Power Struggles In Society Essays - Military-industrial Complex

Power Struggles in Society Mills, Schudson, and Gitlin show different approaches to society and the role of mass media. Each approach helps illustrate a different focus on society. They each hold special relevance in a discussion of the history of societal beliefs. The Mass Society refers to the overall belief C. Wright Mills held in relation to the type of society he believed we live in. Mills began The Power Elite with a bold statement saying, "The powers of ordinary men are circumscribed by the everyday words in which they live, yet even in these rounds of job, family, and neighborhood they often seem driven by forces they can neither understand nor govern" (Mills, 1956, p.3). This opening sentence helps describe the attitude and beliefs of the entire book. A "power elite" exists in a society that is made up of three spheres. They are divided into economy, political, and military, with the same group of people interchanging between the three. This large group of elite is at the top making all the decisions, while the masses are at the bottom, unaware of the process that molds public opinion. Masses within this view of society are irrelevant and do not have any type of influence. The media functions as an entertainment source, keeping the masses entertained while the elite is taking care of all the important matters. It helps keep the reality and truth of the world obscured from the masses. Mills explained what the media does for the masses as "they distract him and obscure his chance to understand himself or his world, by fastening his attention upon artificial frenzies that are revolved within the program framework, usually by violent action or by what is called humor" (Mills, p.315). This helps illuminate how the mass media guides, tries to control, and manipulates the masses. Mills describes the effect of mass media as "a sort of psychological illiteracy" to the extent that we "often do not believe what we see before us until we read about it in the paper or hear about it on the radio" (Mills, p.311). The masses "standards of credulity, standards of reality, tend to be set by these media rather than by 'the masses' own fragmentary experience" (Mills p.311 ). Mass media's role helps prevent the questioning of the elite. "Families and churches and schools adapt to modern life; governments and armies and corporations shape it; and, as they do so, they turn these lesser institutions into means for their ends" (Mills, p.6). The family into which someone was born or marries into helps improve or decrease their social status. The school where one is educated or the church where one worships also plays a major role in the social standing. Schools teach skills to the masses that enable them to function in society. Institutions shape life and the masses adapt to what institutions create. The masses in the theory are very disorganized and not connected to others. An excellent way to describe to masses can be shown by watching The Twilight Zone movie. It is a state of total confusion for everyone, with each doing their own thing. The elite enjoy the state of confusion with the masses, because they are able to control the major decisions that must be made. They determine the policies and the people enlist in them. In the mass society, the elite control the policies and ways of thinking for the confused masses. Schudson approaches the nature of society in a much different way, through the idea of the democratic society. In Discovering the News, he discussed "an even distribution of income" and described the 1800's as "more people acquired wealth and political power 'bringing' with them a zeal for equal opportunity that led to the expansion of public education" (Schudson, 1978, p.44). When looking at society as a whole, you have them socially, economically, and politically integrated. "Economic development was promoted and shared by many rather than few" (Schudson, p.45). The press does not cause, but picks up elements, reflects, and builds from a democratic society. "The democratization of economic life brought with it attitudes that stressed economic gain to the exclusion of social aims; business practice more regularly began to reward strictly economic

Cyber Age essays

Cyber Age essays People always tend to seek the easy way out looking for something that would make their lives easier. Computers have given us the ability to do more in less time giving us, at the same time, more comfort. Computer technology is used everywhere from businesses to homes. Programmers and technologists are trying to figure out a way on how to make the machines more human-like. They are trying to develop a program which makes the computer almost similar to a real human being. One of the top personal computer entrepreneurs named Adam Osborne knows that it would be hard to do it. He believes that in the future, people will consider computers as humans rather than machines. People already show signs of developing a social relationship with their computers. If this becomes successful, computers will replace many organisms which human count as companions. For example people would have fewer animals in the homes because computers would have replaced them. The machines would have the same traits as either the cat or dog. They would have the same personality, but be much easier to handle because you would be able to program it. People have different emotions and personalities. People would be able to program the machine to their liking. They would be able to adjust some characteristic traits to the machine to make it suit them better. You could basically make it do what ever you please. The machines would be able to learn from the person and adjust. They would have a picture of the persons interests, and history. They would be able to store all the information into their so called brain. In the early 1990s, there was a cartoon called the Jeffersons. The storyline was about a family that lived in the future. There were flying cars and computers everywhere. They also had an android as a maid. People who made the cartoon believed it was a dream, but today we all know it is reality. Very soon, we will all be drivin...

