Sunday, August 25, 2019

CJ3Book Review The body of the Condemned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CJ3Book Review The body of the Condemned - Essay Example But they each define a certain penal style.† (Foucault, 1995, p. 7) Foucault points out that modern forms of punishment are, thankfully, not carried out in the same spirit or with the same purpose. Many legal reforms were instituted between the old world of executions and torture and the new world of prisons and labour camps, the main difference being that what used to be a public spectacle became, over time, a regimented process, more bureaucratic than anything else, that is carried out behind high walls and locked doors. For Foucault what is significant about this change is that the punishment is no longer something visibly displayed, and it no longer focuses so sharply on the human body of the convicted person. Foucault concedes that penalties such as imprisonment, forced labour, deportation and the like do also affect the human body but they do so indirectly: â€Å"The body now serves as an instrument or intermediary†¦physical pain, the pain of the body itself, is no longer the constituent element of the penalty.† (Foucault: 1995, p. 11) He observes that a whole army of â€Å"technicians† are now involved in the penal side of the criminal justice system, and one need only think of the modern prison to realise that he is right. Warders, chaplains, social workers, educators, even doctors and psychologists all participate in the process. In states and in periods where in states where the death penalty is or was permitted, there is also an increasing presence of technicians in the process. The methods chosen for death have veered away from elements of spectacle and torture and have become swifter, for example the guillotine in France, the hangman’s noose in England and the lethal injection in America. Technical experts accompany the convicted person right up to the moment of execution. Drugs are used to dull the sensations of inmates, and also to make sure that executions are free of physical pain. Foucault calls this a kind of d isconnection which makes the penalties non-corporeal and therefore distanced from the physical being of the person. Punishment in this way becomes, for Foucault something abstract, with only the most fleeting actual contact with the body of the victim. If modern punishment systems do not target the prisoner’s body any more, then the question of what exactly it does target then arises. Foucault suggests: â€Å"The expiation that once rained down upon the body must be replaced by a punishment that acts in depth on the heart, the thoughts, the will, the inclinations† (Foucault: 1995, p. 16) Some people might refer to this as the soul of the person, and cite moral or religious beliefs to underpin this view, but Foucault looks instead at the way attention has shifted away from the past crime that has been committed, and towards the person who has committed the crime and now deserves some kind of punishment. There is in modern criminal justice systems a belief that punishmen t can be used to change a person’s behaviour for the better, and perhaps even influence his nature and personality in a positive way. This can be done in a way that suppresses part of the person’s personality. Foucault also observes a modern fascination in the causes of crime, by which he means all the circumstances which surround it, including the background of the criminal and all the various factors which contributed to his committing the crime. This is a very important point, because it brings Foucault to make a serious judgement about modern

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Examine the economic issues surrounding the introduction of plain Essay

Examine the economic issues surrounding the introduction of plain packaging of cigarettes. Should this policy be introduced - Essay Example Plain Packaging of Cigarettes The plain packaging of this tobacco product is alternatively known as homogenous or generic packaging. The standardised packaging system of this form involves removal of all the lustre out of the presentation of the product. The branding for the cigarettes which is expressed mostly through the colours, the logos and the trademarks needs to be removed from the pack of cigarettes that finally reach the customer. The packaging should be done with a plain brown cover with the name of the brand printed in a uniform style in a predetermined size. Thus there is very little flexibility on part of the companies in presenting the products to the end users. Along with that the packs also contain mandated information about the ill effects of the product and the legal disclosures like the tax stamps. This concept of plain packaging had been proposed in countries like New Zealand, Canada and Australia since the end of 1980s (Voon, Mitchell, and Liberman, 2012, p. 12). These attempts were taken with the main motive of reducing the amount of consumption of tobacco in the countries. There have been various researches done during these years to determine the outcome of the introduction of plain packaging of tobacco products. ... Economics of Plain Packing of Cigarettes For any normal good, the change in the price of the product will have an effect on the quantity of the product consumed. When the prices increase people would consume less of that product. This is however not true in case of products which are addictive in nature. Even through the prices increase the quantity of the products consumed would not decrease. Thus the price elasticity of demand for the products would be zero. The economics of the plain packaging has been explained with the help of the following graphs. The demand for cigarettes would be an inelastic demand curve (Tucker, 2010, p. 140). This is because even though the prices of the cigarettes change the demand would remain more or less constant this is because people generally get addicted to tobacco and they cannot control the amount that they consume even on the increase of the price (Baumol and Blinder, 2009, p. 108). That means the smokers are insensitive to price changes. In the left panel of the graph the demand and supply curves have been drawn. (Perloff, 2011, p. 33) Now on the introduction of the plain packaging of the cigarettes the product will lose its appeal to the prospective smokers. As a result the smokers would be demanding less amount of cigarette. Therefore there would be a shift in the demand curve for cigarettes. In other words the number of smokers would reduce. However, the demand curve would remain inelastic because this reduction in demand would not be as result of the change in the prices but the reduction in the level of desire of the consumers to smoke. The demand for this product would remain restricted to those people who are addicted to smoking. Thus even if the supply curve

