The Graphic Adaptation of The Cask of Amontillado

Refugeeland recounts Sacco's experience in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, highlighting the difficult and unpleasant conditions that the Palestinian people were facing regarding the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Gulf War in the early nineties.Joe Sacco's writing focuses upon the day to day experiences of a Palestinian from an outsider's perspective. His meticulous drawings and eyewitness reporting style combine to create a very compelling and complex visual. Edgar Allen Poe was an American author, living from January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849, Poe is best known for his thrilling and macabre short stories. His final short story, The Cask of Amontillado, is a gloomy tale of murderous revenge, set in the catacombs of Italy, and embedded with symbolism told from a first-person narrative.Poe is a master of allegorical writing, his eerie works compel the reader to explore hidden meanings and ideas concealed within his works. Fantographics Books should strongly consider combining he artistic and literary talents of both Joe Sacco and Edgar Allen Poe to create a graphic novel, the detail filled drawings and intellectually stimulating narrative are guaranteed to appeal to the sophisticated and cultured readership of Fantographics Books. Context: Graphic novels are very important to literature. They can illuminate and expose parts of a story to a reader that would otherwise be hidden within the text.Through the use of visual imagery, the reader can gain more information and decipher parts of the story from a graphic novel that would other wise be assumed or lost in the text alone, such as the author's intent. Graphic novels can also be read by a much larger audience than text stories, this is due to the fact that graphic novels do not solely rely on the text to tell the story. This would be most beneficial for publishing a story in an international market where the story would have to be translated to different languages. The reader can view the image s and interpret the overarching idea of the story without having to read the text.An example of this can be seen in Robert Crumb's visual interpretation of Franz Kafka's short story, A Hunger Artist. The text version of the story was originally written in German, the story was then translated to English and many other languages around the world. Because of the difference in translations, some of the original meaning behind the story may have been lost. The difference between the text and illustrated versions of the story are very noticeable. An example can be seen in the different descriptions of artist himself. In Kafka's version, the hunger artist is described as â€Å"†¦ pale figure with enormously protruding ribs†¦. nodding politely†¦. answering questions with a forced smile†¦ † (465). In the graphic version of the story, Crumbs depiction is very different from realistic. While it akes no textual description of the hunger artist, it illustrates him as a very disturbed and reclusive man sitting in the back ot an animal cage, ne is not nodding politely or smiling, and he also appears to be on the verge of death (927). The visual depiction from the graphic novel aids in transforming the readers understanding of the text, otherwise the reader may be lost in translation.Why â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and Joseph Sacco: The descriptive details of a captivating story should be at the forefront of importance when beginning to create a graphic novel. It will eventually become the oundation for the drawings. Without such detail, the graphic novel will be unappealing to most readers, and because of this, the sales of the novel will suffer. For the best possible outcome regarding readership and sales, Fantographics Books should publish an illustrated version of Edgar Allan Poe's short horror-story, The Cask of Amontillado.Poe's dark and eerie narrative depicts the death of a person by being buried alive from a murder's perspective. The story is overflowing with vivd imagery and detail. One such example from the story would be when the main character Montresor begins to lead Fortunato down the stairs into the catacombs of Montresor, â€Å"l took their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato, bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that lead into the vaults.I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him to be cautious as he followed. We came to the length to the foot of the descent, and stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of Montresor† (724). It is clear to see how much detail is bound into one small paragraph, his choice in adjectives and his use of first-person pronouns such s â€Å"We† and â€Å"l† allow the reader to envision them selves in the story, which is an excellent starting point for developing a drawing.Poe establishes a very absorbing and thrilling tale through his use of such imagery, and this is precisely why Fantographi cs Books should strongly consider publishing an illustrated graphic version of The Cask of Amontillado. The artist who could best illustrate the graphic version of The Cask of Amontillado would be Joe Sacco. Joe Sacco has a background in journalistic reporting, a career that requires serious attention to detail to clearly and ccurately relay all of the facts in a news story.In his artistic renderings, Joe Sacco uses an exorbitant amount of detail, which would mesh well with the many details and symbolisms within Poe's writings. One such example would be from Joe Sacco's graphic novel Refugeeland. The illustration in particular is on the second page of the story. It is a two page spread that depicts an arial view of a city. The graphic weight of the image leads the viewer's eye around the drawing, the primary source being Sacco's use of crosshatching to fill the different spacial grounds.It is filled with all of he normal things one would see in a city, such as buildings, cars, and p eople, except every possible space in the spread is filled with the tiniest detail. There are no text boxes or areas for dialogue on this spread, allowing the viewer to contemplate all of the details in the scene. Sacco makes every part of the image important, he doesnt focus on a particular object or person, which allows for different symbols or elements to be incorporated into the drawing.Poe is an author who uses symbolism is all parts of his writings, including character names, settings, colors, and diction. All of these ymbols work together to create an intellectually stimulating story that causes the reader to pause and reconsider certain aspects hidden within the writing. The aura of mystery surrounding the setting of Edgar Allen Poe's writing combined with the first-person perspectives in the illustrations ot Joe Sacco would make this an exceptional pairing for Fantographics books to publish.Preview: In the middle of the story there is a scene where Montresor and Fortunato a re in the catacombs, it is filled with various complex details describing the ambience of the crypt while the men carry out their vain attempt at finding the Amontillado, â€Å"We assed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux to glow than flame†¦ the walls had been lined with human remains†¦ † (725). In this scene, Joe Sacco will illustrate a two page splash capturing the entire crypt.In this splash, he will capture the intricate details of the catacombs by using hatching technique done with pen and ink. He will show the men descending past the different arches of the crypt from their perspective to make the reader feel like they are walking into the atacombs with the men too. When he illustrates this scene he will use a range of values to establish the fore, middle, and background, this will encapsulate a very important moment in the story that will lea d the reader's eye across the page and provide an opportunity to place symbols that Poe is known for into the drawing.His use of contrasting values in the scene will also convey the tone, which will be very grim and foreboding. Joe Sacco's elaborate adaptation will be ideal for Poe's mysterious short story. Challenges and Unknowns: Although it may be argued that Joe Sacco's background as a Journalist is not ppropriate for such a monstrous fictional tale like The Cask of Amontillado, especially considering all other artistic possibilities, Joe Sacco is the most qualified artist for the Job.Attention to detail is a major necessity for any artist who is thinking about taking on such a detail-rich story like The Cask of Amontillado, which is brimming with symbolism and subtle details. Joe Sacco's background as a Journalist is perfect for The Cask of Amontillado. In his career he focused upon depicting the perspective of the Palestinian people, his eyewitness style of writing is very fit ting for he firsthand narration that Montresor delivers to the readers, which is evidence of Sacco's ability to transform Poe's writing into a graphic novel.Honorable Mention: Another artistic and literary combination that Fantographics Books could have possibly considered would be the pairing of Art Spiegelman, author and illustrator of Prisoner on the Hell Planet, with A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Spiegelman's simplistic illustrations integrated with the magical realism of Marquez would have made for a very interesting combination. Visually, it ould be very stimulating.Spiegelman has a sort of crazed intensity to his drawings, I think it would have been fun to see the bizarre happenings of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings portrayed in a woodblock printing style. Ultimately, I decided to work with Sacco and Poe because visually and allegorically there is so much more to work with. I enjoy the macabre and thrilling nature of Poe's writing more than magical realism that Marquez is known for. I also enjoy the realistic and complex style that Joe Sacco has as compared with Art Spiegelman, whose drawings are rather flat and disorganized.

