The Watts Riot

It is August 17 1965 and, we just went through the worst week of our lives things are finally starting to calm down. As we are going into town to see what is left, and to access the damages, we try to understand how this got so out of control. In the course of seven days, 34 lives were lost and, more than 1,032 were injured, the police had arrested 3,438 people and, there are over $40 million in property damages (Watts Riots 2013). This all started from what should have been a routine arrest by the police of young Black boy suspected of driving while intoxicated.It all started the in the early evening on August 11,1965 when police pulled over two brothers named Marquette and Ronald Frye just blocks from their house. As the police proceeded to give Marquette a field sobriety test that he failed, Ronald walked to their house get his mother, Rena Price. Marquette had been cooperating with the police when his mother showed at the scene until she started yelling at him for drinking. At th is point Marquette pushed his mother and headed toward a crowd that had gathered. As the police tried to catch him, his mother began to attack the officers that were struggling with the brothers.As the police began to use force to control the situation, the mother, and the crowd began to get hostel. Anger at the scene escalated and bitter incriminations from both sides followed (144 hours 2010). Both brothers and their mother were arrested. As the police began to withdraw from the scene a woman spit on an officer and was arrested. As the last car left the scene it was stoned by the increasing angry onlookers. The growing mob began stoning cars, pulling Whites from the cars and beating them and they also targeted a police command post that had been set up in the area.By early morning the issues seemed all under control except for a few incidents of rock throwing and vandalism, twenty – nine people were arrested throughout the night (144 hours). Thursday August 12, 1965 a meeti ng was held between police and black leaders, due to actions from both sides the meetings failed to come to an agreement to stop the rioting. Police had cordoned off our city in attempt to limit the riot to one area. Later in the evening the National Guard was put on alert. At that time the crowd had grown to more than 1,000 people. The crowds began setting fires, looting the stores, overturning cars, and attacking firemen.It was very clear they were targeting only white businesses, pedestrians, and motorists. By midday the riot had tripled in size and the crowds were focusing on looting the stores in the business strict, assistance had all but disappeared due to firemen and ambulances refusing to enter the area out of fear for their lives. Around midday the National Guard had arrived but the rioting continued to increase. Soon the rioters were covering as far as 50 to 60. (Watts, 2013) Friday August 13, 1965 the riot continues the escalated and is now spred throughout the city the city is starting to look a foreign war zone that you only see on television.There are block of burning building the National Guard are patrolling the street and Marshal law, and a curfew is in effect. You can still hear the shots ring from rioter shooting at the firemen attempting to put out the fires. On Saturday it was reported there more than 3,000 National Guard on station throughout the city and this caused the rioting to begin to slow down. By Sunday most of the riot had ceased and all the major fires were under control. Wednesday August 18 1965. Thing have begun to calm down, and the city is trying to go through and assess all the damages, luckily for me and my family, we have made it through with little loss.As we look around the city, I am in disbelief that our citizens have caused this much damage and anguish to each other. I don’t know if we will ever to fully recover both financially and emotionally. In all, more than 300 fires had been set, 34 lives were lost and more than 1,032 were injured the police had arrested 3,438 people and there are over $40 million in property damages. It is time we as a people come together to make a change, we can’t continues hurting each other. All we can do if attempt to move forward, learn from all this and make sure it never happens again

Development And Importance Of Youth Cultural Consumption

Introduction Consumption is a pivotal component in economies of regions, countries, cities, towns, and other localities. This is premised on the fact that consumption is a function of an area’s economic standing. The young people are affected by the identity mission, an issue which makes them big spenders. Identity is an aspect which is based on perceptions within different contexts (Kjeldgaard, 2002). The youth culture in the marketing world is held as a prototypical illustration of a global segment (Hassan and Katsanis, 2001).This has led to the labels like the Gen X, the teen segment, baby busters, etc. These sub sets of society stem from the uniform consumption styles adopted by the group. The sharing f such consumer behavior across the world is thought to be behind the development of the world youth sub culture growth. The spaces present in different localities where the youth conduct their lives are however hugely ignored (Kjeldgaard, 2002). Globalization creates an expl osion in the product and image market.The young consumers are generally responsive to world trends as compared to the other sub groups in the society. he different sub cultures and lifestyles across the globe continue to fragment though it seems like the youth segment of society continue to merge in reference to the pursuit of identity as reflected in their consumption habits. However, the notion of the young has changed over time shifting from its empirical sense to the cultural sense (Kjeldgaard, 2002). The identity construction in the youth is the largest consequence occasioned by youth consumer culture. However, in other localities it remains hugely latent in nature since it arises from primary meditation (Kjeldgaard, 2002).The youth consumer culture greatly impacts on the development of economies in a variety of ways. To begin with, the youth sub culture leads to an increased demand for various products, secondly, the sub culture occasions the growth of other services like adve rtising and marketing, thirdly, the sub culture expands the job market (Hassan and Katsanis, 2001). The youth as indicated above present a consumer oriented group. This is so because of their responsive nature to world trends. Unlike the old generation, the youth spends a lot of their income.The income due to the youth is however not always earned as a number of this generation may be dependent on the older generation for upkeep. However, the working class younger generation is known for their pursuit of fashion, an attribute which predisposes them to heavy expenditure (Hassan and Katsanis, 2001). This aspect implies that the youth forces the demand for luxury and fashion goods to higher levels. If a city is a big producer of the luxury or goods in the line of youth attraction, then such a city is likely to develop.The city or country will definitely have to expand on production with a view to meeting the rising demand or the products in question. however, if the country which offer s residence to the a youth which does not work though it spends, this may be a drain on the economy as a lot of money is spent on consumption instead of having such funds being channeled to investment. This will affect the future development of a city or a nation in the long run. In the same line, if the city or country does not produce the goods demanded by the younger generation, it means such a destination will have to rely on imports to meet the demand.Imports may be cheap; however, in the long run they will have an adverse effect on the country’s balance of payments (Hassan and Katsanis, 2001). This does not augur well for the development of any region whether a city or a country. The other effect of the consumer culture attributable to the youth segment of society as identified above rests on its ability to ignite the development and growth of other industries. Consumption is affected by a host of factors. Advertising and marketing present such factors.Every producer in tends to sell; selling depends on the level of awareness that pervades the ground concerning product emergence or availability. Advertisements are very creative and have developed to all time highs as marketers try to outwit each other. The result of the consumerism nature of the youth has thus led to the expansion and growth of marketing and advertising in different countries and cities (Hassan and Katsanis, 2001). The youth sub culture as realized remains consumption focused; as a result, the group is under no illusions as it must seek employment to support its activities.This inculcates a hard motif into the group in the pursuit of finances to fund their projects. In this pursuit, towns, cities, and countries benefit from a high number of competent individuals entering to the labor force. An increased number to the labor force has a variety of benefits to every society. Conclusion This paper finds out that the youth sub culture has a number of effects on the economies of towns, c ities and countries. The effects are two-fold as the culture leads to both beneficial and adverse effects, however, with good planning; the youth sub culture is a useful segment which helps in the development of an economy.

Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr Research Paper

Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr - Research Paper Example He especially appreciated Gandhi’s non-violent means of standing against civil misconduct. Martin Luther was inspired by Gandhi’s principles. The principles of championing for liberation based on love and not violence. Hence, he championed for resistance against racial segregation without the use of violence. He urged his followers not to use violence against the white perpetrators. Instead, he used his inspirational speeches to motivate them with his faith in God. Instilling hope in them that God was with them, and they should keep fighting (Moldovan 1). Martin Luther was a founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that he utilized to champion for civil rights. He used the Christian body to stand against the segregation and discrimination that the black people were subjected to. Through it, his national fame grew. Martin Luther King used the Christian body to organize peaceful and non-violent demonstrations in various states. Their peaceful nature can be attributed to Gandhi’s principles of non-violence. He used his great oratory skills to champion for Christian like virtues that disregarded discrimination (Moldovan 2). Douglass also had religious convictions that guided him. How do these religious convictions compare? The religious faith that Douglass had was described by a friend of his who did not believe in God. The friend said that it was his faith in God that prevented them from having a long-lasting friendship. Hence, it was outstanding. Douglass utilized the faith to spur the people. He utilized it to instill hope in the people. Hope that the oppression they all faced due to their race and slavery would come to an end. He believed that God would change the world, that God would change the predicament faced by black people and redeem them. Through his faith, Douglass viewed himself as a prophet. A prophet who was following God’s instructions (Stauffer). Hence, by utilizing the prophet in him, he was able

