead to a better understanding even of postcolonial societies in general as a reconstruction of history is necessary for a better understanding of these societies. Another aspect of the colonization was the fact that the colonizers always encouraged only the nobility of the native country (Jackson and Castillo 1995, 36–37). If there was any possibility for the commoners to be a part of the colonial administration, there may have been a possibility that the natives would have cooperated with the colonial administration. However, this was not so in the case of the Chumash. The colonial administration often collab orated with the native nobility so as to oppress the commoners. This resulted in whatever support may have been possible for the colonizers to not emerge. This is not to point out any positive effect that colonialism may have had, but only to highlight how there was a nexus between the colonizer and the upper echelons of the colonized society. This then led to greater

Write a literature review about Healthcare ethics Essay

Write a literature review about Healthcare ethics - Essay Example Often, these standards are the subject of rigorous debate as religion or social agendas come to bear on the question of morality. This paper will examine some of the most recent professional literature in an effort to codify the existing standards, as well as reporting on the prevailing trends in regards to new technologies, the impact of culture, and the evolving morality surrounding life and the end of life care. Healthcare is an extremely broad field comprised on numerous disciplines, and myriad roles for healthcare workers within each discipline. This paper will not address a specific discipline, but instead will examine healthcare ethics from a broad lens while focusing on the commonalities found throughout the different fields. Numerous professional organizations have their own codes of ethics and may have specific guidelines that deal with their clinical specialty. As an example, this may be seen in addiction services, mental health, or gender transformation. However, this paper will report with a broader brush and a major portion will be spent focusing on recent developments in ethics and the challenges that all healthcare workers face in the light of technology, changing demographics, and evolving social standards. Literature Review End of Life Care One of the critical aspects of healthcare ethics is providing palliative care for the terminally ill, and the numerous issues facing end of life care. One of these important ethical issues is 'medical futility', and the application of medical treatment that has little hope of being beneficial. There can be significant disagreements among the patient, family, physician, and insurance providers that all have different treatment goals, as well as their own personal interpretation of medical futility (Bagheri 46). A hospital ethical review board, at the initiation of a physician or the patient, often mediates this dilemma. In a recent comprehensive study conducted at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota, the most frequently cited reasons for an ethics review were "the permissibility of withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatments, resuscitation issues, [and the] appropriateness of treatment (ie, futility vs. nonfutility" (Swetz et al. 690). However, this issue is steeped in con troversy, and according to Bagheri, "Some argue that physicians should be given sole authority to make decisions to withhold or withdraw treatment" (47). Indeed, multiple studies have indicated that in the US, as well as in Europe, physicians unilaterally withhold treatment that they deem futile without consulting either the patient or their family (Bagheri 47). This approach demeans the patient's mental well-being and disregards the ethical component of autonomy. If a patient is mentally capable, they should be apprised of the lack of potential benefit (futility) of a treatment. Eliminating the patient from being informed, or a part of the decision making process, is at best a questionable ethical practice. Still, "physicians cannot be forced (or even expected) to give 'futile' treatment to their patients" (Loewy 299). One question that should routinely be asked when making an ethical decision regarding futility is 'are there any better alternatives'. Professional medical organizations have

Outline and discuss the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) as means of Essay - 3

Outline and discuss the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) as means of valuing securities and their risk. What are the drawbacks - Essay Example Some other financial experts like Lintner and Mossini also explained and purified CAPM and its interpretation in later years (Gassen, and Sellhorn, 2006). Capital Asset Pricing Model Being a quantitative tool for computing the yield of a security, CAPM is used for pricing the financial asset through mathematical calculations (Fields and Vincent, 2001). There are three main components of CAPM model which are stated as follows: Rf = Risk-free rate Beta = Risk of individual security with respect to market Rm – Rf = Market Risk Premium Risk-free Rate Risk free rate is considered as the rate at which the investor does not face any risk yet he obtains a specified return. This risk-free return can be obtained by investing in government securities which are considered are risk free. However, the term risk-free is referred to only the risk related to default risk. Since governments are considered as the ones which are not supposed to face default risk, therefore, their securities are c onsidered as risk-free securities (Babu, 2012). Beta Beta is the factor which indicates the risk of a particular security associated with the overall market risk (Vishwanath, 2007). ... This is the risk which is beyond the control of an investor as well as the corporations whose securities are being traded in the capital market. This risk is called as the overall market risk such that the whole market is exposed to that risk and bears its consequences (Berk and DeMarzo, 2010). On the contrary, unsystematic risk is the risk related to a specific security such as downfall in the earnings, or slow growth, heavy fine etc. This is the risk which does not affect the market and can be eliminated through diversification by adding more securities in the portfolio. Market does not reward unsystematic risk of a particular because this risk can be eliminated through diversification. But it does reward the systematic risk as this risk is faced by every security simultaneously in the whole market (Watson and Head, 2009). In a more concise manner, beta is the measure of systematic risk of the individual security with respect to market risk. In other words, it tells how much volati le an individual security is with the market volatility. Beta of the overall market is 1. So if the beta of the individual security exceeds 1, it means that the security is having more risk as compared to market risk. On the contrary, if the beta is less than 1, it means that the security is having less volatility as compared to market risk. A risk taker invests in those securities which have a beta of greater than 1 whereas a risk averse investor tends to remain at a safe side and invest in those securities which have a beta lower than 1. Market Risk Premium Market risk premium is actually the difference between the overall market return and the risk free return (Brigham and Ehrhardt, 2010). In other words, it is actually the excess return that market provides above the

Question for discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Question for discussion - Essay Example There are some important aspects in King’s argument. King said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. He discussed the interrelation of life and affirmed that all actions have global repercussions. Racism, for instance, may be seen as something that affects only African Americans, but in the end, it affects the whole continent. It hinders relationships across people from different races, and in the end, they cannot unite for a common good such as combating challenges that prevent economic equality. There are some ideas from the letter than can help shine light on current problems facing the American society. King had the idea of people sacrificing their ideas, energy, and time for the common good. Economic inequality as a current problem has been hard to overcome because people fail to sacrifice to achieve economic parity. The society is more of capitalistic, rather than encouraging economic opportunity for every citizen. The government is not willing to make tangible solutions that can transform the economy, as profit making is the main

