Prostitution Essay

Analyse How Prostitution Is Represented In British Television from 2000 Onwards. In Britain paying for sex is not illegal. But there are many laws criminalising the activities of prostitution. For years people have been arguing over what to do with the laws on prostitution. Recently, there have been many debates over the legality of it, and eventually stricter laws have been put in place to try and stop the act of prostitution. Under the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, it is illegal to incite prostitution or control it for your personal gain, banning the running of a brothel, making it illegal to loiter or solicit sex on the streets and the act of kerb crawling. Trafficking is also illegal. Other laws such as public nuisance are used to target the sex trade. Stricter laws are looking are being put in place that will give police the ability to close down more brothels, and licensing rules will change in regards to lap dancing and strip clubs to try and halt their expansion. Despite the many thousands of women involved in the sale of sexual services, and even greater numbers of men who purchase these services, research and publications on prostitution for much of the post-war period has been relatively limited. For most of this period the street trade has been largely confined to certain red light districts and therefore out of sight to the general public† (Matthews, 2008, page 1). Prostitution has always bee n an issue, but as Matthews states, out of sight is out of mind. Prostitution was bought to the public’s attention in the late 1980s when growing concerns were acknowledged including; â€Å"The spread of HIV and AIDS, the growth of prostitute support, increased public demands to control street prostitution, the growing preoccupation with trafficking and the visible increase in the number of foreign women involved in prostitution†, (Matthews, 2008, page 1). As well as people worrying about the growth of prostitution and trying to enforce stricter laws to stop it, there were people campaigning to decriminalise the act. During the 1980s a number of groups emerged that were trying to promote the rights of prostitutes. The ECP (English Collective of Prostitutes) in the UK, set out to legalise prostitution and normalise the issue. Prostitution is becoming a fast growing phenomenon; â€Å"In London, where prostitutes mainly operate behind closed doors, the number of street customers is estimated at 7,620 a week (Home Office 2004)†, (Monzini, 2005, page 9). Prostitution seems to be about the problems of relations between men and women, as well as to satisfy male urges. In Britain the typical male client is a man aged about 30, married and quite well off. If the clients are usually married then why are they seeking prostitutes? ; â€Å"It has been argued that men who are unsure of their capacity for relations with the opposite sex can escape what they feel as a burden of responsibility†¦ recourse to commercial sex often can be seen as a kind of revenge of reaffirmation, however temporary, of men over women†, (Monzini, 2005, page 10). Monzini is stating that men go with prostitutes to regain power that they have lost elsewhere. A lot of the time being lost in their own relationship. The customer wants to have complete control over the prostitute to make themselves feel stronger and more powerful, this can sometimes lead to violence against the prostitute when they do not comply to the customers needs, mostly being their insistence that the customer wears a condom. It’s been argued that people use prostitutes to act out sexual fantasies that will ‘undo’ the traumas of childhood; â€Å"Sexual fantasies perform a similar function in adulthood to that performed by daydreams in childhood. This time the fantasist is in control, and can direct the scenario towards and ultimately satisfying outcome- orgasm† (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 138). Prostitution is often seen as an escape from over complicated relations. When customers go with prostitutes they are trying to kid themselves that the connection is real; â€Å"Customers pick up street girls in their car, or go to places where they are given only a few minutes to do their business; there are even small hotels that rent rooms out not for an hour but for 5 minutes,† (Monzini, 2005, page 12). The sexual encounter is very short and suggests that in reality there is no connection between customer and prostitute. This can be seen in the television programme Secret Diary of a Call Girl, where Belle (Billie Piper) says; â€Å"Work out what the client wants as fast as you can and give it to him†, (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). Prostitutes are merely used for sex. There is no real connection or bond between them and the client. The client wants to have sex and feel wanted, while the prostitute just wants the money, so they try not to get involved. Trafficking has increased hugely in the recent years. Mainly women from across Europe are taken from their families and sent to other countries to work as various things, including sex workers. Data taken from the IOM (Anti-Trafficking Unit of the International Organisation for Migration) gave questionnaires to people that had been reported to the IOM to find out about their recruitment. 103 people trafficked themselves because of several reasons including, having been kidnapped, 5. 4%, through the use of the internet, television and newspapers, 7. 4%, sold by their family, 0. 5%, or personal reasons, 84. 1%. This data shows that most people began trafficking for their own reasons, but also shows that a huge number of them were forced into it one way or another. The Home Office estimates that there are between 6,000 and 18,000 trafficked women and girls being forc ed to work as prostitutes in the UK. An article found in the Telegraph newspaper tells of how young schoolgirls are being forced into prostitution; â€Å"The MP said he knew of cases in his Huddersfield constituency where girls first met young men, perhaps driving â€Å"flash cars† outside school who made the initial contact. They then took them out and introduced them to drink and drugs before embarking on a sexual relationship. The girl would believe they were with their first boyfriend but before long, older men would then take over, forcing them to have sex and selling them to others† (The Telegraph, 21st January 2009). Julia O’Connell Davidson suggests that people become prostitutes due to extreme, poor living conditions, and a bad way of life; â€Å"People will generally surrender such powers over their person to others only under very particular social, political and economic conditions- conditions which effectively limit their ‘choices’ to a set of alternatives which are not of their choosing. In some cases these relations present people with a stark ‘choice’ between abject poverty or prostitution, or between violence, even death, or prostitution†, (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 3). O’Connell Davidson is saying that people are using prostitution as an escape. It is very much a last resort for many people, who turn to the business for help and for money so that they can survive. For a lot of girls prostitution is a better way of living then their normal lives, where some may get beaten by family members or other such things. Research by Karen Sharpe shows other reasons as to why girls begin prostituting themselves; â€Å"Women were introduced to the profession, or at the very least were directly influenced or encouraged to turn to prostitution, by friends or other members of the family who were either currently involved, or who had previously been involved in, the prostitution business,† (Sharpe, 1998, Page 41). This is a whole separate issue. It shows that many girls are not choosing the life of prostitution as an escape but because they are forced into it. Another reason for turning to prostitution is about money. Many young girls are getting into the sex industry to pay their way through university or college. An article in the TimesOnline shows a study undertaken by Kingston University, which shows a 50% rise in the number of students resorting to prostitution or other jobs in the sex industry over the past six years. â€Å"In a survey that asked 130 students whether they knew any friends involved in the sex industry, one in 10 said they knew of students who had stripped, lapdanced or worked at massage parlours and escort agencies to support themselves. Just over 6% said they knew students who worked as prostitutes,† (Times Online, October 2006). This is a frightening amount of young people getting into the industry to get themselves out of trouble. Prostitution is not really a choice for most people anymore, it’s a way to survive. Finally the problems surrounding prostitution are being taken seriously, with plans being made to put in more laws to try and stop prostitution. With all this being put into motion comes the release of Secret Diary of a Call Girl, glamorising sex work and giving the impression that being a prostitute can be a good career choice for young women. September 2008 saw this programme aired on our televisions. It is based on a book called Belle De Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. The television show stars Billie Piper as Belle De Jour, the high class prostitute. The show bought in nearly two million viewers when the first episode was aired. Throughout the first series ratings fluctuated, ending the series with just under one million viewers. The second series never reached one million. So why the sudden drop in ratings? Only 8 complaints were filed after the show was first aired. Having watched the show it is clear to see that there is no real story line to it. Secret Diary only gives an insight into sex work through an agent; there is no realism to the show. Belle seems to live a very glamorous life. She was not forced into prostitution because she was homeless or poor like so many others are, but instead she chose the career path for herself; â€Å"So why do I do it? Well, because I love sex and I love money† (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). In a year Belle earnt over ? 100,000. Young girls watching the show with money problems or children to support could easily get the idea that being a prostitute is not such a bad thing. The show offers no realistic view of street prostitution and the dangers of it. While Belle has an agent who she checks in with after meeting every client it does not assure her safety. In episode 6 of series 1, she encounters a slight problem with a client. When she goes to call her agent he turns nasty; â€Å"I don’t want you to call anyone. I’ve paid for you. Please take your clothes off,† (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). Many researchers on the subject of prostitution suggest that one of the reasons men buy sex is to do with power; â€Å"Buying sex as an exercise of power for disempowered men,† (Sanders, 2008, Page 40). Sanders is suggesting that men are purchasing sex because they have lost power elsewhere in their lives and paying someone to do what you tell them to is a way for men to regain the power. This is a possible explanation for why the man in Secret Diary got angry because Belle was not doing as she was told, making the client feel belittled, as he no longer has the power. Secret Diary of a Call Girl is not a very good representative of the industry of sex work. It only gives an insight into the work of escorts and is based on the stories of one girl. Crimefighters- The Vice, was aired on television in 2008. It is a series following a vice squad around Nottingham who are tackling the problem of street prostitution. In one particular episode (23rd October) a man is caught with a prostitute in a park late at night. In another episode (27th September) a man is caught in an alleyway with a prostitute. The programme offers a realistic insight into the work of street prostitution and how bad it really is. Men are paying ? 10-? 20 to have sex with these women in dark, dingy parks, down grotty alleyways and even in front of people’s houses. One episode shows the vice squad interviewing everal prostitutes from around the area and finding out how they really feel about it. The general consensus from them is that they are ashamed of themselves and would rather be doing anything else but prostituting themselves. One prostitute has been in the industry for 15 years and has averaged 10-15 men a day. This being true she would have slept with over 75,000 men in her time as a prostitute. In respon se to this she says; â€Å"It is just a job,† (Crimefighters, 2008). She has been prostituting herself for so long now that she does not seem to have any real feelings towards the job in hand. After watching this episode it is clear to see that most of the women in the area began prostituting themselves because they are homeless and addicted to drugs or have children to support. But the money they do make goes straight on more drugs. These prostitutes are spending up to ? 200 a day on drugs and the money they are making is going straight on more drugs. It is a vicious circle that they will not get out of without help. Unlike Belle, these women hate their jobs; â€Å"They make my skin crawl. I’m not out here for fun. I can’t stand them touching me,† (Crimefighters, 2008). This shows that these prostitutes are selling themselves because they have no other choice. They become reliant upon the money they are making that they cannot get themselves out of it. Street prostitution is dangerous. Crimefighters helps to show that there are dangers to being a prostitute and that people can turn nasty. ; â€Å"I could get picked up one day and chucked out in a ditch†, (Crimefighters, 2008). One prostitute said this on the programme. Clearly there is a danger to selling your body on the streets, as there is no one looking after your well being. Research has shown that women get pushed into prostitution for one reason or another and are then too afraid to stop selling themselves because they are scared of being killed by whoever is controlling them; â€Å"[JP: Why didn’t you just stop giving him the money and stop seeing him? ] Coz he’d kill me. He’d beat the hell out of me. I know that. You just know it at the back of your mind. It’s easier to just do what he wants† (Margie, aged 32). [â€Å"JP: Why didn’t you go to the police about him? ] Coz I’ve felt his punches. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if I did, coz wherever I go he’d hunt me down† (Sammy, aged 18). If you haven’t got their money- the money they want- you’ve had it. You could end up dead† (Patsy, aged 42) (Phoenix, 1999, Page 162). These comments from former prostitutes in Phoenix’s book show just how dangerous prostitution can be. Secret Diary of a Call Girl does not show the dangers of prostitution and is a poor portrayal of what it is like to sell yourself. Research says that men have discovered that they can use their genitalia as a weapon of force. â€Å"Men discovered that they could rape and women discovered that they ‘could not retaliate in kind’,†(O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 119). Over 300,000 women are raped a year. Prostitutes are raped on average 8-10 times a year and are constantly at risk of violence. Men can get very nasty if they are not given what they want, which is the main danger for prostitutes. O’Connell Davidson goes on to argue that; â€Å"Rape became not only a male prerogative, but man’s basic weapon of force against women, the principal agent of his will and fear,† (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 119. ) In conclusion, Secret Diary of a Call Girl is not a fair representation of prostitution. In a world where more laws are being put into place to stop the legality of paying for sex, there really is no room for television shows glamorising the work of the sex industry. Although the portrayal of working in the escort business is reasonably accurate, it does not account for street prostitution, an act of the sex industry that is growing bigger and increasingly more dangerous; â€Å"The client will participate in the sex market if his willingness to pay for the first unit of prostitution exceeds the price of prostitution,† (Giusta, 2008, Page 20). This shows that men are only willing to pay as much as is parallel to their want of sex. In countries with an uneven income distribution and discrimination in the labour market, where the clients are typically rich and the possible sex workers are poor, we should expect more sex sold at lower prices†, (Giusta, 2008, Page 32). Giusta is telling us that more men are likely to pay less for sex. Meaning that the number of c lients using street prostitutes is likely to incline, causing a massive problem for our society. In London alone there are 7,620 street clients a week. Unless it is made illegal to pay for sex, this problem is only going to get worse. Prostitution Essay Analyse How Prostitution Is Represented In British Television from 2000 Onwards. In Britain paying for sex is not illegal. But there are many laws criminalising the activities of prostitution. For years people have been arguing over what to do with the laws on prostitution. Recently, there have been many debates over the legality of it, and eventually stricter laws have been put in place to try and stop the act of prostitution. Under the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, it is illegal to incite prostitution or control it for your personal gain, banning the running of a brothel, making it illegal to loiter or solicit sex on the streets and the act of kerb crawling. Trafficking is also illegal. Other laws such as public nuisance are used to target the sex trade. Stricter laws are looking are being put in place that will give police the ability to close down more brothels, and licensing rules will change in regards to lap dancing and strip clubs to try and halt their expansion. Despite the many thousands of women involved in the sale of sexual services, and even greater numbers of men who purchase these services, research and publications on prostitution for much of the post-war period has been relatively limited. For most of this period the street trade has been largely confined to certain red light districts and therefore out of sight to the general public† (Matthews, 2008, page 1). Prostitution has always bee n an issue, but as Matthews states, out of sight is out of mind. Prostitution was bought to the public’s attention in the late 1980s when growing concerns were acknowledged including; â€Å"The spread of HIV and AIDS, the growth of prostitute support, increased public demands to control street prostitution, the growing preoccupation with trafficking and the visible increase in the number of foreign women involved in prostitution†, (Matthews, 2008, page 1). As well as people worrying about the growth of prostitution and trying to enforce stricter laws to stop it, there were people campaigning to decriminalise the act. During the 1980s a number of groups emerged that were trying to promote the rights of prostitutes. The ECP (English Collective of Prostitutes) in the UK, set out to legalise prostitution and normalise the issue. Prostitution is becoming a fast growing phenomenon; â€Å"In London, where prostitutes mainly operate behind closed doors, the number of street customers is estimated at 7,620 a week (Home Office 2004)†, (Monzini, 2005, page 9). Prostitution seems to be about the problems of relations between men and women, as well as to satisfy male urges. In Britain the typical male client is a man aged about 30, married and quite well off. If the clients are usually married then why are they seeking prostitutes? ; â€Å"It has been argued that men who are unsure of their capacity for relations with the opposite sex can escape what they feel as a burden of responsibility†¦ recourse to commercial sex often can be seen as a kind of revenge of reaffirmation, however temporary, of men over women†, (Monzini, 2005, page 10). Monzini is stating that men go with prostitutes to regain power that they have lost elsewhere. A lot of the time being lost in their own relationship. The customer wants to have complete control over the prostitute to make themselves feel stronger and more powerful, this can sometimes lead to violence against the prostitute when they do not comply to the customers needs, mostly being their insistence that the customer wears a condom. It’s been argued that people use prostitutes to act out sexual fantasies that will ‘undo’ the traumas of childhood; â€Å"Sexual fantasies perform a similar function in adulthood to that performed by daydreams in childhood. This time the fantasist is in control, and can direct the scenario towards and ultimately satisfying outcome- orgasm† (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 138). Prostitution is often seen as an escape from over complicated relations. When customers go with prostitutes they are trying to kid themselves that the connection is real; â€Å"Customers pick up street girls in their car, or go to places where they are given only a few minutes to do their business; there are even small hotels that rent rooms out not for an hour but for 5 minutes,† (Monzini, 2005, page 12). The sexual encounter is very short and suggests that in reality there is no connection between customer and prostitute. This can be seen in the television programme Secret Diary of a Call Girl, where Belle (Billie Piper) says; â€Å"Work out what the client wants as fast as you can and give it to him†, (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). Prostitutes are merely used for sex. There is no real connection or bond between them and the client. The client wants to have sex and feel wanted, while the prostitute just wants the money, so they try not to get involved. Trafficking has increased hugely in the recent years. Mainly women from across Europe are taken from their families and sent to other countries to work as various things, including sex workers. Data taken from the IOM (Anti-Trafficking Unit of the International Organisation for Migration) gave questionnaires to people that had been reported to the IOM to find out about their recruitment. 103 people trafficked themselves because of several reasons including, having been kidnapped, 5. 4%, through the use of the internet, television and newspapers, 7. 4%, sold by their family, 0. 5%, or personal reasons, 84. 1%. This data shows that most people began trafficking for their own reasons, but also shows that a huge number of them were forced into it one way or another. The Home Office estimates that there are between 6,000 and 18,000 trafficked women and girls being forc ed to work as prostitutes in the UK. An article found in the Telegraph newspaper tells of how young schoolgirls are being forced into prostitution; â€Å"The MP said he knew of cases in his Huddersfield constituency where girls first met young men, perhaps driving â€Å"flash cars† outside school who made the initial contact. They then took them out and introduced them to drink and drugs before embarking on a sexual relationship. The girl would believe they were with their first boyfriend but before long, older men would then take over, forcing them to have sex and selling them to others† (The Telegraph, 21st January 2009). Julia O’Connell Davidson suggests that people become prostitutes due to extreme, poor living conditions, and a bad way of life; â€Å"People will generally surrender such powers over their person to others only under very particular social, political and economic conditions- conditions which effectively limit their ‘choices’ to a set of alternatives which are not of their choosing. In some cases these relations present people with a stark ‘choice’ between abject poverty or prostitution, or between violence, even death, or prostitution†, (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 3). O’Connell Davidson is saying that people are using prostitution as an escape. It is very much a last resort for many people, who turn to the business for help and for money so that they can survive. For a lot of girls prostitution is a better way of living then their normal lives, where some may get beaten by family members or other such things. Research by Karen Sharpe shows other reasons as to why girls begin prostituting themselves; â€Å"Women were introduced to the profession, or at the very least were directly influenced or encouraged to turn to prostitution, by friends or other members of the family who were either currently involved, or who had previously been involved in, the prostitution business,† (Sharpe, 1998, Page 41). This is a whole separate issue. It shows that many girls are not choosing the life of prostitution as an escape but because they are forced into it. Another reason for turning to prostitution is about money. Many young girls are getting into the sex industry to pay their way through university or college. An article in the TimesOnline shows a study undertaken by Kingston University, which shows a 50% rise in the number of students resorting to prostitution or other jobs in the sex industry over the past six years. â€Å"In a survey that asked 130 students whether they knew any friends involved in the sex industry, one in 10 said they knew of students who had stripped, lapdanced or worked at massage parlours and escort agencies to support themselves. Just over 6% said they knew students who worked as prostitutes,† (Times Online, October 2006). This is a frightening amount of young people getting into the industry to get themselves out of trouble. Prostitution is not really a choice for most people anymore, it’s a way to survive. Finally the problems surrounding prostitution are being taken seriously, with plans being made to put in more laws to try and stop prostitution. With all this being put into motion comes the release of Secret Diary of a Call Girl, glamorising sex work and giving the impression that being a prostitute can be a good career choice for young women. September 2008 saw this programme aired on our televisions. It is based on a book called Belle De Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. The television show stars Billie Piper as Belle De Jour, the high class prostitute. The show bought in nearly two million viewers when the first episode was aired. Throughout the first series ratings fluctuated, ending the series with just under one million viewers. The second series never reached one million. So why the sudden drop in ratings? Only 8 complaints were filed after the show was first aired. Having watched the show it is clear to see that there is no real story line to it. Secret Diary only gives an insight into sex work through an agent; there is no realism to the show. Belle seems to live a very glamorous life. She was not forced into prostitution because she was homeless or poor like so many others are, but instead she chose the career path for herself; â€Å"So why do I do it? Well, because I love sex and I love money† (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). In a year Belle earnt over ? 100,000. Young girls watching the show with money problems or children to support could easily get the idea that being a prostitute is not such a bad thing. The show offers no realistic view of street prostitution and the dangers of it. While Belle has an agent who she checks in with after meeting every client it does not assure her safety. In episode 6 of series 1, she encounters a slight problem with a client. When she goes to call her agent he turns nasty; â€Å"I don’t want you to call anyone. I’ve paid for you. Please take your clothes off,† (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). Many researchers on the subject of prostitution suggest that one of the reasons men buy sex is to do with power; â€Å"Buying sex as an exercise of power for disempowered men,† (Sanders, 2008, Page 40). Sanders is suggesting that men are purchasing sex because they have lost power elsewhere in their lives and paying someone to do what you tell them to is a way for men to regain the power. This is a possible explanation for why the man in Secret Diary got angry because Belle was not doing as she was told, making the client feel belittled, as he no longer has the power. Secret Diary of a Call Girl is not a very good representative of the industry of sex work. It only gives an insight into the work of escorts and is based on the stories of one girl. Crimefighters- The Vice, was aired on television in 2008. It is a series following a vice squad around Nottingham who are tackling the problem of street prostitution. In one particular episode (23rd October) a man is caught with a prostitute in a park late at night. In another episode (27th September) a man is caught in an alleyway with a prostitute. The programme offers a realistic insight into the work of street prostitution and how bad it really is. Men are paying ? 10-? 20 to have sex with these women in dark, dingy parks, down grotty alleyways and even in front of people’s houses. One episode shows the vice squad interviewing everal prostitutes from around the area and finding out how they really feel about it. The general consensus from them is that they are ashamed of themselves and would rather be doing anything else but prostituting themselves. One prostitute has been in the industry for 15 years and has averaged 10-15 men a day. This being true she would have slept with over 75,000 men in her time as a prostitute. In respon se to this she says; â€Å"It is just a job,† (Crimefighters, 2008). She has been prostituting herself for so long now that she does not seem to have any real feelings towards the job in hand. After watching this episode it is clear to see that most of the women in the area began prostituting themselves because they are homeless and addicted to drugs or have children to support. But the money they do make goes straight on more drugs. These prostitutes are spending up to ? 200 a day on drugs and the money they are making is going straight on more drugs. It is a vicious circle that they will not get out of without help. Unlike Belle, these women hate their jobs; â€Å"They make my skin crawl. I’m not out here for fun. I can’t stand them touching me,† (Crimefighters, 2008). This shows that these prostitutes are selling themselves because they have no other choice. They become reliant upon the money they are making that they cannot get themselves out of it. Street prostitution is dangerous. Crimefighters helps to show that there are dangers to being a prostitute and that people can turn nasty. ; â€Å"I could get picked up one day and chucked out in a ditch†, (Crimefighters, 2008). One prostitute said this on the programme. Clearly there is a danger to selling your body on the streets, as there is no one looking after your well being. Research has shown that women get pushed into prostitution for one reason or another and are then too afraid to stop selling themselves because they are scared of being killed by whoever is controlling them; â€Å"[JP: Why didn’t you just stop giving him the money and stop seeing him? ] Coz he’d kill me. He’d beat the hell out of me. I know that. You just know it at the back of your mind. It’s easier to just do what he wants† (Margie, aged 32). [â€Å"JP: Why didn’t you go to the police about him? ] Coz I’ve felt his punches. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if I did, coz wherever I go he’d hunt me down† (Sammy, aged 18). If you haven’t got their money- the money they want- you’ve had it. You could end up dead† (Patsy, aged 42) (Phoenix, 1999, Page 162). These comments from former prostitutes in Phoenix’s book show just how dangerous prostitution can be. Secret Diary of a Call Girl does not show the dangers of prostitution and is a poor portrayal of what it is like to sell yourself. Research says that men have discovered that they can use their genitalia as a weapon of force. â€Å"Men discovered that they could rape and women discovered that they ‘could not retaliate in kind’,†(O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 119). Over 300,000 women are raped a year. Prostitutes are raped on average 8-10 times a year and are constantly at risk of violence. Men can get very nasty if they are not given what they want, which is the main danger for prostitutes. O’Connell Davidson goes on to argue that; â€Å"Rape became not only a male prerogative, but man’s basic weapon of force against women, the principal agent of his will and fear,† (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 119. ) In conclusion, Secret Diary of a Call Girl is not a fair representation of prostitution. In a world where more laws are being put into place to stop the legality of paying for sex, there really is no room for television shows glamorising the work of the sex industry. Although the portrayal of working in the escort business is reasonably accurate, it does not account for street prostitution, an act of the sex industry that is growing bigger and increasingly more dangerous; â€Å"The client will participate in the sex market if his willingness to pay for the first unit of prostitution exceeds the price of prostitution,† (Giusta, 2008, Page 20). This shows that men are only willing to pay as much as is parallel to their want of sex. In countries with an uneven income distribution and discrimination in the labour market, where the clients are typically rich and the possible sex workers are poor, we should expect more sex sold at lower prices†, (Giusta, 2008, Page 32). Giusta is telling us that more men are likely to pay less for sex. Meaning that the number of c lients using street prostitutes is likely to incline, causing a massive problem for our society. In London alone there are 7,620 street clients a week. Unless it is made illegal to pay for sex, this problem is only going to get worse.