Food Security in Society

Food Security â€Å"There is no sincerer love than the love of food,† George Bernard Shaw a literary critic once said. His statement rings true, as food feeds the functions of society. However, not all countries feel the cushion of a full meal each day. Every year 15 million children die from hunger. Scarcity of food is an epidemic affecting people all over the world. Therefore, food security, the access by which all people at any time can have access to enough nutritious food for an individual to have a healthy life, is a vital part of a countries concern.Nigeria is one such country, like many others in which food security is of high concern. No longer a third world country, as of 2005, Nigeria has been declared a middle class country and continues to develop from there. However, this does not make Nigeria exempt from the brutality of hunger and the shortage of food. Officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Nigeria is a country located in West Africa with its borders being surrounded by Chad, Benin, Cameroon and Niger. Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and the seventh most populated in the entire world.Naturally, with such a high population the amount and production of food is a large concern for the government. As stated by Olyeran-Oyeyinkain the book, The Gene Revolution and Global Food Security, â€Å"Agriculture has become a major contributor to the Nigeria's economy. Accounting for about 40% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employing about 60% of the work force† (Olyeran 117). The main crops that workers toil on are as follows: beans (varieties which include cocoa beans, soy beans) sesame, cashews, cassava, groundnuts, gum arabic, kola nut, corn, melon, millet, palm kernels, palm oil, plantains, rice, rubber, Guinea corn, and yams.Because of the many different climates that Nigeria possesses, it is possible for it to grow these varying crops. However, agriculture with larger sized crops is not a common form of farmi ng for the country. What’s stopping larger production is not common factors such as scarcity of water or even an appropriate climate to flourish in, but it is restricted due to low fertility in the soil. This stops many crops from even sprouting. Also, lack of cultivation stops from farming on a bigger scale as well. Livestock is not a huge factor in the country anymore.Though farming is not as large scale as it could be, it has taken over the land and caused insufficient homes for the animals to live in. Excess of population has also caused the countries game of elephants, tigers, buffalo, leopards, and other big game to be found in either animal reserves or remote countryside areas. The animals are forced to find homes elsewhere. Antelope, monkeys and jackals are still more commonly widespread and seen more often in Nigeria. The bigger game may be hard to catch but the common livestock eaten in Nigeria is as follows: cattle, donkey, duck, geese, goat, chicken, guinea fowls, pigeon, pigs, sheep, and turkey.Meat is a widespread form of nutrition in the country, but crops are a much more common item to be dined upon. Fisheries also provide a large amount of resources for the cultures cuisine. Most popular seafood life includes crab, shrimp, shark and moon fish. With all this said, food security in Nigeria has not been the best over the years, with poor farming resources and food being outsourced, most of the country has been left hungry. However, as of a 2010 food security review of Nigeria, things have been looking up.After the growing season completed in 2010 food supplies were on the higher side at both household and market levels. In most parts of northern Nigeria the livestock prices and household food reserve levels as of January 2010 are at an affordable price. These two factors are key elements in determining food security. This does not say that social deprivation does not still rain supreme in the country. Recovery from a difficult hunger seaso n usually shows a slow growth, however in 2010 the hunger season had gone by faster than expected due to thee above addressed unusual prices of livestock and crops.Commonly in Nigeria they outsource to other countries in order to make a profit off of their crops. While this gives them an increase in economic revenue, it leaves their people hungry due to lack of nutritious foods. This outsourcing of food is one of the major causes of the poor food security that Nigeria has often possessed. Before their civil war, which occurred in 1973, Nigeria was relatively self-sufficient in concerns to foods. However, after the war, imports and exports of food increased tenfold. Bread is the most common import, ironically enough imported from the United States.Major exports include oil, cocoa, corn, yams and cotton lint. To make more income, instead of having a surplus of food, the food is sold off, leaving the country short for its citizens, thus making for a very poor food security. The money t hat they then make is not used solely for feeding the people. Despite there being a ban on exporting a lot of important food sources, such as milk, sugar, and flour, a free agricultural trade market was finally established in the 1980’s. A second leading cause in the poor food security is the commonly occurring oil spills that happen in Nigeria.Nigeria is a large partner with the US, as it imports a lot of the United States oil to the country. The Delta region of Nigeria is the area that is hit hardest by these oil spills. The Department of Petroleum Resources estimated 1. 89 million barrels of petroleum were spilled into the Delta between 1976 and 1996 out of the total of 2. 4 million barrels between these year brackets. Clean up was slow and waste management of the sludge from recent oil spill accidents, as well as from the ones previously stated, is still a major concern for economic costs. An intervention plan is possible for the country of Nigeria.The Nigerian government has approved several policies and undertaken a number of steps in order to help improve food security in Nigeria. These plans include the following: the National Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition, Primary Health Care Approach, Catchments Area Planning and Action, Gender Informed Nutrition and Agriculture, and National Special Program on Food Security. Government in Nigeria’s main focus however is on their policy entitled â€Å"Food and Nutrition Policy for Nigeria. † This policy was put into place in 2002 and sets specific goals to be met.These include the reduction of malnutrition among children under five by at least 30% by 2010, and reduction of micronutrient deficiencies. The main micronutrient deficiency concern being with vitamin A, iodine and iron. Their hopes were to lower this by 50% by the year 2010 as well. Lack of knowledge and technology is a main hindrance to any policies and actions set forth by the Nigerian government. With all these plans being lo oked into, hopes are that Nigeria can reduce the population of hungry even more in the upcoming years. However, if mire research is not gained into solving these issues, setting orth policies may be in vain if there is no action to back them up. Works Cited Department of Petroleum Resources. 2009. 20 11 2009. Akinyele, Isaac. International Food Policy and Research Institute. Garki, Abuja Nigeria. 2010. 20 11 2011. Nations Encyclopedia. 2011. 20 11 2009. Olyeran-Oyeyinka, Banji Gehl Sampath, Padmashee. The Gene Revolution and Global Food Security. Palgrave Macmillan. Basingtoke Hampshire, GBR. 11 2009. 20 11 2011. 117. Think Exist. 1999. 20 11 2009. Think Quest. 20 11 2009. United States Department of Agriculture- Food and Nutrition. Alexandria, VA. 20 11 2011. USAID. 1 2011. 20 11 2009.

Grow like Rice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Grow like Rice - Essay Example Rice thrives in strong monsoon and continental climate. In approximation, about 26.1% of China falls under the subtropical region where rice grows well. Given the strong Monsoon and continental climate China experiences, it provides the most favorable conditions for the growth of rice (Braddbrook 11). I still remember my earlier experiences with rice. One such was a freezing winter when our small town experienced a snowstorm. Luckily the snowstorm did not stay for long as it subsided after about a week. Everything was all white with the snow providing a thick white blanket. My grandparents decided to take me out to play with the snow and snowballs, and to make a snowman in the paddy field. The sight of the lovely rice plants covered in a coat of snow filled me with awe. The sight was so perplexing to me that I found myself unable to move. Seeing the expression of wonder on my face, my grandmother walked to me and said, â€Å"This is what you eat every day. It is growing rice.† I was surprised and could not imagine any relation between those plants and the rice that I so often enjoyed. My grandmother told me that during winter, the farmers always celebrated the snow. They believed that the white snow was like an angel to the rice. I tried to patting the snow away from the p lants, but she stopped me with a sweet smile and said, â€Å"Rice sleeps beneath the snow. Don’t disturb it.† Deep inside, I still wondered how such plants produced rice. Up to today, I have never understood the origin of all those beliefs. On our way home, my grandfather explained to me the whole process of how farmers harvest paddy and make rice. The whole process was quite complicated for me to understand at the time. However, I remember them saying how rice sleeps beneath snow in winter. I also have not forgotten the experiences I had and the great time I spent with my grandparents in the field. As for many local families, my family’s staple

Reflection for movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection for movie - Essay Example The Invisible War shows that such an assumption is not only false; it is horribly skewed by the media and the government itself because rape continues to be endemic to the army and unresolved enough to persist up to the present without any definite solutions for its prevention and remediation. The film demonstrates the irony between the image and the reality of female soldiers. The film starts with a patriotic song and testimonies of women, who dreamt of being soldiers, of serving their country and feeling pride in doing so. That is the ideal image. The reality is shattered when all of these women, once idealistic and patriotic, declared that they were all raped, not just once, but many times, in the army. It does not matter if they served in the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Army, or the Air Force. It does not matter where they where during their service. These women, who wanted to serve their country so sincerely and genuinely, were raped not long after starting their services. The U. S. government and the army want to send the image that they are gender-sensitive by hiring women, but they do not protect their rights and interests at all. With rape so pervasive in the army, it is a shame that they even hire women whom they cannot protect. The media and the government are in it, in hiding and undermining the invisible war, because rape continues to rise and prevention and remediation measures are barely accessible to the victims. ... Cioca’s broken jaw from the rape she experienced needs immediate surgery, but one year after her complaint, she does not get the financial support she needs. It is heartbreaking how, as a victim, the government either forgot her or consciously wants to forget about her. I do not want to think about conspiracy- that the government is purposely trying to kill these veteran soldiers who reported about rape that involved their superiors or peers. But when Cioca talked about the medicine that the government gave her, which when combined are lethal and already killed other vets, I am now doubtful of the motives of the government. If the government cared enough for these women, why not give them the therapy and resources they need to move on with their lives, aside from putting their rapists behind bars for their entire lifetime? None of these is happening. Why? The government and the army work together in perpetuating a patriarchal world, where women are still seen as sexual objects , as commodities that can be raped and thrown aside. Instead of offering laws, measures, and controls that will provide justice and support for the victims and that will prevent rape in the army, the government only offers empty promises to those who are raped. Patriarchy is not dead. It is in the government that is blind and deaf to the support and justice needed by raped veteran soldiers. It is in the army that does not provide proactive measures to stop rape and other justice and financial support services and resources for the rape victims. Patriarchy is alive. It must be killed. And we must wage an all-out war against it before another one of our valiant female soldiers get raped. Crying for Women that Others Do Not Cry for in No Woman, No Cry Christy Turlington

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

Animation Critique - Essay Example For instance, the end of world war II had bring devastation to Japan and crimes and evils had increased at that time too, so Astro is shown saving people and stopping US Force from attacking poor Vietnamese. (Tezuka Osamu and Astro Boy, 2008). Moving towards the animation techniques used in the film; the first is computer aided techniques, which is 2D and 3D. For instance, in the movie Astro lashes needed to be long and curl, hence 3D techniques were used to achieve this feat. It was also used to fabricate vertices, edges and faces (Taylor, 2002). Furthermore, facial expression were also used such as parameterization to obtain a smiling, laughing or angry Astro Boy face or to remove wrinkles and to make these facial expression of Astro more realistic 2D and 3D morphing were also executed (Noh, 1998). Apart from these different other techniques were also implemented such as three fram shooting to emply a full animation, stop images to display a still photo of a crowd or still reaction from Astro Boy, Pull-Cells to make the scene with Astro flying or mving to save people and repetaition technique to illustrate Astro by walking around (Steinberg, 2006). Before rating the movie, we will use eight judging criteria. The storytelling was good as the Astro acts of saving people provided with a moral message, the clarity of the scenes are also present and timing is perfectly used. Secondly, the 12 principles of animation were also utilized to portray facial expressions, fight scenes and the normal stance in the movie. The tchnical criteria was also met with the help of major and crucial animation techniques, the movie was properly paced with perfect display, camera angles and lip synchorization. Aesthetics was also given attention as the coloring was matched and expressing, art in form of bulding and characters were also present perfectly and use of sound was also present when Astro was in figh with the villans, good sound of

