The Attack on Black Tom Island (Known as Liberty State Park) June Research Paper

The Attack on Black Tom Island (Known as Liberty State Park) June 30th, 1916 - Research Paper Example Introduction The location of Black Tom Island was at the convergence of Upper New York Harbor and the Hudson River, on the New Jersey side of the bay, immediately offshore of Jersey City. Initially, it was actually little more than a forested mudflat. The name of the island accrues from one resident, who resided in the island referred to as Tom. Studies indicate that this dark-skinned inhabited the island for a long time. Around 1880, a there was erected a causeway to link the island to the Jersey shore and the builders also constructed a railroad on the causeway. Expansion also occurred in the island with landfills and there was construction of warehouses and piers. The Lehigh Valley Railroad Company owned and controlled the railway while the National Dock and Storage Company managed the warehouses. The use of these facilities was for shipping all-purpose consignment (Bryant, 2009). Black Tom was approximately 1,200 feet. It encompassed approximately 20 acres, magnitude of roughly 8 00 feet north and south and 1,200 feet east and west. German saboteurs destroyed the Black Tom warehouse before the United States went into World War I (Groundspeak, Inc, 2011). The attack of Black Tom Island and the resulting explosion of July 30, 1916 in New Jersey was an operation of sabotage on American armory supplies by German agents. The German agents did this as a way of preventing their Allies from using such powerful ammunitions in the First World War. The extension that occurred in the Island by use of landfill added up the boundaries of the Island to the limits of Jersey City. The ammunitions majorly stored in the Island came from the northeast (Unsolvedmysteries.com, 2011). The attack was successful since general rules favored the attackers in a great way although technically, America was a neutral nation during the explosion. Many people thought that the major aim of the attack was for the persuasion of the America to join the Allies and arbitrate in the war in Europe (Waronyou.com, 2011). The attack on Black Tom Island Before a 1915 obstruction of the Central Powers by the British Royal Navy, American companies were open to trade their materials to any buyer, but during the time of the attack, Germans were the solitary likely customers. Investigations indicated that during the night of the explosion, there were two million pounds of ammunition stored at the warehouse in cargo vehicles. This included one hundred thousand pounds of TNT on the Johnson Barge No.17, all pending for final delivery to France and Britain (Unsolvedmysteries.com, 2011). Investigations on the explosion also indicate that there was prior planning before the attack. In 1914, immediately after the beginning of war in Europe, the German administration posted a new ambassador in Washington. Count Johann Von Bernstorff came with a group staff not of envoys, but of trained German intelligence operators. In addition, the staff had an abnormally high budget of 150 million dollars. Although the staff carried out normal consular duties, they also guided a system of other agents in the Unites States. They selected targets for damage, and used their funds to purchase materials and bribe officials. In addition, German agents, for instance master spy Franz von Rintelen, endeavored to augment the injuries imposed by their attacks. Von Rintelen invented a volatile charge called a pencil bomb devised to explode when a ship was already out to sea

Internal Analysis of Sab Miller Company Research Paper

Internal Analysis of Sab Miller Company - Research Paper Example The corporate governance is maintained at high standards by the committed directors which they believe to be the base for carrying out their responsibilities effectively. They aim for providing the right leadership and control over the environment to produce the value and even sustain the delivery of value to the entire shareholder of the company. (Ahmed, 2008, pp. 23-25)The corporate governance structure of the company comprises of 15 boards of directors amongst which five are non-executive non-independent directors and six are independent non-executive directors, and two are executive directors Mr.Clark the chief executive and Mr.Wilson the chief financial officer of the company. The chairman of the company is Mr.Manser. The structure of the corporate governance comprises of non-executive chairman, managing director, and some committees like audit, nomination, remuneration, corporate accountability and risk assurance, accountability committee, and the business units. The operations of the board are to set strategic objectives of the group, to determine different investment policies, sets upon performance criteria, and forwards the planning and implementation of those goals along with various policies including the various risk parameters. There are specific matters reserved by the board such as approval of the financial statements, the business strategy being adopted by the group, the plan for the annual capital expenditure, major capital projects, managing the various changes in the group’s management and control structure, various risk management strategy, material investments and disposals, implementing various sustainability and environmental policies, and other treasury policies. The board clearly governs through the elected board committees and monitoring the system. The board applies integrity, accountability, and principles of good governance through all the activities it performs and each of its directors bring independence and ju dgment to the role. By such defined structure, each member of the board are well aware of their responsibilities towards the company’s stakeholders and the board keeps a regular review on the performance and the core governance principles. The executive directors are responsible for proposing various and implementing operational decisions. The non-executive directors contribute to the formulation of strategy, decision making, and forming policies with the help of their knowledge. The audit committee’s responsibilities being to review and challenge the financial statement before final submission to the board, review and examine well the risk management system and internal control environment systems within the group and then carrying out analysis of the group’s overview, to recommend to the board regarding the appointment and removal of external auditors, to check the effectiveness of the internal audit process through focus on charter, staffing, annual work plan s, organizational and reporting structure (SabMiller, 2013).

