Socially Constructed Phenomenon

Question: Discuss this statement with reference to the criminological schools of thought, the emergence of the victim in criminological thought, different definitions of crime, and measuring crime and victimisation? Answer: Introduction Crimes like murder, assault, robbery, rape and theft are all considered as criminal offenses. Such criminal behaviors increase the crime problem of a nation and also from the general public with fear. Criminal behavior can be described as the behavior that violates the criminal law. It cannot be considered as a crime unless the behavior has been limited by the criminal law. On the other hand, traditionally, criminal law has been defined as the body of rules related with human conduct that have been promulgated by political authority and are applicable uniformly to all the members of the class to which such rules referred to and which rules are enforced by arrangement that is administered by the State (Carrabine et al., 2014). Without these laws, there shall be complete chaos and similarly there will be no social order. In this way, it can be said that these laws are invoked in order to maintain social control. But the crime problem is still a serious problem and as a result, the dema nd is also present for more such laws. However in order to deal with the problem of crime, it is important that the meaning of crime should be assessed. It has been argued by some criminologists that crime is socially constructed. On the other hand, there are many who believe that crime is real and therefore it should be taken seriously. In this way, in case of the social construction of crime, it is believed that crime is caused by social factors (Walklate, 2007). According to it, crime is not related with psychological and biological factors and it is a response to the state of society and also the inequality in the society.The theories that are present in the support of social construction of crime include Labeling, New Criminology, Marxism and Gender Studies. Crime as a socially constructed processLabeling Theory In case of the leading theory, it is provided that the criminals are labeled as criminals due to the purpose of social order. Their behavior is not in accordance with the social norms and the society does not tolerate such deviant behaviors. Such an impression has to be imposed by the law agents but at the same time, it has also been proposed by some criminologists that the labeling system also encourages more criminal behavior instead of decreasing it (Treadwell, 2006). The labeling theory not only accounts for the different impact that it has on certain individuals but at the same time it can also have a negative impact on the way some groups are perceived (Karmen, 2013). The exaggeration combined with labeling can result in creating a model panic among the public. Moral panics are the reaction of the public and the media towards certain events. In this way, model panic is also considered as public outcries. Such events are considered as a threat to the social order and an example of such events can be given in the form of soccer violence or vandalism. The public receives information regarding the crime from the media. For example, during the 1970s, the focus of the attention of media was on mugging. Images from the ghettos were used by the media and street robberies were defined into a new youth and the violent crime taking place on streets came to be known as mugging. Very soon, the moral panic that was associated with mugging started to focus on black youths. It was considered that the problem has been the result of racial inequality and social deprivation. The result was that media completely blew out of proportion the incidence of mugging. The matters were made worse when the police started to target black youths who were seen in the streets. In this way, the media has to be selective regarding the events that are going to be reported by it and also the way, the event is going to be presented to the public. For example the crimes against environment are not considered as 'spectacularly newsworthy' while the cases of violence in which injuries have been received by innocent persons generally receive the attention of the media (Walklate, 2011). Theory of Karl Marx According to the theory of crime proposed by Karl Marx, crime is committed by the lower class as a result of the inequality that is generally seen in case of capitalist societies. Significant social changes have taken place as a result of the industrial revolution which has produced a capitalist society. In case of a capitalist society, there is a powerful ruling class which also owns the modes of production and at the same time, there is the class that is ruled by them and this class also works for them (Muncie, 2001). Therefore while the working class produces the goods, it is up to the owners to gain huge profits by selling these goods to the other members of the society. While the members of the working class only earn low wages and at the same time, the jobs they have to do can be very unrewarding and an interesting. As a result of the low wages given to them, the workers have to live in poverty. This division results in inequality and conflict. Such a conflict is generally expr essed in the form of riots and rebellion. In this way, according to this theory, crime is also an expression of the exploitation and the terrible working and living conditions that the people from the working class have to face.In this way, according to Karl Marx crime is the struggle of an individual against the prevailing conditions. According to this theory, it is believed that crime is socially constructed. However there are certain flaws in this theory. Capitalism alone cannot be considered as the