West African Slave Trade

The West African Slave Trade was a global event that focused on West Africa. It was the sale and ownership of another human being that was put into slavery. It was a â€Å"forced Migration† that lasted 300 years. It was an event that forced 15, 000, 000 people into slavery for a lifetime. From 1551 – 1850 about 15,000,000 people were brought into the slave trade it is said that roughly 5,000,000 did not survive, and may have immediately died before making through the shock of enslavement.About 10,000,000 people in the western hemisphere survived and were sold on the auction block. Generations continued into slavery, the offspring was also brought into slavery. The owners liked the idea of their slaves reproducing. This meant their work force would grow without having to spend much money on slaves. About 250,000,000 lived in slavery throughout the 300 years. West Africa was the source of the slave trade. Between 1450 and the end of the nineteenth century, slaves were obt ained from along the west coast of Africa with the full and active co-operation of African kings and merchants.Slavery was also a traditional part of African society — various states and kingdoms in Africa operated one or more of the following: chattel slavery, debt bondage, forced labor, and serfdom. Ghana, Mali, Songhai were kingdoms that had large economies and supported large populations, they had knowledge of agriculture, and grew many different crops that sustained many people. Because of the West African Slave Trade, These kingdoms were affected by greed and would often go to war and capture prisoners to sell into slavery. Why West Africa? It was all about Economics.Europeans looked toward West Africa because of their knowledge of cultivation and technologies. Expanding European empires in the New World lacked one major resource — a work force. In most cases the natives had proved unreliable (most of them were dying from diseases brought over from Europe), and E uropeans were no fit to the climate and suffered under tropical diseases. Africans, on the other hand, were excellent workers: they often had experience of agriculture and keeping cattle, they were used to a tropical climate, resistant to tropical diseases, and they could be â€Å"worked very hard† on plantations or in mines.There were two kinds of slaves that were sold; the chattle slave who are productive or field slaves, who usually held a lower status, worked to produce marketable goods. And companion slaves a domestic or house slaves that performed menial household duties for their masters and had a more intimate connection with owner. The companion was recognized as human, usually raised and educated their owners children. A companions slave’s standard of living was much better than the chattle slave who was a field worker looked at as an animal.The chattle slave was more of a commodity to the owner in the hardest form of labor. Humanity was stripped of him was t reated very badly and was worked to death. Slaves were forced to work in cotton and tobacco fields. 90% of slaves were chattle slaves. Europeans needed money to hire a work force. Instead they invested by purchasing slaves who were forced work for no money. Shock of enslavement The people of West Africa went through a 5 step process that forced them into enslavement. The first would be captivity. Slave traders would come into the villages and drag the people out of their homes.Or a captured soldier would be sold to slave trade. Slave traders were experienced; they immediately chained their victims by the neck onto a pole to keep the victims from running. Journey from the interior is the second step. The slave traders walked 20-50 mile with 10 captives at a time, keeping down the chance for a rebellion. By 1850 the slave traders were walking up to 100 miles having to go deeper into Africa. Some captives resisted by crippling themselves in hopes that the slave traders would just leave them behind, some may have succeeded, others may have been killed.Suicide would be their last option. Another form of resistance would be collaboration, where the victim would â€Å"offer† to guide the slave traders to other villages where they would capture other young men for the slave trade. The third step to this process would be the collection centers. Europeans rarely entered the interior of Africa, due to fear of disease and fierce African resistance. The enslaved people would be brought to coastal outposts where they would be traded for goods. Victims were taken to the coastal areas and put in dungeons that were castles built as collection centers.Meanwhile the slave traders gathered enough people to fill a ship to cross the Atlantic. The victims were placed in dark rooms with people of different ethnic groups and different languages making it very hard to communicate. Once the slave traders had enough passengers for the ship, they would move the people by night, tak ing them to the bottom of the ship and not letting them come up to see daylight until they were miles away. The next step is the middle passage. In the 1550’s there â€Å"human cargo† for the slave trade.Levels were built within the ship with narrow walkways, and boards measuring 2 1/2 by 6’ft. were placed next to each other. As many boards as would fit were laid on each level of the ship. They placed as many as 300 boards for 300 people. By the 1750’s – 1800’s Ships were