My Idea of Leadership

My idea of leadership without dominating is being able to inspire others, motivate, set a vision, communicate, and of course respect others. A leader must have an honest understanding of who they are, what they know, and what they are capable of. To be a successful leader, you have to be able to convince your followers, not just yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed. In my opinion, this can build confidence in your followers to have faith in you, in order to be able to lead. I strongly believe that good leaders are made rather, and not born.If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders are developed through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience. My personal experience as a volunteer with the Kids against Hunger Program has allowed me to demonstrate being a leader without dominating the event. As a volunteer, I often would work with people with different capabilities and personalit ies. I learned if you respected the ideas of others they would respect you and often times my thoughts and suggestions would set the tone of the initiative and others would follow.As a student you take on many responsibilities to include attending school, the completion of assignments on time, and studying. Responsibility means that I will show up to school on time and ready to learn; I will pay attention in class and I will be responsible for making sure I am participating in class and not relying on others to get me through. I realize that being responsible does not always mean that I will always accomplish my goals, but being responsible and oriented helps me to better accomplish the tasks ahead of me.I take total responsibility for my life and would rather succeed than fail. A successful leader is one that is responsible; knows their strengths and weakness and is able to set realistic and attainable goals. Attendance is a frame of mind and a leadership characteristic in that you r desire to learn sets you a part from others. This is the frame of mind I strive for on a daily basis. Participating in classroom discussions, volunteering at my part time job to taking on added responsibilities, to being a team player in DECA and helping with fund raising for children that have muscular dystrophy.My experience has taught me that community involvement can lead to leadership roles. Often times when you step forward and out of your comfort zone you are being your self-worth for the type of individual you will be in the future. A recent group project in History class is a good example where each individual had specific responsibilities; however without an individual leader our group was unable to organize our ideas. I took this opportunity to step forward and volunteered to become the group leader, obtaining the cooperation of the other team members, which ultimately lead to our successful completion.

