Thursday, October 31, 2019
SEE OTHER INSTRUCTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
SEE OTHER INSTRUCTIONS - Essay Example The influence of the church was strong. The level of restraint from the people was perceived to be the strength of the government. The use of personal credit was considered unpopular (Kidwell & Martin, 2005). Therefore, failure to pay debt was viewed to be antagonizing (Mann, 2002). The savings among Americans started to decline as consumerism gained momentum. From 1960, there was more emphasis on fulfilling desires rather than meeting needs. Traditionally, American has viewed personal bankruptcy with contempt and a sense of negativity. In the past, persons petitioning for bankruptcy were imprisoned. The stigma towards bankruptcy has been fading and the public is developing sympathy for people filing for bankruptcy. The trend began in 1960 when dramatic rise in cases of bankruptcy was reported. The change of the public attitude has been attributed to declining morals and shame in the American society. A recent study noted that there has been significant shift from 1960s in terms of public perception towards the persons filing from bankruptcy. In the past, bankruptcy was perceived to the petitioners fault. It was rarely associated with external factors like family dissolution, economic conditions and medical disasters (MÃ ©nard et al, 2011). The public attributed bankruptcy to personal failure like overindulgence and overspending. This was against the traditionally established norms of honor (Kidwell & Martin, 2005). However, government officials, jurists and scholars acknowledge that the traditional perception of stigma has declined. The same was acknowledged by the popular culture report. Few people are expressing remorse for filing for bankruptcy. The petitioners are appearing to project a relaxed attitude. This has been acknowledged by judges and legislators. The stigma was perceived to be a deterrent measure for stigma (Robinson & Murphy, 2009). According to a study published by the New York Times indicated that that unlike
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
President Reagan’s Diplomacy Essay Example for Free
President Reagan’s Diplomacy Essay Ronald Reagan is ranked highly as amongst the greatest presidents the United States has ever seen. His achievements silenced critics who had earlier decried his lack of administrative experience during the race to the Whitehouse. His prowess and masterly of effective foreign policy has left scholars and analysts baffled.            Ronald Reagan was born in 1911 and served as the president of the United States in a delicate period between 1981 and 1989. It is termed as a rather delicate period as it was the climax of the cold war. During this period too, the public’s confidence in the presidency and its ability to unify and inspire Americans had been shattered by the Richard Nixon’s tenure in office. Ronald Reagan came on to the public limelight by capturing the attention of the media as a Hollywood star. He emerged from the entertainment industry having cut for himself an insurmountable personal profile. His popularity was from the conservative wing that saw him as representing conservative traditional values. His leadership in the workers unions and rather strong sentiments against communism plunged him into politics. His charisma played well with the public who were inspired by his calls for a free enterprise system. He ran for governor in 1966 winning with a landslide. He ran for presidential nomination in 1968 on a Republican ticket but lost, he also lost to Gerald Ford in 1976. He successfully ran for president in 1980, be coming the 40th president of the United States. His tenure in office had notable achievements in both foreign and domestic policies, though still riddled with controversies and scandals; the hall mark of his presidency was his prowess in diplomacy.            President Ronald Reagan was an avowed anti communist, his rhetoric’s and campaigns against communism had led to the rise in his popularity with people seeing him a president who would restore a sense of patriotism and reassert the position of the United States in the global scene. By the time be assumed office dà ©tente was in place. Reagan exhibited rather a radical shift from his predecessors; his views on dà ©tente and the reigning foreign policy of isolationism and appeasement were in the negative. He had an inner drive to cripple communism on the mere ground that it was repressive and immoral. His diplomacy was driven by the need to achieve this (John P. D., 2007).            The hallmark of Reagan diplomacy was in thawing the relationship with the Soviet Union through his close interaction with the then General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. This is rather ironic considering Reagan was committed to undermining the Soviets interests and influence in the world. His denouncement of dà ©tente policy was seen as having aggravated the already sour relations with the Soviet, this however was not to be as the end would justify him. Shifting form dà ©tente, Reagan immediately ordered a massive military build up and running any stalled military program that would have demonstrated the undeniable military might of the United States; it is the Strategic Defense Initiative Program (SDI) that would remain controversial and box the Soviet Union to a corner readying it for open diplomacy. The Strategic Defense Initiate was a controversial project that was supposed to step up the United States military defense in its ability to defend itself against any ground or space missile attacks. The program was dubbed â€Å"Star Wars†and was led by Reagan’s belief that with such a program in place the United States would fend it self off any nuclear attacks. Russia was quite apprehensive of this program and these concerns were certainty voiced by the then Russian leader Yuri Andropov.            