Critique of film by Tony Gilroy

Movie has been used for years as a way through which people depict issues that happen in the society. On the same note, movie can be used as an entertainment aspect when people want to relax. Nevertheless, while some other movies are well cast and plotted, there are others which do not meet the best criteria.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critique of film by Tony Gilroy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Academically, studying film is very interesting given the opportunity it provides for the students to understand some crucial aspects of film. The movie duplicity directed by Tony Gilroy is an American feature film that was produced in 2009. It is a very entertaining movie on crime, love and comedy mixed together. It is, however, crucial to evaluate various aspects of the movie to come up with a fair judgment. The story of the movie is about two spies who were working for the government but have had to resign in order to take well paying jobs in the private sector. The two met some years back but the events that unfolded during their meeting were not very encouraging. Nevertheless, the two spies find themselves working together in the cosmetic industry (Fox, Bickford Gilroy, 2009). Their love story is spiced up by the fact that they both have a common agenda to fulfill. In the corporate sector where the two spies find themselves working, there is a war of survival. Two giant cosmetics manufacturers aim at suffocating the each other in order to increase profit margins. As a result, the two firms are at the neck of each other to know which technology is being introduced. The firms have even gone to the extent of hiring undercover detectives so as to get information about their opponents as and when it comes up. When the two agents met, nobody knew the other well and ray ended up being drugged by Claire and his crucial documents stolen (Fox et al., 2009). As the story unfolds it becomes clear that there is no trust between the two though they seem to be in love. The story is able to maintain a sense of suspense throughout which makes it interesting and captivating at the same time. Moreover, the writers incorporate flashbacks in explaining past events thus making the story somewhat easy to follow. On the same note, the comedy that is incorporated is crucial as it helps in maintaining the attention of the audience (Elsasser Buckland, 2002). The element of dilemma is also appetizing as it ensures that the curiosity of the audience remains high. It is, however, worth noting that the flashbacks used in the movie are very many and the confusion that is created by these overrides the main intention of clearing the confusion. Additionally, the plot of the movie is complex and understanding it needs high degree of concentration (Elsasser Buckland, 2002). It is also notable that the movie is a bit too long for the ordinary audience.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As far as acting is concerned, it is better to say that Duplicity has what it takes. It makes use of seasoned actors who know how to use their techniques to keep the audience on their toes. In this regard, it is worth noting that besides the actor in the movie being talented, they are able to create good character throughout the movie. Roberts does not fail to bring up her radiant smiles and personality which help in adding glamour to the movie (Fox et al., 2009). On the same note, Owen brings out his best talent and shows charisma and charm that is able to keep all the audience craving for more. As far as allocation of roles is concerned, the movie has done a great job. Women have been awarded to masculine roles that are usually preserved for men. This is quite crucial in depicting how the society has improved (Elsasser Buckland, 2002). The movie has succeeded in incorporating women actors into action movies while eliminating the idea that women and masculinity are at logger heads. However, the movie does not depict Roberts as people know her. While she is known as an easily lovable lady who is out going, the movie shows her as a calculative lady who is cautious of every step she takes. She is also depicted as a lady who does not trust anything in her life including the money she loves (Fox et al., 2009). The CEO’s are also quite conversant with their roles. In a nutshell, the acting of the movie is splendid. The movie exhibits a super understanding of the spy genre by the director Tony Gilroy. Having written various movies on the same theme, Gilroy seems to have mastered the rules of the game. The way the movie starts is very influential in depicting that even the best spies are human beings and can make mistakes (Fox et al., 2009). This is shown when Ray goes with Claire to have fun only to wake up in the morning and find his documents taken. This shows that each person has some weaknesses and spies are not an exception. The story is made more interesting by the inclusion of romance thus making it more captivating. The style in which the roles are given also depicts mastery of the film making industry. Notably, the director is able to assign various vigorous roles to womenAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critique of film by Tony Gilroy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time maintaining societal expectations. Gilroy has been able to differentiate the idea of threatened masculinity and revolution of roles of women in the society. Telling of the story could not be fun without inclusion of comical scenes in the movie (Elsasser Buckland, 2002). As a result, comedy gives the movie a light touch making it compelling to watch. However, the comedy is not convincing enough to swirl the audience out of the idea that all the actors are ruthless money minded people. Moreover, the use of suspense is fundamental in maintaining the urge to watch. The director unfolds events against the expectations of many people when it turns out that the two experienced spies have all along been deceived regarding the existence of a new formula. The short scenes used are also critical in enhancing the understanding of the