packed to the fullest. They had 2 people per plank, chained down to the plank for a period of 2 ? – 3 months. Most of the people died during the middle passage. Many had never been on a ship, sick and laying in their own waste. Thousands of slaves died during transportation.They were kept chained up in excessively cramped conditions without sufficient food, water, or exercise, throughout the long Atlantic voyage to the Americas and West Indies. They were not fed prop erly; dying from disease or depression, the slave traders had no interest in their well-being. The dead were thrown into the ocean; millions of people were thrown into the ocean throughout the 300 years of slave trading. The human cargo ships were also known as â€Å"death ships†, and could be identified by the smell death and waste when high wind blew and ships sailed into port.Because of their malnutrition and poor physical appearance, people were brought to the deck of the ship and forced to exercise, 10 at a time. This provoked attempts of either overpowering the men on the ship, to jump off the ships, or attack the slave traders which led to either suicide or getting killed. Some of the men were able to overpower the ships and unchain the slaves, some ships never made it to the ports, because of the overpowering of the ship, or because of the certain weather conditions. The 5th step of the process would be the final step.Once arrived at the port the victims would be take n to cells to wait for the auction. Looking very weak, doctors were hired specifically to help the victims look presentable. Once the slaves had been worked on, they were put on display for people to choose and bid on. The victims were stripped down to bareness, people would â€Å"check† the people, looking at their bodies, teeth, and even checking for lice. Once the people made these observations, the bidding would begin. Now the victims became slaves for the rest of their life. These were the 5 steps that forced a free person into enslavement.This brought the Transatlantic Slave Trade or triangular trade. Also known as the â€Å"Golden Triangle†. The profits made from the global trade of sugar, tea and coffee were the major driving force behind the triangular trade. For centuries it provided substantial quantities of venture capital for the industrial revolution and the development of the western European economy. The Transatlantic Slave Trade consisted of three jour neys: 1). The outward passage from Europe to Africa carrying manufactured goods. 2). The middle passage from Africa to the Americas or the Caribbean carrying African captives and other ‘commodities’. ). The homeward passage carrying sugar, tobacco, rum, rice, cotton and other goods back to Europe. African survival The first years for the colonists were very difficult; there was limited amount of food. The West African slaves had knowledge of certain technologies that resulted in the production of food. This was a process used in West Africa, the people made their own â€Å"fishing nets†. The people would find streams that would lead to fish population, closing in sections and trapping fish in large amounts. They also used concoction.Which is a method used by extracting the oxygen in the water, this made the fish rise to the surface. Other technologies like Cattle ranching, the cultivation of rice and sugar were also expanding in the western hemisphere. The concep t of rice cultivation was introduced to the colonial South Carolina 20 years into the colony. Economics, this was a way the colonists made money. The rice cultivation became one of the main crops in colonial South Carolina. The West African people also built shelters using materials available to them, and building shelters out of the West African design.Because colonial South Carolina had swamp areas in their environment, transportation was very difficult. The West African built the main type of transportation which was a small watercraft or canoe of the West African design. The colonists could have not survived if not for the West African slaves. All these methods used were a form of African survival in direct form. From 1739-1820 the population of people coming directly from West Africa was growing. These people had been free people, not born into slavery.The chances for rebellion grew, and slaves were outnumbering their owners. September 9, 1739 was the day of the Stono Rebellion ; it was the largest rebellion mounted by slaves against slave owners in colonial America. The Stono Rebellion's location was near the Stono River in South Carolina. Slaves in the Carolina wanted to reach St. Agustine FL, because the Spanish had spread the word that slaves were going to be free there and land will be given to them. 100 slaves rise up against the colonists, get to an armory, trying to escape to the swamps of Florida.The inexperienced slaves were, encountered by the experienced militia, resulting in the killing of 30 colonists and 60 slaves. Uncomfortable with the increasing numbers of blacks for some time, the white colonists had been working on a Negro Act that would limit the privileges of slaves. This act was quickly finalized and approved after the Stono Rebellion. No longer would slaves be allowed to grow their own food, assemble in groups, earn their own money, or learn to read. Some of these restrictions had been in effect before the Negro Act, but had not bee n strictly enforced.

