Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Characteristics of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Essay

I am writing about the play called Macbeth. Macbeth is a play written by Shakespeare based on the lines of a true story, about Macbeth changing his whole personality throughout the play. He has many obstacles on his way up, from being king. Lady Macbeth, started in the play, very brave cunning and immoral, and felt that Macbeth was too moral and good-willed. She forced him to do many things in order for him to gain the title in the throne. As she helped him however, she became very self-conscious and ended up killing herself through guilt. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was brave and loyal to king Duncan, and Duncan thought greatly of him. Duncan quoted â€Å"Brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name† in; act 1 scene 2. He also quoted â€Å"The service and the loyalty I owe, / in doing it, pays itself†. In act 1 scene 3. In these quotations, it shows that Macbeth is known as brave- even others think he is. He does not expect to be paid; he only does things for loyalty. This shows that he is moral, and is polite to everyone and is popular and liked by pretty much everyone around him. However, Lady Macbeth feels he is too nice for his own good. Macbeth had strong moral values, and never agreed to murder someone in order to get himself a claim in the throne. Lady Macbeth quoted â€Å"do I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness†, in act 1 scene 5. This is showing that Macbeths own wife thinks he is too kind to do anything evil- the milk represents that he is natural and pure of heart, whereas Lady Macbeth is not, she is evil. At the end of the play, Macbeth seems brave, but too brave, almost insanely brave. Lady Macbeth does end up persuading Macbeth to kill Duncan, which turns Macbeth evil, and makes his own plans on killing other people, in order to make him self the highest and the place on the throne. Macbeth says â€Å"I have almost forgotten the taste of fears† in act 5 scene 5. This shows him to be over confident and does not fear anything. The witches’ predictions, which appeared at the beginning of the play, and gave, correct predictions every time, said that Macbeth cannot be killed by any man born of woman and when Burnham wood comes to his castle. This makes him feel that he cannot be defeated. His wife, Lady Macbeth, commits suicide as she became so full of guilt, but when he found out, he seemed that he doesn’t seem to care much about lady Macbeth as he says † She should have died hereafter†¦life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player/ That struts and frets his hour upon the stage† in act 5 scene 5. This seems to indicate that he does not care about anyone besides himself, and that he is selfish. He compares life to being in a theatre, he doesn’t think he is going to die, he’s like the actor, and thinks he knows exactly what is going to happen next. However, Macbeth is very wrong, as he comes face to face with reality, as Macduff and his army come to Macbeth’s castle, and Macbeth is told that Macduff is not born from woman, but he was a caesarean. Macbeth then becomes slightly worried. Macbeth still puts on a strong hard battle, but Macduff defeats him. Lady Macbeth At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth was a lot stronger and evil than Macbeth. She was more like the man of them both, and she always tried to make Macbeth stronger. She said to Macbeth â€Å"Unsex me here/ and fill me from the crown to the toe top full/ of direst cruelty†. Here, she I trying to say, make me more manly- she is asking to be filled with cruelty, so she can make Macbeth to have the title of the throne. She is trying to show that she will do anything bad in order to fill her ambitions. She is not maternal. Lady Macbeth was very good at being misleading, as she acted innocent in front of Duncan, but behind his back, she was plotting to get Macbeth to murder him. She says to Macbeth, â€Å"look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent uder’t†. She is saying to be like a deadly flower, looks innocent but will snap at any unpredictable and unexpected moment. The serpent represents evil and temptation; in which, Macbeth has to have. After Macbeth and herself finally murdered Duncan, she begins to feel very guilty and insecure. She had many nightmares of when she murdered Duncan. One night when she started sleep walking, in act 5 scene 1 she said † what will the hands ne’er be clean?†, she is still left with the stains of her actions. This shows her feminine side breaking through. She was being constantly reminded of when her hands were covered in blood; her dreams are showing her that she does not have a clean conscience. Lady Macbeth becomes very ill, and emotionally mental. She has many more nightmares, which shows a shadow of her old self. She quoted in one of her nightmares, â€Å"Old damned spot†¦Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier and afeared†. She is here, cursing the blood; she now has anxiety over everything. She spoke in short sentences, showing her being not at all confident, creating a tense atmosphere. The use of repetition in questions to her husband when she slept talked showed her anxiety. Throughout the whole of this play, the two characters seemed to have almost switched placed. Macbeth grew courageous and confident after killing Duncan and felt he was undefeatable, while Lady Macbeth became disillusioned and emotionally mental, after her first murder encounter. Macbeth became too full of him self and felt he was â€Å"immortal†. The play created very tense and frightening atmospheres and had a strong storyline, which became clearer further on through the play.   

