Monday, September 30, 2019

Globalisation of Entertainment Industry in India

GLOBALISATION OF ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IN INDIA INTRODUCTION TO GLOBALISATION(HSS F317) Submitted By: Submitted To: * Sankalp Bhatia Mr. T. Chakraborty * Tanish Anand Department of Humanities and Languages * Manas Lohani * Akshit Sandooja * Keshav Khanna ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A comprehensive report always requires the goodwill, encouragement, guidance and support of many people. We would like to thank the Instructor in-charge of the course, Mr. Tathagato Chakraborty for allowing us to explore new aspects about report writing through this exercise.We are grateful to our instructor for giving an opportunity to prepare a report on the topic â€Å"Globalisation of Entertainment Industry in India†. Also, we would like to thank him for his unflinching support and guidance. We also acknowledge with gratitude the consistent cooperation received from the BITS Library staff. The books they provided us served as an ideal data source which helped us throughout in the development of this repor t. We wish to express our appreciation to the enormous help given by our friends who spared a great amount of their valuable time in going through the manuscript and providing suggestions.CONTENTS * Introduction * Indian Film Industry * Current Situation * Emergence of new sources of income * Digitalisation of screens and increase in the number of screens * Foreign Investment * Shooting in foreign locations * Emerging 3D cinema and Advanced VFX * New Market Techniques * Indian Music Industry * Effect on Bollywood * Effect on Indian classical music * Effect on musical instruments * Indian Television Industry * Overview * Entry of foreign players * Case Study – Star Network * Rating Wars * Foreign content and storylines Challenges faced by the industry * Case study on viewership in Delhi * Bibliography The Globalisation of Indian Entertainment and Media (E&M)Industry-An introduction India’s entertainment economy is growing rapidly, and the world is taking note. The count ry is among the world’s youngest nations, with more than half a billion people under the age of 25. With favorable demographics and a rise in disposable incomes, the propensity to spend on leisure and entertainment is growing faster than the economy itself.Enticed by economic liberalization and the huge volume of demand for leisure and entertainment, many of the global media giants are starting to set shop in this country, once known as a land of snake charmers. In recent years, the Indian entertainment and media (E&M) industry has out-performed the Indian economy and companies from all over the globe are increasingly envisioning their growth linked to emerging and developing giants like India, which is why they are now focused on growing and branding their businesses in this market. The E&M industry-The major segmentsThe media and entertainment industry consists of many different segments under its folds such as television, print, and films. It also includes smaller segments like radio, music, OOH(Out of Home Media is an advertising medium which reaches out to the ‘difficult-to-reach' and  SEC A  consumers wherever they are, thus offering the advertiser an all day primetime. ), animation, gaming and visual effects (VFX) and Internet advertising. [1]  Entertainment Industry in India has registered an explosive growth in last two decades making it one of the fastest growing industries in India.From a single state owned channel, Doordarshan in the 1990s to more than 400 active channels,the E&M industry is galloping, even through tough times when others are facing recession. SIZE OF INDUSTRY The domestic entertainment industry was estimated at nearly Rs 225. 0 billion and provided employment opportunities for nearly 6. 0 million people in the year 1999. In terms of foreign exchange earnings, the industry contributed around Rs 4,000. 0 million in the year 1999. In the year 2008, the E&M Industry stood at INR 584 billion, a growth of almost 12. % ,every subsequent year. Over the next few years, this industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12. 5% & reach the size of INR 1152 billion by 2017. PROPELLERS OF GROWTH-The major Factors The growth in this sector of the Indian economy has been propelled by a number of factors such as :(a)the corporatization of the film industry, (b)a booming television sector, (c)a fast growing radio sector, (d)a expanding market for print products and other technological changes such as the advent of digital technology.Some of the significant changes include the emergence of new niche content genres such as reality television; the India Premier League (IPL), with cricket emerging as a mainstream entertainment genre; internationalization of Indian media and an increased production of content for global audience, launch of TV channels such as NDTV Arabia and NDTV Malaysia, launch of German edition of Filmfare magazine in 2008 and co-production and production of Hollywood movies by Indian players; a nd a substantial increase in Foreign Direct Investment into the Indian media sector.With $88 million of FDI flowing into the media sector in the last three years, increased density of alternative delivery platforms and digitization are collectively changing consumption patterns in the entertainment industry across India. Media sectors,regarded as â€Å"sunset† sectors in mature markets,are flourishing in India. For example,the newspaper industry,which is rapidly declining in other developed countries, is flourishing in India, on account of increasing literacy levels, consumer spending and the growth of regional markets and specialty newspapers.Newspapers account for 42% of all advertising spend in India, the most of any medium. INDIAN TELEVISION INDUSTRY Television is one of the major segments of the Indian entertainment industry and has thousands of programs in all the states of India. India is the third largest television market in the world. [5]The small screen has produce d numerous celebrities of their own kind with some even attaining national fame. TV soaps are extremely popular with housewives as well as working women. The increasing popularity in the satellite cable television segment has been a major cause for the high growth in this industry.The cable subscriber base has increased from around 0. 05 million in the early 90s’ to around 24. 0 million in the year 1999-2000 is further estimated to increase to nearly 120. 0 million by the end of 2013. With the rapid proliferation of channels (over 75), and the privatization of DD, growth in this segment is projected to be rather high. Indian Film Industry â€Å"You are not a true Indian if u don't follow cricket or bollywood† This is the impact the film industry has had on the minds of Indian people. Indians love to watch movies.With the advent of improved technologies in all aspects from film production (Rise of 3D cinema, Advent of digital cinema and the growth of multiplexes)to mark eting(wanna see a movie and all stores are closed buy it on the google playstore,or watch it online!! ),the increased corporatisation of industry(Collaboration with international studios: International film studios such as Warner Bros. , Disney, Fox and Dreamworks etc) and Resurgence of regional cinema, the Indian Film Industry has become the biggest contributor in the growth of the E&M indusry. GOING GAGA-THE BOOM IN RADIO INDUSTRYOne of the major drivers that have helped the media industry in India canter along at a blistering pace has been the good old radio. AM, FM and even Satellite Radio have made a huge impact on the Industry in India. The stage is set for major revenue growth among the various Radio Channels. In fact what we are seeing is not some newfound love for the old medium but just the natural uncoiling of the market after the liberalisation and privatisation of the industry Everything is new and nice at the moment. People in India today are spoilt for choice. Be it a ny media platform they have a stack of channels to choose from.In fact listening to FM Radio in India is very  weird, as it seems too â€Å"clean† without the usual news on the hour. Talking about  weird  of all the things Satellite Radio is here. WORLDSPACE has got around 65000 subscribers in India. That’s two thirds of its entire audience around the world. People like it because it is clean without commercials. In most developed markets though where broadband penetration is high people have access to thousands of radio channels via the Internet. Satellite radio hence does not generally do well there. The other limitations of satellite radio are the unavailability of portable devices in the country.THE MUSIC INDUSTRY The Indian entertainment industry is incomplete without the inclusion of music. Music,since the 90s has become the integral part of the Indian cinema. you will have to search hard to find an indian movie that doesn't incorporate a song. its not just the mentality of producers, it’s the public demand that drives the producers to include songs, whether its justified or not. Over the years, the importance of music has only increased, especially in case of the movie industry. Of late, movies have gone on to become huge successes largely on the backdrop of good music.While the popularity of film music increased, it also resulted in the growth of other segments such as remix, Indi-pop etc. Distributors Despite major changes occurring in the industry, most of the audience is still dependent on distribution network . Since timing is a very crucial factor here, only the companies with wider reach are able to thrive and generate profits. As distribution companies retain a major part of the profits generated in this industry, majority of them have diversified into setting up of their own retail stores. HMV is a pioneer in this area and has an excellent chain of stores at its disposal.This strategy has helped the companies to gauge the consumers’ changing perceptions and revamp their product offerings to meet the popular demand. Exchange of talent Globalisation has helped the music production companies to share the international pool of talent. The rate of usage of international talent increased tremendously after the 1990’s. Later, many artists’ internationally renowned artists have featured in Indian songs and vice versa. A. R. Rahman composed and produced music for the film  Slumdog Millionaire and  Resul Pookutty mixed the sound for the same film.Such examples display not only the impact of global companies on the indian industries, but that of Indians on the global stage. HINDI FILM INDUSTRY Current Situation :-The Hindi film Industry popularly known as â€Å"Bollywood† is the main contributor to the Indian film industry after regional language film industries like Bengali, Tamil, Telegu and Marathi. The Indian film industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10. 1 per cent to touch INR 150 Billion in 2016. The industry was estimated to be INR 93 billion in 2011 indicating a growth of 11. 5 per cent as compared to 2010.Although the country’s filmed entertainment industry is the largest in the world in terms of the number of films it produces (about 900) and its theatrical admissions (around 3 billion), it continues to be small in size in terms of revenue, mainly due to low ticket realization and occupancy levels. Moreover, lack of quality content and rising competition from Hollywood films continue to affect it. Source:-The Indian Bollywood Industry, DIBD-OMI, May 2012. However, one cannot underestimate the changes that have taken place in the Indian cinema due the fast globalizing or westernizing world.After Indian economy opened its gates for the rest of the world, a lot investment in terms of technology and funds have entered into the industry. Although 22 years since 1991 might seem a small time frame in the film industry, but it remains qu ite significant in terms of the progresses made. With more awareness, Bollywood has realized that it is necessary to create an ambience in the movies, so the movies target both the Indian culture as well as a more international culture overseas. Hence over the last 10 years Bollywood has become more international and has begun targeting a more global audience than before.Films like K3G, Kal ho na ho, My Name is Khan, Salaam Namaste, and recently Cocktail, have been a success in the overseas market mainly because of their portrayal of Indians living abroad. Bollywood films are not only watched by people in India, but also neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka watch the movies. Moreover, countries with large groups of Hindi and Urdu speaking population like Australia, UK, Africa and the US have many Bollywood fans. And countries like Russia and Japan are also buyers of Bollywood productions.Now, with the ever transforming world and tastes of the the viewers, the Indian film industry is trying its level best to match up to the needs. Some of the changes seen in the recent times are which can be attributed to globalisation are:- 1. Emergence of new source of income. Although revenues from the theatre segment constitute around 60% of the overall revenue for a movie, other revenue streams have begun to make a meaningful contribution. The trend of selling satellite and home-video rights prior to release gained momentum in 2010, and has enabled producers to involve lesser risks in their business models.Most of the revenues of the films are now earned within the first week itself which gives the film producers a chance to sell TV rights and air the movies earlier than before. A lot of films are now premiered very soon after they are being released and the satellite rights are sold well before the movies are released . Due to this, piracy is not that big an issue that it was a few years ago. Owing to these strategies, 2012 proved t o be a good year for Bollywood with 6 movies crossing the 100 crore mark. Source-KPMG 2. Digitalisation of screens and increase in the number of screens. To fight ne of the threats of piracy which was one way or the other because of other sources of information like internet, the film industry now a days do not send their physical prints at the theatres, rather they are relayed through satellite technologies like UFO. This has increased the no. of screens in which the movie runs many folds. Consider the case of Salman Khan’s first movie Maine Pyar Kiya which released across 500 screens in India and compare it with Ek tha tiger which opened to a record 3300 screens . The growth of multiplexes has improved the movie-going experience for Indian audiences and has led to increase per-ticket realization.Rising urbanization and growing disposable incomes are also driving increased investments in multiplexes. In addition, theatres with low seating capacities allow cost-effective scre ening of movies that are targeted at niche audiences. However, there is still further ground to be covered. The average number of screens per million in India is presently12, as compared to the global average of 54 screens per million. The number of multiplex screens in India is expected to increase from 1,000 in 2010 to 1,405 by 2013. Source: KPMG 3. Foreign Investment :With the liberalisation of indian economy in the 90s, we have seen that international film studios like Warner Bros. , Disney, Fox and DreamWorks have entered into collaborations with local film production houses to develop Hindi and regional movies. â€Å"Saawariya†, in 2007 was the first Hollywood produced Bollywood movie in India. â€Å"My Name is Khan†, produced by Fox Star Studios was a huge success both in India and abroad. Walt Disney, who earlier held a 50% stake in UTV, has now acquired a controlling stake in UTV Software Communications.Viacom18 has also entered a deal with the global movie co mpany Paramount Pictures to market and distribute the latter’s movies in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It has already ventured into production of Hindi language movies, and the new deal is expected to help create a distribution network. Local film production can benefit from the experience of these international studios to expand their international reach and incorporate enhanced project planning and cost controls. In a process to make India a filming destination, the Ministry of Information andBroadcasting is looking for setting up a Film Commission that will initially act as a single-window clearance agency to issue permits for shooting. At present, international producers need to seek many approvals. While they require script approvals from the ministries like I&B Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs, cast and crew approvals are required from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Based on the kind of shots and location, they need approvals from Customs Department, the Archaeological Survey of India besides several other local and State authorities.Following excerpt from a newspaper depicts how creating such a single window clearance system can affect the Indian Filmmakers. Source: HT City, Hindustan Times, 14th April, 2013 4. Shooting in foreign locations, a boost for tourism In the recent past, many films have been extensively shot in foreign locations: Movie Country Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Spain Rockstar Czech Republic RA. OneUnited Kingdom Don 2 Germany Ek Main Aur Ek Tu United States of America Worldwide, countries offer various incentives to encourage film producers to use their locations to shoot films.Incentives are offered in the following forms: †¢ Cash rebates – where a certain percentage of expenditure in a country is provided as rebate to the film producers †¢ Tax credits – where a percentage of expenditure in a country is allowed as credit against the income. †¢ Exemption from or refund of VAT and Custom s duty. †¢ Interest free loans †¢ Soft funding – negotiated tourism benefits, such as easier processing of visas, and discounts on accommodation and travel. Benefits of film incentives regime:- Boost to the tourism industry: Films shot in foreign locations depict diversity, history and landscapes of a country which help in increasing tourism in a country. * Benefits to the economy: Inflow of foreign exchange. * Boost to local film production : For example, the success of Slumdog Millionaire, which was shot in India and was a collaboration between Hollywood and Indian film technicians, helped the Indian film production houses secure more business. * Technological exchange * Creation of employment opportunity: Hiring of local technicians. Cultural Exchange Some Facts:- * The flow of Indian tourists to Australia increased by 20% from 2004–2006, especially after the success of Salaam Namaste. * The production of Heyy Babyy injected around US$2. 