Community Illness Solution Essay Example for Free

Community Illness Solution Essay There has been an odd rise in similar and extensive illnesses in not only adults but children as well. This is becoming quite a concern for many of the residents in this community because that just means a rise in their chances of catching the illness to. If our community does not resolve the problem as soon as possible it will continue to spread and possibly affect the entire community. Upon further investigation into the reasoning or cause of this problem, I have found a legitimate reason why this is happening. I have discovered that the cause may be from the gas company’s malpractices either before the community came together or sometime afterwards. I found my reasoning by keeping an open mind and investigated any and every possibility there could be. The gas companies practices are the only issue I have found that could cause a problem such as the one in our community. As well, once I found that reasoning I looked also into the illnesses and what could have possibly caused them, and again I found that the problem with the gas company is the root cause for the illnesses. I have begun to spread the word about my discovery to make everyone in the community aware of the issue that has led to our problem. I believe that with the strength of our entire community we can unite and fight for our justice against the gas company who has caused our community such a great problem. My first idea in the fight for our justice is to go straight to the gas company and explain our findings and demand them to do something about the issue to help fix the problem. If our community cannot seem to meet an agreement with the gas company, I say we take it to a higher level. We need to possibly approach the mayor of our town or even the court system if we must. We need to keep our viewpoints open and not stick to what we think is going to resolve the problem because one idea may not instantly resolve our problem. We not only need to resolve the issue with the gas company, but need to find ways to help the families that have been plagued with the illness. I believe our community can set up a fundraiser of some sort to help raise money for the hospital bills and such that are a result of the illness. If our community does nothing about this problem we are never going to grow or thrive because no one beyond current residents will move here knowing of this plaguing illness. That would be horrible for our economy in this community, and we cannot just accept this problem. I believe we need to just go head to head with the problem and resolve it as a community. If we do not do anything our community is going to look weak and we will look like we gave up or that we are just a bunch of quitters. I won’t allow that to happen.

Linguistic Structure of the Unconscious by Lacan

Linguistic Structure of the Unconscious by Lacan Lacans View of the Linguistic Structure of the Unconscious and Implications for the Relevance of Psychoanalysis to the Social World Jacques Lacan has been called the most influential psychoanalyst since Freud. The impact of his work, both as a theory of the unconscious and as a repertoire of clinical practices, is reflected in the use of Lacanian methods by over half of psychoanalysts worldwide. Lacanian concepts and constructs also are thriving outside the consulting room, in the studies of literature and film, in feminist studies and legal studies, international relations and social policy. But what does psychoanalysis have to do with the social world? Historians, social and political scientists have contested a role for psychoanalysis in their respective social domains. There is fear that psychological reduction is inevitably results, lowering the objective social sphere to the subjective level of a culture on a couch. However, the theory and practice of psychoanalysis need not be atomistic. Freud regarded the study of institutions, languages, literature and art as a necessary prerequisite to successfully comprehending the analytic experience. Like Freud, and in his project of returning to Freud, Jacques Lacan studied and borrowed from a range of disparate fields, including philosophy, structuralist anthropology, literature, music, topography and semiology/linguistics. He agreed with Freudon the legitimacy of social analysis inspired from a psychoanalytic perspective. In A Theoretical Introduction to the Functions of Psychoanalysis in Criminology (1950), Lacan expresse d his position as follows: It may be well that since its experience is limited to the individual, psychoanalysis cannot claim to grasp the totality of any sociological object, or even the entirety of causes currently operating in our society. Even so, in its treatment of the individual, psychoanalysis has discovered relational tensions that appear to play a fundamental role in all societies, as if the discontent in civilization went so far as to reveal the very joint of nature to culture. If one makes the appropriate transformation, one can extend the formulas of psychoanalysis concerning this joint to certain human sciences that can utilize them (Stavrakakis, 1999, p. 3). Anthony Elliott (1992) cited Lacans ideas as establishing the principal terms of reference for thinking about the interconnections between the psyche and social field (p. 2). In this vein, Feher-Gurewich contended that Lacans psychoanalytic approach is founded on premises that are in sharp contrast to the ones which have led to the failure of an alliance between psychoanalysis and social theory (Stavrakakis, 1999, p. 14). One set of these premises is the topic of this discussion. The following is an attempt to explain Lacans claim that the unconscious is structured like a language and to discuss the bearing this claim has on the relevance of psychoanalysis to the social world. First, a brief overview of Lacans career, or project, may assist in supporting this analysis. Overview of Lacans Project Although many perceive his theoretical works as impenetrable or as an incoherent jumble, there are common threads throughout. Lacan consistently viewed his mission to be a return to Freud. The keynote for this return was his placement of language as the central construct in theory and in practice(Clement, 1983). The Mirror Stage Beginning in the late 1930s, after the publication of numerous case studies, Lacan began to focus on the emergence of the sense of self, the function of the I. He termed this emergence the Mirror Stage in the development of a childs sense of self during the first two years of life. Drawing upon revelations from his own psychoanalytic experience, together with the work of psychologists such as Henri Wallon, Charlotte BÃÆ' ¼hler, and Otto Rank, Lacan posited that the childs emergent sense of self is formed upon entry into language, the realm of the symbolic, and always in reference to some other. That other could be the childs own image in a mirror, the mother or any number of other objects with which the child associated self via Freuds mechanism of narcissistic identification. The mirror stage is the origin of a fundamental alienation or split in the individuals sense of self. The speaking subject (I) becomes de-centered from the ideal ego (me). Because self is oriented toward an other who is perceived as ideal/omnipotent, and thus as a potential rival to the self, the ego that emerges from this stage is characterized by a hostility that threatens its very existence. Lacan concluded that human identity is formed