High School and Public School Enrollment Essay

In the essay â€Å"Still Separate, Still Unequal,† the author Jonathan Kozol criticizes the educational system practiced in the urban areas of the United States and where he writes about his beliefs that minorities are being placed in poor conditions while the Caucasian majority is obtaining funding for the schools that the majority of them attend. He supports his personal viewpoints, with statistics which he himself gathered from different schools around the U.S. Kozol starts out his essay with logic to prove that the school systems of today are separate and unequal by using demographics from public schools from the larger cities in the country; for example, â€Å"In Chicago, by the academic year 2002-2003, 87% of public school enrollment was black or Hispanic; less than 10% of children in the schools were white. In Washington D.C., 94 % of children were black or Hispanic; less than 5% were white (220).† He emphasizes on these statistics to prove his point that schools are still segregated. Later in the essay the author then mentions in his essay that the word â€Å"diversity†, â€Å"cease to have real meaning; or, rather, they mean the opposite of what they say(223).† Kozol mentions that when he â€Å"visited in the fall of 2004 in Kansas City, Missouri, for example, a document distributed to visitors reports that the school’s curriculum ‘addresses the needs of children from diverse backgrounds.’† He goes on explaining that when he went â€Å"from class to class, [he] did not encounter any children who were white or Asian—or Hispanic (223).† He then makes the reader connect emotionally by writing comments that high school students and third graders from segregated neighborhoods and public schools made about their different situations in their school. For example, he quotes a letter that an eight-year-old girl wrote to him saying, â€Å"We do not have the things you have. You have Clean things. We do not have. You have a clean bathroom. We do not have that. You have Parks and we do not have Parks. You have all the thing and we do not have all the thing. Can you help us (224)?† Kozol then presents facts about how physicians were removed from elementary schools. The author continues presenting conversations with people that he met. Jonathan Kozol’s essay shows how the school system today is in fact still divided and unequal according to somebody’s skin color or race even though the course of ‘Brown vs. Board of Education’ allegedly resolved this. Prev Page

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory In The 21st Century Essay

Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory is often regarded as the most comprehensive personality theory and the first in its area of study to theorise human behaviour but through the ages Freud has raised numerous debates on whether his theory of human behaviour has been more controversial or influential. In this essay, I will argue that the Psychoanalytical Theory made a significant contribution to the field of psychology by critically evaluating how Freudian ideas influenced subsequent theorists. Furthermore I will discuss its relevance in the 21st century whilst not neglecting to highlight the reasons why Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory is criticised as a personality theory. In the Psychoanalytic Theory, Freud structured the personality into three levels of consciousness, namely the conscious, preconscious and the unconscious. Amongst these three Freud is commonly known for â€Å"discovering† the unconscious and it became the core element to Freud’s theory. Freud further defined the structural elements of the psyche (the id, the ego and the superego) (Meyer, Moore & Viljoen, 2008:52). These components of Freud’s theory remain important since they are still to some extent used to explain how the human psyche functions. It is evident that Freudian ideas of the unconscious laid the foundation for future personality theorists such as Carl Jung who’s Analytical Theory too focused on the unconscious mind (Meyer, et al., 2008:95). Another personality theorist Freud influenced is Erik Erikson who was an Ego Psychologist. Psychologists in this area of study elaborated on the ego which was originally theorised by Freud. Erikson’s theory is regarded as one of the most useful psychological theories and several concepts formulated by him such as psychosocial development, ego strength and identity crisis are part of our everyday vocabulary today (Meyer, et al., 2008:95). It is clear in my above examples that Freud did influence subsequent theorists whose theories are still relevant in the field of psychology today. Certain concepts of Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory are still relevant in the 21st century such as dream analysis, free association and defence mechanisms. These psychotherapy techniques are being used and expanded upon in modern day clinical psychology. According to Hurd (n.d.), Freud is the most popular dream theorist known today, and his ideas are still drawing water a century after he wrote his magnum opus: The Interpretation of Dreams. Freud stated that dreams are a result of our repressed desires and that they have more meaning  to them than we acknowledge. He believed that dreams were the portal to our unconscious and that through analysing a person’s dreams a therapist could effectively treat the patient’s illness. With Freudian thoughts on dreams in mind, several current neuroscientists are uncovering the possibility that dreams play a role in childhood learning (Hurd, n.d.). Furthermore, Freud’s relevance in the 21st century is that his concept of defence mechanisms is still seen in other theories of psychology today. This is supported by Cramer (2000) which states that developmental, personality and social psychologists have all found evidence for defence mechanisms. Freud saw defence mechanisms as a strategy with which a person could deal with their anxiety and unfulfilled desires. Some of the most common defence mechanisms which have integrated themselves into every day speech are terms such as regression, sublimation, denial and projection. Through the ages we have absorbed more of Freudian idea than we thought, but it is impossible to avoid Freud’s shortcomings. The most controversial aspect of his theory is based on the fact that he placed emphasise on the sex drive being the primary motivating source for human behaviour. Freud focused too exclusively on sexuality and not enough on interpersonal and social conditions. He was also criticised for his view on female development with regard to the Electra complex in the phallic stage. Furthermore the Psychoanalytic Theory was criticised since it was seen as vaguely defined and lacked any empirical research. In conclusion, despite his shortcomings Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory has made an important contribution to the field of psychology through being a catalyst to the thoughts of subsequent theorists. Freud’s most valuable contribution to society is his theory of the unconscious mind which is still being expanded on today. Furthermore his contribution to modern day clinical psychology psychotherapy approaches cannot be ignored. A testament to the validity of Freud’s theory is that it is even today being debated many years after his death and the debate is not close to being concluded. Therefore he is relevant in the 21st century since his ideas have percolated through generations and subsequent personality theories. References: Beystehner, K.M. (n.d.). Psychoanalysis: Freud’s Revolutionary Approach to Human Personality. Retrieved from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/beystehner.html Cramer, P. (2000). Defence mechanisms in psychology today. Further processes for adaptation. American Psychologist, 55(6):637-46 DOI: 10.1037//0003-066X.55.6.637 Hurd, R. (n.d.). Contemporary Dream Theories Starting with Freud. Retrieved from http://dreamstudies.org/2009/11/19/freudian-dream-theory-explained/ McLeod, S. A. (2011). Bandura – Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html Meyer, W.F., Moore, C., &Viljoen, H, G. (2011). Personology: From the individual to ecosystem. Sandton: Heineman Publishers.

Job Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Job Analysis - Essay Example he required knowledge, skill, or ability needed to complete each task) Need to follow instructions on completing the assignment.   The KSA need to be listed beside of each of the tasks – need to identify which ones go with each task Manages data; manages the vendor contract & performance reviews; develops policies & procedures regarding data administration (e.g. frequency of file standards & assists in design & development of reports; provides interface & analytical support regarding health care costs & utilization with vendors; identifies & coordinates integration of benefits data uploads from various claim payer; maintains data entry for all vendors; ensuring all data fields & definitions are updated in the interface documents; maintains report log to document all benefits related reports.    Attends meetings & makes presentation regarding benefits; represents administrator at meetings & takes charge and responsibility during administrators absence as requested; enters, edits retrieves data to produce reports; performs other duties.   Personal computer operating systems; data backup & recovery; data security industry standards in data administration; health services administration or comparable field; agency policies & procedures(C) Communicate effectively; Define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions and projections; develop analytical documents; work dependently; lead co-workers; support scheduling; manage day to day workflow & deliverables; attend meetings; prepare & deliver speeches before specialized audience & public(C)   Personal computer operating systems; data backup & recovery; data security industry standards in data administration; health services administration or comparable field; agency policies & procedures(C) Ability to: Communicate effectively; Define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions and projections; develop analytical documents; work dependently; lead co-workers; support

Analysis of President Bush's Address to a Joint Session of Congress Speech or Presentation

Analysis of President Bush's Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People - Speech or Presentation Example Present during the speech are top government officials including departmental secretaries and different states legislative officials. The speech is a reaction to the 9/11 attack and a declaration of War against Alqaeda and the Taliban regime. The speech takes place on 20th September, 2001, only nine days after terrorists hijacked two American planes and crushed them on the twin towers. The speech is also serves to assurance the people of America that America is strong and cannot be shaken by its enemies (terrorists). Furthermore, the speech is aimed at reassuring Muslims across the globe that America is not against Islam but is against those who go against Allah’s commands by wrecking havoc on innocent people. In my view, the speech is held at an appropriate time and setting considering that the American people at the time were in grief having lost loved ones and property beyond value. The American people also needed an assurance that their government was in action and would t ake measures to avoid similar happenings as those of 9/11. The speech is said at an appropriate setting and the message delivered as weighty as it should have been. Speech Transcript President Bush Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People   On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country.  Ã‚  Americans have known wars -- but for the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941.  Ã‚  Americans have known the casualties of war -- but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning.  Ã‚  Looking at the audience, hands still. Americans have known surprise attacks -- but never before on thousands of civilians.  Ã‚  All of this was brought upon us in a single day -- and night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself is under attack. Hands shift and move gently Americans have many questions tonight.  Ã‚  Americans are asking:  Ã‚  Who attacked our country?   Ã‚  The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda.  Ã‚  They are the same murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for bombing the USS Cole. Mood change anger, tonal variation, hands move, and use of gestures Al Qaeda is to terror what the mafia is to crime.  Ã‚  But its goal is not making money; its goal is remaking the world -- and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere. The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics -- a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam.  Ã‚  The terrorists' directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinction among military and civilians, including women and children. This group and its leader -- a person named Osama bin Laden -- are linked to many other organizations in different countries, including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.  Ã‚  There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60 countries.  Ã‚  They are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan, where they are trained in the tactics of terror.  Ã‚  They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries around the world to plot evil and destruction. The leadership of al Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan and supports the Taliban regime in