cause behind crime. Crime is still present in case of industrialized societies. In the same way, this theory only focuses on the crime committed by lower-class (Sarre, 2012). It also needs to be noted in this regard that the people from the art classes also commit a number of crimes. Particularly these people are engaged in white-collar crime. Realism Right Realism: In the same way, in case of the realist criminology, there can be either Right or Left Realism. In both these cases, it is believed that crime is real and it has to be taken seriously. It is also believed that the safety of the public has to be ensured with the help of crime control. However Right Realism does not support the position that crime is produced by the society if a deviant person is labeled as a criminal but it is the personal choice of an individual to become a criminal. In case of Rigth Realism, it is realized that crime can be overrepresented as a result, in this case it is proper to gain information through victim surveys. On the other hand, the critics of right realism point out that it only focuses on the way social order can be achieved and on punishing the street crime. Therefore crimes like the white collar crimes are left out of this equation.Left Realism: On the other hand, the left realists are dissatisfied with the social construction of crime. According to them, crime is not the result of model panic that has been created by the media. It is the real expression of the public which results in moral panics. Therefore it is important to consider the fears of the public seriously and to act upon them. Conclusion While ending the discussion if crime is socially constructed or not, it can be said that crime can be said to be socially constructed as well as real. Crime can be considered as socially constructed in the form of the labeling individuals which turns the deviants into criminals. At the same time, the media can also be held responsible for the over-representation as well as the under-representation that may end up creating moral panics among the public. At the same time, crime can also be the result of the feeling of inequality and exploitation that can be created among the working class who has to face terrible living conditions, particularly in capitalist societies. Similarly, gender roles can also have an impact on the rate of crime between men and women. However it is also important to note that apart from all these, crime is also real. The victims of numerous crimes are present to tell their tales. In this way, crime represents a huge problem which has to be addressed effectively . Therefore while certain flaws are present in the radical theories, it can certainly be said that crime is a reality. References Carrabine, E, Cox, P, Fussey, P, Hobbs, D, South, N, Thiel, D, Turton, J 2014, 'The enlightenment thinkers and early traditions', inCriminology: a sociological introduction, 3rd edn, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, UK, pp. 49-65.Karmen, A 2013, 'What is victimology?', in Crime victims: an introduction to victimology, 8th edn, Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, Belmont, pp. 1-35.Muncie, J 2001, 'The construction and deconstruction of crime', in J Muncie E McLaughlin (eds), The problem of crime, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, pp. 7 70Sarre, R 2012, 'The criminal process', in M Marmo, W De Lint D Palmer (eds), Crime and justice: a guide to criminology, 4th edn, Thomson Reuters, Pyrmont, NSW, pp. 435-53.Treadwell, J 2006, 'Part three: study writing and revision skills', in Criminology, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 128-168Walklate, S 2007, 'Perspectives in criminological theory', in Understanding criminology: Current theoretical debates, 3rd edn, Open University Press, Maidenhead, UK, pp. 17-37.Walklate , S 2011, 'Counting crime', in Criminology: the basics, 2nd edn, Routledge, Abingdon, UK, pp. 29-51.

Shakespeare`S Biography Essays - Kings Men, William Shakespeare

Shakespeare`S Biography Shakespeare Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-avon. His mother's name was Mary Arden, a member of the gentry. His father's name was John Glover Shakespeare, a commoner. John tried to regain their position in society by getting a coat of arms, but was rejected three times. William later, after achieving his fame, received a coat of arms known as Not without right that was in the shape of a shield. At the tender age of 14, (1578) William was apprenticed to a butcher. At 17, (1581) he was a liberteen, or a very wild and rambunctious teen. In 1582, between the ages of 18 and 19, William met Ann Hathaway, 26, and she became pregnant. The two got married and had a little girl named Suzanna, who later married a doctor, Thomas Nash. They also were blessed with twins, Judith (Juliet) and Hamnet (Hamlet). They both died before adulthood. William was no super model. He was bald, had the unattractive brown hair for the time, and was a country bumpkin. Although he had these unfavorable physical characteristics, he was still able to have many affairs behind his wife's back. In London especially, he had many affairs and was a wild party guy. Ann didn't like her husband's ways and was constantly nagging him. Because of her nagging, William left her their second best bed and nothing more. People don't know whether it was a sentimental gesture or just for spite. In 1588, Comedy of Errors was written, which is said to be his first play. 1588-1612 were known as his London days. He left Stratford at the age of 24 and went to London first, to get away from his wife, and second, because he was wanted for poaching deer at Charlcote Manner. In London he joined a theatrical society known as Lord Chamberlin's Men. William's patron was Lord Chamberlin. William was considered a low comedian during these times. Tragedians were considered great, but comedy was low. In this theatrical society, William conducted his stage career, but he was quite drunk much of the time. One night, he was even found under a tree in which he had fallen in a drunken stupor and forgotten where he was. His affairs were abundant and he was known as the country bumpkin from Stratford. Christopher Marlow influenced Shakespeare's tragedies and was also a rival. Ben Johnson influenced Shakespeare's comedies. In 1592, he was a successful playwright and actor. He wrote dramas, played cool parts, but never published any of his plays. In 1593, Venus of Adonis was published. 