Why longhouses are beneficial to college campuses Research Paper

Why longhouses are beneficial to college campuses - Research Paper Example perfect gathering place on college campuses where people from different cultural backgrounds could learn with each other, and deepen the native programs within colleges. Longhouses are a platform for supporting indigenous arts. The Evergreen State College in Olympia intended to build a longhouse that would serve as both a social facility and a public service center with the aim of supporting indigenous arts. The longhouse would serve as a multipurpose facility that can serve cultural, community, and educational functions. The primary vision for instituting a multi-purpose facility in college campuses is to provide a platform for hospitality and service for people from different cultural backgrounds. If people in learning institutions learned to stay together, they would elevate the levels of education by creating and maintaining conducive learning environments. As a public service center, the longhouse would promote indigenous arts and cultural exchanges through education, creative expression, cultural preservation, and economic development. The Evergreen State College received a $325,000 grant to build the longhouse to support the following program s; Colleges have been committed to expanding Native programs and faculty. Longhouses have provided a program where the Native focused programs link undergraduate and graduate native students. The Evergreen State College’s case has underscored the need for longhouses. The Native focused programs enable students from different cultural backgrounds

Crash Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crash - Assignment Example However, the reality is that most of us end up harboring racism inside, without letting anyone be aware of it. It is so well hidden that sometimes even we are unaware of it. The racism has its own way of coming out, for instance, in the case of an accident, if one of the drivers is a woman, most of us will automatically make the sexist remark about how women cannot drive. Just like Ria does in the movie when she is involved in an accident with an Asian woman, most of us end up letting our prejudices get the better of us when we are involved in an altercation of any sort. Though, normally, we are unaware that such prejudices reside within us. Interestingly enough, I feel, we cannot blame this trend on lack of education. Our educational system, we think, ends our prejudices, or at least weeds them out. What we are unaware of, however, is that most of the time our bigotry is latent within us, despite the refinement and education we undergo. Our inner instincts are sometimes witness to the fact that we do harbor biases within us. In Crash, Jean Cabot, who is the wife of the local District Attorney, and a very educated and cultured woman, still reaches out for her husband’s arm for protection only because she sees two black men crossing her path. This brings us to stereotyping. I feel stereotyping is wrong, no matter what the generality. There are no positive stereotypes. When we lump up a group of people together based on the color of their skin, or their gender, or any other outward appearance, we are, essentially, showing that a bias exists in our minds. We make an image, often unrealistic, in our minds about all of the people of a certain gender, or class, and then judge everyone by it. A case in point would be the way all of us tend to indulge in blonde jokes – jokes about blonde women, and how dimwitted they are. The reality

Response paper on Film 12 Monkeys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response paper on Film 12 Monkeys - Essay Example The few survivors are left to live in tunnels underground. The earth is inhabited only by animals and insects which fearlessly wander the planet which is now free of humans. The virus which succeeded in wiping out such a big portion of mankind, apparently, didn’t have any effect on any other forms of life on earth. The main character, a prisoner called James Cole, is about to be sent back in time, to the year of 1996, to get a pure specimen of the virus to make it possible for the scientists of his present, to study the virus and discover a way of reversing the damages caused by it and eradicating it, to make the earth suitable for humans to live in. In the first attempt to travel back to 1996, Cole accidentally ends up in the year of 1990. He gets imprisoned and sent to a mental asylum when he tries to convince those around him that he has come from the future. There he is taken over by psychiatrist, Dr. Kathryn Railly. The people who belong to the present of 1996 are convinced that this man who claims to have come from the future, who believes that a certain virus is going to kill 5 billion people in 1996, is indeed insane. Apart from Dr. Railly nobody is even willing to hear him out. Even though Dr. Railly feels a strange and unexplainable attraction towards Cole, even she is convinced that he is just delusional and whatever he believes to be his reality is just a ‘meticulously constructed fantasy’ of his mind. Cole keeps having recurring dreams of a man being shot dead at an airport and that of a woman running towards the dying man. He sees it through the eyes of a child who is present at the place where the incident takes place. This dream is the link that connects the central theme of the past, the present and the future. The child’s striking resemblance to Cole makes sense only towards the end of the movie. Another inmate of the asylum, Jeffrey Goines, son of a renowned virologist, provides

DoCoMo Essay Example for Free

DoCoMo Essay DoCoMo’s i-mode concept was a fresh air in the almost stagnant telecommunications market of Japan. They were ingenious enough to target the right market base along with exactly the right offerings. First of all, i-mode had the capability to keep its users connected to the internet all the time, everywhere. Apart from this, the internet services were content providers. Even though this somehow did limit the amount of websites a user can visit, the content websites were chosen in such a way as to fulfill the requirements of the target market. This was a unique way of connecting people to the internet and to each other which took everyone by storm. Young teens and adults were the main target market – a market that had a high priority to stay connected with friends and groups but didn’t have the proper means to. The cheapest way of being connected was the internet and the target market mostly didn’t even own PC’s or didn’t have the time or capacity to afford the more mobile versions of a PC (PDA’s, Laptops etc. ). This created a window of opportunity for DoCoMo’s i-mode in the sense that it provided users with a way to connect with each other without the hassle and expenses associated with owning a laptop or a PC. The target