ICT Strategy Essay Example

ICT Strategy Essay Example ICT Strategy Essay ICT Strategy Essay Abstract Information technology has indeed established itself as a significant component of business over the past two decades which provided one of the most functional competitive advantages. This is due to the fact of the vast utilities it offers and thus becomes available anywhere around the world. However, Nicholas Carr suggested that as information technology has grown in power and ubiquity, its competitive advantages have lost and thus it doesnt matter anymore. In this paper, it is argued that IT does indeed matter due to its wide use and necessity in contrast to Cars view. Also, it is further urge that competitive advantage has always been temporal in technological innovations and this is explained with the view of IT as multiple technologies and as a single type of technology which points out obsolete technology like IT still exists with competitive advantage and matters. Lastly, the discussion reveals that the degree of innovativeness in the IT realm is so far greater than other classification of technologies that we could not make an assumption whether or not IT will be less of a competitive advantage in the years to come. The next discussions ill be focusing on the analysis of these ideas as expressed by Nicholas Carr, and will be applied to analyzing further certain projects in a given company scenario. Introduction IT is the latest series of broadly adopted technologies, after the railroad. Due to their usefulnesss, the commonalities between the two are primarily observed in the manner that people have invested in them. A deeper look at these types of commodities will reveal that the pattern by which the similarity is competitive advantages, making us able to argue that they have the same level of supply, demand ND necessity in the market. Gradually, many companies will try to possess the same technology and provision of the same service which will eventually lead to the decline of the prices that can be offered since everybody already has it. This way, the investment made for the possession of that technology becomes a question of whether or not in truly IT provides a significant return on investment since it is now hard to Justify that the revenue company earned was in fact due to IT function, or that it has rather only become a necessity due to its pervasive use. In other word, has IT got competitive advantage or does it matter? (Carr, 2003) Cars Article Cars articles centers on the fact that to some extent, certain technologies such as IT has become less of a competitive advantage, making it a not what it had seemed when it came out as a new product. The eventual wide spread of the technology soon led to the possession of it by everyone, making the perception of its competitive advantage an obsolete thing. There are many fundamental issues in this argument which we will be tackling in the following discussions. . The widespread of technology may entail necessity. Although it is true that trains and railroads have now ceased to become a competitive advantage as compared to when it was first utilized several decades ago, this can be attributed to many factors. The functionality that is derived from trains has been already established as a useful and necessary component of businesses, especially businesses may range from those that provide shipping services of different cargo materials that needed to be transported from one place to another or the remonstration of people as done in major subways around cities as it provides a cheaper cost of transportation compared to using automobile vehicles. Thereby, we can argue that train ceased to become a competitive advantage truly because it has become so common place and thus cheaper. However, what we point out here is that the widespread nature of any technologies does not say anything about whether it matters or not. It only tells us that it has become popular, thus increasing demand because of its proven usefulness, and that points towards the argument that it does ended matter, since people now see it as a necessity that cannot be ignored since it has become so integrated with the lifestyle of human being that to ignore the necessary functions it provides is Just going to bring even more disadvantage. What Carr has only argued is that competitive advantage has diminished, but this should not in any ways lead to the conclusion that one should cease to invest in IT because the issue is not that IT has become obsolete, and therefore has lost its competitive advantage, but because it has become too necessary, that it has lost its competitive advantage. 2. Competitive advantage has always been temporal in technological innovations It is important to point out that, technology especially at the rate that it progresses today, is always an issue of determining how long it will provide competitive advantage since there is always a chance that newer and better technologies that may render that technology obsolete . This is not a new thing, and as a result, certain technologies are set aside when they have become less useful. The IT field, however is a large classification of many technologies that within homeless compete against each other. Better systems are adopted against others for their efficiency, user friendliness, and lower cost. In theory, if we view IT as multiple technologies, there are always competitive advantages in which faster and newer systems are more competitive than obsolete technologies (Millard and Porter, 1985). However, if we view IT as a whole, competitive advantage is dwindling due to ubiquity. This should not always lead to the conclusion that IT no longer matters because it is not an obsolete technology, and the answer lies in our previous argument: IT as a whole has proven to be so useful that it has become so commonplace and necessary (Meant, 2007) 3. The innovativeness in the IT realm is massive Unlike the railroad, the possibilities in the IT industry are infinite. The areas of application for an IT staff may range from creating applications for word processing, designing performance management systems for companies to implement on their operations, accounting software may be useful for accounting departments, internet utilities such as Google Docs, Google Drive, file conversion tools, social media and any other thousands of other uses. What we argue here is that the degree of usability in IT field is so huge that it has not yet fully explored to assume that it will be less competitive in the future. While Carr has successfully showed data to support his argument, it is yet early to dismiss it Project analysis The initial observations of the proposals to close down the information service department are the following: outsourcing puts the company at higher risk of losing the current information service team rather than outsourcing. 1. Project management yester The purpose of a custom developed management system is to produce a system that is fitted to the perceived needs of a particular project based on the nature of the business. Adopting an outsourced project management system may include functionalities that are not required, and hence entails cost on the company for additional IT features. What should the company do here is to re-design the project management system to add features that the company prefers to have, such as due date and resource tracker. 2. Marketing analysis system It is similar to saying that electricity has ceased to matter Just because it is now widely used. Actually, electricity has been less of a competitive advantage because no corporation nowadays can function without it. And the same argument can be made for IT. IT is slowly becoming electricity, something that organizations will always need because of its proven necessity. IT may be decreasing in its capability to provide competitive advantage, but it is certainly something, like electricity, that inevitably matters. Broader, G. (2012, 1, 19).

