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Skinny models

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Introduction

The modeling industry happens to be one of the most dynamic industries in the recent times. It accounts for billions of money in terms of revenue for the government. However, there has been controversy over the notion that only skinny can or should be on catwalks. Unfortunately, many women have been influenced to make every move so as to be skinny and look like them. However, it is noteworthy that models may end up starving themselves in order to maintain a skinny figure. This poses significant risks on the health of individuals sometimes leading to death. What are the risks of modeling at an early age?

Unfortunately, starving oneself comes with the danger of getting anorexia nervosa. Recent times have seen an increase in the number of young girls who become too frail due to starvation, to the point of fainting in front of the cameras.

In addition, it is noteworthy that when young girls cannot get a skinny image like the models that they admire, they end up having a low self-image to the point of hating themselves. Many women have had to undergo counseling due to low self esteem as a result of hating their image (Hellmich). Many ladies view the skinny image as the model or desirable figure, especially in the fashion industry.

As a consequence of modeling at an early age, girls would fill their minds with self-loathing, as well as suicidal thoughtswhen they cannot attain the ideal figure. It is noteworthy that eating disorders are some of the deadliest mental illness, sometimes having 20 percent mortality rates (Preti et al. 90). Studies show that even when the girls survive, they should expect to lose their lives decades earlier than individuals at a similar age but who never had eating disorders. This is due to the risks posed on the health and wellness of the young girls who starve themselves in an effort to attain the “right” size.

In an effort to imitate their admired models, many young girls tend to engage in substance abuse. Stress is one of the principal elements that come with the fashion industry. This is due to the various pressures emanating from varied quarters such as employers, expectations of the public, the media, and especially, the need to maintain the slim figure. It is noteworthy that most young girls are unable to cope with the stress and, therefore, end up abusing substances such as alcohol and illegal drugs. Quite a large number of models have had to sign up in rehabs due to substance abuse.

Individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa are likely to be obsessed with weight and eating control. They are also likely to check their weight persistently and revert to only certain foods. It is noteworthy that most of the diet plans for models do not incorporate a balanced diet as they mostly involve junk foods. In addition, they may end up exercising excessively and even withdraw from social activities that involve food (Preti et al. 89).

Eating disorders also lead to serious health conditions touching on the behavioral, mental and physical wellbeing of the individual. It is noteworthy that many girls who start modeling at a young age have frail forms and weak bones, which increases the risk of fractures. Bulimia and anorexia are also likely to result in dehydration and other serious medical complications like kidney failure, heart problems among others (Halliwell and Dittmar).

Conclusion

The fashion industry has had a tremendous impact on the lives of many people especially women, who adore the skinny models and strive to attain slim figures. Unfortunately, many people end up starving themselves in an effort to attain the slim figure. This has serious health implications on the lives of young girls who indulge in the fashion world, engaging in substance abuse and eating disorders just to keep up with the fashion world. It is imperative that they be taught that there is a line between being skinny and being healthy. In addition, efforts should be made to uplift their self esteem.

Works cited

Halliwell, Emma and Dittmar, Helgar. “Does Size Matter? The Impact of Model’s Body Size on Women’s Body-Focused Anxiety and Advertising Effectiveness.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 23. 1(2004): 104.122. Print

Hellmich, Nanci. Do thin models warp girls’ body image? usatoday.com, 2011. Web. February 29, 2012.

Preti Antonio, Ambra Usai, Paola Miotto, Donatella Rita Petretto and Carmelo Masala. “Eating disorders among professional fashion models.” Psychiatry Research 159 (2008): 86-94. Print.

LG and six sigma

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Introduction

Six Sigma has been incorporated in many organizations as a measure of quality in order to attain perfection, especially as far as the quality of goods and services is concerned. It refers to a data-driven and disciplined methodology and approach for elimination of defects in the organization (Harry 64). This methodology is incorporated in all levels of production from manufacturing to the transaction level in products and services. It is noteworthy that, Six Sigma has varied meanings for varied groups within any organization. This variation depends on an individual’s level, as well as his respective job role in that organization. In the case of the enterprise level, the methodology would mostly be applied as a strategic business initiative. This is where it would focus on enhancing considerable improvements in varied areas including capacity, business growth, customer satisfaction, and investor relationships (Harry, 63). In the case of the operations level, the methodology takes a tactical nature. In this case, it is mostly directed towards enhancing Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ), delivery time, Defects Per Unit (DPU), as well as varied other crucial measures of operational efficiency and effectiveness. In the case of the process level, the process is mainly used in reducing variability. This is in an effort to reduce the process cycle times, the number of defects, as well as direct costs. In this case, the mantra is that if any improvement is made, then the gains must be verifiable on a timely basis. In this case, the elimination of a mistake, error, defect or fault in the system must in essence directly translate to a measurable gain. The gain could be in terms of lower overhead costs, reduced headcount and less material.

This implies that Six Sigma is essentially a tactical and strategic system used in the management of the total business enterprises. In this case, the methodology incorporates the capability and the capacity to deliver provider and customer satisfaction, which are essential ingredients for business prosperity (Harry et.al. 97). In essence, Six Sigma marks the epitome the ideals of business prosperity and maximizes an enterprise’s control functions. In its most basic form, the methodology represents 3.4 faults per million defect opportunities. The Six Sigma perspective relates to one defect opportunity for every critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristic. The methodology rests on the idea that as performance is enhanced, other key aspects of the business would also be improved. These aspects include capacity, quality, inventory time, cycle time and many others. Once these factors are improved, the service-provider and the customers would derive increased satisfaction in the performance of their business transactions (Harry et.al. 132).

Everything carried out in any enterprise involves a process, where there is a beginning and an end. All these processes involve frequency distributions. These are histograms that indicate the number of measurements falling within certain data range. While there are varied distributions that have been investigated and observed, the normal distribution is the most prevalent. The normal distribution incorporates a curve with a bell shape, as well as a center point which is the average or the mean.

Going by the magnitude of the company, it is inevitable that LG electronics would be using the Six Sigma methodology to eliminate wastage and improve efficiency and effectiveness. This is the only way that it would enhance customer satisfaction while safeguarding the success of the company, especially in the long term. LG electronics consists of three companies namely Digital Multimedia, Digital Media and Digital Appliance. Its principal products include refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaner, air conditioners, and air compressors. While it adopted the Six Sigma methodology in 1996, it fully applied it in 2000 so as to upgrade its performance (Park, 67).

In business innovation, LG Electronics Company adopted a Total Quality Control (TQC). On adoption of the Six Sigma methodology, the company adopted varied facets including a Six Sigma e-Academy for training individuals and a Six Sigma marketing strategy, which was essentially its main quality management concept. As a means for total customer satisfaction in product and service provision, the company divided its Six Sigma roadmap into three parts, including the manufacturing six-sigma, research and development six sigma and transactional six-sigma. In the initial stages of application, improving the Rolled Throughput Yield (RTY) was the key project in the manufacturing area. Later on, however, the RTY improvement was incorporated into all the subsidiaries. In the case of Research and Development DFR (Design for Reliability) was the main concern and, therefore, became the key goal for all research and development sectors. In the case of the transactional areas, the Six Sigma methodology was adopted to enhance the company’s market share via total customer satisfaction (Park, 69).

At LG Electronics, Six Sigma is customer-focused, practically implemented and process-driven via continuous Six Sigma projects. In this company, the methodology incorporates three things. There is statistical project evaluation where defect rates in all the processes are measured, while using s-quality level to measure the capability of the measuring process. There is also the business strategy, where the company aims at gaining a competitive edge in cost, quality, and customer satisfaction. In the management philosophy, the company works smarter based on teamwork and data analysis. Customer satisfaction involves analysis of the market needs, which include delivery, quality and price. These needs are solved through working smartly (Park, 73).

Conclusion

The importance of the Six Sigma approach in enhancing the performance of an enterprise cannot be gainsaid. LG has been using it since 1996 and earned an award for it in 2000. It has been able to enhance its performance as pertaining to cutting costs and enhancing the performance of various sectors.

