The Us-Versus-Them Mentality In 2008’s Presidential Campaign Essay Example for Free

The Us-Versus-Them Mentality In 2008’s Presidential Campaign Essay The graphic novel, Maus, by Art Spiegelman, tells the story of a Polish Jew’s memories of his experience during the Holocaust. Drawn as mice, the Jews have faced a variety of psychological warfare, including xenophobia, scapegoating, dehumanization, and us-vs. -them dichotomy where the terrible events of the Holocaust were justified. The Holocaust was one of the most terrible events in human history, and decades later, scholars from many branches of academia still strive to understand such a dark historical event. Unfortunately, aspects leading up to the Holocaust still exist in the world today. While few current issues compare in magnitude to that of the Holocaust, such activities such as xenophobia, scapegoating, dehumanization, and divisive, dichotomous thought pervade populations everywhere. Although such negative sentiments always threaten negative results, in the US in the year 2008, one major historical movement and event occurred that promises a possible relief from such a divisive past. This historic movement and event is Barack Obama’s campaign, in which an African American ran for President of the United States and was the victor, becoming the first ever African American president of the country. But the campaign was not free of strife. This paper argues that while dichotomous, â€Å"us vs. them† elements in the year 2008’s presidential campaign were not systematically acted out as they were in the Holocaust, there existed similar instances of that mentality during the campaign timeframe. In the past decade, partisanship has set two major groups of Americans at odds with each other in the form of Democrat vs. Republicans. However, this past presidential campaign, or even in the past decade, the fever pitch of â€Å"us vs. them† has not escaped many people, and â€Å"Democrat† or â€Å"Republican† began to be expressed in layers of differences. Chuck Raasch of USAToday reports that: Americans fought a terrible civil war on all three fronts. A century later, Northerners saw Southerners as oppressors during struggles over civil rights, and Southerners viewed Northerners as meddlers. Even the Inside the Beltway label continues a deeply rooted, us-versus-them mentality of the nations capital. Despite the elevation of a black man and a white woman to the Democratic and Republican presidential tickets, respectively, the election of 2008 has played often to those divides. In her article Unleashed, Palin Makes a Pit Bull Look Tame, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post describes the crowd’s response, [who were] â€Å"waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, Sit down, boy (p. A03). † While divisive expressions such as these seem far away from the Holocaust, one must consider Peter Suedfeld’s words regarding the genesis of anti-Semitism in the time before the Holocaust: Sherif et al. (1961/1988) demonstrated how leaders, by framing situations in terms of intergroup competition, can produce hostility and aggressive behaviour between component groups. We can see the workings of an ingrained us-vs-them mentality in experimental minimal groups (Tajfel et al. , 1971), which are composed in a completely arbitrary way and whose members never even meet each other (3). This explanation could very well describe the actions of leaders in political parties as well as group behaviors in response to leaders. Sarah Palin could be seen to â€Å"frame situations† such that â€Å"intergroup competition† occurs, as it does in the Republican furor over the Democrate presidential candidate. Partisanship was not the only exhibition of us-versus-them behavior during the past year. Dedication to one’s country came into question in which the concepts of American versus anti-American were introduced. According to Bob Lonsberry in his article â€Å"What’s Wrong With a Marxist? †, a person who is American is one who sees two irreconcilable extremes between Karl Marx and John Locke, and if a person takes into regard the writings of Karl Marx, then he or she is â€Å"anti-American. † If an American is to be truly American, they must adopt similar ways of thinking in which Marxism, communist, and other similar ontological principles must be absolutely shunned because they repudiate everything America stands for. These sentiments before the Holocaust were similar. In place of anti-Americans were the Jews. Andre Minaeu writes: To the Nazis, all things seriously afflicting Germany and the Aryan race were ultimately Jewish or Jewish-inspired. In this sense, the Jewish people were the quintessential enemy of Nazi totalitarianism. The latter elevated Jewry, so to speak, to the rank of an evil ontological principle against which struggle was to be universal (17). In this sense, anti-Americans are philosophically against everything Americans stand for and should be beaten politically, while Jews represented everything the Nazis stood for, which caused them to become an evil philosophical principle. No other dichotomy is more apparent in both Holocaust and the 2008 presidential campaign than ethnicity. The question of race—and one’s ethnicity—became a large factor due to the mixed-race heritage of Barack Obama. Historically, part of Obama’s ethnicity had been under the awful yoke of slavery and then the struggle of civil rights. One can see this in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr: I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama†¦ little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers (60). The question of Jewsishness—both an ethnicity as well as a belief system—was subject of life and death for six million people during World War II. Historically, Jews have also been slaves, and