Monday, December 23, 2019

The Turning Point in John Updikes A P Essay - 1133 Words

The Turning Point in John Updikes A P John Updikes short story A P reveals nineteen-year old Sammy, the central character, as a complex person. Although Sammy appears, on the surface, as carefree and driven by male hormones, he has a lengthy agenda to settle. Through depersonalization, Sammy reveals his ideas about sexuality, social class, stereotypes, responsibility, and authority. Updikes technique, his motif, is repeated again and again through the active teenage mind of the narrator Sammy. Sammy is, like most young men, object-minded. The object of his mind is the female body. Although his upbringing and the fact that he is at work do not allow him to voice his admiration for the girls in bikinis at the A P, he lets†¦show more content†¦Queenies selection of fancy herring snacks had become her status symbol. Sammy contrasted the queens social circle with his own familys, where guests were served lemonade and cheap beer in tall glasses with Theyll Do It Every Time cartoons stencilled [sic] on (29). The perceived class difference was perhaps not all bad, however. It could be seen as a buffer in a situation such as Sammys. If the object of his affection did not return his attention, Sammy was still free to admire and desire her from a distance, with little threat to his own ego. Sammys typical teenage focus on youthful good looks measured all women against the youth-culture standard, an impossible standard for all but those in their prime. Sammy could not see his customers as the reason for his employment. He certainly did not see their humanity, or their value as mothers and wives. He brought new creativity to stereotypes, seeing his customers as houseslaves in pin curlers (28) or young [marrieds] screaming with [their] children (30). His youth, along with his lack of life-experience, had not yet afforded him the opportunity to know anyone of the opposite sex as either partner or helpmate. His hormones colored everything he thought about; they forced the label of sexual or asexual on every female he laid eyes on, based on the attractiveness of the females scoops of vanilla (30) or soft-looking canShow MoreRelated Coming-of-Age Stories with Morals: T. Coraghessan Boyles Greasy Lake and John Updikes A P669 Words   |  3 PagesT. Coraghessan Boyles Greasy L ake and John Updikes A P have many similarities as well as differences. Both are coming-of-age stories that teach some sort of lesson to the protagonist at the end. â€Å"AP† is about a nineteen-year-old boy who stands up against his manager to impress a couple of girls who are dressed â€Å"immodestly†. â€Å"Greasy Lake† is about many nineteen years olds playing a prank on a couple of bad characters who turn out to show the teens what they can really do in return. Read More Youthful Experience in James Joyces Araby Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pagesstraggling bushes, and dark muddy lanes give a bleak theme to Arabys initial opening. These words and phrases suggest a lonely, dark existence for the young boy (252-253). The most interesting of these descriptions, which appears to be a pivot-point in the story, occurs when the young boy is waiting to see if Mangans sister would go in or remain on the doorstep. The narrator states that ...we left our shadow place and walked up to Mangans steps resignedly (253). It is with the use of thisRead MoreJohn Updike’s AP1429 Words   |  6 Pageswas there turning point in the nation. The generation gaps are the differences amongst the younger generation and their elders, and mainly amongst children and their parents. Generation gap still occurs today, in thing varying from behavior, to genres of music, and even in usage of language. The new generations try to express themselves as something different from the old, embracing new slang, trying to form a separation between themselves and the previous generation. In John Updike’s â€Å"A P†, a teenageRead MoreJohn Updike s A P And James Joyce s Araby1877 Words   |  8 PagesComing-of-age is a chapter that every individual must inevitably trek through in order to grow and mature into one’s own self. In John Updike’s AP and James Joyce’s Araby, the theme of growth permeates throughout both narratives as their respective protagonists fabricate an ideal world from their own naive perspectives, only to shed their ignorant fantasies about how they believe to understand that the world can bend to their decisions to truly understand the cruelty behind world they live in: reachingRead MoreJohn Updike s A P1290 Words   |  6 PagesCan it however be seen that innocence may be conformity while experience is rebellion? While innocent, children will do as he or she is told and develops thoughts based on their parent or guardian’s teachings. During adolescence parent’ hair starts turning gray because th at once obedient child has developed a mind and personality of his or her own. A personality that may result to â€Å"rebellious† behavior because the teenager or young adult stays out too late or never spends any time with the family becauseRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe907 Words   |  4 PagesWhat can a character that lived in 1700s Italy have in common with a teenager in the 1960s? Though it may seem impossible Edgar Allan Poe’s character Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado shares similar characteristics to John Updike’s AP teenage Sammy. Both of these characters share sarcastic tendencies and a need to make a name of himself. Though, each man differs in the way he goes about making that name. While Montresor decides murder is the way, Sammy quits his job to be noticed. One way thatRead MoreThe Rise And Fall Of Troy Maxon1278 Words   |  6 Pagesdetermination after the death of his mistress to finish it to keep Death out. Additionally, the allegorical use of the AP as Cory’s employer builds upon the societal indoctrination into male society suggested in John Updike’s short story AP demonstrates Troy’s desire for Cory to follow an established and predictable path to manhood and self-sufficiency. Troy’s insistence that Cory work at the AP even if it means quitting football is in stark contrast to Cory’s desire to pursue football for the opportunityRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart Analysis1295 Words   |  6 PagesKlinger, Sabrina - Midterm Exam Explain the term ‘unreliable narrator’. How does this point of view complicate the plot in Poe’s, The Tell-Tale heart? An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility has been seriously compromised whether it be in literature, film or theatre. Such as providing faulty, misleading or distorted details. The narrator in this short story is the killer. We really do not get the opportunity to really know the killer such as his name and what his motive is in killingRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesconflict (if they have not already been introduced by the exposition). The conflict is then developed gradually and intensified. CRISIS: The crisis (also referred to as the climax) is that moment at which the plot reaches its point of greatest emotional intensity; it is the turning point of the plot, directly precipitating its resolution. FALLING ACTION: Once the crisis has been reached, the tension subsides and the plot moves toward its appointed conclusion. RESOLUTION: The final section of the plot

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Angels Demons Chapter 32-35 Free Essays

string(56) " churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached\." 32 Langdon held his breath as the X-33 spiraled into Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. Vittoria sat across from him, eyes closed as if trying to will the situation into control. The craft touched down and taxied to a private hangar. We will write a custom essay sample on Angels Demons Chapter 32-35 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Sorry for the slow flight,† the pilot apologized, emerging from the cockpit. â€Å"Had to trim her back. Noise regulations over populated areas.† Langdon checked his watch. They had been airborne thirty-seven minutes. The pilot popped the outer door. â€Å"Anybody want to tell me what’s going on?† Neither Vittoria nor Langdon responded. â€Å"Fine,† he said, stretching. â€Å"I’ll be in the cockpit with the air-conditioning and my music. Just me and Garth.† The late-afternoon sun blazed outside the hangar. Langdon carried his tweed jacket over his shoulder. Vittoria turned her face skyward and inhaled deeply, as if the sun’s rays somehow transferred to her some mystical replenishing energy. Mediterraneans, Langdon mused, already sweating. â€Å"Little old for cartoons, aren’t you?† Vittoria asked, without opening her eyes. â€Å"I’m sorry?† â€Å"Your wristwatch. I saw it on the plane.† Langdon flushed slightly. He was accustomed to having to defend his timepiece. The collector’s edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a childhood gift from his parents. Despite the contorted foolishness of Mickey’s outstretched arms designating the hour, it was the only watch Langdon had ever worn. Waterproof and glow-in-the-dark, it was perfect for swimming laps or walking unlit college paths at night. When Langdon’s students questioned his fashion sense, he told them he wore Mickey as a daily reminder to stay young at heart. â€Å"It’s six o’clock,† he said. Vittoria nodded, eyes still closed. â€Å"I think our ride’s here.† Langdon heard the distant whine, looked up, and felt a sinking feeling. Approaching from the north was a helicopter, slicing low across the runway. Langdon had been on a helicopter once in the Andean Palpa Valley looking at the Nazca sand drawings and had not enjoyed it one bit. A flying shoebox. After a morning of space plane rides, Langdon had hoped the Vatican would send a car. Apparently not. The chopper slowed overhead, hovered a moment, and dropped toward the runway in front of them. The craft was white and carried a coat of arms emblazoned on the side – two skeleton keys crossing a shield and papal crown. He knew the symbol well. It was the traditional seal of the Vatican – the sacred symbol of the Holy See or â€Å"holy seat† of government, the seat being literally the ancient throne of St. Peter. The Holy Chopper, Langdon groaned, watching the craft land. He’d forgotten the Vatican owned one of these things, used for transporting the Pope to the airport, to meetings, or to his summer palace in Gandolfo. Langdon definitely would have preferred a car. The pilot jumped from the cockpit and strode toward them across the tarmac. Now it was Vittoria who looked uneasy. â€Å"That’s our pilot?† Langdon shared her concern. â€Å"To fly, or not to fly. That is the question.† The pilot looked like he was festooned for a Shakespearean melodrama. His puffy tunic was vertically striped in brilliant blue and gold. He wore matching pantaloons and spats. On his feet were black flats that looked like slippers. On top of it all, he wore a black felt beret. â€Å"Traditional Swiss Guard uniforms,† Langdon explained. â€Å"Designed by Michelangelo himself.