Macroeconomic Transmission Mechanism Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomic Transmission Mechanism Essay Macroeconomic Transmission Mechanism of International Oil Price Rise: The Indian Situation In this Article, an effort has been made to trace the impact of an increase in international oil prices on Indian economy outlining the various transmission mechanisms. These transmission mechanisms take into account some of the important macroeconomic relationships, as relevant to the Indian context, and the administered nature of domestic oil price in India. The three broad channels through which the international oil prices impact the macroeconomy are identified as the (a) Import channel, (b) Price channel and (c) The fiscal channel. (a) A rise in international price of oil will translate to higher import bill for oil for the net oil importing countries like India (see, Table 1 and 2). Under the reasonable assumption of low price elasticity of demand for oil, ceteris paribus, the trade balance will worsen due to an increase in international oil price. Rise in inflation due to increase in oil prices means that the growth in real GDP is even lower. The compression in aggregate domestic demand dampens growth. In figure 1, the import channel is indicated by the link from international oil prices to current account balance to nominal GDP. Although managed float, the nominal exchange rate in India is observed to be determined solely by the capital account and not by the current account in the present Indian context. The second order adjustment to higher import bill and worsened trade balance occurs only through contraction in aggregate demand and decline in imports and it does not occur through movements in exchange rate (depreciation). Finally, it is expected that the slowdown in economic growth would subsequently reduce the demand for imports which, in turn, would partially mitigate the adverse impact of high international oil prices on trade balance. (b) The price channel links the international prices to domestic inflation. For a typical developing country like India facing an oil price hike in the international market, an unhindered pass-through of oil price increase leads to a jump in the general price level on account of direct use of oil at higher prices plus increase in costs of production of final goods using oil as an input. Modelling the passthrough of oil prices through an input-output system, Jha and Mundle (1987) estimated that in India if the administered prices of crude oil, gas and petroleum products increase by 7 percent, the overall WPI increases by 1 percent (i.e. the total elasticity to be 0.14). Recently the Reserve Bank of India (2011) has estimated that every 10 percent increase in global crude prices, if fully passed through to domestic prices, could have a direct impact of 1 percentage point increase in overall WPI inflation and the total impact could be about 2 percentage points over time as input cost increases translate to higher output prices across sectors. Greater the share of fuel in total consumption basket, larger would be the influence of international commodity prices on inflation. (see, Table 2 for other empirical studies relating to India) In India, a large proportion of the international oil price increase has traditionally been absorbed by the government (and shared with public sector oil producing and retailing companies). The objectives for regulation of price of oil have been three-fold: (a) To protect the domestic economy from volatility in international oil prices ; . (b) To provide merit goods to all households, e.g., clean cooking fuels like LPG, natu ral gas and kerosene to replace use of biomass-based fuels such as firewood and dung; and (c) To protect poor consumers so that they may obtain kerosene (through PDS) and LPG at affordable rates. In the recent years, there has been a change in the oil pricing policy with a move towards market determined oil prices. The extent of price regulation varies across products in the oil basket, with minimum control existing for petrol and very little pass-through for LPG and kerosene. The domestic price of oil is administered, which is essentially a policy decision, and thereby determines the degree of pass-through of the change in international prices to domestic oil prices. In figure 1, the price channel is indicated by the link from international oil prices to increase in administered prices to WPI inflation. (c) The third channel of transmission of oil price shock considered here is the fiscal channel. In the absence of a complete pass-through, an international oil price Increase will raise the subsidy on oil and therefore the revenue expenditure of the government. Furthermore, in India, the oil prices are subsidised, but they also generate substantial tax revenues both for the centre and the states because of an increase in ad valorem tax collections on oil and petroleum products that would have to be netted out to arrive at the net addition to oil subsidy given by the government.