market being adults in 1999 had grown up by 2002. Competitors followed and gave i-mode a hard time as well. With the WAP standard becoming faster and cheaper, the new generation, which preferred media content more over simple text based content was switching to providers who were providing higher data speeds and more elaborate options such as video calls, Multi media messaging etc. ence DoCoMo’s main customer base was changing due to the advancement of time and change in preferences. Customers were no more interested in just ‘services’ and ‘fluff’ as i-mode started. They wanted more. Apart from a shifting market, i-mode was also facing other challenges. First of all, the up coming markets usage rate was a lot less than the previous o nes. This meant lesser revenue per user. Secondly, competition was increasing by the day. Even though i-mode was still the leader with 60% market share, firms like KDDI and J-Phone had come up with more exciting packages, better offers and better handsets with market shares at (and growing) 24% and 17% respectively. Policy changes at the national level too were forcing i-mode to make changes that were estranging it form its content providers and resulting in lesser profits due to the new, lesser monthly charges that were to go into effect soon. The marketing techniques used in the past by i-mode were effective in capturing their target market. Keeping in mind the changing market conditions of the present, those techniques will not work as effectively anymore. The new market needs something better. The reason competitors are speeding ahead is because the new services and cell phone models they have to offer. First of all i-mode will need to launch better phones and services that come with things like internet connectivity as standard rather than an exclusive service. Current advancements have ensured that internet connectivity is not an exclusive offer anymore, everyone is providing it. I-mode will have to yet again identify something unique. Marketing techniques again will have to be designed according to that new product offering. Furthermore, marketing techniques should not exclusively just target the youth. The reason being that the market matures too quickly (goes beyond the age bracket of youngsters – adult ages have a bigger cohort) and does not have the spending power that adults have either. Hence the marketing techniques and offering should be tailored to account for these issues as well. I-mode became popular in Japan but it cannot be replicated in other countries due to various reasons. The foremost reason being the paradigms dominant in other countries. Some markets prefer voice calls over text messaging and others prefer text messaging instead. Content providers in other markets do not see i-modes business model as a profitable opportunity either hence it is tough to implement the same structure where there are issues regarding the markets preferences as well as the suppliers. Hence, i-mode will have to tailor their product offering and marketing techniques according to the country they are entering. This is currently an issue that DoCoMo realizes and will hopefully tailor itself accordingly in order to enter new international markets.

How Does Law And Order SVU Portray Women?

How Does Law And Order SVU Portray Women? Contents 1. Introduction This study examines the representation of women on Television which is one of the most litigious topics surrounding the medium and is strongly dissected in this day and age. I will be conducting my research specifically on portrayal of women in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. The examination should reveal whether the depiction of female characters on Law and Order is positive or negative. 1.1 Women On TV Joseph (2004) argues that women were underrepresented on network dramatic shows in 1950s to the 1970s and when they did appear, they were frequently seen in token or stereotyped roles. Although representation of women have changed greatly in the last two decades as we are progressing into a more contemporary society, the question is, has it really changed modern representations of women or it merely replicates gender stereotypes (Dobash et al. 1998). In recent years, Xena Warrior Princess and Buffy The Vampire Slayer pioneered the strong leading female characters in fantasy genre. Magoulick (2006) elucidates the positive reviews of Xena and Buffy demonstrate the extent to which these women characters resonate with female viewers longing for strong role models, or even just strong female roles on television. However, these characters were based in fantasy and science fiction genre. Still, programmes like Cagney and Lacey, Cats Eyes and Juliet Bravo paved the way for future strong fema le characters which were popular police/detective dramas depicting strong women. 1.2 Law Order: Special Victims Unit Currently in its 13th season, Law and Order: SVU first aired in 1999. The detectives on the team solve sexually motivated crimes and child abuse cases, which includes an exceptionally strong female lead character Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and other popular female characters such as Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak (Diane Neal). Law Order: Special Victims Unit offers a unique blend of characteristics placed within a masculine detective genre with strong main female lead along with a male partner, Detective Elliot Stabler portrayed by Christopher Meloni. The episodes often feature real life crime stories and create episodes based on crime stories ripped from the headlines (Green 2009, pp.2). Law Order: Special Victims Unit is one of the most successful and popular spin off series of Law and Order franchise which has won many awards as well as the 2006 Emmy for Outstanding L ead Actress in a Drama Series for Mariska Hargitay (Emmys, 2006) who describes female audiences reaction to her character Olivia Benson in Greens book Law Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion: As the show got more popular, I received so many emails from so many survivors. They were identifying so much with my character, identifying with this lion, this strong powerful (Olivia Benson). And then I had thirteen-years-old going, I want to be you; you are my role model. Hundreds of emails going, I want to be a cop when I grow up. And I thought this character has touched something deep in so many women and provided a safe place to goà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I felt I had a responsibility. (Green 2009, pp. 90) 1.3 Relevance Of The Research Women representation on television has significant value to female audiences because they view strong characters as role models. Singh, Vinnicombe and James (2006) studied career-minded women who keenly draw on role models from different aspects of like, television being one of them. They discovered that women used female characters