Rufino Blanco-Fombona Essay Example for Free

Rufino Blanco-Fombona Essay Rufino Blanco-Fombona, (b. June 17, 1874, Caracas, Venezuela—d. October 17, 1944, Buenos Aires, Argentina), Venezuelan literary historian and man of letters who played a major role in bringing the works of Latin American writers to world attention. Jailed during the early years of the dictatorship (1908–35) of Juan Vicente Gomez, Blanco-Fombona fled to Europe, where he established Editorial America in Madrid (1914), which presented Latin American writers to the European literary world. A prolific author, he wrote poetry,short stories, novels, and essays. Of Blanco-Fombona’s vast output, his literary essays are considered his best work. Two of hiscritical works, El modernismo y los poetas modernistas (1929; â€Å"Modernism and the Modernist Poets†) and Camino de imperfeccion, diario de mi vida (1906–1913) (1929; â€Å"Road of Imperfection, Diary of My Life 1906–1913†), are considered standard works on the Modernist movement in Spanish. Other important works include Letras y letrados de Hispano-America (1908; â€Å"Letters and the Learned in Latin America†) andGrandes escritores de America (1919; â€Å"Great Writers of America†). His novel, El hombre de oro (The Man of Gold), was published in 1912.

Representation Of Women On Television Media Essay

Representation Of Women On Television Media Essay This study examines the representation of women on Television, which is one of the most debatable topics surrounding the medium and which is frequently discussed in academia and popular culture. I will be conducting my research specifically on representation of female leading characters on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. The examination will reveal whether the depiction of main female characters on Law and Order is positive or negative. 1.1 Women on TV Joseph (2004) argues that women were underrepresented on network dramatic shows in 1950s to the 1970s, that and when they did appear, they were frequently seen in token or stereotyped roles. Although representation of women has changed greatly in the last two decades as we are progressing into a more equal society, the question is, has it really changed modern representations of women or does it merely replicate gender stereotypes (E. Dobash P. Dobash, 1998). In recent years, Xena Warrior Princess and Buffy The Vampire Slayer pioneered the use of strong leading female characters in genre of fantasy on TV. Magoulick (2006) suggests that the positive reviews of Xena and Buffy demonstrate the extent to which these women characters resonate with female viewers longing for strong role models, or even just strong female roles on television. Lavery and Rhonda (2002) argue for a contrasting depiction of Buffy while she is represented as a strong and independent feminist icon her character i s vulnerable and often shallow about her appearance (124). Xenas character helped break gender norms by coding masculine traits such as bravery, strength and aggression with feminine traits i.e. compassion and her pregnancy in Season 5 rendering gender exploration (Boze, 2011: 24). The Buffy and Xena shows both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes of women (Reid, 2008). I am concerned with the crime genre of television which depicts women as detectives working in a patriarchal society whereas the above characters existed in the fantasy and science fiction genre. In past couple of decades, programmes like Cagney and Lacey, Cats Eyes, Prime Suspect, Silent Witness and Juliet Bravo were popular detective dramas depicted strong women which paved the way for future representation of strong female characters. 1.2 Law Order: Special Victims Unit Law and Order: SVU first aired in 1999 and is currently in its 13th season. The detectives on the team solve sexually motivated crimes and child abuse cases, and the cast includes an exceptionally strong female lead character in Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and other popular female characters such as Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak (Diane Neal). The episodes often feature real life crime stories and create episodes based on crime stories ripped from the headlines (Green, 2009: 2). Law Order: Special Victims Unit is one of the most successful and popular spin off series of Law and Order franchise, which has won many awards as well as the 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Mariska Hargitay (Emmys, 2006) who describes female audiences reaction to her character Olivia Benson in Greens book Law Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion: As the show got more popular, I received so many emails from so many survivors. They were identifying so much with my character, identifying with this lion, this strong powerful (Olivia Benson). And then I had thirteen-years-old going, I want to be you; you are my role model. Hundreds of emails going, I want to be a cop when I grow up. And I thought this character has touched something deep in so many women and provided a safe place to goà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I felt I had a responsibility. (Green and Dawn, 2009: 90) 1.3 Relevance of the Research Womens representation on television has significant value to female audiences because they view strong characters as role models. Singh, Vinnicombe and James (2006) studied career-minded women