For Whom the Bell Tolls

The novel ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ was published in 1940, written by the outstanding and famous author, Ernest Hemingway. A story of a young American man called Robert Jordan is well drafted, signaling International Brigades, particularly positioned at the republican guerrilla section in the Spainish Civil War (Hemingway par. 3).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on For Whom the Bell Tolls specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Jordan was a dynamiter, a position that earned him the responsibility of blowing up the Segovia’s city bridges. Reviews done by Jeffrey Meyers indicated that the novel is one of the best modeled stories (Hemingway 27). Research indicates that the main reasons behind writing the book were to discourage the negative consequences cultivated by war. Research indicated that Hemingway, born in Chicago suburb, in a family of six children, showed an interest in writing in early life (Wi lson par. 5). This writing talents ware noted to contribute significantly to the high school’s student newspaper and magazine. This is where the passion for writing books was cultivated (Hemingway 317). He, at one time, was a reporter with the Kansas City Star and was involved in the World War I and the World War II, which he borrowed lots of materials for his book ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ (Wilson par. 2). A number of authors of his time complemented his work. This is including the local high school he attended and the Kansas City Star stakeholders among others. Hemingway liked an outdoor life and gained instant popularity among his peers. At one time, he gained the title ‘Papa’ and ‘Champ’ and often rubbed shoulders with celebrities. It is argued that Hemingway was typical in nature, reflecting on that period (Hemingway par. 8). The novel was written at the time of the Spanish Civil War in 1940. The war had started in the early 1930â⠂¬â„¢s. Hemingway kept a close eye at the happenings in the war. It is believed that the war was mainly between the democracy and fascism. Hemingway was involved in the production of propaganda films and documentaries in the Spanish Civil War and, later, worked as a correspondent with the North American Newspaper (Hemingway 51). This was the birth of this novel where Hemingway strongly expressed his feelings on war. The setting of the novel is estimated to be 1937; a period is characterized by the height of the war, hence, the novel is significant enough to the setting (Hemingway par. 1). The novel highlights the actual environment that prevailed at the time of the Spanish Civil War. The novel indicates the backdrop of the real action.Advertising Looking for report on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hemingway was a direct character. Research indicates that he was actively involved in the Spanish Civil War, meaning that the drafting of the novel took a real time scenario. The novel is rich in individuality and originality. It has been noted that Hemingway was an outgoing person with a trait of collecting first hand information, a critical aspect in the drafting of the novel (Hemingway 208). The novel has a number of themes. The existing themes observed include the theme of lost innocence, the theme of valuing human life, the theme of death and the theme of love. The most profound resonates with the theme of lost innocence in war (Wilson par. 7). This is noted particularly among the characters in the novel. Research indicates that they lost physical and psychological innocence in the process of the war. Joaquin is subjected to trauma after the parents are dead; Maria lost physical innocence after being raped by soldiers. The theme of valuing human life is evident. A number of characters in the novel lost their lives, raising the questions of justifying human life. Anselmo is the one of the characters who fails to like the killings (Hemingway 343). Pablo is a character comfortable with the killings of human beings (Wilson par. 3). Salvation in the face of romantic love theme is evident, this was noted when the novel values romantic love amidst war. This was noted in Finito and also in the love between Maria and Robert Jordan (Hemingway par. 6). There are a number of unique literacy devices Hemingway applied identifying with motifs which represented the hares and the rabbits, the floor of the forest, suicide, the signs and Omens among other literacy devices. Symbols identified with Mortars, planes and tanks, and Absinthe among other symbols. Hemingway was influential in real life and in his writing (Hemingway 78). Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. New York: Scribner , 1995. Print. Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls, Amazon.com Review. 01 July 1995. Web. https://www.amazon.com/Whom-Bell-Tolls-Ernest-Hemingway/dp/0684803356.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on For Whom the Bell Tolls specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wilson, Edmund. For Whom the Bell Tolls, Return of Ernest Hemingway. 14 June 2001. Web. This report on For Whom the Bell Tolls was written and submitted by user Jesse Stout to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Ask Politely Where the Bathroom Is in French

How to Ask Politely Where the Bathroom Is in French Ah la la, this is always a difficult question. Because on top of possibly sounding impolite in French,  you could also end up sounding  totally ridiculous. If you want to ask, Where is the bathroom, and you  go for a literal translation, youd ask,  Oà ¹ est la salle de bains? The problem is la salle de bains  is the room where the bath or shower is. Often the toilet  is  in a separate room. Imagine the puzzled look on your French hosts when they try to figure out why on earth you want to take a shower in their home. Ideally, if things are done properly, your hosts should have discreetly pointed out the bathroom after they took your coat and guided you into the house. Oà ¹ Sont  les Toilettes, S’il te  Plaà ®t? But if that didnt happen, the correct question would be,  Oà ¹ sont  les toilettes, s’il te  plaà ®t? if you are saying tu to your host. Note that the term les toilettes  referring to the bathroom is  always plural. You may also use the word les cabinets.  