† As the man drew closer, Langdon winced. â€Å"I admit, not one of Michelangelo’s better efforts.† Despite the man’s garish attire, Langdon could tell the pilot meant business. He moved toward them with all the rigidity and dignity of a U.S. Marine. Langdon had read many times about the rigorous requirements for becoming one of the elite Swiss Guard. Recruited from one of Switzerland’s four Catholic cantons, applicants had to be Swiss males between nineteen and thirty years old, at least 5 feet 6 inches, trained by the Swiss Army, and unmarried. This imperial corps was envied by world governments as the most allegiant and deadly security force in the world. â€Å"You are from CERN?† the guard asked, arriving before them. His voice was steely. â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You made remarkable time,† he said, giving the X-33 a mystified stare. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Ma’am, do you have any other clothing?† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† He motioned to her legs. â€Å"Short pants are not permitted inside Vatican City.† Langdon glanced down at Vittoria’s legs and frowned. He had forgotten. Vatican City had a strict ban on visible legs above the knee – both male and female. The regulation was a way of showing respect for the sanctity of God’s city. â€Å"This is all I have,† she said. â€Å"We came in a hurry.† The guard nodded, clearly displeased. He turned next to Langdon. â€Å"Are you carrying any weapons?† Weapons? Langdon thought. I’m not even carrying a change of underwear! He shook his head. The officer crouched at Langdon’s feet and began patting him down, starting at his socks. Trusting guy, Langdon thought. The guard’s strong hands moved up Langdon’s legs, coming uncomfortably close to his groin. Finally they moved up to his chest and shoulders. Apparently content Langdon was clean, the guard turned to Vittoria. He ran his eyes up her legs and torso. Vittoria glared. â€Å"Don’t even think about it.† The guard fixed Vittoria with a gaze clearly intended to intimidate. Vittoria did not flinch. â€Å"What’s that?† the guard said, pointing to a faint square bulge in the front pocket of her shorts. Vittoria removed an ultrathin cell phone. The guard took it, clicked it on, waited for a dial tone, and then, apparently satisfied that it was indeed nothing more than a phone, returned it to her. Vittoria slid it back into her pocket. â€Å"Turn around, please,† the guard said. Vittoria obliged, holding her arms out and rotating a full 360 degrees. The guard carefully studied her. Langdon had already decided that Vittoria’s form-fitting shorts and blouse were not bulging anywhere they shouldn’t have been. Apparently the guard came to the same conclusion. â€Å"Thank you. This way please.† The Swiss Guard chopper churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached. You read "Angels Demons Chapter 32-35" in category "Essay examples" Vittoria boarded first, like a seasoned pro, barely even stooping as she passed beneath the whirling rotors. Langdon held back a moment. â€Å"No chance of a car?† he yelled, half-joking to the Swiss Guard, who was climbing in the pilot’s seat. The man did not answer. Langdon knew that with Rome’s maniacal drivers, flying was probably safer anyway. He took a deep breath and boarded, stooping cautiously as he passed beneath the spinning rotors. As the guard fired up the engines, Vittoria called out, â€Å"Have you located the canister?† The guard glanced over his shoulder, looking confused. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The canister. You called CERN about a canister?† The man shrugged. â€Å"No idea what you’re talking about. We’ve been very busy today. My commander told me to pick you up. That’s all I know.† Vittoria gave Langdon an unsettled look. â€Å"Buckle up, please,† the pilot said as the engine revved. Langdon reached for his seat belt and strapped himself in. The tiny fuselage seemed to shrink around him. Then with a roar, the craft shot up and banked sharply north toward Rome. Rome†¦ the caput mundi, where Caesar once ruled, where St. Peter was crucified. The cradle of modern civilization. And at its core†¦ a ticking bomb. 33 Rome from the air is a labyrinth – an indecipherable maze of ancient roadways winding around buildings, fountains, and crumbling ruins. The Vatican chopper stayed low in the sky as it sliced northwest through the permanent smog layer coughed up by the congestion below. Langdon gazed down at the mopeds, sight-seeing buses, and armies of miniature Fiat sedans buzzing around rotaries in all directions. Koyaanisqatsi, he thought, recalling the Hopi term for â€Å"life out of balance.† Vittoria sat in silent determination in the seat beside him. The chopper banked hard. His stomach dropping, Langdon gazed farther into the distance. His eyes found the crumbling ruins of the Roman Coliseum. The Coliseum, Langdon had always thought, was one of history’s greatest ironies. Now a dignified symbol for the rise of human culture and civilization, the stadium had been built to host centuries of barbaric events – hungry lions shredding prisoners, armies of slaves battling to the death, gang rapes of exotic women captured from far-off lands, as well as public beheadings and castrations. It was ironic, Langdon thought, or perhaps fitting, that the Coliseum had served as the architectural blueprint for Harvard’s Soldier Field – the football stadium where the ancient traditions of savagery were reenacted every fall†¦ crazed fans screaming for bloodshed as Harvard battled Yale. As the chopper headed north, Langdon spied the Roman Forum – the heart of pre-Christian Rome. The decaying columns looked like toppled gravestones in a cemetery that had somehow avoided being swallowed by the metropolis surrounding it. To the west the wide basin of the Tiber River wound enormous arcs across the city. Even from the air Langdon could tell the water was deep. The churning currents were brown, filled with silt and foam from heavy rains. â€Å"Straight ahead,† the pilot said, climbing higher. Langdon and Vittoria looked out and saw it. Like a mountain parting the morning fog, the colossal dome rose out of the haze before them: St. Peter’s Basilica. â€Å"Now that,† Langdon said to Vittoria, â€Å"is something Michelangelo got right.† Langdon had never seen St. Peter’s from the air. The marble faà §ade blazed like fire in the afternoon sun. Adorned with 140 statues of saints, martyrs, and angels, the Herculean edifice stretched two football fields wide and a staggering six long. The cavernous interior of the basilica had room for over 60,000 worshipers†¦ over one hundred times the population of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Incredibly, though, not even a citadel of this magnitude could dwarf the piazza before it. A sprawling expanse of granite, St. Peter’s Square was a staggering open space in the congestion of Rome, like a classical Central Park. In front of the basilica, bordering the vast oval common, 284 columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size†¦ an architectural trompe de l’oiel used to heighten the piazza’s sense of grandeur. As he stared at the magnificent shrine before him, Langdon wondered what St. Peter would think if he were here now. The Saint had died a gruesome death, crucified upside down on this very spot. Now he rested in the most sacred of tombs, buried five stories down, directly beneath the central cupola of the basilica. â€Å"Vatican City,† the pilot said, sounding anything but welcoming. Langdon looked out at the towering stone bastions that loomed ahead – impenetrable fortifications surrounding the complex†¦ a strangely earthly defense for a spiritual world of secrets, power, and mystery. â€Å"Look!† Vittoria said suddenly, grabbing Langdon’s arm. She motioned frantically downward toward St. Peter’s Square directly beneath them. Langdon put his face to the window and looked. â€Å"Over there,† she said, pointing. Langdon looked. The rear of the piazza looked like a parking lot crowded with a dozen or so trailer trucks. Huge satellite dishes pointed skyward from the roof of every truck. The dishes were emblazoned with familiar names: Televisor Europea Video Italia BBC United Press International Langdon felt suddenly confused, wondering if the news of the antimatter had already leaked out. Vittoria seemed suddenly tense. â€Å"Why is the press here? What’s going on?† The pilot turned and gave her an odd look over his shoulder. â€Å"What’s going on? You don’t know?† â€Å"No,† she fired back, her accent husky and strong. â€Å"Il Conclavo,† he said. â€Å"It is to be sealed in about an hour. The whole world is watching.† Il Conclavo. The word rang a long moment in Langdon’s ears before dropping like a brick to the pit of his stomach. Il Conclavo. The Vatican Conclave. How could he have forgotten? It had been in the news recently. Fifteen days ago, the Pope, after a tremendously popular twelve-year reign, had passed away. Every paper in the world had carried the story about the Pope’s fatal stroke while sleeping – a sudden and unexpected death many whispered was suspicious. But now, in keeping with the sacred tradition, fifteen days after the death of a Pope, the Vatican was holding Il Conclavo – the sacred ceremony in which the 165 cardinals of the world – the most powerful men in Christendom – gathered in Vatican City to elect the new Pope. Every cardinal on the planet is here today, Langdon thought as the chopper passed over St. Peter’s Basilica. The expansive inner world of Vatican City spread out beneath him. The entire power structure of the Roman Catholic Church is sitting on a time bomb. 34 Cardinal Mortati gazed up at the lavish ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and tried to find a moment of quiet reflection. The frescoed walls echoed with the voices of cardinals from nations around the globe. The men jostled in the candlelit tabernacle, whispering excitedly and consulting with one another in numerous languages, the universal tongues being English, Italian, and Spanish. The light in the chapel was usually sublime – long rays of tinted sun slicing through the darkness like rays from heaven – but not today. As was the custom, all of the chapel’s windows had been covered in black velvet in the name of secrecy. This ensured that no one on the inside could send signals or communicate in any way with the outside world. The result was a profound darkness lit only by candles†¦ a shimmering radiance that seemed to purify everyone it touched, making them all ghostly†¦ like saints. What privilege, Mortati thought, that I am to oversee this sanctified event. Cardinals over eighty years of age were too old to be eligible for election and did not attend conclave, but at seventy-nine years old, Mortati was the most senior cardinal here and had been appointed to oversee the proceedings. Following tradition, the cardinals gathered here two hours before conclave to catch up with friends and engage in last-minute discussion. At 7 P.M., the late Pope’s chamberlain would arrive, give opening prayer, and then leave. Then the Swiss Guard would seal the doors and lock all the cardinals inside. It was then that the oldest and most secretive political ritual in the world would begin. The cardinals would not be released until they decided who among them would be the next Pope. Conclave. Even the name was secretive. â€Å"Con clave† literally meant â€Å"locked with a key.