Advertising Effects On Young People Essay

Advertising on American youth has changed somewhat in the last ten years. Today’s youth, mostly between the ages of 15-18, see an advertisement on television, or the internet and they want to try it , have it, or even steal for it because they desire it. Take alcohol advertisements for instance. Alcohol advertisements are more complex and appealing to today’s youth than they were ten years ago. The effect of these alcohol related advertisements, cause our youth to try just a little sip or worse drink to many. Because our youth today don’t understand the effect of alcohol on them, they get behind the wheel of a vehicle and either cause an accident where they hurt or kill themselves or they hurt or kill someone else. Alcohol advertisements were not as appealing ten years ago as they are today. Really all you would see were a few beer advertisements and the â€Å"Drink Responsibly† at the end of it. Honestly, who really drinks responsibly these days? I don’t believe that our American youth does or there would not be that many drunk driving accidents involving our youth. As far as technology advertisements, they are just as bad. The effects of these advertisements are a hundred times worse on today’s youth than they were ten years ago. Therefore, the effects of advertising on today’s young population has increased the potential for success, however there is still non-targeted advertisement that reaches out to today’s American youth in a potentially negative perspective. Television is the dominant way to advertise to American youth because that is what our youth spends most of their time doing. By searching online for evidence that could support this, I found these statistics from thinkbox.tv: â€Å"Ages 15-24 spend 43% of their time watching television. Young people particularly like commercial television, which accounts for 76% of ages 16-34. Commercial television reaches 62% of the 16-34 population every day, 89% every week, and 97% every month. Of ages 5-16, 45% talk about their favorite television program with friends and family. Of ages 5-16, 34% say they regularly visit their favorite television website or Facebook page. 10% of ages 5-16, watch television on their laptops or computers in their rooms† (http://www.thinkbox.tv/getting-started-on-tv/discover-the-power-of-tv-advert  ising/#2). These statistics can somewhat show that the youth today spends more time watching television and playing on their computers than they do outside. Furthermore, television has become a powerful piece of technology for today’s youth. For example, the variety of channels that is now available for our youth. For that reason, television is the main source of advertising to our youth today. Advertising today vs ten years ago can raise a lot of viewpoints among Americans today. Most people will argue that advertisements do not cause any effects on our youth, but I disagree. For instance, cigarette advertisements effect our youth in some way. Some young people choose to ignore these advertisements because they know it harms the body, while others choose to go purchase cigarettes because they think it makes them fit in more with their peers. I have seen more young people with a cigarette today than I did ten years ago. In addition to the cigarette advertisements, the alcohol advertisements raise concern with some. Alcohol advertisements tend to persuade our young people that its ok to drink as long as you drink responsibly. There is not one young person that says â€Å"Ok, I will only have a couple of drinks†. Young people tend to do what they think will make them more acceptable in today’s society. To me, this is unacceptable behavior. In a similar fashion, Violence has taken over our youth today. The video games that most young people play portray violence in a very bad way. Some gangs or â€Å"clicks† use this type of violence as an initiation for young people to join. I have seen more teen tragedies in today’s news due to this type of violence than the last ten years. There is teen kidnappings, violent injuries and even murders. Most of the time, it is teen on teen violence because they think its ok because they see it on television or even the internet. It is ridiculous on how much violence has happen with today’s youth. I believe it is because of all the advertisements that portray violence has an ok thing. For example, video games are the main source of violence in today’s youth. My opinion on this type of advertising is one of the causes of most of our youth’s accidents, tragedies, and even deaths. Today’s advertising has more effect on our youth than it did ten year s ago. In conclusion, advertising on American youth has caused tragedies and even death. Young people today really don’t have enough common sense to know that if it looks, taste, or smells bad, that it probably is and that they should not partake in it. Our young people today seem to think that if they partake in things that could hurt them then it makes them fit in more with their peers. To clarify, â€Å"If you can drink this or smoke this or even try this, then you can be part of this â€Å"click†. It sickens me to know that even our youth today has effects on other young people. Parents should monitor more of what their child is doing, what they are watching and what kind of people their child is friends with. In another sense, parents could prevent tragedies or even death from occurring. Yes, advertising in some way has increased the potential for success in American youth; however it still has potentially negative perspectives on American youth today. By parents monitoring what their child is watching, what their child is doing, and what kind of people their child is friends with can potentially decrease the amount of smoking, drinking, and violence that our young people partake in today. There is always positive potential for our American youth. We just have to monitor more of what they watch and make sure that they know right from wrong. http://www.thinkbox.tv/getting-started-on-tv/discover-the-power-of-tv-advertising/#2 THESIS AND OUTLINE The effects of advertising on today’s young population has increased the potential for success, however there is still non-targeted advertisements that reaches out to today’s American youth in a potentially negative perspective. I. Introduction Paragraph A. The relation between advertising today verses ten years ago. B. The effects on American youth today verses ten years ago. C. Thesis Statement II. Body Paragraph A. Topic Sentence on the focus of the paragraph B. Specific examples of the effects of advertising on today’s youth. C. My explanation and analysis of my examples. D. Summary Sentence III. Body Paragraph A. Topic Sentence that identifies opposing viewpoints. B. My explanation on why I disagree C. Examples of why I disagree D. Summary Sentence IV. Conclusion Paragraph A. Summary of my body paragraphs B. Thesis statement reiterated C. My final thoughts or call for action