If you do, youd say, Oà ¹ sont les cabinets, sil te plaà ®t, but its a bit old-fashioned. If the evening is  super formal, you may say something like, Oà ¹ puis-je me rafraà ®chir? (Where may I freshen up?), but talking like that is quite snobbish. And anyway, everybody knows where youre going and what youll be doing once you get there. Also remember that we never say, â€Å"Take your time† in this kind of situation, which always makes me laugh.   At a Dinner Party, Be Discreet If youve gone to this house for a dinner party, keep in mind that you are not supposed to leave the dinner table...and dinner may last for hours. If you absolutely have to use the bathroom, time your exit well, for example, not just before a new course is brought in. It could be at the end of a course since the French dont remove the empty plates right away; just leave the table as discreetly as you can. You may say a soft, â€Å"Veuillez m’excuser† (Please excuse me), but its not at all necessary. And by all means, don’t say where youre going. Everybody knows. At a Restaurant or Cafà ©, Be Polite and Use Vous If youre in a restaurant or a cafà ©, its the same question. You will, of course, be using vous: Oà ¹ sont les toilettes, sil vous plaà ®t? In big cities, you often need to be a customer to use the restroom. If its a big Parisian cafà © with a terrace, walk in, look for the signs, and just go in. If its a smaller place, smile a lot and politely say: Excusez moi. Je suis vraiment dà ©solà ©e, mais est-ce que je peux utiliser vos toilettes, sil vous plaà ®t? Only in a very touristic place would you have a problem. Then, either order and pay for a coffee at the bar (even if you dont drink it) or go to the nearest public toilets. To navigate the niceties of French toilets youll need to learn how French toilets work. For instance, do you know what those weird buttons are on a French toilet?  And make sure you learn all you can about using a public toilet in France  to  avoid a nasty surprise!

Personal letter of reference for scholarship Essay

Personal letter of reference for scholarship - Essay Example One of Sahar’s strengths is her dedication to education and lifelong learning which she models by her constant attention to research, analysis and literacy. Her many achievements include qualifying as the youngest Ontario certified fitness instructor in 1998, a Nationally certified gymnastics and trampoline coach, and an Ontario certified teacher with a Masters in the philosophy of education. She pursued these qualifications with her goal in mind to be an advocate for education as a solution to global problems and problems with humanity. Consequently Sahar’s aims fit perfectly with the Cambridge mission to contribute to society through education. She embarked on her path to give back to society very early in life when at the age of 19 she began attending the University of Toronto both as a student and as a teacher of fitness classes there. Sahar is an incredibly well-rounded individual who does not limit herself in the areas of her pursuits. She displays expertise in poetry, athleticism, art, and mathematics. She is a very creative, emotionally intelligent, physically fit, and logically astute individual. She has won the Sir John A MacDonald Fitness Award, the Environmental Art Award, and volunteers for Amnesty International to promote human rights and political activism. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle became one of her practices that students aspire to. In addition, she was a very vocal and recognized feminist, trying to bring awareness and understanding to this often misunderstood term. Her varied, eclectic, and unique passions and perspectives bring new insight to any educational discussion she engages in. Sahar’s passion and creativity are not confined to the cognitive aspects of education. She also contributes to the social aspects of any environment she works in. While working at A.Y. Jackson, concerned by the fact that there wasn’t any celebration commemorating the Persian New Year, especially considering the huge Persian

Effects of Work Choices Act on Rio Tinto Case Study

Effects of Work Choices Act on Rio Tinto - Case Study Example Trade unions will find it more difficult to service their existing members, recruit new members and organize industrial action. This legislation also clearly shifts the balance of the power in the employment relationship more towards the employer. This will be most obvious in businesses with 100 employees or less, where employers will have the right to dismiss workers almost at will. Most importantly, if offered an AWA, the only real alternative for many employees will be to quit. This entails the creation of the Australian Fair Pay Commission which will be responsible for establishing and varying the federal minimum wage, all other wages specified in awards, and casual pay loadings. The abolition of the no-disadvantage test will be implemented. Its replacement by the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard covering just five basic conditions: award rates of pay, maximum ordinary hours of work, annual leave, personal and carers leave, and parental leave. These five conditions will be the only award conditions which cannot be varied or excluded in a workplace agreement. Further, in the event of the termination of an agreement it is these five minimum conditions that the parties fall back to. There are major changes in the nature and operation of federal awards. With the exception of the five minimum conditions, workplace agreements will replace all award conditions that otherwise would apply to the workers covered by these agreements. Australian Workplace Agreements, or AWAs will also take precedence over collective agreements, even if those collective agreements are currently in operation. A much simpler approval process for agreements, with all agreements, both collective and individual, needs only to be lodged with the Office of the Employment Advocate (OEA) to take effect. There are tighter rules governing rights of entry by trade unions to workplaces. POSITIVE OPTIONS BY RIO TINTO MANAGEMENT The management can fire employees who are members of the Construction, Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) and replace them with non-union workers and immigrant workers. The Management can establish a black list of critical, unproductive or non-performing workers and offer them AWAs. If they refuse it, management can ask them to resign immediately.The Management can enforce a strike ban on the labor union hence guaranteeing industrial peace. If the workers resort to strike, the company can lay off the workers with the reason that they have affected the economy by crippling the company. The Company can request the Labor Minister to declare the strike as illegal. The company can check the collective agreements of the different subsidiaries and decide not to re-negotiate a new agreement with these unions. The company can just offer individual AWAs to the workers. The Management can terminate personnel with medical problems, numerous absences and recurrent poor work performance. AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES IN LABOR MANAGEMENT The strong anti-union stance of Work Choices Act will enable Rio Tinto Mining to derive financial benefits from the utilization of labor resources. (Nigel Munro) Corporate Affairs