When desigining a buliding , what steps are put in place to protect Assignment

When desigining a buliding , what steps are put in place to protect pulic safety and the environment ( Techical Report) - Assignment Example The research will focus more on the Waikato region of New Zealand. There are authorities that are charged with the safety regulations of building sites one of the groups that are charged with the responsibilities of ensuring safety is the Waikato building consent group. The Waikato building Consent Team support some sort of risk dependent consenting technique, with duties and accountabilities becoming apportioned for the parties relative to their guidance. The Building Control council is responsible for issuing consents to allow for building development in the district, and conducting inspections in order to make sure that building agreement conditions are met and relevant legislation is observed fully. The group works in hand ensuring that building designs are up to standard and the safety requirements are considered in the sites under construction Construction is an ongoing process. Every day there are buildings coming up while the old designs are been replaced by modern designs that improve the physical appearance of a place. With all this construction going on, it is important for a designer to consider public safety and the safety of the environment. There are steps that have been set to guide engineers while they design plans for a building. These steps have been designed to protect pedestrians, workers and anybody who might come near the building site. It is very important for designers to familiarize themselves with the steps that have been put in place for public and environmental safety in the Waikato. This will minimize the risk of accidents in construction and protect the environment. The reason for this study is to find out the does and don’ts of a designer while creating a building design. It also aims to educate the public on the importance of public safety and environmental safety during construction and the design process. Conducting the study was not easy. Several limitations hampered the full realization of the study. The

VICA - Enjoy the difference Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

VICA - Enjoy the difference Company - Essay Example From this research it is clear that VICA - â€Å"Enjoy the difference† Company is keen to check the profit and losses incurred by the company. Focus on the workers’ demands is among the company’s major concerns, to develop a rapport between the management and the workers as well as, keep the company on its toes. The target group of the company’s City car falls below 25years while the Large car is persons between the ages of 41-55years. On the part of the City car the vehicle is suitable for short distances, and is affordable for the youngsters. On the other hand, the large car is suitable for the old people who require carrying luggage of varying sizes and moving over long distances. In the first round, the researcher’s group selected the City car and the Large car to be a man product. They found out the City car to be of low price, high volumes and makes the most profit. The group attempted to categorize the different characteristics of the target market. In terms of the City and large cars, the researcher’s group put in focus attributes of comfort, safety, speed, technology and style of the car. The reasons behind the selection of these attributes is that is the age group under the age of 25 years are more concerned with safety, style and technology of the make of the car. Contrary, the age group between 41- 55 years prefer a car that is comfortable, has a sense of style and high technology. In Round 1, the market share was designed in such a way that, it would target 1% of the City and Large cars. However, it proved extremely tasking to fit in the new market, with the competition posed by the gurus. The Company embarked on a mission to produce Citizen-the City car and Lugano- Large car. The two makes of vehicles incorporate a large percentage of the market share that contributes greatly to Round 4. In this round, there indicated a great deal of drop in the market share of the Citizen to 0.95% and Lugano, 1.39%. By th e end of the first year, the Citizens cars stood at 53,300 while Lugano’s was 40,950. The gross margin was 14.52% and 27.46% for Citizen and Lugano respectively. The drop indicated after the first round stood at 9.09% and 1.59% correspondingly. The reason behind this occurrence is the fact that, the number of vehicles selected by the target groups was slightly higher than what had been budgeted for in the earlier

MET329 Fluid Power Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MET329 Fluid Power - Research Paper Example The course was inspired by the long time application of fluid power dating back from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia where water was used for irrigation (Hill 143-152). Fluid power course includes various engineering and science modules, which covers topics such as dam design, pipe flow, pumps, hydropower, flow measurements, turbines, erosions, and river channel behaviors (Eckert 20). The accredited person with a fluid power degree can find an opportunity in various industries such as mining to operate mining machineries, in the real estate industries to offer services such as lift maintenance. The experience related to fluid power can also be applied in motor vehicles, agriculture, and in any other engineering projects where power is generated from gas and fluids. In conclusion, the MET329 Fluid Power course is rooted in ancient civilizations where it was used on irrigation, boats, among other applications. It started as technological advancements, but today is studied as a career subject, which can assist one to be employed in various industries such as water supply, irrigations, and hydraulic motors amongst others. The course will shape the world’s technological scope in the future by offering special research algorithms of automating all machineries through fluid

Deism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Deism - Essay Example Moreover, belief in a miraculous and/or mysterious representation of the divine cannot and should not be viewed as something unique to monotheism. As can readily be understood from a cursory examination of the Hindu or Greek pantheon, a direct level of interference on the part of the gods is evidenced throughout the traditions and scriptures that these individual religious interpretations have developed. From such a long and historical/traditional understanding of what defines God/gods, it comes as something of a surprise that the belief system of deism ever came to any prominence whatsoever. As a means of understanding, explaining, defining, and drawing a level of inference with regards to how deism affected, and continues to affect the world in which we live, this brief analysis will seek to engage the reader with a more well-rounded and complete understanding of this belief system; as well as the key factors that contributed to it and the impacts that this particular belief system continues to engender. As with many historical theories and definitions of the world, deism was born out of a particular historical movement and time. In such a manner, within 17th and 18th century Europe, as well as the United States, the Age of Enlightenment was taking place. Within this particular time, the means by which the Catholic and Protestant churches of Europe could control and manage the means by which individuals thought and integrated with new and developing knowledge was severely and indefinitely curtailed. Nearly each and every movement of human history up until this point in time had moved humanity closer and closer to technological development, scientific discovery, industrial change, and a litany of other factors. Within such an understanding, the reader can come to the clear and definitive understanding of the fact that deism was ultimately borne out of the zeitgeist that was experienced during this unique era in human history. From a definitive standpoint, deis m is ultimately the belief that reason and observation alone are in and of themselves sufficient to determine whether or not God/gods exist (s). Furthermore, deism sought to reject prior norms that have long been accepted within Europe and the remainder of the world; namely the belief that revelation in and of itself could be utilized as a type of authority for knowledge, the belief and understanding that the divine regularly integrated with the human, the belief that Scripture was ultimately flawless, the belief in miracles, and many other standbys that had traditionally been understood by Christianity of various denominations to define the way in which God interacted with his creation. As is so prone to occur with religious interpretations and ideologies, deism soon came to be a way in which sociological factors of interpersonal and governmental relationships were determined. What is meant by this is that the Age of Enlightenment was a tumultuous period in world history in which t he constraints of both government and church were shocked in favor of reason and the human accrual of knowledge. It should not be understood by any means that this level of scientific and exploratory knowledge seeking is in and of itself bad. Ultimately, the spirit that gave rise to deism is the same one that helps to develop modern