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Research Methods - Essay Example Whilst he acknowledges that legal compliance and laws may provide a correlation to state behaviour and international politics, Waltz feels that is theory that explains them and to this end attempts to reconstruct classic realism through a somewhat scientific approach. Therefore, Waltz’s book seeks to go beyond the classic realist position of politics in terms of state characteristics and state interaction with each other. Therefore Waltz’s central theory of neo-realism in international politics is underpinned by Waltz’s proposition that the system of international politics is inherently dependent on a system of anarchy. This system of anarchy according to Waltz effectively creates the international order of hierarchy, which is further defined by states who are unitary rational actors on the one hand and rational actors on the other. To this end, Waltz’s discussion of the Cold War highlights his propensity towards viewing the international political order from a systemic perspective as opposed to considering the intentions of individual states and human behaviour, which is arguably the inherent weakness of the book in context of contemporary international politics. For example, in focusing on the international politics as a whole state system as opposed to individual state level factors, Waltz avoids assumptions about human nature and morality and power in international politics. Waltz’s neo-realist paradigm proposes that the central factor in international politics is security and whilst gathering power, often results in destructive effects. Therefore, in propounding the idea that state survival is imperative in international politics, Waltz suggests that gathering power isn’t prominent however the goal of survival necessarily results in power being obtained by default. To this end, Waltz’s theory posits that the international system is the dominant factor, which he

Data Protection Act impact on Security on Canada (IT Security) Essay

Data Protection Act impact on Security on Canada (IT Security) - Essay Example It is necessary to ensure that every organization’s foreign organization follows the same requirements that would apply for Canadian operations, if the information is being transferred for processing. This can be achieved by entering into a contract or legal agreement with the other party â€Å"and adherence to the agreement that the foreign organization must work by the requirements of the Act, the OECD is an instance of such agreements.† (http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/privacy/thridcountries/adequacy-faq_en.htm) Many members of the OECD in the European now have legislations in place, which apply the Privacy Protection Guidelines to the private and public sectors. As a result of this, the most recent OECD analysis on access and supply rights recognizes that: 1. Governments may have a right to block the transfer or broadcast of information between a supplier and potential customer(s) if the information may be considered to endanger national security or to conflict with societal norms on censorship or data protection 2. Third party individuals may require the right to block transfer or broadcast of information between a supplier and potential customer(s) if the information relates to the privacy of the individual. (OECD, 1990, pp. 47) Every organization considers its data pool and its information resources to be invaluable assets, and thus will apply the necessary security strategies in order to protect its information in a way to safeguard its interests. The data protection act helps in avoiding any breach of security that might affect data privacy. The Data protection act requires the implementation of standardized strategies for a secure data management. Every organization is required to assess its own security practices, because necessary security provisions might involve the development and implementation of security policies to protect private data and information. Thus, security

Question for discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Question for discussion - Essay Example There are some important aspects in King’s argument. King said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. He discussed the interrelation of life and affirmed that all actions have global repercussions. Racism, for instance, may be seen as something that affects only African Americans, but in the end, it affects the whole continent. It hinders relationships across people from different races, and in the end, they cannot unite for a common good such as combating challenges that prevent economic equality. There are some ideas from the letter than can help shine light on current problems facing the American society. King had the idea of people sacrificing their ideas, energy, and time for the common good. Economic inequality as a current problem has been hard to overcome because people fail to sacrifice to achieve economic parity. The society is more of capitalistic, rather than encouraging economic opportunity for every citizen. The government is not willing to make tangible solutions that can transform the economy, as profit making is the main

Data Protection Act impact on Security on Canada (IT Security) Essay

Data Protection Act impact on Security on Canada (IT Security) - Essay Example It is necessary to ensure that every organization’s foreign organization follows the same requirements that would apply for Canadian operations, if the information is being transferred for processing. This can be achieved by entering into a contract or legal agreement with the other party â€Å"and adherence to the agreement that the foreign organization must work by the requirements of the Act, the OECD is an instance of such agreements.† (http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/privacy/thridcountries/adequacy-faq_en.htm) Many members of the OECD in the European now have legislations in place, which apply the Privacy Protection Guidelines to the private and public sectors. As a result of this, the most recent OECD analysis on access and supply rights recognizes that: 1. Governments may have a right to block the transfer or broadcast of information between a supplier and potential customer(s) if the information may be considered to endanger national security or to conflict with societal norms on censorship or data protection 2. Third party individuals may require the right to block transfer or broadcast of information between a supplier and potential customer(s) if the information relates to the privacy of the individual. (OECD, 1990, pp. 47) Every organization considers its data pool and its information resources to be invaluable assets, and thus will apply the necessary security strategies in order to protect its information in a way to safeguard its interests. The data protection act helps in avoiding any breach of security that might affect data privacy. The Data protection act requires the implementation of standardized strategies for a secure data management. Every organization is required to assess its own security practices, because necessary security provisions might involve the development and implementation of security policies to protect private data and information. Thus, security

