Sarah Orne Jewett’s description of a New England town in the passage ‘The Country of the Pointed Firs’

Writing in the nineteenth century, Sarah Orne Jewett adopts one of the most contemporaneous literary devices in ‘The Country of the Pointed Firs,' producing a realistic portrayal of American life, whilst setting her scene specifically in the New England town of Dunnet Landing. Various authors of this period embraced this variation of ‘realism' known as ‘regionalism' due to its potential for the exploration of particular social issues, matters which could not be portrayed as effectively without a physical setting to intensify their significance. Caroline Zilboorg outlines this literary movement as often including ‘vivid depictions of particular experience' one which explores ‘the meaning of age, race, class and gender as well as region. ‘ Although undertaking this technique of regionalist writing, the landscape Jewett writes about is merely a small garden at the back of a New England village house, whereas the majority of authors engage in writing about significantly larger and more expansive areas. Despite this, Jewett is just as able to employ her chosen area in the exploration of the attitudes and beliefs in those living there. The narrator's tone varies through the piece, initially perceiving the garden and its contents with little more than acknowledgement of its presence, describing it rather cynically as being ‘retired and sheltered. ‘ However, as the narrator continues to describe the surroundings, the reader gains the impression that the garden is of greater significance even to the narrator than originally thought. The narrator's tone appears to gain a nostalgic tone as the description progresses, almost as the speaker is being overwhelmed by the sheer abundance of its contents. To reinforce this, the narrator's depiction first appears to be rather vague and uninteresting, yet speedily becomes a vivid portrayal of all that is alive in the confined space. The reader gains a sense that almost as though against his will, the narrator has become enraptured by his surroundings, first focusing on the queerness of the arrangement of greenery, then pausing to admire the sea-breezes laden with the sweet smells of various herbs. This detailed contrast to the rather simplistic introduction provokes the reader into wondering why the narrator seems reluctant to take pleasure in surroundings which he obviously recognises as beautiful. The narrator's own words delineate him as being a keen admirer of the garden, finding himself ‘confronted with great pride and pleasure in the display,' yet the opening sentences reveal the speaker's more withdrawn perception of a landscape he later admits finding picturesque. The latter half of the text indicates the narrator's desire discontinue ‘seein' folk,' yet the manner in which he describes the garden suggests that the opening paragraph was merely a method of convincing himself that this is indeed what he wants. This sceptical attitude is dissolved however and replaced with nostalgic reminiscing once the splendour has been rediscovered. The structure of the piece reinforces this idea, for the length sentences serve to have the effect of almost drawing the reader into the body of the text, paralleling the narrator's feelings of being redrawn into the garden he desires to leave. Due to the sheer amount of detailed features contained within the garden, the narrator's portrayal begins with one basic aspect, in this instance ‘two or three hollyhocks and some London-pride were pushed back against the gray-shingled wall,' which eventually progresses into a vivid account of the true subject matter, in this case the narrator's companion, Mrs Todd. Such a methods is similar to that of author Robert Frost, likewise a keen writer of New England landscape. Frost similarly starts with a simple concept such as an explicit description of a scene or a narrator's surroundings which subsequently develops into a more complex depiction of either the narrator himself or how the scene affects his mood. Jewett likewise begins with a description of the greenery which builds up into unintentionally revealing the narrator's feelings towards his companion. The speaker's portrayal of Mrs Todd therefore begins with a general description, picturing her as ‘ a very large person', ‘an ardent lover of herbs. Already in this basic depiction, the narrator unconsciously begins to explore the character of Mrs Todd through his comprehensive language, using words such as ‘ardent' to portray to the reader how highly Mrs Todd values her garden. Her care of the garden, and her assistance to the local community in the form of herbal remedies pictures her as a caring welcoming woman, yet, her statue and overall presence reveal a more domineering eve n controlling persona. Jewett states that ‘her full skirts brushed and bent all the rest,' (of the flowers her feet missed. ) It has been suggested as an enforcement of this point, that her responsibility in caring for the garden also portrays a more authoritative side to her character, a subconscious desire to dominate. In this respect, it is both Mrs Todd and the narrator who subconsciously feel drawn by the garden and what it represents. Nevertheless, Mrs Todd can be seen as a mothering figure, from the rounded figure to her name, depicting her a warm and welcoming character. Additionally, the reader openly recognises Mrs Todd's wisdom, yet only mentions her knowledge concerning the usage of herbs and other such greenery. The reader however, can note that Mrs Todd also appears to be a more ‘worldly' figure than merely knowledgeable on plant life, for she does not show any ill feelings towards the speaker, instead becomes ‘more wistfully affectionate than ever. ‘ Her understanding response to the narrator's decision to leave enforces her kindly character, yet ironically may make it harder for the speaker to leave in such pleasant circumstances. The reader can imagine that Mrs Todd what with her dedication to garden and contents would not be an companion the speaker would want to in any way disappoint or frustrate. Despite the narrator's eagerness to leave, the reader can assume that unknowingly, they have established their own terms between them, conveyed through the narrator's language, ‘what we called ‘seein' folks', and referring to ‘our business. ‘