Final Trading Report using TradeStation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Final Trading Report using TradeStation - Essay Example SU14), this report provided a clear rationale on why the trader chose to â€Å"buy† or â€Å"sell† and/or â€Å"put† or â€Å"call† in each of the completed trade. In most cases, the use of fundamental analysis alone is not sufficient in terms of enabling the trader to accurately determine where the price level of each trade will be heading. Therefore, each trade decision was made based on both technical and fundamental analysis. Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... 2 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... 3 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5 2. Trading Logs ........................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Trade Equities/Options ............................................................................. 5 2.1.1 September 4, 2013 ...................................................................... 6 2.1.2 September 5, 2013 ...................................................................... 6 2.1.3 September 10, 2013 ...................................................................... ... .................................................................. 12 2.3 Futures ..................................................................................................... 12 2.3.1 September 5, 2013 .................................................................... 13 2.3.2 September 6, 2013 .................................................................... 13 3 Reflection on Financial and Economic Theory ...................................................... 13 4 Reflection on the Use of Technology .................................................................... 17 5 Conclusion and Recommendations ........................................................................ 18 References ........................................................................................................................... 20 - 23 Appendix I – Entire Day Logs – 9/4/2013........................................................................... 24 Appendix II – Order Confirmation, Trend of the Candlesticks, and Order Status of USD/JPY – 9/4/2013........................................................... 25 Appendix III – Order Confirmation, Trend of the Candlesticks, and Order Status of USD/CHF – 9/4/2013 ......................................................... 30 Appendix IV – Order Confirmation, Trend of the Candlesticks, and Order Status of USD/JPY – 9/5/2013 .......................................................... 32 Appendix V – Order Confirmation, Trend of the Candlesticks, and Order Status of USD/CHF – 9/5/2013 .................................................................................... 37 Appendix VI – Order Confirmation, Trend of the Candlesticks, and Order Status of DOW – 9/5/2013

Marketing to Uncle Sam- Contract administration and management Essay

Marketing to Uncle Sam- Contract administration and management - Essay Example A good example of an aspect that has been developed for vendors by GSA is the Vendor Toolbox. This entails a collection of resources that assist the vendors in deciding whether having a GSA Schedule is their priority (Stanberry, 2012). A Vendor Toolbox is made up of three major steps. These include research, analyze and decide. One of the notable methods that I would use to market my products or services to the US government is through internet. In its effort to ensure effective communication and coordination among its agencies, the US government has ensured that every federal agency has a website. Thus, as an owner of a small business I should as a first step visit such websites. In this way I will become aware of the services that are demanded by the agencies. Through the use of FedBizOpps, I will be in a position to identify the federal procurements that are available. My preference for websites and FedBizOpps is based on the fact that each business day, large numbers of notices are posted on the agencies

Are americans overtaxed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Are americans overtaxed - Essay Example In the book ‘Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Political Issues’, the authors George McKenna and Stanley Feingold have adopted a very good approach to dealing with many of the issues that are the subject of frequent political and public debates. After giving a brief explanation, they attach articles and writings from thinkers and essayists about the issues- one taking a ‘pro’ or positive stance and the other taking a ‘con’ or negative view point of the same issue. In this way by reading about the issue from both sides we become more informed not only about the issue at hand but the reasons why some people are in favor of it while others are against it. We begin to understand the whole issue better by looking at its different aspects, their dimensions and its effects. Writing in favor of less taxation, in his piece called ‘Seven Myths About Taxing the Rich’ (McKenna & Feingold, 222), Curtis Dubay says that President Obama wants to raise the upper two tax brackets from 33 and 35 percent to 36 and 39.6 percent respectively, thereby impacting their after tax incomes or returns on investment. Dubay argues that there is a need to lower taxes across the board and do away with special tax benefits that serve the rich. But that is only one aspect of the problem. If we have to spend millions of dollars on the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, it will continue pushing our expenses and debt levels sky high. So it makes no sense to tax hard working Americans while those in Congress make the wrong decisions about spending. We will need to rein back on needless spending and put in some more austerity measures on a personal level where politicians need to lead by their own example. Writing in favor of taxing the rich more, Steve Brouwer states in ‘If We Decided to Tax the Rich’ (McKenna & Feingold, 228) that over the years, there has been a

Florida Nurse Practice Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Florida Nurse Practice Act - Essay Example Despite all the hue and cry, these rules and regulations make eminent sense- for taking the responsibility of care of another human being should include reasonable facets like confidentiality, consent and others that are part of the general discipline of nursing. This paper will discuss the important provisions of the Florida Nursing Act. Discussion The Florida Nursing Act was passed in 2002. The sole purpose of this Act is to regulate the conduct of nursing and ensure that every nurse practising in the State of Florida shall meet the minimum requirements for safe practice of the profession. Nurses who fail to show the minimum standard of competency thereby posing a danger to the health and survival of patients or the general public shall be prohibited from continuing to practice in Florida. Incumbents wishing to become Registered Nurses under the Act must meet the minimum educational requirements, completed the requirements for graduation from a recognized institution and take the r equired examination on payment of the required fee. On successful completion of the examination, he or she will be certified to practice as a Registered Nurse or Licensed Professional Nurse in Florida. In case one has moved to Florida from another State of the USA and wishes to practice as a Nurse in Florida, he or she must show a professional and valid license to practice nursing granted by that State.

ICT and technology for education Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

ICT and technology for education - Thesis Example Several research studies have concluded that the work of teachers is strenuous and time consuming. In order to provide a measure of relief, it is necessary to develop tools that can be used to monitor the activities and progress of their students. At present, there are a few tools that can be employed to obtain the data of students and to monitor their behaviour (Persico, Pozzi, & Sarti, 2010, p. 6). However, considerable research is required in this area; due to the inability of the existing tools to provide incomplete information. Of late, educators are using internet tools, such as wikis and blogs in their classroom teaching. This has had a tremendous impact on the students, who obtain an opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics with other students, across the world. The formality is much less and discussions tend to extend to topics that had not been pre-assigned. Blogging is not traditional writing, and it represents the personal opinions of the author. In most of the online educational blogs, students post according to their own interests. The massive interactions involved in posting on blogs, generates a vast network of interactions (Downes, 2005). This system resembles community practice, as visualised by Wenger. This will definitely have an effect on the personal development of the student. E – Learning is gaining popularity as it is proved to be effective in reflective and collaborative learning. There are some problems inherent in the e-learning process. Moreover, it is also important to d evelop research and practice in the e-learning process, in order to design and develop effective methods and tools to ensure collaborative learning (Persico, Pozzi, & Sarti, 2010, p. 6). Monitoring online learning activity is an important task Thus, there is a need to develop tools for the purpose of monitoring. In the CSCL environment, tutors perform the monitoring activity. The latter are indispensable in supervising the learning process, and they evaluate the performance and academic progress of students, by means of the monitor process (Persico, Pozzi, & Sarti, 2010, p. 6). As such, the monitoring process helps the student to learn in a directed manner, which in turn makes the learning process flawless. Another area of disseminating information is that of podcasting. Thus, websites like that of McMaster broadcast lectures by engineering professors. Furthermore, information regarding education and careers can be downloaded from the Internet. Publishers prepare the content for e-l earning, and students make use of it. Under these circumstances, e-learning systems resemble a blogging tool. It evolves into a personal learning centre and does not constitute an institutional or corporate application. The ELGG is an e – portfolio application that permits students to create and display their work. Such portfolios make it possible for students to collect, organise, interpret, and discuss information. E – portfolios promote professional development and motivate learners to demonstrate the outcome of their learning (Downes, 2005)E – learning has the capacity to improve or impoverish the educational provision. Computer assisted learning, in the initial stages, was merely

Like Water for Chocolate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Like Water for Chocolate - Essay Example According to the De La Garza family tradition, the last-born daughter was not supposed to marry, or she would do so after taking care of her mother until her death. This role fell into the hands of Tita, who happened to be last born. As the family doctor, I pitied the role Tita had gotten as her birth right. It was a tradition that was both selfish, on the mother’s part, and denied Tita equal opportunities like her sisters’. Being a doctor from the United States of America, I saw this as a major infringement on Tita’s rights. When Tita fell in love with a young man named Pedro, I saw this as a chance for her to escape from traditional bondage. I was highly disappointed when Pedro was denied her hand in marriage because Mama Elena disallowed the marriage citing tradition that Tita can only marry after she is dead (Esquivel 78). According to my opinion, Mama Elena’s mistreatment and cruelty on Tita on numerous occasions, represents the same kind of treatment the civilians were receiving from the dictatorship, in governance (Esquivel 43). When Mama Elena imposed the marriage of Rosaura to Pedro, instead of Tita, strengthened my perception of the country’s leadership that was strongly rooted, in a tradition, which it used to oppress the civilians. I yearned for the day Tita would stand up to her mother and do as she wished. When Gertrudis run away and get banished by her mother, she had to come back as a general with the revolution (Esquivel 98). This gave me hope that it would be a sign to Tita, and other women, in Mexico that they can stand up against oppression and triumph. The day Tita stood up against her mother’s ghost and banished it, gave me a piece of mind since it showed me that she had acquired enough strength to be rid of her mother’s domination once and for all. The death of Roberto, Rosaura and Pedro’s son was a blessing in disguise because it gave me another chance at love. I fell in love

