Spinster and Women Role Essay Example for Free

Spinster and Women Role Essay PART A: Introduction According to the latest statistics reported by the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong, the population of single women has been on the rise over the past two decades. The population of women aged 30-39 who have never married has risen from 51,000 people in 1986, to 180,600 in 2009. In recent years, people in Mainland China and Hong Kong started to use the term â€Å" † to describe any woman who remains unmarried beyond the conventional age for marriage. In western culture, words like â€Å"Spinster† and â€Å"Old maid† indicate an older, childless woman who is unwilling and unable to marry. Undoubtedly, traditional Chinese culture has cultivated generations of women who believed that their ultimate and most important role in society was to get married and have children. If a woman cannot achieve those goals, she would be considered eccentric or unfulfilled. The objective of my term project is to change general perceptions of unmarried women. I do believe that there is a wider range of acceptable and alternative lifestyle choices for women, such as living together with a lover without being married, and marrying at an older age. Hence, I produced a short film, and entitled it â€Å"A Love Warrior†. The Choice of Character The character in my short film is Ada, a typical businesswoman who is confident, strong, outspoken and attractive. She represents a large group of modern women in our society. After graduating from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Ada was awarded with two additional master degrees with recognized qualifications in Hong Kong. Although she is in her early-thirties, she works as a senior marketing manager in a German-based sports apparel manufacturer. With a highly educated background, it is obvious that Ada sees herself as a career-focused woman. But like other women, she also enjoys love life. In her most recent long-term relationship, she found out that her boyfriend cheated on her with a younger girl, therefore she made up her mind and ended this eight-year old relationship. After this painful experience, she became very optimistic and joked that she should be calling herself a â€Å" † and sees the world differently, there are many other good men available. Nevertheless, she is still seeking her Mr. Right and asserted her belief of true love and settled down. The Spinster Stereotype According with the Circuit of Culture (du Gay et al. 1997), culture is described as the production and circulation of meaning. On the whole, there are five stations: Representation, Identity, Production, Consumption and Regulation which are connected to each other providing a synergistic impact. Even fluctuation in one station would affect all other elements. Meaning comes from representations from language, photography, painting and ot her media, which uses â€Å"signs and symbols to represent or re-represent whatever exists in the world in term of a meaning concept, image or idea. † (du Gay et al. , 1997). Identity refers to how meaning is constructed or made and internalized by individual person or cultural group when confronted with a text (du Gay et al. ,1997). Production refers to the effort that an entity, for example, an individual, culture or industry goes about representing itself or products to others. Nowadays, meaning is also produced in a variety of different media. The modern mass media in a global scale circulate meanings between different cultures on a scale and with a speed. Consumption denotes that meaning is produced whenever people make use of appropriate cultural stuff to express themselves in. Regulation indicates that meanings help to set the norms, rules and conventions by which social life is ordered and governed. In other words, it is accepted as appropriate if the observed behaviour is pleasing to the individual or group. As long as the behaviour makes one uncomfortable, it becomes inappropriate. The approval or disapproval of texts may be in the hands of individual or groups within a cultural setting. During the early nineteenth century, unmarried women earned a living by spinning cloth at home. It was really the thankless work. The term â€Å"Spinsters† originally identified those women. Nevertheless, people used to associate middle-aged and unmarried women with â€Å"Spinsters†. That was definitely a symbolic representation, and became a social stigma attached to their status.. Feminist reject the stereotype of spinster. They point out that the term â€Å"Bachelor† which is used to label unmarried man, did not have the same negative implication as that of â€Å"Spinster†. Moreover, words like â€Å"Spinster† and â€Å"Old maid† pertain to the sexual as well as marital state of a woman (Schur, 1983). A bachelor could have several partners, yet it would be immoral for a spinster to do the same. People mostly implies that a bachelor is young, energetic, virile and available while a spinster eventually ages to a point where she becomes infertile and never bear children. Obviously, these terms for labeling unmarried man and woman respectively did not parallel in meaning. There are several psychological characteristics associated with the spinster stereotype: abnormal, unfulfilled and pitiful. In the traditional sense, spinsters were viewed as abnormal because they did not have children. Since spinsters would not have husband and children, they were alone in life which were viewed as unfulfilled by traditional definition. Also, people took pity on the lonesome spinsters who could not have true meaning in life without a husband and children. The Contemporary Image of Single Women In my short film, Ada represents a fashionable and cheerful lady although she is unmarried. She is dressed in trendy and sexy clothes, and has her hair bobbed. She looks chic and posh. She is confident to speak what she wants to express. She admits that she is eager to seek for her Mr. Right through online dating websites and marriage agency. During the photo shoot, she struck a posed on the Jacuzzi in the bathroom, and she drank the red wine in an Italian restaurant. These images convey the message that she knows how to enjoy her life and make herself happy, and defy conventional stereotype of unmarried women. Conclusion After completing this project, I think short film production is similar to photovoice. These creative approaches enable people, especially the stereotype group, to identify, define and enhance their community based on their own specific concern and priorities. Furthermore, I believe that in order to minimize the stereotypes for unmarried women in our society, cultural changes and breakthrough must be made. The struggle for these women to become a respected part of the society has been carrying on for centuries. Today, most single women have become sensible and smart on selecting the other half through wide opportunity for dating. (Word Count : 1103) PART B: There are 4 suggestions for improving my work. Firstly, I believe that the target audience of this project is unmarried women sharing a similar background with Ada. Hence, for the representation, I would have Ada encourages these women to follow her attitude towards life, being independent, assuming their femininity, breaking free from conventions and showing confidence with strength in both their career and personal lives. Secondly, having a strong female character as the main focus, the male audiences may feel offended by the tonality. Therefore I would have included various scenes in which Ada shows her femininity side in a traditional way, such as baking cupcakes or planting lavender. In order to seek acceptance from the male audiences, it is necessary to slightly tune down the independent and strong characters of single women. Thirdly, music can be use as a medium to express our feelings. The background music I chose for the short film is in English. The powerful lyrics of these songs illustrate the modern women’s attitudes towards their lives, and they are perfect to show Ada’s point of views, also to add more excitement for the audiences. However, due to language barrier, some audiences may not be familiar with these songs and not easy to be associated with.