ESPN

Company Culture and Environment When employees arrive to work at their Bristol, Connecticut Headquarters, they are greeted only by a small, unassuming sign that says, â€Å"Welcome to ESPN. † In a calculated and understated way, this sign is representative of the culture that pervades throughout the organization. Simply stated, ESPN, the company is about the fans and the sports, not ESPN. This statement offers a preview of sorts to a culture at ESPN that truly goes the extra mile in emphasizing customer satisfaction by offering its programming thru state-of the art program offerings thru multiple channels.A brand promise sums up the essence and meaning of a brand and how the brand connects to its consumers. ESPN’s promise of delivering â€Å"Sports, with Authority and Personality,† clearly outlines what they do, how they do it and what differentiates them from their competition. With respect to Sports, ESPN connects to its fans through many platforms, including m ultiple television and radio programs, internet applications including television online, restaurants, and numerous mobile applications.In doing so ESPN strives to consistently deliver unmatched quality that is strengthened by leadership and innovation. As an Authority in sports programming, ESPN emphasizes integrity, authenticity and expertise that is unparalleled in the industry. Regarding Personality, ESPN emphasizes throughout its organization, the effective use of humor, passion and community by expressing their affinity for its fans regardless of origin.While the brand promise of ESPN is certainly evident throughout all of its programming through all of its delivery channels, it is its hiring practices that appear to give the most obvious credence to the company living up to this promise. From its inception ESPN maintained a policy of hiring employees that were/are first and foremost sports fanatics. ESPN saw sees this as a critical factor in having its employees display the l evel of enthusiasm and knowledge that it wanted to promote and display its brand promise.They also see this as an equalizer of sorts whereby everyone who views ESPN, regardless of race, color education could relate with one another. Anthony Smith, a management consultant who has worked with ESPN for over 20 years and author of ESPN; The Company, sums up the environment and culture at ESPN best when he wrote; â€Å"I can think of few other companies that do as good a job of creating an atmosphere of fun and excitement for its people and its customers – maybe Southwest Airlines in the airline industry, Starbucks in the consumer goods space, or Apple and Google in high-tech.But it’s hard to surpass ESPN. † (Smith, P. xxiii, ESPN; The Company. ) This information, combined with information gathered through direct conversations with ESPN Marketing employees would strongly indicate that ESPN has done an outstanding job of entrenching its brand promise both internally a mongst its work-force and externally through its broadly scoped programming. From an internal branding perspective ESPN appears to have achieved what all companies strive for; to entrench its vision and culture that pervades throughout everything it does. Espn COMPANY Case ESPN: The Evolution of an Entertainment Brand In the 2004 movie Anchorman character Ron Burgundy ( Will Ferrell) auditions for a position on SportsCenter with the very new and lit-tle known network, ESPN ( Entertainment and Sports Programming Network). The year was 1979. After pronouncing the name of the network â€Å" Espen,† he then is shocked to find out that ESPN is a round- the- clock sports network. Through his laughter, he asserts that the concept is as ridiculous as a 24- hour cooking network or an all- music channel. â€Å" Seriously,† he shouts. This thing is going to be a financial and cultural disaster. SportsCenter . . . that’s just dumb! † While this comical sketch is fictitious, when a young college graduate named George Bodenheimer took a job in the mailroom at ESPN it 1981, it was for real. Today, Mr. Bodenheimer is president of the network that has become one of the biggest franchises in sports, not to mention one of the most successful and envied brands in the entertainment world. As a cable network, ESPN commands $ 2. 91 from cable operators for each subscriber every month. Compare that to $ 1. 7 for Fox Sports, 89 cents for TNT, and only 40 cents for CNN. The core ESPN channel alone is currently in more than 96 million homes. With that kind of premium power, it’s no wonder that ESPN shocked the world in 2006 by becoming the first cable network to land the coveted TV contract for Monday Night Football, which went on to become the highest rated cable series ever. But even with its three sibling channels ( ESPN2, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Classic), the ESPN cable network is only one piece of a bigger brand puzzle that has become Bodenheimer’s $ 6 billion sports empire.Through very savvy strategic planning, Bodenheimer is realizing his vision of taking quality sports content across the widest possible collection of media assets to reach sports fans wherever they may be. Employing a hands- off manage ment style, Bodenheimer has cultivated a brand that is brash, tech savvy, cre-ative, and innovative. He tells employees that ESPN belongs to all of them. He gives them the freedom to come up with their own ideas and push them forward. His only rule is that every new ideaand push them forward.His only rule is that every new idea must focus on fulfilling ESPN’s mission of reaching sports fans and making them happy. In the process, ESPN has become as recog-nized and revered by its customers as other megabrands such as Tide, Nike, and Coca- Cola are to theirs. Bodenheimer’s career- spanning dedication has grown ESPN to well over 50 businesses. The all- sports network has become a truly multiplatform brand, a rarity for any TV network. This growth has given ESPN tremendous reach. ESPN. com alone reaches 22. 4 million viewers a week.But even more stunning is the fact that during any seven- day period, 120 million people ages 12 to 64 interact with some ESPN medium. Here†™s a rundown of ESPN’s portfolio of brands: Television: ESPN has sprawled into six cable channels and other TV divisions that give it both a local ( ESPN Regional Television) and global ( ESPN International and ESPN Deportes) presence. It was one of the first networks to break new ground in HDTV with simulcast service for ESPN and ESPN2 and it still maintains the most HD programming content and highest level of HD viewership in sports.Cable operators and viewers alike consistently rank ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic above all other channels with respect to perceived value and programming quality. But perhaps one of the most innovative moves in all of tel-evision sports occurred in 2003, when ESPN content was inte-grated into its sibling network ABC. ESPN on ABC is now the home for the NBA Finals, NASCAR, NCAA football, NCAA bas-ketball, World Cup Soccer, British Open, and the IndyCar Series. Although ESPN has numerous cable channel brands, one program stands out as a brand in its own right. SportsCenter was ESPN’s first program.And with as many as 93 million view-ers each month, it remains the network’s flagship studio show. SportsCenter is the only nightly, full- hour sports news program. And whereas, in the past, ESPN has rebroadcast taped episodes of SportsCenter during the day, a new schedule incorporating nine straight hours of live SportsCenter everyday from 6 a. m. to 3 p. m. will begin in the fall of 2008. Outside the United States, ESPN airs 14 local versions of SportsCenter broadcast in eight languages. Radio: Whereas many radio formats are suffering, sports radio is thriving.And ESPN Radio is the nation’s largest sports radio network with 750 U. S. affiliates and more than 335 full- time stations. In addition to college and major league sports events, the network broadcasts syndicated sports talk shows, providing more than 9,000 hours of content annually. Publishing: ESPN The Magazine launched in 1998 and immedi-ately beg an carving out market share with its bold look, bright col-ors, and unconventional type, a combination consistent with its content. With the dominance of Sports Illustrated, many didn’t give ESPN’s magazine enture much of a chance. Within its first year, ESPN The Magazine was circulating 800,000 copies. Today, that number has ballooned two- and- a- half times to 2 million, whereas Sports Illustrated has remained at a stagnant 3. 3 million. At the same time, ESPN is making headway into one of the oldest of all media: books. Although ESPN Books is still waiting for a megaseller, because of the cross- marketing opportunities with the other arms of ESPN, this small division has consider-able marketing clout in a struggling industry. If they didn’t have the TV stuff and everything else, they’d be as hard-pressed as other publishers to make these books into major events,† said Rick Wolff, executive editor at Warner Books. Internet: ESPN. com is the leadin g sports Web site, and ESPNRadio. com is the most listened to online sports destination, boasting live streaming and 32 original podcasts each week. But the rising star in ESPN’s online portfolio is ESPN360. com, a subscription- based broadband offering that delivers high-quality, customized, on- demand video content.Not only can fans access content carried on ESPN’s other networks, but they also get exclusive content and sports video games. For the true sports fan, there’s nothing like it— it allows viewers to watch up to six different events at the same time choosing from live events for all major professional and college sports. Since ESPN360. com began service in 2006, this broadband effort has doubled its distribution and now reaches 20 million homes. Beyond working through its own Web sites, ESPN is exploring the limits of the Internet through an open distribu-tion venture with AOL.By providing ESPN content via a branded ESPN video player in AOLâ₠¬â„¢s portal, viewers have more access to ESPN’s content. But advertisers also benefit from a larger online audience than ever before. Mobile: In 2005, ESPN ventured in to one of its trickiest and riskiest brand extensions to date. Mobile ESPN was designed as ESPN’s own cell phone network, putting content into sports fans’ pockets 24/ 7. But after a year, the venture was far from breaking even and ESPN shut it down. However, even though Mobile ESPN is down, it’s not out.ESPN has capitalized on the lessons learned and started over with a different strategy. Today, ESPN provides real- time scores, stats, news, highlights, and even programming through every major U. S. carrier, with premium content available through Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm. Mobile ESPN also reaches an international audience of mobile customers through more than 35 international carriers. ESPN’s mission with its mobile venture is to â€Å" serve the sports fan any time, anywhere , and from any device. In fall 2007, it reached a major milestone in that goal when more people sought NFL content from its mobile- phone Web site than from its PC Web site. â€Å" We’re having extraordinary growth on ESPN. com’s NFL pages, but we’re also seeing extraordinary usage with mobile devices as well,† said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN Sports customer marketing and sales. Mr. Erhardt sees great potential in mobile, saying that it is â€Å" a big part of the future as it relates to how fans are going to consume sports. Bodehnheimer and his team see no limit to how far they can take the ESPN brand. In addition to the above ventures, ESPN extends its reach through event management ( X Games, Winter X Games, ESPN Outdoors & Bass), consumer products ( CDs, DVDs, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Golf Schools), and even a chain of ESPN Zone restaurants and SportsCenter Studio stores. ESPN content is now reaching viewers through agencies that place it in airport s and on planes, in health clubs, and even in gas stations. â€Å" Now you’re not going to be bored when you fill up your tank.It gives new meaning to pulling into a full- service station,† says Bodenheimer. â€Å" I’ve been on flights where people are watching our content and don’t want to get off the flight. † A powerful media brand results not only in direct revenues from selling products but also in advertising revenues. Advertising accounts for about 40 percent of ESPN’s overall revenues. With so many ways to reach the customer, ESPN offers very creative and flexible package deals for any marketer trying to reach the cov-eted and illusive 18– 34 year old male demographic. Nobody attracts more men than we do,† asserts Bodenheimer. â€Å" We’ve got a product and we know how to cater to advertisers’ needs. The merchandising opportunities we provide, whether it’s work-ing with Home Depot, Wal- Mart, or Dic k’s Sporting Goods, we want to partner if you want young men. † As amazing as the ESPN brand portfolio is, it is even more amazing when you consider that it is part of the mammoth ABC portfolio, which in turn is a part of The Walt Disney Company portfolio.However, it is no small piece of the Disney pie. ESPN revenues alone accounted for about 18 percent of Disney’s total in 2007. Since obtaining ESPN as part of the 1995 ABC acquisi-tion, because ESPN has delivered on the numbers, Disney has allowed ESPN to do pretty much whatever it wants to do. Just a few years after the acquisition, Disney’s then- CEO Michael Eisner told investors, â€Å" We bought ABC media network and ESPN for $ 19 billion in 1995. ESPN is worth substantially more than we paid for the entire acquisition. And Disney leverages that value every way that it can, from Mouse House advertising package deals to conditionally attaching its cable channels to the ESPN networks through cable oper ators. Questions for Discussion 1. In a succinct manner, describe what the ESPN brand means to consumers. 