Thursday, September 5, 2019
Globalisation and Formula One
Globalisation and Formula One ABSTRACT It is often argued whether motorsport is a proper sport, and thus can be examined as such by researchers. In this essay, Formula One, for many the most important form of motorsport, is compared to established sports such as football and the Olympic Games, in terms of structure, their respective governing bodies, and their characteristics. For the latter, it has been discussed whether Formula One is a socio-cultural sport or a commercial one, as these are identified by K. Foster. Moreover, the role televison played into growing the sports popularity is examined. Finally, there has been a comparison between two important personalities of football and Formula One, Dr Joao Havelange and Bernie Ecclestone respectively, in an attempt to examine to what extent individuals can have an influence on a sports development. Introduction Ever since the replacement of post modernity with globalisation as the predominant social theory (T. Miller et al, 2001), academics of sport have taken an interest on International Sport Governing bodies and their role in an era where, (according to the hyperglobalist tradition at least (D. Held et all, 1999), nation states and their institutions are going into decline. The two most commonly mentioned (and researched) International Sport Institutions are FIFA ( J. Sugden and A. Tomlinson 1999, J. Sugden and A. Tomlinson 2003), (the International Federation of Football Associations) and the IOC (the International Olympic Committee), (M. Roche, 2000). These are the respective governing bodies of football and the Olympic Games worldwide, and subsequently responsible of staging the worlds two most popular sporting events; the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. This essay will attempt to investigate in what extent does a slightly different sport, motor racing (through its most popu lar discipline, F1 GP racing), complies with the trademarks in world sport organisation set by the aforementioned institutions. For this purpose, I have opted to compare the structure of FIFA and the FIA (Federation Internationale de l Automobile), as well as the two sports (from their league structure point of view mainly),. Before that, however, I have decided to outline some of the characteristics of motor sport, which make it defer from mainstream bodily sports, as well as clarify some definitions and terminology that is widely used to describe it. Moreover, I have seeked to make a comparison between the two individuals that transformed these two organisations into what they are today: Dr Joao Havelange and Bernie Ecclestone. The role of these individuals within the structures of the Fedrations will be examined, taking into account the existing theories concerning agency, which try to understand the role individuals can play in a social system. Specifically, the essay will focus on the impact Havelange (as FIFA president from 1974-1998) and Ecclestone (as F1s commercial rights holder) had in what Miller refers to as Televisualisation (Miller et all, op. cit. p. 4) of sport. Televisualisation, along with Commodification (ibid, p. 4), will be further discussed, as they were the key factors that resulted in the economic growth of both FIFA and FIA, by being the marketing tools for boosting the image of football and motor racing worldwide. As a conclusion, some thoughts about the commercial future of Formula One will be outlined, mostly influenced by Sugden and Tomlinsons thoughts on the future of FIFA (J. Sugden and A. Tomlinson 2005). Unfortunately, due to the relative lack of scholarly sources on motor racing, historical information has been gathered mostly from journalistic sources, with every attempt made to ensure these are credible ones. The same applies to information acquired from the World Wide Web, where only established sites (such as the FIA official site, the Financial Times and the European Union) have been used. Finally, as most of the original notes for this essay had been in Greek, I have used the Oxford Greek-English Learners Dictionary as a reference (D. N. Stavropoulos, 2004). The nature of Motor Sport Due to its peculiarities, motor sport is not a popular participant sport, unlike football. Whereas football is easy to play, requiring minimum equipment such as a ball and two posts, and can take any place in any open space, motor sport is centred around such a sophisticated equipment as a racing car, which is very expensive to purchase and run, and it is restricted to specifically designed race tracks. Many consider it not to be a proper sport; First, because a drivers ability is compromised by the competitiveness of his or her equipment, and therefore not always the most capable can challenge for victory, if they are not well-equipped. Secondly, because mainstream sport in most cases involves an athlete physically using his/her body to perform. A person sitting on a car is not considered as a true athlete, although in the higher disciplines, such as F1, a driver has to endure lateral forces of up to 4g for approximately 1 and a half hour (the average duration of a GP race), and at the same time being completely concentrated in order to achieve consecutive laps with accuracy of tenths of a second. Motor Sport has various disciplines, which, unlike many other sports, are available for representatives of both genders to participate in and compete against each other. The motor sport discipline whose structure will be compared to football will be Formula One, for many the highest echelon of motor racing (Table 1). More specifically, with Formula One we refer to the Formula One World Championship, which is regulated by the FIA. Racing Type Power Output (in bhp) Champ Car 750 Formula 1 750 F1 equivalency Formula 750 Indy Racing League 670 Grand Prix Masters 650 GP2 580 A1GP 520 Table 1: (Power outputs of racing categories (F1Racing magazine 2006) Definitions What is Formula One The name Formula One was only introduced in 1947 when racing activities resumed after the 2nd World War. Formula 1 was actually a code used to identify the technical regulations under which grand prix cars should be run at the races. Formula 1 racing began in 1947 therefore, although only in 1950 was a World Championship for Formula one cars organised (A. Cimarosti). However, F1 as a discipline exists in other sports as well, for example powerboating. What is a Grand Prix The first Grand Prix (grand prize) for automobiles was organised as such for the first time in 1906 by the AFC (Automobile Club de France) (ibid). Ever since it has become almost synonymous with big motor