Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Strickland vs. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984) Research Paper

Strickland vs. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984) - Research Paper Example He said that his lack of ability to support his family caused the stress. While the attorney was preparing for the hearing, although he spoke with the defendant about his background, he failed to ask for a psychiatric evaluation of the defendant, to seek a presentence report or to look for character witnesses. His decision of not presenting evidence concerning the emotional state and character of the defendant reflected his judgment that as to such matters, relying on the plea colloquy for evidence was advisable in order to avert the State from carrying out a cross-examination on the defendant as well as presenting its own psychiatric evidence. The article further states that the reason behind the defense attorney not requesting a presentence report was that it would have included the criminal history of the defendant, which would in turn undermine the claim that he did not have any considerable prior criminal record (1). Finding no extenuating circumstances that would make it rule otherwise, the trial court pronounced a death sentence on the defendant. The defendant, following the exhaustion of his state court remedies, filed a habeas corpus petition in a federal district court in Florida. He challenged the death sentence arguing that there had been a violation of his Sixth Amendment right for the reason that during the sentencing proceeding, his defense counsel had not represented him effectively/adequately. Subsequent to an evidentiary hearing of the defendant’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, the District Court denied relief. Although the Florida’s federal district court rebuffed the petition, the defendant appealed in the United States’ Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which reversed it holding that according to the Sixth Amendment, criminal defendants had a right to receive plausibly effective help from the counsel given the totality of the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Dance history Essay Example for Free

Dance history Essay Ballet is a form of dancing performed for theatre audiences. Like other dance forms, ballet may tell a story, express a mood, or simply reflect the music. But a ballet dancers technique (way of performing) and special skills differ greatly from those of other dancers. Ballet dancers perform many movements that are unnatural for the body. But when these movements are well executed, they look natural. The beginnings of ballet can be traced to Italy during the 1400s at the time of the Renaissance. During the Renaissance, people developed a great interest in art and learning. At the same time, trade and commerce expanded rapidly, and the dukes who ruled Florence and other Italian city-states grew in wealth. The dukes did much to promote the arts. The Italian city-states became rival art centres as well as competing commercial centers. The Italian dukes competed with one another in giving costly, fancy entertainments that included dance performances. The dancers were not professionals. They were noblemen and noblewomen of a dukes court who danced to please their ruler and to stir the admiration and envy of his rivals. Catherine de Medici, a member of the ruling family of Florence, became the queen of France in 1547. Catherine introduced into the French court the same kind of entertainments that she had known in Italy. They were staged by Balthazar de Beaujoyeulx, a gifted musician. Beaujoyeulx had come from Italy to be Catherines chief musician. Ballet historians consider one of Beaujoyeulxs entertainments, the Ballet Comique de la Reine, to be the first ballet. It was a magnificent spectacle of about 51/2 hours performed in 1581 in honour of a royal wedding. The ballet told the ancient Greek myth of Circe, who had the magical power to turn men into beasts. The ballet included specially written instrumental music, singing, and spoken verse as well as dancingall based on the story of Circe. Dance technique was extremely limited, and so Beaujoyeulx depended on spectacular costumes and scenery to impress the audience. To make sure that the audience understood the story, he provided printed copies of the verses used in the ballet. The ballet was a great success, and was much imitated in other European courts. French leadership. The Ballet Comique de la Reine established Paris as the capital of the ballet world. King Louis XIV, who ruled France during the late 1600s and early 1700s, strengthened that leadership. Louis greatly enjoyed dancing. He took part in all the ballets given at his court, which his nobles performed, but stopped after he became fat and middle-aged. In 1661, Louis founded the Royal Academy of Dancing to train professional dancers to perform for him and his court. Professional ballet began with the kings dancing academy. With serious training, the French professionals developed skills that had been impossible for the amateurs. Similar companies developed in other European countries. One of the greatest was the Russian Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, whose school was founded in 1738. The French professional dancers became so skilled that they began to perform publicly in theatres. But in 1760, the French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre criticized the professional dancers in his book Lettres sur la danse, et sur les ballets (Letters on Dancing and Ballets). Noverre complained that the dancers cared too much about showing their technical skills and too little about the true purpose of ballet. This purpose, he said, was to represent characters and express their feelings. Noverre urged that ballet dancers stop using masks, bulky costumes, and large wigs to illustrate or explain plot and character. He claimed that the dancers could express these things using only their bodies and faces. So long as the dancers did not look strained or uncomfortable doing difficult steps, they could show such emotions as anger, joy, fear, and love. Noverre developed the ballet daction, a form of dramatic ballet that told the story completely through movement. Most of Noverres ballets told stories taken from ancient Greek myths or dramas. But during the early 1800s, people no longer cared about old gods and heroes. The romantic period began as people became interested in stories of escape from the real world to dreamlike worlds or foreign lands.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Looking To The Future 1984 :: essays research papers

Looking to the Future 1984 "WAR IS PEACE FFREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH"(Orwell 3). It is the year 1984 in London, Oceania. Winston Smith is one of many people in Orwell’s prediction of the world in the future but is today’s past. The world appears as a dark and fearful place where the only rhyme or reason is created by Big Brother, ruler of the state and the head member of the Party. All of the above phrases in the slogan show the power which is given to the Party (government). The best description lies in the Newspeak word doublethink. "Doublethink means the power of holding to contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them. The Party intellectual knows in which direction his memories must be altered; he therefore knows that he is playing tricks with reality; but by the exercise of doublethink he also satisfies himself that reality is not violated"(Orwell 190). Many descriptions similar to this are given in the book and help explain the way in which the socialist government of Oceania operates. It explains how a strong ruler can manipulate facts to fit his or her own intentions, which is often what socialist rulers may have done and still may do. Many of the ideas in 1984 were written to show predictions of what the world might be like if people did not question and act on what was happening around them. Orwell wrote 1984 after World War II when socialist governments which had gone wrong, like Russia, were becoming a powerful force in the world. Orwell, having once fought against Communist Russia, saw how much of a dangerous power they could become in the future, and in turn found it necessary to inform readers of what the future could hold. 1984 is his idea of what a country, such as England in this book, would be like if a socialist government came into power. He writes of the control that can be presented by a ruler by fear. A ruler can use fear to suppress a person’s ideas and make him or her believe what a ruler thinks or says. A good example of this is at the end when Winston has been caught and is relearning how to obey and never doubt Big Brother. "TWO AND TWO MAKE FIVE"(Orwell 247). This was used in the context that Winston would believe whatever he was told. Whether it be this mathematical equation or who Oceania was at war with, he would believe it because of the fear of torture.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Ernest Hemingway Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ernest Hemingway was one of the greatest writers of the century. He was born at the close of the old century but was able to see the Disorders of the new century. Hemingway was marvelous in bringing about his pictorial effects for his readers even in his drunken state. Hemingway was skilled in the way he presented the â€Å"real† and â€Å"concrete† to be the first essentials in his writing. He put life back on the page so that we could see the grim reality of the truth. Hemingway’s style brought minute details to the surface so that the readers would understand his meanings. In the stories that I have chosen the critics have analyzed the story. In this paper I intend to prove that Ernest Hemingways writing in â€Å"Soldiers Home† and â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† influenced American writing styles through Symbols, Themes and writing techniques.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In several of Hemingway’s short stories, he uses one or more animals as symbols around which the story revolves. As central symbols, Hemingway’s animals are the manifestations of the psychological states and emotional desire of the main characters in the stories. He uses the symbols to enable the reader to comprehend the often not stated psychological forces that motivates them. Hemingway’s use of symbolism is a contribution to the richness of his characters. It provides the reader with a vehicle through which they can associate. Without them the stories would lose much of their color and clarity. In the short story â€Å"Soldiers Home,† Majorie Smelstor said â€Å" the title of this story suggests a familiar American landmark and symbol, The soldier’s home, a place for retired military to live and relive their war experiencesâ€Å" In this tale, however, the soldier’s home is neither a haven for ex-soldiers nor an envir onment for reminiscing† (MaGill 2170). Another symbol is the lies that Kerb lives with every day. Marjorie Smelstor said â€Å"For the townspeople do not want to hear the truth about the atrocities of battle, preferring, instead, lies about the heroics of war† (MaGill 2170). Marjorie Smelstor said In the end of the story â€Å"Mrs. Kerb’s reasserts her maternal role, reminding her son that she held him next to her heart when he was a tiny baby, Reducing kerb’s to the juvenile lie:† â€Å"I know, mummy†¦ I’ll try and be a good boy for you† (MaGill 2171).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ... ...ise† is a cleansing drink. It has a seed that aids in expelling gas from the alimentary canal to relieve colic. Colic is a paroxysm of abdominal pain localized in a hollow organ. The American orders this drink for him and the girl. â€Å"This clearly shows you that the conflict and lack of communication between the two of them† (Passey 33). The answer is still unresolved and the girl must choose between the man and the baby. At the end of the story the reader is not sure of the girl's decision. Hemingway left the end of the story unresolved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his life time Ernest Hemingway enjoyed tremendous success as a writer. His ability to describe a story in detail was his best talent. On the two stories, Ernest showed his unique ability of story telling. Hemingway was very clever in using Symbols to bring his characters to life. Hemingway wrote many of war stories but was never a soldier. He just had the talent of looking at life and writing it down in a symbolic way. Most all the critics come up with the conclusion that Hemingway was truly talented. He influenced other American writers with his style, symbols, themes and technique.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Reality TV Essay

