The Evolution of Childrearing Essay Sample

The Evolution of Childrearing Essay Sample Raising Children Past and Present Sociology Essay Example Raising Children Past and Present Sociology Essay Example The family is an important building block of any society and it is formed repetitively over the years. Therefore, marriage plays an important part in the society as it brings forth children that enlarge the family. Families are different, but they normally experience similar issues. Issues in marriages play an important part in facilitating family issues and at times affect the children. The Evolution of Childrearing However, over centuries the raising of children have changed due to the changing times and beliefs in families. Children raised 50 years ago have a different experience from those children raised in today’s world. For this essay, I choose to raise children in the past and present because I have a 17-month-old nephew that I take care of. He has a mother and father, but spends much time at our house. Historically, children are an important part of the society as they are inheritors and leaders of the tomorrow’s world. They also offer help to their parents during their old age; therefore, they should be raised well to fulfill these duties. Marriage in the older days was an important rite of passage as it was seen as a way of procreating by giving rise to new members in the family. Separation of parents was, therefore, discouraged even when other wives were married; thus, divorce cases were low. Mothers normally stayed at home raising the kids, thus spending a lot of time teaching them moral values and shaping their lives. Today, marriage is not perceived as a means of companionship where couples can stay in a marriage without having children. Some even opt to adopt children and raise them as their own. Children are also raised by same-sex parents due to the acceptability of the same-sex marriages, which was not present in the past. In same-sex parents, children lack either a male figure or a female figure in their lives, which is important when growing up as they offer different pieces of advice and bonds. Divorce rates are also high and the most affected people are children who are affected psychologically by parent separation. Single parenthood has forced parents to spend less time with their children since they are always busy, working to meet needs of the family. Consequently, children are normally lonely, lack enough parental love, grow with a lot of frustration, and may be violent in future. The conflict between parents is the other problem that exists in today’s marriages and is mainly c aused by alcoholism or substance abuse and financial issues. Theoretical Perspectives Conflict Theory The Conflict Theory is the best theoretical perspective that fits to explain family issues that exist in raising children in the past and present. The theory explains that aspects such as huge economic pressures on individual personality and social structure are the source of conflicts in marriages. Conflict is inevitable among two people in a marriage relationship when they are unstable economically as needs of the family need to be met. When there are disagreements about how these needs should be met, conflicts arise that destroy peace in the family. The Conflict Theory also describes that social structures are susceptible to constant change and erosion. Change in the social structure is pervasive as conflicts are inherent in any relationship. According to conflict management approaches, conflict is also viewed as inherent and inevitable in people’s present small groups. As they live together and share almost everything, people are likely to disagree and some may change their system of personal relationship. Conflicts are caused by the disparity in the way social power is distributed in a marriage. The powerful tend to garner the most shares of scarce resources to themselves, leading to a confrontation with the oppressed party, and normally conflicts arise. These conflicts end up hurting children psychologically and can develop mental disorders and depression. The theory assumes that in the social world the self-centered individual operates to increase his or her rewards in a competitive world. It defines these assumptions by outlining various natures of human beings that lead to conflicts. Human beings are self-inclined and oriented when pursuing their interest at the expense of the other party. They are also a symbol of consuming or producing creatures and their environment complements their needs The conflict theory also assumes that human societies have organized systems that can make human survive and predict outcomes. It also assumes that the societies operate in conditions with limited resources and everyone strives to get a piece of it. Additionally, constant confrontations within the society help in facilitating social change and growth. Changes occur when conflicts are resolved and some may not be good for the children’s growth. Some of the solutions that come with solving conflicts include divorce or separation and may lead to engagement of alcoholism to relieve pain and frustrations. Such parents can be violent to children. The Structure-Functional Theory The structure-functional theory perceives family as a social institution, which performs important functions in the society and shapes behavior of children. Every family has certain values, norms, beliefs, and attitudes that individuals need to meet to survive. Therefore, children in the family need to live by values and norms of the family to avoid punishments. The theory describes that in traditional societies the structure of the family was extended with kinship groups. This type of family included grandparents, parents, children, cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relatives. These family members performed functions such as economic production, training, maintaining social order, and protecting family members. In modern or today’s society, the structure of the family is a nuclear family that consists of father, mother, and children. This type of family has lost functions performed by other members of the extended family such as instilling moral values even in the absence of parents. Economic production is not at home anymore, but in shops, companies, or factories. Police, healthcare providers, juvenile authorities, and fire department maintain and provide social order and protection. Schools and technical institutions provide training to children, showing how supportive role of family members is absent in today’s society. However, the theory describes important functions family has in raising responsible children. It describes family’s role in providing economic and emotional security. The society needs trained people who can raise children properly. Today, parents leave the child-rearing task to grandparents, as well as new-married or divorced parents. Parents should also provide basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing to children. Emotional security through provision of affection, companionship, and support during stressful times should be provided to children by the parents of guardians. Additionally, providing a home without conflicts and exposure to substance abuse gives children emotional security. Is Family Changing? Why or Why Not? Families have changed over the centuries due to the effect of developmental idealism that changes values and beliefs of people and brings cultural clashes in the community. Developmental idealism is the value and belief system that states that modern familial and societal attributes are better than traditional attributes (Thornton, 2001). This is because modern societies facilitate production of modern families that promote the attainment of modern societies and equality and freedom of human rights. Distribution of developmental idealism internationally and clashes with local traditions change social systems and lives. It has influenced development of international treaties on human rights that focus on women and children in modernization programs that eliminate female veiling and polygamy and spread low fertility, gender equality, delayed marriages, and right to choose a partner (Thornton, 2001). For instance, the short stay of Europeans in America during the colonization period made Native Americans capable of speaking the European language. Therefore, as Christians, Europeans were able to spread their gospel to the appropriate family attributes like monogamy and marriages at the appropriate age, leading to restriction of polygamy and young marriage in America. Africa colonization by Europeans also turned many Africans into Christians and was able to transform their norms and values. Additionally, it has also influenced personal freedom in regards to divorce, childbearing and childrearing outside marriage, and sexual relations. This freedom was emphasized during the French revolution that advocated for equality, fraternity, and freedom. Towards the end of the 18th century, France passed divorce laws and reforms on equal inheritance (Thornton, 2001). During the American Revolution, equality and freedom were also emphasized and divorce laws were permanently eased. After World War II, divorce was permissive, increasing divorce rates that increased single parenthood in America. Many divorced people have also ended up remarrying, increasing the population of people who are in reformed families. Same-sex marriages have also been accepted by various countries. During the past few decades, governments have been supporting same-sex relationships, especially in the United States. Through the principles of equality and freedom, people in same-sex relations have been also given the freedom to sexual orientation. The act has been therefore legalized and lesbians and gays have become open concerning their sexual orientations; thus, they are now accepted in the society. Legalization of lesbian and gay relations also occurs in other countries such as India. The highest court has ruled against the