Understanding Leadership Styles Essay Example for Free

Understanding Leadership Styles Essay There are a number of factors that will influence the style of leadership a leader may choose, such as: The working environment, The task or project that is being tackled, The staff themselves and their preferred style of working, along with their personal traits and qualities How do you determine what is an appropriate style? Any leader uses a range of different styles at different times during the course of a single day. Decisions have to be made and it may be appropriate for different styles of leadership at different times, and for different situations during that day. Another factor that has to be considered when choosing a leadership style is that the leadership style at the beginning should be consistent with what people in the organization expect. Transactional leadership This is done by enticing staff with rewards such as bonuses, prizes, something that will be of benefit to the staff member; these are achieved by setting targets. The outcome of this will be that the target is achieved but the morale of the team may be affected with some doing very well and gaining great recognition, others not so well which can demoralise the staff and affect their enthusiasm for future tasks. Transformation leadership This is a beliefs and values type of leading getting the team to believe the vision of the final aim. This is done by talking and listening to the team and being positive and enthusiastic about the aim. One of the benefits of this type of leadership in comparison with Transactional leadership is that no one feels like they are being singled out for under achieving as they are all working together and believe in the leaders vision, this is done by encouraging individuals values and enthusiasm for the task. Authentic Leadership This is a leader who is extremely good at what they do whilst remaining grounded and in touch with their workforce, an assumed leader rather than elected. They can inspire their staff to achieve great things with their passion commitment and drive, whilst still connecting with their team by showing their appreciation and encouragement to team members. Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leaders insist on doing it all themselves. They have all the power, make all the decisions, and dont often tell anyone else about what theyre doing. An autocratic leader often maintains their authority by force, intimidation, threats, reward and punishment, or position. Although they may or may not have a clear vision, and may or may not be steering the organization in the right direction, they are not concerned with whether anyone else agrees with what them or not. One positive with autocratic leadership is that it allows quick decision-making, and eliminates arguments over how and why things get done. On the negative it may reduce the likelihood of getting a range of different ideas from different people, and can make people feel as though they are being treated badly, or as if they dont matter. If, as is often true, the leader is concerned with his own power and status, hell be looking over his shoulder, and moving to squelch any opposition to him or his ideas and decisions. Innovation or the use of others ideas is only permissible if its part of the leaders plan. Effects on the organization. Autocratic leaders often leave fear and mistrust in their wake. Others in the organization tend to copy their protection of their position, and their distrust of others ideas and motives. Often, autocratically -led organizations are not particularly supportive of personal relationships, but much more keyed to chain-of-command. Everyone has her own sphere, and protects it at all costs. Communication tends to go in only one direction up as a result of which rumor can become the standard way of spreading news in the organization. At its best (and there are decent autocratic leaders see the box directly below ), autocratic leadership provides a stable and secure work environment and decisive, effective leadership. All too often, however, it can sacrifice initiative, new ideas, and the individual and group development of staff members for the predictability of a highly structured, hierarchical environment where everyone knows exactly what hes supposed to do, and follows orders without  question. Although the above paints a pretty bleak picture, many autocratic leaders are not hated and feared, but rather esteemed, and even loved. It depends on their own personalities like anyone else, they can be nice people, or highly charismatic, or even willing to listen to and act on others ideas on the organization itself (in the military, most soldiers want someone firmly in charge), on the quality of their decisions, and on the needs of the people they lead. If theyre generally decent and not abusive, make good deci sions for the organization, and fulfil the parent-figure or authority -figure image that most people in the organization are looking for, they can be both effective and well-respected. 2. Managerial. The leader who sees herself as a manager is concerned primarily with the running of the organization. Where its going is not at issue, as long as it gets there in good shape. She may pay attention to relationships with and among staff members, but only in the service of keeping things running smoothly. Depending upon the nature and stability of the organization, her main focus may be on funding, on strengthening the organizations systems and infrastructure (policies, positions, equipment, etc.), or on making sure day-to-day operations go well (including making sure that everyone is doing what hes supposed to). If shes efficient, a managerial leader will generally be on top of whats happening in the organization. Depending on the size of the organization and her management level, shell have control of the budget, know the policies and procedures manual inside out, be aware of whos doing his job efficiently and whos not, and deal with issues quickly and firmly as they co me up. What she wont do is steer the organization. Vision isnt her business; maintaining the organization is. Effects on the organization. In general, a well-managed organization, regardless of its leadership style, is a reasonably pleasant place to work. Staff members don t have to worry about ambiguity, or about whether theyll get paid. As long as oversight is relatively civil no screaming at people, no setting staff members against one another things go along on an even keel. Good managers even try to foster friendly relationships with and among staff, because they make the organization work better. On the other hand, good management without a clear vision creates an organization with no sense of purpose. The organization may simply act to support the status quo, doing what it has always done in order to keep  things running smoothly. That attitude neither fosters passion in staff members, nor takes account of the changing needs (and they do change) of the target population or the community. The organization may do what it does efficiently and wellbut what it does may not be what it should be doing, and it wont be examining that possibility any time soon. Obviously, the leader of any organization as well as any other administrator has to be a manager at least some of the time. Many are in fact excellent managers, and keep the organization running smoothly on a number of levels. The issue here is the style that person adopts as a leader. If she sees management as her primary purpose, shes a managerial leader, and will have a very different slant on leadership than if her style is essentially democratic, for instance. 3. Democratic. A democratic leader understands that there is no organization without its people. He looks at his and others positions in terms of responsibilities rather than status, and often consults in decision-making. While he solicits, values, and takes into account others opinions, however, he sees the ultimate responsibility for decision-making as hi s own. He accepts that authority also means the buck stops with him. Although he sees the organization as a cooperative venture, he knows that he ultimately has to face the consequences of his decisions alone. Democratic leadership invites the participation of staff members and others, not only in decision-making, but in shaping the organizations vision. It allows everyone to express opinions about how things should be done, and where the organization should go. By bringing in everyones ideas, it enriches the organizations possibilities. But it still leaves the final decisions about what to do with those ideas in the hands of a single person. Some models of democratic leadership might put the responsibility in the hands of a small group a management team or executive committee rather than an individual. Effects on the organization. Democratic leadership, with its emphasis on equal status, can encourage friendships and good relationships throughout the organization. (In more hierarchical organizations, clerical staff and administrators are unlikely to socialize, for instance; in a democratically-led organization, such socialization often happens.) It helps people feel valued when their opinions are solicited, and even more so if those opinions are incorporated into a final decision or policy. What a democratic leadership doesnt necessarily do although it can is  establish staff ownership of the organization and its goals. Although everyone may be asked for ideas or opinions, not all of those are used or incorporated in the workings of the organization. If there is no real discussion of ideas, with a resulting general agreement, a sense of ownership is unlikely. Thus, democratic leadership may have some of the drawbacks of autocratic leadership a lack of buy-in without the advantages of quick and clear decision-making that comes with the elimination of consultation. 4. Collaborative. A collaborative leader tries to involve everyone in the organization in leadership. She is truly first among equals, in that she may initiate discussion, pinpoint problems or issues that need to be addressed, and keep track of the organization as a whole, rather than of one particular job. But decisions are made through a collaborative process of discussion, and some form of either majority or consensus agreement. Toward that end, a collaborative leader tries to foster trust and teamwork among the staff as a whole. A collaborative leader has to let go of the need for control or power or status if she is to be effective. Her goal is to foster the collaborative process, and to empower the group whether the staff and others involved in an organization, or the individuals and organizations participating in a community initiative to control the vision and the workings of the organization. She must trust that, if people have all the relevant information, theyll make good decisionsand she must make sure that they have that information, and provide the facilitation that assures those good decisions. Effects on the organization. Collaborative leadership comes as close as possible to ensuring that members of the organization buy into its vision and decisions, since they are directly involved in creating them. It comes closest to the goal of servant leadership explored in the previous section (Please see Chapter 13, Section 2: Servant Leadership: Accepting and Maintaining the Call of Service), and it also comes closest to reflecting the concepts of equality and empowerment included in the philosophy and miss ion of so many grass roots and community-based organizations. It thus removes much of the distrust that often exists between line staff and administrators. David Chrislip and Carl E. Larson, in Collaborative Leadership How Citizens and Civic Leaders Can Make a Difference, equate collaborative leadership not only with servant leadership, but with transformational (see below) and  facilitative leadership as well. They identify four characteristics of the collaborative leader: * Inspiring commitment and action. The collaborative leader helps people develop the vision and passion to start and maintain the work. * Leading as a peer problem solver. The collaborative leader facilitates problem solving by modeling and teaching a process, and by helping others bring their experience and ideas to bear. * Building broad-based involvement. The collaborative leader invites everyone concerned into an inclusive process. * Sustaining hope and participation. Reaching goals may take a long time. The collaborative leader both helps the group set interim goals so it can see progress, and, by example and in other ways, helps to maintain the passion and commitment to keep going when theres no end in sight. Collaborative leaders also generally foster close relationships among staff members, making for more communication and cross-fertilization in their work, and leading to more effective ways to accomplish the organizations goals. On the down side, management can be neglected in favor of building a collaborative organization. Even more to the point, collaborative decision-making can be excruciating. Depending upon the group, ideas can be talked to death, and insignificant disagreements about insignificant areas of policy can take hours to resolve. Collaborative decision-making can be democratic based on a majority vote after discussion or dependent on arriving at consensus, with a range of possibilities in between. Consensus decision-making is particularly difficult, in that it requires everyone to agree before a decision can be made. A single determined individual can derail the process indefinitely. Even at its best, a consensus process can take inordinate amounts of time, and try the patience of all involved. Its not impossible to employ, but it takes real commitment to the ideal of consensus, and enormous patience. In practice, true consensus decision-making is most often used in collective organizations, which are significantly different from collaborative ones, and often involve everyone in leadership. Another way of looking at leadership style A different view, popularized by James MacGregor Burns, contrasts two styles of leadership: transactional and transformational. Transactional leadership, as its name implies, views leadership as based on transactions  between leader and followers. The leader sees human relations as a series of transactions. Thus rewards, punishments, reciprocity, exchanges (economic, emotional, physical) and other such transactions are the basis of leadership. In simplest terms, I lead this organization by paying you and telling you what you need to do; you respond by doing what you need to do efficiently and well, and the organization will prosper. Transformational leadership looks at leadership differently. It sees a true leader as one who can distill the values and hopes and needs of followers into a vision, and then encourage and empower followers to pursue that vision. A transactional leader thinks of improvement or development as doing the same thing better: an organization that reaches more people, a company that makes more money. A transformational leader thinks about changing the world, even if only on a small scale. Combining the two views of leadership style These two ways of looking at leadership style are not mutually exclusive: in fact, its easier to look at leadership in the context of both. Assuming, as almost all leadership theorists do, that transformational is either better than, or a necessary addition to, transactional leadership, what elements go into creating a transformational leader? What styles are transformational leaders likely to employ, and how? Elements of transformational leadership The transformational leader conceives of leadership as helping people to create a common vision and then to pursue that vision until its realized. She elicits that vision from the needs and aspirations of others, gives it form, and sets it up as a goal to strive for. The vision is not hers: it is a shared vision that each person sees as his own. Martin Luther Kings overwhelming I Have A Dream speech derived its power not only from the beauty of his oratory, but from the fact that it crystallized the feelings of all those citizens, of all races, who believed that racism was a great wrong. In that speech, King spoke with the voices of the hundreds of thousands who stood before the Lincoln Memorial, and of millions of others who shared in his vision. That speech remains as the defining moment of the Civil Rights struggle, and defined King who had already proved his mettle in Birmingham and elsewhere as a transformational leader. The conception behind transformational leadership is thu s providing and working toward a  vision, but also has elements of empowerment, of taking care of people, and even of task orientation. The job of the transformational leader is not simply to provide inspiration and then disappear. It is to be there, day after day, convincing people that the vision is reachable, renewing their commitment, priming their enthusiasm. Transformational leaders work harder than anyone else, and, in the words of a spiritual, keep their eyes on the prize. The methods that transformational leaders might use to reach their goals can vary. Theyll virtually always include involving followers in the goal, as well as charisma, which comes, if not from personal characteristics, from the ability to put a mutual vision into words, and to move a group toward the realization of that vision. Transformational leaders may also use sharing power, setting an example, and/or persuasion to help move a group toward its goal. What style does all that imply? The managerial style is perhaps least appropriate to transformational leadership, since it pays no attention to vision. The autocratic pays little attention to the ideas of others, and is not generally congenial to the transformational leader. On the other hand, there was Hitler, who tapped into the deepest emotions of those he led, and voiced them in a frightening but highly effective way. There is no guarantee that a transformational leader will work for the betterment of humanity, although he may c ouch his vision in those terms. The intersection of the transformational and the autocratic is not impossible, but it usually has, at best, mixed results. Fidel Castro initiated and has maintained desperately-needed land, education, health, and other reforms in Cuba, for which he is still revered by much of the islands population. He also eliminated any vestige of political freedom, imprisoned and executed dissenters and political opponents, and was at least partially responsible for destroying much of Cubas economic base in the name of ideological purity. As with the four styles described earlier, there is no guarantee that either a transactional or transformational leader will be an effective one. The democratic and collaborative styles are both better possibilities for transformational leadership. Both allow for input from everyone, and both encourage participation in the realization of long-term goals. It can be difficult for a highly motivated, charismatic leader to operate in the collaborative mode, but it can also be tremendously satisfying. There is an argument to be made  that, because of the high degree of ownership of the vision in a collaboratively-run organization, the collaborative style could be the most successful for transformational leadership. As noted above, David Chrislip and Carl Larson actually see collaborative and transformational leadership as essentially the same.  and of course the leaders qualities and personal traits are a major factor, whether they are confident , inspirational, approachable, committed, knowledgeable, disciplined, open minded, responsible, positive, energising , trustworthy,

