Thursday, August 22, 2019

How Media Influences Antisocial Behavior Essay Example for Free

How Media Influences Antisocial Behavior Essay In this new generation research Indicates that many young people today spend a lot of time In front of the TV or on computer games and thus leading to the Implication that media Influences antl-soclal behaviour. Psychologists have researched Into explanations on medias influence on antisocial behaviour, one of these explanations being the social learning theory (SLT). This advocates that we model our behaviour on behaviour that we observe; whether its antisocial or pro-social behaviour. Children can be expected to imitate behaviour illustrated through the media that is successful in gaining the models objectives. Further supporting this explanation, evidence from natural experiments are used as authentication to the link that media Influences not lust antisocial behaviour but violent behaviour as well. One Psychologist, Phillips (1983) reinforced this theory by analysing crime statistics for the 10-day period following the publication of heavyweight boxing contests shown throughout the nation. The research exhibited a significant rise in the number of murders during that said period, thus highlighting how media influences antisocial behaviour. Through further interpretation on the social learning theory this explanation could e questioned, Despite all the psychologists experiments on the theory there Is no real evidence to support it. For instance, in 1993 two boys murdered James Bulger and were said to be inspired by the video Childs Play, however later it was conducted by Cumberbatch (2001) that no known link was ever found. It should also be taken into consideration that if two young influential boys were able to play such a violent and Impressionable game what type of parental figures they had on a dally basis and attachments they had with their primary care giver. It can be advocated hat the children had other outside affects that caused they to commit such a crime and that media was not the only reason and thus concluding that the media isnt the only cause for antisocial behaviour. Furthermore, another explanation for medias influence of antisocial behaviour is Justification. This vindication implies that violent behaviours may provide a Justification for a childs own violent behaviour, or perhaps even go as far as providing moral guidelines regarding what Is acceptable and unacceptable. It Is suggested that children who act more aggressively watch violent elevision programmes In order to relieve their guilt and Justify their own aggression and thus advocating that the media allows them to channel that emotions and making their actions acceptable in their own mind. On further evaluation it should be prominent that programmes have mixed prc-social and antisocial messages. For example, the 198ffs television series The A Team portrayed the typical heroic figures as behaving violently and so signifying that the negative effects of such programmes support the concept of Justification as Illustrated by Liss and Reinhardt (1979). Concluding that the use of aggression by pro-social characters provides an impression of moral justiflcation to their antisocial and violent behaviour, with which children already identify. Moreover, an alternative insinuation of explaining medias influence on antisocial behaviour is Cognitive Priming. This refers to the activation of already existing aggressive thoughts and feelings. It highlights why children observe one variety of aggression on television and commit another type of aggression after. imprinting the shown behaviour and recall the memories in a later stimulation in the resent. The magnitude of cognitive priming was established by Josephson (1987). The psychologist looked into this by using hockey players as participants who were deliberately frustrated and then shown a violent or non-violent film where an actor held a walkie-talkie. This resulted in throughout the hockey game the player who had seen the violent clip behaved more aggressive in comparison to those whom where shown the non-violent clip. Josephson advocated that the walkie-talkie held by the referee acted as a trigger for aggression within the hockey player. And so through his it is demonstrated how media can influence behaviours by acting as a catalyst to existing aggressive thoughts. Additionally, another explanation for medias influence on antisocial behaviour is desensitation. This contention underlines that under normal conditions, anxiety about violence inhibits its use. It suggested how media violence may stimulate aggressive behaviour by desensitising children to the effects of violence. This therefore results in the child being more accepting for aggressive and antisocial behaviours. However this is contradicted by Comberbatch (2001) who rgues that people might get used to screen violence but that this does not necessarily mean a person will also get accustomed to violent or antisocial behaviours in their everyday life in the real world. It is claimed that screen violence is more likely to make children frightened then frightening thus contradicting the indication that the media desensitises the public to violent and antisocial behaviour. Overall, these explanations conduct valid explanations into how media influences antisocial behaviour. We are able to determine that media does in fact affect the way in which a person behaviour but to what extent is questionable.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Analysing Health Status Of Gypsy Travellers

Analysing Health Status Of Gypsy Travellers Traveller gypsies have resided in the British Isles for over 500 years, making them one of the largest ethnic minorities. They experience widespread prejudice and discrimination from the settled population. Health care for traveller gypsies has resulted in poor access to services and relative neglect of their health needs. This essay will focus on inequalities in health experienced by gypsy and traveller communities also discuss why they occur and will critically discuss the various national and local initiatives that have helped to improve the health of gypsies and travellers. The travelling lifestyle itself is not necessarily a cause for the disparity in health status; on the contrary, many Travellers and those working with them see the reduced opportunity to live their traditional lifestyle as a major cause of increased physical and mental ill health. travel experience frequent fear and the reality of constant evictions and alienation of local people. In decades gone by Travellers were often welcomed for the trades and services that they provided to the local community, such as fruit picking, scrap metal dealing, etc. They had their traditional stopping places; most of which have now disappeared, along with some of the opportunities for casual work. Poverty has sometimes been cited as the main cause of poor health in this group. Economic hardship. Lack of education is another factor that can adversely influence health. Low literacy attainment is still a major problem for most adult Travellers, mainly because so few attended school on a regular basis, if at all. The 1996 Ofsted report stated that of an estimated 50à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °000 Traveller children aged 0-16 years as many as 10à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °000 secondary school aged children were not registered at all, and attendance by the remainder was considerably below the acceptable standard for settled children.16There are many reasons, apart from the obvious one of mobility, for the reluctance of Travellers to send their children to school, especially after they have