their ethnicity and religion have played a large role in their struggles in past centuries. Paul Johnson explains this in his book The History of the Jews by quoting Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an ex-prisoner of the Nazis: We have learned to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of those who are excluded, under suspicion, ill-treated, powerless, oppressed, and scorned, in short those who suffer (2). It is not a subtle expression in either of these two statements that the writers and speakers felt that their world was divided in groups, and they were the â€Å"them† in the phrase â€Å"us-versus-them. † While the us-versus-them mentality might seem as if it would haunt human interaction for all time, there have always been historical figures who have sought to overcome the divisiveness by seeking common ground. Perhaps the most famous of those is Abraham Lincoln, who spoke these words: A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved I do not expect the house to fall but I do expect it will cease to be divided (Lincoln). Martin Luther King, Jr. is another figure who sought to overcome injustice and inequality through nonviolent means. Current scholars are improving and applying techniques for nonviolent conflict resolution (Suedfeld 2006, p. 7). In regards to the Holocaust, there are many studies about the tragedy in many areas of study, from psychology to politics to sociology, as evidenced by the books The Making of the Holocaust: Ideology and Ethics in the Systems Perspective by Andre Mineau and Canadian Psychology addressing Holocaust reverberations fifty years later. Lastly, the end of the 2008 campaign year drew to a close, and Barack Obama has been elected President. While he emerged from one of the two major political parties in the US, his own sentiments in his book The Audacity of Hope strive for a bipartisan rather than a divided approach: Maybe there’s no escaping our great political divide, an endless clash of armies, and any attempts to alter the rules of engagement are futile. Or maybe the trivialization of politics has reached a point of no return, so that most people see it as just one more diversion, a sport†¦ We paint our faces red or blue and cheer our side and boo their side†¦ But I don’t think so. They are out there†¦ those ordinary citizens who have grown up in the midst of all the political and cultural battles, but who have found a way†¦ to make peace with their neighbors, and themselves (pp. 50-51). Violence stemmed from rabid divisiveness is what made the Holocaust so terrible. Therefore, any attempts to heal the us-versus-them mentality would have to be the opposite: peaceful actions that strive to bring humans together. Fortunately, if one could take lessons from Mahatma Ghandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama, then the possibility that discordant sentiments in the human populace may never take seed. WORKS CITED Johnson, Paul. A History of the Jews. HarperPerennial (1988). King, Jr. , Martin Luther. â€Å"The Dream†. Speech. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC. 28 August 1963. Lincoln, Abraham. House Divided Speech. Speech. Springfield, Illinois, June 16, 1858. Milbank, Dana. â€Å"Unleashed, Palin Makes a Pit Bull Look Tame. † Washington Post. October 7, 2008: A03. Minaeu, Andre. The Making of the Holocaust: Ideology and Ethics in the Systems Perspective. Amsterdam; Atlanta, Georgea: Rodopi, 1999.

Meeting Needs of Children with Incarcerated Mothers

Meeting Needs of Children with Incarcerated Mothers RESTRICTED CHAPTER FIVE FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS INTRODUCTION This study was aimed to determine whether the basic needs are met or not by the children of incarcerated mothers in Welikada prison. This chapter facilitates a discussion on the testing and finding relevance to the previous chapter corresponding to the defined hypothesis. Further, facts and figures and results will be discussed and it will also analyse the cross references to the literature reviewed. DISCUSSION BASED ON THE LITREATURE REVIEW As per the World Bank definition â€Å"Early childhood is the most rapid period of development in a human life. Although individual children develop at their own pace, all children progress through an identifiable sequence of physical, cognitive, and emotional growth and change. The Early Child Development (ECD) approach is based on the proven fact that young children respond best when caregivers use specific techniques designed to encourage and stimulate progress to the next level of development†. Many theorists have developed different concepts on the child development process, but once analyse all those very carefully, it seems that the idea is almost same which they have tried to prove. These theorists have discussed the development of human life in different stages of ages, here it is considered only the early childhood development up to the age of 5 years. Based on the literature review, it was analysed the international policy and trends in the care of children born behind bars. Most of the countries adopt the similar procedure that when a pregnant woman is imprisoned, she will be transferred to an outside hospital to give the child birth. This will be done to ensure the appropriate medical care and to avoid the place of birth place being as prison in the birth certificate. 