“Only A Pawn In Their Game” – Dylan and The 60s

This past September 11th marked the fiftieth-anniversary of the release of Bob Dylan’s 1962 eponymous album, Bob Dylan. Fittingly, Dylan marked the occasion with the release of his thirty-fifth studio album, Tempest, an album Rolling Stone Magazine recently gave five stars, calling it â€Å"one of his weirdest albums’, and adding, â€Å"It may also be the single darkest record in Dylan’s catalog†. Tempest, rather than being an exception to the trend, is a continuation of the creative resurgence that Dylan has experienced over the past decade, proving that even though he’s now one of rock music’s elder statesmen, his advancing age has not urned him into a mere nostalgia act, but rather has served to cement his legacy as a true musical icon. Despite his prolific touring schedule and studio output, the period that is still most often associated with Bob Dylan is the early 1960s, specifically his involvement with the Civil Rights movement and hi s influence on the popular culture of American society. Louis Masur says that, â€Å"it was what Dylan sang, said, did and represented for a few years in the 1960s that continues to draw the public’s attention and ignite the imaginations of new generations of listeners†. In a three- ear period, Dylan went from being an unknown singer/guitar player to full on protest anthem composer. As a descendant of Jewish race, Dylan was also able to sympathize with visible minorities in ways that others were not able to. He wrote some of the most influential music of the time and would to turn his back on it all, only to reinvent himself. Masur summarizes it perfectly, saying â€Å"Dylan embodied two revolutions within three years, two seismic cultural shifts. Before they ended, and ever since, writers have inquired into the meaning of Bob Dylan†. Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman, the son of Jewish American parents, n Hibbing, Minnesota. His father and uncles owned an electrical store and one of Dylan’s first jobs was helping his father collect on late payments or repossess equipment in situations where payment was long overdue. Growing up in Mid- western America and being Jewish in a town that, as he put it, â€Å"had a certain prejudice against Jews,† left him feeling very isolated and misunderstood. An old high school flame, Echo Star Helstrom explained, â€Å"the other kids, they wanted to throw stones at anybody different. And Bob was different. He didn’t fit in. Not in Hibbing†. In order to cope with the growing feelings of isolation, Dylan turned to music and learned to play to play the guitar that he found in the home his father had bought. He would stay up late at night, listening to a radio station transmitted from Shreveport, and it was on that station that he first heard the music of Hank Williams, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. These artists left Dylan with a desire for more as he â€Å"absorbed not only these sounds but the promises of independence, individuality, and freedom that (their) music seemed to carry†. In an interview with Jeff Rosen that acts as the backbone or Martin Scorsese’s 2005 documentary, No Direction Home, Dylan, reflecting on the popular music of the time said, â€Å"nobody liked country or rock and roll, rhythm and blues. That kind of music wasn’t what was happening up there. The music that was popular was ‘How Much Is That Doggy In The Window? ’. But that wasn’t our reality, our reality was bleak to begin with, our reality was fear†. The 1950s were a tense time, and the young Dylan found that rock and roll was a good outlet to work through and express what youth were feeling. He formed a few band throughout high school, and his stated goal in his senior yearbook was â€Å"to join Little Richard†. In a voice over scene in No Direction Home, one of Dylan’s high school teacher tells a story about having to pull the curtain because the principal didn’t feel that â€Å"Robert’s piano playing was appropriate for the audience†. Though Bob’s first love was rock-and-roll, he would soon become infatuated with folk music. Folk music’s foundations were laid in the early part of the twentieth century by the International Workers of the World, or the IWW. The first members of the IWW penned songs as part of the effort to establish workers equality and rights, and would sing protest songs while marching in demonstrations. However, during the Red Scare following WWI, state and federal authorities raided the IWW offices and shut down the organization. Folk music was rescued in large part thanks to Woody Guthrie, a poor farmers son who left home at sixteen to discover his homeland. Working odd jobs, Guthrie made it through the Depression and eventually became a radio personality in Los Angeles, reading radical news of KFVD. Within two years, he was living in New York making regular contributions to Communist publications, and went on to join the Navy during the Second World War. Upon returning to the US, Guthrie settled into New York City and wrote ountless songs, including â€Å"This Land Is Your Land†, â€Å"Tom Joad† and â€Å"Pastures of Plenty†, all songs with strong socialist sentiments. â€Å"This Land Is Your Land† was actually written as a Marxist retort to â€Å"God Bless America†, and became an alternative national anthem to the New Left. When asked, about what type of songs he sang and why, Guthrie responded: â€Å"I sing the songs of the people that do all of the little jobs and the mean and dirty hard work in the world and of their wants and their hopes and their plans for a decent life†. His sentiment was expressed clearly on his instrument: â€Å"This Machine Kills Fascists†. Guthrie soon met Pete Seeger, a fellow folk musician who had formed a musician’s union, and they began to travel the nation on an informal tour. With other musicians, they formed a leftist group called the Almanac Singers. They â€Å"promoted union organizing, racial justice, and other causes with their topical songs†, and in the late 40s, they evolved into the Weavers. Things changed in the early 1950s. The Weavers were enjoying a period of great success with the song â€Å"Good Night, Irene†, moving two million copies, making it the best selling record since the end of WWII. Unfortunately, it wasn’t made to last. Guthrie and Seeger were both blacklisted by the studios and recording industry for their outspoken socialist views and communist sympathizing, and were eventually reduced from national stardom to playing small bars on the outskirts of cities. Things began to improve following the 1954 senate censure of Joe McCarthy, and there was a renewed interest in folk music. , beginning in the San Francisco Bay area. The Kingston Trio were instrumental in the resurgence of folk music. Formed in 1957 by three college students, the Kingston Trio proved that folk music, f marketed and sold properly, could be commercialized, and had the potential to be very profitable. In June of 1958, the Trio released ‘Tom Dooley’, an â€Å"unlikely pop/country hit† that sold over three million copies. The group was prolific in their recording, at one point having four albums in the Top 10, simultaneously. Between 1958 and 1966, the Trio would relea se 22 albums, 13 of which ended up in the Top 10. Though criticized for â€Å"watering down† folk songs to make them commercially popular, and standing on the sidelines through the most political and contentious period of American history to date, the group deserves credit for elping to pave the way for the general acceptance of the older folkies, as well as helping to clearing a path for newcomers like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. In a 2007 interview, Trio member Nick Reynolds told The Huffington Post that the members of the group were â€Å"big fans of the Weavers†, and acknowledge that the Weavers experience had shown them that they were best to take another direction. Reynolds was quoted as saying, â€Å"We decided that if we wanted to have our songs played on the airwaves, we'd better stay in the middle of the road politically. We'd just got out of school. We didn't want to get blacklisted† When asked if the Weavers ad warned the Trio to avoid controversy, he simply said: â€Å"They didn't have to†. In t he fall of 1959, Dylan relocated to Minneapolis and enrolled in the University of Minnesota, though he rarely attended class. It was during this time that the Kinston Trio were beginning to have great success, and there emerged a changing perspective amongst the youth of America. The area surrounding the University had a bohemian element to it, and it inspired Dylan to sell his electric equipment and buy an acoustic guitar. This turn from rock and roll to folk music was significant, as it provided Dylan with an outlet to perform in small coffee shops and o meet like-minded people, a relatively new phenomenon for the outsider Dylan. Minneapolis was also where Zimmerman adopted the name ‘Bob Dylan’ when asked how he wanted to be presented on the bill at his first performance. It was around this time that he was introduced to the music of Woody Guthrie and was given a copy of Woody’s autobiography, Bound For Glory. Dylan described his initial take on Guthrie in his 2004 memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, saying, â€Å"The songs themselves had the infinite sweep of humanity in them †¦ [He] was the true voice of the American spirit. I said to myself I was going to be Guthrie's reatest disciple†. Dylan related to Woody’s stories about the people down on their luck and no doubt correlated his experience as a repo-man, even if just subconsciously. Guthrie’s importance was immediately clear to large number of people, and Mike Marquees has said â€Å"He was authentic because he came from and sang for the oppressed†. However, as previously stated, â€Å"Woody was an unabashed political partisan, a self-styled â€Å"full blooded Marxican† and enthusiastic class warrior†, which wasn’t a great career move in the McCarthy era. Dylan was so impressed with Guthrie that he decided to try to adopt his traits nd personality. He began wearing a corduroy hat, jeans and work shirt, imitating his Woody’s okie accent and imitating a tick he had, not conscious of the fact that he was actually imitating the symptoms of Huntington’s disease. In Guthrie’s music, Dylan found a mix of individualism and populism, humour and rage, and a general sense of the possibility of self-creation. Marquee says, â€Å"Guthrie offered an identity that was more genuinely Dylan’s own than the one his so ciety had saddled him with†. After dropping out of University, Dylan headed east to New York, having heard that Guthrie was in a hospital, on his deathbed. Shortly after arriving in New York, Dylan made the pilgrimage to see his dying idol, playing a few songs for him while there. The visits would continue for some time, but Dylan was about to explode onto the scene. Playing in small bars in Greenwich Village proved to be a great experience for the young Dylan. Only 20 at the time of arriving in New York, he was able to create quite an impression almost immediately. He played regular gigs at the Cafe Wha? and would occasionally work as a session musician for Columbia. John Hammond, a record produced for Columbia Records, happened to be watching a recording ession that Dylan was part of, and recognized his talent immediately. Before discovering Dylan, Hammond’s most notable signing was Billie Holliday, the singer of â€Å"Strange Fruit†. Released in 1939, â€Å"Strange Fruit† was a song about racial injustice and lynch mobs in the American south, which at the time was very heavy subject material. However, the song wa s a great success and helped to draw attention from the north to the injustices of the south. It also showed that Hammond wasn’t afraid to support controversial artists with opinions, given his support of the desegregation of the music industry. Dylan himself has described Hammond as â€Å"no bull-shitter. There were maybe a thousand kings in the world an he was one of them†. Dylan released his first album in 1962, produced by John Hammond. The record only had two original compositions, but that’s what the folk scene was like at the time. The album flopped, only selling about 