† The cardinals were permitted no contact whatsoever with the outside world. No phone calls. No messages. No whispers through doorways. Conclave was a vacuum, not to be influenced by anything in the outside world. This would ensure that the cardinals kept Solum Dum prae oculis†¦ only God before their eyes. Outside the walls of the chapel, of course, the media watched and waited, speculating as to which of the cardinals would become the ruler of one billion Catholics worldwide. Conclaves created an intense, politically charged atmosphere, and over the centuries they had turned deadly: poisonings, fist fights, and even murder had erupted within the sacred walls. Ancient history, Mortati thought. Tonight’s conclave will be unified, blissful, and above all†¦ brief. Or at least that had been his speculation. Now, however, an unexpected development had emerged. Mystifyingly, four cardinals were absent from the chapel. Mortati knew that all the exits to Vatican City were guarded, and the missing cardinals could not have gone far, but still, with less than an hour before opening prayer, he was feeling disconcerted. After all, the four missing men were no ordinary cardinals. They were the cardinals. The chosen four. As overseer of the conclave, Mortati had already sent word through the proper channels to the Swiss Guard alerting them to the cardinals’ absence. He had yet to hear back. Other cardinals had now noticed the puzzling absence. The anxious whispers had begun. Of all cardinals, these four should be on time! Cardinal Mortati was starting to fear it might be a long evening after all. He had no idea. 35 The Vatican’s helipad, for reasons of safety and noise control, is located in the northwest tip of Vatican City, as far from St. Peter’s Basilica as possible. â€Å"Terra firma,† the pilot announced as they touched down. He exited and opened the sliding door for Langdon and Vittoria. Langdon descended from the craft and turned to help Vittoria, but she had already dropped effortlessly to the ground. Every muscle in her body seemed tuned to one objective – finding the antimatter before it left a horrific legacy. After stretching a reflective sun tarp across the cockpit window, the pilot ushered them to an oversized electric golf cart waiting near the helipad. The cart whisked them silently alongside the country’s western border – a fifty-foot-tall cement bulwark thick enough to ward off attacks even by tanks. Lining the interior of the wall, posted at fifty-meter intervals, Swiss Guards stood at attention, surveying the interior of the grounds. The cart turned sharply right onto Via della Osservatorio. Signs pointed in all directions: Palazzio Governatorio Collegio Ethiopiana Basilica San Pietro Capella Sistina They accelerated up the manicured road past a squat building marked Radio Vaticana. This, Langdon realized to his amazement, was the hub of the world’s most listened-to radio programming – Radio Vaticana – spreading the word of God to millions of listeners around the globe. â€Å"Attenzione,† the pilot said, turning sharply into a rotary. As the cart wound round, Langdon could barely believe the sight now coming into view. Giardini Vaticani, he thought. The heart of Vatican City. Directly ahead rose the rear of St. Peter’s Basilica, a view, Langdon realized, most people never saw. To the right loomed the Palace of the Tribunal, the lush papal residence rivaled only by Versailles in its baroque embellishment. The severe-looking Governatorato building was now behind them, housing Vatican City’s administration. And up ahead on the left, the massive rectangular edifice of the Vatican Museum. Langdon knew there would be no time for a museum visit this trip. â€Å"Where is everyone?† Vittoria asked, surveying the deserted lawns and walkways. The guard checked his black, military-style chronograph – an odd anachronism beneath his puffy sleeve. â€Å"The cardinals are convened in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave begins in a little under an hour.† Langdon nodded, vaguely recalling that before conclave the cardinals spent two hours inside the Sistine Chapel in quiet reflection and visitations with their fellow cardinals from around the globe. The time was meant to renew old friendships among the cardinals and facilitate a less heated election process. â€Å"And the rest of the residents and staff?† â€Å"Banned from the city for secrecy and security until the conclave concludes.† â€Å"And when does it conclude?† The guard shrugged. â€Å"God only knows.† The words sounded oddly literal. After parking the cart on the wide lawn directly behind St. Peter’s Basilica, the guard escorted Langdon and Vittoria up a stone escarpment to a marble plaza off the back of the basilica. Crossing the plaza, they approached the rear wall of the basilica and followed it through a triangular courtyard, across Via Belvedere, and into a series of buildings closely huddled together. Langdon’s art history had taught him enough Italian to pick out signs for the Vatican Printing Office, the Tapestry Restoration Lab, Post Office Management, and the Church of St. Ann. They crossed another small square and arrived at their destination. The Office of the Swiss Guard is housed adjacent to Il Corpo di Vigilanza, directly northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica. The office is a squat, stone building. On either side of the entrance, like two stone statues, stood a pair of guards. Langdon had to admit, these guards did not look quite so comical. Although they also wore the blue and gold uniform, each wielded the traditional â€Å"Vatican long sword† – an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe – rumored to have decapitated countless Muslims while defending the Christian crusaders in the fifteenth century. As Langdon and Vittoria approached, the two guards stepped forward, crossing their long swords, blocking the entrance. One looked up at the pilot in confusion. â€Å"I pantaloni,† he said, motioning to Vittoria’s shorts. The pilot waved them off. â€Å"Il comandante vuole vederli subito.† The guards frowned. Reluctantly they stepped aside. Inside, the air was cool. It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined. Ornate and impeccably furnished, the hallways contained paintings Langdon was certain any museum worldwide would gladly have featured in its main gallery. The pilot pointed down a steep set of stairs. â€Å"Down, please.† Langdon and Vittoria followed the white marble treads as they descended between a gauntlet of nude male sculptures. Each statue wore a fig leaf that was lighter in color than the rest of the body. The Great Castration, Langdon thought. It was one of the most horrific tragedies in Renaissance art. In 1857, Pope Pius IX decided that the accurate representation of the male form might incite lust inside the Vatican. So he got a chisel and mallet and hacked off the genitalia of every single male statue inside Vatican City. He defaced works by Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini. Plaster fig leaves were used to patch the damage. Hundreds of sculptures had been emasculated. Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace. â€Å"Here,† the guard announced. They reached the bottom of the stairs and dead-ended at a heavy, steel door. The guard typed an entry code, and the door slid open. Langdon and Vittoria entered. Beyond the threshold was absolute mayhem. How to cite Angels Demons Chapter 32-35, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Economic Impact of WSD Outbreak

Question: Discuss about the Economic Impact of WSD Outbreak. Answer: Introduction: Australian Prawn market plays a significant role in the economy as well as society of Australia. The current outbreak of White Spot Disease (WSD) has immensely affected the prawn market. Millions of prawns have been dumped in three days due to the sudden crisis of WSD. Moreover, the government has been forced to ban the import of green prawn, which has been rumored to be major cause of this outbreak. The current assessment would be focused on identifying the economic impact of this sudden outbreak of WSD on the overall Australian Prawn industry. In addition to that, this particular study would also concentrate on analyzing various economic developments occurred from this sudden crisis. The impact on the consumer as well as producer would be major focus of this study. Furthermore, the study would be able to suggest most helpful government intervention strategies for managing the market predicament. Critical Overview of the Queensland Prawn Market: The Australian Prawn farming industry is one of the most attractive and crucial livelihood for Australian people. Currently, the industry produces more than 5000 tons of prawns annually, which accounts for nearly $87.7 million. The Australian Prawn Industry is based mainly in Queensland on 12 hatcheries as well as 900 hectares of ponds. In addition to that, the Australian Prawn Industry is also noted to provide more than 300 jobs for the Australian local populace (Emery et al., 2017). Although, the prawn industry is considered as the volumetric producers, the productivity of this industry yields more than 9000 kg / hectare. The entire prawn industry is located in two major states of Australia, which are Queensland as well as New South Wales. It has been observed that environmental as well as economic contribution of the prawn farming is highly substantial to the local community. According to Guy, McIlgorm and Waterman, (2014), the Australian Prawn farming is considered as one of the largest Australian aquaculture sectors. The farmers has created the Association that addresses their issue and create the necessary linkages with related sectors including government officials, researchers, technologies, exporters, retailers, finance sector as well as infrastructure suppliers. It has been observed that the Australian Prawn market has been noted to farming three major endemic species of prawn. These prawns are mentioned below: The Black Tiger Prawn The Banana Prawn The Kuruma Prawn Despite the small size of Australian prawn farms, it leads the world market. The major reason of this advancement is continuous government investment in research and development (Gourguet et al., 2014). Currently, it has been observed through international scale of classification that majority of the Australian farms are intensive farms. Economic market analysis Extensive study of the Australian Prawn Market indicates that the prawn market is perfectly competitive market. According to the traditional sense the perfect market is the structure where every firm operates their business by selling identical products (Johns et al., 2016). In addition, in the perfectly competitive market the firms are noted to be price takers instead of controller of market price of their product. The firms in the perfectly competitive market also observed to