Unscripted program, real people NOT actors in a specific environment Normal people with no discernible talent, no discernible insights, but who are willing, eager to be seen and heard living their own life. -â€Å"real life† television is filmed with out stoppage time, and then edited to catch the viewers eye -certifiable global pop-culture phenomenon Reality TV comes is all different forms now from daily life of real people such as Big Brother and Jersey Shore, sports shows, business shows like undercover boss and dirtiest jobs, talent shows such as American Idol and Dancing with the stars, family shows John and Kate plus 8, and motivational shows like biggest loser and survivor. – This eventually led to being filmed and put on TV in 1948. â€Å"Candid Camera† (CQ researcher: Reality TV: Maryann Haggerty -In 1989 COPS came on air because of the writers guild of American strike. This show followed police during their daily activities. It began with no music or narration just a simple camera following a police. -Over on ABC, beginning in 1990, people were turning their own cameras on family and pets to make â€Å"America’s Funniest Home Videos -In 1992, reality TV was a novelty. In 2000, it was a fad. In 2010, it’s a way of life. Time Magazine article – It wasn’t until the premiere of ‘The Real World’ on MTV in 1992 that we began to witness the emergence of many of the textual characteristics that would come to define the genre’s current format,† -In 2008, the Emmys awarded a stature to the best host of a reality TV show for the first time, which was exciting news to all†¦ – -ABC NBC Fox MTV CBS – -In 2010 Reality TV is now a valid career choice. The New York Times estimated that at any given time, there are 1,000 people on air as reality TV stars. Topic 3: Addictiveness of Reality TV – One reason for their popularity is financial: an hour of reality can cost a few hundred thousand dollars, compared to the one to three million for a scripted drama. – But part of the reason fans become involved in the show is that they get invested in the good guys and bad guys. -That’s how people watch reality TV: you can doubt it, interrogate it, talk back to it, believe it, or not.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How Chinas political, religious and ideological systems allowed for both continuity and change

How Chinas political, religious and ideological systems allowed for both continuity and change Introduction China is known for its historically authoritarian political system. Nonetheless, this has not stopped them from emerging as one of the greatest national economic powers. The twentieth century was dominated by United States as the best economy but this has changed in 21st century where China is set to lead the pack of emerging economies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on How Chinas political, religious and ideological systems allowed for both continuity and change? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More China’s situation is unique given that most powerful states draw such powers from wealth. The recent protest that was observed in Tiananmen Square conveys political repression in china as youths seek change but the government is unlikely to grant this that easily. China’s political system, which has been largely regarded as communist and undemocratic, has allowed continuity as well as change. In addi tion, its religious system has been quite instrumental in its continuity. The balance of dynamism and conservatism has ensured continuity in China. Its founder Qin Shi Huangdi who failed to establish immortality is regarded as the founding father of China’s political system as well as the world’s oldest civilization. The country is currently facing globalization and change is eminent although it is hard to come by, considering the government’s effort to ensure continuity of their ideological systems. This paper will endeavor to explore the manner in which political, religious and ideological systems of China have enabled continuity and change (Sirgo, Gleason, and Tarver 1) History of China China is regarded as one of the oldest of Civilizations in the world. Its ancient civilization extends throughout East Asia. Its civilization is estimated to have started over 4000 years ago. Its societies and economies were the best in the world before 19th century. However, they missed industrialization that took shape in 19th century leading to their decline. This was mainly because of the dynasties that ruled China, imperialism, civil wars as well as internal weakness. The country’s turmoil resulted into two states that still called themselves China. These were, Republic of China (ROC) and People’s Republic of China (PRC). The former was established in 1912 in the mainland and is currently known as Taiwan while the latter was established in 1949 and takes control of the mainland from Taiwan. Taiwan now controls the islands such as Taiwan, Matsu, Pratas, Kinmen, among other outlying islands.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More People’s Republic of China (PRC) remains the largest and controls the self-governing states of Macau and Hong Kong. Hong Kong was liberated to govern itself in 1997 while Macau in 1999 (U.S. Department of St ate 1). Taiwan changed its economic policies in 1950s that enabled it to be industrialized. This transformed its economy resulting in high growth and development. These changes were embraced later by the PRC, in the 70s, in which they made the famous Four Modernizations that aimed to improve agriculture, defense, technology as well as its industries. These changes led to modernization in China as it transformed into an economic giant, in the process raising their living standards. PRC has since become a powerful economic power in the world, challenging the likes of United States and traditionally known economic powers like European Union in the 21st century. The country’s culture has spread throughout the region and acquired by its neighboring countries like Japan. China is also regarded as a source of inventions and innovations throughout its history. Its language systems were the first to be written in the world. It has also been a site for archeological research as they st udy the remains of Homo erectus estimated to have lived there over 300000 years ago. China face modern challenges as other nations, the main concerns include widespread corruption, degradation of the environment as well as the increasing gap between the poor and the rich (U.S. Department of State 1). China’s political system Government China is controlled by Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is authoritarian in both ideology and structure. This has not been easy because of the diverse nature of the country in geography and social circles. They have been restricted to building consensus in most issues with other parties, influential people, regional leaders as well as the Chinese population at large. The party has a membership of over 76 Million and dominates Chinese government. Their influences have always prevailed, except in economic issues in which external influences from non-party members and organizations have prevailed.Advertising We will write a custom essa y sample on How Chinas political, religious and ideological systems allowed for both continuity and change? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In other essential issues of culture and economy, the committees ensure that they are followed in accordance with the party’s guidance. The coastal regions usually offer great challenges to the party since their growth is rapid (U.S. Department of State 1). Legal System After the famous Chinese Cultural Revolution, the government opted to emphasize on enforcing the rule of law. This was done through the new state constitution, which was adopted in 1982. Great focus was placed on taming tyrannical rulers, who could be held responsible in the new law. Over 300 laws, most of which aimed at economic reforms have been adopted in China since 1979. This showed their efforts to restrain revolutionary leaders who overused powers. Among the innovative ways, include their use of mediation committees to solv e minor criminal cases throughout the country as well as the fact that they are well informed and take responsibility for over 90% of china’s civil cases. These committees are numerous, accounting for more than 800000 committees throughout the country. The country has made numerous reforms on law by professionalizing the whole system. These led to further amendments of criminal laws as citizens got the opportunity to sue officials who happen to abuse office. The latest advancement in China’s constitutional amendment was done in 2004 and it included fundamental human rights as well as ownership of property. These developments are however rarely practiced in some cases, and this negates the gains in handling human rights (U.S. Department of State 1). Human Rights Although changes were made to improve human rights, this has not been adequately accomplished as several human rights abuses occur in China. The year 2009 witnessed continued abuses of human rights with the lega l system being faulted for inadequacy in stemming such abuses. These were observed during the 50th anniversary in honor of Tibetan uprising as well as in the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square. The other high profile human abuse incident happened during celebration of 60th anniversary of PRC. These abuses included detention, executions that did not follow the correct process.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Others included extrajudicial killings, torture, forced confessions as well as severe restriction of basic human rights such as freedom of speech, privacy, religion, association, birth (birth limitation), press, among others. These presents exceedingly hash treatment of citizens as such activities rarely happen in the modern world. Nonetheless, the changes that have been realized by China in its political system have been key components of its continuity and change (U.S. Department of State 1). China’s religious system Chinese lifestyle is greatly influenced by religion. Research and surveys conducted throughout the country in the year 2007 showed that over 30% of Chinese citizens were religious believers (those aged 16 years and above). Restrictions have been placed on religious sectors even though they proclaim freedom of religious belief to all citizens. Buddhism is the most common denomination in China with Chinese news agency Xinhua estimating their number at over 100 mi llion. Other estimates show that over 20 million Chinese are Muslims, and another 20 million Protestants. Catholics are estimated to be over 5 million while there are no statistics for Taoists. More recently, several unofficial religions and unauthorized churches have sprung in China. These have led to widespread harassment by authorities in some parts of the country. Catholic’s loyalty to Vatican also triggers suppression since the government claims that Rome interferes with their internal affairs. It also brands some Christian groups as well as Falun Gong as evil religions thereby suppressing their practice (U.S. Department of State 1). Civilians in china have suffered severe human rights abuses regarding their freedom of worship. This is mainly because China only recognizes five denominations. These recognized religions are Buddhism, Taoism, Protestantism as well as Islam. The country monitors almost everything its citizens engage in, for instance, internet writing, journa lists, political rebels as well as religious activists. This does not leave non-governmental organization as their activities are monitored as well. The religious sectors that are recognized by the country are also monitored, in essence, regulating worship and religious groups. This is abuse of human rights to freedom of religion as they intimidate and harass any individual or groups that seek to worship through other denominations apart from the named. This way, the country is able to control its people from diverse ideas that they fear may lead to its disintegration. Unregistered religious groups are outlawed and are likely to cause detention, harassment or intimidation (U.S. Department of State 1). The United States has labeled China as a country with specific concerns as it restricts religious freedom. The country does not allow any spiritual movements that counter its five registered denominations. This amounts to severe abuse of human rights and religious freedom. The countryà ¢â‚¬â„¢s significant economic growth has led to improved lives. This has contributed to social mobility as people look for jobs, join institutions of higher learning throughout the country and abroad, in the process expanding the limits of personal freedom. Increased mobility has expanded freedom of travel, association, cultural mix, educational pursuit and access to information through the internet among other ways. Other freedoms achieved through economic developments include freedom to employment, personal choices and social interactions. These have enabled spread of religious practices throughout the country, effecting a gradual change in religious awareness. China’s religious system has therefore contributed to its continuity as well as change, although at a slower pace compared to political and ideological systems (Singh 1). China’s ideological system Chinese Communist Party The communist party CCP is authoritarian in its ideologies and enforces them on Chinese c itizens. Since CCP is a communist party, their structures are based on communism, focusing more on establishing and maintaining cultural values. To achieve this, they have a well-organized members committee that ensures these regulations are followed. The strong economic reforms that were implemented by PRC, in the 1970s, in which they made the famous Four Modernizations aimed at improving agriculture, defense, technology as well as its industries worked to propel china to their present position as an economic powerhouse. In these reforms, they adopted a pragmatic approach to several socioeconomic and political problems. They also managed to reduce the role played by ideology in their system to spur further economic growth. The strong ideology that founded China had to be slowed after 1978 to allow for economic growth, which had already started in Taiwan (U.S. Department of State 1). How these systems have allowed for both continuity and change Political system China’s politi cal system has an authoritarian communist party with communist ideologies in its structures, putting more effort on maintaining sociocultural issues. The government was known for its authoritarian stand on legal system. However, this had to change, as dealing with diverse communities from a central location (Beijing) became reasonably difficult. Influence from the international community as well as rise of Taiwan through economic reforms. Reforms in China’s legal system have expanded limits of freedom as basic human rights. They have also done a series of amendments to their constitution to allow for professionalization of judges, lawyers as well as accountability of office bearers. These changes have enabled China’s economic growth as well as expanded freedom. In this regard, the system allowed for change and continuity (Fenby 1). Religious system It is estimated that over 30% of Chinese are believers, meaning that religion makes a great influence on the country. The government only recognizes five denominations in the country. In addition, it monitors as well as regulates these denominations, and in the process suppresses any spiritual or religious groups that they feel are not patriotic. These include their rivalry with Vatican, which they accuse of interfering with Chinese internal affairs. In recent times, various crops of religious groups have sprung throughout the country, influencing social and cultural changes. Religious systems have therefore contributed greatly to change and continuity in China. Ideological system China has assumed new approach to numerous political hitches. They also managed to reduce the role played by ideology in their system to spur further economic growth. The strong ideology that founded China had to be slowed after 1978 to allow for economic growth, which had already started in Taiwan. This shows their soft stance on the formerly aggressive ideologies that structured its foundation. Reduction in ideological syst ems have enhanced changes and spurred economic growth (Xiaowen 1). Conclusion China’s political, religious and ideological systems have contributed greatly to continuity and change. Their society is among the first to be established in the world. They have also managed to make changes in their policies. These policies have mainly targeted the law system, which was professionalized, the four modernizations that included agricultural improvement, industrial, defense as well as technology. The twentieth century was dominated by United States as the best economy but this has changed in 21st century where China is set to lead the pack of emerging economies. These systems have therefore contributed to China’s continuity in conserving its cultural values as well as change in their legal systems, religious sectors as well as their handling of human rights (Leung 1). Fenby, Jonathan. â€Å"Continuity and Change†. Guardian. 15.11.2007.05.06.2011. guardian.co.uk/commentis free/2007/nov/15/morethantwomillenniaafter Leung, Beatrice. â€Å"Chinas Religious Freedom Policy: The Art of Managing Religious Activity†. The China Quarterly. 05.06.2011.05.06.2011. http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=onlineaid=358810 Singh, Swaran. â€Å"Continuity and Change in Chinas Political Elite†. Idsa. 05.06.2011.05.06.2011. idsa-india.org/an-nov-3.html Sirgo, Henry., Gleason, Diane and Tarver, Michael. Continuity and Change in the Chinese Political System: Why Consumerism Does Not Translate Into Democracy†. All academic. 05.06.2011.05.06.2011. allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/4/1/7/9/p141798_index.html U.S. Department of State. â€Å"Background Note: China†. Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. 05.08.2010. 05.06.2011. state.gov/ r/pa/ei/bgn/18902.htm Xiaowen, Ye. â€Å"Chinas Religions Retrospect and Prospect†. china.org. 19.02.2001. 05.06.2011. china.org.cn/english/ features/45466.htm