prohibition of same-sex relations and said that prohibiting it violates the principle of liberty and equality. Canada has also legalized same-sex marriages. Many children are now raised in families with parents of the same sex. Although, these parents can provide better education and all the basic needs of these children, children need both parents for better growth. For instance, boys need male figures to help teach masculine tactics needed to solve life problems. Besides, a male figure helps make the boy be tough and have strong manly personality. Therefore, a boy being raised by lesbian parents may lack such opportunity. Developmental idealism has been spread by various mechanisms. They include Christian missionaries, colonialism, government policies, mass media, education, foreign aid programs, international, national, and non-governmental organizations, and international conventions and treaties. Messages of developmental idealism spread fast because the persuasiveness of the idea is attained through the use of legal sanctions and financial incentives by powerful non-governmental and governmental organizations. Consequently, they have positively and negatively affected marriages and families. Methods of raising children have also changed with some coping with these changes by growing up in the course of a normal life. Some children have not been able to cope with the changes and have ended up living a frustrated life because they lack attention, love, and emotional security fueled by the fact that parents are ever busy working. Similarities and Differences between the Past and the Present The issue of child-rearing has been discussed over the years by individuals all around the world. With the ever-changing world, children have been raised in different social and cultural settings, which have affected their up-bringing. Thus, there have been changes in the way children have been raised from past periods and this is attributable to changes that continually occur in the society, changes in the family structure, and changes in children themselves. In the past, children were raised and viewed as â€Å"economic assets† who could provide labor in whichever activities the family engaged in for survival. For instance, children took part in running their farms, learning the family trade, and doing household chores that were mainly done by girls. Thus, children had a role to play in the family from their early upbringing; they knew they had to perform various duties as it was expected by family. However, this form of child rearing is very different in the modern era. A look into the modern American families shows that children are pampered and many do not take part in household chores. Thus, children are not raised with the intention of seeing them as â€Å"economic assets† and child labor is rarely heard of in the modern society. In fact, parents hire nannies to raise their children, depending on their financial capabilities, to ensure that their children do not take part in household chores and are well taken care of in their absence. This is more so with rich parents who aim at ensuring that their children have the best that life can offer and, instead of having them do any cumbersome chores, they would rather pay for exquisite holiday vacations to enjoy. Thus, a modern child has been raised being pampered and provided for and many look up to their parents for their daily up-keep unlike in the past where they were raised to be independent and fend for themselves. Another distinction in past and modern era of how children were raised relates to the issue of authority and approval. Whereas in the past children yearned to seek their parents’ approval in various matters, the reverse is true in the modern society. In the past, children were raised in strict family settings where they had to obey the rules and seek approval of their parents in various matters. However, the modern era has seen children being raised in families where authority is wanting and in many cases parents aim at seeking the approval of their children. Many are the instances when children are seen to throw tantrums and even objurgate their parents for not having done something to their liking. Mothers in many single-parent situations are usually stressed out in raising their children as children have reversed roles and dictate how they want to be raised by telling them what they want to eat, wear, or even which schools they want to attend. This brings in the issue of discipline, which is very predominant in the societal setting. In the modern society, children lack discipline as compared to children raised in the past. As a result of the pampering that they receive from their parents, children raised in the modern era take this to their advantage and engage in wanton behavior. This can be attributed to the fact that the modern parent has raised the child to be autonomous; thus, the freedom that the parent gives the child has become misguided. Unlike in the past when children were raised without much freedom being accorded to them, the modern society lauds the freedom of the child and aims at giving them a sense of autonomy and freedom to voice out their issues. As a result of this, children are raised with the perception that what they do is up to them as they alone will face the consequences of their actions. Thus, taking this autonomous concept that they have been raised in to their advantage, indiscipline arises as they defend their actions on the basis that they have the freedom to do as they please. In addition, because of this â€Å"autonomous† concept, the modern era has seen the rise of teenage engagement in drug and alcohol, early teenage pregnancies ,and violent crimes. Hence, freedom and autonomy with which modern children are raised in has seen the rise of youth delinquency in the society, which unfortunately has become the norm. The disintegration of the family and the rising rates of divorce cases have seen the disruption of the normal family structure, i.e. father, mother, and children. In the modern society, children are raised in single-parent families that may consist of a mother alone or a father alone. As a result of the ever-increasing rates of divorce in the modern society, children have no choice but to be raised by one parent who takes care of them. Thus, the cohesion that was once in the family is destroyed and divorce takes root. In the past, cases of divorce were scarce and children had the privilege of being raised in full family units where both father and mother were present. The increasing number of working mothers has also contributed to a difference in the way children are raised. In the past, mothers were central in raising their children and many were stay-at-home mothers who took care of the house, while the father took up the duty of fending for the family. Thus, mothers were present in their children’s lives and upbringing. However, with the rise of equality in the society, there has been a rise in the number of working mothers in the modern era and children are raised and taken care of either by their nannies or extended families. However, for the majority of people the cost of day care tends to be too high and, thus, many opt to leave their children at the care of their grandparents, close relatives, or friends who offer to watch over the children for a certain period before the arrival of parents from work. Unlike in the past where fathers were the sole breadwinners of the family, the modern society has also seen the rise of stay-at-home fathers while their spouses go to work. Hence, in the modern era children also tend to be raised by their fathers, while their mothers act as the sole breadwinner of the family. The advancement of technology has also played a role in the way children are raised in the modern society as compared to the past. Unlike in the past where family units were closely-knit, children were raised up playing in close-knit neighborhoods, and society appreciated each other, technology has displaced this in the modern society. Children these days are raised in the confines of their houses where video games and televisions have taken a huge bulk of their time and have become their â€Å"human† form of companionship. Rarely can children be seen playing with each other in the neighborhoods as many opt to stay in-doors playing their video games and this has also displaced the role and presence of parents in the family. Additionally, in the past, children used to be spanked by their parents as a form of punishment. This is different in modern times where spanking of children is seen as a vice and parents advocate for talking to their children in order to instill discipline . However, regardless of these differences in how children were and are raised in the past and in modern times, there is a common similarity in both cases, which is the fact that parents raise their children with love and care so as to be responsible individuals in the society. Regardless of the time period and the manner in which they are instilled discipline, parents raise their children with the goal of teaching them to be responsible people. In addition, there was and is always the presence of a parental figure, whether a single mother or father, who takes up the responsibility of raising the child and who strives to ensure that the child receives the basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing. Who Is Affected by This? The practice of raising children mainly affects children, parents, and the society at large. Practices such as disciplining children in the past and present have several effects. In the past, the physical discipline of children was allowed in the society and it aided in shaping the children’s behavior in the society. In the present, physical discipline is not advocated for given the change in the society as it has several effects on children such as causing them to be aggressive and anxious. Children usually grow to become violent as they react to the physical discipline from their parents. Such children usually