5. In some countries, just after the child birth, they are separated from mother and kept in foster care or handed over to their relatives. This will negatively be affected to the children’s basic needs in their early childhood development such as breastfeeding, mother’s care and mother-child interaction and bond. However, in most states, the breastfeeding is encouraged. Many arguments indicate that child should not be separated from his mother in early stage of a child. In some of the low income countries, the baby delivery is carried out in the pris on. This will give number of health complications for both mother and child. Although some of facilities are available in the prison environment for the child living, they are not directly addressed to the children’s mental, emotional and physical development needs. In some prisons like in Cambodia and India, the mothers and children are not provided with adequate and also extra foods for children, clean water, washing and hygiene facilities, etc. Further, the children’s access to play, education, social interaction with other children and also to the outside of the prison environment are not properly addressed. Due to these reasons, the children of incarcerated mothers face many difficulties in their early childhood while living in the prison environment. Therefore, these literatures indicate that children born behind the bars are facing many development difficulties in their early childhood. However, some prisons like in Canada and Austria provide well advance facilities for mothers and child living in the prison as compared to the other prisons in the world. Although the adequate facilities are provided, the only drawback is the interaction of the children to the outside society is poor. This will affect to the children’s emotional, psychological and social development. (INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK) DISCUSSION BASED ON THE DATA PRESENTATION AND FINDINGS This sample survey was mainly focused to the mothers of children born behind the bars in Sri Lankan prisons. Due to the existing limitations for conduct this research, this survey was restricted only to Welikada prison. During the conduct of survey, it was found that only there were 16 children mothered to 15 incarcerated women. One woman had two children. The existing policy for care of mothers and children was thoroughly analysed during this survey. The pregnant mothers are provided maternity care from outside government hospitals same as other women and also it helps the children to avoid their birth place as prison in their birth certificate. Although the nursery facilities are not functioned as outside, it helps the children to develop their educational, language and cognitive development needs. Further, when the child comes to the age 5 years, he will be separated from the mother and handover to his relatives of kept in foster care. It seems a positive sign that child may get a opportunity to expose to the outside society. SURVIVAL AND LIFE SUSTAINING NEEDS The sample survey highlights some positive signs related to the survival and life sustaining needs for the children of incarcerated mothers in Welikada prison. Though the pure water, food, air, cloths and warmth are satisfactorily addressed, there is some shortage of cloths, variety of food items and extra foods. The provision of same types of food every day will lead the children to refuse the meals. However, these concerns are minor and probably better when consider the respondents’ socio-economic situations in outside the prison. Further, the children are provided with breastfeeding and being with mothers throughout the imprisonment until the child’s age of 5 years. These aspects are positively driven to the children’s physical, emotional developments. LIFE EMBELLESHING NEEDS The needs for the life embellishing development such as provision of toys, some fantasy and entertainment activities are not addressed satisfactorily, but they get enough opportunities to play with other children in the prison premises. However, these activities are restricted to a one particular area inside the prison wall. This restrictive environment hampered the children’s opportunities to explore as well as experience a variety of stimuli. Hence, these areas do not enhance the developmental opportunities of a child through the play. This will negatively affect to the children’s physical, social and emotional development. LIFE PROTECTING NEEDS Both the children and mothers are provided with the separate accommodation without merging with other prisoners, but it is not separated for each mother and child, everybody is living together in a single hall sharing two toilets amongst them. This affects to the child and mother’s well-being and hygienic issues and result in environmental stressors. The toilets and the accommodation areas are not always kept in very clean. The use of two toilets daily by 16 children and 15 mothers is a big issue which children face in the prison premises. Sleeping facilities for mother and child at Welikada prison is not beneficial for the development young children. It is depersonalising and depriving. It makes further worst by the situation that mothers and their children are confined to this area for longer period. The impacts of those are reflected in the mothers’ emotional state and then to the children. It seems that though the children and mothers are separated from other prisoners, the women prisoners have access to children’s living area. This will create number of negative effects on children such as expose to their bad behaviour and languages. It will obviously become a threat to the security of the children and especially for their physical development. Further, there may be some psychological effect on children as creating a unusual fear on men due to the children are always interact only with the women prisoners. On the other hand, these children are at a risk of child abuse and sexual harassment by the other prisoners. The health care facilities provided for the mothers and their children are not fully satisfied. The pregnant mothers have to go outside government hospitals for clinics and baby delivery, but it is also not a regularly happening. Once the baby delivery