What Do The Media Do To People Media Essay

What Do The Media Do To People Media Essay In 1959, E.Katz, a psychologist by profession was trying to grapple with the question what do the media do to people? which other researchers were attempting to answer. According to Katz, what people did with the media was more important and worthy of research. He assumed that mass media audiences are active participants in the interaction and therefore it was important for the research to focus on motivations for selecting a medium and the expected gratification from it. This led to the development of uses and gratifications theory. Uses and gratifications theory attempts to explain the uses and functions of the media for individuals, groups, and society in general. There are three objectives in developing uses and gratifications theory: 1) to explain how individuals use mass communication to gratify their needs. What do people do with the media. 2) to discover underlying motives for individuals media use. 3) to identify the positive and the negative consequences of individual media use. At the core of uses and gratifications theory lies the assumption that audience members actively seek out the mass media to satisfy individual needs. It is an audience-centred approach. When an audience actively seeks out media, they are typically seeking it in order to gratify a need. For example, in social situations, people may feel more confident and knowledgeable when they have specific facts and stories from media to add to conversation. By seeking out media, a person fulfils a need to be informed. Social situations and ps ychological characteristics motivate the need for media, which motivates certain expectations of that media. This expectation leads one to be exposed to media that would seemingly fit expectations, leading to an ultimate gratification. There are three main paradigms in media effects: hypodermic needle (i.e., direct, or strong effects), limited effects, and the powerful to limited effects. Uses and Gratifications falls under the second paradigm. The hypodermic needle model claims that consumers are strongly affected by media and have no say in how the media influences them. The main idea of the Uses and Gratifications model is that people are not helpless victims of all-powerful media, but use media to fulfil their various needs. These needs serve as motivations for using media. The media dependency theory has also been explored as an extension to the uses and gratifications approach to media, though there is a subtle difference between the two theories. Dependency on media assumes audience goals to be the origin of the dependency while the uses and gratifications approach focuses more on audience needs, however both theories agree that media use can lead to media dependency. The media dependency theory states that the more dependent an individual is on the media to fulfill needs, the more significant the media becomes to that person. DeFleur and Ball-Rokeach (1976) illustrate dependency as the relationship between media content, the nature of society, and the behaviour of audiences. Littlejohn (2002) also explained that people will become more dependent on media that meet a number of their needs than on media that touch only a few needs. Dependency on a certain medium is influenced by the number of sources open to an individual. Individuals are usually more dependent on available media if their access to media alternatives is limited. The more alternatives there are for an individual, the less is the dependency on, and influence of, a specific medium. Kazt supported the idea of studies which sought to find out what people do with the media. He cited a 1949 Berelson study conducted by interviewing people during a newspaper strike about what they missed in the newspaper. Many read because they felt it was the socially acceptable thing to do, and some felt that the newspaper was indispensable in finding out about world affairs. Many however, sought escape, relaxation, entertainment, and social prestige. These people recognized that awareness of public affairs was value in conversations. Some wanted help in their daily lives by reading material about fashion, recipes, weather forecasts and other useful information Severin and Tankard Jr. (1992:270). Davidson in Severin and Tankard Jr. (1992:269) argues that the communicators audience is not a passive recipient; it cannot be regarded as a lump of clay to be moulded by the master propagandist. Rather the audience is made up of individuals who demand something from communications to whic h they are exposed, and who select those that are likely to be useful to them. In other words, they must get something from the manipulator if he is to get something from them. A bargain is involved. The uses and gratifications approach involves a shift of focus from the purposes of the communicator to the purposes of the receiver. To a large extent, the user of the mass communication medium is in control. Uses and gratifications approach reminds us that people use the media for various purposes. Studies have shown that bored audiences use the media for exiting content while stressed subjects would use relaxing content, supporting the idea that audiences choose media content to provide gratifications they are seeking. Elliot and Rosenberg concluded that much of mass media use might be merely a matter of habit. They carried a study in which people indicated that they watched some soap operators out of habit which they