movie. Nonetheless, the small scenes that are used by the director are not that advantageous. For many people, the short scenes only serve to break the flow of the story every so often thus creating confusion making the theme of the movie hard to comprehend (Elsasser Buckland, 2002). It should, however, be noted that the director shows his mastery of the art of film making when he peaces everything up together to make a single final episode. Regarding the cinematography of the movie, the producers have done a great job. The two spies have been perfectly clothed. The clothes that Roberts wear depict her not as an ordinary lady but as an intell igent spy. She is given a picture of a calculative lady who thinks twice before doing anything. She is very clear on what she wants and the hairstyle compliments this. While spies are taken to be seductive and attractive, Roberts is portrayed as an ice cold person. The long standing rivalry between the two cosmetic manufacturing is the course of all the tricks in the movie. This is concisely exhibited by the slow motion on the tarmac when the two CEOs are approaching each other (Fox et al., 2009). Slow motion helps in showing the reluctance of the two CEOs to meet each other. On the same note, the CEOs are splendidly dressed as serious people and very influential in the corporate society. Their difference is again depicted by their differing characteristics. One CEO is depicted as a dark and quiet person while the other is a forceful person who wants everything in his way. Nonetheless, these characters depict one thing in common, cunningness, and this is what the two CEOs share. The interchange between dark and bright lights is helpful in complimenting rivalry and friendly scenes (Fox et al., 2009). Furthermore, the use of vast rooms and shots from different parts of the world help in enhancing the idea that the two spies have travelled all over the world. This is crucial in making the audience know that they have the required experience for their job. The split screen technology is also perfectly used in the movie.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The movie is able to mix different styles in telling its story. The story is mainly about crime in the corporate sector where each player in the industry seeks for means and ways of eliminating the opponent. Hiring of spies to work in a rival firm helps in depicting that CEOs in the corporate sector will stop at nothing in their quest to be market leaders. The genre is well explained by mixing crime within crime complimenting the story (Elsasser Buckland, 2002). While the firms expect that their spies will give them the information they require without any foul play, the spies have arranged how to get money by stealing what they have been hired to get. Trust is never present in crime since everybody fears the other person. This is well depicted in the movie when Roberts and Owen are unable to trust each other despite the fact that they are in love (Fox et al., 2009). Moreover, the firms that have hired the spies do not even trust them and they have to get other people for the same job. Everybody is in the race to get an upper hand and nothing will deter each person from scheming against the other not even love. There is good mixing of sound and acting in the movie. The jazz music is used with its pop sound. The sound is well timed to give room for the audience to clearly get the conversations that prevail between different actors. Nevertheless, there are other scenes where the background music is too loud for the audience to get some dialogues. An example is when the two CEOs come face to face and stare yelling at each other and the sound blows up leaving the audience wondering what happened (Fox et al., 2009). Nonetheless, sound mixing in various scenes is perfect as it goes with the theme of the movie. Low sounds where the atmosphere is calm and loud sound where probability of quarrels is high. Our society has been marred with capitalism tendencies where everybody seeks for ways to increase his or her paycheck. The corporate world is arguably the most affec ted area. Each firm is out to maximize its profits and one way of attaining this is by eliminating the competitors. That is the reality of life in the contemporary society. This reality seems to have inspired the production of the movie (Elsasser Buckland, 2002). The director wants to bring to the public the things that happen under the carpet in the corporate world. Violence rarely takes place in the competition among corporate and this has not been included in the movie. Though the movie elicits a tense atmosphere from the beginning to the end, violence is not part of the scenes. Society has also come to an age where people are egocentric and all they think of is money and themselves. This seems to inspire the movie when each actor pretends to act for the benefit of their respective corporate when in reality they are out to satisfy their own needs. On the other hand, the movie has a positive impact to society. As depicted from the movie’s final scene, there was no formula after all though everybody was aiming to cash on the same. The spies have been deceived by the firms. They were just wasting their energy. It could have been very helpful if they had been genuine with their job. This tells people in the society that they can also fall prey of the corporate wars so they should take care of their moves. Moreover, the movie is set in the cosmetics industry where people do not expect much rivalry. It is the expectation of many people that the kind of the tension exhibited by the two firms in the movie would occur in information technology sector or intelligence sector. However, the movie shows that tension can occur in any sector (Fox et al., 2009). This influences society to be careful as anything is possible in the corporate sector. Moreover, this shows that crossing and double crossing is the order of the day in the society. The movie is restricted to people under than thirteen years because of the violence and language. However, language is of more concern because there is no actual violence in the movie. The Movie editors have done