The Horror Genre In The New Millennium - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1871 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? 1. What is your topic? Question? Sub-questions? (Not too many!) Hypothesis? 2. What specific issues associated with your topic do you want to investigate (making sure they are capable of being investigated within the constraints of the MA calendar)? Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Horror Genre In The New Millennium" essay for you Create order 3. What sorts of data will you need to adequately address each of these issues? Why will this data help you in particular? 4. From what sources (places, human subjects, texts, cultural phenomena?) will you obtain this data? 5. How will you obtain the data? (Documentary search? Interviewing? Questionnaire? Observation? Media production? Reflection on practice?) 6. How do you intend (in general terms) to record, manage and analyze this data? What analytical models and theories will you draw on? 7. What will your timetable be month by month? Introduction: answers the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"so what? question, convince reader you need to do this Literature Review: Contextualises your research. Answers the question:  Where do I fit? Research questions determined. Methodology: Determines the nature of your study design and the  methods you will use. Include how you approach the subject, methods, why, ethics, how you analysed data. Results, discussion, analysis: combined or separate, can be guided by questions Conclusion: Draws everything together and answers your research  questions. Discusses limitation and future work. HORRORS ENDLESS CYCLE: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ENDURING APPEAL OF THE HORROR GENRE IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM. INTRODUCTION: The horror genre has deep roots in the classical studio era. Yet in important ways it also looks ahead to the post-classical period, a period of reduced levels of film production and correspondingly weakened genre identities. As a fantasy genre, horror departs in significant ways from the prevailing canons of representation in the classical Hollywood style, whether one takes that mode to be a form of realism or of melodrama. Horror has an identity as an unrespectable genre for an undiscriminating juvenile audience (or an audience that has its mind on other things), with strong roots in exploitation cinema, that has only fairly recently emerged as an attractive genre for large scale production at major studios. Finally, it has attracted significant critical attention in recent years, and in each case theories of postmodernism and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" which is not always the same thing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" currents in postmodern theory have played an important part in reconceiving the genre for audiences and film-makers alike. This critical interest is, I argue, related to the relative weakness in both cases of traditional semantic/syntactic matrices of generic identity, leading to a protean aspect that is well suited to exploiting marketplace currents and trends. That horror takes its core generic material from the body, both engines of contemporary critical enquiry and popular cultural debate has confirmed its relevance. (Barry Langford, Film Genre: Hollywood and Beyond, 2005) Why choose to live in fear? Today we get up, go to work, come home, watch TV and go to sleep. To combat the monotony we chase the death rush by other means, as perilous as base or bungee jumping, or as sanitised as roller coasters and theme parks, while for most the simple thrills of the horror movie are more than enough to satisfy and provide a little taste of fear. Thats just one theory. Another is that we watch horror movies because they offer us a challenge à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" to look fear and death in the face and survive the ordeal. The ascendance and growing popularity of horror cinema since the new millennium is certainly a fascinating trend in contemporary society, and one which is long overdue an in-depth and objective analysis. Through researching the appeal of the horror genre I shall look into the social and political climate into which these movies fell over the last ten years, and discuss the merits of the movies themselves or, in some cases, lack of them. (Marshall in Carolyn, 2008). The horror film, throughout its shady, rebellious history has earned more money than respect. Though these days there are film festivals, websites, books, magazines, Masters theses, and even film distributors devoted entirely to the consumption of the dark side of entertainment, the mainstream media and self-appointed intelligentsia of pontificators cluck their tongues and blame the fall of society on these nasty little gutter-dwellers we call our own. In truth, the horror film may be the best mirror of the worlds zeitgeist we have, reflecting, rather than creating, the ills and crises of the planets collective psychology. Its been said before and it bears repeating that horror is to cinema what rock and roll is to music: rude, abrasive, pushy and anti-establishment. No wonder, then, that it is so embraced by the young. What better way to break away from parental chains than to blast distorted guitars on the stereo, and revel in disemboweled damsels in distress on the widescreen plasma? The