from Television as role models such as Buffy, Alias and Xena: The Warrior Princesss. Analysing this aspect of female characters on Law Order: Special Victims Unit will provide me with the tools to examine the codes used in the portrayal of women. Research has been conducted on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit in the past i.e ethnic minorities, victimization of women. For example Britto (2007, p40) has deconstructed that portrayal of women are overplayed on crime drama series as offenders and victims with the help of content analysis in her article Does Special Mean Young, White and Female? Deconstructing the Meaning of Special in Law Order: Special Victims Unit. Furthermore, there has been extensive research on representation of ethnic minorities, male and female on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. However, my research will focus on the female characters such as Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak (Diane Neal) and deconstruct the codes employed to characterize them. 2. Literature Review Theoretical framework will direct my research in a focus manner whilst facilitating a proficient and comprehensive analysis. It will provide a major foundation for my investigation. As representation of women is such a diverse topic, I will focus and limit my research with the help of theoretical framework to achieve an accurate conclusion. 2.1 Representation Of Women On TV In order to build my research, the history of women representation would greatly aid in my investigation. Consequently, DAccis (1994) meticulous exploration of Cagney and Lacey, which aired from 1981 to 1988 and widely recognized as an innovative treatment of working women would provide the perfect groundwork for the investigation. While researching this book, DAcci had unprecedented access to the set, to production meetings, and to the complete production files, including correspondence from network executives, publicity firms, and thousands of viewers. In this book she examines the development of women characters and the representation of feminism on prime-time television. This would provide me thorough knowledge of what goes behind making a drama series with female lead characters and will equip me with the right tools to compare the representation of female characters on Law and Order:SVU. Furthermore, it contains other example from the history of American television which would be beneficial for my research. Brunsdon, Charlotte and Spigels (2007) book Feminist Television Criticism: A Reader provides a detailed examination extending across television, media and screen studies which looks into representation of feminism as historical categories and political identities. This book gives a valuable analysis of women working behind the camera and in-front of the camera as well as female audience and their response to television in their daily lives. I would be able to evaluate the depiction of women on Law Order: SVU in regards to historical and political viewpoint. The representation of females on the television screen has been a subject of much discussion since the television became commercially available in the late 1930s. In 21st Century, even though television produces programs like Pan Am, Charlies angels, The Playboy Club with female lead characters, they are still viewed through a very patriarchal ideology (Ingham, 2007). Dominicks (1979) article The portrayal of women in prime time, 1953-1977 concludes that female characters appearing on prime-time television from 1953-1977 were underrepresented on television and were frequently seen in stereotyped roles. This article will help me setting the groundwork for my research as I can put female characters on Law and Order: SVU side by side with previous characters. Further research (Elasmar, Kazumi and Brain, 2009) showed that women were more likely to be shown playing minor roles and playing characters of housewives and involved in a romantic relationship. I would need to further explore the depth of women representation on television which will allow me to conduct adept research. Gills (2007) work on Gender and Media looks like an interesting book for my research which explores the contradictory character of contemporary gender representations. Gender and the Media is also concerned with the theoretical tools available for analyzing representations. A range of approaches from semiotics to postcolonial theory are discussed, and Gill asks how useful notions such as objectification, backlash, and positive images are for making sense of gender in todays Western media which relates to my current study. Melanie (2011) cross-examines the construction of feminism and femininity in cinema and television from a wide variety of female centric programs such as chick flicks, reality shows and drama. This book will provide me with the understanding of the relationship between feminism, femininity, and visual culture and tools to analyze images of female representation in media. 2.1.1. Narrative Writing The Woman In order to relate characters and peak interest of the audience, formulation of the character through narrative is of uttermost importance. The character and narrative in the text have an emotional connection and resonate with the reader if they identify with the character. Hence, analysis of female representation in Law and Order SVU through their characterization in the narrative would allow me to deconstruct the signs from the text. Furthermore, specific aesthetic and narrative strategies used by the producers to create characters also append to feminism and female representation (Geetha, 2007). Mulveys (1975) groundbreaking article Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema would greatly aid in exploring the relation of narrative structure in construction of female characters in Law and Order: SVU where she unravels the narrative and visual techniques in cinema and puts forward the male cinematic gaze that objectifies the female character, hence, turning her into a spectacle, to-be-loo ked-at-ness (1975, 19). Mulvey (2009) revisits her theory in Visual and Other Pleassure by applying her feminist theory to more contemporary work concerning film spectatorship. She also talks about young modern woman of the 1920s in terms of images and narratives employed in Hollywood and European films which will be relevant to assess portrayal of women in Law and Order: SVU. In regards to narrative and women representation in media, Teresa de Lauretiss (1984) work would facilitate my research in the right direction as she investigates the structural representations of woman in cinema. De Lauretis (1984) disagrees with Mulveys (1975) theory of women representation as being permanently subjective and affirms that it is in a consistent stage of self-progression. De Lauretis believes that narrative structure draws upon the characters aspiration in social and