enjoyed doing. Jay G. Blumler and Elihu Katz devised their uses and gratifications model in 1974 to highlight five areas of gratification in media texts for audiences. These include: Escape some media texts allow the user to escape from reality. For example, video games. Social interaction People create personal relationships with the characters in a media text. Potentially this could become dangerous if people do not question the reality of such texts. It also creates a common ground for conversation in peoples everyday lives. Identify People often identify a part of themselves in a media text, either through character or circumstance. For example, hair style trends stemming from a magazine feature. This can go a long way in peoples ideologies. Inform and educate the audience gain an understanding of the world around them by consuming a media text, for example print and broadcast news. Entertain consumed purely for entertainment purposes, meaning that text need not have any other gratifications. The Uses and Gratifications Model of the Media The mass media is a huge phenomenon. Through the various different platforms, print or broadcast, the media is able to reach millions of people like no other force. Without the media, powerful speeches by politicians would affect no one, local events would remain local, and performances by great actors would be seen only by the people in the immediate audience. The media overcomes distances, and builds a direct relationship with the audience. Many sociologists have attempted to explore what effects this has on society, and how the media fits in to our social network. Through many programmes of research, including focus groups, surveys, questionnaires, clinical studies and plain hypothesising, a number of models describing the medias relationship with audiences have been drawn up. Initially, researchers approached the subject from the angle of how the media is able to manipulate audiences, injecting messages into their minds. This hypodermic model, as discussed in the earlier part was rejected after closer examination. The Uses and Gratifications model represented a change in thinking, as researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the point of view of audiences. The model looks at the motives of the people who use the media, asking why we watch the television programmes that we do, why we bother to read newspapers, why we find ourselves so compelled to keep up to date with our favourite soap. The underlying idea behind the model is that people are motivated by a desire to fulfil, or gratify certain needs. So rather that asking how the media uses us, the model asks how we use the media. The model is broken down into four different needs. Surveillance: The surveillance need is based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them. One of the genres this is often applied to is news. By watching or reading about news we learn about what is happening in the world, and as the news is usually bad news, this knowledge leaves us feeling more secure about the safety of our own lives. This idea might seem a bit strange, that the more we know about tragedies the safer we feel, but sociologists argue that ignorance is seen as a source of danger, and so the more knowledge we have the safer we feel. When looking at the news its easy to spot news items that give us this reaction. For example if it wasnt for watching the news we might be unknowingly become vulnerable to the latest computer virus or end up in a hospital with an epidemic like swine flu. Its not just news that fulfils the surveillance model however; the theory can also be seen in many consumer and crim e-appeal programmes. These appeal directly through the idea that they are imparting information that people need to know. The programmes talk far more directly to the viewer, and even try to get the viewer involved in the programme. Because these programmes deal purely with national and local concerns, without such vagaries as world news, the issues apparently have the potential to affect the viewer directly. This explains why certain channels like Aaj Tak and IndiaTV show programmes which have wide viewership in rural areas. Some of the contents of these channels would never be appreciated by the urban audience. The surveillance model then is all about awareness. We use the mass media to be more aware of the world, gratifying a desire for knowledge and security. Personal Identity: The personal identity need explains how being a subject of the media allows us to reaffirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within society. This can most be seen in soaps, which try to act as a microcosm of society as a whole. The characters in soaps are usually designed to have wildly different characteristics, so that everyone can find someone to represent themselves, someone to aspire to, and someone to despise. For example someone might feel close to a character who is always falling victim to other people, and this connection might help him/her to understand and express his/her feelings. Someone may also really like a character who seems cool and leads a aspirational lifestyle everyone would desire to lead. This relationship could act as a way to channel your ones life, helping to set goals to work to. Finally there may be a character one really cant stand. By picking out their bad characteristics and decisions, it helps audiences to define their own personal identity by differentiation. The use of the media for forming personal identity can also be seen outside soaps. Sports personalities and pop stars can often become big role models, inspiring young children everywhere (which is why theres such an outcry when one of them does something wrong). Even the seriousness of news can lend itself to gratifying personal identity, by treating news anchors as personalities, rather than simply figureheads relaying information. Personal Relationships: Audiences can form a relationship with the media, and also use the media to form a relationship with others. Relationships with the Media : Many people use the television as a form of companionship. The television is often quite an intimate experience, and by watching the same people on a regular basis we can often feel very close to them, as if we even know them. When presenters or characters in a soap die, those who have watched that person a lot often grieve for the character, as