1594-1610 he acted and wrote plays on an average of two a year. In 1597, he bought a home in Stratford. 1602-he bought a large estate. 1609-published some sonnets in a collection. 1612-retired to Stratford. On March 23, 1616, William wrote his will and on April 23, 1616 he died. Richard Burbage was one of the original tragic actors in Shakespeare's plays. He was a guiding light of the project to edit and publish all of William's work. The Globe Theater was where all of his plays were performed. Bibliography i made it Shakespeare Essays

Free World Population Growth Essay Sample - Choose the Right One

Free World Population Growth Essay Sample - Choose the Right OneIf you are searching for a free world population growth essay sample, then the Internet has many of them to choose from. Whether you are taking college classes and just want to check out what they are all about or you are just looking for a quick and easy way to pass a test, you are going to need to find a good essay in the first place. Fortunately, there are a lot of good essay samples out there.The most important thing you can do is to find a good essay. After all, it will be up to you to decide whether to use this information for your paper or not. Don't put too much pressure on yourself because you don't have to do a perfect essay; you are just looking for a good guide on how to go about it.There are many things you can find online that can provide you with a free world population growth essay sample. These samples will give you tips on how to write a good essay and provide some useful information that will help you gain an advantage when you take the course.Some free world population growth essay sample sites will also tell you how to format your essay and also how to properly place your information. This means that you can use these online resources to help you write your essay and get it right.They are a very good resource and can give you a good boost for your writing ability. They will help you make sure that your essay is accurate and will help you determine whether or not it is easy for you to read.Another great thing about these free world population growth essay sample is that they will give you some tips on the type of questions that you should ask in your paper. They will also give you a brief outline so that you can help you make sure that your essay is complete and the data is well organized.With all of these things to think about, you can see why it is worth spending some time looking through the internet for an essay sample. It is important that you remember that a great essay wi ll help you pass the course so you have to ensure that you are doing everything you can to make sure that you know the material well before you leave school.

Free Essays on Vietnam

Vietnam Many believe that America’s involvement in the Vietnam War was a disaster. The majority of the men and women fighting in the war had little or no idea why they were there in the first place. The staggering number of lives that was lost cannot and will not be overlooked. The importance of this war was decimated, and the actions of political leaders were scrutinized by there own people as well as other countries. One question that comes to mind when thinking about the Vietnam War is our reasoning for entering the war and what our enemies thought about America’s intervention in the war. America’s intervention in Vietnam changed the lives of many people and families in our country today. The Political leaders of our country took, in a sense, moral authority in there involvement in Vietnam. According to Loren Baritz, Author of God’s Country and American Know-how, Moral authority has been imbedded in American culture before America was even a country. I believe the quote by Herman Melville best explained moral authority when he said, â€Å"and we Americans are the peculiar, chosen people – the Israel of our time; we bear the ark of the liberties of the world.† After analyzing this statement one can make a direct connection to moral authority and America’s actions at the time of the Vietnam War. Whoever gets in the way of the human races right to live their lives with virtue, liberty, and with God is an enemy. The role of the â€Å"worlds police† was assumed by America in the Vietnam War partly due to Americas need and want for everyone to live in peace and happiness, our involvement ended up being an experience on what not to do . Along with moral authority American political leaders felt they had a promise to keep to themselves, America, and the citizens of their country. After WWII concluded America installed what they call the containment theory. The containment theory pledged, According to George... Free Essays on Vietnam Free Essays on Vietnam The past few months have been very hard on me. I have just been trying to hold on. I don’t know if I can. I have seen some things that I should have never seen. I have been through a lot in such a short time. I have gotten a life time of stories in just a few years. It all started when I took that photograph class back in High