Answer the questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Answer the questions - Assignment Example This is because of the ease it presents to the organizations when carrying out the market survey. It is important to note that ethical considerations should be considered during the survey. The level of accuracy of the information from the survey is useful to the organizations as it is used for decision making process. The nature of information required is also an important factor that determines the approach to be used during the market research. This is considering that some of the information may be sensitive and it may require the organization to make immediate changes. The cost involved in carrying out the market research is also a factor that determines the approach that should be taken when carrying out a market research. Focus group is also an approach that is commonly used in the market research. The use of focus groups involves initiating a discussion among a group of people in order to obtain their views regarding a particular issue of concern in the market. The use of focus group may however be ineffective as it is only limited to a group of people. However, it can provide market information within a short period of time. A personal interview is also an approach that is used for the purposes of carrying out a market research. Personal interview may involve a one on one interview with the customers in the market. Open ended and unstructured questions are commonly used during the personal interviews. The disadvantage of the method is that it takes a lot of time and cost to collect information. The method is not effective when dealing with a l arge group of people. A high level of accuracy is however required regardless of the approach that is taken during the market research. The information should be analyzed in a professional manner in order to facilitate decision making process. Most of the people make their decisions based on their emotions. Most of the organizations have discovered the power of emotions during

Audit of School Community Resources and Supports Assignment

Audit of School Community Resources and Supports - Assignment Example This makes the school administration to document the resources that it has and identify the gaps and weaknesses. Using this information, it can devise viable ways through which it can source for important resources. It is against this background that this paper provides an audit of the school in light of the community services and supports. To ensure a coherent consideration, it analyses the relative strengths and gaps in a bid to underscore the extent of these inconsistencies to the performance of the school and improvement of student behavior. Activities Conducted During the Audit The researcher spoke to about 50 individuals to determine the type of resources and support systems that were in place as well as their importance to the school. This also sought to determine the resources that were missing and what would be done to ensure that they are sourced. Further, the researcher interviewed the students to determine the manner in which they benefit from the available resources. The interviews were aimed at establishing whether the students are comfortable with the available resources and what they think should be done to improve performance. The researcher then spoke with the key stakeholders in the industry and specifically, those that were directly involved in the support system. These ranged from the school administrators such as the superintendants, teachers, chief academic officers, parents and a host of other education officials. Further, the researcher conducted a survey of the fifth grade students to determine whether they feel both physically and emotionally supported, safe, challenged or connected. Underlying efforts in this regard were also geared towards underscoring the nature of the learning environment and to what extent it encourages, inhibits or and supports social responsibility. Finally, the researcher reviewed the reports that had been previously made regarding the current support systems, their impacts on the behavioral wellbeing of the s tudents as well as their contribution to the academic performance of the students. The preceding activities had insightful views about the state of the support system and its contribution and influence on the overall performance of the students. They identified the support systems and services currently available and those that are missing. Most importantly, the findings underscored the strengths and weaknesses of each. At this point, it is worth noting that the preceding information is vitally important. Essentially, Scott and Hunter (2001) assert that it would act as a basement upon which critical decisions would be made. In particular, it would be important to positively emphasize the strength and eliminate or discourage the weaknesses. This way, the support systems and services would yield desirable outcomes. Critique of Strengths and Gaps One of the strengths that the institution has pertains to the active parent involvement in the education of the students. In this regard, the parents are well informed about their roles in the learning process. They attend all the meetings that are geared towards addressing the challenges that the students face. In addition, there is a cordial relationship between the teachers and the parents. In this respect, Lawson and Sailor (2000) assert that active involvement of the parent in the life of the student enables the former to understand the challenges being faced by the