young are immortal, right? And who can blame them for gathering tribally in front of the Cineplex screens to cheer on the latest adventures of the newest teen-gutting horror franchise star? They know its not real, that they are thumbing their noses at mortality. Yes, deep-seated fears are faced on the screen, from a safe distance, allowing the audience to safely play tag with what scares them. A good horror movie has all the elements of a good drama: creative storytelling: compelling characters placed in relatable plots, an artists point of view. But a really good horror movie, the best horror movie, can take you far beyond: it can take you to a place youve never been, a shadowy chamber of the mind outside of your worldly experience, with story twists and turns that will make you squirm until the lights come on and you emerge victoriously from your two hours in the dark. A great horror movie can be a revelatory experience. A great way to take societys pulse is through the arts and entertainment of the time. And the horror film makes a great thermometer. As I intend to examine in this study, a national or global health is particularly well represented by its fright films. At times of political upheaval, war, depression and recession, the horror cycle runs to a particular high. Adam Simons remarkable documentary, The American Nightmare, about the horror boom of the 1970s arising out of the international upheaval that surrounded the war in Vietnam. Is a terrific examination of how one relates to the other. But as we close in on the end of the new millenniums first decade, we find ourselves in another long-lasting terror boom in a post 9/11 world. Obviously, most of these films are not artistic reflections of social strife, or the primal screams of the mad artist who paints in blood. As they have, with everything else that makes money, the corporate kings have co-opted the popular cycle on their own terms. Where brilliant artists contribute excellent and exciting new ventures, the screens are also littered with the latest iterations of franchises nobody asks for, but are easy to market. In recent years, its been far easier for an industry that isnt interested in or has any understanding of the horror genre to take familiar titles, and remake and sequelise them until the law of diminishing returns proves itself, and they move on to the next title. There are great horror films being made today amidst the dross. But its not quality thats being discussed here, though it obviously plays a part. Its that there is a new and ravening audience for the spilling of blood. Again, theres nothing new about this: filmgoers filled the cinemas during the Depression to see the Frankenstein monster toss an innocent little girl into the pond, to see Count Dracula sup on the blood of lovely blondes; during World War II, Frankensteins monster met everyone from the Wolf Man to Abbott and Costello, and Universal cranked out one monster fest after another, while a quiet, well-real producer named Val Lewton churned out intelligent, atmospheric shockers for RKO; in the 1950s, when the Cold War and Air Raid duck-and-cover drills were the order of the day, nuclear tests gave birth to the giant ants of Them, the humungous grasshoppers of The Beginning of the End, and the radioactivity-breathing Japanese dragon beast of Godzilla; the early sixties turned i nternal, with human monsters like Norman Bates infesting our souls and killing on behalf of the sexual battle within the newly blossoming psychological terror train; the Vietnamese apocalypses were brutal, fed as they were by nightly news imagery of burning bodies and human torture, in a toe-in-the-water test of loosening censorship that led to a free-for-all; the eighties were all about cheap: no stars, gore effects and creative kills being the entire raison dÃÆ' ªtre for a horror films existence; the complacent, Wall Street frivolous 1990s were mostly in a horror lull, but ended with a bang of excellence with films like Stir of Echoes, The Sixth Sense and The Blair Witch Project. In the new millennium, a new generation of filmmakers is finding its voice, raised on ubiquitous film courses in high school and beyond, computers that provide in-home editing and sound mixing, mobile, high definition cameras that lead everyone to believe they can be the next John Carpenter. But it is ingenuity that best raises the profile among hordes of wannabes, as well as a point of view. The world, under the shroud of George W Bush, Tony Blair and their brethren, is dangerous, complicated and nervous. And the boom of horrific storytelling, even when controlled by the mass-media collective out to squeeze every last buck out of it, will reflect a world on edge in its unforgiving mirrorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ at least until the next cycle. (Garris in Carolyn, 2008) In the first section, Configuring the Monster, I will explore the key themes of the genre; the main issues and the debates raised, and engage with approaches and theories that have been applied to horror texts. This theoretical background will be presented via the modernist context within which early horror texts evolved. This brief description of the generic development of the horror film will thus provide a review of its fundamental preoccupations, especially through a discussion of a variety of psychoanalytic and gendered readings. This first part also includes a case study that reviews indicative