1 million into the state’s economy where it was shot. * Switzerland hosts around 150,000 tourists from India and large number of Bollywood movies are shot in the country every year. * Many US states such as California, New York, Michigan,Nevada and Utah offer incentives to film and television production companies from India.Many Bollywood movies have been shot in the US including My Name is Khan, Kabhi alvida na kehna, Kal ho na ho, to name a few. 5. Emerging 3D cinema and Advanced VFX:- 3D is a prominent theme these days and has demonstrated its significant potential with benefits such as increased audience engagement, increased ticket prices and the exclusivity of the medium, i. e, the theaters. The success of Avatar has taken 3D movie-making to new heights. Multiplexes could look at the feasibility of investing larger amounts on 3D screens to meet the growing demand to view 3D.There is an emerging market for 3D movies in India with movies like Any Body Can Dance, Dangerous Ishqq, Ra. One an d Haunted-3D. A new window of opportunity could open up if Bollywood is able to produce high quality 3D content. The visual effects (VFX) industry is a rapidly growing segment in India. It includes the creation of live action imagery by using computer-generated effects. It is increasingly being used by the visual media in India and can be classified into the following verticals — movies, TV shows and advertisements.The segment is still at its nascent stage with mainly low-end work being done in India. Domestic consumption is small, and therefore, the bulk of the work includes outsourced projects from the US and the UK. However, the domestic market is seeing bigger budget movies and ad campaigns, which are now open to spend more on VFX to provide an enhanced visual experience to viewers. There has been a significantly high growth in the number of VFX companies operating in India. According to some estimates, there are more than 40 major domestic VFX companies catering to the n eeds of domestic and international clients.Currently, India accounts for only around 10% of the total animation and VFX outsourcing pie. However, there is scope for growth and the amount of work coming to India from Hollywood is on the rise. In late 2011, VenSat Tech Services, a VFX company, joined hands with Reliance MediaWorks Limited to set up a VFX, computer graphics and animation team. 6. New Market Techniques. With more Hollywood movies getting released in India, Indian movies are adopting newer marketing techniques like selling merchandises, video games, toys etc. The indian film Ra.One was a first of its kind campaign with a complete 360 degree approach. Films like Harry Potter, Shrek, Superman, Batman have been successfully using this approach for their campaigns. EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON INDIAN MUSIC Effect on Bollywood One distinguishing feature of Indian films has always been its music. While the musical lost its dominance as a genre in Hollywood in the early 1960s, l argely due to the advent of rock music, Indian music scenario saw no such change. With the advent of â€Å"talkies†, Indian films started incorporating songs as an important element of the narrative.The sets and costumes, action scenes, presentation of stars, grandiloquent dialogues, and song and dance sequences became the main attraction in a movie for the fans. Song sequences are used for several purposes in films. Sometimes a song is a narrative part of the film; other times it is used as a dream sequence, or the lovers’ fantasy. Sometimes they function to allow an expression of feeling that cannot be articulated otherwise—notably the declaration of love. When music channels like MTV and V on cable and FM radio started roadcasting in India, the Hindi film music gained even more popularity. The music is important economically since the sale of music rights may recover a good part of the budget of the film. Recently, the film industry has been pre-releasing sou ndtracks for films along with music videos(which are basically clips of the songs from the film) some months in advance. This heightens pre-release interest among audiences and act as advertisements of the film. The latest trend that has been started is that of â€Å"Item Numbers†.The overt hypersexualization of the song-dance sequence is a kind of â€Å"MTVization† of Hindi film music; the song is packaged as a 5-minute video which can advertise the film and be sold as an independent commodity. A musical industry old timer has said â€Å"Whereas in older song-and-dance sequence the erotic had an element of coy and the tentative, today the erotic has in it elements of rank sexuality, brutish pride, and vulgarity. Naked feet adorned by anklets have been replaced with high leather boots and the pelvic thrusts display the hunger of a newly-unleashed sexuality.As in other spheres, in the theatre of sexuality, the Indian adventure with globalization is on display† It em numbers have become economic necessity for film producers, singers, and music directors who want to market themselves to a global audience, to globalize the appeal of Hindi film music, and to attract younger, upwardly mobile, city-based audiences. The song-dance sequences have taken on an â€Å"international† look, using a multi-cultural dance cast and hip hop-influenced clothing. Such tastes and representations are far too alien to the rural and lower middle class audiences. Effect on Indian Classical MusicIndian culture has been attached with music since long time, with traditional Indian music being the most famous among Indians till the time globalization hit the country. Western culture followers are increasing in India due to adoptive nature of Indian consumers. Though the number of youth listening to traditional Indian music may have declined but globalization has acted as a two way street in its truest sense. Indian classical musical instruments like veena, sitar a nd table have been incorporated heavily into the â€Å"World Music† genre which focuses on fusion and bringing out the spiritual side of music.Artists like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Amjad Ali Khan, Bismillah Khan and Zakir Hussain are renowned and respected globally. The situation surrounding the traditional classical music of India continues to change due to the remarkable advances made in methods of information dissemination and communication, among these the rapid growth of the Internet. Some critiques say that the commercialization of Indian music seems to have led to the monopolization of the market by a small numbers of â€Å"stars. Over the last ten years, it has in large part been the same small group of musicians who have been performing concerts in major cities. The popularization of Indian music has led too to changes in performance styles and audiences appreciation. This includes, for example, shortened performances, the traditional raga time concept meaningles s, and an overemphasis on technique. Serious practitioners and students of Indian music, in particular Hindustani music, have increased dramatically throughout the world. This is evident from the increasing number of Indian musicians traveling abroad to perform and record.In some Western educational institutions, Hindustani music has already been established as a formal area of study, and research is being done to determine the most effective methods of education in this discipline. In light of this trend, the traditional master/pupil method, Guru-Shishya-Parampara, has proved to be something of a controversial problem. Effect on Musical Instruments Increasing globalization ; increasing use of internet have resulted in changing the taste of music lovers; ultimately influencing their musical instrument choices.Gradually, the appetite for playing western music instrument has been fulfilled with the increase in number of western music schools. India western musical instruments market h as been anticipated to reach INR 542. 84 Crore by 2017. TELEVISION AND GLOBALISATION OVERVIEW Media imperialism is a sub category of under the broader category of media imperialism. The conventional view was that it was the global (particularly US) media that dominated and the technologies associated with it that were imperialistic and ruled the world. But the scenario was changing on the advent of 1990s due to nationalised media arising and getting promoted. Al-Jazeera was founded in 1996 and is a Qatar based company. Bollywood is seen as an answer to Hollywood. Reuters is major news company founded in Britain. Times of India is the world’s 3rd largest circulating paper. † These are some examples to name a few of the changing global media trend. Since the advent of television in 1920s it has been a source of news and entertainment. Majority of the channels were state funded and had little commercial use. After the arrival of globalisation television was changed, as the viewers were seen as a mode of income from advertisements and this began a war of TV ratings among the channel providers began.They turned the political struggle for television into a battle for market shares with an increasing international orientation. The liberalisation of television in association with the development of new broadcasting technologies led to a multitude of competing TV stations and to a diversity of available programmes. Private broadcasters’ dependence on funding by adverts caused a commercialisation of TV and shifted the focus of programming to ratings, which have become an all-dominant factor. The constant search for new ways of attracting viewers’ attention favours sensational topics and resulted in a variety of new programme formats.India was one of the most affected countries due to this trend. Ramayana and Mahabharata were the first major TV series in India. 1980s saw the arrival of popular shows like Hum Paanch, bharat ek khoj which made th e viewers engrossed in them. ENTRY OF FOREIGN PLAYERS In 1991 the government allowed private and foreign broadcasters to engage in limited operations in India. This was the first step of globalisation of Indian TV industry as this led to the entry of major foreign players such as CNN, STAR TV and domestic private enterprises such as ETV, ZEE.In 1999–2003, other international channels such as Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, VH1, Disney and Toon Disney entered the market. Starting in 2003, there has been an explosion of news channels in various languages; the most notable among them are  NDTV,  CNN IBN  and  Aaj Tak. The most recent channels/networks in the Indian broadcasting industry include UTV Movies, UTV Bindass, Zoom, Colours, 9X and 9XM. CASE STUDY- STAR TV STAR TV is an US based company owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. It currently has 35 channels in 7 languages with around 400 million viewers in India â€Å"courtesy http://www. tartv. com/aboutus. asp x. † They currently own one of the most viewed channels of India such as Star Plus, Star Gold, Star Movies, Star world, Channel [V] to name a few. It is the leading TV channel in terms of no. of channels and viewers in India with hit shows such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Star Voice of India and 24X7 movies. RATING WARS Entertainment channels form the largest part of Indian TV industry with foreign and domestic players both. They broadcast daily shows which are mainly targeted to the family audience particularly ladies called â€Å"Soap Operas†.This is a huge source of revenue and entertainment as most of the advertisements are shown in this time slot making this a win-win situation for everybody. These not only include popular Hindi shows such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi or Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki but also in other languages such as Punjabi, Marathi and English such as Ugly Betty, 90210, Damini. The popularity of these serials is evident from the data shown a bove. Source: TAM peopleter system, GEC Ratings (April 22-28) One of the major sources of entertainment is the sports channels which are dedicated to the world of sports.There are 20 sports channels till date with the majority owned by the foreign powerhouses such as ESPNSTAR (owned by FOX network), SONY SIX. Children's interest channels  are  television  specialty channels  that present children's interest content. This market is almost entirely owned by foreign companies such as Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon. The NEWS channels are the ones which have most of the domestic companies and have one of the fiercest rivalries among them. Other channels include dedicated to music, movies, sci-fi and general info. Majority of them are owned by foreign TNC’s such as MTV, Discovery, and HBO.All of these are owned by foreign media conglomerates and are one of the most viewed channels in India. All of these are owned by foreign media conglomerates and are one of the most viewed c hannels in India. FOREIGN CONTENT AND STORYLINES The content of the channels are also influenced by the global trends. In most of the cases either the storyline or the format of successful foreign shows are copied. Some of the examples are as shown below: * Jassi jaisi koi nahi – Ugly Betty * Big boss – Big brother * Indian idol – American idol * India’s got talent – Americas got talent Fear factor – Fear factor * Masterchef India – Masterchef Australia The viewership of English sitcoms are on the rise in the young generation such as Friends, HIMYM due to the rising English speaking population which has increased the revenues of these channels such as STAR World, AXN. On the rise is the viewership of movies both Hindi and English as evident from the exorbitant prices channels are paying for the television premiers of the movies. The sports TV industry is one of the fastest growing industries due to huge fan following also known as â⠂¬Å"popular culture†.The increase of number of sports channel in India is rapid. Cricket and football has proved itself as a huge source of revenue generation as perceived from the data below. IPL, world cup, BPL are huge attractions for advertisers and they are willing to invest in them. And majority of them are the TNCs who spare the big bucks. Top 5 most viewed events in 2010-2011 in India 2011 cricket world cup final – 67. 6 million viewers| Budget 2011 – 37 million| Commonwealth 2010 opening ceremony – 30 million| IPL 3 final – 9. 6 million| 2010 FIFA world cup final – 1. 5 million|Source: aMap data, Times of India Also the emergence of debating style of news presentation can be seen as an effect of globalisation. Now majority of the news channel present debates in their primetime slots so as to include various opinions. This has been a huge success. Also the technological advancement in television industry such as digitalization has imp roved the services offered which has also led to increased viewership. This is a direct result of globalization as the technology and information is transferred between nations. CHALLENGES FACED BY THE INDUSTRYBut the television industry faces many challenges due to globalization. * Main disadvantage is the accumulation of power in few foreign media conglomerates which hinders the growth of domestic market. Few Indian companies have been able to establish themselves in front of the global power. * The media sometimes become biased and influence the public opinion. For example in Saddam Hussein case media houses passionately supported US in their operation and thus took people on US side without telling the full story. * Also the advent of reality TV shows has increased their share which results in disproportionation.Time should be divided suitably for all types of entertainment which is not so in the present scenario. * TV has not yet been able to penetrate the rural parts of India due to lack of connectivity which is needed as it acts as a source of information. * Also in this century of internet viewers are migrating to web services. This has resulted formation of web portals of channels which is not encouraging to the TV industry. CASE STUDY ON VIEWERSHIP IN DELHI The figures below show the impact of television in the three major metropolitans and show type wise distribution of channels in Delhi. Source: www. amindia. com Bibliography n. d. http://www. indiantelevision. com. n. d. http://www. startv. com. n. d. www. tamindia. com. Film Industry In India: New Horizons. Ernst ; Young Pvt Ltd. , 2011. Google Images. n. d. http://images. google. co. in/. HT City. â€Å"Foreigners First, But What about us? † April 14, 2013. Indian Express. â€Å"IPL 6. † April 8, 2013. Reseasrch and Markets-Market research reports. n. d. http://researchandmarkets. com. Ritzer, George. â€Å"Globalization a basic text. † n. d. Vogg, Ejvind. The Indian Bollywo od Industry. DIBD, 2012. Wikipedia, The free Encyclopedia. n. d. http://wikipedia. org.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Ethics & Philosophy Essay