passed primary school age. Some of the reasons are cultural, such as the tradition that from the age of about 12 the children need a family education to understand and take on roles and responsibilities within the family. Formal education still has little relevance to a culture that has always relied on practical skills and self employment. Often there is a fear about assimilation; that the children will not only be educated out of their culture but also that they may pick up different and unacceptable moral values. Parents are also often anxious about bullying and prejudice. Attendance is also affected by the need to participate in all the many cultural and religious events. No community is immune from child abuse and it must be acknowledged that abuse could more easily go undetected in the Traveller community. Traveller culture deems that they sort out problems without help or perceived interference from outside. There is historical distrust of social workers because many Gypsies and Travellers throughout Europe have lost children into care, usually because of lack of support for their lifestyle, rather than as a result of evidence of child abuse. However, Travellers view child abuse as totally abhorrent and most would claim that it does not exist within their culture. Most professionals working with Travellers would agree with Cemlyn17 that there appears to be less evidence of child abuse in the very child centred Traveller community than in the non-Traveller community. Travellers do tend to be strict disciplinarians but there is also a high level of physical affection within families. Enlightened social services departments, such as Bromley, recognise the Traveller lifestyle and state that they take Traveller culture into consideration in their assessments and are careful to offer support. It is recognised that there is a strong cultural expectation that Travellers stay at home and learn their roles full time from early teens and girls in particular carry out domestic tasks and help rear their younger siblings from an early age.18 Griffiths illustrates this with a quote from a mother about the best way to keep her baby amused: just love it, kiss it, talk to it and cuddle it.19 However, Griffiths and Arnold also point to children who do appear to suffer from emotional neglect, either because there have been too many siblings too quickly, or because mothers suffering from their own problems, such as domestic violence, deprivation and depression, are too absorbed in their problems to meet the emotional needs of their children.19 There are other factors that affect the health status of Travellers. A national population based study of health of Irish Travellers showed a greater prevalence of congenital anomalies in Travellers compared with Irish Eastern Health Board region births (5.5%v 2.9%) and a significant difference in the prevalence of metabolic conditions with autosomal recessive inheritance (12.4/1000 v 1.3/1000). The incidence of first cousin marriages in the Traveller population was 19% compared with 0.16% in a settled population.14 Families at risk require culturally sensitive genetic counselling to enable them to make informed decisions. The Traveller community perceives substantial economic and social advantages in these consanguineous unions (A Bittles, 1996, personal communication).15 Access to health care Poor access to health care is the almost universal experience of Travellers; inequality in the availability and use of health services in relation to need is in itself socially unjust and requires alleviation.20 The alienation and discrimination experienced by Travellers is one of the most important factors influencing their health: the central problem for the Traveller population in this country is the hostility of the settled population.13 This hostility is expressed by all levels of society and is seemingly reinforced by successive government policies. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 recently removed rights and introduced new penalties for travelling, thus effectively criminalising their nomadic way of life.22 The experience of trying to obtain health care can be extremely humiliating and rejecting. It increases stress and can cause a potentially serious delay in receiving appropriate treatment. Travellers often lack information about services, partly because of literacy problems. Many general practitioners will not have Travellers on their lists. A survey in East London showed that 10% of practices would not accept them at all.23 Blatant prejudice about Travellers is evidently politically acceptable, although a similar policy about black patients would be treated as racial discrimination. Missed appointments are a frequent source of irritation to health care providers, but appointments might not be received when the family has no postal address or has been forced to move to another area. The situation has worsened since the introduction of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Travellers are now moved on much more quickly (often just by threat of enforcement), which adds to their problems in keeping medical appointments. Professionals are often reluctant to offer further appointments even when the family want to attend. Travellers fear being detected too quickly by authorities because of the risk of eviction, so the first contact with health workers may be when a child has to be taken to the local hospital. In some areas, where there are major difficulties, a salaried general practitioner approach is now being piloted for Travellers and homeless people. The obvious advantages are that the general practitioner is freed from financial concerns in meeting targets and can build up a trusting relationship with the Traveller community. Usually, the salaried general practitioner will have chosen to work with this group, as will the rest of the primary care team, and therefore be culturally sensitive and more readily understand their circumstances and concerns. Continuity of care will be more likely because of the trust engendered. It is also more likely that preventative services will be accepted because the surgery will be less likely to be seen as a crisis only venue. Although it can be reasonably argued that a Traveller specific service further reinforces the social exclusion of Travellers, until primary care services in general can more readily adapt to Travellers on their lists there will be a continued benefit in provision of salaried general practitioner services. Other obstacles to provision of health care include different cultural attitudes to precise dates (including dates of birth) and time, and different perceptions of illness and treatment. In a study of Travellers perceptions and experiences of health, the concept of time figured frequently and was seen as an important issue.24 Lack of access to medical records affects continuity of care, and the National Association of Health Workers with Travellers (NAHWT) is currently seeking government backing to launch and promote the use of a national client held record for Travellers. As with other minorities, the first essential is knowledge, understanding, and acceptance of their culture. This helps staff to overcome the various obstacles to health care and to deal with their own exasperation about the perceived lack of conformity in the Traveller community.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Global Marketing Strategies of LOreal in India