Works cited

Sung H. Park. Six Sigma for Quality and Productivity Promotion. Hirakawacho: Asian Productivity Organization. 2003. Print

Mikel J. Harry, Prem S. Mann, Ofelia C. de Hodgins, Christopher J. Lacke, and Richard Hulbert. Practitioner’s Guide for Statistics and Lean Six Sigma for Process Improvements. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010. Print

Harry, M. J. Six Sigma: A Breakthrough Strategy for Profitability, Quality Progress. New York: May. 1998. Print

(Park)

(Harry et.al. )(Harry)

Neruda Poem Analysis. I Can Write the Saddest Verses

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I Can Write the Saddest Verses

Introduction

“I can write the saddest verses”, is one of the poems that were written by Pablo Neruda to express the pain he felt after he lost his lover. Pablo wrote the poem in 1923. This paper aims at looking at the various aspects of the poem such, as the theme, the styles, and the speaker among other elements. The paper will look at how the poet has used the elements in his poem to bring out his message. The paper will also look at how this poem is relevant to the contemporary society.

Discussion

In every work of art and especially literature, authors use various methods of passing their message. Some of these ways through which an artist or an author can use include styles as well as themes. Through the use of these elements, the authors are able to pass their message in a more appealing way that usually attracts the reader’s attentions. In this poem there are various themes and styles that the poet has used.

Themes

There are various themes that the poet brings out in this poem. One of these themes is memory and reminiscence. In this poem, the poet mainly talks about the memories of his lost love. Through this, the poet shows how loosing someone that you really loved can be painful. In the poems, the poet remembers all the details of their relationship with his lover. The poet is able to juxtapose the various images of the love and the passion that she had once felt for the woman that he loved, with the current loneliness. This shows that it is the pain that the poet had previously experienced that had not elicited the reminiscence of that love. However, the poet is now able to write about the relationship without much pain. This is demonstrated in the line where the poet says that ‘it falls to the soul as dew to the pasture’.

Another theme that comes out clearly in this poem is love and passion. The poet is able to express his immense love for the woman that she had once loved. The poet expresses the physical details of their love when he says that ‘as she once belonged to my kisses, her voice, her light body and her infinite eyes’ (Neruda 123). All these demonstrate how the poet loved his woman, and now she cannot imagine that she is sharing all that love with someone else. This pain is too much that the poet is not able to admit the depth of the love for his lover.

Another important theme that the poet also brings out in this poem is the theme of loneliness and alienation. The poet remembers his passionate love with his lover with sadness. He juxtaposes the love that he had at that time, with the sadness and loneliness that she is undergoing through at the moment. The poet also uses nature to reflect on his present condition. Poets loneliness is demonstrated by him stating that he hear someone in the distance singing. This shows that he longs to be near the person that he hears in the distant. However, the poet is determined to end this condition when he says that those were the last verse that he will write for her. This poem, therefore, was mainly written to help the poet not only remember the good times that he shared with his lover, but also as an act to end his loneliness and accepts the reality.

The speaker

The poet uses first person narration in this poem. It is through the poet voice that the reader gets the message that the poet want to pass. The poet uses the first person narration, so as to ensure that the reader can have the first hand experience. In addition, by using the first person narration the speaker is able to express his feeling deep from his heart. The first person narration also helps in drawing the reader’s attention, as the reader feels that the poet is directly speaking to them. By engaging the reader, the poet makes the reader feel his pain. In addition, first person narration also helps the reader to compare themselves with the poet.

In this poem the poet through the first person narration, is able to describe his love for the woman that she used to love but now he has lost her. For instance, when the poet says that, ‘on night like this I used to hold her in my arms’ (Neruda 123). This helps the reader to understand their relationship better. By further explaining his current feeling, the reader, is able to have an imagination on what is currently happening in the poet live.

Rhythm

Rhythm occurs when the poet uses vowels and consonants sounds in their poems, in a well and organized manner to catch the attention of the reader. The poet has been able to achieve rhythm in this poem by the use of consonance and assonance. For instance, the poet says ‘I can write the saddest poem of all tonight’. The poet uses consonance in this poem to ensure that he is able to emphasize on his message. In this line, the poet tries to show the length that he is ready to go to show how he loved his lover. Rhythm is also usually used in poems to attract the reader’s attention. This usually helps the poet to pass an important point message in such a situation. For instance, the poet says that, ‘we, we who were, we are the same no longer’ (Neruda 123). The poet uses the assonance sound here to show his current situation. Rhythm is, therefore, one of the artistic styles that poets usually use so as to capture their message, as well as attracts the readers’ attention.

Personification

Personification in literature occurs when non living things, are given the characteristics of living things. Personification is usually employed by poets and authors to help them in bringing out a message in a more realistic way. In addition, personification also assists the reader in having a better comprehension of what the feelings and thoughts that the poet is expressing this, by the use of the things that the reader can easily associate with in life. In this poem, the writer uses personification where he says that, ‘the night was full of star, and the stars were shivering in the distance’ (Neruda 123). The poet gives the stars human characteristic of shivering. This, however, helps the writer to drive the message that, even the stars though far were sharing the loneliness that the poet was experiencing at the moment.

Conclusion

In writing this poem, Neruda may have experienced what he was saying, but he was also trying to show the pain that a human being undergoes when they lose what they love most. The relevance of this poem to the contemporary society is that, it shows that, love is an important aspect of every human being. The poem emphasizes the need to protect ones love by all means. The poem also teaches the society how deal with the loss. Through the poet, the society learns that it is right to reflect over the loss of loved one, but it is also important to move on.

Works cited

Neruda Pablo “Twenty Love Poems and a song of despair” (1924) Poem number 123

The Concept, Origin and Spread of the Order of Illuminati

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The Concept, Origin and Spread of the Order of Illuminati

One of the most vexed issues in the present international world order is Illuminati. The concept of illuminism is fraught in much controversy, with people holding different views in respect of different aspects thereto. At the very heart of the controversies is the basis of the Order of the Illuminati; whether it is real conspiracy or a fictional belief; what it essentially entails; and the implication of membership thereto, if any. Deriving from this, several questions have arisen, with many uncertain answers by scholars, philosophers, and researchers alike. In light of the foregoing, the paper succinctly critiques the article, ‘a primer on the Illuminati’ by William McIlhany.

The subject of illuminati is no doubt a significant concern to a majority of people today. A cursory perusal over written articles, movies or fictional books on this subject portrays somewhat fierce conspiratorial order. Suffice to say, many attribute illuminati with inhumane acts coupled with manifestation of supernatural powers. Elsewhere, other commentators hold the view that Illuminati arose as an order with the germane aim of defying the existing religious, social and political orders and replacing them with their desires, and subsequently exercising control over the same (McIlhany, 31).

Summary and Evaluation

The article by William McIlhany on the subject of Illuminati attempts to offer response to the above conflicted questions. With much precision, William McIlhany in his informative article has placed much emphasis on unveiling the root of Illuminati, its central theme, its spread, reprisal thereto and the current situation. At the very onset of the paper, McIlhany remarks that since time immemorial, there have emerged many secret and conspiratorial movements. In the author’s perspective, these movements have often been driven by certain motives, with the key goals being inter alia gain absolute authority over the universe, dismantle existing governance arrangements and at last destroy religious orders (McIlhany, 31). This is akin to the position highlighted in the introductory section of the paper.

The central philosophy adopted by the author in respect to Illuminati is that it had originated as an association in the eighteenth century. As a consequence of destructive movements, McIlhany asserts that Illuminati arose in Bavaria, Germany, in pursuance of the instructions from Adam Weishaupt (McIlhany, 32). In this regard, the author holds that Weishaupt’s formation of the organizational structure of Illuminati was inspired by the desire to direct worldwide attack on religion and monarchy. Thus, on May 1, 1776 Weishaupt formally founded the order, in which it was referred to as ‘the Order of Illuminati’ (McIlhany, 32). Though the author gives the origin of the Order, the article does not however give a sound rationale behind the adoption of the name itself.

Following the formation of the Order of Illuminati, it is illustrated in the article it gained the membership of other persons, precisely clergymen and leaders of various institutions, inclusive of monarchs. With such membership, it became much easier to exercise authority and issue directives on how the Order of Illuminati was henceforth to be governed. Regarding its organization, McIlhany writes that its members were required to submit to the Order. In fact, McIlhany states that Weishaupt established spies wherein secret police would kill anyone who opted to reveal the secrets of the conspiracy (McIlhany, 34).

I am led to believe that the author has not fully brought out the issue regarding the membership of the Order of Illuminati satisfactorily. Precisely, it appears as though the membership was limited to clergymen and leaders. Even though it is reasonable to observe that such persons would have significantly contributed to the membership of the Order, other ordinary persons were as well included. Thus, the author should as well address their input in equal measure.