Free markets can be said to be the markets which have no government interference or regulation. The only regulations present are the ones which involve protecting property rights and maintaining the legal system. Free markets are markets in which the product prices are solely set through market forces, as opposed to interference by external forces. There is also free competition in free markets, and the law of supply and demand is used to fix prices of goods and services in such markets. There are various philosophers who support free markets while others are opposed to such markets. The paper will analyze the contributions of Adam smith, Karl Marx and Milton Friedman on the issue and will give a brief conclusion on the issues discussed. Karl Marx. Karl Marx was a German philosophers who is considered to be amongst the most controversial philosophers in history. He was against capitalism and free markets, which he viewed to be a means with which property owners or the rich use to maintain control over the peasants or poor. Karl Marx viewed the capitalist system as a system meant to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. He explained that initially, capitalism was meant to be a means with which people exchanged commodities which they did not have. However, after money was created, it evolved and became a means with which people could make profits as opposed to satisfying the demand for products. Over time, capitalism undermined the human development and well being, and products created could now dictate how interactions between human beings would be. Soon, the relations between society became material as everything was treated in terms of its monetary worth, as opposed to creative and artistic qualities possessed. Capitalism led to the alienation of workers since they were separated from owning the means which was used for production, and they became slaves to the people who owned those means. This led to the emergence of two economic groups; the property owners and the workers, and the latter were oppressed by the former. This is the reason which made him predict the collapse of capitalism and its replacement with socialism. Socialism is a system in which the government or authority controls production so that it may be mutually beneficial to all members of the society or state. Karl Marx was opposed to free markets since they tended to favor the rich and oppress the poor. Free markets are a feature of the capitalist system, which made Karl Marx oppose them. Weaknesses of this argument. Karl Marx is opposed to free markets due to the weaknesses which he views in capitalism. Karl Marx views capitalism to be a system where the rich oppress the poor. He therefore opposes all features of capitalist systems which he views to be a means which promote the exploitation of the poor . However, Karl Marx does not consider the model which combines both capitalism and socialism in order to take advantage of the positive attributes of the two models. Since socialism has its weaknesses, combining both models may be more beneficial to the economy. In this respect, moderate government interference in trade by the government is an option which Karl Marx should have pursued. Adam Smith. He is considered to be the father of the modern economics and he contributed a lot toward the modern capitalist system. Adam Smith was of the opinion that production was the key to economic growth and that this could only be achieved through economic liberalization. Adam Smith therefore supported unregulated markets since he saw them as a means of stimulating economic growth. He explained that free markets would enable individuals to develop a business without having government intervention, and that the people who consume the products developed would do so at prices which have been determined by demand and supply forces . Adam Smith added that free markets enabled the most competitive producers and consumers to survive, which was beneficial to the economy. He viewed free markets are independent problem solvers which did not require government interference, since market forces eventually address any surpluses or shortages which are inherent in the market. Adam Smith uses the ‘invisible hand’ theory to explain the way in which different parts of the economy are integrated. Smith explains that each individual is guided by an invisible hand in making their decisions which benefit the economy, without their knowledge. He explains that individuals carry out actions which are meant to benefit themselves, but they end up benefiting the society at large, which is not the initial aim of the individual. Smith gives an illustration of the creation of a wool coat. He says that the coat is developed after a series of processes which are undertaken by different people. The shepherd who owns the sheep, the spinner who develops the coats, and the shipper who transports them to the market all play a role in the creation of the finished product. He explains that this subconscious process by the different parties involved achieves higher levels of efficiencies than would be achieved had the process been planned by the players involved. It means that markets which are regulated by the government have lower efficiency levels compared to markets which are not regulated . This is the major reason why Adam Smith supports the free markets as opposed to regulated markets. Weaknesses of this argument. Adam smith is of the opinion that free markets enabled the most competitive producers and consumers to survive, which is beneficial to the economy. He gives many attributes of free markets, most of which are true. However, he does not discuss the weaknesses of free markets. Free markets suffer from certain weaknesses such as inhibiting the growth of small firms. Free markets may also experience monopolistic and oligopolistic tendencies which adversely affect the economy. The economy may also suffer certain effects attributed to unfair practices in trade. Other effects like inflation, market downturns and others require regulation by a central authority. Adam Smith does not discuss these situations, which makes his argument inconclusive. Milton Friedman. Friedman made major contributions to the economic crisis during the early 20th century. He viewed the 1920s as a period of sustainable and vital growth. Friedman believed that economic growth and freedom had a direct relationship. He used several principles and arguments to further his support from free markets. The political principle was used by Friedman to define the features of free markets. He explained that in free markets, individuals cannot coerce each other and that there is voluntary cooperation between the parties involved . He further explained that parties which are involved in transactions under such circumstances benefit in one way or another, otherwise they would not participate in these transactions. In free market transactions, there are no social responsibilities and values; there are only shared responsibilities and values. However, Friedman was also of the opinion that the government should intervene in the economy if there is threat to it. One of the instances when Friedman supported government interference was during the Great depression which occurred in 1929. The Great Depression changed the view that the United States economy was robust and that it should be totally free from government control, after the US Stock Exchange collapsed due to various factors. Friedman supports the market regulation and explains that if the Federal Government had intervened and applied the right policies, this depression would have been avoided. He explains that the Federal Government should have suspended payment for the withdrawals being requested by people. The policy which was used at the time, which involved printing more money to supplement the increased demand, is blamed for the Great Depression. This reveals a more soft approach to the initial stand that government intervention should not be allowed, and that the markets should be allowed to operate as free markets. However, it does not completely change the stance which had been taken by Friedman regarding free markets. Government interference is allowed only under special circumstances where lack of intervention would lead to severe effects to the economy. This was the case during the Great depression and is also currently the case in the event of the global financial crisis being experienced. Weaknesses of this argument. Friedman is categorical that there should be free markets if economies are to grow. He argues that the absence of social values and responsibilities and the presence of shared values are factors which facilitate economic growth. However, he appears to take a soft stand when discussing the Great Depression where he advocates for government interference, but using the right policies. This is a deviation from his stand that the government should not interfere with the business environment. It also reveals that free trade has weaknesses which he does not effectively address. Personal view. In my opinion, free markets do not lead to serious political, social, or environmental problems as explained by some philosophers. This is because free markets are the most effective and natural means in which prices should be set to ensure effectiveness. On the contrary, a wrong approach of interference by the government may lead to serious political, social, or environmental problems as was seen in the Great Depression. The current financial crisis which began in the United States can also be said to have been accelerated by the government failure to limit the borrowings by investors and excess lending by financial institutions using predatory lending practices. This is a similar problem which led to the great depressions, and the government interference is seen to have led to adverse effects rather than positive effects on the economy. However, in extreme cases of economic problems, the government should intervene. This should only be done to save the economy in cases where the market forces are clearly unable to rectify the situation. For instance, the current financial crisis facing the world requires the government’s intervention. This does not mean that the government supports the regulation of markets since in the absence of economic crises, the market forces would usually be used to set the product prices. My major reasons for supporting free markets is that regulated markets usually discourage investments, especially if the regulations are too strict. Investors prefer investing in countries where there is free trade since they can predict their future earnings or returns on investment, due to the absence of external factors in the business environment. Regulated markets may also adversely affect the economy especially if the policies which are applied are retrogressive. Summary and conclusion. It is evident that the three philosophers made major contributions to the modern world. Their theories are still in use several years after some of them passed away. However, it is important to note that their arguments relating to free trade are inconclusive since some of the facts which they used to support their arguments have changed. It is also important to note that none of them has a wrong view, it is only that they looked at free trade from different perspectives. The contributions which each of them has made to society should be appreciated since they all talked about various issues affecting the society, and not just free trade. It is important that other scholars improve on the theories which were advanced by Adam smith, Karl Marx and Milton Friedman. This will reflect the market environment as it is today, and the arguments developed can be used to improve the policies in the current business environment. Works cited. Amadae Samuel. Rationalizing capitalist democracy: the Cold War origins of rational choice liberalism.Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003, p255-261. Gagnier Regenia. The insatiability of human wants: economics and aesthetics in market society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, p25-35. Machaj Mateusz. Friedman for government intervention: the case of the great depression. Mises Daily. Retrieved on March 18, 2009 from . Sunderlin, William D. Ideology, social theory, and the environment. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002, p23-33.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Journal opinion article and address an economic issue of current Essay - 1

