Strange Fruit Music and Social Consciousness

Strange Fruit Music and Social Consciousness The movie under consideration is the Strange Fruit directed by Kyle Schickner which aims to show people the social problems and their arousal by means of the appearance of one song, from the day of its creation up to the day of its release in public which has managed to make an outburst of public opinion and antiracial movement.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strange Fruit’ Music and Social Consciousness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Watching the movie from the first up to the last scene, you understand that the song has managed to raise social opinion and the historic facts cannot be changed, but the movie is directed in such a way that each time one is worried about the outcome. The movie is psychological as well as historic and the struggle against discrimination has always been a priority for some people, but n0o one believed that a simple song can impact the society in the way it did. As for me, it wa s difficult to watch the movie as being psychological drama it made me worry about each of the characters, especially those who were subjected to lynching and discrimination. At the same time, I was impressed with the history of the song creation and how one single performance can change the attitude of the whole society to the problem. Even though the movie shows the history of the son and its creation, the main idea is deeper. The movie is devoted to the social illness and points at one of the solutions which may be taken for solving the issue which is in the air, but people are afraid of talking about it referencing to the fear and social prejudices. The main idea of the Angela Davis’ essay â€Å"‘Strange Fruit’ Music and Social Consciousness† is to show the society how one particular song may become the icon for the whole nation, how one particular idea may help people understand that it is important to resist lynching, racial discrimination and other specific biased attitude in relation to some particular classes of people. â€Å"She could not have predicted that â€Å"Strange Fruit† would impel people to discover within themselves a previously unawakened calling to political activism, but it did, and it does. She could not have foreseen the catalytic role her song would play in rejuvenating the tradition of protest and resistance in African-American and American traditions of popular music and culture† (Davis 196) is the quote which shows that the singer song this song to entertain people and could not even expect that others would feel the same as she did, the desire to act against those who believe that lynching and discrimination are the normal actions in the society;Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More it describes the meaning of the song and perfectly summarizes the main idea of the Angela Davis†™ essay â€Å"‘Strange Fruit’ Music and Social Consciousness† as it points at the problems which the quote arises and at the same time considers the relation of the singer to the song, particularly the unexpected success of the song in the context is appeared; it is obvious that the song raises the problems of discrimination and it is important to remember that the presence of such films inspire other people for creating something new, such as the movie Strange Fruit also aimed at increasing the social concern about the problems of lynching, cultural and racial discrimination and the attitude of the society to the problems. Davis, Angela. â€Å"‘Strange Fruit’ Music and Social Consciousness.† Blues Legacies and Black Feminism. Ed. Angela Davis. New York: Pantheon Books, 1998. Print.

Nike and International Labor Practices Case Study

Nike and International Labor Practices - Case Study Example Nike experienced some problems in the 1990s with respect to their labor policies primarily in Indonesia and China. Unions and NGOs accused them of paying wages that were insufficient for subsistence and using child labor. Activists continued to press Nike for action to resolve the labor disputes, but Nike refused to take responsibility. An onslaught of bad publicity resulted in falling sales, plummeting income, and reduced stock value. In 1998, after Nike revenue fell, they began to accept the responsibility for the contractors in their outsourced business model. The financial cost to Nike has been estimated at $400 million for failing to address the issue promptly. Nike is secure in its market sector for the near term. There are only a few companies that can match Nike's ability to advertise and market their product. They have the largest market share and even a merger between number 2 and 3 could not exceed them. Adidas-Reebok and New Balance combined still come in behind Nike. New entrants are not likely to take on these formidable competitors. The large market share that Nike enjoys is also a challenge for them. They can not grow through increased market share. For the near future, they are forced to enter new international markets to sustain the levels of growth they have seen in the last 3 years. Markets in China and India are their primary targets and they have made some progress there. India has contributed substantially to their revenue and they have gained the sponsorship of the Beijing Olympics. Nike has considerable brand recognition and customer loyalty. They have made use of leading sports figures to market their products with great success. Their well-known logo, the 'Swoosh', is easily one of the most recognized symbols in marketing. In concert with their strong financial position Nike is well positioned. However, they must continue to be vigilant to avert the public relations disaster of the past. Nike should be a world leader in the movement in international worker's rights movements. Their recent recovery indicates they have the confidence and the support of the market when they take action to correct the faults of the past. However, they will be subject to public scrutiny. They need to be pro-active at correcting and improving their image with the public through community charity programs. With their market position, their history of innovative marketing, and their ability to set trends they should be well positioned to overcome any damage that their reputation has suffered. CASE ANALYSIS Throughout the 1990s, Nike was repeatedly accused of violating fair labor practices through their affiliation with international contractors. Nike consistently denied any wrongdoing and contended that any violations were the fault of the contractor and not Nike. Several groups formed alliances to come to the aid of the workers primarily in Indonesia and China. These groups came from international rights groups, competitors, US activists, students, and possibly even the Indonesian government. International watchdogs accused Nike of failing to pay an adequate wage. They allied with religious groups on ethical grounds. As early as 1991 the Asian American Free Labor Association (AAFLI) and the Institut Technology Bandug (ITB) had published reports critical of corporate practices in Indonesia (Spar 153-154). They had an international responsibility to bring these issues to light and

Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com - Research Paper Example The research paper "Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com" talks about the path of Jeff Bezos who has established the Amazon in 1994, and what great decisions brought this company to the current success. Jeff Bezos underlines in his interviews that he is a really happy person and he says that it is necessary to be an optimistic person otherwise no positive results are reached. The risk is a controversial issue for Bezos. He claims that to found an enterprise is a rather risky activity and the largest risks should be eliminated at once. To be an entrepreneur is to have an appropriate mind for it otherwise it is very difficult to solve different problems and to make different solutions. Bezos tells that he has learned the importance of self-reliance from his early childhood. His grandfather told him that it was necessary to rely on oneself and support oneself by one’s own methods and strategies. There is no one around but you to fix a current breakage or to solve a current problem. A constant search for new opportunities is a perfect perspective for solving potential challenges or business hazards. Jeff Bezos demonstrates his flexible management nature and his ability to adapt new strategies of leadership and management. When Amazon had to deal with financial challenges of the Company in 2002, it should have dealt with more than $3 billion operating losses. With respect to the experienced challenges and losses of the Company, it is possible to outline the key elements of the Amazon’s business model.... Risk is a controversial issue for Bezos. He claims that to found an enterprise is rather risky activity and the largest risks should be eliminated at once. To be an entrepreneur is to have appropriate mind for it otherwise it is very difficult to solve different problems and to make different solutions. Bezos tells that he has learnt the importance of self-reliance from his early childhood. Thus, his grandfather told him that it was necessary to rely on oneself and support oneself by one’s own methods and strategies. There is no one around but you to fix a current breakage or to solve a current problem. Moreover, it is relevant to work with an open and a creative mind. A constant search for new opportunities is a perfect perspective for solving potential challenges or business hazards. Jeff Bezos demonstrates his flexible management nature and his ability to adapt new strategies of leadership and management. When Amazon had to deal with financial challenges of the Company in 2 002, it should have dealt with more than $3 billion operating losses. Therefore, with respect to the experienced challenges and losses of the Company it is possible to outline the key elements of the Amazon’s business model. The superiority of Amazon in the online market cannot be denied, because Internet was not captured by large book sellers till 1994. Brand establishment of the Company was dependant on advertising. Moreover, a spirit of community is evident on the Web site of Amazon (Isckia 2009, p. 334). The Company publishes different reviews of the customers and provides other interested persons with reliable reactions of other readers. Tastes of their customers are reviewed and the Company is able to

Matisse and Munch Essay Example for Free

Matisse and Munch Essay The Dance – Henri Matisse, (1909), oil on canvas. This painting was commissioned in 1909 by Sergei Shchukin for decorative purposes (MoMa). The painting comprises five nudes dancing in a circle that is reminiscent of ancient pagan practices. Dance of Life – Edvard Munch, (1899), oil on canvas. This painting was comprises of what can be described as a ‘cyclic view of life’ whereby â€Å"We repeat ourselves like crystals that are dissolved and then recrystallise again† (Munch in Humanities Web). This piece is a highly symbolic picture of life and death and the union of souls while Matisse invokes the somewhat basic nature of humanity right down to its drives and instincts. Munch was particularly concerned with the various ways in which you see the same thing, depending on mood and time of day. â€Å"The fact is that at different times you see with different eyes.† (Munch in Eggum). Matisse prized himself on a mature compilation of color and line that was not close to the morbid fascination with death that Munch had. In the two paintings there is a distinct two dimensionality that is curiously juxtaposed to a somewhat well-arranged subject matter. Matisse and Munch both use the same vivid color but Munch has a much more diverse palette in this case. Matisse appears to be sampling the primitive nature of life that is shown by the nudity of the subjects as well as the circular composition of subjects that is reminiscent of baroque artists such as Rubens. Munch uses color to denote the presence of life on the left hand side (white) and death (black) in the clothing of the woman on the right. In between is a fire-red dress that symbolises the unity of the man and the woman. Munch creates a heavy background full of circling people while in Matisse there is no background except for a horizon line created by green paint. The background in Munch’s painting shows the people becoming smaller in an attempt to give the impression of depth in an otherwise flat picture. References: Eggum, Arne. Edvard Munch as a Painter. Munch Museet, 2009. http://www.munch.museum.no/content.aspx?id=15mid=lang=en Humanities Web. The Dance of Life. 2009. http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=gp=ca=pID=480 MoMa. Henri Matisse – Gallery label text. 2006. http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=79124