Ley Ajuste Cubano tras fin de pies secos, pies mojados

Ley Ajuste Cubano tras fin de pies secos, pies mojados Por decisià ³n de enero de 2017, el gobierno de Estados Unidos no aplica la polà ­tica conocida como pies secos pies mojados para cubanos ni la visa CMPP para personal sanitario de esa misma nacionalidad en misiones en el exterior. Sin embargo, sigue vigente la Ley de Ajuste Cubano. En este artà ­culo se explica quà © era pies secos, pies mojados, cules son las opciones ahora para los cubanos para ingresar a Estados Unidos y cules son los puntos bsicos de Ley de Ajuste Cubano. Puntos clave: Pies secos, pies mojados Tà ©rminos clave en polà ­tica migratoria de EE.UU. hacia cubanos:Pies secos: Cubanos que lograban pisar suelo de EE.UU. o llegar a una de sus fronteras. Podà ­an ingresar como paroled aunque no tuvieran visa.Pies mojados: Cubanos interceptados en el mar intentando llegar a EE.UU. Eran regresados a Cuba o enviados a un tercer paà ­s.Fin de pies secos, pies mojados: 12 de enero de 2017Ley de Ajuste cubano: En vigor. Permite a los cubanos que ingresan legalmente a EE.UU. solicitar la tarjeta de residencia permanente despuà ©s de presencia de 1 aà ±o y 1 dà ­a.  ¿Quà © era la polà ­tica de pies secos, pies mojados para cubanos? La polà ­tica migratoria de Estados Unidos conocida como pies secos, pies mojados  aplicaba exclusivamente a los cubanos y significaba que las personas de esa nacionalidad intentando emigrar a EE.UU. podà ­an quedarse si tocaban suelo estadounidense y, por lo tanto, eran pies secos. Por el contrario, si eran encontrados en el mar intentando alcanzar las costas de Estados Unidos se les consideraba pies mojados y no se les permità ­a quedarse en el paà ­s y se les regresaba a la Isla o se les enviaba a un tercer paà ­s. Con el tiempo y en la prctica se desarrollà ³ una subcategorà ­a de pies secos, a los que se conocà ­a en inglà ©s como dusty foot, porque llegaban a la zona desà ©rtica de la frontera de Estados Unidos con Mà ©xico donde se presentaban ante un oficial fronterizo y pedà ­an el ingreso al paà ­s mediante un permiso provisional que se conocà ­a como parole y que les permità ­a estar en el paà ­s y trabajar mientras arreglaban los papeles. Tambià ©n podà ­an  calificar como pies secos los cubanos que llegaban por avià ³n a un aeropuerto de los Estados Unidos o alguno de sus territorios, como por ejemplo, Puerto Rico sin una visa vlida y pedà ­an asilo nada ms llegar.   Es decir, pies secos se aplicaba a los cubanos que llegaban ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos, esto es sin visa u otro documento vlido para ingresar.   En el aà ±o fiscal 2016, que finalizà ³ el 30 de septiembre de ese aà ±o, un total de 41.500 cubanos llegaron a territorio estadounidense sin documentos vlido para ingresar, pero ingresaron por pies secos pies mojados. En octubre y noviembre de ese aà ±o el nà ºmero fue de 7.000.  ¿Cà ³mo era el procedimiento de pies secos, pies mojados? Los pies mojados, o wet foot en inglà ©s, eran  regresados a Cuba o, si temà ­an que podrà ­an sufrir represalias y cumplà ­an las condiciones para ser considerados como asilados o refugiados, eran trasladados a un tercer paà ­s, como Ecuador o Espaà ±a, entre otros. Sin embargo, los cubanos considerados contrabandistas de personas eran  regresados a Cuba donde cumplà ­an pena de crcel, con o sin previa prisià ³n en los Estados Unidos. Por el contrario, los pies mojados podà ­an pedir  asilo y eran  entrevistados por al menos un oficial migratorio y ahà ­ se decidà ­a si se les permità ­a ingresar a Estados Unidos, ya que no siempre era posible como en el caso de tener ciertos antecedentes penales. Si los pies secos ingresaban  a Estados Unidos, lo hacà ­an como lo que se conoce tà ©cnicamente como paroled y no como admitted. Esta distincià ³n es importante desde el punto de vista de las leyes migratorias de Estados Unidos. A partir de ahà ­, los cubanos paroled podà ­an  solicitar una serie de beneficios sociales y/o econà ³micos. Adems, podà ­an solicitar un permiso de trabajo, un nà ºmero del Seguro Social, sacar la licencia de manejar en el estado en el que se asienten, etc. Asimismo, al mismo tiempo se iniciaba un proceso de peticià ³n de asilo. Es decir, no se concedà ­a el asilo automticamente, sino que simplemente, comenzaba la tramitacià ³n. Paralelamente sucedà ­a algo fundamental:  comenzaba a contar el tiempo para poder iniciar el proceso de solicitud de la green card, que es la tarjeta de residencia permanente, y que podrn hacer al cumplir el aà ±o y un dà ­a de haber ingresado, en aplicacià ³n de la Ley de Ajuste Cubano.   Como la fecha de un aà ±o y un dà ­a a contar desde el momento de ingreso a Estados Unidos llegaba antes de que se resolviera la peticià ³n de asilo, à ©sta se cancelaba y los pies secos mojados se convertà ­an en residentes permanentes legales con una tarjeta de green card.  ¿Cà ³mo pueden los cubanos ingresar a EE.UU. en la actualidad? Desde el 12 de enero de 2017 los cubanos deben tener una visa para ingresar a Estados Unidos. Si no la tienen y temen ser perseguidos pueden solicitar en un puerto fronterizo de los Estados Unidos el asilo, pero en las mismas condiciones que los migrantes de otros paà ­ses que tengan el mismo temor. Cabe destacar que para que se apruebe el asilo hay que temer una represalia o persecucià ³n por una de  5 razones especà ­ficas seà ±aladas en la ley.  ¿Quà © pasa con los cubanos que llegan a una frontera de los EE.UU. sin visa? Son regresados a Cuba, paà ­s que se ha comprometido ante Estados Unidos a readmitir a los no admitidos en Estados Unidos, siendo la excepcià ³n son los casos de asilo. Aquà ­ hay que ser muy prudentes a la hora de interpretar la ley, ya que el simple hecho de vivir en una dictadura o en un paà ­s comunista como es Cuba no es por sà ­ misma una razà ³n para que se apruebe una solicitud de asilo. Es necesario argumentar de un modo convincente la represià ³n a la persona que solicita el asilo y la razà ³n debe ser por una de las descritas en la ley de asilo. Adems, en la actualidad los cubanos que logren ingresar ilegalmente son deportados, al igual que el resto de los extranjeros. Tambià ©n pueden ser deportados aquellos cubanos que cometen delitos y/o infracciones migratorias que por ley pueden dar lugar a la expulsià ³n del paà ­s. Las à ºltimas estadà ­sticas muestran que aproximadamente en la actualidad unos 36.000 cubanos cuentan con orden de deportacià ³n, si bien por falta de acuerdo entre EE.UU. y Cuba la Isla no acepta a los migrantes cubanos con à ³rdenes de expulsià ³n con fecha anterior al 12 de enero de 2017, salvo casos particulares.  ¿Quà © pasa con la Ley de Ajuste Cubano? Esta ley, que data del 2 de noviembre de 1966, sigue en vigor. Esto significa que los cubanos presentes legalmente en los Estados Unidos podrn solicitar un ajuste de estatus al aà ±o y 1 dà ­a de haber ingresado a los Estados Unidos y convertirse, as,à ­ en residentes permanentes. No se debe confundir esta Ley con la polà ­tica de pies secos, pies mojados, que data de la presidencia de Bill Clinton. Al quedar pies secos pies mojados sin efecto, los cubanos en situacià ³n ilegal no podrn ajustar su estatus por Ley de Ajuste Cubano ni tampoco podrn ingresar a los Estados Unidos los que no tienen la visa correspondiente y no pueden alegar de forma convincente ante un oficial migratorio que solicitan asilo por una causa prevista en la ley. Trump, Cuba y polà ­tica internacional y migratoria Cada vez que hay un cambio en las normas migratorias, lamentablemente tambià ©n hay personas sin escrà ºpulos que desean tomar ventaja de la desesperacià ³n de las personas y aseguran que tienen contactos o que pueden hacer cosas que realmente no son posibles. A pesar de que en junio de 2017 el presidente Donald Trump modificà ³ ciertos aspectos de la polà ­tica estadounidense hacia Cuba cambiando importantes aspectos de la polà ­tica de Obama, lo cierto es que en materia migratoria todo sigue igual en este punto y que aplica ni pies secos, pies mojados ni la visa CMPP. Es aconsejable tener mucho cuidado con todos los posibles fraudes. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Batch and Real-Time Processing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Batch and Real-Time Processing - Assignment Example sic variation between the two is that batch processing involves ‘batches’ whereas real-time processing involves single input (Bernstein, & Newcomer, 2009). In this case, batch processing is preferred. The preference of batch processing lies on its simplicity over real-time processing. With batch processing, data sets are collected and integrated to form a single input. As such, it becomes easy to control the input to achieve the desired output. Batch processing entails the input, processing, and output. Therefore, similar data sets are processed as one data set to achieve an output. The figure below represents a hypothetical batch processing transaction. As evident in Figure 1, electricity consumption rates are summed up into one data set and processed to produce electricity bills. On the contrary, a real-time processing would process individual electricity consumption rates and produce respective electricity bills. As such, the difference is evident. The batch processing system requires inputs to be queued for a set time or quantity before they are processed whereas the real-time processing system requires a continuous cycle of input-process-output. A batch processing system is applicable in a payroll system that involves end-of-cycle processing. Similar to electricity bills, a payroll system is active at set intervals (weekly or monthly). It is prudent to employ batch processing as it collects working hours and integrates them into a single batch at the end of the interval to produce pay slips for employees. It would be time consuming to employ real-time processing where an end-of-cycle processing is required. A batch processing system is efficient for a payroll system. The figure below represents the application of batch processing system in an end-of-cycle processing A batch processing system is applicable in a stock management system. The core advantage of the batch processing system is that it is automated; hence, minimal human interaction. Stock

Why the world should explore alternate sources of energy Research Paper - 1