cultural context and reproduces subjectivity. De Lauretis argues that female characters are formulated to incline towards femininity and conventionally portrayed as ideal image perceived by men (1984, 143). De Lauretiss conclusion of womens oppression by employing techniques of cinematic narration would provide a diverse perspective in representation of women in Law and Order: SVU. 2.2 Women Crime Genre The characteristics of gender have been reallocated in modern era in crime dramas where the female and male personalities are synthesized. The transformation also saw the shift of feminine traits of emotions, compassion and bond between traditionally masculine traits of heroism, vigor, and power giving rise to alternative action hero (Feasey 2008, p. 67). In 1970s and 1980s, crime genre progressively began depicting women in significant characters embarking on TV revolution. Snauffers (2006) book called Crime Television would aid in my research tremendously as it would be idyllic to find out the history of crime genre as it was dominated by men (Maureen 1988, p. 2). Since the beginning of television, crime dramas have been a prime genre of TV. According to Snauffer (2006), crime television has proven to be a fascinating reflection of changes and developments in the culture at large. In the 50s and early 60s, the square-jawed, just-the-facts detectives of The Untouchables and The FBI put police work in the best light possible. As the 60s gave way to the 70s, however, the depictions gained more subtle shading, and The Streets of San Francisco, The Rockford Files, and Baretta offered conflicted heroes in more complex worlds. This trend has of course continued in more recent decades, with Steven Bochcos dramas seeking a new realism through frank depictions of language and sexuality on television. In chronicling these developments and illustrating how the genre has reflected our ideas of crime and crime solving through the decades, author Douglas Snauffer here provides essential reading for any fan. This work provides a comprehensive history of detective and police shows on television which will contribute to my research immensely. Turnbull (2013) in her book The Crime Drama: TV Genres provides a historical study of the crime drama series as a genre which presents a number of case studies to clarify major concerns in the course of the genre. This book will facilitat e my argument as it looks at female led crime drama series from around the world such as The Wire and The Killing. Crime dramas generally feature subject matter related to public sphere with male dominance, however, the addition of female characters into crime genre has enabled to pursue a dynamic approach concerning gender bending transgressions, domestic issues and other feminist concerns (Feasey 2008). Nevertheless, women werent always depicted as strong willed and independent on TV. Cavender (1999) examines the depiction of women crime victims by comparing episodes from reality crime program. He analyzed that women talked about their victimization; however, men spoke more often and presented master narratives about the crimes. In both seasons, the program imagery emphasized feminine vulnerability to violence from strange, devious, and brutal men and masculine technical expertise and authority as womens protection from such violence. His analysis would be helpful in further studying the crime genre as well as involvement of women. Humphries (2009) examines women, violence, and media presentati ons through the lens of feminist criminology. This book contains chapters on Gendering Constructions which lays the foundation for the volume and examines media presentation of gendered violence, female killers on Law and Order and women in media. This book will give me tools to analyze the media text meticulously. In crime genre, male protagonist used to focus on solving the crime neglecting the public concerns during the process. Though, attitudes started to change when women were portrayed unconventionally as brave, independent and intelligent characters breaking away from the societal norm resulting in shaping a new feminist archetype (Aisenberg, 1994). In her book Ordinary heroines: Transforming the male myth Aisenberg (1994, p. 240) believes that female representation has progressed into equal active crime-solving characters with slight borrowing from conventional masculine traits such as Dana Scullys (Gillian Anderson) character in The X Files who was a powerful and independent professional woman even though FBI agent roles were profoundly male-dominated. Cuklanz and Moorti (2009) examine a wide variety of text to delve into the representations of gendered violence against women and formulation of gender. They believe that Law and Order SVU featuring lead female characters engage in stereotypical representation of women showcasing violence against them including inherent misogynist communiquà ©. Cavender and Jurik (2012) inspect the optimistic side of representation of women on TV as they analyse Prime Suspect starring Helen Mirren as policewoman Jane Tennison in popular British drama series where her character disrupts the conventions of the traditionally male genre (p.65). They focus on the portrayal of gender and law enforcement in the show featuring modern social tribulations where women play the central character. On one hand, Prime Suspect has become a cult hit for being an exceptionally feminist show in a traditionally male dominated crime genre. On the other hand, it is still not devoid of gender politics where Tennisons char acter shown as a successful woman is pigeonholed into an old lonely and friendless career woman. Cavender and Jurik (2012) work will provide the framework to deconstruct the meanings and connotation in depiction of women in Law and Order: SVU in relations to social norm. There has been a dramatic rise in representation of women detective in modern text whether be film or television which used to be dominated by men (Mizejewski, 2004). Whilst examining Jodie Fosters character Clarice on The Silence Of The Lambs, Mizejewski believes that traditional Hollywood cinema has been unconsciously organized along these lines: men looking and taking action, women being looked at. The conventions of framing, lighting and editing in portrayal of women all play to these dynamics (p. 7). Tasker (2007) believes women representation has progressed tremendously in recent years with transformed and empowered gender egalitarianism; however, there is still substandard issue. Gender is a key constructor and differentiator of character in ensemble workplace dramas (Allen 2007, p 48). The meticulous examination of Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) in Reading CSI by Michael Allen, a popular crime drama including the relationship of characters to their narratives and response of fans would provide great depth and widespread view which I can apply to Law and Order: SVU during my research. 