a great job. There is no overlapping scenes or shots out of context. Moreover, there is clarity of sound in every scene coupled with timely events (Elsasser Buckland, 2002). Volume of background music is cleverly reduced and increased to allow the audience to easily follow the dialogues that ensue as the movie unfolds. The flashbacks are also well placed and the transition from one scene to the other is very subtle (Fox et al., 2009). The movie is very entertaining to watch. It captures both the adults and the youth alike given that besides being involving, it is also thrilling. Other than the plot of the movie being complex to understand, the movie is captivating keeping the audience glued to the screen to the very last minute. Nevertheless, traditional spy movies were meant to deliver a moral uneasiness which is lacking in this movie. On the same note, the movie is unable to bring out the emotio nal aspect in its climax which would have given it a pleasant ending. Nevertheless, the movie is able to sustain the interest of the audience to the end. References Elsasser, T. Buckland, W. (2002). Studying Contemporary American Movies: A Guide to Movie Analysis. London: Arnold. Fox, J., Bickford, L. (Producers), Gilroy, T. (Director). (2009). Duplicity Movie [Motion picture]. 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Writing Your Essay During a College Placement Exam

Writing Your Essay During a College Placement ExamCollege placement exam prompts are available on the Internet. Most often students who take college placement tests and high school entrance exams will take the exam again in college or high school. This is one of the ways for students to establish their academic background or future career goals.The essay prompt is the initial phase of your preparation for the exam. These can either be real, typical questions you would encounter or they may be totally different and include your answers. They can vary greatly in length and complexity. You can get them online and start studying.A real college placement test is generally an essay or quiz in which you will have to evaluate the topic that is being covered. You are required to analyze the material in order to present a coherent argument. As an example, the entrance essay can be designed to test whether you understand the current rules of grammar and punctuation. You are also expected to ana lyze and critique the thesis statement and then develop a plan for further reading.There are a number of college placement exam samples to help you with preparing for the examination. These sample essays can be done at home or at your leisure. Some people choose to use a magazine as the source for their essay prompts. You can also take a guidebook or a book as a guide to write a good essay.Before writing your essay, you should consider how your essay is related to the college placement exam. It is best to look at the directions given by the college, or at least read it carefully. They usually give examples or an explanation on how the material is to be used and why you should write the essay properly.For a college placement test, there are some pre-written sample essays you can use. These essays are designed to test your comprehension skills. One such example is a concentration test. By doing this type of exercise, you can assess your level of comprehension in reading and writing an d also with the basic facts and details.You can prepare yourself for your college placement test by doing some preliminary work on a practice test. You can do this by doing research, practicing your responses, answering questions and presenting your ideas using the proper approach.

The Importance of National Identity in Social Relations †Humanities Essay

The Importance of National Identity in Social Relations – Humanities Essay Free Online Research Papers The Importance of National Identity in Social Relations Humanities Essay As a result of this case another issue should be raised, that of the intensification of negative prejudice toward an ethnic out-group, stemming from the regular contact between two different national groups (Campbell cited p. 211). More specifically, a big number of Albanians came to Greece over the last decades as financial immigrant, legal or not. Their increased presence in the Greek territory (and, consequently the labour market) has led to the development or the aggravation of some Greeks negative attitude towards them and the raise of related stereotypes: Albanians are dangerous, dirty, deceitful, ungrateful and so on. The Albanian student mentioned above was the victim of the groundless rage of people who perceived of his bearing the flag as an injury to their national identity. This attitude is an example of self-identification and identification of the other, based on vague and fictitious criteria: not sharing the same history, coming from a different country, having different religion, customs and so on. When taking into consideration the extent of emphasis placed on the event and the cost for the student, it is difficult to overlook the importance of national identity in social relations. It has often been claimed that the idea of the nation is a construction that serves political or other interests. Hutchinson and Smith (1994 p. 48) quote Eric Hobsbaum who claims that â€Å"the nation was one of many traditions invented by political elites in order to legitimise their power in a century of revolution and democratisation†. Later in the same book Benedict Anderson (1994, p. 89) characterises modern nation as â€Å"an imagined political community†. A fundamental constituent of a nation and a common element that functions as a unifying factor is its shared traditions. There seem to be two categories of tradition; the first includes pure ones, those that their roots lie in the past and have been preserved in time, interwoven with the nations habits, norms, values and practices and that are an integral part of peoples national identity. The second category refers to the traditions which are invented. These are artificial outwardly imposed to the nation and might serve political or other purposes, functioning as a unifying