5000 copies, and Dylan was soon being referred to as â€Å"Hammond’s folly†. Undeterred, Dylan soon sought out a manager, and found Albert Grossman. In Chronicles, Dylan describes his first impression of Grossman: â€Å"He looked like Sydney Greenstreet from the film The Maltese Falcon, had an enormous presence, always dressed in a conventional suit and tie, and he sat at his corner table. Usually when he talked, his voice was loud like the booming of war drums. He didn't talk so much as growl†. Grossman was also the man responsible for forming Peter, Paul and Mary. They were a truly manufactured form of music, where Grossman had gone so far as to change Paul’s name from Noel to Paul in order to achieve that wholesome, Bible feel. Through Grossman, Peter Paul and Mary were able to record Dylan’s Blowin’ In The Wind, achieving a #2 hit just behind the Beatles ‘Help! , and marking Dylan as an expert songwriter for the new movement that was emerging. Dave Van Rock, a contemporary of Dylan’s from his village days, told Mike Marquees that the folk revival could be described as â€Å"part and parcel of the big left turn middle-class college students were making†¦ So we owe it all to Rosa Parks†, or more s pecifically, the sit-in movement that had begun with four college students in North Carolina. The movement began to gain traction as it spread to other cities, and a few weeks after the North Carolina sit-ins, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was formed. The SNCC committed itself to destroying Jim Crow through nonviolent means and action, and adopted many folk songs as â€Å"freedom songs†. The SNCC had a sister group in CORE, or, the Congress of Racial Equality. Founded in 1942, the group had practically collapsed in the McCarthy era, but was finding renew strength and interest by both whites and blacks that wanted to take an active role in social change. One of the members was Bob Dylan’s girlfriend, Suze Rotolo. Rotolo booked the then unknown Dylan for a CORE gig, and wanting new material to play, he wrote â€Å"The Death of Emmitt Till†. Murdered in 1955 for llegedly making lewd comments to a shop owner’s wife, Till was only 14 years old. After being missing for a few days, his body was recovered from a river, weighed down by a cotton gin secured to his neck with razor wire. The men who were eventually charged were acquitted on all charges and the case remained unsolved. Till’s mother insisted t hat the photos of her son’s body be run in the paper to show exactly how ugly the racism of the south was, that they would kill and mame a child. Though Dylan quickly derided the song as â€Å"bullshit† and never released it, it was a pivotal moment in his songwriting career. Dylan was born the same year as Till, as was Muhammad Ali, who often said that Till’s murder was a defining moment in his own racial consciousness. Dylan’s political affiliations reached their peak on August 28, 1963, when he performed alongside Peter Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, and Odetta at the March on Washington. Peter Yarrow of Peter Paul and Mary said that the March on Washington â€Å"was not only a moment of extreme hopefulness, it was a moment of the confirmation of the possibility of that hope becoming a reality. That was the moment of recognition of what people could do to change history†. Everyone but Dylan took part in singing Blowin’ In The Wind, and then he stepped up to perform two songs unfamiliar to the audience. Seemingly unable or unwilling to express himself in anyway but song, Dylan didn’t speak, he began playing ‘When The Ship Comes In’. Singing about how â€Å"the sun will respect/every face on the deck†, Dylan shared his â€Å"jaunty vision of inclusive, unqualified liberation, unfolding as ‘the whole wide world is watching’†. The â€Å"ship† he sings of is likely a metaphor for what was being called â€Å"The Movement†. With the biblical phrasing and the egalitarian imagery, the song had a lot in common with the â€Å"Dream† speech that Martin Luther King Jr would give later that day. Dylan, though obviously not African American, was Jewish, and so the message of inclusion in both the song and the speech extend to the persecutions that the Jewish people had suffered in America as well. His second song had been inspired by the assassination of Medger Evers, an organizer for the NAACP in Jackson, Mississippi. Evers had been shot only a few months previous, on June 12, 1963, only a few hours after President Kennedy announced plans to seek new civil rights legislation. A war hero, Evers had been involved with the Emmitt Till case, and had been an instrumental figure in the NAACP. Using rap-like rhythm, Dylan sings a song simple in form but deep in content. He doesn’t condemn the assassin, but rather, he condemns the political system that encourages the behavior of the poor uneducated masses. The song was titled â€Å"Only A Pawn In Their Game†, and it has been described as a â€Å"searing class analysis of the southern skin privilege† in America. The song begin by retelling how the man shot Evers from behind a bush, and sings â€Å"But he can’t be blamed, he’s only a pawn in their game†. The next verse, Dylan cuts directly to his point; â€Å"A South politician preaches to the poor white man â€Å"You got more than blacks, don't complain You're better than them, you been born with white skin† they explain,† Dylan attempted to demonstrate the politics of racial division in song form, on a day when everyone else was focusing on unity. The song’s core message was about the persistence of racism, and â€Å"the central weight of white-skin privilege† in the American political system. Dylan doesn’t hold the individual responsible, he holds the state responsible, and the political system that pits poor whites against poor blacks. This was the ultimate finger-pointing song. Not long after, Dylan released his 3rd album, The Times They Are A-Changin’, but he had already become isillusioned with The Movement. No sooner had he been appointed the musical conscience and spokesman of a generation than he rebelled against in. Echoing his own song lyrics showing that he, like the â€Å"sons and the daughters† in Times They Are A-Changin’, was also â€Å"beyond your command† . When President Kennedy was shot in November 1963, it affected Dylan more than he would admit. The entire country was in shock, and less than a month after the shooting on Friday December 13, The Emergency Civil Liberties Committee presented Dylan with the Thomas Paine award for his work with the civil rights movement. Dylan, still only 22 at the time, was very nervous and became fairly intoxicated. When he got up to accept the award, he didn’t make much of an effort to mask his contempt for the people there: â€Å"I haven't got any guitar, I can talk though. I want to thank you for the Tom Paine award in behalf everybody that went down to Cuba. First of all because they're all young and it's took me a long time to get young and now I consider myself young. And I'm proud of it. I'm proud that I'm young. And I only wish that all you people who are sitting out here today or tonight weren't here and I could see all kinds of faces with hair on their head – nd everything like that, everything leading to youngness, celebrating the anniversary when we overthrew the House Un-American Activities just yesterday, – Because you people should be at the beach†¦.. There's no black and white, left and right to me anymore; there's only up and down and down is very close to the ground. And I'm trying to go up without thinking about anything trivial such as politics. † Essentially, the speech served as his declaration of independence from politics. Dylan’s assertion that he now considered himself â€Å"young† was further emphasized the following June when he released Another Side Of Bob Dylan. The songs on the album were a different variety than that of his previous material, especially the song ‘My Back Pages’, with its refrain of â€Å"I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now†. This song served to boil-down his drunken babbling at the ECLC to a beautiful piece of art that explained his position in a way that people would understand. In March of 1965, Dylan released his fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home. It wasn’t a complete departure from what he had been doing, with the album content split 50/50 between acoustic and electric arrangements, but it was a clear indication f where he was going with the music. The defining moment came when he played the Newport Folk Festival in July of that year, in what would later be referred to as â€Å"the most written about performance in the history of rock†. Dylan wanted to play electric instruments and asked members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band to play with him. Together, they played three, ‘Maggie’s Farm’ off of Bringing It All Back Home, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, which had just been released, and an unreleased version of ‘It Takes a Lot Too Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry’. There was a large amount of booing, and the performance was a clear eparture from his previous two appearances at the festival, when he performed acoustic songs with Joan Baez. The irony though, was that in not wanting Dylan to change as an artist, they were actually acting like the Establishment that they were hoping to change. Their reaction to his evolution and change in direction was a desire to maintain the status quo, and was actually is counterintuitive to the emerging counterculture. Over the next year, Dylan would go on to make Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde, each with fully electric arrangements. Throughout his fifty-year career, Dylan has proven countless times that he’s apable of reinvention. After starting out as a rock and roller, he turned to folk and protest music. When that lost it’s appeal, he went back to rock music, and by the end of the sixties he had invented folk-rock and country-rock with his albums John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline, respectively. His turn away from politics and the New Left movement set the precedent for the selfish behavior that would dominate late sixties and early seventies culture, and he came to be recognized as a symbol for what was, and largely still is, considered â€Å"cool†. The guy is so â€Å"cool† in act, that when President Obama presented him with The Presidential Medal Of Freedom earlier this year, saying that â€Å"There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music,† and that the â€Å"unique gravel-y power of his voice helped redefine not just what music sounded like, but the message it carried and how it made people feel†, Dylan accepted the medal wearing aviator sunglasses. The significance of the President being a young black man from Chicago, wh ere protesters chanted Dylan’s line â€Å"The Whole World Is Watching! † during the 1968 riots outside the democratic national convention should not be overlooked. Dylan’s work throughout the early 60s created a legacy for the rest of the musicians and bands that would come out of the decade. Bruce Springsteen, an artist also signed by John Hammond and who was called â€Å"The New Bob Dylan† when he released his first album, inducted Dylan into the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame, saying that while â€Å"Elvis freed our bodies, Bob Dylan freed our minds†. Springsteen also spoke for the countless band and groups that Dylan inspired, saying: â€Å"without Bob, the Beatles wouldn’t have made Sgt. Pepper’s, the Beach Boys wouldn’t have made Pet Sounds, the Sex Pistols ouldn’t have made ‘God Save The Queen’, U2 wouldn’t have done ‘Pride In The Name Of Love’, Marvin Gaye wouldn’t have done ‘What’s Goin’ On? ’, the Count Five would not have done ‘Psychotic Reaction’, and Grandmaster Flash might not have done ‘The Messageâ €™ † Springsteen outlines the influence that Dylan has had a wide scope of genres, but the defining characteristic that these bands have in common is that they were all willing to produce songs on touchy subjects in new, bold interesting ways. Dylan inspired these artists to look at what society was offering, and to say â€Å"here’s something better†.