1.3 Female Heroine Gunter (1986) argues that women are represented in a stereotypical manner associating with the characters traits they typically exhibit. In comparison with men, their characters were subjugated by personal relationships and family issues. However, this began to change in the 1970s when women were portrayed in more dynamic roles. Knight (2010) believes that it wouldnt have been possible without Sigourney Weavers character Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979) franchises which has become an avant-garde symbol. Ellen Ripley signified the first final girl archetype, a term coined by Carol J. Clover in the book Men, Women and Chansaw: Gender in the Modern Horror Film (1992), who conquered and triumphed against an evil villain without any help or rescue from a man (p.98). Knight (2010) and Clover (1992) examinations of women representation would aid in decoding the signs in Law and Order:SVU. Anthony (2009) believes that the progression in women portrayal on television and films was because women h ad taken over the market and were able to acquire positions as Producers and Directors. Consequently, women were portrayed in more heroic roles which cancelled out the notion of women as victims, resulting in a positive ideological advance (p. 80). Innesss (2004) Action Chicks is a groundbreaking collection of essays providing a new look at female action icons such as Xena, Buffy, Lara Croft and so on. These essays take a look at how recent depictions of women in action films, TV shows, comic books, and video games reflect a changing acceptance of women in traditionally male heroic or tough-guy roles. This highly specialized and scholarly study is suitable for my research and would enable me to view Law and Order: SVU in different light. In order to analyze the representation of women in Law and Order: SVU, I will construe if the women embody four essential constructing features which are body, attitude, action and authority in a tough hero (Innes, 1998). Brown (1996) has the same belief of women portrayed as action heroes stating, female action heroines body is represented by using same codes as a male hero in regards to object and subject in action films (p. 56). Goodwill (2011) agrees with Browns statement that new female ac tion hero possesses positive masculine characteristic which were preserved for men only, breaking away from orthodox feminine attributes. With the fusion of traits, earlier archetype of the hero has been amended in popular culture containing both masculine and feminine traits which will enable me to interpret female traits presented in Law and Order: SVU. Hill (1999, p 38) states, action heroines are the new type of protagonists in action genre who are smarter and tougher than conventional female heroines and even their male counterparts. This new breed of action heroines contravenes not only cinematic but cultural gender codes of women being submissive and tangential characters and transform traditional cinematic depiction of women. Noble (1999) produces an innovative framework to create new epitome of heroism for women in her book The Sound of a Silver Horn: Reclaiming the Heroism in Contemporary Womens Lives. She puts forward certain qualities that a female hero should possess to transform her and the world such as strong-minded, valiant and a risk-taker. Harriss (2004) groundbreaking work would provide a framework for my research where she looks at intricate representation of girls in recent history. Siehlohrs (2000) anthology investigates generic codes used in gender in regards to national identity in European films. She also exa mines how representations of women are effected by particular national milieu. This provides a baseline to investigate influences of societal factors on representation of women in Law and Order: SVU. Hanson (2007) proposes alternative ways of viewing classic and contemporary Hollywood heroines and the associations of gender with genre. She investigates representation of women as investigator and heroine in the variable context of the film industry which will enable me to apply the same approach to my research. She confers meticulous attention to the production of narrative, actions and perception as well as negotiation of feminine self and desires across the past. Jaceys (2010) book about The Woman in the Story: Writing Memorable Female Characters would be of significant value on this topic. She states that by creating a heroine, the screenwriter has to consider all kinds of differences, from character development to gender issues in the development process. This would allow me dig deeper into the depiction of female characters on Law and Order: SVU such as Olivia Bensons character as a Detective and Alexandra Cabot character as a District Attorney. According to Knight (2010), female action heroes extensively influence individuals in society and also reveal a lot about our society. Her analysis on female action here would help me understand Olivia Bensons character on Law and Order: SVU as she is seen as a role model and a super heroine to a lot of women. Furthermore, I will examine Buffy which was a very popular show with very sharp and provocative commentaries on gender. In Undead TV, media studies scholars tackle the Buffy phenomenon and its many afterlives in popular culture, the television industry, the Internet, and academic criticism (Levine and Parks, 2007). Stuller (2010) illustrates the triumph of female hero in contemporary mythology which has cracked through male dominated environment and divulges into the crucial role of female crime fighters in popular culture. METHODOLOGY: Litosseliti (2002) book on Gender, Identity and Discourse Analysis will provide me with the tools to employ discourse analysis to the media text for my research. I will conduct a discourse analysis on Law and Order: SVU to find out why Olivia Benson is considered a positive role model. Benson has been taken up as a feminist icon by artists and bloggers because shes the type of person who triumphs over adversity, stands up against injustice, and never blinks when shes staring down a bad guy. Furthermore, it will aid me in examining other female characters re-presented as victims and criminals. Research has shown that violence against women is a serious public health and human rights concern (World Health Organization 2000) and that the concurrent presentation of women as sex objects and victims in various forms of media increases acceptance of violence against women (Malamuth, 1996). As television has the widest audience of any medium (Gunter Wober, 1992), it is of uttermost importan ce to have an improved representation of women on television. I will draw primarily upon the discourse analysis of Law and Order: SVU to examine the meanings behind the representations of women as victims to more positive and hopeful