only within this intersubjective context in which alienation and aggressivity characterize the natural state. Rather than being the first step toward the formation of a healthy and stable ego, his proposal that  mà ©connaissance,  or misperception, is central to the ego formation flew in the face of a basic construct of ego psychology, that the ego is the origin and basis of psychic stability. In 1953, Lacan broke with the dominant faction of ego psychologists and formed his own professional group, the Socià ©tà © franaise de psychanalytique (SFP). The Discourse of Rome During the first meeting of this group, in Rome that year, Lacan presented a paper which quickly became known as the manifesto of the new society. He argued that speech and, more generally, language were central to psychoanalytic practice and to any theoretical conclusions that might be extrapolated from it. He drew upon and adapted the semiologic principles of Ferdinand de Saussure and the philosophical traditions of Hegel for his theoretical vocabulary. It is during this time that Lacans public focus shifted clearly from the developmental to the linguistic. Drawing from the language of music, he posited three registers of functioning, the symbolic, imaginary and real. The symbolic, a function of speech/language, was seen as central and in dynamic interaction with the imaginary. Lacans acerbic characterization of the ego as the seat of neuros is rather than the source of psychic integration and his emphasis on the symbolic organization of the human psyche opened new territory for psychoanalytic theory. Lacan credited Freud with the concept and blamed his ego-psychologist followers for obscuring the point. Meta-theory The charge that psychoanalysts had abandoned the founding texts of their profession exacerbated tensions between the ego psychology and the SFP until Lacan left the group in 1963 to form another organization, the École Freudienne de Paris (EFP). Lacan continued his close readings of Freuds texts, but he now began to introduce a number of terms and concepts not found in Freuds own work. By the time his selected essays appeared 1966, his seminars were standing-room-only. Many in the crowd associated him with structuralists such as Jacques Derrida, Claude Là ©vi-Strauss, and Michel Foucault. As with other members of this group, Lacan was often criticized for the difficulty of his style. Within the EFP itself, many of the practicing analysts were concerned about what they perceived as the increasingly theoretical and academic emphasis of Lacans work. During this stage of his career, Lacan began work toward a meta-theory of psychoanalysis, constructing ideas about Lacanian ideas. His construct of the three registers expanded to three-plus dimensions. He attempted to recast his earlier insights in the more precise language of mathematics, employing topological figures, such as the Klein bottle and Borromean knot, to illustrate and explore the relationship among his theoretical constructs. However, many of Lacans followers criticized this approach, complaining that his arguments were increasingly incomprehensible and irrelevant to clinical practice. Lacans response was the dissolution the EFP and the founding of yet another association, the École de la Cause Freudienne, which he directed until his death in 1981. The Structure of the Unconscious and Relevance to the Social World In the  Introductory Lectures to Psychoanalysis, Freud commented that the unconscious can be compared to a language without a grammar (Laplanche Pontalis, 1983). Lacan, using structuralist linguistics, attempted to systematize this contention, arguing that the unconscious is structured like a language, and that it speaks/  ca parle. A symptom, Lacan claimed, may be read as an embodied metaphor. As Freud had argued, what is at stake within a symptom is a repressed desire objectionable to the consciously accepted self-conception and values of the subject. This desire, if it is to gain satisfaction at all, accordingly needs to be expressed indirectly. For example, a residual infantile desire to masturbate may find satisfaction indirectly in a compulsive ritual the subject feels compelled to repeat. Just as one might metaphorically describe ones love as a rose, Lacan argues, here we have a repressed desire being metaphorically expressed in some apparently dissimilar bodily activity. Equally, drawing on certain moments within Freuds papers On the Psychology of Love, Lacan argues that desire is structured as a metonymy. In metonymy, one designates a whole concept (e.g.: military force) by naming a component of it (e.g.: a sword). Lacans argument is that, equally, since castration denies subjects full access to their first loveobject (the mother), their choice of subsequent love objects is the choice of aseries of objects that each resemble in part the lost object. According to Lacan, the unconscious uses the multivalent resources of the natural language into which the subject has been inducted (what he calls the battery of the signifier) to give indirect vent to the desires that the subject cannot consciously avow. While Freud is interested in investigating how the polymorphously perverse child forms an unconscious and a superego, and becomes a civilized adult, Lacans focus is on how the infant develops the illusion commonly termed as a self. His essay on the Mirror Stage describes that process, showing how the infant forms an illusion of an ego, of a unified conscious self identified by the word I. For Lacans theory, the notion that the unconscious, which governs all factors of human existence, is structured like a language is central. Freuds account of the two main mechanisms of unconscious processes, condensation and displacement, reinforce this claim. Both are essentially linguistic phenomena; meaning is either condensed (in metaphor) or displaced (in metonymy). Lacan noted that Freuds dream analyses, and most of his analyses of the unconscious symbolism used by his patients, depend on word-play (e.g., puns, associations, etc.) that are chiefly  verbal. According to Lacan, the contents of the unconscious are acutely aware of language and of the structure of language. Hence, the unconscious, structured like a language, serves to reveal a symptom of neurosis or psychosis through this medium. Lacan followed ideas laid out by Saussure, but adapted them to his use. He argued that Freud had understood the linguistic nature of human psychology but that he had simply lacked the Saussurean vocabulary necessary to articulate it. Saussure talked about the relationship between signifier and signified in the formation of a sign, and contended that language is structured by the negative relation among signs (i.e., the existence of a sign is dependent on its distinction from another sign). For Lacan, the contents of the unconscious form signifiers and these signifiers form a signifying chain. One signifier has meaning only if it is distinct from some other signifier. There are no signifieds in Lacans model; there is nothing to which a signifier ultimately refers. If there were, then the meaning of any particular signifier would be relatively stable; there would be a relation of signification between signifier and signified, and that relation would yield meaning. Lacan posited that re lations of signification do not exist in the unconscious; rather, there are only negative relations in which one signifier can exist only if it is distinct from another signifier. Because of this lack of signifieds, the chain