Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security Assignment

Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security - Assignment Example 1). The reasons that have been identified for the overwhelming popularity of SMM among business are as follows: (1) Customer Interaction and Feedback. SMM offers opportunities for business organizations to directly encourage feedback from customers and therefore enable them to address any weaknesses noted or areas for improvement. As emphasized by Hastings and Saperstein (2010), â€Å"today, more than ever before, businesses can not only listen to customers, they can invite customers to help shape the company activities. Customers have input on which products to develop with which features, how events should be planned, and what kind of meaningful dialogue they’d like to have† (par. 5). This reason therefore assists business organizations in immediately determining the reaction of customers through solicitation of their feedback, which is one of the most beneficial uses and reasons for SMM’s popularity. (2) Generate Traffic to Social Networking Websites. Accordin g to Prince & Rodgers (2012), generating traffic to identified social networking sites is made possible through target customers’ sharing â€Å"branded and highly relevant content with users who, in turn, pass your content to like-minded people they’re connected to† (Prince & Rodgers, 2012, par. 1). ... Likewise, as noted: â€Å"there was 800% traffic gain to its website†¦Additionally, the number of live Tweeter feeds relating to the Pepsi Refresh Project being streamed across Google grew tremendously in a short time†. This reason has been proven, therefore, to be effective in increasing target audience reach at a relatively short span of time and minimal expense compared to other advertisements or promotional campaigns. (3) To achieve the goal that the organization is targetting on a least cost yet greater target audience reach. As emphasized by (Prince & Rodgers (2012), â€Å"a core objective of social media marketing — or of a thought leadership campaign, for that matter — is to gain â€Å"mindshare.† You want to be top-of-mind when potential clients or customers are interested in products or services you can deliver. You want to provide content your preferred audiences find so appealing and beneficial that they’re motivated to pass it onà ¢â‚¬  (par. 6). One of the goals of the SMM has been identified to â€Å"generate interest in your offerings† (Prince & Rodgers, 2012, par. 1). Through the use of this strategy, business organizations are able to achieve their organizational goals, as well as the objectives identified in the particular project or promotional campaign; thus, increasing its popularity among business organizations. 2. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media Marketing for business entrepreneurs. According to the Marketplace for Entrepreneurs (2012), there are seven benefits of SMM, to wit: â€Å"(1) increased customer acquisition; (2) powerful word-of-mouth marketing; (3) increased brand awareness; (4) customer retention; (5) market research; (6) keep an

Truman Show Essay Example for Free

Truman Show Essay Jim Carrey’s complex upbringing has led to a niche in cinema for him that can’t be described as anything else but one of a kind.   While he started his career in Hollywood off being recognized mostly as a funny man, he soon expanded this persona with his performances in such films as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Majestic, and recently the highly acclaimed 23.   Many critics consider Carey’s decision to take on the role of Truman in The Truman Show as the focal point of his expansion of the comedic archetype.    This essay attempts to assess what is so significant about Jim Carey and his particular performance in The Truman Show. Jim Carrey has been famous for his roles as a comedian since he first hit the big screen in the early 1990’s. He was born in Canada on January 17, 1962. He started working in the 80’s, at small comedy clubs. Carrey moved from Canada to Los Angeles in the 80’s to try and get more work. His biggest break was in 1994 with the comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. He continued making slap stick comedies in the years to follow, including Dumb and Dumber, The Mask and Liar Liar. In 1998 Jim Carrey took on the role of Truman Burbank, a role that would change his career and audience perception of him. Not only was The Truman Show making Jim Carrey step away from his slap stick, low comedy side, he was experimenting with a much darker comedy. This shocked his audience at first because everyone assumed any film Jim Carrey was in, had to be laugh out loud funny. No one had seen a darker side of him. After The Truman Show, Jim Carrey accumulated a much larger fan base. People became fascinated by the ideas and themes that The Truman Show addressed. Jim Carrey continues making people laugh all over the world. People will flock to his comedic movies because they know that they will always have a sense of Jim Carrey humor. He has a way of acting that is all his own. The films he stars in, not only draw a huge audience, they also have an affect on his audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay will look at Jim Carrey as a comedy comedian, with specific focus on his darker comedic role in The Truman Show and its affect on society. Although The Truman Show is considered a comedy, its themes touched on issues that in the 90’s were still unaware to most people. The idea that someone was always watching scared society. Webcams, and reality television was still new and being developed. The thought of watching other people’s lives wasn’t interesting to society yet. The only shows that were considered reality were â€Å"Cops† and MTV’s â€Å"The Real World.