participate in violent crimes in the society, therefore disrupting the peace in the society. Besides, children are affected because they fail to develop emotionally where they tend to be violent to other children and grow up without knowing how to connect emotionally with others, thus affecting their future relationships. The relationship between children and parents i s also affected where the children tend to view their parents as violent and fail to form relationships with them. Children tend to grow up with fear of their parents and fail to develop ways to communicate with them. In case of non-physical discipline that is highly advocated for in the present, children sometimes fail to adhere to their parents’ rules and the effect is that they may develop bad behavior. The practice of raising children with the encouragement of different labor activities also has several effects, especially on children. In the past, children were required to undertake several household activities. The result is that children became more responsible and learnt to take care of themselves at an early age. Children also learnt from their household activities how to be responsible for their actions. In the present, some parents fail to involve their children in household activities and hire people who undertake activities for children. The effect of this is that such children lack basic skills on how to be responsible not only for themselves, but also for others. Such children fail to develop ways of being responsible in the society and fail to learn how to work with others. The practice of raising children by the authoritarian parenting style in the past and that of permissive parenting that is mainly being practiced in the present also have several effects on children and the society. In the past, parents were authoritative to their children and this greatly affected children in that they learnt to be obedient through the strict discipline that was emphasized. However, parents often withdrew their affection from their children and the effect is that the children failed to learn how to communicate with their own children. In the present, permissive parenting is mainly practiced whereby parents allow children to do whatever they want for fear of enforcing rules on them. The result is that children fail to develop any discipline and fail to adhere to any rules enforced on them not only in their homes, but also in the society. Children, therefore, fail to acknowledge rules, often participate in several crimes, and become unruly. The current single parent raising system that is ever growing as compared to the past also affects children. Divorce was uncommon in the past and, therefore, both parents thereby encouraging better discipline to be instilled in children closely monitor children’s behavior. In the present, single parents raise most children and the result is that children may lack discipline given the fact that a single parent may be too overwhelmed to monitor closely the children’s behavior. Potential Solutions to Modern Parenting A lot has changed in parenting both for the right course and bad course and, through observing changes that have taken place, it can be asserted that the changes have not been well received. Parenting today has missed a key point on how to raise a child and how they should guide them through their growth. Despite the claims of the difference in the time frame, still the main issue has remained the same, which is guiding children on the path of their development (Secret, 2005). To narrow the gap between the past parenting and the modern parenting, certain considerations must be addressed promptly. Putting parenting skills right will help children maintain a moral behavioral path despite the current situation. Provide Time for Children Today, parents are claimed to be very busy, running various errands. This allows them little or no time to address their children’s issues and provide them with proper guidance and care. Unlike previous parents who allocated plenty of time to spend with their children, today’s parents do not do so. This has become the greatest weakness among new parents. Children are an important part of a family and are very fragile and ductile when not properly taken care of. They require maximum attention so as to avoid the current misbehavior that most children today are accused of having. Therefore, parents need to allocate enough time despite their busy schedule to be a part of their children’s development. They should play their role as parents and keep their children’s progress effectively in check. Providing enough time will help reduce the level of poor child development and avoid missing important parenting steps in a child development (Rogers, 2002). Increase Connection between Parents and Children Parents have started to become distanced from their children. They lack the connection between them, making children feel left out during their development. It is recommended that parents maintain the connection with their children if they still need to be a part of their children’s life. Children value a close relationship with their parents; however, the modern parenting has failed to provide this connection. Today, parents are busy doing their duties, leaving their nannies to build a mutual relationship with their kids instead of them. The link between children and their parents is essential as it helps children to share inherent problems with their parents and be closer to them. However, today parents become distanced from their children due to the external demands of life, creating an enormous gap between them and their children. Thus, to solve this predicament, parents have to reinstate the connection between them and their children Plan Different Activities That Do Not Include TV, Phones, and Computers The world has changed and become different as compared to the past years. Technology has taken over most parenting activities and interaction. Most parents spend a lot of their time on embracing technology rather than their children. Moreover, children also find the use of such technology more appealing than their parents’ concern. Children spend most of their time watching, playing computer games, and texting among other technology-related activities. Therefore, to solve such issues, parents are required to engage their children in different activities that do not involve any form of technology. They should share affection with their kids and maintain physical contact such as hugging and cuddling instead of texting through phones. Communication should be direct rather than through the phone. Sharing such moments with children will help improve their connection and strengthen it between the two parties. Children value the presence of their parents and sharing time away from co mputers and phones in a family is a positive step towards reinstating proper parenting amongst families. Parents should avoid spending most of their time on computers and phones as much as possible. Sometimes, direct communication with children is beneficial for developing them and increasing their involvement with parents. Being a Role Model to Children It is recommended for parents to demonstrate a high standard of action and values that they want their children to embrace during their development. Childhood is a period of learning, whereby children mimic behaviors and characters that are presented to them. Therefore, for parents it is important to express the desirable quality that one would like their children to emulate. Parents are required to surround their children with positive people whom they deem acceptable to have their children around. Children learn as they grow through observing little things that are taking place around them. Parents play a huge role in building their children character and behavior. Thus, it is important for parents to act as a role model for their children and guide them on the right path of life before they grow out of hand (Burton, Phipps, Curtis, 2002). Furthermore, they should keep their children around people who are a good influence on their children to help develop them positively. Future Direction What makes the two parenting periods different is the lack of uniformity in the two systems. Today, parents lack consistency in keeping up with their children’s behavior and development. Children require guidance and regular supervising on the right part of development. As a parent, it is important to have a set of rules and guidelines that stipulate how the family should behave and conduct respectively (Charles et al., 2013). When children are well brought up in a family that has a direction, they will automatically fit into the system. This consistency in family development helps prevent the possibility of children showing signs of misconduct or expressing behaviors that are not a part of the family. Therefore, to help align the modern family with the best part of raising their children, it is essential for parents to provide their children with a consistent pattern of family development rules and behaviors that they can follow as they grow. By doing so, the family tradition s will be kept and even evolve due to children raising their future families in a similar manner. Family plays a significant role in children’s development. Over the decades, a lot has changed in relation to family development. People have embraced different ways of raising their children and developing various techniques that help in nurturing the young ones in a family. In the past, parents were more concerned with children who were obedient and non-self centered with a strong emphasis on building special characters and quality. However, this has changed over the years with parents today being sensitive to their children’s individual needs. Parenting has linked more to the demands of children rather the value of the society. Despite all the changes that have taken place between the two timeframes, the primary goal of parenting has remained the same, i.e. to instill moral and character development among children.