A Journal opinion article and address an economic issue of current interest to Wall Street Journal readers - Essay Example a Questions & Answers session with Josh Zumbrun and Brian Baskin published on the Wall Street Journal (n.pag.), the two economics correspondents highlighted the implications of a reduction in world oil prices. It is true that a reduction in oil prices will increase GDP, create more jobs and reduce consumer prices however the long-term implications can sabotage technological development in the shale oil exploration, oil extraction and petroleum production projects. Most oil projects are large-scale developmental projects that require huge funding but a reduction in oil prices will make them less feasible. Investments in the oil sector will reduce and this will threaten the production of fuel which is a highly sought-after product for the industries. There are other psychological implications to the oil price reduction. Firstly, lower prices will stimulate a behavior of greater consumption which will increase consumer spending. Secondly, the sense that gas prices are low, consumers will not find an incentive to switch to more fuel efficient cars. As a result, investment in fuel efficient cars will decline making the production of fuel efficient cars unprofitable. Another impact would be that people will start to spend greater amounts on fuel and burn more fuel. The drop in prices will thus be adjusted by greater consumption of fuel and this will increase the overall demand. Considering the long term implications of the drop in fuel prices, there is a need for the government to regulate oil prices since oil is an important commodity. A price floor should be implemented below which the price of oil should not be allowed to fall (Mankiw, 117). This will help mitigate the impact of falling oil prices on consumer spending, greater fuel demand, and reduced investment in oil projects. In the long run this will enable healthy investments in fuel efficient cars as well as oil production projects so that they ensure ample oil supply that powers industries and fuel efficient