Global Marketing Strategies of LOreal in India The company started doing business in India in the year 1991 through a distributor. Following the lead of Hindustan Unilever, it launched its first product, a shampoo called the Garnier Ultra Doux. Lately, it was established as LOreal India under the LOreal group. Today it ranks second in the global cosmetics group in India. LOreals approach stands out to be predominantly aggressive compared with its competitors. The most recent step of the LOreal group is the new high-tech industrial unit in Pune. It manufactures many types of hair care, hair color and skin care products to meet up the growing demand. It is one of the first plants to implement LOreals newest GHP (Good Hygiene Practices). The executives of LOreal thought that the combination of small cost and natural ingredients would be a good match for the Indian market. LOreal operates three divisions in India- The Consumer Products Division The Professional Products Division The Active Cosmetics Division There is bank in North Bombay, a future hairdressers are shaping the traces of volunteer models which are forcing trainees to loose on their hairs. It is not surprising that 85 percent of women in India have long and straight hairs and most of the womens in India prefers home remedies which are recommended by their mothers and the natural tone is dark. Most of the girls use vegetable oil as their hair oil instead of fancy conditioners. It creates a challenging environment for any kind of company entering in such competition and trying to sell the beauty products to such a huge crowd of around 1.1 billion which are not an alien but also profligacy. Since the company LOreal has launched its first academy in Bombay in the year 2006 where only total of 73 hairdressers were graduated from all over the country. It is around six month course which makes the person capable of working as a junior in the international standard salons which is growing day by day in Indias big cities or metropolitan cities. LOreal distribution networks have also played an important role in the country over the past decade where more than 30000 hair dressers use the product of the same company and also helped in establishing 300 salons in the past few years all over the country. CHINA: LOreal uses various global marketing strategies on a worldwide scale and also taking the full advantage of the operational differences which are global and also the opportunities with the aim of getting their global objectives. According to some of the specialists of the cosmetic brands in china which are very successful, the modern woman of china does not use much makeup until the time of early 1990. The people of china used the products to show their culture and not for the purpose of beauty. For example the women used the color on the nails for showing their social class and not for the fashion or the beauty purpose. But after the early 1990 the use of makeup increased in china and because of this various cosmetic companies came into the market of china. LOreal has a history associated with china back to 1907 when one of the chemist named as the Eugene Schueller launched a hair color formula and after two years he also registered his company which was named as Societe Francaise de Teintures Inoffensive pour Cheveux which in future known as the LOreal. At present LOreal is one of the biggest companies of cosmetic and beauty with the total revenues of around 14 billion euro and approximately 52000 employees are employed in this company. This company has many global marketing strategies and one of which is growing the company which is sustainable strategy for LOreal. This strategy includes the management of brand carefully and also the careful acquisitions by the company. In the present scenario each and every company in the market faces a huge competition and in the case of LOreal they faced the competition very carefully and with full planning in Chinese market. For example this company sells their good quality product at the price cheaper than the companies like Olay and ponds which are launched in the market by the big giants and the specialist of the field known as the Procter and Gamble. This company has turned into a force which is global by clearing the different countrys cultural cachet into its vitals, by fully focusing on biggest 10 global brands concentrated on the color of hair, hair care, cosmetics color and also the fragrances. One of their best strategies is the acquisition of the local companies and also the brands which are established in the market of china. Because of this strategy of becoming a local brand, this company caused the acquisition of the brand named as Mininurse from Raystar in the year 2003 and one more in the year 2004 named as Yue-Sai. One of the best things of this company is that they learn from their mistakes and try to cover it very quickly. For example they learned from their negative experience with the Biotherm brand initially in US and this company has only few amounts of stores in Shanghai, Beijing. In china, LOreal markets around 14 brands only in china which includes Lancome, Biotherm, Shu Uemura, Vichy etc. This company has a brand strategy of the diversification of the brands which fits in the culture of china. Unlike other companies this company embody their country of origin and not to seek homogenize of their brands for making palatable in entire cultures. According to one of the example LOreal in the year 1996 acquired a company of cosmetics of US and started their work for the makeover of the company which included the removal of the headquarters from Memphis to the city of New York for the promotion of its US origin. LOreal also takes a huge amount of risks during their work. For example this company acquired the well established and the successful brands of cosmetics in china. LOreal is not only targeted towards its market group but it also stands out culturally and this company also faces the risk of cannibalizing by marketing the local brands. LOreal realizes that t heir entire customers are individuals and not the entire market and because of this only it has managed to stand its brand very strong. LOreal has a great future in china as the demands of cosmetic products are increasing at a very rapid rate in china and LOreal with all its global marketing strategies which are discussed above will gain lot of profit in upcoming years. Definition of Global Marketing Strategy- There are various developments which can be seen in the international trade and increment in the importance of the e-commerce which are influenced by various factors which are making the implication of global marketing strategies in the businesses. The strategies which are adopted helps the firms making increment in the profit potential and share in the market. (Codija, 2010) If we now try to define Global Marketing Strategies then it can be defined as the set of techniques and procedures which is adopted and used for studying the sentiment of the consumer, developing the new products and analysis of economic indicators in which the operation of the firm is operating. There are various kinds of strategies which are basically focused on the distribution and promotion of techniques which is used when the product is sold to multicultural clients. There are some firms and companies which hire international advertising agencies that help in the development of the global marketing strategies. There are not only marketing strategies which is only focused, other than that product development, price policies, promotion and distribution channels also plays an important role in the Global Marketing strategies. Cultural Distinction in LOreal- As we already know about the LOreal which is one of the largest companies all over the world in the sector of all kind of cosmetics. There are many countries which consist of different cultures according to which the company, LOreal has to develop its products in a particular country. The total worth of the company