if they have lost a friend. Some events can even cause media outcries, such as the recent reality shows where the events within the show became main stories on the TV/News channels. The more we watch the same personalities, the more we feel we get to know them. Reality TV shows such as Big Brother and its adapted versions in India give us such a feeling of intimacy with the participants that they can become part of our lives. Even though the relationship is completely one-sided, its easy to see how we can fall in love with TV personalities. Using the Media within Relationships: Another aspect to the personal relationships model is how we can sometimes use the media as a springboard to form and build upon relationships with real people. Having a favourite TV programme in common can often be the start of a conversation, and can even make talking to strangers that much easier. Some families use sitting around watching the television as a stimulus for conversation, talking to each other about the programme or related anecdotes while it is on. Diversion: The diversion need describes whats commonly termed as escapism watching the television so we can forget about our own lives and problems for a while and think about something else. This can work with positive programmes, such as holiday shows or the constant happy endings which help to cheer us up and forget our own problems, and with negative programmes, such as a tragic film, which help to put our own problems into perspective. The diversion model also accounts for using the media for entertainment purposes, such as a good spy film, and for relaxation. The media can give us emotional release and also sexual arousal, which includes a sexy scene in a film as well as pornography. Altogether, the Uses and Gratifications model outlines the many reasons we have for using the mass media, and the kind of functions that the media can play within our lives. New media and current scenario The shift of media and media industry over the past few years into new forms, such as DVD/ Blue ray and the internet based social networking sites, changes the modalities available for audiences to consume and receive media. The change has caused some media theorists to call into question the influence that the media has over attitudes and beliefs. Urbanization, industrialization and modernization create social conditions in which the mass media is developing and reshaping. Mass media plays a crucial role in forming and reflecting public opinion: media connects the world to individuals and reproduce the self-image of society. Contemporary global media scenario presents a more complex interaction between the media and society, with the media generating information from a network of relations and influences. The individual interpretations and evaluations of the information provided sometimes lead to consequences and ramifications of the mass media which may relate not merely to the way newsworthy events are perceived (and which are reported at all), but also to a multitude of cultural influences that operate through the media. The media has a strong social and cultural impact upon society. This is predicated upon its ability to reach a wide audience which often sends a strong and influential message. It is through the persuasiveness of media such as television, radio and print media that reach the target audience. These have been influential media as they have been largely responsible in structuring the daily lives and routines of millions across the globe. Television broadcasting has a large amount of control in influencing the content that society watches and the times in which they are viewed. This is a distinguishing feature of traditional media and although they are by no means redundant, the development of the internet has challenged the traditional participation habits involved in media such as television. The internet has lifted some of the restrictions placed on society by allowing for diversification of political opinions, social and cultural differences and heightened level of consumer participa tion. There have been suggestions that allowing consumers to produce information through the internet will lead to a bombardment of too much information. It can however allow society a medium for expressing opinions and moving away from the political restrictions placed on society. The uses and gratifications theory of Blumler and Katz (1974) and other group studies in social psychology provide such major motivations for individuals to join virtual communities on social networking sites like facebook, orkut, twitter etc, as the need for social integration (belong and be affiliated), the need for help in achieving goals (e.g. by obtaining information), the need for realizing economic exchanges, the need for status enhancement (by impressing and manipulating others), and the need for entertainment. Some of the other ways in which uses and gratification becomes relevant in the Indian/Global media scenario are:- Media can also influence the way people converse due to embedding their minds with particular thoughts and feelings via their various media outlets. Certain movies have quotes that can be engrained into the minds of the audience. However, these quotes can be either appropriate or inappropriate. When someone hears something in the media and it is reinforced through the various media channels i.e. TV, radio, newspapers etc, general members of the public become more susceptible as taking the news as the whole truth, and this can then be accepted as the norm within society. Many famous trials about celebrities have ended in such bad publicity and negative depictions of the people involved that their reputation gets damaged forever, irrespective of the outcome of the trial. The general public already forms their opinion even before the trials are conducted. In the United States the election of many politicians has been enormously influenced by media. Most notably John F. Kennedys victory in the presidential race of 1960 against Richard Nixon has been described by many as the result of his more handsome and good looking appearance on television, especially when compared with Nixon. Also Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger whose fame as actors helped them to gain more media attention and eventually the victory in their elections as president or governor. Similarly Barrack Obama