Movies and Television Shows Should Include Better Role Models for Their Audiences Essay

I’m sure it has happened plenty of times. When you finish watching a movie and afterwards feel so inspired. This is often when the movie hero was presented as someone we would like to be or has a personality that we admire. Sometimes it can be other characters that are shown to be â€Å"cool†, attractive, and popular that also inspires us to mimic their personality traits. Movies can also prompt us to try certain activities. Of course this can be seen as the beneficial side of media; the fact that there could be that one movie that has the power to influence someone to become a better person. But like almost everything, there’s a downside to it too. The fact that media can be convincing in positive ways suggests that it can equally convey negative messages as well. The way that movies or television shows portray their characters is something that definitely needs to be paid attention to. The rebellious heroes, senseless social statuses, and unhealthy activities characters engage in are all factors that will influence the audience. Therefore it is important to consider whether it is worth presenting the characters in this way. A large majority of movies are presenting their characters as bad people, yet the people that anyone would find themselves wanting to be. I believe that is wrong, thus movies and TV shows should include better role models for their audiences. Current movies portray violence without consequence, inaccurate representations of social statuses and social interaction, and encourage characters to engage in activities with more harm than good. Many of the heroes in movies happen to be quite rebellious and are often involved in violence. It’s usually the fact that they’re so involved in violence that helps them obtain their cool, heroic status. The characters we see as role models are always showing that violence can be used as a quick fix for conflicts to avoid negative consequences. K. A. Earles states, â€Å"This depiction of violence increases the probability that violence will be one of the first strategies chosen by a child. † Bandura, a professor in psychology at Stanford University demonstrated that preschoolers learn aggressive behavior by watching television. Three groups of children were shown a film n which a man commands a human-sized doll to move, and when it did not he hit the doll with his fists, a mallet, and then rubber balls. In other words, he used violence as an immediate strategy. Group one saw the man rewarded. Group two saw the episode end without reward or punishment. Group three saw the actor receive a verbal lecture. After watching the film, the children in groups one a nd two were seen to behave more aggressively than the ones in group three. This proves that the consequences characters find themselves facing has quite a strong impact on how the audience will act. What encourages violence even more is that it is often carried out by the hero in the story line who is then rewarded for his/her endorsement in violence. â€Å"Such constant exposure to portrayals of physical violence, some of which viewers do not even recognize as violent, may dull a child’s aversion to this behavior. † says K. A. Earles. Reenactments of national worldwide disasters such as terrorism scenes or brutal wars are one thing. But for a fictional superhero to battle and beat his â€Å"enemies† with realistic and bloody dramatizations is not a good way to entertain kids. There aren’t many positive or useful characteristics of the role model heroes for the children to gain besides their â€Å"charismatic† and â€Å"brave† personalities but they express these lovely character traits through violence. They care for the ones who are in danger so they save them with violence. As they stand up to their enemy and begin to battle them they show out their bravery. These heroes are showing young boys that if you are not strong enough, not brave enough to endorse in a physical fight then you are not capable to be someone as amazing and powerful as they are. Physical strength is spotlighted while intellectual strength is forgotten. Sharon Lamb, a professor of mental health at University of Massachusetts-Boston surveyed 674 boys aged 4 to 18 to analyze marketing trends for action figures and movies. This resulted in violence, emotional aloofness, and general hyper-masculinity being the main messages directors of these movies are promoting to young boys. This shows us that there aren’t many useful or healthy things these movies are promoting to their audiences. This only leads me to conclude that directors need to think over the way they are presenting their heroes. Violence is not the only existing strategy. As well as action movies, there are the modern teenage soap operas. I’ve noticed that these programs have a distorted portrayal of the theoretically existing teenage social statuses. There are always the good people and the bad people, the â€Å"cool† people and the â€Å"lame† ones. Although most television programs are to entertain, having a message or lesson for the audience to gain is also important. As mentioned earlier, the way the characters are portrayed is very significant to the audience since they are what influence the audience. There are the more obvious heroes which are the supermen in action movies but the less spotlighted ones in calmer, closer-to-reality programs. In these kinds of films, the â€Å"hero† would be a character the audience finds themselves admiring and looking up to. This depends on the way the characters in the film are presented. A person who our society would admire and want to be has very precise but general character traits; a confident, rich, bossy girl who has an attractive appearance and good leadership skills. It’s practically the same for boys. Society’s image of a picture perfect female or male is neglecting the many other personality traits of a human being that makes them a good and interesting person. Movies present the â€Å"popular guy† typically as someone who is necessarily good at sports for instance, and send the message to younger boys that if they are not good at sports they can’t expect to be at the top of the theoretical social scale regardless of other good qualities they can have. The same goes for girls. These films portray the â€Å"popular† girls as girls who are very narrowed down in their interests. Female adolescents are portrayed as being obsessed with their appearance. † Smart people are shown to be socially unaccepted. â€Å"Intellects are frequently viewed as social misfits. † These movies are encouraging and strengthening society’s distorted image of who the â€Å"popular† kids should be and contribute to a very inaccurate picture of what social interaction and social status is built on in reality. Young girls or boys may start to think that if they are not what the â€Å"cool kids† are presented as in movies, then they will not be successful or liked. This is definitely not the kind of message that should be sent to the younger generations. Lastly, quite a few of the activities characters in movies or TV shows engage in are not healthy and do not set good examples for young teens. The usage of alcohol and drugs is always by the cool, popular kids who will then convince the kids and teens a part of their audience to try them at one point. â€Å"Social Learning Theory suggests that children learn by watching, imitating, and assimilating. † This only proves that the majority of the children that are exposed to media that is practically encouraging alcohol and drug usage will most likely try it in attempt to imitate their role models. Movies propel the idea of these bad habits being â€Å"cool†. With teenagers picking up their first cigarette as early as 14 years of age, evidently there’s a problem. As many parents and adults may have noticed, kids/teens are beginning to have a distorted idea of what sex is all about and media may be the main cause for their way of thinking. Many movies and shows portray it as a normal thing to indulge in, therefore teens are enacting what they see from the media and often end up being pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease. A study was done on 75 girls in which half were pregnant. It was found that the pregnant girls watched more soap operas than the non-pregnant girls and were found more surprised when told that their favorite soap opera characters used any sex protection. According to the National Survey of Children, males who watched more television were found to be more sexually active than the ones who watched less television. â€Å"Television may be a significant contributor to the sexual practices and attitudes of young people. † All of these things may be a part of a movie to show what it’s like out there but there must be some sort of proof of it being a bad thing to no give out the wrong message. Having characters in movies continuously smoking cigarettes and never even considering the consequences of having sex may influence kids in a completely wrong way. All of these reasons strongly suggest that the role models portrayed in movies and television shows can influence the younger audiences in negative ways. If teenagers are continuously exposed to such behaviors their minds will adjust to thinking in a certain way and no matter how hard their loved ones will afterwards try to convince them that these activities are wrong, that these behaviors are wrong, they will not be capable of changing their minds. Dear parents, are you okay with your 14 year old daughter already indulging in sexual activity, and your 15 year old son reacting violently and aggressively to any confrontations? Dear world, do you believe it’s acceptable for young girls to stress about their appearance and feel bad about themselves simply because of the way they look? For boys to believe that sports are what they are bound to engage in to be liked? Directors of movies should start to think how to get society to think differently, rather than encourage its shallow beliefs. Fighting scenes should not be the only entertaining scenes for kids. More creative ways of how to entertain children in a positive way could be thought of. The modern teenage popular kids should all have different interests and be liked for who they are and not what they look like. Pathetic assumptions and senseless social statuses in general should be presented in a brighter way in programs. Unhealthy activities should be portrayed as the bad things to do rather than the â€Å"cool† things. Kids will follow their role models, and if they’re role models are doing good things, it’s likely they will too.

Billing Management System C++

Restaurant Billing Management System Based on: Calculation of total bill on the basis of order placed Abhishek Singh, RB6801B39, 10804172 Shivam Grover, RB6801B40, 10801101 Btech-ECE, Lovely Professional University Address sam. [email  protected] com [email  protected] com Submitted to: Mr. Raj Karan Singh Lovely Professional University ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all those people, how helped me in completing this project successfully; this work of creation wouldn’t have been possible without their kind help, cooperation and extended support.First and foremost sincere thanks to my project guide Mr. Raj Karan SIngh, for their valuable guidance for completion of this work and also for providing the necessary facilities and support. Also I sincerely thanks to all the faculties and coordinator, whose valuable suggestions, support and motivation provided me, required strength for accomplishment of this term paper. -Shivam Grover, Abhi shek Singh Contents: †¢ Introduction †¢ About the Billing Management System. †¢ Source code Advantages †¢ Programming test †¢ Bibliography INTRODUCTION C++ (pronounced â€Å"See plus plus†) is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as a middle-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. [1] It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell Labs as an enhancement to the C programming language and originally named â€Å"C with Classes†.It was renamed to C++ in 1983. C++ is widely used in the software industry, and remains one of the most popular languages ever created. Some of its application domains include systems software, application software, device drivers, embedded software, high-performance server and client applications, and entertainment software such as video games. Several groups provide both free a nd proprietary C++ compiler software, including the GNU Project, Microsoft, Intel, Borland and others.C++ is also used for hardware design, where design is initially described in C++, then analyzed, architecturally constrained, and scheduled to create a register transfer level hardware description language via high-level synthesis. The language began as enhancements to C, first adding classes, then virtual functions, operator overloading, multiple inheritance, templates, and exception handling among other features. After years of development, the C++ programming language standard was ratified in 1998 as ISO/IEC 14882:1998.That standard is still current, but is amended by the 2003 technical corrigendum, ISO/IEC 14882:2003. The next standard version (known informally as C++0x) is in development. About Billing Management System: At time of purchasing items we use bill book for easy billing and for records include the identification of the customer and other relevant information that ar e passed onto the billing system. The billing system also receives records from other carriers (such as a long distance service provider, or a roaming partner).Here in our program, only the authoritarian can operate the software by putting a password. [pic] He then chooses to enter the system or to exit. [pic] Further he can enter the number of customers, followed by the details of each user like: [pic] [pic] Number of items, Name of the particular item, Price and Quantity. [pic] The user is then displayed with a bill of customer 1 with date and time. [pic] Where he has to pay equal or more than the total amount, otherwise he would not accept. pic] The program will further display the change and then a screen with the next customer follows. After when the user is done with the billing and payment, he gets an option either to continue with the further customers or to exit. [pic] If we continue, the user will start again giving the password.Source Code: #include #include #include #inc lude #include #include class bill_book { public: char name[20]; char add[30]; int bill_no,s_no; public: void getdata(int i) { s_no=0; clrscr(); cout