factor or a factor enhancing faithfulness to the nation. Eric Hobsbaum distinguishes between three types of tradition. The first includes traditions that reflect the social cohesion of a nation, the second includes traditions that operate for the interest of the ruling classes and the third the medium for implanting or enforcing ideals, values or rituals. The two latter types are examples of invented traditions. The negative element of invented traditions is that when called for the manipulation of the masses can function as a covert way of fanatising people, cultivating racism and prejudice and intolerance for every out-group. Similar feelings of national pride or faithfulness to the national group were exploited by the Second-World-War Nazi authorities in order to bring about the Jewish holocaust as part of an ultimate mission. The symbols of the Nazi invented traditions were their anthem, the swastika, the formal military salute and many other which helped the representatives of the Arean Nation to establish the sense of uniqueness and superiority and to strengthen the sense of unity and solidarity. POINT: Religious faith is in important constituent of national identity. The intensity of identification with a religion is iften positively correlated with the strength of ones national identity. However, it seems religion itself is something obscure and indefinite, not to mention every individuals perception of his religion and his interpretation of what religious faithfulness means. Baumsteer Meanings of Life 187-189 approaches the issue critically noting that in many instances in the past religion has cheated its pure character by serving political interests. He adds that religion often becomes rigid (one example being Catholicism), thus not satisfying peoples emotional needs as they evolve along with social changes in time (Religions are rigid becase they cannot follow sociocultural changes in time, thus they cannot satisfy peoples evolving emotional needs. By comparing national identity with the religious, as Baumeister analyses it, one could detect the function and usefulness of the former for the individual (pp. 190-196). Apart from constituting a source of life meaning, the construction of national identity provides a link with the past a kind of collective memory of the common national origin one wants to consider him/herself a member of. Additionally, it provides an orientation for the future; it inspires a sense of aspiration, or an ideal. One function of this orientation for the future might be the rationalisation of labour and production as a bestowal to the nation and, accordingly, the production of children as a way of contributing to its preservation and expansion. Eriksons psychosocial theory stressed the importance of identity in the individuals developmental course of life. He consedered identity to be the persons way of defining him/herself and, as such, to crucial for his / her mental and cognitive development as well as a way of interacting with the surrounding world. Adolescence is a significant period because it signifies, among other things, the transition to the adulthood. During adolescence one is confronted with roles, relationships, values, some of which s/he adopts and othhers s/he questions in order to circumscribe his / her identity. This is why the identity is individualised and difficult to define. It might encompass the persons way of experiencing his / her gender, socioeconomic status, ideology, nationality, religion as well as the (significant) others reflections on the above factors. Two institutions that play a significant role in the construction of a persons national identity are the family that undertakes the primary role in the persons socialisation and the school, which is the secondary socialisation institution. They both provide sources of historical information, national ideals, attitudes, values, emotions, that are transmitted to the individual and contribute to the formation of his / her national identity. For instance, the Greek educational system often adopts an egocentric approach in the teaching of history, placing emphasisi on historical moments when Geece exhibited courage and succeeded, or stressing glorious moments of ancient Greek history, like the Golden Era of Pericles, makin shorter reference to the contemporary slavery. This approach could contribute greatly to the students feelings of national pride and to the identification of the students with their ancestors in terms of national origin. What the claim of the scholars might imply is that the content of the national identity is so wide, complex and fluctuating, that it cannot justify some peoples strength of beliefs and rigidity od attitudes as it happens in cases of negative nationalism (as opposed to liberal nationalism), racism, national stereotyping or chauvinism. Conclusion Whether national identity is a fictive characteristic or not, should be judged from the consequences on personality and communication. That is, however subjective, obscure and elusive national identity itself may be, it is more important to determine the ways in which it influences or even determines thought, emotion and behaviour. Especially when feelings of national pride and patriotism are manipulated by political and military authorities for the sake of imperialistic or other unethical purposes, it is crucial to examine it further. The fact that the content of national identity is something conventional, has been clearly illustrated by many scholars. All its constituents, traditions, borders, customs, cultural elements and so forth are agreed and established through repetition or preservation in time. What is more, national identity is, as mentioned above, completely subjective and idividualised; it cannot be circumscribed precisely. Two people may not share common history, land religion, race, customs, values or they may share some or all of the above in different degrees and combinations. Nevertheless, they serve a very important purpose, fundamental for the peoples emotional well-being: the sense of belonging, security, satisfaction of social needs (solidarity, production, undertaking of