Visual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual Analysis - Essay Example The picture comprises of four groups of human elements. These are: Batman, Batkid, a policeman and people on the street. Non-human elements in the photo include trees, buildings, batman’s motor vehicle, a bicycle and another motor vehicle. In the picture’s foreground we see Batman, Batkid and an automobile. Batman is seen to be standing and encouraging Batkid in the picture. In the picture, Batman is portrayed as wearing his â€Å"Batman’s† costume as is usually the case in sci-fi movies when he is fighting villains. On Batman’s side we see Batkid who seems anxious and somehow agitated. Batkid has worn a costume that is similar to the costume that Batman is wearing. However, Batkid has put on black shoes with orange laces unlike Batman who is wearing black boots with black laces. From Bat kid’s left side there is a motor vehicle, the vehicle has Batman’s emblem engraved on its hood. The vehicle in the picture seems to be a sports car, most probably a Lamborghini. It is assumed that this is Batman’s automobile. In the picture, it seems as though Batman and Batkid have just alighted from Batman’s automobile. In the background of the picture various objects are visible. The background of a picture can indicate the location of a picture (Lester, 2006). The picture shows Batman’s vehicle as having stopped at a passenger crossing on a street. Behind the vehicle there are trees which have green leaves. This shows that the picture could either have been taken during summer time or the start of the autumn. From the picture, we are also able to view a block of buildings. The buildings are behind the trees and are made of concrete. The buildings seem to be modern and thus we can conclude that the picture was shot on a city street. In the background of the picture we are also able to view an audience that seems very elated to see Batman and Batkid. Many of the audience in the picture are wearing coats. T his could be because of cold weather and thus we can conclude that the picture was taken during autumn. From the picture we can also observe a policeman behind Batman and Batkid. The policeman is in a vehicle that is opposite Batman’s vehicle and is seen to be peeking outside the vehicle’s window. Focal Point Batkid is the focal point of The Batkid picture. The main point of focus in an image is its focal point (Lester, 2006). From the picture it is evident that the main point of focus was on Batman and Batkid with a lot of emphasis laid on Batkid. While taking the picture, the photographer seemed to have focused more on Batman and Batkid as compared to events happening in their background. The photographer seems to have especially paid greater attention to Batkid, trying to bring out the finer details of Batkid. The photographer is able to capture Batkid’s belt which has Batman’s emblem. The photo also lays some emphasis on Batkid’s gait. Colors T he most abundant color in the picture is the black color. Various elements in the photo are colored black or have black adornment. Batkid has a black costume which is also the case for Batman’s costume. The vehicle that Batman and Batkid seem to have alighted from is a black vehicle. From the background of the photo we are able to see a fan of Batman, behind the vehicle, who is wearing a black coat. Many of the audience in the photo are also dressed in black coats. The tarmac on which Batman’

If the Clothes Fit, Wear It Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

If the Clothes Fit, Wear It - Essay Example When the mother came to the door, I saw the lady’s face beaming with so much joy as she gave the fruit basket to my mom. I remember her saying a bunch of thank you’s to my mom as my mom graciously said that she was only glad that she could help out. When the lady with the fruit basket left, mom told me that the lady was the daughter of one of her patients in the hospital who has just recently recovered. I remember my schoolteacher telling us that nurses play a very important role in the community because they help doctors and take care of sick people. That moment when the lady with the fruit basket came, I came to realize exactly what my schoolteacher meant. That was also the moment that I told myself that someday, I would wear the same immaculately white clothes, help doctors and take care of sick people. Ever since that day, I have tried my best and worked very hard in trying to accomplish my goal of someday being just like my mother. As a licensed vocational nurse, I have come to appreciate life and all that it has to offer, including the good and the not-so-good. Nursing is not a financially rewarding profession. It is exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally.