Business Process Workflow Management Business Essay

Business Process Workflow Management Business Essay Business process management is important for both existing and new businesses. BPM is also known as Business Process Reengineering. It is a set of inter-related tasks that help companies maximize their present business processes and cope with future operational and organizational changes. An efficient business process saves and makes money for an organization. Workflow, in its very basic sense, is an implementation of the answers to the questions that arise in a business process. Workflow answers the questions, who? What? And When? in a business process. It is the movement of documents or tasks through a work process. Business process workflow management is an essential element in organizing a variety of business tasks and processes so that the business can be benefited as a whole. Workflow management systems range from the basic activities of a business to thousands of complex features. Workflow management helps business managers perform a lot of varying functions depending on the needs of the organization. Different businesses have different workflow management needs to perform varied functions for them. Some businesses need workflow management for organizing data available on the net; some need them for managing various business transactions whereas some need them for organizing and segregating all the documents of an enterprise. Workflow management is helpful to all kinds of business irrespective of their size. It helps them define and spot various processes that will help increase efficiency in the long run. Business process workflow management helps to define, create, execute and manage various processes within the organization itself and enhance business-to-business transactions to maximize productivity. It facilitates changes in the enterprise that are needed for its betterment and maximization of output and profits in the minimum time possible. It also helps an organization in spotting existing inefficiencies by keeping a constant check on their employees productivity. BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT JOURNALS Business process management is implemented to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of an enterprise by automating its business processes. The key factor involved in choosing a BPM solution is to choose one that will fit the organization in all situations, as conditions governing a business tend to change with fluctuations in market conditions. It is not feasible for an organization to change its BPM as and when situations change. Business re-engineering can mean serious trouble especially when applied by people who do not understand it. There are examples of thousands of organizations that were running into losses but subsequently, achieved remarkable profits due to well-managed BPM projects. The key to the success of these companies lay in applying BPM to their key business processes. Business process management journals play a key role in making businessmen aware of the prevailing business conditions and how to adapt to these changes by applying the right re-engineering and pro cess change projects. BPM journals are the premium channel for beginners, practitioners and researchers to acquire leading edge information related to current developments in BPM concepts, practices, tools and technologies. It is a helping aid for students studying BPM related areas and consultants who assist organizations in managing processes. They also provide useful articles that focus on quality and relevance. BPM journals provide information about developing business process management programs. They carry articles on a number of business activities that affect business efficiency and effectiveness. It provides information on integration and management of various activities that help in having an edge over the competitors. Occasionally, there exists a gap in understanding how to drive efficiency through a BPM approach even though one knows how to manage the various transactions. BPM journals help understanding the various BPM functions and helps filling up the gaps for true business performance. Some BPM journals provide insights into best practice management of key processes. These journals maintain a constant up date of all advancements made in the business field and illustrating the practical applicability of these through various case studies and examples. They also provide tips on how to manage business processes most effectively. BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SOLUTION Business process management focuses on the automation and standardization of existing and future business processes. BPM is the key to maximizing an organizations revenue, quality and respond to customers needs in real time by reducing business process problems. BPM tools and techniques have been steadily gaining in popularity and use in many companies. In todays global business environment, the need for automation of various business processes, continuous innovation and flexibility is turning many enterprises to go for BPM. BPM software helps in understanding and simplifying the complex process of business management. It helps in recognizing the various sources of inefficiencies in a company. There are a few key factors that have to be kept in mind while selecting BPM software. One of these factors is the extent of technical support provided by the vendor. To avoid any technical hassles at a later stage, it is essential to speak with the customer care center of the software company before choosing the BPM software solution. This should be done considering the needs and requirements of the business. BPM software that fits in with a companys business needs to be determined before choosing a BPM software solution. The same software does not suit all kinds of businesses. Familiarity with the software installed is of utmost importance. Sufficient time should be given to this activity of getting trained in using the software. BPM software with features that are not used is an absolute waste of resources and time because the main purpose of BPM software is using minimum time and money and maximizing profit in the long run. Several magazines and reviews are available online to give valuable information regarding BPM software solutions. BPM software offers advantages of flexibility and cost savings across all fields of business and ease of use in the business world today. The objective should be to ensure quick return on investment and potential for long-term growth. A GUIDE TO BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT Business Process Management (BPM) helps an organization in adapting to changing conditions in the market place so as to remain competitive. BPM is also known as Business Process Reengineering. A well designed BPM system can help an enterprise run efficiently and effectively, move according to the companys regulations, and spot inefficiencies in the business activities and bottlenecks to the smooth flow of work. BPM systems help in recognizing certain situations that may pose trouble in the future. They enhance the overall quality and quantity of the various services and products being provided by the organization. BPM can be extremely useful to employees and top managers of an enterprise. It assists the top executives in monitoring business activities and employee productivity. It is helpful to the employees as it reduces their working hours. It also helps an organization in abiding by the governmental rules and regulations set for the business world. A good BPM helps an organization in avoiding the mistakes it has made in the past. It helps in business-to-business transactions. There are a lot of BPM guides available which can direct an enterprise towards the right choice of BPM so that it can make maximum use of all the benefits of BPM. These guides help in understanding various BPM systems that can be employed according to the needs and requirements of different companies. It shows how maximum profits can be obtained out of limited resources. The changing situation of business is the key factor to be considered while choosing a BPM system. BPM system should be useful in all situations, which affect the business. This is because the system cannot be changed as when the market conditions change. The efficiency of the company would be adversely affected if BPM systems were not changed in accordance with changing circumstances. BPM technologies increase an enterprises potential to offer quality services to its valued customers at the least cost. .