sport events, and with Formula One since the inception of the World Championship in 1950. The term Grand Prix though is also used in other sports, such as motorcycle racing and some IAAF meetings. Ownership of Formula One the FIA The FIA owns the name Formula One World Championship'(www. fia.com. 2006). In their website the FIA describe themselves as a non-profit making association (www.fia.com/thefia/Organisation/organisation.html 2006) who, since its birth in 1904, (it) has been dedicated to representing the interests of motor organisations and motor car users throughout the world. It is also the governing body of motor sport worldwide (ibid). Today it consists of 213 national motoring organisations from 125 countries (www.fia.com/thefia/Membership/index_membershtml, 2006). We should bear in mind that unlike for example FIFA, which only has authority over football, the FIA is responsible for all the types of car racing (rallying, racing, hill climbing etc), but that does not include motorcycle racing, which is the responsibility of the FIM (Federation International of Motorcycle). The date of its foundation suggests it was conceived during a time when, according to Miller again, it was Europes high point for setting in place the global governance of sport. Miller points out that most of the worlds governing bodies were founded after the proclamation of the Olympic movement at the turn of the century; he also goes on to mention the establishment of equivalents for football, cricket, athletics and tennis (T. Miller et al, op. cit. p. 10 ). However, one of the peculiarities of the FIA is that it is not entirely a sporting body (see Table 2). FIA General Assembly FIA President Deputy President                                  FIA Senate                                  Deputy President (Mobility and Automobile)                                                                        (Sport) FIA World Council for Mobility and the Automobile                     World Motor Sport Council Mobility and Automobile Commissions                                          Sporting Commissions International Court of appeal Secretariat Table 2. The structure of the FIA (www.fia.com, 2006 ). Instead, the FIA consists of the World council for Mobility and the Automobile, and the World Motor Sport council. The World Motor Sport Council is the world governing body of the FIA Formula One World Championship. This is the sporting branch of the FIA under whose jurisdiction come all forms of international motor sport involving land vehicles with four or more wheels.  Of significant importance is the existence of the FIA International Court of Appeal, which is the final appeal tribunal for international motor sport. ()Iit resolves disputes brought before it by any motor sports National Sporting Authorities worldwide, or by the President of the FIA. It can also settle non-sporting disputes brought by national motor racing organisations affiliated to the FIA (www.fia.com/thefia/Court_of_appeal/index.html, 2006). The existence of the International Court of Appeal within the FIA structure points out to what Ken Foster refers to private justice among global sporting organisations. He argues that the intent [] is to create a zone of private justice within the sporting field of regulation that excludes judicial supervision or intervention with the decision-making process of international sporting federations. It denies athletes -[and teams]- access to national courts and leaves them dependent on the arbitrary justice of the international sporting federation themselves. Athletes can claim redress only from an arbitration panel created and appointed by the international sporting federation itself [], (K. Foster, 2005). It appears that the FIA has followed FIFAs and the IOCs example, in taking advantage of the difficulties of monitoring INGOs. Foster underlines that states are unwilling or incapable of challenging the power of international sporting federations[] (ibid. p.68). In addition, he points out alternative ways of avoiding legal scrutiny by making it compulsory in their rules that disputes go only to private arbitration, and by asking athletes to sign agreements not tot take legal action against international sporting federations'(ibid. p.69). Indeed, according to Allison, [modern sport] has developed highly autonomous international organisations () (L. Allison and T Monnington, 2005). In the same text, Foster has previously commented on the general attitude of powerful sporting bodies: Historically, sport has been governed by management structures that were hierarchical and authoritarian. Their ideology, and often their legal form, was that of a private club (). The commercialisation, and the later commodification [which will be discussed later on this essay] of sport put pressure on their legal form. Private clubs began to exercise significant economic power over sport. (). International sporting bodies, as federations of national associations, in turn organised global sport. () the need for due process in decision-making and the need to prevent abuses of dominant power within the sport were two important consequences of this [the] legal intervention (K Foster, in Allison, 2005).  So far it appears that the FIA is complying with the models of regulation of FIFA and the IOC in certain aspects, such as being an International Non-Government- Organisation (INGO). But, because of its very nature, the motor sport governing body does not entirely follow FIFAs and the IOCs patterns. For example, Sugden and Tomlinson (again), argue that drawing upon Archers classification of types of international organisations, (C. Archer, 1992), () since its foundation in 1904, FIFA has transformed itself from and INGO (International Non-Government- Organisation) into a BINGO (Business International Non-Government Organisation (), (J Sugden and A Tomlinson, 2005). They go on to comment that FIFAs reason for existence has been increasingly profit-driven () and has become a leading example of the professionalisation and commercialisation of modern sport (), (Ibid. p.27). From a capitalistic point of view, one would assume that it would be normal for every organisation to seek p rofit. Sugden and Tomlinson, though, observe that such commercial activity coming from INGOs is illegal, and refer to Morozovs claim: As Morozov states, the aims and activities of an international organisation must be in keeping with the universally accepted principles of international law embodied in the charter of the United Nations and must not have a commercial character or pursue profit-making aims, ( G. Morozov, (1997). ( However, the