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

A Cultural Approach to Communication Essays

A Cultural Approach to Communication Essays A Cultural Approach to Communication Essay A Cultural Approach to Communication Essay A Cultural Approach to Communica0on CLA1201 SemA 2012 Department of Media and Communica0on City University of Hong Kong Recap of Last Week’s Lecture ? We discussed the psychological e? ects of media on the audience ? The media e? ects research tradi0on draws from psychology and sociology ? It is generally quan0ta0ve (i. e. , using numbers and formulas to represent knowledge) and scien0? c (i. e. , lab experiments. ) ? But there are some limita0ons to this approach. Cri0que of the â€Å"E? ect Approach† ? The â€Å"effect approach† (or scienti? c approach) of communication research –? Reduces â€Å"cultural questions† to measurable and veri? ble categories –? Depends on â€Å"rigidly objectivity† –? Serves advertisers and media organizations primarily –? Narrowly focuses on audience individual behavior, ignoring questions like â€Å"where are media industries taking us† –? Refuses to place the research in a broader social and historical context ? Instead, historical and cultural approaches should be used to focus on the long-range effect of mass media. Di? erent Methods: Cultural Studies vs. E? ect Studies ? The â€Å"cultural approach† often uses methods such as audience ethnography and textual analysis, which has previously been used primarily in humanities (e. . literary studies). ? The â€Å"effect approach†, or generally understood as the â€Å"communic ation studies†, uses methods such as survey research, content analysis and experiments. Origin of the Cultural Approach ? Originated in Europe, where an interpretive approach (as in literary criticism) is preferred to a scienti? c approach. ? In? uenced by Marxism: mass media operate primarily to justify and support the existing power at the expense of ordinary people –? Old-fashioned Marxists believed people were oppressed by those who owned the means of production, or the base. –? Neo-Marxists believe people are oppressed by those who control the culture, or the superstructure. ? Its goal is to bring about change in government media policies or even fundamental change in media and cultural systems. The Frankfurt School ? It emerged in the United States in 1930s when a group of scholars escaped to US from Nazi Germany, where Hitler effectively used mass media to control the minds of the public. The Frankfurt School (Cont. ) ? These scholars analyzed products of mass culture within the context of cultural industries and focused on features of –? Commodi? cation –? Standardization –? Massi? cation ? They believe cultural industries provide legitimation for capitalism and serve to integrate individuals into mass culture through â€Å"false consciousness†. Frankfurt School scholars were the ?rst to: ? Comment on the role of â€Å"cultural industries† in the functioning of modern societies –? Agents of socialization (positively presenting social norms) –? Mediators of political reality –? Maintaining the status quo and legitimating dominant power ? Systematically analyze and criticize mass-mediated culture But†¦ Its distinction between high and low culture, and preference for high culture over low culture shows an elitist bias. –? Seeing mass culture as monolithic, duping a mass of consumers –? An idealistic view of â€Å"authentic art† Adorno and Horkheimer The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction, Walter Benjamin BBC Modern Masters Series: Andy Warhol Nor does the distinction recognize that audience may be active, may have their own reading of a text or even become a producer Or give adequate attention to the actual production process of media and their interaction with other social institutions. Bri0sh Cultural Studies:1960s and onwards ? â€Å"The Birmingham School† arose in 1960s when political upheaval swept through Britain. –? A class-based system and widespread inequality –? Mass media tried to integrate the working classes –? In? ow of ethnic population from diverse backgrounds –? Americanization of pop culture –? Feminist movement and Civil Rights movement Characteris0cs of Bri0sh Cultural Studies ? Like the Frankfurt School, British cultural scholars believe mass media may further the will of the dominant class and may oppress subordinate class, gender, race, and ethnic strata. ? Different from the Frankfurt School, they argue audience can resist and struggle against domination. –? Media texts do not have â€Å"transparent† meaning. Texts have different layers of sign systems that audience may interpret differently from media producers. –? Audience is no longer passive. Audience with different social and political orientations decode messages differently. ? Removing â€Å"high vs. low† cultural distinction and embracing popular cultural forms like television and pop