patterns of readings of horror texts across different age groups that are interesting in terms of the progression of spectator involvement with horror film. In the second section, Consensus and Constraint 1919-1960, and the final section, Chaos and Collapse 1960-2000, I will further address the chronological evolution of the horror film, looking upon particular historical periods. This analysis will consider the role of both traditional myth and gothic literature in early cinematic representations of horror. Post-war developments are then viewed in terms of the revisiting of these generic formulae. The more contemporary transgression of boundaries of permissible gore and pathological states are then considered through a discussion of the work of postmodern auteurs reworking the genres field of operation and its consistent cycling. Inevitably in a work of this length, many complex arguments will be rendered briefly and simplistically, and many important observations reduced to description and generalistion. This is not a disclaimer; rather it is an encouragement for other researchers to pursue further lines of enquiry and to address the genre anew from a personal, informed perspective. (Wells, 2000)

Hurricane Sandy Personal Narrative - 2217 Words

Hurricane Sandy was definitely a very difficult time for everyone in the northeast region. Initially I did not realize how hard it was going to hit us, because the previous year Hurricane Irene did not have such a strong effect on my town. Of course we did not leave the house, and there were a few fallen trees, however it did not affect us like Hurricane Sandy did. Even though I wasn’t expecting a very severe hurricane, my parents still prepared for the worst. They requested me to come home and stay even though many of my friends were still on campus. I figured being with my family during this difficult time would make the most sense. When the hurricane hit initially we did not lose any electricity even though many families around us†¦show more content†¦ There are many technologies that allow scientists to gather lots of information about the Earth and the climate on a more â€Å"global scale.† The different studies conducted by these scientists reveal climate patterns, and the climate change over the years. Even though there is a lot of dispute over the Earth’s climate change, there is a lot of information about the climate change that is more factual rather than opinion based. For example, the discovery that carbon dioxide is a heat-trapping gas was discovered in the mid 19th century. As a result of that discovery, it has been suggested that the acidity of the ocean surface has increased about 30 percent since the Industrial Revolution. This is a direct result of humans emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Causes of Global Climate Change Scientists have spent several years attempting to figure out the effects of the global climate change. Most scientists have come to a consensus that the â€Å"greenhouse effect† has a lot to do with the expansion of global warming. The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon that is explained by heat that is trapped in the atmosphere. This heat radiates from the Earth in the direction of the space. To bring all of the discoveries together, the United Nations created a group of scientists called the â€Å"Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,† also known as the IPCC. One of the first discoveries that these scientists made, was that there isn’t one, but several different gassesShow MoreRelatedDisasters Throughout My High School And Undergraduate Career4491 Words   |  18 Pagesand powerful. Prior to signing up for a social work in disasters course, I reflected on how little I learned about disasters throughout my high school and undergraduate career. I was unaware of the political and race aspects from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I am also extremely overwhelmed by the devastation and emptiness from the catastrophe. Individuals went weeks without being reunited with family members, shelter, and adequate amounts of food and water. Prior to viewing â€Å"When The LeveesRead MoreThe Role Of A Mental Health Counselor1607 Words   |  7 Pageswith Kelly M arch a Mental Health Clinician at a residential treatment facility. Narrative Summary of Interview I conducted an interview with Kelly March on January 31, 2016. She is a Mental Health Counselor at Woods services. She works with adolescence with behavioral issues, neglect issues and those who have suffered from abuse. Mrs. March believes that mental health counselor’s deal with clients on a more personal level and treatment is more people centered. She believes social workers deal with

Leadership and Employees Organizational Change Management