school. They said I had a natural gift and they hadn’t seen anything like it before. Either they were lying or it was just that I was one of the first people to experience the new technological advances that were made in the world of cameras. After that I started to really pursue photography as a career. I spent a lot of time and money on my passion. And this passion got me places. I graduated college and got a job working for Life magazine. I’m not going to lye, I was the best they had. They sent me to places near and far. I saw the world for free. It was great. Until I started to get jobs I didn’t like. When it was declared that Ho Chi Minh, who is very photogenic, was communist and therefore our enemy the US decided that they had to stop him. Stop him from doing what, I don’t know, but I do know that I didn’t like it at all. When Vietnam was split into two countries, North and South Vietnam, by the Geneva Conference it didn’t seem like a huge deal. When President Eisenhower sent over support it didn’t seem too bad. I mean he sent in 675 advisors to help out. They were there to show South Vietnam what to do. When that little boy, Kennedy, took office is when the problems started. He just kept sending troops into a war and a country that we had no reason to be in. He sent 16,000 Americans to Vietnam. And if that wasn’t bad enough the leader of the country we were helping wasn’t even trying. The president of South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, wasn’t helping the situation. He was such a bad leader that he didn’t even get the support of his people. He sent people... Free Essays on Vietnam The U.S. Involvement in The Vietnam War The Vietnam War was one of the worst wars in the United States history. The reason for the United States involvement was due to the start of communism in North Vietnam. The citizens in South Vietnam feared the control of North Vietnam and were worried that the north would take control of the south. The communist North Vietnam had support from the Soviet Union and China, making the South Vietnamese vulnerable to the north. In their time of struggle the South Vietnamese were able to receive aid from the United States. The North Vietnamese had set up a series of radar stations along bays and islands on the Gulf of Tonkin. On August 1, 1964 the U.S.S. Maddox was posted on a surveillance mission to study the North Vietnamese defenses in the Gulf area. In early morning on August 2, 1964 the U.S.S. Maddox spotted three North Vietnamese patrol boats, located twenty- eight miles from the coast. The patrol boats were still in International waters, which meant that they had no right to patrol S outh Vietnam. Captain John Herrich of the Maddox ordered fire upon the three North Vietnamese patrol boats. The Maddox had assistance from the carrier U.S.S. Ticonderoga. The two ships managed to sink one of the patrol boats, while the other two boats bailed out. To this day government officials are still unsure whether the United States or the North Vietnamese fired first in the situation. United Sates President Lyndon B. Johnson received word of the attack and ordered the Maddox to return to the Gulf of Tonkin and patrol for more action. The Maddox accompanied by the U.S.S. Turner Joy returned to the Gulf of Tonkin on August 4, 1964. While stationed in the Gulf the radar engineers on the destroyers thought that they saw an advancing enemy ship. While not certain of the approaching ship, the two destroyers fired into the darkness. The destroyers found no trace of a ship. President Johnson was convinced that the de... Free Essays on Vietnam Robert S. McNamara, appointed by John F. Kennedy to the position of U.S. Secretary of Defense in 1961, said about the Vietnam War, â€Å"It is important to recognize it’s a South Vietnamese war. It will be won or lost depending upon what they do. We can advise and help, but they are responsible for the final results, and it remains to be seen how they will continue to conduct that war,† (McNamara 72). Despite these guidelines for assisting in the war, the U.S. would end up doing much more than just advising. The Vietnam War was supposed to be a demonstration of how willing the U.S. was to battle communism, but ended up a personal vendetta against the North Vietnamese as the U.S. escalated its commitment in Vietnam infinitely greater than it had ever intended. After World War II, France returned to Vietnam to reclaim their Indochinese colonies after the Ho Chi Minh had declared Vietnamese independence in 1945 (Goldstein 3). The U.S. had just ended a war started by G erman conquest in Europe, and now was being asked to help France conquer the colonies it lost control of during the war. The Vietnam Nationalists, the same ones who had supported the U.S. in the war against the Japanese not more than a year previous, sought only to peacefully gain their independence from France (Chant 25). In January of 1950, the Viet Minh gained recognition by the governments of the USSR and China, who supplied weapons and places to train (Chant 25). Because the two Communist superpowers recognized the Viet Minh, the Vietnam war became to the U.S. a struggle between capitalism and communism, especially since the Viet Minh were openly communist themselves. By aiding the French, the U.S. thought they were helping their free-trade ally France fight communism, the Communist Party was very strong in France (Goldstein 3). The U.S. feared that Vietnam would fall to communism, and set-off the â€Å"domino effect† for other communist satellites in Indochina (M... Free Essays on Vietnam Vietnam Many believe that America’s involvement in the Vietnam War was a disaster. The majority of the men and women fighting in the war had little or no idea why they were there in the first place. The