who keenly draw on role models from different aspects of life, television being one of them. They discovered that women used female characters from television as role models such as Buffy, Alias and Xena: The Warrior Princess. Analysing how female characters on Law Order: Special Victims Unit might serve as role models will provide me with the tools to examine the codes used in the portrayal of women. Research has been conducted on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit in the past, for example on the shows depiction of ethnic minorities and the victimization of women. Britto (2007, p40) has used content analysis to deconstruct the idea that women are overplayed on crime drama series as offenders and victims in her article Does Special Mean Young, White and Female? Deconstructing the Meaning of Special in Law Order: Special Victims Unit. Furthermore, there has been extensive research on representation of ethnic minorities, male and female on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. However, my research will focus on the main female characters such as Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak (Diane Neal) and deconstruction of the codes employed to characterize them. 1.4 Organization of the Chapters In this section I explain the structure of the chapters in this dissertation which will focus on literature review, methodology and findings of my research. In Chapter 1 we have already established the basis of this research which is to examine the representation of leading female characters on Law and Order: SVU. Chapter 2 will review the literature that will provide support for my arguments on themes of representation of women on TV, narrative, female heroism and women and crime genre. Chapter 3 explains the choice of methodology, research design, uses and limitations of textual analysis. It also describes the discourse analysis methodology and its use in this study. Chapter 4 consists of the analysis of the representation of female lead characters on Law and Order: SVU. It provides details of the findings including women driving the plot, women as heroes, maternal instinct and their personal lives. The collected data is analyses in this chapter to search out the result. Chapter 5 is the conclusion of this study that presents the findings and also elaborates on the significance, limitations and scope of this study. Chapter 2: Literature Review A theoretical framework will direct my research in a focussed manner whilst facilitating a proficient and comprehensive analysis. It will provide a major foundation for my investigation. As representation of women is such a diverse topic, I will focus and limit my research with the help of a theoretical framework in order to achieve an accurate conclusion. 2.1 Representation of Women on TV In order to build my research, studying the history of femlae representation in the media will enable me to understand the codes employed to construct female characters. In regards to the portrayal of women in crime genre, DAccis (1994) meticulous exploration of Cagney and Lacey will provide the perfect groundwork for my investigation. Cagney and Laceys characters were represented in unconventional way rather than the traditional ones: Its heroines were in-control protagonist who solved their own cases (both mentally and physically), were rarely presented as women in distress and were virtually never rescued by male colleagues. In addition to being active agents of the narrative they were also the subjects, but rarely the objects, of sexual (heterosexual) desire (DAcci, 1994: 5) DAcci not only examines the progression of female characters on the show but also studies the depiction of feminism on mainstream television. This will provide me thorough knowledge of what goes behind making a drama series with female lead characters and will equip me with the right tools to compare the representation of female characters on Law and Order: SVU. Furthermore, it contains other examples from the history of American television which will be beneficial for my research. Brunsdon, Charlotte and Spigels (2007) book Feminist Television Criticism: A Reader provides a detailed examination extending across television, media and screen studies and looks into representation of feminism as historical categories and political identities. This book gives a valuable analysis of women working both behind the camera and in-front of the camera as well as female audience and their response to television in their daily lives. With these sources, I will be able to evaluate the depiction of women on Law Order: SVU in regards to historical and political viewpoint. The representation of women in media has been a focal point of discussion since early nineteenth century. In 21st Century, even though television produced programs like Pan Am, Charlies Angels and The Playboy Club with female lead characters, they are still viewed through a very patriarchal ideology (Ingham, 2007). Dominicks (1979) article The portrayal of women in prime time, 1953-1977 concludes that female characters appearing on prime-time television from 1953-1977 were underrepresented on television and were frequently seen in stereotyped roles. This article will help me set the groundwork for my research as I can put female characters on Law and Order: SVU side by side with previous female representations on TV. Further research (Elasmar, Kazumi and Brain, 2009) showed that women were more likely to be shown playing minor roles and playing characters such as housewives and to be involved in a romantic relationship. I would need to further explore the depth of women representatio n on television, which will allow me to conduct adept research in this project. According to Gill (2007), the media depicts contradicting gender characteristics which will provide theoretical basis for my work in contemporary gender representations. This book also provides a theoretical tool to analyze representations of women in media. Similarly, Melanie (2011) cross-examines the construction of feminism and femininity in cinema and television in a wide variety of female-oriented programs such as chick flicks, reality shows and dramas. This book will further equip me with an understanding of the relationship between feminism, femininity, and visual culture and tools to analyze images of female representation in media. Lucia (2005) investigates the representation of female lawyers in Hollywood film such as Jagged Edge, The Accused, The Client and so forth. Although these female lawyer characters are represented as strong women, the deeper study of these films exposes inconsistent characteristics which gainsay the recognition of womens professional roles in a film. According to Lucia, these films featuring female lawyers depict: a patriarchal figure that possesses the potency, the genuine power to initiate the female lawyer into the structure of the law. These films accept law as patriarchal and the female lawyer as an inferior subject within that system. (Lucia, 2005: 19) Lucia (2005) reveals that in these films female lawyer characters are put on trial themselves for defying the traditions of femininity and patriarchal authority. This will provide a basis for analysis of female lawyer characters on Law and Order: SVU. 2.1.1. Narrative Writing the Woman In order to create empathy with characters and peak interest in the audience, formulation of the character through narrative is of the utmost importance. Character and narrative in the text have an emotional connection and resonate with the reader if they identify with the character. Hence, analysis of female representation in Law and Order SVU through their characterization in the narrative will allow me to deconstruct the text. Specific aesthetic and narrative strategies used by the producers to create characters also append to feminism and female representation (Geetha, 2007). Mulveys (1975) groundbreaking article Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema will greatly aid in exploring the relevance of narrative structure in construction of female characters in Law and Order: SVU. Mulvey unravels the narrative and visual techniques in cinema and describes the male cinematic gaze that objectifies the female character, hence, turning her into a spectacle, to-be-looked-at-ness (1975, 19). Mulvey (2009) revisits her theory in Visual and Other Pleasure by applying her feminist theory to more contemporary work concerning film spectatorship. She also talks about young modern woman of the 1920s in terms of images and narratives employed in Hollywood and European films, which will be relevant to assess portrayal of women in Law and Order: SVU. In regard to narrative and women representation in media, Teresa de Lauretiss (1984) work will facilitate my research in the right direction, as she investigates the structural representations of woman in cinema. De Lauretis (1984) disagrees with Mulveys (1975) theory of women representation as being permanently subjective and affirms that it is in a consistent stage of self-progression. De Lauretis believes that narrative structure draws upon the characters aspiration in social and cultural context and reproduces subjectivity. De Lauretis argues that female characters are formulated to incline towards femininity and conventionally portrayed as ideal image perceived by men (1984, 143). De Lauretiss conclusion of womens oppression by employing techniques of cinematic narration will provide a diverse perspective in representation of women in Law and Order: SVU. 2.2 Women and the Crime Genre The characteristics of gender have been reallocated in modern era in crime dramas where the female and male personalities are synthesized. The transformation also saw the shift of feminine traits of emotions, compassion and bond to traditionally masculine traits of heroism, vigor, and power giving rise to alternative action hero (Feasey, 2008: 67). In 1970s and 1980s, the crime genre progressively began depicting women as significant characters, in a TV revolution. Snauffers (2006) book called Crime Television would aid in my research tremendously as it would be interesting to re-evaluate the history of crime genre which was traditionally dominated by men (Maureen, 1988: 2). Crime dramas have dominated our television since the genre came to be, according to Snauffer (2006), crime genre echoes the cultural transformation and growth in the society. He investigates crime films and shows from 60s, 70s and 80s such as The Untouchables, The Streets of San Francisco, The Rockford Files, and Baretta which represented variant heroes in multifaceted settings. This work provides a broad history of detective and police crime shows on TV, which will contribute to my research immensely. Turnbull (2013) in her