Friday, September 27, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example Generally, he opts for a circular route, and reaches home with his quest fulfilled. During the process of conquest, he faces different types of dangerous characters, precarious circumstances and challenges death often, to finally emerge victorious. Suspense and situations that create anxiety are part of the journey plot. Even with the full knowledge of the culmination of the plot that the protagonist will emerge victorious, the reader enjoys his encounters with different atmospheres and how he challenges the unfamiliar characters who often threaten with dire consequences. Escaping death becomes the kindergarten stuff to the protagonist. The divide in gender in Norse society to which â€Å"The Hobbit† by J. R. R. Tolkien related was not based so much on sex as it was on power. The ability to shift between genders was part of the magic. Seià °r was measured to be ‘women’s magic’, and the exercise was related with taking the role of the penetrated partner in sex – something considered ‘unmanly’ by the Norse. Even with the seemingly authentic historical background created by the authors, the various features of the fantasy plot depend entirely on author’s intentions and final objectives and his attitudes towards gender in the society. As such the authors return to history to choose a specific time period, figures and events and the mainstay of fantasy is in the creation of larger than life heroes capable of extraordinary feats and the roles of the female gender were less important, but crucial to the turning points in the story. In the examination of historical background of a literary creation of fantasy, magic woven with female gender escapades have an important role to play. Magic acts as the springboard for grand ideas to show their intrinsic strength and social implications. To achieve the purpose in view, the authors draw from their fertile world of imagination; make intelligent use of male and female characters, besides taking cues from

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Florida's Sunshine Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Florida's Sunshine Law - Essay Example This is so that everyone residing in the state can be assure of proper representation in the procedures and that their opinions and points of view are heard when necessary. The state of Florida should be applauded for encouraging their residents to take an active role in their government. This kind of transparency on the local and state levels means that their state and local governments are truly held accountable for their actions in relation to its direct impact on the residents. Residents of Florida will not and cannot be blindsided by the state and local governments when it comes to government policies. Rather, the state and local governments are made fully accountable for their actions to the people by the existence of the Sunshine Law. As such, the local and state government of Florida are fully aware of all the decisions that they make and tread lightly on issues that they know may be looked into by the people under the law. This type of open government and accountability is what is sorely lacking and what we wish to see more of coming from their Capitol Hill

Toni Morrison Is Adulthood inevitable Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Toni Morrison Is Adulthood inevitable - Essay Example She stated that each phase of individual’s life is very important and has to be experienced with the greatest enthusiasm. Since she herself is an adult now, and she practices what she preaches, so there is nothing more satisfactory than becoming the adult in mind and heart. Morrison explained brightly that adulthood is about being content with the present, happy with the rewards one gets, and also work hard every day to make ones adulthood fulfilling. I completely agree that an individual needs to be in the present moment and be happy in that because the present is what matters the most since the past is gone and future is yet to be experienced. Living this way not only enlightens the present, but also the past and the future since one has lived every moment happily as the past and such a philosophy lays the basis of a bright future ahead as well. Morrison defined true adulthood in terms of the ability of an individual to take responsibility for his/her actions. This only can be achieved if people understand their role in the society in addition to just thinking about their personal well-being. It is not the chronological age, white hair or time period that defines adulthood. Adulthood is defined by an individuals attitude and approach towards life. As individuals, we have to choices. First; we can be selfish and take care of our own needs, and safeguard only our own interests, and second; we can live for more than ourselves, that is to say that we live for others and try to make a positive change in their life. If we adopt the first approach towards life, adulthood for us does not get inevitable. But if we choose to adopt the second approach towards life, adulthood for us gets inevitable. Hence, to say that adulthood is inevitable and generalize it for all people is wrong because there are many people who live and care only for themselves, so they are not included in this category. However, for the rest, who live and care for others, it can

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Coporate Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Coporate Governance - Essay Example Definition of corporate social responsibility also includes the broader concept of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. CSR is a fundamental part of an integrated set of principles applied to the management of business. A business model should integrate economic performance with environmental and social values. This is a good definition of corporate social responsibility. The Boeing Company is the world's leading aerospace company, with its heritage mirroring the history of flight. It is the largest manufacturer of satellites, commercial jetliners, and military aircraft. The company is also a global market leader in missile defense, human space flight, and launch services. in the cabins and cockpits of many jets manufactured. Use of an overly harsh cleaning fluid on fuel tanks caused the inner coating of the tanks to flake off. Fuel tank repairs were made after the tanks had been Boeing has managed to stifle environmental reforms, become the state's second-worst polluter in a region renowned for its environmental awareness, and avoid serious scrutiny from the media, the public and even environmentalists. Despite Boeing's claims of a proactive environmental evolution, government regulators agree that Boeing rarely makes any major environmentally minded reforms without being so ordered. Boeing has taken credit, for example, for phasing out wasteful spray-paint guns and the use of CFCs in its part-cleaning vapor-degreasers. Boeing withholds from the public details of its plans to reduce toxic waste emissions, keeping watchdogs in the dark about areas where the company could or should be cutting down on pollution. State officials are allowed to see the plans, but they can't copy them. Perhaps most importantly, Boeing uses its enormous tentacles reaching deep into the state's political, business, social, even religious institutions to blunt criticism.Boeing's Aub urn plant discharged nearly 1,400 pounds of chromium - a carcinogenic heavy metal that can kill marine wildlife - into one of Metro's sanitary sewage systems. Boeing uses chromium to help make parts corrosion-resistant. Unbeknownst to Metro, the chromium went to the agency's sewage treatment plant in Renton, where most of it found its way into truckloads of bio solids - treated solid waste primarily used to fertilize forest and farm lands. Much of it winds up in the Olympic National Forest. In 2003 Boeing Co. chairman and chief executive Phil Condit resigned unexpectedly only days after the huge aerospace manufacturer fired two other Boeing officials for an alleged ethics breach. Condit had been with Boeing since 1965, when he joined the company as an aerodynamics engineer. He has been chief executive since 1996 and chairman since 1997; the company's seventh chairman since it was founded in 1916.Boeing has been roiled for months by ethical controversies

Monday, September 23, 2019

Global community assessment of Haiti Research Paper

Global community assessment of Haiti - Research Paper Example The country is exposed to the impacts of climate change, especially sea level rise. Other overlapping factors affecting the county include high population densities, overstressed water resources, fragile ecosystems, and limited resources. The country is a perfect example of how socioeconomic conditions and physical exposure can cause extreme climate vulnerability. The country is prone to environmental stressors such as droughts, landslides, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The climate change in Haiti increases the likelihood of the occurrence and extreme weather events such as hurricanes. The country is also vulnerable to floods that occur occasionally. Heavy rains have increased the cases of waterborne diseases such as cholera. Such cases have weaken the natural systems such as loses of the protection of trees.Systems  Ã‚   The Haiti’s political system is the presidential-style republic whereby the President of Haiti is usually the Head of State. The majority party in the parli ament and president elects the prime minister, and the government exercises the executive power. The National Assembly of Haiti consists of 30 member of senate elected for 6 years period, with a third of seat contested in every two years. The other assemble consists of 99 members chamber of Deputies. In terms of economic power, Haiti is among the poorest countries in the world where the majority lives in the extreme poverty.   Many people cannot afford the basic commodities and it becomes a challenge to access medical facilities.   As a result, a large segment of people in Haiti are living in extreme conditions, and diseases such as cholera are spreading rapidly because of lack of treatment. The official religion of Haiti is Roman Catholicism while voodoo is the country’s national religion. Most Haitians practice and believe voodoo doctrines. It is important to note that, most voodooists believe in their religion as it is similar to Catholicism. However, most Protestants oppose voodoo since its belief system revolves around family spirits that are inherited through paternal and maternal lines. Unlike Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, Voodoo lacks an organized hierarchy and a fixed theology. Still, there is a small Muslim population in Haiti. Haiti relies more on road transport where the two highways run from one country to the other. The main challenge with healthcare in Haiti is that there is no plan, structure, or system implemented to improve health care sector. There are inadequate healthcare facilities, insufficient medical staff,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Objective view of world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Objective view of world - Essay Example Objectivity allows a person to see the world in its true and real sense and make opinions about things or events based on facts and reality. Scientists advise that teenagers must be taught to think objectively in order to make them able to have more realistic view of the world and perceive things truly. Scientists are also trying to know that how boosting of neurons leads to subjective experience. Mathematical principles are used here in this paper in order to better understand the phenomenon of objectivity and subjectivity. Just while mapping routes of the world some generalizations have to be made no matter how accurate the description is provided simultaneously the views of reality differ for every person (McKenna 58). Many researches have been conducted to determine how human senses produce a subjective experience but yet the mystery it is not properly identified. As subjective experience is based on personal belief and perception of person, it is difficult to determine how a per son will react to a new situation. But this is possible in objectivity as this experience stands on strong footings of reality and truth. According to clinical psychologist, Dorothy Rowe the events occurring in a person’s life are not actual but the glimpses or guesswork that our brain perceives regarding the world by interpreting previous occurrences. Every individual is unique depending on the reason that no two persons experience a situation in the same light. Thoughts, images and adaptability are the factors that strengthens our sense of â€Å"self† (Rowe 18). In an article by Samuel, â€Å"How to Get an Objective Point of View†, he discussed that to have success in life it is always necessary to see the world with objectivity and hold an opinion which is based on reality. It is also important that people learn to accept what is truth and do not try to fit the truth with imagination. There is a problem with people who have their own imaginations and they thi nk everything is as good as they believe it to be. But in contrary things are not always as perfect as one considers. People who have an objective view believe that mostly perceptions are different from reality. It was also revealed in Samuel’s research that opinions of people about things and happenings in their own way sometimes lead to frustration and loss of direction. It happens when things do not happen in the way as they should occur according to their own vision. That is why it is important to see things in true context and accept the realities behind every situation. Research also discussed that looking at things with objective view is sometimes taken negative by some people as it allows seeing reality which is bitter at times. But in fact objectivism helps maintaining a balance between what is imagined and what is reality. Research concluded that if people view all the things and events happening in this world objectively, nothing will look terrible or pessimistic. Thinking that everything is normal makes a person feel good and changes experience of life by making it pleasant. In a research â€Å"The View from Nowhere†, Nagel found that each person has its own reasoning for quantifying an event and seeks different view of world. Moreover rise of science in recent years is trying to entirely alter the manner in which people perceive and recognize their position in this world. The comprehension of modern science comprise of mathematical concepts as elaborated by the discipline of physics. Nagal stated that