Marketing Plan for Book Publisher Essay Example for Free

Marketing Plan for Book Publisher Essay ‘Knowledge Hub’Publishers is a provider of latest academic and research material, the best literary material in Urdu and English by quality writers both local and international. Our customers rest assured that when they purchase a publication of Knowledge Hub they receive the optimum value for their money or as we call it ‘your money well spent’. Our publications are free of plagiarism and we endeavor to stay a step ahead in providing academic material which is the most recently proven by researchers instead of re-publishing the same material in a different manner. We are a sole proprietorship and our office is located at Urdu Bazar, Lahore. Being a startup in an industry already being served by a huge number of brands, we shall initially target the Lahore market with intent to move into other cities throughout Punjab within 5 years time. Our focus shall remain to continually research and analyze customer needs, wants, reading trends and preferences to ensure that we provide only the most needed and sought after books with the latest content. Knowledge Hub shall provide its client authors with editing, proofreading, layout and design, promotion and authentication services. Whereas, we shall be outsourcing the printing and distribution of our books. Our long term focus is to motivate the culture of e-books and printing on demand in order to safeguard our natural resources for our future generations. Print on demand (POD) is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book (or other document) are not printed until an order has been received, which means books can be printed one at a time. Rationale of this Product: Books are priceless source of knowledge, wisdom and education the best company in times if solitude. Our affiliation with books and knowledge is further promoted by our religion which encourages us to gain knowledge and preaches us to respect books. In today’s fast paced world, where information and knowledge is continually increasing and modifying, the need for books containing the latest of information are always required. As soon as a book or article is publishes a chain of evaluation, testing and research on the published material starts which eventually leads to modified material ready to be published and the cycle continues. This causes a never ending need for high quality books available at easy to access touch points and at affordable prices. And this is exactly what we offer our customers as our product. Strategic Focus and Plan Mission: Knowledge Hub is the premium publisher of academic and illustrated books, novels, best sellers and e-books in Pakistan. We at Knowledge Hub believe that knowledge is a service to be provided to our nation so that we may progress in this fast paced world. The purpose of our affordable and easy to access products is to ensure availability of knowledge to all Pakistanis who seek for it. Goals: Non Financial Goals: Knowledge Hub seeks ensure availability of knowledge to all Pakistanis who seek for it. We at Knowledge Hub believe in a cleaner, safer tomorrow and in a ‘Paper Free World’ in which our natural resources are savored for our future generations to enjoy. Knowledge Hub’s comprehensive website holds the key to a better tomorrow. Our online e-books, research articles, audio and visual resources provide you easy and instant access along with it being environmentally beneficial. Financial Goals: We have targeted to publish 70 books by authors within a year’s time. Moreover, to a customer base of at least 200,000 readers at the end of year one which is approximately 10 percent Market Analysis: International Book Publishing Market: The worldwide book industry has been forecast to exceed revenue of $90 billion. The industry recorded yearly growth of 1% over the past four preceding years, and is expected to accelerate to a yearly rate of almost 4% between 2011 and 2016. Sales by music, video,books and stationery retailers represented the leading segment of the global book market in 2011, generating more than $50 billion and representing 56% of the overall market. Pakistan Book Publishing Market: Book publication is a business very closely related to the literary scenario since books are nothing if they don’t get a publisher or a printer. Like every other thing in Pakistan,the printing industry is with its own sets of problems the initial ones being the unfavorable socio-economic conditions, lack of mass education and the development of local languages. Constraints: Low Literacy Rate: The publishing industry in Pakistan is hampered both by a low literacy rate (48%) and the fact that the national language, Urdu, is written in the right-to-left Arabic script unlike the official language, English, which is written left-to-right. Pakistan has had its share of poetry and prose writers in Urdu, English and other regional languages. Incentives for Writers: Those who don’t reproduce work and are genuinely interested are hardly encouraged. The government, the NGOs and the intellectuals hardly ever take the initiative to encourage young and budding  writers of the country. These results in most of the young authors getting their works published under foreign publishers. At least they get the recognition they warrant in foreign waters. Yet, there are a few committed souls who work tirelessly to make a place for themselves in the literature-deprived country. Market Growth: The publishing industry has been steadily growing despite the many hurdles like the low purchasing power of the masses and the lack of facilities. The principle centers of publishing are Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. Lahore stands out with its numerous publishing houses and has been the hub of the industry from the pre-independence era. Even now, getting a book published from Lahore is much easier than elsewhere. Pakistan’s publishing industry has a lucrative market for Urdu and religious books abroad. A considerable number of books and periodicals are exported to countries like Malaysia, East Africa and the Middle East. Also, a very large number of books is imported in Pakistan mainly from UK and USA. The Inter-Media Growth program of Pakistan and USA have signed an agreement whereby Pakistan can import books and still pay for them in its local currency. Market needs: In the Pakistan scenario, there is need for up-to-date information available at affordable prices and easily accessible via easy to access retail outlets and via e-books. Trends: The following trends are emerging in the publishing industry: E-books Online book stores Reading clubs Book fairs Mobile bookshops Print on Demand These trends are discussed in detail in the ‘Opportunities’section. Customers Analysis: Following is a detailed description of Knowledge Hub’s client authors, intermediate customers and ultimate customers: Client Authors: Our client authors shall include all local authors who have quality material to offer and who fall within in our product range. Intermediate Customer: Our Intermediate or trade customers include: Wholesaler Book Stores Ultimate Customer: Out ultimate customers include: 25534400 school/ college going children in Pakistan 1,349,000 university going individuals in Pakistan 57. 