To compare and contrast representation of class in two media texts Essay

To compare and contrast representation of class in two media texts - Essay Example Set in a post-industrial society era (early 1900's), Titanic depicts the wide gulf that existed between the bourgeoisie (the first major industrialists of our age, e.g. among the main characters in the First class berth, it included a "Pittsburgh Steel tycoon, the owner of the fleet that commissioned Titanic and the nouveau riche e.g. a character called Molly Brown) and the proletariat who sell their labour power (the stokers in the boiler room, menservants and most steerage passengers depicted as people who harbour dreams of emigrating to the USA to better their lives). The differences lie everywhere, from the treatment meted out to passengers based on their class, from the snobbish upper-class attitudes and stereotypes about steerage passengers, to the final sinking of the ship where upper class passengers invariably, enjoy first privilege in rescue efforts. Where it concerns applying class theories, there's hardly a more monumental movie ever built than Titanic. Notting Hill in comparison, is a humble and subtle portrayal of the same class sensibilities with a modern, urban twist. It's about similar attitudes in question here, only the message is more indirect and attributive. Both movies are immensely popular in their own right, and hold a special place in the genre of Romance cinema. So inevitably, in this paper, we shall explore class depiction in media through the perspective of the universal theme called "Love", of opposites attracting, poor guy meets rich girl, and how class differences come in the way of their strong craving for each other. The most significant work on class studies was performed by Karl Marx, a famous German philosopher, along with Engels. It is important to know that Marxist class theories drew heavily on the political science beliefs of Adam Smith, the father of capitalism, the only difference being in the perspective of opinion. Whereas Smith justified his theories on "wealth creation" as a cause for the common good, Marx looked down upon it as the root cause of all evil. Seen from this end, we can apply class theories of Marx to connect audience sensitivity with the poor male protagonists in both movies, as must have been aimed by the moviemakers. The fundamental tenet of Marx class theory is that any class identity is forged in relation to means of production, of wealth (Wikipedia). That because of wealth creation, there exist two distinct classes, the bourgeoisie (those who control means of production), and the proletariat who must labour in order to survive. This, Marx argues is the fundamental reason for all class differences to originate. Since the proletariat

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay I belong to the White ethnic group which was responsible for the colonization of North America. While I am part of the White ethnic group, my family immigrated to the United States from Germany quite some time after the major colonization of North America. When most people think about the colonization of North America they think of White people on the Mayflower landing on Plymouth Rock. While the pilgrims did colonize what is now referred to as New England, the Spanish were actually the first to colonize North America. No matter who first colonized North America, this colonization caused an influx of immigrants that asserted their dominance over the native people. This colonization was also the root cause of slavery being introduced to this New World. Pilgrims are most notably identified as coming to North America to escape religious persecution. The ironic part of the colonization is that the pilgrims forced their religion on those native to North America. It is important to note that this may be one of the first indications of future ethnic and racial problems that would caused by the colonization of North America. I dont think people normally think about racism happening to Caucasians. Unfortunately it is very common for racism to happen to all ethnic groups in the U. S. Caucasian racism and prejudice against other ethnic and racial groups always seem to get the most publicity. It would be better to broaden our view of prejudice and racism so that we could get the whole story. I think that the Caucasian group had brought most of this negative attention on itself. Historically the U. S. has been dominated by Caucasians, which means this group doesnt have as much to worry about restrictions due to ethnicity or racial group. If we break down the Caucasian group even further we can see that this is even truer for the males, which I am, of this group. Male Caucasians have long been the dominant force in U. S. society. The majority of restrictions placed on females and ethnic groups have been enforced by Male Caucasians. The most notable Caucasian discrimination has been against African Americans. African Americans were largely used for slave labor during the beginning of the U. S. Going from slave to equal isnt easy, in both occurrence and acceptance from the former dominant or controlling group. This dominant position can be seen as a major reason why the view of discrimination is still focused on Caucasians. Since the Caucasian males of the past have put restrictions on most other ethnic groups, this wrong was attempted to be undone by Affirmative Action laws (Fullinwider, Robert). While most people see Affirmative Action as being helpful, it has also caused discrimination against Caucasian males. Some government agencies require a quota on hiring certain ethnic groups (this included female Caucasians). This can cause a job candidate that has hirer qualifications to be passed over just to fulfill a quota. I have seen this happen to my father while he was applying for a firefighter/EMT position. You can easily see the Caucasian male dominance by noticing the dual labor market effect. I see it more as a multiple labor market since I would also include female Caucasians as another labor market. Immigrants from Mexico often enter into a portion of this multiple labor market, most notably the farming community. Whether it is farming, manual labor, or the lower-end service sector it seems that it seems more acceptable to Caucasians for other ethnic groups to occupy these types of jobs. When the other ethnic groups occupy positions normally held by Caucasian males, we often see a limitation in their ability to progress in that profession (glass ceiling). If you look at the breakdown of people who run companies you will see this is dominated by Caucasians males, followed by males of the other ethnic groups, then females of all ethnic groups. Discrimination isnt only apparent in the job market, but in how companies invest in certain areas. It is seen in our response to what is happening in other areas of cities or areas of the country. We have slums and ghettos that dont get investment monies to fix them up due to the lower class segregation. We have other areas occupied by a high number of non-Caucasians that dont get investments just because of their ethnicity. New Orleans is a perfect example of all of these inequalities. It was a city segregated by race, ethnicity, and social class standing. The devastation caused by hurricane Katrina happened to people who couldnt afford to get out on their own, and was compounded by the predominantly Caucasian governments lack of response (arguably due to the racial differences between U. S. leaders and with the people effected by the disaster). I dont feel that I fit in with the standard culture for my Caucasian ethnic group or the U. S. mainstream culture. I dont participate in any religions, as I believe in myself and science that can be proved. I dont feel that I am or need to be better than any other ethnic group. I couldnt care less about what style is popular or what haircuts are in. I just try to be myself and try to ignore things that try to sway my opinions. Instead of taking someones word for something I would rather research and come to my own decision (almost to a fault). I think it is better to be different than a lemming following the crowd running off the cliff. References Fullinwider, Robert (2005). Affirmative Action. Retrieved February 1, 2006 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/affirmative-action/.