book The Crime Drama: TV Genres provides a historical study of the crime drama series as a genre, which presents a number of case studies to clarify major concerns in the course of the genre. This book will facilitate my argument as it looks at female-led crime drama series from around the world such as The Wire and The Killing which feature important female lead characters. Crime dramas generally feature subject matter related to public sphere with male dominance, however, the addition of female characters to the crime genre has enabled writers to pursue a dynamic approach concerning gender bending transgressions, domestic issues and other feminist concerns (Feasey 2008). Nevertheless, women were not always depicted as strong willed and independent on TV. Cavender (1999) examines the depiction of women crime victims by comparing episodes from reality crime program on prime time television. His analysis will be helpful in further studying the crime genre as well as involvement of women. Humphries (2009) examines women, violence, and media presentations through the lens of feminist criminology. This book contains chapters on Gendering Constructions which lays the foundation for the volume and examines media presentation of gendered violence, female killers on Law and Order and women in media. This book will give me tools to analyze the media text meticulously. In the crime genre, male protagonist used to focus on solving the crime while neglecting public concerns during the process. Attitudes started to change when women were portrayed unconventionally as brave, independent and intelligent characters breaking away from the societal norm from 70s, which resulting in writers shaping a new feminist archetype (Aisenberg, 1994). In her book Ordinary heroines: Transforming the male myth she suggests that female representation has progressed into equal active crime-solving characters with slight borrowing from conventional masculine traits, such as Dana Scullys (Gillian Anderson) character in The X Files, who was a powerful and independent professional woman even though FBI agent roles were profoundly male-dominated (240). Cuklanz and Moorti (2009) examine a wide variety of texts to delve into the representations of gendered violence against women and formulation of gender. They believe that Law and Order: SVU featuring lead female characters engage in stereotypical representation of women, showcasing violence against them which included inherent misogynist communiquà ©. Cavender and Jurik (2012) inspect the optimistic side of the representation of women on TV as they analyse Prime Suspect starring Helen Mirren as policewoman Jane Tennison in the popular British drama series where her character disrupts the conventions of the traditionally male genre (p.65). They focus on the portrayal of gender and law enforcement in the show featuring modern social tribulations where women play the central character. On one hand, Prime Suspect has become a cult hit for being an exceptionally feminist show in a traditionally male dominated crime genre. On the other hand, it is still not devoid of gender politics: while Tennisons character is shown as a successful woman she is pigeonholed as being old, lonely, obsessed with her career and friendless. Cavender and Juriks (2012) work will provide the framework to deconstruct the meanings and connotation in depiction of women in Law and Order: SVU in relations to social norm. There has been a dramatic rise in representation of women detectives in modern texts, whether be film or television, which used to be dominated by men (Mizejewski, 2004). Whilst examining Jodie Fosters character Clarice on The Silence Of The Lambs, Mizejewski believes that: Traditional Hollywood cinema has been unconsciously organized along these lines: men looking and taking action, women being looked at. The conventions of framing, lighting and editing in portrayal of women all play to these dynamics (p. 7) Tasker (2007) believes female representation has progressed tremendously in recent years with transformed and empowered gender egalitarianism; however, there is still substandard issue (? what does this mean?). Gender is a key constructor and differentiator of character in ensemble workplace dramas (Allen 2007, p 48). The meticulous examination of popular crime drama Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) in Reading CSI by Michael Allen includes the relationship of characters to their narratives and response of fans and will provide great depth and widespread views which I can apply to Law and Order: SVU during my research. 