The Threat of Urban Cities of Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Threat of Urban Cities of Policing - Essay Example The cities become bigger around the Anthropocene, as the world population engages in the biggest ever urban migration. The geological timescale, however, illustrate that the cities are most probably temporary, just like any other human constructs. Majority of the cities will not withstand the disastrous humanity effect, which is combined with the natural upheavals (Michael 401). Historically, the urban environments were developed within fertile river valleys, and strategically at the river mouths. The rich agricultural sediments, nutrients and moisture available in coastal deltas greatly enhanced the food production. The favorable maritime environment and also effective river connections supported the trade and transportation activities. Thus, people found this environment very ideal to reside in. Further increase in the population led to the tapping and the diversion of the rivers for the purposes of irrigation, canal transportation and also industry applications. The rivers were also trapped for usage as reservoirs and dam, with the aim of energy generation and also water storage. But the diversion of the rivers leads to negative environmental consequences such as droughts. The sediments are not moving downstream in appropriate quantities because of river diversion and also tapping. The sediments are also inadequate to maintain the deltas that are require d for erosion control at the ocean shores (Albert 78). Rapid industrialization during the last century enhanced these processes. This is the reason why presently, several urban centers experience threats of the storm surges, and thus a lot of the economically significant areas on the planet are likely to be lost. Major world cities like New York and Bangkok have been adversely affected by the flood conditions. The other cities that are at risk from flood disasters are; Mumbai, Shanghai, Miami, New Orleans, Calcutta and Alexandria. Approximately three billion individuals

Marketing Financial Services Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Financial Services - Case Study Example Marketing is defined as â€Å"managing profitable customer relationships â€Å" (Kotler Armstrong 28). Marketing is a way of approaching business, not simply a function that deals with sales and promotional material. Most industry sectors adopted a marketing mindset in the middle of the last century, but for financial services, it was not until government regulations were relaxed that banks found they needed to use marketing to win new customers and retain existing ones. The market in financial services is dominated by several large organisations, some specialising in specific financial products, such as pensions and life assurance, while others provide a full range of products, being a â€Å"one-stop shop† for a customer’s financial needs. Financial services are broadly divided into retail and commercial activities. The retail area is further divided into personal and business, with products in each specifically for those customers. Many of the commercial activities are not marketed heavily as they are extremely specialised. They would fall within business-to-business marketing, as would marketing activities directed at business customers within the retail area. Banking is an unusual activity in that it requires customers to deposit the raw material required to do business – money. What the banks do is limited by how much they hold on behalf of customers (savings and credit balances), compared with the amount they make available to other customers (through lending) and the relative risk associated with the funds held. Legislation also requires that banks maintain a specific ratio of capital assets available at all times. Financial institutions have to manage risk associated with default – overdrafts or loans not being repaid. This is usually reflected in the price of the produce – the â€Å"margin† or interest rate charged. The higher the risk, the higher the rate charged. In some cases, banks will not permit overdrafts or provide

Lenins Characteristics of a Proper Revolutionary Movement Essay

Lenins Characteristics of a Proper Revolutionary Movement - Essay Example In order for the revolutionary movement to succeed, the small group of professionals would perform the function of thinking and centralize the secret aspects of the work such as making plans, making leaflets for distribution to the masses, and appointing leaders to manage different institutions or areas. The workers, on the other hand, were to follow the orders of the leaders and engage in mass actions such as demonstrations as the situation would demand. The allocation of authority was to be based on one’s position in the movement. Professionals who were learned had more authority. Members of congresses similarly had greater authority compared to the workers. Generally, authority was located based on one’s position in the movement, level or knowledge or from a democratic vote. Â  Lenin believed that the ultimate goal of the revolution was to develop socialism to the extent of fully realizing communism. Some of the goals of a revolutionary movement included to reach, move and win as many people as possible at all times. Lenin believed that a proper method for performing a revolution was one based on scientific knowledge (econfaculty.gmu.edu, n.d.). In this sense, he thought that in order for a revolution to succeed, the leaders needed to be professionals - people who were well educated or talented in one way or another. According to Lenin, the revolutionary organization had to be based on a revolutionary Marxist program and dedicated to the advancement in the struggle for socialism as noted by Le Blance (2013).

Green roofs vs Conventional roofs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Green roofs vs Conventional roofs - Essay Example On the other hand, conventional roofs are the more common type of roofs made of such materials as glass, wood, concrete, and bricks. This paper draws a comparison between the green roofs and the conventional roofs. Types The conventional roof has many types. Types of the conventional roof include but are not limited to the single ply roofs, built-up roofs, metal roofs, and asphalt shingle roofs. Single ply roofs are sheet-like membranes manufactured in the factory. Thermoplastic membranes and thermoset membranes are the two types of single ply membranes. Built-up roofs contain several layers of reinforced membranes and modified bitumen roofs. Built-up roofs are the most common as well as the oldest type of conventional roofs. They are also called as the gravel or tar roofs. There are three components in the built-up roofs, which include a layer of waterproofing, a reinforcement layer, topped with a surfacing layer. It is installed with the help of asphalt or coal tar. Structural meta l panel roofs are used for roofs with low slopes as they have the characteristic quality of water barrier. They can also be used for roof assemblies with steep roofs. The structural metal panel roofs are constructed in such a way that water cannot pass through the joints. These roofs are installed in a broad range of substrates. Asphalt shingle roofs are amongst the most commonly used roofs where the slope is steep. There are two types of asphalt shingle roofs; organic roofs and fiber glass roofs. â€Å"Organic consists of paper saturated with asphalt to make it waterproof with a top coat of adhesive with embedded ceramic granule† (gogreenconstructionnow.com, n.d.). Owing to their greater weight, organic shingle roofs offer better blow-off resistance as compared to the fiber glass roofs. Roof shingles may contain single or multiple layers, but all types contain an adhesive strip which is sun-activated and serves as a sealant for the rows. There are three main types of green r oofs; extensive green roofs, semi-intensive green roofs, and intensive green roofs. The extensive green roofs are used in ecological landscapes. The type of vegetation used in the extensive green roofs ranges from moss and herbs to grasses. The depth of substrate in the extensive green roofs is between 60 mm and 200 mm, and their weight is in the range of 60 kg/m2 to 150 kg/m2 (Livingroofs.org, 2012). The cost of extensive green roofs is the lowest of the three types of green roofs. The semi-intensive green roofs are used in ecological landscapes as well as gardens. The type of vegetation employed in them includes herbs, grass, and shrubs. Their depth of substrate ranges from 120 mm to 250 mm whereas their weight is generally between 120 kg/m2 and 200 kg/m2. The cost of semi-intensive green roofs is periodic. The intensive green roofs are used in parks and gardens. The type of vegetation used in the intensive green roofs ranges from perennials and shrubs to trees. Their depth of sub strate is generally 150 mm to 400 mm. The weight of the intensive green roofs is between 180 kg/mm2 and 500 kg/mm2. The cost of intensive green roofs is the highest of the three types of green roofs. Cost Payne et al. (n.d.) conducted a research to compare the expenses associated with the green roofs to the cost of conventional tar roofs to identify the places where the installation of a green roof is more feasible economically than the conventional roof.

Which Are The Effects Of Political Marketing In The Parliamentary Essay

Which Are The Effects Of Political Marketing In The Parliamentary Elections Of 2004 In Greece - Essay Example Opinion polls for the last year have given the right-of-center opposition New Democracy party (ND) a commanding lead, while Costas Simitis, the reformist prime minister and PASOK leader who steered Greece into the euro zone, has lost ground to Costas Karamanlis, his younger conservative rival. True, the ND party came out ahead of PASOK, winning mayoral races in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece's two biggest cities. Furthermore, the conservatives exploited farmers' dissatisfaction with declining European Union subsidies to win thirty out of fifty-two provincial governor's posts. But PASOK held on to the high-profile post of Attica governor--won comfortably by Fofi Gennimata, a rising star and one of only a handful of women in the party's upper echelons. Overall, barely two percentage points separated the two big parties. While ND is still the favorite to win the next general election--not due until spring 2004 but likely to be held earlier--PASOK has shown remarkable powers of resilience. A feel-good factor is certainly at work, with Greece's economy projected to expand this year by 3.8 percent, more than twice the EU average, and by 4.1 percent in 2003. Growth is being driven by high levels of public and private investment, backed by a five-year, $24.6-billion package of EU structural aid. A massive program of infrastructure improvements is aimed at giving the Greek capital world-class sports facilities and a modern transportation system in time for the 2004 Olympic Games. While unemployment is the second highest in the euro zone, this year it has declined to single digits (just less than 10 percent) for the first time since the mid-1990s. PASOK has expanded job creation programs targeting women and young people and has launched tax cuts for lower income workers. But they face criticism for postponing urgently needed pension system reforms and for failing to cut corporation taxes--among the highest in the euro zone at 35 percent--to boost inward investment. Foreign direct investment, averaging only around $1 billion yearly, is much lower than in the Central European countries that will join the EU in 2004. "When the EU funds start to decline after 2006, Greece will need a sharp increase in foreign investment to maintain reasonable rates of growth," says George Alogoskoufis, ND's spokesman on the economy. The Simitis government has earned praise from the US for arresting eighteen alleged members of the November 17 (N17) terrorist organization over the summer. Since its emergence in 1975, the left-wing group had claimed responsibility for more than twenty assassinations, including US diplomats and servicemen and, most recently, Stephen Saunders the UK defense attach in Athens, as well as dozens of bomb and rocket attacks. The arrests came after two years of close cooperation between Greek police and Scotland Yard over the Saunders killing. Trials are due to start early next year and are likely to last for months. The apparent dismantling of N17, together with plans to work closely with the US on security for the Athens Olympics, has brought a significant improvement in relations with Washington. In response to concerns that other members of the group were still at large, Simitis said: "We will deal thoroughly with the terrorism problem. There may be some pieces of N17 left, but we intend to expose them." This month EU leaders are due to approve the accession of Cyprus--even if it is still divided into separate Greek and Turkish Cypriot sectors--at their Copenhagen summit along with another nine enlargement candidates. Accession for the island will mark a milestone in Greek