Monday, October 21, 2019

Diversity of the world’s population The WritePass Journal

Diversity of the world’s population Introduction Diversity of the world’s population IntroductionTranscultural NursingThe Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory by Madeleine LeiningerThe Sunrise EnablerThe Ethno-nursing MethodHolistic Nursing PracticeThe Theory of Environmental Adaptation by Florence NightingaleTranscultural Nursing vs. Holistic Nursing PracticeConclusionRelated Introduction Diversity of the world’s population has reached a point where it is vital to address and more importantly to understand, the ever growing challenge that transcultural nursing poses to the nursing profession. Addressing this issue avoids discrimination and promotes equality within holistic nursing practice in order to meet patients’ needs. Health care professionals should be qualified to deliver, on a daily basis, proficient care and sensitive skilled communication to culturally different individuals (Maier-Lorentz, 2008). To exercise professional nursing in a conceptual way holistic nursing care focuses on physical, emotional, social, environmental and spiritual aspects as well as on the idea that any individual involved in treatment care should be treated as a whole and with dignity (Dossey Guzzetta, 2005). One of the areas to be discussed is Transcultural Nursing and Leininger’s Transcultural Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality and its research enablers: the Sunrise Enabler and the Ethnonursing Method. Another area will be Holistic Nursing Practice and Nightingale’s Nursing Theory of Environmental Adaptation as well as the liaison between Transcultural Nursing and Holistic Nursing Practice. Nightingale’s theory has been chosen over others because she was the first to acknowledge nurses’ work in a theoretical framework and also because she was considered to be the mother of nursing practices (Ellis, 2008). The development of culture care theory introduced health care professionals into a new nursing dimension formed by issues such as culture background, spirituality, environment and others that demonstrated how culture and health care are linked (Leininger, 2002a). Holistic Nursing Practice encourages active communication and reciprocal understanding, underlines the exercise of physiological and psychosocial awareness, it is based on logical thinking and supports values such as autonomy and patient wishes and tendencies (MacKinnon, 2010). Transcultural Nursing Transcultural nursing may be defined as a method to contrast and observe how individuals view health care, biased by their culture background. The principles of practising transcultural nursing are to provide complete nursing care to individuals or groups by treating them with respect and taking into account their cultural factors. It is all about nursing practice applied to cultural values and limitations (Leininger, 1991). Definitions of transcultural nursing incorporate many factors that shape the individual’s cultural orientation. These include are age, sexual orientation and financial aspects. It has been suggested that by ignoring these culture background factors, health care professionals do not achieve enough cultural experience to be incorporated in holistic nursing practice (Barnes et al. 2000). This absence might lead to unsafe nursing care and both dissatisfied patients and professionals (Curren, 2006 cited in Leininger McFarland, 2006, pp.159-160). To promote transcultural nursing care, Narayan (2001) felt that there are four crucial attitudes to assume caring, empathy, openness and flexibility. This shows the patients a cultural understanding, appreciation, consideration and willingness from health care professionals that are based on individual care. Cultural education and the creation of culturally competent care professionals are one of the biggest challenges yet to tackle worldwide. For instance, in America, as the migrant population increases notably so it does the need for reducing inequalities and barriers such as language. Maier-Lorentz (2008) firmly understood that such a need could be met by the targeting of bilingual health care professionals coming from different backgrounds. Moreover, she suggested that in order to provide culturally competent nursing care, some knowledge of non-vocal communication signs could be of great value, as it is in eye contact, touch, silence, space and distance, and health care habits. Green-Hernandez (2004) recommended that as a step towards multicultural competency, professionals that need to deal with farmers should familiarize themselves with their specific customs such as using animal medication for their own conditions as a consequence of living far away from the care institutions. With the purpose of understanding culture, Andrews Boyle (1997) gave out diverse illustrations. For example, they suggested that by understanding a people’s proverbs, professionals may grasp knowledge of the cultural values shared by that population. The authors also stressed the importance of culture knowledge when coming across two different ways to view stealing. For one culture it may not be acceptable whereas for another one, e.g. gipsy people, it may be ok, as long as it is coming from a better-off person. Furthermore, they also found, through researchers, that different cultures may think that by being a demanding patient, the treatment they receive may improve. Riley (2004) reported that a foremost test for nurses in an ethnically different society is communication. Not just words but also tone and volume form spoken communication which in diverse cultures differs greatly. For example, Thai people are regarded as not talking too much as they believe it is a sign of idiocy whereas Cuban people are happy with talking vociferously. He also pointed out that Europeans are not afraid of talking about emotions whereas Asians are hesitant to do so. With regards to communication without words Riley (2004) explained that eye contact is not always expected. For instances, in Native America and Asian cultures it is offensive and among Muslim Arab women it is allowed only to their husbands. Therefore, he identified the importance for healthcare professionals to be culturally aware. Phillimore (2011) explored the challenge of provision of diversity needs in the UK based on studies done on health care service provision to new migrants, during 2007/08 in Birmingham. She stated that with political forces wanting to reduce welfare support for new migrants, such provision becomes quite a challenge. She also believed that, in the long run, this disregarding of health care needs will lead to further issues for the health care system that otherwise could be avoided by just providing what is needed now: cultural and language services and health support. It was also suggested that in today’s political climate offering of ethnically specific provision by the community and for the community, results in the local needs not being met, as the existing GP systems are already overstretched. She concluded that a number of migrants are condemned to an unwelcoming future since UK seems to embrace a tendency of anti-migrant sentiment and a move to community institution instead of multicultural provision (Phillimore, 2011). The Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory by Madeleine Leininger In the 1950’s Madeleine Leininger, a nurse-anthropologist, realised that nursing practice was requiring a theory to allow people to transform nursing into a more advanced and beneficial discipline that challenges nurses to open up to cultural variety and universality (Leininger, 2006). This was developed as a response to the demand for multicultural care which was immense and yet incomplete as many healthcare systems did not consider the need for bringing together culture and nursing care (Giger Davidhizar, 2008). The culture care diversity and universality theory developed by Leininger in 1991 (Leininger, 2002a) is unique in that it focuses on competent care, can be used upon any culture and is based not only on individuals but groups and families too. The theory addresses the importance of a consistent cultural competence instrument to acquire cultural awareness through a constant learning attitude and approval towards human differences and rights by health care professionals (Burford, 2001, cited in Baxter, 2001, pp. 202-203). Leininger (2002a) insisted on the importance of transcultural knowledge as a tool to avoid human acts such as the event of September 11, 2001. She then proposed the culture care theory as the most holistic approach to gradually transform the health system. This much needed transformation requires understanding of individuals in ways that identify and respect their cultural background and will lead us to understand such transcultural dismay. The theory was used in a study among Hispanic home care patients in the US, 2007, in order to identify cultural needs. As a result, care delivery improved in some areas and there was a suggestion describing the use of the model as a tool to reduce costs in the health care system (Woerner et al. 2009). Leininger’s theory applies not only to races from different backgrounds but also to today’s controversial groups such as transgendered people, disabled people , the youth, poverty and the homeless that may pose a certain degree of difficulty of understanding to healthcare professionals. There is also an agreement that, thanks to Leininger’s culture care theory, the nursing profession today knows how to allow for culture when looking after individuals and has a widely spread   caring philosophy in hospitals (Clarke et al. 2009). For this model to assist the health care professional to understand factors as important as management and policies, as well as being able to reflect on their decisions and actions, Leininger designed two tool assessments, The Sunrise Enabler and the Ethno Nursing research method, which are based on monitoring treatment care on a daily basis (Hubbert, 2006, cited in Leininger McFarland, 2006, pp. 354-356). The sunrise enabler focuses mainly on total life ways and caring factors influencing health and well-being, disabilities and death. It also identifies features influenced by the patient’s cultural background whereas ethnonursing finds ways in which multicultural care could be better. In doing so, the reflected culture becomes part of the holistic nursing practice (Leininger, 2006). The Sunrise Enabler The Sunrise Enabler is used as an assessment tool to enable multidisciplinary teams to deliver suitable and competent cultural assessments that impede intolerance and stereotype behaviour. This is to supply the healthcare system with a guide to cultural vicinities ranging from religious beliefs to economic factors (Giger Davidhizar, 2008). Wherever a healthcare professional starts the model either from the top or