External Environment Analysis session long project 2 strategice Essay

External Environment Analysis session long project 2 strategice management 599 - Essay Example The link below is an example of the clothing industry: Michael Porter has devised a framework which provides a better understanding of the industry and how companies can be affected by forces within the markets. The five forces that he has described are: a) Threat of new entrants, b) Determinant of buying power, c) Threat of substitutes, d) Determinants of supplier power, and e) Rivalry among the firms. This allows a focused and better analysis of the external factors of the industry. a) Themanager.org: This website provides a clear explanation of the Porter’s Five Force model and gives a deep and clear understanding of each and every point of the analysis. This can be retrieved from the following website: http://www.themanager.org/Models/p5f.htm. This site is more detailed and helps understand the topic in a deeper manner. b) Marketing Teacher.com: This website provides students with all the concepts of marketing and helps business students to a great extent as it allows a simple explanation of all the topics making it simpler for all students. This can be accessed from the following link: http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_fivefoces.htm. This website is very simple and to the point form of explanation of the topic. This analysis is to provide for a better understanding of the major external elements that affect the performance of a company. This highlights the major elements like the political, economical, social and also the technological factors that can cause any affect to the company’s performance. a) NetMBA.com: Similar to the marketing teacher website, this website also provides business students with a chance to learn the concepts in a simple and straight forward manner. The language is simple and the explanation is very helpful to deepen the knowledge of the topic. The website can be retrieved from http://www.netmba.com/strategy/pest/. b) QuickMBA: The second reference that can be

Shakespeare othello Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Shakespeare othello - Research Paper Example Along with it, the play also encapsulates perspective which can be judged from myriad social cone. The feminist and the racist approach to the play amid them is the most prominent. Thesis Statement The play â€Å"Othello† by Shakespeare captivates myriad themes like, jealousy, love, revenge and betrayal. All these themes are incorporated in the play which helps it to move forward and reveal the subtle bent of human psychology, which the playwright wishes to project through various characters and their interaction with the other characters in the play. This essay intends to explore the manifestation of these themes through the symbols, characters and motifs of the play throughout its plot. Myriad Themes Captivated within the Multi-layered Plot of the Play Despite being a tragedy, the importance and influence of the play â€Å"Othello† in the history of the English theatre cannot be undermined at all. The theme of love in the play is manifested through the love of Othello for Desdemona whom he treats as the extension of his own self. Desdemona is treated by Othello as an object of romantic passion with a feeling of exaltation. The destruction of Desdemona is actually treated as self-destruction for Othello. And the murder of Desdemona is viewed as a prelude to his self-killing. Iago, in such situation, can be viewed as an object of temptation that is persuading Othello relentlessly to view and regard himself from a perspective of Venice. Gradual provocation compelled him to accept the fact that he is an alien to the Venetian society and the lady of his love, who is an embodiment of that Venetian culture, also treats him alien. Othello desired for an ideal beauty and ideal love which he found in Desdemona. Desdemona, on the other hand, is incarnation of pure spiritual love and embodiment of ideal beauty. She is not the icon of love but the reason for love in others. It is under the influence of Iago with his tainted mind, Othello started viewing his beloved as a threat and her sexuality started becoming unbearable for him. Othello under the spell of his frailty mind gradually moves away from the platform on which the sensual and spiritual love were harmonised. Slowly Desdemona’s erotic beauty became an eye-sore for him and her devotion and love seemed â€Å"proof† of infidelity. The failure of Othello to harmonize the two aims of love leads him to encounter a fear and loathe of secularity which puts him into an aura encapsulated by physical frailty and extreme dependence on Desdemona. The horror and pity displayed by Othello transcends every spectacle of love and takes him to a paradigm far beyond the complete and noble concept of love undermined by a filthy and self-hatred state of mind. Even the failure of Othello as a romantic lover does not end with the bodily collapse of Desdemona. It is only the destruction of the symbol of life by the lover. And even after the murder of his beloved, the experience of love c ontinues. This is the reason as even after Desdemona perishes, Othello is posited in a â€Å"full possession of this heavenly sight† reflected from the sight of his dead beloved. Theme of Jealousy â€Å"Othello† is a play that explores sexual jealousy at myriad levels of its plot. The seat of jealousy evolves in the play from the outset of the play; the audiences are encountered with Iago. Iago

Organisational Behaviour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Organisational Behaviour - Assignment Example Over the past ten years, the company has expanded and improved its systems and structures over the years. This paper examines the elements of the commercial activities of Spinneys Lebanon. It examines an overview of the company, its characteristics, organisational structure and internal system. The paper examines the organisational philosophy and other relevant organisational analysis to establish the main structures and systems of the company. The paper will conclude with recommendations on improvements that need to be made to the supermarket based on the organisational analysis. In attaining the stated aim of the research, the researcher will conduct an extensive enquiry into secondary sources about important concepts and structures of business theory. This will lead to the identification of a framework for the analysis of the important elements and structures in the company. The researcher will also identify important internal features that exist through the use of primary sources that describe the company's operations and structures. Spinney's Overview Organisations are set up to achieve a definite purpose. Thus, it comes with important systems and structures that enables the components to take inputs from the external environment and process them to output (Perrow, 1970). Hence the term organisation is used to signify the machinery or system for the attainment of a given mission by an entity. Spinneys is a Lebanese supermarket chain which is a subsidiary of Spinneys Global which operates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It is involved in the retail industry. As such, their business model involves the acquisition of foods and other goods from producers and wholesalers and selling them to the Lebanese public. Figure 1: Spinneys' Business Model From the diagram above, Spinneys makes its money through a system of acquiring goods and foods from three main sources; producers, wholesalers and other specialized Spinneys' factories around the worl d. They keep these orders in warehouses and storage centres. Most of these warehouses and storage centres are either on the premises of Spinneys or nearby. Spinneys operates different supermarkets around Lebanon. Each supermarket store has major facilities that allow the display of the products to be done. The premises are often very nice and comfortable. They allow for easy and convenient shopping by members of the Lebanese public. This allows the consumers to come and purchase goods and some service products as and when they want during appropriate times of the day. When stocks are exhausted, Spinneys' supermarket managers order new stocks either from the warehouses or from producers directly. These orders are presented to the shops and displayed for further purchases. Thus, on a basic level, Spinneys' operation is based on sourcing for products, 'processing' them by displaying them in their shops and allowing consumers to come and purchase them. This represents the crude business model. Since stocks represent the most important element of a supermarket like Spinneys, there is the need to ensure that the company holds optimal stocks. This is because if they hold too much stocks, it will be tantamount to locking up their working capital which will lead to slack and no returns on capital. However, if they do not hold sufficient stocks, they are likely to have stock outs and idle time that can have an impact on consumer confidence. As such, there is the need

Market Segmentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Market Segmentation - Essay Example Survey comprise of elemental phases like population sampling, adoption of appropriate research design, data collection, and finally analysis of resultant data into meaningful information. In order to maintain objectivity, researchers need to follow all these steps. In this essay, we will appraise utilization of survey methodology in obtaining information about market segmentation in Doha. The company conducting this survey plans to sell fast food to university students in the CBE. Hankin and Rhoads (2011) agree that from a theoretical perspective, fast foods are usually associated with negative effects on health concerns of consumers. In this case, the company needs substantial knowledge before deciding to roll out a fast food program within the university’s premises. The desired market segment within the selected consumer population aims at evaluating the potential of female students in purchasing fast food from the company’s outlets. In order to obtain informed data, we will customize research questions to evaluate the students’ concerns on consumption of healthy food. All the campuses of CBE have a vast number of students. Therefore, the survey started by obtaining a representative sample from the entire female student population. The sample comprised of students aged between 21-28years of age. Approximately 75% of the sample comprised of undergraduate students. The entire sample comprised of 100 students, all of which were female students. On the aspect of research design, the survey exercise adopted the use of questionnaires in acquiring information from the sampled students. Based on the work of Jessen (2008), questionnaires proved effective in acquiring first hand... The company conducting this survey plans to sell fast food to university students in the CBE. Hankin and Rhoads (2011) agree that from a theoretical perspective, fast foods are usually associated with negative effects on health concerns of consumers. In this case, the company needs substantial knowledge before deciding to roll out a fast food program within the university’s premises. The desired market segment within the selected consumer population aims at evaluating the potential of female students in purchasing fast food from the company’s outlets. In order to obtain informed data, we will customize research questions to evaluate the students’ concerns on consumption of healthy food. All the campuses of CBE have a vast number of students. Therefore, the survey started by obtaining a representative sample from the entire female student population. The sample comprised of students aged between 21-28years of age. Approximately 75% of the sample comprised of under graduate students. The entire sample comprised of 100 students, all of which were female students. On the aspect of research design, the survey exercise adopted the use of questionnaires in acquiring information from the sampled students. Based on the work of Jessen (2008), questionnaires proved effective in acquiring first-hand information from the target consumers; hence enhancing objectivity and reality of information obtained. In this regard, the exercise used primary sources in as the most appropriate mode of data collection.