LOreal in the year of 2005 was $18.89 billion which was huge and among the most successful cosmetics company around the world. There are exactly seventeen international brands around the globe and LOreal was ranked 49th by the survey conducted by the Business week among various brands in the month of August 2004. Around a decade ago, there was about 75% of the companys annual sales belongs from Europe and in 2004, 85% of the consolidated sales of the company were from the markets outside the France. The most important factor which affects the micro and macro global strategy is the influence from the cultural societies and the social environment which includes the factors like family structure, social class, consumption pattern, decision making and market segmentation or they will try to make some kind of partnership to make their marketing at the global level by the local company. There is a main concern regarding global strategist which is the level of material culture in each and every region. There is a demand of the limited product lines for the corporations or firms which are planning to invest in the material culture which is less advanced such as semi industrialized nations in which most probably demand is more towards limited product lines. The firms have to cope with the greater amount of time to accept new service, complicated distribution systems and simpler advertisements. There is another cultural influence other than the one discussed in the above parts that is Aesthetics which is a reference to the stylistics taste of the society. This is the important element for making decisions related to the advertisement, product designing and packaging and similarly the universal education level of the society will show us the complication of the promotions, products and packaging but there may be some impact on the strategy related with the distribution and supply channel which is staffed by the locals. There are many other social influences which are listed as consumer attitude with respect to risk taking, family organization, religion, material gain and various other factors which also contributes to the cultural influence of the company like LOreal. The LOreal has also strived to incorporate its total sales strategy into some other culture which can be result into failure. As we can take example of the General Motors which has met with the mishap that has attempted to market the Nova automobile in the Mexico and Spanish translation of Nova refers to the no go. There are many other examples regarding mishaps which have occurred in many companies with the variance of different cultures around the globe. As we talk about India which is also a multi cultural society, the brands like LOreal is adopting the local culture and preferences are also critical and there was a statement given by the LOreal Indias chief operating officer that Increment in the blockbusters have led to the innovation in the product for the country. LOreal was launched in the year 1997 when the company launched its professional products division and targeted on the largely unstructured hairdressing industry and sells its salon brand such as Kerastase, LOreal Professional and Matrix. There were around five regional training centres which were inaugurated to educate the salon owners and stylists and launched academy namely International Hairdressing Academy in Mumbai in 2006 which basically offers instructions related to the basic and advanced styling and there was a provision of regularly introduction of the international stylists to take workshops and seminars. There are various kinds of customers which are located in various location of the country which are targeted in which mainly luxury products are sold in the Indias cosmopolitan cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore instead of them there is a tough competition which can be seen in the segment of the small customers whether accessories, cosmetics and fragrances. There are many cultures in India which provide us better opportunities which can be seen in the cities like Ahmadabad and Aurangabad that are lacking in luxury products but the development is too fast which is the main target of the companies like LOreal. There was a setup of wholly owned Indian subsidiary operation in the year 1994 with the launching of the product of shampoo that is Garnier Ultra Doux shampoo. This was the period when there is explosion of television viewing and Indian women has taken great interest in the international beauty pageants but there were tangible changes which were visible only in few years ago when women has shown interest in joining the workforce. There were two key turning points which were Disposable income and exposure to globalized culture. (LOreal) The LOreal Company in India is the fastest growing subsidiary in the LOreal group and is around $200 million Company. In this emerging market there is lack of product penetration which provides us generous room for growth. There is launching of new manufacturing plants in India with the production capacity of around 100 million units a year. There is three division of LOreal in India which includes Consumer Products Division, Professional products division and Active cosmetics division. LOreal mainly focus on the young women which are prone towards the beauty in which its continuous efforts has been in the field of encouraging women to pursue their career in the field of Science, LOreal India which has been announced from seven consecutive years. There are various operations pursued in various countries which shows its multicultural attitude, that is, there are around 42 factories around the world, 46 billion units are manufactured and around 95 percent of the factories are ISO 14001- certified. There are various variations among the cultures around the world according to which there are different kind of demand from the company around the globe. There are many programs which are being run by the LOreal which supports many people which are disadvantaged, suffering from illness. There has been adoption of La vie, de Plus Belle by the association of cosmetic professional which has also supported most of the companies in and around the France but mainly it has focused in France only. In the year 2007, LOreal has founded a foundation which has provided funds to the Samusocial of Paris, which is a municipal emergency service that basically provides medical aid to the people who are homeless. There is such good work which is also conducted by the LOreal that has not only maintained its status in the marketing sector else they have developed their reputation in the social works also. (LOreals Global Branding Strategy) Conclusion- As we have seen about the LOreal which is a world class company with its registered office in Paris and has developed reputation in the field of cosmetics. They have mainly focused on the hair color, skin, hair care, make-up, sun protection except that company has also actively participated in the pharmaceutical and dermatological fields. There is an adoption of some techniques by the LOreal in order to enter in the market and competition, which basically injects its brand name with the vitality with the youth. It basically creates storms or we can say brainstorm of ideas. There is continuous 14th year of ruling by this company in the field of cosmetics and there are various chances given to the undergraduates in their last two years to become Brand Manager on one among the signature lines of the LOreal Company. There were two countries which were taken India and China in which the condition and status of the LOreal is discussed. There has been a cultural distinction which has been shown in the above paragraphs around the globe.