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker â€Å"The Hurt Locker†, written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Nominated and won for Best Picture, this award winning film captured the attention of many filmmakers and audiences for boldly showing the harsh reality of war and how a soldier deals with the horrors of war. â€Å"War is a drug†, a quote that this movie successfully reflects in its story and theme. The soldier associates war as some kind of drug that one must take to for keep going in life. This film emphasizes this through James, main protagonist of the story, who is a constant danger to himself and to others around him. The film is about an American army bomb disposal unit in wartime Iraq tasked with finding and disarming bombs in order to protect the local populace. The Hurt Locker also focuses on their struggles and victories in Iraq and portrays the life of the military. Not only does the Hurt Locker have a good story, but this film also implements many film techniques such as elements o f mise en scene, superb cinematography, and editing. I will talk about how â€Å"The Hurt Locker† deserves to be an Academy Award winner referencing these elements of film. The reason why this film is considered to be a great film is because of its emphasis on film technique. One of the elements portrayed in this film would be the incorporation of Mise en Scene. There are many examples of Mise- En -Scene used to create a sense of realism in the film. One I would describe the visual style would be gritty. Everything from the setting to the costumes were authentic enough that it added to the realism of film. In the beginning of the film, I would describe the actors as your typical jarhead in war films. As the film progressed however, they became rather complex. Each character has their own sense of values, some want to stay in Iraq and fight because they believe its the right thing to do while others, like James, the main protagonist, loves being a soldier and wants to stay in the chaos forever. The location of the filmed in Jordan, which is located a few clicks away from the Iraqi border. This helped created the realism and atmosphere it needed for film to be authentic as possible, which audiences love in war films. The scene that implements elements of Mise-en-scene would be the opening sequence of the film. The film opens with the quotation â€Å"The rush of battle is a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug†. The sequence is portrayed as a documentary film, having the camera act as if it were reporting a story on the soldiers rather than traditionally film a scene. The camera movements were rough and visuals were grainy. The lighting in this sequence was realistic, using frontal lighting to an area to create a natural environment and the color of the scene was neutral, which gave the impression that they were filming in a real situation. Being able to use mise en scene to convey a film’s message, theme, and symbols is such an enthralling experience, especially with the Hurt Locker. Achieving realism, you are able to guide an audience towards key narrative elements, and thus having a viewer’s such as me fully engaged. We want to know what it will be like to be a soldier like James and this film was able to take us into the action. This film was able to create the feeling of curiosity and suspense which adds to the many reasons why this film is great. Cinematography are one of the many film elements that contribute to this film’s success. To have a scene to be more suspenseful, the director incorporated different types of camera angles. The scenes that focuses a character on a personal level, the framing would be tight and concise. The most occurring thing in the film are bombs, this represents how the bad the world is. The soldiers themselves can be described as the ones who are morally good and are praised for it because they are considered the main focus of the film. I noticed that green and orange was the reoccurring color theme of the entire film. These colors represents the correlation between peace and chaos in the film. Green represents the goodness that the soldiers are bringing into the war. Orange is suppose to represent the chaos and violence that war brings to an area. The camera was constantly close to the action, giving more suspense to it. The distance of the camera in the establishing shot is a bit isolated as it tries to show every part of a given location, which makes every scene dramatic and shoves away visual