of signifiers constantly slides and shifts in an endless series, like actors in search of a play. There is no anchor operating in the unconscious, nothing that ultimately gives meaning or stability to the system. The chain of signifiers is constantly in play, in Derridas sense; there is no point at which a definitive meaning can crystallize. Rather, one signifier only leads to another signifier, and never to a signified (Lacan, 1966). Lacan posited this as the nature of unconscious content: continually circulating chains of signifiers, with no anchor or center. This is Lacans linguistic translation of Freuds depiction of the unconscious as a chaotic realm of shifting drives and desires. While Freud attempted to bring those chaotic drives and desires into consciousness so they could be understood and made manageable, Lacan theorized that becoming an adult, a self, is the process of trying to halt the chain of signifiers so that stable meaning, including the meaning of I, becomes possible. According to Lacan, however, this possibility is an illusion, an image created by a misperception of the relation between body and self Even sexual identity is determined by the subjects relation to the signifier, not by some innate, biological predisposition. For Lacan, what Freud described as the oedipal phase is actually a moment in which the individual faces the option of accepting or rejecting the signifier in the place of the object or the imaginary other. Although Freud called this signifier the phallus, its primary characteristic is not its status as a biological organ that one may or may not possess. Rather, this primordial signifier possesses the fundamental property of being separable from the object it represents. Freud identified this possibility as castration, but Lacan claimed that it is simply the functional principle that enables the signifier to appear as such. Sexuality and, more generally, personal identity is thus not biologically determined but instead constructed through ones relation to the symbolic order. Most of Lacans work from this period traces the connections between specific properties of the signifier and their effects in human experience. He claimed that the entire structure of intersubjective relations is determined not by the individuals involved but by the way those individuals model on a moment of the signifying chain which traverses them. Because the signifier is autonomous from the signified, the link between them, ordinarily considered to constitute meaning, is an effect of the signifier itself and its relation to other signifiers in the signifying chain. Lacan described the way that illusory meaning comes about by referencing Roman Jakobsons distinction between two poles of language, metaphor and metonymy. Lacan contended that these functions account for the sense of meaning although there is a barrier between the signifier and the signified, or between the symbolic and the real. According to Lacan, meaning never consists in language, it insists in the chain of signifiers as one supplants the other metonymically. Language seems to mean in the usual sense due to displaced signifiers that function as the signified in Saussures model. Subsequent signifiers merely refer back to earlier ones, and it is this retrospective reference that sustains the  effect  of reference in the absence of a referent or an actual signified. Lacan described this effect as the creative spark of metaphor (Beneveuto Kennedy, 1986). It is, for Lacan, the seat of the subjective. Traditionally, subjectivity has been understood as a juncture of words with objects, situated on the bar between the signifier and the signified or the border between language and the world. That border, Lacan argued, is within the unconscious. Read through Saussures influence and Lacans emphasis on the autonomy of the signifier, Freuds discovery of the unconscious established an absence in the subjects relation to the object and to the self. This absence or lack, termed the other, can be thought of as the object of desire. Lacan contended that the concept of the unconscious reveals a subject constituted in relation to an Other it cannot know and oriented toward an object that it can never possess. As discussed in the Mirror Stage, this splitting is brought about by the subjects entry into the symbolic, supplanting the imaginary unity derived through identification with the other. That identification is replaced by a more complex relation to the symbolic Other. Introduced in the Discourse of Rome the Other designates a number of concepts for Lacan; e.g., death, the symbolic father, the role of the analyst, the unconscious. For Lacan, Freuds angry father becomes the Name-of-the-Father or the Law-of-the-Father. Submission to the rules of language itself; i.e., the Law of the Father, is required to enter into the Symbolic order. To become a speaking subject, you have to be subjected to, you have to obey, the laws and rules of language. Lacan designated the structure of language, and its rules, as specifically paternal, calling the rules of language the Law-of-the-Father in order to link the entry into the Symbolic, the structure of language, to Freuds notion of the oedipus and castration complexes. The Other is posited as the center of the system, that which governs the structures shape and the manner in which all the elements in the system can move and relate. The term Phallus also is used to designate the Other, emphasizing the patriarchal nature of the Symbolic order. The Phallus limits the play of elements and stabilizes the structure. It anchors the chains of signifiers with the result that signifiers can have stable meaning. Because the Phallus is the center of the Symbolic order, of language, that the term I designates the idea of the self. Lacan has referred to this anchoring effect as a point de capiton or quilting point ( Stavrakakis, 1999). This quilting point has particular significance for the useful application of Lacanian psychoanalytic theory to social domains. Without it, the practitioner is left with a postmodern concept of an endlessly fluid chain of signifiers, signifying nothing in terms of a relatively stable identity or meaning. For Lacan, the slipping chain is halted by the prominent role attributed to certain signifiers in fixing the meaning of whole chains of signifiers. Lacan described this effect as everything radiating out from and being organized around this signifier, similar to these little lines of force that an upholstery button forms on the surface of material. Its the point of convergence that enables everything that happens in this discourse to be situated retroactively and retrospectively (Stavrakakis, 1999, p. 60). This is the point with which all concrete analyses of discourse in the psychoanalytic and the social world must operate. Discussion Lacans great contribution to contemporary culture is his teaching about rhetorical performance and cognition, doing and knowing. The revolutionary dimension of Lacans pedagogy for Felman (1987) is the dialogism of the performative and constative, how in practice they undermine, deconstruct, and yet inform each other. The interactions of doing and undoing form the dynamic basis, Felman said, of psychoanalysiss ineradicable newness (12), its evergreen vitality and unceasing revolutionary nature. Building on this insight, Lacan has shown experience, largely unconscious, to be structured like a language, since human behavior manifests the dialectical interaction of conscious and unconscious