is done, the provision of care of Midwives for mother and baby will not be available in the prison premises. Further, if someone becomes ill during the night, there is no any medical section to deal with that and they need to call for prison authority for the arrangement to take the patient to outside government hospital. Further, the immunization vaccines are given to the children of different age categories, but the findings realized that they are not getting it at correct time. In accordance with the findings of children’s low weight, shortness and deficiency of vitamins are badly affected to the child development. These indicators show that children face many difficulties during their early childhood development. LIFE DEVELOPING NEEDS The children get enough leisure time and their mothers are also not engaging any activity other than their children. The available nursery helps children to enhance their educational measurer. The children’s access to freedom and thought and information is very low. They have been provided with one television in the hall, but it will not suffice to fulfil the requirement of the children. Above facts clearly indicate that these children have lesser possibility to expose to the outside society. Hence, this will lead to the risk of negative social and academic outcomes and unusual fear to outside people once they discharge from the prison. Further, they have opportunities to participate the religious activities inside the prison, but no cultural activities take place. All above factors discussed are directly affected to the social, emotional and cognitive development of a child. LIFE ENRICHING NEEDS In this aspect, children are benefitted up to certain extent through the prison nursery education. Though they have been tried to develop in this field, children are always exposed to prisoners and their environment. Hence, it is very difficult to get rid of them from that particular society system. Ultimately, this may be resulted to the risk of school failure and fall into conduct some criminals once they come out from the prisons. MOTHER-CHILD INTERACTION AND BOND Mother-child interaction and bond may not be happened automatically, but it may develop gradually over the time which they live together. In the Sri Lankan prison policy, mothers are allowed to keep their children up to the age of 5 years during their incarceration. It was proved during the sampling survey that the attachment existing between mothers and children is either anxious or ambivalent. Based on the literature review and findings from all the surveys, it is concluded that the best interest for the child is not to incarcerate with his mother. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS It is obvious that a child who stays with his incarcerated mother will not have opportunities to form an attachment with the rest of his family (especially with father), relatives and others in the society. In this regard it can be concluded that the child who stays with his incarcerated mother is prevented and restricted in his social development. However, it can be concluded as the prison environment is not favourable to the physical, emotional, social and psychological development of a child.

A Full Life With Empty Barrels :: essays research papers

A Full Life With Empty Barrels Robert Lee Frost, legendary American poet whose poetry was written to be easily understood and reads similar to everyday speech, wrote several poems that are frequently recited and quoted. Frost's arduous life is reflected in his poems; his poetry is both simple and complex. Frost uses deceptively simple strategies, imagery, metaphors, small details, nature, and traditional verse to convey feelings and intent, making him America's most beloved and esteemed poet, both by the common man and the critics. Robert Lee Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" reflects Frost's life, his mistakes, regrets, and experiences, using a nostalgic tone. Frost, born in San Francisco on March 26, 1874, lived in California until he turned eleven, and his father died, which compelled his family to move to Lawrence, Massachusetts to live with his paternal grandparents. " Because Frost is so intimately associated with rural New England, one tends to forget that the first landscape printed on his imagination was both urban and Californian. That he came to appreciate, and to see in the imaginative way a poet must see, the imagery of Vermont and New Hampshire has something to do with the anomaly of coming late to it. It's as though he were dropped into the countryside north of Boston from outer space, and remained perpetually stunned by what he saw," Robert Penn Warren observed. "I don't think you can overemphasize that aspect of Frost. A native takes, or may take, a place for granted; if you have to earn your citizenship, your locality, it requires a special focus" (Parini 5). Frost resided in pastoral New England for most of his adult life, and his laconic expression and focus on individualism embody the heart of this region. "An essentially pastoral poet often associated with rural New England, Frost wrote poems whose philosophical dimensions transcend any region " (Biography 1). Many of Frost's poems utilizes nature and are written in understandable language to express his admiration for the hard-working individual. "Mr. Frost has dared to write and for the most part with success in the natural speech of New England; in natural spoken speech, which is very different from the "natural" speech of the newspapers, and of many professors" (Bloom 21). Frost had an extensive education. He was taught by his mother, "Frost received much of his early education at home, and his mother often read aloud from the works of Shakespeare, Poe, Emerson, and Wadsworth, as well as others" (Bloom 12).