Creation Of The Csi Effect Criminology Essay

Creation Of The Csi Effect Criminology Essay Known as the CSI-Effect, the medias representation of criminal proceedings manipulates and distorts the deliberations made by juries resulting in unrealistic expectations of contemporary forensic science. The CSI-Effect has evolved and perpetuated through the emergence of popular crime dramas, such as CSI, NCIS, Bones and Criminal Minds that obscure the juries perspective of authentic, credible forensic science. Consequently, juries now perceive forensic evidence as, objective, reliable and infallible. (Wise, 2010, p. 384) This has resulted in an increased demand for prosecution to produce viable and tangible forensic evidence, in order to satisfy the high standard of proof in criminal proceedings. Jurors therefore, fail to distinguish between the medias stylized portrayal of forensic science and the current limitations and restrictions of forensics within the legal framework. Jurors are now susceptible to the unrealistic view that forensic testing is the most superior, probative for m of evidential proof and therefore, afford greater reliability to expert witnesses and examiners. Juries may demand forensic testing or evidence examination in unnecessary cases without regard to the time or financial restrictions placed on lab facilities and testing resources. Similarly, jurors now expect that current forensic experts have access to similar advanced technology and resources as investigators portrayed in televised crime dramas. As the medias representation of crime fiction continues to inaccurately inform juries perspectives the role of forensic science in the criminal justice system will remain obscured and misinterpreted. Creation of the CSI-Effect The CSI-Effect represents the relationship between popular crime television programs and the deliberations made by juries in criminal court proceedings. The medias portrayal of crime fiction can be observed through programs including, CSI, Bones, Forensic Files and Criminal Minds. As demonstrated by Nielson Media Research, the Top 10 American Broadcast TV Rankings between June 1st and June 7th, 2009 included Law and Order: SVU with 11,562000 viewers, alongside NCIS with 11,256000 viewers. (Nielson, 2009) Due to the CSI-Effect, jurors falsely associate the forensic capabilities presented in such programs as a reflection of current discipline standards and resources. Therefore, it is commonly assumed in court proceedings that all criminal offences can be resolved using forensic evidence. As argued by Mann, 2006, television as a highly influential form of mass media, has significantly shaped the public perception of the criminal justice system. Many are convinced that in this modern age of forensic science, the CSI effect, which refers to the hit CBS television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation gives jurors heightened and unrealistic expectations of how conclusively forensic science can determine innocence or guilt. (Mann, 2006, p. 211) The CSI-Effect relies heavily on the popularity of law-orientated television programs in accordance to the fictitious, unrealistic representation of forensic science and criminal investigation issues. The manner in which jurors now determine judgements and assess evidence in criminal proceedings has been irrevocably altered. Thus, the CSI-Effect has resulted in a severe distortion of the criminal investigative process and the extent to which credible, forensic evidence can be perceived by jurors in the legal framework. Higher acquittal rates The CSI-Effect has produced an elevated standard of proof in criminal proceedings for prosecution to present substantial forensic evidence to gain a conviction. As supported by Cole and Dioso-Villa, 2009, this is evidenced by heightened acquittal rates amongst juries, subsequent to the advent of crime dramas, such as CSI. Jurors now hold exaggerated views regarding the probative merit of forensic science. Therefore, in certain situations the verdict is dependent on forensic factors such as DNA typing, fingerprints, bloodstain pattern analysis and ballistics. Mann, 2006 discusses the development of forensic evidence in comparison to the prosecutions traditional reliance on witness testimonies and statements. The medias concentration on the infallibility of forensic science has resulted in juries affording the professional opinions and testimonies of expert witnesses more probative value. Due to the CSI-Effect, jurors seek slam-dunk evidence (Podlas, 2009, p. 432) in criminal trials an d proceedings, as conveyed in relatively all crime dramas. [The CSI-Effect] focuses on the way that CSI elevates scientific evidence to an unsupported level of certainty thus bolstering the prosecutions case. (Podlas, 2009, p. 433) In reality, a large amount of obtainable evidence is difficult to achieve in certain criminal investigations. In the absence of material forensic evidence, jurors now perceive the arguments presented by prosecution to be invalid or inapplicable. The public is continually inundated with stylized portrayals of forensic science as flawless and precise. Accordingly, this has similarly affected the juries approach in demanding substantial and viable forensic evidence in order to successfully convict an individual. Everyones an Expert The existence of the CSI-Effect has remained a highly contentious and controversial issue in the contemporary legal system. In specific regards to heightened acquittal rates amongst juries, Tyler (2006, p.74) hypothesised that, [I]t is equally plausible to argue that watching CSI has, in fact, the opposite effect on jurorsincreasing their tendency to convict defendants. Tyler claims that crime television programs, such as CSI aim to deliver certainty through the achievement of justice and the ability of investigators to catch the bad guy. Tyler suggests that the juries aspirations for justice may also lead to leniency in conviction, rather than acquittal. (Tyler, 2006) However, Tyler failed to address the principal issue of forensic science and evidential proof within his criticisms of the CSI-Effect. The CSI-Effect has led to jurors with inflated perceptions of his/her own expertise in the field of forensic science. As supported by Wise, 2010 jurors consider themselves somewhat edu cated and informed in the forensic discipline through regular observation of the techniques and practices displayed in televised crime dramas. Consequently, jurors are highly likely to acquit a defendant if prosecutors fail to obtain reliable, probative forensic evidence to support the case. Juror ignorance: limitations As a consequence of the CSI-Effect, juries now hold unrealistic, impractical expectations of the field of forensic science in the existing legal system. The CSI-Effect is partially generated by the juries failure to appropriately consider the various limitations and restrictions placed on forensic testing facilities and resources. In many criminal proceedings, juries may demand forensic testing on particular evidence articles without regard to time availability or government financial expenses. This can directly influence the judicial deliberations made by juries in relation to reaching acquittals, based solely on the lack of forensic evidential proof. As supported by Heinrick, 2006, juries can demand unnecessary and costly testing for fingerprints, DNA and handwriting analyses. If such requirements are not fulfilled in criminal proceedings, jurors may be more willing to acquit accused individuals. Dissimilar to the fictional forensic techniques and procedures portrayed in crime dram as, forensic tests can take extended periods of time to complete and evidence analysis is an extremely long, time consuming process. (Heinrick, 2006) The Maricopia County Attorneys Office (MCAO) recently conducted an extensive study into typical juror behaviour in relation to the CSI-Effect. MCAO conducted interview-based surveys on approximately 102 prosecutors with professional experience with juries in criminal trials. Each prosecutor was assessed on their previous experiences with juries whom they considered to exhibit signs of the CSI-Effect. (Heinrick, 2006) MCAO concluded that, More than half (61%) of prosecutors who ask jurors if they watch forensic crime television shows feel jurors seem to believe the shows are mostly true. (Maricopia County Attorneys Office, 2005) Conclusion The existence of the CSI-Effect in the contemporary legal system can be observed through juries obscured perceptions and understanding of credible forensic evidence. The ascending popularity and public appeal of fictional crime-orientated television programs has resulted in a heightened standard of proof for prosecution to obtain actual evidence in criminal proceedings. Consequently, acquittal rates amongst current juries have increased since the development of the CSI franchise. (Cole Dioso-Villa, 2009) The CSI-Effect encompasses the growing reliance on forensic evidence in comparison to traditional prosecution approaches, such as witness testimonies. Arguments have emerged that debate the influence of the CSI-Effect. For example, Tyler argued that jurors would be more susceptible to convicting a defendant in criminal proceedings, due to the strong focus on the achievement of justice in crime dramas. (Tyler, 2006) However, jurors aim to acquire material, forensic evidence in crimin al proceedings in order to support a conviction. If this element is not satisfied, it is highly probable that an acquittal will occur. (Wise, 2010) As a subsequent result of the CSI-Effect, jurors are more susceptible to demanding unnecessary and highly expensive forensic testing, with minimal regard or consideration for the limitations placed on forensic testing facilities and resources. Essentially, the CSI-Effect can be directly attributed with misleading jurors to, reach [judicial conclusions] contrary to the interests of justice. (MCAO, 2005) A large portion of the public audience misinterpret and misperceive programs such as, CSI or Criminal Minds as accurately portraying the capabilities of authentic, current forensic science. Thus, the CSI-Effect will remain a highly significant influence in the decision making and judicial deliberations of jurors in both a global and domestic context.