Why the world should explore alternate sources of energy - Research Paper Example ny single source of energy, such as, petroleum products or gasoline for long, the time is not far away when we will become short of these sources of energy. In this paper, we will discuss why the world should explore alternative energy sources. â€Å"A surge in the price of crude is threatening global growth for the first time in decades and spurring a desperate surge in interest in energy alternatives† (Valdmanis). The world is really in need of alternate sources of energy to meet industrial and daily requirements of life. A single or a couple of sources of energy cannot serve us for a long time. We can take example of whale oil, which was being used in the early 19th century not only as lubricants but also as fuel for the lamps. At that time, no one thought that the whale stock would ever face shortage. However, by the mid of 19th century, whale stock became very short and the world had to shift to some other source of energy to meet different requirements. Similarly, nuclear energy is also at the door of risk. People used to think that nuclear energy is one of such forms of energy, which can serve the electricity needs of Japanese people for a very long time. However, what happened to the nuclear plants of Japan due to tsunami is not hidden to anyone. Japan had to close many of its nuclear plants because the damage to the nuclear reactors resulted in discharging harmful radiation. That was the time, when Japanese government stopped producing most of its electricity using nuclear plants and started exploring alternate sources of energy to meet the requirements of life. Today, most of the developed countries are taking steps to explore renewable energy sources to cope with the expected scarcity of oil and gas. Sterzinger states, â€Å"There is a growing recognition that achieving security and climate stability will require a massive development of renewable energy projects† (16: 81-91,198). Renewable energy refers to continuous and natural energy sources such as

Tamil Cultural Identity Abroad Cultural Studies Essay

Tamil Cultural Identity Abroad Cultural Studies Essay Bharatantyam has been embedded in the Tamil culture since centuries, transmitted from generation to generation and evolving over time to uphold its sacredness and its representation of the states traditional identity. Today Bharatanaytam has spread worldwide, performed and practiced across countries and accepted by both traditional and modern masses. However it was only after its rebirth in 1930, when the Devadasi Act was passed, and due to E. Krishna Iyers reworking of the dances movement vocabulary into a socially accepted dance form (On, 2011), that Bharatanatyam gained its respectable social status and hence today plays a crucial role in portraying Indias cultural and traditional identity. This portrayal may be seen as what Bourdieu would call a habitus, which is created through a social, rather an individual process leading to patterns that are enduring and transferrable from one context to another (Powercube, 2012). More precisely, Bharatanatyam is a social measure used to main tain and promote a certain habitus, defining the cultures values which are transferred both through time and across the nations, whilst also acting as a guide for the Tamil generations today. This essay analyses, based substantially on Bourdieus habitus theory, to what extent Bharatanatyam shapes Tamil cultural identity, especially abroad. Art forms in general, especially when practiced over centuries, have proven to be central to any articulation of ethnic identity (Hyder, cited in David, 2009) and this is even more true when a population lives outside of its home nation. There were, and still are, a significant amount of Tamilians that immigrate from India and Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom, especially during and after the British colonialism period. For many Tamilians in London, especially the older generation, Bharatanatyam is the element that contains within it all of their cultural and religious identity: it represents an idealism that they must try to incorporate and preserve. Bharatnayam acts as what Foster would consider an ideal body, something that the material body looks up to and tries to achieve. This ideal cultural representation in Bharatanaym has been transmitted over the years to future generations and to this day young Tamilians explain how Bharatanatyam is part of [their] culture and prevents the culture and religion [from] being forgotten, especially in the West (David, 2009). Two students, Maya and Mahumita, reinforce this statement by confirming that studying Bharatanatyam is their way of learning about their cultural heritage whilst living abroad. For example, most of Bharatanatyams bodily movements and facial expressions bear a prominent representation: that of Tamil womanhood. This can be seen in small gestures such as the applying of the kumkum on the forehead (in representation of the third eye), the plaiting of the hair or the folding of the sari, all symbolizing a feminized social body (David, 2009), describing how a woman should appear and behave in this cultural context. Another more specific example would be that of the heroine character, known as the nayika, and how she uses stylized gestures to prepare herself to meet the hero, the nayaka. Through these gestures the dance transmits an idea of femininity and grace which acts as an ideal for all Tamil women to t ry live up to and admire. This also links to Bourdieus concept of doxa, which is formed through a combination of unspoken norms and beliefs that are taken-for-granted assumptions or common sense behind the distinctions we make (Powercube, 2012), which in this case is the portrayal of how women are expected to behave. These characteristics that Tamil women need to behold are part of an unstated conduct that is reinforced through the dances movements and storytelling, constantly reminding the Tamil population, and women in particular, what