Free Narrative Essays - This Girl :: Personal Narrative Essays

This Girl      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The girl slowly creeped across the floor. She had a look on her face of love. She began to tempt me. I could not allow her to take control over me. I could not resist. I had to let the love warm my body. I have let her take over once again. I have lost to her kiss. The kiss that has sweetened my blood. I absorbed her body.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I walked down the trail on a journey to find my house. I took this route every day. I know that it will lead me back to the place that I love so much. The place that I learn to make something of myself. This wonderful place that I call home, gives me power. I am finally a free man. I can survive well, and I control my everyday thing. I love living alone. I am in control. I set the rules, I am the man of house. I rule my own country.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   She tickles me with her long nails. She scratches the back of my neck oh so gently. I get high off of this girls love so often. I met her at a symphony. She is very popular all the puppies of my society adore her. She has seen parts of the world that no one else has. She has been kicked out of this country many times. The dreams I have after I sleep with this woman are so incredible that it makes me a little crazy the next day.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why do my parents keep bothering me? I can hold my own now. I am mature, I am a man. I do get distracted real easily and my parents keep ruining my distraction,   I am upset because of that. I have my own apartment in Santa Cruz, I live in a pardise. California has it all, beautiful beaches, pretty girls, great bars, money, palm trees, and tons of smog. Can't live without it.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This girl really is a trip. All the things people have said about her are true. I saw her at the tikki bar the other day, she was dressed in a suit that had stars and stripes on it. She was looking fine. I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk, she replied with a sexy, acceptance. The journey started off heavenly. Then as always she started the tease. She stripped me down naked. I had lost all control, I slipped out of this world and she wont let me Free Narrative Essays - This Girl :: Personal Narrative Essays This Girl      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The girl slowly creeped across the floor. She had a look on her face of love. She began to tempt me. I could not allow her to take control over me. I could not resist. I had to let the love warm my body. I have let her take over once again. I have lost to her kiss. The kiss that has sweetened my blood. I absorbed her body.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I walked down the trail on a journey to find my house. I took this route every day. I know that it will lead me back to the place that I love so much. The place that I learn to make something of myself. This wonderful place that I call home, gives me power. I am finally a free man. I can survive well, and I control my everyday thing. I love living alone. I am in control. I set the rules, I am the man of house. I rule my own country.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   She tickles me with her long nails. She scratches the back of my neck oh so gently. I get high off of this girls love so often. I met her at a symphony. She is very popular all the puppies of my society adore her. She has seen parts of the world that no one else has. She has been kicked out of this country many times. The dreams I have after I sleep with this woman are so incredible that it makes me a little crazy the next day.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why do my parents keep bothering me? I can hold my own now. I am mature, I am a man. I do get distracted real easily and my parents keep ruining my distraction,   I am upset because of that. I have my own apartment in Santa Cruz, I live in a pardise. California has it all, beautiful beaches, pretty girls, great bars, money, palm trees, and tons of smog. Can't live without it.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This girl really is a trip. All the things people have said about her are true. I saw her at the tikki bar the other day, she was dressed in a suit that had stars and stripes on it. She was looking fine. I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk, she replied with a sexy, acceptance. The journey started off heavenly. Then as always she started the tease. She stripped me down naked. I had lost all control, I slipped out of this world and she wont let me

Babe Ruth :: essays research papers

Career Highlights Began his career as a left-handed pitcher with the Boston Red Sox in 1914, compiling a 78-40 record Converted to a hitter in 1919 because of his great hitting ability During the 1919 season, he set a new home run record (29) and led the league in runs, RBI's, and slugging percentage. That winter Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees He led the league in home runs in 8 of the next 10 years He bested his own home run record by hitting 60 in 1927. Quote about The Babe "... I've seen them; kids, men, women, worshippers all, hoping to get his name on a torn, dirty piece of paper, or hoping for a grunt of recognition when they said, 'Hi-ya, Babe.' He never let them down; not once. He was the greatest crowd pleaser of them all." - Waite Hoyt, teammate of Babe Ruth Career Totals During his illustrious career he: Played a total of 20 seasons. Led the league in home run 12 times, in runs 8 times, in RBI's 6 times, and in slugging 13 times. Ended with a lifetime batting average of .342 Is the all-time leader in home run percentages (1/8.5 AB), walks (2056), and slugging (.690). Is 2nd all-time in home runs (714), runs, and RBIs Quote from The Babe "The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." - Babe Ruth Did You Know? Babe Ruth is credited with the invention of the modern baseball bat. He was the first player to order a bat with a knob on the end of the handle. Louisville Slugger produced the bat which he hit 29 home runs in 1919. Babe Ruth was one of only two people (Reggie Jackson being the other) to ever hit three home runs in a World Series game and is the only one to do it twice (1926& 1928). Babe Ruth and Ralph Kiner ranked first and second respectively as the outfielders with the highest average home runs per at-bat. Babe Ruth led the American League in home runs 12 times. Babe Ruth holds the record for the longest complete game victory in World Series history. In 1916, as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Ruth went 14 innings to defeat the New York Giants 2-1.

Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

In the 16th century Charles Dickens wrote the unforgettable novel A Tale of Two Cities. In it he created two of the most remarkable fictional characters of all time. One is the bloodthirsty Madame Defarge, and the other is the selfless Sydney Carton. Madame Defarge is a peasant who seeks revenge on all aristocrats who cross her path. In contrast, Sydney Carton is a man who is willing to do anything for the love of his life. While the actions of these two characters clearly delineate their differences, the underlying forces that drive each character are quite similar. From Madame Defarge’s actions, it is clear that she is the evil antagonist in the novel. Even in the manner that she is physically described, she is presented as â€Å"dark† and therefore she is seen as evil. She is as evil as she is because when she was younger the D’Evremonde brothers killed her whole family. Now the purpose of her life is to procure revenge on the D’Evremonde family and every other aristocrat. Even when told by her beloved husband she has gone to far, she does not stop. Instead her repartee to him was, â€Å"Tell the wind and fire where to stop; not me†. In it she evidently expresses how she will never forget what was done to her family and how the D’Evermondes are deserving of what they will receive. The actions she performs in her daily life demonstrate her evilness. In the novel it seems as though she is the â€Å"bad guy† who is starting up all the trouble. It is her need for revenge, in the book, that starts th e revolution. While Dickens presents Sydney Carton as a worthless drunk, in contrast to Madame Defarge, he is the Christ-like noble figure of the novel. He appears to the readers of A Tale of Two Cities as a worthless drunk and a man who has not acquired any high social position in his life. Also, it seems as though his life has resulted to nothing. At one point he says, â€Å"I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me†, but that changes when he meets Lucie Manette. He develops an undying juvenile-like love for her. Sydney is willing to do anything for her and tells her so in a beautiful speech he made to her. In it he states, â€Å"Think now and then that there is a man who would give up his life, to keep a life you love beside you†.

Non-Violent Protest: Dr. Martin Luther King

Non-violent protest: Dr. Martin Luther King This morning, I woke up to turn on the 7 o clock news and listened to the reporter inform America on violence around the world. There were stories ranging from a shootout in Homewood to wars amongst territories. If violence continues to breakdown communities, there will come a time where there will be no communities left to destroy. My grandmother was telling me how today is not the same day as yesterday; when brothers and sisters helped each other progress through struggles. During the1900s, society was unjust because of color.Whites wanted to rule the nation, but this was not in the interest of black people. Blacks wanted an end to segregation, injustices, and white supremacy. There were many different leaders that used different methods to strive for the achievement of this goal and many failed. Dr. Martin Luther King made a great contribution to the conclusion of oppression for blacks. What did Martin Luther King do differently to help blacks and whites walk together after centuries of oppression? During the 1900s, blacks were faced with major obstacles that still affect people today.Blacks were not given opportunities to receive great education (Washington, M. (2006)). During that time, in Mississippi, three dollars was spent on an African American’s education and sixty dollars was spent on a white person’s education. Blacks were not allowed to vote and were not perceived as true citizens of the United States (Washington, M. (2006)). Whites sought to terrorize black people by preventing them from living life freely (Washington, M. (2006)). The world was separated and blacks were left with the trashy side of it (Washington, M. (2006)).African Americans wanted change, but they did not know how to make a huge societal change. During the time of oppression against black people, there were people, organizations, movements, and protest that aimed for black power and separation. The Black Panther Party was formed in 1966 and aimed to overthrow their white oppressors (Mintz, S. (2007)). Bookter T. Washington thought it would be a good idea to accommodate whites, integrate races economically and be separate socially. Marcus Garvey advocated a â€Å"back to Africa movement† because he saw a future with no love between blacks and whites.Black Muslims advocated racial separation and it was cultivated in their religion (Mintz, S. (2007)). Muhammad said â€Å"Your entire race will be destroyed and removed from this earth by Almighty God. And those black men who are still trying to integrate will inevitably be destroyed along with the whites (Mintz, S. (2007))† He showed much anger to white people and wanted total separation with black supremacy (Mintz, S. (2007)). Malcolm X was a leader that advocated violence if it was necessary to break down the walls of racial oppression. By any means necessary† is a famous quote stated by Malcolm X that shows his view on obtaining bl ack power (Mintz, S. (2007)). These leaders are known to be great but oppression continued to build; there was still no peace. Whites continued to oppress blacks and looked for ways to make their lives miserable. Dr. King believed society would be demolished if everything continued. He decided to take a different approach. â€Å"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that† is an infamous quote stated by Dr.Martin Luther King Jr (King, M. (1998)). Dr. King lived his whole life during a time where blacks were severely mistreated and faced enormous injustices. He felt if blacks continued to fight back with violence, then there would be a world with no peace until it is destroyed. Dr. King had a dream that blacks would not be judged by the content of their skin but by the content of their character. (Dyson, M. E. (2008)) He dreamed of a world with equal opportunities and civil rights (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). He wante d this dream to become sight and many people influenced his approach.He advocated six principles to help society reach his vision. I would like to use this section of the paper to establish who and what inspired the practices and ideas of Dr. King. While