Principles of Marketing

Recent History Brief Introduction about the organization General Electric Is an American conglomerate operating through the fields of energy, technology, Infrastructure, capital finance, and Industrial business. 1 Thomas Edison is a widely praised genius, both as an innovator and businessman, and it was his vision that laid the foundation for General Electric. 2 In 1876, he opened his first real workshop in Menlo Park, New Jersey where he would eventually create the electric light bulb. In 1890, Edison started the Edison General Electric Company to old his many businesses under one roof and after merging with the Houston- Thomas Company, his prime competitor, General Electric was born. 2 In the fields of technology and energy, General Electric will be releasing a product targeting solar energy and electric vehicles called The Catch. The Catch Is a solar powered car cover that absorbs the sun's rays to charge electric cars without the need for an outside electrical source. It protects cars from weather damage and keeps them cool from the sun's heat as well.The Catch Is a cover Like the ones available to cover any standard icicle, but will be covered with multiple small solar panels. The Catch will have a chord attached that plugs directly into cars instead of having them plugged into an electrical outlet. 1 . â€Å"About Us,† General Electric, accessed October 3, 2013, http://www. GE. Com/about- us/curing 2. † Thomas Edison At G. E. ,† General Electric, accessed October 3, 2012, http://www. GE. Com/about-us/history/Thomas-Edison Discuss what Is unique about the company and Its offerings General Electric Is known widely for their diversified and Inventive products.Its products Include gas and steam generators, solar energy devices, water treatment revise, lighting, healthcare services, home and business solutions, loans and leases. 3 G. E. Is a world renown company with the numbers to prove it. In 2012, General Electric was placed at number 8 o n Fortune ass's top earners list in 2012 with $146. 9 billion in revenue. 4 With top competitors such as Valier Energy and Caterpillar Inc. Trailing behind, General Electric continuously maintains a respectable reputation as an innovative company. As well as being a top ranked annual earner, G. E. Was named in Bloomberg Businessman's list of world's most innovative companies and Baron's list of most respected companies. Because General Electric expands their horizons diving into a varied number of profitable industries and dominating the competition with their pioneering qualities and reputable business methods, It Is hard for alternative companies to keep up. With the Earth's diminishing sources of gas and fuel, G. E. Came up with a product that would accommodate the ever- changing needs of modern day society.Part 2 Marketing Plan Market-product Focus What are the objectives of your new product? The overall objective for our consumer product, The Catch, is very clear and straight t o the point; as a company, we are trying to help all owners of electrical cars utilize a more convenient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly way of charging their vehicles. The Catch will allow the consumer to charge their car in practically any rear inside or outside that natural light can be obtained. With a single lifetime payment, The Catch will save consumers money without the need for continuous electric bills arising from existing charging methods.Lastly, by using the sun as a natural source of energy, we are thinking green and making a major thrust in conserving the environment. This new generation product will make life much easier for electric vehicle owners because of its substantial benefits. The Catch will be such an efficient product that it might Just convince other car companies to focus more on electric cars. It will also encourage potential car buyers to consider purchasing electric cars, which will encourage the use of our product. What is the specific c ustomer niche that your product addresses?The niche our product will be initially addressing is a car owners who desire a more cost effective and greener alternative to standard electric car charging methods engine with a 4-kHz battery that gives it only 9 to 15 miles of electric arrange. This is an example of a need related to our customers that is not being satisfied within our market segment. Last year, roughly 17,000 plug-in cars were sold in the United States more than were sold in any previous yearly 1 . Sales this year will most likely double or triple that number based on society's desire for technological advancement in all fields.President Obama set a goal for 1 million electric cars to be on the road by 201 512, which probably won't happen; however, the President's leadership will definitely encourage people to transition from gas-powered cars to electric-powered ones because of the government's efforts in educating the country on the benefits of utilizing electric cars. This proves that our consumer product is entering a market hat is expanding rapidly, which increases our product's chance of success. 10. Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. Log. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars 1 1 . Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. blob. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars 12. Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. blob. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars What sets your product apart from the competition? The Catches main competitor is the V-Tent. The V-Tent is a non-portable solar powered parking device that charges electric cars.Our product design for The Catch is based around portability. The option to fold up The Catch and move it from point A to point B is going to the main point of difference from the V-Tent. Another drawback of the V-Tent is it can only operate under certain dimensions, limiting it to only small sedans. The Catch will be produced in a variety of sizes to fit the needs of all consumers driving electric cars. Envision LLC, our other competitor, has developed he Solar Tree as a way of saving unused space in parking lots.These structures are very expensive and not for personal use at all; in fact, they don't even allow for an electric vehicle to charge while parked near theme 5. The Solar Tree is going to be used in large parking lots limiting them to Just business-to-business market segment. The individual consumer may not benefit from Envisions product. Our strategy will cover all markets including green, cause, business-to-business and individual household marketing. 13. N-Tent Solar Parking System,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. Designator. Mol design/v-tent/ 14. Solar Tree Array,† accessed on October 24, 2013, www. Envisioned. Com/solar- tree- array/ 15. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† settable=sectional 16. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† accessed on October 24, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? How are you communicating your points of difference to your customers? Points of difference is expressed as a synonym of product differentiation, meaning the product features that set the product apart from its competition.The Catch is a product with very limited competition. With the competitive advantage of not having many opponents in its market segment, it will not be hard to express the product features and benefits of The Catch that consumers cannot find anywhere else in the retail market. With the use of informational and transformational TV commercials, print advertisements, as well as the use of our social media networking, getting the word out about The Catches product differentia tion will be simple and effective. Because The Catch is emerging in a new market, there is no such thing as bad timing with its release.With a strong desire from consumers and economic access to buyers, consumers will Jump at the opportunity to save money, live environmentally consciously and advance in the world of technology. Because of these things, new- product failure is no where in The Catches future. Part 3 Marketing Plan Marketing Program 8. What are the product line, unique product quality, and packaging of your product? With the creation of our solar powered car cover, titled The Catch, our company is going to base our product line on how successful The Catch is after its 17.Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† initial launch. What we at General Electric have in mind for a product line extension is a smaller version of The Catch made to charge laptops, cell phones, and other handheld devices using the same solar powered method. These new products are projected to succeed in the marketplace because they satisfy the same needs, target the same customer base, and are going to be distributed through the same outlet as The Catch. 18 All of our products will hold high standards in terms of quality.Part of what makes The Catch â€Å"cool† and appealing to customers is how it catches the eye with a high tech, sleek design. A higher price is worth it for a higher quality product like ours. For packaging, our product will be presented to the customer inside a box labeled with our company logo, picture of The Catch, as well as product features and basic instructions with pictures. Inside the box The Catch will be concealed in a plastic bag along with support information and a detailed instruction manual.The Catch will create high customer value by providing functional, perceptual, and communication benefits, as well as addressing environmental concerns. 19 What is As discussed briefly in this marketin g plan, our new product The Catch fraternities itself very well when it comes to green marketing for a large demographic of electric car owners because there is no existing product like it. This makes evaluating the price point and price position relative to substitutes of our product fairly difficult.Although an abundance of in depth research must be done in 18. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Developing New Products and Services,† accessed on Novo. 19, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? settable ?section Tabs 19. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Managing Successful Products, Services, and Brands,† accessed on Novo. 19, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? settable=sectional order to reveal a more accurate estimation of the final price we can still create an educated estimation.The bulk of The Catch will consist of a large protective car cover as well as multiple folding solar panels. The mean value of most conventional c ar covers ranges from $25 to $35. We will be purchasing our solar panels from the industrial supply company MIRRORS. Their product the Powerful OFF-1800 foldable solar charger is an amazing candidate for our development of The Catch. 0 At $500 each they will cost around $2,000 dollars to produce on The Catch unit. This is before any wholesale negotiations have taken place. We here at G. E. Re looking to flood the emerging market by introducing a new product, in turn creating brand loyalty. This is why we are going to take a cost-oriented pricing approach when developing our product before developing a profit-oriented pricing method. 21 Using these methods we hope to establish a retail value of $2,000 – $2,500 which will satisfy both the needs of our company and customers. What promotional strategies are used for your rotund? The promotional strategies that we will implement for The Catch will include advertising, personal selling, and direct marketing. Principles of Marketing Recent History Brief Introduction about the organization General Electric Is an American conglomerate operating through the fields of energy, technology, Infrastructure, capital finance, and Industrial business. 1 Thomas Edison is a widely praised genius, both as an innovator and businessman, and it was his vision that laid the foundation for General Electric. 2 In 1876, he opened his first real workshop in Menlo Park, New Jersey where he would eventually create the electric light bulb. In 1890, Edison started the Edison General Electric Company to old his many businesses under one roof and after merging with the Houston- Thomas Company, his prime competitor, General Electric was born. 2 In the fields of technology and energy, General Electric will be releasing a product targeting solar energy and electric vehicles called The Catch. The Catch Is a solar powered car cover that absorbs the sun's rays to charge electric cars without the need for an outside electrical source. It protects cars from weather damage and keeps them cool from the sun's heat as well.The Catch Is a cover Like the ones available to cover any standard icicle, but will be covered with multiple small solar panels. The Catch will have a chord attached that plugs directly into cars instead of having them plugged into an electrical outlet. 1 . â€Å"About Us,† General Electric, accessed October 3, 2013, http://www. GE. Com/about- us/curing 2. † Thomas Edison At G. E. ,† General Electric, accessed October 3, 2012, http://www. GE. Com/about-us/history/Thomas-Edison Discuss what Is unique about the company and Its offerings General Electric Is known widely for their diversified and Inventive products.Its products Include gas and steam generators, solar energy devices, water treatment revise, lighting, healthcare services, home and business solutions, loans and leases. 3 G. E. Is a world renown company with the numbers to prove it. In 2012, General Electric was placed at number 8 o n Fortune ass's top earners list in 2012 with $146. 9 billion in revenue. 4 With top competitors such as Valier Energy and Caterpillar Inc. Trailing behind, General Electric continuously maintains a respectable reputation as an innovative company. As well as being a top ranked annual earner, G. E. Was named in Bloomberg Businessman's list of world's most innovative companies and Baron's list of most respected companies. Because General Electric expands their horizons diving into a varied number of profitable industries and dominating the competition with their pioneering qualities and reputable business methods, It Is hard for alternative companies to keep up. With the Earth's diminishing sources of gas and fuel, G. E. Came up with a product that would accommodate the ever- changing needs of modern day society.Part 2 Marketing Plan Market-product Focus What are the objectives of your new product? The overall objective for our consumer product, The Catch, is very clear and straight t o the point; as a company, we are trying to help all owners of electrical cars utilize a more convenient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly way of charging their vehicles. The Catch will allow the consumer to charge their car in practically any rear inside or outside that natural light can be obtained. With a single lifetime payment, The Catch will save consumers money without the need for continuous electric bills arising from existing charging methods.Lastly, by using the sun as a natural source of energy, we are thinking green and making a major thrust in conserving the environment. This new generation product will make life much easier for electric vehicle owners because of its substantial benefits. The Catch will be such an efficient product that it might Just convince other car companies to focus more on electric cars. It will also encourage potential car buyers to consider purchasing electric cars, which will encourage the use of our product. What is the specific c ustomer niche that your product addresses?The niche our product will be initially addressing is a car owners who desire a more cost effective and greener alternative to standard electric car charging methods engine with a 4-kHz battery that gives it only 9 to 15 miles of electric arrange. This is an example of a need related to our customers that is not being satisfied within our market segment. Last year, roughly 17,000 plug-in cars were sold in the United States more than were sold in any previous yearly 1 . Sales this year will most likely double or triple that number based on society's desire for technological advancement in all fields.President Obama set a goal for 1 million electric cars to be on the road by 201 512, which probably won't happen; however, the President's leadership will definitely encourage people to transition from gas-powered cars to electric-powered ones because of the government's efforts in educating the country on the benefits of utilizing electric cars. This proves that our consumer product is entering a market hat is expanding rapidly, which increases our product's chance of success. 10. Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. Log. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars 1 1 . Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. blob. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars 12. Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. blob. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars What sets your product apart from the competition? The Catches main competitor is the V-Tent. The V-Tent is a non-portable solar powered parking device that charges electric cars.Our product design for The Catch is based around portability. The option to fold up The Catch and move it from point A to point B is going to the main point of difference from the V-Tent. Another drawback of the V-Tent is it can only operate under certain dimensions, limiting it to only small sedans. The Catch will be produced in a variety of sizes to fit the needs of all consumers driving electric cars. Envision LLC, our other competitor, has developed he Solar Tree as a way of saving unused space in parking lots.These structures are very expensive and not for personal use at all; in fact, they don't even allow for an electric vehicle to charge while parked near theme 5. The Solar Tree is going to be used in large parking lots limiting them to Just business-to-business market segment. The individual consumer may not benefit from Envisions product. Our strategy will cover all markets including green, cause, business-to-business and individual household marketing. 13. N-Tent Solar Parking System,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. Designator. Mol design/v-tent/ 14. Solar Tree Array,† accessed on October 24, 2013, www. Envisioned. Com/solar- tree- array/ 15. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† settable=sectional 16. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† accessed on October 24, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? How are you communicating your points of difference to your customers? Points of difference is expressed as a synonym of product differentiation, meaning the product features that set the product apart from its competition.The Catch is a product with very limited competition. With the competitive advantage of not having many opponents in its market segment, it will not be hard to express the product features and benefits of The Catch that consumers cannot find anywhere else in the retail market. With the use of informational and transformational TV commercials, print advertisements, as well as the use of our social media networking, getting the word out about The Catches product differentia tion will be simple and effective. Because The Catch is emerging in a new market, there is no such thing as bad timing with its release.With a strong desire from consumers and economic access to buyers, consumers will Jump at the opportunity to save money, live environmentally consciously and advance in the world of technology. Because of these things, new- product failure is no where in The Catches future. Part 3 Marketing Plan Marketing Program 8. What are the product line, unique product quality, and packaging of your product? With the creation of our solar powered car cover, titled The Catch, our company is going to base our product line on how successful The Catch is after its 17.Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† initial launch. What we at General Electric have in mind for a product line extension is a smaller version of The Catch made to charge laptops, cell phones, and other handheld devices using the same solar powered method. These new products are projected to succeed in the marketplace because they satisfy the same needs, target the same customer base, and are going to be distributed through the same outlet as The Catch. 18 All of our products will hold high standards in terms of quality.Part of what makes The Catch â€Å"cool† and appealing to customers is how it catches the eye with a high tech, sleek design. A higher price is worth it for a higher quality product like ours. For packaging, our product will be presented to the customer inside a box labeled with our company logo, picture of The Catch, as well as product features and basic instructions with pictures. Inside the box The Catch will be concealed in a plastic bag along with support information and a detailed instruction manual.The Catch will create high customer value by providing functional, perceptual, and communication benefits, as well as addressing environmental concerns. 19 What is As discussed briefly in this marketin g plan, our new product The Catch fraternities itself very well when it comes to green marketing for a large demographic of electric car owners because there is no existing product like it. This makes evaluating the price point and price position relative to substitutes of our product fairly difficult.Although an abundance of in depth research must be done in 18. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Developing New Products and Services,† accessed on Novo. 19, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? settable ?section Tabs 19. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Managing Successful Products, Services, and Brands,† accessed on Novo. 19, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? settable=sectional order to reveal a more accurate estimation of the final price we can still create an educated estimation.The bulk of The Catch will consist of a large protective car cover as well as multiple folding solar panels. The mean value of most conventional c ar covers ranges from $25 to $35. We will be purchasing our solar panels from the industrial supply company MIRRORS. Their product the Powerful OFF-1800 foldable solar charger is an amazing candidate for our development of The Catch. 0 At $500 each they will cost around $2,000 dollars to produce on The Catch unit. This is before any wholesale negotiations have taken place. We here at G. E. Re looking to flood the emerging market by introducing a new product, in turn creating brand loyalty. This is why we are going to take a cost-oriented pricing approach when developing our product before developing a profit-oriented pricing method. 21 Using these methods we hope to establish a retail value of $2,000 – $2,500 which will satisfy both the needs of our company and customers. What promotional strategies are used for your rotund? The promotional strategies that we will implement for The Catch will include advertising, personal selling, and direct marketing. Principles of Marketing Recent History Brief Introduction about the organization General Electric Is an American conglomerate operating through the fields of energy, technology, Infrastructure, capital finance, and Industrial business. 1 Thomas Edison is a widely praised genius, both as an innovator and businessman, and it was his vision that laid the foundation for General Electric. 2 In 1876, he opened his first real workshop in Menlo Park, New Jersey where he would eventually create the electric light bulb. In 1890, Edison started the Edison General Electric Company to old his many businesses under one roof and after merging with the Houston- Thomas Company, his prime competitor, General Electric was born. 2 In the fields of technology and energy, General Electric will be releasing a product targeting solar energy and electric vehicles called The Catch. The Catch Is a solar powered car cover that absorbs the sun's rays to charge electric cars without the need for an outside electrical source. It protects cars from weather damage and keeps them cool from the sun's heat as well.The Catch Is a cover Like the ones available to cover any standard icicle, but will be covered with multiple small solar panels. The Catch will have a chord attached that plugs directly into cars instead of having them plugged into an electrical outlet. 1 . â€Å"About Us,† General Electric, accessed October 3, 2013, http://www. GE. Com/about- us/curing 2. † Thomas Edison At G. E. ,† General Electric, accessed October 3, 2012, http://www. GE. Com/about-us/history/Thomas-Edison Discuss what Is unique about the company and Its offerings General Electric Is known widely for their diversified and Inventive products.Its products Include gas and steam generators, solar energy devices, water treatment revise, lighting, healthcare services, home and business solutions, loans and leases. 3 G. E. Is a world renown company with the numbers to prove it. In 2012, General Electric was placed at number 8 o n Fortune ass's top earners list in 2012 with $146. 9 billion in revenue. 4 With top competitors such as Valier Energy and Caterpillar Inc. Trailing behind, General Electric continuously maintains a respectable reputation as an innovative company. As well as being a top ranked annual earner, G. E. Was named in Bloomberg Businessman's list of world's most innovative companies and Baron's list of most respected companies. Because General Electric expands their horizons diving into a varied number of profitable industries and dominating the competition with their pioneering qualities and reputable business methods, It Is hard for alternative companies to keep up. With the Earth's diminishing sources of gas and fuel, G. E. Came up with a product that would accommodate the ever- changing needs of modern day society.Part 2 Marketing Plan Market-product Focus What are the objectives of your new product? The overall objective for our consumer product, The Catch, is very clear and straight t o the point; as a company, we are trying to help all owners of electrical cars utilize a more convenient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly way of charging their vehicles. The Catch will allow the consumer to charge their car in practically any rear inside or outside that natural light can be obtained. With a single lifetime payment, The Catch will save consumers money without the need for continuous electric bills arising from existing charging methods.Lastly, by using the sun as a natural source of energy, we are thinking green and making a major thrust in conserving the environment. This new generation product will make life much easier for electric vehicle owners because of its substantial benefits. The Catch will be such an efficient product that it might Just convince other car companies to focus more on electric cars. It will also encourage potential car buyers to consider purchasing electric cars, which will encourage the use of our product. What is the specific c ustomer niche that your product addresses?The niche our product will be initially addressing is a car owners who desire a more cost effective and greener alternative to standard electric car charging methods engine with a 4-kHz battery that gives it only 9 to 15 miles of electric arrange. This is an example of a need related to our customers that is not being satisfied within our market segment. Last year, roughly 17,000 plug-in cars were sold in the United States more than were sold in any previous yearly 1 . Sales this year will most likely double or triple that number based on society's desire for technological advancement in all fields.President Obama set a goal for 1 million electric cars to be on the road by 201 512, which probably won't happen; however, the President's leadership will definitely encourage people to transition from gas-powered cars to electric-powered ones because of the government's efforts in educating the country on the benefits of utilizing electric cars. This proves that our consumer product is entering a market hat is expanding rapidly, which increases our product's chance of success. 10. Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. Log. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars 1 1 . Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. blob. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars 12. Blocker, John. â€Å"Five Real-World Facts About Electric Cars,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. blob. RMI. Org/blob_Five_Real_World_Facts_Photoelectric_Cars What sets your product apart from the competition? The Catches main competitor is the V-Tent. The V-Tent is a non-portable solar powered parking device that charges electric cars.Our product design for The Catch is based around portability. The option to fold up The Catch and move it from point A to point B is going to the main point of difference from the V-Tent. Another drawback of the V-Tent is it can only operate under certain dimensions, limiting it to only small sedans. The Catch will be produced in a variety of sizes to fit the needs of all consumers driving electric cars. Envision LLC, our other competitor, has developed he Solar Tree as a way of saving unused space in parking lots.These structures are very expensive and not for personal use at all; in fact, they don't even allow for an electric vehicle to charge while parked near theme 5. The Solar Tree is going to be used in large parking lots limiting them to Just business-to-business market segment. The individual consumer may not benefit from Envisions product. Our strategy will cover all markets including green, cause, business-to-business and individual household marketing. 13. N-Tent Solar Parking System,† accessed October 24, 2013, www. Designator. Mol design/v-tent/ 14. Solar Tree Array,† accessed on October 24, 2013, www. Envisioned. Com/solar- tree- array/ 15. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† settable=sectional 16. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† accessed on October 24, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? How are you communicating your points of difference to your customers? Points of difference is expressed as a synonym of product differentiation, meaning the product features that set the product apart from its competition.The Catch is a product with very limited competition. With the competitive advantage of not having many opponents in its market segment, it will not be hard to express the product features and benefits of The Catch that consumers cannot find anywhere else in the retail market. With the use of informational and transformational TV commercials, print advertisements, as well as the use of our social media networking, getting the word out about The Catches product differentia tion will be simple and effective. Because The Catch is emerging in a new market, there is no such thing as bad timing with its release.With a strong desire from consumers and economic access to buyers, consumers will Jump at the opportunity to save money, live environmentally consciously and advance in the world of technology. Because of these things, new- product failure is no where in The Catches future. Part 3 Marketing Plan Marketing Program 8. What are the product line, unique product quality, and packaging of your product? With the creation of our solar powered car cover, titled The Catch, our company is going to base our product line on how successful The Catch is after its 17.Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning,† initial launch. What we at General Electric have in mind for a product line extension is a smaller version of The Catch made to charge laptops, cell phones, and other handheld devices using the same solar powered method. These new products are projected to succeed in the marketplace because they satisfy the same needs, target the same customer base, and are going to be distributed through the same outlet as The Catch. 18 All of our products will hold high standards in terms of quality.Part of what makes The Catch â€Å"cool† and appealing to customers is how it catches the eye with a high tech, sleek design. A higher price is worth it for a higher quality product like ours. For packaging, our product will be presented to the customer inside a box labeled with our company logo, picture of The Catch, as well as product features and basic instructions with pictures. Inside the box The Catch will be concealed in a plastic bag along with support information and a detailed instruction manual.The Catch will create high customer value by providing functional, perceptual, and communication benefits, as well as addressing environmental concerns. 19 What is As discussed briefly in this marketin g plan, our new product The Catch fraternities itself very well when it comes to green marketing for a large demographic of electric car owners because there is no existing product like it. This makes evaluating the price point and price position relative to substitutes of our product fairly difficult.Although an abundance of in depth research must be done in 18. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Developing New Products and Services,† accessed on Novo. 19, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? settable ?section Tabs 19. Kerri, Hartley, Rudderless, â€Å"Managing Successful Products, Services, and Brands,† accessed on Novo. 19, 2013, www. Connect. McGraw-hill. Com/connect/homeboy. Do? settable=sectional order to reveal a more accurate estimation of the final price we can still create an educated estimation.The bulk of The Catch will consist of a large protective car cover as well as multiple folding solar panels. The mean value of most conventional c ar covers ranges from $25 to $35. We will be purchasing our solar panels from the industrial supply company MIRRORS. Their product the Powerful OFF-1800 foldable solar charger is an amazing candidate for our development of The Catch. 0 At $500 each they will cost around $2,000 dollars to produce on The Catch unit. This is before any wholesale negotiations have taken place. We here at G. E. Re looking to flood the emerging market by introducing a new product, in turn creating brand loyalty. This is why we are going to take a cost-oriented pricing approach when developing our product before developing a profit-oriented pricing method. 21 Using these methods we hope to establish a retail value of $2,000 – $2,500 which will satisfy both the needs of our company and customers. What promotional strategies are used for your rotund? The promotional strategies that we will implement for The Catch will include advertising, personal selling, and direct marketing.