Before the coming of Mikhail Gorbachev into power President Reagan’s attitude to the USSR was rather lacking in any hint of diplomacy. His policy towards USSR and its cahoots was one of open hostility and filled with imperialistic tendencies. Many Analysts referred to him as a warmonger. He had rather harsh words for USSR referring to it as an evil empire. A shift in policy and attitude was however witnessed as the USSR began also to shift towards the ideas of free market under Gorbachev, moves that would bring the cold war to a close. In achieving this, Reagan did not apply diplomacy solely; rather it was a multifaceted approach that included even arms building. Reagan was optimistic that the Soviet Union would not match the United States in an all out arms race. True to his words, the economic crisis that later faced USSR impeded on its ability to compete in the race. USSR was going through a tough time in its economic backyard as a result of both its own undoing and the overbearing influence of the United States (Paul Kengor, 2006).            One outstanding fact that comes up is the willingness of Ronald Reagan to meet with the leader of an enemy faction. Many had scoffed at such as an idea but Reagan was particularly interested in meeting Gorbachev, who was coming up as more accommodating to the western values than his predecessors. He was also younger than the earlier leaders and had initiated reforms towards free enterprise to cope with the economic crisis facing the nation. Reagan’s strategy had been to strengthen the military so that he could have an elevated position in the diplomatic talks (Michael S., Gale W., and Lila F., 1987)            His skills emerge clearly as the talks were not held during the usual summit sessions only but also after. According to Edwin Meese, an attorney general during Reagan’s tenure, Reagan waited to â€Å"establish a personal relationship and to break what he viewed as the barriers of mistrust that divided our countries.†(http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed061404c.cfm) When finally Reagan and Gorbachev met, a cordial relationship was founded and would blossom signifying the start of the end of the cold war and history took a new shape. The first meeting between the two leaders came in November 1985, in Geneva; it was later to be followed by a series of meetings in Washington and Moscow. In these meetings, these two most powerful leaders then did not exhibit arrogance and bitterness rather they displayed tact and skills. What he was able to achieve silenced critics. It is Margaret Thatcher who puts his achievements in diplomacy more accurately when she said that Reagan â€Å"won the cold war without firing a shot†(LaFeber, Walter, 2002)            In 1987 for example, President Reagan and Gorbachev were able to negotiate their way to the destruction of all intermediate range nuclear missiles as well as agreeing on the need for inspections.            The whole diplomatic turnaround of President Ronald Reagan is though full of contradictions. He came into office on a bedrock of demonization of communism having referred to it as an â€Å"evil empire†discouraging any diplomatic ties between the two nations, as Michael s. et al. (1987) notes his administration could not offer to â€Å"review the official cultural exchange programs, denied visa to many would be Soviet visitors and increased restrictions on the movement and activities of the Soviets it did allow to visit.†This changed however in 1985 (Matlock, Jack, 2004).            One key fact that emerges in the analysis of Reagans diplomatic skills is how he had a well mapped out strategy of combining negotiations with military strength. The congress stepped up military spending; this though could not happen after 1984 as congress declined further increases halting the military buildup initiatives. Negotiations with the soviets after that become quite inevitable.            Reagans diplomatic skills stemmed from his earlier positions he held. He had refined his charismatic skills as an entertainer and media personality. He was also the president of the Screen Actors’ Guild and had toned up his negotiating skills especially as he sought to strike better deals for those he represented.            Carnes Lord and Helle C. (2007) in their article Public Diplomacy and the Cold War: Lessons Learnt, notes how the public diplomacy was re-invigorated under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Prior to Reagan’s regime, few presidents had perfected the institutionalization of public diplomacy as an effective tool of winning the cold war. Canes and Helle note that â€Å"reagan placed renewed emphasis on psychological operations and public diplomacy†in tandem with his military build up. Reagan gave impetus to the public diplomacy with an intention of publicizing the ideological flaws of the Soviet Union. Skeptics were expecting little from this strategy but it is hailed for having hastened the end of cold war. Public diplomacy according to these two scholars is the multifaceted approach of promoting a countries ideals and superior attitudes to both within its citizenry and across the borders.            