Separate Systems for Aboriginal people in Canada Essay

Separate Systems for Aboriginal people in Canada - Essay Example We would therefore be discussing the pros and cons of the separate justice system. The aboriginal tribes of Canada have distinct identity with unique traditions and cultures that have been passed on to the successive generations through the centuries. Their cultural identities have survived the tests of the time but recently their evolution has seen their inclusion in the so called mainstream population of the whites which has not been to their advantage. The separate legal system would go a long way in restoring their self confidence and help them to enact laws that are responsive to their needs and may conform to their traditional values and cultural paradigms. A separate legal system would also facilitate a wider scope of decision making processes that are not dominated by the understanding and narrow interpretations of the white population. Legal systems are designed to support the needs and requirements of the community and a separate justice system for the aboriginal tribes would be fulfilling the wider aims and objectives of the state constitution and legal system. It is also seen that a separate system would the enabling factor that would help them to gain control over the justice system for their people. The aboriginal population is an integral part of Canada and the Canadian state is morally bound to develop strategies and programs that would facilitate their socio-economic development so that they can rise beyond their poverty and participate in the overall development of the nation. A separate legal system would hinder the basic objectives of the state and adversely affect the socio-economic development of the tribes to improve their standard of living as envisaged by the state. National constitution is a strong representative of the people of the state and the legal and justice system is designed to provide uniform code of conduct for its people. A separate system for the aboriginals would represent

Maya Angelou Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Maya Angelou - Essay Example This paper will discuss her style of writing and highlight how she manages to inspire people with her works. Getting a basic understanding of Angelou’s life is essential in order to understand her poetry. She has explored the world of literature widely and is a writer, poet, actress, dancer, and producer. Due to her insurmountable experience in literature of different genres, she excels in presenting unique poetry (Kuhlman 12). From her autobiography, it is evident that Angelou managed to exhibit resilience despite the challenges she faced as a black woman. Her poetry highlights some aspects of her life. Background information on her life indicates that she spent her early childhood with her grandmother after her parents divorced. In her teen age, she lived with her mother. Other challenges in her life included rape and teenage pregnancy. Her life experiences ands the strength she manages to gather from the circumstances in her life inspire her poetry. Maya Angelou has an incredible style of writing that makes her stand out among many poets. Her poetry exhibits a constant use of strong language. She brings out power in her arrangement of power and ideas making her poetry highly inspirational. Angelou explores several themes in poetry, and manages to utilize the power of language in communicating with her audience. It is evident that her good command and use of language makes her poetry much more interesting. For example, in her poem ‘still rise’, there is evidence of her expertise in language use. An analysis of Angelou’s style in this poem will serve as a benchmark in getting highlights about its uniqueness. In this poem, she makes use of the usual English words to bring out an intense theme. In addition, she augments her good command of language with numerous literary devices. Angelou uses both short and long lines in her stanzas. However, she creates a rhythmic version in her

History, The Bourgeoisie, The Proletariat, and Communism Essay Example for Free

History, The Bourgeoisie, The Proletariat, and Communism Essay Karl Marx begins the first chapter of his The Communist Manifesto with the opening line: â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggles† (ch. 1). Underlying all of history is this fundamental economic theme, that each society has its own economic structure which breeds different classes—â€Å"a manifold gradation of social rank,† he calls it (ch. 1). These classes inevitably becomes in conflict with each other—that because of their economic structure, some class becomes the oppressors while others become the oppressed. He argued that the oppressors and oppressed â€Å"stood in constant opposition to one another on an uninterrupted fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary re-constitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes† (ch. 1). He described his time as a struggle between two classes: the Bourgeoisie and the Ploretariat. Marx claims that the modern bourgeois society of his time has not helped to remove, although have simplified, clash antagonisms, but had, instead, â€Å"established new classes, new conditions of oppression, [and] new forms of struggle in place of the old ones† (ch. 1). He saw the bourgeoisie as a â€Å"product of a long course of development, of a series of revolutions in the modes of production and of exchange,† and that each step of its development â€Å"was accompanied by a corresponding political advance† (ch. 1). He claims that the â€Å"executive of the modern State is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie,† that it â€Å"cannot exist without constantly revolutionising the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society† (ch. 1). He said that it has torn the â€Å"feudal ties that bound men to his natural superiors, and has left no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest† (ch. 1). He goes on to explain that the bourgeoisie draws all nation into civilization with all the rapid improvements of production and by the immensely facilitated means of communication. However, he claims that they create â€Å"a world after its own image,† that is, for all nations to adopt the bourgeois mode of production. The bougeiosie, according to Marx, has â€Å"created enormous cities, has greatly increased the urban population as compared with the rural, and has thus rescued a considerable part of the population from the idiocy of rural life† but that it has also â€Å"concentrated property in a few hands† (ch. 1). He argued that â€Å"for many a decade past the history of industry and commerce is but the history of the revolt of modern productive forces against modern conditions of production, against the property relations that are the conditions for the existence of the bourgeoisie and of its rule† (ch. 1). At the end, he states that â€Å"its existence is no longer compatible with society† and is unfit to be the ruling class of society since â€Å"it is incompetent to assure an existence to its slave within his slavery† (ch. 1). The proletarians, on the other hand, are, during Marxs time, the modern working class—â€Å"a class of labourers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labour increases capital† (Marx ch. 1). Marx claims that the proletarians lost its individual character and charm because of the extensive use of machinery and of the division of labour. They have become an â€Å"appendage of the machines. † He said that lobourers are commodities which are â€Å"expensive to use† but are exploited by the bougeoisie. Marx explains that the proletariat began its struggle as soon as this class was created, at first as an induvidual struggle of the laborer, and later groups of workers. Workers before were still disorganized, divided by goegraphy and by competition with one another. Marx claims that when workers first formed unions, they did so under the influence of the bourgeois and served to further the objectives of the bourgeoisie. The distinction between workers was obliterated due to the wages being reduced to low level. As the proletariat increased in numbers and concentrated in greater mass by forming Trade Unions, they also increased in strenght and local struggles were centralized into one national struggle between classes. Marx further explains that â€Å"the proletariat alone is a really revolutionary class,† that other classes are conservatives or reactionary that fight against the bourgeoisie in order to â€Å"save from extinction their existence as fractions of the middle class† (ch. 1). Because proletarians have nothing of their own to secure, Marx claims that their mission is â€Å"to destroy all previous securities for, and insurances of, individual property† (ch. 1). The proletarian movement, Marx further explains, â€Å"is the self-concious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense majority† (ch. 1). Marx explains that the Communist Party points out and addresses the common interests of the entire proletariat, in their national struggles in different countries, independent of nationality, and represents the interests of the working class in the various stages of development it has to pass through from the struggle against the bourgeoisie. The Communist Party, therefore, still according to Marx, is the most advanced, resolute section â€Å"of the working-class of every country, that section which pushes forward all others† (ch. 2). It has the same aim as that of all the other proletarian parties, which is to overthrow the bourgeois supremacy and to seek its own political power. Marx goes on to explain that the abolition of existing property relations is not a distinctive feature of Communism, that the feature of Communism is not the abolition of property in general, but the abolition of the bourgeois property, which is, according to him, â€Å"the final and most complete expression of the system of producing and appropriating products† (Marx ch. 2). Simply put, Marx states that Communism is a struggle that aims for the â€Å"abolition of private property. † Communism would like to abolish the conception that the labourer merely lives to increase capital, and is allowed only to live insofar as the interest of the ruling class requires it; that labour is meant to widen, enrich and promote the existence of the labourer is what the Communism is fighting for. Communism is, in a way, a struggle of the lower strata of the society against the upper strata. However, it is not a personal struggle of the poor against the rich, it is a societal and political struggle for equality of appropriation of property. Marx explains that â€Å"Communism deprives no man of the power to appropriate the products of society; all that it does is to deprive him of the power to subjugate the labour of others by means of such appropriation† (ch. 2). With its teachings and goals, labour groups and lower working class would have found The Communist Manifesto appealing. The Capitalists, of course, would not have found it appealing, as the manifesto seeks to destroy their current stature and their self-interest would be compromized. On the other hand, Communism would seek to empower labour groups and they would find it all to their advantage to support its cause. The Industrial Revolution has created a majority lower class workers, many of whom lived in poverty under terrible working conditions. The Communist Manifesto calls on all labourers to unite, promising them a better life sprouting from a better world.