from the bottom, the most important feature is to listen to the individuals, trying to grasp ideas and concepts rather than enforcing them (Leininger, 2002a). Healthcare professionals struggled to understand the meaning of factors influencing the care practice so crucial when applying the culture care theory. Such factors as culture beliefs, environment and religion were to be included in the nursing care, therefore Leininger (1997) built the Sunrise Enabler to illustrate such aspects. The Ethno-nursing Method This method was developed to fit the purposes of qualitative research methods. It is a systematic method for studying multiple cultures and care factors within a familiar environment of people and to focus on the interrelationships of care and culture to arrive at the goal of culturally congruent care. Ethnonursing is a particular research method developed by Leininger to inspect the theory. It was developed to allow health care professionals to discover new ways of helping different cultural groups distinguish features of nursing care (Leininger, 2006). Leininger (2006, p.6) stated that the ethnonursing method â€Å"†¦was new and unknown in nursing and was different from other qualitative methods including ethnography†. Holistic Nursing Practice The exercise of modern nursing is based on the view of holism that underlines the individual’s wholeness. Healing viewed as an indication of nursing practice that treats people as whole, developed in the late 20th and early 21st century into a popular subject in nursing in order to clarify the meaning of wholeness and holism. As a result, alternative therapies surfaced as approaches of practice in holistic nursing (Locsin, 2002). The definition of holistic came into effect in the 20th century. Then the word holism included the physical, emotional, mental, social, cultural, and spiritual view. This view of holism was envisioned by Florence Nightingale who is seen today as an example to follow, although many of her studies are not used in today’s nursing practice (Beck, 2010). â€Å"Holistic nursing care embraces the mind, body and spirit of the patient, in a culture that supports a therapeutic nurse/patient relationship, resulting in wholeness, harmony and healing. Holistic care is patient led and patient focused in order to provide individualised care, thereby, caring for the patient as a whole person rather than in fragmented parts† (McEvoy Duffy, 2008, Vol.8, p. 418). Furthermore, it addressed the expansion of multidisciplinary and collaborative teams as a way to applying holistic care into practice and asserted that the practice of holistic care by health professionals should avoid intrusion and, when really needed, as it is the case of unconscious patients, should use skills that include aspects such as consideration, disciplined criticism and liability in order to exercise nursing in a holistic approach (McEvoy Duffy, 2008). Since individuals from different culture backgrounds may appreciate holistic nursing practice and care choices in different ways so is the healthcare provided in different ways (Locsin, 2001). It may also be the case that some individuals may feel embarrassed to mention alternative remedies used in the past, therefore the assessment should be supportive rather than disapproving (Maddalena, 2009). Pearcey (2007) ran a study on clinical practices amongst student nurses to draw on a few key points related to holistic nursing practice. It was found that the notion of holistic care was not clear within nursing practice. Some students claimed not to know the right meaning of holistic nursing practice and also claimed that tasks and routines are what nursing is all about. The study showed an evident lack of professionalism and knowledge amongst care professionals as well as a huge gap between what is taught and what is really applied at work. The author concluded that there is a real risk of inconsistency within the profession. Within the practice of holistic care there has been lately a huge influence of alternative or complementary medicine which care experts have tried to professionalise by setting certain values to be met. A study amongst nurses and midwives accomplished in England, 2008, revealed this but also the lack of initiative from the NHS to incorporate such practices, even though it was demonstrated that a huge variety of them were successfully applied on patients where biomedicine seemed not to work. Such practices included reflexology, aromatherapy, acupuncture and massage that actually underlined biomedicine rather than substituted (Cant et al. 2011). Whilst carrying out an interview on medical students in the UK, a student suggested that it is actually a catch-22-situation when looking after patients from diverse races as they have diverse predominance of whatever conditions that eventually will require different treatment, a world apart from what is being taught in medical schools with regards to treating everyone in the same way (Roberts et al. 2008). A quick look to Harrison (2008) for a concluding comment on multicultural nursing in relation to holistic care, offers us this brief view: a Western health care organism that has not managed to treat minority communities in a holistic manner is a system that claims to care for one and all identically. The Theory of Environmental Adaptation by Florence Nightingale According to Nightingale’s Theory of Environmental Adaptation, an individual’s health is improved by looking after the surrounding environment. It goes further than this and asks for the environment to be operated by the health care professionals as an approach to healing (Howett et al.   2010). Florence Nightingale defined nursing as â€Å"†¦the act of utilising the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery† (Funnell et al. 2009). She determined that the deficiency of factors such as uncontaminated air, clean water, sanitation, hygiene and sunlight is unhealthy to the human being. Furthermore, she reasoned that temperature, environment and nutrition affect the patient (Kozier, et al. 2008). This theory of nursing includes inspection, recognition of environment changes and their execution and supporting the patient health care by allowing the environment to benefit the patient (Neils, 2010). Selanders (2010) reviewed and compared this theory’s aspects with modern day practice and reported that Nightingale’s concept, such as air, light, noise and cleanliness is equal to today’s concept of physical environment; health recommendations to psychological environment; food to nutritional status and observation to nursing management. The author also estimated that the theory has been used in several qualitative works and some studies on the childbirth process. Transcultural Nursing vs. Holistic Nursing Practice According to Leininger (2002b) patients are not provided full holistic care by health professionals. Factors such as kinship, religion, environment and culture are largely missing. For that reason, care professionals should avoid being judgmental when delivering holistic care and rather provide an all-inclusive care that respects the individual’s cultural background (Maddalena, 2009). As a student nurse, it is vital to value the development of cultural awareness and competency within the profession in order to encourage and address all stages of holistic nursing practice as it is meaningful to today’s multicultural society. Leininger (1997) also claimed that essential practice is needed to create a regulation of multicultural nursing that could be of use to much ignored cultures. For example, acute medical treatment, medication, and patient fulfilment can be improved by understanding care beliefs when bringing in nursing care which, in turn, could save the health care system financially and also have a desired positive outcome on patients (Woerner et al. 2009). Individuals or groups may clash with health professionals if they are not showing respect for each other’s cultural beliefs resulting in poor treatment and patients losing hope in the health care system. Hogg (2010a) also underpinned this understanding as crucial to delivering accurate holistic nursing practice. However, not only patients may lose faith in the system. Hogg (2010b) also affirmed that nurses from black and minority ethnic have suffered, at some point, racial harassment as well as lack of opportunities according to their numbers in the nursing profession. As holistic nursing practice centres on recognition of patients’ rights and choices (Potter, 2005 cited in Dossey et al. 2005, p.347), it is subsequently supporting the meaning behind multicultural care. The association of both precepts confirms an ongoing engagement to pursue equality and diversity as promoted by the Nursing Midwifery Council (2008). â€Å"Inherent in nursing is respect for human rights, including cultural rights, the right to life and choice, to dignity and to be treated with respect. Nursing care is respectful of and unrestricted by considerations of age, colour, creed, culture, disability or illness, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, politics, race or social status† (The International Council for Nurses, 2005). When assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating a patient’s needs as to medication, health professionals should take into account culture’s physiologic traits, as it can seriously impact the treatment. For instances, due to genetics, for one patient a normal given dose may develop a reaction whereas for another it may not work at all (Anon, 2005). Conclusion It is obvious that cultural competency is a must when performing holistic nursing practice, in order to deliver a responsive and high quality care system. It is therefore recommended that specific cultural training should be given to all health care professionals so as to not overlook the great multi-cultural society we all are in. As society becomes more diverse, health care professionals should expand guiding principles that sponsor cultural skills as a way to deliver enhanced holistic healthcare. By carrying out this essay, the author realises the significance of treating people in a holistic way and not making assumptions just because they are from different cultures. This is something that seems yet not to be well implemented in my workplace (NHS since 2007). The author will, from now on, be more aware of his practice when caring for individuals from different culture backgrounds. It can be considered that nursing as a profession is also an example of human culture so indispensable for a in peak condition community, as seen looking through the theories of nursing and its tools presented in this paper, which if not recognized may affect the execution of holistic practice and its results, i.e. it is a profession whose culture needs to be elastic if it is to  fulfill  its function.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