7 % of our adult population which is literate in Pakistan Needs of the Target Customers: Knowledge Hub endeavors to cater to these basic needs of the target consumers: Academic needs Literary/ information needs Entertainment needs Consumer Touch Points: Our target consumer shall purchase our product via the following channels: Book Stores: Knowledge Hub shall have its products available at book stores including academic and literary book stores book shops in schools, colleges and universities. Gift Shops: Our books shall also be made available on gift shops. Libraries: One of the major sources of contact with the target market are libraries. We shall endeavor to establish relations with the local libraries to allow the usage of our products there. Website: Our comprehensive website will also serve as a major source of interaction with our customers. Our website will display our catalogue of books and shall provide the viewers with an option to get access to our products in the form of both paper editions and electronic versions on-line. Customers would be able to be directed to bookstores for the paper version and they may send an order directly to us. They would also be able to unlock and access an on-line edition instantly by making an online payment. Our website viewers would also be able to opt to receive periodic catalogs of our products online via e-mail. Customer Value Proposition: Like they say â€Å"A book is man’s best friend†, Knowledge Hub shall serve to provide its target consumers with books that serve as their best friends in all their walks of life. Knowledge Hub is a provider of latest academic and research material, the best literary material in Urdu and English by quality writers both local and international. Our customers rest assured that when they purchase a publication of Knowledge Hub they receive the optimum value for their money or as we call it ‘your money well spent’. Our publications are free of plagiarism and we endeavor to stay a step ahead in providing academic material which is the most recently proven by researchers instead of re-publishing the same material in a different manner. Knowledge Hub believes in a cleaner, safer tomorrow. We believe in a ‘Paper Free World’ in which our natural resources are savored for our future generations to enjoy. Knowledge Hub’s comprehensive website holds the key to a better tomorrow. Our online e-books, research articles, audio and visual resources provide you easy and instant access along with it being environmentally beneficial. Constraint: The long term vision of Knowledge Hub is to provide all of its resources online so that the environment and our natural resources can be saved. However, due to low levels of computer literacy in Pakistan, this is not possible immediately and shall take efforts from our end to promote education and reading so that our country can move forward past its literacy barriers. Competitor Analysis: Our competitors include: Local Competitors: Sang-e-Meel Publications Ferozsons Awesome Publishers Association for Academic Quality AFAQ Fact Publications Idara-e-Islamiat Kiran Publications Azeem Academy Publishers Book Sellers Hassan Publishers 2 The Point Publishers 7th Sky Publications A to Z Publishers A-One Publishers Adara Talifat Khatm-e-Naboat Adara-Ul-Tahreer Adara-e Saadad Advanced Publishers A. H. Publishers Affaf Publishers Al Raza Publishers Al Quraish Publications Al Mashriq Publishers A. S. Publishers Adabistan Publishers Adan Publications A. N. Publishers Al-Asad Publications Al-Badar Publications Al-Bilal Publishing House Al-Hamd Publications Al-Madina Publications Al-Mezaan Publishers Book Sellers National Competitors: Iqbal Sons Educational Publishers Karachi, Pakistan New Century Education Karachi, Pakistan Baitul Qalam Karachi, Pakistan Electronic Journals of Academic Research and Reviews(EJARR Publishing) Islamabad, Pakistan Library Promotion Bureau Karachi, Pakistan World Trade Publishers Karachi, Pakistan U. S. Publishers (pvt) Ltd. Karachi, Pakistan Children Publications Karachi, Pakistan Jumbo Publishing Karachi, Pakistan 3KBioXML Publishers Pakistan Haripur,Pakistan Strengths of Competitors: Our competitors have the following strengths: Well established brand names. Extensive market experience. Widely available and accepted products. Strong relations with distributors. Huge chains of retail outlets. Weaknesses of Competitors: Our competitors have the following weaknesses: Most of them are obtaining very high profit margins. They provide less incentive for local authors. Re-publishing of material similar to the one already in the market. Low on-line presence. Most of them do not have their own websites. Well established chain throughout Pakistan. Some competitors are also exporting books. Mahwish: SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Well established relations with authors,editors and media personnel Comprehensive website Up-to-date content of book Our mission is in itself a strength Weaknesses: New brand name thus requiring massive promotion Yet to establish credibility with the target customers Initial focus which is only on the Punjab market Opportunities: The emerging trends are opportunities which Knowledge Hub seeks to take advantage of: Time and Technological Advancements: Time and technological advancements play a pivotal role in shaping the trends over the passage of time. As Pakistan is also entering the digital age, traditional distinctions in media become blurred. It can be seen as furthering the book culture. E-books: The biggest contribution of the internet in the book industry would be to digitize books and grant them a wider readership. A number of online websites have sprung up in the last few decades. Quite a lot of these sites are free and others charge a very nominal fee and provide unlimited access to e-books. They can either be downloaded or read on screen. These obviously have become popular because of easy accessibility and the low cost. In Pakistan,a huge majority of people cannot afford the expensive original foreign titles. Hence,these customers can download the electronic versions at much cheapers rates. Some Urdu websites have started to offer online versions of books for foreign readers. This helps in promoting one’s culture as well as to help the expatriate Pakistanis and is a viable opportunity that Knowledge Hub can take advantage of. Online Book Stores: Closely related to e-books are the online book stores, another wonder of the internet and an opportunity for Knowledge Hub. An extension of the traditional book stores, online book stores give the option to search and read reviews of books, browse through categories, view the covers, author information, reader ratings and then order these books online. Although they are not free and even charge a shipping fee, it’s very convenient to search and order books online saving the hassle. Reading Clubs: Reading clubs are a breath of fresh air into the dying book culture. There are a number of book clubs/reading clubs online and offline. People sit and discuss their favorite books or simply talk about what they are reading these days. Readers Club is an exemplary example is of a Readersclub at the University of Karachi, which is moderated by a teacher who is Lecturer at the Department of the International Relations. This is also an opportunity that Knowledge Hub seeks to avail in the future. We plan of starting our own reading club in different cities throughout Pakistan to encourage the reading culture amongst the people of Pakistan. Book Fairs: The first International Book Fair was held in Karachi and Lahore last year at the expo centre and it was well received by the public at large despite the fact that all the books were originals and were highly priced. Knowledge Hub also seeks to participate in such book fairs at both national and international level in the future. Mobile Bookshops: The concept of a Mobile Bookshop was first used by the Welcome Book port some years back. Recently, Oxford started its own mobile book shop and it has been touring the city for quite some time now. Set on a truck, with the back converted into a small book shop with shelves and a counter set snugly at the end, the book shop attracted people outside various schools and universities. Threats: Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrant is always present in our industry and Knowledge Hub shall endeavor to keep track of the latest practices and customer trends and preference in order to stay ahead of our game ahead of competition. Plagiarism Another threat is the problem of plagiarism. That is, either simply copying out whole extracts or stealing the idea or characters. Plagiarism is an old problem and a big worry for authors who spend time and money on writing a piece of good