depictions. Marion (2008) argues that the contemporary portrayals of women within popular culture are shaped by two major trends: the mainstreaming of pornography and its resultant hypersexualization of women and girls, and the commodification of those images for a global market. Wood (2000) book will provide both the practical steps for doing discourse analysis and the theoretical justifications for those steps. This book shows students how the social world revolves around talk and text. This book will aid in my research a great deal as it presents actual examples, covers data collection methods and strategies for data analysis, and addresses issues of reliability and validity. Tolsons (2006) book Media Talk: Spoken Discourse on TV and Radio investigates distinctive forms of mediated speech on TV and radio through discourse analysis. Media Talk is the first book to provide a comprehensive review of this important work. Lorenzo-Duss (2008) Television Discourse examines the specific forms and structures of talk across media genres. This book will provide me an in-depth knowledge of the discourse analysis on TV as it examines four defining characteristics of the current broadcast landscape: Storytelling, Closeness, Conflict and Persuasion. This would allow me to analyse the characters on Law and Order: SVU and find out if they are portrayed positively or negatively. Even though the women on LO: SVU are tough and strong, there are still some problematic issues in their representation. They are re-presented as victims or offenders in a lot of episodes. For example, Detective Olivia Benson is frequently victimized throughout the show, including her being stalked in Seasons 1 and 3, and more recently she is sexually assaulted while undercover in a prison. Furthermore, there were several suggestions in episodes on how the female detective pays a lot of attention to her appearance. An in-depth research would allow a more precise and comprehensive investigation on the topic. References [You may optionally use Bibliography or Works Cited] Cavender, Gray , 1999. The Construction Of Gender In Reality Crime Tv. Journal Of Broadcasting Electronic Media , Volume 13, Issue 5, 643-663. Dobash, R. E., Dobash, R. (1998). Rethinking Violence Against Women. Thousand Oaks, Calif, Sage Publications. Dominick, Joseph R. , 2004. The Portrayal Of Women In Prime Time, 1953-1977. Sex Roles, Volume 5, Number 4, 405-411. DAcci, Julie, 1994. Defining Women: Television and the Case of Cagney and Lacey. Edition. University of North Carolina Press. DAcci, Julie, Brunsdon, Charlotte and Spigel, Lynn , 2007. Feminist Television Criticism: A Reader. Edition. Open University Press. Douglas M. Snauffer, 2006. Crime Television (The Praeger Television Collection). Edition. Praeger. Elasmar, Michael, Hasegawa, Kazumi and Brain, Mary. 2009. The portrayal of women in U.S. prime time television. Journal of Broadcasting Electronic Media , Volume 43, Issue 1 Gill, Rosalind Clair, 2007. Gender and the Media. 1 Edition. Polity. Gunter, Barrie And Wober, Mallory 1992. The Reactive Viewer: Review Of Research On Audience Reaction Measurement (Independent Television Commission Research Monograph.). Edition. University Of Luton Press. Humphries, Drew. 2009. Women, Violence, and the Media: Readings in Feminist Criminology (Northeastern Series on Gender, Crime, and Law). Edition. Northeastern. Ingham, H. (2007, December 18) The Portrayal of Women on Television. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/hzi9401.html. [Accessed 18 March 2012]. Inness, Sherrie A. 2004. Action Chicks: New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture. First Edition Edition. Palgrave Macmillan. Jacey, Helen 2010. The Woman in the Story: Writing Memorable Female Characters. Edition. Michael Wiese Productions. Knight, Gladys L. 2010. Female Action Heroes: A Guide to Women in Comics, Video Games, Film, and Television. Edition. Greenwood Levine, Elana and Parks, Lisa. 2007. Undead TV: Essays on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 1st Edition. Duke University Press Lorenzo-Dus, Nuria. 2008. Television Discourse: Analysing Language in the Media. 1 Edition. Palgrave Macmillan. Litosseliti, Lia 2002. Gender Identity and Discourse Analysis (Discourse Approaches to Politics, Society, and Culture, 2). Edition. John Benjamins Pub Co. Magoulick, Mary, 2006. Frustrating Female Heroism: Mixed Messages In Xena, Nikita, And Buffy. The Journal Of Popular Culture, Vol. 39, No. 5, 734. Malamuth, N. (1996). Sexually Explicit Media, Gender Differences And Evolutionary Theory. Journal Of Communication, 46 (3), 8-31. Meyers, Marian 2008. Women In Popular Culture: Representation And Meaning (Political Communication). Edition. Hampton Pr. Tolson, Andrew. 2006. Media Talk: Spoken Discourse on TV and Radio. Edition. Edinburgh University Press. 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ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Essay -- Explorat

ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder When I first heard about ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), I thought, â€Å"C’mon. This psycho-babble has gone too far.† I saw psychologists, researchers, lawyers, teachers, parents, all talking seriously about this claimed disorder. But what I didn’t think about was where this information was coming from. Many talk shows have featured ADHD, where self-righteous citizens cheer, boo, and hiss like a jury at some medieval witch trial. A writer for the reputable publication New York magazine wrote: â€Å"[ADHD] is certainly a fitting disorder for the Nintendo and MTV generations—children who seem more at home playing computer games than having a quiet dinner conversation with their parents,† which sounds like it was written by a disgruntled â€Å"parent† rather than an unbiased reporter (Blau 45). And an article in Time ran quotes from erudite psychologists like Robert Reid, who said that ADHD is just an ego-preserving excuse, merely â€Å"a label of forgiveness† (Wallis 42). Newspapers ran these argumentative headlines: â€Å"Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Deficit Diagnoses† and â€Å"Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder† (Perkins A1, Vatz 82). And before I began learning about ADHD, I too was a media-driven skeptic. But, as with most things, knowledge begets understanding. Recent media coverage might lead one to believe that ADHD is something new, a nineties thing, some vogue malady that somehow explains our disaffected modern youth. Yet the hyperactive child has always been around. He was class clown, the kid in the back row who never shut up. He was the kid whom the teacher constantly sent out of the room or to the office. In the past, these were the children... ..., Inattentive, Impulsive, Obstinate. . . . New York: Villard, 1990. â€Å"Josh.† Personal Interview. 