music. From Week 2 Slides: How are meanings created and Shared? â€Å"Elephant† The Triangle of Meaning c-o-w† (Signifier) a farm animal (Signified) he animal itself (R) The Triangle of Meaning 1.? Signi? er: the sign/word/picture itself e. g. , â€Å"c-o-w† 1.? Referent: the object or external reality being referred to, e. g. , the physical cow in the farm 2.? Signi? ed: the conventional meaning, e. g. a farm animal, produces milk, etc. The process of interaction among these 3 elements so as to create meanings is called signi? cation. Encoding/Decoding Model (Stuart Hall) ? Dominant Reading ? Negotiated Reading ? Oppositional Reading http://users. aber. ac. uk/dgc/Documents/S4B/sem08c. html ? Financial Times China: Financial Times China: ? Grass Mud Horse†: Internet resistance art wiki-entry:  · Green Dam Girl ? (Song of Grass Mud Horse) What Is â€Å"Worth† Studying? ? Previously studies in humanities focused on highly regarded works of art such as poems, painting and ? lms. ? Now cultural scholars turn to less elite forms of culture: fashion, tabloid magazines, pop icons, rock music, hiphop, soap operas, TV dramas, shopping malls, advertising, reality TV, professional wrestling, etc. ? Scholars try to make sense of the â€Å"taken-for-granted† everyday life and media culture, which they believe can provide insight into broader meanings of society. Textual Analysis ? Highlights the interp retation of cultural messages (books, movies, TV programs) ? Instead of looking for replicability and objectivity of data, textual analysis looks for meanings in rituals and narratives. ? TV: The Most Popular Art (Horace Newcomb)! –? why certain TV programs and formats became popular (e. g. comedies, westerns, mysteries, soap operas, news, sports) –? â€Å"The task for the study of popular art is to ? nd a technique through which many different qualities of the work – aesthetic, social, psychological – may be explored†. (Newcomb, 1974) Audience Studies ? Focuses on how people use and interpret text (cultural content) ? It differs from textual analysis in that the subject of study is now â€Å"audience† instead of â€Å"text†. It explores audience? relation to the text. ? It often combines audience ethnography with some form of textual analysis as methods. Assessing Cultural Studies ? While cultural studies avoid cutting up the culture into high and low, popular and elite, and manage to bring race, gender, and class issues into research focus; ? They suffer from too narrow a focus on cultural text and audience reception, overlooking the production process and the arger political-economic context of media production. ? The celebration of audience freedom in interpreting texts may be carried to far, to the point as if audience alone may produce meaning. Some related schools of thoughts or tradi0ons within â€Å"cultural studies† ? Communication as Rituals? /Construction of Reality ? A ritual view of communicatio n is directed not toward the extension of messages in space for the purpose of control, but toward the maintenance of society in time; not the act of imparting information but the representation of shared beliefs. (James Carey, 1975, p. 18). Communication as Rituals? Construction of Reality? Communication is a process of creating culture ? â€Å"Communication is a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired and transformed† (James Carey, 1975). The Lippmann- ­? Dewey Debate Walter Lippmann John Dewey Produc0on of Culture Studies how economic and other factors in? uence the way culture is produced, ? nding out rules and routines that govern cultural production (see more in Lecture Two) Entertainment Production News Production Poli0cal Economy Studies ? Political economy studies examine interconnections among economic interests, political power, and how that power is used. ? Major concerns include: –? Increasing concentration of ownership: control of media by fewer and fewer organizations –? Catering to â€Å"what the public want† rather than â€Å"what they need†; the bottom-line is money rather than democratic expressions Ownership and Concentration ? Hori zontal integration ? Vertical integration ? Internationalization ? Multi-sector and multimedia integration Sing Tao Group To summarize, we looked at ? Dominant schools in cultural studies –? Frankfurt School (originated in USA) –? Birmingham School (originated in Britain) ? Changing interest –? A macro-level analysis of popular culture encompassing political economy, texts, and audience, sustained by a â€Å"high culture vs. low culture† divide (Frankfurt School) –? Studying more diverse forms of popular culture; subcultures; as well as issues of identity politics (Birmingham School and onwards) ? Major approaches –? Audience studies (Audience engagement with texts) –? Textural analysis ? Related schools in cultural studies –? Communication as rituals (construction of reality) –? Production of Culture –? Political Economy