Political Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political Paper - Essay Example Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer, each being highly respected members of the Supreme Court, have their own distinct views in regards to judicial responsibility and the overall role of the Supreme Court itself. Two justices, while each having the same position of power, bring to the federal bench distinct backgrounds, as well as educations. Such distinctions that shape the ways in which both men look at the greater role of the Court itself. Both of these gentleman, while possessing respective levels of great judicial power, are in their own right distinctive in approach. Leaving to be considered not only the ways in which they view their position in the legal system, but also how they observe the history of the organization since the time of its fruition and its subsequent involvement in the present state of legal affairs and greater discussion occurring in multiple facets of the country. In an interview conducted at The Federalist Society, Justices' Breyer and Scalia are provided with an environment to engage in healthy discussion having to do with their individual interpretations of both laws, as well as the intent behind them. An issue which Justice Scalia addresses is the notion of a "living constitution". One which would grow with society and form itself to the resulting advancement, in such a way that it would be keeping it from breaking and crumbling all together. Breyer says, while avoiding the classification of 'living' in regards to the constitution, the document "adapts to the circumstance in order to keep the values the same," (Breyer/Scalia, 12/05/06). After which, Justice Scalia responds with a concurrence that, while he too would believe that the constitution should adapt to new occurrences, he would still not give it the term "living" as part of its classification. While it is not the responsibility of the Supreme Court to interfere with democracy, it is it's responsibility to keep in mind the notion of not going too far in its interpretations and approaches. As for his view on democracy, in part, Scalia says that, "The majority rules," Adding that, "If you don't believe in that, you don't believe in democracy," (Breyer/Scalia, 12/05/06). Justice Scalia then details his view that the Bill of Rights acts in such a manner, that it imposes limitations on the notion of majority rule, which are in return placed by those in the court system. "Whenever the judges go beyond the meaning understood by the society that voted for those limitations, whenever it goes beyond that original meaning, it is in effect adding to those subjects that are driven off the democratic stage," (Breyer/Scalia, 12/05/06). Breyer's argument of preserving the democratic process is one which many have agreed upon. As is the case with Presidential elections, like Justice Scalia says, the majority does hold a ruling authority and that is in fact part of the democratic process. To have a court that is comprised of entirely different approaches to things, is quite healthy and good, according to Justice Breyer. "It's just my burden to prove its better than anything else," (Breyer/Scalia, 12/05/06). Scalia places the question forward, for greater discussion and debate, as to whether a lawyer is better qualified to understand the issues at hand, in

Analysis of the music video Destiny's Child - Cater 2 U Essay

Analysis of the music video Destiny's Child - Cater 2 U - Essay Example The song, Cater 2 U, has a general gendered meaning; that men will enjoy the rewards of love and compassion following a point where their female lovers notice that they are working hard. The music video casts feminine figures whose romantic actions could create an impression to the hard working man. In addition, it acts as a clear depiction of the level to which a hardworking man inspires his female companion (Sfetcu 16). When a woman notices the hardworking nature of her male lover, she will gain inspiration to make such a man happy and thus, want to accommodate him in a great way. In this perspective, a woman's submission to a man would be best when the man deserves it and thus, gives it back; a hardworking man furnishes her woman and gets back all the lovely accommodation. Form The text's enhanced application of formal techniques allows it to reinforce the overall meaning. The music video's shooting took place at a desert, which depicts a decision by the trio to go natural, which makes the video more authentic. The desert scenery, as well as the exquisiteness of the trio mainly enhances the clip. However, the presence of male actors seems to be superfluous to the music video's scene of female pleasures and bodies. However, the enriching nature of the feminine shooting acts as a balancing factor, which helps in driving the theme that the male actors depict to the audience. The natural lighting of the music video's shooting period helps in showing the natural feminine look of the females in the music video.

Businss Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Businss Education - Essay Example So which disciplins nd skills r th most importnt Th most imprtiv skills r nlyticl bility, judgmnt, skill in intrprsonl rltions, th bility to ccpt rsponsibility nd to mk dcisions, gnrl dministrtiv skills (including th cpcity to ld othrs, to pln, to orgniz nd dlgt), brdth nd flxibility of mind, imgintion, fcility in prsonl communiction, nd strong prsonl motivtion. Ths qulitis r not ndd in prcisly th sm combintion for vry typ of position nd for ll kinds of crrs in businss. But, prticulrly for th highr dministrtiv positions, thy sm to b th qulitis tht nd most to b mphsizd. With th incrsing complxity of businss oprtions, th nd for stff spcilists is incrsing, t th sm tim tht thr continus to b n insistnt dmnd for bl dministrtors. Mny studnts will find tht thy cn mk thir most significnt contribution in stff positions. Howvr, th growing nd will b for mn with high lvl of nlyticl bility nd with sophistictd commnd of nlyticl nd rsrch tools drivd from th fundmntl disciplins. Sound trining in th physicl nd socil scincs nd in mthmtics nd sttistics, combind with th bility to pply ths tools to businss problms, is bcoming much mor importnt thn dtild knowldg of currnt prctic or th cquisition of routin skills. Ths conclusions gin ddd strngth from th fct tht similr findings r bing pplid in othr brnchs of duction. closly rltd illustrtion is th movmnt of som of th lding nginring schools towrd n "nginring-scinc" pproch nd wy from n mphsis on spcilizd tchniqus. Th scond qulifiction riss out of th wid vrition in th bilitis of thos who sk businss duction. Unfortuntly, mny who r dmittd to businss schools do not hv th kinds of qulifictions mphsizd bov, nd mny do not hv th mntl bility to cquir th nlyticl tools tht r incrsingly ncssry. Ths studnts will nvr ris fr in th businss world. But vn ths studnts will bnfit most from n mphsis in collg on th bsic nlyticl tools, on th fundmntls of businss dministrtion nd conomics, nd on good gnrl duction. Th long-trm nds of businss nd th crr nds of th studnt rquir tht mphsis b plcd on th kinds of fundmntl knowldg nd bsic skill dvlopmnt dscribd in this nd th prcding chptr. Spcil trining for th first job is justifid only if it cn b don without intrfring with this mor importnt objctiv. Sinc th tim studnt hs in collg, vn if grdut yr or two r ddd, is scrcly sufficint for this brodr objctiv, th opportunitis for prpring th studnt for his first job r svrly rstrictd. This will bcom lss srious problm s businss incrsingly ccpts th rsponsibility for this initil trining. brod curriculum mphsizing gnrl principls, fundmntl knowldg, nd brdth of viw dos not prpr th studnt for th routin nd dtil tht r likly to chrctriz his rly yrs in businss. H must lrn to ccpt th routin nd to bnfit from it. Wht h hs lrnd must b lbortd by xprinc bfor h is rdy for th highr lvls of mngmnt. frqunt complint by businssmn ginst th products of prticulrly th bst known grdut schools is tht "thy ll wnt to b vic-prsidnts tomorrow." Mor nd wisr counsling cn hlp with this problm. mor plntiful us of css nd problms tkn from th lowr lvls of mngmnt cn lso hlp. It is importnt to strss th nd for knowldg tht would id th businssmn in dling

The Impact of the Arab Spring on Egypt's Energy Research Paper

The Impact of the Arab Spring on Egypt's Energy - Research Paper Example Investment in oil production is critical to both political and economic stability of the Arab countries. Key players in the oil industry usually value political stability because it dictates the relationship between the international players and the producing countries. For instance, the relationship between BP and political regime of the ousted Egypt President Mubarak was critical to the survival of the company in Egypt. In most cases, the political influence of a country defined a relationship between the country and the international players. Policies devised the oil producing countries do not only influence the production oil and gas in this countries but also influence its supply in the international market. The political platform of most Arab countries receive its financing from oil as the major economic resource. However, some countries derive their finances from trade and labour resource, which remits funds that support these countries. The supply of trade items in this region depends on political goodwill or international politics (Youngs 136). Thus, the unstable political structure is susceptible to challenges because it lacks proper structures that could influence beneficial trade deals in the international scene. The Arab Spring is a threat to regional integration and similar cooperation. World economic report groups the Arab countries as heavily reliant on oil trade. Since the Arab countries indulged in the upheavals, they have registered economic slump, calling for international aid and humanitarian aid. Ideally, the spring has devastating effects of the political structures that are crucial to the development of the nations. Observers have remarked on the consumption trends in the international market as well as the national market and noted a change in trend in the consumption of the oil and oil products. Critically, the consumption trends owe a lot on the international politics as defined by policies that create and promote the international relation (Prausello 166). For instance, the move by the international community to step up the war against Libyan president is an indication of influence of political relation in relation to the Arab spring. It means that the threat created in the political structures of these nations would have devastating impact on the growth as well as trade among these countries and the world. Domestic Consumption in Egypt Arab countries are leading other countries in the world in oil production. In 2005, Arab oil stood at 59% of the economic oil production of world, while the production of economic gases stood at 35.8% of the total world production (BP Statistical Review 15). The quantity of oil that Arab countries took to

Study Shakespeare's Hamlet and Webster's White Devil to compare the Essay

Study Shakespeare's Hamlet and Webster's White Devil to compare the ways that women in the plays are victims of male pride. Cri - Essay Example Among the female characters of William Shakespeare the role of Ophelia is supreme. She is considered as the most fragile character in his heroines. The attributes of Ophelia are far in high whereas the other female character in the play, Gertrude does not get much acclaim. The character Vittoria in The White Devil has been put to many comments. For many she is considered as the white devil in the play. As the other female characters of the play carry the attributes of innocence and good heartedness the chief lady, Vittoria is remarked for her wisdom, courage and harshness. The present essay tries to make an analysis on the female characters in these two plays. Further, a study is being conducted on the females as victims of male pride in these two plays. True, the Elizabethan and Jacobean attitudes of considering the females are also seen in these plays. As females they had to undergo male dominance and male chauvinism which caused the tragedy of the women characters vividly in these two. Women characters in the play Hamlet: The major women characters who enriched the play, Hamlet are Ophelia, the lover of Prince Hamlet and Gertrude, mother of prince Hamlet. The King of Denmark is killed by Claudius, his own brother and the uncle of prince Hamlet who later marries the former queen, Gertrude. It really infuriates prince Hamlet who was well aware of the plot of his uncle. The ghost of the King Hamlet appears before his son Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus reveals the story of his tragedy. The thoughts of revenge engulf in the mind of young Hamlet and the whole play is centred on his revenge against his uncle Claudius who killed his father and married his mother. The five long acts of the play tells his attempts to take revenge on his uncle and in the meanwhile it can be seen that Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius, the trusted courtier of Claudius is making love with Hamlet. The suffering of Ophelia begins when Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius by thinking it as Clau dius. She becomes mad due to her father’s death and moreover at the rejection of Hamlet and commits suicide. Christy Desmet (1999, p.11) makes clear assessment about the character of Ophelia when he writes, â€Å"Ophelia is a cipher, or a â€Å"plot device† or pawn used by her father, her lover and Shakespeare himself; at most she seems a â€Å"sacrifice to the general meaninglessness and loneliness pervading the play.† The words of Gabriel A. Rieger (2009, p. 47) is also notable when he remarked thus; â€Å"Ophelia is an inversion to the prince.† Laertes, the brother of Ophelia is ravaged to take revenge on Hamlet and in the final scene it can be seen that the sword of Laertes is poisoned as instructed by Claudius and again a cup of bowl filled with poison was made ready for Hamlet. Meanwhile Gertrude drinks the cup for Hamlet and dies and she at the time of death announces the evil works of her present husband. Laertes wounds Hamlet and is himself woun ded by the poisoned sword. When Laertes is seen dying he tells all about the plans of Claudius and at the end Hamlet stabs Claudius and makes him drink the poison prepared by himself. Thus in the final scene of the play a series of murders can be seen. Gertrude’s death is seen a part of her husband’s folly. Horatio, a friend of Hamlet becomes a witness to all the disgraceful acts that happened at the final scene. Two main characters in the play, Ophelia and