Public Health--Discuss the health problems and health service issues Essay

Public Health--Discuss the health problems and health service issues that are associated with homelessness - Essay Example discussion presented in this essay will draw on evidence from a large variety of credible sources to see what past and contemporary research has to say on the subject. The gravity of this matter of homelessness is evident from statistical data revealed in one of the latest newspaper reports in the country. According to this report, as many as 112070 people identified themselves as homeless in the UK in 2014. This figure represents a whopping 26% increase in homelessness over the last four years which demonstrates the hideous proportions of this very serious matter in the country. While the rate of homelessness has increased by 26% which is a spine-chilling reality in itself, the number of those people who sleep on the streets or pavements has tremendously increased by 75% (Henley 2014). This is saying something about an ever-increasing wealth gap between the rich and poor in the UK. This gap is at its worst in the present contemporary times as a result of which homelessness has also increased at a gigantic pace. There is a definite link between homelessness and health issues in particular mental health as it is suggested by many that both entities are inextricably linked to each other. Research claims that the use of institutions like psychiatric hospitals to treat the mentally disordered homeless people has fallen in the UK. However, particularly high fear levels have been noticed in those who â€Å"spent a large proportion of their lives in psychiatric hospitals† (Glover-Thomas 2002, p. 157). It is claimed that such patients when discharged to live freely in the community have only served to â€Å"add to the homelessness problem† (Glover-Thomas 2002, p. 157). The correlation between homelessness and adverse mental health is of such extent that about 1/3rd of all homeless people are diagnosed with different critically severe mental health issues like suicidal distress, chronic substance abuse, schizophrenia, and paranoia (Videbeck 2013, p. 6). Actually,

Wirless22 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wirless22 - Essay Example Even though I spend most of my time at home, whenever I go out for recreation, I make it a point not to take my cell phone along. Right now I need to carry two phones: even though I do not like phones, this is the only way I can make my life easier. One phone is used for business and family only, whereas the other is for friends, school and other acquaintances. The second phone is usually turned off, unless I want to go out, and even then I mostly turn it on just to check the voice mail to check if I have any appointments (with a doctor or at school, for instance). The only times I have used text messaging is to check my bank account balance by texting at the number the bank gave to me. Even when I receive a text message to which I have to reply, I do not text back. I prefer calling up people rather than sending them text messages. The Bluetooth feature on phones is something that I do appreciate, because it enables me to connect my cell phone with my computer or other devices and transfer data easily. However, I do not believe that cell phones are a necessity. Even in emergency cases I think I can manage very well without a cell phone. I consider cell phones and email to be the worst invention of the last century. For me, cell phones are a luxury, a luxury we can very well do without. Currently, I have T-mobile and AirVoice as service providers for my two cell phones. T-mobile is expensive when compared with AirVoice: I pay 70 dollars for T-mobile and 40 dollars for AirVoice per month. On both these service providers I pay by minute along with the contract. AirVoice offers me unlimited text messaging, both domestic and international, which I do not use at all. I use prepaid plans on both; T-mobile carries the unused minutes to the next month, however AirVoice does not provide this service, the minutes end with the month, whether you have used them or not. Both AirVoice and T-mobile, being 3G, are