Question: Discuss about the Leadership and Employees for Organizational Change Management. Answer: Introduction: Leadership and employees reactions to change: The role of leader personal attributes and transformational leadership style The objective of the article The objective of this article is to find out the role of leaders personal attributes and their transformational leadership behaviors to explain intention of employees to resist large scale organizational change. Hypothesis of the article are discussed below: Hypothesis 1a: Leaders conversation values will be positively associated with employees with employee resistance intentions. Hypothesis 1b: Leaders openness to change values will be negatively associated with employees resistance intentions. Hypothesis 2: Leaders dispositional resistance to change will be positively associated with employees resistance intentions. Hypothesis 3: Leaders transformational leadership behaviour will be negatively associated with employees resistance intentions. Hypothesis 4: Transformational leadership will moderate the relationship between employees dispositional resistance to change and resistance intentions such that this relationship will be weaker as transformational leadership increases. The methodology and the means of analysis used in the article In this article multilevel analysis of data has been used. The data for this article had been gathered from 586 teachers and 75 school principals. The research work for this article was conducted in the Israeli school system to analyze large-scale organizational changes in schools. Teachers and principals are asked to participate for this research work on a voluntary basis. In this article the personal values were analyzed with the help of 40-item Portrait Value Questionnaires. The arguments advanced in the article In this article, it has been organizational changes have significant impact on the organizational performance. According to Vigoda-Gadot and Beeri (2012), companies of both public and private sector have to face new challenges every day and they have to adopt changes in order to survive in this environment. Joo Jun Yoon and Jeung (2012) argued that, successful organizational change is focused on factors such as strategy, environment and organizational structure. The main argument of this study is mainly related with the change related traits and values of teachers and principals. The impact of transformational relationship on the change related traits have been considered in this study as well. As Yukl (2012) stated that personals attributes have influence on the choices and decisions they make in the company. According to Shao Feng and Liu (2012), these decisions in term also influence the beliefs of followers and their attitudes. The conclusion/findings of the article The focus of this article was on the leaders and the reaction of their employees for a large scale-organizational change. From that data analysis, it has been found that the behaviors, traits and values of leaders are reflected on the reaction of the followers in case of an organizational change. In addition, it has been found from this study that leaders personal implication on novelty (openness) and stimulation has negatively affected the resistive intention of followers in the organizational change. It has been found from this research work that there is no significant impact of conservation values on the intention of teachers. It has been found that conservation values like security and conformity has less impact on the behaviour compare to the relationship between openness and behaviour. It has been found from this research work that organizational change is dynamic in nature. Implication for managers/management during the organizational change processes The findings of the article have many practical implications. It has been found that personal characteristics of leaders have significant impact of the reaction of the followers. Increasing self-awareness of managers can improve the performance level of employees. Mangers have to be more focused while communicating with employees. Managers always have to try to temper predisposition of employees against change (Garca-Morales, Jimnez-Barrionuevo Gutirrez-Gutirrez, 2012). Secondly it has been found form this research work that charismatic leadership behavior has particle implication for various leadership programs. These types of programs mainly include the module that is focused on the individual differences between followers related with change (Vaccaro et al., 2012). This article depicted that leaders need to find out those followers who can readily accept change. Managers have to encourage these followers to support their peers who find it difficult to accept change. Finally leaders can use transformational leadership style to overcome employees resistance to change (Hill et al., 2012). Management of an organization and HR managers need to find out other techniques to overcome employee resistance (Leithwood Sun, 2012). They can implement a culture that can promote change with various organizational activities. These activities are like training sessions, workshops and various other means of communications. Strengths This article helps to find out that the transformational leadership and openness have negative relationship with the teachers intention to resist change. It has also been analyzed from this research work that teachers intention to resist change is positively affected by the principles dispositional resistance to change. This article helps to analyze how transformational leadership can affect followers reaction to change. At first, leaders can inspire and stimulate their followers by showing them the compelling vision of future changes implemented in the company. Secondly they can use intellectual stimulations to influence employees to accept innovative solutions. Weaknesses The major weakness of the study is concerned with the external validity of the study. It has been found that the sample used for this study is convenient sample. Hence, it limits the representativeness of the article for the Israeli school