Discuss a dilemma from a legal and professional viewpoint Essay

Discuss a dilemma from a legal and professional viewpoint - Essay Example Assessing Capacity f. Key Points about Mental Capacity Act (2005) g. UK Statutes of Law 3. Professional Implications of the Case a. Mental Capacity in Medical Profession b. Consent to Treatment c. Principles of Medical Laws d. Medical Principles 4. Conclusion Mental Capacity and Consent Scenario in Clinical Practice Alexander James is a 19 years old deaf teenager admitted in a mental institution for paranoid personality. Alexander was born deaf and abused by his siblings and friends because of his disability. He grew up believing that everyone is trying to plot a mischief against him. James’ parents admitted him in the mental institution because his paranoid disorder affected his academics, social life and relationships with other people. While at the mental institution, Alexander’s mental disorder intensified when he saw doctors communicating and laughing. He thought that they were laughing at his disability and were plotting to harmful activities against him with thei r medical practice. James became violent towards the mental health providers and other patients. He was sedated and kept in isolation while his mental health treatment began. During his treatment, James was diagnosed with early symptoms of leukemia. Doctors summoned his parents and informed him that immediate treatment would eliminate the cancer. However, James refused this treatment because he believed that God intentionally planned for his deafness and leukemia, which means that he wanted the cancer to take its own course. The doctors respected James wishes in the presence of an attorney and he received hospice care for the remaining months. In 1994 in England, a similar case of mental capacity and consent occurred when a 68 years old man refused treatment. The case is referred to as Re C (Adult: Refusal of Treatment) [1994] 1 WLR 290, where Mr. C was confined in a mental hospital because of a prolonged paranoid schizophrenia (Tan 4). He further explains that Mr. C had a gangrenou s foot that threatened his wellbeing if untreated by amputation. However, Mr. C refused treatment and filed a case to deter doctors from amputating his foot in future. Justice Thorpe ruled in his favor because his delusions and mental illness did not affect his capacity to listen, understand and make solid judgments about his desires (Tan 4). Legal Implications of the Case In the case of James and the medical professionals in the mental institution, his wishes and beliefs were granted after a thorough consultation. Below is a discussion and analysis of the impact of James’ case on UK’s legal system. Capacity in Law Capacity is legally defined as individuals’ ability and freedom to make their own decisions or take necessary actions that will affect their own lives (Law 2). She further explains that the Law Commission of UK implemented a Mental Capacity Act that empowered and encouraged people to make their own decisions about important issues in their lives. Pati ents in the UK that refuse emergency treatment must be legally competent by exhibiting a high capacity. The wishes of these patients are respected after proving to the court that they have mental stability to reason clearly and deliberate (Buchanan 2). They should hold appropriate objectives and values concerning their refusal of treatment. The law requires patients that refuse emergency medical care to appreciate and acknowledge their current circumstances. Patients are required to understand the information presented by their doctors and finally communicate their desired choice,