Week 5 Student Blog Post Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 5 Student Blog Post - Assignment Example Her neighbor represents the male gender and he is a popular football quarterback in the video (Taylor). According to the video, despite the girl being smart and talented, she has managed to acquire high academic achievements but not happy for her joy depends on earning the boy’s love. This is evident in the way she constantly tries to capture the boy’s attention but he does not seem to notice her. Just as Karloff said, cultural images enforce the notion that women depend on romance for happiness. In the minds of the youthful viewers, the will then learn from the video that the only way to be happy is to get involved in a heterosexual relationship (Boosalis, & Golombisky 25). This videos tends to bring out the perception than men are powerful and women whereas the female gender inferior. In addition, the cultural images of the video portray that women are subordinate to men in the society since Swift in the video relies on the relationship between her and the boy for happiness (Boosalis, & Golombisky 23). The consumers of these images who mostly may be adolescents and most especially girls need guidance and should be critical when deciding how they conduct their normal life experiences with cultural representation from the video images

Global entrepreneurship small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global entrepreneurship small business - Essay Example Brand names are easily identified and provide the customer assurance of quality and reliability in the international market place. Thus standard items such as books, cassettes, compact disks, shoes, clothes, watches and other items can be sold on the internet. Sourcing can be from national vendors of multi nationals who are located in the place or country of purchase. Delivery can be through express mail service. Payments will be through credit card. A developed model of online shopping is online auction. At present a number of small enterprises are providing specialized online shopping and auction services. Some examples are oddspot.com and cookieartexchange.com1 Web space, web hosting solutions, site development, web marketing and other services can be provided very economically across the globe by small entrepreneurs. A large number of small businesses and organizations need a web presence today. Their requirement does not entail provision by multi national corporations or large business houses as IBM or Microsoft. These services can well be provided by small business men and entrepreneurs who can easily deliver these services including security solutions for web sites. E mail and data management services can also be provided.

Lewis Carroll's Photographs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Lewis Carroll's Photographs - Research Paper Example For most artists and writers in this era, the child was nothing more than a shadow of the adult. This ultimately meant that rather than being portrayed as they were, they were instead portrayed as adults wanted them to be portrayed.Carroll embraced this theme of the child as a shadow of humanity in his photographs in order to draw attention to how misconceived children were by adults, particularly using the real children that he met in his life. Lewis Carroll sought to show children as adult shadows, the children’s identity as being shadowed by the adults, as well as the shadows that the children cast. Therefore, this paper will seek to show how Lewis Carroll used children in his photographs to show their innocence and the misconceptions that adults oftentimes had about them. Lewis Carroll exemplified how misconceived children were by undressing them or dressing them through a creation of what he perceived to be his own shadow of being a child. Recognized as a leading amateur and child photographer during the Victorian era, Carroll used the photographs he took to displace reality. Because photography in this period was a relatively new phenomenon, Lewis Carroll took it as a means of writing by using light with his most preferred photographic subject being the child as shown in the photographs above. This was obviously something of a new and dynamic approach. At least sixty percent of all his known photographs were of children. At the time, photography was taken as the only art form that could accurately record true reality. Carrol then took this representation of â€Å"reality† and created a reverse text for the discussion of children. This reverse text helped to falsify how real a photograph could be. In various photographs, rather than giving the audience his own view of who a child should be, Carroll came up with the composition an adult would have a child.