Marketing Environment of Hugs & co Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Environment of Hugs & co - Essay Example Hugs take into deep consideration the natural resources within its environment to protect its interest in raw materials. This significantly improves its entrepreneurial opportunities and in the process their sales and revenue are increased (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011,p.122). According to Rhodes (2002), Hugo & Co Company is tremendously influenced by the political and legal factors. These factors are necessary in the marketing process because the company is involved in international operations. The Company exports and imports goods from different countries, therefore, require a conducive political and legal atmosphere to promote the ease of marketing of their products. However, the political and legal factors can negatively affect the operations of Hugo & Co Company by their unfair policy which leads to a depreciation in the profits and revenue within the company. Hugs & Co Shoe Company belongs to the B2C market because of it’s the demographics and psychographs in use and also th e consumer behavior of the majority of its customers. The consumers are drawn towards the product produced by the company because of the numerous advantages and usefulness of the loafer-shoes produced by the company. The company use the psychographs to allow them take into account their customers interest, values and attitudes, whereas, the demographics are resourceful in providing for company in classifying their buyers, therefore creating value for them through the products they offer. This might involve providing information relating to targeted audience age, income or social class. Competition Analysis of of Hugs & Co Shoe Company Hugo has both weakness and strength that...This has greatly influenced the brand name positively, therefore attracting new and retaining existing customers of the product brand produced by the company. In addition, Hugo has the opportunity of competing favorably compared to other products because they are diverse in their products. However, Hugo & Co C ompany is vulnerable to other companies because the management finds it difficult to accept change within the company. This is a destructive tool because new companies come up with more technological advanced products and are also flexible enough to conduct their operations with the changes in time and even environment. Hugo Co & Company is also not well advanced in marketing ways and in the process are not good attracting new customers to their product. This tremendously affects negatively their ability to compete favorably in both local and international markets (Mcdonald, Smith & Ward, 2007, 229). Hugo Co & Company faces stiff competition from other companies in London producing male footwear. These companies include Alfred Sargent which manufactures males’ shoes and is based in Rushden, Northants. The second major competitor is the Sanders and Sanders Company producing males formal and leisure shoes and is based in Rushden. Lastly, Grenson acts as the third major competit or of Hugo Co & Company by producing a verse range of male shoes and boots.

HSM Performance Optimization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words - 1

HSM Performance Optimization - Essay Example Based upon the expected performance demands, this thesis proposes an optimized HSM solution to address the identified performance gap between what is required and what current HSMs can provide. The thesis describes tests and performance measurements that can be used to optimize applications of the proposed solution for HSM (or similar) devices. Security Assertion Markup Language - Is an XML-based open standard data format for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties, in particular, between an identity provider and a service provider. I pass my gratitude to Professor XXXX who worked tirelessly to see me through the entire degree project process. The company supervisor, CCCC, also deserves a pat on their back for his counsel and guidance during the design period. Finally, my family has been with me from the start to the end. There is no other way to say thank you, but I am sincerely grateful. A study of the e-ID system was started by the Swedish government on 17th June 2010 and the complete report of this research was published on December 2010. The report identified a solution for which an Agency under the Ministry of Enterprise was established starting of 1 January 2011[2]. The acquisition of operations, management of metadata records of all members, guide service, and the test federation associated with a Swedish Federation of e-identification providers was initiated with it first phase in 2013. The request for quotation process ended with only a single quote (from Cybercom Sweden AB), hence this firm eventually got the contract. The operation of a centralized signature service was initiated in 2014.

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Marketing Management - Essay Example It strengthens the retail distribution and it benefits the retailers in building strong store traffic and enhances the store image. However, over enthusiasm and wrong decisions can prove to be fatal to the brand and may fail to attract the customers. Brands are assets that are difficult to develop, maintain, and adapt. A brand goes beyond the name or a logo or a slogan. It is the customers’ perception of the stimulus when the brand is presented (Berry & Lampo, 2004). Brands are a manufacturer’s promise of quality to consumers. Brands function as insurance policies against the monetary and social/psychological losses facing the consumers when they purchase a product (DelVecchio, 2000). A brand is supposed to reduce risk and enhance the confidence of the consumer when he purchases a product. A consumer believes that when a company has undertaken to invest in a brand, the product would not be of inferior quality. Since they lack personal experience with the product, they go by the reputation of the brand name. It provides the customers with both observable and unobservable product attributes, reduces their anxiety and simplifies the shopping process (Srinivasan & Till, 2002). Brands names affect consumers’ perc eption about the product attributes in different ways. Brands reduce the perceived risks and the search cost for the consumers (Kayman & Arasli, 2007). When discussing about corporate brands, Aaker (2004), contends that brand plays the role of an endorser as in the case of Courtyard (by Marriott), MSN (by Microsoft), or Lion King (by Disney). The brand adds credibility to the products that reassures the buyer, especially when a new technology is involved. Corporate brands communicate the service quality as in the case of the Starwood brand which endorses several hotel chains – Westin, Sheraton, and St. Regis. In the hospitality industry brand owners can charge a premium price over rivals, they can maintain market share over rivals