Essay example --

Title Relationship between Television Viewing and Children Obesity Introduction Obesity is one of the major health problems among children today. This is evident from the United States and many developed countries in the world. Pediatrics in the past has come up with different ways of addressing the issue for instance by encouraging much time for physical activity in schools. They have also argued that television viewing in children should be reduced to at least two hours per day (Crane et al. 2013). These efforts have borne no fruits since obesity among children still remains to be a big challenge. Studies that have been carried in the past have showed that the major cause of obesity is eating junk food and lack of exercise. However, it has not been answered what really makes children not to have physical exercises like sporting and what makes them consume junk foods yet they have been warned that it will make them overweight. There are attributes that TV viewing is the main reason why children consume junk foods because of the different adverts that they are e xposed to (Mitchell, Pate & Liese, 2013). It also denies them the opportunity to have physical exercises. Therefore, it is argued that there is a direct relationship between TV viewing in children and child obesity. Although researchers have strongly supported TV viewing to be a major cause of obesity in children, there have been no longitudinal studies of childhood viewing and their health. In addition, it has not been explained how TV viewing can contribute to overweight in children yet some argue that it is a psychological activity that makes them active in one way or the other (Kimm, 2003). This study will be aimed at looking at the relationship between television ... ... energy intakes. The result is that the excess energy accumulates in the body making them overweight. The other way is snacking whereby children have snacks close to them when playing games on their play stations or when watching TV. This increases their energy intake (Coakley, 2003). They also add their meals which further increasing their energy intakes yet they are not exercising. TV viewing also promotes obesity in children through the different adverts. The adverts are mostly on junk foods because they are on high demand among adults. Consumption of junk foods in the country has been observed to increase by over 50 percent in the last two decades (Mitchell, Pate & Liese, 2013). The adverts encourage children to make purchases of such foods. As much as children will want to keep off from the junk foods, their battle is counteracted by pressure from the media.

culture and conflict :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The culture of conflict is just as important as the conflict itself. The reasons for conflict and the inner agony of pride are all do to culture. The epic poem of Gilgamesh, and The Odyssey, the story of Genesis have many forms of many conflicts. Cultural conflicts have many different forms, but pride is usually at the root of all of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book of Gilgamesh has many conflicts, and battles. Gilgamesh was a flashy warrior and leader that resolved everything with primitive actions. He was a conflict all his own because the towns people didn’t like his leadership. His acts of womanizing and mistreating the towns people is what caused this hatred towards him. They all wished for an equal to come. Enkido was a forest man that was an equal to Gilgamesh. He came, and at first wasn’t an equal to Gilgamesh, but a rival. Gilgamesh and Enkido battled through the streets of the town. These actions were pride based and human nature must have had an impact. In anything once a leader is challenged he will do anything to keep his leadership and step up to the occasion. In this case, Gilgamesh the leader was challenged. â€Å"Enkido stood, guardian on the threshold of the martial chamber, To block the way of the king, The aura and power of the wild ox, Gilgamesh, Who was coming to the chamber and take his bride.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stormy heart struggled with stormy heart, As Gilgamesh met Enkido in his rage, At the marital threshold they wrestled, bulls contending: The doorposts shook and shattered; the wrestling staggered.† (Gilgamesh_14,15)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once the battle ended, Gilgamesh knew that they were equal. Being the leader that he was, he decided not to be rivals, but be friends. They decide to travel to the forest of Cedars, where they set to challenge the org Huwawa. Enkido doesn’t want to proceed with this thought but Gigamesh wants to continue. They show up and battle the superhuman guardian, kill him, cut down the forest, cut off Huwana's head as a trophy, build a raft, and head back to Uruk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The really only cultural experience in this battle isn’t just the battle itself, but after the battle when they cut off Huwawa's head and made it into a trophy. Making his head into a trophy exemplifies their in their great victory. It demonstrates was gained and shows that they had something to remember it by.

Comparing the Treatment of Death in the Movie Antz and Antony and Cleop

Comparing the Treatment of Death in the Movie Antz and Antony and Cleopatra At first sight, Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and the movie Antz seem to bear little resemblance to each other. Not only does a time period of almost 400 years separate the publication of Antony and Cleopatra from the first broadcast of Antz, but the very species of the characters differ as well. Yet, in the two stories the characters’ thoughts and actions are surprisingly similar, especially in regard to the thematic elements of war and death. Antony, the middle-aged Roman general in Antony and Cleopatra, and General Mandible, the unfeeling commander in Antz, both share the opinion that the life of an individual soldier does not matter. Instead of trying to ensure the safety of their soldiers, they endanger them by taking great risks. Antony persists in fighting Caesar at sea although Enobarbus warns him that a fight at sea would mean to â€Å"throw away the absolute soldiership [he] has by land â€Å" and to â€Å"give [himself up] merely to chance and hazard.† Similarly, General Mandible declares war on the termite colony and remains indifferent when Cutter, one of the soldiers, objects that a battle against the termites is suicide. Antony and Cleopatra presents large-scale death in a more distant way than Antz. Shakespeare’s play does not contain bloody war scenes displaying slain men. Death in Antony and Cleopatra retains a certain nobleness and dignity because the audience does not see unpleasant moments of suffering nor disfigured war victims. Antz, by contrast, shows the brutality of war and the disfigured corpses of the ants and termites after the battle. Barbados, who saves Z’s life during the battle, is dismembered -- at the neck -- by the ter... ...mes most horrible at the end when General Mandible, in a sudden uncontrolled rage against Cutter, reveals his whole cruelty and shouts: â€Å"I am the colony.† At first sight one might expect that in Antony and Cleopatra war would be the predominant theme, for the Romans are well-known as warriors throughout their early history. It may therefore be surprising to find that Shakespeare’s play focuses less on detailed battle scenes than Antz, especially since the latter is a children’s movie. But maybe the emphasis on war in the movie is not a contradiction to the fact that it is primarily intended for a very young audience. Are not the children of today the voters and politicians of tomorrow and would it not be beneficiary for the future of mankind if before agreeing to a war those voters and politicians reminded themselves of Barbados’ last words â€Å"Think for yourself†?