pursuing a degree at the Crozer Theological Seminary, King listened to a lecture presented by Mahatma Gandhi (King, M. (1998)). Being inspired by his words, King read different books written by Ghandi (King, M. (1998)). He learned that Ghandi used non-violence against British rule in India (King, M. (1998)). King believed this was a method that could possibly settle the injustices for blacks in America.For more influence, King studied the theories of Henry David Thoreau with the intent to make a societal change (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). King was familiar with the leaders who used non-violence such as Frederick Douglass, Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, but King wanted everyone to get involved (Mintz, S. (2007)). King partnered up wit h Ralph Abernathy and Bayard Rustin and formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Jerome, B. (2011)). King aimed for the SCLC to be attractive to the black church so that everyone would play a role (Jerome, B. (2011)). The 6 principles that King advocated 1 Do not humiliate or defeat (King Jr, M. (1957)). During this time of injustice, there was much hatred between black and white people. Blacks were always being defeated by whites, and they were tired of white supremacy. As a result, blacks aimed to defeat their oppressors to live life freely. Dr. King, the enlightened thinker, opposed the view. Dr. King said â€Å"the nonviolent resister should not seek to humiliate or defeat the opponent but to win his friendship and understanding (King Jr, M. (1957)). † Dr. King practiced what he preached. After Rosa Parks rejected to give up her seat to a white man on the bus, she was arrested.Many community leaders and Dr. King developed a bus boycott (King Jr, M. (1957)). Th is allowed King to implement what he learned from Ghandi. Dr. King was arrested and his house was fire bombed. After his house was bombed, he called out for his family (King Jr, M. (1957)). Instead of fighting back with violence he said â€Å"Now let's not become panicky, if you have weapons, take them home; if you do not have them, please do not seek to get them. We cannot solve this problem through retaliatory violence. We must meet violence with nonviolence. We must love our white brothers, no matter what they do to us.We must meet hate with love (Jerome, B. (2011)). † However, that did not stop him. For about 13 months, 17,000 black people in Montgomery refused to ride the bus (Jerome, B. (2011)). As a result, the company was losing too much money. On November 13th, 1956, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was known as a success, because the buses were desegregated. #2. Non-violent resistance is not for cowards (King Jr, M. (1957)). Some may raise opposition and believe that they have too much pride to be disrespected. Many thought it was a cowardly act, however, King believed otherwise.King said non-violent resistance is passive and always seeks opportunities to convince the opponent of advantages in forming a loving relationship (Dyson, M. E. (2001)). Although one is not violent, one continues to drive on coming together. A person, who drives on togetherness despite opposition, is brave and strong because it is not easy to go against the masses (Dyson, M. E. (2001)). This was shown during the Greensboro sit-in on February 1st, 1960. Four black students from North Carolina A;T State University decided to sit at the â€Å"whites only† counter at a local restaurant (Schlosser, J. (1998)).They did not get served and decided to stay seated in the section until they were served. They continued to return day after day and brought friends with them. After a week, hundreds were waiting to be served (Schlosser, J. (1998)). The restaurant eventually served th e students and the protest influenced many non-violent protests throughout different cities (Schlosser, J. (1998)). Instead of fighting, mirroring, and hating, the students looked to eat with other white people. The white people did not like it, but they had the chance to hear the black students. #3: Non-violent resisters attack forces of evil (King Jr, M. 1957)). African Americans believed that they were always under-attack and had to defend themselves. If people are striving for a world full of peace, evil has to be non-existent. During the 1900s, blacks and whites had evil intentions, but it was acceptable for whites to behave on their intentions (Washington, M. (2006)). King wanted the evil intentions to exit the minds of everyone and out of the world. King said â€Å"We are out to defeat injustice and not white persons who may be unjust (King Jr, M. (1957)). † Instead of hurting the person who has done evil, attack the evil forces.He wanted everyone to concentrate on att acking the evil forces of injustice, instead of trying to defeat the white man. Given you have killed a white man; the evil forces will continue to live. However, if you attack the evil forces, everyone can walk together. In 1961, the Freedom Riders abided by this principle. Black and white Freedom Riders left Washington D. C. in 1961 and rode buses, trains, and planes from city to city to protest against the forces of evil that segregated interstate transportation (Lisker, D. (2001)). They reached opposition, mobs and were arrested (Lisker, D. (2001)).After much perseverance, great support was gained from around the world. #4 Non-violent resisters accept suffering without retaliation (King Jr, M. (1957)). King believed one should accept violence but never commit it. This would enable white people to hear and listen to what they had to say (King Jr, M. (1957)). It may sound crazy because in today’s world, many problems are dealt with by using retaliation; just watch the news. However, earlier generations watched blacks accept the abuse, and later shake hands with white people. In 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed and 4 black girls were killed (Simkin, J. (2011)).Instead of the parents and the community trying to kill Chambliss, the bomber, they accepted the suffering (Simkin, J. (2011)). They non-violently protested to let their voice be heard and Chambliss was sentenced to life in prison (Simkin, J. (2011). If they had retaliated, there would have been more than four dead girls. By not retaliating, Chambliss, who had used forces of evil, left society. As a result, there was one less force to fight against. #5 In Non-violent resistance, one loves the opponent with â€Å"agape (King Jr, M. (1957)). † Agape means