Monday, August 19, 2019

HIV/AIDS Is No Longer a Death Sentence Essay -- Disease/Disorders

I am positive; the simplest statement suddenly carries a huge weight when the words HIV or AIDS are followed right after. In the 1980’s HIV meant AIDS and AIDS meant a rapid and awful death. Death always seemed to be the end result in a world where we did not understand the disease that seemed to come from nowhere but was killing at an expedited rate. Thirty plus years later there is still no cure but there is now hope. Having HIV or AIDS is no longer an immediate death sentence. People infected with the virus can live a long and relatively normal life (2). On November 7th, 1991, NBA star Ervin â€Å"Magic† Johnson announced that he tested positive for HIV and was retiring from basketball (7). Twenty plus years later Mr. Johnson is living proof that having HIV is not an automatic death sentence. When Mr. Johnson made his announcement, he gave the taboo topic of HIV/AIDS a very real and prominent public image. With his acknowledgement of being HIV positive spoken aloud, no longer could people put this disease into categories. Indeed, a rich heterosexual male not living in a third world country could contract HIV. HIV/AIDS is not only relegated to homosexuals or poor people. However, with this faà §ade of the disease being uncovered another emerged with each year that Mr. Johnson is living and is healthy. Since the public cannot see the outward appearance of the disease a couple of myths have appeared. One, â€Å"Magic† never had HIV it was just a way to bring the disease out into the public to be discusses more openly for awareness. Two, â€Å"Magic† has magic he has been cured. This just shows that when one door closes another one opens. Information on HIV/AIDS clearly needs to be emphasized because ignorance is still very prevalent with the... ...AIDS. Mayo clinic. DS00005. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), October 20, 2011. 1998. April 11, 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids./DS00005. 5) NIAID. HIV Basics. AIDS Education Global Information System. Roxanne Laboratories. 2012. 1980. April 11, 2012. http://www.aegis.org/Basics/Structure%20of%20HIV.aspx 6) NIAID, NIH. HIV/AIDS. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. April 03, 2012. February 2, 2005. April 11, 2012. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/HIVAIDS/Understanding/Pages/whatAreHIVAIDS.aspx 7) Vaughan PhD., Cheryl D. â€Å"Abracadabra: Magic Johnson and Anti-HIV treatments†. Harvard University, Cambridge. 11 April 2012. Reading. 8) Vaughan PhD., Cheryl D. â€Å"Debunking Biology Myths: What is AIDS?† Harvard University, Cambridge. 25 April 2012. Lecture.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Woodstock 1969 Essay -- essays research papers

Woodstock ‘69 Many large concerts occurred throughout America in the summer of 1969, but none were as well known and symbolic as Woodstock. Its message was clear; three days of Peace and Music. Its impact on America’s culture and society as well as its youth will not be forgotten for many years to come.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Four men named Michael Lang, Artie Kornfield, John Roberts, and Joel Rosenman originally established Woodstock. The men’s initial idea for the festival was to promote the idea of a new recording studio in Bethel, New York, which is where the event actually took place. (Jacksonville.net) Because of the extensive amount of rain that fell before and during Woodstock, the site was changed twice and ended up on Max Yasgur’s farm. (Bethelwoodstockmuseum.com) This resulted in the loss of preparation time. The stage had not been entirely put up and the sound system was dangerously assembled. There were many other problems that occurred as a result of the mud produced during the rain. Most of the gates and fences were not put up which allowed many people to enter the festival for free.(Jacksonville.net) The mud also created a major cleanup project after the festival ended.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Woodstock gathered an unexpectedly large attendance. Only 50,000 to 100,000 people were expected to arrive at the site. These numbers seemed small compared to the 400,000 to 500,000 people who converged on the area on August 15, 16, and 17 of 1969. (Webster’s) Many expected singers and bands could not arrive due to traffic backed up for miles along all the roads leading to the area. It was said that nearly one million people could have attended the concert if it had lasted longer. (Visi.com) Many recognized musicians preformed at the concert such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and many others. (Home.columbus.rr.com) Truly by the first day, as the musicians looked out upon the vast crowd, they must have known that Woodstock was not going to be just another concert that would be forgotten. On the outside, Woodstock could just be considered another concert for the youth of the time to hear their favorite music, but it can be seen that it was much more than that. Although the music was a large part of the festival, there would be no reason for it to be remembered this long if that w... ...stock fans that made the trip to all three festivals bearing the â€Å"Woodstock† name. It seemed that the other men and women that made up the rest of the audience were nearly all there to get drunk and destroy anything they could get their hands on. By the end of the concert, nearly all of the stage and equipment was destroyed. Women were raped and all souvenirs such as shirts and posters were stolen. (MTV Woodstock Uncensored) The acts displayed at Woodstock 99’ could be summed up in two words: destructive force. It went beyond misguided violence to such a point as to bring down some of the original Woodstock’s glory. Unfortunately now when people think of Woodstock they will also think of the destruction that occurred during its latest attempt at recreation. Despite people’s desire to bring back the feeling of the original Woodstock, all that can remain is its effect on the people who experienced it and the affect on the culture they lived in. The concert was necessary to have because it eased tension in a time of history that was full of war and prejudices. Its stories will be told, some good, some bad, but the desire that people feel to experience it firsthand will never be lost.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Veronica Guerin-the One Who Stood Up