Frankenstein Kickass Paper -- essays research papers

The daughter of an active feminist, Mary Woolstonecraft Shelley eloped with the famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley at the age of 15, and after was continually and profoundly influenced by his words and writings. Her novel Frankenstein is named among the best written and most meaningful of the gothic works, and is one of the few still popularly read today. A precursor to the Romantic trend in art and intellect, gothic novels rejected of the precepts of order, balance, idealization, and rationality that typified Classicism in general and late 18th-century Neoclassicism in particular. The gothic tradition grew out of disillusionment with the Enlightenment and 18th-century rationalism and physical materialism. Romanticism as a whole emphasized the individual, the irrational, the imaginative, the spontaneous, the emotional, and the transcendental. Shelley herself defines "gothic" as a story "which would speak to the mysterious fears of our Nature, and would awaken thrill ing horror--one to make the reader dread to look around, to curdle the blood and quicken the beatings of the heart." By infusing moral and social concerns into the gothic style, Shelley achieves more than a simple horror story, however. The universal societal and psychoanalytical questions raised in Frankenstein secure its place in world literature and promise decades of similarly fashioned gothic writings. As stated above, the gothic genre developed as a harsh reaction to the predominant Neoclassic ideals of the time; the emphasis shifted from the whole to the solitary, and from society to nature. The "Graveyard Poets," one of whom is Thomas Gray, are attributed with having ushered in the new philosophy and are often termed "Pre-Romantics." Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" has all the elements of the gothic: graves, overtones of death, a rural setting, and a desire for return to a more simplistic, natural time. Simultaneously, Jean-Jacques Rousseau preached a similar creed which presented society as evil, and called for a "natural state of man." Shelley was schooled in both writers, and took their words to heart. In 1776 and 1789 Revolutions swept America and France, indicating that the Neoclassic ideals were not as stable as was previously thought. News of these ... ...; and "Fall of the House of Usher" and Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" use many gothic conventions and themes, such as the ominous tone, dream-like or surreal sequences, and warnings about interdependency and the manipulation of one's mind. The gothic novel revolves as part of the literary cycle, periodically returning for a brief period in the public's eye and then again disappearing into obscure circles of its few disciples. In this scientific age, the gothic is viewed as being overly sentimental, predictable, and implausible. As the ages change, readers, like Victor, are forced to "exchange chimeras of boundless grandeur" which the gothic inspires for "realities of little worth" (Shelley 46). The gothic, the fantastic, is a necessary balance for logic and reason as much as light is to dark, and good to evil. Without one, the other is undefined and therefore has no purpose in its existence. Frankenstein will live on as a brilliant insight into both the political environment of the 18th century and the eternal condition of man as an extension of nature.

About Myself Essay

My academic career was not at all a bed of roses and as I am about to remind all the history of it then I am feeling very much nostalgic. The first hurdle which I can remember was appeared when I was in standard 1. At that time my mother had faced a severe accident. She was in bed for a whole year. At that time I was a kid and I was completely dependent on her so I was in severe distress. I had to study with the help of my father but he was also unable to give much time for me as the other responsibilities were on him completely.Then he decided to send me to a tutor’s house for my study. But what I should tell about that lady!!! She never used to give any time to me to complete my homework moreover her daughter used to give all her own homework to me to do. Every day in school I used get punishment for not doing the homework but as they also were aware about my home’s condition so they never used to give me any hard punishment. Gradually after a year my mom recovered an d I got back my good marks in all subjects.From then I have decided to become a tutor and decided to be polite and lovable and ideal for my every student. From the beginning of my career I was very much ambitious. I have done my schooling from Holy Child Girls’ High School till my 10th Grade and after that I have done my +2 studies from Patha Bhavan, Kolkata. Throughout my school life I was a very good student according to my teachers. After finishing my school I have done Physics Honours from Calcutta University. And finally I did my Master of Computer Application from West Bengal University of Technology.Finally before 4 years from now I have started my career as a software developer and also before that I have started my career as an online Mathematics Tutor. Right now I am enjoying both my career very much and also right now I am the head of my department of software developer and also I have achieved 4 awards for my performance as a Best Online Mathematics Tutor througho ut a particular academic year. I know it is just a start of my ambition and I have long way to go. Right now as I am trying to become an Online Mathematics Tutor for Tutor.com so my very next ambition is to become the best tutor in this company by maintaining my good work so that I can get appreciation from my students and from my company end also, because appreciation always give some boast up to do some better work. Also as a head of the software developers my next ambition in that field is to become the manager of the team. I always used to set short term ambitions and after achieving one I used to set the next because this will lead to the proper satisfaction and happiness.