2. What is ESPN selling? Discuss this in terms of the core bene-fit, actual product, and augmented product levels of ESPN. 3. Does ESPN have strong brand equity? How does its brand equity relate to its brand value? . Cite as many examples as you can of co- branding efforts involving the ESPN brand. For each of these cases, what are the benefits and possible risks to ESPN? 5. Analyze EPSN according to the brand development strategies from the text. What have they done in the past? What would you recommend to ESPN for future brand development? Sources: Alice Cuneo, â€Å" More Football Fans Hit ESPN’s Mobile Site Than Its PC Pages,† Advertising Age, January 7, 2008, p. 7; Mike Shields, â€Å" ESPN, AOL Strike Web Video Deal,† Brandweek, April 8, 2008, accessed online at www. brandweek. com; Andrew Hampp, â€Å" ESPN Makes Jump to Major League,† Advertis ing Age, May 14, 2007, p. 32; Ronald Grover, â€Å" Comcast’s C- TV: Channeling Disney,† BusinessWeek. com, December 1, 2006; Jeffrey Trachtenberg, â€Å" ESPN’s Next Hurdle: Selling Its Audience on Books,† Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2007; Jason Brown, â€Å" Out- of- Home TV Ads Finally Coming of Age,† Television Week, January 28, 2008, p. 12; also see www. espnmediazone. com. Espn COMPANY Case ESPN: The Evolution of an Entertainment Brand In the 2004 movie Anchorman character Ron Burgundy ( Will Ferrell) auditions for a position on SportsCenter with the very new and lit-tle known network, ESPN ( Entertainment and Sports Programming Network). The year was 1979. After pronouncing the name of the network â€Å" Espen,† he then is shocked to find out that ESPN is a round- the- clock sports network. Through his laughter, he asserts that the concept is as ridiculous as a 24- hour cooking network or an all- music channel. â€Å" Seriously,† he shouts. This thing is going to be a financial and cultural disaster. SportsCenter . . . that’s just dumb! † While this comical sketch is fictitious, when a young college graduate named George Bodenheimer took a job in the mailroom at ESPN it 1981, it was for real. Today, Mr. Bodenheimer is president of the network that has become one of the biggest franchises in sports, not to mention one of the most successful and envied brands in the entertainment world. As a cable network, ESPN commands $ 2. 91 from cable operators for each subscriber every month. Compare that to $ 1. 7 for Fox Sports, 89 cents for TNT, and only 40 cents for CNN. The core ESPN channel alone is currently in more than 96 million homes. With that kind of premium power, it’s no wonder that ESPN shocked the world in 2006 by becoming the first cable network to land the coveted TV contract for Monday Night Football, which went on to become the highest rated cable series ever. But even with its three sibling channels ( ESPN2, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Classic), the ESPN cable network is only one piece of a bigger brand puzzle that has become Bodenheimer’s $ 6 billion sports empire.Through very savvy strategic planning, Bodenheimer is realizing his vision of taking quality sports content across the widest possible collection of media assets to reach sports fans wherever they may be. Employing a hands- off manage ment style, Bodenheimer has cultivated a brand that is brash, tech savvy, cre-ative, and innovative. He tells employees that ESPN belongs to all of them. He gives them the freedom to come up with their own ideas and push them forward. His only rule is that every new ideaand push them forward.His only rule is that every new idea must focus on fulfilling ESPN’s mission of reaching sports fans and making them happy. In the process, ESPN has become as recog-nized and revered by its customers as other megabrands such as Tide, Nike, and Coca- Cola are to theirs. Bodenheimer’s career- spanning dedication has grown ESPN to well over 50 businesses. The all- sports network has become a truly multiplatform brand, a rarity for any TV network. This growth has given ESPN tremendous reach. ESPN. com alone reaches 22. 4 million viewers a week.But even more stunning is the fact that during any seven- day period, 120 million people ages 12 to 64 interact with some ESPN medium. Here†™s a rundown of ESPN’s portfolio of brands: Television: ESPN has sprawled into six cable channels and other TV divisions that give it both a local ( ESPN Regional Television) and global ( ESPN International and ESPN Deportes) presence. It was one of the first networks to break new ground in HDTV with simulcast service for ESPN and ESPN2 and it still maintains the most HD programming content and highest level of HD viewership in sports.Cable operators and viewers alike consistently rank ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic above all other channels with respect to perceived value and programming quality. But perhaps one of the most innovative moves in all of tel-evision sports occurred in 2003, when ESPN content was inte-grated into its sibling network ABC. ESPN on ABC is now the home for the NBA Finals, NASCAR, NCAA football, NCAA bas-ketball, World Cup Soccer, British Open, and the IndyCar Series. Although ESPN has numerous cable channel brands, one program stands out as a brand in its own right. SportsCenter was ESPN’s first program.And with as many as 93 million view-ers each month, it remains the network’s flagship studio show. SportsCenter is the only nightly, full- hour sports news program. And whereas, in the past, ESPN has rebroadcast taped episodes of SportsCenter during the day, a new schedule incorporating nine straight hours of live SportsCenter everyday from 6 a. m. to 3 p. m. will begin in the fall of 2008. Outside the United States, ESPN airs 14 local versions of SportsCenter broadcast in eight languages. Radio: Whereas many radio formats are suffering, sports radio is thriving.And ESPN Radio is the nation’s largest sports radio network with 750 U. S. affiliates and more than 335 full- time stations. In addition to college and major league sports events, the network broadcasts syndicated sports talk shows, providing more than 9,000 hours of content annually. Publishing: ESPN The Magazine launched in 1998 and immedi-ately beg an carving out market share with its bold look, bright col-ors, and unconventional type, a combination consistent with its content. With the dominance of Sports Illustrated, many didn’t give ESPN’s magazine enture much of a chance. Within its first year, ESPN The Magazine was circulating 800,000 copies. Today, that number has ballooned two- and- a- half times to 2 million, whereas Sports Illustrated has remained at a stagnant 3. 3 million. At the same time, ESPN is making headway into one of the oldest of all media: books. Although ESPN Books is still waiting for a megaseller, because of the cross- marketing opportunities with the other arms of ESPN, this small division has consider-able marketing clout in a struggling industry. If they didn’t have the TV stuff and everything else, they’d be as hard-pressed as other publishers to make these books into major events,† said Rick Wolff, executive editor at Warner Books. Internet: ESPN. com is the leadin g sports Web site, and ESPNRadio. com is the most listened to online sports destination, boasting live streaming and 32 original podcasts each week. But the rising star in ESPN’s online portfolio is ESPN360. com, a subscription- based broadband offering that delivers high-quality, customized, on- demand video content.Not only can fans access content carried on ESPN’s other networks, but they also get exclusive content and sports video games. For the true sports fan, there’s nothing like it— it allows viewers to watch up to six different events at the same time choosing from live events for all major professional and college sports. Since ESPN360. com began service in 2006, this broadband effort has doubled its distribution and now reaches 20 million homes. Beyond working through its own Web sites, ESPN is exploring the limits of the Internet through an open distribu-tion venture with AOL.By providing ESPN content via a branded ESPN video player in AOLâ₠¬â„¢s portal, viewers have more access to ESPN’s content. But advertisers also benefit from a larger online audience than ever before. Mobile: In 2005, ESPN ventured in to one of its trickiest and riskiest brand extensions to date. Mobile ESPN was designed as ESPN’s own cell phone network, putting content into sports fans’ pockets 24/ 7. But after a year, the venture was far from breaking even and ESPN shut it down. However, even though Mobile ESPN is down, it’s not out.ESPN has capitalized on the lessons learned and started over with a different strategy. Today, ESPN provides real- time scores, stats, news, highlights, and even programming through every major U. S. carrier, with premium content available through Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm. Mobile ESPN also reaches an international audience of mobile customers through more than 35 international carriers. ESPN’s mission with its mobile venture is to â€Å" serve the sports fan any time, anywhere , and from any device. In fall 2007, it reached a major milestone in that goal when more people sought NFL content from its mobile- phone Web site than from its PC Web site. â€Å" We’re having extraordinary growth on ESPN. com’s NFL pages, but we’re also seeing extraordinary usage with mobile devices as well,† said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN Sports customer marketing and sales. Mr. Erhardt sees great potential in mobile, saying that it is â€Å" a big part of the future as it relates to how fans are going to consume sports. Bodehnheimer and his team see no limit to how far they can take the ESPN brand. In addition to the above ventures, ESPN extends its reach through event management ( X Games, Winter X Games, ESPN Outdoors & Bass), consumer products ( CDs, DVDs, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Golf Schools), and even a chain of ESPN Zone restaurants and SportsCenter Studio stores. ESPN content is now reaching viewers through agencies that place it in airport s and on planes, in health clubs, and even in gas stations. â€Å" Now you’re not going to be bored when you fill up your tank.It gives new meaning to pulling into a full- service station,† says Bodenheimer. â€Å" I’ve been on flights where people are watching our content and don’t want to get off the flight. † A powerful media brand results not only in direct revenues from selling products but also in advertising revenues. Advertising accounts for about 40 percent of ESPN’s overall revenues. With so many ways to reach the customer, ESPN offers very creative and flexible package deals for any marketer trying to reach the cov-eted and illusive 18– 34 year old male demographic. Nobody attracts more men than we do,† asserts Bodenheimer. â€Å" We’ve got a product and we know how to cater to advertisers’ needs. The merchandising opportunities we provide, whether it’s work-ing with Home Depot, Wal- Mart, or Dic k’s Sporting Goods, we want to partner if you want young men. † As amazing as the ESPN brand portfolio is, it is even more amazing when you consider that it is part of the mammoth ABC portfolio, which in turn is a part of The Walt Disney Company portfolio.However, it is no small piece of the Disney pie. ESPN revenues alone accounted for about 18 percent of Disney’s total in 2007. Since obtaining ESPN as part of the 1995 ABC acquisi-tion, because ESPN has delivered on the numbers, Disney has allowed ESPN to do pretty much whatever it wants to do. Just a few years after the acquisition, Disney’s then- CEO Michael Eisner told investors, â€Å" We bought ABC media network and ESPN for $ 19 billion in 1995. ESPN is worth substantially more than we paid for the entire acquisition. And Disney leverages that value every way that it can, from Mouse House advertising package deals to conditionally attaching its cable channels to the ESPN networks through cable oper ators. Questions for Discussion 1. In a succinct manner, describe what the ESPN brand means to consumers. 2. What is ESPN selling? Discuss this in terms of the core bene-fit, actual product, and augmented product levels of ESPN. 3. Does ESPN have strong brand equity? How does its brand equity relate to its brand value? . Cite as many examples as you can of co- branding efforts involving the ESPN brand. For each of these cases, what are the benefits and possible risks to ESPN? 5. Analyze EPSN according to the brand development strategies from the text. What have they done in the past? What would you recommend to ESPN for future brand development? Sources: Alice Cuneo, â€Å" More Football Fans Hit ESPN’s Mobile Site Than Its PC Pages,† Advertising Age, January 7, 2008, p. 7; Mike Shields, â€Å" ESPN, AOL Strike Web Video Deal,† Brandweek, April 8, 2008, accessed online at www. brandweek. com; Andrew Hampp, â€Å" ESPN Makes Jump to Major League,† Advertis ing Age, May 14, 2007, p. 32; Ronald Grover, â€Å" Comcast’s C- TV: Channeling Disney,† BusinessWeek. com, December 1, 2006; Jeffrey Trachtenberg, â€Å" ESPN’s Next Hurdle: Selling Its Audience on Books,† Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2007; Jason Brown, â€Å" Out- of- Home TV Ads Finally Coming of Age,† Television Week, January 28, 2008, p. 12; also see www. espnmediazone. com.