beauty for harsh, honest realism. The film was shot on-location, so actual sunlight and fluorescents were used as the film’s source of light. The best example of light contrast would be the scene where there was a massive explosion. The fire was able to provide the light source and it perfectly contrast with the pitch black night. The supermarket scene would be the one that would be the most vital part of entire film. This scene’s cinematography was perfectly coordinated to convey the hollowness of the James as a person. It portrayed the contrast of the film by showing Jamess inner conflict between his civilian life and his life in the military. James has become someone who rather risk his life in the battlefield than living a normal life. The setting would be the focal point of contrast between the two worlds. In Iraq, danger is everywhere, poverty is prevalent, every step you take could be your last. Then the scene’s setting changes and see James walking around a supermarket. The place is filled with food and basically the opposite of what it’s like in Iraq. This contrast portrays these worlds as completely different things. Another things to portray a contrast between the two worlds would be the use of color. In the parts where it shows James in Iraq, the color of sand is used to repres ents the grittiness of his life in the military. Everything from the buildings to the uniforms, they all share the same color. On the other hand, the supermarket’s use of colors is your typical color scheme of an average store in America. The color distinction was done intentionally for to correlate the sandy color palette of Iraq to dirtiness and the white color scheme of the supermarket is associated with cleanliness. Cutting from Iraq to America emphasizes the nature trying to cope with living with war and returning to civilian life. This was done on purpose to have the audience feel confused. One moment James is talking about how he loves his job and another where James is back home, trying make assimilate back into the normal of a civilian. Overall, what James had to go through in the supermarket scene can relate to many soldiers who have been consumed by the horrors of combat. To them, trying to adjust to the normal life is just too hard for them. The supermarket scene describes that feeling perfectly. The techniques implemented were able to get into the emotional state of a war torn soldier who’s desperately trying to live a normal life. The feeling of being changed after emotionally intense events and feeling disoriented were drawn with detailed precision. James may be a ticking time bomb waiting to happen, but I think many soldiers can relate to what he’s been through. Editing can be a subtle, but powerful tool that enable filmmakers with a plethora of film decisions. Surprisingly, â€Å"The Hurt Locker† had little editing done on the film, maybe that it wanted content, rather than form. Instead of making any â€Å"fancy† editing to the film, keeping it to a minimal actually preserves the realism of its message. It takes advantage of some very simple techniques. In most films, if not all of them, the length of the cuts depends on the situation of the scene. The pacing of this film was usually slow. Whenever something dramatic or emotional is happening, the duration of the shots lengthen, to extensive proportions. An example of this would be the conversation between Sanborn and James after the failed attempt of disarming the bomb from a suicide bomber. Sanborn snaps saying that he can no longer deal with the stress of being a soldier. This scene was the most critical in defining two different characters. Lengthening the shot helped giv e a sense of realism to the scene. During the action scenes however, the pace of the film quickens and the length of the shots shorten. This creates the rush needed to keep the audience invested into the film. (CONCLUSION) The Hurt Locker is a very powerful film that deserves all the praise received of being an Academy Award Winner. The message that war can be used as a drug and soldiers themselves can be addicted to it has been prevalent throughout the film. This addiction has soldiers such as James to value war over anything else, including family. Personally thought the film’s topic was interesting because it focused on that impact a lot of people. The film has a good sense of projecting reality of what it is. It’s not the typical movie where it creates an illusion of fantasy where when the film is over, the audience returns to reality.