staggering number of lives that was lost cannot and will not be overlooked. The importance of this war was decimated, and the actions of political leaders were scrutinized by there own people as well as other countries. One question that comes to mind when thinking about the Vietnam War is our reasoning for entering the war and what our enemies thought about America’s intervention in the war. America’s intervention in Vietnam changed the lives of many people and families in our country today. The Political leaders of our country took, in a sense, moral authority in there involvement in Vietnam. According to Loren Baritz, Author of God’s Country and American Know-how, Moral authority has been imbedded in American culture before America was even a country. I believe the quote by Herman Melville best explained moral authority when he said, â€Å"and we Americans are the peculiar, chosen people – the Israel of our time; we bear the ark of the liberties of the world.† After analyzing this statement one can make a direct connection to moral authority and America’s actions at the time of the Vietnam War. Whoever gets in the way of the human races right to live their lives with virtue, liberty, and with God is an enemy. The role of the â€Å"worlds police† was assumed by America in the Vietnam War partly due to Americas need and want for everyone to live in peace and happiness, our involvement ended up being an experience on what not to do . Along with moral authority American political leaders felt they had a promise to keep to themselves, America, and the citizens of their country. After WWII concluded America installed what they call the containment theory. The containment theory pledged, According to George... Free Essays on Vietnam Vietnam has had conflicts since the 1800’s. The French struggled for years to take control of Vietnam. In the early1930’s the French fought to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam. In the late 1940’s they started losing massive amounts of troops. U.S. president Harry S. Truman decided to send funding to the French. The Truman administration decided it was right to help in the fight against communism (â€Å"Eve of Battle 38†). America officially entered Vietnam in 1965 (â€Å"Eve of Battle 38†). The U.S already had advisers in Vietnam at the time of arrival. President John F. Kennedy increased the number of advisers after taking office. He felt it necessary for further increase in U.S. help (â€Å"Barr 20†). The struggle later escalated into a major controversy that Americans will never forget. J.F.K. was eventually assassinated and Lyndon B. Johnson took over the presidency. Johnson made many decisions that greatly effected the lives of soldiers and the entire outcome of the Vietnam War. Johnson was an important part of Vietnam. He made several big moves that helped the U.S. get seriously involved in the war. Suprisingly he did not run for another term as president. In 1968 Richard Nixon was elected president. He resigned in 1974 to avoid impeachment (â€Å"Vietnamization 114†). Nixon had many decisions to make while in office. He faced the public, U.S. soldiers, politicians and many obstacles in his political career. The public would later question his honesty and ability to serve as Commander and Chief. Many Americans questioned the reason for U.S. involvement in Vietnam. When Americans herd about the spread of war into Cambodia and the â€Å"Watergate Scandal† they started to question his authority. U.S. citizens felt they should no longer trust a president that lies and keeps secrets from them. In 1974 Nixon resigned and Gerald Ford took over presidency. After the Vietnam War Americans learned of the ... Free Essays on Vietnam By the start of 1968, Johnson encountered mounting opposition to the war. An antiwar movement had arisen in 1964 and 1965 as Johnson began to escalate American involvement in Vietnam. In 1965 students and teachers at the University of Michigan held one of the first campus teach-ins to spread information about the war. Teach-ins soon were held at many colleges and universities. Antiwar protests evoked massive support among draft-age youth, half of them college students. Chanting activists disrupted draft boards, burned draft cards, occupied campus buildings, and marched on the Pentagon. The Johnson administration faced political critics as well. Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright began to hold hearings that questioned why the United States was fighting in Vietnam. Fulbright stopped supporting Johnson when he learned that the president had exaggerated enemy aggression at the Gulf of Tonkin. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara called the bombing campaign a failure and left his post in 1968. European allies also criticized the American role in Vietnam. At home, the war generated intense debate. â€Å"Hawks† assailed the policy of limited war and favored an all-out effort to defeat Communism in Vietnam. Some contended that politicians prevented the military from winning the war, or that military leaders had no strategy for victory. Others held that the antiwar movement stifled support for the war, ruined morale, and undercut the military effort. â€Å"Doves,† in contrast, believed that the United States should never have become involved in Vietnam. The conflict, they argued, was essentially a civil war, and contrary to containment doctrine, its outcome was irrelevant to American security. To some critics, the war was unwinnable, and stalemate was the best foreseeable outcome. In any case, doves argued, the United States should negotiate with North Vietnam to end the war quickly. By 1968 antiwar sentiment affected electoral politics. Chall... Free Essays on Vietnam The Vietnam conflict began in the late nineteenth