The Reason of Enlightenment Essay Example for Free

The Reason of Enlightenment Essay Society today is in a paradox. Everything is infected with sameness and repetition. Every sensual experience of the individual is subjected to standardization. Acceptance is the key in success as the capitalist mode of production continually influences behaviour of the individual as well as society as a whole. The capitalist mode of production becomes a powerful tool in manipulating the masses as well as affecting the creative process of human consciousness. What matters for most cultural industries is not the creativity of products or mere understanding but rather a passive acceptance and monetary return. Society is the subject of the industry as it continually addresses the consumer’s concerns rather than society dictating the flow of the industry. Because of the industry’s ‘customized’ goods, society has no room for imagination, creativity, and understanding since these products already fit the ideal description. The culture industry also delimits the aesthetic aspect of human nature as the arts are also subjected to production and return of profit. The essence of art and creativity is lost and also become mere products of the industry. In Theodore Adorno and Max Horkheimer’s Dialectics of Enlightenment, the thinkers present a Social Critical Theory of the contemporary society and the adverse ideologies brought about by science, empiricism, and reason, all of which are products of the age of enlightenment. The Development of Critical Theory It is essential to mention the development of Social Critical Theory in lieu of the viewpoint that Adorno and Horkheimer used in their attempt to criticise the false notions brought about by the change in culture and the industry. Social Critical Theory has its roots from the Marxist ideologies that openly criticises the capitalism ideology (Ray 1993: ix). Marxism suggests that there is an imbalance with the structural social class as it is marginally separated by two polar opposites in society: the abusive bourgeoisie, and the proletariat or the working class. Marxist doctrine states that man’s essence is himself, and labour, which is the power to create, is merely an extension. At the presence of labour and society, man becomes a necessity or a commodity. If a poor man who has no material wealth, becomes a mere commodity at the presence of labour and exchanges the only thing he has – his essence. Man becomes for sale, while the rich get richer as they continue to capitalize on the plight of the poor man’s essence. From the Marxist doctrines, this social theory eventually separated into two – the revisionist and orthodox Marxist ideologies which retain the ideals of Marxism but differ in method. Marxist revisionist proposes a bloody revolution for the complete eradication of social classes (Ray 1992). Critical theory attempts to dig deeper into other existing binaries of ideologies and subvert them in such a way that the meta-narratives becomes petite. The rise of the Frankfurt school slightly deviated from the idea of criticising social norms but instead focused on the idea of the Enlightenment which paved the way for the development of science and technology. Frankfurt school thinkers such as Adorno and Horkheimer tackled the idea of the Enlightenment as a false notion in the development of society. The Frankfurt school of thought argues that essence and originality are lost as consumers are placidly fed with the same objects that satisfy them temporarily. The mass-produced products and ideas are transforming society into technocracy and docility – that society’s happiness is based on mass happiness rather than individual and subjective satisfaction. Science and technology ultimately enshrines efficiency and affectivity that dominate political governance so that we see a society ruled by technocrats. The industry forms culture rather than culture forming the industry. Critical Theory plays a significant part on the idea of how society aims to live life everyday. Critical theory also provides an opportunity to criticise fallacious social norms and allows the chance for discourse (Ray 1992). Adorno and Horkheimer In view of Adorno and Horkheimer’s The Dialectics of Enlightenment, the authors offer a clear and definitive implication of the 18th century Enlightenment movement and how it suppressed society in terms of ideologies and production. Enlightenment is understood as the advance of thought that aims to liberate human beings from â€Å"fear and installing them as Masters† (Adorno 1997: 1). This concept also shares similar ideas with Immanuel Kant’s summation of the Enlightenment during the 18th century. â€Å"Dare to Think! † was the banner of reason during those time (Ray 1992: 5). Reason should be used in order to individuate man, to dispel myth, to rid of fear of intellectual docility, and to provide the ability to know. Reason became the main weapon for this intellectual movement, as it attempted to break away from the mystical, dogmatic, and mythological foundations of knowledge. Adorno argues that the Enlightenment’s program was â€Å"to dispel myths, to overthrow fantasy with knowledge† (1997: 1). The formation of reason was a complete deviation from the rebirth of philosophical explorations of the Renaissance, which gave emphasis on the use of classical philosophy from Plato, Aristotle, and such. Enlightenment and reason were the foremost tenets of the movement and arguably countered the use of myth and mysticism as the basis of human knowledge. Reason led to the development of empiricism and science, the systematized thought of acquiring knowledge through observation, experimentation and synthesis. Knowledge, acquired through such methods, establishes man as the master of nature. However, Adorno states that this knowledge is abused by man himself as â€Å"knowledge, which is power, knows no limits, either in its enslavement of creation or in its deference to worldly masters† (1997: 2). Technology is the essence of such knowledge as it aims to manipulate concept into method and exploitation. To Adorno, technology does not provide concepts, ideas, or the simple joy of understanding, but rather suppresses the individual to docility. Further, Adorno explains the nature of Enlightenment as a movement dispelling the myths of old. As observed from the pre-Platonic and classical philosophers themselves, they were the ones who pioneered the use of reason or logos as the truthful method of acquiring knowledge rather than basing on mythological narration. As the development of reason became the foundation of science, man discarded meaning to be replaced by formula, causal rules, and probability. The obsession on the use of empirical basis as a method of acquiring universal truths led to the false formation of an industry that not only caters to the need of its consumers but also subjects them into docile and content buyers that guarantee success through monetary return (Ray 1992). The Culture industry, in essence, is the product of the false notion of Enlightenment and reason. Everything has to be proven in order to be verifiable and accepted. Laws, beliefs, and thinking are systematized; they are now bound to the governing laws of reason and empirical knowledge. Though the movement still has its positive effects on development, and the start of a radical change in thinking has definitely brought about breakthroughs in modern science and technology, it also has an adverse effect on society. Adorno suggests: â€Å"For culture now impresses the same stamp on everything† (1997: 120). This widespread movement also relates to the culture industry, where everything loses its individuality for the sake of standardization and acceptance in return for economic benefits of the industry. The whole world is passed through the filter of the culture industry. Everything is affected by such change. The formation of the industry in our context has becoming the mould in which culture is formed and trimmed. Things that had once an aesthetic value lose their real sheen and become mere cliches. Today, our actions fall under what we know as popular and will serve the general purpose of the culture industry: mass producing in order for the economy to function properly (Adorno, 1992: 8). The standardization of things that are produced in order to serve the general interest of the public is quite ironic. The public, which is supposed to be the providers in the economy, become the subjects of the industry itself. In turn, the industry is the big shot boss that makes use of every need of the employee in order to bloom. Society is then the false blood that gives life to the industry, which continues to exploit every aspect of our need, in order to grow and develop an unbreakable barrier in which our supposed-to-be powerful freedom may never break. By continuing to patronize what the industry keeps on producing, it then forms consciousness of popularity — the general idea that the mass accepts. â€Å"It is claimed that standards were based in the first place on consumer’s needs, and for that reason were accepted with so little resistance† (Adorno 1997: 100). The cycle continuous; from fashion trends, food, lifestyle, music, and the arts, these modes of expressions has fallen to this false notion of culture. It loses its identity to become a standard among the people that once used to uphold its individual essence. â€Å"The familiar experience of the moviegoer, who perceives the street outside as a continuation of the film he has just left, because the film seeks strictly to reproduce the world of everyday perception has become the guideline for production† (Adorno 1997: 99). What the people want to see is the continuation of the reality he lives in but only decreased to a lighter note as a means of escape from the hustle and bustle of the corporate world. Entertainment has become a means of escape. The only escape from the work process in the factory and office is through entertainment. Amusement then becomes boring, since to be amusing, it must cost no effort to think. The spectator must need no thoughts of his own. Amusement is then a mindless reel of farce that acts as a distraction from reality. It has no real meaning because the spectator does not need meaning in order to be distracted from the pressure of everyday work (Adorno 1997: ). The same goes with films. â€Å"Film denies its audience any dimension in which the mind might roam freely in imagination† (Adorno 1997: 100). Movies present an alternate reality as a means of escape from the business of the industry. Man, tired from work, resorts to amusement and film to produce a necessitated concept of another reality. That it presents the ideal world inside the theatre and the moviegoer is presented with reality after the film is finished. Thus, films in our context today serve as a basis of lifestyle. From the alternate reality presented by the movies, human behaviour is influenced through an unconscious effort of influence. The industry, apart from the standardized goods and ideologies, also feed the only retribution of man from the pressure of material capitalism. Ideas and concepts are also manipulated to standardization. Thus, placidity is not also applied in the individual’s actions but also to the natural system of consciousness and thought. The ultimate purpose then is for benefit and popularity rather than the art of making a movie. That is why the formation of indie (independent) films attempts to break from such typical notions of Hollywood movies in order to preserve the real essence of movie-making. However, in comparison to major blockbuster films, indie films never achieved the same level of popularity and income even though the indie directors and producers never intended for their movie to be even recognized. That is because such actions are against what is generally accepted and popular. The Madness of Music As a student of music himself, Adorno characterizes the notions brought about the effect of the culture industry with regard the arts, especially on music. He characterizes popular music from serious music. Music is defined as the arrangement and accordance to its form and arrangement. To Adorno, classical music is considered as serious music, for it strictly follows the laws from which they are based and made. The rigidity in the discipline makes the composition itself bound to the parameters of perfection; hence, music is a masterpiece. It follows time signature, tempo, harmony, tone construction, etc. that when such composition is first heard, it is appreciated as a whole and even more appreciated when the parts are examined specifically. On the other hand, the distinction between serious music and popular music lies within its formative structure. Popular music, based on the culture industry’s precepts, capitalizes on standardization. Pop music is predictable upon close observation. Its predictability lies with its musical structure. At first, it may fool the listener of its catchy and creative theme, but, contrary to serious music when parts are examined specifically, its harmonics are built on simple and almost simplistic tone structure that it cannot be left alone without the other. The essence of the music is lost as it lacks the qualities of a ‘serious’ music that may have otherwise refined its colour (Adorno 1997: 104). In our present context, the rise of the music industry has become the ambition for most music artists today. Songs are composed in order to gain widespread popularity, especially among the youth. If we are to look closely at each band’s composition and harmony of their songs, it has rather simple arrangement of chords and repetition of melody from the start up until the beginning. The flimsy form of the music is compensated by the loud execution and performance of their songs and electrifying guitar solos in order to cover up the repetition. It lacks creativity and limits the music to only a few chords. Plus, such simplicity is also the key of some rock bands of not ‘making it’ or not enduring an imprint of legacy from their music. They only enjoy a brief period of popularity that does not leave a lasting impression on the target audience they wish to capture. Standardization extends from the most general features to the most specific ones. Pop music is refined to suit the untrained ear of the masses. It is also mass-produced in order for the artist and the recording company to achieve its benefits. In order for people to like it, music is arranged which is appealing to the public, for music, the same with art, cannot be reproduced without any guarantee of economic remuneration. Novelty and creative are not emphasized since novelty cannot be applied to what is already standard and generally accepted by the people. It is also a form of entertainment and escape; simplified and catchy so as to serve a distraction rather than stimulating oneself in Symphonies or Sonatas (Adorno 1997: 101). Ultimately, for Adorno, the main point of the critique is focused on the development of the individual’s creative tendencies – especially on the arts. According to Witkin, Adorno did not give a blatant connotation that to appreciate art means sophistication in the individual’s part but rather the use of the arts as perpetuated in the industry. â€Å"However, it was not skill or talent that mattered to him, here, but the interests it served and the use to which it was put† (Witkin 2003: 2). As the age of Enlightenment ushered in the development of science, the process of acquiring knowledge developed from a mystical and contextual approach to an empirical and experiential process. Ironically, enlightenment meant that the individual is self-aware of his or her own actions and liberated of fear from the human consciousness. However, as science led the way to the development of newer systems of thought, it produced the development of media (film, music, print) that became ‘standard’ products of consumption. To Adorno and Horkheimer, society becomes placid consumers to these forms; music becomes ‘popular’ and depends on record-breaking sales in order to sell. Films present an alternative to reality, distracting the individual from the bustle of the industry as a means of escape, and print/visual media becomes accessible to all. What the culture industry produces consequently influences behaviour. Standardization in the culture industry meant that the process of invention and innovation is in lieu with the needs of society. What society wants, the industry produces. Freedom, according to the Dialectics of Enlightenment, is sacrificed, as consumers are ‘tamed’ into cooperation. Thus, the industry thrives on income and profit, without any thought or conscience. For the industry, it does not matter for the products to be morally or ethically acceptable as long as the consumer accepts it and benefits the industry in turn. Contemporary Critique The pioneering efforts of Adorno and Horkheimer in the critique of the culture industry gave rise to the formation of contemporary theories on the said subject. On the subject of the culture industry’s critique, David Hesmondhalgh provides a technical explanation of the processes the culture industry undergoes. His arguments retain the critique presented by Adorno but focus more on the shift changes and patterns of continuity in the cultural industries. Hesmondhalgh presents a different viewpoint on Adorno’s subject, as he attempts to bridge the cultural industry as a main distributor of information as well as an unconscious influence over society. Today, cultural industries have changed radically. â€Å"The largest companies no longer specialise in a particular cultural industry such as film, publishing, television, or recording; they now operate across a number of different cultural industries† (Hesmondhalgh 2002: 1). The scope of the cultural industry is not anymore specified into one criterion of the arts; rather, through the development of technology and information systems, the industry now focuses on print, media, and information through the internet, publications, etc. However, contrary to Adorno’s viewpoint, the cultural industries and the goods that it produces, according Hesmondhalgh, are â€Å"complex, ambivalent, and contested† (2002: 3). He argues that the text and information disseminated by the industry do not adhere to the doctrine of capitalism or structured domination. In addition, Hesmondhalgh also differs from the arguments presented by Adorno that the culture industry subjects consumers into passivity, wherein there is no room for the imagination to play. Adorno gives importance to the deeper aesthetic appreciation of art, which he differentiated into ‘serious’ and ‘popular’. For Hesmondhalgh however, there is still creativity in the cultural industry: â€Å"The invention and/or performances of stories, songs, images, poems, jokes, and so on, in no matter what technological form, involves a particular type of creativity – the manipulation of symbols for the purposes of entertainment, information and perhaps even, enlightenment† (2002: 4). Further, he separates art into symbolic creativity and artists into symbol creators and these different kinds of artists reflect the extremities of society in which they live in (2002: 4) Paradoxical Ideology In the Dialectics of Enlightenment, society has this unanswered and unnoticed threat growing in the background. The industry and the generally ‘popular’ things are becoming the basis of everyday life. Adorno and Horkheimer suggest that popular culture is like a â€Å"factory producing standardized cultural goods to manipulate the masses into passivity; the easy pleasures available through consumption of popular culture make people docile and content, no matter how difficult their economic circumstances† (Adorno 1997: n. p. ). The different viewpoints presented by contemporary thinkers support the arguments presented by Adorno, contradict them, or simply expound the different ideologies and applying it into a more modern perspective. Hesmondhalgh especially notes the cultural industry’s motivation in cultivating imagination and creativity for there is still creativity through innovation of new ideas and symbols even though they ultimately influence society in the end. However, the main idea still exists — that the culture industry is a by-product of the Enlightenment and the capitalist mode of production. Hesmondhalgh’s arguments still present the ideas of capitalist multinational corporations that manipulate symbols in order to disseminate such into society. His use of the term ‘symbols’, instead of ‘art’, necessarily perpetuates his notion on manipulation of ideas. Art is essentially the expression of human nature, but in the culture industry, essence does not exist. Thus, Hesmondhalgh’s arguments necessarily imply that symbolism is still creativity, although on a much lower scale. Capitalist companies, especially in modern scenarios, not only manipulate art but also communication and the media. For Hesmondhalgh, the control of the cultural industries over text and information are more pronounced than ever (2002: 7) Thus, the cultural industry’s shift change of scope has greatly differed from Adorno’s time, yet still maintains the capitalist coercive nature. What remains is that society’s needs are still catered by the culture industry. Furthermore, it is claimed that standards produced by the culture industry are based on consumers needs, and that is why accepted with little or no resistance at all. â€Å"The result is the circle of manipulation and retroactive need in which the unity of the system grows ever stronger. No mention is made of the fact that the basis on which technology acquires power over society is the power of those whose economic holds over society is greatest. A technological rationale is the rationale of domination itself. It is the coercive nature of society alienated from itself† (Adorno 1997: 121). The capitalist structure still maintains its firm hold over society as it influences behaviour through catering specific needs of its consumers while transcending a different level of consumerism. The essence of human expression is lost through standardization of art, music, film, and such. Society becomes docile, leaving no room for imagination, and the culture industry grows because of this ignorance. References Adorno, T. and Horkheimer, M. (1997) Dialectic of Enlightenment. London: Verso. Curran, J. (1979) Mass Communication and Society. Beverly Hills, California: Sage. Garnham, N. (1990) Capitalism and Communication: Global Culture and the Economics of Information. London: Sage Publications Garnham, N. (2000) Emancipation, the Media, and Modernity: Arguments About the Media and Social Theory Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hesmondhalgh, D. (2002) The Cultural Industries London: Sage. Martin-Barbero, J. (1993) Communication, Culture and Hegemony: From the Media to Mediations. London: SAGE Publications. McGuigan, J. (1996) Culture and the Public Sphere. London: Routledge. Miege, B. (1989) The Capitalization of Cultural Production. New York: International. Ray, L. (1993). Rethinking Critical Theory : Emancipation in the Age of Global Social Movements. London: Sage. Witkin, R. (2003) Adorno on Popular Culture. London: Routledge.