Accounting Principles and Practices Performed by Small Businesses in the Philippines

College of Business Administration Abstract: This research aims to gain the knowledge and awareness on the accounting practices done by small businesses. It aims to inform and learn about small businesses’ and their compliance to the standard practices of accounting in the Philippines, whether or not these businesses are following the basic accounting principles and what alternatives of accounting do they perform.And lastly, to provide recommendations to the businesses owners and other persons involved, on what accounting practice is more suitable for small businesses. Through the use a variety of reference materials, such as reference books, text books and internet sources, information related to the study has been compiled and put together to form the appropriate knowledge needed for the study.Through the findings, the researchers classified two types of accounting practices performed by small businesses: Formal Accounting, this accounting practice is based on the actual Phi lippine accounting standard provided by the IFRS, and a Semi-Formal Accounting, a combination of the IFRS accounting and the Single entry record system. Keywords: Accounting, Accounting Principles, Accounting Practices, Small Business, Small Business Accounting Introduction There are more than a million businesses spread throughout the Philippines.From high rising commercial entities in the big cities, to the smallest businesses found in the front yard of residential homes in rural or urban areas. Business can be defined as a person, partnership, or corporation that seeks to provide goods and services to others at a profit (Dias and Shah, 2009) Businesses are among one of the factors affecting the economic growth in the country. Generally, taxes and investments earned by these businesses, through the purchases of their consumers, are paid to the Government. Small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in developing economies.Among their contributions are as foll ows: (a) they address poverty by creating jobs and by increasing incomes; (b) they disperse economic activities in the countryside, and provide broad-based sources of growth; (c) they serve as suppliers and providers of support services for large enterprises; (d) they stimulate entrepreneurial skills among the populace; and (e) they act as incubators for developing domestic enterprises into large corporations. SMEs typically comprise the bulk of business enterprises in both developed and developing countries.They also employ a large segment of a country's workforce, and contribute significantly to national output (Habaradas, 2008) However, not all businesses contribute to the economic growth of the country especially for small independent businesses in private homes. Such examples are self-employed proprietors and street vendors whose businesses are not registered to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Legally registered businesses (small businesses) on the other hand, contribute to the economic growth through payments of taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.Such businesses record transactions or accounting information to keep track and allocate assets, liabilities and the owner’s equity. Through this accounting information, the owners will be able to allocate their assets for the expenses of tax payments. It may be said that the accounting practice is for formalities and usually performed by large business entities. However it is important for small businesses to apply the accounting practices in order to easily keep track and record important transactions especially those which concern large amounts of money.Accounting is important in achieving success in any business, especially a small one. Accounting is tied to the business’ financial well bing, without it, it will be hard to determine whether there is a positive or negative increase to the profit of the business. Accounting records must accurately reflect the changes occurrin g in the firm’s assets, liabilities, income, expenses and equity. The continued operation of a business depends on maintaining the proper balance among its investments, revenues, expenses and profit.Because profit margins are so critical to the success of a business, any decline should trigger an immediate search for the cause. Thus, the owner must rely on the accounting information to search this cause (Byrd and Megginson, 2009) The purpose of a business is to make a profit; proper business accounting helps determine how well the business runs. Accounting is the general process of tracking income and expenses and then using that data to examine the financial status of a business. (Strauss, 2005) The accounting practices performed by larger businesses are usually formal, specific and detailed and done by certified accountants.Small business accounting may be performed in various styles, with no formality and proper structure, and usually done by the owners themselves. A varie ty of accounting styles maybe derived from the informal accounting performed by small businesses. Some styles may have the same structure, making it similar to other businesses thus having slight uniformity. Review of Related Literature Small Businesses A small Business is any business that is independently owned and independently owned and operated, is not dominant in its field, and does not engage in many new or innovative practices.It may never grow large, and the owners may not want it to, as they usually prefer a more relaxed and less aggressive approach to running the business. They manage their business in a normal way, expecting normal sales, profits, and growth. In other words, they seek a certain degree of freedom and ideally a certain degree of financial independence. (Byrd ;amp; Megginson, 2009) Accounting Accounting is a service activity; Its function is to provide quantitative information, primarily financial in nature, about economic entities that is intended to be us eful in making economic decision.Accounting includes several branches, for example, financial accounting, managerial accounting, and government accounting. This statement deals with financial accounting for business enterprises, the branch of accounting that focuses on the general-purpose reports on financial position and results of operations known as financial statements. This Statement has two broad purposes: (A) to provide a basis for enhanced understanding of the broad fundamentals of financial accounting, and (B) to provide a basis for guiding the future development of financial accounting. n. d. , 1998) Financial statements are prepared and presented for external users by many entities around the world. Although such financial statements may appear similar from country to country, there are differences which have probably been caused by a variety of social, economic and legal circumstances and by different countries having in mind the needs of different users of financial sta tements when setting national requirements.The accounting conceptual framework, formerly known as the Framework for the Presentation of financial Statements by the IASC, serves as the foundation for the development of accounting standards by the International Accounting Standards board. It’s main objective is to narrow the differences in financial statements of different entities by harmonizing regulations, accounting standards and procedures relating to the preparation and presentation of financial statements. (Robles ;amp; Empleo, 2007) Structure of the Philippine AccountingThe Framework for the preparation and presentation of financial statements adopted in the Philippines is based on the International Accounting Standards Committee’s (IASC) Framework for the Preparation and presentation of Financial Statements. This was approved in the Philippines on January 26, 2000 by the unanimous vote of the members of the Accounting Standards Council (ASC). The ASC was the fun ctioning accounting standard setting body in the Philippines, when the Philippines decided to adopt the International Accounting Standards.The same Framework was upheld by the International Accounting Standards Board, when the latter succeeded the International Accounting Standards Committee in 2001. In the Philippines, the ASC was succeeded by the currently functioning Financial Reporting Standards Council (FRSC). The FRSC assists the Board of Accountancy in the latter’s function of adopting and promulgating the International Financial Reporting Standards. Thus, both the IASB and the locally functioning FRSC in the Philippines are guided by the same Framework. Robles ;amp; Empleo, 2007) The IFRS for SMEs The Philippine Institute for Public Accountants (PICPA) now recognizes the International Accounting Standards Board's (IASB) recently released International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-Sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs), as an official set of accounting sta ndards to be audited against. (Brozovsky, Christie & Hicks, 2010) The IFRS for SMEs was adopted in the Philippines effective January 1, 2010, and is known as the Philippine Financial Reporting Standards for Small-Medium Entities (PFRS for SMEs).The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a definition of â€Å"small and medium-sized entities† that includes a size criterion. As defined by SEC, an entity is an SME if: it is not in the process of filing its financial statements for the purpose of issuing any class of instruments in a public market and, it is not a holder of a secondary license issued by a regulatory agency, such as bank (all types of banks), an investment house, a finance company, an insurance company, a securities broker / dealer, a mutual fund and a pre-need company.The Philippines has been acknowledged by political scientists and economists as a newly industrialize nation. The country is experiencing rapid economic growth usually export -oriented and on-going industrialization. The Accounting Standards Council (ASC) is responsible for establishing and improving generally accepted accounting standards. Development of such standards are based on existing practices in the country, as well as statements and studies issued by other standard setting bodies like the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) and the Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB).The ASC, which was renamed as the Financial Reporting Standards Council (FRSC) decided to replace its US-based standards with International Accounting Standards (IAS), later referred to as IFRS. The Philippines also adopted the International Financial Reporting Standards in 2005. It modified its accounting practices slightly to adjust to Philippine policies making the Philippine Financial Reporting Standard (PFRS), and the Philippine Accounting Standards (PAS).Businesses are fully aware of the changes from GAAP to IFRS, which now apply the new IFRS procedures , and modifications that were implemented taking effect in 2009. These companies are now preparing their financial statements in compliance with the PFRS. The Philippines has fully implemented the IFRS. In April 2010, The Philippines adopted IFRS for SMEs referred to as Philippine Financial Reporting Standard for SMEs. These standards can be used by an entity that is not a listed company, a large unlisted company, and a financial institution or public utility. (Ibarra & Suez-Sales, 2011)The International Accounting Standards Board ( IASB ) was established in 2001 as part of the International Accounting Standards Committee ( IASC ) Foundation. One of the objectives of the IASC foundation and of the IASB is: to develop, in the public interest, a single set of high quality, understandable and enforceable global accounting standards that are require high quality, transparent and comparable information in financial statements and other financial reporting to help participants in the world’s capital markets and other users make economic decisions.The IASB also develops and publishes a separate standard intended to apply to the general purpose and other financial statements of, and other financial reporting by, entities that in many countries are referred to by a variety of terms, including small and medium-sized entities (SMEs), private entities, and non-publicly accountable entities. That standard is the International Financial Reporting Standards for Small and Medium-sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs).SMEs often produce financial statements only for the use of tax authorities or other governmental authorities. Financial statements produced solely for those purposes are not necessarily general purpose financial statements. (Alliance of Accounting and Auditing Researchers, n. d. ) Accounting Policies The IFRS for SMEs is indented for the use of small and medium sized entities (SMEs). Small and medium-sized entities are entities that do not have public account ability, and publish general purpose financial statements for external users.Examples of external users include owners who are not involved in managing the business, existing and potential creditors and credit rating agencies. Accounting policies are the specific principles, bases, conventions, rules and practices applied by an entity in preparing and presenting financial statements. If this IFRS specially addresses a transaction, other event or condition, an entity shall apply this IFRS. However, the entity need not to follow a requirement in this IFRS in the effect of doing so would not be material.If this IFRS specifically address a transaction, other event or condition, an entity’s management shall use its judgement in developing and applying an accounting policy that results in information that is relevant to the economic decision-making needs of users, and reliable, in that the financial statements represent faithfully the financial position, financial performance and c ash flow of the entity; reflect the economic substance of transactions, other events and conditions, and not merely the legal form; are neutral, i. . free from bias; are prudent; and are complete in all materials respects. An entity shall select and apply its accounting policies consistently for similar transactions, other events and conditions, unless this IFRS specifically requires or permits categorisation of items for which different policies may be appropriate. If this IFRS requires or permits such categorisation, an appropriate accounting policy shall be selected and applied consistently to each category.An entity shall change an accounting policy only if the change is required by changes to this IFRS, or results in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information about the effects or transactions, other events or conditions on the entity’s financial position, financial performance or cash flows. (Alliance of Accounting and Auditing Researchers, n. d. ) Need of Accounting Information for Small Businesses In order to operate a business effectively, the owner should be informed as to the nature and amount of each asset, each liability, and the amount of owner’s equity.For purposes of planning and controlling business operations, the owner should also know when, why and how frequently changes occurs in the various assets, liabilities and the owner’s equity of the business. Without written records, business owners are not able to keep track of the nature and the amount of the assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity and the changes that occur in their composition. A good record keeping system is usually essential to provide the necessary information.This system of record keeping should show the effect of each transaction on the assets, liabilities and owner’s equity of the business. (Taylor, 2003) Proper Business Records There are several reasons (and advantages) for keeping good business records, an d many of them are a real a real advantage: (1) to show financial standings, (2) to help make important financial decisions, (3) to help control VAT – collecting it in and paying it out, (4) to help audit in certain cases, and keep the auditing costs down, (5) to discuss your financial position with other people.Unless the owners decide otherwise, there is no legal need for an annual audit of the records of a sole trader or a partnership. There is, however, a legal obligation for an annual audit of the accounts of most limited companies. There will be some expenses which are partly for business and partly for private purposes. Recording of business transactions also depends on the size of the business. There can be no hard and fast categories for size of a business. But obviously a national chain store will have a more sophisticated accounting system than a local trader with a market stall.The point at which more complicated records needed, will also depend partly on the type of trade. There are three types of entity commonly found running a business. These are: Sole traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies. Sole traders are persons owning the business which he is running in his own right. Since the person is trading in his own right he is personally responsible for any debts his business incurs. Partnerships are groups of people owning and running the business. It is the individuals in the partnership who are responsible for the partnership debts.Limited Companies are businesses which are owned by at least two people who may or may not also be involved in the day-to-day running of the business. The owners have a limited personal liability for the debts incurred by the company which is a separate legal ‘person’ or entity. The day-to-day running of a limited company is entrusted to its directors. The directors of a company may also be the shareholders. (Taylor, 2003) Businesses can also be classified into three broad categories: public co mpanies, private companies, and small businesses.The distinction between the latter two is the size of the company. Though small, these businesses are important in the aggregate as the major creator of new jobs. Small businesses also constitute a major source of clients for local and regional CPA firms. The need for accounting reports varies among the three classes of businesses. Accounting reports are used to comply with various government reporting requirements. Primary among these is the need to report a business's income, personal property, and payroll to the necessary tax authorities.The relative importance of different uses of accounting reports varies with the size of the business. (Brozovsky, Christie ;amp; Hicks, 2010) Accounting Principles and Practices Most businesses typically use one of two basic accounting methods in their bookkeeping systems: cash basis and accrual basis. While most businesses use the accrual basis, the most appropriate method for a company depends on the sales volume, whether or not you sell on credit, and your business structure. The cash method is the most simple in that the books are kept based on the actual flow of cash in and out of the business.Income is recorded when it is received, and expenses are reported when they are actually paid. The cash method is used by many sole proprietors and businesses with no inventory. From a tax standpoint, it is sometimes advantageous for a new business to use the cash method of accounting. That way, recording income can be put off until the next tax year, while expenses are counted right away. With the accrual method, income and expenses are recorded as they occur, regardless of whether or not cash has actually changed hands. An excellent example is a sale on credit.The sale is entered into the books when the invoice is generated rather than when the cash is collected. Likewise, an expense occurs when materials are ordered or when a workday has been logged in by an employee, not when t he check is actually written. The downside of this method is that payment of income taxes on revenue are made before actually receiving it. The accrual method is required if annual sales exceed $5 million and the venture is structured as a corporation. In addition, businesses with inventory must also use this method.It also is highly recommended for any business that sells on credit, as it more accurately matches income and expenses during a given time period. The cash method may be appropriate for a small, cash-based business or a small service company. (Leonsky, 1998) Accounting is the general process of tracking your income and expenses and then using that data to examine the financial status of your business. The basic accounting tool is the general ledger. It is the place where you keep track of all the business’ financial transactions.That information is then used to create financial statements such as balance sheets and income statements. (Strauss, 2007) An accounting system structures the flow of financial information to provide a complete picture of a firm’s financial activities. There are two types of accounting systems performed by small businesses: (1) the single-entry system and (2) the double-entry system. The single-entry record-keeping system is occasionally still found in the very small business. It is not, however, a system recommended for firms that are striving to grow and achieve effective financial planning.A single entry-system neither incorporates a balance sheet nor directly generates and income statement. A single-entry system is a check book system of accounting reflecting only receipts and disbursements. A double-entry system is a type of accounting system that provides a self-balancing mechanism in the form of two counterbalancing entries for each transaction recorded. It can be done with the record-keeping journals and ledgers found in most office supply retail stores. However, the relatively simple accounting softwa re programs designed for small firms are preferable. Longenecker, 2006) Conclusion Based on the information gathered by the researchers, the researchers have come up with a conclusion to the stated problem. The researcher has classified two types of accounting practice/principles performed by small businesses namely: Formal Accounting and Semi-Formal Accounting. Formal Accounting practice are based on the standards of the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-Sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs) The IFRS for SMEs is indented for the use of small and medium sized entities (SMEs).Small and medium-sized entities are entities that are defined as not having public accountability, and do not publish general purpose financial statements for external users. The Semi-Formal Accounting practice is a combination of the Formal Accounting Practice (based on the IFRS for SMEs), and the Single-entry record keeping or booking keeping system. In the Single-Entry system, mostly pe rformed by small businesses, business owners record only the most important or essential transactions for the business which usually contain only the following: cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and taxes.However, by performing this system, the owners still apply some of the standards given by the IFRS for SMEs. Most businesses however, perform only the Single-entry system. It is a much easier and convenient accounting practice that is preferable by the owners of small businesses because of its comprehensiveness in storing only the important accounting information needed by such businesses. Recommendation The Single-entry system, for most business owners, is mostly performed for its convenience and completeness. The researcher recommends, however, for the owners to apply the Formal accounting practice.The IFRS for SMEs, established by the IASB, was made specifically for small businesses to use. This accounting standard is best recommended for small businesses to attain uni formity among all other businesses alike. This will not only provide advantage to the owners but also to the users of the accounting information. It is still reminded that smaller businesses; such as vendors, sari-sari stores, restaurants or eateries; are not recommended to perform such complicated accounting practice but, they are still advised to record accounting information.The recommended accounting practice for such businesses is the Single-entry system. The researchers provide further recommendations toward the persons involved: 1. To the Business Owners of small businesses, they must obey and follow the accounting standards of the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small-Medium Entities (IFRS for SMEs), mentioned in this research, to attain uniformity among other small businesses which practice the accounting standard of the IFRS. 2.To the College of Business Administration and its faculty members, in which they can use this research as an instructional material or instrument in teaching their students about topics relating to the research. 3. To the Graduates of the College of Business Administration, who plans to have their own business or put up a small business; that this research may serve as a reference and as a guide for their first steps in being entrepreneurs. 4. To the Students of the College of Business Administration, in which they can use this research as a reference material to their academic studies.Bibliography 1. Alliance of Accounting and Auditing Researchers. (n. d. ). International / Philippine Financial Reporting Standard for Small and medium-sized entities (IFRS / PFRS for SME’s). n. d. 2. Brozovsky, John, Nancy Christie, ;amp; Sam Hicks. (2010, July). Accounting for small businesses: the role of IFRS. Academic OneFile. Retrieved July 17, 2012, http://go. galegroup. com/ps/i. do? id=GALE%7CA234140898;amp;v=2. 1;amp;u=lyceumph;amp;it=r;amp;p=AONE;amp;sw=w 3. Byrd, Mary Jane ;amp; Megginson, L. C. (2009).Small Bus iness Management An Entrepreneur’s Guidebook. (Seventh Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill. 4. Dias, Laura ;amp; Shah, A. J. (2009). Introduction to Business. New York: McGraw-Hill. 5. Habaradas, Raymund B. (2008, March). SME development and technology upgrading in Malaysia: lessons for the Philippines. Academic OneFile. Retireved July 17, 2012, http://go. galegroup. com/ps/i. do? id=GALE%7CA204419292;amp;v=2. 1;amp;u=lyceumph;amp;it=r;amp;p=AONE;amp;sw=w 6. Ibarra, Venus and Suez-Sales, M. G. (2011, December). A comparison of the International