† These followed regular people around and showed them doing everyday normal things, like eating, shopping and seeing friends. This began to fascinate and attract people; and once The Truman Show came out it sparked a chain of shows surrounding the idea of ‘Big Brother,’ we are always being watched. Within a short people of time reality television and media started to run our lives. As the 90’s progressed Jim Carrey’s comedies went from slapstick humor to more serious humor. The Truman show questioned if Jim Carrey would remain a comedian comic or take on the role of more versatile actor. He was originally known as a funny guy, who couldn’t be taken seriously. Once he took on roles that still had comedic aspects but had a lot more depth he was able to reach a larger audience and impact more people with his versatility. He shows that there is humor in the most dramatic situations and his classic comedic timing only further enforces his ability as an actor.. All the reviews I read categorized The Truman Show as high comedy. Jim Carrey’s actions are funnier then what is actually happening. Very often his facial expressions and actions imply a deeper, or even darker meaning than what is on the surface.   The theme of the movie is much deeper and more profound than one might want to initially think.. This is partly why Jim Carey has been able to command so much money at the box office.   His ability to connect with audiences of all ages has much to do with his highly animated performances combined with their adult implications.   Reviewers were shocked at first to see Jim Carrey in such a serious role. In a review on time.com title â€Å"Smile! Your life’s on TV† the article said once the script was sold the producer took the script straight to Jim Carrey because â€Å"Jim had the kind of madness the project needed to ultimately get made. His warmth was a hedge against a movie that could have been on the cold side and needed someone with audience sympathy(Corliss). The underlining theme in the film is finding yourself and finding your true identity and Jim Carrey does this in a way that he brings comedy and seriousness to the role. This is a very mature concept, and one that might not always be expected from a comedian.   In most reviews, reviewers agree that Jim Carrey carries the movie. One reviewer said, â€Å"For Carrey detractors who are easily turned off by the comic’s rubber-faced antics, The Truman Show proves to be an eye-opener. Not only does Carrey remain rigidly-controlled and reigned in, but it would be fair to call his performance both understated and effective†(Berardinelli, James). When reviewers are commenting on comedy, especially any comedy Jim Carrey is in the reviewer assumes it is going to be a laugh out loud comedy. When they walk into a Jim Carrey movie, whether it is serious or not they are always in hopes of escaping into a world full of laughter. He turns every role he has into a character, because that is what a comedian comic does when he acts. Audiences always react positively to Jim Carrey’s comedic characters. It is only when he stars in serious roles that his audience begins to question him. In many reviews for The Truman Show rarely do any of them come out and say that the film is a comedy. One review I read brought up questions about the film and one of the questions was, â€Å"how badly will marketing The Truman Show as a comedy hurt the movie when viewers realize that’s not what it is†(Berardinelli, James)? Reviewers do not give an exact definition for comedy when they are talking about The Truman Show. On a review on IMDB a reviewer says, â€Å"No, it’s not a comedy, wellnot exactly.† I didn’t quite understand until I watched it myself. Truman takes on a tone quite different than any parody/comedies I’ve seen lately†(IMDB). Jim Carrey’s versatility draws even more audience and fans. He has now acquired an even larger fan base. The marketing controversy behind The Truman Show stems from the fact that western audiences are accustomed to seeing Jim Carey as a comedian.   The irony of this that it creates a dual conflict of identity both for Truman and for Carey and the way he is perceived by the public.   The film has multiple layers of understanding of what it means to be both a comedian and a hero. In Krutnicks, Hollywood Comedians, The Film Reader the Steve Seidman essay â€Å"Performance, Enuciation, and Self-Reference in Hollywood Comedian Comedy† talks about Comedian comics. The essays talks about the origins of the comedian comedic. Comedian comedy comes from show business, such as vaudeville. This type of performance acknowledges the audience. Where as a film draws the audience into another world, vaudeville included the audience or made the audience aware that they were watching a show. This is the way a comedian comic acts. They use a lot of big over the top gestures to make something comedic. In The Truman Show Jim Carrey begins to suspect something is weird in his life and begins acting strange. He starts to speak to the ‘camera’ although he doesn’t realize it is a camera. He is acting towards the audience and making them realize they are watching a movie. Jim Carrey does an excellent job at this because he has worked as a show business performer since he first started as a stand up comedian. Jim Carrey is a comedian comic and he steps outside his usual comedic role to play Truman Burbank. He tries his hand at playing a darker comedian. This sparked a series of films were Jim Carrey took on less comedian comedy films. In the end, Carey’s experimental work enhances the depth of his comedic performances.   Carey’s wide eyed zaney antics come off as borderline rational when he is put into situations similar to the Truman character.   In many of his films he has the boyish charm of a man discovering the world for the first time.   In The Truman Show this is exactly what. The Truman Show brought about a lot of controversy after it’s debut. It questioned the sanctity of identity. In Gary Panton’s review on The Truman Show he says, â€Å"It’s an exploration into the idea that we always accept the reality of our surroundings without question.