LMU Personal Essay AJ Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LMU Essay AJ - Personal Statement Example I have witnessed the wars and poverty in my own country despite the knowledge that it is known to be a rich nation and I often wondered what could be wrong about us. As a result, I pondered about this and observed individual lives as well which I often thought have an effect on the national circumstances. I think so many people fall victims of physical and political wars not only because of poverty but also due to ignorance. A person is often easily carried by emotions and need when he has nothing else to hold on to. Thus, in order to survive and be at peace with one’s environment, an individual should have something to hold on to as an anchor so that he will not be easily swayed by needs and emotions. In my quest to find out what makes people feel secure and stable, I discovered that among them is education. We had neighbors who were not very affluent years ago but when the children grew, they seemed to have climbed up the ladder of success in quite a short time. When I first became aware of the importance of wealth and education, I observed that I was more inclined to getting more information and not just let things be said and not thought about. I begun to envy our successful neighbors but with that, I yearned to know how they did it. I observed how they lived their lives and I really sought to find out what their jobs are and where they were working. In the process, I learned that some of them were working as engineers but most of the successful ones are chief executives or bankers. This made me think about the course I would like to take in preparation for my success story. I then assessed my talents, skills, interests and inclinations and decided to take __________. I know I will not just become successful in my career but that I will also be good at it with my talent and skills. However, I know that those are not enough as I found out in the past years. One must have to hold an education, a training that will show one’s

American study (early urban) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American study (early urban) - Essay Example As a result, wealth was concentrated in the hands of the population that already had wealth and, even though there was an increase in personal income, social mobility opportunities remained highly limited (Gorn 404). While there were certainly artisans who moved into the middle class through becoming owners and managers of the factories, the industrial revolution mainly made most skilled artisans permanent wage earners with limited advancement hopes. During the 17th century, the northern cities, especially seaport towns, were dominated by the water, which was the main source of transport and offered most of the population’s sustenance. Majority of the colonial population in these seaports were rural settlers and were involved in agriculture, fishing, and lumbering, which they sent to European and Caribbean markets (Nash 1). Towards the latter years of the 17th century, the seaports were no larger than ordinary European villages with, for example, Philadelphia having only 2,200 inhabitants, mostly because the regional populations they served were sparse. The society in these seaport towns was still organized around the nuclear family, while the networks in society were also heavily pervaded by kinship. In addition, order was maintained by strictly adhering to status and rank, while there was a clear differentiation in social roles. However, towards the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, social consciousne ss began to change as feelings of unity bred by class standing, economic position, and occupation emerged (Nash 4). Adjustments in the population’s expectations and aspirations also began to change from what was common in pre-industrial European life. Artisans during this period were a diverse and large group that formed a link between the upper classes and the labourers and, within this group, differences in status and wealth also existed due to business acumen, skill acquisition, and health (Nash 8). Another cause

Issues Analysis- Indigenous People Essay Example for Free

Issues Analysis- Indigenous People Essay As the British arrived on the land of the aboriginal people they hoped to absorb the aboriginal people into their culture to work in the new colony. The aboriginal people tried to avoid the settlers but as the land became more occupied contact became unavoidable. Governor Phillip wanted to avoid any unnecessary conflict so he treated the aboriginal people with kindness and ordered his soldiers not to shoot any of them. He captured many aboriginals and one of them was Bennelong. He wanted them to learn English and act as translators between the Indigenous groups and the British. There were clashes over the land and culture of Aboriginals and the British. Phillip ignorantly ordered his soldiers to fire at the Aboriginal people as he has already tried to civilise them and assimilate them into the British culture and society was not working as he had hoped. The Aboriginal peoples saw that the British settlers were putting up fences clearing the land, restricting access and introducing different animals; so they started to think that the British were invading, this lead to retaliation from the Aboriginals. By 1797, attitudes and policy toward the Indigenous peoples had changed. No longer did the government decide to assimilate the Indigenous peoples, but rather have a new policy and that was to ‘keep them out’. In 1800 Governor King had reported to the British government the number of Aboriginal people killed in fighting was far greater than the number of British people killed. The common response from the government to the Aboriginal resistance was to send expeditions of solders to punish any groups that threatened settlers and farms. These soldiers hunted and killed groups of Indigenous people that were thought to have been stealing stock, food and generally harassing the settlers. Government instructions after 1800 were to fire at all indigenous peoples until they were far away from British settlements. As the British settlement gotten bigger, the Indigenous peoples lost more and more of their land and many of their family members. They became more reliant on the British settlers to provide them food, shelter and water. As their traditional life was slowly eroding, many Aboriginal people started living on the outskirts of towns or started working as servants or slaves for the British settlements. The inability for the Aboriginal people to succeed in this era it caused a change in the European view of the time, that Indigenous peoples were inferior, and were unable to look after themselves or the land. However not all contact was violent with the British settlers and the Aboriginal people. At times there was friendly contact and peace. Some Aboriginal peoples voluntarily became part of the British society. There is also plenty of evidence that groups of Indigenous peoples helped Europeans when they were in trouble and this was quite often, as life for British settlers was extremely hard in the early years of the colony. British colonisation of Australian started in Sydney in 1788. The rapidly occurring consequences within weeks of the first colonists arrival was a wave of European epidemic diseases such as smallpox, chickenpox, influenza and measles. These diseases affected the largest population densities where these diseases could spread easier. The next consequence of British settlement was water resources and the management of land. The settlers viewed Indigenous Australians as Nomads with no civilised concept of land ownership, who could be charged from the land wanted for farming. The aboriginals would easily migrate elsewhere. The impact on the aboriginals was fatal as there was loss of traditional lands, water resources and food sources, as the communities were affected by European diseases. The spiritual and cultural cohesion and well-being was affected because of the communities being forced away from the traditional areas. The settlers brought sexually transmitted diseases, and indigenous Australians had no tolerance and therefore greatly reduced fertility and birth-rates. Settlers were responsible for introducing the alcohol, opium and tobacco, and substance abuse has remained a huge problem for Indigenous communities. The result of disease, loss of land and violence reduced the Aboriginal population by an estimated 90% between 1788 and1900. Smallpox alone killed more than 50% of the Aboriginal population. Up to 3000 white people were killed by Indigenous Australians in the frontier violence. Most Indigenous people became a significant source of labour. Most of the work was unpaid, instead they survived on the rations that the workers received such as forms of food, clothing ad other basic necessities. In many areas of Australia Christian missions donated food and clothing for the indigenous people and opened schools and orphanages for Indigenous children. In some places of Australia colonial governments provided some resources. In 1914 around 1200 Aboriginal people answered the call to arms as the war was desperate for new recruits. Many Indigenous people claimed they were Indian or cook islanders to avoid the laws of no indigenous people being in the defence force. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_Indigenous_Australians#The_impact_of_British_settlement There are many health promoting strategies today such as ‘Two Ways Together: NSW Aboriginal Affairs Plan 2003-2012’, ‘COAG Agreement, they set six gaps for closing the disadvantage gap between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people’, CEO performance agreements. Resetting the relationship with Indigenous Australians is important and this partnership must be respectful. It takes both parties to make a difference. Recent research by Reconciliation Australia indicates that Australians have a strong desire to better understand the Indigenous peoples. Acknowledging Indigenous disadvantage is a national responsibility that will require the engagement of the Australian Community. The government has committed to working in partnership with Indigenous Australians, businesses, state and territory governments and community organisations. http://www. skwirk. com. au/p-c_s-56_u-415_t-1040_c-4006/british-aboriginal-relations-1788-1820/qld/sose-history/first-australians-and-the-european-arrivals/settlement-1788-1850.