Symbolism of Albrecht Durer Essays -- Master Engravings Art Essays

Symbolism of Albrecht Durer Albrecht Durer completed the â€Å"Master Engravings† in the years 1513 and 1514. With these three engravings (Knight, Death, and Devil, St. Jerome in His Study, and Melencolia I) he reached the high point of his artistic expression and concentration. each print represents a different philosophical perspective on the â€Å"worlds† respectively of action, spirit, and intellect. Although Durer himself evidently did not think of the three as a set, He sometimes sold or gave St. Jerome and Melencolia I as a pair. In the engraving, Knight, Death, and Devil, it appears that the hero (the Knight) is gaining a moral victory over death. The Knight has often been interpreted as Erasmus’s sturdy Christian soldier who scoffs at death and the devil as he goes about God’s work in his journey through life. The conception of the ‘Christian soldier’ embodies and ideal of manly virtue which the traditional instincts of the Germanic race, German mysticism and Northern versions of Renaissance ideals all contributed to form. The Horse is represented in full profile as to show off it’s perfect proportions; it is forcefully modeled so as to give its perfect anatomy and it moves with regulated step of the riding school so as to give demonstration of perfect rhythm. The fact that a beautiful setter is running by the side of the horse completes the picture of the Christian man as known to the Late Middle Ages – the man who armed with faith and accompanied by religious zeal, symbolized by the faithful hound goes on his way along the narrow path of earthly life menaced by Death and the Devil. From the gloom of this â€Å"rough and dreary scenery there emerge Death and the Devil. Death wears a regal crown and is mounted on... ...giving them away together and that collectors looked at and discussed them side by side. No less than six copies were disposed of as pairs while only one copy of the Melancolia I was given singly and no impression of the Knight, Death and Devil changed hands together with either of the two other prints. In the years 1513 and 1514, Albrecht Durer completed what is now known together as the â€Å"Master Engravings,† Knight, Death, and Devil; St. Jerome in His Study; and Melencolia I. In general each print represents a different philosophical perspective on the â€Å"worlds respectively, of action, spirit and intellect. Bibliography Panofsky, Edwin. The Life and Art of Albrecht Durer. 4th ed. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1955. Waetzoldt, Willhelm. Durer and His Times. translated by R.H. Boothroyd. London: Phaidon Press Ltd, 1950.

?The Wreck of the Hesperus? and The Perfect Storm :: essays research papers

The More Powerful Sea Disaster Story   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the most intriguing stories of today are about people’s adventures at sea and the thrill and treachery of living through its perilous storms and disasters. Two very popular selections about the sea and its terrors are The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and â€Å"The Wreck of the Hesperus† by Henry Longfellow. Comparison between the two works determines that â€Å"The Wreck of the Hesperus† tells a more powerful sea-disaster story for several different reasons. The poem is more descriptive and suspenseful than The Perfect Storm, and it also plays on a very powerful tool to captivate the reader’s emotion. These key aspects combine to give the reader something tangible that allows them to relate to the story being told and affects them strongly. A common person’s knowledge about sea disasters comes from what they have read in books and articles, and what they see on TV and in movies. The average person does not get to experience the fury of a hurricane while on a boat. In order to capture the audience’s attention, consideration to details and vivid descriptions are needed to paint a realistic picture in their minds. For this reason, the stories have to provide all of the intricate details. In The Perfect Storm, the story starts out with a radio call, not a dramatic scene that immediately foreshadows the possibility of danger. Rather than describing the storm and its fury, the only mention of the setting is of the visibility and the height of waves. However, in â€Å"The Wreck of the Hesperus†, the poem begins by stating there is a hurricane possible right away. The current weather conditions are pointed out to the reader as shown in the following quote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Colder and louder blew the wind,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A gale from the Northeast,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The snow fell hissing in the brine,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And the billows frothed like yeast.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Longfellow 125) The realistic adjectives paint a picture that the average person can relate to and understand. As shown from the word choice in The Perfect Storm, the poem is easily seen to evoke more powerful imagery. One quality a story needs to possess in order to keep the reader eager and captivated to read is suspense. Both stories have elements of suspense, but utilize it in different ways. â€Å"The Wreck of the Hesperus† does an excellent job of foreshadowing, so one can predict the sequence of events that will happen.