† Once the movie came out people began to question their place, role, and effect in life. They wanted to find their own identities and who they were, because Truman is searching for his identity throughout the whole movie. It raised a lot of questions about who we where and who was watching us. It questioned society’s identity and whether they were safe. They used dark comedy to bring light on an important issue. Having Jim Carrey in the movie alone made viewers assume the film would be comedic. I think by him being in it, it was a comedy. His body language and acting is always comedic. Throughout the course of the film they used comedic tricks to make Truman question where he is. At one point a piece of the lighting set falls from the sky on to Truman’s street. Another example of comedy that they use is when Truman is on the beach and it starts to rain, but to Truman’s surprise the rain storm is only over him and if he walks a couple of feet away he is out of the rain. The Truman Show came out before the huge increase of reality television. After the movie came out reality television skyrocketed. Many of the shows were based on the ideas that came from The Truman Show. As opposed to people not knowing they were being filmed, they knew and were trying to find their identity in front of a camera crew. Most shows set up cameras all over a house or had camera crews follow a person around. This reflects the actions of when Truman finally realizes he is being filmed. He behaves as though he is aware of the camera. This is what reality television stars do. None of these shows are seen as being serious.   Much of this parallels the relationship between the media and the public a complex conflict that has undergone much scholarly debate. One scholar in particular who is considered an expert on many of the conflicts depicted in The Truman Show is Pierre Bourdieu. In all of Bourdieu’s beliefs, his most popular is his assertion that the public does not exist (1984).   This concept is addressed in his book, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, in that he feels there is a different of class taste between the ruling class and popular culture.   But, within this conflict, there is no public, only a media mediating between the two and a culture to which they often cater to do so.     In John Fiske’s critique on television, Television Culture he analyzes the nature of what makes popular television.   He concludes that the shows that succeed in gaining popularity tend to have many symbols and plot lines containing multiple meanings.   He also states that remain within a duality of containment and resistance (1987). This idea basically revolves around the fact that television producers, who are viewed as the upper class and political elite, are expected to produce material that correspond with popular culture.   This material that the elite minority culture produces for the popular culture contradicts elitist ideals but allows the status quo to remain intact.   This means the political elite can only remain the elite so long as they humor the beliefs and ideals of their less powerful but more dominant counterparts. The rules Fiske establishes for television shows can very easily be applied to the media.   They present the media as a tool being used to prey on the wants and needs of different cultures.   Another media technology that isn’t always addressed is the literary outlets in societies.   This is undoubtedly the reason that Pierre Bourdieu is an acclaimed literary theorist as well, addressing such theorist as reader response theory. The Truman Show talks about social power. It talks about the power that the media have over people. The show is controlling on a larger scale to peoples lives, who spend their life watching it and on a smaller scale the people creating the show and controlling everything Jim Carrey does. The Truman shows creator Christof is controlling what everyone is seeing and saying. He plays the â€Å"God† of Seahaven, the made up town that Truman lives in. There is the outside â€Å"real audience† watching the show and then there are the actors in the show and then there is us, the audience watching the â€Å"real† actors, watching Truman. We are always being controlled. David Thomas and Garry Gillard’ article titled, â€Å"The Truman Show and the programming of reality,† mention this when they say that the film â€Å"poses important questions of identity and reality, because of the way the film uses both diegetic and non-diegetic audiences. This highlights the boundaries between real people, actors, fictional audiences and ‘real’ audiences, and how they are skewed and confused by The Truman Show.†Ã‚   The film also addresses certain concepts of national identity. The idea behind national identity is that one defines their self through the identity of their nation.   In their article, National Identity and Self-Esteem, Jeff Spinner-Halev and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse analyze the nature of national identity.   They adopt the theory that if the self-esteem of an individual is tied to their nation than it’s the perfect proponent to maintain safe and secure nations.   They feel that there is an immediate connection between self respect and group identity; so much so, it could lead to one sacrificing their own personal needs for the good of the group.   They also acknowledge that there is a competitive nature within group self esteem; this meaning that most groups want their group to do better than others.    This is often seen in the patriotic nature of political propaganda, carried out by many countries to convince soldiers to go to war.   This system of control is one known for cajoling groups to fallow a certain program or way of thinking by catering to individuals’ wants, needs, or taking advantage of their fears.   This complex of national identity is a major aspect of a government’s societal control, as well as a significant ideal satirized in The Truman Show. It is most visibly personified in the character of the show’s producer Christof.   He argues that human beings accept the world in which they are presented, and uses this to justify why Truman hasn’t figured out his predicament up to this point.   