Impact of One Child Policy for Chinese Society Research Paper

Impact of One Child Policy for Chinese Society - Research Paper Example This is due to the forced abortions and sterilizations in China. Moreover, the neglect and abandonment of a girl child in China has caused sharp criticisms against this policy. More significant is the fact that China’s one-child-per-couple policy has been included in the country’s legislation on demographic strategy (Chen 74). This research paper gives a critical analysis and discussion of China’s one-child-per-couple policy with a view of demonstrating its impact on the Chinese society. The background to this policy, conflicts arising out of it and the awareness of the generation on this policy and its impacts are also presented within the paper. Background of the Policy The idea of birth control was introduced in China in the 1950s by a group of various non party intellectuals. This idea is argued to be the origin of China’s one child policy. In the book, The New Population Theory, Professor Yinchu Ma in 1957 argued that the control of the population wou ld be the solution to the problems in child and maternal health. Professor Yinchu Ma also pointed out that the regulation of population growth will reduce the mortality rates within the society. The initial years of the Chinese New Republic was characterized by leaders who revealed support for the control of population growth. This is because leaders in the government attributed the country’s rapid growth of its population as a threat to its food surplus and economic growth (Waldmeir 1). Birth control began to be popularized, especially in the densely populated parts of China. Moreover, propaganda was included in the desire for birth control and reduction of population growth rate. This is demonstrated by the campaigns in the 1960s which popularized and promoted two child family and late marriage (Li, Junjian and Junsen 1535). The birth control policy in China grew from the voluntary birth control programs which were promoted by various social campaigns. Later, the control of population became a state based affair (McLoughlin 305). This was motivated by the rapid rise in the Chinese population, especially in the 1970s, when the additional 250 million people were registered within China. The state governed birth control began as an extension of abortion and contraceptive services to China’s rural areas. This extended into glorification long intervals between child birth, smaller families and later marriages (Chow, Esther and Zhao 37). These campaigns and programs yielded fruits in 1975 when the fertility rate in the rural and urban communities fell below 4% and 1.8% respectively (Yang 320). Nonetheless, the government officials depicted that further growth of the population was inherently inevitable. This is due to the fact that about half of the Chinese society was below the age of 21 years. This was affirmed by the 1982 census which disclosed a 1 billion growth in the Chinese population (Chen 75). Officials predicted that if the trend of populat ion growth persisted, the Chinese population would exceed 1.4 billion people in the turn of the century (McLoughlin 307). The rapid growth of the population was now seen as an apparent thereat to China’s ambitions and strategic plans for economic growth and modernization. As a result of this, in 1979, the one child policy emerged in China. This policy was announced officially in 1980 by the

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Abstract Assignment - Research Paper Example Additional information negating the use of such processed foods as will be discussed into depth in the main document are addressed by Adam Mike who says that processed foods lack nutrients needed in the body as natural contents are stripped off during the manufacturing process; process foods also contain metabolic disrupting ingredients that resultantly cause brain damage, diabetes and cancer; and lastly, such foods do not take in the place of nature given food because of the process through which they undergo during processing. Steroid hormones in processed food are suspected to be the culprit in early puberty among girls (Richard L. Curtis L. and Davis J., 2008). Using antibiotics in farm animals as growth promoter will be seen to have side effects of antibiotics such as the resistance to Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni and enterococci. In summery therefore, going through this research paper will give you (the reader) a critically researched, analyzed, d eveloped and documented research report that argues both for and against the subject matter based on the relevant resource materials that will be included in the in-text citations and reference section for further reading. The views drawn and decisions reached after will be explicitly expressed in the conclusion section of the

Wenz view on Consumption and Consumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wenz view on Consumption and Consumerism - Essay Example According to Wenz, he distinguishes the aspects of both the anthropocentrism and non-anthropocentrism affecting the environmental standard of the economy. The mentalities of the people are usually centered toward the development of their standard of living and increase the per-capita income. Human beings forget to progress hand in hand with the nature. The materialistic desires of the industrialists and the high-income group of people erases out the thinking power to contribute to environment as such. The improvement of environment and the wildlife have become the least important factor in this race for monopolistic concentration of wealth. Wenz states that due to the far-stretching hands of market and extending the limits of consumerism, the valuable resources are getting scare and exploited gradually. This is also bringing frustration to buy a highly marketed good and correspondingly the level of smooth working is also interrupted. Every property, if publicly hold faces the â€Å" problem of commons†( â€Å"Reconciling environmental ethics and political value†). This leads to the damage and reduction of the property value. The sustainability of the environment receives a negative feedback in respect to the current and the future generation. With the loss of these natural resources, people in the present time period enjoys the benefits but finally leaving nothing for the upcoming generation in the next period. This thought, to work for the improvement of the social animals is causing harm to the long-term strategy of the economy. Even, in the view from the non-anthropocentric people who are engaged in the welfare of and endangered species yield economic and environmental conflicts in the society. It may happen that to save a particular species and promote the welfare of them might lead to the slaughtering of another species of plants or animals causing a misbalance in the

Comparative Analysis Essay Example for Free

Comparative Analysis Essay Abstract We are in what is known at the Information Era. The Information Era is the ability to exchange information in a manner that is effective and efficient. Information is important to the way we do things. It gives instructions on what to do and how to do it. There are many different genres of communications. They all provide different information in different situations In today’s society, there are a number of different communication genres. Each communication genre is meant to provide certain information to a certain group of people. In this paper, I will discuss five different communications genres. I compare rules and regulations, policy handbook, policy manual, policy guide and policy memorandum. I will discuss the similarities and difference in each genre, discourse conventions used. Genre is the means by which communications are sent out. â€Å"Genres are categories or forms into which documents and websites are grouped together based on written and visual characteristics they have in common, and which readers associate with them. Genres are valuable because their predictable forms and consistency aid in reading comprehension and efficiency. Genres help readers grasp information quickly and effectively. † (Allison and Williams 2008). Each of the genres that I will discuss relates to rules, policies and procedures specific to different events. The first is rules and regulations. Rules and regulations is a principle that regulates or controls conduct. Rules and regulations are most often used for sports or contests. Rules and regulations are used by referees (in sporting events), players, as well as fans. Next, there is the policy handbook. A policy handbook is usually a set of rules and regulations provided to an employee of company or to students enrolled in school. The policy handbook provides information on things such as an attendance policy, compensation and pay, drug and alcohol policy, leaves of absence, etc. Next there is the policy manual is more detailed than a policy handbook. The policy manual includes procedures and instructions on completing particular tasks. For instance, a policy manual would give an employee the instructions on providing technical support for a computer malfunction. Other forms of communications genres are policy guide and policy memorandum. A policy guide is a document that contains the current policies and guidelines of an organization. This document is also used for the internal employees of an organization or company. Finally there is a policy memorandum. A policy memorandum informs employees or even customers of an organization of changes to current policies. The policy memorandum will let you know what the policy is, the changes that were made to the policy and when the change will take effect. Each of these genres is similar in that they all provide direction, rules and regulations to certain events or jobs. The discourse conventions used in each of these documents are very similar. Each genre can be used in any one field or even multiples fields. Most of the genres that have been discussed are intended for internal use. Rules and regulations, policy handbook, policy manual, and policy guide are generally used by employees or a company or organization. They detail internal regulations and policies. The information contained in these documents will be more technical and important to how the company is run. This information in most cases will not affect external users. Policy memorandum is a document that may be important to both internal and external users. References Allison, Libby. , Williams, F. Miriam (2008). Writing for the Government http://www. jpkf. org/JPKF-Policy-Guide/index. htm http://wilcoxen. maxwell. insightworks. com/pages/275. html

Plantation Mistress Essay Example for Free

Plantation Mistress Essay In the book, â€Å"Plantation Mistress† (Clinton, 1984) by author Catherine Clinton, it seems that Clinton desires to express her disapproval for the manner in which women were treated so harshly.   She talks about maids brought to our country during the year 1620 and in Clinton’s writing, it is extremely interesting how she gathered her information for this book from letters that were written so many years ago, and even from diaries, suggesting that women from that ancient time period weren’t treated as equals in the deep South and in this slave era and time in our history, the author relays to her readers that there is evidence that cruelty did take place toward women and practices such as using females as workhorses shouldn’t have been acceptable in any time period. Also, many of these women referred to as mistresses weren’t taken care of properly and didn’t even receive the necessary and basic essentials, such as proper toiletries or food. They were treated like second class citizens and weren’t considered as good as men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We gather a   new appreciation for maids as we read Clinton’s writing and feel regret for those who had to suffer because of neglect and misunderstanding. Clinton teaches us that all humans were created as equals and all women and the slaves from that same time period were regarded less than human.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s interesting to be able to read some of those old letters that were written so many years ago so that we have a greater appreciation for women who lived on these plantations in the deep South.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  REFERENCE PAGE Clinton, Catherine. (1984). Plantation Mistress. Pantheon.