Important actors Essay Example for Free

Important actors Essay The study of international relations has paved the way for the inclusion of important actors that contribute to the overall functions of practice in the international arena. In the course of time, actors involve in the practice has constantly been increasing due to the expansion of practice and scope in the area. Thus, there is a need to look into these actors and carefully assess their capabilities in promoting interests in the international arena. One important actor in international relations is the state. The capability of course by the state to formally promote relations with other actors circumvents primarily on its capabilities to function as one. According to (Williams, 2005, p. 2) â€Å"the contemporary nation-state is characterized by jurisdiction over territory, a political and administrative apparatus and the state recognizes no higher constitutional authority than itself. † Besides states, there are also other actors involve in the practice of international relations. Examples are individual actors, organizations, agencies and groups who also can help promote the functions of a state or the whole. According to (Williams, 2005, p. 2) â€Å"because individuals, groups and organizations acting in the name of the state are also sensitive to pressures and constraints other than international ones, including elite maintenance, electoral politics, public opinion, pressure group activities, ideological preferences, and bureaucratic politics. † In the course of history, there also had been developments in the international arena that paved the way for the emergence of transnational actors. Examples of these actors are transnational corporations and non-governmental organizations. They seek to promote the overall endeavors in the international arena. At the same time, as the world becomes more globalized, the tendency is there is a deeper avenue for them to promote their interests in the international arena. In the course of history, there had been tendencies of shifting of actor concentration in the international arena. That is why it is good to compare and contrast each actor’s importance in the practice of international relations. Looking at it, actor’s in international relations are primarily concerned in promoting their own interests. These interests are beneficial in the overall aim of the actor for its continued growth and sustenance. Looking at the point of view of interests, there are differences present between different actors in the international arena. A state may pursue its interest based on its overall welfare and capabilities. On the other hand, it may be different among other actors in international arena. An NGO may promote its interests founded on the protection of its ideology and welfare of its aim. Also, for transnational corporation, they seek to promote interests that are centered in creating benefits that would enhance their status in the international arena. With regards to relationship between nations, actors in international relations seek different mechanisms that will create an enhanced cooperation among different actors depending on the issue and interests being talked about. In addition, there has been an expansion of different theoretical paradigms to explain and argue on how actors affect different issues in the international arena. Thus, actors contribute greatly to the practice of international relations. There had been different theories and paradigms to suggest how these actors contribute to the overall process in the international arena. Lastly, these actors are primarily motivated due to their individual interests that motivate them to act accordingly. Work Cited T. L Williams. ‘Actors in International Relations. ’ 2005 accessed December 11, 2007; from http://209. 85. 175. 104/search? q=cache:I3UEDQx9zakJ:www. wadsworthmedia. com/marketing/sample_chapters/0534631894. pdf+actors+in+international+relationshl=tlct=clnkcd=1gl=ph.