Video Games and Gender

Video Games and Gender The origin of video games is very different from their use today. The earliest innovation in video games is the invention of the idea itself. The idea of having an fast changing or moving objects on a display that a person could interact with. This idea resulted in the game OXO or Naught and Crosses made by Alexander S. Douglas in 1949 for his Ph.D. thesis on human and computer interaction in the University of Cambridge. The machine utilized a cathode ray tube as its display unit. (Winter, 1998) OXO however did not have moving images or video rather it was a set series of tubes that lit up in accordance to the rest of the machine and programming. (Winter, 1998) The idea of using a computer and a display device was again visited upon in 1958 by William Higinbotham using an oscilloscope and an analog computer, thus Tennis for Two was born. The game was simple, the 5 inch oscilloscope displayed a game of tennis which was controlled two players, each with their own controllers and the objective was to keep the relay going as long as possible. The aim of this invention was to liven up the Brookhaven Nuclear Research Laboratory exhibit and nothing more. The device was dismantled in 1959. (Nowak, 2008) Early video games were developed for the sake of innovation. The inventors who made them did not market them as consumer products; rather they were showcases on what the current technology at the time could do. It was in 1971 when Nolan Bushnell made the arcade game called Computer Space where the video game as an industry started. What made this arcade game different was it included a coin slot which meant it was a pay to play machine. It was, however released to a very limited audience because the machine was only available to universities and corporations which had the necessary hardware to run the arcade machine. It was not until 1972 that video games became widespread among the population with PONG. Research Questions and Objectives The aim of this research is to find out the affect of video games on the gender gap or to be more precise: how video games increase the gender gap. What are the factors that help increase this perceived division among the sexes? Do males and females truly have different interests in video games? Significance of the Study Video games are one of the most prolific forms of media today; therefore, just like any other form of media, it ought to be studied. This has a particular relevance to the youth who on average play video games the most. Gamers or those who consider themselves hardcore video game players will find that their favorite pastimes are more complex that they thought and will expand their perspective. Parents who buy games for their children will also find studies on video games to be helpful as it will help them gain a better idea on the said topic. Perhaps the one are most likely to take notice of this are the video game developers who have to power to incorporate the content of such studies in their development of future games. Scope and Limitations This research will be limited to the topic under study that is, video games and the perceived widening of the gender gap that they cause. For this study, young adults of any gender in the age range of 20 to 30 years old as it is believed that this is a stage where many are likely to play video games and be aware of what they think. As for the video games, there will minimal emphasis on the genres and name of the games. Although they have significance, the content and target audience of the video games will be the priority. Because this is a quantitative study of the topic, in-depth interviews and experiments are not going to be tackled. Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature As Bryce and Rutter note, the most frequently advanced argument concerning the gendered nature of computer gaming relates to the representation and consumption of game content. In this study, boys as well as girls in the school students group were confident and experienced users of the Sims, with its emphasis on the traditionally feminine sphere of domestic space, although they used that space differently, in ways reflective of Jenkins distinction between risk taking and care taking (Beavis, 2005). It suggested that while there were clearly practices that good gamers utilized to develop expertise, specifically gendered practices could not so easily be identified. Rather, players investment in specific games, and their attitudes to themselves as successful or disinterested games players, shaped the ways in which they approached the games and used them in broader contexts of identity construction and display. In seeking to understand more about the ways in which young peoples out of school learnings and experiences around computer games might be utilized in the curriculum using ICTs in ways hospitable to both boys and girls, it is important to attend not just to the practices on display, but to issues of identity, purpose and social context in order to promote interest, flexibility and expertise. The study of young male and female gamers across these two very specific sites underlines the socially situated nature of play, in relation to both classroom and games activity. where relationships, contexts and purposes flowing across both on and offline play shape the practices entailed in the students discussion and activities, and the ways they engage with each other and the games. Understandings drawn from the observation of successful girl gamers suggest expertise is not just a matter of specific skills, strategies and familiarity, but is more broadly located within the complex dynamics of in- and out-of-school discourses and contexts that need to be factored in to the construction of gender-equitable pedagogy and curriculum (Beavis, 2005) In relation to future English curriculum and technology, the study suggested ways forward in implementing the study and utilization of technology. It lends support to the need to focus not just on texts and technology per se, but also on the ways in which these are used and aligned with the major adolescent project of identity. This study suggests the need to attend more broadly to such matters in considering how we might plan curriculum across the school that most usefully supports all students to become critical and effective users of technology. In playing computer games, young people are making use of ICTs for their own purposes, in complex and pleasurable ways. Computer games are an important aspect of what Sefton-Green describes as a wider ecology of education where schools, home, playtime, the library and museum all play a part . As such, they are a valuable site for exploring the ways in which new and older forms of literacy and multimodality combine, changing understandings of what constitutes text and engagement and providing insights into the highly effective learning principles incorporated into games as an essential precondition of commercial success and play. However, as Facer and others point out, much games research, while identifying the power of games and play to generate motivation or hard fun fails to recognize the social contexts in which games, fun and learning take place. They focus on the characteristics of the activity itself, on design issues, rather than on the players experience, attitudes and interests. As social geographers Soja, Skelton and Valentine Holloway and Valentine suggest, context and location play an important role both in the construction of meaning and the formation of identity and community, for young people as for others. It is not helpful to over generalize about games and gender regardless of the widespread temptation to do so. Citing Haraway on the need for a politics of location, Ang argues for a particularistic perspective for research into gender and media consumption. She asserts the fundamental instability of the role of gender in media consumption practice and the impossibility of assuming pre-articulated gender identities. Gendered practices, she argues, are shaped at the site of interaction with media technologies, with both gender and media consumption both needing to be problematized. As Charles have argued elsewhere, Angs observations suggest that gendered identities do not simply pre-exist the act and location of game play. Rather, they are actively formed and constituted through particular instances of game play in particular contexts. These two sites then, provided very different but particular instances in which to explore the ways in which the boys, girls and young women in our study engaged with computer games, and the meanings both the games and their involvement with them had for them. With the school students, we were very aware of the heightened artificiality of the research site. Even for those students who played computer games at home, the presence of games in the classroom, hitched to curricular activities and purposes, was likely to change important aspects of their reading and play. We were conscious of the ways in which texts and purposes often change when appropriated for institutional purposes, and the powerful effects of location on both reading and identity, consistent with the socially situated nature of literacy practices. During interviews and observations of the students, we found both continuities and contradictions between the ways they played and presented themselves during the classroom lessons and what they told us of their game playing and leisure preferences and activities at their friends places and at home. In the case of the young women in the Counterstrike clan at the internet cafà © there was less dissonance between the research site and the interviews, and a closer approximation to a more natural ethnographic study was possible. An argument often made is computer culture (and by extension, computer software) could be positively transformed through the integration of girls and womens insights (AAUW, 2000,). Our research seeks to test this assumption. If the assumption is true, then the gender of a software designer in a setting where she can express her true perspectives and preferences would be expected to have a measurable impact on her design process and/or her design outcome. The proposition should be tested. If we document that gender of the designer does influence the software design outcome, this compelling result could help motivate the computer industry to integrate girls and women onto their teams. It would also advance our understanding of the impact of gender on design. The often proposed solution of involving more women and girls in game design assumes that game designers create games which are appealing to themselves. The expectation that girl-designed games will appeal more to girls than boy-designed games presumes that by growing up girl, or growing up boy, a designer embodies some kind of implicit understanding of what appeals not just to themselves, but to their gender and this will naturally be reflected in the designs they create (Heeter,2004). . Considerable research has been conducted on girls and games, including amount of game play by gender, genre and play style preferences, spatial orientation gender differences, and a variety of recommendations of what girl-friendly games should be like. These studies often conclude with a call to involve more women in game design. But the presumption that doing so will result in games which appeal to girls has not been tested. Issues of girls and their gaming preferences are explored through observations of computer games sessions at an all-girl state school. What emerged is that preferences are alterable, and site specific. Gaming selections relate to the attributes of particular games but they also depend on a players recognition of these attributes and the pleasures they entail. Players accumulate these competencies and they are an assemblage, made up of past experiences, and subject to situation and context (Carr,2005). So, what computer games do girls like? The answer is that it depends. Socialization may well play its part, yet our gaming preferences will also depend on where we are, what we know, who we know, what weve tried, and what weve grown tired of. Distinctions in taste between male and female players reflect patterns in games access and consumption that spring from (very) gendered cultural and social practices. As this suggests, accounts of gaming preference need to be situated within a framework that incorporates reference to players previous access to games and existing gaming knowledge. Gaming preferences need to be conceptualized within a paradigm that can accommodate mobility, increment, learning and alteration. Different people will accumulate particular gaming skills, knowledge and frames of reference, according to the patterns of access and peer culture they encounter and these accumulations will pool as predispositions, and manifest as preferences. Familiarity and competence feed into a players experiences of gaming, partly determining the pleasures that he or she will expect, recognize and access, and thereby impacting on preferences that might be expressed as a result. Preferences are an assemblage, made up of past access and positive experiences, and subject to situation and context. The constituents of preference (such as access) are shaped by gender and, as a result, gaming preferences manifest along gendered lines. It is not