1.3 Female Heroism Gunter (1986) argues that women are represented in a stereotypical manner associating with the character traits they typically exhibit. In comparison with men, their characters were subjugated by personal relationships and family issues. However, this began to change in the 1970s when women were portrayed in more dynamic roles. Knight (2010) believes that this trend wouldnt have been possible without Sigourney Weavers character Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979) franchise, which has become an avant-garde symbol. Ellen Ripley signified the first final girl archetype, a term coined by Carol J. Clover in the book Men, Women and Chansaw: Gender in the Modern Horror Film (1992), who conquered and triumphed against an evil villain without any help or rescue from a man (p.98). Knight (2010) and Clovers (1992) examinations of women representation would aid in decoding the signs in Law and Order: SVU. Anthony (2009) believes that the progression in womens portrayal on television and film was becaus e women had taken over the market and were able to acquire positions as Producers and Directors. Consequently, women were portrayed in more heroic roles which cancelled out the notion of women as victims, resulting in a positive ideological advance (p. 80). Innesss (2004) Action Chicks is a groundbreaking collection of essays providing a new look at female action icons such as Xena, Buffy, Lara Croft and so on. These essays take a look at how recent depictions of women in action films, TV shows, comic books, and video games reflect an increased acceptance of women in traditionally male heroic or tough-guy roles. This highly specialized and scholarly study is suitable for my research and will give me context for my analysis of Law and Order: SVU. In order to analyze the representation of women in Law and Order: SVU, I will suggest that if the women embody four essential constructing features which are body, attitude, action and authority in a tough hero (Innes, 1998). Brown (1996) has the same belief about women portrayed as action heroes stating, the female action heroines body is represented by using same codes as a male hero in regards to object and subject in action films (p. 56). Goodwill (2011) agrees with Browns statement that new female action hero possesses positive masculine characteristic which were previously reserved for men only, breaking away from orthodox feminine attributes. With the fusion of traits, the earlier archetype of the hero has been amended in popular culture containing both masculine and feminine traits which will enable me to interpret female traits presented in Law and Order: SVU. Hill (1999: 38) states, action heroines are the new type of protagonists in action genre who are smarter and tougher than conventional female heroines and even their male counterparts. This new breed of action heroines contravenes not only cinematic but cultural gender codes of women being submissive and tangential characters and transform traditional cinematic depiction of women. Noble (1999) produces an innovative framework to create a new epitome of heroism for women in her book The Sound of a Silver Horn: Reclaiming the Heroism in Contemporary Womens Lives. She puts forward certain qualities that a female hero should possess to transform her and the world, such as strong-minded, valiant and a risk-taker. Harriss (2004) groundbreaking work will provide a framework for my research since she looks at the intricate representation of girls in recent history. Siehlohrs (2000) anthology investigates generic codes used in gender in regards to national identity in European films. She also examines how representations of women are affected by particular national milieu. This provides a baseline to investigate influences of societal factors on representation of women in Law and Order: SVU. Hanson (2007) proposes alternative ways of viewing classic and contemporary Hollywood heroines and the associations of gender with genre. She investigates the representation of women as the investigator and heroine in the variable context of the film industry, which will enable me to apply the same approach to my research. She confers meticulous attention to the production of narrative, actions and perception as well as negotiation of feminine self and desires across the past. Jaceys (2010) book The Woman in the Story: Writing Memorable Female Characters will be of significant value on this topic as it explains the importance of different traits, character development and gender issues in constructing a female heroine. This will allow me to dig deeper into the depiction of female characters on Law and Order: SVU such as Olivia Bensons characters role as a Detective and Alexandra Cabots character as a District Attorney. According to Knight (2010), female action heroes extensively influence individuals in society, and also reveal a lot about our society. Her analysis of female action here will help me understand Olivia Bensons character on Law and Order: SVU as she is seen as a role model and heroine to a lot of women. Furthermore, I will examine Buffy the Vampire Slayer which was a very popular show with very sharp and provocative commentaries on gender. In Undead TV, media studies scholars tackle the gender representation of Buffy and its influence on popu lar culture (Levine and Parks, 2007). Stuller (2010) illustrates the triumph of female hero in contemporary mythology which has cracked through male dominated environment and discusses the crucial role of female crime fighters in popular culture. Thornham elucidates the codes of a female hero in her book  Women, Feminism and Media: For a female character to become the hero of such a series she must appropriate agency, action, command, the occupation of public space, discursive authority and the control of the investigative gaze. All of these, of course, run counter to the norms of femininity. (p. 69) The above mentioned codes and symbols will aid in deconstructing the structure of female lead characters on Law and Order: SVU as heroes in a patriarchal society. I would be able to examine the amalgamation of feminine and masculine traits in the discourse.