their role is society is. As author Ann R. David explains, for the Tamil middle class, Bharatanatyam promises respectability and a traditional femininity and is, therefore, a prized carrier of tradition (David, 2009). As a result, purity of Tamil tradition, their rituals and religion, their language and their social behaviour, such as the importance of womens chastity in the Tamil civilization, is upheld substantially through Bharatanatyam it is co nsidered an influential tool used to craft social status and conduct, uniting Tamil cultural identity across the world. However, first-generation Tamil immigrants, and especially Tamil Hindu groups, are concerned that the external pressures of the West may overwhelm the younger generations and cause them to lose sight of their national identity as Tamilians. In order to preserve this sense of cultural identity, several schools have been built abroad to encourage and indulge the youth in their Tamil culture, ensuring that their roots are not forgotten. These classes would, according to Ann R. David, allow the transmission of traditional culture and assist immigrants in maintaining Tamil identity in local diasporic settings where the acquisition of Tamil social, cultural, and religious values does not necessarily take place (David, 2009). Most Sri Lankan Tamil temples and Tamil weekend classes in London are led by Tamil conservationists who try stay true to their cultural identity by discouraging their dance pupils to attend international performances to keep them from any outside influences. In additi on, most of the syllabus is written and taught in Tamil, despite the fact that the second generations are likely to have grown up with English as their first language given their educational and social context. This obsession to ensure that Bharatanatyam is practised and incorporated in the lives of immigrated Tamilians means that, as a result, the dance now bears more rituals and ceremonies attached to it today than it had during the period of its revival (David, 2009). For example, the offering of flowers on stage, known as pushpanjali, and the dedication of bells on the stage are common rituals now that were not required previously in Bharatanatyam. As part of their cultural essentialism none of the teachers in the London Tamil temples have introduced any creative or slightly unconventional material to their students, ensuring that the history of the dance is untouched in order to transfer a pure concept of their Tamil cultural identity. This may be considered as what Bourdieu re fers to as misrecognition, similar to Marxs concept of false consciousness, which is the conscious manipulation of a certain group or individual. In this case, the conservationists use Bharatanatyam to encourage certain social pressures that have been accepted without questioning such as, as previously discussed, the role of obedient women in the Tamil society. But is this pressure of preserving Tamil traditions through Bharatanatyam having the contrary effect and pushing away the younger generations from exploring their cultural identity? Some may argue yes, as certain teachers and practitioners, mostly in other countries in Europe and in North America, support Tamil nationalism through change and development. Aided and supported by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), Tamil Sri Lankan nationalism in particular is encouraged to evolve through more creative Bharatanatyam choreographies. For example, a Bharatanatyam piece was choreographed narrating the story of a military woman who sacrifices her male relatives to be a part of the Sri Lankan war. These types of narrations are unconventional compared to any of the traditional Bharatanatyam stories which usually involve Gods and their relationship with mankind. Another example would be the Akademi centre today whose goal is to enlarge received aesthetic definitions of the traditional and classical through strategic acts of cultural translation and situate Indian dance on the multicultural map of Great Britain (Meduri, 2004). Therefore, this modernising of Bharatanatyam and the usage of its representative symbolic movements to express contemporary concerns is going against the work of the preservationists. This contemporary development of Bharatanayam can be seen as creating a new, more current and perhaps global cultural identity. This sense of global identity seems to be growing, even in Britain, especially amongst the second generation as they have no strong, direct ties to their homeland. They hence tend to see themselves more as British, British Asian or British Hindu citizens who are made up of both cultures, yet belong strongly to neither of them. These young Tamilians are part of a global youth culture (Saldanha, cited in David, 2009) which means that they hold a global identity, unlike their elder relatives who struggle to maintain their traditional cultural identity whilst living in a different country amidst a completely different set of values. In the late 20th century all Indian dance forms were put under the label of South Asian dance, despite the fact that South Asia evidently consists of many more countries than just India, hence not only creating a rather vague category for these Indian dances but also merging internationalism within nationalism. The specific classical dance Bharatantyam being thrown amidst numerous other Indian dances and renamed as a part of a South Asian dance was a huge turning