Critical to this critique, it is noted in the article that most loyal members of the Order enjoyed myriad sensual and material benefits. In the averments of the author, ‘the power of the Order must be turned to the advantages of its authors…money, services, honor, goods, and blood must be expected for the fully proved Brethren.’ Within the writings of the Order were included the system of operations. Some of the instructions included; fomenting hatred and bloodshed between the religious, racial and ethnic groups; entrenching hatred between children and parents; and instructions on the kind of buildings to be burned (p.34). Indeed the author remarks that with the above arrangement and benefits, the conspiratorial structure in Bavaria made great achievements. These pieces of information are indeed reliable, considering that the article provides specific dates when each material event took place.

The spread of the Order of Illuminati is traced to 1782 when its power and influence began to mushroom outside Bavaria (McIlhany, 34). Herein, it is indicated that Von Knigge was quite instrumental in persuading many German and French people to join the Order (McIlhany, 34). The upshot of this was that the whole of German freemansory become under the auspices of the Illuminati. Besides, as the French Revolution ensued, the Order of Illuminati had spread in France (McIlhany, 35). This trend spread to other parts of Europe and into the US. However, according to the author, the practice of the Order of Illuminati was met with much resistance. Its revival was nonetheless engineered by leaders such as Karl Bahrdt and Baron von Knigge (McIlhany, 36).

Response

While the preceding paragraphs sets out the summary and evaluation of the article in respect to the Order of Illuminati, it is important to observe that there are areas that I agree with the author. One of the aspects that I subscribe to is in respect to the roots of the Order of Illuminati. As the author puts it across, Illuminati emerged as an organizational conspiratorial structure established by Weishaupt. This position has been reaffirmed by several other scholars, philosophers and commentators (Gardiner, 167).

Even though it may not be said with highest degree of precision the concise chronological development of Illuminati, it suffices to attribute it to the conspiratorial movements evident during the eighteenth century. The writings of Adam Weishaupt were critical in designing appropriate instructions to oversee the management of the Order of Illuminati (Gardiner, 167). Thus, while one may loosely assert that Weishaupt might not have been the first developer of the conspiratorial, he was, however, very instrumental in its formation, growth and spread.

Conclusion

The study sought to determine the root origins of the conspiratorial of Illuminati. This is against the backdrop that Illuminati is one of the most vexed orders to understand in the present day. Thus, as highlighted in the preceding paragraphs, many people do not really understand the development, nature and spread of Illuminati. Nonetheless, the critical review has pointed out that Illuminati is a conspiratorial concept that emerged in the eighteenth century. The underlying rationale behind its formulation was the desire to challenge the existing orders by replacing them and exercising authority over the world.

Works Cited

Gardiner, Philip. Secret Societies: Gardiner’s Forbidden Knowledge: Revelations about the Freemasons, Templars, Illuminati, Nazis, and the Serpent Cults. Red Wheel/Weiser, 2007.

McIlhany, William H. “A Primer on the Illuminati.” New American 25 (2009): 31-36.

Why College Should Be Made Free

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Why College Should Be Made Free

Introduction

The question of whether college education should be made free has become a topic of discussion with an unclear and complicated answer. The debate about the affordability of college education and the crisis of student debts has always taken center stage during presidential seasons. College raptor 2020 article written by Ellen Anderson notes that the majority of the presidential candidates have always built their agenda around the issue of college costs ( Andersen, 2). Noteworthy, the cost of a college degree is rising at a faster rate than the inflation rate in the United States. Most students particularly from the disadvantaged class face dire financial challenges when the time comes to attend college. Education has become a significant aspect of life as it impacts society positively and as such, it should tuition fees particularly for college should be free. While taxes will go up, college should be free to everyone because lower-income students will be afforded the luxury to attend college, it will lower the student debt across the board and students will enjoy the freedom to choose a major of their choice.

Low-Income Students Will Attend College.

By making college tuition-free, the government will be granting all people access to quality education including low-income students who do not have the luxury to attend college. This is because the cost of college is not very affordable to the students that come from low-income backgrounds. These students are often forced to drop out of college as they are not in a position to pay four years’ worth of tuition. As such, because they no longer have to worry about fees, they will have fewer reasons for not finishing school and graduating. Additionally, reducing tuition fees further translates into improved quality of education because the graduation rate will increase. Students will not feel the need to be away from school for any reason or study part-time while taking unnecessary breaks. To afford college tuition fees, most low-income students have to work part-time in between classes to raise extra money for fees and day-to-day upkeep. This affects their productivity because they have divided attention and have to form a balance between studies and work. This affects their studies and they end up performing poorly in their studies as they do not have sufficient time to study and work in between jobs just to sustain themselves in school.

Making College Education Free Lowers the Student Debt Across the Board

By making college education free, the government will be eliminating the problematic issue of student loans that students have to put up with. Student debts crush the spirit of younger generations because they have to repay the student loans once they graduate and enter the employment scene. This means that as soon as they get their first job, they have to prioritize paying back their college loans which limits their capacity to make investments for their future developments. The average American students incur student loans amounting to $37, 000; students who are graduate with loans amounting to less than $10,000 are deemed lucky (Chingos, 45).

Worth noting, nonresidential students who originate from countries that have eliminated tuition fees have an upper hand become most of their loans emanate from books and living expenses. With the burden of student loans on their backs, they are better placed to make worthwhile investments such as buying a house. This way they do away with monthly rents which they would have paid had they decided to rent an apartment. Further, they will be in a position to make better contributions to the economy and society by extension. They do so by traveling more, purchasing cars, and spending more money purchasing healthy foods.

Students Enjoy More Freedom to Choose A Major They Enjoy

Another reason why the government should consider making college education free is that it will grant students an opportunity to pursue a career they enjoy. As is, students rush to pursue majors based on careers that are likely to pay more lucratively upon graduation. This is because they feel pressure from their parents and also because of the sense of urgency to repay their student loan in the shortest way possible. If the students did not have to deal with the pressure to repay student loans or feel pressure from parents, then they would be more comfortable and relaxed about selecting majors they love. They would be driven by interest and passion in the specific field rather than large paychecks that come with working in certain careers. This contributes to development because by pursuing a field they have interests in they will be more self-driven and dedicated and they are likely to do well because they are not only motivated by good salaries and benefits attached to a job but also interest. In essence, interest and enjoyment in a specific field go a long way in ensuring that students finish their courses and also prevent them from experiencing burnout which leads to poor productivity and low grades.

Counterarguments

College Tuition Money Has to Come from Somewhere

If a tuition-free college policy was to take root in America, the question that we would have to deal with would be where the money would come from. The reality is, the finances to cover the cost of tuition particularly for public colleges would come from taxes. This would mean that taxpayers, that is, citizens would be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to account for the money. Although the taxes that citizens pay is depended on the amount of income that one generates, this means that the population that would be largely impacted are the members of the upper class (Strempel and Stephen, 33). Further, it is also likely that the amount of taxes paid by the upper-middle classes would also be increased substantially. There is even a chance that the money would come from speculation taxes made by Wall Street. However the case, this money will have to come from somewhere and someone will pay for them through taxes. There is a lot of uncertainty among Americans about who will bear the burden of the taxes and it is making citizens rather uncomfortable. However, it can be argued that although the money will have to come from somewhere, it is still a decision that deserves consideration. The benefits that would come from eliminating college fees outweigh the burden of taxes. It is a sacrifice worth making because it will be helping students from low-income backgrounds who would otherwise not have attended college a chance at education.

College Might Lose Importance

Another reason why the government should not consider making college education free is that it might make college education lose meaning and seem unimportant. This decision would impact the education system directly in that it will devalue college degrees. College degrees will eventually seem worthless because almost everybody will be having a degree. After all, every person will be eligible to attend college. Further, it will make students lose interest in education with some students cutting classes. This has to do with the fact that they will not be mandated to work hard to achieve good grades to get the worth of their money. On the contrary, if they pay fees, they will feel the need to perform well because they will not want their fees to go to waste. Currently, with the existence of college loans, students feel the need to finish college as fast as possible so that they can get a job and repay their loans. Without financial drive, students will become lazy. In spite of this, removing college fees is something that the US should consider because it will save many people the pain of having to repay hefty loans which take away from young graduates. Young graduates can use this first time salaries for other initiatives that contribute to development such as buying a house or starting a business.