difficult to generate data that will indicate that gendered tastes exist, but it is short sighted to divorce such preferences from the various practices that form them. To attribute gaming tastes directly, solely or primarily to an individual subjects gender, is to risk underestimating the complexities of both subjectivity and preference. The constituents of preference, such as access, are certainly shaped by gender. As a result, gaming preferences may manifest along gendered lines. It is not difficult to generate data indicating that gendered tastes exist, but it is short sighted to divorce these outcomes from the various practices that contribute to their formation. So, what computer games do girls like? The answer is that it depends. Socialization may well play its part, yet our gaming preferences will also depend on where we are, what we know, who we know, what weve tried, and what weve grown tired of. Distinctions in taste between male and female players reflect patterns in games access and consumption that spring from (very) gendered cultural and social practices. As this suggests, accounts of gaming preference need to be situated within a framework that incorporates reference to players previous access to games and existing gaming knowledge. Gaming preferences need to be conceptualized within a paradigm that can accommodate mobility, increment, learning and alteration. Different people will accumulate particular gaming skills, knowledge and frames of reference, according to the patterns of access and peer culture they encounter and these accumulations will pool as predispositions, and manifest as preferences. Familiarity and competence feed into a players experiences of gaming, partly determining the pleasures that he or she will expect, recognize and access, and thereby impacting on preferences that might be expressed as a result. Preferences are an assemblage, made up of past access and positive experiences, and subject to situation and context. The constituents of preference (such as access) are shaped by gender and, as a result, gaming preferences manifest along gendered lines. It is not difficult to generate data that will indicate that gendered tastes exist, but it is short sighted to divorce such preferences from the various practices that form them. To attribute gaming tastes directly, solely or primarily to an individual subjects gender, is to risk underestimating the complexities of both subjectivity and preference. Given that computer gaming is routinely claimed to be more popular and more frequently engaged in by males, it is seems a reasonable extrapolation that the activities and practices which constitute computer gaming are also gendered. Indeed, these are the activities which define computer gaming as a social practice. It is the negotiated experiences of everyday gaming which give a reality to game texts and realise the socially situated nature of gaming activities. The gendering of gaming experiences is, in part, related to perceptions of gendered game content and notions of gender roles and appropriate leisure activities. It has been suggested that females are more affiliative and nurturing, preferring leisure activities which have a stronger social aspect. This, when linked to a general (but largely empirically unsupported) perception that gaming is not a social activity, but a solitary activity for male nerds or geeks, seems to quite neatly offer a model for understanding gendered gaming. However, such an argument is essentialist and circular in nature, ignoring the actual negotiation and resistance which occurs within gaming strategies. This raises two issues which relate to the gendering of computer gaming: firstly access and participation in gaming activity is restricted and exclusion is experienced at a local level. Secondly, that exclusion creates expectations of rejection which, together with the identification of gaming as a male activity, discourages women from attempting to enter into gaming practices or associating themselves with being a gamer. Indeed comparative studies of the frequency of gaming in males and females may also reflect a lack of self-identification as a gamer by females who may perceive themselves as casual or infrequent gamers who have a more casual commitment to the activity. While neither of the propositions outlined are inaccurate, the circular relationship argued to exist between them does not offer a position for gamers and researchers to examine the origins of, or a means to break out of the cycle. Indeed, as was previously argued, when we look at gaming developments there is little doubt that computer gaming is an increasingly social and public leisure activity and one that is cross-gender. This is highlighted by the development of gaming communities and networks. It is apparent that gaming practices are undergoing rapid social and technical changes and at the same time it is noticeable that gendered perceptions of gaming are changing. This is demonstrated by groups such as grrl gamers, female online gaming clans and web communities, all of which have been successfully discussed elsewhere. This is not a phenomenon unique to gaming and is consistent with the increased participation of females in other leisure activities which have been previously perceived to be male (e.g., football, rugby and extreme sports). In such activities female players and gamers are not only seeking parity with male counterparts, but are adopting and enacting oppositional stances to categoriZations of gender appropriateness, access to leisure activities and consumption. Although we do not wish to argue in a Fiskean sense that all gaming is an act of political challenge, it is possible to understand female gaming within a context of resistance to the constraints placed on female leisure in contemporary society. This is most clear in areas where visible female participation in masculine leisure activities challenges dominant gender stereotypes Crucially however, it is not necessary to look towards spectacular acts of opposition or web-based presentations of the self to see evidence of the gendering of gaming activities and the routine exclusion of female gamers. Schott Horrell successfully begin to unravel the routine and everyday manner in which gaming is negotiated in domestic settings. They demonstrate how even in homes in which the gaming machine belongs to a female member of the family it is fathers, brothers or cousins who take control of the technology as part of what they claim to be support or collaborative play Access to the technology and the gaming is controlled by the male player who assumes the role of expert by interpolating the female gamer into a subordinate role. The technology and its use creates an environment in which girl gamers are reproduced as not being skilled or technological competent enough to compete with the boys. Such behaviour reproduces the perception of computer gaming as a masculine activity and its relationship to its technological nature. Indeed it has been effectively argued that technology incorporates masculine culture and as such excludes females through the promotion of the idea of female technological inferiority and the gendering of technological artIfacts Given that such technologies are central to computer gaming practices and activities, their perception as masculine is a vital, but often ignored, aspect of the gendering of gaming. Like the experience of gendered spaces it is a form of gendered exclusion which is experienced, negotiated and reproduced at a routine and everyday level and further contributes to the lack of visibility of the female gamer. This critical evaluation of the gendering of computer gaming suggests that despite evidence of the gendering of activities and spaces associated with computer gaming, there is growing evidence that females do play computer games and this may be altering the perception of this activity as masculine. This may also provide a means of challenging the dominant view of female technological inferiority by changing gendered perceptions of technological abilities. This places emphasis on the ability to use technological skills and knowledge whilst emphasising competition in a variety of leisure spaces. The negotiation and reconstruction of gender identities through computer gaming is consistent with the notion of leisure spaces and activities as sites of resistance to dominant concepts of masculinity and femininity. Chapter 3 Conceptual Framework In the toy industry, manufacturers maintain that, once sexual difference kicks in after three years old, they are only responding to what the child market wants they are not creating a gendered demand, it is simply out there. All the many efforts that the toy industry has made to sell cross-gender toys and so find new markets have failed. Most do not even get to market. Cars as people who speak have held no appeal to girls, even if dolls in the sense of action figures have always appealed to boys. Electronic toys have little appeal to girls. Girls prefer pink and purple, boys prefer black orange, red and silver. We might wish otherwise, but these are the facts. Yet in recent years, the rise of feminine values has, still more than the rise in female employment, brought about a modest convergence between male and female roles in UK society. Aleks Krotoski is not alone in recognising that the same computer games can now appeal to both sexes even if Sheri Rainer Greys capture of the term gender inclusive for the computer games industry leaves a little to be desired (if gender inclusive, then why not our old friend, Unisex?). Nevertheless, the differences between games for women and games for men appear enduring ones. Computer games figure hardly, if at all, in the work of prominent feminists such as the late Andrea Dworkin, or Catherine MacKinnon. Yet in putting forward the view that pornography is the same thing as male violence, these authors have probably had a subtle influence on feminist thinking about computer games. No matter how great the take-up of games among girls and women, the continuing tastelessness of many masculine games is seen misanthropically as an enduring sign that mens horrid, aggressive lust for power, and indeed mens lust, will always be with us. People see human nature as the one exception to todays endlessly alleged world of accelerating change. Yet today human nature is more protean than it ever has been. Some sex differences will always endure, being biologically founded; but many will not, having social roots. Much that might endure turns out not to. Computer games dont transform teenagers into monsters. Yet they do involve, and will involve, a modest augmentation of our faculties. With his usual hyperbole, Sunday Times philosopher Brian Apple yard says that games are ontological prosthetics, artificial extensions into alternate conditions of being, independent of our rotting carcasses. 215 Still, games are indeed a small part of the extended human mind today. They do contribute to transformations in what it means to be human. Neither nurture in the sense of the parenting and schooling of children, nor nature as explained by the new disciplines of neurology and evolutionary psychology, can fully account for those transformations. In this sense, the answer to Q1 are the differences between men and women around the making and use of computer games to do with culture or biology? is simple enough. The differences that exist are not set in stone. References to culture and biology as direct and proximate causes of these differences fail to grasp this. They have more in common with description than explanation. Chapter 4 Method This is a qualitative/quantitative study. The descriptive research method was used for this thesis. The descriptive research design studies what is. It is a plan, structure and strategy so conceived in order to get answers to research questions or problems. It is a write-up of existing events, situation or phenomenon. It also involves description of classification and enumeration of collated data (Rebustes and Salvador, 2006). The descriptive research design also seeks to determine relationships between variables, explores causes of phenomena, tests hypotheses, and develops generalizations, principles or theories on the basis of its findings. While its primary concern are conditions and things which exist at the time of the study, it also considers past events and influences which are deemed related to what is studied in the present (Ardales, 2008). For this research, a survey will distributed via questionnaires to a population of about fifty persons. Alongside this survey, an online survey will also be done; a population of at least twenty is expected. The Instrument and the Data Gathering Procedure The researcher used primary sources in gathering the data. This was undertaken by preparing a survey questionnaire. To assist the researcher in validating the sources, information were sourced from newspapers, journals, digests, books, and the Internet. The researcher used a self-made but literature-based survey questionnaire to gather primary data. The questionnaire includes items that apply a 5-point Likert scale to gather the numerical equivalent of the responses. . Statistical Treatment of Data The data were counted, tabulated and analyzed. The statistical treatment of data were frequency, percentage and mean. Frequency Percentage % = n / N x 100 where: % = percentage n = number of classification n = total number of respondent Mean à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ f x s TM = N where: à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ = Summation f = frequency in each scale s = scale of response N = total number of respondent Video Games and Gender Video Games and Gender Playing online game help reinforce gendered identities A case studies in women playing Audition Online game in Vietnam Introduction The apparent of â€Å"gendered space† in video gaming give the attention to both researcher and game makers, creating considerable and conflicting perspectives on its cause and strategies to address it. Before that, the gamer developers just concentrate to create the games for men and forgot that we have a big market segment is women. In many games, we can see most of characters are men and woman have unimportant role in these games. Despite game online began in Vietnam in 2000s, with growing numbers of games for both men and women, gaming continues to be a very â€Å"gendered practice†. Women play more online â€Å"casual† games such as The Sims. The same product like The Sims launched in 2006 created a big â€Å"echo† and has remained a position until now. The development of woman game is an indispensable rule when male market was not a fertile land. In this essay, the researcher will chose Audition Online to be a genre, and this research aim is analyzin g internet users to finding how they (game players) reinforce their identities in the online world. The game is Audition Online 2 Rhythm of life (Vietnamese: Nhà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¹p Ä ià ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¡u Cuà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â€ž ¢c Sà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬Ëœng), is a downloadable  multiplayer online casualrhythm game (MMORGs), This game is the first online music in Vietnam with a play based on the control characters represent hip hop dance music on the popular music of Vietnam and the world is remade style dance music. Gender and gendered space It is the fact that the terminology within gender theory literature varies, it is important to define the terms used. It is first vital to establish the difference between gender and sex. According to Renzetti Curran (2003), â€Å"a biological given, sex (i.e., maleness or femaleness) is used as the basis for constructing a social category that we call gender (i.e., man or woman).†; Gender socially generated attributes and behaviors, usually organized in a binary, dichotomously as masculinity and femininity (follow, Behrmann, 2011). Genderrefers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. To put it another way: Male and female are sex categories, while masculine and feminine are gender categories (WHO, 2014). In the Anthropology of Apace and Place, Low and Lawrence-Zuniga (2003) offer us the following definition of gendered spaces – â€Å"particular locales that cultures invest with gendered meanings, sites in which sex-differentiated practices occur, or settings that are used strategically to inform identity and produce and reproduce asymmetrical gender relation of power and authority† (flow Adelman Moraes, 2008, p. 107). Gendered space separate women from knowledge used by men to produce and reproduce and privilege. (Spain, 1992, p. 3) Method This essay use documentary analysis method. The data is secondary data come from many resources, such as: books, book chapters, essays, interviews, discussions, newspaper headlines and articles, historical documents, speeches, conversations, advertising, theater, informal conversation, or really any occurrence of communicative language (Bowen, 2009). Robson (2002) pointed out the advantage is that documents are unobtrusive and can be used without imposing on participants; they can be checked and re-checked for reliability. Audition is distinctive in its open-endless, offering players a majority variety of potential gaming character styles, Audition offered a particularly useful for exploring how gender how gender might have influenced the women’s orientations and practices within the games (information about the game, see http://au.vtc.vn) The Figured World of Audition – Small society of Audition Audition online allow players create and develop character by selecting attributes at beginning and throughout the game marking choices the dance style and fashion. The game officially begins with four locations: Discotheque (Broadcasting Station) where you compete with other players via the vibrant dance. Shop Shopping (Shopping Mall) where you buy music or, or choose costumes and other accessories idiosyncratic. Cafe (Cafe) where you meet and get acquainted with the other partner through the chat system. Home (My Home) where you practice, hone the spectacular dance moves, personalized avatars and the stage itself. In certain respects, it is similar to Audition popular simulation game The Sims. The girl will certainly enjoyed his return home (My Home) after each show to open separate room or decorate the house according to your individual interests, and personalization stage and avatar. If you do not want to dance anymore, you can visit cafes to communicate, make friends with other members. When you have found the dancer having the same level, you will have more confidence to back new Discotheque where you can performances in double dance or dance group. Store (Shopping Mall) is not only a place for the girl love to shop but also a place for the boy proved dating level with the partner. There are two fields to choose from Music and Fashion. Music is the place where you can listen to and buy music for their own collections, while fashion is where the purchase of costumes for the characters. In addition to the usual items bought by Den (online money), you can buy some goods especially in Cash. Yo u can rent (1 week, 1 month) or permanent purchase items with Cash. In addition, you can also gift (with the purchase of this item) to another player mode Gift box. Players can choose the gender of the character, the physical elements like height, size breakdown, hair color, face, eye color. Players also choose outfits and design their own home. Players can shape their own kind of dance they participate by choosing halls and rooms of different competitions. Join in the dance room, depending on the type of dance class and you will receive experience points and Den (game currency), respectively.Experience point helps you level up to gain access to the level is higher, the higher challenges as well as adding new songs.Den help players improve accessories for character, create a difficult style of character. Building new identity as newbie player Some researchers have focused on the opportunities that video gaming provides for experimenting with new identities, identities that might challenge dominant conceptions of gender roles. The way that each woman oriented toward Audition as a gamer were clearly influenced by the ways that she had come to understand herself clearly and her identity in the past. In this section, I will discuss several aspects of their game experience: their initial creation of physical appearance, how the game seemed to encourage exploration of new identities within the games. Graner (2004, follow Hayes, 2007) suggested three main factors about gender differences in gaming of women include: (1) woman want to achieve something socially significant and beneficial, (2) women want errors delete and to continue in the game, (3) women prefer observe model game play. Firstly, newbies showed quite different orientations to learning how to play the game, providing good examples of the diverse ways that new gamers might orient to game play (Hayes, 2007). While Audition is open-ended, it does have a series of quests that move the player central storyline, that of developing player identity as icon fashion and dancer. For some players, the success in the game will open a chance to famous in the real world. Many player joined Miss Audition competition, and become a â€Å"hot-girl†, famous singers, dancers, and actors. Some player learned the fashion trend and knowledge by seeing the new style in the online store, and adapting to building their real style in the real world. The women were more motivated by the significance of their own personal goals rather than by any particular goals offered by the game itself (Hayes, 2007). For example, Bao Thy is one of the most teenager singer develop her career from Audition. In 2006, Thy participated Miss Audition, the girl have nickname â€Å"Lona† to performed 2 song and dance copy from game, and won the crown. Secondly, Audition is a relatively forgiving game; the players can save at any point and never death. For example, After many hours of game play with hip-hop style dance, the players can choose other dance room, and chose other avatar, other appearance when players did not like current status. Players may see this as a test, and can completely change his style, which creates a new identity for their characters. This test is the same as a process of learning and perfecting their style of play and his style. Players can spend so many times to experiment with different styles to choose a style that you really want. Thirdly, it is very difficult to predict the preferences of new gamers. How a new gamer will approach learning to play a game will be reflective of her goals and self-confidence (Hayes, 2007). Of course, showed a variety of learning model, and not all games are as flexible. In addition, each player struggled with learning to navigate the game space, and their personal goals combined with the pressure of a course requirement contributed to their persistence. Playing like a girl? The meanings of gendered practices Women have different interpretations of and responses to overtly gendered practices within video games, just as they do in the â€Å"real world.† Take as one example the assertion that women prefer games that allow them to develop cooperative social relationships, rather than games that feature violence as the main form of social ‘interaction’ (Goodale, 2004). Audition offers somewhat unlimited opportunities for cooperative social relationships, concentrating in talking and sharing. In Audition Online game, the players were able to take very different approaches to developing their characters’ abilities, which also meant that they acquired quite different sorts of knowledge, skills and even real money related to the game. Players contact together and build social relationship within the game, which developed their character’s personality skills. Players share the experience and skills to be able to earn points through which virtual money to buy clothes, houses. From here, creating a rivalry between the players, people have to spend money to buy things other people to assert their position in the game. However, there are still players only buy fashionable clothes based on the score they actually earn. Audition allows players to increase the persuasiveness of their character by outfitting them with attractive clothing. Player changed their clothes often, in response to different situations in the game. In addition, Audition has done a good job of connecting players through the model of little family. In particular, the function of Marriage and Childbirth in game helped improve friendship, love blossomed from the virtual world into the real world steps. Enjoying â€Å"feminine† combat Combat is typically used as an example of masculine practice commonly found in video games that women do not find appealing. In Audition, the â€Å"no blood† combat is equally fierce, women often expressed an initial desire to avoid fighting, woman players combat differently, in relation to their own past experience and goals. When it became apparent that fighting was unavoidable, at least for self-defense, they both improvised identities and practices that allowed them to engage in combat in ways that they found comfortable and rewarding (Hayes, 2007). Some player want to become famous fashion icon in games lead them to join in the race of buying fashion. They enjoyed competition, particularly to obtain leader role in dance room. References Adelman, M. and Moraes, F. A (2008). Breaking their way in: Women jockeys at the racetrack in Brazil. Advancing Gender Research from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-First Centuries. Advances in Gender Research, Volume 12, p. 99-123. Behrmann, Erika M., Investigating Trait Attribution through Gendered Avatar Play: An Analysis of The Sims 3 (2011). Master s Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. Paper 372. Debitage (2014). Gender and Sexuality. Debitage.net. Available from: http://debitage.net/humangeography/gender.html. [Accessed: 15th Nov 2014]. Goodale, G. (2004). Games women play. Christian Science Monitor. 2004, June 11, 2004. Available from: http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0611/p13s01-stin.h. [Accessed: 15th Nov 2014]. Hayes, E (2007). Gendered Identities at play: Case studies of two women playing Morrowind. Games and Culture Volume 2 Number 1, p. 1-26, 2007. Spain, D. (1992). Gendered Space. The University of North Carolina Press. 1992. WHO (2014). What do we mean by sex and gender? WHO 2014. Available from: http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/. [Accessed: 15th Nov 2014].