All of the employees, of the studio, acting as Truman’s family, friends and extras living within the town, can all be viewed as nationalists to the studio’s regime. The National Identity of these films can be directly corresponded to the culture and history of New Zealand.   In 1945, the New Zealand Film Critic Gordon Mirams argued that if there was a New Zealand culture, it was a mostly a Hollywood creation. The only thing more popular than going to the movies, in New Zealand, was drinking tea, during that time period. This idea is supported by the statistic that for many years New Zealanders were the most frequenters of the movie world.   In their book New Zealand Film 1912-1996 Helen Martin and Sam Edwards analyze the filmography of many films produced during this century in New Zealand. This book basically analyzes the entire history of film in New Zealand.   The two authors managed to find more than 162 films.   In formulating their list and deciding on what they would identify as New Zealand Films, they decided the film had to have a significant connection to the location in terms of the film’s creators, cast, copyright holder, financiers, production team, and technical equipment. They also felt that a film that holds a sociological connection to New Zealand should be categorized as a New Zealand films as well.   Thus, they included The Piano in their list of films pointing out that though it was not filmed in New Zealand, its story was still set there.   The authors also felt it the film addressed social issues pertaining to the history of New Zealand within the time frame it was set. In the 90’s when The Truman Show first came out reality television was very rare. No one put their videos on the Internet or had video chats. In one article I read â€Å"The world is watching† by Jennifer Tanaka she writes about a couple who place a web cam in their new born daughters crib. They connect it to the Internet so their friends can go online and see the baby and watch her grow. They didn’t think anything of it until they began receiving emails from people they didn’t know telling them how cute their baby was and how they loved the idea of the wed cam. They still didn’t really think anything of it, except it was flattering. They watch The Truman Show and immediately disconnected their web cam. They realized what they were doing and didn’t want their baby to have people watching her like Truman. It wasn’t until a movie like The Truman Show that brought light on a media obsessed and driven world. It has only gotten worse from there. With the increase in a media obsessed culture, reality television has become a historical landmark of our generation today. In Gary Panton’s review, I think he makes a good point when he says, â€Å"The scary thing is that for us, the â€Å"Big Brother† generation, the notion of a 24-hour TV prisoner really isn’t all that far-fetched. Perhaps the birth of a real Truman isn’t as far into the future as we might like to think.† The Truman Show poses an argument larger than itself in respect to national identity, only this film speaks more metaphorically.   The idea previously posed in National Identity and Self Esteem, was that national identity is largely the product of a model that is followed by a group of people.   These people are so caught up in the ideals of the group, they rather sacrifice their own individual comforts for the good of the team.   The authors found that these groups are also very competitive with one another, identifying their identity with that of the group and basing the groups identity on their contrast from other groups.    This becomes very relative to some of Rene Girard’s views.   In his seminal theory of mediated desire Rene Girard argues that human desire is imitative.   His views is that the goals we hold most personal are actually the desires of others which we want to achieve because others want to achieve them. This is very compatible with the ideals of national culture and the cult group fallowing it incites.   This is also seen constantly in The Truman Show, the main motivation for Truman to escape the studio/town is to travel to Fiji after his one true love.   If the character personifying his school crush had never desired to move there, Truman would have never desired to follow.   This is a direct personification of Girard’s theory, as well as an example of Morse and Halev’s version of national identity. Work Cited Adorno, Theodor W. and Max Horkheimer. Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. 1947. Trans. Edmund Jephcott. Stanford: Stanford UP, 2002. Belton, John. American Cinema/American Culture. New York: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and New York Center for Visual History, 1994. Bourdieu, Pierre. (1984) Distinction, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Chatman, Seymour (1978) Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press). Cheshire, Ellen. Jane Campion. Great Britain: Pocket Essentials, 2000. Eric Young (Executive Producer). (1998). Hows It Going To End? The Making of The Truman Show, Part II [DVD (Special Feature)]. Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment. Fiske, John (1987) Television Culture, London: Methuen. Fiske, John (1992)  ªPopularity and the Politics of Information º in P. Dahlgren and C. Sanes, Ken. Truman as Archetype. Transparencynow.com. 1996-2001. 29 July 2004. http://www.transparencynow.com/truman.htm. Simons, Jon (1997)  ªThe Dialectics of Diana as Empty Signifier º , Theory Event, 1(4). http: //muse.jhu.edu/journals/theory_and_event Simons, Jon (2000) Ideology, Imagology, and Critical Thought: The Impoverishment of Politics, Journal of Political Ideology, 5(1), 81 ± 103 Slavin, John (2002) Lost causes : the ideology of national identity in Australian cinema. PhD thesis, Department of English, University of Melbourne. Sparkes (eds) Journalism and Popular Culture, London: Sage. Minow, Martha. (2006) Not Only for Myself Identity, Politics, and the Law. New P, 1997. Chapter 2, Identities. 8 Dec. 2006.