Friday, August 23, 2019

Walmart. Final project Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Walmart. Final project - Lab Report Example SWOT analysis refers to the evaluation of an organization strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A SWOT analysis offers an insight into an organization management strategy and the potential for success. Wal-Mart is an international company that provides home-based products at affordable prices. The company utilizes its strength in each of the market distributed worldwide, to meet the demands of their international and regional consumers. This paper seeks to provide a strategic insight of the company and a detailed SWOT analysis. Wal-Mart is a large wholesale distributor in the world that can afford modern construction technologies. For instance, during the year 2011, the company was ranked position one by Fortune 500 (Morse & Glassman, 30-40). Its operations are distributed worldwide and there is no worthy rival. Owing to its large influence on the market, Wal-Mart has the potential to replicate its best architectural techniques in all its stalls across the world (Roberts & Berg, 40). Wal-Mart uses variety of construction materials such as red bricks, steel-iron alloys, and coagulated tiles. In addition, it can suit its construction model with its retail products that cover cuts across different categories including apparels, domestic wares, and grocery. Wal-Mart’s dominant position allows it to benefit from high sales volume. In general, Wal-Mart’s strength includes international operations, scale of operations, wide range of products and cost leadership strategy (Hicks, 20-25). Wal-Mart is large supplier of domestic products and operates vast centers that require large construction space. This acts as a disadvantage as the company limit cannot expand beyond urban areas due to space. Research has shown that Wal-Mart has experienced loss in its store sales for the last eight years due to limited space (Kneer, 24). As such, Wal-Mart is required to develop new stores to accommodate fully its strengths concentrated in urban areas. This is

Thursday, August 22, 2019

International Business and operations Management Essay

International Business and operations Management - Essay Example In China there are many existing domestic firms (over 8,000) engaged in the production and sale of agricultural equipment while a substantial number of international reputable firms have made major inroads into the Chinese farm machinery market. To understand international business ventures, Peng et al (2009) through their unified international business framework suggest two approaches in understanding international business frameworks. These are the institution-based view whereby the foreign venture firms aims at developing an understanding of the local business environment; and the resource-based view in which the firm utilizes its competitive advantage like superior technology or products to gain a foothold in the local markets. China as one of the fastest developing emerging markets provide a highly developed potential market for agricultural equipment due to its large population and lowly mechanized farming methods hence is a viable entry point into the Asian region market. International strategic management mainly encompasses firms engaged in cross-border trade globally that usually take advantage of local resources in diverse geographical locations to enhance their productivity and returns. Lessard (2003) has identified four strategic frameworks that distinguish these international firms: geographic span of the particular industry; the pull of the specific locations including the markets, resources, and the competitive edge; upholding of the international strategy; and the extent of global incorporation including the localized spread. The western and northern parts of China however have not greatly enjoyed the rapid growth experienced in other regions of the country. The government has therefore consequently provided incentives to foreign firms interested in expanding in these regions in form of lowered statutory requirements and other inducements as well as providing a high-quality communication and

Nonstop of Musical Innovation Essay Example for Free

Nonstop of Musical Innovation Essay In recent times, pop culture had been one of the most evident products of media which had strongly influenced many, many generations including our present society. Legions of different rock bands from the very famous groups such as Beatles, The Who, Metallica and Aero Smith and other different bands and artists have sprung out through the years and have influenced the kind or genre of music that can be currently heard by many people. Different age groups had been affected the lyrics, rhythm, and trends that all the bands had brought to the public. The popularity of the pop culture had spread in different parts of the United States as well as other countries. Aerosmith: In the early times of rock music artist such as Elvis Presley and the band called Beatles had been invading the airwaves. Most of the albums made by these artists had been best sellers in the world having sold millions and millions of copies in every record that they have made. Because of the uniqueness and charm of these artists many people had been captivated by them. Millions of fans adores and put them in a pedestal like they were gods. Devotion to these people was too much that there were horrendous acts done by people just in order to see them live. The frenzy of admiring rock and roll bands had been absorbed by the next