point as it enlarged the Indian label and made visible the diverse dance, performance, and theatre practices of the Indian/Asian diaspora (Meduri, 2004). But some Bharatanatyam dancers and teachers, such as Mira Kaushik, encouraged this relocation of Bharatanatyam dance within the broader category of South Asian dance. Kaushik claimed that although Indian dance might look Indian, it is South Asian dance in the United Kingdom because it is performed not just by immigrant dancers from India but by hundreds of South Asian dancers belonging to the different nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, and Africa (Meduri, 2004). One may argue that Kaushik challenges the idea that Bharatanatyam is specially reserved for Tamilians as their source of cultural identity; she brings a whole new concept to Bharatanatyam by suggesting that it can appeal, be understood and perfo rmed by many other nationalities. This reform therefore alters and reshapes the key tool Bharatanatyam that traditionally promotes the estalished Tamil habitus. By reintegrating Bharatanaytam with a more futuristic and contemporary aspect, it challenges the cultures original habitus and its centuries of unquestioned customs. Therefore Bharatnatyam may actually be seen as a source of creativity and as a catalyst for a new global identity, rather than a source of tradition and preservation of a purely Tamil identity. Bharatnayam has been adopted and reworked since the very beginning of the 1900s by the West, especially in the United States to begin with. For example, in 1906 Ruth St. Denis, the co-founder of the dance company Denishawn, was hugely inspired by South Asian dance and she immersed herself in Indian writings and culture. She used these resources to later on choreograph dance pieces, such as Incense, The Legend of the Peacock, Radha and further on group productions such as The Flute of Krishna in the 1920s. Another distinct dance pioneer, La Meri, even created a rendition of Swan Lake through Bharatanatyam vocabulary. Especially since the 1930s Bharatnayam has opened up as men now feel comfortable to interpret womanly roles, whilst also many dancers from outside of the Tamil nationality have beg an practicing Bharatanatyam, even to a professional level. But does this globalisation of Bharatanatyam necessarily affect the preservation and the influence it has on the Tamil population and their cultural identity? Rather on the contrary, although Bharatantyam has been increasingly globalised since the early 1900s, the dance in itself to this day remains associated with tradition and symbolism. Both in local Indian communities and abroad, Bharatanatyam is an art that globally and continually promotes the habitus of the Tamil community and its values: whether a non-Tamilian dances it, whether a contemporary story is being told, whether a man dances a womans character the movement vocabulary and the concepts behind the dance remains the same for example, even the interpretation of Swan Lake by Le Meri through Bharatanaym essentially needs to use the dances symbolized codes to tell the story. Bharatanatyam is based intricately on traditional meanings, and therefore whatever context it may be placed in, it will stay true to its Tamil origin . Especially in countries such as Britain and Indonesia where the Tamil population is significant, Bharatanatyam remains a key pathway to not only identify themselves with their distant Tamil customs and embody their cultures habitus, but to spread it worldwide. Word count: 2,005

Jaws: An analysis of the suspense techniques used in the film and the effects that they had upon the audience

Lay back and imagine, you are on a beach; the sun currents lightly burn you skin. You are in captivating and enchanting surrounding like laughter from young and old. You go into the calming blue ocean, in the thought that you are going to have a pleasant and moderate swim. But could there be a huge blood-hungry shark in the water? Could it have heard the vibrations of your movement and is now coming to consume you? This was indeed what happened in the film ‘Jaws'. In this essay, I will be examining the suspense techniques used in the film and the intended effect upon the audience – what makes Jaws scary? The unique film Jaws was made in the year 1975and directed by Steven Spielberg, who was only twenty seven at the time. The film is based upon Peter Benchley's No1 bestseller and he also wrote the screenplay. Jaws broke all box office records to become the biggest box office hit of it's time. It grossed an amazing sum of $260.000.000. The two scenes I am going to focus on from the film are the opening scene where Chrissie is attacked and the following scene where Alex is attacked. Jaws is set in the small town of Amity Island on the coast of Florida. Firstly, I am going to analyze what happens in the opening scene of the play. At the start of the scene there is a young people's party on the beach. The director uses panoramic shot of the shark then uses a panning shot of the young people at the party. He uses these techniques to create tense and suspense, makes us think about who is going to be attacked; who is the victim of this inevitable horror? Another technique used at the start of the party on the beach is laughter and soft music to relax us, but never-the-less we hear sound of waves in the background to remind us of the shark. Suddenly a woman leaves her boy friend on the beach and goes swimming. We are