responsibility). Thus, we come to the conclusion that national identity is a powerful symolic link that connects people in place and time, and at the same time a dangerous seed that can be cultivated to cause dissention, disruption of the social order and alienation. Salkind, N. (1985). Theories of Human Development. John Wiley and Sons Inc. POY National identity, according to Parekh (People, Nation and State 1999, p.66) encompasses three components: a) a common constitution of a political community, including agreed rules, laws and norms, b) images of the nation, shared between members of a national community and c) a sense of personal commitment to the community. All the above are characterised by a degree of subjectivity and dynamism. That is, none of them can be precisely circumscribed or unanimously defined, nor can they remain static in place and time. With respect to the importance of the national identity in a person’s self-identification, it seems that the second and third element play a significant role and are related to fundamental psychological processes. To be more specific, as Parekh (1999, p. 67) observes, national identity is a form of â€Å"self-understanding. [†¦] It reflects qualities [the British] like about themselves and wish to preserve. Since they define themselves in terms of these qual ities , they seek to live up to them and feel or can be made to feel embarrassed and guilty when they do not [†¦]. Images are not only self-projections, but also tools of self-creation†. A relevant example that might illustrate Parekh’s point is the Greek term ‘’ This noun signifies a personality trait, a way of behaving, as well as a traditional Greek value. Greeks are proud because they consider this to be a â€Å"unique Greek characteristic† and they often substantiate this claim by the argument that there is no direct equivalent for the word in other languages. This compound word literally means â€Å"to love† (-) â€Å"pride† or â€Å"honour† (-). That is, to have a vivid sense of dignity and pride. Greeks often attach to the term meanings such as: â€Å"a kind of charisma†, â€Å"kindness†, â€Å"ethics†, â€Å"good will†, â€Å"consciousness†, â€Å"virtue†, â€Å"generosity† and â€Å"the idea of coming up to one’s responsibilities and fulfilling one’s duties† (Vassiliou V. Vassiliou G. 1966, cited 1995, p. 115). â€Å"Filotimo† () is one of the ideals that traditional nuclear Greek families aim to implant to the generations that follow. It is also frequently invoked when asking someone to come to his / her senses or to retract an undesirable attitude. Hence, in this example behaviours and interpersonal relationships may be influenced by a value system that is identified with national orientation. Similarly the – conscious or not – urge to prove worthy of the nationally praised characterization â€Å"philotimos† might function as a self-fulfilling prophecy. More specifically, the person might deal with particular situations in ways that confirm the family’s, friends’ or nation’s expectations from him /her. As far as commitment to the community – the third factor according to Parekh – is concerned, it is also subjective and difficult to determine. It involves a collective sense of belonging, shared emotions and symbols of the community like ceremonies, the f lag, the national anthem and so on (Parekh 1999, p. 69). Loyalty to the nation, patriotism and a common sense of solidarity are some of the characteristic ways in which a member of the nation experiences his bond with it. A positive form of experiencing identification with the nation is the case of people’s reaction during the Olympic Games. When athletes win medals they are overwhelmed with national pride, among other emotions, and so are their fellow-countrymen. Greeks again could be a characteristic example, because they strongly view the Olympic ideal as a part of their national identity – a kind of a collective heritage. Especially at the award ceremony where the national anthem is being performed the athletes often burst into tears and kiss the flag as an expression of loyalty to the nation. What is more, leaving for a moment the commercialization of the Olympic Games aside, the Greek origin of the Olympic ideal seems to be a strong motive for many Greek athletes , government members and even simple citizens to avoid getting involved in any form of corruption. More specifically, any entanglement in events of doping or other kinds of unethical competition would be considered very shameful and humiliating, particularly because of a shared sense of responsibility towards the heavy national heritage. This worry is probably so intense not so much because of the political or financial interests involved, but more because of a concern to preserve the national ‘good reputation’. My interpretation of this attitude is that it represents a shared way of experiencing national identity. The function of this identity could be that it constitutes a unifying factor for the nation and that it could inspire collectivity, ethos and a sense of duty, that may be more influential than any external or imposed force (like laws, government guidelines and regulations introduced by international institutions). A negative form of identification and bonding with the nation could be the case where national pride takes the form of commonly shared and publicly expressed prejudice for the national out-group. A representative example comes again from the Greek context, where a couple of years ago Odise Cenaj, an Albanian high-school student participated in the student parade as a flag-bearer. The parade took place as part of the annual ceremony for the celebration of a national anniversary, the 28th of October. A characteristic example of the relation between religion and national identity is the Greeks’ notion of their nationality. The majority – especially the older generations – tends to interweave the national element with the religious one, identifying ‘Greek’ with ‘Christian’ and in particular ‘orthodox’. Personal experience from the Greek sociocultural context has shown that the stronger the national identity is, the stronger is the identification with the orthodox