FIA cannot be considered to belong in the category of INGOs becoming BINGOs. Like FIFA and the IOC, it has opted to locate its corresponding offices in Switzerland (www.fia.com/global/contacts .html, 2006), something which, as Sugden and Tomlinson point out, underlines [FIFAs] political and fiscal autonomy (and unaccountability), ( J Sugden and A Tomlinson, 1998); but it has not directly benefited economically by promoting the Formula One World Championship. Although it states that part of its resources shall be derived from income arising directly or indirectly from sporting activities, including the FIA champions (www.fia.com/thefia/statutes/Files/index, 2006), hips, it cannot benefit directly from exploiting Formula Ones and other FIA championships commercial rights. Foster, again, gives a detailed account of how the case of motor sport became a unique example of governmental intrusion into a global sporting bodys self-regulation, ( K Foster, in Allison 2005). According to a European Commission principal, a governing body of sport needs to separate its regulation of the sport from its commercial activities in promoting events and in maximising their commercial value; a governing body must not use its regulatory functions improperly to exclude its commercial rivals from the sport (Official European Journal, 13/06/01, Cases COMP/35.163: COMP/36.638; COMP/36.776. GTR/FIA others, 2005). It is suggested that FIA used its monopoly positio n by the threat of imposing sanctions to drivers, circuits, teams and promoters who wouldnt grant them exclusivity, thus rendering them unable to compete in rival series. Moreover, broadcasters who televised rival events were given least favourable agreements (K Foster in Allison, 2005). The result of the European Commissions intervention was the change of regulations on behalf of the FIA: They insisted on a complete separation of the regulatory function of FIA, as the governing body of the sport, and its commercial function of exploiting the broadcasting rights to all motor sport events under its jurisdiction. The separation is (was) designed to prevent conflicts of interest. The Commission also limited the extent to which FIA, as the regulator of the sport, can take measures to prevent rival promoters of events competing with FIAs events. The Commission wanted to separate the function of the FIA in promoting events (and thereby gaining commercial benefit) from that of licensing events as part of its regulatory function. The role of a governing body, according to the Commission, is to act fairly and create a level playing field so that all promoters of events are treated equally and carefully (Ibid. p.84). Foster justifies the Commissions decision thus: The differen t approach by the Commission can be explained because motor sport is a globalised, rather than an internationalised, sport. It had a commercial structure of management and offered no cultural or social justification of its anti-competitive behaviour. As such it was subject to normal commercial criteria in its regulation, (Ibid); and goes on to comment that this example may be unusual in that there was an excessive intermingling of the regulatory and commercial functions within the governing structures of international motor sport. However, it indicates that regional regulation can be effective and that the fear that globalised sport can escape all regulation and be immune from legal intervention may be exaggerated (Ibid). Structure of the FIA Formula One World Championship Indeed, the structure of the FIA Formula One World Championship seems very much to resemble the American (commercial) model of sport, although being originally a European concept, as described above. Foster, once again, offers the key characteristics in American and European sport. (see Table 3.) European (socio-cultural) American (Commercial) Organisational motive Sporting Competition Profit League structure Open Pyramid. Promotion and relegation Closed league; ring-fenced Governing bodys role Vertical solidarity; sport for all Profit maximisation; promote elite stars as celebrities Cultural Identity National leagues; local teams. Opposition to relocation of teams transnational leagues Transnational or global leagues; footloose franchises International Competitions Important for National Identity Non-existent or minimal Structure of governance Single representative federal body League or commissioner Table 3. (European model of sport vs American model of sport), (Ibid. p.74). By attempting to compare the structures of football and Formula One, we can relatively easily identify that the former belongs to the European tradition. It was indeed conceived as a sporting competition first and foremost. It is rather doubtful that there had been a plan to make profit out of football when the FA was founded in 1886. The open pyramid system is adopted, with clubs being promoted and relegated form the divisions of their national leagues, depending on their performance. Football has been conceived as a sport for all, and FIFAs initiatives such as the goal project confirm this (J Sugdan and A Tomlinson, 2003). Moreover, with the existence of events such as the FIFA World Cup which is exclusively contested for by National teams, the importance of national identity in football is displayed. Finally, the FIFA remains the only representative body for the sport. In contrast, the structure of the FIA Formula One World Championship complies in general terms with the Ameri can (commercial one), although with few noticeable exceptions. It should be noted that, before starting to analyse Formula One racing using this model, we can identify in its nature all but one of the strands that are identified by Scholte, (A. J. Scholte, 2000). The only one absent is Internationalisation, as there are no international competitions in Formula One. Instead, it is an entirely globalised sport. There are no national Formula One championships. The only Formula One championship organised today is the World Championship. Liberalisation, universalisation and, most importantly, globalisation are all evident: Liberalisation: There are no cross border restrictions in Formula One, as it does not operate on a national level. The races can be held in any country, provided it has an FIA- affiliated national sporting body, and drivers and teams can come form any country as well. Universalisation: ()A global sport () needs to be simple in its structure and thus readily understood by those who have never played the game before, (Foster, in Allison, p. 66). This is more than evident in Formula One, whereas although most people are unlikely to have driven a Formula One car in full racing trim, unless they are professional racing drivers, they can easily understand its concept, that the faster car wins the race.          