Beethoven Pastoral Symphony Essay Example for Free

Beethoven Pastoral Symphony Essay Beethoven was one of the pivotal composers that helped music evolve from the Classical period into the age of Romanticism. When discussing Beethoven’s success in classical compositions, his symphonies are at the forefront of most if not every conversation. However, even within the topic of his symphonies, some are naturally highlighted more than others. For example, one could reproduce the melody from either the opening movement of the Fifth or the finale of the Ninth and a majority of people would be able to recognize them. While these two works were revolutionary in the progression of symphonic music, they were not the only ones to have played important roles in this sense. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is a pivotal work in the expansion of music with programmatic characteristics. However, this symphony is one that sways between the realms of absolute and program music, for it can be identified with both categories of symphonic music. While it is highly unlikely that Beethoven viewed this composition as a truly programmatic piece, the Sixth Symphony has played an important role in the development of the symphony as a genre and influenced future composers of program music as well. In order to discuss the significance of the Pastoral Symphony, one must first shed light on the difference of program music from that of absolute music. Author R. W. S. Mendl describes absolute music as being â€Å"that which gives us pleasure by the sheer delight in sound patterns without having any emotional, pictorial, or literary references† and claims that music with programmatic content â€Å"attempt[s] to represent scenes, objects, or events which exist apart from music.† It is hard to gauge the amount of programmatic works prior to the Pastoral Symphony, simply due to the fact that the term â€Å"program music† was not used as a defining category of music at the time of their release. An estimated eighth of all symphonic works that were presented before Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony were composed with the intent of conveying particular images or scenes. It would seem that with such a small percentage of varying works that were composed to contain prog rammatic ideas, labeling these works with a universal genre proved to be somewhat difficult. With the expansion of this style of writing, naturally the encompassing term â€Å"program music† would become associated with such pieces. Around the time of Beethoven’s composing, music was undergoing a shift from the Classical period into an age of Romanticism. Compositions were expanding in numerous ways regarding form, orchestration, and harmonies that were being implemented. Beethoven has been called â€Å"the innovator who broke through the limitations of Classicism without abandoning them.† This is truly evident through his symphonic writing. While on the cusp of the Romantic era, it became evident to him that the stature of absolute music was on the rise. Lewis Lockwood states that from a compositional aspect, Beethoven looked down upon ‘program music’ for its seemingly shallow representation of actual sounds and lack of originality. In response to this rising style of music, he composed the Pastoral Symphony with the intent of merging illus trative ideas of programmatic music with the structure of absolute music. Beethoven successfully achieved a blend of programmatic and absolute ideas with this symphony, in order to create an overall pastoral feeling of nature rather than depict any specific image. While the symphony and its five movements are labeled with titles that were created by Beethoven himself, he believed that the overall pastoral idea of this work could be perceived by the audience without a description that would usually be necessary with a complete program piece. It is this idea that helped Beethoven create the title as it can be viewed on early sketches, â€Å"Pastoral Symphony or Memories of Country Life: More the Expression of Feeling than Tone-Painting.† It would appear that Beethoven intended to create a general mood that expresses the idea of nature rather than rely on specific images or one precise story to achieve this. Despite Beethoven’s general feelings towards program music and his conscious efforts to claim that the Sixth Symphony was more a collection of overall feelings rather than an attempt at creating one specific image, this piece is neither absolute or programmatic music but a blend of the two styles. The first point in this argument would be the fact that Beethoven attached titles to each of the five movements within this symphony that depict certain scenes associated with pastoral ideas. The headings for the movements are as follow: ‘Pleasant feelings which are awakened in mankind on arrival in the country’, ‘Scene by the brook’, ‘Joyful fellowship of country folk’, ‘Thunder and Storm’, and ‘Beneficent feeling after the storm joined with thanks to the deity’. The mere fact that this symphony is the only one of his nine to contain subtitles attached to each movement that describe a scene of nature favors the thought of the symphony being more programmatic than absolute. However, if one were to look past the movement headings and take into consideration the content of the music, one would observe that the first two movements contain very little defined imagery. From an analytical perspective of the form, the first ha lf of the symphony is rather conventional and resembles the absolute approach to music. These movements hold true to the subheading for the symphony in regards to creating overall feelings rather than one precise painting or story. While there are compositional devices used to help convey the pastoral feeling within the first half of the symphony, it is not until the end of the second movement that Beethoven truly utilizes extra musical associations to convey imagery. This andante movement entitled ‘Scene by the brook’ ends with the flute, oboe, and clarinet engaged in a coda while imitating birdcalls. The composer himself labeled these three woodwind voices as a nightingale, a quail, and a cuckoo, respectively. These birdcalls have led to several debates, discussions, and even complete articles that attempt to analyze the true meaning of their existence in the piece. No matter how they are interpreted, one fact remains still. The birdcalls act as segues from the symphonic first half to the more programmatic portion of the piece. The second half of the Sixth Symphony ventures away from conventional symphonic composing techniques found in the first two movements and includes more programmatic material. A strong indication of programmatic material resides within the later half of the symphony, where Beethoven includes several pastoral elements to enhance the musical imagery. The third movement consists of excited melodies in a compound-meter stylized scherzo representing country-dances. There are several points within this movement that have a drone in the bass that has been viewed as a depiction of bagpipes, an instrument that was frequently associated with the representation of pastoral ideas. This jovial dance-like movement transitions into the fourth movement, which resembles a storm. The storm is â€Å"clearly an example of tone-painting† with its explosive minor chords that represent thunder and lightning and the constant patter of rain in the strings’ lines. Another significant feature added to the symphony that aids the pastoral image is the use of a ranz des vaches in the final movement. The ranz des vaches was an alpine horn call that herdsmen used to summon cattle. Author, David Wyn Jones notes in his book that â€Å"common features of ranz des vaches melodies are: triadic motion, dotted 6/8 meter†¦frequent use of grace notes, all harmonized mainly by the tonic triad.† While looking at the horn call that Beethoven uses within his symphony, one would notice that it meets all of the criteria that Jones listed. The imagery associated with the Pastoral Symphony depicts scenes from nature, which was a subject close to Beethoven’s heart. Through journal entries and letters, one can deduce Beethoven’s love for nature. The following is a letter to Austrian musician and friend, Therese Malfatti in 1810 that depicts his feelings about the outdoors: How fortunate you are to have been able to go to the country so early in the year! Not before the 8th shall I be able to enjoy this delight: I look forward to it with childish anticipation. How glad I shall be to wander about amidst shrubs, forests, trees, herbs and rocks! No man can love the country as I do. For it is forests, trees and rocks that provide men with the resonance they desire. Through this letter and several other firsthand records, one can clearly see Beethoven’s infatuation for the outdoors and the justifiable reason to compose a piece that commemorates this love. It makes sense that the first large-scale work that includes extensive amounts of imagery would reflect the thing that he admired most. Along with the simple beauty of nature, there were other factors that influenced Beethoven while writing his Sixth Symphony. The inclusion of nature and rustic ideas within music was not uncommon to composers prior to Beethoven. Pastoral subjects could be found in several theatrical presentations, operas, and intermezzo from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries. One notable work that inspired the development of the Pastoral Symphony was an oratorio written by Franz Joseph Haydn, his teacher and mentor early on in his composing career. Haydn’s oratorio, The Seasons, had an impact on Beethoven while he wrote his Sixth Symphony. Haydn incorporates arpeggiated horn calls in the aria â€Å"Der muntre Hirt† that begin â€Å"a sequence of summer scenes that will [eventually lead] to the storm† later in the oratorio. Similarly, Beethoven opens the fifth and final movement of his symphony with an arpeggiated melody in the French horns that subsequently signify the end of the storm that took place in the previous movement. Another example of musical quotation that Beethoven purposely incorporated is an oboe melody that â€Å"has long been understood as a quotation from Bach’s chorale ‘Birch an, o Schà ¶nes Morgenlicht,’ from the second part of the Christmas Oratorio†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It is worth mentioning that prior to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, there had been other symphonic works to contain sections that resemble thunderstorms. Several commentaries on the Pastoral and its development discuss the 18th century German composer, Justin Heinrich Knecht and his piece entitled La Portrait musical de la nature. This work seems to contain similar programmatic ideas as that of Beethoven’s symphony, including a thunderstorm that interrupts the overall peaceful feeling of nature that resumes after the storm. In addition to preceding compositions that influenced Beethoven’s writings, there has been the suggestion for the possible influence from the literary writings of Scottish poet James Thomson, mostly that of his well known poems collectively titled â€Å"The Seasons†. While there is no concrete evidence that Beethoven took inspiration from this poem, some scholars feel that the poem possibly had an underlying effect on the outcome of the Pastoral Symphony. The text of the poem discusses nature, progressing through the four seasons starting with spring and ending with winter. The poem was translated to German in 1745 and served as a basis for Haydn’s oratorio that shares the same name. As discussed earlier, Beethoven drew inspiration from Haydn’s oratorio, so it would seem that he was indirectly influenced from the poetry of James Thomson for this reason even if he had no connection to the actual literature itself. So far there have been factors that support both sides of the argument in trying to define the Pastoral Symphony as either a work of absolute music, or one depicting tone painting. The mere fact that the piece contains an appropriate amount of material that justifies both categories, one should agree that this work could be viewed as the perfect synthesis of the two sides of the symphonic spectrum. The next step in understanding the influence that the Pastoral Symphony had on future composers of both absolute and programmatic works would naturally be to look at the general reception of the premiere of this piece. The Sixth Symphony received its first public performance on December 22nd, 1808 along with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Beethoven worked on these two symphonies simultaneously in the years leading up to this concert. At this time however, the symphonies were labeled opposite of what they are viewed as today, which means that the Pastoral was written and performed as Beethoven’s fifth symphony, while the C-minor was viewed as his sixth. Over the course of time it would seem as though the Fifth Symphony has overpowered the Pastoral in the minds of audience members. While this may be true to some extent today, at the time, critics were singing praises to this wonderful portrayal of nature through melody and harmony. A review of the score in the musical journal of the time, Allgemeine musikalishce Zeitung, was typical in saying such things as â€Å"this work of Beethoven, wonderful, original, and full of life, which can be placed without hesitation besides his other masterworks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When comparing it to other compositions that focused on imagery of programmatic material, one critic claimed that â€Å"none of the musical paintings known until now can withstand comparison†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Overall, the piece was welcomed positively and viewed as a representation for composers who desired to use programmatic features. Some of the compositional styles that would soon develop through the Romantic period can trace influence from Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony. When discussing compositions that drew inspiration from the Pastoral Symphony, one should mention Hector Berlioz’s programmatic work, Symphonie Fantastique. As a composer, Berlioz was an advocate for music with more programmatic tendencies and was viewed as a radical composer during his time. At one point in his career, Berlioz wrote critical reviews of Beethoven’s nine symphonies. When discussing the Sixth, he used descriptions such as, â€Å"delightful phrases [that] greet you, like the perfumed morning breeze† as well as â€Å"swarms of chattering birds in flight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With such joyous descriptions that Berlioz gave, it comes as no surprise that he would find inspiration from this piece for his own writing. Author, Owen Jander views the second movement in Beethoven’s symphony entitled â€Å"Scene by t he Brook† as an obvious â€Å"point of departure for the ‘Scene in the Meadows’ in Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique†. As mentioned earlier, Beethoven’s second movement has been the topic of several discussions concerning the Sixth Symphony, specifically, the imitation of birdcalls that can be found at the close of the movement. Jander believes the calls to symbolize Beethoven’s acceptance of his growing deafness and his own fate. If one is to agree with this interpretation, then the connection to Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique becomes one that is easy to accept. Berlioz’s third movement, entitled â€Å"Scene in the Meadows† opens with the English horn and the oboe representing two shepherds that are calling to one another. At the end of the movement, one of the â€Å"shepherds† return once more but is not joined by the other, but is instead replaced by the distant roll of thunder heard in the timpani. Those familiar with the piece and its program know that the concluding two movements that follow represent a personal hell and damnation for the protagonist. The connection between both that of Beethoven’s and Berlioz’s works would be the idea that both composers are aware of their own fate and accept it through the illustration of music. Another composer that was potentially influenced by the Pastoral Symphony was that of the German opera composer, Richard Wagner. As just discussed, it would seem that the second movement of Beethoven’s work is to represent the â€Å"realization of one’s destiny through nature†. In Wagner’s opera, Siegfried, there are scenes within the second act that take place in the forest. In which, the main character, Siegfried learns of his destiny from the ability to understand a forest bird. This situation is the exact opposite from that of Beethoven’s, where the composer realizes his destiny through the discovery that he can no longer hear. Two compositions that were separated by nearly one hundred years, both contain similar imagery that represents a person’s realization and acceptance of their destiny through nature. The chances of this being a coincidence seem rather unlikely. To say that that Beethoven’s Pastoral inspired Wagner’s us e of nature within this opera would be a fair conclusion. When discussing Beethoven, the Sixth Symphony may not be a piece that comes to mind right away; one might rather recall themes from other symphonies by him. However, the importance of this piece in the evolution of the symphony as a genre is too important to go overlooked. The mere fact that out of the nine symphonies that Beethoven wrote, the Sixth was the only one to receive a programmatic title and descriptive scenes attached to the movements is an indication at the significance of this work. It may not have directly influenced several composers in the years that followed as far as content is concerned, but Beethoven’s ability to combine aspects of program music with the absoluteness of a symphony opened the door to possibilities for future composers on both sides of the spectrum.

Majoring in Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Majoring in Philosophy Essay An event was organized in a school for students who were going to attend college soon. Their main aim was to emphasize Major in philosophy. Many experts explained importance of philosophy. There are numerous reasons for choosing this course. In philosophy major, students are taught about how to interpret, imagine, converse, and write well. Philosophy answers many human quires which grouped into three traditional categories. These are axiology: the theory of value, Epistemology: the theory of knowledge, Metaphysics: basic kinds of things exist. Students can successfully complete philosophy if they posses good level of reading comprehension, transparency of thought, and good communication skill. Principles of philosophy apply to everyday life therefore courses are designed to use thoughts and theories from the history of philosophy to concentrate on real world issues in area of education, business, law, public policy, and society. The purposes of course in philosophy Major in applied ethics are particularly pertinent for students who are interested in the role played by ethical values in a diversity of professional settings. Philosophy courses are important because philosophical concepts, ideology, and process of inquiry are related in several fields. Whatever students learn in philosophy can be applied in practically all aspects of life. This course allows candidates to know when to use a liberal sprinkling of words and when to use imagination power. Philosophy is good area of study that provides a high degree of personal accomplishment. Students will also have opportunities to critically test the potential and the influence of contemporary theoretical and philosophical schools of thought in normal life. In studying profoundly about great philosophers, students can gain knowledge to think thoroughly about every aspect of human life. Philosophy major allows students to observe relations between very different fields of thought such as science, religion, and ethics. This course widens skills in writing, in argumentation, and in the communication of complex ideas. Philosophy course equip students to develop inherent personal value. They can experience expansion of consciousness, self-discovery, self-renewal, and a more clear direction in life. In short, philosophy is learning for full life span. For doing philosophy major, candidate must be well versed in a broad education and have good credits which must be upper division. Philosophy majors have the maximum average score of any major on the verbal reasoning, analytic writing section and on the quantitative reasoning section. The most clear career path for students majoring in philosophy is to complete graduation in philosophy and involve in teaching in reputed college or university. Many philosophy graduates choose non-academic profession. Philosophy major courses prepare students for vocations requiring a liberal arts education, including law, government, communication, management, the ministry, teaching, or even business administration. To summarize, event attended in school encourages students to join Philosophy Major to enhance career and get steep success. It was communicated that philosophy is one of the most flexible majors in the humanities. It intersects with economics, politics, mathematics, psychology and history. Students studying philosophy will have a good understanding of about themselves and the world. In the event, professionals drew attention of students by stating important facts of philosophy. The reason of studying this course is that philosophy makes the mind healthy and develops numerous skills to sharpen human mind. If a person wants to develop a variety of skills that prepare him for a wide variety of intellectual challenges, he must be serious in joining a philosophy major.