Performance Management At General Motors (GM)

Performance Management At General Motors (GM) The following assignment explores General Motors Europe in four dimensions as set out by learning outcome spertaining to performance management module. The four learning outcomes (LO) would measure, LO1: Setting GME performance targets to meet strategic objectives. LO2: Agreement on team performance targets and subsequent contribution to meet those objectives. LO3: Monitoring and control process for the goals. LO4: Politics of personal interaction of Sir Leahy. A discussion on his leadership, persuasion and influencing skills. In order to achieve these learning objectives, the author has drawn upon from his practical work experience together with the primary and secondary research through various resources. This article would primarily be divided into two segments within the domain of learning objectives as defined above. The division would be between Performance Management and Performance Measurement. Performance is defined as potential for future successful implementation of actions in order to reach the objectives and targets. The article shows that performance is constructed by the management system and by managers from his own experience of working at GME and taking a more macro view of the organisation. Performance management explains performance measurement and gives it meaning. (Lebas, 1995) Setting performance target to meet strategic objectives General Motors, one of the worlds largest automakers. GME was founded in 1908 by William C. Durant. GM headquarters is in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931.GM and its strategic business partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling. GMs largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Russia. General Motors Europe acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. GME is running business with revenue of $135.6 billion (GME, 2010a). GME is using different performance management tools . In this assignment score card methodology is discussed that GME is using. Balance Score Card can be used as a short and long term fortheir financial and non financial performance measurement. There are four parts of balance score card; financial perspective, internal business perspective, customers perspective,learning and growth perspective. Balance Score Card is like your cars dash boardwhere there is indicator on as you drive, you can look at the dashboard to obtain real-time information such as how fuel, speed and the distance youve traveled or even anyfaulty system etc.Its known to help companies and implement the changes required to meet their business goals (Pangakar Kirkwood, 2007). The balance score cardenables the companies to develop a more comprehensive view of their operations andto better match all operating and investment activities to long- and short-term strategic objectives (Punniyamoorthy Murali, 2008). Link of each perspective in the Balance Score Card (BCS) High performance work system (HPWS) is also another method to explain the situation in General Motors. Independent work teams, open systems and performance-based pay are known collectively as high-performance work systems (Rouse, 2000). HPWS have also come to be known as high involvement work systems, flexible work systems and high commitment work systems (Aghazadeh Seyedian, 2004) In other words, they are simply work practice that can be deliberately introduced in order to improved organizational performance. The main focus of HPWS is rearranging work so that the employees participate in decisions that affect the everyday operations of an organization. There are three potential factors that can affect high performance work system in General Motors; retrenchment of workers, technology used and layout design. A worker is the key success to any organization. Retrenchment will cause General Motors to lose talented workers subsequently lose competitive edge. To survive in the changing environment, a company must rely on their workers creativity, ingenuity problem solving ability and strong team work. Workers are able to make their own decision on the best way to accomplish their work. The knowledge and skill shared will create a high performance work system. For example, an engineer in General Motors is developing a fuel efficient engine. Engineer A may need assistants from Engineer B, however when GM decided to retrench workers, Engineer A will face difficulty in developing the engine. Performance of employee can be boost through team works. A study by Thompson, Baughan and Motwani indicates that company such as General Motors, Proctor Gamble, Xerox Corporation had huge increase productivity as high as 250 percent and double their profit (1998). The use of technology is another feature in High Performance Work System. All managers in every department of General Motors are able to identify the technology they use in their organization. The application of Human Resource Information System that can store information on workers that can assist managers in deciding which employee is performing and which is not. The use of technology without human operating it is also meaningless. Managers in General Motor can identify whether the qualified workers are able to operate the tools or not. 1.1 The link between team performance and strategic objectives As it is clear from the figure that all the perspectives link eachother. So all the four parts directly effect the strategic objectives of the company. This principle is used at strategic level. 1.1.1 Organisations Strategic Objectives Goals of GME Lead in advanced technologies and quality in creating the worlds best vehicles Give employees more responsibility and authority and then hold them accountable Create positive, lasting relations with customers, dealers, communities, union partners and suppliers to drive our operating success Strategic Objectives of Organisations Financial Growth: Increase the revenues, gross profit and sales. Financial Efficiency: To improve overall productivity. Current Customer: To expand sales to existing customers, To increase customer retention, To increase customer loyalty, To create and use a customer database. New Customer: Introduce existing products into a new market, Anticipate future customer needs through customer feedback. Customer Service: Improve our service approach for new and existing customers. Product/Service/Program Managment: To have all product meet standard of  excellence guideline. Operations Managment: To continually improve internal process to realize  efficiencies, Capitalize on physical facilities (location, capacity, etc.) Improve organizational structure.Redirect or restructure  available resources. Technology Managment: Increase efficiencies through use of wireless or virtual  technology. Communication Management: Improve internal communications. Customer Management: Acquire enhanced CRM data mining capabilities. Marketing Management: To continuously broaden our customer database by  getting new information on customer characteristics  and needs. Develop and implement a promotional plan to drive  increased business. Channel Management: To aggressively strengthen our upstream channels. Improve the distributor and supplier relationships. People: To hire, develop and maintain the right people, in the right place Employ professionals who create success for customers. Training:Develop broad set of skills useful for customer support. To develop the leadership abilities and potential of our team. Strategic Objectives of GME Integrity: We will stand for honesty and trust in everything we do. We will say what we believe and do what we say. Continuous Improvement: We will set ambitious goals, stretch to meet them, and then raise the bar again and again. We believe that everything can be done better, faster and more effectively in a learning environment. Customer Enthusiasm: We will dedicate ourselves to products and services that create enthusiastic customers. No one will be second-guessed for doing the right things for the customer. Teamwork: We will win by thinking and acting together as one General Motors team, focused on global leadership. Our strengths are our highly skilled people and our diversity. Innovation: We will challenge conventional thinking, explore new technology and implement new ideas, regardless of their source, faster than the competition. Individual Respect and Responsibility: We will be respectful of the individuals we work with, and we will take personal responsibility for our actions and the results of our work. Sourse: gm.com 1.1.2 Workforce requirements that are capable of achieving the  organisations objectives General Motors Europe is using the hierarchical approach. In this method each and every employee is controlled by the respective supervisor. And each supervisor gives the performance report of the employee to the top management. In GME every employee is loyal. The company place the right employee to the right job to achieve the objectives of the organisation. There are 209,000 employs of the company. Each and every employee get the proper training for its job which helps the organisation to achieve the objectives with the help of compitent employs. 