Analysis Of A Motivational Speech By Queen Elizabeth I -- essays resea

The human desires of greed, wealth, and power have been embedded into the world's history as political figures have led invasions of other countries countless numbers of times. Whether invaded or being invaded, a country requires strong and capable leaders to see them through this difficult time. In 1588, Queen Elizabeth I of England gave a motivational speech to her troops using the rhetorical devices of diction, imagery, and sentence structure to motivate her subjects positively and to instill the fear of the pending invasion in their hearts. The queen uses positive diction, sentence structure, and imagery in her effort to motivate her people to defend their country from their Spanish invaders. She uses diction to praise and motivate her subjects. The queen refers to her people as "faithful" and "loving," praising their "loyal[ty]" and "goodwill." These positive words allow her subjects to see her as a caring, kind leader whose praise urges them to fight for their country. She also uses the words "noble" and "worthy" to describe her people's task of protecting their country against invasion. The use of such praising words makes her people see the task as important, and it will instill a sense of duty in their hearts to protect their kingdom. The queen further motivates her people by implementing the use of sentence structure. In the beginning of her speech, she says, "we have been persuaded." In the second half of her first sentence, she says, "I a ssure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people." Her use of the royal "we" and then her transition to "I" symbolizes her descent from the throne literally to speak to her troops on the field and figuratively by referring to herself as I. This will encourage the troops to see her as a fellow Englishman and not a distant queen. The queen also uses sentence structure when she says, "I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder," and, "By your obedience.., by your concord.., and your valor.., we shall shortly have a famous victory." She speaks listing three things at a time, giving her speech rhythm. The mention of her three positions shows her as generous and powerful, causing her troops to respect and admire her. The listing of the three characteristics of her... ...age of the queen actually picking up a weapon and marching into battle with her troops. The importance of this image is that it encourages the troops to pledge their loyalty to their queen who seems willing to fight alongside them. The queen also scorns those who "dare to invade the boarders of my [the queen's] realm." This creates an image of the pending invasion in the minds of her people. With a vivid portrait of the upcoming battles, her subjects realize that they must be brave and loyal in order to defend their country. Perhaps the most vivid image is that of the "heat of battle." A fire-swept battlefield comes into mind, and the fear of such a battle will motivate the queen's subjects to protect themselves from such future battles. Clearly, the queen, using the rhetorical devices of diction, imagery, and sentence structure, was able to motivate her subjects positively and to instill the fear of the pending invasion in their hearts. Her concise but powerful speech was exactly what her troops needed to hear before marching to battle. The queen with her speech secured their loyalty and trust, and her oratory helped unify her people in their time of crisis.