generation and was passed to the incoming rock bands of the next generations. In the 1970’s a new rock band paved its way in the rock music scene called the Aerosmith. This group became the most popular hard rock band of the 70’s that have set the sound and style of heavy metal and hard rock for two decades given their rough bluesy attitude. This Boston based group of five discovered a sound between the menace of the band Rolling Stones and campy, grubby grandiosity of the punk rock band called the New York Dolls. In the flowery words of writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine Aero Smith â€Å"developed a lean, dirty riff-oriented boogie that was loose and swinging and as hard as a diamond† (Erlewine n. p. ). The rock band was originally from Boston and was also known as â€Å"The Bad Boys of Boston† and â€Å"The Greatest Rock and Roll Band† due to their attitude on stage and the transform that they have contributed to the American music and its society. The band had mixed the sound of hard rock, metal, and RB which was imitated by many artists and bands of the following generations. The band have musically innovated this type of music which had been their signature sound. However, this band did not start from the top of the music industry thus they started in Massachusetts, Boston and eventually they were able to acquire supporters that followed them through out their career. The band Aerosmith is composed of 5 group members with Steve Tyler as the lead vocalist, Joe Perry and Ray Tabano as the guitarists, Tom Hamilton as the bassist, and Joe Kramer as their drummer. After a few months of playing together, Ray Tabano was replaced by another guitarist named Brad Whitford. After only 2 years of continuous gigs the band already has recorded songs for Columbia Records and their album was first release in 1973. Their album was entitled Aerosmith which already sold millions of records. Their following album was released and became successful. In 1976, their album Rock has made their existence in the music industry stable. Due to this album, the band had been named as one of the most significant artists that are in the hard rock genre. Through the continuous rise of the band’s career, conflicts within the groups have risen. Misunderstanding among its group members became a problem that they needed to face. Another issue that they have to overcome was the drug addiction of members of their group Due to these concerns two of the band members Perry and Whitford left the band in 1979 and 1981. In the following years of Aerosmith’s career, they have received nominations and gained more fans through the years. Due to the unchanging popularity of the band and their songs, the new generations of listeners were grabbed by this band gaining more support and influence unlike other band did. The ability of the band to relate their lyrics to the current listeners and their talent to mix genres of music had been very helpful for the group because they had been flexible for all their listeners. Though the years, many different songs had been popularized by the band. Many songs made by Aerosmith have topped the charts of MTV, Billboard and the likes. They were also nominated in different parts of the world and had performed in different stages may it be in Europe, Asia, or Latin America. Their songs had been soundtracks for different movies like Armagedon, Charlie’s Angels and other long list of other movies. All the songs that were done by the Aerosmith had been a hit for most people and one of the most popular songs that they had made was â€Å"Walk this Way. † The song was made in 1970s and became one of the most popular songs at that time. The heavy rock blues of the song became one of the most significant symbols of the era due to the honestly of the lyrics and the upbeat rhythm of the song. It had captured the ears of mostly the teenagers who would definitely relate to the lyrics of the song. Walk this Way: Aerosmith and Run DMC In the August of 1975, the song â€Å"Walk this Way† was released by Aerosmith that was in the â€Å"Top of the Attic† album. The song itself had topped the Billboard Charts 100 and America’s top ten (Power 22) when it was released. Based on Maury Dean the author of the book â€Å"Rock N Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-cyclopedia,† said that the song â€Å"Walk this Way† of the year 1975 said that â€Å"its lyrics get often smushed by screeching guitars, smashing crash drum thunder, whooshing keyboards, and keening guitar phrasers. Then the bass uppercuts the overwhelmed singer off an amp the since of a Rolls-Royce† these were that words expressed by the author as he describes the song launched by the Aerosmith. In another book written by Martin Power, he also described the song and said that the song â€Å"Walk this way† is a â€Å"wise –cracking tale of lost virginity† (Power 22). In Songfacts. com, it was understood that the song was about a â€Å"promiscuous cheerleader who leads a school boy through his first sexual experience. † In the following facts, it was said that the song was inspired by the movie â€Å"Young Frankenstein. † In the movie, Igor tries to teach Frankenstein to â€Å"walk this way. † Franskenstein then imitates the walk of Igor and learns how to walk. Aerosmith finds Frankenstein’s walk funny and then they decided to make it as the title of the song. Immediately, the song was written by Steve Tyler however, when they were about to record the song, he left the lyrics in the cab that they rode. Steve Tyler immediately ran outside of the studio but he was not able to neither call the cab nor obtain the lyrics again. In the last minute, Tyler wrote the lyrics on the wall. A fresh material such as the talk box was used in making this hit song. For your added information, a device box is used by guitarists to create vocal sounds through a vinyl tube that is fastened to the unit that is attached to the output/speakers of the guitar amplifier. An example is in the video of the Bon Jovi â€Å"It’s My Life,† where in the guitarist was controlling the sound of the guitar to create new dynamics of sounds being radiated by the guitar. In the continuing years, the song â€Å"Walk this Way† was stuck into the minds of people as well as