Educational Trends Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Educational Trends Education - Research Paper Example In such an immersive computing environment, where notebooks and pens are replaced with smart phones, iPods and laptops this era of pervasive education technology, is marked with revolutionary educational trends. The development and rising popularity of social networking and micro-blogging sites has upped the ante, making access to information just a click away. Such trends within the domains of primary and secondary education, has significant implications on the manner in which such education is imparted across the globe (Leu, 2001; Gilster, 1997). This paper, on â€Å"Educational tends† aims to discuss both the current as well as future trends in education, and the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) within classrooms and its likely impact in shaping, nurturing and developing the knowledge and cognitive learning abilities of students over the years. Historical Background: ICT in Classrooms The twentieth century was swept away by technological makeover, and c omputers entered the classrooms as educators realized its power and impact as an effective teaching aid (Dwyer et al., 1991). However, during this era, computers were merely used as a data management tool for tracking grades, attendance and reviewing test results. Moreover the ratio of computers per student was low. During the mid 20th century, this highly rigid approach towards computer usage changed significantly from predominantly conventional behavioral attitudes to a more constructivist approach (Anderson, Speck, 2001). Current trends: Overview The 21st century classrooms have had a drastic makeover from that compared to the 20th century classroom, in the sense that it has now become more interactive as opposed to passive learning, and includes the addition of various gadgets which are incorporated on a large scale across various schools. The technological tools in used in the past were mostly passive in nature which involved little or no interaction from the students, and were limited to just listening, watching, or at the most, taking notes. However, the tools used today include greater participation from the students via the use of interactive media where they are encouraged to make presentations and communicate and share their experiences via blogs and vlogs (Smolin, Lawless, 2003). Figure 1: Instructional technologies timeline from the year 1900 - 2004 Source: Whelan (2005) Pp.14 The use of interactive whiteboards has drastically increased and remains one of the most popular tools of teaching across American classrooms. Furthermore gadgets such as PDAs and hand-helds are also being used primarily for middle school and high-school students. Also, there are various online resources which offer interactive learning to students by way of games, puzzles and quizzes which help them in understanding key concepts in a fun entertaining and engaging way. Future trends: The conventional definitions of schools as buildings made of bricks and walls are likely to change to 'nerve centers' virtual space occupied by e-teachers and e-learners, connected by technology. The role of teachers in such a space is likely to expand from merely the providers of education to that of information and knowledge generators. Until recently, students were accustomed to access education through schools, but the

Bank of England Quantitative Easing(Benefits and consequences) Dissertation

Bank of England Quantitative Easing(Benefits and consequences) - Dissertation Example On the other hand, such a reaction may be just what the UK and US need in order to prevent a deflationary spiral as a result of the financial crisis. If the first round had no detrimental effects, the question remains as to how far is right, because a second round may go further into creating inflationary pressures than expected. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether or not QE could be a viable means of implementing monetary policy to address the present financial morass. Findings arrived at are tentative, because of the relatively short time the quantitative easing policy has been implemented, which spans only about two years for both the US and the UK. For Japan, on the other hand, while QE was implemented for a full five years, the results are inapplicable to the present situation because QE was meant to address Japan’s negative inflation rate already registering for several years, which is entirely different from the threat posed by the present crisis on UK and t he US. Acknowledgment Table of Contents Title Page 1 Abstract 2 Acknowledgement 3 Table of Contents 4 Chapter 1: Introduction 6 1.1 Background of the research topic 6 1.2 Objectives of the study 7 1.3 Research question and subquestions 8 1.4 Scope and limitations of the study 8 1.5 Ethical considerations 9 Chapter 2: Review of related literature 10 2.1 Background of quantitative easing 10 2.2 Quantitative easing as implemented in the UK 12 2.3 Viewpoint of the sceptics 19 2.4 Viewpoint of the enthusiasts 21 2.5 Modest impact assessment 22 2.6 Other Econometric Studies 23 Chapter 3: Methodology 24 3.1 Research strategy 24 3.2 Data description 24 3.3 Data gathering methodology 24 3.4 Analysis of data 25 3.5 Limitations of data and analysis 25 Chapter 4: Case study – US and Japan 27 4.1 Quantitative easing in Japan 27 4.2 Quantitative easing in the United States 33 4.3 Comparison among the US, UK and Japanese QE 38 Chapter 5: Results, analysis and discussion 40 5.1 Analysis of v ariance with log of monetary base and log of long-term interest rate as variables 40 5.2 Analysis of variance with monetary base and long-term interest rate as variables 43 Chapter 6: Conclusion 46 6.1 Summary of the dissertation 46 6.2 Findings of the study: answers to the subquestions 46 6.3 Conclusion: answer to the research objective 47 6.4 Recommendations for future research 48 References 49 Appendices 53 Chapter 1 Introduction 1. 1 Background of the research topic Quantitative easing is a process which the central banks often consider as a last resort to inject liquidity in an economy, without caring for its own quantity of reserve assets (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 72). Often banks opt to buy off all government securities in circulation in the open market in their aggression, without preferring to fix any target rate of retaining their money reserves (Baumol & Blinder 271; Marta & Brusuelas, â€Å"Quantitative Easing†). Such an unorthodox st rategy, as quantitative easing, helped to bail out economies like Japan at a time when it was undergoing its worst phase of liquidity crunch. The method helped the nation to revive from its plight through enhancing its monetary base significantly, though meanwhile the government had to face immense deficits in their budgets (Organisation

Ethnicity In Hollywood And American Culture Film Studies Essay

Ethnicity In Hollywood And American Culture Film Studies Essay Hollywood movies have preached the assimilation of the ethnic other into American culture. This is a dangerous prospect as media representations are used to frame our understandings of ethnic groups and sub-cultures. In this study, a social semiotic approach is used to frame the violence, food, musical score, and set furnishings present in The Sopranos. By contrasting these elements with those found in The Godfather, assimilation of the ethnic Italian is revealed. Using an interpretation that rests on the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism, this study adds to our understanding of ethnic representation in media. Through a deeper understanding, we can resist negative media representations of ethnic groups. In 1997, The Godfather Saga, a revised version of The Godfather and The Godfather II, was televised to a national audience. This was a broadcast landmark as it was preceded by a disclaimer to forewarn the audience that the characters were not representative of any ethic group (Cortes, 1987). The statement became a model for television broadcasts that depicted any ethnic group as criminal and violent. The disclaimer was indicative of a burgeoning awareness that entertainment films possess the power to create, reinforce, and modify public perception of ethnic groups (Cortes, 1987). While a number of factors likely influence public perception of ethnic culture, mass media representation has been documented as a significant factor (Jamieson, 1992). Indeed, some researchers suggest that much of the information people acquire about ethnic culture comes from mass media (Bodenhausen, Schwarz, Bless, Wà ¤nke 1995). A century of media representation of Italian culture and its mythical link t o organized crime, has created paradoxical visions of admiration and disdain; fascination and fear; endearing attractiveness and aversion. Central to the popular vision of the Mafia, the depiction of Italian family culture is a dichotomy between family values and violent family business. The existence, success, and continuation of the Italian family depend on a system of traditions and rules rooted in extreme patriarchy and enforced through acts of violence. The immutable strength of this image effects both public perceptions of Italian culture and the Italian self-image (Quinn, 2004). The debut of The Sopranos in 1999 represents a significant event in media representation of Italian culture. The series portrays American born Mafiosi as ordinary suburban neighbors, complete with barbecues, golf games, kids in College, and stock options. How does the The Sopranos contribute to the media image of the Italian family? In this study, I take a constructivist approach to examine the first season of The Sopranos in an effort to determine how the series changes the traditional image built by gangster movies like The Godfather. The Sopranos updates the image of the Italian mob family by completely assimilating it within American cultural norms (Blackwood, 2006). In this way, The Sopranos supports the symbolic interactionist assertion that ethnic groups are not natural biological divisions of humanity, but rather temporary alignments of people created by communication channels (Freidman, 1991). The influence of The Sopranos is appreciated by considering the thirteen million viewers it attracted by its