Globalisation/ Americanisation: Rationalisation of Formula One has been achieved since its conception in 1950. Written rules were adopted and a championship was organised in order to rationally identify (Ibid), the best driver, (and the best team in 1958 with the introduction of the Constructors championship). In addition, it also complies with imperialism and westernization. Foster comments that Developing countries are excluded because they have fewer facilities (). Sports like motor racing require massive technical capital that excludes them (Ibid). De-Territorialisation: Foster observes that we have global broadcasting of sport and global fans; (Ibid. p.67), and goes on to quote Giulianotti: Globalisation brings with it a disembedding of local social and political ties between club [-in Formula Ones case, team] and community (R. Giulianotti, 2005). This is again present in the case of Formula One. As races are not contested in the teams home grounds, but rather, in race tracks scattered throughout the world, there is not much connection between their national identity (with the exception of Ferrari, who still carries some sense of Italian-ness). Re-location for Formula One teams is usual, provided this gives them a better chance of winning. Hence, Renault are based in Enstone, UK, Toyota in Cologne, Germany, etc. Furthermore, the ease with which teams can change their identity overnight is unique: The tartan-liveried team of former Scottish triple World Champion Jackie Stewart, founded in 1997 was turned into Jaguar in 2000, proudly painted in British Racing Green colour, and Red Bull in 2005, after the name of an Austrian-made energy drink. The globalised nature of Formula One (especially in its difference to internationalised sport) has also been identified by Houlihan: Globalised sport () has rootless teams, with multi national or nationally ambiguous teams ( B. Houlihan, 2005), [for example McLaren are a British team, founded by a New Zealander (Bruce McLaren), have a German engine provider (Mercedes) and their drivers come from Finland (Kimi Raikkonen) and Colombia (Juan Pablo Montoya)]. These rootless, de-territorialised sports are often typified by their identification with commercial sponsors. [for example Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, and Mild Seven Benetton Renault F1 Team]. Formula One teams are defined by their manufacturers, such as Ferrari (Ibid).   Going back to the American vs European model, we have already argued that although Formula One racing was conceived in Europe on the turn of the 20th century, its current management has rendered it a primarily profit-making sport. One could argue that until 1968, when cigarette advertising (and generally corporate advertising) appeared in Formula One, (http://8w.forix.com/love.html, see also http://8w.forix.com/myths.html, 2005), the sport belonged to the European tradition. Up until then, any profit made was incidental, not central. Only starting and prize money was available to the competitors. In the 1970s, with sponsorship cash and television money heavily influencing the sport (P. Menard, 2004), Formula One became a profit-making sport. The role of television coverage in that will be discussed later in the essay. As for the league structure of Formula One, it is totally commercial. As mentioned before, there is only one Formula One contest, the World Championship. Entry to it is not based on a promotion system, but strictly on capitalistic values. In other words, only those who can afford it can enter. A recent example was that of the new Super Aguri racing team. Although the rules state that applications to compete in the Championship may be submitted to the FIA () two years prior to the Championship in which the applicant wishes to compet (), (www.fia.com /resources/documents/, 2006), the team applied in autumn 2005. However, the application was successful. On January 2006, FIA issued the following statement: Following receipt of the necessary financial guarantee and with the unanimous support of the competing teams, the FIA has accepted the late entry of the Super Aguri F1 Team to the 2006 Formula One World Championship, (http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=208865FS=F1, 2 006). This incident is characteristic of an American-type closed league, as Foster describes it: The entry [to the league] is controlled by the incumbents. There is a fixed number of teams in the league [in Formula Ones case, the highest number of cars that can take part in the Championship is 24] with no relegation. New teams cannot break into the closed shop unless the league decides that its overall economic wealth will be improved by expansion franchises. The economic risks of sporting failure are reduced and this makes capital investment in a team franchise more attractive (K. Foster, in Allison (2005), p. 75). In terms of the Governing bodys role, it is also an occasion where F1 follows the American model. Vertical solidarity is non-existent, as there are no lower Formula One leagues. Even for motor sport in general, Formula One revenues are not redistributed to lower formulae, and there is no effort to make motor racing a sport for all. Only whoever can afford motor racing can enter it. Formula One seeks to maximise its profits by commodificating itself. Elite stars are promoted as celebrities. For example, an attempt to present Jenson Button as a star has taken place in Britain, while in the case of Germany, Lincoln Allison and Terry Monnington comment: (Lotthar Matthaus), Michael Schumacher, (and Bernhard Langer) have been more importantly formative of young peoples images of Germany in the last generation that have Fichte, Hegel and Bismark, (L. Allison and T. Monningtonin, 2005). The American model seems to suit Formula One best again when questions about its relation to national identity arise. What Foster observes as a characteristic of the American model, is that there is little sense of national identity (). The leagues identification of its supporters is one of commercial customers rather than fans. The business can and will be moved whenever commercial considerations dictate, more like a supermarket chain than a sports team, (Foster, in Allison p. 75). This is partly true for Formula One and relevant to de-territorilisation. Most teams can relocate, as mentioned, and race venues can be changed, as was the case in recent years, with traditional European races (like the Austrian GP) being dropped from