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay he Crucible emerged from a true story which makes the play more convincing. It was based on the Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trial in 1629. At the time people were extremely religious and believed in witchcraft and devilry. It was strictly forbidden for people to dance, sing, and laugh and if they were discovered doing these activities, they were accused of witchcraft and many were to die of this. Miller decided to write a play which would heighten Americas awareness of the impending of the communist in the 1950s. It is important for the audience to understand the historical background, and understand what living in Salem, Massachusetts was like in the 17th Century. The people of Salem were Puritans- descendents of the Pilgrim Father, who arrived in America from England in 1960 because they wanted a stricter way of life with regard to their religion. Their lives consisted of working, eating, sleeping and praying. Any kind of enjoyment was prohibited. This meant that singing and dancing was forbidden and seen as an interaction with the devil. People of Salem believed in witchcraft, and in 1692, many people were accused and hanged because of this. People incriminated each other, both neighbours and friends. This shows that although on the surface, society appears united, cracks were beginning to emerge. In the 1950s there was a modern day witch hunt in America. Instead of hunting witches Free thinkers, That is people who had individual thoughts were accused of disloyalty and communist sympathies, which often resulted in loss of their jobs. In order to protect themselves, just as in The Crucible, they blamed others. The Crucible was inspired by Millers experiences of the 1950s. It was Senator Joseph McCarthy who created the hunt for communists. The similarities between the Crucible and McCarthys accusations of the 1950s were denounced. Without proof or evidence the inciting of fear and suspicion would lead in the 1950s to the eventual break up of families and friendship as people accused each other of disloyal acts against America. This was to lead to America becoming permeated by paranoia and scepticism. Before the audience even meets Abigail, they find out that she is a trouble maker with an endless capacity for dissembling. In the opening act between Parris and Abigail, tension rises as Parris persistently questions her about the night they were dancing in the woods, what did you do with her in the forest? But Abigail denies any accusations and always defends herself, But we never conjured spirits. However Parris does not stop questioning her and feelings begin to heighten when he mentions witchcraft, trafficked with spirits in the forest. Abigail vehemently assents herself by saying, we never conjured spirits. At this stage she is trying to defuse the situation but the audience are already experiencing a steady rise in tension.