experience, the double writing of that which is  enacted beyond what can ever be  known  at any one moment. For example, Gallop (1987) pointed out that the psychoanalyst learns to listen not so much to her patients main point as to odd marginal moments, slips of the tongue, unintended disclosures. Freud formalized this psychoanalytic method, but Lacan has generalized it into a way of receiving all discourse (p. 23). Lacan was often and roundly criticized as a self-aggrandizing showman, a sloppy theoretician, an intentionally inscrutable speaker and author, a postmodern, post-structural want to be, and a polygamously perverse human. Many disciples justified his obtuse style of presenting ideas as an attempt to model his concepts within the instrument of his linguistic style. Others found his style to be sufficient reason for avoiding Lacans work altogether. In addition, his clinical practices, such as the abbreviated session, were frowned on by many traditionalists in the psychoanalytic community. However, Lacans linguistic approach to the unconscious serves as an important counter to the more-entrenched biological and neurological constructs. His synthesis of Freudian theory with Saussurean semiology generated new conceptual tools for critical research and reading in the social sphere. These tools allow a dynamic analysis of social process from the perspective of What is this doing? rather than What does this mean? References Beneveuto,B. Kennedy, R. (1986).  The Works of Jacques Lacan. London: Free Association. Clement,C. (1983).  The Lives and Legends of Jacque Lacan; A. Goldhammer(trans). New York: Columbia University Press. Elliott,A. (1992).  Social Theory and Psychoanalysis in Transition. Oxford: Blackwell. Felman,S. (1987).   Jacques Lacan and the Adventure of Insight: Psychoanalysis in Contemporary Culture.   Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Gallop,J. (1987).  Reading Lacan. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Lacan,J. (1966). Of structure as the inmixing of an otherness prerequisite to anysubject whatever. In R. Macksey E. Donato (eds),  The Structuralist Controversy, Baltimore: John Hopkins, 1970. Laplanche,J. Pontalis, J.B. (1983).  The Language of Psychoanalysis; D.Nicholson Smith (trans.). London: Hogarth. Stavrakakis,Y. (1999).  Lacan and the Political. London: Routledge.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Essay -- ALS Medical Medicine Essays

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ABSTRACT At this time, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) is a very confusing and elusive disorder. While the clinical presentation and diagnosis of ALS dates back to the early 1900’s, with Charcot being the first to scientifically report and document his findings, there simply has not been definitive evidence since that time for the etiology for ALS. This fundamental problem has befuddled the most qualified researchers and its ensuing answer has eluded the most clever experiments for some 80 years. This paper is being written to address some of the most plausible candidate causes which have come to the forefront of ALS research in the last few years. This paper will also try to tackle the formidable task of possibly uniting some of the findings and results of experiments from all over the world in the last 4 years. While an exact, definitive etiology, treatment, or answer is not possible at this time, there does seem to be a few underlying trends and findings that have reinforced their own importance. These are the findings that will be evaluated and will hopefully act as a genesis for, perhaps a premature, minimally complete conclusion of the available pool of knowledge that has been amassed on ALS. In addition to this, possible treatment, including pharmacological intervention, will be reviewed. INTRODUCTION ALS is a disease of the skeletal muscular motor neurons throughout the nervous system that usually affects both upper and lower motor neurons. The progressive wasting and weakness of muscles that have lost their nerve supply is a characteristic sign of lower motor neuron damage; signs of spasticity and exaggerated reflexes are indications of damage to the upper motor neur... ...0. Rowland. Babinski and the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurological Institute. 1993. Vol. 33, #1. 11. Hubert and Blanchard. Pertussis toxin Pretreatment abolishes the inhibitory effect of Riluzole and carbachol on D-(3H)aspartate release from cultured cerebellar Granule cells. Neuroscience Letters, 1992. Vol. 140, pp. 251--254. 12. Cheramy, Barbeito, Godeheu and Glowinski. Riluzole inhibits the release of Glutamate in the caudate nucleus of the cat in vivo. Neuroscience Letters, 1992. Vol. 147, pp. 209--212. 13. Benoit and Escande. Riluzole specifically blocks in-activated Na channels in myelinated nerve fibre. European Journal of Physiology, 1991. Vol. 419, pp. 603-609. 14.Drachman and Kuncl. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: An un-conventional autoimmune disease? Annals of Neurology, 1989. Vol. 26, pp. 269-274.(Outdated, but useful)

The Future of Print and Cyberculture Essay -- Writing Writers Technolo

The Future of Print and Cyberculture As our class learned from the last assignment in which we created a writing technology, the introduction of new technology can change the way that people operate on a day-to-day basis. Inventions like the automobile and the television, for example, have forever changed the culture in many countries. However, no invention has changed the world more than the computer. In fact it has been the computer that has made the most recent technological phenomenon, the Internet, possible. While the Internet has made obvious changes in the way people communicate, it has also changed how we perform other functions that are as fundamental to us as reading and writing. One of the issues the Internet and similar technologies have forced upon us is the switch from reading from textbooks to reading what is referred to as "hypertext" on the computer screen. Because the Internet has turned into such an extensive source of information, many people find themselves reading from the screen what they normally would have read from plain text in the past. Although this is a process that a lot of people are uncomfortable with, James Sosnoski, author of the essay Hyper-readers and their Reading Engines, believes that reading from computer screens will soon become commonplace. "Though I readily acknowledge that many persons do not like to read from their screens at this time, I assume that over a period of time, the practice will become so habitual that it will seem 'natural' - just as it now seems customary to use a computer rather than a typewriter," he said (404). Reading hypertext is different from the reading that we are accustomed to for a variety of reason s, one of which being that people tend to be more selec... ...de Web is a vast (hyper) text that we read with such increasing frequency that it has become increasingly difficult as the day wears on to dial up one’s account in order to access the Web because so many of its readers are already online," (401). Bringing publishing opportunities to the masses and having speed and convenience applied to written communication sure sounds like an enhancement to me. Works Cited: Landow, George. "Twenty Minutes into the Future, or How Are We Moving Beyond the Book?" Writing Material: Readings from Plato the Digital Age. New York: Longman, 2003. 214-226. Lesser, Wendy. "The Conversation." Writing Material: Readings from Plato the Digital Age. New York: Longman, 2003. 227-233. Sosnoski, James. "Hyper-readers and their Reading Engines." Writing Material: Readings from Plato the Digital Age. New York: Longman, 2003. 400-417