the calendar in favour of new venues in Asia (Bahrain, Malaysia, Turkey, China). However, when the sport was conceived, (prior to advertising) the racing cars would be usually painted in their national colours (green for Britain, blue for France, silver for Germany, Red for Italy etc). Today only Ferrari maintains some sense of national identity, being the only team remaining of those who took part in the inaugural 1950 World Championship; and they are still carrying the traditional racing colours (Rosso Corse). It is the only team that has fans (usually fans support drivers, not teams), the tifosi, and the race tracks of Imola and Monza are considered their home. In a lesser extent, that could apply to British teams and the Silverstone circuit. Few customs that refer to the presence of nationalism in past years still remain. One such example is the playing of the national anthem for both winning driver and constructor during the award-giving ceremony. At the same time, the hoisting of the flags in honour of the first, second and third drivers takes place. Another is the existence of a small flag next to the name of the driver, to indicate his or her nationality, on their racing overalls and on the sides of the cars cockpit. Finally, there are no national teams competitions in Formula One, (In 2006, a rival series to F1, A1GP appeared), and, as mentioned before, the FIA is the only regulating sporting body. Televisualisation However, we have seen that in practice, because of the aforementioned intervention of the European Commission in the governing of Formula One, many key decisions about the sport are taken by the person who administrates its commercial rights and not the governing body. This person could be considered the equivalent of a commissioner in a commercial model. In the case of Formula One, he is Bernie Ecclestone, through his FOM company. FOA/FOM, companies controlled by () Ecclestone, are engaged in the promotion of the FIA Formula One Championship. The 1998 Concorde Agreement provides that FOA is the Commercial Rights Holder to the FIA Formula One Championship. FOA is thus responsible for televising and generally commercializing the Championship. On 28 May 1999, FOA changed its name to Formula One Management Limited (FOM) which manages the rights. The commercial rights themselves were taken over by an associated company, now also named FOA, (http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2001/c_169/c_16920010613en00050011.pdf). Miller underlines the importance of televisualisation in sport: Television was the prime motor in the development of post-war sport() helping to constitute a sports/media complex or media-sports-culture complex of sports organisation, media/marketing organisations, and media personnel (broadcasters and journalists). Dependency of sports organi
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
The Troubled Life of Ernest Hemingway Reflected in His Writing Essay
The Troubled Life of Ernest Hemingway Reflected in His Writing The period between World War I and World War II was a very turbulent time in America. Ernest Hemingway most represented this period with his unrestrained lifestyle. This lifestyle brought him many successes, but it eventually destroyed him in the end. His stories are read in classrooms across America, but his semi-autobiographical writings are horrible role models for the students who read them. Hemingway’s lifestyle greatly influenced his writings in many ways. Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21st 1899. His place of birth was Oak Park, Chicago. There are many places in Oak Park commemorating his life. Ernest was the second of six kids. He was born at 8:00 at 439 Oak Park Avenue in his grandpa’s house. He weighed nine and half pounds and he was twenty-three inches tall. When Ernest was seven weeks old, his family moved to Bear Lake where his dad had bought the house the summer before. Many of the short stories that he wrote later in life were set here (Life and Works 2). Ernest enjoyed a semi-normal childhood. His dad, Clarence Edmunds was a physician and his mom, Grace Hall, was a music teacher. His dad was also an excellent outdoorsman. His mom was very talented in the field of music, but gave it up to raise a family (DISCovering). His mom was not a normal mom though. She constantly humiliated his dad. Ernest believed she drove her dad to kill himself. This had an impact on him later in his life (McDowell 13). As Ernest started high school, he was very insecure about his size. He was only five feet four inches tall. This contributed to his need to always be masculine. This problem did not last long though, as he quickly hit a growth spurt. While in h... ...neis Sons, 1969 "Ernest Hemingway" DISCovering Authors [CD-ROM]. Detroit, MI. Gale Research, 1996 Ernest Hemingway His Life and Works. URL: http://www.ernest.hemingway.com. Gurko, Leo. Ernest Hemingway and The Pursuit of Heroism. Toronto: Fitzhenry and Whiteside Limited, 1968. Hart, James D. ed. "Hemingway" The Oxford Companion to American Literature, 364-395. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. McDowell, Nicholas. Hemingway. Florida: Rourke Enterprises, 1989. O’Connor, Richard. Ernest Hemingway. New York: McGraw – Hill Book Company, 1971. Parry, Melanie. "Hemingway, Ernest Miller". Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 865. New York: Chambers Harrap Publishers, 1997. Perkins, Georgie, Barbara Perkins, Phillip Leininger. Hemingway, Ernest [Miller] Readers Encyclopedia of America Literature, 438-442. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1991.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Persuasive Essay: Suu Kyi Quote --