faith. Especially in the case of this dogma, the etymology of the word reveals the deterministic view of its followers. The Greek compound word ‘Orthodox’ means ‘right’ (‘ortho’) – as opposed to ‘wrong’ – ‘belief’ (‘dox-a’, noun deriving from the verb ‘’ which means to claim, to believe). It becomes obvious that, as far as religion is concerned, the doctrineâ⠂¬â„¢s name reflects the disputes or clashes between Christians – and often between Christians and other followers of other religions – and the urge to prove that one dogma is more ‘correct’ than the other. There are cases where dimensions of the national identity of the person are so dominant in the person’s image that they determine his / her interaction with the world. For instance, an Afghani woman, who wears the burgha in a context outside her country, is as if she ‘introduces’ herself through her dress code, revealing her national origin before giving any other personal information, not even her external appearance. It becomes obvious that in such extreme cases a person’s national identity might play a catalytic role as far as social relations are concerned, as it denotes that a person is part of a particular social, political or religious system. This marker can often be very restricting not only regarding the person’s self – image, but also the way the (significant) others view the person and the extent to which the person can get involved in social relationships. As Roy (1999 p. 64) observes, there are often cases where the person who be ars indicators of his / her national origin does not do so as a result of his / her free choice, but rather to show compliance with a ‘moral obligation’ (as in the case of Muslim women who wear a scarf an as well as outside the borders of their country) or an imposed law (as in Afghanistan). In such cases, the expression of national identity through linguistic, dress, dietary or other cultural codes reflects the identity’s rigid or static character and it might contribute to the person’s social alienation (Roy, 1999 pp. 58-59). Prejudice and discrimination based on critiria od national origin might be an extreme case of what developmental psychology terms as ‘kin selection’ and ‘reciprocal altrouism’ (Goodhart 2004, p. , Ozkirimli 2000, p. 71). To be more specific, with respect to the incident with the Albanian student, the Greeks’ aggressivenes was inspired by the fact that their national identity was challenged and their sense of unity and homogeneity was at stake by the ‘intrusion’ of a foreigner, that provoked their national pride. It becomes obvious that the invocation of national identity was the unifying factor for the Greeks who opposed to the foreign student’s participation in the parade as a flag-bearer (something considered by many citizens to be a Greek ‘privilege’). Even though there was no obvious breaking of the law, there was a significant number of people who shared the same impressions and reacted in similar ways, providing no logical arguments. The politicians’ involvement and their attempts to calm down the annoyed citizens confirm the fact that they legitimised national prejudice in order to appear appealing to the public. Finally, the student, after the unfavourable reaction of the public, declared that he did not feel Greek any more and he did not want to share the Greek identity. This confirms the subjectivity and flux of national identity. It also proves that this identity may be determined on the basis of what other perceive of the individual. Hence, its formation is the result of reciprocal determination. As Goodhart (2004, p.) observes, people with the same nationality may have a variety of other differences (religion, class, area of inhabitance), a fact that justifies national identity’s fictitious character. Nevertheless, the example above confirms that members of a national minority may become ‘second-class citizens’ because they do not share the same historic past. The extent to which national identity is dominant in a person’s self-description may depend on whether it is being challenged or not. Depending on the circumstance a person finds him/herself in and the need to protect ot stand up for his/her identity, s/he will do so be it gener, religious, national or other identity. Therefore, its importance may vary according to the social context (Searle 2001, p. 3). The manipulation of national identity for political or military purposes wsa evident in World War II. German Nazis and Italian fascism are such examples. In both cases a ‘charismatic’ leader misled the military forces and the public opinion by cultivating and racist feelings. All thei arguments were groundless, superficial and completely lacked rational base. Both leaders aimed at unifying the nation and winning its by stressing its superiority over other nations. The appeal of this false ideology might be partly explained by social identity theory, which explains that people’s self-esteem is raised by the idea that they belong to a (social, racial, national or other) group that is ‘superior’ than others. Thus the leaders manipulated this emotional vulnerability (New Zealand†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.). Gellner (Nationalism 55) attempts to define nationalism based on poltical criteria. He places emphasis on education as an important factor in the formation of national identity. He observes that â€Å"men do not in general become nationalists from sentiment or sentimentality, atavistic or not, well-based or myth-founded: they becomenationalists through genuine, objective, practical necessity, however obscurely recognised† (Gellner 1994, p. 56). Hence, it seems that regardless of whether the roots of a person’s nationalism are emotional or rational, it is still difficult to specify the exact content of the idea of the nation. Moreover, the ‘fictive’ nature of national identiy can be deduced by the process of elimination: people may share the same national identity, without speaking the same language (as in the case of second, or third generation immigrants, who feel they belong to the nation of their ancestors, even though they might hardly speak their langu age). The