Ethnomusicology - Soviet Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethnomusicology - Soviet Music - Essay Example During the recent war Soviet music took on a special and dramatic significance for us and we were all stirred by certain works especially the songs of the Red Army, and Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, written during the siege of Leningrad which revealed how closely Soviet musicians were bound up with the life and struggles of their people. When the war broke out, composers, instrumentalists and performers of all kinds immediately took to making music for the war. And the Soviet government, realizing how powerful voice music was in rallying the people, never forgot even in the darkest hours to protect its musicians, and enable them to continue their work. All through the war, although half the nation was devastated, millions homeless and starving and the national finances sorely strained, the government continued to appropriate large sums every year to commission the writing of new symphonies, operas and concertos, and to ensure the performance of classic and modern music even though the orchestras and opera companies had to go to Central Asia to do it. 1 There is something awe-inspiring about a nation whose people are suffering untold misery and destruction, that yet continues to give badly needed funds so that artists may be protected and continue their work. And incidentally, the government refused to permit any composers to enter the armed forces feeling they were too precious to be exposed to danger although many volunteered for the Red Army. During the war we began to learn a little of how the Soviet composer lives and works. Life magazine carried pictures of Shostakovich, Gliere, Khatchaturian and other composers on the Composers Farm where they go each summer to raise pigs and write symphonies. We heard that Soviet composers live in a specially constructed house in Moscow, that they have written tremendous amounts of music for the war and other things. 2 Soviet music is organized under a sub-section of the All-Union Committee of Art, which is almost like a department of the government in our country. Each year the Music Section of this Committee of Art receives a certain sum of money from the national Treasury, which it allots among its various departments: orchestras, opera houses, music publication, composers, and so forth. The composers work through what they call the Union of Soviet Composers which is not a trade union in our sense, but a sort of combination of professional guild, commissioning body, an agency to secure performances and publications, a copying bureau, and a fraternal mutual aid society, all rolled into one. The Union consists of some 900 professional composers, both serious and popular composers. To become a member, you write a letter to Gliere, who is president of the Union, stating your qualifications and enclosing a few sample scores. If there is any doubt as to a young musician's eligibility, he is invited to appear in person before a committee on admissions and perform his own works. The Committee then decides; and if you don't get in one time, you can always apply again. The Union is not without standards, and the mere fact that your work is popular and widely performed does not automatically qualify you for admission. Peter Zburski wrote a song which became a tremendous hit during the war, called "The Blue Handkerchief." It was sung from one end of the country to the other. But he was not admitted to the Union of Composers. When a recognized composer wishes to write a work, he submits a project to the Union committee in charge of such things, with an estimate of the length of time it will take. Usually the plan is accepted without much discussion and the composer goes ahead to write his work. Sometimes, however, a composer gets too one-sided for a time, and then the Union committee will suggest that he develop another side of his talent for a time. If a man has been writing too many chamber or theatrical works, they may suggest that he write a symphony.

Case Study - New Supervisor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study - New Supervisor - Essay Example The most pressing issue for George is lack of planned strategy and organized way of working. The work lacks proper documentation of work and records of workers, including their work schedules, attendance and performance details. Hence to monitor the work performance and productivity, George needs to streamline the process and develop strategic plans to organize work schedules. These should be communicated across the employees. He should also define duties and emphasize on disciplined work culture where achieving targets is highlighted. He should also delegate duties so that junior managerial and administrative staff become well versed in the office processes. Most importantly, George must create a pool of talent based on skill and aligned work. This would enable the workforce to organize the schedules for optimal performance. There also needs to be constant communication across management and workforce so conflicts can be resolved early and amicably. From the remaining issues, the top priority of George would be to resolve the issue of Francine who had filed a grievance with the personal department against the assistant supervisor. As there was no organized way of working and office lacked proper records of employees work details, the case of Francine needs to be resolved early as she could easily have EEOC claim. George has huge burden of streamlining the work process and create facilitating work environment. Strong work culture ensures long term sustainable competitive advantage (Armstrong & Baron, 2005). Therefore strong teamwork needs to be promoted. Performance based incentives would be motivating factors for the workforce (Armstrong & Murlis, 2007). George also needs to develop well organized record keeping and documentation of office records. This would help to evaluate performance regularly and motivate workers for incentives and bonus. Moreover, creating talent pool would facilitate better

Topic Paper # 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Topic Paper # 1 - Essay Example A Cochlear Implant is an electronic device which is implanted in the cochlea of the ear and is connected to a microphone on the outside through a speech processor and a transmitter. It works by converting sound vibrations into electrical stimuli, which provides a sensation of sound. Cochlear Implants are primarily recommended for those with a severe to profound hearing disorder. Among children and infants, a Cochlear Implant can help develop speech and communication skills. However, due to the long period of therapy required, its candidacy has to be determined on an individual basis and there is disagreement over its suitability for autistic children. Most cases of hearing impairment are due to loss of hair cell receptors in the inner ear, which limits the cochlea’s ability to transduce sound information from the environment to neural transmissions that can be interpreted by the central nervous system as auditory sensations (Copeland & Pillsbury, 2004). Since in such cases the nervous elements that transmit information from the cochlea to the brain remain intact, a Cochlear Implant is a viable option. The actual surgery to implant a cochlear implant is performed on an outpatient basis and requires about two to three hours of general anesthesia. However, once the prosthesis is implanted in the cochlea, there is an extensive process requiring aural habilitation with inputs from experienced audiologists and speech and language experts. Also, since the entire circuitry remains permanently attached to the patients, patients are required to take a number of precautions to avoid damage to the delicate device. The FDA-approved minimum age of implantation is one year. It is difficult to implant the device in younger children due to difficulty in properly testing the hearing in such young patients. Another concern is with patients suffering from multiple

Writer's choice Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Writer's choice - Article Example s scheduled in which people engaged in different party activities such as listening to music and dancing, drinking, eating besides sharing stories among other amusements. All the expected people were in the scene besides everyone seeming to be in a party mood depicted from their facial expressions. This was a very amazing event to me because it was the first I witnessed besides that attracted many people including some from the neighboring community. Additionally, it had a programed unlike many other such ceremonies that I had ever attended before besides was followed to the latter. Through the entire process, I learned that people have their own way of doing things as well as doing different things from the normal you would get a dissimilar result. This is because most ceremonies that I had attended there before lacked good planning and in mostly resulted to vices such as fights and injuries. Whatever one encounters little experiences out of lecture, which he or she gets while in the university, counts much in his or her future life. This is because such experiences equip an individual with knowledge hard to earn or achieve in class work. Moreover, students ought to indulge in such activities provided they do not harm them because they are also part of

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Global Warming - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is Global Warming as a constant problem. We have to turn off greenhouse gases now in order to avoid catastrophe in decades to come. If global temperatures rise by four degrees by century’s end, sea levels will rise five to six meters due to the melting of our polar ice caps. It’s time to connect the dots from those remote Arctic regions to our cities, towns, and backyards. Let’s consider what the future might look like if global warming continues unchecked. According to recent studies Americans rank climate change as the country’s most critical environmental problem. Current observations of global warming related data have solidified the speculation that it is positively an enhanced greenhouse effect that is causing the world to warm. The planet has experienced the biggest increase in surface temperature over the last century. Between 2003 and 2006, the Earth’s average surface temperature rose between 0.6 to 0.9 de grees Celsius; the last 50 years saw the temperature increase rate almost doubling. Sea levels have shown a rise of about 0.17 meters during the twentieth century. Low-lying coastal regions, with thick population, are especially susceptible to climate shifts, with the poorer countries and small island nations having the hardest time adapting. It has been estimated that by 2080, 13 to 88 million people around the world would lose their home to floods. This research will demonstrate that there are numerous opinions on the causes of climate change. Are they manmade or natural? Global warming is a convoluted subject. It’s easy to get confused by all the scientific arguments and conflicting claims. The purpose of this research is to attempt to get the scientific community to agree that global warming related variables can be combated more efficiently with better cooperation. Take politics, economics, greed, and self interests of various governments out of the debate and merely foc us on the facts, and labeling the problem whatever you desire, can and will support worldwide comprehensive improvements. Problem Statement: Global Warming is a constant problem. We have to turn off greenhouse gases now in order to avoid catastrophe in decades to come. If global temperatures rise by four degrees by century’s end, sea levels will rise five to six meters due to the melting of our polar ice caps. It’s time to connect the dots from those remote Arctic regions to our cities, towns, and backyards. Let’s consider what the future might look like if global warming continues unchecked. Rationale for the Research: This is an issue that is approached very differently by the scientific community. This topic could affect all living organisms, the environment not just in the United States, but the entire world. From 2003 to

Read the story and answer the question Case Study - 1

Read the story and answer the question - Case Study Example Then, the reviewer goes into a list of examples including reasons why managers should let younger employees have a flexible work schedule. Contrast—The author uses contrast when they are contrasting Baby Boomers and Net geners. The author notes that Boomers have spent a long time being threatened by being seen as conservative, and contrast this against the present, when this is more of a danger. The ideals of the past and present are contrasted, and also, there is contrast between the generations considered. 3. Tone—The tone of this passage is informative. The author wants to inform the reader about both Tapscott and Aslop, and they also want to inform about the general subject. This general subject is what both authors also focus upon, and makes up the majority of the information: characteristics of Net geners. Diction—The author uses diction to explain their points through the use of simile. â€Å"But they are reassured that by eliminating rules, chain of command, and doling out praise like penny candy† (par.5). 4. By varying sentence structure, the author also varies the tone of the article, alternating long and short sentences: this is apparent in the third paragraph. The impact is that it makes the essay more readable. The use of jargon is seen in local colloquial language like â€Å"a wonder to behold† (par.3). This makes the piece more conversational. Metaphor is seen in the above quotation regarding penny candy; this keeps the text interesting. I agree with this passage. I think that the author is saying that companies need to be responsive to the needs of their employees, not the other way around. Companies need to retain talent, and therefore they need to understand their employees to be dynamic. My own position on this issue is that companies should listen to even the lowest level of employees, if they have ideas that are going to improve the company. So,

Comparative Post Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Comparative Post Disaster - Essay Example As the paper stresses disasters although are not the norm and the usual occurrence but they are very much part of our lives. The degree and types of disasters vary. Some are natural disasters which cannot be avoided but some only occur due to our mistakes and can be avoided. Disaster is a phenomenon that can be natural or man-made and can be disastrous especially if no preventive measures are taken. As the report highlights disaster management is the strategy and methodology employed when any catastrophe or disaster takes place. This disaster recovery process can be initiated when anything threatens to disrupt the normal course of events and the human life is at stake. Governments at different levels and even some businesses develop their disaster management plan to overcome any disastrous event and resume routine work. On 11th Dec 2005 there were explosions measuring 2.4 on Richter scale, in the oil storage depot of Buncefield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The first explosion was massive accompanied by a large fire that engulfed a high proportion of the site. Although there were no fatalities but 40 people got injured. Damage was not only restricted to the oil depot but many neighboring residential and commercial buildings were damaged. The fire and the emitting black clouds could be seen for several days. It was Britain’s most costly industrial disaster. St. Albanâ⠂¬â„¢s Crown Court gave its verdict in July 2010 and five companies after being found guilty were fined  £ 9.5 million.