population. As there is not much research work done on the change at culture level, it had become tough for this article to develop meaningful proposition to analyze the cross cultural differences. In addition, the article has some problems related with the concurrent design of the study. It has been found that the limitation has two aspects. Firstly, it was predicted that leaders characteristics and behaviors have influence on the attitude of followers. However, the design of the article did not allow for a test of causality. Secondly, it has been found form this research work that organizational change is dynamic in nature. However, the reaction of change at a particular point of time has to be measured. In order to make more complete evolution of this reaction, it is required measure reaction of employees at various stages of the process of change. Reference list Garca-Morales, V. J., Jimnez-Barrionuevo, M. M., Gutirrez-Gutirrez, L. (2012).Transformational leadership influence on organizational performance through organizational learning and innovation.Journal of Business Research,65(7), 1040-1050. Hill, N.S., Seo, M.G., Kang, J.H. Taylor, M.S., (2012). Building employee commitment to change across organizational levels: The influence of hierarchical distance and direct managers' transformational leadership.Organization Science,23(3), pp.758-777. Joo, B. K., Jun Yoon, H., Jeung, C. W. (2012). The effects of core self-evaluations and transformational leadership on organizational commitment.Leadership organization development journal,33(6), 564-582. Leithwood, K., Sun, J. (2012).The nature and effects of Transformational school leadership a meta-analytic review of unpublished research.Educational Administration Quarterly,48(3), pp.387-423. Shao, Z., Feng, Y., Liu, L. (2012).The mediating effect of organizational culture and knowledge sharing on transformational leadership and Enterprise Resource Planning systems success: An empirical study in China.Computers in Human Behavior,28(6), 2400-2413. Vaccaro, I. G., Jansen, J. J., Van Den Bosch, F. A., Volberda, H. W. (2012). Management innovation and leadership: The moderating role of organizational size.Journal of Management Studies,49(1), pp.28-51. Vigoda-Gadot, E., Beeri, I. (2012).Change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior in public administration: The power of leadership and the cost of organizational politics.Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory,22(3), pp.573-596. Yukl, G. (2012). Effective leadership behavior: What we know and what questions need more attention.The Academy of Management Perspectives,26(4), pp.66-85.

Mexican Mistreatment Essays - Human Migration, American Culture

Mexican Mistreatment Americans take many things for granted. For the majority of the population, life is relatively mild. People are normally not rich, but not poor, not ecstatically happy, but not too depressed either. One might say that the population generally has it easy, as compared to a large percentage of the rest of the world. It is for this reason that a great many people from other countries immigrate here. They are seeking a better life. Often, however, they get mistreated. Like the Mexican immigrants, who arrive here, only to be treated unfairly because of few opportunities, American prejudice, and Americanization. They do not come here to do harm, or to take advantage of Americans, or to do anything but find something better than their current situation. However, their experience here is often not as good as it could be. First of all, the opportunities the Mexican immigrants are presented with are very poor. This is due in part to the fact that they are willing to work hard for much less than they deserve (Perea 2). So naturally, companies are going to take advantage of this. The normal available employment to the Mexicans is often so bad, as Harris points out, that is characterized by harsh working conditions, enormous amounts of physical labor, and minimal remuneration (190). This work, although not constantly, is often seasonal, like field work, picking fruit, and other such things that bring to mind slave labor. One man, picks strawberries for a living, at only $4.00 an hour (Ungar 137). Not only are the jobs horrible, the pay is worse. Most of the time, if minimum wage is attained, then the worker can consider themselves lucky because it is rare (Alexander 78). The wages for these jobs are low often because the companies know that people will go for them. Often, their workers are illegal immigra nts anyway, and cannot request their rights. So whether or not the applicant is legal or not, if they look Hispanic, then they get judged unfairly by the employer (Nigel 46). Because of their appearance, Mexicans get judged as all the same, as Hing speculates, as uneducated, desperate, and hardworking (124). They are even sought after by potential employers because of this. One man speaks of finding some workers for a small job, saying, I'm going to find some Mexicans for the job?they've got a good attitude, they work cheap, and they're dependable deliberately seeking out workers which he can overwork and underpay (Ungar 238). Secondly, Mexican immigrants are badly mistreated by American prejudice. Something that fuels this prejudice is called nativism, which is an intense opposition to an internal minority on the grounds of its foreign connections?a zeal to destroy the enemies of a distinctively American way