â€Å"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it,†said the political activist Aung Sang Suu Kyi in her â€Å"Freedom from Fear†speech. Power and fear are tools that corrupt those affected by them, either by using them or being used by them. This ideal has been repeated time and time again in literature as well as in current global situations. Conversely, there are also those who repeatedly move against the current of harsh, imposing leaders and make grand acts of heroism, avoiding the corrupted scourge of the powerful. Examples of this mixed concept can be found in The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, â€Å"Unchained Memories,†and in modern-day happenings such as the crisis in Darfur. In The Scarlet Letter, many characters are unmasked to show corrupted sides of themselves. This corruption usually comes from self-inflicted torture, such as Dimmesdale and his need to punish himself secretly while he remains in a position of power and respect in the community and church. Chillingworth lets himself grow steadily more corrupt as well and revels in the power he holds over Dimmesdale. He lets the power and appeal of revenge take over his entire self, fearing any kind of life without that meaning. Chillingworth becomes a man who, finally seeing his own fear behind losing his power, â€Å"lifted his hands with a look of horror, as if he had beheld some frightful shape, which he could not recognize, usurping the place of his own image in a glass. It was one of those moments when a man’s moral aspect is faithfully revealed to his mind’s eye†(132). Chillingworth recognizes his own darkness, but he allows it to consume him without any search ... ... such as one woman who had to secretly walk to a refugee camp, without food or shelter, to escape with her daughter. She did not allow herself nor her child to be directly abused, though of course the Janjaweed made a tremendous impact on their lives, terrifying them of returning home, Heroism and cowardice are often linked to strength and fear, as well as morality and power. When power becomes overbearing towards the people affected by it, there is a natural fear reaction, either by those with power, who become afraid of losing what they have, and for others under that power for having it used against them. People who find ways to not allow themselves to become dirtied by their power or that of others create the presence of heroism. People who let themselves become manipulated by that power, or who wield that power immorally, become cowards and display weakness.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Macromedia Director :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework
Macromedia Director Overview and Introduction What Macromedia is and what can it do for a business. Macromedia Director is the premiere authoring software in the multimedia industry, allowing users to merge and orchestrate text, graphics, animation, video, sound effects, and music into business presentations, entertainment and education CD-ROMs, interactive information kiosks, and other full-featured interactive software. Multimedia-rich programs can be developed with little programming skill. (http://enternet.softseek.com/Review_28506_index.html) It supports different types file formats and you can combine images (BMP and PIC), sound (WAV), animation (GIF), text (RTF), and video content (FLC and FLI) into a single file and then export it in a variety of file types, including AVI and Shockwave. (http://enternet.softseek.com/Review_28506_index.html) Macromedia Director features a high-quality playback engine; visual effects, such as alpha channels, rotation, and skewing; support for vector illustrations; a scriptable programming language entitled Lingo; and much more. (http://enternet.softseek.com/Review_28506_index.html) Macromedia Director 6.5 lets you produce business presentations that sparkle with flavour, without giving you a scripting headache when you make them. Its goal is still to help novices quickly create multimedia animations, while letting advanced users produce eye-popping designs. At the heart of Director 6.5 is its Stage interface; you create interactive designs by dragging Cast Members--such as images and sounds--onto Scores, or series of frames in an animation. But Director 6.5 brings much more power to this virtual set. It's loaded with handy tools, and it works with all your favourite programs. To jazz up a PowerPoint file, simply import your slides into Director, and they're placed on a Score. Here, they're ready for sound, animation, and anything you want to add. (Jeff Walsh, 1998 v20 n20 p37(1) InfoWorld) Director 6.5 offers full Flash support, which makes it easy import and manipulate vector animations. There's also enhanced Windows support for QuickTime 3.0, allowing snappy digital video. What type of visual media will it let user incorporate? Macromedia Director allows many different types of visual media to be incorporated. I will explore four types of media and its capabilities and limitations Director provides.(Andre Persidsky 97 – Director 6.5) The four types are: Text Animation Bitmaps and Vector grathics Text Director supports three different types of text that you can incorporate in your movies. These are bitmapped text, Rich text and field. Each type has it advantages. A summary has been given below. Rich text (or otherwise known as simple text) is created using Directors text window, or with the text tool found on in the Tool palette. Of the three types, Rich text has the most extensive formatting controls.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Life Styles Inventory Survey Life Style Inv Essay
Life Style Inventory Survey measures what motivates a person behavior, their thoughts and self-concept. The inventory is for self-discovery; it enables a person to take a revealing look at them and what makes them unique. The LSI enabled me to examine my own unique way of thinking and how it influenced my behaviors. Once I created a profile, I was able to determine what styles were working to my advantage and which ones where undermining my effectiveness. The LSI forced me to initiate positive changes in how I think and act; changes that can increase my personal and professional effectiveness. Life Styles Inventory Results The LSI heightened my self-awareness, and helped me to determine where I needed to direct my self-improvement efforts. The process of self-improvement involves certain steps. These steps include; knowing ones strengths and weaknesses, accepting yourself as you are now, understanding how ones thinking and behavior affect oneself and others, deciding to improve oneself, and committing to a plan of action to change ones behavior. When I took the LSI I was it recognized two strong personal thinking styles. My primary (highest percentile score) and back-up (second highest percentile score) personal thinking styles are oppositional and dependent. The oppositional scale measures ones tendency to use the defensive and aggressive strategy of disagreeing with others, and to seek attention by being critical and cynical. Oppositional people typically love to argue and have a fear of getting close to people. In general, this style is characterized by: the ability to ask tough, probing questions, a tendency to make others feel uncomfortable, a tendency to seem aloof and detached from people, and a need to look for flaws in everything. The dependent scale measures the degree to which one feels he/she efforts do not count. Dependent behaviors originate in a need for security and self-protection and often feel he/she has very little control over their lives. This type of behavior can be long-standing, or due to temporary life changes such as a new job, promotion, an illness, or the break-up of a close relationship. In general, this style is characterized by: a passive attitude, feelings of helplessness, difficulty making decision, the presence of rapid change or traumatic set-backs in one’s life and an over-concern with pleasing people. When I first read the results and definitions of each personal thinking style I was initially shocked. I said to myself, â€Å"Is this really who I am?