Australias Aboriginal Roots Essay -- Australia History Essays

Australia's Aboriginal Roots Any educated American student knows that Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and founded America. Only later do they learn that America already had an indigenous population that Columbus, by his own error, named Indians. Pre-existing populations were forced off of their lands and placed on reservations, effectively changing – and in many cases destroying – life and culture as they knew it. This kind of history is not exclusive only to America. Even fewer people know of the pending extinction of the indigenous culture in Australia – the Aborigines. The undisturbed Aboriginal people, by today’s standards, would be classified as â€Å"primitives.† In fact, during the early periods of modernization in Australia that is exactly what they were known as. Primarily a hunting and gathering society, the traditional Aborigine male would hunt game while the female would scavenge for virtually everything else. Some historical references credit the female gender for finding most of the food for the tribal society. Then, in 1770, English explorer James Cook â€Å"discovered† Australia in a very similar fashion as Columbus â€Å"discovered† America, looking for trade routes.2 16 years after Cook became aware of the continent, the British government decided to begin colonizing Australia with transport convicts that were no longer being accepted in America due to the Revolutionary War. Although the government claimed its directive to establish a convict colony in Botany Bay was purely a response to the loss of the American colonies, many had already begun to speculate the strategic choice of Australia. The natural resources in Australia held great potential, and as more people – not just convicts – began... ...ferences 1.Moore, Geoff (Ed.). â€Å"Australian Aborigines: History, Culture, Research Project.† http://www.aaa.com.au/hrh/aboriginal/factshtindex.shtml. Accessed 12/11/2000, Online. 2.Sullivan, Rohan (AP Writer). â€Å"Where the Outback Meets the Reef.† USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/travel/leisure/2000/ltl093.htm. Updated 7/17/2000, Online. 3.Litke, Mark (ABC News Writer). â€Å"The Stolen Generation.† ABC News.com http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/world/dailynews/australia000914.html. Updated 9/14/2000, Online. 4.Somma, Richard (AP Writer). â€Å"Report Outrages Aboriginal Groups.† L.A. Times Online. http://www.latimes.com/business/microsoft/20000401/tCBTOPAP.html. Updated 4/1/2000, Online. 5.Taylor, John (ATSIC Researcher). â€Å"The Job Still Ahead: Economic Costs of Continuing Indigenous Employment Disparity.† ATSIC. Commonwealth of Australia, September 1998.

Planning and Enabling Learning Essay

In this assignment I am going to explain my approach to the research I have carried out and summarise my findings. To plan and enable learning, as a trainer I must ensure that my training is student centred and inclusive to all. There are many theories and suggestions to consider how this should be done in an adult learning environment. In order to enhance my current knowledge I decided to use reference books, publications, journals and websites to research relevant topics. I also utilised my mentor as a sounding board for ideas and a point of discussion for areas I was unsure about. I reflected on my existing knowledge and my research for Unit One – Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. I wanted to access new models and theories and link these into the context of my own teaching practice. To do this I searched the internet for reviews of reference material for planning and enabling learning, which I then purchased. I found that my research could be extensive. I had to remain focused and choose topics to explore that I found interesting and relevant to my learning environment and style of delivery. Adult learners need to take responsibility for their own learning. If learners are active in setting their own targets and understand what they need to achieve, motivation and self esteem will reassure their learning experience. Understanding methods of negotiation and inclusivity provides learners with the most appropriate experience, engages the whole group and builds a good rapport. This can be gleaned from the identification of needs as per Ecclestone (1996). I focused my research on the impact of initial assessment on the learning journey. From my experience initial assessment results are not used effectively and the process of initial assessment is usually carried out purely to comply with procedure. My experiences are confirmed by The Chief Inspector’s Report (2003). The Adult Learning Inspectorate found that ‘many providers are using a screening test but not following this up†¦. the results of the assessment are not being used to inform the ILP’ (Wilson, L, 2008, p.139). Initial assessment can have a huge impact on delivery of learning and can form the learner’s ideas, goals and highlight areas of support required. Scales (2008, p.178) states that initial assessment ‘should be handled sensitively to welcome learners in rather than scare with formal testing and assessment procedures’. I agree with this, however, the nature of the assessment will depend on the level and content of the course commenced. Some programmes require a robust assessment process to set parameters and determine suitability to join the course. Wallace (2007, p.154) describes the three key components that come together at the beginning of a programme – the teacher, the learners and the syllabus or specifications of the course. This makes complete sense. To deliver an effective programme and meet the learning outcomes the key elements must come together and crystallise. This will then inform the delivery of the overall programme. This led me to further explore my research around inclusive learning. I chose to continue down the route of motivation and the impact this has on learners. Petty (2009, p.55) noted that ‘Maslow showed that there is only one way of motivating your students. And that is to ensure that your students’ belongingness, esteem and self-actualisation needs are nourished through the learning activities you devise’. Using information from the initial assessment, such as learning needs or styles, resources need to be created and adapted to ensure learning is effective and relevant. Functional skills should be tested and developed when appropriate. In my research I focused on the practicalities of embedding these skills and reports published relating to post 16 education. In the training I deliver I can embed a variety of functional skills to allow individuals to maintain these skills and develop them further. Wilson (2008) suggested that incorporating ICT into teaching doesn’t always suit the teacher and/or learner. This can be the case with the types of sessions I deliver. Functional skills should naturally develop from a session; they can’t be forced into a session if they are inappropriate. Communication is the thread throughout a learning experience that encourages learning and development between the trainer and the learner. It is my responsibility to recognise potential barriers and utilise strategies to overcome these. This is the route I took with my research. I came across theories such as the Communication Climate (Adler et al, 1998) and Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 1995). Again, I found a real link to negotiating with and including learners. Goleman (1995) believed that ‘if emotions and feelings are not recognised and managed by teachers and learners, then effective learning cannot occur’. My research has broadened my knowledge and understanding to take forward into the classroom. The brief I have provided only really scratches the surface from the extensive reading I carried out; however I will have the opportunity to explore these further within this unit.