Young People Will Not Know How to Deal With Finances

If colleges are made free, the young generation will not get a chance to get first-hand experience when it comes to the management of finances. College is always a learning experience where young people learn tips on how they can manage money by saving from the limited budgets at their disposal. College loans are the first significant financial dealing they come across. Additionally, paying off the debt on time is a testimony that a person is responsible to budget their money; they use similar skills when buying cars or houses. If school is made free, they will not have a chance to get this experience which might land them in trouble in the future when making even bigger financial decisions.

Conclusion

The issue of rising college debts has always been a topic of discussion. While making college education free is a good idea worth employing, it also poses serious dilemmas, particularly for the students. Making college education free will eliminate the burden of student loans. Further, it will lower the student debt across the board and students will enjoy the freedom to choose a major of their choice. If a tuition-free college policy would take root, the taxpayer would be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to cater to these bills. Further, college education will importance and younger generations will not know how to handle expenses while they are still young which is important because it teaches them accountability and discipline.

Works Cited

Andersen, E. (2020, July 31). Should college be free: Pros and cons – College raptor. College Raptor Blog. https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/affordability-college-cost/pros-cons-tuition-free-college/Chingos, Matthew M. “Who would benefit most from free college?.” (2016).

Strempel, Eileen L., and Stephen J. Handel. Beyond Free College: Making Higher Education Work for 21st Century Students. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2021.

The Barriers to Women’s

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The Barriers to Women’s Participation as Game Designers and Developers

Introduction

Across societies, there is the stereotype that women do not play video games. However, this is far from the truth. While the gaming industry continues to grow and with many women begin to play the games, there are still very few female developers in the industry with efforts to diversify the industry curtailed by wide online harassment. A 2014 report by the Entertainment Software Association showed that the average gamer in the US is 35 years old, with 74% of the gaming population being more than 18 years and women gamers above 18 years accounting for 33%. The question here is, if there are plenty of women playing video games, why are they shying away from been involved in their development. The purpose of this essay is to assess the barriers hindering women’s participation in the development of video games.

The Online Harassment of Women Developers

The discussion of women’s involvement in the design of video games began to heat up in 2014 following the intimidation against women that spoke up against inequality in the video game industry in what was branded as the “Gamergate controversy”. The controversy began with Zoe Quinn, a 27-year-old who started receiving anonymous hateful emails. The threats are believed to have as a result of a game that she had developed known as Depression Quest. Some people were convinced that she had been given positive reviews which she did not deserve. The critics also believed that the theme of the game was rather progressive and did not have the escapism found traditionally in the videos that had been developed before such as fighting and shooting. By August 201, the harassment had escalated. Her then-boyfriend came out and wrote a blog post saying that Quinn had entered a sexual relationship with a popular journalist in exchange for positive reporting and coverage which informed the positive reviews. The supporters of Gamergate opposed this and viewed it as the growing influence on social justice and ideologies of feminism in the video game industry. This led to a press that was feminist in nature; it segregated the audiences of the traditional gamers. Observers referred to Gamergate as a depiction of the long-running war of cultures against the efforts of increasing diversity in a male-dominated community that targeted candid women. With the 2014 Entertainment Software Association conducted annually showing almost equal participation of men (52%) and women (48%), Gamergate is beginning to notice the shifting cultural identity of gamers. With the risk of online harassment, many women shy away from taking up careers in the gaming industry because they do not want to become victims of sexual harassment.

The Education Gap

The underrepresentation of women in the development of games is also linked to the fact that there is a huge gap between women and men in education. Because of the stereotypes that put it that the technology sector is a boy’s world, girls are less likely to view themselves as working in any roles whether advertising or development. As such, women are less likely to take up a career in technology-related fields as they do not feel as if they belong in the sector. Further, although some often get a chance to attend college, without a doubt women and particularly women of color are not likely to select Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects such as computer science. Recent research reports that about 17% of men graduate with STEM degrees compared to 6.7% of women (Hancock, and Mary, 2018). This points out that men are twice likely to become a video game developer than a woman. The common reasons behind this huge education gap have been linked to the various assumptions regarding the inherent capabilities of men and women, continued discrimination against women, and the lack of role models in these STEM fields.

Domestic Responsibilities Gap

The domestic duty of women at the family level is another reason behind the low participation of women in the design and development of video games. This follows the notion that careers in STEM and particularly programming are time-consuming because it takes an intense amount of time to work on a video game to completion, that is, about 50-70 hours a week. Despite the progress made in sharing domestic responsibilities, women continue to bear a larger burden of responsibilities despite working similar hours with their male counterparts. On average, women spend twice their time carrying out domestic activities such as cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the children. They struggle to balance between career and family responsibilities. The situation is even more dire for women that work in companies with little value for the family institution. They are forced to make hard choices that impact their careers. To address this issue requires government buy-in through reforms on maternity leave. Moreso, it comes down to sharing of responsibilities. At times, women even end up losing their jobs because childcare is rather expensive.

Lack of Role Models/Mentors

Another factor hindering women from taking part in the design and development of video games is the lack of role models. This is because there is a huge gap in the number of women leaders within the industry which rather discouraging. Furthermore, being a pioneer is hard because they find that they are the only women in the rooms which is daunting. Just like in the technical and scientific industries, women in the gaming industries encounter a lot of sexism which is even harder when you are the only woman in the room. Mentorship plays a critical role in increasing the uptake of STEM-related careers among minority groups. Professional mentors help in restoring confidence because, by virtue of being professionals in STEM, they assure young girls that look up to them that women too can excel in STEM. Unlike men, women go through many hurdles in their quest for having an established career. Listening to the advice of a woman who has ‘been there’done that’ vastly increases the ability of a woman to rise in their respective fields and to stay on course as success is possible. Additionally, multiple studies indicate that having a mentor significantly improves career opportunities as well as providing best practices for navigating career paths. If women do not have a person they can look up to and identify with, they tend to lose interest in the career. In so doing, gaming companies are also losing out on money and talent by not exercising diversity.

The Expectation Gap

Expectations play a critical role in informing the career path which both men and women take up in their careers. It is predominantly expected that video game designers will automatically be men and not women. Men hold more power and this leads to a self-perpetuated cycle. The notion that game developers are mostly men tends to have an impact on who gets hired in the business. Many people are wrongly convinced that women do not know much about games with some being convinced that they lack the necessary experience required for such an industry. Society through the process of socialization has taught us that women should be involved in the less risky and feminine careers such as in hospitality or teaching while men take up the more difficult careers such as the army, engineering among others. However, this is slowly changing over time with women coming out to prove that they are just as capable as their male counterparts. Notably, it is very common to come across men in bigger roles than the work they do. Further, men tend to benefit from people assuming they are capable. Recent studies show that men are given promotions based on their potential while women, of at all they get a promotion are judged on the basis of their previous accomplishments (Harvey, and Tamara, 495). In essence, men are promoted based on what they are yet to achieve. This brings inequality and disparity in the workforce. Further, men are more likely to get credit as a result of their achievements than women whose competence makes them unlikeable. As a result, women working in the gaming industry have no choice but to walk on the edge of a razor if they want to advance and rise across ranks at the workplace.

Conclusion

People believe that women do not play video games however this is far from the truth. The number of women involved in video games has been on the rise over the last few years. Notably, as recent as 2014, there was almost an equal number of women and men participating in video games. If the number of women is on the rise, it begs the question of why they are not as involved in the design and the development of video games. This is because they face some challenges when compared to their male counterparts. Women have lower educational qualifications because they rarely advance to college and the few that do, often do not take up STEM-related courses. They feel that the field is not for them because they have been told it is a boy’s world. Women also have to deal with sexual harassment. Women developers are bullied and sent threats and hateful emails to discourage them from entering and dominating the field. There are also gaps in expectations and domestic responsibilities which further limit women’s participation in the fields. Notably, the lack of role models and mentors in the video game fields also discourages young girls whose wish is to become a developer from joining the profession.

Works Cited

Hancock, Meg G., and Mary A. Hums. “A “leaky pipeline”?: Factors affecting the career development of senior-level female administrators in NCAA Division I athletic departments.” Sport Management Review 19.2 (2016): 198-210.