1.2 Tools and Techniques available to set team performance targets The following important purposes are derived from different resourses including General Motors website,articles,General Motors final reports. The operational performances of GME are reported and viewed on the quarterly at board level and than the summary report is send to the top management. The performance of employs are checked with the help of score card. I gives the daily performance measurement which could be also used for the long term strategic purposes. Daily , weekly and monthly targets are reviewed regularly. An important consideration is to make sure the objectives remain appropriate and robust measures of performance in the company. GME core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. GME,s success depends on customers. The customers who shop with them and the people who work for them. If customers like what the company offer, they are more likely to come back and shop with them again. If the GME team find what the company does rewarding, they are more likely to go that extramile to help their customers. 1.2.1 Processes that deliver outcomes based on organisational goals and aims GME use balanced score card methodology throughout its organisational operations. Every department change the balance score card according to their needs. These performances are measured during team meetings at lower level and is discussed at strategic level. 1.2.2 Appropriate methods for evaluating performance Each and every employee has Personal Development Planning folder. This folder contains all the performance appraisals, the training already given and the future training needs and some departmental performance data. Again the score card helps the company to identify the improvement . 1.2.3 Review capacity and capability of current work force Using the current work force GME has become the largest company and employer in Europe private sector.GME is still expanding by leaps and bounds and earning higher profit than before.The market has enough labour to cater for the recruitment at Europe level. However, for international operations,the recruitment is carried out at local countries. With the current workforce of 209,000 people, the company is more than capable to sustain itself against any future expansion plans. 1.2.4 Plans to meet long term, medium and short term requirements Increase General Motors U.S. market share to 33% Improve customer satisfaction as evidence by points of market share, not fractions GMs Future Hydrogen Power Plans (Mike Floyd, 2010) GM Cuts Unnecessary Spending GM Sales Soar 11.4 Percent In March On Market Shift First Posted: 04/ 1/11 Medical plan and insurance for the employs All of these plans meet the objectives criteria and are in alignment with the growth. 1.2.5 communicate workforce plan GME communicates above mentioned plans through its staff briefings, pamphlets, staff benefits periodical, staffs own website, intranet, films and advertising. The use of flexi hours is very popular in organisation at GME due to the nature of people doing part timer jobs at operational end therefore each department maintains a rota and extra hours available folder through which employees can communicate and leave message for each other along with using staff message boards. The formal training program in GME consists of five components, of which the first three are available through GM University, which is one of the largest corporate educational programs in the world. General Motor has established a learning organization and culture for its employees across the entire enterprise.GM University is designed to align the companys training investment with its business needs, and disseminate best practices and core value. Foundation skill training (i.e. computer software, GM history and business orientation) Functional specific skills and techniques Leadership and professional development On-the-job training in each department In addition, GM supports advanced education and certification through tuition assistance, Cardean e-MBA program, and technical education programs. Tuition Assistance Program: This program regular active salaried employees are eligible for tuition assistance upon date of hire. Graduate Education: Variety of graduate programs are available throughout GM. Checked with the operating unit of interest to you for individual opportunities. On-Site Classwork: Number of educational courses are offered in conjunction with educational institutions throughout the United States. New Hire Mentoring: The GM New Hire (GMNH) is the unique support system for new GM team members. Simply put the GM new hires are paired with our experienced GM team members with the primary objective of professionally transitioning and developing new hires into the GM culture. Providing and enabling to experience professional growth, corporate culture, new ideas and perspectives, while driving for business results. Mentoring is critical as move into the future. The new hires of today, will be our leaders for tomorrow. 1.2.6 Improvements made are in line with the organisations vision and objectives Total worldwide vehicle sales $8.4 million in the year Offering a lease product in certain geographic areas In the year ended December 31, 2010 company worldwide market share was 11.4%. Total of 20,215 distribution outlets throughout the world. Currently offer 19 FlexFuel vehicles for the 2011 model year. Increase the volume of vehicles produced from common global architectures to more than 50% of company total volumes in 2015. Diesel vehicles have become important in the European marketplace, where company encompass 50% of the market share. 1.2.7 Improvements to reduce gap between what customers and  stakeholders want The success of the GME means that the stakeholders at all levels are very happy with the performanceof company. GMEs share is considered to be the most reliable on the market.The gap between customer and stakeholders is substantially reduced by keeping the community and different stakeholders at the heart of scorecard where the progress is checked on recurrent basis. Agreeing Team Performance Targets To Meet  Strategic Objectives This sections aims to look into the team performance targets which match with theultimate strategic gains. 2.1 Required Performance Targets Within Teams Against Current Performance It is the duty of the company to engage with the community and find out about their local shopping preferences. Teams are urged to be polite, helpful and cordial . every company have targets. These targets are compared with the year on year,season on seaon and like for like weekly targets. All the section managers and staff have the access to the relevant information and these targets are reiterated through an internal communication channel. Every single staff working at company has targets. 