diminishing returns essays

diminishing returns essays The Law of diminishing returns is a key one in economics. It is used to explain many of the ways the economy works and changes. It is a relatively simple idea; spending and investing more and more in a product where one of the factors of production remains the same means the enterprise will eventually run out of steam. The returns will begin to diminish in the long run. If more fertilizer and better machinery are used on an acre of farmland, the yield will increase for a while but then begin to slow and become flat. A farmer can only get so much out of the land, and the more the farmer works, the harder it gets. The economic reason for diminishing returns of capital is as follows: When the capital stock is low, there are many workers for each machine, and the benefits of increasing capital further are great; but when the capital stock is high, workers already have plenty of capital to work with, and little benefit is to be gained from expanding capital further. For example, in a secretarial pool in which there are many more secretaries than computer terminals, each terminal is constantly being utilized and secretaries must waste time waiting for a free terminal. In this situation, the benefit in terms of increased output of adding extra terminals is high. However, if there are already as many terminals as secretaries, so that terminals are often idle and there is no waiting for a terminal to become available, little additional output can be obtained by adding yet another terminal. Another application for this law is in Athletics, for runners, their investment is the time and energy put into training and the yield is hopefully improved fitness. Early in their running careers or early in the training program a couple of weeks of regular training would be rewarded with a considerable increase in fitness. Having achieved a very fit state though, two weeks of regular training will achiev ...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The Effectiveness of the Death Penalty Research Paper

The Effectiveness of the Death Penalty - Research Paper Example CONCLUSION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 33 INEFFECTIVENESS OF DEATH PENALTY 1. INTRODUCTION Capital punishment, whose legal synonym is the death penalty has been defined as the â€Å"legal authorized killing of a person in punishment for a crime† and as â€Å"the lawful infliction of death as punishment for a crime.† It is the highest form of punishment for crime in legal jurisdictions all over the world. More than 3000 inmates in America are on death row today (Watts, 2010); Stevenson (2001) quoted exactly 3700. In the United States, the support for capital punishment has been used by politicians as a way of showing their stands with regard to crime fighting. Unfortunately, most of these politicians are either ignorant of ineffectiveness of the death penalty in fighting crime or are simply using it as a means of climbing the political ladder. Mandery (2011, p. 100) stated that â€Å"some of the most blatant attempts at political manipulation of the death penalty have occurred on the level of state politics†. Conservative supporters of the death penalty do not want to imagine that capital punishment is not achieving what it was intended to achieve, neither do they want to look at the practical benefits of getting rid of the death penalty. This paper will explore the said facets of ineffectiveness of death penalty. At the moment, the United States has more people in death row than there ever have been in the history of the country. More states than ever before are legalizing the death penalty even when it has been described as a luxury that counties cannot afford. As highlighted by Dieter (1995) it costs a lot more money to fund the trial and execution of a...The paper tells that in the history of humanity, the death penalty has been the preserve of people suspected of heinous crimes. This is not absolute, as there have been times when suspects were killed for the simplest of offenses. The death penalty existed as far back as 14BC, when the methods of execution included crucifixion, burning, boiling, beheading, public hanging and stoning. With time, fewer offenses warranted the death penalty. The United States has been influenced a lot by its former colonial power with regard to capital punishment. As stated by Latzer & McCord â€Å"the death penalty was transported from England to the American colonies during the 17th and 18th centuries†. During the colonial times, capital crimes were many although not many executions were done compared to the current times. The reforms that led to the review of capital punishment in many states started with the abolitionist movement. This led to many states reducing their capital crimes and abolishing the death penalty except for treason and murder. Some states did not follow suit and have still held on to the death penalty to date. In the first decades of the 20th century, there was a lot of debate regarding the death penalty, which led to some states abolishing it completely and some reinstating it in the face of World War I. Methods of execution had increased too, with the introduction of the electric chair and cyanide gas. The second half of the 20th century saw a huge drop in the number of executions thanks to the lack of support for this kind of punishment.

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Obamacare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Obamacare - Research Paper Example The second objective of the program is to create stock exchange for insurers, which will purchase insurance at a reasonable price to those Americans who dont have it yet. At the same time, Obama is going to provide loans and preferential prices for those businesses and individuals who do not have sufficient resources (Tate, 12). The third point of the plan provides the introduction of compulsory health insurance, which would reduce unplanned budget expenses for treatment of uninsured persons. This innovation will affect only those individuals and institutions that will be able to pay the appropriate fees (Tate, 12). Thus, I consider that this reform is necessary for the USA. The current medical system differs with unresolved interaction between the public and private sectors. Despite the fact that the government allocates huge sums into the health care system, it has no effective levers of control over prices and costs of services and drugs and it will get those levers due to this reform. So, as you see, this plan would entail mainly positive effects. The average American will likely see a reduction in the cost of his health insurance, and up to 30-44 million citizens who now do not have insurance will get access to insurance coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or public insurance plans (Wilensky). In addition, they will be able to include in their insurance the child until he will reach the age of 26. It wont depend on whether a child has own family or whether he lives with parents/separately/on the university campus or whether he depends or not on parents financially. Previously, this kind of insurance was limited by age of 18 years. ObamaCare also brings unprecedented reforms in Medicare for pensioners. Now they do not have to pay a certain amount of money from their own pocket – the program will cover it. Millions of pensioners are already exempt from additional payments "out of

Evolution and its understanding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Evolution and its understanding - Essay Example While the existing models of evolution may not be able to account for every single question that a person may have regarding the origin of mankind and other forms of life on earth, it is definitely the most plausible explanation that can be offered at this point in history. The fact that it exists in contradiction to many of the central tenets of many religions must not hinder one from seeing the scientific nature of the theories of evolution. The beneficial nature of such a rational approach as far as the understanding of society is concerned is something that needs to be looked at and analyzed with great care and rigor.Believing in evolution necessarily may not lead one to believe evolution. By believing evolution, one would be asserting one’s belief in the scientific theories of evolution that is often considered to be a part of the heading of evolution. These would then mark out that person as a supporter of scientific rationality and the idea that the beginning of life wa s in unicellular organisms that then evolved into larger organism that then differentiated into more and more complex organisms. To believe in evolution would refer to a belief in a system of change that characterized the progress of mankind to its present position. This could then have been aided by any other force other than nature. It could be a supernatural force that may have enabled a particular form of progress and made possible a particular trajectory as far as the development of mankind is concerned.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Employee Participation in Decision Making Essay

Employee Participation in Decision Making - Essay Example This paper will deeply discuss the concept of employee participation in decision making by giving a specific focus on current issues associated with this management approach. Definition, elements of employee participation As a modern approach to creative human resources management applications, corporations encourage employee participation in response to their quality movement needs within the organisational framework. Employee participation can be simply defined as the â€Å"part of a process of empowerment in the workplace whereby employees are involved in decision-making processes, rather than simply acting on orders† (Singh & Kumar, 2011, p.381). There are numerous employee participation programmes to make sure that every employee gets the opportunity to take part in decision making process. According to Parasuraman (2007), Quality circles, suggestions schemes, consultation exercises and meetings, delegation of responsibility, and multi-channel decision making process are the major approaches designed to promote employee participation. ... gements provide their employees with effective communication channels whereby they (employees) are able to suggest innovative ideas to the top level management. Often, managements motivate their employees with financial and other forms of reward for making potential and promising suggestions. In addition, some organisations conduct consultation exercises and meetings to empower their employees and thereby contribute to operational efficiency. Through such practices, managements arrange a common platform for their employees to join together and share work/growth improvement ideas. Top executives listen to those employees suggestions and accept potential improvement ideas. Delegation of responsibility among employees is another potential element of employee participation. Since ground level employees need to directly interact with customers, they are given the power to make decisions for themselves and for the organisation. Finally, the multi-channel decision making process assists the organisation to ensure that its decisions are not made in a downward direction. In other words, a series of upward and downward communications are made before forming a business decision under this approach. Significance of employee participation According to modern management practitioners, the concept of employee participation is a key tool to ensure business success. In the words of Moorhead and Griffin (2009, p. 127), this approach would assist the organisation to effectively promote employee motivation. When employees are trusted and involved in the firm’s decision making process, they feel that they are an integral part of the organisation; and this positive feeling itself would motivate employees to contribute their best to the company’s growth (ibid). In other words, the