Father Roles Heaney Essay -- essays papers

Father Roles Heaney Father Roles There are many factors that will shape a young boy’s life, but possibly none more important than the role of that boy’s father. Seamus Heaney and Theodore Roethke both have shown the importance of the father role in their poems â€Å"Digging† and â€Å"My Papas Waltz.† Although the roles of the fathers in these poems were different, the respect and admiration shown by their sons is one in the same. Weather it is Heaney’s father digging under his window, or Roehtke’s father dancing him around as a little boy, the love shown in these two poems, shows a direct relation on the lives they shared with their fathers. Heaney’s poem, â€Å"Digging† showed that while the boy still loved his father, he did not wish to carry on the tradition of potato digging that had been in his family for generations. For example, Heaney wrote that he had â€Å"no spade to follow men like them†(Spence par 1). This quote states that Heaney, although loving his father, did not think he could carry on the tradition. Heaney remembers the way he would bring his grandfather a glass of milk, and would drink the entire bottle, and then would watch his grandfather fall to work once again. This brings about the fact that while still caring a great deal for his father and grandfather, he still would prefer the path of a writer (Glover 542). Ultimately, Heaney chose not to â€Å"follow men like them†, and chose instead on becoming a writer. This is backed up later in the poem when Heaney writes â€Å"Between my finger and my thumb/The squat pen rests/I’ll dig with it.† Heaney had alwa ys watched his father from the upstairs window while he dug, and Heaney would watch and write, and this fanned the fire for Heaney’s desire to become a writer (Pellegrio pa... ...and Theodore Roehtke both had fathers who were hard working, involved men, but both having taken the time to show their sons the attention and love that they deserved. The impact that the fathers played in these poets lives will always be remembered in the poems â€Å"Digging† and â€Å"My Papas Waltz.† Between the lines of these two poems, you can see the importance that Seamus Heaney, and Theodore Roehtke’s fathers played in their sons lives, by showing them love, and compassion, no matter what hey had chosen to do. Weather it was simply bringing his dad a glass of milk, or dancing around the kitchen without ever wanting to let go, the role of father is one of the biggest roles a man can ever accept. â€Å"Digging† and My Papas Waltz† are two great examples of how much difference a father makes if he shows warmth, love, compassion, and possibly most important, understanding.

Dramatic Purpose Essay

Act 3 Scene 1 is the main turning point of the play. It is during this scene that the play becomes a tragedy. The scene begins with Benvolio asking that they all go inside because he fears a brawl. Benvolio states, â€Å"I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire: The day is hot, the Capulets abroad, and, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl. † Mercutio ignores him and is entertaining everyone by taunting and provoking Tybalt. Soon the happily married Romeo enters. Tybalt calls Romeo a villain â€Å"Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford No better term than this, Thou art a villain† Tybalt calls Romeo a villain to coax him into duelling but also because he will have no regrets in slaying him. Tybalt becomes angry at Romeo â€Å"this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me, therefore turn and draw. † Tybalt thinks that Romeo is mocking him but Romeo still refuses to fight. Romeo tries to be nice to Tybalt, â€Å"I do protest I never injured thee, but love thee better than thou canst devise. Romeo is so blinded by his love for Juliet that he does not want anyone to get hurt, especially a cousin he just gained through marriage to Juliet. Mercutio then decides to fight on Romeo’s behalf since Romeo has dishonoured himself. Mercutio calls Romeo a coward â€Å"O calm, dishonourable vile submission:† Mercutio says this because Romeo decided to stand down like the common coward. Mercutio then tries to coax Tyba lt into duelling him â€Å"[he draws] Tybalt, you rat catcher, will you walk? † Romeo tries to stop the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio by getting in between them. Romeo says to Mercutio, â€Å"Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. † Even Benvolio tries to stop them. Benvolio being the peacekeeper did not want to watch Mercutio duel a Capulet of which there were many that hot afternoon. He was worried that on such a hot day the heat would cause tempers to rise easily. Benvolio tries to get the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio off the streets â€Å"We talk here in the public haunt of men: Either withdraw unto some private place, and reason coldly of your grievances, Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us. † The fight ends when Mercutio is stabbed by Tybalt. Filled with rage for Mercutio’s death, Romeo fights and kills Tybalt. The citizens of Verona, including both families of Romeo and Juliet, rush to where Tybalt and Mercutio lay dead. The scene ends with the Prince banishing Romeo from Verona. Shakespeare builds the tension in this scene by showing us the aggressive sides of each of the characters. For example, Shakespeare makes Romeo try and befriend his enemy which enrages Tybalt. Tybalt then fights Mercutio in place of Romeo and eventually Mercutio is killed. Romeo enraged because of the death of his best friend, reacts by killing Tybalt. The audience now knows that this play can only end in tears for everyone. In my opinion I think that Act 3 Scene 1 is by far the best scene in Romeo and Juliet. It shows the reader many sides of the characters like Mercutio who is most of the time acting like a fool but heroically fights Tybalt for Romeo; Romeo who shows a loving nature towards Tybalt and Tybalt thinking Romeo is mocking him. The dramatic purpose of this scene is to act as the main turning point of the play. It is intense from the start and ends with the banishment of Romeo from Verona by the Prince and turns the love story into a tragedy. Casting: Role of Tybalt – Coty Simpson or Zak Efron Tybalt’s character is the same from the start of the play right up to and during Act 3 Scene 1. In the play we always see him as a fierce and fiery person. Tybalt is very aggressive, arrogant and has a bad temper. He is always looking for a fight but mostly fights with words not physically until Act 3. Benvolio descr ibes Tybalt to Lady Montague as â€Å"the fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared†. In Act 3 we see how dangerous Tybalt truly can be when he challenges both Romeo and Mercutio. Mercutio also infers that any word with Tybalt could easily end with a physical fight. He states: â€Å"And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something, make it a word and a blow. † Tybalt’s character is also very insecure. Tybalt complains to his uncle and aunt that Romeo has crashed their party and finds this act offensive, insulting and hurts the family and his status. Tybalt states, â€Å"This shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done to me. † Tybalt is also a bit