2.1.1 The type of skills, knowledge, understanding and experience required to undertake current and planned  organisational activities At operational level, there is not much need for high skills required but along with the increment in the hierarchy of the management, the relevant skills are also increased. For example, sectional managers have to be versed in time keeping and management, store managers are more project oriented and have to be more financially aware. GME identify the training needs of its staff. As the company is becoming more technologically oriented, company is investing a lot in the training of systems such as self help check outs monitoring and online reporting. Company employees can manage their own profile these days online and have their personnel related matters sorted through this channel. All this need to be communicated and people are trained through GME Academy. 2.1.2 Systems for collecting and assessing information on the overall performance of theorganisation to identify opportunities for improvement GME relies heavily on digital ways of collecting and assessing information. Although, it does engage with community through local leaflets and local surveys but on strategic level it engages through CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative. It has found out that it needs to invest ingreener and more fair trade products. Every transaction at GME front end is stored for 5 years,this huge amount of data helps to analyse and compare sales data on the overall performance. 2.2 Encourage individual commitment to team performance in achieving organisational objectives. Staff members are encouraged through motivational techniques such as staff value awards competition, employee of the month and encouragement for every staff to become team members. Such techniques help raise the staff morale ultimate resulting in getting individuals commitment. 2.3 Context of delegation, mentoring and coaching to achieve organisational objectives The concept of mentoring is used at graduate training schemes where graduate recruits get their mentor for a year or so period. Operational staff tend to get more coaching and any limitations in their skills are catered for locally in the staff training room. At grass root level there is not much of delegation involved, more or less the operational teams do the jobs that they are asked to do with avery little chance of job rotation. 3 Monitor activities to improve team performance A strategy implementation to improve team performance process has to be a top to bottom approach. Communication lies at the heart of strategy implementation. If the top management doesnt have the required motivation coupled with strong communication channels then it would behard to monitor any strategic systems and processes. (Mabey 2002). Therefore, GME has adopted various channels for the smooth flow of information and introduced various checks and balances so that the balance score card is measured according to the objectives set. This whole process encompasses the involvement of supervisors, team leaders and other managers during staff appraisals which are conducted twice a year. Employees are encouraged to take part in company development programme which is labelled as personal development planning(PDP). Every employee develops his own objectives. The progress is monitored through PDP folder and staff appraisals. Identification of the work objectives, key dates and support materials are provided by the management and also at their daily and weekly staff meetings so that staff can measure their contribution. The balanced score card is considered to be used for organisational fitness for the purpose and is classified as the in-out approach to controlling strategic performance. Balanced score card helps to strengthen the core competencies of an organisation and enables workforce to sustain the competitive advantage in the market. (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990; Teeceet al., 1997). 3.1 Monitoring team performance Following a resource based review of the adopted balance score card methodology at GME. It encapsulatesthe daily, monthly, quarterly and annual strategic control and the steps through which it iscontrolled and monitored. Balanced score card focuses on alignment and integration of the human activity factor with the operations. It conditions how people work instead of directly trying to influence people (employees and community) what they should achieve. The balanced score card helps to review the objectives and progress through all structures of management and at all levels. GMEs recurring operational issues are discussed at weekly or monthly basis whereas, the strategic issues come up more often at managers meetings on quarterly basis. This is in alignment with the classical view of the balance score card evolution. 3.2 Evaluation of team performance against agreed objectives Team performances are evaluated through 360 feedback, team briefings and by adopting Demings PDC approach. The areas of improvement are defined and are communicated at once throughTeam Exercise. 4 Contribution of influence and persuasion to team dynamics Since the evolution of different management theories, the modern business world uses a mix of all these. Employee motivation through monetary means is still a bigger factor behind better labour output. The contribution of these motivational techniques to influence the team dynamics is measured in this section. 4.1 Methodologies to gain commitment to action GME management uses a combination of Taylorism and Maslow theory of need such that it enriches the job satisfaction by really involving its staff into decision making allowing them to become a part of the organisation and by giving them monetary incentives through bonus and other performance related pay increments. This is a proven methodology to gain GME Staffs commitment in achieving the targets. GME employs over 209,000 and all of them take part in Staff Question Time Sessions which enables the company management to obtain a valuable feedback about the work conditions (Email GME, 2011). This is a 360 degree exercise such that it not only gives feedback to employees but also enables staff to share their experience and opinions to help serve customers better. Staff Training and development is another successful tool that company use to engage with its staff and to enrich their experience of working with them. A good programme such as HPWS (High Performance Work System) is highly eff ective in experienced staff retention. Staff retention and loyalty is a trademark of every successful organisation. 4.2 Impact of individual dynamic on securing commitment to action The impact of the chief executive on securing its staff s commitment to action is distilled at all levels of GMEs organizational structure. For any strategic action has to be channelled through effective top level management. GMEs current boss has earned industry as well as its employees respect by achieving various awards and taking GME,s success to an unprecedented level. Conclusion The above assignment has tried to explore GME within four learning outcomes as specified aboveand has found that due to visionary leadership and innovative performance management measures. The four learning outcomes inspected setting of performance targets through the purpose and balance score card methodology adopted by the company. GME further uses various controlling and monitoring mechanism together with its High Performance Work System to help implement its objectives. Different motivational techniques are used to build up the morale and generate higher labour output by the team members.These teams include enrichment of employees experience through training and development,sharing of success through shares and profits incentives. And eventually, the all important strategic leadership has been discussed. It is argued that without the visionary leadership of management GME would not enjoy the benefits that it is enjoying today. Despite being the leading supermarket, GME continues to expand into more diversified portfolio and the author of this article, having worked in one of the stores, feels confident that the trend would continue in the foreseeable future.