Roland barthes and his semiotic theory

Roland barthes and his semiotic theory Abstract Roland Barthes (1915 – 1980) is one of the most recognised names in the field of Semiotics. His Semiotic Theory has been the inspiration behind many aspiring students and teachers alike. His rise to fame coincided with the release of his 1957 book Mythologies, which was a collection of essays he had authored. The public was so fascinated by his ideas that his opinion was often sort in the public arena. Signs range from speech, body language and symbols to paintings, music and Morse code. Barthes Semiotic Theory broke down the process of reading signs and focused on their interpretation by different cultures or societies. According to Barthes, signs had both a signifier, being the physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses and the signified, or meaning that is interpreted. Barthes also believed that every ideological sign is either a Denotative sign system or a Connotative sign system. A Denotative sign, which is a strictly descriptive system, is the result of the signifier image and the signified concept combining. A Connotative sign is one that has lost its historical meaning. This could be due to a number of things including: changes in culture or terminology, an event, or even just evolution. Semiotic Theory is an ‘Interpretive theory that can be applied to most aspects of everyday life although most people would not realise it. Introduction Purpose The purpose of this report is to gain insight into the world of Roland Barthes in terms of a brief timeline of his life. Also of particular focus will be to gain a basic outline and understanding of his Semiotic Theory. This will include the key issues involved in the theory, along with its application in everyday life and an evaluation of the theory. A few of my own views on this theory will also be included. Scope This report will focus on the basic concepts of Barthes Semiotic Theory. It will only look into the most basic concepts as going into great detail would involve a much more involved and lengthy research process given its complexity. An attempt to gain an understanding of the theory will be sort in order to assess it relevance in todays society. Limitations In the process of researching this topic it quickly became apparent that it would be difficult to gain a clear and concise understanding of it. The availability of ‘easy to read information sources seemed few and far between, with the majority of available material worded in a nature that was at times impossible to decipher. It was also found that many of Barthes work is not freely available, access to it was more than once accompanied with a monetary contribution of some sort. Research Methods A number of different research methods were used in the acquirement of information for this report, all with varying success. The primary source was the internet because of its easily accessible pool of information. Using this method it was possible to gain immediate information on most topics, although it did occasionally have its limitations. The use of books was also another primary information source. Finding books that were easy to read was difficult but a number of them were of great aid. Periodicals were also used to acquire information although the available articles were of little use due to the nature of the language and terminology used. Structure of the Report This report will first outline the life and times of Roland Barthes including his upbringing and education. It will then go on to outline his Semiotic Theory and describe some of its most basic concepts. This will flow on into how the theory can be applied to everyday life as well as an evaluation. Literature Review Book Reference One Hall, S. (2007). This Means This, This Means That. A Users Guide to Semiotics. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. Summary Although this book uses fairly basic language to describe the concepts it is trying to portray, it does not ‘water down the text so much as to make you feel stupid. Given that semiotics can be quite a difficult subject to explain, this book does a decent job of explaining a number of different concepts with graphical examples. The graphical examples it supplies helps to give a greater understanding of the idea/s that is being put across, and gives readers the opportunity to first interpret what they are viewing from their own perspective, before reading the explanation describing the theory behind the graphic, or sign. This interaction gets the reader involved in a lot of creative thinking which is a great way to re-enforce the points and concepts being laid out by the text. Given its graphical nature, this book will also be extremely useful for presentation purposes. Accuracy and Validity The author of this book, Sean Hall, is the Leader in Contextual Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. Although not a ‘big name in semiotics, his previous studies, academic status, and proven track record in research goes a long way to proving the accuracy and validity of his work. The extensive bibliography provided in this book shows that he has sourced many areas for his research and consulted many different individuals. Semiotics is a subject that has no body of knowledge to fall back on. For this reason it is difficult to determine whether or not any information is accurate as everything about semiotics is subjective and open to scrutiny. Book Reference Two Cobley, P., Jansz, L. (2004). Introducing Semiotics. (2nd ed.). Singapore: Tien Wah Press Ltd. Summary I found this book to be rather difficult to follow due to the nature of the layout. It is set out in almost a comic style, or storyboard type approach, which can be a little difficult to follow at times. This is also not helped by the absence of a contents page, forcing the investigation of particular ‘ideas to be located through the index at the back of the book, or else recalling exactly where in the book that it was originally read. It is difficult to determine exactly what information will be useful from this book. Some information, such as that about particular theorists, will be somewhat helpful; however, many of the other concepts covered may not be of any use due to the difficulty of finding it again – and the comic book type nature. One topic, which is covered at the beginning of the book, is a pre-history of semiotics. This information is extremely helpful as information of this nature has been difficult to locate. As previously stated, this book opens up with a brief history and a little about the very first researchers in the area of semiotics. It then goes on to outline how some of the earlier historical figures contributed to the early understanding and significance of signs. This is followed by an attempt to give an understanding of the concepts involved with semiotics and also includes reference to some of the more recent researchers of this field, including Roland Barthes. Accuracy and Validity Dr Paul Cobley, the man responsible for the text in this book, is a Senior Lecturer in Communication at London Guildhall University. He has authored as number of books in the area of Semiotics as well as Communication Theory, and his record in these areas is exceptional. I have found that a lot of his work has been used as reference by many of the other information sources I have used. This shows that his work is highly regarded by many in the field, and that the accuracy and validity of his work is widely recognised. Library Database Reference One Petrilli,S.(2008). On Communication: Contributions to the Human Sciences and to Humanism from Semiotics Understood as Semioethics.The American Journal of Semiotics,24(4),193-236.Retrieved August 7, 2009 from Research Library. (Document ID:1608836621). Summary This article was extremely difficult to decipher and not very helpful. For this reason I find it particularly challenging to review it as it made little to no sense to me. This article was chosen more out of necessity than anything else as finding useful database articles proofed to be difficult. Accuracy and Validity Susan Petrilli teaches Semiotics and Philosophy of Language at the Department of Linguistic Practices and Text Analysis at Bari University, Italy. Her list of studies and publications is extensive, as is her work in the translation of research done by Charles Morris and Thomas A. Sebeok from English to Italian. There is little doubt that information sourced from Susan Petrilli is viable, it is just a shame that in this case it was of little use as it was not valid. Library Database Reference Two Petrilli,S.(2008). The Relation with Morris in Rossi-Landis and Sebeoks Approach to Signs1.The American Journal of Semiotics,24(4),89-121.Retrieved August 7, 2009 from Research Library. (Document ID:1608836581). Summary This article authored by Susan Petrilli and featured in The American Journal of Semiotics, outlines the work done by Ferruccio Rossi-Landi and Thomas Sebeok, which in turn was based on the work of Charles Morris. Charles Morris (1901 – 1979), is quite a controversial character in the world of Semiotics. Some credit him with the recognition of Semiotics as a science field, and others accuse him of copying the work of another theorist, Charles Peirce. Either way, the work he did or didnt do was influential in the works of other theorists. It gave new direction and recognition to semiotics and helped pave the way for future study and research. Both Ferruccio Rossi-Landi and Thomas Sebeok have helped to advance the science of semiotics but it is important to highlight that the work they have done was in most cases an extension of Morriss research. This article highlights that fact and expands on it in much greater detail. Whether or not this article will directly influence my studies is debatable, it does however, give a greater understanding about the evolution of semiotics and how it came to be recognised. Accuracy and Validity Susan Petrilli teaches Semiotics and Philosophy of Language at the Department of Linguistic Practices and Text Analysis at Bari University, Italy. Her list of studies and publications is extensive, as is her work in the translation of research done by Charles Morris and Thomas A. Sebeok from English to Italian. Web Article Reference One Barthes, R (1957). Mythologies: The World of Wrestling. Retrieved 1 September, 2009 from http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/theory/Barthes-Mythologies-Wrestling-1957.pdf Summary Having access to an actual essay by Roland Barthes proved to be a great help in the research process. This essay picked apart a wrestling event by applying his theories to it. It was an excellent way to explain certain aspects of the theory. This ranged from the physical appearance of the competitors and their general mannerisms, to the cultural or public interpretation of what was unfolding before them. It explained the theatrical side of wrestling and how it is catered to the needs of its audience. Everybody at the event knows what is going on because of the different signs expresses by the ‘actors. Accuracy and Validity Given that this report is based on Roland Barthes theory, the accuracy and validity of the information needs little clarification. Everything in this report is based on his ideas and concepts so the accuracy needs not be questioned. Web Article Reference Two Wikipedia.(2009). Roland Barthes. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Barthes Summary This article on Roland Barthes was a great starting point in the research process. Without being too technical it gave a nice brief outline about Roland Barthes including a little about his works and theory. Accuracy and Validity Not always an accurate source of information, I was initially reluctant to take any information from Wikipedia at face value. However, this did slowly change as my research went on and verification of the content was discovered. The great thing about Wikipedia is that it has its own references meaning that it paves the way for more in depth research. Findings Roland Barthes Roland Barthes is considered to be one of the biggest names in Semiotics and much of his work has been the primary inspiration and information source for many aspiring students, as well as teachers, in the field of Semiotics. Born in Cherbough, France, on the 12th of November 1915, Roland Barthes had what he called â€Å"Not an unhappy youth†. Less than a year after his birth his father was killed in a naval accident forcing his mother to move with him to Bayonne. Here he spent the early part of his childhood before moving again in 1924, this time to Paris. It was in Paris that he attended school at Lycà ©e Louis-le-Grand and Lycà ©e Montaigne, both being well renowned secondary schools in France. In 1934 he contracted Tuberculosis and spent a number of years in Sanatoriums. Although this often meant he was unable to undertake his doctorate studies, it did give him the time to pursue other interests, the most dominant being reading, â€Å"What else did you ha ve to do except read?