Hollywood in the global film market | Film Studies

Hollywood in the global film market | Film Studies When the average Friday night cinema-goer sits down to watch a film in this country they would most probably be waiting to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster projected onto the screen. This seems to have been the norm for decades now but it wasnt always the case. Cinema was born in France with the introduction of motion pictures from the Lumià ¨re brothers; Auguste and Louis. The first presentation of motion pictures and the Lumià ¨re Cinà ©matographe (a combined camera, printer and projector) was to the Society for the Promotion of Industry (Socià ©tà © dEncouragement a lindustrie Nationale) on March 22, 1895. Only one film was shown, Employees Leaving the Lumià ¨re Factory (La Sortie des usines Lumià ¨re), shot by Louis. It was projected, almost as an afterthought, following their lecture on advances in experimental colour photography. It was nine months later in the darkened rooms at the Grand Cafà © in Paris on December 28, 1895 that the first exhibition of moving image s was opened to a paying, European audience. Included on the playbill were The Arrival of the Train (LArrivà ©e dun train à   la Ciotat), Babys Meal (Repas de Bà ©bà ©) and The Sprayer Sprayed (LArroseur et arrosà ©e). However, it wasnt long before cinema became international when the Americans tried their hand at making movies. In the period between the Lumieres first private and public exhibitions, two brothers, Otway and Gray Latham, screened the very first film to the paying public; Young Griffo versus Battling Charles Barnett, an impressive eight minute reel of a boxing match between the titular Griffo and Barnett. Their small storefront theatre in Broadway, New York became the first dedicated cinema. Over the next twenty years the number of filmmakers and films being made increased. This period of frantic filmmaking became known as the Silent Era. All over the United States movies were being shown at ‘Nickelodeons; shops that had been transformed into exhibition areas where films were projected onto screens, walls or hanging sheets. This was not just an American phenomenon; here in the UK over 3000 cinemas had opened by 1917. The number of important films of this era included Georges Mà ©lià ¨s 1902 film A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune) based on Jules Vernes novel From the Earth to the Moon (De la Terre à   la Lune) that is recognised as being the first science fiction movie; Edwin S. Porters 1903 movie The Great Train Robbery that introduced complex narrative structure it its editing techniques; and D.W. Griffiths 1915 feature The Birth of a Nation which grossed $10 million at the box office. The next logical step for this new industry was to integrate sound with the images. In 1927 Warner Brothers released The Jazz Singer, the first ‘talkie feature film to be widely distributed. This invention practically caused the death of the Silent Era as audiences demanded sound with their films and heralded the ‘Golden Age of cinema. But once again it was not an industry completely dominated by Hollywood. The French idea of commercial movie houses became the international model, and entrepreneurs scurried to build impressive movie houses across North America and Europe including theatres to seat up to 5,000 people, rather than relying on the storefront Nickelodeons from the turn of the century. Birmingham born businessman Oscar Deutsch opened his first Odeon cinema in the UK in Perry Barr, Birmingham in 1920. By 1930 the Odeon was a household name and to this day there is still an Odeon in the prime location of British cinema exhibition, Leicester Square. Since the Second World War (1939 1945) the dominance of Hollywood as the motion picture production capital of the world has been virtually unchallenged. With the exception of the Indian Film Industry, lovingly named ‘Bollywood, there has not been a notable challenger to Hollywoods crown. There have been moments when a possible contender to the throne has emerged from within Europe or the UK, bringing with it a new style of filmmaking, a new school of thought or an embarrassing outburst at an awards ceremony; â€Å"The British are coming!† In the last sixty years there have been several European film movements that have demonstrated that there is an alternative to the Hollywood system, however they have not managed to topple the system and in some cases have been neatly integrated and repackaged into the Hollywood blockbuster. In this essay I shall look at the stranglehold that Hollywood seems to possess over the global film market and contrast it to the state of the European film industries and in particular to the British film industry. I shall emphasis the importance of European and British films, filmmakers and movements and how they relate to the Hollywood system. Being that this is such a large topic area I shall focus on how Hollywood has figuratively grown into a dragon and that the sporadic attempts at slaying it by European ‘knights in shining armour more often than not end up feeding it and making it stronger. I shall try to determine how influential non-Hollywood films are on Hollywood, and vice versa. I also intend to examine how the British film industry has fared since the end of the Second World War against such stiff competition from the other side of the Atlantic; and what lies ahead in the not too distant future. For the purposes of this essay I shall refer to the mainstream American film industry as ‘Hollywood; I am not saying that Hollywood ‘is the American film industry as there are a number of independent filmmakers producing and releasing feature films that frequently make box office profits, most notably Miramax, but for this essay I shall be focusing purely on the Hollywood system. The Hollywood as we know it today began in earnest in the 1910s when major producers such as Carl Laemmle, William Fox, Adolph Zukor and Marcus Loew decided to disassociate from the Film Trust based in New York (a ‘trust of the ten leading American and European producers of movies and manufacturers of cameras and equipment set up in 1908 that would tax filmmakers into using their patents to allow the film to be officially ‘legal) and venture into a more independent, West coast filmmaking structure in the all-year sunshine of California. This departure from the Trust afforded the producers to shoot feature films instead of the normal short one or two ‘reelers (so named after the length of the reel of film used to shoot it). These independents introduced a vertically integrated system that eventually covered production, distribution and exhibition. The Hollywood studio system was born and names such as Paramount (formerly Adolph Zukors Famous Players-Lasky), Fox, Warn er Brothers, Universal (formerly Carl Laemmles Independent Motion Picture Company), Columbia, Universal Artists and Marcus Loews MGM blossomed. According to Douglas Gomery: â€Å"†¦the average cost for Hollywood features of the day rarely ranged beyond $500,000, expanding distribution across the globe meant revenues regularly topped $1,000,000.† (Nowell-Smith 48). This was a massive leap in the twenty years from a time when a film of a train approaching a railway station was shown to the general public. Hollywood understood that the needs and demands of the masses had become more sophisticated over the short period of time that was cinemas infancy. As such the producers looked towards popular pulp fiction novels, plays and in particular the newly invented genre of the Western to entertain their audiences. In 1922 the major Hollywood companies formed the Motion Picture Producers and Distribution Association of America (MPPDA) to assist in the promotion and distribution of films worldwide. This was run by a former Republican politician, William H. Hays. His work for the MPDDA was closely linked with the US State Department and allowed Hollywood to dominate the UK, Canada, Australia, Europe (except Germany and the Soviet Union), South America, Central America and the Caribbean. This world domination looked set to continue until the Wall Street Crash in 1929. Even though Hollywood had originally distanced itself from New York, financial backing from the East coast was needed to fund the studios. As such the Depression that followed the stock market crash proved a difficult time for Hollywood, though not immediately as the movie industry enjoyed its best year in 1930 as studio profits reached record levels. However, between 1930 and 1933 theatre admissions fell from 90 million per week to 60 million, gross industry revenues fell from $730 million to about $480 million, and combined studio profits of $52 million became net losses of some $55 million. (Nowell-Smith 220). However it wasnt all doom and gloom. As the ‘Big Five of Paramount, RKO, Warner Bros, Fox and MGM had to reorganise their financial structure (the integration of owning their own cinemas was almost bankrupting them), the ‘major minor studios of Columbia, Universal and United Artists were enjoying the freedom of only being production and distribution companies; therefore having the freedom to continue producing high quality films without the noose of the exhibition property around their necks. In fact it was in this period that the minor studios were producing ‘B-movies; factory-produced low cost, low risk genre films usually made up of cowboys, gangsters or horror (for example; South of the Rio Grande Columbia 1932, Afraid to Talk Universal 1932, and White Zombie United Artists 1932). This ability to adapt to the market is an early demonstration of why Hollywood is still the market leader in feature films. From these early years it was evident that the studio system was going to be at the forefront of film production. The 1930s and 1940s were to prove to be the beginning of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema with the introduction of colour films and the release of such popular films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney 1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood (Warner Bros 1938), Gone with the Wind (MGM 1939), The Wizard of Oz (MGM 1939), and Citizen Kane (RKO 1941). When the United States entered the Second World War in 1941 the Hollywood machine was utilised by the government to produce propaganda films for the American public. Within one year of the attack on Pearl Harbour, nearly one third of Hollywoods feature films were war related, as were the vast majority of its newsreels and documentaries (Nowell-Smith 234). Yet again Hollywood was flexible enough to mee t the demands of the public and due to the nature of the audiences at home and most notably abroad (the UK), Hollywoods foreign revenues reached record levels. Like the Depression before it, even the Second World War could not stop Hollywood. The next period of Hollywood cinema came in the 1960s and continues today. This is regularly referred to as Modern Cinema and saw the power of the studios sway towards the director (often regarded as the auteur). In his book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls author Peter Biskind highlights Arthur Penns Bonnie and Clyde (Warner Bros 1967) as the first of the new breed of films, â€Å"Bonnie and Clyde was a movement movie; like The Graduate, young audiences recognized that it was ‘theirs† (Biskind 49). This ‘new Hollywood saw new players attract new audiences. The new kids on the block included George Lucas (THX 1138, American Graffiti, Star Wars), Steven Spielberg (Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park), Martin Scorsese (Mean Streets, Raging Bull, The Aviator) and Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Dracula). The power of the director was affirmed when George Lucass 1977 film Star Wars was released and confirmed that a single film could earn its studio huge profits and t urn a poor year into a very successful one. Star Wars had a production budget of around $13 million (imdb.com) and has (as of the end of June 2005) grossed nearly $798 million. (thenumbers.com) While the American film industry had always looked abroad for sources of revenue, the global focus of Hollywood was also amplified in this period. Overseas theatrical and video markets exploded during the second half of 1980s; between 1984 and 1986, Hollywoods European exports alone jumped 225 percent to reach $561 million annually. In some major European markets, Hollywood movies accounted for 45-65 percent of total box-office receipts. (Herman 39) In fact, according to The Numbers (a free resource for industry professionals to track business information on movies) out of the top 100 all-time highest grossing movies worldwide, only one movie was made before the period of Modern Hollywood Cinema (Gone with the Wind which has grossed $350 million dollars since its release in 1939). (thenumbers .com) With the top two films grossing $2,000 million having been released in 1997 (James Camerons Titanic) and 2003 (Peter Jacksons third instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King) it is obvious that the Hollywood machine still manages to churn out money-making productions. So what is it that keeps Hollywood head and shoulders above other national film industries? In his essay Reconceptualizing National Cinema/s, Stephen Crofts points out that there are seven varieties of ‘national cinema as licensed by the political, economic and cultural rà ©gimes of different nation-states: â€Å"Cinemas which differ from Hollywood, but do not compete directly, by targeting a distinct, specialist market sector; Those which differ, do not compete directly but do directly critique Hollywood; European and Third World entertainment cinemas which struggle against Hollywood with limited or no success; Cinemas which ignore Hollywood, an accomplishment managed by a few; Anglophone cinemas which try to beat Hollywood at its own game; Cinemas which work within a wholly state-controlled and often state-subsidized industry; and Regional or national cinemas whose culture and/or language take their distance from the nation-states which enclose them.