century. The French conquered Vietnam and made it a protectorate. For nearly forty years, Vietnam had not experienced settled peace. The League for the Independence of Vietnam ( Viet Minh ) was formed in 1941, seeking independence from the French. On September 2nd,1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed it independent of France. The French opposed their independence from 1945 to 1954. The first representatives of de Gualle's government landed by parachute in Saigon and Hanoi on August 23rd, 1945. The French wanted to reestablish their rule in Vietnam but were beaten at the battle of Dien Bien Phu on May 7th, 1954. The French Expeditionary Force tried to prevent the Viet Minh from entering Laos and Dien Bien Phu was the place chosen to do so. The French were not very careful and this allowed the Viet Minh to cut off their airway to Hanoi. After a siege that had lasted for fifty - five days, the French surrendered. Ho Chi Minh led the war against France and won. After the war there was a conference in Geneva where Vietnam was divided into two parts along the seventeenth parallel. North Vietnam was mainly Communist and supported Ho Chi Minh, while the south was supported by the United States and the French were based there. There was still some Communist rebels within South Vietnam. These were the Viet Cong. The South Vietnam ruler was Ngo Dinh Diem who was anti - Communist. At the conference, Laos and Cambodia became independent states. North Vietnam wished to unify North and South Vietnam through military force. Since the United States feared the spread of communism in Asia, John F. Kennedy provided economic and military aid to South Vietman to prevent the takeover by North Vietnam. At this time, this was still a civil war. The United States were not yet officially involved. The North Vietnamese resented the little inte... Free Essays on Vietnam Vietnam- Roots of a Conflict Today in society the topic of the Vietnam conflict is still greatly talked about. It is still disputed the reasons for America being involved and the reasons for the conflict period. The intend of this paper is to determine the roots of this conflict and answer the questions of the reason for the conflict and the reason America became involved to point that they did, and then highlight the major events of the war to show it in a larger different view then just another war. From the 1880’s until World War II, France had governed Vietnam as part of French Indochina, which also included Cambodia and Laos. In 1940 Japanese troops invaded and occupied French Indochina. In December of that year, Vietnamese nationalists established the League for the Independence of Vietnam, or Viet Minh, seeing the upheaval of the war as an opportunity for resistance to French rule. The United States demanded that Japan leave Indochina, warning of military action. The Japanese refused . The Viet Minh began guerrilla warfare against Japan and entered an effective alliance with the United States. The United States sent supplies and trained men and sent their â€Å"flying Tigers† ( a volunteer group of American Pilots fighting in China) on raids over Vietnam in aid of the Viet Minh. Ho Chi Minh was the principal leader of the Viet Minh.. American were sent to Vietnam during the second World War to help train Ho Chi Minh and his troops to effetely resist the Japanese troops occuping his land. When the Japanese signed their formal surrender in 1945, Ho Chi Minh used the occasion to declare the independence of Vietnam, which he called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The French refused to acknowledge Vietnam’s independence, and later that year drove the Viet Minh into the north of the country. Ho Chi Minh wrote letters to President Truman, asking him to recognize Vietnam’s indep... Free Essays on Vietnam To begin with, Vietnam had been undergoing a protracted struggle for independence since before World War II and had sustained this struggle militarily and politically against the French empire, the Japanese empire, and then after 1945 the French empire again. By 1954, at the epic battle of Dien Bien Phu, the forces of Ho Chi Minh and Gen. Giap had effectively decided matters on the battlefield, and President Eisenhower himself had conceded that Ho would have won any possible all-Vietnamese election. The distortions of the Cold War led the United States to take over where French colonialism had left off, to assist in partitioning the country, and to undertake a war that had already been lost. Whatever the monstrosities of Asian communism may have been, Ho Chi Minh based his declaration of Vietnamese independence on a direct emulation of the words of Thomas Jefferson and was able to attract many non-Marxist nationalists to his camp. He had, moreover, been an ally of the West in the war against Japan. Nothing under this heading can be said of the Iraqi Baathists or jihadists, who are descended from those who angrily took the other side in the war against the Axis, and who opposed elections on principle. If today's Iraqi "insurgents" have any analogue at all in Southeast Asia it would be the Khmer Rouge. Vietnam as a state had not invaded any neighbor (even if it did infringe the neutrality of Cambodia) and did not do so until after the withdrawal of the United States when, with at least some claim to self-defense, it overthrew the Khmer Rouge regime. Contrast this, even briefly, to the record of Saddam Hussein in relation to Iran and Kuwait. Vietnam had not languished under international sanctions for its brazen contempt for international law, nor for its building or acquisition, let alone its use of, weapons of mass destruction. Vietnam had never attempted, in whole or in part, to commit genocide, as was the case with the doc...