many artists. The song was well appreciated by many and due to this a remake of this song was made in 1986 by a group called Run DMC. The group is composed of 3 African-American men that had made a mark in the musical industry similar to Aerosmith. The genre of this group is Rap and Hip-Hop which is very different from the genre of the rock band. Parallel to the rock band Aerosmith, Run DMC are legendary in their specialized genre. They had also won awards in the MTV music awards and Billboard Awards. Currently they are seen as hip-hop legends and an inspiration for many aspiring artists of the present time (Sony BMG Music Entertainment n. p. ). The remake of the song â€Å"Walk this Way† by Run DMC made a unique strike in the music industry. The two very different musical genres have come together in one song without over powering or overlapping the unique sounds of the two bands. The rugged sound of Aerosmith and the upbeat tempo of Run DMC were both evident and enjoyed by their followers. Due to remake and the collaboration of the song, the lyrics of the next version were changed to fit the rap part of Run DMC which elaborated the theme of the song. In the book written by Anthony De Curtis, he stated that â€Å"it was one of the first rap videos to get heavy play on MTV† (DeCurtis 248). In another phrase stated in the book of DeCurtis he said that, â€Å"the video was a successful attempt to introduce rap music to the white audiences† (De Curtis 248). In the point of view of DeCurtis, he sees that the collaboration of these two legendary artists have opened up the white Americans and African-American supporters of these groups to open up the minds of in the types of music that they are hearing. Although in the 1990s, racism was not a big issue unlike in the history of the United States, the types of music that person chooses reflects of the cultural background of the listener. The labeling of the hard rock genre is the type of music that white Americans wants to hear while the African-Americans listen to rap and hip hop music. Through this song, the strictly limited genres of hard rock and hip hop opened up to the whole society while showing that White American music and African-American music could be combined and eventually creating a new type of music. In addition, the video of the song was very symbolic in a sense that the video showed a wall separating the two artists—which were purely whites (Aerosmith) and purely African-Americans (Run DMC) on the other side. In reality, the invisible wall that is separating the two races was very present due to many factors of the society. As mentioned earlier, the connotation of white Americans as listeners of the hard rock genre and the African-Americans as listeners of the hip hop culture. In the conservative view, any person that is showing interest in a genre not usually appreciated by his/her race is seen as unfaithful to his/her community but through the music made by these artists. In some sense, the capability to hatch up the two very different musical genres was made possible. Aerosmith and Run DMC were able to reach the masses and were able to communicate their intentions. The successful collaboration of these two legendary artists led the way for the younger generations to appreciate the new genre created by these artists. In much recent times, the very obvious collaborations of various artists with different types of genres had somehow been a trend. Current artists such as Linkin Park, Limp Biscuit, Korn, Papa Roach, Incubus and Blink 182 are some of the most popular bands who had been exemplifying the great influence Aerosmith and Run DMC. The mixture of hip-hop, rap and rock is in fact manifest in the music made by these artists. Still, the upbeat tempo of rhyming words and the heavy screeching of the guitar had been a great influence for many artists today and is continuously developed to create new genres of music. Looking at the current music industry, more and more artists had been collaborating with one another. One example is Mariah Carey which never fails to include collaborations in her album and it eventually became her signature style. Artists such as the Black Eyed Peas have collaborated with a couple of various artists that has different genres such as Sergio Mendez (Bossa Nova) , Justine Timberlake (pop/ RB) just to name a few. Jack Johnson an acoustic artist allows his music to be mixed which house music in order to create new a fresh sound out of the old ones. Timbaland a very well known producer and artists is one of the most famous individuals in Hollywood that made collaborations of artists. Most of the collaborations that he produced topped the charts in different parts of the country and the world. Through the continuous creativity, innovation and talent of the current generation as well as the influences that they had in the past, the simple genres of pop, rock, rap, had became much more diverse and fluid. The conservative notion of just following the current trend in music, brave souls that are willing to be rejected and ridiculed by the society due to the music that they believe is beautiful are very well known and very much appreciated by the listeners not only in the United States but also in various parts of the world. Conclusion: Through the analysis of the artists: Aerosmith and Run DMC, the song: Walk this way (1975) and Walk this Way (1986), the video of the song, the current artists and their new innovation in their music, it is evident that the song and the legendary artists who bravely produced this song made a history in the music industry. The groups have opened up the creative minds of the new generation in creating new types of genres which could be more appreciated by various types of people because of the diverse mixture of sounds and rhythm. The one-time collaboration of Aerosmith and Run DMC have paved the way to many artist not to fear in creating the type of music that they really believe is striking and also be appreciated by many people. The constant innovation of music creates diversion of the music appreciated by everyone. The social construct of limiting a person or a race with the type of music that she or he should listen is now gone. The racial separation