Jonathon Swift: A Modest Proposal Essay

Jonathon Swift: A Modest Proposal Jonathon Swift’s A Modest Proposal is a parody on the economic situation of the society in which he attempts to â€Å"find out a fair, cheap and easy method† (Swift) for the children in poverty to be put to good use for good of Ireland. This is seen right away in the full title of the pamphlet, â€Å"A Modern Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burden to their Parents, or the County, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick.† The reader begins to realize that Swift does not actually wish to implement these ideas of a baby being â€Å"a most delicious nourishing, and wholesome food† (Swift) once this extreme idea is proposed. Through this extreme proposal of cannibalism and breeding children to solve poverty and overpopulation, he makes the reader vulnerable while also eager to find out more. As entertaining as this text is, it is more than just a comic. Swift wishes to relay a much deeper meaning to the reader. In Robert Phiddian’s article, Have You Eaten Yet., Phiddian recognizes â€Å"the moral-political argument being carried out by means of parody.† (Phiddian) The moral issue, here, is poverty and the political issue is population, yet rarely do these issues remain as clear and separate as intended. Look more:  satire essay examples essay While Swift initially makes the reader chuckle several times throughout the text, he is venting about the societal ills that go unnoticed daily. He is aggravated by the hypocrisy of the wealthy trying to help the poor by coming up with such outlandish ideas that they think will supposedly solve poverty. Poverty is inevitable in a free market therefore with the money that the poor would receive â€Å"may be liable to distress and help pay their Landlord’s rent.† (Swift) Swift wants the reader to realize that no matter how great the ideas of the wealthy are, their motivation is to make a buck from these plans that they devise in their parlors over a cup of tea. â€Å"There is nothing higher than selfish greed within the terms of economic discourse† as Phiddian points out. Even in society today, there are always those people that wish to solve the issue of poverty, but can’t seem to realize that these implications are not easily resolved and are part of socie ty. Swift had compassion for the Irish people and felt for them in their severe  state, but he also shows disgust with the people of Ireland for not even trying on their own behalf. Prior to Swift writing A Modest Proposal he had written several sermons, which provide a background into the state of Ireland and how the people ended up in this predicament. â€Å"The members of this class are being called to their responsibilities and reminded of the guilt they share for the condition of their country.† (Phiddian) Swift leaves no stone unturned in the text and does not excuse any party from the awful state that Ireland is in at this point in time. Swift manages to target most of the groups in Ireland including the politicians, aristocracy, and even the poor. These and outside causes like that of England are included in the parody. Essentially, Swift trying to get the reader to understand that not one person can solve the problems of poverty and overpopulation. In fact, it is part of society and has been for centuries. The struggles are apparent before Swifts time and even now. He is able to address two sets of readers in a sense; one of his time and one of the future, our time. â€Å"While people continue to starve and to live in abject poverty, an analogy exists between Swift’s readers’ situation and our own.† (Phiddian) The reader is able to identify with the subject and the point that Swift is trying to make of the societal ills of the time through this â€Å"moral-political argument.† (Phiddian) in turn see that behind the gore and obscene ideas that he has come up with, there is a voice that needs to be heard. What would normally be a boring economic update or a political argument over what the country needs to do has been transformed by Swift into a masterpiece that peeks the interest of those other than the politicians. He is able to catch our attention as a reader by many surprises and then able to make us think critically about policies, values, and society as a whole in general. Reference Page Robert Phiddian Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 Vol. 36, No. 3, Restoration andEighteenth Century (Summer, 1996), pp. 603-621 Published by: Rice University

Art of Anchoring

Nature of the Work |[About this section] |[pic]Back to Top | |Radio and television announcers perform a variety of tasks on and off the air. They announce station program information, such as program schedules and station breaks for commercials, or public service information, and they introduce and close programs. Announcers read prepared scripts or make ad lib commentary on the air, as they present news, sports, the weather, time, and commercials. If a written script is required, they may do the research and writing. Announcers also interview guests and moderate panels or discussions.Some provide commentary for the audience during sporting events, at parades, and on other occasions. Announcers often are well known to radio and television audiences and may make promotional appearances and do remote broadcasts for their stations. Announcers at smaller stations may cover all of these areas and tend to have more off-air duties as well. They may operate the control board, monitor the tra nsmitter, sell commercial time to advertisers, keep a log of the station’s daily programming, and produce advertisements and other recorded material.Advances in technology make it possible for announcers to do some work previously performed by editors and broadcast technicians. At many music stations, the announcer is simultaneously responsible both for announcing and for operating the control board, which is used to broadcast programming, commercials, and public-service announcements according to the station’s schedule. Much of the recorded material that used to be on records or tape is now in the form of digital files