third season (Cartier, 2006), and in the attention it garnered from both television critics and politicians. In 2001, the producers of the Sopranos were unsuccessfully sued under the individual dignity clause of the Illinois Constitution (Italian-American group sues, 2001). In the previous year, Essex County officials banned HBO from filming scenes on county-owned property (N.J. county shoots down Sopranos filming request, 2000). In announcing the ban, officials expressed their displeasure at the shows portrayal of Italian-Americans. Backed by sixteen colleagues, New Jersey congresswoman Marge Roukema proposed that the House of Representatives chastise producers of television shows like The Sopranos because of their depiction of Italian-Americans as criminals (Congresswoman asks House, 2001). These events underline the importance of understanding the link between popular drama and cultural representation. As the demands of modern life become more complicated through a mixing of cultures, our understanding of the larger world becomes more important to us. Therefore, we use the messages we decode from popular culture to frame our understanding of ethnic groups, and the nature of diverse subcultures (Beck, 2000). This means that media representation, and more specifically ethnic representation within popular culture, plays a key role in our understandings of immigrants and their subcultures (Cortes, 1987). Further, because entertainment and information are no longer distinct streams within the public consumption of cultural products, the fate of diverse subgroups within our society depends on the roles assigned to them in [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] popular dramas (Beck, 2000, p. 25). Through careful evaluation of the set furnishings, music, food, and violence presented in the popular drama The Sopranos, an assimilation of Italian culture into American culture is rev ealed. This assimilation is so strong that only the most obvious ethnic symbols remain resulting in a link between the Italian family and crime that is much stronger than any previously portrayed. Literature Review The earliest film representation of Italians and crime is documented by Blackwood (2006). The Black Hand (1906), a seven minute one-reeler, was allegedly based on an actual kidnapping and ransom demand that occurred in the Italian quarter of New York City. A number of later films including The Black Hand (1912) and Binks, The Black Hand (1913) followed. In 1908, the New York Police Department established the Italian Bureau, headed by Detective Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino. An Italian immigrant himself, Petrosino was subsequently murdered by a Mafia Don while conducting research in Palerimo, Italy (Giuliani, 1999). This event spawned a number of Mafia movies including The Detectives of the Italian Bureau (1909), The Adventures of Lieutenant Petrosino (1912), The Padrone Ward (1914), The Last Mafia (1915), and Don Caesar de Bazan (1915). Although this very early representation of Italians is often overlooked, Blackwood (2006) points out the importance of this period. The films demonstra te the incredible age of the Italian Mafia stereotype, and they represent the birth of the link between Italians and crime. Benshoff Griffin (2004) point out that this period fashioned a second stereotype of Italian people. The movies often portrayed the good Italian falling victim to the bad Italian. The good Italian representation was that of an assimilated small businessman. He was a simple-minded, working class Italian often named Luigi or Guido who spoke broken English, wore a bushy moustache, and had a large family. He was gracious, always smiling, and worked as a street vendor, organ grinder, or ran a small restaurant. The stereotype exists to this day in the Super Mario Brothers games (1993) and on countless pizza boxes. Cortes (1987) identifies three distinct periods in the history of Italian representation in film. In the first period, 1917-1928, the depiction of Italians was heavily influenced by a negotiation for whiteness (Benshoff Griffin, 2004). America experienced a great surge in immigration during the final years of the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century. Large numbers of Eastern and Southern European people flooded into the urban centers of America. From 1900 to 1910 over eight million immigrants entered the United States (U.S. Census Data, 2003). This sudden mixing of white ethnic culture with the established white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant culture increased levels of xenophobia and forced people of non-Anglo-Saxon, European descent to negotiate their relation to whiteness. This negotiation, and a general concern over the growing presence of foreign culture in America, lead to strict immigration laws and influenced the way Italians were represented in film. Italians w ere depicted in films with darker skin tones, thick curly hair, and little education. As immigration fears increased, the white ethnic Italian was portrayed as unsavory, radical, and over-sexed in such films as Dangerous Hours (1919) and Manhandled (1924). In the 1930s, Hollywood became fascinated with crime. The Great Depression coupled with Prohibition focused that fascination on the problem of gangsters, leading to the rediscovery of the Italian American mobster. By 1932, Italian gangsters [had] become the personification of Americas social failures, including the crisis of the increasingly elusive American Dream (Cortes, 1987, p. 110). In this second period, 1930-1970, Italian mobsters were vicious, violent, self-serving, one-dimensional characters. The period is characterized by the advent of sound, and the ear-splitting shots of Italian-mobster machine guns became the symbol of Italian ethnic violence. So great was the impact on the Italian psyche that the release of films such as Little Ceasar (1930), The Public Enemy (1931), Scarface (1932), The Gay Divorcee (1934), and Top Hat (1935), prompted the Italian government to ban importation of all American films containing Italian characters (Vasey, 1992). In an effort to remove thi s barrier, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), a trade association formed to negotiate American film trade agreements with foreign governments, was successful in influencing a more positive film image of Italians. Obvious references to Italian ethnicity were removed from many gangster movies although the inferences remained (Vasey, 1992). Films such as Golden Boy (1939) and They Knew What They Wanted (1940) actually depicted Italian characters as law-abiding, hardworking ethnics (Cortes, 1987). During the war, Italian Americans increasingly promoted their loyalty to their adopted country. As a consequence, Italians were often depicted in wartime propaganda films as courageous and dedicated soldiers fighting alongside American soldiers (Benshoff Griffin, 2004). This depiction is evident in the Giuseppe character from Sahara (1943), Lieutenant Angelo Canelli in The Purple Heart (1944), and Captain Andrà ©s Bonifà ¡cio in Back to Bataan (1945). Post-war film making in Italy had an effect on Hollywood images of Italian Americans. Italian film makers worked to increase cinematic realism leading to a movement called Italian Neorealism (Benshoff Griffin, 2004). The films resulting from this movement were popular and often represented Italians as poor and working class. Consequently American depictions began to represent Italians as down-to-earth, working class people in such films as Marty (1955) and The Rose Tattoo (1955). The final years of the second period defined by Cortes contains another interesting phenomenon. Both Italian and American film makers resurrected the hot Italian lover stereotype that had been well crafted by the Rodolph Valentino movies of the 1920s. Italian actresses Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, and Anna Magnini became famous for their uninhibited sexuality. In the repressive, socially conservative 1950s, these ethnic other actresses provided sexual escapism not possible for respectable white women. A s the 1970s approached, various ethnic movements popularized the search for and the celebration of ethnic heritage, identity, and pride (Cortes, 1987, p. 116). This new enthusiasm for ethnicity, coupled with an influx of talented Italian movie producers and actors, led to an explosion of Italian character representations in film. In addition, the disappearance of the Hayes Code in 1968, Hollywoods self-censorship system, encouraged a war where filmmakers vied to top each other in graphic depictions of sex and violence (Cortes, 1987). All of these factors influenced the watershed moment in the depiction of Italians in film, the release of Francis Ford Coppolas The Godfather. The third period, 1970 to present, is epitomized by The Godfather. This 1972 film, by Francis Ford Coppola, depicts the Italian gangster as a complex, multi-dimensional character. For the first time the activities of Italian gangsters are firmly entrenched within Italian family values. The Godfather set a trend for complex mob characters in many movies that followed including The Don is Dead (1973), Scarface (1983), The Untouchables (1987), Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995), and Analyze This (1999). Blackwood (2006) categorizes the periods of Italian representation in film according to artistic device. In the silent era through to the 1960s, Italians are portrayed minstrelsy. Italian characters are used to exploit and rebuke the Italian sub-culture. In the 1970s, portrayals of Italian characters are changed, and serve to historicize the Italian life experience in the U.S.A. (Blackwood, 2006, p. 8). According to Blackwood (2006), the third period of representation began in the late 1990s with the renunciation of the Italian gangster figure. The television show The Sopranos (1999-2007) and the movie Analyze This (1999) present the assimilation of the Italian gangster figure into North American society, depicting the acceptance of American values. Method The Sopranos debuted on HBO in 1999 (Martin, 2007). The show follows the life of notorious gangster Tony Soprano and his family as they deal with modern life in New Jersey. Tony, his wife Carmela, and their two children, Meadow and AJ, live in