have very small market share. In addition to that, the buyers also have the necessary information regarding the product and price in the perfectly competitive market (Koschker Mst, 2016). Moreover, in the perfectly competitive market the entry and exit of new organizations are not restricted at all. There are numbers of evidence that can be produced in support of the above argument. First of all, although the prawn market has different varieties of prawn, the general consumers cannot distinguish between them. The differences between three major prawns are quite limited (Gourguet et al., 2016). At the same time, the prawn farms cannot control the price as their supply size of prawns is similar to the others and therefore can easily be considered as the price takers. In addition to that, being an equally distributed and supported industry every farm has similar size and production capabilities. Therefore, they all have relatively small market share. The price of the prawn is informed to the buyers all the time. Association plays a significant role in maintaining the communication with the customers (Rostamian, 2014). Therefore, it can be assumed that the Australian Prawn market fulfill the criteria of being perfectly competitive market. In this context, before the WSD outbreak the Prawn market was in equilibrium, as the volume of supply supported the demand quite effectively. However, after the outbreak of WSD the farm owners had to dispose large numbers of prawns. It has been identified that the amount of disposed prawns accounted for millions of dollars. The disposal of these large amount of prawns coupled with ban on prawn import has significantly increased the demand of prawn in the Australian Market, which has effectively shifted the price from equilibrium (ABC Rural, 2017). Lets assume the original equilibrium price was P1, supply curve was S1 and the quantity was Q1. The immediate stock disposal after the WSD outbreak has significantly shifted the supply curve from S1 to S2. As identified from the study that Australia produces 20000 tons of prawns whereas it used to import 30000 tons of prawns from outside. Moreover, In this context, it is evident that the disposal of 25 millions of white spotted prawns will damage the supply curve significantly (Tham Luo, 2015). It is assumed that more than half of the supply size has been decreased dramatically. Now the price has been increased from P1 to P2 after the outbreak of WSD. It has been also observed that the price of prawns is raised with an immense speed. The price hike was around $10 per kilogram within a week. The scenario has been depicted in the above figure (ABC Rural, 2017). Considering the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility, we can identify that D (Demand) = MB (Marginal Benefit). At the same time, considering the Law of Diminishing Returns, we can discern that S (Supply) = Marginal Cost. In this context, we can confirm from the above Figure 2 that the total surplus, i.e. sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus is maximized. Therefore, we can effectively conclude that the market is still efficient as there is no deadweight loss. We can easily observe that the all perfectly competitive markets are efficient as producer surplus and consumer surplus is maximized and there is no dead weight loss (Blomquist Simula, 2015). It can be easily observed from the above figure that the consumer surplus as well as producer surplus has decreased due to the movement of supply line in the graph. The change would evidently include greater impact on the consumers and producers. In this context, lets assume price has shifted from P1 to P2. The budget line has been in tangent of the I1, i.e. the utility curve before the crisis of WSD. After the outbreak of WSD the utility curve shifted from I1 to I2. The following figure effectively shows that the budget line is in tangent of utility curve I2 in a higher price level as well as at smaller quantity of prawns (Oliveira-Castro, Cavalcanti Foxall, 2015). Therefore, it can be easily understood that the utility level of the consumers have been significant reduced due to the outbreak of the shift. The contemporary scenarios also indicate towards the fact. The stock of the prawn in Australian market has been noted to run out rapidly. It is assumed that in several days the prawn stock will be empty. It has been also identified that despite of rising prices the customers are not being able to have sufficient quantity of prawns in accordance with their satisfaction. On the other hand, if we assume that average production fixed cost is TFC and the variable cost is TVC. Then the TC (total cost) = TFC + TVC. Now as the outbreak of WSD hit the Australian market the quantity of the production dropped significantly. It has been observed that despite of investing normal production cost the output was null. The farmers had to dispose the diseased prawn so that the disease could not be spread in the market. Therefore, it can be easily assumed that the farmers have been undergone through a tremendous loss. The sources support the evidence by reporting 25 millions of loss from four major farms in Queensland (ABC Rural, 2017). Governments Intervention strategies: In this context, it has been identified that the government has a significant role in the current scenario. It is highly necessary for the government to intervene in this huge demand of prawns as well as insufficient supply. It has been identified from the above market analysis that the farmers have dealt with greater amount of loss. This kind of high loss cannot be compensated by them (Byrom, Lawley Clements, 2016). Therefore, the government needs to provide nece4ssary subsidies to the farmers so that they can minimize the loss. This kind of high amount of loss would eventually force them to stop the production which would be more catastrophic in the current situation. The lack of production will further decrease the supply and increase the demand in a significant manner. Therefore, the subsidy would be most preferred choice from the government to rejuvenate the economy once again. As identified from the above assessment study it has been observed that the lack of supply has created this kind of huge economic crisis in the Australian Prawn Market. If the supply would get normalized the demand as well as price of the prawn would get normal. Therefore, the market would get to the prior position once again. However, the Australian Government has put ban on the import of prawn from outside. The major reason of the ban is identifying the source of WSD at the first place as it was being rumored that the WSD has been came from the imported prawn. In this context, the government must seek a secure supply chain of prawn. In this aspect, government may also critically check every imported prawn for possible disease. This way the government would also ensure that any diseased prawn is not coming in Australia through the supply line. At the same time, the Australian market would get equilibrium. Conclusion: The above analysis has been quite efficient to identify the economic impact of WSD outbreak in Australian Prawn Industry. First of all, the study has provided necessary overview of the entire prawn industry in Australia. It has been disclosed that despite of the small size, the Australian prawn market is the leading market throughout the world. The study has significantly identified the nature of Australian Prawn market as perfectly competitive market. It has been also able to provide necessary justification of the argument. The study has also effective analyzed the economic impact of WSD outbreak with the help of various economics theories. These theories have been able to discern the impact of this crisis on the customers as well as producers. The study has also used relevant models to better depict the current scenario. The critical sources have been used to justify the argument at every given point of the study. In other words the study has successfully disclosed the current scen ario in a critical and precise manner. Furthermore, the study has been also able to provide necessary suggestions for the government interventions, which will help the market to attain its earlier position. Reference List: ABC Rural. (2017). Another prawn farm tests positive for white spot disease. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-06/white-spot-disease-spreads-to-sixth-queensland-prawn-farm/8243640 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. ABC Rural. (2017). Prawn industry in crisis mode as disease spreads. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-04/prawn-virus-white-spot-disease-spreads-queensland/8161410 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. ABC Rural. (2017). White spot outbreak a 'wake-up call' for Australian biosecurity, as prawn farmers blame imports. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-23/qld-prawn-farmers-blame-white-spot-outbreak-on-imported-prawns/8144876 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. Blomquist, S., Simula, L. (2015).Marginal deadweight loss with nonlinear budget sets. Mimeo. Byrom, D., Lawley, M., Clements, M. (2016). 13 Barriers to supply chain integration in the Australian seafood industry.A Stakeholder Approach to Managing Food: Local, National, and Global Issues, 186. Emery, T. J., Gardner, C., Hartmann, K., Cartwright, I. (2017). Incorporating economics into fisheries management frameworks in Australia.Marine Policy,77, 136-143. Gourguet, S., Thebaud, O., Dichmont, C., Jennings, S., Little, L. R., Pascoe, S., ... Doyen, L. (2014). Risk versus economic performance in a mixed fishery.Ecological Economics,99, 110-120. Gourguet, S., Thbaud, O., Jennings, S., Little, L. R., Dichmont, C. M., Pascoe, S., ... Doyen, L. (2016). The cost of co-viability in the Australian northern prawn fishery.Environmental Modeling Assessment,21(3), 371-389. Guy, J. A., McIlgorm, A., Waterman, P. (2014). Aquaculture in Regional Australia: Responding to trade externalities. A Northern NSW case study.Journal of Economic Social Policy,16(1), 115. Johns, C. M., Johns, C. M., Kimber, N., Kimber, N., Howieson, J., Howieson, J., ... Lawley, M. (2016). Evaluating the outcomes of VCA-led improvement projects: a case study of an Australian prawn fishery.British Food Journal,118(12), 2997-3011. Koschker, S., Mst, D. (2016). Perfect competition vs. strategic behaviour models to derive electricity prices and the influence of renewables on market power.OR spectrum,38(3), 661-686. Oliveira-Castro, J. M., Cavalcanti, P. R., Foxall, G. R. (2015). What do consumers maximize?.The Routledge Companion to Consumer Behavior Analysis, 202. Outbreak.gov.au. (2017). Outbreak White spot disease. [online] Available at: https://www.outbreak.gov.au/current-responses-to-outbreaks/white-spot-disease [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. Rostamian, H. (2014). Management strategies for controlling diseases in shrimp aquaculture. Tham, C. K., Luo, T. (2015). Quality of contributed service and market equilibrium for participatory sensing.IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing,14(4), 829-842.