on computers. (See the statement on broadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio operators elsewhere in the Handbook. Public radio and television announcers are involved in station fundraising efforts. Changes in technology have led to more remote operation of stations. Several stations in different locations of the same region may be operated from one office. Some stations operate overnight without any staff, playing programming from a satellite feed or using programming that was recorded earlier, including segments from announcers. Announcers frequently participate in community activities. Sports announcers, for example, may serve as masters of ceremonies at sports club banquets or may greet customers at openings of sporting goods stores.Radio announcers who broadcast music often are called disc jockeys (DJs). Some DJs specialize in one kind of music, announcing selections as they air them. Most DJs do not select much of the music they play (although they often did so in the past); instead, they follow schedules of commercials, talk, and music provided to them by management. While on the air, DJs comment on the music, weather, and traffic. They may take requests from listeners, interview guests, and manage listener contests. Some DJs announce and play music at clubs, dances, restaurants, and weddings.They often have the ir own equipment with which to play the music. Many are self-employed and rent their services out on a job-by-job basis. Show hosts may specialize in a certain area of interest, such as politics, personal finance, sports, or health. They contribute to the preparation of the program’s content, interview guests, and discuss issues with viewers, listeners, or the studio audience. Public address system announcers provide information to the audience at sporting, performing arts, and other events. Work environment.Announcers usually work in well-lighted, air-conditioned, soundproof studios. Announcers often work within tight schedules, which can be physically and mentally stressful. For many announcers, the intangible rewards—creative work, many personal contacts, and the satisfaction of becoming widely known—far outweigh the disadvantages of irregular and often unpredictable hours, work pressures, and disrupted personal lives. The broadcast day is long for radio and TV stations—many are on the air 24 hours a day—so announcers can expect to work unusual hours.Many present early-morning shows, when most people are getting ready for work or commuting, while others do late-night programs. The shifts, however, may not be as varied as in the past because new technology is allowing stations to eliminate some of the overnight hours. How did you start off as an anchor? I've been performing in stage shows in school since I was four. Later, while I was doing my Mass Communications from Jamia Milia Islamia, Usha Albuquerque offered me the anchor's job on a career show called Hum Honge Kamyaab. This came out of the blue as I was not planning on getting into a career in anchoring.But after Hum Honge Kamyaab, I got a lot of other offers as an anchor and there's been no looking back since. What is required of an effective anchor? An effective anchor needs to be quick witted, observant and adaptable to unforeseen situations. Which are the areas on e needs to work on constantly to improve as an anchor? One needs to be abreast of what's happening around, to be in sync with the latest fashion accessories and the prevailing dressing trends. Besides, one should work on his/her wit. Basically, one needs to imbibe and absorb a lot more than what one normally does. [pic] |†An effective anchor needs to be quick witted, observant and adaptable | | |to unforeseen situations† | Do you like to work with a ready script? No, I've never done that. All my performances have been impromptu. What are the factors you take into consideration before taking up a new assignment? I look at two factors. One, how much does an assignment appeal to me and can offer me in terms of creative satisfaction.The second factor is obviously the money it gets me. Does TV anchoring pay well? It depends. It pays me very well but I can't be sure of all other anchors. Actually, a lot depends on your popularity. Who are your favourite TV anchors? Jaaved Jaff erey, Shekhar Suman, Cyrus Broacha and last but not the least, Amitabh Bachchan. What are the stylistic elements you've imbibed from them? From Jaaved Jafferey, I've learnt a certain amount of mimicry. In Cyrus, I admire the ability to be as natural and effortless as one can be. I admire Shekhar Suman for the way he has maintained himself.One can't say whether he is in his early forties or the late twenties. I admire Amitabh Bachchan for the modesty, dignity and grace with which he carries himself. Who are your favourite co-anchors? Have you ever co-anchored without a script? I have enjoyed anchoring Public Demand with a girl called Kahkasha who used to be very sparkling. Ritu, who later went on to become Mahima Chaudhary, is one of my other favourite co-anchors. Yes, I have co-anchored without a script. That's not a problem. Once you know the content and once you relate well with your co-anchor, that's no big deal.How has the Mass Communications course helped you in anchoring? Well , it hasn't directly helped me in my anchoring but then being a TV anchor, knowing the camera angles and having an idea of when a break is going to be called, obviously facilitates a better performance. What is the idea behind the creation of Encompass Production? I have found most media houses to be specialists in either events, production or else the creatives. ‘Encompass', as the name suggests, aspires to take up all these activities simultaneously and become a one-stop all-pervasive media house.So far, we have concentrated more on events but we are now producing two TV serials and a movie, which I will be directing. What training do you recommend for aspiring TV anchors? Well, primarily, I feel they should be well-read, more knowledgeable and have a more rounded worldview. Besides, one needs to work on his/her looks because today looks definitely matter. It is