Harvey, Alison, and Tamara Shepherd. “When passion isn’t enough: gender, affect and credibility in digital games design.” International Journal of Cultural Studies 20.5 (2017): 492-508.

Introduction (22)

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Introduction

Greyhound Lines Incorporation commonly referred to as Greyhound, is a renowned intercity bus with operations in over 3800 destinations in various parts of Northern America. Worth noting, Greyhound is fully operational and competes with many intercity buses accompanies, private automobiles, and low-cost airlines. Leadership is critical in steering an organization towards achieving its business goals and objectives. For maximum effectiveness, companies should make deliberate efforts to equip workers with proper resources and incentives. This text demonstrates the missing aspects of leadership, the consequences of those missing elements, and the best cause of action that can be employed by Greyhound to manage the crisis.

Missing Aspects

Successful organizations employ the use of vision, skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan. The four ingredients have to work hand in hand to ensure the success of the organization. Greyhound is failing in its mandate because it does not have the right tools to ensure it thrives as a company. To begin with, Greyhound does not have a clear vision about what it wants to achieve for its stakeholders including, clients, managers, drivers, team manager, and its executive team. For instance, the fact that the human resources team reported that the workers at the terminals did not have high-school qualifications begs the question of recruitment in the company. It points to the fact that there is a problem with the recruiting strategy meaning that they do not put important factors such as education as a basis for recruitments. This shows that they do not have a clear vision about what they wish to attain because if they did, they would have made a better and informed decision. Another loophole that points to lack of vision is that despite the warnings by managers that many low-income passengers were not in a position to used Trips, the executive made the rush decision to roll out the new system emphasizing that it would improve the quality of services. By disregarding the advice provided by experts they did not help the situation but rather increased it.

Greyhound also lacks resources as evidenced by the move to reduce operation costs by making massive cuts in the services, routes, and personnel. Although the move was critical and needed for migration from the use of hand-written receipt to computerization of everything including reservations, they should have first weighed other options such as increasing the number of fleets, employing more drivers, and expanding the routes. Further, they did not have a solid action plan in place evidenced by the back and forth and disagreements among managers. Additionally, the fact that executing the plans led to a nightmare shows that they did not do their due diligence before implementing the new systems. Had they been thorough in their work, they would have been better placed to point out the loopholes including the long customer cues, systems crashing, and dissatisfied clients. Moreover, Greyhound leadership failed to provide their employees particularly low-level employees such as drivers with incentives to motivate them in their work.

Consequences of the Missing Elements

A company that does not have a vision is built on confusion. Vision statements help describe the purpose of the company, what it aims to achieve, and what it strives for. The vision helps the company to focus on what is most rewarding to them which inspires them to come up with a viable strategy to help them attain their objectives. The fact that the company lacks a vision is evident in the poor decisions made by the company which exacerbates its problems. For example, since the company did not have a clear vision, they were not in a position to manage the crisis that followed. Additionally, lack of resources has the potential of paralyzing a company. This is because all company operations rely on resources. For instance, without buses, drivers, and finances, the company will be paralyzed. Greyhound should have looked for alternative means to ensure the business is running rather than making massive cuts in personnel and services. For instance, they could have looked for a financer or a partner to offer them a loan or invest in their business. Incentives are key in ensuring the staff members remain happy and motivated to carry out their duties. Lack of incentives places companies’ sustainability at risk and will only drive the stakeholders away. Greyhound should have employed incentives particularly for the drivers who have to deal with the tiresome work of handling clients. Further, they should have given their customers incentives to ensure they remain loyal. Lack of an action plan means that the company is often off to a false start. In such situations, the company lacks direction and is bound to poor business decisions that put the company at risk of collapse.

Recommendations

If I were a management consultant called upon to help fix the problem I would recommend thorough training and preparation to all employees on how to use the new system. This plays a critical role in ensuring that the staff members are well equipped and prepared to perform their duties under the new system. In this case, the terminal workers without high-school-level education will be better placed to function with the new system. I would also recommend that Greyhound should have a sit-down with the management to streamline communication issues as it would help them do reduce disagreements with other managers and senior executives who make the important decisions within the company.

Statue of Laocoon and His Sons

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The Statue of Laocoon and His Sons

Introduction

The statue of Laocoon and His Sons is a figurative Greek sculpture and Hellenistic art icon displayed in Museo Pio Clementino, Vatican Museums in Rome. Laocoon and His Sons is a marble copy of the sculpture made from bronze. According to Pliny the Elder (79 CE), a Roman writer, the sculpture is a depiction of Laocoon, a Trojan priest, and his twin sons, Thymbraeus and Antiphas being bitten by giant snakes. The sculpture was first revered and seen by the Pliny at the Titus Flavius palace between 39 and 81 CE. Pliny attributed Roman Emperor Titus who later ruled between 79 and 81 CE, to three Greek sculptors from Rhodes Island namely Polydorus, Hagesander, and Athenodoros. Notably, the attribution coincided with similar marbles that have a similar fragment inscription.

The Laocoon and His Sons statue was first discovered in January 1506 buried underneath the vineyard of Felice de’ Fredis in Rome. The exaction was attended by Michelangelo an expert in this field and famous sculptor during the renaissance. Pope Julius II, who was a lover of art, ordered the sculpture to be taken to the Vatican, upon which it was installed in the garden at Belvedere Court. Given a comment by Pliny that the sculpture was superior to all bronze and painting works, the statue had an immense impact on Italian Renaissance art and particularly the Renaissance sculptors. The Laocoon and His Sons sculpture ended up becoming one of the most copied, revered, and studied works of ancient art to ever be displayed (Cummins, 215). It outshined famous Vatican Museum treasures such as Apollonius Belvedere Torso existing in the 1sts and 2nd BCE century and Leocahres’s Beverdere Apollo exiting 330 BCE. Since it was discovered in 1506, there have been attempts to make copies of it including the Baccio Bandinelli who created a bronze version of it. Additionally, Francesco Primaticcio made a bronze casting for King Francis I and is now located in Louvre, Paris. Other copies are also found at the Archeological museum of Odessa and the Grand Palace of Saint John at Rhodes. Because of its enduring fame, in 1799, the statue was removed from the Vatican and installed in Louvre to serve as an exemplar of Neo-classical art. In 1816, it was returned to the Vatican by British authorities after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. In 1957, fragments from four marble groups portraying scenes from Homer’s poem, Odessey, were retrieved at Sperlonga. The discovery site used to be an ancient banquet hall which was formerly used by Emperor Tiberius who ruled between 14-37 CE. One of these fragments is stylistically similar to the Laocoon and His Sons statue. The statue’s right arm which was found missing from the original 1506 discovery was discovered unexpectedly in 1906 in a builder’s home by archeologist Ludwig Pollak in Rome. He believed it was the lost arm and donated it to the Vatican museum where it stayed for 50 years. In 1960, it was verified as the missing arm as it resembled the new arm that had been attached.

Display of the Laocoon and His Sons Statue

The piece is displayed at the Octagonal Court of Museo Clementino Museum located in the Vatican. On the display, one sees a life-size piece comprising of seven unique and different blocks of marble that show Laocoon alongside his two sons Thymbraeus and Antiphantes. The three are surrounded by two giant sea serpents. Laocoon is sitting on an altar and the sculpture depicts him as a rather masculine man. He is struggling to strain his muscles as he tries to free himself from the serpent. His oldest son appears as if he is almost breaking free for the snakes with his eyes looking towards his father’s and brother’s direction. Laocoon and his younger son are in trouble and the expressions on their faces are an indication of their struggle. The younger son cast a final glance at his father but he is nearly dead. Notably, the sculptures show that the serpents try to kill Laocoon and his sons by biting and constricting them. They have coiled themselves around their bodies to appoint where they cannot move. Laocoon’s left hand is next to the serpent’s head. From the display one also notices that some parts are missing including a significant part of the serpent’s body and Laocoon’s right hand. Additionally, a section of the younger son’s right arm and the older son’s right hand are missing.