In addition to personal diplomacy, Ronald Reagan had perfected the art of public diplomacy having brought together a think tank comprising of competent propagandists and foreign policy makers. He combined aptly both propaganda and diplomacy hoping to win public and international support. Reagan formed what came to be known as â€Å"project truth†and â€Å"project democracy†. This was a combination of both domestic and international policies aimed at winning the support of the citizen at the domestic level as well as at the international front.            Despite the fact that Ronald reagan is hailed for having brought diplomacy to a new level by agreeing earlier in his governor days to meet with the USSR leaders, his administration was not without a number of diplomatic breaches and scandals that would taint his established image. For example he failed to initiate diplomacy in negotiating with the air controller workers in 1968 instead he relieved them of their duties. Reagan went against his political advisors opinion and sacked all the striking workers presenting to the public another face of his administration.            His diplomatic skills also failed to see him wriggle his way out of the Iran Contra Affair. Iran Contra Affair is a scandal that involved top level government officials who oversaw the selling of weapons with an intention of funding insurgents. The International Court of Justice highly criticized Reagan’s administration for participating in the covert operations. Reagan pleaded ignorance claiming that the scandal was going on without his consent. A commission was set up to investigate the ongoing. They could not find a direct link to Reagan’s involvement, but he was highly criticized for his hands off style of staff management. He was also criticized for his handling of the affairs and of his intention to attack other countries driven by his sheer hate for communism. The Iran-Contra Affair became the biggest scandal of the 1980s. This scandal would lead to a number of his high profile staff being charged and convicted.            President Ronald Reagan had a special interest in the countries Latin Central America not only due to its proximity but also due to the encroachment of communism in the region. This was the reason the Iran Contra Affairs scandal got there in the first place. Reagan’s representatives claimed that the help accorded to the insurgents was to stop the flow of weapons to the wrong hands in Nicaragua. The handling of the Iran Contra Affair not only put Reagan on a bad spotlight but also his diplomacy team. His public diplomacy efforts were seen as aiming at misrepresenting information especially in regard to the Iran Contra Affair, with an intention of influencing the opinion of the public. Reporters and congress members were in constant attack from his diplomacy team. Carla Binion (1990) notes this team â€Å"did not limit their attacks to out of step members of congress, they also attacked journalists who wrote anti contra stories† This however is how President Reagan worked, he believed in diplomacy and strength. The diplomacy that he helped built stands up to today and has helped the United States stand where it is today. His diplomatic strategies in Latin America and central Europe have been consistently followed almost three decades later.  His regime though was largely criticized for selective application of diplomacy. His administration infringed on the sovereign rights of nations especially in the third world especially those with despotic leaders and leaning towards the east. His diplomatic tact was not seen when it came to the small and non strategic states. A bit of diplomacy was seen in some of the Latin American countries though most of them tasted the wrath of the United States military which assisted topple some of third world regimes. In spite of these flaws in his administration, his charisma and negotiating skills helped elevate his profile compared to that of those in power during the cold war era, the likes of Jimmy carter and Lyndon Johnson. When Ronald Reagan won the presidential elections in the early 1980s not many would have thought he would make great strides in both domestic and foreign policy. By the time his tenure came into completion, he had made a name for himself mostly due to his prowess in both personal and public diplomacy. He came to power at the height of cold war. His first move was to make it clear that his administration would not pursue Dà ©tente and isolationism rather it would go on a military build up. With such a policy in place, the US relations with USSR became more strained. His diplomatic skills would be demonstrated when he was able to negotiate the scaling down of nuclear weapons and missiles in the historic summit meeting with the then USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev. These negotiations would put an end to a war that had been ranging on for years highlighting his diplomatic skills to the world.  References Paul Kengor, 2006. The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism. New York: Regan Books, an imprint of HarperCollins publishers. John Patrick Diggings, 2007. Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History (New York: W.W. Norton Company. Michael Shuman, Gale Warner, and Lila Forest, 1987. Citizen diplomacy: what it is, how it began, and where he it is going. Retrieved on 13/ 04/ 2007 from http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC15/Shuman.htm Carnes Lord and Helle C. 2007. Public Diplomacy and the Cold War: Lessons Learnt. HarperCollins publishers Carla Binion. George H. W. Bushs many lies. Retrieved on 13/ 04/ 2007 from http://www.onlinejournal.com/archive/01-20-00_Binion-Pt_4.pdf. LaFeber, Walter, 2002. America, Russia, and the Cold War, 1945–1971. New York: Wiley. Matlock, Jack, 2004. Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended. New York: Random House. Edwin Mesee, June 2004. The Personal Diplomacy of Reagan. Heritage foundation. Retrieved on 13/ 04/ 2007 from http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed061404c.cfm