within the choice of music within the society had now been lessened. This creates a more diversified society and limits the barriers that are restrain the society from totally mixing with one another. Music is evidently one of the strongest influences that the society has. The wide scope of media and technology has allowed everyone to listen, and watch how various artists live their lives and inspire themselves in creating good music. The availability of the internet had created a much more intimate relationship between the artists and their supporters which creates much stronger connection between them. More and more artist had been influencing the people and society which creates more power and persuasion towards the people. WALK THIS WAY Aerosmith feat. Run DMC (1987) Theres a backseat lover, thats always undercover and I talked till my daddy say, said ya aint seen nothin till your down on a muffin, and theres sure to be a change in way now theres a cheerleader, thats a real big pleaser as far as I could reminice and the best thing lovin was you sister and your cousin and it started with a little kiss, like this She start swingin with the boys in school and her feet are flyin up in the air singin hey diddle diddle with the titty in the middle, and you swingin like you just dont care so I took a big chance at the highschool dance with a lady who was ready to play it wasnt me she was foolin cause she new what she was doin when she told me how to walk this way, she told me to CHORUS walk this way, talk this way (x2) she told me to walk this way, talk this way (x2) just give me a kiss like this school girl sleezy with a classy kinda sassy little skirt hangin way up her knee there were three young ladies in a school gym locker and I find there were lookin at D I was a highschool loser never made it with a lady till the boys told me somethin i miss then my next door neighbor had a daughter, had a favour and I gave the girl a little kiss, like this she start swingin with the boys in the school, with your feet flyin up in the air singin hey diddle diddle with the titty in the middle I was swingin like I didnt care so I took a big chance at the highschool dance with the miss who was ready to play wasnt me she was foolin, cause she knew what she was doin when she told me how to walk this way, she told me to CHORUS Works Cited Aerosmith, â€Å"History. † 2 July 2008. Aerosmith. com. 2 July 2008. http://www. aerosmith. com/index. cfm/pk/content/pid/400028. Aerosmith and Run DMC, â€Å"Walk this Way (AeroSmith Run DMC). †2 July 2008. Lyrics007. com. 2 July 2008. http://www. lyrics007. com/Aerosmith%20Lyrics/Walk%20This%20Way%20(Aerosmith,%20Run%20Dmc)%20Lyrics. html. Dean, Maury. â€Å"Rock ‘N’ Roll Gold Rush A Singles Un-cyclopedia. † Newyork: Algora Publishing, 2003. 380. Power, Martin. â€Å"The Complete Guide To the Music of Aerosmith: The Complete Guide. † New York: Omnibus Press, 1997. 22. Rubey, Dan. â€Å"Voguing at the Carnival: Desire and Pleasure on MTV. † Present Tense: Rock Roll and Culture. Ed 1992. DeCurtis, Anthony. United States of America: Duke Publishing Press, 1992. 248. Run DMC Featuring Aerosmith. â€Å"Walk this Way. † Posted on: 2 February 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2008. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=o8A0rhVG91U. Song Facts. â€Å"Walk this Way† 2 July 2008. Songfacts. com. 2 July 2008. http://www. songfacts. com/detail. php? id=1295. Sony BMG Music Entertainment. â€Å"Bio. † 2 July 2008. Run DMC. 2 July 2008. http://www. rundmcmusic. com/.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Discuss Marx Concept Of Alienation Sociology Essay

Discuss Marx Concept Of Alienation Sociology Essay Alienation is the idea that a working class man is alienated from his essential nature and individuality, economic and spiritual being Churchich (1990).This essay will outline what alienation is and examples given by Marx and his view on who is to blame, the four main concepts of alienation will be discussed as well as support and criticism. Marx puts alienation down to the divide in labour and private property which is seen as dehumanizing society. Marx based his ideas on Hegel and Feuerback however also criticized their views. He agreed with Hegels idea that people can become alienated from themselves but doesnt believe people alienated themselves. Feuerbacks views from The Essence of Christianity 1814 were that people view of god is the means of how people view themselves and when people worship god they in fact worship themselves. He believes when people place something higher than themselves they consequently become alienated from their being. Marx believed religion tries to divert peoples attention away from the truth about alienation. Marxs view of alienation in labour can be interpreted as the way a worker feels a sense of foreignness to products of their own labour. This is experienced by working class people in factories who were put into long and awful conditions of work to survive. They were uneducated, in unfortunate positions, treated badly and poorly paid. Due to these conditions the workers started to underbid one another to get a days work in order to support their families. Marx thought the working class factory workers need to join hands to make an improvement on their working conditions. He suggests that workers need to obtain their rights and require more pay and better working conditions. Marx, in his  Estranged Labor from Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts believed a worker becomes similar to a alienated animal. He believes the workers labour belongs to someone else so a man only through his animal functions can freely express himself. These functions are everyday tasks in their own house, drin king and eating, reproducing and so on. Marx believes a worker feels more like an animal in his human functions so eventually animal functions become human functions and vice versa. Marx alienation notion is in theory quite influential and powerful because it gives an account of how human life is degraded however it makes clear that it is not expected or natural. It provides a detailed explanation of the experiences of labour. Marxs theory of alienation shows the results of capitalist production