Racial Discrimination from Police Essay Example for Free

Racial Discrimination from Police Essay Racial discrimination in the United States is as old as America itself. The United States motto deduces that, although America is a single country, it is made up of people of all walks from all the corners of the world, but some as slaves, especially from Africa. The American population is diverse both culturally and racially thus the name Melting Point. Racial discrimination is the act of subordinating an individual due to the color of the skin or race. Discrimination against people of color began long ago while slavery still existed, and it took a Civil War between the Northern and Southern states to end slavery. In history, racist violence, police brutality, has been used to suppress the racial blacks and to preserve power and privileges for the white race. This was done for five primary purposes. First, it has forced black people into slavery or low wage situations. Secondly, to steal land and other resources. A third was to maintain social control. A fourth purpose was to eliminate conflict in politics, social life, and employment. Lastly, the fifth purpose was to unite white people across the ethnic, class, and gender boundaries. It is not really different of what we see nowadays through every day in the street. It is just getting a little bit smoother , cover up by law that a certain category of people make to protect themselves and the ones who as the privilege to use it. Most of the times, they do not been treated as the minority whenever they do the same mistakes by the justice in this country. The following grounds for suspicion of criminality are among the many reasons that African American motorists are pulled over: Driving a luxury automobile (e. . , Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc. ), driving in a car with other black men, driving early in the morning or late at night, driving in a low-income neighborhood, known for its drug traffic, driving in a neighborhood where there have been recent burglaries,†¦ Although the above list may in fact be the reason that a prejudice officers attention is obtained, none of the reasons listed can be filed as a probable cause in the police report. I have so many bad exp eriences with the police that I think, it is just getting worst. We all know, minority people, that they use theses bunch of †laws† to still keep us down because they still, and for more of the â€Å"white people† ,think that they are a â€Å"superior race†. One day, I was with my dad driving around a nice neighborhood with some friend to go pick up one our friend to go at the club. It was late around 11 pm that night. From nowhere the police pull us over and start actin really at their defensive. They asked us to get out of the car, after checking if the car has the proper paper (insurance driver license). They asked us what we were doing there and we answered without stress that we are going to pick up a friend of us to go at the club. One of us asked us, straight up on our face, if we were not here for other illegal purpose in the neighborhood. We were still acting cool, at the same moment two others police cars pulled over. We were surprise by the number of units just for 3 people. They start searching us with some brutality and still asking stupid questions. The car also has been check. They brought a K-9 dog to search the car. We did not know what they were looking for and even if they have a warrant on us. After some so long minutes, they let us go. The think that really made us feel that we were inferior was the fact that one of the cars was following us through the neighborhood until we got out. That experience was the most shameful one I ever been into. I really hate cops since this experience. Being a minority and particularly black is not a crime. I totally presume that most of the police are like that. Racial bias and discrimination are existent in the minds of many individuals, some of whom may have, if it is at all possible, a justification for such thoughts. But when it comes to the protection and justice of a society, race should not even be an issue. The criminal justice system of today fuels its flame of democracy with decisions influenced by a certain individuals race and stature in society, and allows these preconceptions to be the basis of such decisions. Whether it is the African American motorist being pulled over with no probable cause, or the racially spurred brutalizing by the police, racism prevails in the world of criminal justice. Most communities that suffer police discrimination and violence have little control of the economy, or political overseers of the police. Typically the people who do have these powers are the richer communities, with primarily white citizens. I do not think the community or even education can do something about it, it is already in their manners and nothing will change it, The only think that could make a minority person close to their tight circle is â€Å"money†.