Audrey Flack, Pioneer of Photorealism

Audrey Flack, Pioneer of Photorealism Audrey Flack, born May 30, 1931, is an American artist. Her work, primarily painting and sculpture, has placed her at the forefront of pop art and photorealism. Fast Facts: Audrey Flack Full Name:  Audrey L. FlackOccupation: ArtistKnown For: Pioneering the photorealist genre of art, particularly with portrayals of women, everyday objects, and moments in relatively recent history.Born: May 30, 1931 in New York CityNotable Works:  Kennedy Motorcade (1964), Marilyn (Vanitas) (1977), World War II (Vanitas) (1978) Early Life and Education Flack was born in New York City in 1931, in the northern Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights. As a teenager, she attended a specialized arts public institution, the High School of Music and Art. Her formal art education began in 1948, when she began her studies at New York’s Cooper Union. Flack remained there until 1951 and was then recruited to Yale, largely thanks to the influence of German-American artist Josef Albers (who was then in charge of Yale’s art department). While at Yale, Flack continued developing her own style while being influenced by her teachers and mentors. In particular, her early work demonstrated an Abstract Expressionist style in the vein of Albers’ work. Flack graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1952. The following year, she returned to New York and studied art history for a year at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. Abstract to Realism At first, Flack’s work in the 1950s was a clear offshoot of her training with abstract expressionists. She also embraced â€Å"kitschiness† in a self-aware, ironic way. However, as time went on, she began to feel that the abstract expressionist style she was utilizing was not achieving what she felt was an important goal: communicating with audiences. Because of this desire to create art that was clearer to viewers, Flack began moving towards realism. Portrait of artist Audrey Flack sits next to a painting of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy riding in the back of a limousine on the day he was assassinated.   Nancy R. Schiff / Getty Images She enrolled in the Art Students League (ASL), where she studied anatomy under the tutelage of Robert Beverly Hale, and began finding inspiration in artists from past eras rather than more recent movements. Her work began to be categorized in the â€Å"New Realism† movement, and, eventually, shifted all the way into photorealism, in which an artist attempts to reproduce a photographed image as realistically as possible in a different medium. Flack was one of the first students at the ASL to fully embrace photorealism and use photographs as reference for her work. Photorealism, in many ways, is a sister genre to pop art: depicting ordinary, mundane items, often as still-lifes that imitate the realism of photography as closely as possible. In 1966, Flack became the first photorealist painter to have work in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art.   Increased Influence In some cases, Flack’s work moved past the typical still life paintings and depicted historical events. One of her most famous works is Kennedy Motorcade, November 22, 1963, which, as its title suggests, depicts a scene from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Her historical paintings, including her Vanitas works, often featured some kind of socio-political commentary. Her still life paintings often did as well; for instance, her paintings of female-coded items such as makeup and perfume bottles tended to involve some commentary on gender roles and constructs. Portrait of gallery owner Louis Meisel and artist Audrey Flack and her hyper-realist painting of Marilyn Monroe, New York, New York, March 10, 1978. Allan Tannenbaum / Getty Images In the early 1970s, Flack developed a new technique for her paintings. Instead of just using a photograph as a reference, she actually projected it as a slide onto the canvas, then developed an airbrushing technique to create the layers of paint. The 1970s also saw Flack paint her Vanitas series, which depicted everything from jewelry to scenes of WWII concentration camps. By the 1980s, however, Flack had switched her primary medium from painting to sculpture. She is entirely self-taught in sculpture, as opposed to her significant formal training in painting. There are also other significant differences in her sculptural works versus her paintings. For instance, where her paintings focused on ordinary objects or historical scenes, her sculptures tend to depict religious and mythological subjects. For the most part, women are depicted in her sculptures, representing somewhat idealized but imperfect and diverse variations on the female form and femininity itself. Contemporary Work In the 1990s and 2000s, Flack had a fair amount of work commissioned. At one point, she was commissioned to create a statue of Catherine of Braganza, the British queen after whom the New York City borough of Queens was named; the project met with several objections and was never completed. More recently, her statues Recording Angel  and  Colossal Head of Daphne  (both completed between 2006 and 2008) were commissioned by and installed in Nashville, Tennessee. Audrey Flacks Recording Angel statue stands outside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee.   Raymond Boyd / Getty Images In more recent years, Flack has returned to her roots. Finding the photorealist movement rather â€Å"restricting,† she shifted back to Baroque influences. She wrote a book in 1986, collecting her thoughts on art and being an artist. Flack has also taught and lectured both in America and abroad. Currently, she is an honorary professor at George Washington University and a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She is based out of New York, where she splits her time between New York City and Long Island. Sources Blumberg, Naomi and Ida Yalzadeh. â€Å"Audrey Flack: American Painter and Sculptor.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Audrey-Flack.Flack, Audrey.  Art Soul: Notes on Creating, New York, Dutton, 1986.Morgan, Robert C. â€Å"Audrey Flack and the Revolution of Still Life Painting.† The Brooklyn Rail, 5 Nov. 2010, https://brooklynrail.org/2010/11/artseen/audrey-flack-and-the-revolution-of-still-life-painting.