shown a shot of her swimming in the moonlight. The kind of shot used is a Long Shot. The director uses this to show the darkness surrounding her, this makes us makes us nervous and expectant of something horrible to happen. There is darkness in the background throughout the scene because it creates a sense of mystery. As the shark starts to move in for the kill, the music used changes from soft music to the shark's signature tune. This is done so as to increase the tense of the moment. When the shark attacks, the girls is shown in a P.O.V shot from below. The shark then carries the girl in its mouth. This is made to look like a kid having some harmless fun. The intended effect upon the audience is to make it seem a bit less horrible. In the background we hear Jaws signature tune which is increasing tremendously. This is done to increase the tense further. In the middle of the attack the shark suddenly stops, and the girl clings to the buoy as a nerve-racking silence takes over the scene. This creates a feeling of suspense – what is going to happen next? Soon the shark attacks again and finishes her off in a rather quick and painless manner. At the end of the scene we are given a panoramic shot of the beach. All we hear is the sound of waves, and young people talking. I think that the director does this because he wants to end the scene the way he started it, suggesting nothing has happened. This has the effect of making us feel more relaxed. I think that this opening scene is particularly good in building suspense because he uses different types of techniques such as awkward silences and blindness. I now plan to the suspense techniques that Steven Spielberg uses in the scene where a little boy called Alex is seized by the shark. At the start of the scene the camera moves between shots of Chief Brody and the beach. This is done to show us the beach from Brody's eyes (P.O.V shot), and then show his reaction of what is seen. Furthermore we see a black dog playing with its master. The colour black is used to symbolise funeral and death. This tells the audience that the dog could be the victim to the massive messenger of death. A pet dog is used because people will be more likely to have sympathy for a cute Labrador rather than a Pitbull etc. When we see Alex for the first time he asks his mother if he can swim in the water for longer. In response his mother lets him swim an extra five minutes. This makes us think that he is going to be the next victim. Alex is shown with a yellow lilo, which is used to represent light, life, joy etc. We are then shown two good examples of false alarm. The first of these is when we see the shape of the shark in the water, which is actually the hat of a man. Spielberg uses the camera to increase the tension by showing us Chief Brody looking at the ocean. He also has the man coming out of the water in a very slow manner. The other example is when a young lady gets lifted up from the water from below, screaming, with her legs astride. This makes us think that the girl is being attacked by the shark. However, we find the girl is being lifted by her boyfriend. After a set of false alarms, we start to sense some false comfort, but this quickly turns into fear as we are shown the dogs stick flowing in the water with the dog nowhere in sight. Immediately after this we see the shark's eye-view of the boy's legs from below, and the music changes to jaws signature tune, the effect of this is that we know that the boy is, Alex, is going to be attacked. The director, Steven Spielberg, personifies the shark cleverly. The director makes the shark deliberately go past all the people in the water and directly go to the poor little boy – this makes the shark look evil†¦ a human quality. After the attack, the camera is used to show the chaos and fear from the people at the beach. This is intended to make us sense the fear the people on the people on the beach are experiencing. The music also changes from Jaws music to series of chaotic sounds. This is done to increase the panic of the sound. We are then shown the boy's mother on her own on the beach as the other people create a distance from the water, with their children held tightly. Only Alex's mother is missing her child. The kind of shot used here is a long shot. The all music and sound stop so as to make us focus on the mother. Finally, we are shown the punctured lilo being washed up on the shore. It is covered in the boy's blood, which suggests that the life and light has been destroyed by darkness and death. I now hope that your imagination has been satisfied with loads of images from the creative but scary film Jaws. In this essay, I have tried to look in dept the techniques used to make this film spectacularly unique film of its time. Spielberg has made Jaws a wonderfully scary film by taking the suspense techniques to the next step – he uses camera shots and sound to build up suspense e.g. Jaws signature tune. I would recommend this film to people of all ages including my own because this film is one of few films that have taken suspense techniques to the next level. So, next time you go to the beach, will you only be concerned about swimming and pleasure? Or will you be concerned about deadly horrors that might lie beneath the beauty of the water, in the depths of the ocean? The only advice I can give is to watch the film and treat it only as a film, for it is not real. Otherwise, we might risk never going into the waters again!