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Bee free essay sample

Your first word is yoga, said the proctor. Yoga? How was I to spell yoga? I recalled hearing this world many times, but I had never seen it written. I didnt positively know how to spell it, so I went with my instincts. Yoga, Y-O-G-A, I said doubtfully. Thats that is correct, replied the elderly man, as if even he was unsure of the words spelling. In the next few rounds, I spelled each word without the slightest hesitation. There were only ten contestants remaining. I felt the exaltation of possibly winning the spelling bee. I wasnt nervous anymore. I was relaxed and actually felt at ease on the overbearing stage. Okay. Your next word is ambiguity. Ambigooity, I thought what was ambigooity? A frantic rush hit me like a ton of bricks. Was I expected to spell a world that I could hardly pronounce? Its funny, but at the time I was unknowingly thinking of anything I could, except for the arduous task at hand. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bee or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I had thought of the loving support my family had given me throughout my life, my two best friends, the time I had spent preparing for the spelling bee, and all my schooling up to that point. It is safe to say it was then that the world came to me. I had thought of the ambiguous case from my math course class. Was ambiguous a form of ambigooity, the word I was asked to spell? I figured it probably was, so I removed the -ous ending of ambiguous and added an -ity in its place. It seemed risky, but I was correct. So many substantial things had happened in just this one day, this one hour, that I realized it was unnecessary for me to be nervous about something for which I had thoroughly prepared. I will never think of giving up, because anything can happen, as it did that very day. The spelling bee had taught me so much already that the outcome seemed irrelevant to my life. Although I continued to do my best, my thoughts on success were different from the way I felt at the start. One does not necessarily need to be declared the winner in order to feel the thrills of victory within oneself. For me, it was not meant to be. The winner was a woman, of height five-foot-three.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Afrocentrism

Afrocentrism is many things to many people, from the insistent claims of Leonard Jeffries to the commercialism of the mainstream media. In the last five years it has pushed its way into the American consciousness, both as an academic movement and as an attitude. Several years ago I watched Eddy Murphy as Akenaton, Iman as Nfertiti, and Michael Jackson as a Trickster Imhotep in the music video "Remember the Time." MTV had met Afrocentrism? At any rate, it was an ambitious fantasy set in ancient Egypt for the delectation of Black Americans and, perhaps, the consternation of Whites. Afrocentrists argue that Blacks must see themselves through Black eyes, as agents of history, rather than as simply subjects of investigation. Their view must proceed from an "inside place." Most emphasize the civilizations of northeastern Africa, namely Kemet (Egypt), Nubia, Axum, and Meroe. Early on it was truly a "Black Thing," involving as it did its own conferences, publishing and networks. By 1978 Jay Carruthers' Kemetic Institute was established in Chicago. A year later a similar thematic course was taken by the Institute of Pan-African Studies in Los Angeles. A meeting in that city in 1984, the First Annual Ancient Egyptian Studies resulted in the organization of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations. In the same year Ivan Van Sertima's Nile Valley Civilization group held a major conference. His Journal of African Civilization became a major diffusion point in the burgeoning corpus of Afrocentric literature. In spite of criticism (or maybe because of it), Afrocentrism (or Afrocentricity) was and is spreading. Elementary schools in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Detroit, as well as other locales, have initiated new curricula, impelled largely by the demands of parents and students. The African American Baseline Essays, created for the Portland, Oregon, school system, have had a wide impact. Covering a number of disciplines,... Free Essays on Afrocentrism Free Essays on Afrocentrism Afrocentrism is many things to many people, from the insistent claims of Leonard Jeffries to the commercialism of the mainstream media. In the last five years it has pushed its way into the American consciousness, both as an academic movement and as an attitude. Several years ago I watched Eddy Murphy as Akenaton, Iman as Nfertiti, and Michael Jackson as a Trickster Imhotep in the music video "Remember the Time." MTV had met Afrocentrism? At any rate, it was an ambitious fantasy set in ancient Egypt for the delectation of Black Americans and, perhaps, the consternation of Whites. Afrocentrists argue that Blacks must see themselves through Black eyes, as agents of history, rather than as simply subjects of investigation. Their view must proceed from an "inside place." Most emphasize the civilizations of northeastern Africa, namely Kemet (Egypt), Nubia, Axum, and Meroe. Early on it was truly a "Black Thing," involving as it did its own conferences, publishing and networks. By 1978 Jay Carruthers' Kemetic Institute was established in Chicago. A year later a similar thematic course was taken by the Institute of Pan-African Studies in Los Angeles. A meeting in that city in 1984, the First Annual Ancient Egyptian Studies resulted in the organization of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations. In the same year Ivan Van Sertima's Nile Valley Civilization group held a major conference. His Journal of African Civilization became a major diffusion point in the burgeoning corpus of Afrocentric literature. In spite of criticism (or maybe because of it), Afrocentrism (or Afrocentricity) was and is spreading. Elementary schools in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Detroit, as well as other locales, have initiated new curricula, impelled largely by the demands of parents and students. The African American Baseline Essays, created for the Portland, Oregon, school system, have had a wide impact. Covering a number of disciplines,...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Interest Group Profile Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interest Group Profile - Assignment Example It has no board of directors, but rather Norquist makes all broad decisions on objectives, goals, finances etc. himself. The group indicates it has a state chapter in every state, but information on the structures and size of those chapters is not available publically on the group’s website. It has a number of affiliated groups, all of whom have similar low-tax goals. The most prominent of those groups include the cost of government centre, the Stop Etax group, and the Alliance for Worker Freedom, which pushes for so called â€Å"right to work† legislation that weakens union memberships. Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform have one main accomplishment, which is not legislative in nature but has shaped the state of congress for more than a decade. This is called the â€Å"Taxpayer Protection Pledge† – which essentially amounts to a declaration that a Congressperson is asked to sign, indicating that they will never, regardless of circumstances, rais e taxes in any way (meaning, broadly speaking, that they will not allow the government to raise more revenue, so if loopholes are closed then tax rates must be lowered an appropriate amount). To date, every single Republican member of congress has signed this pledge, and it has shaped public policy debate for years, especially in the last four years since Barack Obama was elected as president. It has also pushed the Republican party rightwards historically, as any Republican who refused to sign the pledge would face a primary challenge from someone who would. Though this is not legally binding (obviously), the pledge has provided serious trouble to some politicians in the current environment, when a majority of Americans agree that taxes should be raised on the wealthy. They either have to demonstrate that they do not hold to their election promises, making their chances for re-nomination or re-election much more difficult, or must continue to hold to a pledge that is growing increa singly unpopular and could even mean not doing what they think is right given the circumstances in the economy at the moment. Americans for Tax Reform is structured as a non-for-profit and thus does not have a Super PAC but rather has a 501(c)(4), a separate kind of entity that focuses on â€Å"issue ads† and does not have to disclose its donor roles. It has spent somewhere in the range of the tens of millions of dollars, all of which went to supporting Republican candidates or opposing Democratic ones. It is interesting to note that this group also spends a great deal of money in pushing for particular candidates during Republican primaries, seemingly trying to select the most anti-tax, conservative leaning politician. This non-for-profit technically does not even list itself as a lobbyist, because it does not actively lobby members of congress, rather, it focuses on pushing them to sign pledges before being elected into office. It has, in general, been one of the greatest f orces pushing the country rightwards since 1985, a date from which, it is

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Iranian economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Iranian economy - Essay Example The performance of the Iranian economy in the early twenty-first century has witnessed a marked deterioration, in absolute terms as well as relative to other countries in the region. The growth of the economy has slackened drastically (Ramin, 2004). The economy, with a rapidly expanding population, has experienced a marked decline in investment, low labor productivity, a widening trade gap, a fast accumulation of debt and, above all, a sharp decline in the standard of living. What are the determinants of economic performance? There is broad agreement among economists that macroeconomics stability – characterized by moderate and predictable inflation, a small budget deficit, and the relative stability of the real exchange rate – is essential for long-term economic growth (Sciolino, 2005). Several empirical studies suggests that stable prices, a sensible exchange rate that does not discourage exports and good fiscal and monetary disciplines are necessary, though not suffi cient, conditions for a sustainable improvement in living standards. Viewed from this perspective the deterioration of in the performance of the Iranian economy since 1980 can be largely explained by the macroeconomic stability that has characterized this post revolutionary period (Sciolino, 2005).The theme of this proposal is centered on the role of the state in the process of economic and social development in the post revolutionary period. The emphasis, however, is on economic performance.... there is general consensus amongst close observers of the Iranian economy about the 'decisive' historical role of the state. Furthermore, a distinctive feature of the current Iranian state is that sizeable oil revenue accrues to the government because of its monopoly right over oil. The rentier nature of the state provides it with economic power and financial independence, although the state plays a central role in distributing this wealth to the population through direct subsidies and the creation of economic activities. 2. Iran's Economy in a Comparative Context There has been a remarkable deterioration in the growth performance of the Iranian economy since the late 1980s, both relative to its past performance and compared to international standards. This is reflected in the below table, which shows comparative per capita GDP trends for Iran and United States. Though the comparison does show a major difference, it is to be noted that here we have compared a lower middle income economy to a higher economy. Table: Comparative Figures of Iran and US Economy for the years 2003 - 2005 Source: World Bank Data Banks. 3. Economic Policy and Industrial Structure The rapid growth of the Iranian economy during the two decades preceding the 1979 Revolution took place in the context of an import substitution industrialization strategy. The paradoxical result of this strategy was to make the economy increasingly dependent on oil export revenues in order to finance the intermediate and capital goods imports needed by Iran's heavily protected industrial sector (Halliday, 1979). In the immediate aftermath of the revolution a considerable portion of large-scale modern industry, and the entire banking and insurance

Monday, November 18, 2019

Extra Credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Extra Credit - Essay Example Similarly, the FDA changed terms like â€Å"irradiation† to â€Å"cold pasteurization† to improve sales, as consumers shy away from terms that involve radiation (Unit Six page 5). In these cases the organizations took no action to change processes or procedures, but merely took action to change a products placement in the market. It is surprising to consider the enormous impact these organization must therefore play in product sales, and even which companies are able to succeed in national markets. From this example, I learned that food safety may sometimes not play as large of a role as economics in the food we, as consumers, are led to believe is safe—or even more shockingly the medicines that we take for sicknesses and disabilities. In the future, knowledge of these pressures have convinced me to take a more proactive approach to my health by more closely inspecting health labels and researching processing techniques that may appear as ambiguous statements, su ch as the â€Å"cold pasteurization† example above. By taking a proactive approach, consumers, like myself, can make better, more informed decisions about their health and well-being. The can also act to be more involved in policy making on food and drugs and encourage truth in labeling and advertising. Works Cited Unit Six†¦.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Herbert Marcuse: One Dimensional Man