† Crofts 50) He ar gues that Hollywood can not be seen as a national cinema due to its trans-national appeal. Thomas Elsaesser adds that Hollywood is totally other to national cinema it is difficult to maintain because so much of any nations film culture is implicitly Hollywood. (Elsaesser 166). This is echoed in the words of Edward Buscombe who states that at times Hollywood appears to be†¦ no longer a national cinema but the cinema (Buscombe 141) These views propel the ideology that Hollywood is the word people use to describe popular cinema. As Crofts identified, there are a number of ways in which non-Hollywood cinema has tried to challenge (or indeed avoid confrontation) the American system. The fifth example; ‘Anglophone cinemas which try to beat Hollywood at its own game best represents how the British film industry tried to challenge the giant that is Hollywood (with varying results). The European film industries would fall into the third and seventh categories; ‘European and Third World entertainment cinemas which struggle against Hollywood with limited or no success; and ‘Regional or national cinemas whose culture and/or language take their distance from the nation-states which enclose them. Due to the many different European languages the latter example is perhaps the most relevant but at the same time admits defeat in attempting to export the film to the United States. However, this is not to say that Hollywood has not had to adapt to remain the world leader. The early 1980s saw a dramatic drop in box office receipts. The beginning of the decade saw a 9% drop in tickets sold nationwide in American cinemas when only 1,022 million were sold. This figure got worse in 1986 when just over 1,017 million tickets were sold (boxofficemojo.com) (compared to over 4,500 million ticket sales in 1930). The home video market had certainly dented theatrical sales but Hollywood would always recoup somehow. The immediate problem was the cost of keeping cinemas o pen; a similar situation to the post Depression period of the 1930s. Another financial reshuffle was in order. The six major Hollywood film studios were now part of conglomerates. Gulf Western (Paramounts parent company) also owned Madison Square Gardens, Desilu, Simon and Schuster, and Paramount Pictures Television. Yet, only 11% of Gulf Westerns revenues were derived from entertainment industry holdings and just 4% from Paramount Pictures in 1981. That same year, United Artists was bringing only 12% of the revenues in for Transamerica, Universal represented 22% of MCAs income, and Warner Bros. accounted for 24% of Warner Communications revenue. (Lewis 86). However, by 1989, the entertainment division of Gulf Western, led by Paramount Pictures, accounted for over 50% of Gulf Westerns yearly income during a year in which Paramount had only fourteen releases and a 13.8% share of the market thanks to the success of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ($197 million domestic box office), (the-numbers.com) demonstrating again just how important a single film had become by the end of the 1980s. These blockbusters were to save Hollywood and allow it to grow stronger, and in 2002 ticket sales were over the 1,523 million mark which was the highest figure for over twenty years. It is practically impossible to pinpoint a single film that best demonstrates how the Hollywood system works. I have chosen to examine three different movies from three different periods of its history to illustrate how Hollywood evolves; Intolerance (1916), Singin in the Rain (1952) and The Matrix (1999). D.W. Griffith directed over 500 films during his career, most of them were shorts produced between 1908 and 1914. In 1915 he directed Birth of a Nation, a film that â€Å"†¦established him as one of the first truly great film directors, able to balance scale with intimate, impassioned storytelling† (Falk 11) but the film also has its critics: â€Å"Hopefully the only film in movie history to project in its publicity the Ku Klux Klan as the heroic defenders of Christian civilization† (Shiach 12). Two years later he directed Intolerance. Intolerance is, in my opinion, a better example of a Hollywood film than the overtly racist Birth of a Nation. Its narrative structure is interwoven with four different stories from four different periods in history each telling their own stories of intolerance, be it through religion or society. This storytelling device of jumping from one story to another allowed Griffith to direct the film at a speed that would keep the audiences enthralled to the very last reel. Unfortunately it failed at the box office. The production budget was over three and half times than that of Birth of a Nation and the box office did not return this. The lavish sets and numerous extras that were brought in by Griffith to turn this into a spectacle ended up leading to its financial failure. This was an early lesson to the studios that throwing a lot of money at a production did not necessarily mean that it was going to be successful. In hindsight this film stands up well; the crowd scenes are epic, so to the Babylon sets and the innovative use of camera angles and cross-cut editing techniques. Griffith formed United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, William S. Hart and Mary Pickford in 1919, cementing his position as a major player in the early Hollywood years. The year 1952 saw the highest grossing film in America to be the documentary This is Cinerama showcasing the possibilities of Cinerama; a widescreen system that employed stereophonic sound and used three cameras and three projectors to cover a huge curved screen. Further down the list was Stanley Donen and Gene Kellys musical Singin in the Rain (MGM 1952). Not only does the film include perhaps one of the most memorable scenes in Hollywood history (the song and dance of the title) but also one of the first big budget films to poke fun at its own industry. The story takes place during the transition from silent film into ‘talking pictures and highlights some of the problems that arose for all the major studios. Roger Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times proudly states that â€Å"Singin in the Rain has been voted one of the greatest films of all time in international critics polls, and is routinely called the greatest of all the Hollywood musicals. I dont think theres an y doubt about that. There are other contenders†¦ but Singin in the Rain comes first because it is not only from Hollywood, it is about Hollywood.† (Ebert). The film was rushed through by MGM (the studio that produced most of the lavish musicals) after the success of 1951s An American in Paris and as such the film was an original screenplay and Donen and Kelly were freed from the constraints of adapting a stage musical, being able to develop something completely from scratch. This freedom is present on screen and, like the previous example Intolerance has won more fans in the years after its release than the audiences at the time. Today the musical is a rare sight to emerge from Hollywood. It is seen as an expensive genre that has served its time. There have been a few exceptions like Baz Luhrmanns Moulin Rouge (20th Century Fox 2001) and Rob Marshalls Chicago (Miramax 2002) but I cannot see any Hollywood studio spending money on this genre like MGM did in the Golden Age. Brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski directed the science fiction action movie The Matrix in 1999. Labeled by some as a â€Å"cult classic† (Gottlieb), I find it hard to agree that a film that has grossed over $450 million (thenumbers.com) worldwide should be called a ‘cult. Set sometime in the near future the film taps into a common paranoia that all is not as it seems. Hollywood released this film, with its $65 million (thenumbers.com) production budget knowing that the recent trend of Asian kung-fu movies were entertaining the young generation like Hark Tsuis 1991 film Once Upon a Time in China (Wong Fei-hung) or Woo-ping Yuens 1993 film Iron Monkey (Siunin Wong Fei-hung tsi titmalau). This film was also used in an extensive advertising campaign to promote the sales of DVDs; a figure of $20 million was spent on prints and advertising costs. With the combination of kung-fu, a storyline focusing on paranoia and special effects never seen before in a major blockbuster; it w ould not be cynical to believe that Hollywood thought of The Matrix as their ticket into the new millennium. The British film industry has historically always been the poorer cousin to Hollywood, or as Robert Murphy suggests, â€Å"British cinema has been despised and disparaged for much of its existence† (Murphy 5). While Hollywood was experimenting with and developing the dramatic narrative of feature films in the early 1910s, Britain did not realise the potential of the longer film format; and one of the only companys releasing fictional drama, albeit single reel films, was Hepworth who produced films such as Rescued by Rover (1905), Faust (1911) and A Fishermans Love Story (1912). As late as 1925 Joseph Schenck commented on the inferiority of British cinema saying that â€Å"You have no personalities to put on the screen. The stage actors and actresses are no good on the screen. Your effects are no good, and you do not spend nearly so much money.† (Schenck). This statement is eerily poignant eighty years after he said it. In fact as early as 1907 Hollywood was acting swift er than Britain in developing the cinematic world by exploiting British cultural heritage when the Selig Polyscope Company produced the one reel short A Tale of Two Cities based on Charles Dickens novel. Four years later Vitagraph remade the film as a thirty minute short in 1911. In fact Hollywood then remade the film six years after that when Fox produced A Tale of Two Cities in 1917. It wasnt until W. Courteney Rowden directed the one reel film of the same title that Britain finally had its own film version of the novel in 1922. And it wasnt until Ralph Thomas directed A Tale of Two Cities (Rank 1958) that Britain had its very own feature film of the novel; the sixth remake since the original 1907 film. Even though the British film industry was slow to accept the possibilities offered by the dramatic narrative of feature film there were some important figures to emerge. Alfred Hitchcock directed his first completed feature film in 1925 with the crime drama The Pleasure Garden, having already made a name for himself as a writer on Graham Cutts Woman to Woman (1923). He followed that up with a number of groundbreaking films including The Lodger (Gainsborough Pictures 1927), his first talking movie Blackmail (BIP 1929), and Jamaica Inn (Mayflower 1939); his final film in Britain before Hollywood producer David O. Selznick sent for him from Hollywood. At a time when Hollywood was going from strength to strength with the help of the MPPDA, Britain was finding that too many American imports were saturating the home industry; $165 million revenue was made for Hollywood by the overseas British market. (Nowell-Smith 58). The Films Act of 1927 set a quota on imported movies that â€Å"was pr ogressive, beginning at 5 percent and rising to 20 percent in ten years time.† (Balio 469). This should have been a period in which Britain could progress both in quality and quantity of film production as the Act was meant to â€Å"open up the market for ‘long (over 3,000 feet in length) British films by stipulating that 7.5 per cent of films acquired by film renters each year had to be British and 5 per cent of those shown by exhibitors also had to be of British origin, both percentages rising to 20 by 1935 and remaining at that level until 1938 when the Act expired.