Monday, October 21, 2019

Automotive Airbag History and Invention

Automotive Airbag History and Invention Like seatbelts, airbags are a type of  automobile safety restraint system designed to mitigate injury in the event of an accident. These gas-inflated cushions, built into the steering wheel, dashboard, door, roof, and/or seat of your car, use a crash sensor to trigger a rapid expansion of nitrogen gas contained inside a cushion that pops out on impact to put a protective barrier between passengers and hard surfaces. Types of Airbags The two main types of airbags are designed for front impact and side impact. Advanced frontal airbag systems automatically determine if and with what level of power the driver-side frontal airbag and the passenger-side frontal airbag will inflate. The appropriate level of power is based on the readings of sensor inputs that can typically detect occupant size, seat position, seat belt use of the occupant, and severity of the crash. Side-impact airbags (SABs) are inflatable devices designed to help protect the head and/or chest in the event of a serious crash involving impact with the side of a vehicle. There are three main types of SABs: chest (or torso) SABs, head SABs, and head/chest combination (or combo) SABs. The History of the Airbag At the dawn of the airbag industry, Allen Breed held the  patent (U.S. #5,071,161) to the only crash-sensing technology available at the time. Breed had invented a sensor and safety system in 1968. It was the worlds first electromechanical automotive airbag system. However, rudimentary patents for airbag predecessors date back to the 1950s. Patent applications were submitted by German Walter Linderer and American John Hetrick as early as 1951. Linderers airbag (German patent #896312) was based on a compressed air system, either released by bumper contact or by the driver. Hetrick received a patent in 1953 (U.S. #2,649,311) for what he called a safety cushion assembly for automotive vehicles, also based on compressed air. Later research during the 1960s proved that compressed air was not capable of inflating the airbags quickly enough to be effective. In 1964, Japanese automobile engineer Yasuzaburou Kobori  was developing an airbag safety net system that employed an explosive device to trigger airbag inflation, for which he was awarded patents in 14 countries. Sadly, Kobori  died in 1975 before seeing his ideas put into practical or widespread use. Airbags Are Introduced Commercially In 1971, the Ford Motor Company built an experimental airbag fleet. General Motors installed airbags in a fleet of 1973 Chevrolet Impalas- for government use only. The 1973 Oldsmobile Toronado was the first car with a passenger airbag sold to the public. General Motors later offered an option of driver-side airbags in full-sized Oldsmobiles and Buicks in 1975 and 1976, respectively. Cadillacs became available with driver and passenger airbags options during those years as well. General Motors, which had marketed its airbags as the Air Cushion Restraint System, discontinued the ACRS option for the 1977  model year, citing a lack of consumer interest. Ford and GM subsequently spent years  lobbying  against airbag requirements, arguing that the devices were simply not viable. Eventually, however, the automobile giants realized that the airbag was here to stay. Ford began offering them again as an option on their 1984 Tempo. While Chrysler made a driver-side airbag standard for its 1988–1989 models, it wasn’t until the early 1990s that airbags found their way into the majority of American cars. In 1994, TRW began production of the first gas-inflated airbag. Airbags have been mandatory in all new cars since 1998.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Guide to Bursitis