Herbert Marcuse: One Dimensional Man This thinking paper will examine Brookfields interpretations of the above article, and endeavour to explain from the empirical writings of Herbert Marcuse, his thoughts on emancipating Ideological beliefs and encouraging Liberation. Marcuse beliefs highlighted further what he saw was a One Dimensional Society with only a One Dimensional Thought. Their way or the high way! This predisposes challenges in these social movements to combat oppression and thus encourage Liberation, in a genuine socialist society. Although Marcuses writings signify he was a fan of elements to Marxs Ideology, he also found Marx, in his day, was not a true libertarian who did not consider or connect himself with the individual. As a result, if Marxs theory was to continue to remain credible, Marcuse decided to act as a catalyst for the reassessing and re-examination of oppositional social movements in combating oppression and domination. His movement directed us through three pathways Rebellious subjectivity, liberating tolerance and Conceptual thought in Criticality, from the perspectives of reassessing Marxism and in the practices of Adult Education. Marcuse, found the concept of socialism, to be the most important issue, which precipitated and gave rise to his movement. He felt the concept of socialism had taken Marxs theory and developed it to become more focussed on the development of the productive forces Capitalisation and promotion of learning as a commodity, into another higher productive society which alienated and isolated individuals. Furthering his view, this could generate critical dispositions which he termed as rebellious subjectivity. To alleviate rebellious subjectivity, encouraging liberation of aesthetics from the demands of capitalism within classrooms, adult educators endeavour daily to create conducive learning environments Ultimately inspiring liberation in a genuine socialist society today! Concurring with Brookfields resonation to Marcuses idea of repressive tolerance, diversity in education could be construed as the dominant culture appearing to be more open to the learners voices, when in fact it is a refined way of reasserting its control over public discourse remoulding the junior and leaving certificates and with the introduction of CAS (common awards system) in 2010, into adult education. We can, as adults be resistant to change but we also recognise manipulation. Thus surmising as adult educators, in the field, we need to critically be very carefully in our classrooms too! In the practice of liberating tolerance, Marcuse identified to be inclusive, fair and equal to all running discussions, listening to the voice of the learner and developing curricula to accommodate different learning styles, was of paramount importance in critical adult education. However, is this really in existence and to what level of acceptance is it? Brookfield highlighted Marcuses disagreement for those who did possess radical opinions and rebellious perspectives and argued that such tolerance is repressive, not liberating. (Brookfield, 2002) Although concurring with the majority of the literature and Marcuses ideas, as an advocate of listening to the voice of the learners, with the freedom to express their viewpoints, are educators allowing this to selfishly improve their own practices? However, I too am dancing to the tune of somebody elses fiddle, by issuing a disciplinary for time keeping, attendance, disruptive behaviours. Could this not subtly be perceived as a contradi ction to my beliefs, reasserting control over public discourse too, and constricting freedom more and more? Unwittingly serving to reinforce an unfair status quo (Brookfield, 2002) concluding that dominant mainstream perspectives still overshadow the minority in practice! Lastly, Brookfield reviewed the writings of Newman and his view on conceptual thought in Criticality. Newman(1994) states that critical thinking is about laying blame and defining enemies, both are necessary precursors to informed social change. (Brookfield, 2002). It can be argued that to liberate learners, accountability and ownership are crucial to develop individual positive visions. Yes, criticality can be both positive and negative. Negative feedback in the classroom can motivate learners! Concurring with Marcuse, in order to truly feel great liberation, we need to get great refusal. We get knocked down, but we get back up again! Onwards, upwards and forwards Change and liberation does not happen without the forwards. However, in general, adults are not always receiving of constructive criticism, previous experiences can cloud judgements! Brookfield states that Marcuse is at odds with those adult educators who emphasize that the road of criticality begins with examining the sp ecific experiences of adult learners. (Brookfield, 2002). On the other hand, it can be argued that this view is crucial in criticality in order to enable the learners to self-correct. References Brookfield, S., 2002. Reassessing Subjectivity, Criticality, and Inclusivity: Marcuses Challenge to Adult Education. Adult Education Quarterly, 52(4), p. 274. Brookfield, S., 2002. Reassessing Subjectivity, Criticality, and Inclusivity: Marcuses Challenge to Adult Education. Adult Education Quarterly, 52(4), pp. 265-280. Brookfield, S., 2002. Reassessing Subjectivity, Criticality, and Inclusivity: Marcuses Challenge to Adult Education. Adult Education Quarterly, 52(4), p. 271. Brookfield, S. D., 2005. Critical Theory for Adult Learning and Teaching. Berkshire: Open University Press. Brookfield, S. D., 2005. Learning Liberation. In: Critical Theory for Adult Learning and Teaching. Berkshire: Open University Press, p. 182. Graham Cagney, A., 2016. Reading No. 10 Marcuse on Liberation, Waterford: s.n. Does Hip Hop Culture Influence Youth Gangs? Does Hip Hop Culture Influence Youth Gangs? Gang violence and the use of violent weapons have been highlighted by the media recently. The government have initiated aims in order to curb and deal with gang violence in the United Kingdom. In order deal with this issue, influencing factors have been acknowledged. This research explores the supposed influence that the hip hop culture has on young males engaged in gangs, and their willingness to use violent weapons. a systematic review of the literature and a qualitative content analysis of four songs lyrics have confirmed that there are themes which are consistent with the attitudes and behaviours that young people express due to the music they listen to. A significant proportion of the literature that surround young people and youth gangs in the UK focuses on possession and use of weapons (e.g. Bullock and Tilley, 2002; Bennett and Holloway, 2004b; Marshall et al, 2005). Research by Lemos (2004) found that some young people were likely to carry weapons through fear of being attacked by other gang members or more worryingly because they associated it with being cool. This was also reflected in Kinsellaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s (2011) report for the government, following the murder of her brother Ben during a knife attack in 2008. Through visiting several projects across the country, Kinsella found two prominent motivational factors that were highlighted in each project. Those were à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾fearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾fashionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. Some young people in the projects explained that they carried knives because they feared that others were also weapons, and so felt it necessary to carry knifes as a method of self-protecti on. Chapter 1:  Introduction Youth gangs and the attitudes and behaviours of young males have been a major issue in the United Kingdom. Researches and theories have been conducted in order to evaluate the emergence of youth street gangs. The murders of innocent young people in the last decade have urged the government and academics to conduct reports and research on gang and post code gang feuds. Due to an increase of gang violence the government introduced the Gang Injunction within the Police and Crime Act 2009. The gang Injunction is aimed at preventing young people from engaging in, encouraging and assisting gang related violence (Home Office). Research from the Associations of Chief Police Officers (2007) and Pickle (2009) show that apart from gang members being involved in gangs, they are also engaging in the use and possession of violent weapons. Hip hop artists have been criticised by politicians and the media for influencing young males to engage in violent behaviour. However this idea is not supported by research and can be rejected, because when looking at research from government reports and academics there is no evidence to support the idea that hip hop influencing young males behaviour and attitudes. However research from Kubrin (2005) and Miranda and Claes (2004) who are both Canadian and American, suggest that some of the themes in hip hop are reflected in the behaviour of young males. So therefore there is a relationship between hip hop and young males, but unfortunately this research has not been conducted in the United Kingdom. In the response to the lack of research on the link between hip hop and youth gangs and violence, the aim of this study is to the answer the research question: Youth Gangs: Does the Hip Hop culture Influence Young Males in the UK to Join Street Gangs and the Use of Violent Weapons? In order to answer this research question and to find out whether there is a link between youth gangs and hip hop culture, this research will explore if the use and possession of violent weapons is really glamorised by hip hop, or whether the claims by the government and media are unjustified. The main aims in this research are to: Find out if beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of young gang members can be attributed to the lifestyle portrayed by hip hop artists. Establish where prominent behaviours in the literature, song lyrics and images of hip hop artists can be associated with the influence of violent weapons Apply theory to the attitudes, behaviours and the prominent themes associated with gangs in order to provide a more holistic approach. These aims will be conducted through a discussion of literature from books, journals, government reports, newspapers and media articles. A content analysis will be conducted on hip hop (Grime UK) song that young males may listen to, and a semiotic analysis on images of hip hop artists. Chapter 2 of this research provides a literature review looking into the problems with gang definition, the UK new gang culture, the background of gangs, gang membership, the possession and use of violent weapons and the hip hop culture and the influence of hip hop. Chapter 3 focuses on the methodology and outlines the approach that has been conducted during the research process. The research design and the analyses are included in this chapter, alongside the ethical considerations. Chapter 4 discusses and evaluates the analysis of the hip hop song lyrics, the signs that images from hip hop portray using a semiotic approach and then finally the themes that emerged from the literature and lyrics. These three themes are drug dealing, which is discussed in relation to rational choice theory, strain theory and differential association theory. The second theme is street credibility and this is discussed in relation to social identity theory and masculine theories. The final theme is the Territorial post code wars, this theme is discussed in relation to social capital theory and social learning theory. Chapter 2:  Literature Review This chapter will be exploring the literature surrounding young males, gangs, violence and weapons. As well as the influence the hip hop culture can have on these young males. Different literature such as books, journals, government reports, newspaper articles and research studies will be examined and reviewed in order to view the current state of gang culture and violence in the UK. The following issues will be discussed in order to examine relevant literature on the study. Gang definition, the UK gang culture, gang membership, and the background of gangs in general, the possession and use of violent weapons and finally the influence of hip hop culture on young people. The problem with definition The term Gang has had some issues surrounding its definition, and this is a problem that remains dominant within the UK based literature. The definition of the term has been mainly developed with reference to American gang culture. Some theorists argued that a new definition of the term gang should be given for the new gang culture in the UK. The reason behind some definitions given to describe the gang culture in America was investigated by Ball and Curry (1995) they believed that although it is easy to identify a gang, the real issue arises when attempting to create a definition. After engaging in a lengthy linguistic analysis of various ways to define gang, they proposed that gang definitions would do better to focus on the abstract, formal characteristics of the phenomenon rather than