Jane Eyre is a typical novel of its time. Discuss. Essay -- English Li

Jane Eyre is a typical novel of its time. Discuss. Discuss this quotation, paying particular attention to the social, cultural and historical context within which it was published. There are a large number of elements in the novel 'Jane Eyre' that are very typical of the way of life in the mid 19th century, and also of other novels at that time. Through the novel Charlotte Bronte puts across exactly the factors which were characteristic of the late 18th and 19th century: class and status – both of women and of poor people; public health and illnesses at the time; religion, as well as the gothic elements which were particularly common in 18th/19th century books. Outside even of the actual story, we see evidence historically of the status of women during the 18th and 19th century through the fact that because Charlotte Bronte was a woman, to get her novel published – regardless of its quality - she was forced to use a male pseudonym, Currer Bell. This is a classic demonstration of how women at the time were seen as inferior to men and the sexist views that restricted them in the mid 19th century. The second example of typicality in the novel is the "Red Room"; Charlotte Bronte uses the room to incorporate into the novel the gothic elements which were popular culturally at that time. Bronte puts the room across as a gothic, sinister omen through Jane's fear of it and the association she makes with it and her uncle's death. Further gothic elements are seen later in the novel through Bertha Mason. Jane's arrival at Lowood introduces the reader to the appalling public health conditions which were customary to Bronte during her lifetime. It's likely that the death of Jane's close friend, Helen Burns i... ... similar to Bronte’s experiences which were characteristic of the time she was alive – public health and illness in the 19th century; social incongruence and status; the importance of religion and the position of the poorer class and of women. What, however, is most definitely not typical of the mid 19th century, is the radical feminism which is expressed through ‘Jane Eyre’. Jane’s belief in herself as an equal individual is arguably the impetus of the questioning of class, status and male superiority that followed the mid 19th century. Subsequent to ‘Jane Eyre’, the late 19th and 20th century saw the disintegration of social segregation. The absolutely unique themes of the novel, in particular the extreme feminism and strength of a woman’s mind confirm that there are aspects of ‘Jane Eyre’ that are most definitely not typical of the time it was written.

Kerouac’s Spontaneous Prose and the Post-War Avant-Garde Essay

Kerouac’s Spontaneous Prose and the Post-War Avant-Garde My title comes from one of Kerouac’s own essays, â€Å"Aftermath: The Philosophy of the Beat Generation,† which he published in Esquire in March 1958. In it, he identifies the Beats as subterranean heroes who’d finally turned from the ‘freedom’ machine of the West and were taking drugs, digging bop, having flashes of insight, experiencing the ‘derangement of the senses,’ talking strange, being poor and glad, prophesying a new style for American culture, a new style (we thought) completely free from European influences (unlike the Lost Generation), a new incantation. (Kerouac, â€Å"Aftermath† 47) Kerouac’s â€Å"new style for American culture† was the spontaneous prose method he developed in 1952, a dazzling fusion of the colloquial and the literary that utilized stylistic strategies drawn from movies, comic strips, pulp fiction, and jazz. But, fifty years on, Kerouac’s stylistic brilliance has still not been fully recognized. His reputation still rests, unfortunately, on his two most commercial novels, On the Road and The Dharma Bums. Neither of these novels is spontaneous prose. One version of On the Road was, indeed, written in a three week period on a 100 foot scroll of teletype paper, but Kerouac developed spontaneous prose after this famous scroll experiment; furthermore, the version of On the Road that was finally published in 1957 had been significantly revised several more times in the intervening years (Hunt 1). As Kerouac said in a 1968 interview, â€Å"In the days of Malcolm Cowley, with On the Road and The Dharma Bums, I had no power to stand by my style for better or worse. When Malcolm Cowley made endless revisions... ...ris Review. New York: The Modern Library, 1999. ---. Selected Letters, 1940-1956. Ed. Ann Charters. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. --- Selected Letters, 1957-1969. Ed. Ann Charters. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. Landau, Ellen. Jackson Pollock . New York: Abrams, 1989. MacAdams, Lewis. Birth of the Cool: Beat, Bebop, and the American Avant-Garde. New York: The Free Press, 2001. Mackey, Nathaniel. â€Å"Other: From Noun to Verb.† The Jazz Cadence of American Culture. Ed. R.G. O’Meally. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Miles, Barry. Jack Kerouac, King of the Beats: A Portrait. New York: Henry Holt, 1998. Rosenthal, David. Hard Bop: Jazz and Black Music, 1955-1965. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. Stone, Robert. â€Å"American Dreamers: Melville and Kerouac.† Beat Down to Your Soul. Ed. Ann Charters. New York: Penguin, 2001.