writing and then someone else copies it and sells it at a lower cost. Then there are one-time authors who just reproduce material from some international author and make money by claiming it as their own. Incentives for Writers: The government, the NGOs and the intellectuals hardly ever take the initiative to encourage young and budding writers of the country. This has resulted in most of the young authors getting their works published under foreign publishers. Decline in Reading Habits: There has been a visible decline in reading habits in last few decades. This can be attributed to a number of factors like television, internet and other means of entertainment. Product Market Strategy: Segmentation: Our initial target market for the first five years of operations includes: 10623380 school/ college going children in Punjab 3,683,920 college going individuals in Punjab 3034350 individuals going to universities or acquiring diploma in Punjab Literate individuals above the age of 25 in Punjab This overall customer base has been divided into segments on the following bases: Step No. 1- Geographic Segmentation: As of now we are catering to the consumer base in Lahore. Step No. 2 Segmentation on the Basis of Consumer Age and Needs: From within this customer base our market is further divided into the segments on the basis of the ages and needs of the different customers. Books needs of consumer vary with age and needs such as academic, literary, entertainment or information, etc. Hence we have divided our Lahore consumer base into the following segments: Children below the ages of 10 for their academic, literary and entertainment needs. Children between the ages of 10 – 18 who seek to cater to their academic, literary/ information or entertainment needs. Individuals between the ages of 18 – 25 who seek to cater to their academic, literary/ information and entertainment needs and for research purposes. Individuals and professional from the ages of 25 and above for their academic, literary/ information and entertainment needs and for research purposes. Targeting: Knowledge Hub is provider of books to all the mentioned segments. The reason being that the market is already filled with book publishing brands that have had their names recognized and sought after. If we chose to cater to a narrow segment, chances would have been that our brand would not have attained quick popularity in the overall Lahore Market. Hence, Knowledge Hub is catering to all these segments. We shall target the abovementioned segments with the following products: Academic books for primary level Academic books for secondary level Academic books for university level Illustrated books Novels Best Sellers Our focus shall remain on the publishing of quality and up-to-date material. Positioning: Knowledge Hub will position itself as provider of latest academic and research material, the best literary material and best sellers in Urdu and English by quality writers i. e. both local and international. Knowledge Hub endeavors to position itself as a provider of high quality material at affordable prices. Brand Name: ‘Knowledge Hub’ represents the firm as being a provider of various different sources of knowledge, be it academic or in the form of beautiful pieces of writing to enrich our minds and groom our personalities. Marketing Mix: Product: Our products include: Academic Books for Primary Level: These further include English and Urdu language, mathematics, science, general knowledge, geography, national and international history, Islamiat,social studies and arts and crafts. Academic Books for Secondary Level: These further include English and Urdu language, advanced mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, geography, national and international history, Islamiat, social studies, sociology, business studies and arts and crafts. Academic Books for University Level: These further include books for business studies, information technology, social sciences, media studies, engineering, commerce, law, pharmacy and medicine. Illustrated Books: These books include books on history, local and international cultures, wildlife, politics, etc. Novels: These include prices of writing by local, national and international writers. Our focus always remains to ensure that only quality material which does in fact impart some type of knowledge or provides quality entertainment and grooming to the readers. Best Sellers: This category includes the best selling stories and novels of today’s age and over the decades. E-Books: All of our publications shall be available online in the form of e-books. Price: High Value but Varying Purchasing Power of Consumers: Books are of tremendous value to readers. Readers of the same types of book belong to drastically varying income levels. Competitors’ Pricing: The prices that prevail in the market are not rigid. It an original book is priced high; its copy is prices at very low prices. Our competitors vary in terms of their size, market shares and prices. Consequently their prices also vary. Some competitors are charging premium pricing with tremendous profit margins due to attractive designing, book cover and page and printing quality. Penetration Pricing Strategy: Since the purpose of the creation of Knowledge Hub is to ensure availability of knowledge to all Pakistanis who seek for it, we use penetration pricing strategy. Knowledge Hub believes that knowledge is not a product to be sold but a service to be provided to our nation so that we may progress in this fast paced world. Knowledge Hub has priced its products so that they are easily purchased by the masses. Knowledge Hub will use penetration strategy to penetrate in the market which is already filled with numerous providers. Knowledge Hub has made a point to publish original books at affordable prices and only attain profits sufficient to achieve our vision of making knowledge accessible to all. The attainment of our vision requires periodic expansions first with in Punjab then throughout the country. Since, Knowledge Hub is a sole proprietorship; the profits shall be retained and reinvested in the expansion of the business. Knowledge Hub has priced its products a bit cheaper and more affordable as opposed to its competitors while maintaining high quality in terms of designing, book covers, page material and printing. We strive to position ourselves as the provider of high-quality material at reasonable prices. The prices of our products shall fall in the following ranges: Sr. No. Product Line Price Range (Rs). 1 Academic Books for Primary Level 200   500 2 Academic Books for Secondary Level 250 –800 3 Academic Books for University Level 300 –1200 4 Illustrated Books Up till 1500 5 Novels 200 –1500 6 Best Sellers 300 1800 7 Primary Level Academic E- Books 150 400 8 Secondary Level E- Books 150- 650 9 University Level E- Books 200 –850 10 Illustrated E- Books Up till 850 11 E- Novels 150 900 12 Best Seller E- Books 200 –1000 Price Sensitivity of Customers: In the Lahore market, the customers are highly price sensitive. The customers shall most willingly opt for a provider of quality books at low prices. Distribution Strategy: Our office shall be located near Urdu bazaar, Lahore. Our products shall move from us to our distributor who will supply our books to retailers and from these retailers our books shall reach our consumers. Our distribution network is as follows: Distributors: Since book stores no longer order directly from most publishers and prefer fewer vendors and quicker service. We shall enter into a contract with our distributor and allow us to reach the book trade (independent bookstores, chain bookstores, wholesalers and libraries) is with a distributor. Our Distributor will have sales reps who visit book stores and libraries, show your book catalogs and take orders. We shall use the following touch points to provide our products to the target market: Book Stores: Our products shall be made available in book stores throughout Lahore. Initially our books shall be available at the following