Essential Standardized Test Taking Tips for Parents

Essential Standardized Test Taking Tips for Parents Standardized testing will be a significant part of your childs education typically beginning in 3rd grade.   These tests are crucial not only to you and your child, but also to the teachers, administrators, and school your child attends. The stakes can be extremely high for schools as they are given a grade based on how well students perform on these assessments.   In addition, many states utilize standardized test scores as a component of a teachers overall evaluation. Finally, many states have stakes tied to these assessments for students including grade promotion, graduation requirements, and the ability to receive their drivers license. These test-taking tips can be followed to assist your child to perform well on the test. Discussing the importance of these tests with your child will push them to do their best and following these tips can aid in their performance. Reassure your child that he or she does not have to answer all the questions correctly to pass. It is not expected that students answer every question correctly.   There is always room for error. Knowing that they do not have to be perfect will help eliminate some of the stress that comes with testing.Tell your child to attempt to answer all of the questions and not to leave any blank. There is no penalty for guessing, and students can get partial credit on the open-ended items.   Teach them to eliminate ones that they know are wrong first because it gives them a higher chance of getting the correct answer if they are forced to guess.Remind your child that the test is important.   It sounds simple, but many parents fail to reiterate this. Most children will put forth their best effort when they know   it is important to their parents.Explain to your child the importance of using time wisely. If your child gets stuck on a question, encourage him or her to make the best guess o r place a mark in the test booklet by that item and go back to it after finishing that section of the test. Students must not spend too much time on a single question. Give your best attempt and move on. Ensure that your child gets a decent nights sleep and a good breakfast before taking the test. These are essential to how your child performs. You want them to be at their best. Failing to get a good nights rest or good breakfast can cause them to lose focus quickly.Make the morning of the test a pleasant one. Do not add to your childs stress.   Do not argue with your child or bring up a touchy subject. Instead, try to do extra things that make them laugh, smile, and relax.Get your child to school on time the day of the test.   Give yourself extra time to get to school that morning. Getting them there late will not only throw off their routine, but it could also disrupt testing for other students.  Remind your child to listen carefully to the instructions from the teacher and to read the directions and each question carefully.   Encourage them to read every passage and every question at least two times. Teach them to slow down, trust their instincts, and give their best effor t.Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other students finish early.   It is human nature to want to speed up when others around you are already finished. Teach your child to start strong, stay focused in the middle, and finish just as strong as you started. Many students hijack their scores because they lose focus on the bottom third of the test. Remind your child that it is okay to mark in the test booklet as a help in taking the test   (i.e. underlining key words) but to mark all answers as instructed on the answer sheet.   Teach them to stay within the circle and to erase any stray marks completely.