† (Street 10). In reality it allowed a number of cheap productions, or â€Å"quota quickies† (Balio 469) to be made that did more harm than good for the British film industry. However, the Act allowed Britain to emulate the American system of vertical integration with companies able to produce, distribute and exhibit its own films; this introduced The Associated British Picture Corporation and the Gaumont British Picture Corporation. The British film movement enjoyed a period of producing a number of fine films (most notably by Alfred Hitchcock) that included Alexander Kordas period drama The Private Life of Henry VIII (London Film Productions 1933), Marcel Varnels comedy starring Will Hay, Oh, Mr. Porter! (Gainsborough 1937), and Sam Woods drama Goodbye Mr. Chips (MGM 1939). When the Second World War broke out in 1939 Britain had to focus on the war effort; just as what was to happen in Hollywood, the films produced up to the end of the war were predominantly propaganda films. Some of the greatest filmmakers in British cinema were to come to the publics attention during the war; directors such as Michael Powell (The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp 1943), David Lean (In Which We Serve 1942), Thorold Dickinson (Next of Kin 1943) and Carol Reed (The Way Ahead 1944) exploded onto the scene. The 1940s were an exciting time for the British film industry with box office admissions peaking at 1,635 million in 1946 (Sparos 14) and companies such as the Rank Organisation began to expand, with a massive screen empire embracing the Gaumont British company; this included the Gainsborough Studios, the Odeon cinema circuit and Pinewood and Denham studios. The famous Ealing Studio, under Michael Balcon, secured its place in film history with the production of comedies such as Passport to Pimlico, Whisky Galore and Kind Hearts and Coronets, all made in 1949. Two years earlier Balcon founded the British Film Academy in a hotel suite at the Hyde Park Hotel on the 16 April 19 47. This was later to become BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts). Running parallel to the Ealing comedies was the movement of social reality films, commonly referred to as ‘kitchen sink dramas but often named the New Wave. At a time when the British public was feeling the burden of the aftermath of the war with rationing and high unemployment, there was a need for film to reflect the lives of the masses. One of the first major forays into this genre was produced by Filippo Del Giudice. Del Giudice was an Italian lawyer who left his native fascist Italy for London in 1932 and helped set up Two Cities Films in 1937. In the 1950 film Chance of a Lifetime directed by Bernard Miles, the story focuses on trade unionism and what stage the co-operative movement had reached in 1950, a few years after the reforming Labour government was elected but months before the re-election of Winston Churchill; showing that the country was oscillating between Socialism and Conservatism. Miless intelligent script was even-handed in its approach to these issues and also gave insights into the class system of the time yet did not go so far as to support the unions at the time. Alan Wood, biographer of Rank, charged the film with being â€Å"a crude form of anti-Socialist propaganda† (Wood 245). Even though critics felt the film did not go far enough into the class struggle it opened the doors for directors to comment on such issues as unemployment and the working classes. In earlier British films we had seen the working class as ‘good and decent supporting roles to the more noble upper classes (the most obvious analogy would be in the wartime Navy film where the working class would be below deck powering the ship and the upper classes above deck steering its course). Here we saw their lives at the centre of the action in great detail, told to the audience in an everyday household situation; hence the kitchen sink tag. We see events through the emotional journeys of these characters. Films like Jack Claytons Room at the Top (Remus 1 959) painted their protagonists to show that they had moved on from the hero at Normandy to an average, everyday person who wanted to make the most of their life and somehow try to improve their social position. This did not have to be solely represented in social realism, comedy crossed over as well. In John Boultings comedy Im Alright Jack (British Lion 1959) the class divide is made perfectly evident in the dispute between the workers and the owners of a factory; with the inclusion of Peter Sellers trouble-making union representative thrown in for good measure. At last the British film industry, as had the French and Italians, were producing films with a strong political and artistic background of their own that they would develop and progress into the 1960s. However, this particular notion of reality is much debated and is a problem when looking at whether film is â€Å"a product of society or that of an ideology of one director or author.† (Murphy 146) These New Wave films represented an â€Å"extremely dynamic, but short lived, period of film-making.† (Nowell-Smith 605). By 1963 London became the party capital of the world and the notoriety of ‘Swinging London and its Soho clubs and cinemas was in complete contrast to the gritty social dramas of the late 1950s. Suddenly British culture was internationally recognised. With the mass popularity of The Beatles in music, Mary Kwant in fashion and David Hockney in art people were looking towards Britain to produce films that captured the spirit of the moment: The 1960s witnessed a revitalisation of British Cinema and the emergence of a flourishing and diverse film culture after what was widely perceived to be the doldrums era of the 1950s.† (Moore-Gilbert 218). People demanded films that were not as ‘angry as the previous decade but celebrated the new possibility of social freedom. Unfortunately the money was not immediately available from British financiers and it was Hollywood that came to the rescue. The commercially successful Tom Jones, directed by Tony Richardson in 1963 was backed by United Artists and a number of American studios began investing heavily in British cinema. It is ironic that just as Hollywood saw the possibilities of exploiting British culture at the turn of the century, they were equally as deft to jump on the original ‘Cool Britannia bandwagon; leaving British investors to miss out all over again. United Artists also saw a lucrative business opportunity in Ian Flemings charismatic character James Bond. With the backing of United Artists, Terence Youngs 1963 film Dr. No, the first official What Is a GPS How Does It Work? What Is a GPS How Does It Work? Introduction to GPS The GPS also known as Global Positioning System is a global navigation system that runs on satellites that are active 24/7 (Library Of Congress, 2011). Development of the GPS was initially started by the US for military purposes; they would guide their troops and navigate them away from danger or would use this to launch missiles on a targeted area. Only recently during the early 2000s been the GPS released to the public by the US and made it free to access to anyone that owns a GPS receiver. Due to its various uses and availability the GPS started to gain popularity amongst people, in fact it has also helped in shaping the world into what it is today. The GPS system has become global and massive. It is used in most of our vehicles and smart phones to get us around its main purpose is to guide us to our location when we are lost, or for looking up a location. Like smart phones and email, this technology has become a key part of our modern day society. It has become a useful tool in our lives that we now have started to depend upon. GPS has replaced maps and has become the key tool of navigation. GPS is now also used in games and other application such as Facebook. GPS system works via detecting signals from GPS satellites located in space (Gray, 2012). The GPS system detects these signals via a GPS receiver (Bertagna, 2010). The GPS receiver detects the radio waves from satellites and then tries to find your location by calculating the time it took for the signal to reach the receiver. After calculating the time it took, it determines the location of the satellite and then determines how far it is from the satellite. By using trilateration it then calculates your location. Trilateration is a mathematical process which uses circles and triangles to calculate distance and area of a place. Common uses of GPS GPS has become a part of our daily lives ever since the US government released it to the public, our everyday devices have been equipped with GPS technology to assist us and enhance our experience (Saha, 2014) (Fortenberry, 2016). Everyday devices such as smartphones, tablets, vehicles and even packages we buy online have a small tracking device fitted in that constantly tracks its location, keeping the customer updated every minute. In fact, aeroplanes nowadays require a GPS tracker, which assists pilots in figuring out the route to their destination mid-air. This technology also helps control rooms in airports keep track of the aeroplanes current location. In fact, even passengers can view their current locations inflight through the entertainment system. Its not just aeroplanes that have inaugurated this technology but most of the vehicles being manufactured today come with a built in GPS system which helps drivers in setting a location and discovering the fastest way to reach it (Horban, 2009). This built in GPS technology also assists in tracking down stolen vehicles, which helps create a decline in car theft and gives a strong sense of security to the customer. The following graph taken from Rewire Security gives graphical evidence of a decline in car theft due to the implementation of a GPS system providing better and improved security. (Trading, 2014) Increase in GPS usage between teenagers Since GPS is now completely open for use to the public, many companies have started to develop softwares that utilize the GPS system. Most GPS softwares are found in mobile app stores these days since mobile phones are a common GPS using device. Moreover, since teenagers are often the age group that uses smartphones the most, quite a lot of the GPS apps are designed with the purpose of entertainment, which led to a huge rise of teenagers getting involved with such entertainment based apps. Entertainment apps which are booming between teenagers are mostly game or dating related (Collier, 2012) . Lets take the example of Pokà ©mon Go that came out quite recently, that game was a massive success due to the fact that it involved players leaving their house and going around different locations capturing Pokà ©mons. Pokà ©mon Gos main feature involved using a GPS tracker to track the players location as he would travel certain distances and to different areas. Pokà ©mon Go has also use d the GPS system to mark important landmarks as Pokà ©stops where players can buy items by using their points. This would not be possible without GPS technology. Whats important to consider here is how such a simple concept became very popular and addictive between teenagers, it is intriguing how a simple system that was used initially solely for the purpose of navigation has now turned into a means of entertainment. GPS systems are more often used by older teens in comparison to younger teens since parents do not give younger teens the freedom of roaming around the city since it is not safe for a child to roam around the city without parent supervision. Older teenagers however, tend to have a drivers license or some other means of transport and a lot of independence. Older teens tend to be given a lot more freedom in most parts of the world. Moreover, they often have to go to multiple places such as university, college, library and at times even their part time jobs. However, quite a lot of issues have appeared at the hands of GPS apps. Such as teens being addicted to the game Pokà ©mon Go and not caring about their own safety and walking around dangerous places. Moreover, GPS systems have also been adopted by dating apps now which has caused a lot of distress among parents. There has also been malpractice of the GPS apps at the hands of parents too. Some parents install apps which can allow them to track the location of their children via their childrens phone. This is an act of intruding a persons personal privacy. Due to how GPS trackers have various different uses, we have certain situations where we begin to question whether its really ethical to use such powerful technology in the way we have, which leads to social and ethical concerns being raised.