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Perspectives of Organisational Culture
Perspectives of Organisational Culture What is organizational culture all about? How did the concept arise? The idea on culture in organizations is a concept drawn from anthropology (Meek, 1988). Culture is viewed â€Å"asa system of shared symbols and meanings†(Rossi and OHiggins, 1980 cited in Lee an Yu, 2004 p. 340). Culture in organizations can simply be referred to as an organizations way of life or way of doing things. Organizational culture has been defined differently by several writers. However, most of the definitions in use lay emphases on key elements such as, norms, traditions, values, beliefs and assumptions. Organizational culture can be defined as â€Å"the collection of relatively uniform and enduring values, beliefs, customs, traditions and practices that are shared by an organizations members, learned by new recruits and transmitted from one generation of employees to the next†(Huczynski and Buchanan 2007, p.623). There is little doubt that organizational culture is a broad topic which no essay can discuss in entirety, however this essay will discuss the two approaches to the study of organizational culture and aim to critically evaluate the ways in which managers attempt to control organizational culture, drawing examples from the Hewlett Packard video watched in class and previous experience of visiting Tesco stores. History forms part of an organizations culture and it can be transmitted consciously and unconsciously over time from managers to employees. For example, it can be transmitted in the form of stories and myths (Meek 1998, Kaye 2007, Taylor S., Fisher D. et al). (Dandridge, T., Mitroff I. et al) suggest that â€Å"stories, myths and symbolism, aid understanding of the deep culture and structure of an organization†. These stories and myths in an organization might be about the start up of the organization or on the remarkable successes of its founders. For example, in the Hewlett Packard video, it indicated that the HP history formed part of the HP way as a vast number of the employees were aware of the fact that the â€Å"founders (Bill and Dave) started the company in a garage, in 1939. They developed the oscillator, used by Disney in the movie Fantasia. The bell ringing tradition was introduced by Bill and Daves wives as a signal for their husbands to observe lunch or coffee times†(The gilded cage: video watched 23 November, 2009). According to (Schein 1985 cited in Huczynski and Buchanan 2007, p.624 630) culture is considered to exist in three levels. Level one is regarded as ‘surface manifestations. At this stage, the culture of an organization is easily seen by outsiders in its symbols, language or architecture. In the Hewlett Packard case, the open plan office adopted, manifests, the relaxed environment the employees work in, and it also suggests the ease of access, between managers and employees. Tesco is very customer-centric and this is displayed by each employees approach to customers which, conveys a message regarding Tescos organizational culture of putting smiles on the faces of the shopping public, hence, creating a pleasant shopping experience for them. The second level of culture is ‘values. This has its firm foundation on morals, awareness and religious or societal precepts and is usually displayed on websites of organizations. The last level of culture is ‘basic assumptions. T hese are assumptions preconceived by an individual of an organization such as how it operates and functions in its environment. Several writers hold different views on organizational culture. The three perspective framework developed by (Martin, 1992), integration, differentiation and fragmentation perspectives provide understanding on organizational culture. The Integration or unitary perspective regards organizations as clear, consistent and unified, believing that these integrating features may result in improved organizational effectiveness. The differentiation perspective views organizations as consisting of subcultures with diverse interests and different objectives while the fragmentation or conflict perspective, sees organizations as being in a constant state of flux. The integration or managerial perspective appears to suggest that there is a relationship between strong culture and improved performance. (Scholz, 1987 cited in Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007, p.623) argues that culture generates competitive advantage. However, sustainable competitive advantage, â€Å"must be rare, adaptable and non-imit able†this determines the strong cultural traits the organization possesses (Barney, 1986 cited in Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007, p.641). Is organizational culture controllable? According to (Meek, 1998 p.455) previous studies suggest that culture belongs to management, hence, it is â€Å"available for management to manipulate†. The functionalist perspective holds that culture can be controlled, as it is regarded