book stores: Defence Book Store Readings Classic Book Store Ferozsons Kitabistan Liberty Books Readings The Last Word Variety Books Books Bank and Gift Shop Ravi Book Store Mavra Books. Libraries: We shall also have our books placed in the following libraries throughout Lahore: Quaid-e-Azam Library Environment Data Resource Centre (EDRC) Defence Public Library Complex Punjab Public Library Atomic Energy Minerals Centre Library Islamia College Library, Islamia College Government College Library, Government College University Lahore University of Management Sciences Library, Lahore University of Management Sciences National Library of Engineering Sciences Dyal Singh Trust Library Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Library, Lahore Peoples Bank Library, Lahore Pakistan Administrative Staff College Library, Lahore The Ewing Memorial Library Babar Ali Library Atchison College, Lahore Punjab University Library, Lahore Dr Baqirs Library, Lahore Gift Stores: Gift stores will also be a touch point of Knowledge Hub. It is often noticed that people gift good illustrated books, novels and best sellers as gifts on various occasions. Hence placing our products in gift stores shall cause an increase in the number of sales and the popularity of our brand name. Places like Illusions will serve as an ideal place for placing our products. Gift Baskets: We shall also enter into mutual agreements with gift shop owners to form ‘gift baskets’ which will include different items to be placed in the form of a gift basket and including one of our books. An example of this can be a pen/ a diary or note pad along with a small teddy bear and a novel or best seller placed in a beautiful gift basket and covered with a net and tassels. Fiction and Poetry Books: Fiction and poetry can be sold better in gift stores as opposed to book stores. Website: Knowledge Hub shall maintain a comprehensive website containing electronic versions of all its books. We will use this website to display our catalogs of books and to sell those books in both paper editions and in electronic versions on-line. Customers would be able to be directed to bookstores for the paper version and they may send an order directly to us. They would also be able to unlock and access an on-line edition instantly by making a online payment. Our website viewers would also be able to opt to receive periodic catalogs of our products online via e-mail. Retail Outlet: By 2014, we plan to open our own retail outlet in H Block Defence with the name of Knowledge Hub. Our outlet shall contain all of our publications. Tahira: Promotion Strategy: Knowledge Hub will use the following promotional techniques to promote its products: Newspaper and Magazine Advertisement: Knowledge Hub shall have the following print advertisement placed in the newspapers and magazines including Sunday Times, Zarnigar, Weekly Pulse,Pakistan Textile Journal Magazine ,Herald ,Defence Journal Magazine (DJ),etc. Book Promotion: Knowledge Hub will use tools like book reviews, news releases and a limited amount of highly targeted direct mail advertising. Book reviews and news releases result in free (editorial) publicity while direct mail (Postal and email) delivers your sales message directly to potential customers. Book Reviews: Book reviews are editorial copy that is far less expensive and much more credible than space advertising. The huge number of magazines, newsletters and newspapers columns that are in the market will receive review packages. These reviews will be published for the trade wholesalers and bookstores and libraries. These reviews tell the trade what is coming so they can order the books before the public reads the post-publication reviews in the popular magazines and newspapers. News Releases: We shall follow the review copies with news releases and articles every month to the very same magazines, newsletters and newspapers. These news releases allow opinion-molding editors know what you are doing and why your book has the information their readers need. Direct Mail Advertising: Direct mail advertising of our catalog and books will provide us with the opportunity to get our complete sales message to a specific potential buyer. Our mailing list for direct mails shall remain selective and include only our main buyers. Broadcast E-mail to Main Buyers: This method will is even better than direct postal mail and eliminates printing, stuffing and postage while getting a quick response. Knowledge Hub will assemble email addresses from customers and potential customers and alert them pertaining to our books. Radio TV Interviews: Radio/TV interviews are an easy way to have the masses asking and searching for an upcoming book. Knowledge Hub shall arrange radio and television interviews of authors hose books are about to be published with us. If the book gains popularity so do we. Radio and television talk shows need interesting guests to attract listeners and viewers. Most people feel that authors are experts and celebrities, so most of the guests booked on such shows are authors. While advertising products on the air is expensive interviews are an editorial matter. People listen to editorial matter. Interviews are more effective than advertising and they are free. Hence, they will serve as an inexpensive way to sell our books. Autograph Parties: Knowledge Hub will arrange autograph parties or book signings in our client bookstores, both chain and independent to draw potential customers into their stores. Best Sellers: Knowledge Hub will endeavor so that its books are labeled as bestsellers. This would drastically improve our brand image. Book fairs: Knowledge Hub will organize book fairs are where publishers traditionally show their books but there are several different kinds. There fairs will be for bookstore buyers, libraries, the general public and so on. Initially these book fairs will be local but they will be replaced with book fairs in other cities as our business expands. Specific Category Promoting: From time to time Knowledge Hub shall also indulge in specific category book promotion. Where we shall promote our different products like children’s books, illustrated books, etc in schools, universities, etc. Audible Books: Some of our potential customers may commute or travel a lot and hence will not have time to read our book. This constraint can be overcome by forming audible books. E-Books: One of the very rapidly emerging trends in the book publishing industry is that –f electronic books. Knowledge Hub shall take complete advantage of this means of reaching to the targeted audience. Public Relations: Knowledge Hub will endeavor to maintain good relations with the distributor, retailing chains,gift stores, editors who write book reviews and leading authors. Sales Promotions: Knowledge Hub will provide sales promotions to retailers and libraries such as books at discount prices when purchased in huge bulks to motivate them to purchase our products and help the company penetrate into the target market. Implementation Strategy: Our primary function as book publishers is to procure books and make them available for sale. Procurement of books will involve soliciting and accepting marketable manuscripts, contracting with the author for selling rights, and getting them copies printed and distributed. The selling of our books will involve making contacts with industry retailers and distributors, and selling directly through your own website. We shall make a percentage of each sale and pay the balance to the author. Operational Plan: For works written independently of the publisher, writers shall first submit a query letter or proposal directly to a literary agent or to a publisher. Submissions sent directly to a publisher are referred to as unsolicited submissions, and the majority come from previously unpublished authors. We shall accept these unsolicited manuscripts, and place it in the slush pile, which our readers will sift through to identify manuscripts of sufficient quality or revenue potential to be referred.