used all the forms of media to build a public opinion in his favour and exploited the latest available social networking platforms to maximize the multiplier effect. The results of the last general elections in India and the victory of Congress party can be linked to a similar media strategy. Criticisms of uses and gratification theory Many people have criticized this theory as they believe the public has no control over the media and what it produces. It can also be said to be too kind to the media, as they are being let off the hook and do not need to take responsibility for what they produce. It is not always safe to assume that people choose the media based on their needs. There are other factors which restrict choices of the audiences, virtually leaving them with a very few or no alternatives. Some of the other criticisms of the theory as found in the literature have been quoted below:- The nature of the theory underlying Uses and Gratifications research is not totally clear, (Blumler, 1979) Practitioners of Uses and Gratifications research have been criticized for a formidable array of shortcomings in their outlook they are taxed for being crassly atheoretical, perversely eclectic, ensnared in the pitfalls of functionalism and for flirting with the positions at odds with their functionalist origins, (Blumler, 1979). The biggest issue for the Uses and Gratifications Theory is its being non-theoretical, being vague in key concepts, and being nothing more than a data-collecting strategy (Littlejohn, 2002; Severin and Tankard, 1997; McQuail 1994). It seems that using this theory has little to no link to the benefit of psychology due to its weakness in operational definitions and weak analytical mode. Also, it is focused too narrowly on the individual and neglects the social structure and place of the media in that structure (Severin and Tankard, 1997). Due to the individualistic nature of Uses and Gratification theory, it is difficult to take the information that is collected in studies. Most research relies on pure recollection of memory rather than data (Katz, 1987). This makes self-reports complicated and immeasurable. uses and gratifications research portrays media consumption as primarily rational and individualistic, whereby individuals control consumption according to conscious goals. This assumes (contrary to Attribution Theory) that respondents are aware of every factor entering into their media choices and do not misjudge the causes of their behaviour. Little attention is therefore accorded to the ways in which media may be consumed mindlessly or ritualistically (Littlejohn, 1989, p. 276). Critics argue that needs for attending to certain media are formed and informed by culture as well as by certain psychological predispositions particular to individual consumers of media products. According to Littlejohn (1989), critici sm of this approach may be divided into three major strands: (a) lack of coherence and theory in the tradition; (b) social and political objections; and (c) the instrumental (versus ritualistic) philosophical bias of uses and gratifications (p. 276). This theory has also been blasted by media hegemony advocates who say it goes too far in claiming that people are free to choose the media fare and the interpretations they want (Severin and Tankard, 1997). Other motives that may drive people to consume media may involve low level attention, a habit or a mildly pleasant stimulation. Uniform effects are not the kind of factor the Uses and Gratifications approach would predict (Severin and Tankard, 1997).

Am I Blue?

English 9-2 7 May 2012 Judged The saying, â€Å"do not judge a book by its cover† is a commonly used saying throughout the years. However, what does the saying really mean? Of course an individual should not be choosing the novel they wish to read just based on the cover of the book. Figuratively speaking, the saying means that one should not prejudge the value of someone just by their physical appearance alone. For many people, the root of their anxiety stems from the fear of others judging or evaluating them because of they way they look or act.The short stories â€Å"Am I Blue? † by Bruce Coville and â€Å"Hum† by Naomi Shihab Nye both illustrate the uselessness of judging a book by its cover. In the short story â€Å"Am I Blue? † by Bruce Coville, Vince, the main character, discovers that people are not always what them seem. In this story Vince, who is questioning his sexuality, is the main target for harassment because his classmates think he is gay. When Vince receives his very own fairy godfather, he makes a wish that turns everyone who is gay the color blue.Vince is surprised when he sees that many people turn even the slightest shade of blue. The darker the shade, the more gay they are. Vince’s fairy godfather tells him, â€Å"my friends and I called each other ‘faggot’ and ‘queer’ for the same reason so many black folks call each other ‘nigger’ –to take the words away from the people who want to use them to hurt us† (Coville 10). People who are gay often say words such as, â€Å"faggot† and â€Å"queer† to mask themselves or make those words less hurtful to them.As Vince walks around town, he sees all sorts of people who are all different shades of blue. Vince says that â€Å"it was like seeing the world though new eyes. Most of the people looked just the same as always, of course. But Mr. Alwain, the fat guy at the grocery store, looked like a gian t blueberry—which surprised me, because he was married and had three kids† (Coville 12). When Vince returns home and turns on the television, he is enraged when he sees â€Å"the congressman [on TV was the shade of a spring sky], who happened to be a notorious republican homophobe† (Coville 13).Vince even discovers that the bully picking on him for being gay is also gay himself. People fear others judging or evaluating them because of they way they look or act, so they often put on a facade. How someone acts or looks is not an accurate reflection of who they truly are. In the short story â€Å"Hum† by Naomi Shihab Nye, Sami, the main character discovers what it is like to have others judge him because of the way he looks. Sami and his family move to America from Palestine a few weeks before the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.Sami and his family think their lives are improving. Sami is making friends and adjusting to his new