of a coward as he runs away after killing Mercutio, possibly afraid of the consequences he will face when the Prince finds out. Even before he dies by Romeo’s attack, Tybalt still holds on to his powerful personality because he revels on how he got Romeo angry enough to fight proving he is stronger than Romeo who only acts on emotion not reason. To play the part of Tybalt, both Zac Efron and Cody Simpson can be cast. Both these actors attract a young audience. In the play, Shakespeare does not give Tybalt age, but his actions show him to be about 19-25 years old so both actors are the right age to convincingly play this part. However, Zac Efron previous casting experience will allow him to easily adapt to play the role of Tybalt. As Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) in â€Å"Robot Chicken; Star Wars Episode II†, Zac Efron played one of movie-history worst â€Å"bad guy†. Like Tybalt Darth Vader angers easily and is motivated by rational rage and not an irrational (passionate) rage. Also, Vader’s goal is to inspire hatred and fear to control everyone around him. One possible downside to Efron playing the part of Tybalt is the challenge of convincingly performing the scenes as written in Middle English. In conclusion I believe that Zac Efron will be a good actor in playing the role of Tybalt. Cody Simpson would be my second cast choice for Tybalt. Cody is Australian. His accent may be more convincing when performing in Tybalt’s role in Middle English. Also, Cody can be serious and focused. One key issues against Cody playing the part of Tybalt is he does not have a history of doing long films. Most of Cody’s performances have been short films and music videos. Of the two actors, Zac Efron would be the best Tybalt because he has play the role of the bad-guy and has a history of acting. Casting: Role of Mercutio – Taylor Lotner or Justin Bieber Mercutio’s character is humorous, joking and sarcastic teases throughout the play and up until his death in Act 3 Scene 1. He is incredibly smart, has a quick wit and clever mind. Mercutio is a driving force in the play. Along with being Romeo best friend he gives the audience important information that indicates the bad events that will happen. His death is the turning point in the play. Taylor Lautner and Justin Bieber are possible great actors to be cast in the role of Mercutio. Taylor Lautner is a person that has been in many films. He has played the role of a guy being chased by secret agents to acting as a wear-wolf. He can be a fun actor and become more of a serious person in the proper scenes just like Mercutio. Taylor Lautner is 21 years old and would be close to the age that Mercutio would be in the play. One disadvantage of having Taylor play the role of Mercutio is he may not be able to fully perform the role of Mercutio. On the other hand, Justin Bieber is known as being a goofy person. Like Mercutio, he has a great way of making everything he says be funny and makes others laugh. One major drawback to using Justin in this role is his lack of experience. Justin has only made one movie. Further, that movie was more of an auto-biography and not a dramatic play. Justin Bieber is also a bit too young to play this role. Ultimately, Taylor Lautner would make the best Mercutio. His personality and ability will allow him to mimic and perform the part of Mercutio that I have pictured in my movie. Casting: Role of Montague – Robert De Niro or John Travolta The two actors best suited to play the role of Montague are Robert De Niro and John Travolta. Robert De Niro physical features give him the â€Å"look† of Montague. He portrays the â€Å"look† of a smart and upright citizen like Montague is in Romeo and Juliet. Also, De Niro has played a similar character in his role as the father figure Pat Sr. n â€Å"Silver Linings Playbook† who is a bookie obsessed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Also, De Niro in the movie becomes a mean and cruel father. He has played a bad characters before. On the other hand, John Travolta though he has played some bad characters like his role in Pulp Fiction, his is mostly cast as a sweet and innocent person as we saw in many of his movies. Also, he do es not come across as a father-figure as well as De Niro and would not look authentic in the part of a stern and cruel character such as Montague. The best person, then, to play Montague is Robert De Niro.

Lego Group, Marketing and Operation Management Report

FOUNDATIONS OF MANAGEMENT (PART A) LEGO Group Marketing and Operations Management Report Prepared: For: LEGO Group By: Eva Gaal On: 17 November 2008 Introduction At the request of the LEGO Company, this report advises the company on the expansion of its operation based on market segmentation, appropriate marketing mix, new product design and development, including total quality management for outsourcing new partners. LEGO Group is the fifth-largest toy manufacturer of the world and has operated successfully for 75 years; however, it has had some problems in the last couple of years. To solve these problems, LEGO introduced a seven-year strategy plan, which consists of some fundamental changes regarding to the processes, procedures and structure of the company. This strategy so far has been executed successfully as shown in the financial results; however, LEGO is going to face some more challenges in the future. (LEGO Annual Report 2007, 2007). 1. / Market segmentation ‘Market segmentation is defined as the subdividing of a market into distinct and increasingly homogeneous subgroups of customers’ (FM-A, 2004, p. 3) and ‘it centres on the assumption that customers demonstrate heterogeneity in their product preferences and buying behaviour’. (Green, 1977, Wind, 1978, cited in Dibb, 1998, p. 394). ‘The business did actively segment its market’ (Dibb, 1998, p. 399), as LEGO identified itself from the very beginnings as a toy manufacturer it therefore automatically determined its marketing segmentation approach. In the children's toy market the primary segmentation base is the age (the older the more complex product); however, the real buyers are the parents (e. g. LEGO Duplo). Such an approach is popular because it is convenient, clear-out, easy to implement and stable over time. ’ (Curran and Goodfellow, 1989, p. 23, cited in Dibb, 1998, p. 399). During the company operation LEGO identified more and more secondary segmentation variables (FM-A, 2004) such as †¢ gender (dollhouse for girls: LEGO Belville and robots, football stars for boys: LEGO Sports, LEGO Racers), †¢ geographical area: level of income and purchasing power (matured countries – more complex products like Technic, Bionicle, developing countries – simple products like Duplo, Creative Building) education (different product rages for classroom education and for child development at home) †¢ psychographic, lifestyle: reflects the parents believe in the importance of education and creativity of the LEGO produc ts LEGO related its products directly to this segmentation group and positioned them in the certain markets. Why is market segmentation important? Identification of market segments, physical product configurations and brand positioning (LEGO positioned itself as a premium brand) are the most important decisions that companies face in the global marketplace. (Hassan et al. , 2003). LEGO identified country-wide segments and targeted them with its products range, based around the importance of education and creativity. Universal segments across country boundaries are considered