I Am Legend | An analysis

I Am Legend | An analysis When you are the last of the species reaching out for help, looking for someone that does not live a nocturnal existence, you need to have faith in God. The novel version of I Am Legend is better then the motion picture because the information slowly leaks out about Nevilles past, present, and specifics about the vampires. Robert Neville is a scientist who is unable to stop the spread of the horrifying virus that is fatal, incurable, and man-made. For three years, Robert has sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivor who might be out there. Robert obtains books and other research materials to discover the cure of the disease which is a strain of bacteria capable of infecting both deceased and living hosts. The virus has mutated everyone except one survivor which is Robert Neville. Robert is confused about his faith in God due to the situations he had to face. The characters usually depend on one another because it defines their true character in the end. Robert is trying to find the specifics about the vampires, so he can find a cure A virus can be spread really fast from one person to another. Robert Neville might be the only survivor of an incurable plague that has mutated everyone into bloodthirsty creatures who are determined to destroy him. There is always a solution to a conflict in which Robert believes he can find a resolution. Robert is trying to find a cure for the virus that has infected everyone in the world. The novel describes the situation that Robert is facing is very risky and in the motion picture it seems as if his everyday life is not too bad. His everyday target is to be back home before sunset. Usually there are a lot of difficulties that people face to find an explanation to a problem. Robert came up with a plan to capture a vampire because he wants to try different experiments to find the cure. Generally to accomplish a goal there is always some problem that interferes but never give up too fast. Robert accomp lished to trap an infected woman but the other vampires watched his every step and played the same trick on him. The novel didnt have much detail on how Robert trapped the vampire but the motion picture demonstrates the pain and the risk he had to go through. Robert put his life in danger, knowing the consequences. Putting in all the effort and not giving up is the first step to success. Robert was doing an experiment on the infected women and it slowly began to show good results. Working to the best of someones ability always receives an award at the end. The therapy Robert gave to the woman who is infected by the virus, slowly started to work. The motion picture has a very intense situation because Robert wants to help all the other vampires who have been infected but none of them are ready to listen to him. The novel shows Robert as the only survivor left of his own race. Robert didnt give up and took every step very carefully, which helped him achieve his goal. People believe in God but the terrible situations that they face are because of their own mistakes. Robert thinks the problem that he is going through is because of people being lazy and not taking a serious action right away. Most people believe that people impose disasters on themselves. Robert believes in God and also believes that the circumstances every one is going through is because of their blunder. The novel doesnt clearly state about Robert believing in God but in the movie it displays an clear image of Robert believing in God. Depending on someone too much is not good because when he/she lets the person down, it really hurts. Neville is depending on Ruth because she can help him out of jail. Sometimes people face problems that they shouldnt be punished for and dealing with it patiently is the best way. After a few years of loneliness and fear in a civilization devoid of civilized people, Robert struggled with his beliefs. Robert slowly started to loose his faith because fo r three years he has been trying his best to find a cure but its doing him no good. In the novel Robert is in prison and the only person who can get him out is Ruth. Usually people just accept their faith and try to live it happily. Robert accepts his faith and tearfully asks Ruth not to let this society get too ruthless. It is hard to count on someone who has let you down or tests a persons patience more than they should. A woman named Anna saves Robert from an accident and claims God guided her to find him just in time. In the movie it shows that it is hard for Robert to forget all the nasty problems that he had to face all by himself and in the novel he just accepts his faith because whatever he tried was no good. At first many people think God doesnt resist but the problems that people deal with, slowly realize that he is always there for everyone. To find out more about a character there is always more than one person in a novel or a movie. Not knowing anyone can make a persons life miserable. Robert is trying to find a cure without anyones help and he believes he will accomplish in his task. Listening to someone who a person does not know too much about can sometimes be very dangerous. Roberts neighbor Ben Cortman is always yelling Roberts name during the evening, trying to convince him to come out just so he can harm him. The movie shows Robert in a high degree of loneliness because everyone around him is trying to destroy him but in the novel Robert has his wife and daughter with him with some time and then he is all by himself trying to find a cure for the virus. When a person is stuck in a situation that no one can help him/her out with, the best thing to do is have faith in God. Robert is in jail and the only person who can help him out is Ruth. When a person is saved from a big problem, he/ she has done good deeds. Robe rt had a huge accident but Anna saved his life due to the radio messages Robert sent out. The novel and movie both show that when Robert needed the most help, someone is there for him because he has a good intention and he has waited patiently to find a cure to the virus. There is always more then one character in a story because thats the only way to find out more about the character itself. Overall I think the novel is better than the movie because the author slowly leaks out the information. Robert Neville found out the cure all by himself and had to deal with very difficult problem, he is the only survivor. Robert sent out radio messages for three years desperate to find another survivor but he lost his faith in God because he patiently waited for a few years and whatever step he took would end up being difficult and bad for him. It is hard to know about a character who does not depend on one another. Therefore Robert is a legend because he found the cure to the virus and all the problems he went through, he didnt give up. To achieve something in life keep trying and never give up because at the end it is always worth it.