life in America . When 9/11 occurs, it shocks Sami and his family. Sami says that â€Å"his family had always spoken out against the suicide bombings that killed Israeli civilians [in Palestine]. Many Palestinians did. But who could hear them? They were regular people, not politicians. No one quoted them in the news† (Nye 74). Sami knows his people are not murderers. No one says the hijackers are Palestinian.Yet because Sami looked so similar to the terrorists in the attack, everyone blames him and his people for what happened. When he goes to school, â€Å"No one sat with him at lunch now. He tried sitting down next to some boys from his PE class and they stopped speaking and stared at him. ‘I feel very bad about what happened’ Sami said. [†¦] Nobody answered him. They finished eating in silence, exchanging glances with one another, and left the table† (Nye 75). When Sami meets a blind man who is his neighbor, the man tells him that â€Å"some people don’t u se [their inner eyes] enough.They forget about them. But there’re all I have. In some ways, I think I can see better than people who aren’t blind† (Nye 83). Because the man is blind, Sami can become friends with his neighbor without his looks getting in the way. Just because Sami resembles the hijackers from the 9/11 attack does not mean that those are his people. Nor does that mean the Sami himself is responsible for the attack. Both short stories â€Å"Am I Blue? † by Bruce Coville and â€Å"Hum† by Naomi Shihab Nye discuss and illustrate the saying, â€Å"do not judge a book by its cover. In both of the stories, the main characters face others judging them because of the way they act and look. The saying â€Å"do not judge a book by its cover† means that one should not prejudge the worth or the value of someone just by their physical appearance alone. â€Å"Am I Blue† and â€Å"Hum† both demonstrate this common saying. Works Cited Coville, Bruce. â€Å"Am I Blue? † Am I Blue? Coming Out From The Silence. Ed. Marion Dane Bauer. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. 2-16 Nye, Naomi Shihab. â€Å"Hum. † Face Relations. Ed. Marilyn Singer. New York: Simon andSchuster, 2004. 68-88.

Importance of art Essay

Why is art important? This is a question many parents ask themselves when they are enrolling their child in school. â€Å"Arts education does solve problems. Years of research show that it is closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity† (Smith). It is a proven fact that children involved in art make higher grades than children that are not involved. Exposure to the arts provides many important advantages because it affects the growth and progress of children and benefits children in many learning environments. Art is important to children in their developmental years because they are able to express themselves. You should start teaching art as early as possible. It also improves their learning process. Art makes children look forward to learning. Schools that have art programs usually have higher attendance. That is because students get excited about that art class and want to go to school and participate instead of their parents making them go to school. If there was no art in school, there would be more children dropping out and getting themselves in trouble. In some Dallas schools, they had budget cuts and had to cut some subjects and art was among those things. Many people worked to get art put back in some of those schools. Those people know how important art is and did their best to get it back for the children. Now the children are getting about forty five minutes a week of an art class of some sort. If a child starts in kindergarten, they will learn how to be confident, how to concentrate and focus, and also how to interact with people. Some children are shy and by participating they will learn how to do all of those things. Russell Granet stated, â€Å"When I grew up, it was standard to have a music teacher and a visual arts teacher, and you almost always did a school musical†. If a child starts in kindergarten, they will learn how to be confident, how to concentrate and focus, and also how to interact with people. Some children are shy and by participating they will learn how to do all of those things. Russell Granet stated, â€Å"When I grew up, it was standard to have a music teacher and a visual arts teacher, and you almost always did a school musical†. Schools that went without art classes suffered greatly. For example some schools in New York were doing budget cuts and decided to cut most of their art classes and their student graduation rate wasn’t as high. Once the art classes were put back in progress, the graduation rate went back up. Russell Granet stated â€Å"There was a study asking graduates what they remembered most about kindergarten through twelfth grade, more than fifty percent said it was an arts experience†. People rarely think of arts education as survival skills. Ken Jarboe stated, â€Å"All these skills observing, envisioning, innovating through exploration, and reflective self- evaluation is exactly what is needed†. In this quotation, Jarboe is saying art gives you all kinds of skills used to be successful. Russell Granet stated, â€Å"I worked on a program that brought arts back into the curriculum at New York City middle schools. We worked at a school in Bed- Stuy, when I first went there; I walked the halls and didn’t feel safe. The school had low attendance, low test scores; morale was low. Within three years, it was a different place†. In this quotation, Granet is saying he knew the best way to get that school back on its feet was to work his hardest and get art put back in that school. Arts education has a measurable impact on at-risk youth in preventing delinquent behavior and absence problems while also increasing overall academic performance among those youth engaged in after school and summer arts programs targeted toward delinquency prevention. Ken Jarboe stated, â€Å"There is a good reason to teach art in schools, and it is not the one that art supporters tend to fall back on. Arts education is becoming as important as standardized test†. In this quotation Jarboe is saying it is a good reason to teach art in schools and art is as important as a standardized test. Some Reasons to take art in high school are to do something different and to do something challenging. An additional reason is a student might find a hidden