Growing up Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Growing up - Thesis Example In this context passing could represent the journey from city to city, it could also represent to passing form one lover to another or one musical genre to another starting which gospel choir to punk to blues to jazz to rock. Passing could also indicate passage of time and in that effect growing up. The story begins with the Youth as a young person who is in a state of spiritual confusion not knowing what to do. As expected he wants to become a better person someone he is proud of. Despite being brought up by a conservative single mother he turns to Zen Buddhism. However this goes only for a short while before he succumbs to her mothers’ persuasion to find God. During this time instead of having a spiritual awakening his musical affinity is awakened by the gospel choir. He later joins the choir mainly because of his attraction to a girl in the choir. During his life in the choir he meets with Franklin Jones who was the choir master who introduces the youth to drugs. He develops a liking for the guitar and soon afterward deserts the choir to form a punk rock band with fellow ex-choir members. With the passage of time he abandons his band mates and starts saving money to travel to Europe where he anticipated becoming a musician which his mother and the community disapprove . In the film the youth says, â€Å"Slaves have options, cowards only have consequences.† This depicts his state of discomfort with his reality and how he had resolve to go to Europe.. After a long argument with his mother the youth goes to promiscuous Amsterdam where for the first time in his life he discovers freedom. He suddenly has easy access to all the social evils such as sex and drugs he lamented â€Å"All vices in full view â€Å"when he say hashis on the menu of a coffee shop with topless women serving coffee. The Youth also first experiences acceptance in the form of a girl named Marianna who willingly gives her the keys to her

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Employee Participation in Decision Making Essay

Employee Participation in Decision Making - Essay Example This paper will deeply discuss the concept of employee participation in decision making by giving a specific focus on current issues associated with this management approach. Definition, elements of employee participation As a modern approach to creative human resources management applications, corporations encourage employee participation in response to their quality movement needs within the organisational framework. Employee participation can be simply defined as the â€Å"part of a process of empowerment in the workplace whereby employees are involved in decision-making processes, rather than simply acting on orders† (Singh & Kumar, 2011, p.381). There are numerous employee participation programmes to make sure that every employee gets the opportunity to take part in decision making process. According to Parasuraman (2007), Quality circles, suggestions schemes, consultation exercises and meetings, delegation of responsibility, and multi-channel decision making process are the major approaches designed to promote employee participation. ... gements provide their employees with effective communication channels whereby they (employees) are able to suggest innovative ideas to the top level management. Often, managements motivate their employees with financial and other forms of reward for making potential and promising suggestions. In addition, some organisations conduct consultation exercises and meetings to empower their employees and thereby contribute to operational efficiency. Through such practices, managements arrange a common platform for their employees to join together and share work/growth improvement ideas. Top executives listen to those employees suggestions and accept potential improvement ideas. Delegation of responsibility among employees is another potential element of employee participation. Since ground level employees need to directly interact with customers, they are given the power to make decisions for themselves and for the organisation. Finally, the multi-channel decision making process assists the organisation to ensure that its decisions are not made in a downward direction. In other words, a series of upward and downward communications are made before forming a business decision under this approach. Significance of employee participation According to modern management practitioners, the concept of employee participation is a key tool to ensure business success. In the words of Moorhead and Griffin (2009, p. 127), this approach would assist the organisation to effectively promote employee motivation. When employees are trusted and involved in the firm’s decision making process, they feel that they are an integral part of the organisation; and this positive feeling itself would motivate employees to contribute their best to the company’s growth (ibid). In other words, the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The Invasion of Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Invasion of Privacy - Essay Example The invasion of privacy is always a very serious and sensitive matter. But, then again, Cobb’s team is not made to appear in good light with regards to their job which is why there are severe dangers to their profession. But with permission, accessing of thoughts (although far from the fictitious modus operandi of Cobb and team) is used by psychologists for therapeutic purposes in order to unburden their patient’s subconscious and give them better internal peace. The Inception concept could also likewise be used in the same light but, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Such technology is fatal in the wrong hands, and this would be alarming if is popularly used. As evident in the movie, although Fischer is put in the villain spotlight, it is disturbing to consider how they can manipulate him into destroying a whole business conglomerate only for the benefit of another businessman. This clearly depicts that because of their drive fueled by selfish m otives and intentions, they blatantly disregard the damage that they could have inflicted on their victim, be it moral or any other. It is also noteworthy how the victims are very much vulnerable and susceptible to these kinds of intrusions. By implanting an idea deep into the subconscious, the probability would dictate that on several occasions such implanted idea might result in a negative interpretation by the host. This can pose several psychologically damaging issues to the Fischer and might even result to the instability of his personality. Cobb and his team were also insensitive enough to destroy relationships of the host to other people. Though they were proud to state that they might have cured the relationship with his father, it was not a primal intention, and even if so, they are playing god by toying with the affairs and manipulating the actions of their victim. Freud’s theory of the unconscious states that there are three different levels might operate. These ar e the conscious, preconscious, and the unconscious (Clarke 208). The film also works in this premise when they operated with their victim. Subscribing to Freud’s theory of the unconscious, it states that the id represents the passion of the human being and is entirety unconscious (Ocay 14). This is thus what Cobb and his team targeted to incept with. They harnessed the vulnerability of their victim’s relationship with his father and his commitment to continue his father’s legacy. This is the id, and this is the passion of the host that they manipulated into thinking their own bidding. 2) Mill raised the question as to whether one would prefer to be a pig satisfied or a Socrates dissatisfied? In this regards elaborate upon his views? Mill employs the concept of Utilitarianism, which is also known as the Greatest Happiness Principle (Mills 4). Happiness is defined as the presence of intended pleasure and the absence of pain. Therefore, the key elements of happines s are the presence of the quality of pleasure and the lack of pain, and some other pleasures are enacted in order to even avoid pain. Mill argues that some pleasures might be instinctually better than others but only independently so. By acting on our personal selfish pleasures, we can be easily satisfied. By only settling on these pleasures Mill likens an individual to that of a pig.  