†But I had to take a step back from the situation and allowed myself to really learn how to improve myself. By accepting who I am now; will allow me to change and improve my way of thinking and ultimately my way of life for the future. Recently I have moved away from family and friends and started a new job. It is very stressful and I am constantly critiqued and question about the process or procedures I do. I believe this is where that dependent style plays its part in my life. As for the oppositional style, I have had to fight and claw my way in everything I do. Some life changing personal events and poor relationships make me to question future relationships, both personal and work related, but I never saw myself as cynical or sarcastic. Oppositional reminded me of that negative person no one wants to be around and I was a little off put because that is not how I thought of myself. I have always thought of myself as a positive person, always encouraging others, a hard-worker who just wants to be a good example. However, deep down inside I question myself and others abilities. I seldom say what I really think and can be stubborn and slow to forgive. I believe the results of the Life Style Inventory survey opened my eyes and proved that I need to change my way of thinking. By changing my thought process I will be a better employee and leader, as well as a better sister, auntie, an all-around better person. Personal Thinking Styles The first step in self-improvement is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. This is one question that is typical in a job interview and also qualities people look at when developing relationships. Once you have truly examined your areas of weakness and strength you can then develop a plan to improve and enhance them. One style that I believe that isworking against me and reducing my overall effectiveness is my oppositional way of thinking. Oppositional scores in the high range like mine, indicates that I am skeptical towards others, extremely critical, and keep others away. I believe this style limiting my professional effectiveness because I am unable to effectively communicate with my co-workers or superiors. I am skeptical of others intentions which make me more detached and distant at first. I also have tendency to hold back and not say what I am thinking. Working within an organization you have to be able to effectively communicate and if you are deliberately withholding your thoughts then you cannot be effective and an employee or a leader. A great example of this is recently during an observation by my supervisor, I was being critiqued on how I communicate with potential students. She stated that, â€Å"Nina, you seem unable to relate to certain demographics of students, those being middle age white women.†She asked me why and what she could do to help me overcome this obstacle. Right there was a perfect time to give her a little background about myself but because I am skeptical of her intentions, I resisted and gave a half-hearted answer. I say on a daily basis that I have to improve on my communication skills. In order to do so I have to place more trust with the individual that will receive my conversation. A big part of being oppositional is lack of personal relationship and stubbornness that pushes people away. I want to be a leader one day in the community and within an organization. I understand that in order to do so, I must develop my communication skills and improve my mental attitude. The Impact on Management Style When it comes to the planning and organizing aspects of management I am confident in this area. I am somewhat of a perfectionist, so making sure everything is in order and everyone is doing their job is important. My personal styles play apart because my lack of trust will prevent me from trusting my coworkers to complete their tasks. This means I sometimes feel obligated to double work. However when it comes to leading and controlling this is where my personal thinking styles play a huge role. Oppositional managers are viewed more as a â€Å"watch dog†rather than a leader. Well I am not that extreme, I do watch over my employees making sure they are doing things correctly instead of trusting that my training has given them the skills needed to do the job accurately. I tend to be well-liked by co-workers and my subordinates. I demonstrate concern for staff members and their needs and emphasize teamwork. Genesis of Personal Style The LSI survey forced me to reflect on my past relationships, my culture, my family, and my life events that shaped me into these personal styles. It amazed me how the journey of my life shaped me into this person, some qualities I was aware of and others that I was in denial of. My parents have always placed a lot of pressure on me to be successful. I was the first in my family to graduate and my driving force was to be better than my parents. I played basketball in college and lost my scholarship after two years. It was during this time that all my trust for human beings was lost. I have always been a hard worker, never questioned myself or my abilities, but when that event to place it started a spiral effect of events in my life. I bounced back from that incident and graduated school but kept quiet in class and never developed relationships. Before that incident I knew exactly what I wanted to be and after I have been lost. I know I want to start my own non-profit organization but lack the confidence to do so. I felt I was critiqued on things I had no control over and that could explain why I am so critical of people, because I believe people are critical of me. But it also taught me to be grateful. I never want anyone to feel the frustrations and confusion I did, so I can be very compassionate and understanding at times. Conclusion and Reflection I am thankful for this assignment, it taught me about who I am and not in a judgmental or offensive way. It made me aware of problems and behaviors that I need to correct and develop so I can be that woman that I have envisioned in my head. That strong positive leader, who everyone appreciates her critiques because they know it will make them better, that woman that despite life’s hiccups she bounced back, stronger, braver, and more successful than one could imagine. As I continue on this journey in MGMT 591, I pray that I continue this transition into this woman I dreamed of and become a better person, a better employee and a better leader. I believe this class will allow me that freedom to do so and give me the knowledge and skills I need to communicate effectively.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Parliamentary vs Presidential Systems