Veronica Guerin-The one who stood up Veronica Guerin (5 July 1958 – 26 June 1996) was an Irish journalist who was murdered on the 26th June 1996, on the Naas Road, Dublin, as a result of her work as a crime journalist specialising in the drug world of Dublin. Guerin was born and brought up in Artane where she lived with her four siblings and her parents, Christopher and Bernadette. She acquired the nickname â€Å"Ronnie† during her childhood and she received her education in the Catholic schools of Dublin's north side. She became an accomplished athlete in camogie, soccer and basketball.Soccer, in fact, remained a lifelong passion of Guerin's; she was a fanatic supporter of England's Manchester United professional soccer team. One of her most prised possessions was a picture of her and the famous United player Eric Cantona, which was taken on a trip to Old Trafford. Guerin married Graham Turley who she had a son Cathal with. She studied accountancy at Trinity College Du blin and on her graduation she was hired by her father at his company. After her father passed away three years after her appointment at the company she left and started a new career in public relations.She started a new firm in 1983 which was run by her for seven years. After leaving the firm she took up journalism, first as a business writer for Dublin's Sunday Business Post and then as a news reporter for the city's Sunday Tribune. Then in 1994, Guerin became an investigative reporter for the Sunday Independent, the largest-circulation weekend newspaper in Ireland. This move signalled not only Guerin’s subsequent rise to somewhat fame in Ireland but also led to the sequence of events that ended in her eventually been murdered.Her murder along with detective Jerry Mc Cabe’s murder three weeks earlier sparked the Irish government and the Irish people into life on tackling the war on drugs head on and without fear. For years she had mounted a high-profile war against I reland's drug barons on the pages of the Sunday Independent. Guerin tackled, without fear and without regard for her own safety, the drug kings of Dublin. The work she was involved in was obviously extremely dangerous and her life was put in danger on a number of occasions In October 1994, Guerin was subjected to her first incident of violence to stem from one of her stories.Two bullets where shot through her house window as she was playing with her son at home. This incident came a month after she had written a newspaper article on the drug baron â€Å"the general† after he was shot dead in his car. The second major incident to arise out of her news reporting was a very serious and life treating one, in January 1995, a masked gunman burst into her home when she answered the door and pointed a handgun at her head but lowered it and shot her in the thigh. Guerin suspected that the gunman was hired to â€Å"hit† her because of an article that she had written about the th eft of ? . 4 million from a supposedly secure depot near Dublin airport. This was the largest cash robbery in Irish history. (Encyclopedia. com) When Guerin was released from hospital after been shot she went along with her husband to every crime boss in Dublin she knew and handed them a letter letting them know that she was unafraid and unwilling to give up the fight on drugs. It was a statement of intent. A security system was installed at her home after the attack and the guards gave her 24 hour escort.They accompanied her where ever she went but Guerin, after a few days, stopped the guards accompanying her, as she felt it hindered her work as she was unable to talk to people and get the information she needed for her articles. (Film: Veronica Guerin) Then in September 1995, Guerin paid a visit to a horse farm owned by the notorious John Gilligan, a known leading player in Dublin’s underworld. She confronted him about how he had amassed such a fortune and good lifestyle wi thout been able to show where he had obtained all the money from.He reacted in a brutal, cowardly and savage way to these allegations by tearing open her shirt while looking for a wire and beating her senseless. Sometime after Gilligan phoned her and threatened her and her son Cathal. He told her he would kill her and harm Cathal if his name was ever mentioned in any news article that she wrote. (Freemedia. com) Guerin was never scared or would never let the drug baron’s sees that she was scared. She insisted that she would not be intimidated by any of them but friends of Guerin did admit after her death that she was fearful of Gilligan for the fact that he had threatened to harm her son.She didn’t let this phase her and she continued her tireless and fearful work and she continued to try and get closer to these drug kingpins. As she once said â€Å"they would find it harder to kill someone they knew†. That statement I feel summarised how she basically felt abou t reporting on such a dangerous topic she knew the danger not only to her life but also to her families lives but she knew she had some sort of protection in the fact that she knew the people she was mostly reporting on and her statement is entirely true they would find it harder to kill someone they knew.In December 1995, Guerin received the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. On June 26, 1996, Guerin was in court in Dublin on a road traffic offence she travelled onto the Naas road and stopped at a set of traffic lights when the court