Understanding the Concept of Organizational Management - Ford Motors Essay

Understanding the Concept of Organizational Management - Ford Motors - Essay Example Understanding the concept of Organizational Management – Ford Motors The functioning of organizational management is like a cyclical process. It consists of planning, decision making, organizing, staffing, directing or actuating and controlling functions to achieve an objective. Here in this paper the case study of Ford during the year of 2006-2010 is taken to understand the finer nuances organizational management and how it helps in organizational transformation. Another vital element of organizational management is leadership. The truth is there is no such concept of right or wrong leadership nor there is a specific style which is best for all situations. So, flexibility of thought is a key characteristic of a leader which enables him to develop strategies according to situational needs. Organizational or management structure also act as an important factor which helps to link and interact with people from different regions, divisions and departments as well as establishes a hierarchical level. This also helps to establish the communication channel with an organization which enables to make speedy and accurate decision. This communication channel pattern mostly depends on the size of the organization as well as on the accuracy and speed of making the decision. It also helps to reduce and eliminate barriers within an organization during exchange of valuable information. Implementation of these elements like leadership style, management structure, communication pattern and other core functions of marketing are reviewed regularly to ensure all the subsystems of the organization are working effectively. This evaluation is done on the basis of performance like quantity, quality, cost or timeliness and known as performance management. If the performance level is not satisfactory the management decides for down-sizing, right-sizing, new product development or change in processes. (Today’s Concept of Organizational Management, 57) Lewin’s Change Model in Organizational translation Lewin considered change process as consi sting of three major steps. These are as follows: Unfreezing It involves reducing the forces that resist an organization, department or individual from change. It can be done by giving information that shows inconsistency between the behaviors desired by the organization and those showed by its members. Moving It involves shift of attitude and behavior to the new desired level. This is done by changes in organization structure and processes. Refreezing It involves reinforcing the change process. â€Å"Organization culture, rewards and structures† are used to stabilize the organization in the new state. (Cummings & Worley, 24) (Cummings & Worley, 4; Spector) In this paper will attempt to analyze the organizational change in Ford Motor Company during the year of 2006-2010 when Alan Mulally became the CEO and we will try to relate the changes with Lewin’s Change Model. The case of American Automobile Czar Ford Business failure occurs for numerous reasons, but especially t wo reasons which affect business the most are rapid change in condition of market and finance. Performing business in this epoch is full of risk as the market is very volatile and competitive. Challenges of diversified sort brew up both from external as well as internal environment. The year 2008 and 2009 were the most chaotic for US and Canadian automobile industry. The fall

Joseph Stalin Essay Example for Free

Joseph Stalin Essay World leaders are leaders with high governmental power in the world. Every leader, not just world leaders, is either great or corrupt; they are rarely both. Most of Russia’s history is filled with corrupt leaders. Joseph was one of those leaders. Stalin killed millions of people during his rule. But Stalin also led the Soviet Union almost to the top in world power. Stalin had many influences that led him to his Soviet Leadership in which gave him many admirers but even more non-supporters. At the age of 10, Joseph â€Å"Stalin† Djugashvili attended Gori’s religious elementary school. His mother, Yekaterina, wanted him to be a priest and would usually beat her son if he son whenever he misbehaved. These beatings were never as bad as those received from his father, Vissarion. Vissarion would frequently beat Stalin and his mother until they finally had enough and Yekaterina kicked Vissarion out. In 1894, at the age of 16, Stalin attended the Tiflis Seminary on a full scholarship. At the school, in 1899, he joined an underground Marxist revolutionary group. Because of his membership in this group, him and other revolutionaries were arrested and sent to Siberia. Two years later, Stalin escaped from Siberia. On his return, he joined the RSDLP or Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. Later, when the RSDLP split because of differences, he joined the Bolsheviks half under the control of Vladimir Lenin. With the Bolsheviks, Stalin helped with many revolutions. The first was the take down of Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian Tsarist government. With the tsarist takedown, Russia set up a new provisional government. It worked at first but then it started going downhill. Since fleeing the country in fear of arrest, Lenin put Stalin in charge of the central committee of the Bolsheviks Party. Unimpressed by Stalin’s compromising with the Provisional government, Lenin started writing hate letters to the provisional government. Most, if not all, of these letters were published in Stalin’s communist newspaper, Pravda. The Pravda was one of the ways the Bolsheviks spread the communist revolt. The Russian’s loss in the Russo-Japanese war was the another way that they got the public to turn against the provisional government and strengthen the communist revolt. The revolt got stronger and stronger until the Bolsheviks finally revolted and took down the Russian Provisional Government. Because of this, civil war erupted all over the country. At the end of this war, in 1920, the Bolsheviks set up the USSR, or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, under control of Vladimir Lenin. When Lenin died, Stalin aggressively worked his way up until he was the leader of the USSR. In his control, Stalin set up a â€Å"5 year plan† to advance the Russian economy from just farming to also having industry. In this plan, he would also advance the military and â€Å"cleanse the country of villains† or those he saw as villains. To â€Å"cleanse the country†, Stalin would have unfair trials that would have many on trial at once. These were called his â€Å"Show Trials†. The majority, if not all, of these people were found guilty and sent for execution. They were executed all at once, and the executions were called the Purges. To advance the Russian economy, Stalin would work the farmers to death†¦ literally. When the farmers revolted, Stalin stopped sending them food and even more died from starvation. On the last of the purges, 16 men were put on trial and accused of acts of terrorism towards Stalin and the Soviet government. Two of them were Stalin’s allies after Lenin’s death, Zinovyev and Kamenev. All 16 of them confessed although none they were innocent. One of the accused that wasn’t sent to execution was Robert Eikhe. Eikhe wrote a letter to Stalin saying that Stalin was wrong and shouldn’t have executed those men. Furious, Stalin demanded that Eikhe was shot to death. Not too long after, Stalin’s wife died. With that, Stalin will never truly trust anyone or ever be the same. In Europe, there was another leader rising to power, Germany’s Adolf Hitler. Stalin admired Hitler and, in WW2, hoped they wouldn’t have to fight, so the USSR and Germany signed a Nonaggression Pact to avoid battle between them. It wasn’t too long until Hitler broke the Pact and attacked Ukraine. During the invasion, the Soviet air force was wiped out. Feeling surprised and betrayed, Stalin had a mental breakdown. Stalin finally pulled himself together and set up a â€Å"Scorched Earth† policy. He had both soldier and citizen initiate this scorched earth policy by destroying everything the Germans needed in their area and push out the invading Germans from Ukraine, which was taken under German control. Many were killed in the invasion; the Germans captured four million and killed three million people. Then the Soviets started fighting back. In that winter, many Germans died because of harsh weather and lack of supplies. Towards the end, Roosevelt sent weapons, equipment, and food to the Soviet Union. Stalin launched his final attack on the Germans in Stalingrad. At the end of WW2, Germany was left with nothing and no one in control. The â€Å"big three† (The United States’ Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Britain’s Winston Churchill) met in Yalta, Ukraine. In Yalta, they discussed many topics. One of them was about Germany. They split Germany into four parts. The four parts were under control of the USSR, USA, Britain, and France. They also talked about Roosevelt’s preposition and set up the United Nations. The effects WW2 had on the Soviet Union were drastic. People would have their houses destroyed and had to live in their caves. The food rationings for the poor would continue for a while. Stalin knew nothing about it. It got worse when the United States stopped sending supplies. Because of this, Stalin declared war on the United States and its allies. This war would was called the Cold War. At that, the Soviet Union started developing nuclear technology and tension escaladed. Not too long after, United States President Harry Truman set up the â€Å"Marshal Plan† which had no trade sent to the Soviet Union or any other communist country. A little after that, Germany was officially split into two parts, East and West. East Germany and East Berlin was under Soviet Control. West Germany and West Berlin was under United States, British, and French control. Stalin blockaded East Berlin from the West. Knowing the end of this life was near, Stalin did many things to make sure he would be remembered. He wrote a 16 volume set of books, and he built canals and bridges to â€Å"show his control over nature†. Many of the projects were unfinished, though. Not too long before his death, Stalin accused seven doctors of planning to kill him and other governmental officials that were their patients, and put all seven on trial. On March 1st, 1952, Stalin suffered a stroke caused by a burst blood vessel in his brain in his mansion outside Moscow. He died four days later. After his death, Stalin still had many supporters. The Supporters mourned the loss of their great leader. They disregarded the millions of murders or say that they were for the better of the country. They also believed that some of the negative information was fake and still remain loyal to him. Other people that were non-loyal to Stalin were glad that he’s gone. The non-supporters renamed the bridges and streets he named after himself. They also renamed Stalingrad to Volgograd. The propaganda Stalin used didn’t completely work. He tried having history books rewritten to make him look peaceful because despite the terror, he wanted peace to be part of his remembrance. Stalin would have picture taken and paintings made of him doing good or kind things. He would also say things to make it look like his murders were okay. In one of his speeches, he said â€Å"A great danger hangs over our country. † (â€Å"Stalin, Joseph 1878-1952† 205) He says this for his multiple 5 Year Plans and his Purges. Joseph Stalin will always be known as the man who changed Russia. He evolved the working class country into an industrial, Military-strong country. His goals for Russia and the Union were good, but the ways he reached those goals weren’t so good and that’s why many people didn’t like him. The opinion of Stalin that I had was that he was a terrible ruler and that he thought for the worst; that changed. I learned that he wanted to advance Russian economy from farming to more industrial factories and that gave me more respect towards him, but I still think he could have done better.