connotative, normative content (Ball Curry, 1995:240). Ball and Curry (1995) also stated that old definitions for the term are acceptable but due to the frequent changes in sociological, political and cultural changes it is important to have a new definition for the term, because the changes may affect the phenomenon of gang culture. Despite the need for a current definition, government and academic organisations believe that a fixed definition is essential in order to develop further research into gangs. For example the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) stated that it was difficult to determine the proportion of crime that contributed to gangs, because the agreed definition of gangs on the data base was non-existent (ACPO, 2007:14). The Metropolitan Police Service (2008) also identified several other factors that differentiate a gang from relatively small, unorganised and transient peer groups. These factors include names, an organisable structure, and the use of violence and delinquent behaviour to promote group identity and to acquire social capital (Metropolitan Police Service, 2007: 21) The UK New Gang Culture The media, government and professional academics have all raised their concerns about the growing perception of gang culture in the UK. The media frequently report criminal activity, and in response some academics have argued that the media sensationalises the gang problem in the UK (Alexander, 2008:4). Other academics such as Bullock and Tiley (2002) have also suggested that the need to understand and tackle the gang violence is more important instead of sectionalising gang violence. Following the medias numerous reports regarding the increase in high profile gang related crimes since 2007, Heale (2008) stated that youth gangs have been frequently highlighted in the media. The fatal shooting of an innocent five year old girl in Stockwell in 2012, Is another incident that caught the medias attention. Thusha Kamaleswaran was left permanently paralysed after a gang related shooting occurred at her aunts shop (Telegraph, 2012). The media suggested that the shooting was linked to youth g ang violence; the metropolitan police gave a statement stating, It is believed two black youths ran into the shop before shots were fired. Peter Robbins who is the counsellor from Lambeth council also gave a statement, there is a fairly well known problem with gangs and guns in Lambeth (Daily Mail, 2012). Gangs are not only running into shops and causing injury to innocent individuals, they are also engaging in the American style drive by shootings. For example, the Telegraph (2011) reported a drive by shooting in west London which injured three teenage girls and left one girl in critical condition. These shootings also attracted the media and public attention and the they believed that the American style drive by shootings performed by UK gangs where indeed becoming a lot more like the American gangs. Academics have criticised the media despite there being evidence of growing youth violence taking place in the UK, academics believe that the media solely focuses on the dramatic consequences of gang violence, instead of how it can be prevented and tackled (Fitch, 2009: 2). Deuchar (2008) suggested that the majority of gang members tend to predominantly be from black or ethnic minority groups, despite this suggestion Bennett and Holloway (2004a: 319) found that the majority of gang members were white, followed by Caribbean and Bangladeshi. Due to this inconsistency in literature surrounding the race and ethnic minority of gang members, it is clear that the race and ethnicity of gang members is not an important factor in researching gangs. So therefore this study will not focus on race and ethnicity. Instead this study will focus on why young people join gangs and the characteristics of gang members. Background Studies and research where conducted in order to give an insight into the increase of gang membership. Bennett and Holloway (2004a: 305) found evidence from governments reports, newspapers, local agencies and national bodies that suggested gangs in the UK and the number of gang members where increasing. Bennett and Holloway (2004a) argued that with the obvious increase in violent weapons and the possessions and the use of guns, the British gangs where not that different to the American stereotype that the UK often rejected. Research into gangs in America could not be generalised to the rising youth gang culture in Britain, despite the early research into gangs and youth groups. Subculture theorists in America have largely focused on the study of youth groups and gangs for almost over a century. Research into gangs in America mainly focused on the Chicago city, which is a research that has provided what is known as the first study into the gang culture phenomena. After the research in Chicago gang culture, subculture theorist Merton began his research into delinquent groups, with the help of Cohen (1955) and Cloward and Ohlin (1961). Mertons (1938) research on the Social structure and Anomie thesis anticipated that the American Dream was at the forefront of every individuals aspirations in life. But not every individual would be able to acquire this. For example education was only accessible to some people and this led to anomie. Also deviant behaviours such as violence and petty crimes amongst young working class males who were most affect were caused by the feeling of strain. Cohen (1955: 66) extended the concept of social structure and anomie by explaining that in order to explain non instrumental vandalism and violence was due to status frustration. He stated that the individuals who felt frustrated would, gravitate towards one another to establish new norms and new criteria of status, and this would then form a delinquent subculture. This statement was furt her extended by Cloward and Ohlin (1961:1), they believed that every individual had access to legitimate and illegitimate opportunities and suggested three types of subculture. The retreatist subculture which fails to find legitimate or illegitimate means in order to succeed, so therefore the individual turns to alcohol or drug abuse while the conflict subculture is when individuals use manipulation of violence as a way of winning status. The criminal subculture describes a group of individuals who rely on theft and extortion as a means of getting income. The subculture that is most relevant to this research on the young males and the influence of hip hop is the Conflict subculture. Downes (1966) systematic review found no evidence that Cloward and Ohlin (1961) retreats, conflict and criminal subcultures existed in the UK because the young males lacked structured cohesion that the American gangs boasted about. Cohen (1955) notion of status frustration was criticised by Downes who believed that by Cohen conducting his research in only one borough meant that his findings may not be generalised to the rest of the UK. Despite this Downes concluded that the research into gang delinquency in the UK is a reflection of its absence (Downes, 1966:116). In addition to this Campbell et al (1989) believed that the gang notion belonged to America, whilst the subculture notion belonged to the UK. As a result of this Campbell et al (1982) felt that a separate definition and research for youth gangs in the UK would need to be developed in order to provide a better framework for future research into gangs Campbell et al, 1989: 276) Gang Membership It is believed that young people especially males are known to join gang memberships for different psychological or social reasons (Bennett and Holloway, 2004a: 307). Some of the psychological reasons for young people joining gangs are believed to be because they have a desire for money, to gain status and respect from other gang members and the feeling of being protected and having a connection within the gang membership. Psychological reasons for young people joining gangs usually develop from lack of effective support from their parents, family, teachers and the police (Harris et al, 2001: 9). Sociological reasons have been heavily focused on in terms of explaining gang membership. Research by the NASUWT Teachers union (2008) found that if there is an absence or lack of positive role models in a young individuals life, then in order to build a social identity they will look towards accessible role models. Also the study found that young people from broken families where a father f igure was not present are more likely to look up to individuals in gangs or family members involved in gang memberships (NASUWT Teachers union, 2008: 11). Wood and Alleyne (2009) found evidence that gang membership gives young people a chance to acquire powerful status amongst their friends, opportunity for excitement especially if they live a boring life. Protection from other gang members and most importantly it offers social support that is lacking in young peoples lives from their family. Whereas Marshall et al (2005) suggests that the reason for young people engaging in gang membership is due to their exclusion and alienation from mainstream society, particularly education and employment. Whilst most theorists offer an explanation as to why young people join gangs, they have failed to outline the specific features and characteristics of gang members. Evidence from Bennett and Holloway (2004a) suggests that gang members tend to me male, involved in drug taking and supplying, mor e likely to carry weapons and are criminally active. Possession and the violent use of weapons There are various literatures that focus on youth gangs and the use of violent weapons amongst young people in the UK. Lemos (2004) report on Fear and Fashion: The use of knives and other weapons by young people believed that most young people were more likely to carry violent weapons due to the fear of being attacked by other young individuals or just because they believed that carrying a violent weapon made them look cool. The home office affairs select committee published a knife crime report which investigated the levels and causes of knife crime and the attitudes of the offenders. Knife crime has been and still is a persistent and worrying concern that has a huge impact on young people in the UK. During June 2012 there were approximately 29,513 recorded offences involving knives and other sharp instruments, accounting for 7% of selected offences (Berman: Knife Crime Statistics, 2012). In the UK more than 70 teenagers were violently killed by the use of violent weapons. Majority of these deaths were gang related violences. In 2008 gang and knife crime were regularly featured in the media headlines, these crimes were mapped out in various locations around the UK, but London suffered the highest number of crime amongst young people. Dr Bob Golding, who is a criminal justice lecturer at the university of Portsmouth, stated that knife crime is simply a symptom; you have associated with this a development of gang culture (Golding, BBC News: 2008). The possession and the use of violent weapons were also reflected in Brooke Kinsellas (2011) Tackling Knife Crime Together report. Kinsella report was conducted following the death of her brother in a knife attack in 2008. The report also gave the public an insight into the seriousness of violent weapon crimes. Kinsella found that motivational factors influence young people into carrying violent weapons, these two factors were fear and fashion. In the report it was also discovered that youths reasons for carrying weapons was due to the fear of being attacked by other individuals, so therefore they felt the need to protect themselves. The reason that was more worrying was the need to be in possession of violent weapons because they believed it was fashionable or a cool thing to do (Kinsella, 2011: 2). Recently the media reported two incidents that allegedly occurred with five hours. The first incident was the shooting of a 19 year old male in Clapton, east London and the stabbing of a 16 year old male in Wandsworth, south west London. Although the police believe that these crimes where not linked to gangs, it just shows the frequent use of violent weapons within the community. (BBC, 2013) Although it is difficult to determine the link between violent weapon crimes and gangs, recent research into gangs has noted the relationship between firearms and gangs (Squires et al, 2008). A research report was carried out by Bullock and Tilley (2002), they found that 60% of firearm crimes can be linked to gangs meanwhile; the Home Office 2009/2010 reported 5% increase of injuries as a result of firearms. In order for the government to tackle the possession and use of violent weapons, they need to establish the main reasons why young people engage in violent weapons. As this could enable them or it could be a starting point for them to limit gang violence. The Hip Hop Culture and the Influence of Hip Hop Hip hop today is known as a cultural reform and social reconstruction. Hip hop first developed in the drug infested gang streets of the Bronx in New York City. Apart from the glamorous and provocative nature of hip hop, it is mainly associated with and for freedom, peace, equality and social harmony. Alongside creating a successful industry hip hop also gave ethnic minorities in America a chance to voice their opinions internationally, a civil rights movement that is still relevant today. Price (2006:1) defines hip hop as a liberation movement in the form of a diverse culture, it was a next generation civil (human) rights movement sparked by ostracized, marginalized and oppressed inner- city youths. Hip hop culture has grown to represent urban, rural, suburban and global communities of all ages, genders, religions and races. One main factor that is mainly held responsible for the increase in gang violence is the hip hop culture. It is believed that the hip hop has a negative influence on young people. David Blunkett reportedly made a statement about gang violence, stating idiots like so solid crew are glorifying gun culture and violence. This statement was made a year after one of the members from So Solid Crew Ashley Walters was sentenced to 18 months for the possession of a firearm (Telegraph, Sally Pook: 2003). David Cameroon also voiced his opinions on violent music. In the British society (2006) he asked BBC radio station 1, do you realise some of the stuff you play on Saturday nights encourages people to carry guns and knives? Despite the perception that the hip hop culture glamorises gang and violence, there is very little research on this concept. United Kingdom based research has dismissed the concept that hip hop influences young males into gangs and violent weapon. Hallsworth and Silverstone (2009: 362) suggested that style and music do not define the relationships between the individuals and the violence that they do, or the weapon they carry. There is no empirical support for the statement; however they do believe that those who carry weapons tend to imitate the American hip hop style by carrying guns. Well-known hip hop artists spoke about the comparison between hip hop and the trend of violence amongst young people in the communities. 