Sector Analysis of the Nigerian Clothing Market

Sector Analysis of the Nigerian Clothing Market INTRODUCTION This section of the report is divided into segments and Im going to look into the sector analysis of the Nigerian clothing market through online databases, company reports, magazines, journal and newsletters. Kotler Gartner (2002) claim that PEST analysis is a functional considered tool for understanding market growth or decline, industry position, potential and direction for operations. In this report PEST analysis of the macro environment will be carried out to explore the factors that influence company policies; and Porters five forces will be used to understand the competitive environment of the industry. PEST analysis illustrate the political issues of a country which has to do the rules and regulation governing; economic forces which encompass the bargaining power and consumer purchasing patterns, interest rates and taxes. Next is technology which comprises of product development, innovation and inventions in the industry, online advert and new distribution methods. Finally social forces consist of change in life style, religion, fashion and roles models. Macro-environment This consists of the companys business suppliers, market intermediaries, buyer markets, competitors and the public (Kotler 2004.p:107). The most general layers of these environments are industry or sector and organisation which are again referred to as macro-environment. Thus, this consists of broad environmental factors that impact to a greater or lesser extent on an organisation. It is important to build up an understanding of how changes in the macro environment are likely to impact on a sector. These symbolize the uncontrollable factors of a business and how these factors (PEST) affect the Nigerian clothing industry is discussed below. Political Force Political forces play a vital role in business and it can be refer to the total sum of political, consumer protection, environmental regulations, employment law, competitive regulations, political trends, legal and regulatory forces which are enforced by the courts and regulatory agencies and are capable of controlling a companys marketing decisions and strategies (Dibb S. et al 1997). In Nigeria precisely, there are three main forces that make up the political environment and they are: Executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch. It is necessary and mandatory for an organisation to stick to political rules and regulation governing their day to day business activities of the country (Brassington F. 2006) Nigeria today has an extended list of prohibited items. According to Business day (2009), Nigerian has up to 80 banned items in its prohibition list while countries like Sierra Leone, Congo and Guinea have none. Furthermore, Senegal has 4, Ghana 19, Republic of Benin 10, Cameroon 13 and Gambia 1. In Nigerias import prohibition list items such as sugar, sweet, soap, fruit juice, textile fabrics, shoes, tooth paste, envelopes, mosquito nets and biscuits. This is in short supply apparently because of inadequate capacity accounted for by the harsh operating environment. In the case of textiles, the most strong of them all, Nigerian had over 120 textile factories in 1980 and this period was refer to as the era of textile boom in Nigerian. But recently the figure has dropped to 45 as a result of productive capacity of the sector which is so low to the point that about 90 percent of textiles/fabrics needs of the country are being fed through importation (Business day 2009). According to the (Mail and Guardian 2009), Anyanwu, founder of the Ogodo label, said the industry began stirring only when Olusegun Obasanjo banned importation of foreign clothes in the late 1990s. Anyanwu further stressed that, this forced designers to look inwards and discovered their capabilities, and that the company Ogodo, meaning Igbo for clothing of â€Å"good quality† was founded and premiered at Nigerias fashion week in 2006 (mail and guardian 2009). The Nigerian government has banned the importation of printed fabric/textile products from entering into the country in other to guard its own ailing industries in Nigeria (BBC 2002). In spite of the outlaw on importation of fabric or clothing by the Nigerian government ever since the new democratic dispensation, there is still an increase in the purchase of foreign products like clothing by Nigerian consumers. Furthermore the law was implemented to enable the local industries to thrive in the very competitive clothing market and to discard increasing demand of foreign goods in the Nigerian market (BBC 2002). The Nigerian market is proliferated with the importation of foreign labels which already have global recognition, Okechukwu (1999). Importation of clothing goods into Nigeria often poses threat to the local manufacturers whose products are relatively unidentified in the country. However, there is no efficient regulatory body that governs designers. In the West and Southern part of Africa, stakeholders in any specialized industry form regulatory bodies whose primary tasks include: providing resources for members, engaging in public guidance principle and governmental relations with the regulation of makers of clothes, and establishing suitable industry practices to stay competitive both locally and abroad. Although, banning the importation of textiles/fabrics was meant to provide leverage for Nigeria in its dealings with its trading partners. In fact, the 1977 ban, for example, was the result of what the government deemed a self-sufficient Clothing and Textile industry. The government, arguably, got it right. As of 1980, Nigeria was ranked the third largest textile industry in Africa after Egypt and South Africa (Uduak 2009). Enforcing increased of government regulation in the Nigeria economy today, the rising price of oil, communication advancements and travel options have all led towards a growing market for brand names products in Nigeria. Moreover clothes is a prime product since it was geared toward customers in third world country where the per capital income was extremely low. From the continent of Africa, there was a war in Abeokuta, involving the Yorubas in western Nigeria. This war was the result of them [Yoruba] rejecting to wear items brought from the British Colonists and their preference to locally made Nigerian clothes and Yoruba outfits with the reason that it represented their culture and custom (Jean 2004:p.256). Bayfield cited in Jean (2004) argues that their act visibly illustrated to colonial authorities those elite were not only setting themselves apart from colonial authorities and values but also showing commitment both political and cultural to being Yoruba. Precisely, in Yoruba community, the types and quality of clothes they wear are significant and a Yoruba wardrobe includes imported textiles, Such as velvet and locally woven (Jean 2004:p.256). Economic force It is important for every firm to know the economy of the country were they operate in other for the business to expand. The factor of Economic forces make up marketing environment and it consists of issues ranging from effects of the present day economic situation in a country which are caused by the forces of buying power, consumption, supply and demand, and spending patterns. The factors mentioned determine the success and growth of any organisations marketing strategies but which are uncontrollable by the organisation (Dibb S. et al 1997). The Nigerian economy has been experiencing growth for the past 10 years which has brought light to Nigerian (GMID 2005). The Nigerian consumers are becoming fashion conscious due to the new fashion trends and development in the society today. A majority of adult and middle-aged consumers have developed tastes which are comparable to those of their counterparts in developed countries, as a result of the advent of satellite communication and internet which has further made the diffusion of information and knowledge easy to reach out to the Nigerian population. This reason partly accounts for the elevated spending on clothing as indicated in a study that was carried out by (GMID 2005). Again, GMIDs study in 2005 about the Nigerian consumers spending pattern revealed that a greater proportion of their total income is spent on clothing, which is ranked third, (5.36%) after food and shelter with 56.42% and 8.89% respectively. Realistically, Nigerian [locally] made clothes are cheaper as opposed to the imported ones as the cost of labour is comparatively low and the materials used are internal. Also, considering the cost of importing foreign good, and its associated duties at the countrys ports undoubtedly makes foreign goods including clothing deer to that of the traditionally made ones. One important factor which could influence the consumption pattern of the Nigerian consumers in the clothing industry is the income levels. As a developing country, with a per capita of $2,300 (Siakhenn, 2008), coupled with the current global economic crises, which has crippled employment, and making more redundant, Nigerian consumers might be Sceptical about spending, especially on more fashionable cloths, but which will be affected the most, local or imported? The Nigeria financial system is based on crude oil, agriculture and trades due to the transformation of colonial rules in late 19th century. The necessitate to pay taxes to the colonial government forced Nigerian farmers to restore food-producing crops with cash-producing crops, the Nigerian government decided to reduce their prices in other to resolve profit. Although the Nigerian petroleum industry developed in 1960 and 1970 has brought a massive increased exporting agriculture products, infrastructure, earnings, social service and huge investment in industry. In respect of this situation many large investments often joint venture with private corporations. The Nigerian gross domestic product was improving in 2007 with $165 billion. In respectively the gross domestic product has a wide range, most times depending on the oil market at that period because it varies like in 1985 it was $81 billion, $33.2 billion in 1994, $40.5 billion in 1995 this was increasing yearly and the total GDP per capital was $1,118.20 which was among the lowest in the world. The less privileged experience hard slap due to the Nigeria economic problems and importation of goods were expensive (Stock 2009). Company in Nigeria today are expending due to the fact that Nigerian consumer now patronize locally made clothes, this clothes are relative cheap and affordable which have good values for money, In respect of this the Nigeria consumer barging power of consumer have increase over time. Furthermore, the interest rate has an effect on different magnitude on each of the monetary total. Examples if there are high interest rates in different country of origin it will affect the Nigeria economic and price rates of product will be expensive, due to the fact that these goods are imported into Nigeria. Social force Social force is very necessary in business and it encompasses factors like culture, customer demographics, attitudes and how opinions are being formed (Brassington F. 2006). Thus, this social force has help marketer to study consumer buying pattern, motivation and consumer behaviour. In Nigeria Clothing symbolizes religious affiliation, in spite of the Nigerian limited disposable income; consumers are able to spend most of their income on amusement, holiday and fashion which are the things that are significant to working class. At this phase of their lives, they have no responsibilities and little or no savings. Thus, they can consequently spend all the income they earn. The young adults group in Nigeria has a relatively low purchasing power because most of them are just starting-off on their own. As a result, they tend to spend their income on more tangible goods such as cars, apartments and clothes. Though they are mindful of fashion, they are more conscious spenders than the studying age consumers. The middle-aged adults have higher purchasing power as they are more established in their careers and have attained some level of financial success. This group consequently are able to afford more luxurious clothing items (GMID 2007). These classifications will be u seful for evaluating the discrepancies between the various age segments. Generally in African fashion it is well known and it is treated more like as a cultural experience. The Nigerian society has frowned on fashion design as a serious profession. In reality norms and attitudes reveal a degrading â€Å"you cant be serious† attitude towards fashion. Clothing industrial in Nigerian society is blooming especially foreign label clothes because it differentiates the rich from the poor, due to the exposure of the western culture most consumers that go to other country of origin for schooling, working or business preferred their lifestyles and the ways they dress because it makes them expose (GMID 2007) The consumers buying pattern has change over time, they younger adults in Nigeria prefer to wear be best outfit and latest shoes due to the kinds of events and occasion they are attending, this reasons usually influence younger consumer to purchase. Furthermore most of the consumers in Nigeria are being influence by lifestyle trends and role models because in the society there are always news trends and development, this consumer want to meet up to standard by dress according to roles models. Technological Technology plays vital roles in an organisation and it is constant to change in nature, it is necessary for and establishment to follow the trends of technology so that the organisation will not be lacking behind. Technology has being so benefits to firms it terms of advertising, innovation processes and quality control. Technology has helped the fashion industry to improve tremendously. Since 1960 the Nigerian internet sector has suffered delay by the countries immature infrastructure, but recently things are changing as rivalry intensifies and new internet technology has been able to convey wireless broadband access across different state in Nigerian. Thus, Nigeria has experienced a large increase in Internet and broadband use over the past 10 years. And Improvements in technology has made broadband more available and faster through the use of communication industrial like mobile telecommunication network MTN, Nigerian mobile communication M-Tel and Globacom Glo which has increase the use of information search engines and has made it easier for consumers to search through different web sites and this makes it easier to reach customers as well as making it easier for customer to access competition. Therefore the technology has improved and the system and usage of communication in Nigeria. Statistics show that in 2000 the estimate population of Nigeria was 142,895,600 but the internet users were only 200,000. In the year 2006 there was a vast increase on internet usage and population growth in Nigerian. Thus, the population was 159,404,137 and the internet users rose to 5,000,000 (GMID 2005) which was a huge development. Technology is fast improving in the Nigerian economic with the effect of broad brand and wireless internet various purchase has being made and customer has also use this median to check what is happening in the fashion industrial and the new fashion trends. Furthermore companies like Collectibles in the fashion industry of Nigeria have been able to use the internet technology to publicize and advertise their different brands of Nigerian products and this has created awareness in the country. Thus, various consumer has made has made order for different verity of clothes through online because it is ease to access. Majority of the fashion industrial in Nigeria has an online shop in other to prevent query and crowd. An examples like during sales in Nigeria most consumer purchase their product online in other to reduce querying up in shop. Moreover, the impart of technology to the society of Nigerian has help the fashion industrials and other business in the countries in term of high volumes of production rates which has made establishment to grow and also companies has use the median of technology to advertise their various goods and service to the public which has created awareness and high volumes of sales. Thus, the impart of technology has made industrial to know the numbers of manpower to employ and be utilize per day. Competitive Environment The clothing Industries in Nigerian are faced with lot of competition. There are a lot of locally made fabrics that are popular in the market and also other retail sellers travel outside Nigeria to other countries to like china to shop. This is because they can get cheaper goods and other option when they come back they make their products cheap, affordable and enlighten in order to satisfy customer needs and wants. Thus, Nigeria likes fashion and there are lots of boutiques in the country meaning competition is quite high, though the quality of these goods does not match that of Collectibles the best fashion industry in Nigeria. Abe is huge market in Nigeria which is known for fashionable clothes outfits and accessories their product are usually called â€Å"Made in Nigeria goods†. In Nigeria, the community of Abe everyone has a sewing machine which the used in sewing clothing and consumer patronize them. A lot of shops in Nigeria get their clothing items from Abe, which is a local fashion market in Nigeria and they resell them in the other shops, these are Nigerian made clothes. There are also a large range of bigger Fashion outlets which has various branches across Nigeria such as Collectibles, Marbella culture, Charlotte Andrews collection, Bibis couture, De javu essence, Dee top choice, Wranglers and yeside fashion store. This means the level of competition in the fashion industry in Nigeria is very high. In analysing the competitive environment of clothing industry, Porters Five Forces model will be used. This model will help us have a better understanding of the competitive environment because the Porters five forces model does not just agree that competition is about direct competitors but it encompasses the entire possibility of all future indirect competitors (Brassington F 2006). Which are based on five factors and they include intensity of rivalry, new entrants, suppliers, buyers and substitutes (Jobber 2007). Intensity of rivalry in the Nigerian clothing sector In traditional economic model, Competition among rival firms drives profit to zero. The intensity of rivalry is a necessary factor when analysing the competitive environment because it deal with number of factors that companies have to understand before going into the industry for business and they include: structure of the competition, structure of costs, degree of differentiation, switching costs, strategic objectives and exit barriers. This made firms strive for competitive advantages over their rivals and this can be achieved through creation of relationships between quality, supplier and clothing industry. The intensity of the rivalry in the clothing sector in Nigeria market is really fierce. As theres free movement of goods to Nigeria from the African union, and also with the influx of Asian clothing shops, the competition for market share is intense (GMID2008). Collectibles has a number of rivals in clothing sector like Yeside fashion, Marbella culture, Charlotte Andrews collection, and De javu essence. Wranglers are seemed to be in serious competition with collectibles fashion industry. A wrangler has been able to attract consumers by creating its own brand clothing labels and stylish shoes which collectible has taken the lead in it. Through this median companies are obeying the laws passed on them by the government. This has increased the intensity of rivalry in the industry because most of the company are working towards common goals to become a market leader. Threat of new entrants New entrants in business have a way of raising the level of competition in a particular industry and in turn reduce its attractiveness. When an industry has too many companies competing against each other, this can be the reason for its unattractiveness and this can be as a result of the low entry barriers that some industries have which makes entry easy (Jobber D. 2004). Furthermore, Kotler 2004 in his writing stated that new entrants to industry bring new capacity and new ideas, the aspiration to gain market share. As a result of this the new entrants in industry the competition will be the higher and this could change major determents market environment like price, customer loyalty and market share. Furthermore, within the Nigerian clothing market, the possibility existing or new laws restricting new entrants seems bleak especially with current globalisation and the African Union enabling free movement of goods. Aside from external forces, there is also possibility that local investors will invade the clothing market, due to the lucrative nature of the sector (the collectible fashion). This is well explained by the rapid growth of Chinese products in Africa and more importantly, in Nigeria. A BBC (2005) article titled â€Å"should Africa embrace china†, confirmed that developing countries are gradually becoming the real victims of Chinas economic progress with goods, especially clothing, being imported into counties including Nigeria. Collectible has a strong attendance in the Nigeria market and has gained the attention of large population of Nigeria consumer which make it very difficult for new entrants to break into. Threat of substitute products According to five porters models substitute refer to products in other industrials and when an establishment has lot of substitutes it makes it unappealing to the consumer because they can easily switches from one product to another. The main factor behind substitutes in clothing market is the price and the style. Majority of consumer are attracted and motivated by the price of the products in the shops because most of the shops frequently have offers and sales promotions on products which attracts customers. The current price war among various shops in Nigeria has left smaller retailers having a difficulty in setting prices to be as low as leading retailers like collectible. Most shoppers are motivated by price and will substitute their regular shop for the next which offers a more attractive price list. The free entry and exit within the Nigerian clothing market, coupled with the greater importation of foreign clothes and the greater number of local clothes traders gives the consumer a number of choices. Threats of substitutes are really high and this has a significant impact on the prices and more importantly the power the consumer has. More substitutes mean that the customer has options, which, as noted by Porter, means that one producer cannot influence the market by ruling prices. In order to match each others competition strategies, due to the threats posed by substitutes, shop owners resort to various promotional strategies, which are normally ‘prices wars. The bargaining power of suppliers Supplier power is a reflection of buyer power and it represent a vital roles in industry competitive environment because if the bargaining power of suppliers is high then this will have an effect on the firms profitability this is as a result of increase the in cost of raw materials and subsequently the cost of finished products(Jobber D. 2004). Clothing market are increasing the standard of quality on their products which they get from suppliers and this has affected the relationship between retail companies and their various suppliers who have not been able to keep up with the new quality standard they require. The bargaining power of suppliers in Nigeria is really low. As noted by Porter (1979) when the bargain power of the suppliers is high, prices go up. This is the opposite of the Nigerian clothing sector. This is because though suppliers may be limited in number; most clothing retailers have their own manufacturers which are an integral part of their business. Thus most retailers use own brand/label, and this further echoes why the customers have such a high bargain power. Buyers According kippenberger (1998) states that it is often useful to distinguish potential buyer power from the buyers willingness or incentive to use that power, willingness that derives mainly from the â€Å"risk of failure† associated with a products use. Thus, Buyers refer to customer who patronise an organization and usually have more buyers bargaining power. (Lynch 2006). The size and concentration of customer is very vital and also buyer powers are very necessary because it influence the factor in clothing market as a result of high level of substitution of retailers. With the huge daily influx of clothes as explained above from overseas and with the existence of locally made ones, the bargain power of the Nigerian customer is really high. This is again backed by the fact that the number of choices available to the customers tends to drive the cost of clothes down in the country. Conclusion of sector analysis The sector analysis comprises of pest analysis and porters five forces theory which been use in this framework and it has help to analyses the Nigerian clothing market and also able to check the barriers and limitation of the market. In this analysis, secondary data was used to find out more information of the industrial and the perception of consumers towards foreign and locally made clothes which has giving the research more ideas to carried on to the next chapter which is the literature review.