talent. â€Å"Explaining the benefits of art children experiences a sense of freedom while learning† (Srivastava). While in art children, feel like they have the freedom to draw whatever and express themselves. For preschool children, art benefits them in drawing, sculpting and other visual arts. It also helps in memorizing things such as a story or song. Programs in art education can potentially help students to excel in other academic areas, particularly in reading and math. About ninety-three percent of Americans believe that art is vital in providing an artistic outlet for children. About eighty-six percent of Americans â€Å"agree an arts education encourages and assists in the improvement of a child’s attitude toward school† (Ruppert 5). About eighty-three percent of Americans believe that arts education helps teach children how to communicate. About seventy-nine percent of Americans â€Å"agree incorporating the arts into education is the first step in adding back what’s missing in public education today† (Ruppert 5). Another seventy-nine percent of Americans believe â€Å"it is important enough for them to get involved in the amount and quality of arts education† (Ruppert 5). About fifty-four percent of Americans rate the importance of art a ten on a scale from one to ten (Ruppert 5). Participating in art activities help children in understanding human experiences, adapting to and respecting others ways of thinking and ideas. Art class feels like a safe haven from the outside world, a place for them to really get in touch with themselves and healthily express their pain and frustration. It also provides structure for activities outside of school such as family activities. The families not only learn more about art but also learn how to get along with each other because some families do not and the only time that child is happy is when they are at school away from that family. For a young person’s growth and development, being educated in art is considered to be important. Art stimulates and develops a child’s imagination. Creating art projects is a way to stimulate a child’s imagination. For example, giving a child Legos and letting them build whatever they want. It also has a tremendous impact in teaching life skills. Some benefits arts education provides are it develops problem-solving skills, heightens self-esteem, allows for expression and creativity, improves academic performance, improves visual discrimination skills, improves concentration, and improves social skills. Another benefit is hand-eye coordination. For example, holding a narrow paint brush and cutting with scissors. Another benefit of art a person acquires is expresses a deeper understanding of culture and history. Like what was said before art helps with memorizing things and that helps in memorizing different dates in history. If a student misses a math class, he or she would be missing out on some important information for that day and will be behind for a while. The same goes for art. The skills learned in art cannot be learned anywhere else. Art benefits the brain by teaching it to think outside the box. It helps children understand concepts easier. Art education teaches life skills such as learning to solve problems and make decisions. It also nurtures important values. Art improves cognitive abilities and provides individuals with the ability to enjoy the life encouraging desires of making art. Other benefits art offers are team-building skills, respecting different perspectives and being aware of diverse beliefs and backgrounds. In art classes, a student will have to learn how to work together asking for help, or even having to work on a drawing together. If a student does have to work with another person on a painting or drawing a student will have to listen to that person’s ideas and if both of them have different viewpoints on something, each will have to respect that person’s viewpoints and vise versa. The same goes for being aware of different cultures and traditions. The arts also add to the education of young children by helping them realize the extent of human experience, see the diverse ways humans express feelings and convey meaning, and improve delicate and complex forms of thinking. Some people may paint or draw when they are feeling down or hurt. Art also helps children how to concentrate and focus while they are doing different things such as studying or trying to memorize something word for word. With that being said it helps you to gain more knowledge when it comes to your school subjects because you are learning how to concentrate. Some people were not able to be in any art classes when they were in school so they learn about art when their child comes home and tells them about it. The child is so excited about a drawing they drew or a painting they painted and they want to show their parents. The parents see how happy and excited their child is and wants to continue to have their child in that specific art class because they see their cheerfulness. â€Å"Attendance is higher in schools with art programs† (Granet) and this is why. It is a proven fact that when an art of some sort is combined with a core subject students seem to learn it better than not having that art included in that lesson. For example if a student is in a Spanish class learning new words and the Spanish teacher adds a fun activity to help the students learn those specific words. For instance, if the students are learning how to say different types of clothing the teacher could have an activity where the students are participating in a fashion show and while one student is walking down the runway the students that are watching is writing down what they are wearing and that is a way for those students to learn and it makes it fun for them. In conclusion participating in arts education in your school years is extremely important because you learn valuable skills. A person learns skills used for everyday life such as having self-esteem, problem-solving skills, and teaches a person to be creative. Also most Americans believe art in school is important because it teaches a child how to communicate with another person and in today’s society if you don’t know how to talk to someone or talk in front of someone and not be nervous that person is going to have a hard time trying to get a job. Also most people believe art in school prevents students to interact in bad behavior.