Contemporary Artwork: Comparison and Analysis

Contemporary Artwork: Comparison and Analysis The two pieces which I have selected for comparison use similar technique to encourage an entirely different outcome and audience response. It is the way in which these artists go about their creative process, and how this, in turn provokes such contrasting concepts, with such similar mediums that engages me. The first piece for comparison is the haunting photographic installation (Fakray, 2009) Les Suisses Morts By Christian Boltanski, 1990, to be compared and contrasted with the fashion/art photographic editorial Hold on to your hat by photographer Stacey Mark, 2009, consisting of five components. Similarly the work of Boltanski consists of multiple photographs in order to enhance narrative. The most significant parallel between the two pieces ( other than choice of medium) lies in the soft focus aesthetic of the photographs in question, which creates the illusion of the subjects fading into and out of the work, in turn evoking feelings and introducing notions of presence and absen ce within the work (Roca and Sterling, 2007). Both works appear to have strong associations with Phantasmagoria (Roca and Sterling, 2007), the illusion of constant alterations in light and colour encouraging a dreamlike state involving the fusion of reality with the imagination (Gunning, no date). The overall effect for both pieces is some what visionary, yet they conjure up quite contrasting emotion within their audience. In this essay I will be identifying the conscious artistic choices which have been made in order to make the work similar yet so dissimilar at once. Hold onto your hat by Stacey Mark is effectively a fashion photographic editorial which has been executed artistically in order to transport the onlooker into a whimsical dream world. Featuring a young woman, the work is very sensuous and moody (McGrath, 2009), and with this in mind, has been designed to sell, promote and bring back the boater hat, an object of the past. (The past is just one of the themes dealt with in each piece, as Boltanski brings back from the past haunting memories of the deceased (Fakray, 2009), into the present, enabling them to live on). There is, therefore, a central focus to the work, which every artistic decision relates back to in order to create a strong cohesive narrative for the editorial spread consisting of five separate photographs. Whilst the eventual aim of this piece is to sell to an audience, the work of Boltanksi endeavors to have an entirely different effect upon its audience through visual disruption and intense emotional impact (Feinstein, 1997). Christian Boltanski is heavily involved in the devastation and loss of life which took place during the Second World War and the Holocaust, a complete contrast in subject matter to Marks photography. The emotional power of Boltanskis work derives from the mental ties that the audience relates when in the presence of his installations. His photographic installations featuring portraits of the deceased that were published in the obituary of a Swiss newspaper are particularly powerful, perhaps disturbing to the audience in their suggestion of the Holocaust (Simon, 2003). Boltanski appropriates his source material in the creation of his haunting archival installation consisting of vast collections of photographs (Fakray, 2009). Contrastingly, although with the use of the same medium to express her ideas, Stacey Mark takes her photographs, beginning with an empty film and following her work through to the end using only the products of her creative efforts. This is not to say that the wor k of Boltanski is any less evocative, in fact perhaps the creative process in which he immerses himself, renders the outcome all the more meaningful, with greater impact than what may have been if he had of produced his source material himself (Fakray, 2009). Lighting is an element which is used very differently and carefully within these two pieces to evoke contrasting feelings within the audience. In Les Suisses Morts Boltanski lights his subject from above, in turn creating a strong sense of interrogation ( artline, no date) where the eyes of the photographic subjects fall into deep sinister shadows. The image appropriation combined with the applied lighting technique lends each portrait a Shadowy skeletal form and Semi obliterated face, (Caines, 2004) thus having a powerfully haunting effect upon the audience. Adversely the lighting adopted in the photography of Stacey Mark enhances the luminosity that diffuses from the work, having quite the opposite effect on its audience. Bright yet soft light seems to diffuse gently onto the subject of these photographs, giving the images a dream like and visionary effect, perhaps achieved through the use of back lighting as well as forward facing studio lights. With this lighting Hold onto your h at achieves a sense of serenity as well as purity and femininity, all feelings that are helping to sell this product through appealing to the audience. Marks use of such lighting lends a soft focus and pictorial aesthetic to the work whilst Boltanski achieves a similarly pictorial effect (Franzke, 2009) with an entirely different approach. Les Suisses Morts assembles old photographic portraits of the deceased Swiss appropriated from newspapers, which have been re-photographed and enlarged by Boltanski, rendering them slightly larger than life for maximum audience impact (Vetrocq, 2008). Boltanski takes care to enlarge to enhance audience response rather than to distort for the sake of realism, yet he still attains a soft focus, slightly blurred and vague aesthetic as a result of this augmentation which is characteristic of his work as it works to encourage notions of absence and presence, (Simon, 2003.) This alternative method of working generates stronger references to childhood, innocence, death and memory, (all central themes explored in his work), as a result of Boltanskis use of real portraits, each with their own story to tell (Hylton, 1995.) Boltanski aims to subvert his audience and provoke deep feelings of melancholy, both of which he is able to significantly enhance upon with the use of real life portrait appropriation, (Simon, 2003.) Such realism within the work inflicts a dense emotional impact upon the audience as Boltanski touches upon notions of death as well as the disintegration of memories over time, which in turn induces a sense of nostalgia amongst the viewers, longing for lost loved ones and their own childhood (Caines, 2004.) In a similar, though more light hearted way, Hold onto your hat by Stacey Mark has the audience feeling nostalgic for their childhood and the days of dressing up (fashion gone rogue, no date). Though his message is powerful, Boltanski objectifies and dehumanizes his photographic subjects in various ways. The many faces comprising his archival installation are anonymous to the audience; they are unknown faces which Boltanski arranges to be read as whole, rather than paying attention to the individual. A Photograph captures a moment in timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦by its very nature it implies selection and priority, and each portrait reflects a snap shot second of an entire life (Caines, 2004). At first the audience feel oppressed by the vast numbers of deceased faces towering over as a result of Boltanskis dehumanization reminding us of the absurdity of death, however the work then begins to forward the concept of memory, which seems to counteract some of the ramifications of death, as the audience begin to identify with the individual, (Fakray, 2009.) In this way, both pieces appear to promote. Whilst Boltanski promotes a concept and an idea, Stacey Mark uses artistic and creative efforts to promote a product and to sell, and it is in this way that Mark objectifies and dehumanizes his photographic subject. Mark uses the girl as an object through which to sell a product meaning the girl herself is a selling point as she compliments the boater hat, and vice versa. The beautiful accessory, on the young girl, with the carefully lit back drop, soft focus effect and expression of serenity all help to create a cohesive and strong narrative with a sense of beauty and innocence (McGrath, 2009) through which to sell a product. Innocence is a feeling felt in both pieces of work, particularly in the sense of vulnerability and helplessness which Boltanski achieves in his installation, (Hylton, 1995.) It has been interesting to explore two contemporary art pieces which have such different functions yet remain correspondent in several ways, as well as the contrasting creative processes that these entail. The most engaging way in which they differ and compare at the same time lies in the contrasting lighting techniques which both seem to bring about notions of absence and presence, yet conjure up opposing feelings and emotions within the audience with different aims. Through the investigation of the photographic medium used in installation as a fine art practise and in fashion as an editorial through which to sell, I have been encouraged to focus on meaning behind work, and more contemporary ways of working. Word count: 1, 478

El Ninos Wrath :: essays research papers

El Nino’s Wrath Microscopic, photosynthetic phytoplankton produce seventy one percent of the world’s Oxygen. A reduction in the world’s phytoplankton population would be detrimental to all terrestrial and aquatic life. The event known as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a complex interplay between the ocean and the atmosphere causing a reversal in the trade winds, which in turn moves warm water masses to opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean. Better known for it’s atmospheric effects, El Nino also plays an important role in reducing the phytoplankton population. El Nino halts the process of upwelling, which moves nutrient rich water from the deep, up to the surrface. Upwelling is essential for the production of phytoplankton. Without phytoplankton as the base of the food chain in the ocean, all other aquatic life would cease to exist. El Nino can be attributed to the increase of global warming caused by Carbon Dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. El Nino will continue to i ncrease proportionaly to the Earth’s rising temperature and thus, reducing the world’s phytoplankton population; resulting in catastrophic ecological effects as the base of the ocean’s food chain continues to be destroyed. Winds affect upwelling. Winds that blow along the coasts of North and South America drag the water along with them. â€Å"The Earth’s rotation then deflects the resulting surface currents away from the coastlines.† (Wallace 11) Because the surface water moves away, colder, nutrient-rich water comes up from below and replaces the previous warm water, a phenomenon known as upwelling. (Wallace 11) Basically, the wind blows towards the equator and the rotation of the Earth pulls the water away from land similar to the way a cube of ice stays in one place as you rotate a glass of water. The glass could be interpreted as the Earth, and the ice cube as the mass of water. Relative to the glass, the ice or water stays in one spot as the glass or Earth rotates around. The winds that blow along the equator also affect the properties of upwelled water and also the food chain. â€Å"Without wind, the dividing layer between the warm surface water and the deep cold water, known as the thermocline, would be nearly flat; but the winds drag the surface water westward, raising the thermocline nearly all the way up to the surface in the east and depressing it in the west. The cold water below the thermocline is rich in nutrients.