Little Woman, Small World Essay -- Literature

In a small world, there is not much choice for a simple woman. Throughout history, women often are portrayed as the weaker sex. As a result of this assumption, women try to disassociate themselves from this custom and be more independent with their lives. One of John Steinbeck’s most accomplished short stories is, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† a story of an unhappy marriage of Elisa that takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. Elisa is coerced into a meager existence on her husband’s ranch. Particularly for Elisa, the world is as small as it appears, and she does not want to be a part in it any longer. She is feeling trapped in a life of servitude and suppressing a yearning for more. Therefore, Elisa takes a bold step towards her own providence. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† is a coming of age tale for a woman and a wife named Elisa who is portrayed as feminine, subservient, and conservative, though the reality is that she is instead a masculine, frustr ated, and sensual woman who wants more out of life than Henry offers her. Therefore, her portrayal shows her dissatisfaction in her marriage. Several times throughout the story, Elisa’s portrayal shows her masculine gender role that that leads to her dissatisfaction in her life. Elisa’s strength is almost to the point of masculinity. For example, Elisa is described in the story as powerful, handsome, strong, eager, and lean (Diyanni 460). Elisa could easily be mistaken for a man on the way she dresses up. She wears manly clothes and could be mistaken as a man from the distance. The way she looks and dresses up, she feels limited and underappreciated as a woman which adds to her dissatisfaction. In addition, according to Elizabeth McMahan, one of the critics from short story criticism, s... ...d As Met.† Short Stories for Study, Harvard University Pres pp.115-52. McMahan, Elizabeth E. Short Story Criticism. Vol. 2. Ed. David Segal. Second ed. United Kingdom: Gale Research International Limited, 1992. 214-16. Print. Palmerino, Gregory J. â€Å"Steinbeck’s ‘The Chrysanthemums’.† The Explicator 62.3 (2004): 164+.Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 March. 2012. Masterplots. The Chrysanthemums. The Big Sky-The Confidential Clerk. Vol. 2. Ed. Laurence W. Mazenno. Fourth ed. Pasadena, California: Salem Press, 1949. 1011-12. Print. Schultz, Jeffrey, and Luchen Li. Critical Companion to John Steinbeck A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York: Checkmark Books, 2005. 50-52. Print. Steinbeck, John. "The Chrysanthemums." Literature Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. Second ed. Boston: New York University, 2008. 459-66. Print.