Saturday, September 21, 2019

World War I Essay Example for Free

World War I Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The war began in the mid of May, year 1914. A Bosnian Serb student, Gavrilo Princip, fired shots from his revolver under an oak tree, aiming to murder Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the sole heir to the Habsburg throne, the Austria-Hungary supremacy. This happened as he and his wife visited Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. The plot to murder the archduke is a part of Princip’s training and it was directed by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, otherwise known as the â€Å"Apis†, or â€Å"The Bull†. Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic is the head of the Serbian military intelligence during the time of assasination.   Bosnia-Hercegovina, then, was under the rule of Austria-Hungary, that which Archduke Franz Ferdinand is scheduled to succeed. Princip did not only successfully accomplish the murder of the archduke. He did fire a shot that killed his wife, Sofie, as well. She passed away in few minutes with his husband (Strachan 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This single instance of this assassination triggered the First World War, which is further referred to as â€Å"The War to End All Wars†. It was in July 28 of the same year that Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia. At first, this was supposed to be the third Balkan war, but it did eventually become the World War I. Initially, the Austrian government would like to Serbia to take responsibility of what had happened and to fully allow Austrian investigators to take part in the case investigation and proceedings. At this point, Austria-Hungary was already assured of an exclusive, unconditional support by the Germans, should the war break out. The Serbian government, on the other hand, has been able to solicit the support of Russia, which is already considered as a big powerful nation then. Serbia agreed to all terms subjected to them, except to the one that allows the involvement of the Austrian agents in the case. Serbia believed that this is another issue of violation of their already marred sovereignty by the same nation (Strachan 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both Russia and Austria-Hungary mobilized their armies during the long stand-off. Germany, however, set an ultimatum to Russia to stop their army mobilization in no less than 12 hours. After the ultimatum has expired and Russia did not respond, Germany then declared war on Russia. Germany started with the occupation of Luxembourg, aiming to get Belgium as well.   The German wanted a free passage from Belgium into France, but the former disagreed to it. During this point in time, Belgium, France, and Britain are all on neutral position with regards to the war. But by August 3, Germany declared war on France and invaded Belgium because their free passage was not granted (Strachan 1998). This then triggered Britain to declare war against Germany. Thus, the formation of the Allied Powers, led by Britain, France, and Russia came about. Later on, they are joined in by Italy and the United States army. They all unite in full force against the Central Powers, which, on the other hand, were composed of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire, which can also be regarded as the Turkish Empire, joined the First World War as a result of a secret Ottoman-German Alliance that is signed in August 1914. Russia was a long-time enemy of the Ottoman Empire, and this is the main reason why they chose to be on the Central Power’s side, even if there have been several parties in their side who are in favor of alliance with the Allied powers instead (Strachan 1998). America’s Position in World War I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prior to 1917, the American position on the First World War was neutral and impartial, just like that of Britain’s before the declaration of war with France. The then president, President Woodrow Wilson, reflects the public mood of remaining that way and instructed the Congress to do and maintain so. The Washingtonians and the whole nation in general, fully supported this stance. America upheld its position of insisting on unbiased rights. They are also aiming to successfully negotiate peace in all other places that has acquired stress due to the tensions brought about the war boiling in Europe. But America has one stand which is based from its own stateliness and pride. And that is not to tolerate unrestricted submarine warfare. The American nation believes that viola infringement of this would result in the violation of their respective national dignity (Goldstein and Maihafer 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At first, Germany agreed to this sole provision. They stopped unrestricted submarine warfare, but only for the time being. It is by January that they publicly announced that they would continue to do so. It was in this year that Britain dominated the seas, and they have done so for many centuries preceding the war.   This caused the State of America to entirely eradicate its neutrality and join the forces of the Allied Powers, as an associate. To counter America’s response, Germany even commissioned Mexico to join the war beside them and be their ally against the United States. This instance fueled and further angered the American population and opinion. By April 16, 1917, the United States declared war against the Germans, as requested by President Wilson. The U.S. House of Representatives accordingly approved the resolution to join the First World War with a high margin of pro-war votes at 373-50. The US Senate followed suit with an 82-6 stand also in favor of the nation’s approval to join the now much celebrated war (Goldstein and Maihafer 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American initial position on the war, in reality, seems to make its decision to enter it relatively less likely. America is on a neutral stand, and would likely to remain neutral had the Germans did not took the first step to severe that otherwise peaceful position (Goldstein and Maihafer 2004). Even prior to America’s involvement in this war, the whole governing body, including all its people, continually follows the judicious guidance of its previous president, President George Washington in his farewell address, as delivered on September 17, 1796. And that is to steer clear of any permanent alliance in any portion of the foreign world. The people and the government of America remained true to this statement, until after its own dignity was trampled upon and was forced to join the First World War. And that single instance made it easy for the entire nation to take part in a coalition against the very people who attempted to take pride out of the whole country (Klose and Lader 2001). But following the events of the First World War, the German people did seem to intentionally go against the United States’ declaration of no unrestricted submarine warfare. That is the only stance that the American nation requested with the conflicting forces, but that simple request was not granted. Germany, in their own defensive and offensive tactics, found it fitting to continue their attack, for reasons they alone know (Klose and Lader 2001). Given this scenario, it seems as if that that whole circumstances was planned and mitigated, with the aim to drag the Americans into the war. The Germans, at that point, believe that they could walk over America and their whole army. But they were painfully wrong. They had underestimated the military offense of the American force and they actually seem to have requested for their defeat even more, after they had decided to involve the Americans (Klose and Lader 2001). The American artillery joined forces with the British and the French, and the American troops are not scattered or broken up to reinforce the British or the French army. They fought as one group, one nation, against one cause. The Effects of American Involvement on the Home Front   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America’s participation and victory in the First World War has its share of advantageous and disadvantageous points. First and foremost, right after the war, the United States, as well as her other allies, namely Britain and Italy, experienced an increase in their respective Gross Domestic Product or GDP. While statistics tell that that is seen to have decreased in allies France and Russia, the American nations have surely gained from the boost. However, on the Central Power’s side, there was an astounding shrinkage of as much as 30% to 40% in their respective GDP’s (Hibbard 1919). It is also believed that the greatest and the most important thing that the war ever contributed to the American nation is in the form of loans and supplies that are given and are sent to the Allies. As a proof, a lot of money was raised by bond sales, which is much as compared to those raised by taxes. The cost of the war was estimated to be US $35 billion, and about $10 billion of that went to the Allies in the form of loans. The whole American Nation gained from this, as the British and the rest of the forces began to repay their loans back to the United States (Hibbard 1919). The First World War also resulted in the expansion of the military powers of the then underestimated American nation. America was not even remotely compared to the British Empire or the other powerful countries before. But because of their support and victory of the First World War, the American people and government became aware of what they can do with their military powers. This is the birth of America being a super power, in terms of weaponry attack and tactical offense. Indeed, America was reborn to that of a giant, a giant in terms of its national stability, force and power (Hibbard 1919). The First World War also brought about American apparent domination of the world. As a country that never affiliated itself with other foreign entities, it is perceived to be just a stand-alone race, ready to respond to its internal needs and requirements. But because of the World War I, the American nation has become a domineering force in the economical, political and the social aspects (Bagby 1999). As a negative effect the First World War actually resulted in the shortage of laborers and farm workers. Military men and soldiers were sent over to the war. And common men were even drafted to join in, to add to the number of military soldiers and privates. America, even though it is engaged in the war, inevitably, still has to produce for the rest of the nation. The need to be economically stable amidst the war is very much important (Bagby 1999). Because it was the women who are left on the American soil, they stood up and participated accordingly. These women, who then, do not have any social powers and abilities to call their own, came out and worked in the absence of their male counterparts. If before, they were merely persons of the house, the war drastically changed that. They worked and did their husbands, their son’s, or the brother’s job (Bagby 1999). And in line with this, it is also the First World War that sparked women’s right to suffrage. This originally started in the British soil, but actually found its way towards America. American women suddenly found their voices and demanded to be heard in the society, as well as in politics through the electoral process. And the woman did succeed in this endeavor. She was given the right to vote in the 19th amendment of the United States Constitution in the year 1920. The rest of the nations, including Canada and Britain, followed (Mead 2004). American radicals proposed a â€Å"live for the day† attitude in response to the World War I. This attitude was introduced so as to inculcate to other people that American nation has to stop in meddling with other nation’s concerns and start living on its own, for its own. But this isolation idea can be referred to be in vain, if data up to the current day is taken into consideration (Mead 2004). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The First World War has taken its toll towards other nations as well as America. Any war, big or small would create an impact in all the aspects of a nation. A war is not for the poor, because it would just consume its resources even more. The war maybe for the rich nations, but even them, would feel the impacts of the war, even if the lose or win in it. Either the case, there is no real winner in a war. Every nation, everyone, is left on the losing end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   United States has been wise to join the war. Because through it, it has successfully unleashed its military powers and social dominance that it otherwise would not have discovered. The potential to become powerful, to uphold the whole world’s rights, to protect every nation’s privileges, have become so moving in the part of the Americans. The American has become the stronghold for leadership, equality, power, and justice. This is the image that American has acquired because it has joined the very First World War. And this image is too life-size and too real. The rest of the nations began to be looking up to the American power and pride. American has indeed become a super power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But America could have been wrong to join the war too, because it has exposed the whole nation into unnecessary grief and hardships. The United States of America has long been self-sufficient. It participated in economic trade and relations, if only to develop itself and its people. It has not affiliated nor allied itself to other foreign entities, no matter how big and strong they may seem, simply because it do not want to subject its people to the implications a certain international treaty would bring; a treaty that, in the face of difficulties and international strain, would definitely place the entire nation in a very inconvenient stature. And this is a stature that the great men in the history of the United States have foreseen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And because America has proved that it is strong and capable, over time, it has lived up to its own self-acclaimed title of being the world’s alleviator, as the world’s protector against injustice and violations. Since the World War I, the American nation has processed laws and statues that have involved its own self in the Second World War, in the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and more recently, the attack on Iraq.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The then stand alone and sufficient nation has seen itself suddenly amidst turmoil and conflict against other countries, in reasons directly, and even indirectly applicable to them. They are involved in situations they have to decide for themselves and the other nation. They require themselves to help who they perceive as the much weaker country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The effects of the World War I on the United States of America is indeed, very big. Its once neutral stand against disagreeing countries that was seen prior to World War I was never seen again after it. The nation has assumed a role on its own, and it is not necessarily a productive idea, because it does affect it overall processes as a nation, and as an entity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America’s international relations have changed since the First World War. Some diplomatic relations have severed. A lot of economical embargo was positioned. But there are also international relations that are nurtured and stabilized. Since the First World War, America’s alliance with Britain was enhanced and has become noticeable stronger, no matter which President or which Prime Minister has replaced their respective predecessors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The war, in general, brought out in to open the men who are in abnormal need of power and those who are philanthropists of goodwill and equality.   There are times that war is good when it is viewed from a different angle. But in general, and in essence the avoidance of war should still be primary. The effects of war to the people of today and the future generation should not be overlooked just to serve personal and selfish reasons. In times of war, we needed people who are humanitarian advocates, and not those who have an uncharacteristic clamor of authority and control.    Works Cited Mead, Rebecca J. How the Vote Was Won: Woman Suffrage in the Western United States, 1868-1914. New York: New York University Press. 2004. 1-10. Goldstein, Donald M and Maihafer, Harry J. America in World War I: The Story and Photographs. Virginia: Brassey’s Inc. 2-6.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strachan, Hew, ed. The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War: A History. New York: Oxford University Press. 1998. 52-59   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Klose, Nelson and Lader, Curt. United States History Since 1865. New York: Barrons Educational Series. 2001. 6-12. Bagby, Wesley Marvin. Americas International Relations Since World War I. New York: Oxford University Press. 2001. 5-9 Hibbard ,Benjamin Horace. Effects of the Great War Upon Agriculture in the United States and Great Britain. New York: Oxford University Press.1919. 65-69