as something that the organization has and gives to new recruits and they do not take part in the formation, hence, it can be used as a control device by management (Smircich, 1983). However, the social constructionist perspective, rejects the notion, that culture may be controlled as it holds that culture exists through the continuous interaction between the organizations members. (Ackroyd and Cowley 1990, Harris and (Ogbonna 1999, Ogbonna 1993, Willmott 1993 cited in Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). There exist three forms of corporate control, bureaucratic, humanistic and culture control. â€Å"More than other forms of control, however, culture control elicits sentiment and emotion, and contains possibilities to ensnare workers in a hegemonic system†(Ray, 1986, p287). (Deal and Kennedy, 1982 cited in Ray, 1986 p.289) echoes that â€Å"it is the explicit challenge to management to make†¦ people . . . have a strongly ingrained sense of the companys values†Thus, aligning with the functionalist perspective which, supports that culture can be controlled, managers can thus, control culture, by ensuring that employees hold fast to the custom and practice of the organization. For example, in the HP video, meetings were held regularly to check the progress of team members and also to convey information to the employees as the need arises. Job security was tied to performance. Objectives setting was done â€Å"top-down, bottom-up†(objectives were set by management and accepted by each employee). The management by wondering around (MBWA) style was in force, as it enabled managers keep abreast with happenings in the company, and employees likewise had accessibility to managers to discuss issues.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Barn Burning Essay -- essays research papers
Use of Blood in â€Å"Barn Burning†     â€Å"Barn Burning†is about the struggle of a boy to do what is right during the Post Civil War era. The main character, Sartoris Snopes, is a poor son of a migrant tenant farmer. In the opening scene he is being asked by a circuit judge about the burning of a farmer’s barn by his father. The boy does not tell on his father and is not forced to do so, but he thinks that he would have done so had he been asked. The father, Abner Snopes, served in the Civil War for both sides and has difficulty venting his anger. Usually he does so through the burning of other people’s barns when they wrong him. The symbol of blood is used by Faulkner to contribute to the theme of loyalty to the family.      One use of blood is shown when the boy is called to testify and is pressured by his father to lie. When the boy is on stand he is stressed by the fear that his father will do something crazy if he tells on him. Also, his father tells him that some things are more important than the truth, that family is the most important thing. â€Å"You were fixing to tell them. You would have told them†(484). This statement made by Abner shows how the boy truly feels about his blood father’s actions and where he stands when it comes to telling a lie or the truth regarding those actions. Also, the scene where that statement takes place depicts how the father feels about family. He thinks that a lie is justified if you are doing ...
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Macbeth Analysis Essay
How is one able to control his or her emotions when the surrounding environment is influencing one personally? Lady Macbeth finds the answer to this simple; impossible. Lady Macbeth continues to be controlled by others subconsciously whether it is through her own control, other actions or pure guilt. The actions of characters and events that occur in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth affect the life and mental wellness of Lady Macbeth directly and cause her to digress from dominant to voyeur, and then finally to victim, causing the play to be more enticing. To start, Lady Macbeth is a dominant, deceiving and determined woman. For example, Lady Macbeth’s dominance and control are shown when she and Macbeth are discussing the plan for King Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"Your hand, your tongue; look like th’innocent flower,/ But be the serpent under’t.†(1.5.64-65). Lady Macbeth’s control is revealed when she says this because she is openly manipulating Macbeth and telling him how to act and what to do. Also, Lady Macbeth’s dominance is shown while she and Macbeth discuss the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"We fail?/ But screw your courage to the sticking-place†(1.7.59-60). When Lady Macbeth says this she shows the audience that she is able to overpower her husband’s courage with her own. Another example of Lady Macbeth’s persona is when she uses her ability to deceive while talking with Duncan upon his arrival to her castle. Lady Macbeth says to Duncan, â€Å"All our service,/ In every point twice done then done double†(1.6.16-17). Her deception is proved when she says this because she is acting like a pleasant host to Duncan’s face but her motives are much less than pleasant. The deception Lady Macbeth shows while talking to Duncan is successful when Duncan falls for it with no suspicion. This is proved when Duncan says, â€Å"Give me your hand;/ Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly/ and shall continue our graces towards him./ By your leave hostess.†Duncan allowing Lady Macbeth to hold his hand indicates that he has a trust in her and does not have a doubt upon the person he see Lady Macbeth as and has no idea about the motives of his host and hostess. Lady Macbeth is able to use her deceptive abilities after the murder of Duncan is committed. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"[Her] hands are of [his] colour, but [she] shame[s] to wear a heart so white.†(2.2.62-68). This quotation means that Lady Macbeth still bares the innocence she had before the deed to the eye of others, hence, having a heart so white. This proven to be true because everyone looks at Lady Macbeth as innocent and pure, as if she could do no harm, but the truth is the total opposite. Also, Lady Macbeth’s determination shows through when she calls upon the dark spirits to give her the courage and strength of a male figure and to relieve her of the womanly kindness she possesses. Lady Macbeth asks for this by saying, â€Å"Come you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/ And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull/ Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood†(1.5.39-42). The determination of Lady Macbeth is shown in this quote because she is doing something as drastic as calling upon the dark spirits to assist her in committing murder. As a result, Lady Macbeth’s dominating personality is able to pursue to her plan of murdering King Duncan successfully, without resistance from her husband. Secondly, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s roles switch, leaving Lady Macbeth standing off, with less control and becoming more of a voyeur to the plans of Macbeth. To start, Lady Macbeth is first being stripped of her control right after Duncan’s death is discovered and Macbeth has killed the guard in order to remove suspicion from him. The audience is aware of this deed when Macbeth says, â€Å"O, yet I do repent me of my fury/ That I did kill them.†(2.3.102-103). Lady Macbeth begins to lose control over this because she had no idea or warning of Macbeth’s killing of the guards. This act also takes a toll on Lady Macbeth’s physical state when it causes her to faint. Lady Macbeth fainting is a sure sign of her losing the control she had earlier because not only are other characters leaving her out but also, her own body is causing her to be in that state as well. Next, Macbeth kills Banquo upon his intuition that Banquo has suspicion towards him in the case of Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth was ill-informed on this matter which is yet another sign that she is losing control over the characters that she had control over previously and is now watching the action happen. Also, at a dinner, which Lady Macbeth and Macbeth were hosting together, Lady Macbeth first could not get Macbeth the welcome his guests. This is proved when Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth, â€Å"My royal lord,/ You do not give the cheer; the feast is sold/ That is not often vouch’d while ‘tis a-making ,/ ‘Tis given with welcome. (3.4.33-36). She (Lady Macbeth) als o loses more control over Macbeth at this dinner when she is unable to calm him down when he sees the ghosts of Banquo and Duncan. In this situation Lady Macbeth attempts to gain some control by saying to him, â€Å"You have displac’d the mirth, broke the good meeting/ With most admir’d disorder.†(3.4.109-110). The acting-out of Macbeth leaves Lady Macbeth both astonished and over powered. These two instances especially show Lady Macbeth losing control over, not only situations but other characters themselves. Lastly, Macbeth kills Macduff’s wife and children upon suspicion without Lady Macbeth’s push or permission and neglects to inform her of the deed directly and chooses just to imply it during conversation with her. As the two (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth) are talking Macbeth says, â€Å"Come, we’ll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse/ Is the initiate fear that wants hard use;/ We are yet but young in deed.†(3.4.143-144). When Macbeth says this it has the implication of the commitment of another foul deed which Lady Macbeth is only aware of at this point. Macbeth’s drastic actions cause Lady Macbeth to fall uncontrollably uninformed and into the background. Finally, Lady Macbeth ends the play being dominated by her feelings of guilt and the consequences of Duncan’s murder and ultimately becomes a victim to it. To start, Lady Macbeth begins to sleep walk and admits her affiliation in Duncan’s murder. Proof of Lady Macbeth’s sleep walking is proved when the Gentlewoman (a spectator of the situation) says, â€Å"Ay, but their senses are shut.†(5.1.23). She says this after the doctor (the second spectator of the situation) mentions that Lady Macbeth has her eyes open. The Gentlewoman’s line lets the audience know she is indeed sleep walking for her eyes may be open but there sense is disabled. Also in this scene Lady Macbeth’s self control is shown to have weakened further, when she speaks of Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"Out, dammed spot! Out, I say! One, two. Why then ‘tis/ time to do’t. Hell is murky, Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier,/ and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when/ none can call our power to account? Yet who would/ have thought the man to have had so much blood/ in him?†(5.1.31-36) and also when she says, â€Å"The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now? What,/ will these hands ne’re be clean?