Edgar Allan Poe Essay

The diction of Edgar Allan Poe’s works have surely enhanced their literary value . Firstly, Poe was a believer in the law of liberty of diction, in the aesthetic tradition in art, in storytelling. Hence, the diction in almost all his literary works, be they poems, short stories or whatever carry a smell of freshness, of originality, of innate beauty. Again, as he was an iconoclast he could free the diction of the â€Å"short stories† from the heresy of the didactic. He keeps an eye on details and hence a flexibility of diction was the need of the hour which he mastered. He has dovetailed poetry in prose as and when required in order to enhance the readability and appeal of the prose, in particular. For example, â€Å"Conqueror Worm†, as an individual poem has immense appeal as it can create a typical supernatural ambience. The lines have a dramatic ring, the diction is effective in weaving a credible picture of life, though, an angel comes and sits amidst the audience ‘to see/A play of hopes and fears’ where he found ‘much of Madness and more of sin/And Horror the soul of the plot! ’ But, in the middle of the poem, the tone alters and the brilliant effect is brought forth through befitting diction. ‘But see, amid the mimic rout/A crawling shape intrude! /A blood-red thing that writhes from out/The scenic solitude! /It writhes ! -it writhes! -with mortal pangs/The mimes become its food,/And the seraphs sob at vermin fangs/In human gore imbued. † The very lines from this poem, when incorporated into the famous short story â€Å"Ligeia†, it enhances the appeal of the latter. This story is primarily based on the theory of metempsychosis [transmigration of souls], as Ligeia makes a return to her husband through the takeover of the corpse of the second wife of her husband. Poe gets torn between the two disintegrated parts of the story—one, the life and death of Ligeia and the other, the return of heroine Ligeia ,years after, to life. It was not a cakewalk to harness the two threads to give rise to a unity of narrative. For this end in view, Poe has made use of a succession of highly suggestive images and words that mentally prepares the readers for the heroine’s strange return to life from the land of the dead. Weaving of the weird atmosphere adroitly with chosen, appropriate, vibrant diction reminds us of the romantic poet, S. T. Coleridge ,who with similar adept and facile pen used to make us ‘willingly suspend our disbelief’. For example, in the story ‘Ligeia’, the way in which the revelation occurs to Ligeia’s husband is really remarkable, â€Å"The greater part of the fearful night had worn away ,and she who had been dead once again stirred and now more vigorously than hitherto, although arousing from a dissolution more appalling in its utter hopelessness than any†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The corpse, I repeat, stirred, and now more vigorously than before. The hues of life flushed up with unwonted energy into the countenance—the limbs relaxed—and, save that the eyelids were yet pressed heavily together, and that the bandages and draperies of the grave still imparted their charnel character to the figure, I might have dreamed that Rowena had indeed shaken off, utterly, the fetters of Death. † Through the turns of phrases, suggestive images, gothic expressions, meaningful caesura, hair-raising descriptions the writer dawns the ghastly truth upon Ligeia’s husband , at long last, â€Å" ‘Here then, at least, I shrieked aloud, ‘can I never be mistaken—these are the full, and the black ,and the wild eyes—of my lost love—of the lady—of the Lady Ligeia. † â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† is a significant story certifying Poe’s oeuvre. Use of maximum expletives is a characteristic feature of diction here. The very opening is striking from the point of diction, â€Å"True! -nervous-very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses –not destroyed—not dulled them. †¦. How then am I mad? Hearken! And observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story. † The colloquial intimacy of the narrative, the protagonist’s fear of the old man’s ‘vulture-like, pale blue eye’, the Evil Eye , as he names it. After continuously assiduous attempts, he succeeds in killing the old man with the Evil Eye. But, he becomes victim of divine retribution and the ticking of the old man’s heart begins to throb in himself, abruptly, rather mysteriously and he admits the heinous deed. Poe’s diction is really apt in bringing forth the heart-rending finale of the story, â€Å" ‘Villains! ’I shrieked, ‘dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -tear up the planks! -here, here! -it is the beating of his hideous heart! † It has already been said that ,Poe believed that the tale should have unity of effect and that everything must be subservient to this unity. The Fall of the House of Usher is a brilliant example of Poe’s craftsmanship as it is tightly structured, concentrated and possessing unity of effect, diction, design and atmosphere. At the very outset, an atmosphere of desolation and disintegration is woven deliberately by Poe . The use of his another poetical piece The Haunted Palace is also timely and appropriate and in unison with the demand of the narration. Especially, in the concluding stanza of the poem ,we find the real appeal of the story packed meticulously, â€Å"And travelers now within that valley,/Through the red-litten windows see/Vast forms that move fantastically/To a discordant melody;/While, like a rapid ghastly river,/Through the pale door,/A hideous throng rush out forever,/And laugh—but smile no more. † In the following lines, Poe is keen on justifying the germaneness of the poetical lines, as included. The tempestuous elements of nature ,the solemn movement of the prose, rising to a crescendo at the end and all the strands of the story converging to the ‘single effect’ produce the grim phantasm, fear, which dominates the story. The strange appearance of the house, the weird actions of the mad inhabitant of the house, Usher, the strange burial and return to life of Madeline ,the death of Usher and the destruction of the house are incidents that contribute to the effect of horror. But there are other subtle factors too. One such factor is a series of ‘weird identifications’, for example, identification between the house and its inmates, between Usher and his sister and finally between the madness of Usher and the momentary madness of the narrator. Even, in the poems too Poe is at his innovative best ,so far as the use of diction is concerned. In the most popular poem,â€Å"The Raven†, the poet with his capturing diction runs to relate to the readers the grief of a bereaved lover for his lost love. The refrain ‘nevermore’ expresses the intensity of sorrow of the lover for his never-to-return beloved! In another poem â€Å"To Helen†, Poe mingles theme and form adeptly. Poe’s complete mastery over the diction is seen in the poem The Bells, where the four different stanzas recapture with striking effect the sound of four different bells—silver bells,golden bells, brass bells and iron bells. It has been rightly praised as one of the finest examples of onomatopoeia. In conclusion, it can , of course, be said in the words of Kirszner and Mandell , â€Å"Using vivid imagery and evocative comparisons, writers of imaginative literature often stretch language to its limits. By relying on the multiple connotations of words and images, a work of imagination †¦encourages readers to see the possibilities of language and to move beyond the factual details of an event. †[p-1] Sources Books: 1. Kirszner, Laurie G. & Mandell, Stephen R. : Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing, Heinle&Heinle,1999. 2. Davidson, Edward H. : Poe—A Critical Study ,Harvard University Press, USA. 3. Krutch, Joseph Wood: Edgar Allan Poe—A Study in Genius, N. Y. Knopf, USA Web Sources 1. www. poestories. com 2. www. poemuseum. org