of life (Perea 1). Those that believe in nativism, nativists, are against immigration, and are especially against Mexican immigrants. They pose a great problem to Mexican immigrants, especially if they happen to be illegal aliens. Nativists have passed something called Proposition 187, which was to Save Our State by preventing illegal aliens in the United States from receiving benefits or public services in the State of California (Harris 61). Although this is directed only at illegal aliens, it has an effect of legal Mexican Americans too, because many just assume by appearance that if one looks Mexican then he or she is an illegal alien. California Senator Craven even was quoted saying the state leg islature should explore requiring all people of Hispanic descent to carry and identification card that would be used to verify legal residence (Against). This same Senator was later again quoted saying more horrible things about Mexicans, that migrant workers are on a lower scale of humanity (Against). Mexicans also face a mass amount of disrespect because of their financial status, as if people fail to realize that they are coming here to improve that. It is not just the white population that is putting these people down, either. There are black groups around against Mexicans also, promoting to other African Americans in speeches and leaflets that Mexicans ?are taking away our jobs, our women, and everything else' (Ungar 365). Lastly, all Mexican immigrants are subject to the grossly unfair process of

Corazon Aquino, First Female Philippines President

Corazon Aquino, First Female Philippines President Corazon Aquino (January 25, 1933–August 1, 2009) was the first female president of the Philippines, serving from 1986–1992. She was the wife of Filipino opposition leader Benigno Ninoy Aquino and began her political career in 1983 after dictator Ferdinand Marcos had her husband assassinated. Fast Facts: Corazon Aquino Known For: Leader of People Power movement and the 11th president of the PhilippinesAlso Known As: Maria Corazon  Cory  Cojuangco AquinBorn: January 25, 1933 in Paniqui, Tarlac, PhilippinesParents: Jose Chichioco Cojuangco and Demetria Metring SumulongDied: August 1, 2009 in Makati,  Metro Manila, PhilippinesEducation: Ravenhill Academy and Notre Dame Convent School in New York, College of Mount St. Vincent  in New York City, law school at the Far Eastern University in ManilaAwards and Honors:  J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, chosen by  Time  Magazine  as one of the 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th century and one of 65 great Asian HeroesSpouse: Ninoy AquinoChildren: Maria Elena, Aurora Corazon, Benigno III Noynoy, Victoria Elisa, and Kristina BernadetteNotable Quote: I  would rather die  a  meaningful death than  to  live  a  meaningless life. Early Life   Maria Corazon Sumulong Conjuangco was born on January 25, 1933, in Paniqui, Tarlac, located in central Luzon, Philippines, north of Manila. Her parents were Jose Chichioco Cojuangco and Demetria Metring Sumulong, and the family was of mixed Chinese, Filipino, and Spanish descent. The family surname is a Spanish version of the Chinese name Koo Kuan Goo. The Cojuangcos owned a sugar plantation covering 15,000 acres  and were among the wealthiest families in the province. Cory was the couples sixth child of eight. Education in the U.S. and the Philippines As a young girl, Corazon Aquino was studious and shy. She also showed a devout commitment to the Catholic Church from an early age. Corazon went to expensive private schools in Manila through age 13, when her parents sent her to the United States for high school. Corazon went first to Philadelphias Ravenhill Academy and then the Notre Dame Convent School in New York, graduating in 1949. As an undergraduate at the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York City, Corazon Aquino majored in French. She also was fluent in Tagalog, Kapampangan, and English. After her 1953 graduation from college, Corazon moved back to Manila to attend law school at the Far Eastern University. There, she met a young man from one of the Philippines other wealthy families, a fellow student named Benigno Aquino, Jr. Marriage and Life as a Housewife Corazon Aquino left law school after just one year to marry Ninoy Aquino, a journalist with political aspirations. Ninoy soon became the youngest governor ever elected in the Philippines, and then was elected as the youngest ever member of the Senate in 1967. Corazon concentrated on raising their five children: Maria Elena (b. 1955), Aurora Corazon (1957), Benigno III Noynoy (1960), Victoria Elisa (1961), and Kristina Bernadette (1971). As Ninoys career progressed, Corazon served as a gracious hostess and supported him. However, she was too shy to join him on stage during his campaign speeches, preferring to stand at the back of the crowd and watch. In the early 1970s, money was tight and Corazon moved the family to a smaller home and even sold part of the land she had inherited in order to fund his campaign. Ninoy had become an outspoken critic of Ferdinand Marcoss regime  and was expected to win the 1973 presidential elections  since Marcos was term-limited and could not run according to the Constitution. However, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, and abolished the Constitution, refusing to relinquish power. Ninoy was arrested and sentenced to death, leaving Corazon to raise