Technique

According to Pliny, the Laocoon and His Sons sculpture is an original piece. Further, Pliny asserts that the sculpture was made using the carving technique from marble. This is even though the sculpture comprises seven interlocking pieces. De consilli sententia is a phrase that was regarded to referring to the commission and not the method of working used by the artists. The names of Polydorus, Agesander, and Athenodoros, were inscribed on one of the sculptures found at Sperlonga pointing that the three masters were not the same people (Rose, et. al 36). Worth noting, the Hellenistic style used to develop the statue indicates the emotional nature of the artists that made it. The artists employed a technique of freely spacing the three main figures of the piece a clear indication of the free-flowing passion. The Greek culture explores lots of themes in ancient Greek culture such as pain and misery. Notably, the artists show Laocoon with his eyes wide open and his face is wrinkled which is a clear indication of agony. The entire piece is not free from pain and agony and one is captivated by the technique applied by the artiste to capture the audience’s attention. It is stunning how Laocoon’s head I bent on one side and his eyes are looking towards the sky with his mouth open, and eyebrows furrowed to produce a baroque effect.

Art Style

The Laocoon and His Sons style used the renaissance style of art. Renaissance sculptures and paintings were produced in the 14th, 15th, and 16th century in Europe and they combined influences of increased nature awareness, an individualistic perspective about human beings, and a revival of classical learning (Stoenescu, 166). Further, the artists of the renaissance period including Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo made art that was not only complex but also realistic. As evidenced in the sculpture of Laocoon and His Sons, the piece is straightforward and complex in equal measure. One can tell that the sculpture comprises three people and two giants snakes. One is however left wondering who these individuals were and how they found themselves in such a situation. The sculpture leaves a person wanting to know more about the story behind it. Renaissance was the period that immediately followed the Middle Ages which saw great interest revival in values and classical learning in Ancient Rome and Greece, In essence, renaissance art sought to capture the individual experience and the mystery and beauty of the natural world.

Art Elements

The sculpture of Laocoon and His Sons employs various elements that are evident from the piece. As regards lines, the sculpture observes the Law of Continuity, which helps create movement and unity. Although the lines are imagined, they seem to incorporate skillfully with the sculpture and marry well with the rhythm and movement; factors vital to bringing any masterpiece to life. The sculpture does seem to take any definite shape and this is clear from the fact the sculpture cannot be divided into two symmetric halves. Using the Root Phi armature to analyze it, we see how the sculptors organized and designed the masterpiece. Laocoon’s left leg is diagonal making precedence as the main diagonal frame of the piece. It goes from the lower right corner to the upper left side. As regards space, the Statue was 8 feet tall and was made by interlocking seven different marble pieces. Its dimensions were 208cm by 163cm by 112cm. The piece remains invaluable. To date, the marble sculpture remains at the Vatican. In Hellenistic true fashion, its value is in showcasing the realistic depiction of movement. In terms of color, the Laocoon and His Sons were made out of bronze which has a metallic brown color. The texture can be described as less brittle and much harder than that of copper.

Principles of Design

The sculpture of Laocoon and His Sons employs various design elements. Believe it or not, the sculptors who made this incredible piece employed design to come up with the masterpiece. Just like most brilliant ideas, they began with a sketch which they used to develop a dynamic symmetry grid which they used in developing the rest of the masterpiece. Additionally, repetition and rhythm are also evident; when the root phi rectangle diagonals are repeated, a hidden rhythm can be seen throughout the sculpture. When the sculpture is locked into a grid, the main proportion of the sculpture is visible. Emphasis is on Laocoon as he is physique is bigger compared to his sons’. There are many coincidences which help create movement as well as harmony from the top to bottom and side to side.

Conclusion

An analysis of the sculpture of Laocoon and His Sons presented new aspects and ideas about the sculpture which were not obvious. The knowledge regarding the principles of design and elements of art was not as clear but after an in-depth analysis, they became vivid. For instance, it is hard to imagine that art can employ designs such as rhythm, movements, harmony, and balance as they are mostly associated with other forms of art such as music. However, after carrying out this research, it emerged too that sculptures too have such elements. The initial interpretation which I had regarding the sculpture has not changed however, the analysis has provided an in-depth interpretation regarding the myth behind the sculpture which is impossible to tell at the first glance.

In general, I can describe my experience while carrying out this research as exciting and fulfilling. I learned a lot of new information which otherwise I would never have known. Before today, I never knew about the existence of the Laocoon and His Sons sculpture. At first sight, I did not know the story behind the sculpture; I did not even know that the three individuals were a father and his two sons. I was curious to know what happened to these individuals who appeared to have died such a painful death. I excepted that probably, they were prisoners being punished for a mistake. However, upon finishing the analysis, I learned that the Laocoon and His Sons is among the most revered and imitated sculptures in art history and that many sculptors used to develop other sculptures which exist today.

Works Cited

Cummins, Thomas BF. “Toward a New World’s Laocoön: Thoughts on Seeing Aztec Sculpture through Spanish Eyes.” Altera Roma: Art and Empire from Mérida to Mexico, edited by John MD Pohl and Claire L. Lyons (2016): 215-255.

Rose, Herbert Jennings, and Karim Arafat. “Laocoön.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics. 2016.

Stoenescu, Livia. “Pictorial allegory in El Greco’s Laocoön of Toledo.” Res: Anthropology and aesthetics 67.1 (2017): 164-176.

The Black Lives Movement

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The Black Lives Movement as a Non-Violent Action

Introduction

Non-violence action refers to the practice of achieving social change goals using non-violent methods such as civil disobedience, symbolic protests, political non-cooperation, and economic non-cooperation. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is a perfect example of non-violence action. The Black Lives Matter Movement is a global social movement which started in 2013 in the United States and is dedicated towards fighting anti-black violence and racism particularly police brutality (Carney, 190). People of color by far comprise the majority of the population killed at the hands of the police in the United States. The Movement condemns the unjust killing of people of color by the police and demands society to value the humanity and life of people of color as much as it values the life of white people. Activists associated with the movement have held and continue to hold influential and large protests in various cities in the United States and internationally. At the grassroots, the movement is led by local chapters that organize programs and campaigns. These chapters have affiliations with the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, an active and non-profit civil rights organization with operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the Black Lives Matter Movement as a non-violence action used to promote social equity and justice. The essay delves into various aspects of the movement including violence against African American people, the formation and structure of the movement, funding, how the movement employs social media as a tactic, the shadow banning of black creators on Tik Tok, direct action, excessive use of force by the police, some of its broader movement and the Movement’s impact.

Broader Movements

Notably, the Black Lives Matter Movement has other broader movements that run concurrently involving various activists and organizations. One of the braider movements operating under the Black Lives Matter Movement is Campaign Zero which was formed by DeRay McKesson, Johnetta Elzie, Samuel Siyangwe, and Britney Packnett. Campaign Zero was initiated with the aim of promoting policy reforms that will see police brutality come to an end. The initiative came up with a ten-point agenda for reforms in policing as well as recommendations including putting an end to broken window policy, improving the community oversight in various police departments and stern guidelines on excessive use of force by the police. John Eligon, a reporter for the New York Times noted that some activists expressed concern as they felt that the campaign over-focused on the legislative solutions for police violence. The Black Lives Matter Movement also supports other positives and causes that do not relate to police brutality such as economic justice, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer (LGBTQI), immigration reform, and feminism.

Violence against African Americans

The Black Lives Matter Movement began in July 2013 as a hashtag #BlackLivesMatter after George Zimmerman who was responsible for the murder of an unarmed African-American teenager called Trayvon Martin in Florida. Zimmerman was acquitted of the crime in February 2012, 17 months earlier than expected. Notably, the movement only became widely renowned following the death of two high-profile African-American individuals; Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in Newyork in 2014. This caused uproar as neither of the two police officers responsible for their deaths was formally convicted. Since the protests in Missouri took place, the supporters of the activists have demonstrated against the killings of numerous black people caused by police actions. There is a bigger history and context of African American boys and men who died at the hands of the police just like George Floyd who died at the hands of the police outside the Minneapolis police department. Since 2014, the movement has protested against the death of high-profile deaths including Laquan Macdonald (2014), Tamir Rice ( 2014), John Crawford (2014), Water Scott (2015), Freddie Gray (2015), Philando Castile (2016), Alton Sterling (2016), Terrence Crutcher (2016) and Antwon Rose (2018). Additionally, black girls and women have also become targets of police violence a reality evidenced by the “Say Her Name” Movement which highlighted this subtle violence and how it often goes unnoticed. Some of the women who have succumbed to violence associated with police interactions are Breonna Taylor (2020), Atatiana Jefferson (2019), Sandra Bland (2015), and Deborah Danner (2016).