13 March 1995. Levine, Melvin D. â€Å"Attention Deficits: The Diverse Effects of Weak Control Systems in Childhood.† Pediatric Annals 16.2: 117-30. Perkins, Kathryn. â€Å"Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Disorder Diagnosis.† Sacramento Bee 5 Dec. 1994: A1. Safer, Daniel J., and John M. Krager. â€Å"Effect of a Media Blitz and a Threatened Lawsuit on Stimulant Treatment (lawsuits and Ritalin prescription).† Journal of the American Medical Association 268 (1992): 1004. â€Å"Shaun.† Personal Interview. 9 March 1995. Vatz, Richard E., and Lee S. Weinberg. â€Å"Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder.† USA Today Jan. 1995: 84. Wallis, Claudia. â€Å"Life in Overdrive.† Time 18 July 1994: 42. Weiss, Lynn. Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults. Dallas: Taylor, 1992. ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Essay -- Explorat ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder When I first heard about ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), I thought, â€Å"C’mon. This psycho-babble has gone too far.† I saw psychologists, researchers, lawyers, teachers, parents, all talking seriously about this claimed disorder. But what I didn’t think about was where this information was coming from. Many talk shows have featured ADHD, where self-righteous citizens cheer, boo, and hiss like a jury at some medieval witch trial. A writer for the reputable publication New York magazine wrote: â€Å"[ADHD] is certainly a fitting disorder for the Nintendo and MTV generations—children who seem more at home playing computer games than having a quiet dinner conversation with their parents,† which sounds like it was written by a disgruntled â€Å"parent† rather than an unbiased reporter (Blau 45). And an article in Time ran quotes from erudite psychologists like Robert Reid, who said that ADHD is just an ego-preserving excuse, merely â€Å"a label of forgiveness† (Wallis 42). Newspapers ran these argumentative headlines: â€Å"Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Deficit Diagnoses† and â€Å"Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder† (Perkins A1, Vatz 82). And before I began learning about ADHD, I too was a media-driven skeptic. But, as with most things, knowledge begets understanding. Recent media coverage might lead one to believe that ADHD is something new, a nineties thing, some vogue malady that somehow explains our disaffected modern youth. Yet the hyperactive child has always been around. He was class clown, the kid in the back row who never shut up. He was the kid whom the teacher constantly sent out of the room or to the office. In the past, these were the children... ..., Inattentive, Impulsive, Obstinate. . . . New York: Villard, 1990. â€Å"Josh.† Personal Interview. 13 March 1995. Levine, Melvin D. â€Å"Attention Deficits: The Diverse Effects of Weak Control Systems in Childhood.† Pediatric Annals 16.2: 117-30. Perkins, Kathryn. â€Å"Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Disorder Diagnosis.† Sacramento Bee 5 Dec. 1994: A1. Safer, Daniel J., and John M. Krager. â€Å"Effect of a Media Blitz and a Threatened Lawsuit on Stimulant Treatment (lawsuits and Ritalin prescription).† Journal of the American Medical Association 268 (1992): 1004. â€Å"Shaun.† Personal Interview. 9 March 1995. Vatz, Richard E., and Lee S. Weinberg. â€Å"Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder.† USA Today Jan. 1995: 84. Wallis, Claudia. â€Å"Life in Overdrive.† Time 18 July 1994: 42. Weiss, Lynn. Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults. Dallas: Taylor, 1992.

Hagar Currie Shipley from the novel “The Stone Angel” by Margaret Laurence and Edgar Gallant Essay

Through the character Hagar Currie Shipley from the novel â€Å"The Stone Angel† by Margaret Laurence and Edgar Gallant, we can see that life experience and religion have certain affects on people which may change as they grow older. Those impacts can be for the good or the bad. These decisions are made by the people who experience something so great that had changed their minds. When someone goes thought something that might have changed their lives then they sometimes become a different person. Hagar Shipley is often found in contact with her past but not with her emotions. She had been thought a lot in her life and one thing was holding her back which lead her to make the decisions she did. On the other hand, Edgar Gallant, uses his emotions to share his past with his relatives and loved ones. Being this way Edgar became the person he is now. These two people are unique in their own ways but they still have certain similarities with their lives experiences. First Paragraph Hagar Shipley’s life experience has an important affect on her present self since she keeps on leaving the present whenever she feels uncomfortable. In her old age, she escapes the present through daydreaming and wanders around in her past in search of a situation where she had control instead of having to deal with the present situation. For example when Hagar is given Barium by the doctor at the hospital and she is wondering what will happen next: â€Å"I’ve waited like this, for things to get better of worse, many and many a time. I should be used to it. So many years I waited at the Shipley’s place†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We see here that Hagar does not feel comfortable in the present being given a substance she does not know. Therefore Hagar leaves the present in search of a situation she has been in previously where she knows what will happen. Hagar does not only escape from the present mentally but also physically. Even though Hagar is a very proud woman, she becom es progressively more powerless to care for herself and therefore becomes an unbearable tension on her son, Marvin and his wife, Doris. This tension becomes even worst as she takes a trip away from home leaving them stranded, not knowing where she has disappeared: â€Å"Oh dear, you threw an awful scare into us. Why should you go and do such a thing, anyway, mother? When I came back from the store, and found you weren’t there, I nearly when out of my mind. Its been so worrying for us, and we felt so awful, having to go to the police. They looked at me in such a funny way, as though I should’ve taken better care, but how on earth was I to know you’d do a thing like that?† We see here the problems that Hagar has inflicted upon her son and his wife. We do not hear very often of an old lady of ninety two years old running away from home. Hagar needs care because she has become a child. Hagar was never a child because her father made her grow up faster then her age. So as Hagar looks into her past at her childhood she sees a grown up child, so in her old age, she became the child she never was. Hagar’s college education was not a very important part of Hagar’s life even though it has prevented her to live the care free of a young growing women. In those days, college was not the same for girls and boys. We can see this through a quote from Jason Currie: â€Å"It’s not the same for you-there’s no women here to teach you haw to behave like a lady.