on the physical and psychological state of people and on the social situations they engage in or are part of. This was Marx method of seeing his contemporaries so he could understand and explain how they interact and relate to each other. Marx proposed 4 types of alienation based on a regular factory worker under capitalism. There are two divisions in the private ownership system; workers with no property and owners of property. Due to this divide in society workers not only are the workers poor but they also have to suffer alienation from the world. The first type of alienation is the concept of what a person produces or makes does not belong to them. The idea that everything produced by a person only benefits the world which they do not fit into. Rubin (1990) outlines a quantitative and a qualitative part to how goods are produced he said the worker doesnt really get paid for the amount of labour put in so is exploited This benefits capitalism as the more alienated the worker becomes the more work he does. Qualitatively, the worker puts creativity into the product he creates however is not given creative labour to replace it. He believes that with capitalism, work doesnt inspire or introduce workers to new things; i nstead it takes away a persons energy and wears them out. An individual helps to make all these objects that he does not own himself which makes them feel and look smaller compared to this world. They may help create an expensive car, build houses or make expensive clothes which they cannot afford. The second form of alienation is the work process. It is separation of the worker from the work itself for example the job performed does not belong to them instead it is a way of survival in the world. They are not doing the job for themselves but for someone else. This kind of work does not allow a person to become creative as it does not come from his own accord as they are following instructions from others, instead indicates a loss of self worth for the worker. For example when a person works at a call centre doesnt create anything, follows the same method, copies a script and doesnt get to make any important decisions. It becomes dull and automatic so the mind doesnt have to be used. The worker doesnt have control over the conditions and organization of work nor do they have any control on how it influences them psychologically or physically. This reduces a persons ability to be creative. The third type of alienation is the alienation from other humans. Instead of spending time with people you want you have to work with people whether you do or do not like them. In society there is some resentment or dislike between the different class structures which is partly to blame for this type of alienation. People become alienated from people who take advantage of their labour. According to Cox (1998) Marx said if the worker is tormented by his work then it must give delight to another. If a man views his activity as unfree and not something they wish to do then he views it as under the order, force or oppression of another person. Workers are linked to people through the products they produce however dont personally connect to them. Each day people may wear clothes, eat food, live in houses, use tools created by people who have worked to make them however they are not known personally instead they are known only through the products brought and consumed. Man doesnt see his f ellow man as equal instead as higher or lower than them in society. People dont know each other individually but as products of capitalism however the capitalist society is more individual and independent compared to the working class. According to Korkotsides (2007) People take things for their own use irrespective of how it was produced and under what conditions or circumstances. As Marx supposed that people in working class are generally the most alienated, the liberation from alienation will have to begin with liberating the working class. Marx believed production of goods frequently makes new desires to use human powers for money and benefit instead of improving the abilities of humans. People see each others as rivals and as inferior or senior to them. The fourth type of alienation is a persons alienation from species-being, or human individuality. Humans base their life around work it is an essential part of life for the working class. Human identity is formed by doing work without thinking for example when doing the same job day in day out a person becomes lifeless in terms of personality and identity and becomes more like a robot. In the private ownership system a worker is alienated from their purpose of life and individuality essential for a human being. What makes a human is the skill to shape the world around by thoughts, abilities and actions however under the capitalist society this is not always the case. Labour is pressured and forced and does not relate to a persons personal preference or interests. According to Cox (1998) Marx suggests workers benefits capitalism by constantly producing for them however even though he helped make them successful and wealthy doesnt get much recognition or benefit from it. In his manuscr ipt he said that capitalists make palaces for the rich but hovels for the working class. It throws some workers into cruel ways of labour and makes some workers into machines. It gives them brainpower but makes stupidity and cretinism at the same time. Humans have socials skills so they can work together to develop on their interests however capitalists divide humans and put all their effort and interests into labour. When a capitalist is bettering production in their factory, without knowing they can be reducing profit rates for their own class by slowing down the profit rate. A company may produce to accomplish a sharp demand, however when the products are in store they may find other companies have already done it first. Sometimes more than what is required is produced and is not needed. Recessions in capitalism means labourers consume less as more then whats required is produced this is down to their work being too productive. Marx view of a content person was not someone with many material possessions but someone who is happy in their life in terms