same stands for people who live in the same country, work, vote, join the army but have different religious beliefs and customs. In terms of racial characteristics the given fact of ‘mixed marriages’ has eliminated any possibility of a pure, homogenous nation, proving Hitler’s aspirations to be not only extreme, but also utopian (Crouch 1999, p. 283; Ozkirimli 2000, p. 76). Finally, with respect to shared land and common borders, they seem to be the most fluctuating and less important factors in the subjective perception of national identity. In the case of Greece, Thessaloniki, the second largest city, was under the Turks’ domination until 1912 and it was not taken by the Bulgarian army, thanks to a successful Greek military and political operation of the last moment. Similarly, the islands of the South-East Aegean Sea were finally acknowledged as Greek territory after the end of World War II. During the above period and even from the ancient ti mes, there no question regarding the inhabitants’ Greek identity, either in their consciousness or in the consciousness of the people who lived in the mainland; there was a reciprocally agreed national determination which greatly enhanced shared feelings of solidarity and patriotism. An alternative way of approaching the relativity of national identity would be by viewing the emerging of European Union, which may contribute to the formation of another, wider notion of nationality. It seems that the new form of national identity has expanded to encompass all residents of the European union. This is evident in the way civil rights (i.e. work permissions) are shared throughout European countries, creating a sense of commonness and solidarity and a new kind of cultural community. An example of how a new form of border may be invented and all the implications: no need for a passport to travel within the European Union, bank account). This gives the impression of a shared trust, appreciation and privileges. To conclude, Parekh’s definition of national identity captures accurately its inconsistency: â€Å"national identity, then, is a matter of moral and emotional identification with a particular community based on a shared loyalty to its constitutive principles and participation in its collective self-understanding† (Parekh 1000, p. 69). References Anderson, B. (1994). ‘Imagined Communities’. In J. Hutchinson D. Smith (eds), Nationalism, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 89-96. Baumeister, R.F. (1991). Meanings of Life. New York: Guilford Press. Campbell, P.T. (1995) sto keimeno: cited Georgas. Crouch, C. (1999). Social Change in Western Europe. Oxford: Blackwell. Goodhart, D. (2004). ‘Too Diverse?’ Prospect, 95, Hobsbaum, E. Ranger, T. (1983). The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Hutchinson, J. Smith, A.D. (1994). ‘Nationalism’. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kedourie, E. (1994). ‘Nationalism and Self-determination’. In J. Hutchinson D. Smith (eds), Nationalism, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 49-55. Ozkirimli, U. (2000). Theories of Nationalism. New York: ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, INC. Parekh, B. (1999). ‘Defining National Identity in a Multicultural Society’. In E. Mortimer R. Fine (eds), People, Nation and State, London: IB Tauris Publishers, pp 66-74. Roy, O. (1999). ‘The Elusive Cultural Community’. In E. Mortimer R. Fine (eds), People, Nation and State, London: IB Tauris Publishers, pp 56-65. Salkind, N. ( oxi to New Zealand!!!!!!!!! Vassiliou, V. Vassiliou, G. (1966). ‘The Implicative Meaning of the Greek Concept of Philotimo’. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 4, 326-341. In ?. Research Papers on The Importance of National Identity in Social Relations - Humanities EssayAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and CanadaAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XPETSTEL analysis of IndiaCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

With respect to Marxism approach to International Relations, explain Essay

With respect to Marxism approach to International Relations, explain how theoretical debates within a particular theory help us to define more precisely how best to use IR theory in practice - Essay Example This literature looks not only at the ways economic system has impact on the relations between the states, but it tried to analyze how the ideational and ideological factors help preserve and reinforce the legitimacy of the existing system through hegemony. In this paper, I would like to highlight the points of contention within Marxist approach in International Relations. First, I will outline the basic problems that are the center of the intra-paradigm debate in Marxism, from the Gramscian and Neo-Gramcian perspective. Second, I will bring the example of how the theoretical debates within Marxism contribute to differentiation in the analysis of contemporary international situation. Finally, based on the debates between Alex Callinicos and Kees van der Pijl this paper will conclude if there is an inherent contradiction between the capitalist states or, as Neo-Granscianism claims, capitalist states, driven by the social forces represented by bourgeoisie elites, will come to consensus on the common exploitation of the world-system. One of the basic concepts in Gramsci’s writings is hegemony. By hegemony, Gramsci meant the permeation throughout society of an entire system of values, attitudes, beliefs and morality (common sense) that has the effect of supporting the status quo in power relations. Individual actors are not aware of the bigger picture simply because they are not capable of overcoming the routines of maintaining their living. (Boggs, 1976: 121-122) Neo-Gramscianism applies this idea to the peripheral and semi-peripheral states in the capitalist world-system. Cox, criticizing Realist approach, argues that â€Å"dominance by a powerful state may be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for hegemony†. (Cox, 1981: 139) He suggests that power can be exerted through ideas and institutions not less efficiently than through material capabilities of state.