Sports In Russia During 1905 To 1913 History Essay

Sports In Russia During 1905 To 1913 History Essay The early twentieth century was a very important time for Russian sports history; many new types of sports gained popularity throughout the country and the nation took its level of athletic competition to an all time new level. Understanding the role of sports in Russias history is significant because sports are more than a form of entertainment for spectators as well as those who participate in them. The reality is that sports are a great symbol of exercise, physical fitness, a healthy life style/society, and camaraderie between teammates and even opponents. Furthermore, when a nation competes in sporting competitions with other nations, this is a form of athletic socialization that suggests healthy and friendly relationships with other countries. For these reasons, understanding the role of sports during this time period in Russian history is valuable to understanding this time period in Russia. Among the sports that took center stage during this time period were tennis and soccer, although basketball, cricket, fencing, wrestling and various other sports did gain popularity during this time period as well. In addition to sports gaining popularity, the early twentieth century was also an important time for Russian sports for a different reason; during this period, the initial endeavors of Russia in the most popular sports competition in the world took place, the Olympic Games! Tennis in Russia during 1910 (Nikolaev and Gazeta 1). One sport that gained increased recognition during the first decade of the twentieth century was tennis. This sport, which was originally introduced in Russia during the summer of 1878, was even enjoyed by Tsar Nicholas II himself! In fact, Tsar Nicholas II was a keen tennis player. His diary entries are full of references to the sport: played tennis after breakfast until 5 oclock, played a lot of tennis, enjoyed playing tennis, I personally played seven sets, went to play tennis early and played and sweated a great deal (Nikolaev and Gazeta 1). In addition to this famous leader, there were other proponents of the sport that also helped increase its popularity. For example, some men who are now considered by many people as the pioneers of professional tennis in Russia include Count Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston, who was Russias champion in 1910-1914, as well as Arthur MacPherson, who was one of the founders of Russian lawn tennis (Nikolaev and Gazeta 1). Soccer During the later part of the nineteenth century, Soccer was gaining popularity in Russia; however, in the eyes of the Russian government, this was not perceived as a good thing. In fact, the Russian government actually went to great lengths in order to attempt to restrict the practice of soccer amongst the countrys ethnic minorities. The purpose of this policy was to try and maintain the sport as something that was exclusively for the countrys elite. In order to accomplish this, those who were considered of a lower class, could not be associated with the game. Not surprisingly, this policy failed, and the games popularity spread quickly during the time when many Russian students were returning home from England. By 1905, the majority of Russias clubs had already been established, and in 1912, according to the Russian National Football Ream website, The Football Association of Russia was founded in 1912 and became affiliated to FIFA that same year. During this same year, Russia partic ipated in an Olympic Games Football Tournament for the first time in its history. Other Sports Basketball was also popular in Russia during the early years of the twentieth century (Nelson 22). In addition to this sport, cricket was also appreciated throughout Russia. In fact, there were many popular sports clubs throughout the country during this time period where people could go to enjoy this game; there were even some clubs that were specifically dedicated to the game of cricket, such as the St. Petersburg Cricket Club (Nikolaev and Gazeta 1). Other sports played in Russia during this time include fencing, football, wrestling, racing, and gymnastics. Although there were other sports that were played and well-loved in Russia during this time period, these sports were among the most popular. Olympics Not only were many sports gaining popularity in the country during the early twentieth century, but it was during this time period that Russia began competing on an international level as well. Up until this point, the majority of Russias sport activities were local. Indeed, the most noteworthy change in Russian sports history was that this nation began competing in the Olympic Games. Although this was a big change in Russian sports history, it is important to note that despite Russias initial participation in these Olympic Games of 1900, the country did not compete in the Olympics again until 1908. Russia chose not to partake in the 1904 summer Olympics, but in the 1908 games, Russia not only competed, but the nation completed the games ranking in twelfth place. The 1908 London Summer Olympics Photo of Nikolai Panin (Dolgopolov 33) [About] one hundred years ago, at the fourth modern Olympics, held in London in 1908, Russia sent a team that was comprised of six athletes; three of them returned with medals. Nikolai Panin was the only one to bring home a gold medal Russias first ever. Panin won it in special figures figure skating (London was the first Olympics to include a non-summer sport). Nikolai Orlov and Alexei Petrov returned with silver medals in wrestling (Dolgopolov 33). In addition to skating and wrestling, Russia also took part in racing that year. However, Russia only had one athelete competing in the the athletics segment of the Olympic games, which greatly decreased their chances of winning a medal. The Russian athelete who did partipate in the athletics segment managed to take ninteenth place out of the twenty-seven racers who also competed in those games (The British Olympic Council 49). The 1912 Stockholm Summer Olympics Russias commendable victory in the 1908 London Summer Olympics was followed by another great performance in the 1912 Stockholm Summer Olympics. Although Russia did not win any gold medals in these games, the country still managed to win two silver medals and three bronze medals, which was good enough to give Russia a ranking of sixteenth place in those games. One of the silver medals was won by a team comprised of Amos Kash, Nikolai Melnitsky, Pavel Voyloshnikov and Grigori Panteleimonov; the game was called Shooting, Mens Team 30m military pistol. In addition, the other silver medal was won by Martin Klein in the Wrestling, Greco-Roman middleweight games. In regards to the bronze medals, Mart Kuusik won one medal in the Rowing, Mens single sculls game. Also, Esper Beloselsky, Ernest Brasche, Nikolai Puschnitsky, Aleksandr Rodionov, Iosif Schomaker, Philip Strauch, and Karl Lindblom won a medal in Sailing, Mens 10m class. Finally, Harry Blau won a bronze medal in Shooting, Mens Trap. During these Olympics, Russia exhibited much more skill and willingness to compete that it did in the years preview; this is evident not only in the number of sports games that Russia took part in, but also the number of Russia athletes that competed that year in comparison to the 1900 Olympics in Paris and the 1908 Olympics in London (THE SWEDISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE 852-861). (THE SWEDISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE 268) Also worth mentioning is that the 1912 Olympics was Russias debut in the swimming games. Another first for Russia that year was in the cycling part of the games; there were a total of ten cyclists competing on behalf of Russia that year. Diving was another first for Russia, although the nation only had one individual representing it in that segment. Furthermore, the nation sent a total of thirty-five athletes in order to compete on the nations behalf in the athletics segment of the games (ex., racing), which was a huge improvement in comparison to the single marathon runner who competed for Russia in the 1908 Olympic Games. Other games that Russia participated in the 1912 Olympics included equestrian, jumping, fencing, football, gymnastics, rowing, sailing, modern pentathlon, shooting, rowing, tennis, and wrestling. Clearly, Russia has increased its interest in competing in the Olympic games over the past dozen years. Taking a Break from the Olympics Partaking in the Olympic Games was a very important part of Russian sports history, given that the Olympics symbolize global friendliness, fair-play, and unity. It is clear that Russia began taking the Olympics much more seriously with each subsequent visit to the Olympics; this is evident from the number of athletes that this nation decided to send to the Olympics in 1912. It seemed as though Russias participation in these games would be long lasting; however, the camaraderie and national pride that Russian citizens gained during those three trips to the Olympics was short lived. This is because it would be decades before these Russian citizens could feel the national pride of a Russian winning a medal again. The 1916 Olympic Games were cancelled due to World War I and the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games were cancelled due to World War II. Although these three Olympic Games were canceled as a result of global chaos, this only offers an explanation for three Games. Russia chose not to co mpete in the Olympics again until the 1952 Games, but this time, Russia was not considered Russia anymore; it was the Soviet Union that competed in its place. This brief time that Russia participated in the Olympics has gone down in history as Russias first Olympic endeavors and a very important milestone in Russian Sports history. Dolgopolov, Nikolai. Russias First Gold Medalist. Russian Life 51.4 (2008): 33. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 7 Mar. 2010. Nelson, M. The Originals: the New York Celtics invent modern basketball. New York: Bowling Green State Univrsity Popular Press, 1999. THE BRITISH OLYMPIC COUNCIL. The Fourth Olypiad London 1908 Official Report. London: THE BRITISH OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION, 1908. 06 March 2010 THE SWEDISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE. The Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912 Official Report. Stockholm: WAHLSTRÃÆ'-M WIDSTRAND, 1912. 06 March 2010 Russian National Football Team. A look at Russia. 04 March 2010

The Roots of Human Nature Essay -- Human Nature Humanity Civilization

The Roots of Human Nature The roots of human nature are sunk deep into our history and experiences. When in our own lives we are to find the basis of our human nature, we must look to our early years, the formative years. Now take for example if we placed a newborn in the wild or in a high-class, well-mannered, wealthy family. The human nature of the newborn in the wild will be exactly that, wild and chaotic. While on the other hand the newborn in the well-mannered society will be well mannered and moralistic. Human nature is defined by the values that are taught and the values that society defines, if there are no societal values, human nature is doomed and lessened to that of wolves. Society defines the values and morals for its people to live by, common values. These values affect human nature and affect the way an even slightly self-conscious person behaves. An example of one of these societal values is table manners. Society has defined over hundreds of years of history to eat accompanied by utensils. So ciety also has set the value and that eating with your bare hands is â€Å"un-civilized.† Another example of a moralistic standard is not to steal. This value is taught by our parents and members of the society, the human society. So human nature has a conscience because of social morals and values. The formation and situation of human nature is dependent on these â€Å"guidelines.† Some people’s human nature may be to steal, maybe to survive but most humans have this as a wrong...

The Merchant Of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

The Merchant Of Venice Act 1 In the fist act, Antonio is introduced as the Merchant of Venice. A friend of him, Bassanio, desperately needs money because all of his money is on his ships and he wants to go to Belmont to visit the woman of his dreams, Portia. Therefore he goes to Antonio to ask if he is willing to go to Shylock and ask him if he can have 3000 ducats. Antonio agrees and goes to Shylock and explains that he has to pay it back within 3 months. If he doesn't do this, he may cut one pound of his fair flesh... Act 2 In Belmont, the casket bond proceeds: with two already rejected, news comes that Bassanio is at Portia's gate. Meanwhile, Shylock is left bewailing the loss of his ducats and his daughter that has run away with Lorenzo and the treasure. Shylock doesn't like this at all because he really doens't like the Christians and Lorenzo is a Christian Act 3 Jessica is now together with Lorenzo. She is a Jew and he's a Christian. Jessica is embarrassed to be a Jew is planning to change religion for Lorenzo. Shylock is still looking for them and is very mad when he finds out that she has sold a ring, that was given to Shylock by his wife, for a monkey. Meanwhile Bassanio is picking one of the caskets and takes the correct one; the leaden casket. He may now marry Portia. Because Antonio hasn't paid back the 3000 ducats he had lend from Shylock, Shylock may have one pound of his fair flesh. Shylock takes it to court... Act 4 Still in the court of law, Portia and Nerissa have disguised themselves as doctor and clerk. Shylock wants his revenge on the Christians because they treat him like a dog and spit on him. He wants his bond and the one pound of the flesh of Antonio. Portia very smartly knows how to trick him by saying that it doesn't say in the bond that any blood can be spilt and that he has to take exactly one pound of the flesh. No more and no less. Shylock has to give up because he can't deny this. Antonio is safe! Bassanio has given the ring that he had got from Portia to the doctor and Gratiano has given the ring that he had got from Nerissa to the clerk... They had said to their women that they would never give the rings away.