of good emotional contact with other people, education, and a person who may not have many possessions but is not scared to say what he feels. An unproductive worker who dosent wants to contribute to political processes in Marx eyes is a victim of alienation. He highlights what a person can be and how they should be independent and not concentrate on what they possess. Marx view is supported by Kant and Fiche who thought workers should stop being inactive like the workers were in history and start becoming active producers of their own future. Marx alienation concept is influenced by Hegel therefore there are similarities with both theories. Hegel thinks self-alienation is to be conquered with the advance and development of history Sayers (2003). They both agree that the spiritual and social parts of alienation and their how they can be defeated are combined. On the other hand Hegel believed alienation is defeated in society at present which Marx disagreed with. According to Sean Sayers (2003) Kierkegaars also backed Marx view he believed man today is alienated from one self and in mankind due to prejudice and lack of individuality. According to Churchich (1990) alienation was seen as mainly religious and it had more of a psychological meaning linked to the soul however Marx disagreed believing alienation is down to man not nature or god. Marx disagreed with Hegels idea that alienation is originated in nature of human life and says he reduced history to just thoughts, observing real events and objects merely as manifestations of spirit. A Humans contentment and needs have to be linked to the forms of production in order to be measured. Humans are different to animals in terms of their needs because nature decides an animals natural needs are and a humans needs are essentially social and historically established by themselves. He believed creativity separated humans from animals. Marx argues a persons consciousness of the requirement for certain things is a product of concrete historical situations and cant be decided by just thoughts. Marx and Smith had a similar thought as they worked on putting an end to capitalists exploiting the working class and believed society and economy ought to centre their attention on making peoples lives better. Despite this they do differ on the means of economy. Both Smith and Marx see labour as divided and see it as the key feature of capitalism. According to Meek (1977) While Smith views capitalism as an advantage to not only society but on a person too. He believes a person sees power as a natural need; their wish is to stand out, elevate themselves and obtain a source of wealth. Marx sees capitalism purely as unnatural and a disadvantage to a worker. Marx believed capitalists have a strong social and economic foundation and the only way to conquer alienation is when this changes. Support for Marx idea that alienation is dividing a person from their labour is for example a person works to earn a living and will get paid but ultimately the company profits from this. The worker wont earn as much money compared to the amount of work put in therefore the company will get more profit by underpaying the worker causing the worker to disconnect. A criticism of Marxs alienation theory is its seen as not scientific and cant be used for experimental research. The problem with this criticism is Marxs alienation concept is centred on historical tests and it studies labour when it is not controlled by authority. Another criticism is Marx states that nearly all work is alienated and the worker does not benefit from their work however this may not always be the case for some. If a mechanic fixes a car he may not have one himself however he will learn a skill which can be useful for him in the future or may have personal satisfaction from doing the job to the best of their ability. Another example is that of a blacksmith may own a shop working the hours he wants, deciding any important decisions as well as setting his own working environment, creates his own product and makes the decision of how they sell. Most importantly the communication with customers is more of a personal nature than professional. There are many examples of modern alienation for example when a worker doesnt get enough from capitalist work he may take out loans from banks to buy the products they create, for example a big house or a car. They are exploited by mortgages and loans however if they become unemployed it is all taken away from them. The resolution to alienation isnt to look back at history but to recognize what can be done in todays society and how it can be transformed. A book by Oliver James describing the Affluenza virus supports Marx where he blames capitalism for creating alienation. The Affluenza virus is sets of principles that makes people more open to emotional distress. This is done by putting importance on obtaining wealth, goods and fame. He suggests changing the way people live their life to conquer this which isnt always easy for people to do. Alienation isnt that easy to solve when oppression and exploitation exist in society. To summarize Marx early works was influenced by Hegel and Feuerbach. His alienation theory is the debate that the life of work in a capitalistic society disadvantages them of enjoyment or creativeness of labour. He saw creativity as a vital aspect of living and this kind of labour not only alienates them from their work but also from their independency in effect causing dehumanization. The example of factory workers supports Marxs view that capitalists exploit the working class and the four concepts of alienation workers go through describe how they are alienated. According to Marx alienation will continue to exist along as capitalism is around. References Churchich, N, (1990). Marxism and Alienation. 1st ed. U.S: Associated University Presses. Sean Sayers. (2003). The Concept of Alienation in Existentialism and Marxism. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/philosophy/articles/sayers/alienation.pdf. [Accessed 22 November 12]. Ronald L. Meek. (1977). Smith, Marx After. [ONLINE] Available at: http://cas.umkc.edu/econ/economics/faculty/henry/courses/Econ506/Readings/Meek.SmithMarx.pdf. [Accessed 23 November 12].