Importance of language in science education

Importance of language in science education Mauritius has lately seen a decline in the number of students opting for science. According to the Mauritius Research Council (2004) increasingly science is becoming less popular in schools. Furthermore, less than 30% of the pupils doing school certificate will opt for science. There are many reasons for this. The science subjects are often considered to be difficult and there is a perceived lack of job opportunities. The low ratio of scientist to population in Mauritius does not augur well for the future. There is a need to produce a critical mass of broad based and specialized scientists during the coming decades to facilitate the emergence of the knowledge economy to serve the region (Education strategic plan, 114). This chapter attempts to shed some light on the occurrence of the decline of popularity of science subjects and the situation in Mauritius.This introductory chapter also discusses the reasons behind my choice for the research focus, aims and sub questions. 1.1. Education in Mauritius Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills and something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, good judgment and wisdom. (Rughooputh, 2005, p.2). Moving from a mono-crop based economy to a more diverse and complex economic structure which is spreading its reach towards the service sector, Mauritius is now one of the leading nations in terms of economic growth in the African and Indian Ocean region. If Mauritius aims at becoming a globally competitive nation, it is critical that the country shores up its capacity in Tertiary Education, in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) and in human resources generally (Budget Speech, 2008-2009, p.11.). Education is vital to a nation addressing human development, satisfying employment and in setting the pace for social mobility. It is also of crucial importance in providing a highly skilled labor force as per the economic requirements of the challenges of time. (Rughooputh,2000 ,pp 1-17 ) The ultimate objective of any educational enterprise is to improve student achievement so that individuals may fulfil their personal aspirations and become contributing members of society. Improving student achievement and attaining excellence is hard. According to Classen (1999) it is by equipping children with knowledge, skills and attitudes that we can ensure that they become full fledged citizens and self directed life long learners who can co-exist in a world characterized by diversity and pluralism. 1.2 Importance and role of Science education Recent studies on the status of science and technology in Mauritius, focusing on the education sector, show that science as a subject is becoming increasingly less attractive to pupils, as is the case in many countries across the world. (Suddhoo, 2003). Our current lacking in science could have implications on the quality of our human resource, particularly within the context of the vision of transforming the country into a Cyber island. There needs to be a complete review of the teaching and learning of science in schools. The current state of affairs is already leading to pupils and students shying away from science for many reasons varying from science to be perceived as a difficult subject to the lack of career opportunities for those opting for scientific subjects. (Education strategic plan., 2008-2020, p. 62). 1.3. Importance of language in science education Reasoning and argument, so essential to communication in science, proceed in words. The more contentious the argument, the simpler and more charged the words (Hoffmann, 1988). The choice of the language of instruction used in school is of utmost importance. This is an issue that needs attention in Mauritius especially in view of its specificity and also the socio-economically disadvantaged areas where both family and community exposure to the English language (the official language of instruction and assessment in schools) is limited. (Education Strategic plan., 2008-2020, p. 38). The use of English in examinations is not going to change in the near future though in the new education strategic plan proposed by the current education minister there was mention for a need of broad based national consultation concerning the change of the official language of instruction and assessment. (Education Strategic plan., 2008-2020, p 38). The use of the language of instruction used in schools is of utmost importance to ensure that all the students learn effectively. Mauritian children have a great resource- bilinguism and sometimes even trilinguism. However, this causes some problems in schools. For example, there is quite a lot of Creole interference in classes especially for low ability students 1.4 Professional context and research focus Our island has a highly diverse population. The official language is English whereas the vernacular language is Creole. According to the latest census (2000) Creole is spoken and used in daily interactions by 80.5% of the population, and English is spoken and used in daily interactions by less than 1% of the population. Students entering the secondary schools therefore, come from a Creole-speaking environment and English is the language of instruction in schools is English. My concern is that the quality of results is poor. As an educator, I have the interests of my pupils at heart. From discussions with my own students and colleagues, one prominent issue stuck out. Students have difficulties with the medium of language (that is English).According to the latest census (2000), English although it is the official language of the state (and thus, the official language of instruction in schools) is spoken and used in daily interactions by less than 1% of the population. There is a major problem in the writing, reading and understanding the language of biology and consequently the pupils do not manage to reach the adequate level of scientific literacy. This is mainly because at the heart of science is a language concept: asking and answering questions. It is argued that language plays an active role in the development of scientific ideas (Ford and Peat., 1988, p.12). There is a need therefore to investigate, to see how much language is a barrier to successful studies in science. There is moreover, a need to explore how low language efficiency affects the understanding and performance of students. I intend to explore different teaching strategies and I believe that it will help me advance in professional knowledge. Our current lacking in science could have implications on the quality of our human resource, particularly within the context of the vision of transforming the country into a Cyber island. There needs to be a complete review of the teaching and learning of science in schools. The current state of affairs is already leading to pupils and students shying away from science for many reasons varying from science to be perceived as a difficult subject to the lack of career opportunities for those opting for scientific subjects. (Education strategic plan., 2008-2020, p. 62). The current disaffection for scientific disciplines, coupled with the need to open the minds of children to observation, deductive reasoning, teamwork, free thinking and universal truths leaves us no choice but to rethink the way we teach science to children, if we want them to enjoy learning and to think both imaginatively and rationally. In the Mauritian Education system, it is a fact that we are bilingual, and that most of the classes and exams( the exception being French obviously) at the primary, secondary and tertiary level are conducted in English. There is a major interference of Creole in the language used and written by pupils. Stress on proper English can inhibit many children from expressing themselves in the kind of language they use at home, while learning for all too many students means guessing what answers the teacher expects. It is a simple truth that teachers communicate both information and values to their students, and do so almost exclusively through language. It is based on research using transcripts of actual lessons to show how questions demanding factual (rather than reasoned) answers are used-if not overused-in arts subjects, and how science teachers can learn to avoid vocabulary, which is too abstract or technical. (Barnes et al, 1989, pp.5-6) It therefore seems that language that we are using in class to teach is of great importance. From my three years teaching experience one major problem I have encountered in my biology classes is the pupils have inadequate language proficiency( English in our context) to be able to write their answers correctly and sometimes even in understanding the questions set. I need to improve their language efficiency and consequently their biology proficiency. Language learning is not a simple linear process, but involves the ongoing development of skills for a range of purposes. This development is largely the result of the social contexts and interactions in which learning occurs. By focusing on the ways in which teachers can scaffold language and learning in the content areas, one can take a holistic approach-one that appreciates the struggle of students learning a new language, while simultaneously developing subject knowledge in it, and the challenge for teachers to address these needs( Gibbons, 2002, p.3). As an educator, I sincerely wish to be able to create capable, confident biology students who are effective communicators through oral and written language. They should be able to make informed decisions for themselves especially in a scientific way and to contribute wisely to the society and nation at large. According to Yore et al., (1995) the acquisition of both language literacy and science literacy is dependent on the students ability to think critically in similar ways. They also assert that the reading process corresponds to the process of scientific inquiry. Both require skills in setting purposes, questioning, predicting, analyzing evidence and drawing conclusions, and communicating results. Many children find science to be an interesting subject. We have to develop ways to make students enjoy science content, and develop their thinking and literacy skills during different activities. Research has shown that, reading and writing about science help develop and reinforce desired science concepts (Yore, 2003; Palincsar Magnussen, 2001; Thier, 2002). Upon examination, it is clear that scientific literacy and language literacy have much in common (Alvermann, 2004; Baker, 2004; Casteel Isom, 1994). They work together in strengthening skills and strategies in both curricular areas. As Marlene Thier (2002) explains, Good science-and effective teaching and learning in science-is dependent upon strong language skills. Indeed, science and language are inextricably linked in the pursuit, determination and communication of meaning in the context of the physical world( Ogle and Mckee., 2005, p1) That is why the research focus I am planning to carry out is an action research 1.4.1Sub-questions: What is the current language literacy of my form 3 students? What aspects of language should I deal with as a science educator? Why there is a need to take remedial action change concerning language in biology teaching and learning? How can I improve students performance at my school in biology? Aims: I want to know how my form 3 students perceive biology and what they believe to be the major obstacles in order to succeed with good grades. At the end of the dissertation, I want to show that one problem that I face in biology teaching can be diminished through different teaching and learning styles. Furthermore, an important outcome of biology teaching is to improve their writing. Therefore, through various activities I want to develop that. The purpose of my study is: To improve my teaching capacities. To increase performance of biology students at my school through different activities. To develop an appreciation of biology in my students. To diminish the incidence of language being a major barrier to the successful and efficient learning of the subject.