The beginning :: essays research papers

During my childhood and adolescent years I grew up in very small town. I can remember thinking that I knew everyone and that everyone knew me, and if the truth were known, the majority of them did. I guess this is where you could say that my memories of literacy began. As a child I can remember myself, and many other members of my community not having the literacy skills that most of those who visited or passed through our town did. The folks that passed through were proper whereas those of us who lived in the town seemed as if we had never been outside of our little town, ever. You hear people joke about using words such as: ain’t, won’t to, aren’tcha, and so forth. Well, those were actual words used on a day-to-day basis in my hometown, and let’s not forget all the double negatives used. As a child I can remember using the same words myself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It wasn’t until I began to meet people outside of my circle of friends and neighbors that I realized that not only was our town small and living back in the 1950s still, but the majority of our citizens were uneducated adults who did not know any better. I became interested in books at an early age I would say. While all my friends were outside playing in the woods or riding go carts I would be inside looking at Highlight magazines or reading some of the books that my mother had bought for me at a yard sale one Saturday. I can remember the day that my parents bought my sister and I a set of encyclopedias, which came with two bonus sets. One set was a children’s set of encyclopedias and the other was a set of 8-thick, colorful hardback books. My sister and I just sat there as my parents put them in a glass stand that my mother had. One by one the put them in as while doing so they told each of us that inside each book contained many adventures for us to embark upon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can remember loving those books so much. I can remember reading them even when I didn’t have to look something up from them in school. There was such a sense of security and safety behind those books that I could look through them for hours upon hours, and then racing to beat my sister at telling my parents what I had read about.

Suburbia

Suburbia Paper A â€Å"staple† of a quality liberal arts education would be theater that truly presses the boundaries of conventional society. CU’s recent rendition of Eric Bogosian’s Suburbia revealed how great Boulder is at pushing the limits of what is considered politically correct, and challenging taboos. The story takes place in front of a 7-11 in a small, suburban New Jersey town, and follows a tragic two day span in the life of a few early 20 something youths, who are circling the proverbial drain. The youths spend the majority of their time drinking and complaining about the world instead of working to improve themselves.The main character, Jeff Gallagher, is a troubled alcoholic who is in love with the idea of his girlfriend Sooze Beckwith. To say that their relationship is complicated would be putting it lightly, with Jeff’s â€Å"Rebel Without a Cause† mindset and Sooze’s dream of moving to New York and becoming a successful artis t. They were doomed from the start, but with the introduction of Neil â€Å"Pony† Moynihan, the play’s antagonist, their fate is sealed. Easily considered the most complex character in the play, Tim Mitchum’s character appealed to me the most as the playwrite dared to spotlight an American hero, the soldier, in a way considered most taboo.Propaganda films since the 1920’s have done a fantastic job at glorifying the soldier as an American hero, so Bogosian’s decision to depict the honorably discharged Irag veteran as an unfulfilled alcoholic with performance anxiety is extremely progressive and daring. The interaction between Tim and the Pakistani store owners was an excellent depiction of modern day racism and prejudice. The action of the play begins with the reunion of the gang’s aforementioned high school companion turned successful musician, Pony. His presence is unwelcomed by Jeff, who feels his relationship with Sooze is threatened by t he successes experienced by Pony.The conflict only gets worse as Sooze starts to fancy the idea of moving to New York with Pony. The action climaxes with the death of Bee-Bee Douglass from alcohol poisoning and drug overdose. This death was symbolic of the realization experienced, by each of the characters, that life is real and there are consequences to each of your actions or lack-there-of. I would strongly recommend seeing a performance of Suburbia, especially to a member of my own generation, as it has a deeply profound message, disguised with the language often spoken by today’s youth. There is more to a successful performance than an edgy plot.CU’s utilization of a Black Box stage really aided in the effect by adding to the realism of the show. It gave the audience a chance to get immersed into the story. In the first act, as the lights go on, the audience is overwhelmed by actors dressed in plain clothes, behaving much as the troubled youth behave in the real wo rld today. This coupled with being on level ground as the audience allows the audience to feel as if they are watching the events happen not being performed. This causes the viewers to be dragged in and become fully invested in the play from being so close and in the action.Another design element that really stood out to me was the attention to detail in everything ranging from the stocked shelves on the interior of the store, where no action takes place, to the simplicity of the costumes worn throughout the course of the action. In the second act, Pony, the famous rockstar walks on stage with only a guitar case to distinguish himself from the regular people of his hometown. This symbolism added to the theme that you are in control of your life by showing that even the ones idolized by the masses are still just regular people with small distinguishing features.Within the first few minutes of the show the audience is overwhelmed with F-bombs and politically incorrect slurs. Suburbiaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s abrasive dialogue might be concerning to some, and the director’s decision to keep all of it certainly speaks on the intended message. The aspect that won me over the most was in the first act when the character most responsible for comedic relief, Buff Macleod, was constantly making a mess by throwing food and beer all over the stage. The utilization of authentic props