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Impact of Media in Shaping Perceptions and Policies

Impact of Media in Shaping Perceptions and Policies CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The Information Age has seen a transformation in the nature of war. The emerging trend is towards low intensity conflicts and proxy war waged between states and non-state actors. Information Warfare, Information Operations and Psychological Operations have come to dominate the battle space. Besides military dominance, warring sides aim to create positive perception to gain international support and public acceptance towards their strategic goals. The media, including print, radio, television and internet has become a preferred channel to this end. History is studded with a number of instances where media was effectively utilized to shape perceptions and influence the will of allies as well as adversaries. Right from the Boer War, World Wars One and Two, the Vietnam War and the various Gulf conflicts, the victors have successfully conducted intensive campaigns to create and sustain a favorable narrative. The United States of America, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan an d Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq embedded journalists with its frontline forces. As a consequence, the global audience was exposed to a new intensity and immediacy of combat never before experienced. The massive information overload thus produced almost entirely favored the United States and its Coalition allies. Despite criticism for indiscriminate and subjective broadcasting of violence without context or commentary, the embedded journalists garnered the bulk of global attention and were faithful purveyors of the Coalition narrative. In the Indian context, the war of 1971 was an example where media, including international war correspondents, accompanied the forces advancing in the East. There was no attempt made to either hinder or influence their reporting. At present, the Indian Army is faced with a proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir where both the adversary state and its non-state proxies contest the nation in the military, political as well as the information domain. The violent actions of terrorist groups are complemented by a massive media offensive. The aim is to influence perceptions of the domestic audience and the global community. Then Chief of Army Staff, General B C Joshi, had referred to the media as a Force Multiplier while giving out guidelines to the Army deployed in proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir in 1994.[1] Until Kargil, the thrust of Army Media interaction was to highlight the Army’s role in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, focus on sports, jubilee celebrations and to avoid me dia glare during operations. However, the 1999 Kargil conflict was a watershed in wartime reporting. Until then, media was viewed as a meddlesome diversion at best and a threat to Operational Security at worst. During the conflict, the Indian Army realized the potential of the media to gain an Information Warfare advantage over the adversary. In view of this experience, and in line with the report of the Kargil Review Committee report, the Army changed its media policy. It is perhaps time to take a cue from the United States of America and explore the feasibility of embedding journalists with troops engaged in fighting the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. At first glance, the concept seems impractical and pointless; however, a strong case may exist in its favor. METHODOLOGY Statement of the Problem The impact of media in shaping perceptions and influencing policies needs no further evidence. However, the Information Warfare advantage that may be gained by the Indian Army in the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir from embedded journalists has not been studied in detail. With a visible slant in media against the prolonged military campaign in general and the Armed Forces Special powers Act in particular, there is a need to analyze the likely results of embedded journalists. Is the experience of Coalition forces in the Global War On Terrorism relevant to the Indian context? Is there a need to modify the concept of media interaction accordingly? Will the outcome justify the risks? Hypothesis Embedding journalists with troops engaged in proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir will present an Information Warfare advantage to the Indian Army. Justification of the Study At present, the Indian Army is alive to the reality of conducting operations in the full glare of the media. However, there is little enthusiasm among the majority of the rank and file towards media interaction. The anti-establishment tone of the vernacular media has fostered a sense of passive hostility towards all media in general. The possibility of embedded journalists revealing classified information and indulging in sensationalizing sensitive issues has also influenced the leadership to restrict the scope of media interaction in proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. Scope The scope of the study being vast, the paper concentrates on the possible implications of embedding journalists with troops engaged in proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. The paper highlights the need to increase media interaction and brings out the advantages of ensuring broadcast of a favorable narrative across all forms of media. It also aims to support the hypothesis with research on similar initiatives elsewhere in time and space. Operational Definitions The special terms used in this dissertation are defined below :- (a)Â  Information Warfare.[2]Â  The offensive and defensive use of information and information systems to deny, exploit, corrupt or destroy an adversary’s information, information based processes, information systems, and computer based networks while protecting one’s own. Such actions are designed to achieve advantages over military or political adversaries. (b)Â  Information Operations.[3]Â  The integrated employment of electronic warfare, computer network operations, psychological operations, military deception, and operations security, in concert with specified supporting and related capabilities, to influence, disrupt, corrupt or usurp adversarial human and automated decision making, while protecting our own. (c)Â  Psychological Operations.[4]Â  Efforts to convey selected truthful information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning and ultimately, the behavior of their governments, organizations, groups and individuals. Methods of Data Collection The sources of reference are :- (a) Books from Defence Services Staff College library. (b) Articles from newspapers, magazines and journals. (c) Articles from the Internet. (d) Interactions with serving and retired Army officers, journalists and bureaucrats. Organization of the Dissertation It is proposed to study the subject in the following manner :- (a)Â  Chapter I. Introduction and Methodology. (b)Â  Chapter II. Historical Background of Army Media Relationship. This chapter covers the origin of modern combat journalism and the rise in the influence of media in conflicts. (c)Â  Chapter III. Information Operations and Media. This chapter highlights the utilization of media for perception shaping and conducting successful Information Operations. A special case is made of the Kargil conflict, 1993. (d)Â  Chapter IV. Embedded Journalists in the Global War On Terror. This chapter looks at the Coalition experience of embedded journalism to draw relevant lessons for the Indian context. (e)Â  Chapter V. Suggested Contours of Media Interaction. This chapter draws a theoretical model for embedded journalism in Jammu and Kashmir, to meet the requirements of the Indian Army. (f)Â  Chapter VI. Advantages from Embedded Journalists in Jammu and. This chapter relates the relevance of embedded media in fighting proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. (g)Â  Chapter VII. Conclusion. The conclusion will knit together the relevant aspects of all chapters to summarize the research and point the way ahead. The final statement of the hypothesis will be made in light of the evidence studied. While the paper will be ended, there will pointers to further research included, given the vast scope of the subject. [1] Chakraborty, A K Information War : Challenges In The Twentyfirst Century. Noida; Trishul, 2003, p.15. [2] Forest, James J.F.,ed. Influence Warfare : How Terrorists And Governments Fight To Shape Perceptions In A War Of Ideas. New Delhi: Pentagon Press, 2010, p.10. [3] ibidem [4] ibidem