America Moves to the City Post-Civil War

In the decades post-Civil War, America moved to the city. The increase in population almost doubled especially with the rush of new immigrants. The drift towards the city didn’t only affect America, it affected the Western world. With new industrial jobs, immigrants and Americans had opportunities for jobs, having the United States flourish.I. The new look of cities; the urban frontier. A.1870 to 1900, the American population doubled, and the population in the cities tripled. B.Cities grew up and out, with such famed architects as Louis Sullivan working on and perfecting skyscrapers (first appearing in Chicago in 1885). 1. The city grew from a small compact one that people could walk through to get around to a huge metropolis that required commuting by electric trolleys. 2. Electricity, indoor plumbing, and telephones made city life more alluring. C.Department stores like Macy’s (in New York) and Marshall†¨Field’s (in Chicago) provided urban working-class jo bs and also†¨attracted urban middle-class shoppers. 1. Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie told of woman’s escapades in the city, made cities dazzling and attractive. 2. The move to city produced lots of trash, because while farmers always reused everything or fed â€Å"trash† to animals, city dwellers, with their mail-order houses like Sears and Montgomery Ward, which made things cheap and easy to buy, could simply throw away the things that they didn’t like anymore.D.Criminals flourished, and impure water, uncollected garbage, unwashed bodies, and droppings made cities smelly and unsanitary. 1. Worst of all were the slums, which were crammed with people. 2. So-called â€Å"dumbbell tenements† (which gave a bit of fresh air down their airshaft) were the worst since they were dark, cramped, and had little sanitation or ventilation. E.To escape, the wealthy of the city-dwellers fled to suburbs.II. Immigration happens all over the nation. A.Until t he 1880s, most of the immigrants had come from the British Isles and western Europe (Germany and Scandinavia) and were quite literate and accustomed to some type of representative government. This†¨was called the â€Å"Old Immigration.† But by the 1880s and 1890s, this shifted to the Baltic and Slavic people of southeastern Europe, who were basically the opposite, â€Å"New Immigration.†1. Southeastern Europeans accounted for 19% of immigrants to the U.S. in 1880, early 1900s, were over 60%!III. Southern Europeans make their way to America. A.Many Europeans came to America because there was no room in Europe, nor was there much employment, since industrialization had eliminated many jobs. 1. America often praised to Europeans, people boasted of eating everyday/having freedom, much opportunity. 2. Profit-seeking Americans also perhaps exaggerated the benefits of America to Europeans, so that they could get cheap labor and more money. B.Many immigrants to America st ayed for a short period of time and then returned to Europe, and even those that remained (including persecuted Jews) tried very hard to retain their own culture and customs.1. However, the children of the immigrants sometimes rejected this Old World culture and plunged completely into American life.IV. Americans react to the new immigrants in their country. A.Federal government did little to help immigrants assimilate into American society, so immigrants were often controlled by powerful â€Å"bosses† (such as New York’s Boss Tweed) who provided jobs and shelter in return for political support at the polls.B.People like Walter Rauschenbusch and Washington Gladden began preaching the â€Å"Social Gospel,† insisting that churches tackle the burning social issues of the day. C.Among the people who were deeply dedicated to uplifting the urban masses was Jane Addams, who founded Hull House in 1889 to teach children and adults the skills and knowledge that they would need to survive and succeed in America.1. She eventually won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, but her pacifism was looked down upon by groups such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, who revoked her membership. 2. Other such settlement houses like Hull House included Lillian Wald’s Henry Street Settlement in New York, which opened its doors in 1893. 3. Settlement houses became centers for women’s activism and reform, as females such as Florence Kelley fought for protection of women workers and against child labor. 4. New cities gave women opportunities to earn money and support themselves better (mostly single women, since being both a working mother and wife was frowned upon).V. Narrowing the Welcome Mat A.The â€Å"nativism† and anti-foreignism of the 1840s and 1850s came back in the 1880s, as the Germans and western Europeans looked down upon the new Slavs and Baltics, fearing that a mixing of blood would ruin the fairer Anglo-Saxon races and create i nferior offspring.1. The â€Å"native† Americans blamed immigrants for the degradation of the urban government. These new bigots had forgotten how they had been scorned when they had arrived in America a few decades before.2. Trade unionists hated them for their willingness to work for super-low wages and for bringing in dangerous doctrines like socialism and communism into the U.S. B.Anti-foreign organizations like the American Protective Association (APA) arose to go against new immigrants, and labor leaders were quick to try to stop new immigration, immigrants were frequently used as strikebreakers.C.Finally, in 1882, Congress passed the first restrictive law against immigration, which banned paupers, criminals, and convicts from coming here. D.1885, another law was passed banning the importation of foreign workers under usually substandard contracts. E.Literacy tests for immigrants were proposed, but were resisted until they were finally passed in 1917, but the 1882 immig ration law also barred the Chinese from coming (the Chinese Exclusion Act).F.Anti-immigrant climate, the Statue of Liberty arrived from France—a gift from the French to America in 1886.VI. Churches Confront the Urban Challenge A.Since churches had mostly failed to take any stands and rally†¨against the urban poverty, plight, and suffering, many people began to†¨question the ambition of the churches, and began to worry that Satan†¨was winning the battle of good and evil.1. The emphasis on material gains worried many. B.A new generation of urban revivalists stepped in, including people like Dwight Lyman Moody, a man who proclaimed the gospel of kindness and forgiveness and adapted the old-time religion to the facts of city life.1.Moody Bible Institute was founded in Chicago in 1889 and continued working well after his 1899 death. C.Roman Catholic and Jewish faiths were also gaining many followers with the new immigration. 1. Cardinal Gibbons was popular with Roma n Catholics and Protestants, as he preached American unity. 2. 1890, Americans chose from 150 religions, including the Salvation Army, tried to help the poor. D.The Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science), founded by†¨Mary Baker Eddy, preached a perversion of Christianity that she claimed†¨healed sickness. 5.YMCA’s and YWCA’s also sprouted.VII. Darwin Disrupts the Churches A.1859, Charles Darwin published his On the Origin of Species, which set forth the new doctrine of evolution and attracted the ire and fury of fundamentalists. 1. â€Å"Modernists† took a step from the fundamentalists and refused to believe that the Bible was completely accurate and factual. They contended that the Bible was merely a collection of moral stories or guidelines, but not sacred scripture inspired by God.B.Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll was one who denounced creationism, as†¨he had been widely persuaded by the theory of evolution. Others blended†¨creationis m and evolution to invent their own interpretations.VIII. The Lust for Learning A.New trend began in the creation of more public schools and the provision of free textbooks funded by taxpayers. 1. By 1900, there were 6,000 high schools in America; kindergartens also multiplied. B.Catholic schools also grew in popularity and in number. C.To partially help adults who couldn’t go to school, the Chautauqua movement, a successor to the lyceums, was launched in 1874. It included public lectures to many people by famous writers and extensive at-home studies.D.Americans began to develop a faith in formal education as a solution to poverty.IX. Booker T. Washington and Education for Black People A.South, war-torn and poor, lagged far behind in education, especially for Blacks, so Booker T. Washington, an ex-slave came to help. He started by heading a black normal (teacher) and industrial school in Tuskegee, Alabama, and teaching the students useful skills and trades.1. Avoided Issue of social equality; he believed in Blacks helping themselves first before gaining more rights. B.One of Washington’s students was George Washington Carver, who later discovered hundreds of new uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. C.However, W.E.B. Du Bois, the first Black to get a Ph.D. from Harvard University, demanded complete equality for Blacks and action now. He also founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1910.1.DuBois’s differences with Washington reflected contrasting life experiences of southern and northern Blacks.X. The Hallowed Halls of Ivy A.Colleges/universities sprouted after the Civil War, and colleges for women, such as Vassar, were gaining ground. 1. Also, colleges for both genders grew, especially in the Midwest, and Black colleges also were established, such as Howard University in Washington D.C., Atlanta University, and Hampton Institute in Virginia.B.Morrill Act of 1862 had provided a generous gr ant of the public lands to the states for support of education and was extended by the Hatch Act of 1887, which provided federal funds for the establishment of agricultural experiment stations in connection with the land-grant colleges.C.Private donations also went toward the establishment of colleges, including Cornell, Leland Stanford Junior, and the University of Chicago, which was funded by John D. Rockefeller. D.Johns Hopkins University maintained the nation’s first high-grade graduate school.XI. The March of the Mind A.Elective system of college was gaining popularity, took off after Dr. Charles W. Eliot became president of Harvard. B.Medical schools and science were prospering after the Civil War. 1. Discoveries by Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister (antiseptics) improved medical science and health. 2. The brilliant but sickly William James helped establish the discipline of behavioral psychology, with his books Principles of Psychology (1890), The Will to Believe (1897), and Varieties of Religious Experience (1902).a. His greatest work was Pragmatism (1907), which preached what he believed in: pragmatism (everything has a useful purpose). XII. The Appeal of the Press A.Libraries such as the Library of Congress also opened across America, bringing literature into people’s homes. B.With the invention of the Linotype in 1885, the press more than kept pace with demand, but competition sparked a new brand of journalism called â€Å"yellow journalism,† in which newspapers reported on wild and fantastic stories that often were false or quite exaggerated: sex, scandal, and other human-interest stories.C.2 Journalists emerged: Joseph Pulitzer (New York World) & William Randolph Hearst (San Francisco Examiner) Strengthening of the Associated Press, which had been established in the 1840s, helped to offset some of the questionable journalism.XIII. Apostles of Reform A.Magazines like Harper’s, the Atlantic Monthly, and Scribner’s Mo nthly partially satisfied the public appetite for†¨good reading, but perhaps the most influential of all was the New York Nation, launched in 1865 by Edwin L. Godkin, a merciless critic. These were all liberal, reform-minded publications.B.Another enduring journalist-author was Henry George, who wrote Progress and Poverty, which undertook to solve the association of poverty with progress. 1. It was he who came up with the idea of the graduated income tax—the more you make, the greater percent you pay in taxes. C.Edward Bellamy published Looking Backward in 1888, in which he criticized the social injustices of the day and pictured a utopian government that had nationalized big business serving the public good.XIV. Postwar Writing A.After the war, Americans devoured â€Å"dime-novels† which†¨depicted the wild West and other romantic and adventurous settings. 1. The king of dime novelists was Harland F. Halsey, who made 650 of these novels. 2. General Lewis Wall ace wrote Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, which combated the ideas and beliefs of Darwinism and reaffirmed the traditional Christian faith. B.Horatio Alger was more popular, since his rags-to-riches books told that virtue, honesty, and industry were rewarded by success, wealth, and honor. His most notable book was titled Ragged Dick.C.Walt Whitman was one of the old writers who still remained active, publishing revisions of Leaves of Grass. D.Emily Dickinson was a famed hermit of a poet whose poems were published after her death. E.Other lesser poets included Sidney Lanier, who was oppressed by poverty and ill health. XVI. The New Morality A.Victoria Woodhull proclaimed free love, and together with her sister, Tennessee Claflin, wrote Woodhull and Claflin’s Weekly, which shocked readers with exposà ©s of affairs, etc. B.Anthony Comstock waged a lifelong war on the â€Å"immoral.† C.The â€Å"new morality† reflected sexual freedom in the increase of birth control , divorces, and frank discussion of sexual topics.XVII. Families and Women in the City A.Urban life was stressful on families, who were often separated, and everyone had to work, even children. 1. While on farms, more children meant more people to harvest and help, in the cities, more children meant more mouths to feed and a greater chance of poverty. B.1898, Charlotte Perkins Gilman published Women and Economics, a classic of feminist literature, in which she called for women to abandon their dependent status and contribute to the larger life of the community through productive involvement in the economy.1. She also advocated day-care centers and centralized nurseries and kitchens. C.Feminists also rallied toward suffrage, forming the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1890, an organization led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton (who’d organized the first women’s rights convention in 1848 at Seneca Falls, NY) and Susan B. Anthony.D.By 1900, a new generation of wom en activists were present, led by Carrie Chapman Catt, who stressed the desirability of giving women the vote if they were to continue to discharge their traditional duties as homemakers in the increasingly public world of the city.1. The Wyoming Territory was the first to offer women unrestricted suffrage in 1869. 2. The General Federation of Women’s Clubs also encouraged women’s suffrage. E.Ida B. Wells rallied toward better treatment for Blacks as well and formed the National Association of Colored Women in 1896.XVIII. Prohibition of Alcohol and Social Progress A.Concern over the popularity (and dangers) of alcohol was also present, marked by the formation of the National Prohibition Party in 1869. 1. Other organizations like the Women’s Christian Temperance Union also rallied against alcohol, calling for a national prohibition of the beverage. a. Leaders included Frances E. Willard and Carrie A. Nation who literally wielded a hatchet and hacked up bars. 2. T he Anti-Saloon League was also formed in 1893. B.American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was formed in 1866 to discourage the mistreatment of livestock, and the American Red Cross, formed by Clara Barton, a Civil War nurse, was formed in 1881.