unconditional love, and King expected everyone to love their opponent with it.Many people struggled with this principle because people could not find anything within themselves to love someone who terrorized them for so long. King wanted everyone to love everyone despite the opposition and the oppression (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). The avocation of this belief brought many colors together. King said â€Å"Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). † King wanted blacks to shine light on breaking this chain of hate and to bring love into the relationships. #6 In Non-violence resistances, the universe is just (King Jr, M. (1957)).Evidently, there are many people who share difficulty in loving your opponent. King believes the world was created to be just, but everyone is free to act with their own free will. People acted with their own free will and brought forces of evil into the world. The forces continued to grow since the start of time. King wanted everyone to understand that the world will evolve into a just universe. King encouraged others to believe that God is moving us toward universal love and wholeness continual (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). He used this principle to reinforce to African Americans that justice will be served in God’s time (Dyson, M. E. 2008)). He wanted African American activists to have and keep faith that justice will be served in the future. All of the work for justice will result in love, peace and justice everywhere is a belief that King stood by. Some may say non-violence was not going to fix the injustices in society. In the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), non-violence was their method to help the conditions of black people (Digital Library of Georgia. (2011, July 11)). In Los Angeles in 1965, an African- American was arrested with physical force because a white police officer thought he was intoxicated (Digital Library of Georgia. 2011, July 11)). People crowded around the scene in the neighborhood of Watts and started to violate the police officers. There was great tension between the people of Watts and the white authority for days. After, SNCC used violence as their method to help relieve blacks of oppression because non-violence was not putting an end to it. They believed that blacks needed to build power instead of trying to receive accommodations from the people with power, whites (Mintz, S. (2007)). Stokely Carmichael was head of the SNCC in May of 1966 and sought to use violence to beat oppression (Digital Library of Georgia. (2011, July 11)).The non-violence approach did not work for the SNCC; however, they did not continue to persevere through the tough time. Perseverance is defined as steady persistence in a course of action despite difficulties. Dr. King is an infamous historical icon that held this trait. People should not have expected time to change immediately after many years of oppression. When Dr. King persevered and gained strong support, changed happened, and he used the method of non-violence which brought everyone together. To conclude, Dr. King’s approach to help heal society was very different from the violent retaliation that people advocated.Dr. King overcame much to achieve his vision. He dealt with blacks not wanting to support his method, but to oppose it. He dealt with whites constantly trying to prevent him from making a change in society, but Dr. King continued to advocate and practice his principles. He was able to see that blacks had been trying to make a change by using violence for many years and it did not work. He understood that if blacks fought for black supremacy then it would just cause war and corruption. Whites feared being oppressed and became threatened when blacks retaliated; which drove for more oppression. Dr.King knew if a change was going to be made, then there would have to be love in the world. His approach was successful because he got the attention of white people, and they listened to what he had to say. When blacks retaliated, whites had no time to listen because they had to look for new ways to oppress black people more. I admire Dr. Kin g because he was able to bring blacks and whites together after the hatred between the two races for many years. Presently, we have blacks killing their brothers, sisters and communities without the development of a black society. This is an issue within the black community that needs to be fixed.What should we do? We should apply the 6 principles presented by Dr. King. We have to teach our brothers and sisters not to aim to defeat each other, but to love and lift up one another. We have to teach our brothers and sisters that life is not about being the â€Å"baddest† person on the block; it is ok to walk away out of love. We need to attack the evil forces that are causing the bad behaviors of our brothers and sisters. The people within the black communities need to be taught how to accept it when someone strikes you in the face, and to retaliate with love instead of a shot to the head.We have to show our brothers and sisters that we love them unconditionally; as a result, lo ve will drive out hate. It will be hard to teach people that the non-violent principles work, just as it was hard for Dr. King. Many people are ignorant of his contribution to society and are unaware of his method. I think the ideas, values, beliefs and history of the 1900s were not passed down from generation to generation effectively enough. When I was in elementary school, my grandmother told me â€Å"if someone hits you, do not hit them back. † She was able to see how effective non-violent protests were.My parents told me â€Å"if someone hits you, then you hit them back. † These are two different philosophies from two different generations on the same subject. If my grandmother’s generation would have effectively passed down their values and beliefs, then the world would be different. The world would not be the same because retaliation may be out of the social norm. People have to educate everyone on the impact of non-violence. After we have done all we can do, we have to call on God and let his will be done. Works Cited Carman, J. (2010). 