Black Hawk Down: Narrative Theory Analysis

Black Hawk Down: Narrative Theory Analysis In 1993, over one hundred US soldiers were dropped into the urban heart of Mogadishu, Somalia. The purpose was to perform an operation to capture a violent warlord by the name of Mohamed Farrah Aidid and his closest members. The purpose of the operation was to quell the ongoing civil war. The war was taking a devastating toll on the civilian population as supply and food shipments from Red Cross agencies were hoarded. Starvation was the warlords main weapon. It was decided by the US that intervention was the only way to prevent the continuation of the atrocities. Unfortunately, the US soldiers were not prepared to face the tactical nightmare Mogadishu would become when two of their helicopters were shot down during the operation. All the stories of the soldiers involved were later recorded and written in a book by Mark Bowden, entitled Black Hawk Down. It was this book that a screenplay and eventually a feature film would be based on in the 2001 adaptation Black Hawk Down, directed b y Ridley Scott. If anyone had previously seen a Ridley Scott film, they would know that he is meticulous in creating detail and realism. Black Hawk Down does nothing less than emanate this style of directing. He has helped push a new wave in directing style, where realism in situations and characters account for as much of the movie as the plot. These both apply to narrative and genre theories. The new elements that have been inserted into the creation of the war movie genre and narrative have added new depth and meaning to what we see and understand about the people who fight our wars. The image of the US soldier has been elevated to almost mythic proportions, partly due to ad campaigns, but also to the portrayal of war and the realism that moves us closer to the fighting than we can ever imagine. The beauty is that the answers are explained by philosophical geniuses who have all contributed theories to understanding why we think in certain ways and experience certain pleasures. Ev erything we interpret is relative to our own experiences. The purpose of this essay is to analyze Black Hawk Down using the various narrative theories of these intellectuals. Some provide thoughts on the narration of the story such as Propp, Todorov, Barthes and Levi Strauss, while others look at the genres and their various approaches to creation and production; finally, semiotic analysis allows us to know how we interpret the images we see (both syntagmatically and paradigmatically). Narrative theory applies to the structure of the production, whether it is in film, television, literature or radio. Analysts of narrative theory usually grasp the basic structure of the particular genre before viewing the production based on formulaic series of events associated with that genre. These series of events that have an appearance of repetition, according to Valdimir Propp, are called narratemes. According to Propp, depending on the medium/genre, the events can be predetermined by using his 32 narrative functions and 8 spheres of action. The medium does not have to include all 32 of his functions, but the ones they do contain will always happen in a specific order. Another theorist by the name of Todorov came along and simplified what Propp had been writing about. He generalized narratives to follow the path of equilibrium-disequilibrium-equilibrium. This is where Black Hawk Down takes a turn to the unique side. Because of the nature of the conflict, equilibrium never tru ly existed from the beginning. There may have been equilibrium in the US troops position, but the overall conflict presides over any minuscule balance. The movie begins panning over malnourished Somalis affected by the starvation campaign of Farrah Aidid while text scrolls across the screen explaining the situation. The first glimpse of US troops occurs here when the viewer watches them fly overhead in an SH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The troops begin to watch a Red Cross shipment of food and supplies getting hoarded by the warlord Aidids men. The disequilibrium we had set in the beginning of the movie gets thrown to another level when civilians are shot attempting to take some food. This is where the movie continues to present its uniqueness. As the movie progresses, nothing goes as planned during the operation to capture the warlord. In the process of putting troops on the ground, two helicopters are shot out of the sky by Somali guerillas, further pushing the stability of the movi e. This is why Todorov generalized about the narrative theory: not everything follows a standard, and the ones that dont stand out, good or bad. In this case, the movie created a cinematic experience like most great war movies: immersive, intense and filled with feminine and masculine narratives (discussed later on). The movie eventually reached as much equilibrium as allotted due to the situation. In the end, 17 soldiers had been killed for an operation that was meant to be more than a grab-and-go. But one key aspect to Todorovs theory is that the ending is ideologically significant. How it achieves this closure reveals how narratives function to maintain/challenge established power relations in society. Quite close to how the movie began, it ended, but this time with closure and equilibrium. The music and setting were serene with a feeling of despair, fitting the mood of both dying and/or dead civilians/soldiers because of the conflict in Mogadishu. To the soldiers at the end of t he movie, it no longer became a fight for their own lives, but that for their fellow soldiers. A bond throughout the movie was created between them, and although some were lost to the fighting, the bond never disappeared. This is visible at the end of the movie when Josh Harnetts character Eversmann spoke to a fallen soldier about returning home and talking to his parents about who he was, what he did, and why they should be proud of him. It was an underhanded way of making us look at relationships the soldiers built instead of letting us take a step back and ask why they were there in the first place. What makes this so ideologically significant? It is in the beginning of the movie when disequilibrium was first established: there were soldiers that were aware of this situation and asked what the purpose of the occupation was. This is why the ending of the movie is ideologically significant to established power relations, those between soldiers and their commanders, and how it came to a sincere closure to make everything seem justified. The idea that there are characters within a scripted movie that are given these lines reflects the observational talent the screenplay writers and directors have. It makes a bold statement to society that we are aware. Along with Propp and Todorov, another man by the name of Roland Barthes came and attempted, successfully, to answer the question of the narrative theory. In Roland Barthes theory, he used five codes in order to form a network of meaning. This network, in turn, provides a framework for analyzing texts or in our case, a war movie. The codes are as following: action, enigma, semic, symbolic and cultural. Lets begin with the idea of a cultural code. The cultural code is constituted by the points at which the text refers to common bodies of knowledge through a social construct. This makes the viewer have to have prior knowledge in order to understand the reference. These references are easily-identified traditions that could be scholarly, historical, mythological or stereotypical. In this case, the reference, and respectively the entire movie, was based on a time period in 1993 when the US attempted to quell a civil war. So between the traditions of history, scholar, myth, and stereotyping, history plays a large role. Black Hawk Down was created almost 10 years after the event. This gave the public enough time to move past the events, but also after only 10 years, it could still be on the minds of people who were old enough to comprehend and understand the conflict. To continue with Barthes codes, symbolic would be the next easiest to interpret. It exists to explicate the complexities of an element in the text. One of the most important entrance points into the symbolic is the antithetical because concepts suggest their opposites, which is argued by Levi-Strauss in the binary opposites theory. But the symbolic code does not merely break the code into binaries; instead it eradicates the boundary between opposites creating a disturbance in classification. (Coward) There are many elements to this movie that can be seen as symbolic. As stated earlier, the image of a US soldier means so much more that what can be seen on the surface. This movie attempts, and in reality, accomplishes, the symbolic image of a soldier. The image gets elevated to another level, the level of being mythic. To quote Eric Bana who plays Hoot, Whe n I get home peoplell ask me, Hey Hoot, why do ya do it man? Why? Just some war junkie? Ya know what Ill say? I wont say a goddamn word. Why? They wont understand. They wont understand why we do it. They wont understand that its about the men next to you, and thats it. This is what embodies the American soldier today. It is about defending the country, yes, but more so about keeping the man next to you alive so he can go back home someday. Another symbolic image, which is the basis for the movie, is the downing of not one, but two of our helicopters. We have two massive machines facilitating the most advanced technology