Adam Smith :: Philosophers Philosophy Economists Essays

Adam Smith The British philosopher and economist Adam Smith was born in kirkcaldy, Scotland. He was educated at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford. In 1751 he became a professor at Glasgow. There he wrote The Theory of Moral Sentiment in 1759. This philosophical work gained Smith an appointment in 1764 as tutor of the young duke of Buccleuch. The tutoring took Smith to France, where he started writing The Wealth of Nations in 1776. It was the first complete work on political economy. The book discusses the relationship between freedom and order, analyzes economic processes, and attacks the British mercantile system's limits on free trade. All three aspects are woven together to create a unified social theory. In France Smith met and associated with many of the leading Continental philosophers of the physiocratic school, which based its political and economic doctrines on the supremacy of natural law, wealth, and order. He was specially influenced by the French philosophers Francois Quesnay and Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, whose theories Smith later adapted in part to form a basis for his own. The book dealt with the basic problem of how social order and human progress can be possible in a society where individuals follow their own self-interests. Smith argued that this individualism led to order and progress. In order to make money, people produce things that other people are willing to buy. Buyers spend money for those things that they need or want most. When buyers and sellers meet in the market, a pattern of production develops that results in social harmony. Smith said that all this would happen without any conscious control or direction, as if by an invisible hand.'; Smith also believed that labor, not land or money, was both the source and the final measure of value. He said that wages depended on the basic needs of workers, and rent on the productivity of land, Profits, he said, were the difference between selling prices and the cost of labor and rent. Smith said profits would be used to expand production. This expansion would in turn create more jobs, and the national income would grow. Smith believed that free trade and a self-regulating economy would result in social progress. He criticized the British government's high tariffs and other limits on individual freedom in trade.

‘Mrs Penniman’s character is to some extent a mere caricature’ in Henry James’ ‘Washington Square’

Henry James uses, Lavinia Penniman predominantly for the comic relief derived from her unrealistic romantic scheme, her extensive hyperbole, and deceitfulness. Mrs Penniman is seen as a caricature, a caricature is a humorous illustration that exaggerates or distorts the features of a person to form a visual likeness. Mrs Penniman can be seen as a caricature through her clothing, gestures, language and her manipulation as seen in many chapters throughout the novel. Lavinia Penniman is a sad figure, she is widowed and â€Å"left without children, without fortune† and lives in Dr Sloper's household and is in control of Dr Sloper's daughter, Catherine's education. Many women in the 19th century who like Mrs Penniman weren't married, tended to struggle with life; they struggled to get an income so remained poor and weak and really tended not to have a life. Henry James shows Mrs Penniman to tag along to the Dr's household, possibly for this reason, she originally joined the household temporarily whilst she searched for â€Å"unfurnished lodgings† but she chose to settle † herself with her brother and never went away†. She is in fact described as the † fifth wheel†, she is always there, most often when not needed, always meddling with the outcome of events, she should really be a minor character but she continuously interferes. Mrs Penniman really is seen as a caricature when she is being a meddler, as she so often is. She really interferes with Catherine's relationship between Morris, she arranges dates, â€Å"he is coming a courting† (said to Catherine). In chapter 15 and 16 Mrs Penniman interferes tremendously with Catherine's relationship with Morris, she organises a â€Å"tryst† which is held between her and Morris at an â€Å"oyster salon†. This location is unexpected and very secretive, this all increases the drama of the occasion, making it seem as though what they were doing wasn't allowed and making it all seem rather suspicious, as Mrs Penniman is very unlikely to meet anyone of acquaintance there. At this secret meeting, Mrs Penniman goes against her brother's wishes and attempts to encourage a secret wedding between Catherine and Morris, Morris realises the difficulty of this but Mrs Penniman thinking she is in one of her â€Å"romantic† novels, comes up with ridiculous solutions that would just add to the drama, such as using the â€Å"cemetery† as a location for the wedding. She also makes sure that she is a key figure in it all, as she possibly wants to be the heroine, she does this by inventing roles for herself, and this is done in other occasions as well. Mrs Penniman's character does have comic factors that are crucial for her to be a caricature. This can be seen through her costumes, gestures and through the author's ironic metaphors. Her costumes are flamboyant and in chapter IV she is described as wearing â€Å"more buckles and bangles than ever† showing that she often wears outrages outfits. Like her costumes her language and gestures seem to be hyperbolic and unnecessary, although this could be a ploy to create a larger part in the plot that she would otherwise have. Her continuous use of hyperbolic and melodramatic language makes the character seem to be humorously overdramatic and over the top, this defiantly creates a feeling of her being a caricature. To top this of Henry James uses witty and unusual metaphors that have a hint of irony in them. She chooses these ironic metaphors to make the situation between Morris and Catherine more dramatic than it really is, she reads these ideas in her â€Å"light literature†, and would like the relationship between Catherine and Morris to be like them. This can be seen several time from page 82 to 84, where she uses â€Å"banished†, â€Å"the guilty couple†, â€Å"neutral ground† and â€Å"exciting suspicion†. All these seem to be similar to some of Shakespeare's romantic relationships, such as Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo one of the lovers is â€Å"banished†, the couple is guilty, as they are sworn enemies and they often met on neutral ground, this is an exciting play, due to this which is effectively what Mrs Penniman is attempting to do. To conclude, Mrs Penniman's character is a caricature, her clothes, language and gestures are all hyperbolic and she always attempts to be at the centre of all occasions. She is a sad figure who attempts to manipulate the authors plot to make it more dramatic and like her light literature, her ideas are full of irony and her character in general does seem to posses some humour that would make her a caricature.