50 Cent who has recently turned to acting and has become an entrepreneur refuted claims of there being a connection between hip hop and gun violence. He stated in his interview that his music was more a reflection of his experiences in life, rather than a glorificati on of assault weapons (CBS News, 2013). Hip hop and gangs have always been linked in some form. It is believed that the hip hop culture has created and influenced gang violence over the decades. Literature in the UK regarding the effect of hip hop music on young males and gangs on focuses on deviant behaviour in adolescence, whereas literature in the USA have a wider range of research and literature. Miranda and Claes (2009) researched the possible link between preference of rap music and deviant behaviours such as, drug use, violence and street gang involvement amongst French Canadian adolescents. Miranda and Claes found that despite trying to control the adolescent deviancy, a significant link can still be found between rap music and deviant behaviour. However despite their finding they did not find a link between hip hop and street gang involvement. This shows that there needs to be future research in order to come to a conclusion as to whether or not there is an association between hip hop and gang violence (Miranda a nd Claes, 2009). The issue of hip hop music lyrics and how they may have an effect on young people has been approached by Kubrins (2005) study. Kubrin conducted a content analysis of rap songs in America and also addressed the use of violent weapons suggesting that the gun becomes a symbol of power and a remedy for disputes (Kubrin, 2005:363). Research from Miranda, Claes and Kubrin, found that young people joined street gangs in order to acquire status and a social identity, which is seen and stated in the music they listen to. Because the majority of these studies are based on American and Canadian individuals, it is possible that the findings cannot be generalised to gangs in the UK. Chapter 3:  Methodology This section will explain the methodological approach that this research has adopted in order to establish if the hip hop culture has an influence on youth gangs and the use of violent weapons in the UK. The method which was chosen for the purpose of this paper was desk research, sometimes known as secondary data or secondary research (Bryman, 2008). This research involves gathering data that already exists from internal sources, publications of governmental and non-governmental institutions, free access data from the internet, in articles, newspapers and other relevant sources (Bryman, 2008:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..). A systematic review of literature, a qualitative content analysis on four hip hop song lyrics, and a semiotic analysis on a hip hop image will be conducted in order to establish if a relationship between hip hop culture, youth gang and the use of violent weapons exists. At first a qualitative research was initially considered in order to gather data and in order to answer the research question. The majority of research in to gangs and the use of violent weapons are normally conducted through qualitative surveys and interviews with current or previous gang members and offenders. These types of primary research would be dangerous and difficult to replicate as an undergraduate student. Research Design The research design of this study discusses the literature in the form of a systematic review. Government reports, journal articles and published texts on gangs and the use of violent weapons from the last decade have all been reviewed. Secondary data has been used to conduct this study. The secondary data has been used with caution and all literature used are from trustworthy sources. Literature based research has its strengths, and they mainly fall on the fact that the research is able to analyse data that is already available because the time consuming research has already been conducted by academics. There will be no contact with current or previous offenders who have been involved in gangs or crimes involving violent weapons, so the potential harm and risk involved in this research is minimised. However as explained by Bryman, (2008) not conducting a primary research means that there will be no control over the variables and so it is acknowledged that the grounds may be differen t to the present study. therefore this research has been conducted carefully in order not to manipulate the literature to support the hypothesis of the present study By conducting a content analysis of hip hop song lyrics, this study will be able to establish whether the genre of music can be held responsible for the behaviour of youth gang members or whether claims by the media are false. Out of the four songs that have been analysed, two demonstrate how the hip hop culture can influence young males, particularly in regards to joining gangs and the use of violent weapons. The two other songs acknowledge social exclusion as a reason for delinquency. The Song lyrics where obtained from lyric databases such as, Metro lyrics, sweet lyrics, urban lyrics and AZ lyrics. Even though the validity and reliability of these lyrics are questionable, all the songs used are from official version on YouTube, a reliable video broadcasting website. Due to the fact that majority of the songs analysed are likely to contain words and languages that are likely to be difficult to understand, a slang website called Urban Dictionary was used as a means to translate any difficult words. Analysis Key themes have been highlighted in the literature articles through a process of thematic analysis during a systematic review. These themes include repetition, differences and similarities. The following analytical chapters will be discussing these themes in relation to theories in order to give a better understanding as to why young males may seek these identities. Firstly the song lyrics will be discussed in relation to the themes that have been highlighted through the thematic analysis. This will be done using a similar approach conducted by Kubrin (2005) study on Gangstas, Thugs, and Hustlas. Song lyrics will be discussed and the images will be discussed using a semiotic approach in order to evaluate whether or not the music that is marketed to youths encourages the use of violent weapons. This will then be followed by a discussion of the themes in relation to the literature. Theory will be included in order to provide a more holistic understanding as to why young people join youth gangs, their behaviour and attitudes. In order to identify the themes within the literature a critical discussion of the findings will provide a foundation for recommendation on future research on this topic. By using these analytical methods a detailed account of the influence the hip hop culture has on young males can be generated from the literature. Ethical Considerations Due to this research being a secondary research, it does involve as many ethical issues as a primary research. For example no participants will be interviewed, so there is no need for informed consents and there are no issues regarding deception and invasion of privacy. Also there is no need to consider data protection or storage because the research studies reports are available and have been published for public viewing. The following ethical considerations from the British Society of Criminology (BSC) Code of Ethics have been considered and relate to this research. As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, there will be no contact with previous or current gang members so the emotional and physical well-being of the researcher will be maintained (BSC 3: iii). As the BSC states, researchers should promote equal opportunity in all aspects of their professional work and actively seek to avoid discriminatory behaviour (BSC, 3: iv).Whilst doing this research every effort has been m ade not to address young male gang members in terms of age, and racial or ethnic group sensitively and to use non-biased language. Also this research has made every effort not to disrespect the views and beliefs of young gang members, as one of the aims for this dissertation is to focus on developing a theoretical and holistic understanding of the behaviour of gang members. Also the views and beliefs of the gang members have not been disrespected whilst conducting a systematic review of the literature and analysing the literature through the themes that developed in the content analysis, alongside the arguments for and against hip hop culture influencing violence, the use and possession of violent weapons. Research studies by academics include young gang members who have consented to taking part in a published research study, so it is believed that any data from interviews conducted in previous reports are acceptable to use for secondary data. This therefore means that the ethical c ode (4: iii) will not be breached. However, if an entire data set was used for the present research, a Research Ethics Committee would have been required to conduct an expedited review (Economic and Social Research Council). Because this is a secondary research one of the major limitations is that some sources, especially internet sources may not be reliable, so a serious amount of importance was placed when using reliable data and sources from the internet as well as sources where the reliability of the internet information was uncertain. In addition to this No favoured judgement has been made towards certain research findings and a conscious effort has been made by the researcher not to manipulate or misinterpret the findings to suit the research question. By doing so a one sided argumen

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essays --

The Beveridge report Fabian Society formed in 1884, lead by the Sidney and Beatrice Webb who had strong views on the moral values of social (or socialist) provision and had thinking based on poor laws and the relief of distress, were the first to produce a report based on Majority and Minority of welfare. This report failed as all the members, the right-wing critics of state welfare, could not agree about the fact that the state should be the provider for welfare services. The Beveridge Report is a report that led to the establishment of a welfare system by the state of social security and the National Health Service (NHS) after the end of the war. Sir William Beveridge a highly regarded liberal economist, was the author of the report which was known as Social Insurance and Allied Services, that got published by the coalition government and which was presented to the British parliament on 1st December 1942. It contained a summary of principles that were based on social surveys carried out between wars, that were necessary to banish poverty and want from Britain, by aiming to provide a comprehensive system of social insurance ‘from cradle to grave’. 'Now, when the war is abolishing landmarks of every kind, is the opportunity for using experience in a clear field. A revolutionary moment in the world's history is a time for revolutions, not for patching.' It covered topics of poverty, old age, low birth rates, unemployment, disability and retirement, that were based around Five areas of society also known as the FIVE EVIL GIANTS, that prevented Britain from becoming a modern society after post war, which were: o Want – Poverty or need of financial support & health care National Insurance and Assistance schemes were needed to ... ...ew towns had to be built ie milton keynes o 1949 Access to the countryside Acts Opened up a series of public footpaths, moslty aimed to keep population health o Housing Acts 1946/1949 ï‚ § Although Labour’s building programme compares poorly to previous governments, people are not too critical of them over this considering the level of house destruction during the War along with the lack of building materials, increase in marriage and â€Å"baby boom† after the War. Advantages Dis-advantages Local authorities given financial assistance and access to building materials (which were in low supply at the end of the War) to build 1.25 million new permanent homes Disadvantages: No where near enough new homes were built and many people remained in â€Å"prefab† homes, army barracks and even train carriages by the end of 1951. o New Towns Act (1946) Advantages Dis-advantages