† He also started to do a little writing and cofounded the magazine Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre populaire. There was one positive to come out of his ill health – it kept him out of military service during World War II. Barthes went on to study at the Historic University of Paris, or Sorbonne, where he received a degree in Classical literature, as well as in grammar and philology. This was followed by various teaching positions including appointments in France, Romania and Egypt. He had made an intentional avoidance of major degree awarding universities throughout his career which lead to these ‘unusual posts. In 1957, Barthes had a book called Mythologies released. In this publication Barthes used the concepts of semiotics to analyse myths and signs in contemporary culture. The release of this book coincided with the rapid rise of fame for Barthes. The ideas and concepts within the book seemed to strike a chord with scholars and the general public. This pop ularity lead to material from the book being referred to in newspapers, films, shows, and exhibitions. Auto manufacturer Renault found his work so compelling that they temporarily hired him as an advertising consultant. During the early 1960s, Barthes spent much of his time exploring the fields of semiology and structuralism. This was accompanied by various faculty positions around France and a continuation in the production of his more full length studies. During his career, Roland Barthes published more essays than substantial studies. He often presented his views in a concise, subjective way that differed from the theoretical approach used by the majority of scholars. It was this approach that not only made him a standout in various fields but also a somewhat controversial character. Many other academics and theorists had a love hate relationship with him. Roland Barthes died on the 25th of March 1980 from injuries succumbed from being hit by a van a month earlier. Outline Of Roland Barthes Semiotic Theory Among other fields studied by Roland Barthes, his Semiotic Theory is one of the most famous and well renowned. Although he changed his mind about the way signs work more than once over his career, most practitioners follow the concepts of his original theory. Semiotics, or Semiology as it is often referred to, is concerned with anything that can stand for something else. It is the study of sign processes, meaning what signs signify and how, what signs are communicating, as well as how meaning is constructed and understood. In short it is the study of everything to do with signs. Although arguably not a recognised field until the work of Charles Morris, Semiotics can be applied to almost every aspect of life because it is an interpretation of everything around us. Signs are not only the visual aspect that we all immediately think of but also extends to include areas such as gestures or body language, music, clothes, poetry, paintings, Morse code, food, and graffiti. These are all cons idered to be signs that fall into the category of Semiotics because they can all mean something other than the obvious. For example, an apple can mean healthy and a crown can mean king. These meaning are however, very dependent on the context in which they are referred too. Spots on your chest need to be deciphered in a medical context and road signs will be judged in a transport context. According to Barthes theory, every ideological sign is either a Denotative sign system or a Connotative sign system. A Denotative sign, which is a strictly descriptive system, is the result of the signifier image and the signified concept combining. In other words the apple is the signifier and healthy is the signified. A Connotative sign is one that has lost its historical meaning. This could be due to a number of things including: changes in culture or terminology, an event, or even just evolution. It is important to note that Barthes description of a sign as the correlation between the signifier and the signified came directly from the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure. The best way to describe the difference between the signifier and signified may be to refer to Barthes essay ‘The World of Wrestling which was published in his 1957 book Mythologies. In this essay he describes the image portrayed by the wrestlers and the resulting portrayal by the fans resulting from the wrestlers image. As Barthes (1957) states: As soon as the adversaries are in the ring, the public is overwhelmed with the obviousness of the roles. As in the theatre, each physical type expresses to excess the part which has been assigned to the contestant. Thauvin, a fifty-year-old with an obese and sagging body The nausea voluntarily provoked by Thauvin shows therefore a very extended use of signs: not only is ugliness used here in order to signify baseness, but in addition ugliness is wholly gathered into a particularly repulsive quality of matter I know from the start that all of Thauvins actions, his treacheries, cruelties and acts of cowardice, will not fail to measure up to the first image of ignobility he gave me; I can trust him to carry out intelligently and to the last detail all the gestures of a kind of amorphous baseness, and thus fill to the brim the image of the most repugnant bastard there is: the bastard-octopus (p.2). This description of the wrestler Thauvin contains a number of signifiers. His physical image: â€Å"fifty-year-old with an obese and sagging body† accompanied by his general mannerisms, are all signifiers. The immediate impression gained by these signifiers lead us to the signified â€Å" all of Thauvins actions, his treacheries, cruelties and acts of cowardice, will not fail to measure up to the first image of ignobility he gave me†. The impression we gain of ugliness and evil by way of the signifier and signified form an image of a villain – which is the sign. This example of a Denotative Sign System is easily dissected because of its theatrical nature. The ability to clearly define the signifier and signified, and therefore the sign, is not always so easily achieved. Application of Theory Semiotic Theory can be applied to many aspects of everyday life and includes activities carried out by most people. Signs have become a part of everyday living and are everywhere. In many societies they are essential, for without them there would be chaos. A simple task such as driving from A to B could become a real nightmare without knowing where you are going, what the road rules are, or how fast your car is travelling. The application of signs in society gives us rules and order. But signs are not always so clearly displayed, read, or interpreted. A married couple can tell each others sad state of mind whereas anyone else may not realise that anything is wrong or out of place. A farmer can tell a sick animal from a healthy one, others will see absolutely no difference. A systems analyst will interpret the clients needs better than a programmer (in most cases). More often than not experience in reading or interpreting a sign is essential in gaining meaning to it and a better understanding of what it is trying to get across. If signs were always clearly interpreted, the number of system projects failing wouldnt be so great; a clear thorough understanding of what is needed would be more easily obtained. Evaluation of Theory Semiotic Theory seems to be based on a mainly Interpretive Approach but does include a small number of Scientific or Objective Approach qualities. The process of deciphering a sign involves many interpretive aspects. While a particular symbol may mean something in one culture, it may mean something different in another. It is how that culture interprets that symbol which determines its meaning. An example can be taken from ‘The World of Wrestling essay by Barthes, â€Å"As soon as the adversaries are in the ring, the public is overwhelmed with the obviousness of the roles.† (p.2). That particular culture (public) has a clear interpretation of what they think the wrestlers are portraying. This is clarified further on in the essay: â€Å"It has already been noted that in America wrestling represents a sort of mythological fight between Good and Evil (of a quasi-political nature, the bad wrestler always being supposed to be a Red [Communist]).† ( Barthes, 1957, p.3). This tells us clearly that it is the American publics interpretation of events which gives the desired meaning or effect. The same ‘show being played out in another culture will likely have very different results. This clearly shows an example of ‘Clarification of Values. Over the course of his career, Barthes reviewed his theory and even changed his mind about certain aspects. This ‘evolution as it has been referred to, shows that it was very much under scrutiny and social reform. Given that it in no way could be ‘scientifically tested, many other scholars or likewise had their own opinion on Semiotic Theory – some for and other against. Either way, it was all very much how it was interpreted. Conclusion Summary of Points Roland Barthes (1915 – 1980) is one of the most recognised names in the field of Semiotics. His Semiotic Theory has been the inspiration behind many aspiring students and teachers alike. His rise to fame coincided with the release of his 1957 book Mythologies, which was a collection of essays he had authored. The public was so fascinated by his ideas that his opinion was often sort in the public arena. Signs range from speech, body language and symbols to paintings, music and Morse code. Barthes Semiotic Theory broke down the process of reading signs and focused on their interpretation by different cultures or societies. According to Barthes, signs had both a signifier, being the physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses and the signified, or meaning that is interpreted. Barthes also believed that every ideological sign is either a Denotative sign system or a Connotative sign system. A Denotative sign, which is a strictly descriptive system, is the result of the signifier image and the signified concept combining. A Connotative sign is one that has lost its historical meaning. This could be due to a number of things including: changes in culture or terminology, an event, or even just evolution. Semiotic Theory is an ‘Interpretive theory that can be applied to most aspects of everyday life although most people would not realise it. A Critique of the Theory Roland Barthes often caused controversy because of his often non-scholarly point of view, and the subjective nature of his essays. Barthes 1963 study ‘Sur Racine was one such series of works that caused such controversy. Another ‘Racine scholar name Raymond Picard, took particular exception to this work and criticised Barthes approach in some of his work. In turn, Barthes responded by writing an essay which implied that criticism should become a ‘science. Generally such criticism of Barthes work was rare, and his approach often had fellow scholars intrigued. It is my opinion that this theory is an over-analysis of what should be a simple act of reading a sign. Constantly analysing every aspect of life would easily become very painstaking and I can imagine some ‘enjoyment of life would be lost due to this. The concept of the signifier and signified forming the sign seems relatively simple in theory and if left at that would be. The constant in-depth analysis of even the simplest of tasks seems to be rather pedantic and unnecessary – hence the reason I am not a Semiotic Theorist. Glossary Of Terms Amorphous – Having no definite form. Baseness – Despicable, Untrustworthy, Treacherous. Connotative – In Semiotics connotation arises when the denotative relationship between a signifier and its signified is inadequate to serve the needs of the community. Connotative Sign System – A mythic sign that has lost its historical referent; form without substance. Denotative In semiotics, denotation is the surface or literal meaning encoded to a signifier. Denotative Sign System A descriptive sign without ideological content. Ideology – Knowledge presented as common sense or natural, especially when its social construction is ignored or suppressed. Ignobility – Not noble in quality, character or purpose. Myth – The connotative meaning that signs carry wherever they go; myth makes what is cultural seem natural. Philology the study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature. Sanatorium – an institution for treating chronic diseases, typically tuberculosis. Sign – The inseparable combination of the signifier and the signified. Signified – The meaning we associate with the sign. The idea or thing that that the Signifier represents. Signifier – The physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses; an image, object or word being referred too. References / Bibliography Amazon.com. (2009). Universe of the Mind: A Semiotic Theory of Culture. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://www.amazon.com/Universe-Mind-Semiotic-Theory-Culture/dp/025321405X Australia Donna. (2009). Susan Petrilli. Retrieved August 7, 2009 from http://www.australiadonna.on.net/english/prof/petrilli.htm Barthes, R (1957). Mythologies: The World of Wrestling. Retrieved 1 September, 2009 from http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/theory/Barthes-Mythologies-Wrestling-1957.pdf Chandler, D. (2002). Semiotics: The Basics. Great Britain: Routledge. Chandler, D. (2005). Semiotics for Beginners. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem01.html Cobley, P., Jansz, L. (2004). Introducing Semiotics. (2nd ed.). Singapore: Tien Wah Press Ltd. Goldsmiths, University of London. (2008). Hall, Sean. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.gold.ac.uk/design/staff/hall/ Griffin, E. (2009). A First Look at Communication Theory. (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Hall, S. (2007). This Means This, This Means That. A Users Guide to Semiotics. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. Halton, E. (1992). Charles Morris A Brief Outline of His Philosophy with relations to semiotics, pragmatics, and linguistics. Retrieved August 7, 2009 from http://www.nd.edu/~ehalton/Morrisbio.htm Liukkonen, P. (2008). Roland Barthes (1915 – 1980). Retrieved September 1, 2009 from http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rbarthes.htm London Metropolitan University. (2009). Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design. Staff Research: Media and Communication. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/jcamd/research/staff-research/mc/paul-cobley.cfm No Author. (1992). Websters Dictionary. (1992 ed.) United States of America: Leisure Entertainment Service Co Inc. Petrilli,S.(2008). On Communication: Contributions to the Human Sciences and to Humanism from Semiotics Understood as Semioethics.The American Journal of Semiotics,24(4),193-236.Retrieved August 7, 2009 from Research Library. (Document ID:1608836621). 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