A Guide to Bursitis Bursitis is defined as the irritation or inflammation of a bursa (fluid filled sacs attached to joints). It most commonly occurs in adults over 40 years of age and results in discomfort or loss of motion in the affected joint.   What Is a Bursa? A bursa is a fluid-filled sac located around joints in the body that reduce friction and ease movement as tendons or muscles pass over bones or skin. They are located around joints and reduce friction and ease movement as tendons or muscles pass over bones or skin. Bursas are found next to all joints in the body.   What Are the Symptoms of Bursitis? The main symptom of bursitis is experiencing pain in the joints in the body - usually occurring in the shoulder, knee, elbow, hip, heel, and thumb. This pain may start subtle and build to extremely intense, especially in the presence of calcium deposits in the bursa. Tenderness, swelling, and warmth often accompany or precede this pain. Reduction in or loss of motion at the affected joint can also be symptomatic of more severe bursitis, such as the case of frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis wherein the pain from bursitis makes the patient incapable of moving the shoulder What Causes Bursitis? Bursitis can be caused by acute or repetitive traumatic impact to the bursa, repetitive stress through overuse of the joint, and post operation or injury infections.   Age is one of the primary factors that cause bursitis. Due to prolonged stress on joints, especially those requiring daily use, tendons toughen and become less tolerant of stress, less elastic, and easier to tear resulting in an increased likelihood the bursa could become irritated or inflamed.  At-risk patients should use caution when engaging in activities that cause extensive stress to joints, such as gardening and many physically stressful sports, as they have also been known to carry a high-risk for causing the irritation.  Other medical conditions that cause additional joint stress (such as tendonitis and arthritis) may also increase a persons risk.   How Do I Prevent Bursitis? Being aware of the strain daily activities have on your joints, tendons and bursas can greatly reduce the likelihood of getting bursitis. For patients beginning a new exercise routine, stretching properly and gradually building up stress and repetition will help mitigate the possibility of a repetitive stress injury. However, since age is one of the primary causes of the ailment, bursitis is not entirely preventable.   How Do I Know If I Have Bursitis? Bursitis is difficult to diagnose as it shares many symptoms with tendonitis and arthritis. As a result, identification of symptoms and knowledge of causes can lead to a proper diagnosis of bursitis. Follow  these tips if you have been diagnosed with a repetitive stress injury and use a visual pain scale to track and identify your pain to help determine if you have bursitis. If symptoms do not alleviate after a couple of weeks of self-care, the pain becomes too severe, swelling or redness occurs or a fever develops, you should schedule a consult with your physician.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Public Opinion & Public Policy - [400 Level Political Science Course] Research Paper

Public Opinion & Public Policy - [400 Level Political Science Course] - Research Paper Example The public then evaluates the agenda, based on the values and beliefs, as well as the preferences, and then give their opinion regarding the same. However, most significant of this concept, is the framing of the agenda and the ideas sought by the media. This is because, based on the way a certain agenda is articulated, the same individual can give diverse opinions (Jopkke, 251). Therefore, framing of the public opinion agenda should be done consistently with the actual target information that the agenda is to gather. Social desirability is yet the other consideration that should be made while preparing for a public opinion. The medium that is used to collect public opinion highly determines the response that is obtained (Guimond, 645). This way, the same issue can fetch different responses based on the medium applied. Thus, it is vital to use a medium that is socially desirable to all. This will assure getting the right response on the target issue. The study of public opinion is important. From the beginning of the concept of public opinion, the views obtained from the opinions given by the public regarding a certain issue, have not only been used to give public views regarding the issue, but also to shape and determine the destiny of such an issue (Hugh, 69). A public opinion indicates the attitude, the feelings, the approval or the disapproval of a certain issue by the public. This being the case, it is important to study public opinion, since it helps to understand the real feelings and attitudes that the public holds towards a certain issue (Guimond, 644). Failure to study public opinion would mean that certain decisions are reached on the basis of what certain individuals feel or think, devoid of incorporating the feelings of the public, which is the most affected entity by any social, economic or political