North Caldwell, New Jersey where Tony presides over a Mafia team. With eighty-six episodes spanning six seasons, the show is iconic in the world of Italian gangster stories. Television critics praised the show as the apotheosis of television drama, and the recalibrated scale for comparing TV shows [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] everything else seems flawed (Martin, 2007, p. 16). The show also enjoyed instant success with audiences, claiming four million viewers during its debut season and quickly increasing to thirteen million viewers by the third season (Carter, 2006). Winning a plethora of awards including five Golden Globes, two Peabodys, two Writers Guild Awards, and 18 Emmys, the incredible popularity of the show propelled it into many manifestations o f pop cultural success including a MAD magazine parody (issue 389, 2000), appearances on The Simpsons, and the cover of Rolling Stone (vol. 865, March 29, 2001). Grand Theft Auto III, the best selling video game of 2002 with sales of three million units, mimicked The Sopranos by placing players inside a Mafia organization. The game allows players to move up through ranks of the Mafia by delivering suspicious packages, ferrying hookers to and from their dates, tailing suspected snitches, planting car bombs [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦], and having sex with their own goomahs (Croal, p. 50). The Sopranos became so well recognized that HBO developed an entire side industry of Sopranos accessories including a mens clothing line, mainstream coffee table and humour books, and even architectural plans for building Tony and Carmellas house (Quinn, 2004). The Sopranos was created in 1995 by David Chase. Chase is a television veteran who served as executive producer of such shows as Northern Exposure (1990-95), Ill Fly Away (1991-93), and as writer/producer on The Rockford Files (1974-80). Chase claims the character of Jim Rockford, created by Stephen Cannell, as the major influence on his creation of Tony Soprano, the patriarch of the Soprano clan (Chase quoted in Martin, 2007, p. 10). However, there are those in the Italian American community, including Lawrence Di Stasi, historian and past president of the Western Italian American Historical Society, who believe a darker influence lies behind the show and the character of Tony Soprano. Di Stasi believes that Chase, whose surname has been anglicized from the Italian name De Cesare, internalized his ethnic hatred by externalizing his self-loathing (Di Stasi quoted in Quinn, p. 167). Chase stands accused of betraying his own culture by strengthening the association, more than ever, bet ween Italian-American families and criminality. Di Stasi claims the average television viewer sees the link between the two as genetic. Using existing literature combined with my own semiotic analysis of the television series The Sopranos, I take a constructionist approach to determine how The Sopranos changes the image of the Italian mafia family since the release of The Godfather. In doing so, I expose the Italian ethnic signs within the text and discuss the role these signs play in supporting Blackwoods (2006) assertion that The Sopranos represent the assimilation of the Italian gangster into American culture. My data sample consists of the first seasons episodes of The Sopranos series. Limiting the catalog of data to thirteen episodes produces a feasible and manageable data set, and it allows analysis of a text created purely from the authors intentions, before its extreme popularity could influence new or exaggerated messages. Using a social semiotic approach advocated by Fairclough and Van Leeuwen (see Van Leeuwen, 2005, p. 139), I analyze the first thirteen episodes of The Sopranos in an effort to reveal the u nderlying messages of ethnic Italian identity. This approach is selected because it focuses on the function of texts in social interactions. It recognizes discourse as an element to structure content (i.e. what is expressed), genre to structure interaction (i.e. what happens), and style to structure the manner in which a text communicates (Van Leeuwen, 2005). Under Van Leeuwens approach, the text will be examined through the frames of violence, food, musical score, and set furnishings. Framing is a way of describing the power of communication within a text (Entman, 1993). It involves the selection of an aspect of perceived reality, and the elevation of the salience of that information within the text (i.e. making it more noticeable). The analysis provided rests on the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism. The rejection of the notions that meaning emanates intrinsically from objects that provide meaning and that meaning is derived through a coalescence of psychological factors, allows us to see meaning as product of social interaction (Blumer, 1986). Thus, the meaning of things is formed from communication channels through a recipients interpretive process. This theoretical framework makes possible the assimilation of one culture into another. Hollywood movies are bastions of symbolic interactionism. They impose Americaness as a self-ascripting category whose value orientation dominates any primordial ethnic condition (Freidman, 1991, p. 22). Data Analysis In The Sopranos, Chase removes the impenetrable barrier between Italian family values and Italian family business that was so carefully constructed by Coppola in The Godfather. Coppola manages to create an intensely powerful and thought provoking audience experience of The Godfather through narrative and visuals that present the opposition of family values and violence. In the opening scene, the viewer is presented with a dark image of a heart-broken man confessing a heinous act of sexual violence perpetrated against his daughter. As the camera pans out, and the screen brightens only slightly, we see the man is in the study of Vito Corleone, a mafia Don and patriarch to one of New Yorks most infamous crime families. The man is begging Vito to avenge his daughters honour. Suddenly, the camera reveals the outside of the house, where there is a great celebration. Vitos daughter is marrying. Men, women, children, and even rival mobsters attend the elaborate festivities. There is much lau ghter, singing, and dancing. In contrast, the dark study, allows only a few privileged men to enter and make requests of Vito, who cannot refuse their requests on the day of his daughters wedding. The movement of the camera back and forth between the two locations creates a striking, visual divide between the celebration of family, and the dark world of the family business. The study is the location of power, a private sanctuary where reports are given and violent reprisals are arranged. The scene very effectively illustrates the ironic nature of the relationship between the family values and the family business. The room is physically separate from the family rituals thus maintaining a strong separation between the two worlds. The dichotomous nature of Corleone family values allows the characters to tread a delicate line between valorization and criticism (Simon, 1983). In The Sopranos, Chase completely removes this separation by immersing the Italian characters in American cultura l ritual and symbols. The family business is deeply entangled in everyday family rituals and activities. The world of family values and dark family business become one. The total assimilation of the Italian mafia family into American culture is achieved by the removal of all but the most obvious signs of ethnic stereotyping. The Long Island estate of Vito Coleone, with its stone and stucco exterior, Italian style courtyard, and extensive vegetable and fruit gardens, is replaced with a New Jersey, sprawling, modern American, brick ranch. Vitos Italian gardens are replaced with Tony Sopranos landscaping that appears to come straight from the pages of a Home Depot magazine. The interior of the Soprano house is a striking contrast to that of the Corleones. The Corleone mansion, with its dark leather furniture, dark oak paneling and trim, dim lighting, and minimalist furnishings is replaced by the bright modern American dà ©cor of the Sopranos home. An authentic New Jersey look was crucial for Chase whose production designer spent countless hours poking through houses up and down the Garden State parkway (Martin, 2007, p. 29). What Chase achieved are lu xurious interiors of light coloured oak flooring, tan leather furniture, modern glass top tables, and light oak shelves carefully decorated with showy books, pricey figurines, vases, and candle sticks. The walls are finished in tame colours of tan, ivory, soft greens, and gold. In the dining room and bedroom, the furniture is finished in light pastels that imitate stone which was common in upscale American homes of the 1990s. The kitchen, with its recessed pot lighting and bleached oak cabinets, is typical of popular modern American design. This is the home of a typical middle-class American family, from the bright, warm, inviting family room to the messy teenager bedrooms covered in dirty laundry and grunge band posters. The lack of a musical score for The Sopranos also assists in the assimilation of the characters into American culture. The Godfather provides the viewer with a rich ethnic and folkloric musical score written by Nino Rota with additional music by Carmen Coppola, Francis Fords father. From luna mess o mare sung by family members during the opening wedding scene to the main title, called The Godfather Waltz, the viewer is immersed in the melodic strands of Italian music and reminded of the rich ethnic background that gave rise to such music. In contrast, there is no musical score for The Sopranos; however, each Sopranos episode opens with Woke Up This Morning (1997) by British fusion band Alabama 3 and closes with a different previously recorded pop tune such as Elvis Costellos Complicated Shadows (episode 3), Jefferson Airplanes White Rabbit (episode 7), and Bruce Springsteens State Trooper (episode 13). This music lends a contemporary feel to the show that is decidedly American. Chase believes firmly that the lack of a musical score increases the authenticity of his work. He notes that like Quentin Tarantinos movies, the use of pre-recorded, popular music promotes an authentic American