Friday, September 20, 2019

Adult Education During The Industrial Revolution History Essay

Adult Education During The Industrial Revolution History Essay The purpose of this paper is to highlight five influential factors that contributed to the development of adult education in the United States during the Industrial Revolution. Discussion will begin with the American Model of University Extension including the concepts developed by William Harper and Charles Van Hise, and the role they played in the development of extension education. Next in discussion will be womens rights highlighting a few female role models and their contribution to the push for womens freedoms and education. Education for work, details the demand for education as America shifted from the Antebellum era into the fast pace era of the Industrial age, followed by a discussion on how the U.S. Department of Agriculture campaigned to improve agriculture in the south. This paper will conclude with African American Adults and how after becoming freed slaves they began the journey of education. American Model of University Extension According to Stubblefield and Keane (1994), in 1887 Herbert Baxter Adams, professor of history at Johns Hopkins University, gave a speech at the convention of the American Library Association that inspired the creation of the American lecture programs. The American lecture programs were modeled after the English University extension program. Moreover in 1891, the American Society for the Extension of University Teaching held a conference to promote extension activities which led to the private and state universities involvement in extension. Furthermore, in 1885 the University of Wisconsin developed the farmers institute. In 1892 William Rainey Harper, the president of the University of Chicago, implemented correspondence classes and off-campus courses to further the development of extension education. In addition, in the beginning of the twentieth century, academic scholars worked to promote extension services with the belief that knowledge was essential to progress. In 1915, Charle s Van Hise, president of the University of Wisconsin, created the concept of combining culture, vocation and research information to be the major focus of the extension services. Further, he believed it was the duty of the extension services to inform and educate everyone in the country (Stubblefield and Keane, 1994). Womens Rights The Industrial Revolution was the beginning for womens independence which changed the lives of women when factories began to hire women. Women were often paid less than men but were expected to perform the same type of work (Tilly, 1994). The reasons factory owners preferred women to men workers was because of the pay and labor. Valenze (1995) stated, Factory owners preference for female labor was based not only on its cheapness: many women assumed the yoke of hard labor in the factories without complaint, and this fostered the widespread opinion that female workers were more docile, and therefore less likely to cause trouble than men. Because of women fighting for rights and receiving them, in 1893 there was a week-long celebration of the World Congress of Representative Women at the Chicago World Fair which attracted almost 150,000 people (Stubblefield and Keane, 1994). Some women contributed to improving situations for the working class. Role models such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Blackwell, who were all well-known for their involvement in the womens rights movement, opened the doors of opportunity in education and occupation for women of today. Without their perseverance women could still possibly be extremely limited in career opportunities and unable to do the things that they take pleasure in and benefit from. Education for Work Transitions from the Antebellum Era to the Industrial era brought on new challenges in more ways than economics, technology, and farming; the need for educational changes was taken place as well. During the Industrial era manufacturing was at a high with new innovations such as textile plants, therefore vocational education was on the rise. Vocational education was a shift from a reliance on natural resources to a reliance on human resources and the skilled workforce (Stubblefield and Keane, 1994). In 1917 the Hughes Act backed the idea that industrial education should be taught in public schools along with home economics and several courses geared towards the changing era. An increase in student participation in the classroom rose from 86 % in 1919 to 92% within five years. Adults also sought out training through private trade schools and apprenticeships studies. Adults who were unable to attend were often offered education via correspondence study. The largest and most well known c orrespondence school was located in Scranton Pennsylvania which enrolled over two million students between 1892 and 1920 (Stubblefield and Keane, 1994). Despite the setback of some schools trying to exploit their students to gain a buck, employers who had established apprenticeship programs also taught their students the value, integrity and or hard work. Agriculture The Department of Agriculture provided an institute method of teaching by offering lectures and farming classes to the local farmers. While the institute method of teaching covered a lot of material there was no sure way to determine if the knowledge received from the farmers was actually going to be implemented in their every day farming techniques (Stubblefield and Keane, 1994). Not only was it rooted in the survival of the population, agriculture was also an essential source of raw materials for the textile business. In 1887, the federal government made the experiment station a national institution through the Hatch Act, which granted each state $15,000 per year to assist in the aid of agricultural education. By 1900, the adult farming school was accepted as part of the education of rural adults. In 1902, Seaman Knapp, a special agent for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), was in charge of the campaign to improve agriculture in the south and he set up a local farmer for su ccess by using his farm as a demonstration point on the effects of agricultural education has on farming (Stubblefield and Keane, 1994). In doing so he eased the minds of the hesitant farmers and opened their eyes to new farming methods which reassured them that innovation was a positive thing. In 1904, Knapp accepted African Americans as demonstrators and cooperators of farming, and in 1906, he teamed up with the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama (Stubblefield and Keane, 1994). Wool and cotton production for the making of cloth increased each year, as well as the yield of food crops. Marketing and production provided enough food to continue an adequate work force. African American Adults Post Civil War left the country in disarray and a lot of uncertainty when it came to the issue of slaves making the transition over to freedom. There was not a plan for changeover which left a lot of free blacks without jobs and an education. In 1865, the Freedmens Bureau began a reshaping by General Howard to better suit the educational needs of freed slaves. The bureau selected several groups and societies to begin educational development; the American Missionary Association focused on assisting blacks in their transition from slaves to free people. The Missionary established schools that were dedicated solely to the educational development of blacks where they also began training blacks to be educators themselves. The intent was to produce enough qualified teachers who would educate other freed blacks. The end state was to hopefully encourage blacks to pursue careers to be lawyers, teachers, doctors, or preachers (The American Missionary Association, n.d.). Even though the Freedme ns Bureau was disbanded in 1872 and blacks were on their own so to speak, the education that blacks received for that seven year span was instrumental in the continued drive for higher education. Just as the rest of the country was adapting to the new industrial methods, farmers overcame the corporate domination with the help of the Grange and Farmers Alliances. Women took a stand for what they believed was right, and freed slaves were receiving an education to help in their transition. The purpose of this paper was to highlight five influential factors that contributed to the development of adult education in the United States during the Industrial Revolution. They were the American Model of University womens rights, education for work, agriculture and African American Adults.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Analysis Of Grendel And Beowulf Essay -- essays research papers