French Vocabulary Lesson Driving a Car

Travelers to France and other French-speaking areas of the world may like to get behind the wheel of a car and drive. If you are in that group, you will need to know a few French words related to driving. By the end of this French vocabulary lesson, you will be able to identify various parts of a car, be familiar with navigation, and know how to speak about people and roads in French. It is an easy lesson and one that you will find useful while you travel. Should you decide to drive and need to rent a car, you will find more useful words in phrases in the French travel lesson. Note: Many of the words below are linked to .wav files. Simply click on the link to listen to the pronunciation. Vehicles on the Road (Và ©hicules sur la route) First of all, you need to learn the French words for the basic types of vehicles (và ©hicules) that you will encounter on the road. These are all part of transportation (le  transport). Car -  une  auto  (apocope*  of  automobile)  or  une  voiture Bicycle -  une  bicyclette  or un  và ©lo  (apocope  of  và ©locipà ¨de -  archaic) Motorbike -  une  moto  (apocope  of  motocyclette) Bus -  lautobus Truck -  un camion Taxi - un  taxi * What is an apocope? It is a word that is a shortened version of the original word. In French, the word  automobile  is often  shortened to  auto, just like it is in English. People  on the Road (Les gens sur la route) While you are driving, there are a few people that you will meet. Of course, other drivers (conducteurs) are among them. Driver -  un  conducteur  (false cognate  of conductor) Drivers license -  un permis de conduire Police Officer -  un policier Hitchhiking  -  lauto-stop  (m) To hitchhike -  faire de lauto-stop  Hitchhiker -  un auto  stoppeur Types of Roads (Types de routes) Even if you are not in a car, you will find it useful to know the French words for various types of roads.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Street (la rue) is the one that you will encounter most often as it is used in the names of many streets. For example, famous streets in Paris include Rue de Barres, Rue de lAbreuvoir, and Rue Montorgueil. Street -  la  rue Highway -  une  autoroute Traffic circle -  rond-point  (it can vary from country to country)Court - cour Toll -  un  pà ©age Toll road -  une autoroute à   pà ©age   To pay a toll -  de payer un  pà ©age Driving the Car Now that you know what, whom, and where you will be driving, it is time to learn the words for how to drive in French. To drive -  conduire  or  rouler On the way -  en route Trip -  une  excursion To go on walks / trips -  excursionner   To go / move (in reference to cars and traffic) -  circuler Navigation If your navigator is speaking in French while you are driving, then these words are absolutely essential. Without them, you might take a wrong turn (mauvais tournant). Straight ahead -  tout droit To cross -  traverser To turn - tourner To the right -  Ãƒ   droite To the left -  Ãƒ   gauche Turn signal -  le  clignotant To park -  stationner To pass -  doubler Traffic Stop lights are inevitable and, with luck, you will not be stuck in a traffic jam. Yet, it is best to be prepared and you can always practice your French if you do get stuck in traffic (circulation). Stop light -  le  feu  rouge Traffic jam -  un  embouteillage And,  hopefully, your car does not break down in traffic. If it does, you can be prepared to explain it to someone. Broken-down -  en panne   To break down -  Ãƒ ªtre/tomber en panne At the Gas Station If you choose to drive, a stop at the gas station (une  station-service) is inevitable. It is important to know which type of gas your car needs. Gas / petrol -  de lessence  (f) Regular gas -  essence ordinaire Premium gas - essence  du  super Diesel -  le gasoil, gazole To fill it up -  faire le plein Parts of a Car Finally, we will wrap up our French driving lesson with a quick look at a few parts of the car. Gas pedal -  un  accà ©là ©rateur Accelerator -  un  champignon  (informal)Steering wheel - le  volant Stick shift -  la boà ®te manuelle Windshield -  un  pare-brise Windshield wipers -  les  essuie-glaces Headlights - les  phares High beams -  les  feux  de  route Brakes - les  freins Brake lights -  le  feux  de  stop