as micro factors for values, attitudes, lifestyle and perception. (Hassan et al. , 2003). Even if market segments can be identified as LEGO did, it does not necessarily mean they are attractive or that a suitable marketing mix can be designed for each segment. This can be one reason why LEGO had difficulties in early 2000, however, ‘there is a lack of quantifiable evidence about the impact of segmentation on business performance’. Dibb, 1998, p. 396). The other reason could be that despite the well documented benefits which segmentation offers, businesses continue to encounter implementation difficulties. (Dibb, 1998) Marketers are using intuition rather than systematic analysis to identify segments (Wind and Cardoza, 1974, cited in Dibb, 1998) – follow their competitor s (LEGO started to create high-tech toys) with the lack of critical analyses about their attractiveness to the business. By recommendation it is that LEGO should review its segmentation approach including identification of segment profitability and life cycles (see Appendix 1. ; collection of segments data; global buyer based vs country based features etc. to identify new market opportunities and niches. Although there is a lack of quantitative research on the question of segmentation success factor, there are guidelines that divide 3 part (before – during – after) segmentation process, Kotler’s check-list and attractiveness criteria (Abratt,1993, cited in Dibb, 1998), (see Appendix 2. ). The result of this analysis should then be applied in the development of the existing segments (e. g. argeting older age-groups 20+, enter into new markets e. g. in Asia or identify new segments) to make decisions about targeting and to determine positioning. (Dibb, 1998). 2. / Marketing Mix After the market has been successfully segmented, target segment selected, and positioning strategies created, the marketer needs to proceed with development of the marketing mix. (Goldsmith, 1999, p. 181). The marketing plan consists of the eight main elements below which are the major areas to achieve and expand the sales and profit goals (see Appendix 3. ). Some of them are unique for Technic products (like product & price) but some of them cannot be separated as they are associated to the brand (cost-effectiveness). Product LEGO’s vision is that the Group will increasingly refine and improve its product range to enable its new product range to compete (LEGO Annual Report 2007, 2007), for example with the many electronic toys on the market, other companies are determined to reach buyers. Therefore in the 1970’s LEGO started to launch the Expert Builder sets, which included parts like gears, axles and cogs, which could be used to build working models of vehicles and machines (e. . cars, trucks, tractor etc. ). These products were more advanced, therefore more suitable for teenagers (12+). They were designed to help children learn creatively through play and to improve abilities to solve complex problems. In the 1980s the Expert Builder series was renamed to the Technic series. (Regani and George, 2007). By the early 1990s h igh-tech toys appeared in the market from other companies. Therefore the LEGO Technic series had to be improved to build robots and other automated or interactive systems to keep up with its competitors. Price LEGO’s unique position is based on the high quality, durability and safety of its products, utilizing a premium branding strategy where a higher price is associated, which therefore differentiates LEGO in relation to its competitors within the current market. The Technic products consist of more complex and special elements, therefore the production cost is higher than the standard bricks. Customers are prepared to pay this higher price to get the added benefits of the special design product of LEGO. However, this higher price (? 60-? 120) completely fits into the LEGO products price range (? 20-? 200). Place LEGO uses the following channels to provide their products (including LEGO Technic products) to customers (LEGO Annual Report 2007, 2007): – distribution: two centres in North America, two centres in Europe – direct sale: brand stores, mail order business, online sales (e. g. Amazon) Promotion The LEGO brand is the sixth most well known brand in the world (HVG, 2004) and this gives competitive advantage against the competitors in the promotion activity. LEGO is using to promote the Technic products through advertising during TV children programs (e. g. Off Roader) and through sales promotion (e. g. pecial online offers, Technic Gallery). Increasingly, online reviews written by satisfied customers are used to promote their products. Other possibility to promote Technic products would be to build one of them in the brand store to demonstrate how it works. People Not only in the production have LEGO maintained a high quality, but also in the performance of the servic e for customers. By TECHNIC products is very important that appropriate training for employees is given due to the complexity of the products. Processes ‘Lego products have to satisfy all market standards regardless where they were manufactured. (Regani and George, 2007, p. 6). It also has to provide high quality technical support especially such a complex product as Technic and customer service. ‘LEGO customer service was thus awarded the prize for â€Å"Best Centre for Customer Service† in Europe. ’ (LEGO Annual Report 2007, 2007, p. 19). Physical evidence The high quality production of the LEGO product (ISO 14001) guarantees that the Technic toys can be easily assembled following the technical instructions and there are no missing parts and all elements fit perfectly well together. The assembled toy looks and works exactly as shown on the packaging. Personalisation As the newest element of the marketing mix, personalisation offers a personalised version of the brand. This has a direct impact on all other elements relevant to LEGO products. Customers who are unhappy with mass produced products can design their own individual TECHNIC product on the internet and order this more personalised version online. However, ‘personalised products may imply personalised prices’. (Goldsmith, 1999, p181. ). 3. / New product design development It may be easier to develop a personal version of an existing product than to develop a wholly new product. New products come in five versions: product improvements, line extensions, brand extensions, new brands, and new-to-the-world innovations. (Peter and Donnelly, 1997, p. 125, cited in Goldsmith, 1999). From the very beginning LEGO shows a high commitment to new products innovation. When LEGO created the first non-toxic (ABS) interlocking plastic bricks in six different colours and launched their little yellow minifigure these were new innovations and built a base of their success as LEGO was named ‘Products of the Century’ by Fortune magazine. The LEGO elements which have been manufactured since 1958 are fully compatible, therefore LEGO sets can be passed on from one generation to the next. (Regani and George, 2007). As children’s interests changed over the years LEGO had to design new high tech product ranges to keep up with the present technology. The product development takes place primarily at the company’s Billund headquarter (internal brainstorming), but the LEGO Group has bases all over the world to monitor the latest trends, review of competitors’ products and also monitor the customers’ requirements and feedback. LEGO Company Profile, 2007). Innovation and creativity can be expensive and LEGO has lots of primary limitations of its product design; therefore each design option must be evaluated and assessed against a set of design criteria. (FM-A, 2004). The new products have to comply with the existing ones. The new product has to fit to the production line, because to adjust or create a new production process has a high additional cost. LEGO Group’s motto â€Å"Only the best is good enough† and to fulfil this ambition all products have to comply with the appropriate safety and quality standards. Several activities such as quality management, environmental (green) issues, preventive action and testing on mechanical, chemical, electrical properties to ensure the product is free from hazards. Along with the high tech and licensed products LEGO should – and indeed must – concentrate on the development of its classic product lines (e. g. variety of product line extensions which are fit with the existing ones and wide range of possibilities of packaging (smaller supplementary parts are relatively cheaper for customers than bigger packs, etc. ). 