The Necessity of Positive and Normative Economics :: essays papers

The Necessity of Positive and Normative Economics Keynes once wrote: â€Å"The object of a positive science is the establishment of uniformities, of a normative science the determination of ideals.† (Blaug, 122) This is the dichotomy that economists recognize when approaching their field of study. The social scientist must recognize both positive and normative distinctions, means and ends, as important factors of fruitful research. Secondly, they must clearly express the conditions and assumption which theories holds in order for economics to be useful for society. Positive science is that which is a fact of nature or a fact by definition. In mathematics this is the difference between the knowledge that the angles of a triangle sum to 180 degrees, and the definition of a triangle as a two dimensional polygon with 3 sides. In economics, such facts of knowledge include that money is a store of value, or facts of definition that the UN’s Human Development Index ranks Canada above Mexico. These are all positive facts. Whether they rely or are associated with values does not reduce their factualness to a normative realm. One cannot refute positive statements by claiming they are arrived at due to values. It is up to normative science to judge the value of the HDI, a positive fact, and not mistake this action as denying the existence of the HDI. This is probably better stated with a topic from macroeconomics. Suppose that some economists agree that inflation produces the social cost of having to adjust prices to new levels. This is a completely positive statement. As long as every term has been clearly defined, one can understand the relation between inflation (as defined) and cost (as defined). Yes, the definitions have been chosen based on specific values, but this does not disaffirm the statement as a true reflection of reality. Suppose we make a true statement which denies that inflation produces this social cost, by defining inflation or the cost differently. The old positive fact of reality that the first statement asserted has not changed. By changing definitions, we have merely created a new positive statement. A statement is a true positive fact, according to Weston, when it â€Å"is consistent with definitions and axioms that define the system. We are not necessarily saying anything about what is true outside of that system.

The Story of the Pineapple Essay -- Botany

The Story of the Pineapple After the discovery of America, new food plants became known to European people. The pineapple symbolizes balmy tropical lands and leisurely life on tropical islands. The pineapple, as well as other agricultural crops such as maize, potatoes, beans, peanuts, and tobacco, originated in America and were unknown to people of the old World. The story of the pineapple falls into three distinct periods. The first period precedes the discovery of America and goes back into the antiquity of South America where the pineapple is believed to have developed. There is very little information about it during this period but it is known that the pineapple was already being cultivated and widely distributed through inhabited areas of the American tropics. The second period, covering about 400 years, extends from 1493 to 1900 when Columbus first saw pineapples on the Island of Guadeloupe in the West Indies. The third period, beginning in 1900, is characterized by the industrial development of pineapple production and canning around the world, making the canned fruit available to people living in nontropical countries. Wild pineapples are still to be found in parts of tropical America in which they are small fruited, inferior in eating qualities, and extremely seedy. To eat a pineapple full of these seeds is like trying to eat one of our present day seedless fruits containing one thousand small bits of gravel. It was believed that long periods of propagation of a domesticated species would result in the plant losing its ability to produce seeds. Actually there is no scientific evidence to this belief. Seedlessness usually appears in normal seed-bearing plants as a result of a mutation in the chromosomes... ...alting ocean water for domestic and agricultural use. Future changes and techniques will help utilization of additional land areas and supply more pineapples to people. Bibliography 1. Collins, J.L., The Pineapple, Leonard Hill Books Limited, New York, 1960. 2. Cook, A. A. 1975. Diseases of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits and Nuts, Hafner Press, New York, 3. Fisher, D.V. 1976.History of Fruit Growing and Handling in United States of America and Canada, Regatta City Press LTD., Canada. 4. Fraser, S.M.S. 1931. American Fruits, orange Judd Publishing Company, Inc. New York.. 5. Hartman, H. T. 1981. Plant Science, Prentice-Hall, Inc, New Jersey. 6. Simmons, A. E. 1972. Growing Unusual Fruit, Walker and Company, New York. 7. Williams, C.N. 1979. Tree and Field Crops of the Wetter Regions of the Tropics, Longman Group Ltd.