Definitions Of Crime: Social And Ideological Constructs

Definitions Of Crime: Social And Ideological Constructs The social construct of crime is extremely significant within the victimised actor model that purposes that criminal behaviour only manifests because those with power and authority define certain activities, typically those engaged in by the poor and powerless as criminal, while those of the powerful are ignored (Burke, 2009 p. 349). Dorling et al. (2008, p. 7) states that crime has no ontological reality; but is a myth of everyday life. This construction can be enlightened by considering what is included and excluded. Mars (1982) states that hard words such as crime, theft and offence are different from softer words such as fiddle or perk, which are often used to describe criminal activities in the workplace (cited in Burke, 2009). Furthermore, in the context of safety crimes, in Britain over one million workplace injuries are recorded every year; but due to the restriction to the term crimes approximately only one thousand are prosecuted health and safety offences (Dorling et al., 2008). Tombs (2000) claims that such differences have implications in terms of what can be done with such data conceptually, theoretically and politically (cited in Dorling et al., 2008). This is an insight towards the different crimes that are committed, yet some of these criminal activities are completely excluded from the social construct of crime (Croall, 1998; Burke, 2009). Crime as social and ideological constructs can be applied to other areas in society including gender and age. Livingstone (2001) argues that the media make a significant contribution to the social construction of crime (cited in Reiner, 2007), and crime in general is usually associated with particular groups such as young men or the unemployed, which is reflected in the media and portrays what constitutes the crime problem (Burke, 2009). Muncie (2003) argues that this stereotype against certain groups means they receive little attention as victims (cited in Walklate, 2007). As a result policies are introduced to tackle crimes such as burglary or street crime but environmental crimes such as pollution, corporate crimes and major frauds are overlooked (Burke, 2009). The vast majority of criminological research has been conducted on lower socio-economic groups and their activities (Burke, 2009). However, white collar, business or corporate crime continues to be neglected and under-resea rched by criminologists (Burke, 2009). For example the previous and third edition of The Oxford Handbook of Criminology contains no discussion that crime has no ontological reality, nor does it establish how the criminal law fails to apprehend the more damaging and extensive forms of harm (Dorling et al., 2008). Another point which can constitute the social construct of criminal behaviour is homicide. Pfohl (1985) illustrates how some types of killing are categorized as homicide while others are not (cited in Lilly, Cullen Ball, 2007). Pfohl states that what differs is not the behaviour but the reactions to that behaviour. For example killing a police officer or killing by a police officer; death by dangerous driving or dying from cancer caused by a polluting factory are just a few examples. Whilst some are labelled homicide, others are excused and justified (Lilly, Cullen Ball, 2007). According to constructionist theories, crime is in the eyes of the beholder, and the beholder is the law (Fitzgerald, 2011 p. 303). Constructionists argue that crime, criminal activity, and criminal law are dependent on time, place and culture (Fitzgerald, 2011). Friedman (1993) states that definitions of crime alter throughout time, meaning crime has no ontological reality because acts have been criminalized, decriminalized, and recriminalized (cited in Fitzgerald, 2011). From a social constructionist perspective, a given act or behavior such as abortion, domestic violence, race or ethnic bias becomes a social problem through a process of successful claims making by social movements or groups that lay forward a particular definition of a problem (Rosenfeld, 2009). Constructionist theories include labelling theory, social control theory, and critical theory (Fitzgerald, 2011). Labelling theory is concerned with what happens after an act is committed, and that deviance does not inherent in the act, but the reaction to it (Newburn, 2007). Essentially, the argument is that the criminal or deviant is an individual who has been labelled by society (Marsh Melville, 2006). According to Becker (1963) rules and criminal laws are made by people with power and dictated upon people without power (cited in Burke, 2009). The key perspective from the labelling theory is that many offenders do internalise their criminal labels and therefore a career in criminality arises as a result to societys reaction to them (Burke, 2009). However, labelling theorys central hypothesis has not been without critical analysis. Although conflict or radical criminologists agreed that crime was socially constructed and that labels were differently applied, radical theorists argued that the origins and application of criminal labels were influenced by inequities rooted in the structure of ca pitalism (Lilly, Cullen Ball, 2007). Radical theorists claim that differences in power determined that behaviours of the poor, but not those of the rich would be criminalized. Labelling theorists acknowledged that political interest and social disadvantaged influenced societal reaction, but they did not express the connection of the criminal justice system to the underlying economic order (Lilly, Cullen Ball, 2007). Labelling theory has also been criticised on the use of soft and hard deviance (Burke, 2009). Gibbs (1966) argues that hard deviance such as violent assault and burglary have always been universally condemned, and the deviant is fully aware that what they are doing is criminal but freely choose to commit such offence because it is profitable or exciting (cited in Burke, 2009). In this case it is argued that labelling is irrelevant. Social control theory, with its roots in a Marxist tradition marginalizes certain populations for social, economic and political elites to maintain order (Fitzgerald, 2011). Social control theory acknowledges that law-making is embedded in power relations, and those with access to power are likely to construct the law to suit their interests (Fitzgerald, 2011). In which offences committed by the powerful such as white-collar crime are disregarded as it is not in their interest (Fitzgerald, 2011). Reidel and Welsh (2008) claim that as long as society maintains the perception that the law is morally justified, social order is sustained and authorities hold the power (cited in Fitzgerald, 2011). Muraskin (1976) claims that the middle class were interested in the structure of criminal law (cited in Fitzgerald, 2011), in which Becker (1963) states that rules are made by the old for the young, by men for women, by whites for blacks and by the middle class for the working class (cited in Bu rke, 2009). Criminological theories have different ideas on the concept of defining crime, although it cannot be dismissed that crime is a social and ideological construct. Constructionist theories locate power in the ability to classify and label what behaviour is criminal. This has complications for policies as the definitions of crime are not self evident; but are embedded in power relations that implicate all human behaviours and all people (Fitzgerald, 2011). Word count- 1,163