The closing of the Muslim mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The closing of the Muslim mind - Essay Example In Reilly's view, the success of this school over others in the ninth and tenth centuries lead to the decline of reason and therefore the closing of the Muslim mind. The consequences are drastic, but Reilly believes that, now that the problem has been diagnosed, it is possible to make fundamental changes in the Middle East by promoting different interpretations of Islam, embracing reason both in life and in theology, and essentially embarking on Aquinas' mission to unite reason and faith (197-207). Reilly refers frequently to the â€Å"dehellenization† of Sunni Islam in specific and Islam in general (11-40; 119-127). Initially, as Islam expanded, it was largely tribal, warlike and violent. This was due to the character of the region prior to Mohammed, of course: In many fundamental ways, Mohammed was a progressive reformer. Nonetheless, as a non-status quo power expanding outwards, Islam felt little need to absorb other cultures, until it started to find cultures and groups cl early superior in technological and military might. â€Å"Islam encountered Greek thought in its new Byzantine and Sassanid possessions. Exactly how these early Hellenic influences reached into Islam is a matter of some conjecture. What is clear is that huge areas of what had been the Byzantine Empire were largely Christian, and in them Greek philosophical notions had long been employed in Christian apologetics. There were also centers of Hellenistic learning in Alexandria (which moved to Antioch, Syria, around A.D. 718) and Gondeshakpur, northeast of Basra, Iraq† (23-27). As Muslims expanded, they encountered resistance, both theological and physical. As an outcome of the physical resistance, they got Greek books and knowledge; as an outcome of the theological resistance, Muslim scholars became versed in Christian ideology, Greek and Latin as languages, and became far more erudite (27-35). The consequence of this Hellenization was the emergence of the Mu'ztalite interpretati on of Sunni Islam (41-58). Greek thought in its classical form emphasized the role of reason over the passions, the rigorous use of logic, questioning authority, engaging in experimental analysis of the world, and using dialectical modes of reasoning and questioning to arrive at the truth from multiple perspectives. The synthesis of Greek and Muslim thought produced a period that Reilly waxes poetic over in Chapter Two, a period of learning during which Islam was the cradle of civilization alongside the Byzantines pitted against a horribly backward and ignorant Christian Europe. The Mu'ztalites viewed Man as free: The Koran (40:40) says, â€Å"Whosoever does an evil deed shall be recompensed only with the like of it, but whosoever does a righteous deed, be it male or female, believing shall enter Paradise, therein provided without reckoning†, alongside many other verses which establish that men are to think for themselves, which Mu'ztalites used to argue indicated that men we re supposed to be freely determine for themselves right and wrong, to create and inquire (35-40). But it was not to last. Political struggles determined the fate of Mu'ztalite interp

Contemporary Issues of Management Accounting Essay Example for Free

Contemporary Issues of Management Accounting Essay This allows the opportunity for them to hone their skills and abilities at a constant rate while offering numerous benefits to the company. These benefits manifest themselves in employee loyalty, low turnover costs and fulfilment of company goals. Figure 6: JIT Model * Some Key Elements of JIT: 1. Stabilize and level the MPS with uniform plant loading (heijunka in Japanese): create a uniform load on all work centers through constant daily production and mixed model assembly (produce roughly the same mix of products each day, using a repeating sequence if several products are produced on the same line). Meet demand fluctuations through enditem inventory rather than through fluctuations in production level. Use of a stable production schedule also permits the use of backflushing to manage inventory: an end item’s bill of materials is periodically exploded to calculate the usage quantities of the various components that were used to make the item, eliminating the need to collect detailed usage information on the shop floor. 2. Reduce or eliminate setup times: aim for single digit setup times (less than 10 minutes) or onetouch setup this can be done through better planning, process redesign, and product redesign. 3. Reduce lot sizes (manufacturing and purchase): reducing setup times allows economical production of smaller lots; close cooperation with suppliers is necessary to achieve reductions in order lot sizes for purchased items, since this will require more frequent deliveries. 4. Reduce lead times (production and delivery): production lead times can be reduced by moving work stations closer together, applying group technology and cellular manufacturing concepts, reducing queue length (reducing the number of jobs waiting to be processed at a given machine), and improving the coordination and cooperation between successive processes; delivery lead times can be reduced through close cooperation with suppliers, possibly by inducing suppliers to locate closer to the factory.

Essay --

During the Vietnam war the press and the media had complete atonement. For the first time the media had no censorship. The historical films that were made to be based off the Vietnam war were not accurate and were very distorted for entertainment value. I also think that the press media was very distorted as well. Many movies like The Green Berets and Medium Cool substituted violence for historical content. But not only were they filled with pointless violence they also had a lot of racist clichà ©s in them. Although the films were not giving the war a good name, It is possible that it was the media press that started the non support of the war. At first the media was very supportive of the war, but when the news did coverage of the Tet offensive it also sparked the anti war movement. Many major groups felt that the war was foreclosing the hope of making America a decent and truly democratic society. Martin Lutther King was also opposed to the war. He did not like that America would put funds into a war that we should not be in, in the first place, and that was also on foreign soil ...