Discussion Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Discussion Questions - Assignment Example The first step in the selection process is the generation of a master jury list. Rules of membership of a jury are common in most states and include citizenship, majority age, sound health, and freedom from a felony charge. The clerk then selects part of the list, based on the rules, into the Venire and notifies the selected individuals to appear before the court. Some of the potential jurors may however not be summoned. The last step in the selection is the scrutiny of the proposed jurors for competence and lack of conflict of interest into bias. The stage is called Voir Dire (Gaines and Miller 326, 327). The decision on whether to charge an accused or not, and which charges to make, remains at the discretion of the prosecutor. The prosecutor may however consider existence of probable cause and the possibility of arguing a case beyond reasonable doubt as legitimate reasons for the decision to charge or not, and for the charge to make (Gaines and Miller 287, 288). Weight of evidence defines the degree to which evidence offered in a trial process is valid and convincing. Strong weight of evidence implies a strong argument while a weak weight of evidence implies evidence and arguments that leaves doubt. Weight of evidence is used in a criminal trial to inform juror’s decisions based on the doctrine of proof beyond reasonable doubt. A strong weight of evidence informs the jury high chances of decision for the argument towards a guilty charge. The jury, however, sometimes decides against weight of evidence (Erastus-Obilo 137). Circumstantial evidence is indirect evidence to a case at trial. The evidence may be used to establish likelihood of occurrence of an element of crime in order to support an claim but not to prove a fact. The type of evidence may also be used in a criminal trial, together with other substantial evidence, to establish a fact to the case (Gaines and Miller 334). I believe that the

Importance of institutional investors for financial markets Essay

Importance of institutional investors for financial markets - Essay Example Such funds are prepared to get reinvested so as to attain the benefit out from investments. There are different types of institutions that manage and organize investments (Davis, 2001). Such include pension institutions, insurance companies, savings institutions and foundations respectively. All institutions are important with respect to the area of finance they manage and deal with. It is their specialized skill which recovers the benefit from the investment, as they are more aware of the market trends and regulations than the ordinary man - â€Å"a common investor† (Davis, 2001). Institutional investments like pension funds have a great role in developing economies. Pension funds mount up the amount and number of investments attained by company employers in respect of their employees. The amount gets doubled and tripled after some time, depending on the rates on which it has been fixed, and adds a consistent share in the financial stock market until the policy gets expired. This is how regulations, policies and instrumentations of pension funds (institutional investment) retrieve the best outcome (liquid assets) for both investors and managers of the fund. The importance of pension institution funds vary with respect to the changing norms of countries’ markets. According to International Financial Services London (IFSL) 2004, UK projects an amount of $1,400 billion in the pension funds prospect, adding a major share in the UK’s financial stock market (BGL, 2010).... Such institutions are caretakers of others’ equities and private holding investments. The role of institutions is deliberate as they set a system of organizing, developing and managing respective funds. Such funds are prepared to get reinvested so as to attain the benefit out from investments. There are different types of institutions that manage and organize investments (Davis, 2001). Such include pension institutions, insurance companies, savings institutions and foundations respectively. All institutions are important with respect to the area of finance they manage and deal with. It is their specialized skill which recovers the benefit from the investment, as they are more aware of the market trends and regulations than the ordinary man - â€Å"a common investor† (Davis, 2001). Institutional investments like pension funds have a great role in developing economies. Pension funds mount up the amount and number of investments attained by company employers in respect of their employees. The amount gets doubled and tripled after some time, depending on the rates on which it has been fixed, and adds a consistent share in the financial stock market until the policy gets expired. This is how regulations, policies and instrumentations of pension funds (institutional investment) retrieve the best outcome (liquid assets) for both investors and managers of the fund. The importance of pension institution funds vary with respect to the changing norms of countries’ markets. According to International Financial Services London (IFSL) 2004, UK projects an amount of $1,400 billion in the pension funds prospect, adding a major share in the UK’s financial stock market (BGL, 2010). The contribution of pension funds is there for Germany and France