Comparing Sir Thomas Mores Utopia and Virgils Aeneid Essay -- Compar

Identity and Power in Sir Thomas More's Utopia and Virgil's Aeneid In Utopia and the Aeneid, Sir Thomas More and Virgil describe the construction and perpetuation of a national identity. In the former, the Utopian state operates on the â€Å"inside† by enforcing, through methods of surveillance, a normalized identity on its citizens under the guise of bettering their lives. In the latter, the depleted national identity of the future Romans in the wake of the Trojan War must reformulate itself from the â€Å"outside† by focusing on defining what it is not. In both instances, the lines between the â€Å"inside† and the â€Å"outside† are clearly drawn and redrawn. The two methodologies are in actuality the flipsides of one another: in clearly defining the accepted national identity and contrasting with it the danger and instability outside this narrow conception, the state is legitimized in doing violence on a massive scale to either eliminate the constructed outside threat or to further the imperialistic project so that th ese lines remain intact and unquestioned. In Utopia, the state imposes a culture of normalization to formulate a national identity that both defines and binds its citizens. The fifty-four towns of the country are virtually identical with the â€Å"same language, laws, customs, and institutions† (More 70). Even the appearances of individuals resemble each other with no distinctions in dress. This imposition of conformity serves to form a singular national identity that is artificial yet prevalent. As a result, the normalization is internalized by the people, becoming a cult of self-surveillance where the uniformity of physical appearances is superceded only by the uniformity of identity. The state succeeds in establishing a panopt... ...te literary Trojan Horse. As the representative work of the entire Western civilization, his work is guaranteed wide dissemination. However, the ambivalence of his literary conventions often traps the unwitting reader and forces him or her to confront the violent undercurrents of Pax Romana. In essence, More and Virgil speak to the dangers of imposing a normative national identity that actually becomes the flipside of a violent imperialist project. More importantly, they open up space for dissent by critiquing the seemingly impenetrable state system from the inside and thus exposing its inherent contradictions precariously built on a foundation of violence. Works Cited Virgil. The Aeneid of Virgil: A Verse Translation. Trans. Rolfe Humphries. Ed. Brian Wilkie. New York: Macmillan, 1987. More, Thomas, Sir. Utopia. Trans. Paul Turner. New York: Penguin, 1965.