American Voting Behavior essays

American Voting Behavior essays Voting defines democracy. Voting is the fundamental right of almost all American citizens over the age of eighteen. In insures that the will of the people is preserved. The essential difference between America and a dictatorial nation such as Iraq is the right of our citizens to choose between two parties who represent differing opinions and contrasting viewpoints. Throughout the history of franchise, American voting behavior has showed continual patterns that can be identified and explained. To begin, young Americans develop attitudes and form opinions that allow them to get along with society. These beliefs affect the political views they hold dear later in life. This is a result of the phenomenon known as political socialization. The strongest socializing agent in political socialization is the family. That is, most children eventually adopt the beliefs of their family. Therefore, most people believe in and vote for issues that are important to members of their preceding generation, especially their mothers. Additionally, the extent to which an individual is involved in the political process is shaped by his or her familys level of involvement. If a child is raised in a house that never votes, it is quite unlikely that the child will become an active participant, and vice-versa. Although not as strong of a socializing agent, educational institutions also play a role in developing the behavior of the voter. Schools are filled with teachers who may display thei r own biases, perhaps indirectly socializing their students. This has posed a problem in the mind of conservatives, who claim that liberals, who are plentiful in both public and higher education, unknowingly pull the political beliefs of their students to the left. Next, there may be several temporary factors that contribute to American voting behavior, but party identification has always been a long-term regularity. Nearly two thirds of...

How to Become a Great Leader by Developing Leadership Skills

How to Become a Great Leader by Developing Leadership Skills Leadership skills. Successful people have them. You want them. But if you’re just starting out or looking to move up to the next level, what are they, exactly, and how do you acquire said skills? Saying you’re a leader is all well and good, but you need to be able to demonstrate how you’ve led and instill a level of trust in people. The good news is that it’s never too early (or too late) to start working on your leadership skills.10 Leadership Skills You NeedLet’s start by determining a list of skills that translate to almost any professional situation and apply no matter what your position. If you can cultivate and grow the following 10 skills, you’re well on your way to not having to fake it ’til you make it–you actually can and will eventually lead.1. Project ManagementBeing a leader means being able to see (and implement) the big picture, so project management skills are crucial. Whatever the project is, it’s importa nt to show your control and ability to keep things moving forward at every stage.2. Ability to DelegateAny leader who tries to do everything him- or herself is probably gearing up for a belly flop. Part of leading well means delegating well, and making sure that tasks are going to people who can complete them correctly and on time. Part of that is trusting colleagues to do what they need to do, which can feel like a big leap when our instincts are to trust ourselves first.Knowing what to hold and what to let go is a major part of leadership. It’s about finding the best team and methods to get the job done, not showing off how much you can take on before you drop.3. HonestyIt’s not just about you trusting colleagues; they also have to trust you. That’s not going to happen if you have a history of dishonesty or shadiness at work. If you cut corners or throw people under the bus, the people around you will feel free to do the same, not to mention your reputation wi ll suffer. According to Tanya Prive at Forbes, â€Å"Your business and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior a key value, your team will follow suit.†4. CommunicationGood leaders are good at communication going both ways. They can listen to colleagues and experts to see what’s needed, process those needs into a coherent plan of action, and let everyone involved know. Being able to communicate clearly and efficiently is a must- in person and in writing.5. Risk ManagementThis means being able to identify, evaluate, and handle risks and potential outcomes. This kind of forward thinking shows a maturity, and can prevent you from charging head-first into action without understanding potential consequences.6. Ability to Work with OthersA leader without a team is basically a one-person band. Sure, it’s possible, but it’s not going to sound super great. Good leaders know how to work with different kinds of people without letting personality clashes, conflicts in ideas, etc. derail the work at hand. Diplomatic skills will always come in handy in the workplace, and the person who brokers peace7. Adaptability/Problem SolvingSome things will go perfectly according to plan. Most things won’t. Basically, this is being able to think on your feet, and stay calm when challenges pop up out of nowhere and hit you in the face. Part of leading is coming up with solutions to challenges (seen or unforeseen) and keeping yourself and everyone around