greatly added to the play’s realism.Buff’s character is written to be zany and comical, but the way the actor became Buff was by chewing his pizza with his mouth open and fully investing in each step of his blocking, forcing him to act like a complete buffoon. The second act was won over by a spectacular performance by the actress playing Bee-Bee. The directing and acting styles used to portray the emotional turmoil suffered really allowed to audience to feel how Bee-Bee felt immediately prior to her suicide. Her wavering voice as she spoke her final words on the phone forced the room to tears as the crowd watched the life being drawn from a vibrant youth.As a typically emotionless male stereotype, I regret to admit that even my eyes came in contact with the occasional twinkle of sadness. Strictly for the emotional experience alone, I would recommend this show be frequented. The production did an amazing job at projecting the message of how life can pass you by, if you don’t take full advantage of the privileges given. This life lesson is strongest during the several conflicts between the alcoholic veteran Tim and the muslim store owner Nazeer.Tim represents the loss of drive to have a happy life whereas Nazeer being the foreigner with American dream aspirations represents optimism and hope. This message could be easily translated into a contemporary dance number with minimal subtractions from the original piece. The reason this is possible is due to the fact that, like the characters themselves, the plot is rather stagnant without clear direction. The main themes of the play were not ones that were so abstract that dialogue is a necessity, so the removal of that would not detract from the message.The strong character development would translate very well, giving the dancers room to be expressive with the roles. As with most things in life, this translation would have both its advantages as well as its disadvantages. The strongest benefit would be that the translation would be less aggressive without its foul language, allowing a broader audience to be impacted by the message. The disadvantage would be that in translating the piece you would forfeit the shocking power that much of the dialogue had.The complete disrespect that Tim shows to Nazeer would be difficult to translate into dance without the impact of taboo language used in the original. In summation, Suburbia was an edgy, progressive play about the dwindling youth of suburban America. I would strongly recommend going to see it not only for entertainment purposes, but also for the opportunity to see a play that is destined to pioneer modern theater. Bogosian’s complete disregard for political correctness is a welcomed innovation to the arts that I hope to see in more up and coming theater.

Thesis Statement Essay

Studies have shown that an increasing trend of domestic violence is being perpetrated in heterosexual households. Many of these cases involve the male abusing the female, and the female actively attempting to maintain an outward appearance of normalcy despite the silent suffering. This outward image is nothing but a cover to maintain an illusion to the world that everything is good in the relationship, and also in many cases for fear of further abuse for drawing attention to the issue. As a result a closed loop of suffering, pain, and violence is created. Annotated Bibliography What is Domestic Violence? (August, 2014) The United States Department of Justice. http://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence The U.S. Department of Justice profiles the various ways in which domestic violence can be perpetrated by the aggressor. The manners in which the aggressor may enact the abuse are; psychological, economic, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. From this study the USDOJ is able to show how domestic violence is inflicted on females and the methods males use to gain control. The studies also show that abuse crosses all age and socioeconomic group boundaries. This study is credible as it comes from the U.S. Department of Justice. The USDOJ enforces laws and defends the interests and wellbeing of the American people. The USDOJ is continually researching various crimes, one of which being domestic abuse. This continual research gives women everywhere a continually growing source of knowledge to aid in prevention and protection. This study provides details into the domination of females by their male partners in emotional, financial, and physical realms. Effects of domestic violence (2013). Stop Violence Against Women. Retrieved August 12, 2014, from http://www.stopvaw.org/effects_of_domestic_violence This article highlights the various impacts that domestic abuse has on women. It looks at the scars, mental and physical, left by violence such as beating and choking. It also covers how domestic violence has a reaching effect on children whom live with the abusive male (father figure). This website is a credible source due to its’ ties with the project of the advocates of human rights. This project is a collective forum which is  dedicated to women’s rights and protection against violence. This source provided information directly relating to the effects of prolonged exposure of this type of violent home relationship on a woman and the family. It delves into the cycle of fear which women are stuck in and how they fear for their lives in many cases. Bancroft, L. (2003). Why does he do that?: Inside the minds of angry and controlling men. Penguin. In this book, the author takes a deep look into the mental pictures of men whom have been noted as angry and highly controlling. Further, it looks at the effect of this type of man on his spouse over long periods of time together. Finally it ventures into some of the warning signs that could be picked up on, problems faced when trying to get legal help to combat the issue, the abusive personalities of men, as well as the change management required to correct the issues, and escape them for the women. This is a highly credible source as it was written by Lundy Bancroft. Bancroft has had over 15 years of experience in this exact field of study. He also served as one of the directors of â€Å"Emerge.