Themes of Blackberry Picking by Seamus Heaney Essays -- essays researc

Blackberry picking by Seamus Heaney is about time, gluttony, limitations of life, and to some extent, the struggles of life. Heaney writes retrospectively about his life, with hindsight, about how he as a child, would go blackberry picking during a particular time of year. Throughout the poem and particularly in the first stanza, Heaney uses a wide range of literary devices such as intense imagery or sensory imagery, exceptionally meaningful metaphors and alliteration. Alliteration is used quite often in the poem. Throughout the whole poem, there is a frequent repetition of â€Å"b† words, such as â€Å"big dark blobs burned†. In the readers mind, this creates a more powerful image of the berries, and gives a strong impression of their shape and colour. There is quite a bit of imagery used in the first stanza, language that appeals to a sense or any combination of the sense. â€Å"Its flesh sweet like a thickened wine†, a glossy purple clot†. Apparently, thickened wine is tasty, so it appeals to the taste and so does the sweetness of the thickened wine. He also describes the blackberries as â€Å"Leave stains upon the tongue†. Throughout the whole poem, there is a constant repetition of the word blood or a metaphor or simile referring to blood. There is also reference to flesh on several occasions to make the berries sound desirable. Blood indicates the juice of the berries and flesh indicates what is within. An example of a metaphor is when Heaney describes the berries as a â€Å"glossy purple clot†. This smart use of an imagery and a metaphor at the same time gives an image of a ripe berry. There is also a smart use of a simile, â€Å"hard as a knot†, for the unripe berries. When Heaney says â€Å"hard as a knot†, it sounds rather short, sugge... ...mongst children, he had a hope in himself that this time it would be different, that this time the berries would not rot, an optimism of a naà ¯ve and inexperienced child. The final part of the poem, yet perhaps the most appealing which sums up what happens each year, is how he would always have faith inside himself the next year that they would not rot. There is a rhyme of the last word of the second last stanza,†rot†, and â€Å"not†. This is the only part of the poem that rhymes, and it is rather smart to end the poem on a rhyming note. In conclusion, Black-berry picking by Seamus Heaney is a fine piece of poetry set alive by metaphors, similes, alliteration, imagery and other literary devices. Heaney’s poem seems to be violent and brutal, and has a lesson to be learnt behind the poem, a message deep but not linked with childhood, linked to the struggles of life.

Earned value management Essay

What is meant by an integrative project management process and why is this so important? What are the pitfalls if such an approach is not taken? The main goal of the integrative project management process is to take a project and design it around the specific needs of a company. This process can sometimes force companies to change how they conduct business, who they advertise too and how they attract new customers. What makes the integrative project management so important to companies is success. When a company spends millions of dollars to implement a new strategy, they want to ensure things go smoothly, especially if they are changing the direction of their business. These projects can take a bit longer to complete because the project manager will have to take the time to get to know the company, and how the conduct business, but in the end a business is usually more successful if they use an integrative project management strategy. When companies don’t follow this stringy, and go with a generic project template it usually ends up wasting time, money and resources. The final project, even though it is complete won’t meet their needs and usually more money is spent on small adjustments to finalize the project. I see this at work all the time, now one ever looks at our computer system as a whole, and designs a plan around what we already have in place. This can become frustrating because we end up with three and four different networks, and none of them ever seem to work correctly. Why is the traditional project management approach less effective when project scope is not clearly understood? Provide examples to illustrate your points. Our text refers to the triple constraint of scope, schedule, and budget. It’s a triple constraint in the sense that variability on any one of the constraints affects the other two. Effective project management must maintain scope, schedule and budget in a relative equilibrium or balance. That is, scope change, either to expand or contract it, will by necessity affect schedule and budget. For example, if an organization wants to make more narrow the scope of a project that is underway, it should require fewer resources and/or less time to accomplish. On the other hand, if the organization wants to expand the scope, it will have a direct effect on resources and schedule in that it will require more resources to finish on schedule, or the schedule will have to slip to accommodate finite resources spread across more project tasks. If project scope is poorly or improperly defined at project initiation, the schedule and budget will also be less valid because of the triple constraint nature of scope, schedule, and budget. Later in the project management timeline when additional requirements may expand the scope, schedule and budget will be impacted. For example, when a former employer was planning a new downtown office building as a company headquarters, they expanded the scope of the project to include a retail shopping and restaurant area. This necessitated arrangements with the city government to expand an adjacent public parking structure and allow a below-street-level tunnel between the building and the parking structure. This scope change resulted in a six-month schedule slip and required additional resources. Wk1 summary (Monday) Typical first week; rather steep curve as the learning teams form, I get into a â€Å"battle rhythm† so I can meet my individual and team requirements, and I figure out what software/tools I need to get the work done. This is only my second online course, and I am reminded that one of the advantages of being a ground student in a particular cohort is that the learning teams stay more or less intact from one course to the next, and we can really hit the ground running. Online is a different dynamic. Reading load is okay so far; I have some familiarity with the material since I have been working in a project environment for some time now.