was finished. She was alone in her car when she stopped at the traffic lights and made a call to friend and college, Chris Mulligan, on her phone having previously rung her mother to let her know she had been let off with the traffic offence in court. Then two men pulled up along the right hand side of the car and one of them opened fire.Guerin was shot five times in the neck and chest, killing her instantly. T he men then took off at speed before anyone could react. Her funeral, near Dublin airport was full with mourners, that included Ireland's president, and head of the armed forces; while thousands of others watched the service on television. On July 4, there was a moment of silence in her memory, people everywhere across the country stood quietly and bowed their heads in tribute. People just wanting to pay their respects gathered in front of the offices of the Sunday Independent to leave flowers and sign a condolence book. Encyclopedia. com) As soon as Guerin had been shot dead the guards launched an investigation into her murder. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she had been the victim of a â€Å"hit† ordered either by someone she had already written about in her articles or someone she had planned to report on in the near future. It was unsure at the time weather her culprits would be brought to justice as the guards knew it would be a long and pain staking inv estigation. However in October 1996, a man by the name of Paul Ward was charged with the conspiracy to murder Veronica Guerin.He was the first person arrested and charged over the murder but the guards were hopeful he wouldn’t be the last. Most people including the guards believed that Gilligan was behind the â€Å"hit† although this proved very hard to prove. Gilligan left Ireland for Amsterdam the day before Guerin was murdered. Sometime after, Gilligan was caught with half a million in cash trying to board a flight he was unable to explain where the cash had legitimately come from. He claimed he won the vast amount of money gambling but was arrested on charges of trying to launder profits from selling illegal drugs. Encyclopedia. com) Since she was murdered, a number of things have happened that showed she did not die in vain and die for no reason. Since her death journalists who report on dangerous topics have been given better protection. Also after she was murder ed the Irish government held a special meeting to come up with and discuss a way which they would be able to create anti-crime legislation in order to put a huge crack down on drug crime and also to make it easier for the guards to create and implement cases against crime bosses.These new measures forced many of Dublin’s crime bosses to flee the country before the guards had the chance or opportunity to arrest them. Veronica Guerin not only changed the level of drugs on Dublin’s streets, she changed how people reacted to drugs on their streets residents in some of Dublin’s poorest areas demanded change and set up groups that marched the streets and kicked the drug dealers out. After her death the drug crime rate in Ireland fell by 50% the following year. (Freemedia. om) As a result of her murder the government established the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 and the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996, so that assets purchased with money obtained through crime could be se ized by them. This led to the formation of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). Veronica’s murder was seen as an outrage and as then Taoiseach, John Bruton, described it, â€Å"it was an attack on democracy†. (Encyclopedia. com) Charles Bowden, a member of Gilligan’s gang, was arrested along with the other members of the gang that where still in the country following the murder.In an agreement with the Attorney General of Ireland, he agreed to turn state's witness. In doing this he became the first person in history to enter the Republic of Ireland's witness protection programme. A programme that is now very prominent in the Irish legal system. (Encyclopedia. com) Her life and death signalled change in many institutions in Ireland mainly Social and Political. From a social point of view obviously the effect the fall in drug taking and drug crime would of having would have been very positive.A fall of 50% in drug related crime the year after her death symbolised jus t how much of an impact her death had on Dublin’s drug run underworld. Her actions obviously had a symbolic effect on drug users. From a political point of view this is the institution that Guerin’s life and death had the biggest impact on. Her actions as a journalist ultimately led the Irish government to change the Irish constitution they introduced two new acts which led to the formation of CAB. This was a historic moment in Irish history a moment that has played a major role in the way criminals are treated in this country.The fact that one woman’s life could change the Irish constitution through her actions is undoubtedly remarkable it’s just a shame it took her murder to spark the government into action. Her death obviously had a huge effect on a lot of people most notably her husband and son. She was admired by a lot of people for her tireless work on bringing the drugs problem in Dublin onto a national level. A piece from an article written by her work college, Kelly Fincham, summarises her mindset on the problem of drugs in Dublin. Like all mothers, she worried about her child’s future but she also worried that her son would grow up in a crime-infested city as the authorities appeared to be ignoring the drug epidemic. Unlike many people in journalism and indeed Dublin, Veronica felt it was a foolish choice to avoid the problem by isolating yourself from it†. (Irishabroad. com) Guerin’s actions and fearless reporting changed the view on drugs in Ireland forever. Her murder signalled a social change that will forever be prominent in our country.With