the children alone for the next seven years. Exile for the Aquinos In 1978, Ferdinand Marcos decided to hold parliamentary elections, the first since his imposition of martial law, in order to add a veneer of democracy to his rule. He fully expected to win, but the public overwhelmingly supported the opposition, led in absentia by the jailed Ninoy Aquino. Corazon did not approve of Ninoys decision to campaign for parliament from prison, but she dutifully delivered campaign speeches for him. This was a key turning point in her life, moving the shy housewife into the political spotlight for the first time. Marcos rigged the election results, however, claiming more than 70 percent of the parliamentary seats in a clearly fraudulent result. Meanwhile, Ninoys health was suffering from his long imprisonment. U.S. President Jimmy Carter personally intervened, asking Marcos to allow the Aquino family to go into medical exile in the States. In 1980, the regime allowed the family to move to Boston. Corazon spent some of the best years of her life there, reunited with Ninoy, surrounded by her family, and out of the scrum of politics. Ninoy, on the other hand, felt obligated to renew his challenge to the Marcos dictatorship once he had recovered his health. He began to plan a return to the Philippines. Corazon and the children stayed in America while Ninoy took a circuitous route back to Manila. Marcos knew he was coming, though, and had Ninoy assassinated as he got off the plane on August 21, 1983. Corazon Aquino was a widow at the age of 50. Corazon Aquino in Politics Millions of Filipinos poured into the streets of Manila for Ninoys funeral. Corazon led the procession with quiet grief and dignity  and went on to lead protests and political demonstrations as well. Her calm strength under horrific conditions made her the center of anti-Marcos politics in the Philippines- a movement known as People Power. Concerned by the massive street demonstrations against his regime that continued for years, and perhaps deluded into believing that he had more public support than he actually did, Ferdinand Marcos called new presidential elections in February of 1986. His opponent was Corazon Aquino. Aging and ill, Marcos did not take the challenge from Corazon Aquino very seriously. He noted that she was just a woman, and said that her proper place was in the bedroom. Despite massive turnout by Corazons People Power supporters, the Marcos-allied parliament declared him the winner. Protestors poured into the Manila streets once more and top military leaders defected to Corazons camp. Finally, after four chaotic days, Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda were forced to flee into exile in the United States. President Corazon Aquino On February 25, 1986, as a result of the People Power Revolution, Corazon Aquino became the first female president of the Philippines. She restored democracy to the country, promulgated a new constitution, and served until 1992. President Aquinos tenure was not entirely smooth, however. She pledged agrarian reform and land redistribution, but her background as a member of the landed classes made this a difficult promise to keep. Corazon Aquino also convinced the U.S. to withdraw its military from remaining bases in the Philippines- with help from Mt. Pinatubo, which erupted in June 1991 and buried several military installations. Marcos supporters in the Philippines staged a half dozen coup attempts against Corazon Aquino during her term in office, but she survived them all in her low-key yet stubborn political style. Although her own allies urged her to run for a second term in 1992, she adamantly refused. The new 1987 Constitution forbade second terms, but her supporters argued that she was elected before the constitution came into effect and did not apply to her. Retirement Years and Death Corazon Aquino supported her Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos in his candidacy to replace her as president. Ramos won the 1992 presidential election in a crowded field, although he was far short of a majority of the vote. In retirement, former President Aquino frequently spoke out on political and social issues. She was particularly vocal in opposing later presidents attempts to amend the constitution to allow themselves extra terms in office. She also worked to reduce violence and homelessness in the Philippines. In 2007, Corazon Aquino publicly campaigned for her son Noynoy when he ran for the Senate. In March 2008, Aquino announced she had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Despite aggressive treatment, she passed away on August 1, 2009, at the age of 76. She did not get to see her son Noynoy elected president; he took power on June 30, 2010. Legacy Corazon Aquino had a tremendous impact on her nation and on the worlds perception of women in power. She has been described as both the mother of Philippine democracy and as the housewife who led a revolution. Aquino has been honored, both during and after her lifetime, with major international awards including the United Nations Silver Medal, the Eleanor Roosevelt  Human Rights Award, and the Womens International Center International Leadership Living Legacy Award. Sources â€Å"Corazon C. Aquino.†Ã‚  Presidential Museum and Library.Editors of the Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Corazon Aquino.  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica.  Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.  National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Shattering Glass essays