4. / Total quality management for new outsourcing partners It has a lot of elements therefore hard to find the right definition of TQM. There are some interpretations which concentrate on different aspects (FM-A, 2004) like participation and quality circles (IshiKawa), quality cost, employee participation and motivation (Crosby), internal and external focus of customers, fitness for use (Juran) and Six Sigma (see Appendix 4. ) . One of the overall definitions of TQM is n effective system for integrating the quality development, quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various groups in an organisation so as to enable production and service at the most economical levels which allow full customer satisfaction. (Feigenbaum,1986, cited in FM-A, 2004, p. 380). As definitions are wide and different in the practice the TQM is different company by company, however we could find some basic statements. LEGO is a good example of TQM as quality is the core of LEGO’s activity. Quality is firmly rooted in our fundamental beliefs, or mission statement, or strategy goals, and our values. As a world leader in the field of quality experience, service, and products, we focus on the customer’s perception of quality. (Regani and George, 2007, p. 6). In reflects of competitiveness and being cost-effective, it was a strategic decision to outsource its large production to Flextronics. However, outsourcing includes risks; can the quality and the time-management (JIT) be assured? What are the crucial factors of the LEGO’s successful TQM which they should absolutely recommend to their outsourcing partners? †¢ Participation: commitment at all levels Both parties have to participate to successful quality management. Senior and middle managers: |Should avoid |Should consider | |autocracy |support | |individualism |team building (team spirit) | |restrict behaviour |training | – Employees: Employees’ involvement improves morale. (FM-A, 2004). ‘We view the implementation of this policy as the shared responsibility of all LEGO employees. (Regani and George, 2007, p. 6). †¢ Culture – Adopt a quality-conscious philosophy as LEGO’s motto: â€Å"The best is good enough† – Organizational culture, LEGO established e. g. a department for Corporate Quality Control †¢ Training – Institute training on the job; self-improvement to be proud of their jobs. (FM-A, 2004). LEGO implemented a new competence model which defines the eight most important competences for LEGO employees and regularly asking their workers about their opinion of the process. †¢ Continuous improvement – ‘Quality management is the continual examination and improvement of xisting processes. ’ (FM-A, 2004, p. 382). Not enough to introduce but also need to open the continuous improvement. As LEGO meets the highest quality standards they independently show how changeable the market is. LEGO takes care to stay up-to-date in the safety requirements (EU CE, ISO). †¢ Monitoring (including preventive activities) – LEGO quality management aim to prevent defective production (18 out of every million elements are defected) therefore have to assure quality in the production process internally and externally (quality assurance), rather than inspecting goods after they have been produced. FM-A, 2004). Although the high quality production which avoids defaults LEGO carries out regular inspections of production. What can LEGO provide the company they outsourced to with? †¢ Documentation – A company quality manual may summarise the quality management policy and system. – A procedures manual sets out the functions, structures and responsible for quality in each department. – Detailed work instructions and specifications for how work should be carried out show how to achieve the desired quality standards. Training – Integrated relationship (training in LEGO’s place) – Knowledge sharing: train the trainer program (LEGO provide trainers) †¢ Monitoring – LEGO can delegate people from its monitoring team. Summary and conclusions Following the seven-year-strategy plan in the last couple of years, LEGO’s situation has already stabilized. The further expansion of the operation is possible. LEGO needs to rethink their attractiveness of the market segments and approach them to identify new market opportunities and niches. By actively using the appropriate elements of marketing mix (not only the classical 4Ps) and thinking about the product design possibilities they should also consider the existing competitive advantages of their product and the cost of fitting to the process involved. In case of outsourcing as a cost-saving LEGO needs to support its partners to keep up the quality as LEGO’s core value. REFERENCES Abratt, R. (1993) ‘Market segmentation practices of industrial marketers’. Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 22, pp. 79-84. Cited in Dibb S. (1998) Market segmentation: strategies for success. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 16/7, 1998, pp. 394 – 406. Curran, J. G. M. and Goodfellow, J. H. (1989), ‘Theoretical and practical issues in the determination of market boundaries’. European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 16-28. Cited in Dibb S. 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Retrieved from: http://www. lego. com/eng/info/default. asp? page=safety [Accessed 20 October 2008]. Vas Nepe (2008) Ez mar korantsem jatek [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www. vasnepe. hu/gazdasag/20080703_ez_mar_korantsem__jatek [Accessed 23 September 2008]. Wood, L. (2000) Brands and brand equity: definition and management. Management Decision, 38/9, 2000, pp. 662-669. Yong, J. and Wilkinson, A. (2001) Rethinking Total Quality Management. Total Quality Management, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2001, pp. 247-258. Appendix 1. [pic] Appendix 2. Kotler’s check-list: segments should be Abratt (1993) attractiveness criteria: ability to reach buyers Appendix 3. The marketing mix Appendix 4. Six Sigma [pic] ———————– Segment profitability and life cycle Turnover Year 1970 1990 1958 2008 LEGO Brick LEGO Technic LEGO Star Wars Substantial Accessible Measurable Stable Actionable Expected market growth Competitive position Market size Market fit with organisational objectives and resources Personalisation Product Price People Processes Place Physical evidence Promotion The Marketing Plan Defect reduction Yield improvement Customer delight Profitability improvement