the establishment of the above acts not only was the criminal justice system changed in this country but the Irish constitution was also changed. Guerin wanted to change people’s lives through her reporting. She had met with young drug addicts and it’s for this reason that she strived to expose the main drug dealers in Dublin. She saw that these à ¢â‚¬Å"drug addicts† didn’t have to live the life they where currently living and that they could change themselves along with other things. Everyone in the Republic of Ireland remembers where they were when they heard Veronica Guerin had been murdered on the Naas Road. Film: Veronica Guerin) Referencing Film: Veronica Guerin. (2003). Directed by Joel Schumacher. Dublin Ireland, (DVD). Website: Encyclopedia. com. (2004) Veronica Guerin. Available at http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-3404707176. html Accessed on 5/12/2011 Freemedia. com (2000) Veronica Guerin Ireland, World Press Freedom hero. Available at http://www. freemedia. at/awards/veronica-guerin/ Accessed on 11/12/2011 Irishabroad. com (2009) Remembering the real Veronica Guerin. Available at http://www. irishabroad. com/news/irishinamerica/news/guerin. asp Accessed on 11/12/2011

Hamlet a Domestic Play or a Commentary on Power Politics Essay

In the early 1600s, the time that â€Å"Hamlet† was written, the themes of power politics related to the domestic would have been far more relevant to the audience as at this time, these two themes intertwined particularly within the monarchy which is hereditary meaning that the power comes from family. Again this link is demonstrated by James I’s 1603 speech to Parliament where he stated that he was â€Å"the Husband and the whole Isle [his] lawful wife† showing the domestic view of many political relations and also the idea of James I as a husband ruling over his country which was his wife. This also brings in another theme of power plays in Hamlet being demonstrated by patriarchal dominance, such as the power Polonius has over Ophelia. We also see the power of men on their families as a whole and how characters us their family links and loyalties to gain power. Throughout â€Å"Hamlet† we see a number of sons avenging their fathers’ deaths, including old and young Fortinbras, Laertes and Polonius and old and young Hamlet. These draw attention to the domestic tragedy element of â€Å"Hamlet† and as to whether Hamlet seeks revenge for his father’s death due to his love for his father or because of his duty to him and the power Old Hamlet’s ghost has over Hamlet. When we see Hamlet speaking to the Ghost of Old Hamlet, it seems to be a close relationship with Old Hamlet expressing concerns for his son, stating â€Å"taint not the mind† suggesting that Hamlet should not allow the act of revenge to â€Å"taint† his morality. This is a bizarre ask from Old Hamlet as murder will undoubtedly affect Hamlet’s sense of morality. However, within their conversation, Hamlet’s obligation to avenge his father is also made apparent by the ghost himself who tells Hamlet that after hearing what he has to say, Hamlet will be â€Å"bound† to revenge. The word â€Å"bound† shows how Hamlet’s father expects Hamlet to avenge him and believes this is what he should do, showing Old Hamlet’s power over his son as this is what he eventually does. We also see Old Hamlet’s dominance in a number of other ways including the fact that he dominates the conversation and his physical dominance as he has been described as a â€Å"valiant† man who â€Å"smote† his rivals, which contrasts to what we see of Hamlet, who is a scholar relying more upon his brain than his ability to fight. This dominance is finally shown when Hamlet is warned not to go with the ghost but ignores his friends’ advice and states that he â€Å"will follow it†. We also see the power of the father in the relationship between Polonius and his two childrea: Laertes and Ophelia. We see Polonius telling his children how to behave and to â€Å"give thy thoughts no tongue†, and yet, ironically, Polonius appears to have a compulsive need throughout the play, giving out a large amount of nonsensical advice and opinions. To add to this irony, Polonius tells them â€Å"to thine own self be true†, as all he does is advise and tell people how to behave, this works to somewhat ridicule Polonius’ skills as an advisor. However, Ophelia must still listen to him as in the 17th century, the daughter was effectively the property of the father until she was married and thus must accept what her father said, as seen when Ophelia says, â€Å"I shall obey, my lord†. This obedience opens up Ophelia to be used as a political pawn by Polonius in his own efforts to gain favour and thus power with the King. This manipulation of Ophelia by Polonius suggests that Shakespeare’s play is a commentary of power politics as it infers much about the Renaissance court and its workings, criticising it. Furthermore, we see the male dominance that Laertes has over his sister, Ophelia, however, unlike Polonius, he does not seem to use this to his advantage or to gain power. He warns Ophelia away from Hamlet as â€Å"on his choice depends the safety and health of this whole state†. At this time, powerful families commonly used marriage as a means of forging tactical, political or social allegiences, once again linking the personal to the political. However, while Laertes has power over Ophelia, it doesn’t appear to be for his own advantage as it is the case with Polonius, thus suggesting that his concerns are genuine and out of love for his sister. As a result, it strengthens the interpretation of Hamlet as a domestic tragedy. To conclude, I believe that in many of the relationships in â€Å"Hamlet†, there is a mix of power politics and domesticity with characters using their families as a means of gaining power or using their power to get what they want. All of these contribute to making the line between power plays and domestic relationships more unclear.