Sexuality In North By Northwest

Sexuality In North By Northwest While the Cold War conjured diverse anxieties, I will center my presentation on the idea of Domestic Containment, specifically the containment of homosexuality in America (Cohan). I came across this concept in Elaine Tyler Mays Homeward Bound. It deals with the political and ideological reasons 1950s America insisted on promoting rigid heterosexuality and capitalist drives, ridding itself of backward men and Communist traitors, something completely in line with Hitchcocks mission in the film Moreover, by invoking the homophobic categories of Cold War political discourse, in particular the construction of the homosexual as a national security risk, N by NW virtually guaranteed that gender and nationality functioned as mutually reinforcing categories of identity. In this presentation, I will discuss sexuality as related to ideas of nation-hood and argue that there is a mini cold war being waged in North by Northwest, one that deals specifically with advancing the American heterosexual couple over the Soviet homosexual one coded throughout the film. With the American, heterosexual couples triumph on screen comes an ideological victory for America in 1959. SLIDE Before I analyze clips and stills from North By Northwest that deal with currents of sexuality and nationality, I wanted to show this clip from the latter half of the film to show that Hitchcock makes it abundantly clear that we are supposed to read North by Northwest as a Cold War film concerned with sexuality. CLICK!!! I want you to take away from this clip the obvious language of the cold war as well as how sexuality or bedding down is wrapped up in this international struggle. In this way, North by Northwest presents in biting form America immersed in Cold War ambiguity in which people on both sides were served up as sacrificial lambs. N by NW was made and released during the latter phase of the second term of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a time when the Cold War was in full force, with the US and rival Soviet Union utilizing the most sophisticated spy techniques. This new kind of war required constant vigilance and readiness to fight on a moments notice. The Cold War lasted longer than any other war in our countrys history, starting when the United States introduced nuclear terror to the world by dropping its first atomic bomb on Japan on August 6, 1945, and lasting into our lifetime with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Although the Cold War shaped and distorted virtually every aspect of American life, perhaps more than anything else, nuclear weapons changed the world. With them, an element of vulnerability existed unlike anything in history. Nuclear threat escalated during the 1950s, the decade were concerned with today. In August 1949 the Soviets had their first successful nuclear bomb test. Both the US and the Soviet Union held hydrogen bomb tests in 1952 and 53 and in October 1957 the Soviets launched Sputnik. Americas nuclear buildup, global mobilization, and interventionism during the Cold War were justified in the name of stopping Soviet communism, a foe policymakers deemed so diabolical that its defeat warranted the risk of destroying civilization itself. The fact that the Soviet Union was not just a military, economic, and geopolitical but an ideological foe, posed a unique kind of challenge to a resolutely capitalistic nation. This ideological antagonism between socialism and capitalism polarized the world along new lines. And it is against this backdrop that Hitchcock gave birth to his suspense thriller North by Northwest. SLIDE Certain historical trends and demographics are crucial to understand before analyzing the films comments on sexuality. During the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, an amazing rise in the birth rate, a declining age of marriage, a growth in the marriage rate, and low divorce rate all converged in the midst of the most intense years of nuclear fear and ideological and surrogate warfare. Since family formation and fertility respond to both positive and negative economic and cultural stimuli, it is not surprising that this era of comparatively good times brought increased marriage and fertility. At the same time, however, increased sexual activity at younger and younger ages, especially for women in the late 1950s and beyond, problematically, included increasing instances of pre-marital sex Thus the history of sexuality in postwar America is the story of increasing liberalization Men, too, participated. The rebellion of men against marriage and the increasingly permissive fantasy life associated with the playboy lifestyle of the late 1950s, appears to be the kind of life our protagonist and hero, Cary Grants character Roger Thornhill, ascribes to. And, in terms of female rebellion, perhaps even more dismantling is the sexual promiscuity of Eve Kendall, played by Eva Marie Saint. Thornhill is typed as a womanizer, with two failed marriages to boast of, and Eve, as if completely aware of the expectations of her 1950s culture, introduces herself to Thornhill curtly stating that shes 26 and unmarried, and thats all he needs to know. SLIDE Examining domestic containment in relation to national identity has multiple advantages. It allows us to see that what we have heretofore regarded as a unique Cold War phenomenon was in fact part of the larger, ongoing process of defining America. The very meaning of America had become greatly problematized in the 1950s. Perhaps this instability of American identity is why Hitchcock constantly reasserted distinctly American values and American locations throughout North by Northwest, on screen are just a few of the most memorable sites Hitchcock takes us. AD-LIB I will present many facets of North by Northwest that deal specifically with America and American life in order to further ground the containment of homosexuality as a Cold War strategy in the film. I first want to discuss the opening credits of the film. Understanding Hitchcocks brilliant beginning gives us-the viewers and our class today-a lens through which to understand Hitchcocks understanding of Cold War America, homophobia, heterosexuality and communism. SLIDE Designed by American graphic designer and Academy award winning filmmaker Saul Bass, the credits provide a kind of map meant to locate or orient the spectator. A series of intersecting lines, clearly intended to invoke a map or graph, traverse a blank screen placed at an angle to the camera. They eventually dissolve into a shot of an office building whose glass and steel faà §ade reflects the moving traffic on the busy street below. The mirror like surface of the faà §ade that emerges from the intersecting lines functions as a screen on which the images of the busy street below are not so much reflected as projected. Consequently, according to Robert Corber in his book In the Name of National Security: Hitchcock, Homophobia, and the Political Construction of Gender the opening titles seem to suggest that, as a semiotic practice, the film has the ability to organize and define reality, to construct a map of it that fixes its meaning for the spectator. In this way, they call attention to the artificiality or constructed-ness of the films representation of reality. It provides the spectator with coordinates that enable him/her to locate and define his/her position in the world and thereby make sense of it-a concept integral to audience reception that we have discussed at length this semester, and that I will touch on in greater depth shortly. By beginning in this way, according to Corber, the film demonstrates its ability to conjure reality, to construct a representation of the world that the spectator does not question but assumes accurately reflects contemporary society b/c of its perceptual intensity or so-called impression of reality à   thus, from the beginning, we are meant to assume that Hitchcock s representation of America in 1959 is how it really was. Another important element of the films beginning is that our protagonist Roger Thornhill appears as if plucked from the crowd at random, as he is initially shown emerging from an elevator jammed with office workers. He is completely typical of New Yorks crowded people, lacking direction. Indeed, purely by accident, he is kidnapped shortly after he arrives at the hotel by two of Vandamms men, who mistake him for the fictitious American agent George Kaplan. Thus, Hitchcock makes us think that anyone of us, too, could have been sucked into this crazy plot. One other interesting thing to glean from the title sequence is that it alludes to the traps in which the protagonists find themselves throughout the film as well as frames the films trajectory This grid recurs throughout the film, in railway cars, deserted prairie crossroads, and national monuments. From the very beginning, moreover, I want you to note that the film is an exploration of Cold War AMERICA, as seen in the vertical top shots of the Madison Avenue skyscraper, UN headquarters and Mount Rushmore and the horizontal shots of the railway car and of the empty Midwestern plane I will now show a hilarious trailer for North by Northwest from 1959, which gives a brief but comprehensive geographical tour of Hitchcocks locations, which I wont have time to flesh out on my own in this presentation, but are extremely important. SHOW TRAILER HERE! SLIDE Having recently discussed how the opening credits situate and control the spectators view of the film, and, by extension, portray the Cold War climate according to Hitchcocks construction, I want to specifically link this form of control with the viewers sexual identification. Hitchcocks films contributed indirectly to the pathologizing of same-sex eroticism by suggesting that in order for the individual to achieve a relatively stable heterosexual identity she/he had to successfully negotiate the Oedipus complex Because Hitchcocks films occupied the subject position, the spectator became complicit with her/his own Oedipalization, which, in the 1950s, was tantamount to accepting the terms of the postwar settlement. By examining N by NW in the context of the postwar settlement, I want show to that Hitchcocks films participated in a regime of pleasure that helped to consolidate the emergence of the national security state. His representational practices were complicit with the dominant construction of social reality during the Cold War era. Hitchcocks tendency to subjectivize the individual spectators experience constitutes one of the principal links b/w his films and the anti-Stalinist project of American Cold War officials. Thus, in N by NW, Hitchcock demonstrated how the discourses of national security produced fantasies that brought the individual spectators desire into alignment with the nations security interests. SLIDE Now I will move into the meat of my presentation: the politicization of sexuality. The Cold War persuaded millions of Americans to interpret their world in terms of insidious enemies who threatened them with nuclear and other forms of annihilation. McCarthyism contributed heavily to viewing the world through this dark, distorting lens and setting global and domestic policies to counter these threats. According to the Federal Government, if homosexuals felt alienated from mainstream American society, that was b/c they were maladjusted, their problems were not political but personal and were best remedied in a doctors office. On the other hand, however, the dominant discourse of same sex eroticism tried to show that homosexuality promoted communism and therefore politicized gay identities. The gay community, which had emerged with new cohesion and visibility in the wake of World War II, found itself a prime target for anticommunist crusaders. It was believed that they were especially vulnerable to blackmail by Soviet agents eager to recruit intelligence sources As a result, the early 1950s witnessed widespread purging of homosexuals from the State Department, the military, and other federal agencies. However, more than just a greater risk of blackmail was involved. Homosexuals were seen as deficient in character, moral integrity, and real masculinity. Unfit as Cold Warriors, they were thus undesirable citizens. This stigmatization, as historian John DEmilio points out in his study of Cold War sexual politics, was carried still further by conservative politicians who linked homosexuality directly to communism, re-conceptualizing homosexuality as a contagious disease spread by communists to weaken the nation from within. A single homosexual, officials maintained, could easily contaminate an entire government office. The oppression of homosexuals at all levels became yet another act of containment in the fight against communism. Homosexuals, further, were seen as especially dangerous to the extent that a gay male character was virtually indistinguishable from straight male ones, thereby demonstrating that homosexuals, like communists, could dangerously escape detection. During its highly publicized hearings in the 1940s and early 1950s, the House UnAmerican Activities Committee did not limit its investigation to the Communists who had supposedly infiltrated the federal Government, but extended it to include homosexuals who passed as heterosexual. On the basis of testimony from psychiatrists and other medical experts who testified that they were susceptible to blackmail by Soviet agents b/c they were emotionally unstable, thus officially pinning homosexuals as national-security risks. The publication of the Kinsey reports on male and female sexual behavior, in 1948 and 53 respectively, only reinforced the politicization of homosexuality. The reports provided scientific evidence suggesting that sexual identities were fluid and unstable rather than exclusively and permanently heterosexual or homosexual. In recognizing the fluidity of sexuality, hindering the attempts of gays to define themselves as members of an oppressed minority The pervasive allusions to homosexuality in North by Northwest enables me to stress the centrality of the politicization of same-sex eroticism to post-war American culture and to show that containment of homosexuality was necessary to conditions of the Cold War. Thus, North by Northwest epitomizes this tight bond between sexuality and national security in the Cold War era. SLIDE Now I will begin my analysis of sexuality in the film with what I call a montage of references to homosexuality. When looking at these stills from the movie, keep in mind how Cary Grant, our dashing American protagonist, too, can be wrapped up with homosexuality, speaking to the pervasiveness and dangers of homosexuality infiltrating American lives. SLIDE The films drama basically begins with Roger Thornhill going to an all-mens bar in the Plaza Hotel. Although he has a date for that evening, it is with his mother no less, a problem I will discuss shortly! SLIDE The theme of the kidnapping of the hero, Thornhill, by two sinister men, with the hero often seated in a car, tightly between them, recurs throughout the film in myriad forms. Pictured above are just a few examples that represent this theme of Thornhills encounters