feel to the work (David Chase Interview, 2000). Despite the assimilated nature of the characters, a link to Italian ethnicity is maintained. This link is achieved primarily through the constant reference to Italian cuisine within each episode. A major sub-plot in episode one involves young AJs birthday party where Ziti and the proper way to cook Italian sausages is a significant part of the narrative. In episode two, Paulie Walnuts becomes enraged at the profits earned by large American corporations through their cooption of Italian cuisine. Father Phil, the priest from the local Roman Catholic Church, is often seen visiting the Soprano home. The character of Father Phil is intended to create sexual tension with the character of Carmella Soprano (David Chase Interview, 2000). This tension is overshadowed by Father Phils desire for home-made Italian food and his constant dialog regarding the superiority of Italian cuisine. He visits the Soprano home, and the homes of other Italian parishioners, constantly looking to be fed (episode s 1, 5, 6, 13). Artie Bucco, a close friend of Tonys, is an accomplished chef specializing in Italian cuisine. This character appears in numerous scenes where he serves sumptuous Italian cuisine and his skills as an Italian chef are praised (episode 1, 2, 3, 9, 13). Chase devotes a significant amount of dialog in each episode to the discussion of Italian food. In addition, Italian food is visually depicted through camera close-ups in restaurant scenes and in the many scenes involving Soprano family dinners. In these close-ups, the camera frames the food much like what one would see on a cooking program. The viewer is presented with large images of Italian pastas being dished from platters while the character dialog continues in the background. A second important symbol that serves to link the assimilated Soprano family characters to their Italian heritage is observed in the characters of Paulie Walnuts Gualtieri, Silvio Dante, and Salvatore Big Pussy Bonpensiero. These characters are part of Tonys crew, and they epitomize the stereotypical vision of the urban, somewhat slow, greasy, Italian tough guys. They dress in dark clothing; wear patterned, silk shirts, unbuttoned to show thick gold chains and crosses around their neck; grease their hair back; and speak with the same Bronx-Italian accent heard in Goodfellas (1990). Violence plays a central role in The Sopranos. This centrality contrasts sharply with the The Godfather where violence operates as a backdrop against which we can examine characters and observe family customs and behaviour. The Godfather represents a major shift in the narrative perspective of gangster films (Simon, 1983). Besides being the first film to portray the Italian Mafia, although it never uses the word Mafia in its narrative, the film uses carefully placed narrative gaps to control the affect of violence on the viewing audience. For example, the audience is not prepared for the now famous scene when studio head Jack Woltz lifts the sheets of his bed to find the severed head of his prize racehorse. The previous scene ends with Woltzs refusal to hire Johnny Fontaine, Don Corleones godson, in a discussion with Tom Hagen. When Woltz finds the horse head in his bed, the audience is forced to assume that Hagen ordered the head be severed and placed there. Through this narrative g ap, the audience is completely unprepared for the violence, and as a result, they feel the violence from the victims perspective rather than through the perpetrators. Coppola uses this narrative gap technique again and again for the assassination attempt on Don Corleone, Luca Brazzis strangulation, Sonnys execution, the murders of Paulie Gatto and Michaels Sicilian bride, and the climatic final sequence when Michaels order to assassinate five rival mobsters is carried out. This technique allows Coppola to keep the violence in the background; the violence is the inevitable outcome of failed negotiations or necessary due to ethical codes. The viewer is able to remain focused on the characters with their complex behaviours and the relationships that are demanded by their Italian ethnicity. In The Sopranos, Chase removes the violence from the background and puts it on display. Through narrative and visual signals, the viewer becomes well prepared for violent scenes and experiences those scenes from the aspect of the perpetrator. We see evidence of this in the first act of violence in episode one, The Sopranos (1999). As Tony begins his first session with therapist Dr. Malfi, he recounts a story of a chance meeting with a man who owes him an outstanding debt. Dr. Malfi interrupts Tony to mention that she knows he is a crime boss. She reminds him that if she were to hear of a murder or intentional injury, she would be required to report the incident to authorities. Tony relies, nothin happened, we had coffee. The sarcastic narrative combined with the smirk on Tonys face perfectly sets up the sudden cut to the next scene where Tony hits the man with his nephews car and then proceeds to violently punch and kick the man. When Tony contracts with a Hasidic Jew to extort a div orce from the Jews son-in-law (episode 3), Tony discusses threatening the son-in-law with castration. Several scenes later, the viewer witnesses the assault on the son-in-law, and two scenes later, Tony gleefully describes the assault to Jackie Aprile, a high ranking mob boss. When Tony takes his daughter, Meadow, to her university interviews in New England (episode 5), he unexpectedly bumps into an ex-associate who testified in court against an old mob boss. In several subsequent scenes, Tony and his daughter discuss Tonys involvement in the Mafia. Tony continually downplays his role in criminal activity. Interspersed with these scenes are scenes of Tony planning and carrying out the murder of the ex-associate. These examples demonstrate how The Sopranos follows the television practice of tell them what will happen before it happens; tell them what is happening when it happens; tell them what happened after it happens (David Chase Interview, 2000). This practice elevates the violen ce to a central position where it becomes hopelessly interlaced with family struggles such as dealing with elderly parents (episode 2), illness (episode 3), choosing a College (episode 5), children acting out in school (episode 7), the safety of children from sexual predators (episode 9), and depression (episode 12). Conclusion For most Italians who have emigrated from Italy, remnants of Italian culture are still present within their lives. American writers and scholars use the term italianità ¡ to describe these remnants of culture that persist across geographical borders and time (Tamburri, Giordano, and Gardaphà ©, 1991). The use of italianità ¡ in The Sopranos was crucial to the shows success. After a century of media representation that links Italian culture to crime, italianità ¡ authenticates the story for the viewer and makes it all seem real. Similar to the sexual escapism provided by the Italian actresses of the 1950s (Benshoff Griffin, 2004), the use of Italian culture creates the ethnic other necessary to validate the extreme violence, sex, and criminal activity. The viewer remains safe with the notion that the illicit activities and uninhibited sexuality in The Sopranos are perpetrated by transplanted ethnic others, not by respectable, white Americans. Chase admits that The Sopranos helped realize his desire to produce feature films (David Chase Interview, 2000). Although each episode is only one hour in length, airing the series on HBO allowed broadcast without commercial interruption. This permitted the writers to abandon the common television drama structure of four-act scripts permitting slower plot development. Indeed, Chase claims that each episode in the first season is a separate complete movie, that continuation of story lines from one episode to the next was low priory during the writing process. As crucial as the ethnic other is to the authentication of the story, The Sopranos became exemplary of the ethnic assimilation port

What’s the Advantage and Disadvantage About Single Regulator

After the minibond debacle, it might be a favorable time to look at an new arrangement that whether single regulator could be a right way in the long term if financial institutions were providing unified multiple financial services. However, we have to study what’s the advantage and what’s the disadvantage. According to the UK’s financial services authority single regulator model, The advantage of single regulator is that Single regulator is efficient. It will be more efficient in allocating resources. A single regulator's position allows it to look across the entire financial industry and devote regulatory resources (both human as well as financial resources) to where they are most needed. Secondly, the United Kingdom’s FSA covers and unify a broad set of regulatory activities and the scope of its regulatory functions spread beyond main-stream financial services providers that reduce the overlap authority of different regulatory regimes Besides, we should also consider the disadvantage of using single regulator model, First, lack of adequate legal and regulatory foundations. When we need to use a unified single regulator to replace an existing regime of multiple regulators, we should ensure that a good legislative foundation include proper appeal processes and procedures. We believe that it would be a expensive process requiring different participants and creates large operating costs. Second, single regulator may cause merger-related difficulties. A major problem is merging the organisational culture of different regulatory bodies, each with different behavior and a particular method of working. If the merge is not well managed, it may cause the potential for internal conflicts leading and confuse between the regulators and the regulated institutions Third, it may reduce regulatory capacity. There is the possibility that having a single financial sector regulator could reduce the scope for innovation among providers of financial services. It may be difficult for such a regulator to remain capacity enough to keep up with the pace of change in the markets without the creativity and legitimate progress of participants and regulated entities.