The 1992 Los Angeles Riots Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The 1992 Los Angeles Riots April 26th, 1992, there was a riot on the streets, tell me where were you? You were sittin' home watchin' your TV, while I was paticipatin' in some anarchy. First spot we hit it was my liquor store. I finally got all that alcohol I can't afford. With red lights flashin' time to retire, and then we turned that liquor store into a structure fire. Next stop we hit it was the music shop, it only took one brick to make that window drop. Finally we got our own p.a. where do you think I got this guitar that you're hearing today? This is a verse of lyrics from a popular song, written by Sublime, shortly after the Rodney King verdicts, and ensuing riots in Los Angeles. These words would portray the streets of Los Angeles around midnight on the night of April 29, 1992. The people of Los Angeles become enraged over a jury verdict just hours before. Rodney King, a middle-aged African-American had been severely beaten by four Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers in March, and the four officers had just been found not guilty, igniting the blacks in Los Angeles into a revenged riot against the city and its system. On the night of March 2, 1991, Rodney King and two of his friends decided to go "cruising around looking for some girls." After a few drinks, the three men began cruising around the streets of Los Angeles. At about midnight, King was driving at speeds of up to 115 miles an hour on the freeway. Two California Highway Patrol officers clocked King's car, and began to pursue him. This, however, was not going to stop King. After a 7.8-mile pursuit on freeways and city streets, King was forced to pull over because another vehicle was blocking the street. Rodney King, a tall and muscular man ... ...ewer whiter were killed or injured (17)" An analysis of the first 5,000 arrests from all over the city revealed that 52 percent were poor Latinos, 10 percent whites and only 38 percent blacks. They also know that the nation's first multiracial riot was as much about empty bellies and broken hearts as it was about police batons and Rodney King (Urban). Today, the city of Los Angeles remains a magnet to immigrants, and Latinos now make up more than 40% of its population. The LAPD is now bigger, with nearly 10,000 officers, and claims to be more sensitive than it was before the riots. The riots opened up the eyes of people of all races and careers in Los Angeles, and especially opened the eyes on Capitol Hill. Changes have been made, and LA is a better place because of it. "May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house." --George Carlin

Essay --

1.0 Introduction The brain is composed of billions of tiny neurons all combined to create a hierarchy of complex networks. Much is unknown about intelligence and our understanding and perception of intelligence is shaping the way in which we in the 21st century are creating computer based intelligent neural networks. An intelligent system is able to retract information from its environment and comprehend without prior knowledge of the information the process, reason about the relationships between variables contained in the information and learn about the process and its operating conditions without human input. A computational approach to network dynamics focuses on the networks ability to think logically, process data and react to changes in the data which can lead to future evolution of the network. Traditional rule based computational techniques failed to meet the requirements of search, optimisation and machine learning in large biological and industrial systems and therefore had to evolve which shaped the route in which computational intelligence had taken in the 21st century. A network is said to be computationally intelligent if it can deal with low level data analysis such as small numerical data has pattern recognition components. The main emphasis on neural networks and computationally based network systems was to come up with a learning algorithm that could be used to increase the intelligence of any given system. Fuzzy Logic was first proposed by Professor Lotfi Zadeh in1969 in the University of California Berkley. He created Fuzzy Logic to define between data by using partial set membership rather than crisp set membership or non-membership. Professor Zadeh explained that people do not need precise numerical inform... ...dimension of the prototype memories where the network stores all memories within a stable state. 3.0 Fuzzy Logic Systems: Fuzzy Neural Network 3.1 What Is Fuzzy Logic? Fuzzy Logic is a problem solving methodology that lends itself to implementation in a range of systems and can be implemented into networks. It allows an accurate outcome based on vague, ambiguous, imprecise input information. Fuzzy Logic is mainly used for control situations although it can be used over a variety of scenarios in situation based computing making it ideal for use within Neural Networks and they require a wide range of input variations. Fuzzy Logic processes user defined rules and therefore it can be readily modified to improve network performance, it can be used to model and control nonlinear data that would beforehand be impossible model mathematically. 3.2 Crisp Sets and Fuzzy Sets

Elizabeth I :: essays research papers fc

Elizabeth I King Henry VIII changed history in order to marry Anne Boleyn, hoping she could give him a son to be his heir. He already had a daughter, Mary, by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, a princess of Spain, whom he divorced. The Pope would not allow the divorce, so Henry declared himself the Head of the Church of England, and disallowed any power the Pope might hold on English religion. On September 7, 1533 in Greenwich Palace, Anne had a daughter, who was named Elizabeth. A few years later, Henry accused Anne of incest, which historians agree was probably untrue - but Anne was beheaded in May 1536, and Elizabeth, not even three years old, was sent to live with relatives so she wouldn't remind Henry of Anne. Henry had remarried Jane Seymour, who gave birth to Henry's son, Edward, later to be Edward VI, but died soon afterwards. Catherine Parr, Henry's sixth and final wife, brought Elizabeth and Mary back to court. As the Dowager Queen, she moved away from court and left the ruling of the country to Edward VI, who was still a young boy. Edward Seymour (young Edward's uncle) became Lord Protector of England. Elizabeth went with Catherine, but left after an incident with Catherine's new husband, Thomas Seymour, and rumors of the time suggested that Catherine caught them kissing, or perhaps even in bed together. Catherine died soon after Elizabeth's departure. Young King Edward was always sickly, and came down with consumption, or tuberculosis. It seemed that he would die too young to have a child to be his heir, and it became a dangerous time for Princess Elizabeth. She was Henry's daughter, she was in Henry's will as an heir, she was in line for the throne and so was a target of many marriage proposals. Thomas Seymour asked Elizabeth to marry him, but she refused. However, both were suspected of plotting against Edward. Elizabeth was not questioned, but Seymour was arrested and eventually executed for treason after an attempt to kidnap the young king. Elizabeth, upon hearing of the Lord Admiral's death, was marked as saying "Today died a man of much wit, and very little judgment." Edward's declining health began a movement of Protestants who did not want Mary, a Catholic, to gain the throne. Lady Jane Grey, a descendant of Henry's sister Mary, was also considered a possible heir. When Edward died in 1553, Jane was proclaimed Queen by her father and father-in-law, but more people supported Mary.

Human Resource Info Systems Essay

Training is a very important part of the human resources department. Training is a big part of human resources for a couple important reasons. Some of the reasons that training is important are: training helps develop optimism in the trainee, more job skills and knowledge are obtain from training, training helps the trainee to feel more comfortable with the employees they will be working with, and training also helps the trainee learn how to be better organized with the activities the job requires from them. If training wasn’t provided for them new employees coming into the work field would be confused when they started working and this could cause them to have low self-esteem and want to give up on their job because of the lack of communication and ability to provide great quality of work. The HRIS I have chosen is training. The training system will provide the new employees with an online training program which will help them train themselves. This training system will consist of a video explaining their job tasks, and certain test that will test their previous knowledge and help the HR manger give every new employee individual training activities after they have been tested. The training program will consist of real life scenarios that will help them figure out how to deal with situations that have occurred before to other employees. I was searching for a couple of vendors and found two of them that caught my attention. One would be Datamaticsinc. http://www. datamaticsinc. com/ Datamatics Management Services, Inc. delivers automated time and attendance software systems and workforce management services that will help Castle Family Restaurant control payroll costs and maximize productivity. These systems improve employee tracking, scheduling, absence management, job costing and labor analytics. And another I had found was trainer active http://www. fenman. co. uk/traineractive/about/index. hp where their massive Training Activity Portal allows them to build their own unique collection of ready-made trainer-laced trinities or tailor their own training programmer, supposedly saving up to 80% of the course preparation time. Now looking at both of these I decided to choose the first one which is Datamaticsinc because they provide a way better software in my opinion. Since I’m planning to have on person in charge of one of each restaurant I will need to train that person. Training has a big impact on a company. I believe that Castle Family Restaurant will benefit from having this training online system. Jay Morgan is having trouble running all restaurant locations. Jay Morgan is trying to reduce as much traveling to each restaurant location as possible and having this online training system will his employees to get train well for each restaurant location. This program will give employees the skills to better run the restaurant and have more knowledge of the tasks needed from them and will also help Jay Morgan conserve time and decrease each Castle Family Restaurant location.