with homosexuality. CLICK FOUR TIMES. SLIDE Now we arrive at the Villain Phillip Vandamms home who is played by George Mason. I want you to keep this seemingly benign image on screen in mind throughout the remainder of my presentation. While no scholar has mentioned the significance of the cars pulling into Vandamms gate, I think this action is importantly mirrored in the iconic ending of the film that I will show later. For now, however, just keep in mind that a car driven by a man and with our protagonist squished tightly b/w two other men in the backseat, penetrates the gate to a Soviet home. SLIDE Vandamm, the lead villain, unsurprisingly is connected with homosexuality. His masculinity should be suspect because of his relationship with his sadistic, overtly homosexual associate, Leonard, played by Martin Landau, who Hitchcock notes in the screenplay should be read as gay. The slide above features Leonard, with the help of two male henchmen, forcing the neck of a liquor bottle between Thornhills lips, making him drink its full contents-an obviously phallic reference of homosexual rape SLIDE As I noted a few minutes ago, a central facet of the politicization of sexuality in the 1950s, came with associating homosexuality with communism. While Hitchcock doesnt specifically mention the country of origin of the foreigners in the film, he locates Vandamms home importantly in Glen Cove, New York. This location directly implies that Vandamm and his associates are from the Soviet Union, who at the time had a mission in that town on northern Long Island. This fact sheds particular light on the stills of homosexuality I am showing, as they are directly linked with communism. Further, later in the film, the Professor describes Vandamm as an importer exporter of government secrets, thereby coding him as a Soviet agent involved in the Cold War. SLIDE Before I move on to show and discuss the famous crop-dusting scene-the scene I regard as the most compelling, and famous, visual representation of the threat of homosexuality to our protagonist-I must first discuss another aspect of Thornhills unsuitable sexuality: his unhealthy relationship with his mother. In order to Contain Thornhill and set him on the proper sexual path, his relationship with his mother needs to severely change. The basic mother-son story line goes as follows: the film opens with an ageless male, Thornhill, identifying himself first of all as a son. He speaks of his efforts to keep the smell of liquor on his breath from the watchful nose of his mother, and he comes to the attention of his enemies because of an unresolved anxiety about getting a message to his mother, whereupon he is taken captive. (Cavell) Hitchcock suggests that Thornhills involvement in the Communist underworld, an underworld marked by sexual as well as political deviance, is not purely coincidental but is indirectly related to his devotion to his mother. The film tries to show that b/c he has failed to internalize the Law of the Father and remains emotionally dependent on his mother, there is a sense in which his irresponsible behavior is complicit with the Communist infiltration of the American government. The discourses that linked communism and homosexuality actually warned against the potentially pernicious effects of motherhood specifically and point to a reaction against the emergence of the feminine mystique of the 1950s. On the one hand, as we have seen throughout seminar, post-war American culture experienced a proliferation of glorified representations of motherhood designed to lure women back into the home following the war. On the other hand, many Americans resented the glorification of motherhood b/c it gave women supposedly too much power in the domestic sphere. With the outbreak of the Cold War, Mom-ism too became linked to the spread of communism and led to the creation of a demonology of motherhood. Suddenly, mothers risked making their sons susceptible to Communist propaganda. The discourses of mom-ism limited womens empowerment in the domestic sphere and ensured that their child-rearing practices conformed to the nations security interests. For, if women disregarded the expert advice of psychiatrists and other trained professionals, they risked producing children who were Communists as well as homosexuals. In N by NW this aspect of the demonization of motherhood is obvious in Thornhills relationship with his mother. Thornhills sexual immaturity thus is incompatible with the nations security interest. In the postwar period, the nations political stability and economic prosperity were thought to depend upon the production of subjects who had internalized the rules and regulations governing Oedipal desire. Thus Thornhill was not so different from the films Communists and homosexuals. ADLIB-mom younger than Grant, problematic. SLIDE To close this section on homosexuality, I want to look at the famous scene where Thornhill is attacked by a crop-dusting plane. This iconic sequence of events is both the central image of Thornhills victimization and surprisingly, or unsurprisingly as my presentation is attempting to prove, a powerful instance of homosexual attack. The night before this scene takes place Thornhill and Eve violate a taboo. We know that Thornhill spent the night with Eve, boldly and obviously suggesting pre-marital intercourse. I understand the attack Im about to show, which once again occurs the very next day, to be a powerful visualization of punishment for intercourse CLICK SHOW CLIP!!! CLICK AFTER! The linkage of this scene with sexuality is evident in Hitchcocks filming. The association of the prairie with the sexual landscape of the train compartment where Thornhill and Eve had sex the night before is signaled by his camera shots. Right before the clip I just showed, a close-up of Eves face at the train station dissolved into an aerial shot of the road and fields of the plane attack, explicitly linking these scenes. This shot transition begs for an allegorical identification of the woman and this stretch of land, the very land where Thornhill undergoes his attack. To discuss this scene I will rely on the analysis of Theodore Price from his book Hitchcock and Homosexuality. He notes that firstly, we must note the phallic symbolism associated with birds and of flying objects in general. According to Price, aside from the birds shape, and its darting, pecking beak, a bird is, to everyones unconscious, a phallic symbol because it flies. Flying also is a symbol for getting an erection, for potency, and for sexual intercourse in general according to Ernest Jones. Thus, in a way, the crop-dusting plane scene can conjure undertones of homosexual rape from above. There are several meanings that arise when looking at this scene from this angle. 1) This scene could represent a fear on the part of Thornhill of homosexual rape-and/or fear in his strange attraction to homosexual rape. This connection is clear especially when considering the homosexual rape still I showed earlier of Leonard forcing liquor down Thornhills mouth. The phallic bird-plane then may be interpreted as Grants fear of his former attraction to homosexuality as he starts out on still another new love affair with a woman. 2) The plane could also stand for the avenging phallus of the father figure in the film, here Vandamm, who is understandably angry at the son figure, Thornhill, for making time with the mother figure, Eve. 3) Additionally, the sequence could mean that the plane represents the Castrator, Eve, who set him up in the cornfield to begin with. For, from the psychoanalytic view, birds can be woman or vagina symbols too. SLIDE Regardless of which way we read this scene, a powerful avenging phallus, sent by Communists, launches its bullets-take this fact as an allusion to ejaculation-at our male hero. Luckily for Thornhill, he finds safety in the cornfields of America-which, in my opinion, represents finding protection from this Communist phallus in the heartland of America. SLIDE Having catalogued countless instances of the presence and associated dangers of homosexuality in the film, I now need to show how these dangers were contained by the insistence on heterosexual couple. To do so, I will use Mays analysis of 1950s Domesticity in Homeward bound. In this work, May linked the exaggerated domesticity that characterized the long fifties-from 1945-1965-that weve discussed at length in seminar to homosexuality and anticommunist imperatives. May readily acknowledged the extraordinary stresses placed upon the American family by the Great Depression and World War II. Postwar Americans, finding additional threats to traditional family life in rising rates of out-of-wedlock pregnancy and sexual promiscuity, as I discussed before, juvenile delinquency, as Willi discussed two weeks ago, and the ultimate threat of nuclear war, Americans understandably sought normalcy in marital sex, pro-natalism, and suburban domesticity during this time. Further, just as anticommunism required the containment of Sino-Soviet expansion abroad, so, too, May argued, gender revolution and deviant expression of sexual desire had to be effectively contained at home, hence domestic containment. Promotion of family values, policymakers believed, would ensure not only a place for men to return to the workforce, but also the stable family life necessary for personal and national security, a kind of Cold War victory on the domestic front. Hitchcock too received the memo, as he promoted the heterosexual couple throughout the film. Hitchcock, by associating homosexuality with the soviets coded as communists, both comments on its pervasiveness of both groups in America at that time and establishes it as the inferior sexual bond that must be checked and contained by the heterosexual couple. Thus, no mere exercise in nostalgia, domestic containment was part of a new Cold War consensus about the meaning of America and deeply embedded in the plot of North by Northwest. Now Im going to show you a series of slides that blatantly show the heterosexual couple of Thornhill and Eve. CLICK AND ADLIB SLIDE When contextualized within the domestic politics of marriage during the cold war, heterosexuality and Re-Marriage take on great importance. We come to see that Thornhill and Eves adventures throughout the film serve as trials for their suitability to get married. Eve is sexually immature before she becomes an agent for the American government, according to the terms of the postwar settlement. Although she is partially redeemed by acting as an American agent-showing her willingness to perform her patriotic duty-she nevertheless continues to occupy a position outside the law. This is so because to perform her patriotic duty she must violate the rules that govern female sexuality in the 1950s, making her only partly rehabilitated. She is a treacherous little tramp and uses sex like a fly swatter according to the movie so she remains a marked woman throughout. However, when Thornhill rescues her from Vandamm, he enables her to do something genuinely worthwhile for the nation: become a proper wife and mother The relationship b/w gender and nationality suggests that Thornhills activities as an American agent also need to be reconstructed according to the post-war settlement. His activities as an American agent create a scenario that puts an end to his womanizing. Thornhills mix-up within the CIAs efforts to combat communism actually increases his desire for marriage and domesticity. To Thornhill, the domestic sphere not only provides a refuge from the government which has recklessly endangered his and eves lives, but also constantly restages his pre-Oedipal attachment to his mother. In this way, his espionage activities ensure that the organization of sexuality and his identity as a citizen are mutually reinforcing. Thus, Hitchcock stresses the ability of the American government to regulate and control the construction of the individuals subjectivity-as it is only once he is involved in its activities that he is redeemed. According to the discourses of national security then, Thornhills resistance to his role as a husband is un-American, and his activities as an American reorganize him as a proper citizen. This scene shows how the series of events that have unfolded have transformed both protagonists views of marriage, and suggest that re-marriage in the name of national security is on the horizon. CLICK SHOW CLIP As you just saw Thornhill uses the loaded word proposal that explicitly suggests marriage. Also, they discuss his former failed marriages, alerting the viewer that we are dealing with re-marriage here. Also, Cary Grants sly wit about leading too dull a life suggests that as a result of his involvement in matters of state, he has achieved a level of excitement suitable for marriage and can now enter into a proper relationship. SLIDE I want to show you a series of images and a clip from the end of the film that pit homosexuality explicitly against heterosexuality. With their placement at the end of the film they attain great significance, suggesting that the winner of this sexual battle is the victor in a mini cold war. In addition, I show images with men and women, homosexuals and heterosexuals, in these clips, to show both strains of sexuality at odds within a single frame. SLIDE Before I show these stills and clips, I need to discuss the importance of the Vandamm house itself, where the majority of these clips take place. Situated in a fictitious forested plateau atop the Mount Rushmore, Vandamms house dominates a devotional shrine of American democracy-its positioning alone reveals how even Americas most iconic monuments are endangered by Soviet penetration. Further, the houses Midwestern location-in the Black Hills region, near Keystone, South Dakota, is also important. The move toward the west, evoked by the films title, brings the protagonists to the American heartland, the spine of the continent. Additionally, the houses placement atop a mountain has wider implications. It expresses visual domination and panoptic control. The fact that blatant homosexuality pervades a site that serves simultaneously as a great threat to an iconic American monument and exerts intense control, suggests how dangerous the threats of homosexuality and communism have at once become at the end of the film. CLICK THROUGH CLIPS and ad-lib CLICK, SHOW CLIP! In this clip, we see Leonard using phrases like his womans intuition aligning himself with homosexuality, or femininity at the least and Vandamm noting that hes touched by jealousy. SLIDE Now I would like to move into the final phase of my discussion: a comprehensive discussion of Mount Rushmore, and the battle between the US and Soviet Union that occurs atop its democratic faces. First and foremost, we must understand Mount Rushmore to be a place so definitely and undeniably American. Using a carved rock containing the gigantic granite portraits of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln as a backdrop, Hitchcock suggests that what happens there is of NATIONAL IMPORTANCE. After a few savvy moves, Thornhill and Eve leave Vandamms house and find themselves atop monument being chased by Vandamm, Leonard and their henchmen.