Things Fall Apart - 916 Words

Things Fall Apart It is hard to imagine being invaded and forced to change virtually all of our ways by a foreign nation. Unfortunately for the Ibo society, imperialism was forced upon them. All they could do was sit back and watch as the English changed all aspects of their life. Everything from religion to family life was changed by imperialism. The title, Things Fall Apart, suits the book very well because that is essentially what happened to the Umuofia village. The cultural traditions of Umuofia eventually fell apart. The main points of focus in Things Fall Apart are life inside the Ibo tribe, the struggle of one man’s desire to succeed, and imperialism. During part one of the story, Achebe takes the reader through the†¦show more content†¦The interesting thing about European imperialism during this time is that the Ibo culture did not lack religion and structure before the white missionaries came. In fact, their religion was quite intricate and they believed in a number o f gods. Also, in Umuofia there was a democratic system of government with no one ruler and a complex system by which people could gain political power through economic success. The people of Umuofia were not as savage as the Europeans perceived them to be. They had their own currency, a structured government, and religion. In other words, the Ibo had a thriving culture and economy in pre-colonial Umuofia. However, they did not possess the military power or technology needed to stop the white missionaries. Things Fall Apart does a very good job of showing what life was like in Africa during imperialism. In a very short time, major changes to the Ibo way of life took place. The new religion that was forced upon the natives made the claim that all men are created equal yet the missionaries viewed them as uncivilized and sub-human. The European desire for social and economic dominance is displayed in Things Fall Apart. Traditional family and religious values were lost when the missionaries came. Achebe shows the reader what effects these had through the character, Okonkwo. He would rather kill himself than be killed by his self-proclaimed enemy, which is exactly what he did. Things Fall Apart isShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart910 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Okonkwo Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a novel about a man in West Africa. It tells about his triumphs and trial ultimately leading to his demise. It explains how the â€Å"white man† came into his country and took over. It show you how the â€Å"white man† mad things fall apart. Okonkwo was a very large and tall man. He had big bushy eyebrows and a huge nose. 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Aristotle’s Poetics defines a Tragic Hero as a good man of high status who displays a tragic flaw ‘hamartia’ and experiences a dramatic reversal ‘peripeteia’, as well as an intense moment of recognition ‘anagnorisis’. Okonkwo is a leader and hardworking member of the Igbo communityRead MoreThings Fall Apart977 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferently by two different readers? Things Fall Apart Language and Literature Things fall apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. It is set during the late 19th, early 20th century in a small village named Umuofia situated in Nigeria. This time period is important because it was a period in colonial history when the British were increasing their influence economic, cultural, and political influence in Africa. The novel deals with the rise and fall of Okonkwo, a man from the village ofRead MoreThings Fall Apart818 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish oral presentation Cultural strengths of the Ibo society before the invasion of the colons. The novel Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe describes the social and cultural traits of a culture based on the principles of labor and masculinity, conformity and kinship and finally on solid juridical system. The worth of a man was measured by his strength and the amount of work he could accomplish and how efficiently feed his family, the concepts of masculinity is strictly related withRead MoreThings Fall Apart2539 Words   |  11 PagesSociety (Things Fall Apart) Women are often thought of as the weaker, more vulnerable of the two sexes. Thus, women’s roles in literature are often subdued and subordinate. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, women are repressed by an entrenched structure of the social repression. Women suffer great losses in this novel but, also in certain circumstances, hold tremendous power. Achebe provides progressively changing attitudes towards women’s role. At first glance, the women in Things Fall Apart mayRead More Things Fall Apart Essay763 Words   |  4 PagesChinua Achebes Things Fall Apart shows an odd similarity between the cultures of Ancient Greece and the Lower Niger. Despite the fact that two societies can exist during different periods of time and have conflicting cultural values, their stories and behavior can have surprising overlaps. Things Fall Apart is structured like a Greek Tragedy in its use of a chorus and in the presence of a tragic hero whose actions ultimately lead to his downfall. The Egwugwu from Things Fall Apart act like the chorusRead More Things Fall Apart Essay714 Words   |  3 PagesThings Fall Apart Opposites do not Attract In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Mr. Brown, the first missionary in Umuofia, was a kind and respectful man. Not to say that Reverend James Smith was not, but his degree of kindness and respect were present in a whole different level. They both wanted to convert the lost, all those in Umuofia that were not in the church. Mr. Brown made friends with the clan and â€Å"trod softly on his faith,† (pg.178) while Mr. Smith told them how thingsRead MoreSummary Of Things Fall Apart 716 Words   |  3 PagesJory Alkhudair Mr. Meister English 10th 26 October 2017 Things Fall Apart I am writing about Ekwefi , Okonkwo’s second wife, and who was once the village beauty. Ekwefi is also the mother of Ezinma , Okonkwo’s only daughter . Ezinma is her only surviving child, her other nine died in infancy. Ekwefi constantly fears that she will lose Ezinma too. The festival was only three days away. We were scrubbing the walls and the huts with red earthRead MoreColonialism In Things Fall Apart1824 Words   |  8 Pageswritten by Chinua Achebe which shows the main theme of the novel Things Fall Apart, and even represents the theme within the article, â€Å"The Benefits of British Rule†. There are many cultures with different values or practices that might seem obscure to one group but normal to another, therefore no one can determine what culture is wrong or right, but it s up to society to determine the best way of life. The novel Things Fall Apart and the article â€Å"The Benefits of British Rule† examine two different