Black Lives Matter Formation and Structure

The Movement was co-founded by three black community organizers namely Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza, and Patrisse Khan, and began as a social media hashtag called #BlackLivesMatter. The phrase Black Lives Matter can be used to refer to a political action committee, a Twitter hashtag, a social movement, a slogan, or a loose association of groups advocating for equality and equal justice. As a movement, BLM is decentralized and has operations at the grassroots and it emphasizes the need for local organizing before local leadership. The structure of the Black Lives Matter movement is different from other previous movements such as the civil rights movement. The differences have become subject to scholarly review. Deray McKesson, an activist notes that the Black Lives Matter Movement comprises of all people that publicly declare that the lives of black people matter and devote their energy and time to the movement’s cause (Ince, Fabio, and Clayton, 1815). One of the movement founders, Alicia Garza describes the movement as an online platform that exists for the purpose of providing activists with a collective and shared set of goals and principles. The local chapters of the Black Lives Movement are required to have commitment to the network’s guiding principles and continue operations without a hierarchy and central structure. Gaza further notes that the organization’s interest is not in policing those who are and not part of the faction. The Black Lives Matter has a loose structure that has led to confusion among activists and the press as statements or actions from individuals or a chapter are associated with the BLM movement as a whole.

Funding

Between May and December 2020, donations to the Black Lives Matter Movement were 10.6 billion dollars according to The Economist. In 2015, Politico noted that Democracy Alliance, a coalition of Democratic parties had donated over 200, 000 US dollars in endorsements for the movement (Taylor, 166). The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is focused on catching up with its plans and funding for use in endowment as it wants to be known for more than just protesting for Black people dying at the hands of law enforcers. 2020 marked the first time for the movement to reveal details about its finances. The Foundation reported committing $21.7 million as grants for unofficial and official chapters including 30 local organizations that are black-led. The year 2020 ended as the company had a balance of over 60 million dollars after using a quarter of its assets on grant funds and other charitable giving (Ransby, 67). According to the Foundations report, individual donors donated an average of $30.76 with over 10% of the donations being recurrent. The report did not indicate who made donations in 2020 and its leaders also refrained from naming its prominent leaders. In 2020, the foundation’s expenses were $ 8.4 million including the cost of staffing, administrative and operating costs and cost for carrying out activities such as crisis intervention, rapid response, and civic engagement. The foundation that in 2021, the organization’s focus will be on economic justice, and particularly concerning the current impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the black community. Last year, the racial justice organization impacted largely on philanthropic giving. According to a report by the Candid and Center for Disaster Philanthropy, 35% of the total covid-19 funding of 20.2% from high-net-worth individuals, corporations, foundations, and public charities were directed to communities of people of color.

Social Media and the Internet as a Strategy and Tactic

Originally, the Black Lives Matter movement employed various social media platforms in activism; it used hashtags particularly on Twitter to reach multitudes of people rapidly. Since then, the Movement has embraced the diversity of tactics. The protests organized by The Movement have all been overwhelmingly peaceful. The protests have never employed violence and when it did it was done by the police or counter-protesters. Despite this, opponents have been portrayed to be falsely violent. The American Dialect Society selected #BlackLivesMatter to be the word of the year in 2014. The hashtag was among the twelve selected hashtags which changed the world in 2014. For the period between July 2013 and May 2018, #BlackLivesMatter was tweeted more than 30 million times which translates to 17, 0002 tweets a day (Rickford, 90). Notably, by June 2020, the hashtag had about 47.8 million tweets, with July 7th- July 17th, 2016 having the biggest usage at about 500,000 daily tweets. The said period recorded an increase in the tweets that were using hashtags #AllLivesmatter and ##BlackLivesMatter. In May 2020, 8.8 million tweets were sent using the hashtag with an average of 3.7 million tweets being recorded daily (Leach and Aerielle, 545). In 2016, an incident that led to the death of five police officers and the injury of 9 others in Dallas saw the movement take on a more negative tone than before. At the time, 39% of the tweets that used the #BlackLivesMatter were showing opposition for the movement and criticizing it. Half of the people that opposed the movement described the group as terrorist and referred them as terrorists. Rutgers University professor, Khadijah White, argued that the Black Lives Matter Movement ushered an era where black movements in university emerged. Notably, social media has increased activism all over the world as evidenced by the ease with which bystanders are being empowered to use their phones to record graphic videos showing violence by the police. People are now empowered and are using social media to drive messages across the world. The use of hashtags has brought a lot of attention particularly to politicians in high ranks and rallying them to support Black Lives Matter.

Shadow Banning of Black Creators on Tik Tok

During the summer of 2020, the death of a black man called George Floyd sparked worldwide riots and Black Lives Matter protests. The protests which took place in nearly all states in the United States, centered around promoting police reform and other countries demonstrated their support for the movement by organizing demonstrations in their countries. To show their presence in the streets, Tik Tok allies, black creators and influencers showed their support for the app in the hope that the message would spread to the larger population through the popularity of the app (Kilgo, Rachel, and George, 413). However, many creators began noticing that a shadow banning trend had emerged and was affecting views of any videos that mentioned the George Floyd and the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag. For instance, Kam Kurosaki with a following of over 80,000 and thousands of views on other videos was getting less than 1000 views in videos mentioning George Floyd, Breonna Taylor or the Black Lives Matter Movement.

In response to this shadow banning, the creators of Tik Tok came up with a plan to configure a protest on their own on major social media avenues including Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok in what was called Black Out Tuesday. The goals of the campaign were to raise awareness about shadow banning and to express support for the agenda against police brutality on a bigger scope. Some of the leading Tik Tom creators such a Chari D’ Amelio who has the largest following on the app showed support by noting people of color have a vice and they ought to stand up and stick together for what is right. The creators showed support by changing their profile pictures on the application to a picture of a raised fist and by refraining from posting for an entire day. With the popularity of Black Out Tuesday going mainstream, Tik Tok gave a statement addressing claims about shadow banning. In their statement, they apologized and acknowledged black creators and the community at large that felt suppressed, unsafe, and unsupported. In response, Tik Tok launched events and initiatives aimed at raising awareness and stirring a conversation relating to the experience of blacks online. Some of the initiatives include Tik Tok’s #MakeBlackHistory which was the first summit of its kind that brought together iconic and leading black individuals such as Trace Ross and Tyra Banks as panelists to strike conversations about their experiences as people of color in the industry. However, creators still show their dismay to the path of change and the continuing employment of shadow banning on creators who are black. The main issue has to do with the inconsistency that exists in regard to the community guidelines.

Direct Action Employed by the Movement

In general, the Black Lives Matter Movement partakes in direct action which makes the parties or people uncomfortable to the extent that they cannot ignore the issue and they take necessary action to address it. The Black Lives Matter movement is mostly known for building power through the use of rallies and protests. In the past, the movement has also staged a lie-in protest where the protests simulate being dead for instance, the 2015 Twin Cities Marathon. Additionally, some political slogans have also been used in demonstrations including the famous Black Lives Matter slogan. Other common phrases used are “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot”, a slogan attributed to Michael Brown. Furthermore, the slogan “I can’t breathe” used to refer to George Floyd and Eric Garner have also emerged and are used in the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Other famous slogans are “Is my son next?”, “No justice, no peace”, and “White Silence is Violence”. A 2018 study revealed that protests organized by the Black Lives Matter Movement are more likely to happen in areas where people of color have died at the hands of police officers.