† This was the very first program in the United States which was explicitly for abusive men to come and get help. This book gives great detail toward validating my thesis, particularly r egarding how males become violent in the quest to control the female partner. Counts, D. A., Brown, J. K., & Campbell, J. (Eds.). (1999). To have and to hit: Cultural perspectives on wife beating. University of Illinois Press. In this book, the research ties together the issue of domestic abuse (physical), into the cultural aspects which are apparent throughout history in many countries around the world. In many of these cultures, the female is still viewed as less than equal, so many of the males have this societal reinforcement of an idea of superiority over females. The book also shows how in many cultures the male still has the â€Å"right† to hit women. The credibility of this source comes from the author, Judith Brown. Her research in this field has been extensive, even including time spend as a scholar at Stanford University. Her books, and various speeches are well known. This book affirms the silence that many females feel they must maintain regarding this abuse, and is where my thesis of the closed loop of  suffering stems from. Steiner. L (2013), Why abused women stay in bad relationships; Retrieved August 16, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/10/opinion/steiner-domestic-violence This source documents research on females whom stayed in an abusive relationship fearing of retaliation or in a hope of changing the abusing partner. The research shows the complications to the situations, particularly how a woman who’s being abused still tries to maintain a positive image to the world about their relationship. Some of the women who attempted leaving the relationship ended up with no societal support, or worse yet, died. This article gains credibility from its’ author Leslie Steiner. Leslie is volunteers for the National Domestic Violence/Abuse Hotline, and is also on the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project. This article supports my thesis by showing the why behind the silence that many abused females choose to maintain. Cycle Of Violence – Domestic Violence. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2014, from http://www.domesticviolence.org/ This website serves as a resource for information regarding every form of domestic violence for all to learn from. This site not only discusses the violence women endure, but also the effects it has on them, the families, and specifically the children. The chart on the website shows the continual cycle that many women face with the abusive partner and how it repeats. This source gains credibility from the work done by the Oakland County Council Against Domestic Violence. This website provides information into the specifics of how males will manipulate a female partner into a situation they are or feel, trapped in. Myths and Facts about Domestic Violence (2014). Retrieved August 13, 2014, from http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/domviol/myths.htm This site is a information portal provided by the prosecuting attorney in Clark County, Indiana. This site dives into many of the myths associated with domestic violence. Highlighting that males can be the victim in domestic abuse, but that statistics show the female is most often the one whom is the victim. This is a credible source as it’s written by a prosecutor whom sees these cases on a regular basis and is able to get the facts of the case. This source gives credibility to the thesis statement by bolstering the fact that  many women feel trapped by various means. Herman, J. (2002). Trauma & Recovery: The aftermath of violence from domestic abuse to political terror. This is a non-fiction work which shows how society can make the experience of being abused even more traumatic on a female. It shows how sexual abuse against a female can link to domestic terrorism. The book brings about some interesting parallels between a public trauma (terrorism) and a private trauma (rape). It also discusses the way that these public traumas can leave scars, which is akin to the lasting scars and loss of self respect which can occur within a female who has suffered sexual abuse. This source gains credibility from the author, Dr. Judith Herman. Dr. Herman is a professor at Harvard University and also the director of training for victim violence at the Cambridge Hospital. This book is a source which will reinforce my thesis, and show how males obtain sexual control over females and the effects this exertion of control has. Adams, A. E., Sullivan, C. M., Bybee, D., & Greeson, M. R. (2008). Development of the Scale of Economic Abuse. Violence Against Women, 14(5), 563-588. http://vaw.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Scale-of-Economic-Abuse.pdf This study reviews the cases of economic abuse on women, committed by their respective partners. The study scope covered 103 females whom had suffered economic abuse by their partner. This study highlights that males not only use sexual and physical violence, but also are found to use economic violence. This study gains credibility due to its’ composition by a portion of diverse scholars at Michigan University. Megan Greeson, Adrienne Adams, Deborah Bybee, and Cris Sullivan are professors at Michigan University whom have been engaged in community based and highly collaborative research. This study was published in 2008 and was put together with first hand details given by those who experienced the domestic abuse. This study affirms the thesis showing the way males attempt to gain control over females and using economic abuse. It shows how economic abuse affects victims by making them feel helpless. These feelings cause them to then give in and give the abuser what they want. Price J.L., Lee S. S., Quiroga S. S., (December 2000), Meeting the Needs of Survivors, Department of Status of Women, City and County of San Francisco. Retrieved August 9, 2014, from http://sfgov.org/dosw/violence-against-women-girls-san-francisco This source is a survey conducted by members of Department of Status of women, city and county of San Francisco regarding why women don’t fight back against domestic abuse. This survey was conducted via telephone interviews with approximately 25% of the female population in the county participating. Results clearly showed that females tolerated the abuse to attempt to maintain a stable relationship, and positive appearance to society. This source gains credibility from the scholars conducting the research: Jennifer L. Price, Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Seline Szkupinski Quiroga for Department of Status of Women of City and County of San Francisco. These surveys were completed personally by calling women and asking about the factors related to domestic violence and abuse. This source affirms my thesis, and provides statistical data regarding the silence of females in an abusive home.