The Odyssey :: essays research papers fc

When one ponders the Greek mythology and literature, powerful images invariably come to mind. One relives the heroes’ struggles against innumerable odds, their battles against magical monsters, and the gods’ periodic intervention in mortal affairs. Yet, a common and often essential portion of a heroic epic is the hero’s consultation with an oracle or divinity. This prophecy is usually critical to the plot line, and also to the well being of the main characters. Could Priam have survived in the Achaean camp if not at the gods’ instruction (200-201)? Could the Argos have run the gauntlet of the Prowling Rocks if not for the gods’ advice of using a sacrificial bird (349). Moreover, prophecy can be negative as well as positive. Achilles was prophesied to die gloriously in battle if he chose his life’s way as a warrior. Oedipus was exiled and condemned by his own words, after he slew his sire and wed his mother. This type of prophesy can blind eve n the gods themselves; Chronos was fated to be defeated and his throne stolen by his son. Demeter loses Persephone periodically every year because her daughter ate Hades’ pomegranates. Prophecy plays an important role in the whole of Greek folklore. Something this ever-present bears further examination. In The Odyssey, prophecy in its myriad forms affects nearly every aspect of the epic. Prophecies are seen in the forms of omens, signs, strict prediction of the future, divine condemnation, and divine instruction. Though conceptually these forms are hard to distinguish, they are clearly separate in the Odyssey. Moreover, prophecies can be interpreted not only on the "plot device" level, but also on the level of characterization. Whether a character accepts or denies the gods’ prophecies tells the reader something about the character himself. Omens are brief prophecies intimately connected to the action at hand, which must be interpreted in terms of that action . Halitherses comments on the eagle attack after Telemakhos condemns the suitors (463-464); he correctly interests it to mean that if the suitors keep feeding off Odysseus’s possessions they will be destroyed. Yet the suitors ignore the omen, inviting their eventual destruction. This haughty treatment of a divine omen is a justification for their deaths. When Penelope says if Odysseus had returned he would, with his son, surely slay the suitors, Telemakhos let loose a great sneeze (429). This omen reinforces the previous one, and simultaneously prepares the reader for the carnage to follow.

Obama VS Chamberlain

When Chamberlain went to Munich on September 29th, 1938, to ask Hitler to discontinue, as he would have said, his plans to take over Poland, Chamberlain had good intention, but bad execution. He claimed that the appeasement was for, â€Å"The peace of our time,† and that his agreement with Hitler, that which Hitler biblically disregarded 7 days later, would allow Europe to continue war-free, sparing It from the trauma and anxiety associated with war. It Is well known that Chamberlain failed utterly to accomplish anything with the appeasement, and war did in fact break out he following year.Recently, President Obama went to Geneva to negotiate peace terms with Iran regarding them physically possessing nuclear weapons, and failed to accomplish anything. In fact, Iran slapped America in the face by completely undermining America's request, and this is the cause for much controversy and ill feelings toward Obama as of late. In comparison to Chamberlain's utter failure at Munich, B eam's inability to impose his country will Is far more severe than what happened in 1938.While It Is rue that both Britain and the US practically surrendered to Germany and Iran, respectively, Nazi Germany was much larger of a world power In its day when compared to modern day Iran. In addition, Brutal was In a weak state economically and militarily, while the united States, although Isn't In tip-top shape economically due to the recent recession, has one of, if not, the largest and most powerful militaries in the entire world. To have to surrender to a country whose inferiority on the world scale of sovereignty is an obvious step in the wrong direction.In defense of Chamberlain, he didn't have the power of hindsight in terms of WI. The same cannot be said for Obama and Iran. Obama had clear historical evidence and resources to show that appeasement, in large part, does not work. Ben Shapiro, who hosts his own radio talk show and is author of a bestseller, said â€Å"The deal with Iran Is Worse than Munich' in part because In 1938 Hitler had not made known his plans to exterminate European Jews, while Iran has explicitly expressed a desire to completely wipe Israel off the map.How, then, could Obama simply request that Iran hand over one of Its most prized possessions, that being nuclear weapons, which are clearly documented as present in the country, when America's greatest ally is at risk and is the direct victim of Iran's plans? This isn't acceptable, and is a clear sign that Obama, who was supposed to be America's FAD, is becoming America's Nixon. Obama VS. Chamberlain By Broadband disregarded 7 days later, would allow Europe to continue war-free, sparing it from the trauma and anxiety associated with war.It is well known that Chamberlain failed impose his country's will is far more severe than what happened in 1938. While it is respectively, Nazi Germany was much larger of a world power in its day when compared to modern day Iran. In addition, Britain wa s in a weak state economically and militarily, while the United States, although isn't in tip-top shape economically deal with Iran is Worse than Munich' in part because in 1938 Hitler had not made that Iran hand over one of its most prized possessions, that being nuclear weapons,

Critical Review of Cook,  V. (1999). Going Beyond the Native Speaker in Language Teaching

Critical fall over 1 Review forge,V. (1999). Going beyond the inborn vocaliser in manner of speaking pedagogy. TESOL Quarterly, 33(2), 185. In his word, Cook argues that the vehemence or dependence of homegr pass along loudspeaker system model(NSM) in language teaching is non necessary. It is time to adopt non- indwelling models twain for language learning and teaching, and he provides any(prenominal) possible teaching methods. Firstly, Cook defines the primaeval speaker and L2 substance abusers.Then he discusses the slight solely salient differences between monolinguistic inseparable speakers and multilingual native speakers in legal injury of multicompetence so that there is no changeless NSM. He also argues NSM is implicit and L2 users argon actually using L2 differently instead of deficiently from monolingual bias perspective, which means native-speaker take aim is not a must, even impractical, to just about of L2 users because they do not need to laud their identity through the L2 and nevertheless a couple of(prenominal) L2 users have achieved native-speaker proficiency.After this series of arguments, Cook proposes some(a) practical suggestions of sure-fire L2 user as models and applying L1 for teaching methods. Cook concludes that more emphasis should be added on the skillful L2 users and on using L1, and teaching language is not to imitate native speakers notwithstanding to alleviate learners so that L2 learners are successful in terms of multicompetent. In general this article is refreshing, especially 14 years ago. I absolutely agree with Cook that successful L2 learners are successful multicompetent speakers, not failed native speakers (p. 04). In non- side of meat-speaking countries like China where English is neither an official language nor a lingua franca, a simple English native speaker, without teaching experiences or educational professional background, can be prize as a language specialiser or an English originit y only because he speaks so-called pure English. It is the time, 14 years later subsequently this article has been published, to establish a affirmatory image of nonnative-speaker teachers for the sake of both themselves and their students and for the fanatics of NSM to heat up.While in other places where English is espouse as a lingua franca, the lessening of NSM is more meaningful in the trend of being equal, due to the speakers various lingual preferences and cultural backgrounds. Actually, nine years before this article, Rampton (1990) had called on the professionals to label native speakers as language experts in cabaret to translation the emphasis from who you are to what you know (p. 99). So in this sense, Cook affords L2 users agency on learning to use L2 instead of to interpret their identity into native speakers. However, uncertainties still remain.First, although the pen offers the definition of L2 users and even distinguished it from L2 learners, he does not m ake it specific what agreeable of languages iodin uses can be considered L2s in his statement. For example, languages learned at what age or for what reason can be angiotensin-converting enzymes L2? Or can maven who learns L2 as an adult in order to stay alive in communicative countries be the same as one who simply uses L2 to serve foreigners in his own country? Second, the agent observes that students may determine overwhelmed by native-speaker teachers who have achieved a paragon that is out of the students reach. (p. 00) I think the author slightly overstates the students fear of native speakers. The author himself admits that some L2 users could pass for native speakers, so why should all L2 learners be taken as not extraordinary in the first place? Also, the NS teachers do not only symbolize fluent target-language speakers, and also a bridge that connects cardinal different cultures, which is cherished by students as well. Furthermore, according to Derrida (1998), language itself is essentially heavy, thus both native speaker and L2 users are oppressed by language and nonnative-speaker teachers could also be overwhelming to the students.Third, since seek supports the idea that teachers tend to teach the steering they learn (Stitt-Gohdes, 2001), the nonnative-speaker teachers can be a distinguished example of successful L2 user, because such(prenominal) teachers are not only fallible as Cook states or presents a more achievable model (p. 200) but also they can share or deliver their knowledge, experience and strategies of becoming a successful L2 user. Fourth, the author mentions successful L2 users several(prenominal) times but does not give a definition or cadence of it.Thus it makes me confused because is a successful L2 user one who is infinitely close to the native speakers? 733 words Reference Derrida, J. (1998). Monolingualism of the other or, the prosthesis of origins. Standford, CA Stanford University Press. Rampton,M. (1990). D isplacing the native speaker Expertise, affiliation, and inheritance. ELT Journal, 44(2), 97-101. Stitt-Gohdes,W. (2001). logical argument education students pet learning styles and their teachers preferred instructional styles Do they match? Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 43(3), 137-151.