†(5.1.38-39). These quotes both prove that she knew and was involved in the murders of Duncan and Macduff’s family and shows that these events are the reason for her stress, guilt and sleep walking, hence being dominated/ being victim to these emotions. Next, Lady Macbeth is being dominated by her feelings of guilt when she is seen washing her hand continuously during her sleep walking. While she is doing this she says, â€Å"Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of/ Arabia will not sweeten this litt le hand. O, O, O.†(5.1.44-45). This quote shows that Lady Macbeth is overcome by her guilt because she mentally imagines the blood still being there, following her, her mind lets her believe she is still covered in the blood when in reality the blood is just representing the guilt she is feeling. A second example of Lady Macbeth being dominated by her guilt symbolically is when she is dreaming of/ replaying the scene in while sleep walking. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"To bed, to bed; there’s knocking at the gate. Come,/ come, come, come, give me your hand; what’s done/ cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.†(5.1.58-60). This quote directly shows the audience that it is indeed the murder of Duncan which Lady Macbeth is stressing over as it is a deed which â€Å"cannot be undone†. Lastly, Lady Macbeth shows that she is becoming victim to the outcome of events, and more directly herself when she commits suicide. The audience discovers her death when Seyton (another Thane) informs Macbeth of the incident. Seyton says, â€Å"The queen, my lord, is dead.†(5.5.16). Lady Macbeth becomes victim to herself in the way that she sees the only option to relieve her of her painful emotions is to kill herself. Therefore, Lady Macbeth is ultimately dominated and falls victim to the guilt she feels caused by the actions of herself and others. To conclude, the mental state and physical well-being of Lady Macbeth is influenced by the dominance and control of both herself and other characters in the play. Lady Macbeth went from being dominant, deceiving, and determined to being uninformed during the murders Macbeth commits to being over some by her emotions that had built up inside her during all of this. Therefore, Lady Macbeth’s life as the audience knows it is dependable on the outcome of events that Lady Macbeth herself is involved in and/ or witnesses. Temptation was the base of all Lady Macbeth’s problems; it is said â€Å"temptation is the Devil.†What would you risk to get what you want?
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Moral panics Essay
The term ‘moral panic’ suggests a dramatic and rapid overreaction to forms of deviance or wrongdoing believed to be a direct threat to society. The most common definition of a moral panic is the opening paragraph of ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’ by Stanley Cohen: Societies appear to be subject, every now and then, to periods of moral panic. (1) A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; (2) its nature is presented in a stylized and stereotypical fashion by the mass media; (3) the moral barricades are manned by editors, bishops, politicians and other right-thinking people; (4) socially accredited experts pronounce their diagnoses and solutions; (5) ways of coping are evolved or (more often) resorted to; (6) the condition then disappears, submerges or deteriorates and becomes more visible. Sometimes the object of panic is quite novel and at other times it is something which has been in existence long enough, but suddenly appears in the limelight. Sometimes the panic passes over and is forgotten, except in folk lore and collective memory; at other times it has more serious and long-lasting repercussions and might produce such changes as those in legal and social policy or even in the way the society conceives itself. Although in Cohen’s original work the numbers did not appear, but they can be said to represent the six stages in the development of a moral panic. One such moral panic was the ‘video nasties’ case after the James Bulger murder in 1993. Robert Thompson and Jon Venebles, who were both ten years old at the time, abducted James from the Strand shopping centre in Bootle, Liverpool. They walked him two miles to a railway line where they inflicted massive injuries on him, which resulted in his death. This deviant act dominated the newspaper headlines and created a panic. This murder was portrayed as a horrific act in the press and symbolized the degeneration of modern British society. The Bulger case was used, by the media, to symbolise all what was wrong with Britain. They focused on the difference between innocence and evil and why we as a society let this happen, it suggested the increase of public indifference, lowering family values and increasing isolation, generating massive public guilt and predicting a breakdown in society itself. Fuelled by the press reports, reasons were sought why the murder of James Bulger may have happened. This prompted demands for tighter controls, curfews for young people and stricter laws. One of these laws was for stricter controls on violent films, or ‘video nasties’, as the press called them. This was because the trial judge, who sentenced Venebles and Thompson to be â€Å"detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure†, unusually made a statement in open court claiming that he believed violent videos may in part be an explanation to why the boys committed murder. He in particular singled out the film ‘Child’s Play 3’, which he stated â€Å"had some striking similarities to the manner of the attack on James Bulger†. The police officer in charge of the case told The Guardian newspaper that