6 facts about non-violent resistance.Retrieved from http://www. care2. com/greenliving/martin-luther-king-six-facts. html Dyson, M. E. (2008). April 4, 1968, martin luther king, jr. ‘s death and how it changed america. Basic Books. Dyson, M. E. (2001). I may not get there with you: The true martin luther king, jr. Free Press. Jerome, B. (2011). martin luther king: Biography. Retrieved from http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/USAkingML. htm King, M. (1998). The autobiography of martin luther king, jr. New York: Warner Books. King Jr, M. (1957). Teaching american history. org. Retrieved from http://teachingamericanhistory. rg/library/index. asp? document=1131 Mintz S. (2007) America in ferment: The tumultuous 1960s â€Å"black nationalism and black power. Retrieved from http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/database/article_display. cfm? HHID=370 Digital Library of Georgia. (2011, July 11). Watts riots. Retrieved from http://crdl. usg. edu/events/watts_riots/? Welcome Nonviolence: The only road to freedom. (2006). Retrieved from http://teachingamericanhistory. org/library/index. asp? document=1426 Washington, M. (2006). American experience. Retrieved from http://www. pbs. rg/wgbh/amex/1900/filmmore/reference/interview/washing_obstaclesfaced. html West Virginia Department of Education. (2011, November 15). https://wvde. state. wv. us/. /02technicalwritingpowerpoint. ppt. Retrieved from http://citationmachine. net/index2. php Simkin, J. (2011). 16th street baptist church bombing. Retrieved from http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/USAC16. htm Schlosser, J. (1998). Greensboro sit-ins launch of a civil rights movement. Retrieved from http://www. sitins. com/story. shtml Lisker, D. (2001). A brief history. Retrieved from http://www. freedomridersfoundation. org/id16. html

Sociology Paper

Option B Movie Analysis Watching movies is a leisurely activity enjoyed by many people. Not only are movies enjoyable to get a good laugh, cry, or just to relax to, but there are many things to be learned from movies as well. For this project I choose to examine two movies from a sociological perspective. The two movies I chose are, Law Abiding Citizen and 8 Mile. Law Abiding Citizen Law Abiding Citizen is a story of a man who takes justice into his own hands after the legal system fails to bring justice on the murderer of his wife and children.Instead of convicting the murder for a longer sentence, the lawyer plays it safe by making a deal with the murderer to convict for a shorter sentence; which in turn keeps his conviction percentage high. Questions for Law Abiding Citizen 1. What was the main issue the movie was expressing? Both individuals interviewed found that the main issue was that the main character Clyde is determined to bring down the corrupted law system that failed to bring his wife and daughter justice. 2. How was this issue presented?Both individuals agreed that this was apparent because the first five minutes of the movie show the murder take place and the rest is Clyde’s actions to bring down the law system. 3. What sociological issue was presented? Individual A believes the sociological issue presented is the relationships between the law system and Clyde. Individual B believes that the sociological issue presented deals with how crime and punishment affects society’s views on justice. 4. How was the sociological issue presented? Both individuals agree that these issues were straightforward in the plot.The issues were represented by the characters actions in the movie. 5. How did the movie distort social reality? Both individuals believe that the events that took place in the movie are extremely exaggerated. Although they both believe that the justice system has many flaws they don’t believe that a person would be able t o commit all the acts that Clyde committed without being caught. 6. How did the characters in the movie show deviancy? Individual A says that that all the murders that took place were deviant.Individual B agrees but also includes that the lawyer making deals with murderers is deviant because it doesn’t help society overall. 7. Why do you think that the characters had deviant behavior? Both individuals agree that Clyde was deviant because of the death of his family. Individual B adds that the lawyer’s deviant deal making is a quest for a higher career status. 8. Whose behavior do you find was more deviant? Both individuals find that Clyde is the most deviant because he caused the most deaths but they both understand why Clyde did what he did and take his side over anybody else’s in the movie. . Do you agree with the law system’s justice or Clyde’s form of justice? Both individuals agree with Clyde’s form of justice in the movie, but both thin k that in real life they would not act out in Clyde’s manner. 10. Whose act was more deviant in your opinion Clyde’s or the murder? Both individuals find that Clyde is the most deviant but they take his side over the murderer because they both feel they connected more with Clyde and his motives. I found that the main concept in Law Abiding Citizen was deviancy. Deviancy can be defined in many different ways.For example Howard Becker defined deviance as not that act but the reaction of others to the act. The textbook on the other hand defines deviance as, any behavior or physical appearance that is socially challenged and or condemned because it departs from the norms and expectations of some groups. In Law Abiding Citizen, Clyde, who has witnessed the murder of his wife and daughter, displays behavior that could be defined as deviant. Ten years after the death of his loved ones he decides to take justice into his own hands. An example of his deviancy includes brutally murdering his family’s murderer.He does this by injecting him with adrenaline, sewing his eyelids open, placing him below a mirror, and cutting him limb by limb. Throughout the movie he murders more people that failed to bring his families murderer to justice. It is interesting to analyze the deviant acts by Howard Becker’s definition of deviancy. In the beginning of the movie a woman and daughter are murdered and the reaction I had towards the killer was disgust and anger. Later on in the movie when Clyde murder’s the murderer, it is much more graphic scene but my reaction to the act was not disgust and anger.In this scene I feel that I, as well as other viewers understand his motives. Both of the individuals I interviewed felt the same way. By Howard Becker’s definition the more graphic and torture some murder in this case was less deviant because of our reaction to the act. Clyde turned to deviancy. I feel that his deviancy relates to Robert Mertonâ₠¬â„¢s strain theory. Robert Merton’s strain theory analyzes what happens when people are socialized