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been labelled as a picaresque novel. A picaresque novel is an adventure story that involves an anti-hero or picaro who wanders around with no actual destination in mind. The picaresque novel has many key elements. It must contain an anti-hero who is usually described as an underling(subordinate) with no place in society, it is usually told in autobiographical form, and it is potentially endless, meaning that it has no tight plot, but could go on and on. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has moulded itself perfectly to all these essential elements of a picaresque novel. Huck Finn is undeniably the picaro, and the river is his method of travel, as well as the way in which he wanders around with no actual destination. This is due to the fact that the river is in control and not Huck. Furthermore, it is the picaresque style that has also aided in highlighting the escapades that Huck experiences through his travels as those crucial to the novel, but also crucial to such a character as Huckleberry Finn. Huck is the perfect example of a young boy with adventure on his mind, and thus the characterization of Huck as a picaro is done flawlessly. Additionally, as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains all the vital aspects of a picaresque novel and picaro hero, it is these crucial traits that mark it as one of Mark Twains most successful novels, and one of the world’s most famous adventure stories. One of the most important aspects of the picaresque novel is the fact that it must contain a picaro, otherwise known as the anti-hero of the novel. Huck is obviously the picaro in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A picaro is defined as, a low-born but clever individual who wanders into and out of various affairs of love, danger, and farcical intrigue. These involvements may take place at all social levels and typically present a humorous and wide-ranging satire of a given society (The Gale Group). Huck fits this definition perfectly. Huck isnt accepted by society and doesnt even want to be. He is most comfortable out on his own in the frontier. Furthermore, when the Widow Douglas takes him in and tries to provide him with a good life he doesnt want any part of it: â€Å"The Widow Douglas she took me for her son and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways, and so when I couldnt stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. † (194) Huck finds civilized life intolerable, but instead prefers to live the life of a free spirit, but he isnt able to do that when the Widow is trying to civilize him. The Widow wants to refine Hucks lifestyle to match hers, but Huck cant stand that type of life and resists it. Huck wants to keep his independence, and he believes that the frontier is the only place where he can do that. Therefore, Hucks unaccepted presence in society, and his unwillingness to fit in is one that proves his existence as a picaro in the picaresque novel. Another characteristic of the picaro is the fact that he is a wanderer, which means that he is the type of character who roams from place-to-place with no set destination in mind. Hucks wandering occurs within the form of his raft on the Mississippi river. The river is an important aspect of Hucks wandering because the river continuously changes course, and there is no way for Huck to direct the river and his raft. If Huck passes a place or location there is no way for him to turn the raft around, but instead he has to continue on down the river. An example of this is when Huck and Jim pass Cairo, which was the one specific destination they had in mind because its where Jim would have been free, It wouldnt do to take to the shore; we couldnt take the raft up the stream, of course. There warnt no way but to wait for dark and start back in the canoe and take the chances (314). In other words, the river basically has a life of its own, and therefore Huck and Jim have to abide by the river’s rules. Another important fact regarding the picaro as a wanderer is the notion that he will change as a result of his travels, the main character often grows intellectually and morally through his various encounters along the path of his journey (Bibliomania). Hucks character matures throughout the novel from that of a boy to one that can be seen as something closer to a man. Huck begins to have a conscience, which proves that he is beginning to mature because he begins to actually think about things, and care about them. Hucks maturation can be observed in the scene where he chooses to tell Mary Jane the truth about the two men posing as her uncles, I got to tell the truth, and you want to brace up, Miss Mary, because its a bad kind and going to be hard to take, but there aint no help for it (420). Hucks maturation is evident here because he cant stand to see Mary Jane and her sisters cheated of the money they deserve, and so happy because their uncles are back when in reality theyre only frauds. Hucks conscience continues to bother him until he tells Mary Jane the truth, and therefore it is apparent that Huck is growing as a result of his travels because his conscience begins to affect him, forcing him to show that he is a good and kind-hearted person. A picaro is often defined as someone who isnt very honest, or straightforward, but instead is something more of a liar. More often than not a picaro has been brought up by a dishonest and unloving family, and therefore has no traditional values. Hucks father was a drunkard, and treated Huck as if he owned him, instead of as a son. Furthermore, Hucks father never acted like a father figure to Huck at all, but instead was cruel and unreliable. Moreover, because of his upbringing Huck had no one to teach him any values, and thus he created his own value system, which was the opposite of the social norm. For example, Huck lied his way through his travels and adventures. His first major lie and the beginning of his adventure was staging his own murder, which enabled him to escape his father. In addition, whenever Huck and Jim met other people along their way some kind of lie always popped out of his mouth. To illustrate this point is the scene where Huck comes along two men in a boat, and Huck wants to surrender Jim, but a fib comes out instead, I wish you would, says I, because its pap thats there, and maybe youd help me tow the raft ashore where the light is. Hes sick-and so is mam and Mary Ann' (310). Huck doesnt even have to think about how to lie because it just happens without any real thought involved. Huck constantly changes his name in his lies. Hence, it is so natural for Huck to lie that it becomes difficult for him to keep track of the names he calls himself within his lies. His lies extend to the point of posing as a young girl to an old woman, but he mixes his names up and is caught in the lie: â€Å"Well, try to remember it, George. Dont forget and tell me its Elexander before you go, and then get out by saying its George Elexander when I catch you. And dont go about women in that old calico. You do a girl tolerable poor but you might fool men, maybe. † (262) Fortunately for Huck, the old woman is a kind-hearted one and lets him go on his way without any real questions. However, one of Hucks major lies occurs during his time with the Duke and the King. They pull a stunt where they charge people to watch them do a revival of a play, despite the fact that they barely know the play or are by no means actors. Consequently, they barely escape from the town on the third night with the money that they had  cheated the townspeople of. Thus, there were many instances where Huck lied and cheated his way through his various encounters and experiences, which ties him in perfectly with the typical picaro stereo-type. A picaresque novel is generally told in autobiographical form. Huck is the narrator within The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and thus is speaking from the first person point-of-view. This is largely associated with the fact that although Huck tells terrible lies and does some terrible things, it is impossible for the readers not to like Huck. Huck tells the story from his own point-of-view, which enables the readers to see things through Hucks eyes. Huck will explain why hes doing something, and because the readers get Hucks explanation and thoughts on it, it is easy to understand and accept it. Hence, it is easy for the readers to side with Huck. Furthermore, because Hucks thoughts are known the readers are able to see and accept that more often than not Huck actually has a good reason for the things he does. One important notion is the fact that Huck does have a good heart, and this is because Hucks adventure is largely due to keeping Jim safe and free. The readers are able to see Hucks thoughts on Jim and how he really does care about him and his freedom, and this makes Huck a good person with a large heart, despite the way hes acted at certain times. In addition to Huck being the narrator is the fact that the story is not only told through Hucks eyes, but also through his own language. Its obvious that Huck isnt the most educated person, but because the novel is told through Hucks own language it makes the novel all the more realistic to the readers. It is easier to see the story through Huck when the slang he uses is also incorporated into the novel. The fact that Hucks slang became a part of the story as well only served to further root Huck as a believable and more realistic character. Furthermore, Hucks accent became a part of the dialogue in order to define him as a unique character within the novel, one on which the novel was centred on. Hucks accent marks him as a true adventurer, and as someone who truly does prefer the frontier to civilization. For example, if Twain had invented Huck without an accent then his believability as an adventurer wouldnt have seemed quite so real. If Huck had traveled down the river void of his accent or slang then he would not have seemed the true loner and adventurer that Twain made him out to be, which is because he would have spoken in the same educated manner that any well-brought up boy would have. Thus, Hucks slang is as much a part of his lifestyle as it is him. Consequently, it is these combined facts of Hucks first-person narration, the readers ability to see everything hes thinking, and the slang that is incorporated into his dialogue that truly marks Huckleberry Finn as a adventurer, but more importantly as an autobiographical character in a picaresque novel. A story that has been defined as picaresque, such as The Adventures ofHuckleberry Finn can also be said to be potentially endless. A picaresque is often described as an adventure story, and thus if a novel is an adventure story then there really is no reason for the adventures to end. A picaresque is said to be potentially endless because it has no tight plot that has to end at a given time. Instead, the plot can change and continue on into infinity. Another literary term for a picaresque being potentially endless is called beads-on-a-string. It is like a yarn, and there is no exact moment when the story starts to wind down and close, but instead there is always an opportunity to keep the story going. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the perfect example of this. The entire story is centred on Huck and Jims adventures down the river. Huck is running away from his father, and Jim is running away from the possibility of being sold down the river because hes black, and therefore a slave. Huck and Jims adventures do eventually come to an end, but only because Mark Twain decides to end it, not because it has to end. There is no tight plot structure, such as a need for a climax and falling action because these could easily be taken out allowing Huck to continue telling his story, and the reader would never be any the wiser. Furthermore, there is no exact spot in the story where the reader thinks that the story should begin to wind down, and this is because it is a young boys adventure story. Hucks characterization only works because of the age his character represents. Huck represents eternal boyhood, and thus his adventures can also be seen as eternal. Therefore, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a story that can be potentially endless due to the fact that it is a young boy telling the story who experiences a life of adventures, and there is no reason why those adventures should have to end at any specific time. A picaresque story often involves a picaro that has some kind of sidekick along with him. In the case of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is his sidekick. The sidekick is someone who is a part of the adventure, but isnt seen as the main character, and thus more often than not the readers dont know the sidekicks views or thoughts, or what is known is very limited. Jim is Hucks sidekick, and although Hucks own adventure actually began because he was running away from his father, Jim is the reason that the adventure took the path it did. Jim didnt want to be sold to a slave buyer so instead of taking the chance of being sold he ran away, which is how he came to be Hucks sidekick. They both ran away from different things, and accidentally, but fortunately found each other, Pretty soon he gapped and stretched himself and hove off the blanket-and it was Miss Watsons Jim! I bet I was glad to see him (239). Huck wanted to keep Jim safe and so they decided to go to Cairo where Jim would be free from slavery, en I hear ole missus tell de widder she gwyne to sell me down to Orleans, but she didn want to, but she could git eight hundd dollars for me, en it uz sick a big stack o money she couldn resis' (242). Jim became Hucks sidekick early on in the adventure, and thus the real adventure only began once Jim had become a part of it. However, although it is Hucks adventure, and Jim is Hucks sidekick, the actual adventure itself is about keeping Jim safe and free. Furthermore, both Huck and Jim are running away because they want freedom. Huck wants to be free from his father, and Jim wants to be free from slavery, but by the end of the novel the irony is that Hucks father is dead, and the Widow has set Jim free within her will. Thus, it is Jim that further proves the sidekick mentality within a picaresque novel, and within The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains all the elements that any picaresque novel should. Huck Finn is the picaro and alongside him is his sidekick Jim. The adventures that these two encounter along their journey is pure proof of what elements a picaresque novel should include, from lying and cheating to wanderers along a river, to the changes that occur as a result of these adventures. Huck has all the characteristics that a typical picaro or anti-hero should have. Hes dishonest, prefers the frontier to civilization, and hes the narrator of the novel making it in autobiographical form. Therefore, all the aspects within TheAdventures of Huckleberry Finn cement it together to further root it as a picaresque novel with a unique and yet solid picaro as the main character.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Harlem Renaissance And The Cotton Club Film Studies Essay