What Does It Mean to Be a Teacher

To Whom It May Concern, Teachers are the facade of a school. They teach students skills that prepare them for their whole life. Teachers are leaders not followers; they are the lyrics to a song. They support the helpless and make frowns into smiles. A teacher is always on time and neatly dressed, not grumpy. Teachers have lost their way now. They miss some school days at a time; they record grades into the computer at the last minute, and they do not care about the students.Teachers have lost their true value. There is a teacher named Mrs. A, she does not do any of her work. She is never at school; her grades are never in on time, and there is always a substitute in her class room. Her students have not learned anything since school started, and it is certainly driving my teacher crazy. My teacher is always covering for her but gets in trouble for no reason. Teachers like Mrs. A have lost the knowledge of what it means to be a teacher.They take it for granted; teaching children is a privilege that is rewarded to those who entirely devote themselves to the job. Not those who abuse the privilege. If a teacher can not meet their full expectations, then he/she should not have the job. Students need the strong to lean on, not the weak. Students need a soaring eagle, not a crawling worm. Teachers have lost their respect; the title does not mean anything anymore. Does anyone know what the definition of a teacher is? Sincerely, Brea Robinson

Taran Swan at Nickelodeon Latin America Case Study

Taran Swan at Nickelodeon Latin America (A) Case Study Background and Scope In 1979, Nickelodeon, â€Å"a cable channel for kids 2-11 years old, was launched in the United States†. Nickelodeon provided a wide-range of programming which including â€Å"live-action, comedy, drama, animation, music and sports and game shows†. By 1995, Nickelodeon was the highest rated basic cable network and international expansion was very realistic and just getting started. To successfully transition internationally Nickelodeon allowed the channel to have its own â€Å"on-air identity and slogan† for each endeavor.Nickelodeon used an â€Å"International Swat Team† to launch the network into other countries and once established turned it over for local personnel to operate. By 1998, Nickelodeon had already expanded and operating on 30 countries. However, back in 1993, Ms. Taran Swan, then Director of Business Development for Nickelodeon, initially entertained the opportunity to expand in Latin America. Latin American TV did not cater to children. Due to the economic conditions programs were outdated and stagnant. This would be an opportunity for Nickelodeon to introduce programs that â€Å"gave kids a voice† while still embracing their culture.The steps required to meet this goal would not be easy. Swan recognized the task at hand and the need to â€Å"prove her business plan by securing minimum distribution† (at least 2 million households). Swan believed in a â€Å"big bets† strategy and keeping the â€Å"bottom line† at the forefront of her thought process. This paper will present obstacles that Swan and her team had to deal with, not just in selling the channel, attracting advertisers but also managing each other. Swan’s style and dedication allowed her to hand-pick her team to ensure deadlines were met and meeting expectations of the network.Swan was known for her â€Å"smart and strategic business directivesâ₠¬ . In addition issues addressing personal work/life balance, succession/transition plans will be explored. Finally, recommendations not only for Swan but for Nickelodeon as a company will be presented to attempt to mitigate issues that arose while expanding Nickelodeon internationally in Latin America. Swan being so involved in every step from conception to implementation would prove to be more challenging than she anticipated both in personal and professional management ways. Current SituationAt the end of the second year of operations at Nickelodeon Latin America (NLA), Swan prepared for a Town Hall with MTV. She prepared a speech in which she wanted to promote the advancements that NLA had realized for the previous year. Days before the Town Hall, however, Swan was informed by her doctor that she was unable to continue traveling for work as her four month pregnancy showed signs of high risk. Though Swan planned to leave after the Town Hall, she was hospitalized the day of the m eeting. As she left to go back home, she considered the many challenges that still lay ahead of her.After leading the NLA project from research to launch, there remained additional tasks that needed to be completed before the project could be turned over to local management. NLA was on the verge of two crucially important deals. The first deal was with Argentina’s largest provider, Cablevision/TCI, which would add 1. 5 million subscribers. A second deal would give them access to the Brazilian marketplace through a Portuguese feed. These issues were exacerbated by currency volatility, marketing problems and advertising issues. Swan had a significant hand in resolving each of these issues.Now Swan is faced with a decision on what to do about continuing operations during her leave. Her experience showed that her team needed consistent direction but that they were able to communicate with her remotely. Thus, she considered how she may continue to lead the project from her home. A nother option she faced was installing an interim manager who would be charged with leading the station forward. She further considered installing multiple leaders for different functions. She understood that regardless of what decision she made, she would have to adapt her management style and skills.Situation Analysis Due to Swan’s medical situation, there are three critical activities that must be managed effectively in her absence: increasing advertising sales, increasing affiliate sales, and the executing the Brazil-specific feed. Advertising sales was a key concern for NLA. They had missed their goal by 11% last year. Though the overall bottom-line goal was met, this lack of revenues did not make for a sustainable business model. In addition, the Latin American economy was very rocky, and Brazil was undergoing a currency devaluation.In order for the company to continue on its path to success, the sales team was going to need to land more advertising accounts, and take a dvantage of the upcoming World Cup to drive much-needed revenues. Increasing affiliate sales was also key. In particular, the deals with Cablevision/TCI in Argentina and Telemundo in the United States were very important. These deals would expand the viewership by 1. 5 million people in Latin America and millions more in the United States. In turn, this increased viewership would help increase advertising sales, and would also strengthen NLA’s foothold within the region.It was also help to show the corporation that the NLA project was succeeding. This could lead to a larger budget and more dedicated resources from the corporation. Finally, getting the Brazil-specific feed up and running was critical. Brazil has the largest population and the largest market in all of Latin America. Though NLA had secured carriage on major Brazilian networks, they still had to develop programming for the feed. This would require a significant amount of work as the company would need to customiz e the programming for the Brazilian culture, as it differed from other Latin American countries.Creating a successful feed in Brazil would open up new advertising opportunities and new affiliate sales opportunities and would solidify NLA as a major brand in Latin America. Swan knew that she would need to manage all three of these critical activities from New York to make sure that NLA continued to progress. However, she was unsure how to do so. Recommendations Taran Swan has become pregnant at an important time in her company’s progress, when there are still several challenges to complete. Among these include attracting profitable advertisers, closing a deal with Cablevision/TCI and broadcasting to Brazil.There is no simple way to achieve these goals, and they all fall under problems that need to be addressed over time with the proper management. There are options that Swan has as it relates to the management of Nickelodeon while she is away on pregnancy. 1. Swan could give t he responsibility of managing the company to a single person. 2. Swan could have two or more people share her responsibilities. 3. Swan could manage her team remotely and possibly appoint another lower manager to handle the day-to-day tasks.If Swan decides to take option 1, she will need to carefully evaluate the candidates and select the best one, and get Viacom’s approval. The best candidates that come to mind include Donna Friedman, Valerie McCarty and Stephen Grieder. All of these candidates joined within the first few months after Nickelodeon’s project to expand into Latin America began. Stephen Grieder has had the most experience with Nickelodeon out of the three, was familiar with the Latin American culture, and was described as a creative genius. Valerie McCarty was energetic and had good communication skills.Like Grieder, she was familiar with the Latin American culture. She also had taken charge of tasks, even when they weren’t completely her responsib ility. However, she was relatively new to the company. Donna Friedman was particularly known for her creativity. For example, she developed the â€Å"Grow Down† campaign, and thought of making the Jornadas party which attracted thousands of people. Swan felt that Donna didn’t yet have â€Å"multidimensional strategic thinking† needed to take on a more managerial role at the moment, but that Donna could be taught these skills.Swan could decide to take option 2 and have the responsibilities shared by two or more people. This method seemed to work out when Swan divided the marketing roles between McCarty and Friedman. It might help reduce the amount of work each individual has to do. It could also help give the team more diverse views and skillsets. In the last option, Swan could operate the facility remotely. Most of the people working in her team already have experience communicating and working with people from different countries. Swan has already been shown to be an effective leader, and doing it this way would result in the least amount of change.The team would not need to take a risk on an unproven leader. Our recommendation is that Swan operates the facility remotely, while having another â€Å"second in command,† or day to day manager. In the event Swan was unable to run the project for any reason, the person second in command would take over. This would allow Swan to continue to run the project for as long as she was able to, and potentially throughout the entire time she was needed. She should train another person to be in charge of the project, without putting the full responsibility onto them.This would lower the chance of conflicting orders or conflicting goals that could result from shared leadership and mitigate any potential damage that might occur if Swan were suddenly unable to run the plant. Alternatives / Potential Problems Donna Friedman, Valerie McCarty and Stephen Grieder all seem like they could be great potent ial leaders on their own. However, they are not yet tested in such a position. Putting one of them in charge at such a crucial point in the company could jeopardize their progress, and puts a large risk on the company. If the responsibilities were shared, it could help mitigate that risk.However, it could result in misunderstandings, communication problems and overall confusion about the direction of the company if the managers did not always agree. The leaders would need to be careful that they maintained a consistent and clear message. Additionally, it could result social loafing. Social loafing is the phenomenon where people tend to work less in collaborative efforts than in on their own because they expect the other person to fill in the work, and also because they will not get full credit for their work (Latane, Williams & Harkins, 1979).Lastly, there is the option for Swan to operate the company remotely. She is the safest leader, since she has already proven herself. Though t he risk is that due to her pregnancy, or a medical complication, she would be unable to manage the business remotely. Additionally, there might be times when it is difficult to contact her or convey all the needed information to her without her being there in person. This would leave the project without a leader. ConclusionWe learn that Taran Swan might have some team trust issues because of her uncertainty of who to leave in charge during her absence. Every relationship among team members depends on trust. Swan feels her situation has a high level of risk and she is unsure of the best option for her team to succeed while she is gone. Working remotely will allow Swan to have some control over the situation, but that stress might further her complications and prevent her from working all together.Swan needs to trust her team and give them the tools they need to development their team roles through team building exercises. If Swan communicates effectively to the team members and passe s on all training information, she should be able to manage the company remotely without caring too much stress during her medical absence. References McShane, S. & Von Glinow, M. 2011. Organizational Behavior, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Latane, B. , Williams, K. , & Harkins, S. (1979). Journal of personality and social psychology. Retrieved from http://psycnet. apa. org/journals/psp/37/6/822/