Impact of the Black Lives Matter Movement

Ever since the Black Lives Matter Movement emerged in 2013 with #BlackLivesMatter which began on social media, the Movement has had a tremendous impact on society. The movement has been featured and documented in songs, television, film, literature, and visual arts. Because of the movement, various media firms and outlets started airing material relating to the Black Lives Matter Movement and racial injustice. Additionally, in 2020, there was an increase in the number of television shows, books, and novels. Further, songs such as Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” and Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us” have become widely adopted and are used as rallying calls when demonstrations are taking place. Bars4Justice is a short documentary film with features from various recording artists and activists associated with the movement. The film was the official choice for the 24th Annual Panafrican Film Festival-themed Stay Woke. In 2016, there was also a Black Lives Matter Movement was created that featured Jesse Williams. The film was all about the Black Lives Matter Movement. In 2015, the February issue of the Essence magazine was dedicated to Black Lives issues. Additionally, the Black Lives Matter contended for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year award in December 2015. It emerged fourth out of the eight candidates. The Black Lives Matter Movement has had a major influence on society as evidenced by the number of cities that have erected mural paintings about the Black Lives Matter movement. Many cities such as Dallas, Denver, Washington D.C, Denver, Charlotte, Brooklyn, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Alabama have painted the words “Black Lives Matter” in large big letters on the streets. In May 2016, when Delrish Moss was sworn in to serve as the first police chief who is Africa-America, he noted that he is faced with the challenge of lack of a diverse police force. Further, he noted that other challenges facing the police force are making the community relations better and resolving issues that have been stimulated by the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Excessive Use of Police Force

A study conducted between 2002 and 2011 by the Bureau of Justice Statistics revealed that out of all the people that had brushed shoulders with the police, people of color (2.8%) were more likely than Hispanics (1.4%) and whites (1.0%) to be perceived as a threat or to be arrested using excessive force. A study by the Washington Post revealed that in 2019, police officers killed 1,001 individuals by shooting at them. Out of these, half were white, about a quarter were people of color making the death rate of people of color twice that of Americans. In essence, Black people record 31 fatal deaths per million while White Americans have 13 deadly shootings per million. The Washington Post also estimated that in 2019 alone 13 unarmed black men were shot by police officers.

A study carried by Cesario in 2019 and published by a peer-reviewed journal called Social Psychological and Personality Science revealed that there exists no evidence showing disparities against black people in fatal shootings, shootings involving unarmed citizens, or fatal shootings where harmless objects are misidentified. However, the report is countered and criticized by a Rose et. al (2020) study which concludes that exists a substantial racial bias where police have shot black suspects who are unarmed. The bias is not present where the suspects were white or of another race. Roland Fryer, a Harvard economist, found that Hispanics and black people were 50% more exposed to police interactions that are lethal. Additionally, another study conducted by Ross found substantial bias in the death of unarmed black people as compared to white Americans. On average, black people were 3.49 times at risk of being short in comparison with white people who are unarmed. The study further found that armed black men were 2.79 times more likely to be shot by police than their fellow black people who were unarmed. Additionally, the research discovered that the racial bias which had been documented was not capable of explaining the differences that exist in crime rates locally.

Conclusion

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is a perfect example of non-violence action as it achieves social change goals using non-violent methods such as civil disobedience, symbolic protests, political non-cooperation, and economic non-cooperation. The Black Lives Matter Movement is a global social movement which started in 2013 in the United States and is dedicated towards fighting anti-black violence and racism particularly police brutality. Activists associated with the movement have held and continue to hold influential and large protests in various cities in the United States and internationally. Discussed above are some aspects about the movement including violence against African American people, the formation and structure of the movement, funding, how the movement employs social media as a tactic, the shadow banning of black creators on Tik Tok, direct action, excessive use of force by the police, some of its broader movement and the Movement’s impact. There is a need to continue supporting the Black Lives Movement as a nation as it has brought positive change to society. With proper funding and support from the government as well as local and state actors, there is no limit as to what the Movement can achieve in the fight against anti-black violence and racism.

Works Cited

Carney, Nikita. “All lives matter, but so does race: Black lives matter and the evolving role of social media.” Humanity & Society 40.2 (2016): 180-199.

Ince, Jelani, Fabio Rojas, and Clayton A. Davis. “The social media response to Black Lives Matter: How Twitter users interact with Black Lives Matter through hashtag use.” Ethnic and racial studies 40.11 (2017): 1814-1830.

Kilgo, Danielle K., Rachel R. Mourão, and George Sylvie. “Martin to Brown: How time and platform impact coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement.” Journalism Practice 13.4 (2019): 413-430.

Leach, Colin Wayne, and Aerielle M. Allen. “The social psychology of the Black Lives Matter meme and movement.” Current Directions in Psychological Science 26.6 (2017): 543-547.

Ransby, Barbara. Making all black lives matter: Reimagining freedom in the twenty-first century. Vol. 6. University of California Press, 2018.

Rickford, Russell. “Black lives matter: Toward a modern practice of mass struggle.” New Labor Forum. Vol. 25. No. 1. Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, 2016.

Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta. From# BlackLivesMatter to black liberation. Haymarket Books, 2016.

Section One

Name

Student’s name

Course

Date

Section One

Summary-Story of an Hour

Kate Choplin’s narration of ‘The story of an Hour’ is arguably the most plainspoken yet ironic critic of Lawrence Berkove. Berkove is the author of this article that’s the subject of this summary titled “Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.” The story follows the societal constraints experienced by the 19th-century woman. The main character is Louise Mallard, is made to believe that her husband has died. Lawrence Berkove explains that Mrs. Mallard shows how Louise seems unaffected by the death of her husband. Contrary to societal expectations, she is not seen suffering or in pain following her husband’s death. This is so because Louise is experiencing an unusual feeling of self-assertion. The article has texts depicting that Louise’s character is mentally unstable. Berkove affirms that Louise “has realized that self-assertion is the deepest element of her being.” Although she loved her husband, his death brings new meaning as she breaks the chains preventing her from experiencing a free and true life. Worth noting, Louise comes to this conclusion not from reflecting on things but from imagination. Suddenly she dreams that she has been locked in a room where she is by herself fantasizing about her future. Berkove says that “In truth, Louise is sick emotionally as well as physically.” The author examines how Chopin’s texts reveal that Louise is indeed emotionally unstable. Chopin shows how the voice of Louise changes from objective and imaginative. When Louie speaks, she is even unable to tell whether her joy is monstrous. Berkove explains that she is delusional, and her unstable death is waging is aggregating her heart condition. Eventually, the reader witness Louise’s untimely death. Her obsession about self-assertion had pushed her to a breaking point because she overloaded her already weak heart (Berkove, 152). Berkove hints that her family was aware of her mental condition, and he finds it ironic that Lawrence goes home only to find a dead wife. It is ironic that Louise lost his life because of a monstrous “joy that kill” and that her heart did not have room for anybody else rather than herself.

Section Two

Response

Societal expectations have been controlling the way people behave in their day-to-day life for a long time. If a person fails to conform to the societal expectations, they are seen to be different, and people judge them harshly. Worth noting, When Louise loses her husband, she seems unaffected and unbothered by the situation to the surprise of many people. Although Bervoke maintains that this behavior paints her as delusional, and the theme cut across the story, what is on a person’s face is not always what is on their mind. The author of “The Story of an Hour,” argues that Louise, the main character in the book, experiences self-assertion because she is emotionally unstable. This ideology of mental instability is reinforced using the words of Berkove. Berkove says that “In truth, Louse is sick, emotionally as well as physically.” Further, Berkove uses the text written by Chapin to show the changes and transformation that Louise goes through. Her voice transitions from being objective and shifts to an imaginative atmosphere. In short, Loiuse is imagining all these things, including the fact that her husband is dead.

Berkove’s argument that the mental condition of Loiuse pushed her to her breaking point is not viable because, to begin with, Louise had just made up the story in her mind. In the first place, her husband never died. Worth noting, the story begins with Louise losing her imagined husband. Self-assertion, in many people’s view, is incapable of doing such kind harm. This is because if self-assertive people seem to only care for themselves, they cannot go to the extent of killing themselves. Bervoke talks about a “joy that kills” which was so monstrous that it led Louise to her untimely death. People expected that she would be distraught about her supposed husband’s death. It is only natural that death brings a lot of feelings of sadness and pain. Losing a loved one is never easy; no pain comes close to theta feelings. In society, when some people lose a family member, they cannot handle the pain. Worth noting, people tend to deal with losses in different ways. While others will get over the pain by immersing themselves in work, others become depressed to the extent they cannot pick up the pieces. In particular, women are more affected because society sees them not as strong as men. All in all, people are different, and they are likely to deal with grief in different ways. Giving people all the time they need to recover and get to their feet is key in the healing process. As such, Berkove should not have jumped to the conclusion that Louise is of unsound mind simply because she did not grief her husband how many people grief when they lose a loved one. Berkove says that Chopin “depicts Louise in the early stages of the delusion that is perturbing her precariously unstable health by aggregating her pathological heart condition.” Simple because Loiuse later on dies, there is no evidence pointing to the fact that she indeed suffered a mental condition. People die every day for many reasons hence the need to do away with the notion that joy kills.

Works Cited

Berkove, Lawrence I. “Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopin’s” The Story of an Hour”.” American Literary Realism 32.2 (2000): 152-158.