The statement â€Å"The constraints imposed on a Prime Minister are greater than those imposed on a President. Therefore, a parliamentary system is more democratic than a presidential system†, makes a broad claim to which I agree. While Prime Ministers and Presidents are similar in some ways such as their responsibilities to do the best that they can for their nations, they also differ in many ways. These differences include separation of powers, the systems having different heads of state, and different election processes.Each of these examples contribute to the difference in constraints imposed on presidents and prime ministers and therefore contribute to the level of democracy within each system. A parliamentary system is â€Å"a system of governing in which there is a close interrelationship between the political executive (prime minister and Cabinet) and Parliament (the legislative or law-making body)†(Mintz, Close, and Croci 338), while a presidential system is d efined as â€Å"a system of governing in which the president and Congress each separately derive their authority from being elected by the people and have a fixed term of office†(363).Firstly, residential and parliamentary systems have different individuals as head of state and head of government (342). Presidents and prime ministers are considered to be heads of government, but while presidents are also heads of State, prime ministers are not. The head of state in a parliamentary system is symbolic, and â€Å"carries out a variety of official functions but is expected to be ‘above’ politics and thus is not usually involved in making governing for a country†(342).For example, in Canada the governor general, as a representative of the Queen, holds the role of head of state on a federal level, and the lieutenant-governors hold it on a provincial level. While these individuals do not have power in terms of law-making procedures and are not involved in elect ions or politics in general, the governor general does hold certain responsibilities and powers.The governor general is responsible for ensuring that a government is in place at all times and must approve of all legislation, but he/she also has certain powers that are higher in importance. The governor general can use personal discretion in situations such as the appointment and dismissal of the prime minister, and the dissolution of parliament or prorogation of parliament (343-344). On the other hand,
Nicki minaj and Michael Jackson Essay
The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five, sometimes stylized The Jackson 5ive), later known as The Jacksons, or simply Jacksons, are an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana. Founding group members Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson and Michael Jackson formed the group after performing in an early incarnation called The Jackson Brothers, which originally consisted of a trio of the three older brothers. Active from 1964 to 1990, the Jacksons played from a repertoire of R&B, soul, pop and (in the 1970s) disco. During their six-and-a-half-year Motown tenure, The Jackson 5 was one of the biggest pop-music acts of the 1970s, and the band served as the launching pad for the solo careers of their lead singers Jermaine and Michael, the latter brother later transforming his early Motown solo fame into greater success as an adult artist. The Jackson 5/The Jacksons have sold 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best selling artis ts of all time!!!!!!!! Nicki minaj Born in 1982, Nicki Minaj grew up with an abusive, addicted father. She attended La Guardia High School for the Arts, she was introduced to rapper Lil Wayne, who launched her career. Her 2010 debut album, pink friday,wit the single â€Å"Your Love,†topped the Billboard charts. A frequent â€Å"cameo†singer, Minaj’s voice was featured in seven songs on the charts. In 2012, Early Life Hip-hop artist and singer Nicki Minaj was born Onika Maraj on December 8, 1982, in Trinidad and Tobago, and moved with her family to Queens, when she was 5 years old. Minaj’s father was a severe drug addict with a long history of violence. At one point, he set fire to the family’s home and tried to kill Minaj’s mother. Those early struggles, Minaj has said, helped fuel her drive to rise above the life her parents knew. â€Å"I’ve always had this female-empowerment thing in the back of my mind,†she told Details magazine, â€Å"because I wanted my mother to be stronger, and she couldn’t be. I thought, ‘If I’m successful, I can change her life.'†To reach that point, however, nicki developed personas for herself that would allow her to be a â€Å"new person.†An early incarnation was someone she called â€Å"Cookie,†then came â€Å"Harajuku Barbie,†before finally settling on Nicki Minaj. â€Å"Fantasy was my reality,†she has said. Minaj clearly had a knack for performance. At the age of 12, she authored her first rap, then went on to delve into acting at La Guardia High School of Music and Art, the school that inspired the movie Fame. Rapper and Singer Determined to make it in the music business, Minaj took on backup singing roles for local New York City rappers. Soon, she began writing her own material. She was eventually discovered by Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who came across Minaj’s MySpace page, loved what he heard, and immediately signed her to his label. That connection led Minaj to Lil Wayne, who collaborated with her on a series of mix tapes, the first of which, Playtime is Over, was released in April 2007. The recording, and subsequent mixed tapes, showcased Minaj’s female swagger and out-front style. By early 2010, considerable anticipation had built up around Minaj’s much discussed, much covered debut album, which was scheduled for release that fall. In April of that year, she released her first single, â€Å"Massive Attack.†Two months later she won Best Hip-Hop Female at the annual BET Awards. She dedicated the award to Lil Wayne.she later became an America idol jugde.
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