Friday, October 18, 2019

Teaching masculinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teaching masculinity - Essay Example This paper caters to the question of development of masculinity in young boys through the system of education, and discusses how the concept of gender shapes the existing pedagogy and the democracy of the country. Nature of masculinity The social position of women has been a debatable topic all around the world. The topics on the system of education for girls, their social status and the availability of facilities for them have been put on the table. This issue has an obvious counterpart. If the system of relations is questioned form one side, the other side comes under focus automatically. The question could not inevitably â€Å"be confined to women and girls† (Connell, 2008, pp. 131). The established concept of ‘manhood’ is subject to the changes of time. ‘Manhood’ is bound by the nature of masculinity, practices that are seen as gender specific and deemed appropriate for the male and the preset ideologies. But while the social relations are questio ned, different aspects come under the circumference of the debate. Educational issues are a major part of the debate. The concept of gender has been a part of the pedagogical experiences of the schools and other educational institutions. The pedagogy is based upon the society that houses and rears the boys to make them become what they are. In this concept a vast range of concerns have to be addressed, starting from â€Å"men’s and boys’ health to men’s domestic and military violence† (Connell, 2008, pp. 1

What is Customer Service Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

What is Customer Service Quality - Essay Example For Lucas (2005, p.4), customer service means the employees’ capacity to provide both their external and internal clients such satisfactory products and services. Once customers are satisfied by the products and services of the company, Lucas (2005, p.4) added that it leads to convincing word – of – mouth which then causes a good business return. In terms of having a customer service of quality, quality of service is defined by Parasuraman et al. (1985) as a satisfaction outcome between the actual service rendered by a certain organization and the expected desired service of the customer from the company. In the event of assessment of the quality of service, Parasuraman et al. (1985) added that this is subjected not only on the final outcomes of actual service but it also depends during various operations of the company’s service. Meanwhile, from the point of view of the customers, the service quality is shaped by five elements namely service delivery, phy sical aspects of service, service delivery system, service product or primary service, and social responsibility (Sureshchandar et al., 2001, p 113). 2.2 Examining the Notion of Service Quality The important outcome of different elements like customer retention, performance as well as cost – effectiveness is what we know as quality of service. According to Parasuraman et al. (1988), the quality of service is one among the different mechanisms applied by a lot of institutions to achieve success. Given the satisfaction of the customer with the company, it is more likely that that particular customer will transact with that specific company once more. In particular, it is the case that companies may possibly apply the parameter of quality of service as a defensive marketing scheme through lowering costs which results to customer retention (Parasuman & Grewal, 2000, p14). Apart from that, service quality can also be used by businesses as an offensive marketing approach through ga ining bigger market share (Parasuman & Grewal, 2000, p14). Service quality is the end product of competition among companies to fulfill customers’ needs successfully. It is suggested that how quality of service is perceived by customers is more often that the not, the major cause for his or her return (Lucas, 2005 p. 342). Given this, companies should create a quality system to attend the needs of customers in order to yield success in the market competition (Berry & Parasuraman, 1997, p.66). Meanwhile, in terms of quality of service, there are three kinds of customers which are internal, external and competitors’ customers (Berry & Parasuraman, 1997). They have engaged in a debate that an integrated information system based on all three customer categories helps in achieving high quality service and facilitates decision - making activities of different organizations. On the one hand, Berry and Parasuraman (1997, p.66) claimed that measuring the expected service, empha sis on the quality of information, describing the words of clients, connecting the performance of services to the business results, and also reaching all staff members of the company are the parameters to meet the prerequisites of quality of service. On the one hand, Parasuraman et al. (1985, p.7) stated that goods are easier to evaluate than the service quality because it is heterogeneous and intangible and same with the fact that product and consumption are two inseparable entities. Berry (1980) agreed with Parasuraman et al. (1985). As Berry (1980) pointed out, the difficulty of measuring services is due to work environment that renders service like building and office decor. Meanwhile, the most significant key determining factors of quality of service are identified by Parasuraman et al