available that get shot down by a bunch of ill-trained guerillas from a country torn by war. More so than just that, after the second helicopter was overrun by guerillas and civilians, the military machine became nothing more than a toy with young kids jumping on the rotors. The image of this alone creates more than a feeling of defeat because it was scaled down from being a symbol of Americas productive might to nothing. Two more codes written by Barthes include the semic and action (also known as proairetic). These codes are easily interlaced with other theories. Semic is closely related to semiotic analysis which focuses upon pieces of data in order to suggest abstract concepts. Semiotic analysis is on the conscious of the person viewing the object or product. We see or hear something and chose to recognize it as we have been taught. If we do not recognize it, we try to group it into a category in which we do understand. Semiotics will always be an interesting concept to study because of its conscious and subconscious nature. We recognize that the movie is based on real events, with that being the sign, but the individual stories paint the signified. On the other end, to look at syntagmatic codes, all you have to do is look at the narrative because it refers to how the product uses/used a series of images to create meaning in the viewers mind. The proairetic code is closely related to the texts nar rative structure. The basis of the proairetic is the dependency of syntagmatic codes along with the narrative theory (already discussed) as to understand the meaning of the images. The final code in Barthes theory is enigma, or hermeneutic. Elements of the text that contribute to these codes are the devices used to define and then reveal or solve a mystery. What keeps us intrigued is the process in which they solve the mystery presented in the beginning of the episode, hence the hermeneutic code. Ricoeur distinguishes between two forms of hermeneutics: a hermeneutics of faith which aims to restore meaning to a text and a hermeneutics of suspicion which attempts to decode meanings that are disguised. (Josselson) Finally, another contributor to the criticism and theory of the narration in stories was Levi-Strauss. He believed in the theory of binary oppositions, underscoring the concept of differences. From birth, we learn differences rather than relations. Males distinguish themselves by images and understanding that they are not like their mothers, rather than the fact they are like their fathers. Barthes has a sound theory in the case of narratives, but it can also be tied into Todorovs. Although through Barthes we look at the minuscule vs. the big picture, little equilibriums can be found through binary oppositions. The idea is that binary opposition is an inherent, structurally based concept on the Western tendency to group into hierarchy. This is a conception derived from Ferdinand de Saussure, a Swiss linguist whose ideas laid the foundation for many of the significant developments in linguistics in the 20th century. His work in structuralism is a tangible point of departure that moves us into the post-structural criticism that is deconstruction. Throughout the movie there are little battles between these binary oppositions that create balance to the characters and plot, and therefore, the narrative. It is in this way that characters create conflict and story. Because of the nature of military action, you will always have a mix of young and old, those who are eager to get into a fight and those wish to make it back. There is a sense of wisdom in the older characters where little things make a difference. One great example would be after the convoy, coming back from Mogadishu, refuels and rearms to get back to the fight. The leader Struecker says very little to a young man who has lost the will to continue because he has seen death around him. Its what you do now that makes a difference. That is the kind of wisdom expected from leaders. They push a person to think hard about how they want to be remembered. In this case, the young man Thomas, heroically grabs his g ear and jumps into one of the last Humvees to return to the fight. It is here where the little battles are won. Another great example of the binary opposite would be the difference between America and Somalia. In the movie, you have a highly trained force of soldiers who become quickly outnumbered by ill-trained guerillas. Looking beyond that, the conflict can be portrayed as a Third World country versus an international superpower. Along with the theories, there is 1 more key point that needs to be made on narrative theories. Narrative structures are experienced differently from person to person, but there are two groups where the content allows us to make generalizations (while there still may be some anomalies): male and female genders. Producers of the content that is viewed, read, or listened to by these two distinct audiences must appreciate the differences between the genders. The feminine narrative appeals to women because it involves relationships and complex issues with characters while masculine narratives appeal to men based on action and multiple climax points. Black Hawk Down cannot be labeled as a chick flick, but it is feminine narrative. This can be determined by the relationships and complex emotions displayed between the soldiers to each other. The movie has many climactic moments, but it also reaches out to the audience to be understanding of the position the men have been put in to. It is ho w they interact that will determine their fate giving an aura of brotherhood. But, in recent years complications have arisen as how to define shows or movies. Movies can no longer be just feminine or masculine or else the audience will not be pulled in. This can be attributed to the change in social behavior and norms. We are becoming progressively equal in the male/female world. Falling back to the 1950s at the height of streamlined sexism, creating a movie appealing to one sex or the other would have been appropriate. But today as audiences tend to be more socially adept, directors and writers must look to create not just a movie, but a complex experience. This is why narratives are beginning to have very complex, multi-episodic stories that are not only using both gender narratives, but also the blending of genres. Black Hawk Down was a blending of fact and fiction into an action/war drama. The US/UN mission in Somalia had originally been to assist in the distribution of food and supplies to thousands of starving Somalis. Farrah Aidid was the warlord who used this aid to consolidate his power base. It was this reason that led the US to create the operation. But instead of a one-hour operation, the US soldiers walked into the middle of a Somali civil war. This movie had not only the cooperation of the US military, but also the use of weapon systems and soldiers, some of whom were involved in Somalia. The movie is unique, and historical. It demonstrates the heroism that continues to this day, of those Americans who volunteer to serve their country, and to be willing to sacrifice their lives for people in countries not their ownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The movie highlights the officers and NCOs who fought their way out of hell, some who returned a second time to ensure that no one was left behind. This cost them dearly. Their families and brothers in arms today keep their memories alive by honoring them with decorations ranging from the Medal of Honor to the Purple Heart. I was privileged to know and serve beside some of them. While this movie was being filmed, cast members and crew were asked to do their best in portraying the real heroes, keeping cliches at a minimum, and honor the memory of those lost. While there are composites of participants, there are also real people who carry on the traditions of the services today, from Col. McKnight to W/O Durant and others. Though a Blackhawk went down, the Rangers today still Lead The Way. -Jim Banzai McClain. If it were not for philosophers who have contributed theories to understanding why we think in certain ways and experience certain pleasures, nothing could be logically explained. Everything we interpret is relative to our own experiences. Propp, Todorov, Barthes and Levi Strauss, all made narrative theory the driving factor in crit ical analysis of modern media. Bruner, Jerome. Acts of meaning; 1990, Cambridge, Massachussets : Harvard University Press. Freeman, M. Why narrative? Hermeneutics, historical understanding, and the significance of stories; Journal of Narrative and Life History; 1997 Vol. 7, p169-176, 8p. Grà ¼nbaum, Thor. Action between Plot and Discourse. Semiotica 165.1-4 (2007): 295-314. Hà ¤nninen, Vilma. A Model of Narrative Circulation. Narrative Inquiry 14.1 (2004): 69-85. Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value, and Action; Fisher, Walter R.; 1987, Columbia : U of South Carolina. Josselson, Ruthellen. The Hermeneutics of Faith and the Hermeneutics of Suspicion. Narrative Inquiry 14.1 (2004): 1-28. Redick, Kip, and Lori Underwood. Rationality and Narrative: A Relationship of Priority. Philosophy Rhetoric 40.4 (2007): 394-405. S/Z By: Coward, Rosalind; pp. 176-81 IN: Newton, K. M. (ed.); Twentieth-Century Literary Theory: A Reader. New York, NY: St. Martins; 1997. xix, 306 pp. The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and the Minds Hidden Complexities; Fauconnier, Gilles; Turner, Mark; 2002, New York. Wyatt, Neal. Exploring Nonfiction. Library Journal 132.3 (2007): 32.