National Territory of the Philippines Essay

The Constitution of the Philippines (Filipino: Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas) is the supreme law of the Philippines. The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the â€Å"1987 Constitution†.[1] Philippine constitutional law experts recognize three other previous constitutions as having effectively governed the country — the 1935 Commonwealth Constitution, the 1973 Constitution, and the 1986 Freedom Constitution.[2][3] Constitutions for the Philippines were also drafted and adopted during the short-lived governments of Presidents Emilio Aguinaldo (1898) and Josà © P. Laurel (1943). †¢Ã‚  Background of the 1987 ConstitutionIn 1986, following the People Power Revolution which ousted Ferdinand Marcos as president, and following on her own inauguration, Corazon Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3, declaring a national policy to implement the reforms mandated by the people, protecting their basic rights, adopting a provisional constitution, and providing for an orderly translation to a government under a new constitution.[4] President Aquino later issued Proclamation No. 9, creating a Constitutional Commission (popularly abbreviated â€Å"Con Com† in the Philippines) to frame a new constitution to replace the 1973 Constitution which took effect during the Marcos martial law regime. Aquino appointed 50 members to the Commission. The members of the Commission were drawn from varied backgrounds, including several former congressmen, a former Supreme Court Chief Justice (Roberto Concepcion), a Catholic bishop (Teodoro Bacani) and film director (Lino Brocka). Aquino also deliberately appointed 5 members, including former Labor Minister Blas Ople, who had been allied with Marcos until the latter’s ouster. After the Commission had convened, it elected as its president Cecilia Muà ±oz-Palma, who had emerged as a leading figure in the anti-Marcos opposition following her retirement as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The Commission finished the draft charter within four months after it was convened. Several issues were heatedly debated during the sessions, including on the form of government to adopt, the abolition of the death penalty, the continued retention of the Clark and Subic American military bases, and the integration of economic policies into the Constitution. Brocka would walk out of the Commission  before its completion, and two other delegates would dissent from the final draft. The ConCom completed their task on October 12, 1986 and presented the draft constitution to President Aquino on October 15, 1986. After a period of nationwide information campaign, a plebiscite for its ratification was held on February 2, 1987. More than three-fourth of all votes cast, 76.37% (or 17,059,495 voters) favored ratification as against 22.65% (or 5,058,714 voters) who voted against ratification. On February 11, 1987, the new constitution was proclaimed ratified and took effect. On that same day, Aquino, the other government officials, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines pledged allegiance to the Constitution. Significant features of the 1987 Constitution The Constitution establishes the Philippines as a â€Å"democratic and republican State†, where â€Å"sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them†. (Section 1, Article II) Consistent with the doctrine of separation of powers, the powers of the national government are exercised in main by three branches — the executive branch headed by the President, the legislative branch composed of Congress and the judicial branch with the Supreme Court occupying the highest tier of the judiciary. The President and the members of Congress are directly elected by the people, while the members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President from a list formed by the Judicial and Bar Council. As with the American system of government, it is Congress which enacts the laws, subject to the veto power of the President which may nonetheless be overturned by a two-thirds vote of Congress (Section 27(1), Article VI). The President has the constit utional duty to ensure the faithful execution of the laws (Section 17, Article VII), while the courts are expressly granted the power of judicial review (Section 1, Article VIII), including the power to nullify or interpret laws. The President is also recognized as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces (Section 18, Article VII). The Constitution also establishes limited political autonomy to the local government units that act as the municipal governments for provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays. (Section 1, Article X) Local governments are generally considered as falling under the executive branch, yet local legislation requires enactment by duly elected local legislative  bodies. The Constitution (Section 3, Article X) mandated that the Congress would enact a Local Government Code. The Congress duly enacted Republic Act No. 7160, The Local Government Code of 1991, which became effective on 1 January 1992.[5] The Supreme Court has noted that the Bill of Rights â€Å"occupies a position of primacy in the fundamental law†.[6] The Bill of Rights, contained in Article III, enumerates the specific protections against State power. Many of these guarantees are similar to those provided in the American constitution and other democratic constitutions, including the due process and equal protection clause, the right against unwarranted searches and seizures, the right to free speech and the free exercise of religion, the right against self-incrimination, and the right to habeas corpus. The scope and limitations to these rights have largely been determined by Philippine Supreme Court decisions. Outside of the Bill of Rights, the Constitution also contains several other provisions enumerating various state policies including, i.e., the affirmation of labor â€Å"as a primary social economic force† (Section 14, Article II); the equal protection of â€Å"the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception† (Section 12, Article II); the â€Å"Filipino family as the foundation of the nation† (Article XV, Section 1); the recognition of Filipino as â€Å"the national language of the Philippines† (Section 6, Article XVI), and even a requirement that â€Å"all educational institutions shall undertake regular sports activities throughout the country in cooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors.† (Section 19.1, Article XIV) Whether these provisions may, by themselves, be the source of enforceable rights without accompanying legislation has been the subject of considerable debate in the legal sphere and within the Supreme Court. The Court, for example, has ruled that a provision requiring that the State â€Å"guarantee equal access to opportunities to public service† could not be enforced without accompanying legislation, and thus could not bar the disallowance of so-called â€Å"nuisance candidates† in presidential elections.[7] But in another case, the Court held that a provision requiring that the State â€Å"protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology† did not require implementing legislation to become the source of operative rights.[8] Historical constitutions Constitution of Biak-na-Bato (1897) The Katipunan revolution led to the Tejeros Convention where, at San Francisco de Malabon, Cavite, on March 22, 1897, the first presidential and vice presidential elections in Philippine history were held—although only the Katipuneros (members of the Katipunan) were able to take part, and not the general populace. A later meeting of the revolutionary government established there, held on November 1, 1897 at Biak-na-Bato in the town of San Miguel de Mayumo in Bulacan, established the Republic of Biak-na-Bato. The republic had a constitution drafted by Isabelo Artacho and Fà ©lix Ferrer and based on the first Cuban Constitution.[9] It is known as the â€Å"Constitucià ³n Provisional de la Repà ºblica de Filipinas†, and was originally written in and promulgated in the Spanish and Tagalog languages.[10] Malolos Constitution (1899) The Malolos Constitution was the first republican constitution in Asia.[11] It declared that sovereignty resides exclusively in the people, stated basic civil rights, separated the church and state, and called for the creation of an Assembly of Representatives to act as the legislative body. It also called for a Presidential form of government with the president elected for a term of four years by a majority of the Assembly.[12] It was titled â€Å"Constitucià ³n polà ­tica†, and was written in Spanish following the declaration of independence from Spain,[13] proclaimed on January 20, 1899, and was enacted and ratified by the Malolos Congress, a Congress held in Malolos, Bulacan.[14][15] Acts of the United States Congress The Philippines was a United States Territory from December 10, 1898 to March 24, 1934.[16] As such, the Philippines was under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States during this period. Two acts of the United States Congress passed during this period can be considered Philippine constitutions in that those acts defined the fundamental political principles, and established the structure, procedures, powers and duties, of the Philippine government. 1.The Philippine Organic Act of 1902, sometimes known as the â€Å"Philippine Bill of 1902†, was the first organic law for the Philippine Islands enacted by the United States Congress. It  provided for the creation of a popularly elected Philippine Assembly, and specified that legislative power would be vested in a bicameral legislature composed of the Philippine Commission (upper house) and the Philippine Assembly (lower house). Its key provisions included a bill of rights for the Filipinos and the appointm ent of two nonvoting Filipino resident commissioners to represent the Philippines in the United States Congress. 2.The Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, sometimes known as â€Å"Jones Law†, modified the structure of the Philippine government by removing the Philippine Commission as the legislative upper house, replacing it with a Senate elected by Filipino voters. This act also explicitly stated that it was and had always been the purpose of the people of the United States to withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands and to recognize Philippine independence as soon as a stable government can be established therein. Though not a constitution itself, the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 provided authority and defined mechanisms for the establishment of a formal constitution via a constitutional convention. Commonwealth and Third Republic (1935) The 1935 Constitution was written in 1934, approved and adopted by the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935-1946) and later used by the Third Republic of the Philippines (1946-1972). It was written with an eye to meeting the approval of the United States Government as well, so as to ensure that the U.S. would live up to its promise to grant the Philippines independence and not have a premise to hold onto its â€Å"possession† on the grounds that it was too politically immature and hence unready for full, real independence. The original 1935 Constitution provided for unicameral National Assembly and the President was elected to a six-year term without re-election. It was amended in 1940 to have a bicameral Congress composed of a Senate and House of Representatives, as well the creation of an independent electoral commission. The Constitution now granted the President a four-year term with a maximum of two consecutive terms in office. A Constitutional Convention was held in 1971 to rewrite the 1935 Constitution. The convention was stained with manifest bribery and corruption. Possibly the most controversial issue was removing the presidential term limit so that Ferdinand E. Marcos could seek election for a third term, which many  felt was the true reason for which the convention was called. In any case, the 1935 Constitution was suspended in 1972 with Marcos’ proclamation of martial law, the rampant corruption of the constitutional process providing him with one of his major premises for doing so. Second Republic (1943) The 1943 Constitution was drafted by a committee appointed by the Philippine Executive Commission, the body established by the Japanese to administer the Philippines in lieu of the Commonwealth of the Philippines which had established a government-in-exile. In mid-1942 Japanese Premier Hideki Tojo had promised the Filipinos â€Å"the honor of independence† which meant that the commission would be supplanted by a formal republic. The Preparatory Committee for Philippine Independence tasked with drafting a new constitution was composed in large part, of members of the prewar National Assembly and of individuals with experience as delegates to the convention that had drafted the 1935 Constitution. Their draft for the republic to be established under the Japanese Occupation, however, would be limited in duration, provide for indirect, instead of direct, legislative elections, and an even stronger executive branch. Upon approval of the draft by the Committee, the new charter was ra tified in 1943 by an assembly of appointed, provincial representatives of the Kalibapi, the organization established by the Japanese to supplant all previous political parties. Upon ratification by the Kalibapi assembly, the Second Republic was formally proclaimed (1943-1945). Josà © P. Laurel was appointed as President by the National Assembly and inaugurated into office in October 1943. Laurel was highly regarded by the Japanese for having openly criticised the US for the way they ran the Philippines, and because he had a degree from Tokyo International University. The 1943 Constitution remained in force in Japanese-controlled areas of the Philippines, but was never recognized as legitimate or binding by the governments of the United States or of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and guerrilla organizations loyal to them. In late 1944, President Laurel declared a state of war existed with the United States and the British Empire and proclaimed martial law, essentially ruling by decree. His government in turn went into exile in December, 1944, first to Taiwan and then Japan. After the announcement of Japan’s surrender, Laurel formally proclaimed the Second Republic as dissolved. Until the  1960s, the Second Republic, and its officers, were not viewed as legitimate or as having any standing, with the exception of the Supreme Court whose decisions, limited to reviews of criminal and commercial cases as part of a policy of discretion by Chief Justice Josà © Yulo continued to be part of the official records (this was made easier by the Commonwealth never constituting a Supreme Court, and the formal vacancy in the chief justice position for the Commonwealth with the execution of Chief Justice Josà © Abad Santos by the Japanese). It was only during the Macapagal administration that a partial, political rehabilitation of the Japanese-era republic took place, with the recognition of Laurel as a former president and the addition of his cabinet and other officials to the roster of past government officials. However, the 1943 charter was not taught in schools and the laws of the 1943-44 National Assembly never recognized as valid or relevant. The 1943 Constitution provided strong executive powers. The Legislature consisted of a unicameral National Assembly and only those considered as anti-US could stand for election, although in practice most legislators were appointed rather than elected. The New Society and the Fourth Republic (1973) The 1973 Constitution, promulgated after Marcos’ declaration of martial law, was supposed to introduce a parliamentary-style government. Legislative power was vested in a National Assembly whose members were elected for six-year terms. The President was ideally supposed to be elected as the symbolic and purely ceremonial head of state from the Members of the National Assembly for a six-year term and could be re-elected to an unlimited number of terms. Upon election, the President ceased to be a member of the National Assembly. During his term, the President was not allowed to be a member of a political party or hold any other office. Executive power was meant to be exercised by the Prime Minister who was also elected from the Members of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister was the head of government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. This constitution was subsequently amended four times (arguably five depending on how one considers Proclamation No. 3 of 1986). On October 16-17 1976, a majority of barangay voters (Citizen Assemblies) approved that martial law should be continued and ratified the amendments to the Constitution proposed  by President Marcos.[19] The 1976 amendments were: †¢an Interim Batasang Pambansa (IBP) substituting for the Interim National Assembly †¢the President would also become the Prime Minister and he would continue to exercise legislative powers until martial law should have been lifted. The Sixth Amendment authorized the President to legislate: Whenever in the judgment of the President there exists a grave emergency or a threat or imminence thereof, or whenever the Interim Batasang Pambansa or the regular National Assembly fails or is unable to act adequately on any matter for any reason that in his judgment requires immediate action, he may, in order to meet the exigency, issue the necessary decrees, orders or letters of instructions, which shall form part of the law of the land. The 1973 Constitution was further amended in 1980 and 1981. In the 1980 amendment, the retirement age of the members of the Judiciary was extended to 70 years. In the 1981 amendments, the false parliamentary system was formally modified into a French-style semi-presidential system: †¢executive power was restored to the President; †¢direct election of the President was restored; †¢an Executive Committee composed of the Prime Minister and not more than fourteen members was created to â€Å"assist the President in the exercise of his powers and functions and in the performance of his duties as he may prescribe;† and the Prime Minister was a mere head of the Cabinet. †¢Further, the amendments instituted electoral reforms and provided that a natural born citizen of the Philippines who has lost his citizenship may be a transferee of private land for use by him as his residence. The last amendments in 1984 abolished the Executive Committee and restored the position of Vice-President (which did not exist in the original, unamended 1973 Constitution). In actual practice, while the 1973 Constitution was ideally supposed to set up a true parliamentary system, the late President Marcos had made use of subterfuge and manipulation in order to keep executive power for himself, rather than devolving executive powers to the Parliament, as headed by the Prime Minister. The end result was that the 1973 Constitution – due to all amendments and subtle manipulations – was  merely the abolition of the Senate and a series of cosmetic text-changes where the old American-derived terminologies such House of Representatives became known as the â€Å"Batasang Pambansa† (National Assembly), Departments became known as â€Å"Ministries†, cabinet secretaries became known as â€Å"cabinet ministers†, and the President’s assistant – the Executive Secretary – became known as the â€Å"Prime Minister.† Ultimately, Marcos’ so-called â€Å"Parliamentary System† therefore functioned as an authoritarian-run Presidential System due to the series of amendments and other modifications put in place after the 1973 Constitution was ratified. 1986 â€Å"Freedom Constitution† Following the EDSA People Power Revolution that removed President Ferdinand E. Marcos from office, the new President, Corazon C. Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3 as a provisional constitution to would prepare for the next constitution. It adopted certain provisions from the 1973 constitution and granted the President broad powers to reorganise the government and remove officials from office, and mandated that the president would appoint a commission to draft a new constitution. refference/source; # a b â€Å"The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines†. 15 October 1986. http://www.thecorpusjuris.com/laws/constitutions/8-philippineconstitutions/70-1987-constitution.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03. # ^ Isagani Cruz (1993). Constitutional Law. Quezon City, Philippines: Central Lawbook Publishing Co., Inc.. pp. 19. ISBN 971-16-0184-2. # ^ Joaquin Bernas, S.J. (1996). The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: A Commentary. Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store. pp. xxxiv-xxxix. ISBN 971-23-2013-8. # ^ â€Å"1986 Provisional â€Å"Freedom† Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines†. 25 March 1986. http://www.thecorpusjuris.com/laws/constitutions/8-philippineconstitutions/69-1986-constitution.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03. # ^ â€Å"Local Government Code of 1991†. 1 January 1992. http://www.chanrobles.com/localgov.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-09. # ^ â€Å"People vs. Tatud (G.R. No. 144037)†. Supreme Court of t he Philippines. 26 September 2003. http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2003/sep2003/144037.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-09. # ^ â€Å"Pamatong vs. Comelec (G.R. No. 161872)†. Supreme Court of the Philippines. 13 April 2004. http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2004/apr2004/161872.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-09. # ^ â€Å"Oposa et al. v. Fulgencio (G.R. No. 101083)†. Supreme Court of the Philippines (requoted by Lawphil.net). 30 July 1993. http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1993/jul1993/gr_101083_1993.html. Retrieved 2007-06-09. # ^ Wikisource-logo.svg 1897 Constitution of Biak-na-Bato (Philippines) at Wikisource. # ^ â€Å"1897 Biac-na-Bato Constitution†. Corpus Juris. 1 November 1897. http://www.thecorpusjuris.com/laws/constitutions/8-philippineconstitutions/300-1897-biac-na-bato-constitution.html?showall=1. Retrieved 2009-01-25. # ^ Tucker, Spencer C. (2009). The encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars: a political, social, and military history. ABC-CLIO. p. 364. ISBN 9781851099511. http://books.google.com/?id=8V3vZxOmHssC # ^ Guevara, Sulpico, ed (2005). The laws of the first Philippine Republic (the laws of Malolos) 1898-1899.. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Library (published 1972). pp. 104–119. http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=philamer;iel=1;view=toc;idno=aab1246.0001.001. Retrieved 2008-03-26 . (English translation by Sulpicio Guevara) # ^ Guevara 2005, p. 88.