Harlem Renaissance And The Cotton Club Film Studies Essay Cotton Club as an example of Jazz scene during the Harlem Renaissance in the movie The Cotton Club by Francis Ford Coppola Even though the Harlem Renaissance ended almost 80 years ago and its timeline is almost the same as the prohibition, it still seems to have an incredible impact on American society and culture as such. What happened during those 13 years was a sort of revolution in every field of life in upper Manhattan. It would be almost impossible to name and enumerate every artist, musician, politician responsible for the Harlem Renaissance. What is the more important is the fact it was a moment in history when African American culture was able to express itself as separate from mainstream American culture of that time. Jazz became a powerful tool of defining Harlem identity; as Patrick Burke claims for African Americans interest in jazz was mixed with a desire to think and act differently. Harlem jazz musicians needed a place to practice and perform and the Cotton Club proved to play an important role in creating an atmosphere of artistic and intellectual growth during the jazz era, as depicted in the Cotton Club movie by Francis Ford Coppola. Francois Weil, the author of A History of New York, defines the Harlem Renaissance as the first African American movement in the modern history; the movement that influenced every aspect of cultural life, such as literature, music, art etc. Harlem in the 1920s was the place to be. It became what the Greenwich Village was in the downtown, mainly a place of cultural revival; an oasis to artist and intellectuals of all sorts. Harlems cultural revival at that time was called The New Negro Renaissance, a term that defined everything that was new, modern and exciting. The new movement was focused around black writers, like Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes and jazz musicians, like Duke Ellington or Cab Calloway. In the 1920s, what was called Harlem stretched from 130th to 145th street, from Madison Avenue to Eighth Avenue. What became essential in Harlem Renaissance was the music; jazz, or rather ragtime as it should be called was one of the first examples of interaction between white and black music. Ragtime, as a genre was a combination of European and American influences. Its name comes from the ragged rhythm. Due to the prosperity of the 1920s, New York became the new capital of entertainment. Prohibition did not stop New Yorkers craze for nightlife, however, they had to search for fun somewhere else, in the speakeasies- illegal bars serving alcohol, mostly located in the basements. One of the most famous speakeasies was Onyx Club, which was a venue for both musicians and New Yorkers in search of fun and adventure. Patrick Burke, the author of Oasis of Swing, explains that what attracted both musicians and audience to that kind of places was the image of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ jazz as an authentic, immediate form of personal expression. Speakeasies were often located in private houses or in the basements of official clubs. There was a wide variety of speakeasies, ranging from the dà ©cor and the style to the clientele and the prices of alcohol. Most of them were located in the downtown. When the parties were over on Times Square after midnight, the night had just begun in Harlem. For those, who were craving for more adventurous nightlife, Harlem was the Promised Land; it was home for famous clubs like, just to mention some, The Cotton Club, Connies Inn and Small Paradise. The Cotton Club was the place where the greatest jazz musicians, like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong or Cab Calloway, performed. Interestingly enough, The Cotton Club, was a place for white customers only. African Americans were allowed on the stage as performers, dancers, musicians but not as guests of the club. As Watson claims, the Cotton Club was the largest, featured the most extravagant shows, charged the highest prices, and most strictly enforced the color line. Strangely enough, thanks to its policy, the club was seen as one of the best places for white New Yorkers to be immersed into black culture. The Cotton Club attracted white clientele in many ways, for example by serving fancy food, the prices were unreasonably high, the dancers were young and pretty; it all created the atmosphere of a place for elites. In the heart of Harlem, The Cotton Club was a venue run by white owners for white audience. The Cotton Club was quite an extraordinary place where not only did white and black clash, but also other groups, like high and low classes, mob bosses and artist. Furthermore, the club was attracting its clients by the creating the sense of forbidden adventure. On top of that, illegal alcohol was just another factor that created the clubs myth. The Cotton Club movie was directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1984. Coppola, whos regarded as one of the most important American filmmakers, had been renowned for Apocalypse Now and The Godfather trilogy. Growing up in New York, although he was born in Detroit but his family moved to New York when he was a child, he actually made the city something more than just a background for the stories he depicted in his movies, the city itself became the vital part of his movies, almost like another main character, for example in the Godfather, where he depicted the life of Italian tenants living in New York City. The Cotton Club was produced by his own studio, Zoetrope Studio, which meant for Coppola even greater financial responsibility in case the movie did not become an instant success. Not only did it fail in commercial sense, but also it did not meet the audience and the movie critics expectations. The story is set in Harlem, New York City, primarily in 1928. The main character is white cornet player, Michael Dwyer called Dixie, starred by Richard Gere, who incidentally saves Dutch Schulz, starred by James Remar, life and since then Dixies life changes completely. This night is a turning point for Dixie; at the same club where he rescues Dutch, he meets Vera Cicero, starred by Diane Lane, a woman he completely falls in love with. In addition, Vera turns out to be Dutchs mistress. Unfortunately, Dixie has no idea that the person he rescued is a mob boss, and this very fact makes Dixie mingled into the underground world of gangsters, bootleggers and speakeasies. As the story develops, other characters appear on the screen, for example Williamss brothers, two black tap dancers and this is the very first moment when the story moves into The Cotton Club. From now on, the lives of black and white characters are connected via the club itself. What strikes viewers attention most is segregation at the Cotton Club. The black performers are allowed to use only the backdoor, leaving the front door to white audience only. This fact is easily understood when it turns out that the owner of the club is white man, Owney Madden, starred by Bob Hoskins, who claims to be a businessman rather than a mobster and whose main concern is how much he can earn by selling illegal liquor at the club. Dixie takes the screening test and gets engaged in the movie industry, which means moving to Hollywood and leaving New York and his beloved Vera. He takes his chance, seeing this as an opportunity to escape from his problems with Dutch. Out of a sudden, Dixie becomes a movie star. Meanwhile, the mob war in Harlem starts. To make things worse, the prices of stocks crash on Wall Street. The Great Depression does not seem to affect Vera Cicero, who left by Dixie, opens her own night club, Veras Club, for whites only on Broadway. Out of the sudden, Dixie comes back from Hollywood as a celebrity, finding his brother Vinnie guilty of killing innocent children in the street. The stock market crash in 1929 and the mob wars in 1930 are presented to build the dark and gloomy atmosphere of inevitable doom. In other words, the good careless days of jazz age are over and what is about to happen is like a harsh wake up after an all-night party. Talking about black characters in the movie, they are presented as a sort of background for white main characters. There is another love affair in the movie, between black tap dancer, Dalbert, called Sandman, Williams, starred by ,Gregory Hines, and a singer, Lila, starred by Lonette McKee, whose tragedy is that she comes from a mixed background, of a white mother and black father, which makes her black for whites and white for blacks. Lila is a star at the Cotton Club, dreaming about career on a Broadway. Thanks to Vera Cicero, her dreams come true, as Lila is white enough to perform at the Veras Club. The black jazz scene in the Cotton Club is depicted in two ways. First of all, there are historic names, such as Duke Ellington or Cab Calloway and fictional names, such as Williams Brothers. As far as historic names are concerned, the jazz scene in the Cotton Club can be divided into two phases: The Duke Ellingtons era, till 1930, and Cab Calloways era, since 1931. The times when Cab was the host at the Cotton Club mark the line of a different sort of entertainment; the show was more varied, there were more dancers, feathers, the pace was faster, because the audience was more varied. 1931 is important in the movie for two reasons; first because it is a date when the concerts are broadcast live from Cotton Club, second, it is a time when black audience is allowed into the club. As far as fictional characters are concerned, the major black characters are two brothers, Clay and Dalbert Williams, who want to succeed at the Cotton Club as tap dancers. When they finally make it there, they start competing with each other and this rivalry leads to a split between them. The conflict is not an endless one and Williams brothers realize that what made them went separate ways is meaningless, and what really matters is the fact they are flesh and blood. The scene when sing and tap together to the Crazy Rhythm is one of the best scenes in the entire movie. In addition, the second best scene in the whole movie is a violent scene of Dutchs murder is accompanied by Sandmans tap dance in the background. The evening show at the Cotton Club is depicted in the movie as a sort of a variety show. The stage in the shape of a horse hoof is located right in the center, surrounded by the customers tables. First, there female dancers enter the stage; young and attractive black girls chosen to attract mostly the male clientele. At the back of the stage there is a black jazz band accompanying the dancers. Secondly, there is a ballet performance or a singer solo accompanied by the orchestra. Next there is a tap dance, like Williams brothers, who dance synchronically to the rhythm of the music. The club is presented as a meeting spot for celebrities as well, for example when Dixie meets Gloria Swanson, the movie star. The show changes pace so that the audience can talk eat and enjoy it without paying attention all the time to what is happening on the stage. The genre of this movie is a crime story combined with love story. The crime story part is most evident when at the beginning and the end of the movie when the Dutchs opponents try to kill him and when Dixies brother, who became a gangster, incidentally shots kids on the street. The love story part is the dangerous, erotic and highly emotional relationship between Vera Cicero and Dixie Dwyer, the best example is the passionate tango scene where Vera slaps Dixie, who slaps her back. Their romance has to be a secret; otherwise they would get killed by Dutch. This tension leads to the inevitable conflict between Dutch and Dixie, which is the climax of the story, hence the secret about the love affair is revealed. The Cotton Club movies strength lies in meticulous preparation to recreate the atmosphere of jazz age; as a matter of fact, the interior design and art deco details are impressive and take the viewers back to the famous club in the late 1920s.However, the movie has some flaws. First of all, it is not a tribute to black Harlem artists who were responsible for a cultural revival of that time. As Johnson points out, the movie of that title should be focused on indomitability of segregated black artists who were able to lose themselves in ecstasies of escapist jazz songs and dance. Secondly, the movie proves to be a crime story rather than a musical. Thirdly, black artists are displayed as minor characters, whereas all the glory and attention go to the white protagonists, especially white jazz musician Dixie Dwyer and femme fatale Vera Cicero. The Cotton Club as an example of a nightclub was responsible for cultural revival in Harlem. Even though being responsible for segregation in Harlem, the club proved to be the place where many talented artists could perform and become famous overnight. It was the ultimate place where white audience could become familiar with Afro-American culture, for example by listening to Duke Ellingtons orchestra play jazz in the club. Furthermore, The Cotton Club was more than a jazz club; it was a scene for tap dancers, performers, singers, and other artists to show broader audience their work. In this way, The Cotton Club might be called the meeting place of white New Yorkers and African-American Harlem residents. The Great Depression brought about the end of phenomena called the Harlem Renaissance. The majority of clubs were closed; significant artists abandoned Harlem and moved to other states or headed for Europe. The great cultural revival was over. In addition, the end of Harlem Renaissance is marked with the end of prohibition. The nightlife lost its seductive glamour; the speakeasies ceased to be the meeting spots. Stock market crash had a bigger impact on Harlem than anyone would expect; everything seemed to be falling apart. The Cotton Club and Connies In were open during the great depression. What changed was the number of white clients increasing. The repeal of prohibition seemed to have more impact on Harlem nightlife than the depression itself.