unfortunate that good avenues for formal training in TV anchoring do not exist in our country. I'm trying to do my bit on this front through a series of workshops. Besides, nobody can deny that luck plays a crucial part in your success or failure over here.Where do you see Encompass Productions ten years down the line? Having evolved as one of the biggest media conglomerates in the country. Where do you see yourself ten years down the line? Personally, I'm getting into film direction because that is what I'm trained in. Fortunately or unfortunately, the easy money that TV anchoring gave me tied me to it for far too long. But now, I'm fully charged to give film direction a shot. Ten years down the line, I see myself being a successful director of movies. How to Become a TV Reporter or News AnchorBeing a TV reporter/anchor takes sacrifice. On the surface it seems like a glamorous job but those of us who have worked in the industry know it is just the opposite. There is, however, no other job like it in the world. If you like deadline pressure, doing something new every day and making a difference it may be the job for you. [edit] Steps 1. Start at a small market television station: Everyone has visions of taking over the NBC Nightly News anchor desk, but the truth of the matter is a tiny portion of people who get into the TV news business will ever make it to a top 10 market.It’s a good idea to start your career in a small market because you can learn all aspects of the business. You will likely do everything like; report, produce, anchor, shoot video, edit and maybe even run the teleprompter with your foot! You’ll also get the opportunity to make your mistakes. Audiences are much more forgiving in Mobile, Alabama than they are in New York City. 2. Be willing to get little pay†¦at least in the beginning of your career:The average reporter job in a small market gets paid between $15,000 and $18,000 a year. Shocked right?Contrary to popular belief most TV personalities are not rolling in dough. Television news is a field where the supply outweighs the deman d. Basically there are more people who want to be on TV than there are available positions. That’s part of the reason why pay is not competitive. Also, if you start at a small market station, you will get small market pay. It’s the nature of the business. If making a lot of money in your career is important to you don’t get into TV news! 3. Forget about holidays at home: The truth is you will hardly ever get holidays off.You will most likely be working. Established main anchors at TV stations will most likely get holidays off which means you will be stuck at work. If you constantly move markets every couple of years to increase your salary and experience you will always be the new kid on the block, which means you won’t have seniority. So, you can kiss Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Fourth of July and Labor Day goodbye. Also â€Å"sweeps† months (when stations monitor how many people are watching) will be off limits for vacation time. These months include: February, May, July and November. 4.Be willing to move anywhere to get your first job: Jobs are so competitive that you can’t be choosy when landing your first job. Sure, you may want to hold out for San Diego, California but if Biloxi, Mississippi offers you your first job you should probably say yes. 5. Go to college: Most TV stations require that you have a college degree preferably in broadcast journalism. Some schools that have top broadcast journalism programs are University Missouri Columbia, Northwestern University, Syracuse University and Arizona State University. 6. Learn how to speak well: Your voice is key in this field.You should concentrate now on projection, enunciation and inflexion. All of these things will help you deliver your â€Å"script† in a compelling nature. Be authoritative in your speech. This will give you credibility with your audience. Read newspapers and magazines aloud. Listen to the best journalists in the field wh en they speak and try to emulate them. 7. Learn how to write for TV: You of course learn some of this in school. Writing for TV is very different from writing a term paper. You need to learn how to write to the images your audience will see on TV. It’s called writing to video.Also, you should keep writing simple and stay away from legalese and cliches. You have only one shot to get the attention of folks at home. 8. Be willing to work all the time: You may be placed on the morning shift, the evening shift, a split shift and the weekend shift at any given moment. New reporters especially have very little say in the hours they work. Working overtime is very common and few stations pay overtime. 9. Create a resume tape: A resume tape is a reel that shows a sample of your reporting/anchoring skills. It usually starts with a slate – a brief showing of your name and contact information.The slate is usually followed by a montage, which is a short segment of compelling live sh ots, samples of reporting and anchoring. The montage is then followed by three of your best stories. The best way to get your first resume tape is to do one in school otherwise it can be quite expensive. When your tape is done you send it on VHS format along with a cover letter and resume to news directors at the stations you are interested in. Then, you wait and cross your fingers. 10. Be Persistent: Don’t stop until you get that first job! Persistence is an invaluable skill any reporter/anchor should have. [edit] Tips Tip: Join a professional association for broadcast journalists like the National Association of Broadcasters, Radio Television News Directors Association, National Association of Asian Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists or the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, to name a few. [edit] Warnings †¢ Warning: TV news is a small and incestuous field. Everyone knows everyone and reputations spread quickly. †¢ TV news is not for the faint of heart. If you have problems with stress and working on a deadline, try another field. If your feelings are easily hurt this may not be the best field for you.