you on track no matter what.8. ConfidenceIf you don’t have confidence in yourself and your ability to get the job done, it’s likely no one else will, either. Confidence also means being able to speak up with constructive comments, or give feedback while feeling comfortable about your level of expertise and experience.9. NegotiationWe typically think of negotiation as something you do when you ask for a raise, or get a new job offer. Really, t hese skills are in use every day- it can be as simple as managing expectations for a client or colleague, or setting your own priorities. Being able to say, â€Å"okay, I can do X, but I’ll need Y† is a very important skill to have.10. AccountabilityA big part of leadership is stepping up and saying, â€Å"this didn’t go well. Here’s why, and here’s how I will improve next time.† Owning up to your role in the process, even when things are going wrong, is a very important hallmark of someone who leads, versus someone who just bosses people around (and disappears when it’s time to fix things).You can keep breaking these down into even more granular skills and skill sets, but these 10  skill areas are part of the core leadership package.5 Ways to Build Leadership SkillsNow that you know the kinds of skills you need to start building your leadership credentials, how does one go about doing that? True, a lot of these things build up thro ugh basic experience- trial and error, lessons learned. But you can also take proactive measures to start growing in these areas sooner than later. Let’s look at five ways you can do this.1. Know your leadership style.I think we all believe we’re the â€Å"tough but fair† leader, right? Churchillian, with dashes of Lincoln and Danaerys Targaryen thrown in? Better to know for sure. Like with general career assessments, there are a variety of quizzes you can take to get a sense of what your leadership personality is.Leadership IQWhat Sort of Leader Are You? (SkillsYouNeed)Assessment: What’s Your Leadership Style? (Harvard Business Review)Once you know where your leadership strengths already are, you can really target your skill-building to start bulking up the areas where you could use a little work.2. Be passionate about what you do.This doesn’t mean that you have to change careers to do something you love, but you should always be able to find some thing in your job to be passionate about. When you’re excited about what you’re working on, that will help with confidence and focus, and can spread to those around you. Being engaged in the process and the outcome also attracts the best in those around you, too, which ups everyone’s game.3. Communicate the heck out of everything.If you’re a strong writer but not a great speaker, find a Toastmasters or public speaking class near you. If you dread making presentations, start working PowerPoints into some low-pressure meetings. If you’re great at coming up with a plan in person, but find yourself forgetting details later, start following up with detailed notes (including next steps) right after you leave a conversation or meeting.If you don’t fully understand something, don’t be shy about asking for clarification, and repeating it back to the person just to make sure (â€Å"just so I’m clear, these are our next steps, right?â₠¬ ). It’s not a sign of weakness or incompetence to ask for a quick recap. Rather, it not only shows that you’re listening, but also that you’re understanding and processing as well.4. Be a leader outside of work as well.You can never go wrong with  volunteering, especially for a cause or organization you feel strongly about. They’re happy to have your help, and if you’re engaged and passionate about the work (see #2), it’s an easy way to start building confidence and experience. Every community has a wealth of opportunities, but if you need help finding a good volunteering match for your interests, location, and schedule, these volunteer match services are great:All for GoodVolunteerMatchHandsOn NetworkAdvocacy and volunteer work are a great way to build communication skills, time management skills, operational skills (especially if you’re involved in administration, budgeting, or overseeing), and working-with-others skills, witho ut the pressure of affecting your work performance.5. Learn from the experts.Leadership training is a thing, because no one starts out with a full set of leadership skills. Experience is an important part, of course, but so is the mindset and knowledge base- and both of those can be learned fairly quickly. One way to jumpstart your leadership skills is to take courses. You can take these online, so it fits in with your already-busy life. Some good resources for these types of classes:American Management AssociationCourseraOne MonthClasses like these give you instant access to experts and concepts that can help you start thinking and acting like a leader, no matter where you are in your career at the moment. For those of us not lucky enough to have Jack Donaghy as a mentor, the Internet gives us plenty of access to resources that can start bridging that skills gap.You may have heard the phrase â€Å"natural born leader,† but really, the best leaders are the ones who work hard to get where they are, with the skills and knowledge they pick up along the way. And building those skills is a process you can follow no matter how junior your role is, or how your company is structured- it’s about you, not about your job title. Go forth and start leading!