† Jason was sending Hagar East to learn how to become a lady, not for work related knowledge. This is shown by Jason when Hagar come home two years later: â€Å"Do you think I sent you down East for two solid years just so you could take a one-room school?† Hagar’s father did not need her to learn to do any type of work, he had sent her there for her to be pretty and know how to behave herself like a lady to show off to the entire town to show off his daughter. â€Å"You’re a credit to me. Everyone will be saying that by tomorrow. You’ll not work in the store. It wouldn’t do.† We here realizes that Jason has sent his daughter Hagar to college so that he could be proud of her. Hagar is also very proud as we can see when her father hits her: â€Å"I wouldn’t let him see me cry. I was so enraged.† This is pride, she has inherited from her father. Her father then realizes that she will not let him see her cry and says: â€Å"You take after me, you’ve got backbone, I’ll give you that.† From this quote, we can see that Hagar’s pride comes directly from her father. Hagar once said:† â€Å"Pride was my wilderness and the demon that led me there was fear.† She has been afraid of being unrespectable which is why she decided to go to college and was easily convinced that it was she that should go and not Matt. Afraid of needing too much and giving too much, Hagarâ€℠¢s pride is both unsettling and inspirational. Second Paragraph Edgar Gallant’s life experience and past memories have an important effect on his life and relationships with others. Edgar had a very interesting past that affects him even today. His past affects his career as a volunteer in the later years of his life as he helps out others with his knowledge. He has been asked to take part in over a dozen organizations due to his previous success in his life’s work. Not thinking he has fulfilled his dream and what he was sent here to do, he has accepted to help out in about nine different association for the public usually as a president or vice president of comities. Edgar Gallant uses his past, not to hide, but to enrich his every day’s work. Unlike Hagar, Edgar has usually worked in a team thinking that several brains are better then one, sharing information to reach a better solution that one could not come up with alone. Edgar does not hide his emotions, he believes that hiding a certain part of them is good in the work environment because of the professional look and rational approach to have in a work environment with work partners. On the other hand, he is very open towards his family and shares everything with them. He has shared hi time between work and family always leaving enough time to carry on his duties as a responsible father. Sharing his feeling with his wife and children, he was able to create a feeling of trust and educate his children in the way he thought was best. Edgar found that sharing some degree of emotion show as well as the rational view of things was the best approach in family situation. It is good to show emotion to a certain degree. One does not want to overwhelm, but share his problems with his family. â€Å"I have always consciously made an effort not to let emotion dominate reason.† This shows that he shares his emotions with others but does not let them take over by keeping a rational look on things. Edgar was never really proud in the same way as Hagar. He was often given position he though were above his expertise, but decided that since others had that trust in him, that he would not deceive them so he went on to do what was expected of him, never letting anyone down. Third Paragraph Hagar’s take on religion has changed throughout her life. In her younger age, Hagar was very religious and went to church with her father. Then she found out that her father was having an affair with Lotions mother and since then she started being less religious. After John’s death Hagar stopped being completely religious. She prayed for him to live, but to no avail as she explained to Mr. Troy. She feels that praying is useless because god will not respond to her in the end. Edgar’s take on religion has also changed with age. When he was a boy, his family was very religious. At the age of 13, he was sent to a boarding school which had a priests where all his companions and teacher were extremely religious. As soon as he left the boarding school, he then realized that he did not agree with some of the religious concepts he was taught. From then on he decided to take a different look on religion. As he got old he leaned more about the world and that added to his concepts to religion which was also a reason why it changed. Just like Hagar, Edgar does not currently practice a certain religion but has beliefs of his own inspired from the Catholic Church and books. Edgar has changed his view on religion due to philosophical books, religious texts from other religions and his work which is about social justice and truth to the people. Due to his knowledge as he grew older, he has come to realize that not one religion is true, but that all of them have something good and that religious belief is a sum of all of them. He also mentioned that there is not way of knowing which religion is the right one so taking bits from all of them can maybe create a better understanding from all of them. He also did not let religion take over his life which enabled him to work more frequently. From her childhood as a daughter of a Scottish merchant to her marriage, Hagar has fought a long and wrong battle for freedom and respect. In the end she realises her wrong doings when it became too late, she has gone with her life without thinking about her actions and the consequences. When someone does not know if they are at fault they keep repeating those actions until its too late to reverse them. Edgar on the other hand has nothing to look back on, he knew exactly what he wanted and went right for it. In Edgar’s case he was raised by and worked hard to earn respect which in the end he was granted respect by others. The work he has done for the society is incredible and he is still doing so in a manner that will benefit the society and him self. He will not stop working until he probably can’t function anymore. The benefit that he is getting out of it is the joy of being able to make a difference. Hagar unfortunately realized this near the end of her life, when time was running out. She realized this when she only performed one task to help out the girl in the hospital. If only she realised that helping others is rewarding and makes a difference, then she could have started at an earlier age. Whether it’s a person’s character or religion, as one grows older their views change. This could include a change in heart or opinion.