he â€Å"had no evidence to suggest that the boys had access to any videos worse than might be found in many households†. This comment didn’t matter, the scapegoat had been found and this was the starting point for the second moral panic about ‘video nasties’. The first such panic occurred between 1982-1984 during the influx of video cassette recorders (VCR), one-third of households owned or rented a VCR. Coincidentally, Hollywood produced a crop of gruesome horror films which prompted many complaints, due to the extreme violence of such films, including sadism, mutilation and cannibalism. Laws were set up to prevent children from renting or buying 18 certificate films, and The Daily Mail’s ‘Ban The Sadist Videos’ campaign was set up. During the course of this first ‘video nasty’ moral panic, the term ‘video nasty’ was unmistakably synonymous simply with horror films and by 1984 the Video Recordings Act had been set up and became law. During the Bulger trial the press used emotive language to create a moral panic about the influences of video nasties. The press wanted to blame the moral decline on liberal permissiveness, the collapse of family life and the failings of schools, but the real culprit in the Bulger case was the arguments about the effects of the media. Every newspaper focused in detail on the alleged influence of ‘video nasties’. The Sun declared that â€Å"An x-rated video may have sown the seeds of murder in the mind of one of James Bulger’s killers†and the Daily Mirror ran the headline â€Å"Judge Blames Violent Videos†. ‘Child’s Play 3’, a film about a doll which comes to life and commits a series of murders, had been rented by one of the parents of one of the boys shortly before the murder. However, the police did not introduce the film as evidence in court as there was no evidence that either Venebles or Thompson had actually watched it. Whether or not the film had played a part in inciting the boys to commit murder, the video became the scapegoat. The press simplified the moral issues by concentrating on the video to the exclusion of virtually all other possible influences on the killers. The day after the judge’s summing up the Daily Mirror printed sensational coverage of the ‘evil’ and ‘sick’ video in the first few pages of the paper. Later Mirror coverage included an interview with the film’s director, David Kirschner, quoting him as saying that ‘Child’s Play 3’ was â€Å"never intended for kids†and that he wouldn’t let his own children watch it. The Sun’s coverage was more graphic than that of the Mirror. The front page of an issue led with the headline â€Å"For the sake of ALL our kids†¦ BURN YOUR VIDEO NASTY†, launching a campaign to destroy all copies of ‘Child’s Play3’ by asking readers and video shop outlets to burn them. In the same issue a graph was also printed showing the heart rate of a Sun journalist who watched ‘Child’s Play 3’ whilst wired to a heart monitor, her heart rate increased during the most violent parts of the film. The Sun used this experiment to prove that the video was indeed an incitement to murder, trying to prove that the furore over the so-called video nasties was a valid one. The case of the Bulger murder was seen to encompass every negative aspect of society which is evident in today’s world. The Times described this as a â€Å"reminder of humanity’s most ancient and bestial instincts†. Comments like this gave the press the opportunity to preach to society about modern social values and the need to return to a vigilant network of neighbours looking out for one another. The Times also used the word â€Å"alarm†to sensationalise the more accurate term â€Å"concern†, this use of language brings a new urgency to the debate about the video nasty moral panic. The press, using sensational media scaremongering, as they do to sell more papers, focused entirely on how violent films and in particular ‘Child’s Play 3†² incited the two boys to commit murder. Describing the film using words such as â€Å"sick†and â€Å"evil†, and even drawing parallels between the killings in the film and how James Bulger was murdered, of which none were proved in court. Moral panics tap into the public’s fears for their safety and the safety of their society around them. In many instances the press coverage of such events doesn’t help in alleviating the public’s fears, more often than not the press heighten these fears. They do this through sensationalism reporting. As tragic as it was that a young toddler was killed it allowed the people who hold power in this country to enforce their ideas and rules – more CCTV cameras were installed in the country because of how essential they were in identifying James’ murderers. Many panics result in official change and have long-lasting repercussions, as was the case of the video nasties moral panic. The Video Recording Act 1984 was set up introducing the regulations of videos through the British Board of Film Classification. The debates upon the lack of parental control in monitoring children’s viewing and the dangers of young children watching films intended for a mature audience led to further regulations in 1994. Bibliography Bell A, Joyce M, Rivers D, Advanced Level Media. Hodder & Stoughton, UK, 1999 Bowker, Julian, Looking at Media Studies, Hodder and Stoughton, UK, 2003 Cohen, Stanley, Folk Devils and Moral Panics, Macgibbon and Kee, London, 1972 Critcher, Chas, Moral Panics and the Media, Open University Press, UK, 2003 Price, Stuart, Media Studies (2nd Edition), Longman, UK, 1999
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