Shattering Glass essays Shattering Glass by Gail Giles is a very suspenseful and disturbing look at what it takes to be popular. In Chapter one, it starts off by saying I guess, really, we each hated him for a different reason, but we didnt realize it until the day we killed him. It gets right to the point and then starts to describe Simon Glass and what made him uncool. Simon Glass was the picture perfect image of a textbook geek. Until one day Rob Haynes, the leader of the senior class, has an idea to turn fat, uncool Simon Glass into prom king material. With the help of rich, intelligent Young ( who narrates the story), girl attracting Bob, and sweet athletic Coop. Through out the book Simon Glass begins to like his new profound popularity and starts to be less timid and a lot more outgoing, more then Rob could take. Until Simon uncovers a very dangerous secret about Rob. Then Simon takes over Robs control of votes for class favorite and confronts the group of Robs little secret, it results in a devastat ing end. I thought the book was excellent. It gets you hooked and you cant put it down. I felt Gail Giles wrote an accurate picture of high school life and its everyday life style. The book made me think twice about how we stereotype people into these stupid cliches and how we dress is what we are. I thought Giles wrote this book very well, it felt you where actually there and knew how the characters where feeling. I would recommend this book to people who are in high school and people who like suspenseful books with true meanings behind them. I probably would change the ending just a little bit. I would probably tell more about what happened to them and maybe what happened in trail and how there dealing with it. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.. ...

Saudi Arabia's Trade Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Saudi Arabia's Trade Policy - Essay Example Saudi Arabia has embarked upon ambitious industrialization schemes, but, apart from possessing a few large modern plants in aluminum, steel and petrochemicals, their industrial structures are essentially simple. They are dominated by food processing and the production of an array of construction materials, though a wide variety of light industry is being promoted both by local demand and government encouragement (Saudi Arabia and WTO 2008). The improvement in the situation of Saudi Arabia with respect to food imports since 1990s is partly a reflection of changed prices for food, partly the result of quite minor shifts in the composition of trade and partly the result of successful, if "pensive, food security policies. It also arises from the importance of all primary products in exports and the leading roles of industrial supplies and machinery in imports. The export trade of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum for which the major markets are outside the region, and most of their import needs cannot be met from within the Middle East. Political isolation, of course, has not helped its intraregional trade (Bradley 54). The trade information allows to say that commerce is connected with total financial flows between trading partners, whilst investment capital is essential to programs of industrial and infrastructural development (Bradley 87; appendix 1). This lead to the expansion of development programs in Arabia and to the formulation of massive investment plans, but it also raised the problem of how to use the large surpluses whilst the absorptive capacity of the economies was growing. Financial services had to be improved in the oil rich states, not only to assist investment and development, but also to recycle funds abroad. New commercial banks were established, national banking systems were expanded and foreign finance houses were allowed to trade, especially in the states on the Arab side of the Gulf. "The Kingdom's balance of trade has improved noticeably since 1986, when it had a surplus of only SR3.6 billion (U.S.$0.96 billion). During the Gulf Crisis, the Kingdom's balance of trade recor ded a surplus of SR76.2 billion (U.S.$20.3 billion) in 1990 and SR 70.1 billion (U.S.$18.7 billion) in 1991" (Saudi Arabia Trade.2008). Small towns, however, play a more basic role in the internal trading patterns of Middle Eastern states. Agricultural goods flow into them for distribution up the urban hierarchy or export abroad, while the small towns distribute nationally manufactured goods and foreign imports to the countryside (Al-Rasheed 33). Further away from the centre are shops specializing in cloth and clothing, but mixed in with them are often traders in perishable goods. Its physical characteristics are narrow alleyways, old property, small open-fronted shops and workshops and a degree of spatial con- centration in the various types of activity. A fourth shopping zone lies outside the tradition bazaar, along modern streets and at major intersections (Cordesman 43). According to statistical results, Trade per capita is (US$, 2004-2006)and Trade to GDP ratio (2003-2005) is 75.0 (appendix 1). These results allow to say that Saudi Arabia succeeds in its trade policy in spite economic changes and crises occurred in the region. During 2000-2004 it was Saudi Arabia which came to dominate the Middle Eastern scene with an oil production which approached 500 million tonnes in