into desirably cultural goals but denied the institutional means to achieve those goals. Merton uses this term to explain why good people turn to crime.I believe this relates to Clyde because before the crime, he was a productive member of society, he supported his family and worked as an engineer. Unfortunately the justice system did not provide the institutional means of providing him closure on the crimes committed. He then felt the need to take action and provide justice himself. Another concept that goes along with strain theory is anomie. The book defines anomie as, a state in which the ties attaching the individual to the group are disrupted due to dramatic changes in circumstances.Emile Durkheim used the term anomie as a detachment from norms that usually guide ones behaviors. Emile Durkheim stated that this usually accompanies a lack in social integration. He also stat ed that the less socially integrated individuals are, the more likely they are to do harm to themselves and others. The behavior of Clyde shows that he is not socially integrated and he displays anomie. This was triggered by the death of his family members and the lack of support given by the justice system. 8 Mile 8 Mile is based off of Eminem’s life.It shows the struggles of growing up surrounded by poverty, drugs, alcohol, and gangs. The main character Jimmy (based off of Eminem) struggles with poverty and a drug addicted mother with an abusive boyfriend all while trying to establish himself in the music industry. Other barriers he faces include competing gangs and a weak support system. Questions for 8 Mile 1. What was the main issue the movie was expressing? Both individuals agree that there were many struggles present in the movie from poverty to gangs. 2. What sociological issue was presented?Individual A says that the issue was conflicting power struggles between gang s. Individual B says that the issue was how poverty affects people. 3. How were the sociological issues presented? Individual A says that the struggles between gangs were shown through the numerous fights and through the rap battles. Individual B says that the affects of poverty are shown through the acting out behavior of various characters as well as the mother’s need to stay with an abusive boyfriend for his money. 4. How did the movie distort social reality?Both individuals believe that the movie realistically portrays social relationships but neither one entirely sure because they have not lived in any areas similar to the part of Detroit in the movie. 5. Why do you think that the characters in the movie showed deviancy? Both individuals believed it was because they were born into it and don’t know how to live in another life style. 6. What are the ‘battles’ in 8 Mile? Both individuals stated that the battles in 8 mile were a way of the local lyrical minds to show off their talent against one in other to score a deal with a record label. . Why do the characters In 8 Mile participate in these battles? Both individuals said they participate in these battles to further themselves and possibly make it big. 8. Was the burning of the old house acceptable? Individual A said that they completely accepted that they burn the house down since no one lived in it anymore and it just served as a place for violence to take place. Individual B said they did not accept the burning of the house mainly because it still could have served as a shelter to the homeless. 9. What do you think was Eminem’s major setback?Both individuals said that poverty was the biggest thing holding Eminem back. 10. Why was it his major setback? Both individuals said that if it weren’t for his poverty, he would have never have been in all of the situations that he was in. Also though, if it weren’t for his poverty he wouldn’t be rapping about a lot of what he usually raps about so it helped him in a way also. There were many sociological aspects of the movie 8 mile. The movie did not go into depth in a particular sociological issue but many were present. One of the issues was the struggling family relationship.The family relationship in the movie was not healthy. The mother was a single mother living in extreme poverty. We learned in class that poverty is the primary strain in a one-parent family. In the movie the mother dates a guy who abuses her and her children. She continues to stay in the relationship out of fear of not being able to provide a home and food for her family. Another issue that is presented is the conflicts that arise when social classes conflict. In the movie there is a house where a young girl from a low class family got raped (as social class decreases being a victim to crime increases).The house is an abandoned house that remains standing until the characters from the movie decide to burn it down. They come to the conclusion that if the house was on the â€Å"other side† of 8 mile (the territory of another social class) that it would have been demolished by now. They then take it into their own hands to burn the house down. This is only one of the actions performed by the characters that could be considered deviant. The reasons for the deviancy in this movie vary from the deviancy in Law Abiding Citizen. The characters in 8 mile have deviant behavior, such as stealing, weapon use, fighting, and vandalism.I believe their deviance is best explained by the differential association theory used in symbolic interactionism. The differential association theory, coined by Edwin Sutherland, says that people learn to either deviate or conform to society’s norms through the different groups with whom they associate. Most of the characters in the movie were born into a low class life style. One of the characters was portrayed as having a status inconsistency. Status inconsi stency is when a person has characteristics high in one area of status and low in another. One of the members of Jimmy’s rival gang is a great example of status inconsistency.He is a member of a gang, walks the streets, is involved in fighting yet he attended Cranbrook and has two educated, happily married parents. I have watched both Law Abiding Citizen and 8 Mile on numerous other occasions before watching these movies again for this project. In the past I never took as much time to think about the driving forces behind the characters behavior and social contexts. As a result this project helped me analyze the movies from a new perspective. It was very interesting to see the concepts I have learned about in class be portrayed in the media.