What makes art art

Art is any form of self-expression. Art is something that is created that entertains, inspires, educates or makes a person feel something good, bad or unexplainable. Art is whatever the artist does or makes in which they deem to be art whether it is of value or not. There is a wide variety of art, some that people wouldn't imagine as art, but a true artist sees art in every creation. Art is everywhere and in everything I see. Art is not Just a painting, poem, drawing or a ballet. When I think of art I think of something somebody does to release their feelings.Different people express art in various ways. For example, someone who writes a love letter because they are unable to express their feelings through touch or emotion. Is this art? Watching Michael Jordan drive down the court and slam the ball. He was recognized for his unique ways for a reason. So, is this art? Making music, any type of music whether it is appealing to your ears or not. Is this art? All of these things are art to me. Art does not have to be beautiful or make you feel good to be defined as art; it is an expression of emotion.We are all artists in my eyes because we are all able to feel and create. All of life is art to me. When I think about art, its creator and the meaning of the creation I think the content is more Important then the context. I don't necessarily need to understand when and why it was created to form my opinion on whether or not I enjoy it. I like to find my own meaning and form my own opinion without knowing the background of the art. After I form my opinion I do like to research and find the artists meaning to see If I understood their expression without having it outlined.As an example I would like to reference Edward Sinkhole's piece, History as a Planter. Before doing any research on this piece I noticed the feet which I thought represented history and movement, the sign notating war I thought about struggle, and the plant, which I was perplexed until I did a little research. The plant Is a wondering Jew. So I was partially correct. From what I found out doing some light research, this piece of art Is symbolic of the way the artist views the history of the Jewish struggles.Art Is everywhere you look and such a huge part of our everyday, ring to explain a true definition Is almost Impossible or overwhelming. There Is Intentional art and accidental art. There are famous artists and artists as us. Take a look around you, everything you see Is art, and everything you see Is designed by someone. Yes, machines make things for us, but someone designed that piece or even designed that machine used to make that piece. Now, take another look around you. What Isn't art? Of the creation I think the content is more important then the context.I don't research and find the artists meaning to see if I understood their expression without trudge, and the plant, which I was perplexed until I did a little research. The plant is research, this piece of art is symbo lic of the way the artist views the history of the Jewish struggles. Art is everywhere you look and such a huge part of our everyday, trying to explain a true definition is almost impossible or overwhelming. There is intentional art and accidental art. There are famous artists and artists as us. Take a look around you, everything you see is art, and everything you see is designed by you.

Critical Evaluation of Articles by Russel (2005) and Brown...

Nottingham University Business School MSc Programmes [Research Methods for Finance and Investment] [Critical Evaluation of Articles by Russel (2005) and Brown et al. (2005)] [Konstantin Dambaev] Student ID: [4158276] Word count: 3007 (without headings), 3234 (with headings). COPY [1] It’s a question of trust: Balancing the relationship between students and teachers in ethnographic fieldwork Russell, L. 1. The researcher says that â€Å"[i]ntense observations in the classroom and playground area were completed †¦ [and] detailed observations were conducted in †¦ lessons† (p.184). What can you infer about the things she observed and the methods she used to record her observations? The author†¦show more content†¦2. The author is a â€Å"young ethnographer researching teenagers† (p.193). What difference does our knowledge of her age and other personal details make to the account? Ethnographic research implies that researcher is obtaining the data by observing researched people in their common environment and with common circumstances (Silverman, 2010). It has been discovered that this style of research requires trustful relationships between researcher and the researched, especially when the ethnography is made in the closed settings and access to researcher is granted from the head. In analyzed study permission was acquired exactly in this way, and Russell described a large number of problems related to establishment of trust and balancing between two sides: teachers and students. Cassell and Symon (2004) argue that gathering information in case of no trust in ethnographic research might be difficult. To prove that they provide an example of Westley (1970) study. In this research the author experienced a large number of obstacles, such as unwillingness to give an interview during his fieldwork in police organization in USA. All noted above directly relates to the question, because identity of the researcher is intricately linked to the problem of trust establishment. The fact, that the author at the time of fieldwork was much younger than teachingShow MoreRelatedBackground Inditex, One of the Worlds Largest Fashion Distributors, Has Eight Major Sales Formats - Zara, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home Y Kiddys Class- with 3.147 Stores in 70100262 Words   |  402 Pagesresearch. In the first section, Chapters 1-2, you will find the introduction to the topic and the research that will be presented in this book. In the second section, Chapters 3-9, the results from a desktop study based on an in-depth review of academic articles relevant to upstream CSR is presented. The ambition here is to provide the reader with a comprehensive and structured overview of the existing body of accumulated academic knowledge within this field. The third section, Chapters 10-11, reports on Read MoreErp Sap Research Paper46896 Words   |  188 PagesNAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS TITLES MIS: Brown/DeHayes/Hoffer /Martin/Perkins, Managing Information Technology 6/e  © 2009 JessuplValacich, Information Systems Today 31e  © 2008 Kr oenke, Using MIS 21e  © 2009 Kr oenke, Experiencing MIS  © 2008 Laudon/Laudon, Management Information Systems 10le  © 2007 Laudon/Laudon, Essentials of Management Information Systems 81e  © 2009 Luftman et aI., Managing the IT Resource  © 2004 Malaga, Information Systems Technology  © 2005 McKeen/Smith, IT Strategy in Action  © 2009Read MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagessocial environments F.1 Integration of project management processes [3.1] 6.5.2 Setting a schedule baseline [8.1.4] 6.5.3.1 Setting a resource schedule 6.5.2.4 Resource leveling 7.2 Setting a cost and time baseline schedule (1.3.5) [8.1.3] 6.5.2.3 Critical chain method Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Reducing Project Duration Leadership Chapter 2 Organization Strategy and Project Selection 1.4 Projects and programs (.2) 1.4.1 Managing the portfolio 1.4.3 Strategy and projects 2.3 Stakeholders and review