Judaism in William Finns Falsettoland Essay -- Jewish Religion Religi

Judaism in William Finn's Falsettoland Judaism and Jewish culture have always been central to William Finn, writer of a trilogy of short works following Marvin, a homosexual living within the Jewish faith. Falsettoland itself forms the final part of the trilogy whilst In Trousers and March of the Falsettos are the first two instalments respectively. Christianity condemns homosexuality within its faith, therefore, surely Judaism would take a moral stand and condemn any theatrical portrayal of such events? Did the Reform movement which began to grow in America in the 1830s have any effect upon the time Falsettoland was written, and, if so, how was Falsettoland as a music theatre work subject to such effects? From the outset it is important to define the boundaries within which the term ‘Judaism’ and ‘Reform Judaism’ will be used. This paper focuses upon Judaism (be it Orthodox or Reform) within America and does not focus upon the origins of Judaism in Europe. Although perhaps some beliefs and moral standings were reflected across the Atlantic, for the purposes of this argument this will be negligible. When analysing the musical content of Falsettoland it is important that one does not get carried away on the intended meaning, although only suggested as a guide and personal response to the music, the analysis is by no means definite and as the author intended. We’re free to borrow from both European operatic tradition and American musical tradition, toss out what we don’t need and invent whatever creature we want, whatever we choose. And above all else, entertain.[1] Jewish life in America changed dramatically throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The majority of Jews being those wit... ...omosexuality? http://urj.org/ask/homosexuality/> Ø Storr, A. Music and the Mind (HarperCollins, 1997) Ø Volkman, E. A Legacy of Hate: Anti-Semitism in America (Franklin Watts, 1982) Discography =========== Ø Finn, W. Falsettoland (New York: DRG Records Inc, 1990) --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] LaChiusa, M.J. ‘I Sing of America’s Mongrel Culture’ in New York Times 14 November 1999) [2] Finn, W. Vocal selections from Falsettos (Warner Bros Publications Inc, 1992) p.86 [3] Storr, A. Music and the Mind (London: HarperCollins, 1997) p.187 [4] Rossoff, R.D. What is Judaism’s view on Homosexuality? Accessed 10 January 2005 [5] Katz, L.. ‘What is a Bar Mitzvah?’ In Your Guide to Judaism [6] Volkman, E. A Legacy of Hate: Anti-Semitism in America (Franklin Watts, 1982) p.10

Discuss About Failure Essay

Q: ‘The word failure should never be used in education.’ Discuss. â€Å"Failure is not the end of the journey.† was an impactful phrase that Steve Jobs once said in his most eulogised moment of wit. I would dare to say that ‘failure’ is not a foreign word to anyone in the world and to the large majority, it is never viewed as a pleasant word to hear. In dictionaries, the word failure is often defined as the lack of skill or knowledge to succeed in accomplishing a task, yet ironically, the word failure is very often used in schools, where students attend to acquire skills and knowledge. Therefore, I strongly feel that the word ‘failure’ should not be used in today’s education system most of the time. Firstly, one reason why I feel that the word ‘failure’ should not be largely used in education is simply because of its demoralising effect. With the advancements in science and technology, education systems around the world have increased its difficulty by leaps and bounds. Hence, examination papers have changed and the syllabus only gets tougher. Students therefore are constantly bombarded with difficult and mind-boggling questions and tests, thus it is only natural that there are bound to be failures within a class. However, for the students that had studied very hard for the test, failing would only crush their confidence and pride. A research carried out by a group of students in Tokyo University had found out that 2 out of 7 students in Japanese High Schools are demoralised after failing their first few semestral assessments and their grades continue to suffer all year round as they had already lost the will to persevere and strive for excellence. This study supports my view that ‘failure’ demoralises people as it extinguishes the fiery will within students and their drive to excel. More often than not, being called a failure in schools may develop in students a form of self-fulfilling prophecy as their constant failures may have convinced them that they may indeed be useless and will never succeed in the future. Hence, I strongly feel that the word failure is too harsh a term to judge students based on their academic and holistic achievements alone as this will in fact demoralise them. Another reason why I feel that the word ‘failure’ should only be used to a bare minimum is because it creates more demanding parents. All parents have high hopes for their child, and I would dare to say that every parent wishes for their child to be able to successfully climb the rungs of the social ladder and stand at its peak. However to do that, excellent academic and holistic grades must be attained. A survey conducted by a group of students studying psychology in the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2011 observed that 75% of Singaporean families display prejudice against failure and envisage their own child enrolling into the top medical courses of the local universities in Singapore. This study displays the stress that students in Singapore face as now not only do they have to excel in their studies to achieve a decent grade, but they are also expected to live up to their parent’s extremely high expectations. Such a scenario is ubiquitous in almost every Asian country and community, take the Asian families in Japan and the Asian communities in the United States for example, many Asian children fear showing their report cards to their parents if they had failed any subject as they fear the tongue-lashing that they receive upon showing their grades. Moreover, Asian families have been stereotyped to be very demanding as they demand that their child score straight ‘A’s for his or her examinations. This scenario is evident from the book ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’ by Amy Chua which describes the typical strict Chinese upbringing where even an A- grade is not acceptable much less a ‘failure’ grade. To fail is to bring shame and dishonour to the family. Thus, I believe that the root of all these expectations branch from the very use of the word ‘failure’ as it somehow segregates the students based on their abilities into two groups – the successful and the failures, and parents would therefore want to push their child even harder to be able to enter the ranks of the successful and falling into the pits of failure is not favoured by most parents. Hence, I feel that the word ‘failure’ should not be used most of the time so that children would not need to fear failing and the ridiculously high expectations of parents can be somewhat mellowed. Lastly, as clichà © as it may sounds, the word ‘failure’ promotes a segregated community in schools. Very often, it is a common sight to see the students that excel in their studies form their own small cluster while the ostracised students that have consistently failed their examinations would form their own cliques. Such scenarios are especially evident in schools in the Western countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Very often, students that fail their tests continuously would rather invest their time in beautifying their aesthetic appearances or in honing their skills in  their extra-curricular activities. While the students that score terrific grades, on the other hand, are labelled ‘muggers’ and ‘nerds’, hence this gave rise to the much stereotyped ‘popular’ and ‘unpopular’ kids in many American schools. This, thus, unconsciously created a segregated community in schools and as a result of this segregation bullying is rampant in schools as the more popular but academically weaker students would threaten the smarter ‘nerds’ to accomplish their work for them. This is supported by a documentary carried out by Discovery Channel, titled Bully, on the reasons behind bullying, which found out that one of the main reason why children resort to bullying is to achieve the much desired grades they wanted. Thus, ‘failure’ had unknowingly created a hierarchy within many schools and therefore, I strongly feel that the word ‘failure’ should not be used to a large extent. However, critics of my argument may argue that the word ‘failure’ may instil in students the need to improve and work harder, and motivates them to stretch themselves to their fullest potential. However, I believe that this is an extremely idealistic view as, not every student can remain optimistic upon receiving such dreadful grades. Moreover, such a argument also fails to take into consideration the students that had failed multiple times. Failing a couple of times may motivate one to try and work harder but the constant failure that some students experience would crush their determination and willingness to work hard. Hence I believe that if nothing is done to at the point of receiving the failure grade, and teachers allow things to go by its on course, the student may be badly sh aken and demoralised and as a result instead of improving his grades, he may actually worsen and score far worse grades. Thus, this brings me back to my point that ‘failure’ should not be used in our education systems most of our time as every student have differing levels of motivation and not everyone can take ‘failure’ so easily, and instead of improving themselves they end up despondent and unwilling to work hard. Critics of my argument may also claim that the competition that arises due the usage of ‘failure’ is beneficial to the students. However, this argument is flawed and the argument is too naive. This is because they fail to realise that is because of such intense competition that students may resort to cheating and other underhanded measures to attain a passable grade or their desired grades. In a study published in the Los Angeles Times, it was found that students cheat to  attain higher grades to meet with their parents expectations or to enter into a high paying job from the top Ivy League Universities. Moreover, with globalisation, the presence of scholars in schools contribute to the competition that local students face, and this has actually created such a stressful environment as the scholars contribute to the top scores of many major examinations and as a result the bell curve system that determine ones grade would shift to the right and students would require to score higher grades to attain their desired grades. This additional stress from the increase in competition if not managed properly would prove to be detrimental to ones mental fitness, and students that are unable to take such intense competition now, may just crumble under the immense stress that all students have to shoulder. Therefore, I strongly believe that the competition that ‘failure’ brings about brings more disadvantages than benefits and hence, I feel that ‘failure’ should not be used in our education most of the time. Therefore, in conclusion, does ‘failure’ necessarily bring more harm than good? While ‘failure’ does indeed have its good points, like bringing about differential learning, beneficial competition to those that require it, it brings about much more adverse effects to our community. The word ‘failure’ can badly demoralise students, create more ‘Tiger Mothers’ – a term used to describe more demanding parents, and a segregated community in many schools. Thus, I strongly feel that schools being the place that students attend to further improve themselves and acquire new knowledge, should not use the word ‘failure’ most of the time as it simply does not bring about much benefits. Therefore, I would like to reiterate that I strongly feel that the word ‘failure’ should not be used in today’s education system most of the time.