Point of View in Grendel and Beowulf  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contrasting points of view in Grendel and Beowulf significantly alter the reader’s perception of religion, good and evil, and the character Grendel. John Gardner’s book, Grendel, is written in first person. The book translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf, is written in third person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Good and evil is one of the main conflicts in the poem Beowulf. How is Grendel affected by the concepts of good and evil? Grendel is an alienated individual who just wants to be a part of something. His desire to fit in causes him to do evil things. Grendel is fascinated by the Shaper’s poetry. He often returns to the mead hall to listen to it. One night while he is listening, he hears the story of Cain and Abel, including the Danes explanation of Grendel. His reaction to this leads to one of his most dramatic emotional reactions: “I believed him. Such was the power of the Shaper’s harp! Stood wriggling my face, letting tears down my nose, grinding my fists into my elbow the corpse of the proof that both of us ere cursed, or neither, that the brothers had never lived, nor the god who judged them. ‘Waaa!’ I bawled. ‘Oh what a conversion’';(Gardner 51)! Grendel then cries for mercy from the Danes. He wants their forgiveness as well as unification with them, which represents the good in him. The Danes reject him by confusing his outburst of sorrow as an attack. After visiting with a dragon who tells Grendel a fictional version of the Shaper’s tale, Grendel continues to believe the Shaper’s story. He searches for the goodness in human beings, which was mentioned in the story. He eats people only because it provides a place for him in society, even if it is a negative position (The Two Faces of Grendel, 2). Good and evil is one of the main conflicts in the poem Beowulf, and ultimately both wipe each other out. Good, is portrayed by God, and evil seems to be what fate has in store for the hero. Beowulf occasionally talks to God and asks God to give him strength before the battle and to give him the valor he needs to overcome his enemy. Evil seems to always get the bad side of things since it always gets conquered by God’s good side. Even tho... ... of the book Grendel allows the reader to see another side of Grendel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Beowulf, Grendel is viewed as the antagonist and the evil villain. Grendel is both feared and hated in Beowulf. Upon reading Beowulf, the reader discovers Grendel as seen through the eyes of his terrified victims. King Hrothgar, leader of the Danes, fears his visits: “The renowned ruler, the prince of long famous, sat empty of joy; strong in might, he suffered, sorrowed for his men when they saw the track of the hateful monster, the evil spirit.'; Hrothgar would dread the fatal nights when Grendel would dine on human flesh. The ruler understands that Grendel attacks his men out of spite and jealousy (The Two Faces of Grendel, 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In reading Grendel and Beowulf, one can find many similarities in the way the events occur in the books, however because of contrasting points of view, the reader gets insight on the entire picture from two different sides. This allows the reader to better understand each book and its contents, such as their beliefs and the concept of good and evil, and acknowledge the ways the character Grendel can be described.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Old Testament Vs. Hellenic Divine Intervention :: essays research papers

Old Testament vs. Hellenic Divine Intervention The Old Testament and Hellenic texts we have studied have numerous examples of divine intervention. The range and complexity in human affairs that these interventions occur have similar, yet different attributes. Both texts describe divine intervention as a way of explaining "why things happen(ed) and being "chosen" by God or gods to fulfill a destiny. Both also see divine intervention as something that can not be understood by humans; God or the gods have their reasons why people are "chosen" and why certain gifts, events, and catastrophes happen and we will never understand the reasoning. Differences in the texts stem from the reasons they are the same; why certain people are chosen, why events happen, etc. The range and complexity in human affairs of divine intervention as described in the Hellenic texts and the Old Testament are similar because of the interference in human affairs, yet they are different because of why certain people are chosen to fulfill a destiny. For instance, in the Old Testament, God chooses Noah and his family to be the only survivors after the flood that wipes out the earth. His destiny was to build the ark and take a pair of every living creature to help repopulate the earth after everything is wiped out. This is similar to Oedipus at Colonus, in the Hellenic texts, because the gods choose Oedipus to save the city of Colonus from his own sons. They differ because God, in the Old Testament, chooses rather blindly. He does not choose people for any reason except that is who He wanted. If He does choose, it is based on goodness or loyalty to Him. The gods of Hellenic texts, like in Oedipus at Colonus, the gods choose Oedipus because of his wisdom and his family line. The Hellenic texts choose based on prestige, family, and honor. Another example of this is the story "Joseph" in the Old Testament. Joseph was chosen to be a powerful ruler in Egypt for no reason whatsoever, just because God wanted him to be. In The Illiad, this would never happen, Achilles is chosen to defeat Hector because of his prestige, honor, and family line. Achilles is not chosen because Zeus just wanted him to. Not just anybody could have killed Hector, it had to be someone famous. In the Old Testament, divine intervention, especially in "Genesis," plays a very important part. For example, in "The Creation of the Universe," God wills everything into being. "God said, ‘Let there be light,'" (Genesis 1:5) "Then God said, ‘Let the earth produce growing things,'" (Genesis 1:11)

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Social Criticism in the Hollywood Melodramas of the Fifties Essay

Social Criticism in the Hollywood Melodramas of the Fifties In the early 1950s the films of Douglas Sirk led the way in defining the emerging genre of the Hollywood melodrama. "Melodrama" strictly means the combination of music (melos) and drama, but the term is used to refer to the "popular romances that depicted a virtuous individual (usually a woman) or couple (usually lovers) victimized by repressive and inequitable social circumstances" (Schatz 222). Sirk's films were commercially successful and boosted the careers of stars like Lauren Bacall, Jane Wyman, and Rock Hudson, who was in seven of Sirk's thirteen American films (Halliday 162-171). Although critics in the fifties called the films "trivial" and "campy" and dismissed them as "tearjerkers" or "female weepies" (Schatz 224), critics in the seventies re-examined Sirk's work and developed an "academic respect for the genre" and declared that the films actually had "subversive relationship to the dominant ideology" (Klinger xii). Douglas Sirk's Magnificent Obsession (1954) and Imitatio n of Life (1959) are representative of the techniques melodramas used to address relevant fifties issues like class, gender, and race. One characteristic of melodrama is the "lavishly artificial and visually stylized scenery (Schatz 234) which is exploited in Magnificent Obsession. Numerous scenes take place in moving convertibles, where the motion of the car is out of synch with the motion of the scenery. Whenever possible, rooms have large picture windows showing magnificent, but obviously fake outdoor landscapes. At one point a scene on the lakeshore cuts directly from a shot of Helen (Jane Wyman) sitting in front of a real horizon to a close-up of her sitting in front of a brightly c... ...ltural form" (Klinger xii). Works cited Aull, Felice. "Magnificent Obsession". http://mchipO0.med.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-me...cs/webfilms.magnificent.obses3-film-.html Ellison, Ralph. Shadow and Act. Vintage International: New York, 1953. FilmFrog Archives: Lecture given at Sonoma State University (1995), Imitation of Life (1959). http://yorty.sonoma.edu:80/filmfrog/archive/Imitation_of_Life.html Halliday, Jon. Sirk on Sirk: Interviews With Jon Halliday. New York: Viking, 1972. Imitation of Life. Dir. Douglas Sirk. Universal, 1959. Klinger, Barbara. Melodrama and Meaning: History, Culture, and the Films of Douglas Sirk. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1994. Magnificent Obsession. Dir. Douglas Sirk. Universal, 1954. Schatz, Thomas. Hollywood Genres: Formulas, Filmmaking, and the Studio System. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1981.