The Nature of War and US Security Policy in the Aftermath of the Cold Essay

The Nature of War and US Security Policy in the Aftermath of the Cold War - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that as one of the most significant conflicts in modern human history, the Cold War was marked by high expectations of conflict and violence, as well as continuous detailed planning and mobilization for war by the USSR, the US, and their respective allies. Over the course of the Cold War, hegemonic relations and alliances around the US and the USSR incorporated most of the free world with both countries occupying opposite and confrontational positions on most international issues. As a result, countries in the sphere of each hegemon were always in a state of military readiness and the risk of war was ever-present. Indeed, the most bloody post-WWII wars were fought by proxies of the USSR and the US, including the Korean War and the Vietnam War. With the end of the Cold War in 1991, however, global conflicts did not decline and, in fact, there were over 115 violent conflicts reported in the first ten years of the post-Cold War period. Gray states that while some aspects of war have changed since the end of the Cold War, the objective nature of war has remained unchanged even as the subjective nature of war has changed. Deutsch also notes that war has not dissipated with the fall of the Soviet Union, but has only changed in terms of strategy and symmetry. This paper aims to show that the end of the Cold War altered the security policy of the US by replacing a conventional military adversary with a more mobile and asymmetrical adversary. Newman broadly defines the Cold War as the relationship that developed between the USSR and the US following their joint triumph against Nazi Germany in WWII. The unique nature of this relationship came to dominate international affairs for almost five decades and led to several major crises like the Hungarian revolution, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, and the Soviet-Afghan War. Possibly the tensest issue was the proliferation of nuclear weap ons and other weapons of mass destruction in preparation for eventual war.

Business Analysis Tools Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10500 words

Business Analysis Tools - Dissertation Example It involves integration, summarization, and abstraction as well as ratios, trends, and allocations.† It entails extrapolating useful data from huge knowledge repositories that deal with trends, allocations, ratios, integration, summarization, and abstractions. It involves comparing and resolving generalizations based on information to model-based suppositions. Business Intelligence deals with innovative thinking that data enhances and the measurement of the innovative notions that the organization initiates. It pertains to using data well, knowing how to measure it, and extracting information from its models. Business intelligence operates as a continuous pool of data analysis and decision-making enhancement. Its framework comprises conflict resolution, access models, data collection, dimensional structuring, model verification, predictive models, data synthesis, access processes, knowledge sharing, intuitive representations, prescriptions, resource strategies, decision impleme ntation, and scenario analysis (Rao, 2000, p. 517). Rajteric (2010) cites the definition of Howard Dresner, who described it as â€Å"concepts and methodologies for improvement of business decisions using facts and information from supporting systems.† (p. 47). The author cites those definitions of Azvine and Wells, which stress the ability of organizations to attain business objectives and effectiveness: â€Å"Business Intelligence is all about capturing, accessing, understanding, analyzing and converting one of the fundamental and most precious assets of the company, represented by the raw data, into active information in order to improve business† (p. 47); Wells’ meaning of â€Å"Business Intelligence is the capability of the organization or company to explain,... In reviewing the literature, many definitions of Business Intelligence exist. Rao offers an excellent definition of Business Intelligence: â€Å"Business Intelligence (BI) is about synthesizing useful knowledge from large datasets. It involves integration, summarization, and abstraction as well as ratios, trends, and allocations.† It entails extrapolating useful data from huge knowledge repositories that deal with trends, allocations, ratios, integration, summarization. It involves comparing and resolving generalizations based on information to model-based suppositions. Business Intelligence deals with innovative thinking that data enhances and the measurement of the innovative notions that the organization initiates. It pertains to using data well, knowing how to measure it, and extracting information from its models. Business intelligence operates as a continuous pool of data analysis and decision-making enhancement. Its framework comprises conflict resolution, access models , data collection, dimensional structuring, model verification, predictive models, data synthesis, access processes, knowledge sharing, intuitive representations, prescriptions, resource strategies, decision implementation, and scenario analysis.In other literature review, Sell et al (2011) define Business Intelligence (BI) as the incorporation of a pattern of tools to sustain the conversion of data into information in enhancing decision making. In addition, organizations utilize BI to study data for their needs.

Canadian Provincial Political Cultures

Canadian Provincial Political Cultures Canadian political culture is multi-layered and diverse. Three great countries have influenced the development of this culture The United States, The Great Britain and France. Thus, when it comes to Canada, it can not be studied in isolation from the rest of North America and Europe. Even though the expansion of North America was just a phase in extending the political and cultural dominance of the European superpowers, nonetheless, it helped to establish a course of economic change in Canada. During the last two hundred years, Canadian political culture has been shaped by five distinct waves of immigration all of which have left their own economic and cultural marks on the entire country (Easterbrook and Aitken, 1988: 3). The formation of Canada economically, culturally and politically is best described by Louise Hartzs â€Å"fragment theory† who argues that colonial societies, those like Canada, originated as fragments of larger European societies and that those societies remained marked during their history by the conditions of their origins. The word â€Å"fragment† implies that those new societies would not be the complete replicas of their parent ones but they would rather consist of the parts of those parent societies represented by those who decided to emigrate (Bellamy, Pammett, Rowat, 1976: 68). Further, the discovery of strategic natural resources in Canada like oil, gas, gold and others, created a dependency theory which is truly unique to the country staples theory of economic growth. Harold Innis, the originator of the theory, argued that the development of Canada consisted of the series of dependencies upon the natural recourses fur, fish, timber, minerals and others, al l of which, in turn, have dominated the economy of the country and were the primary export products at a time (Marchak, 1983: 21). The Maritimes The societies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island vary in the rates of development significantly. This region could be considered as the most traditional and conservative in Canadian political culture as a whole. The Maritimes are a rare example of how customs, traditions and beliefs are favoured over innovation and change. After the formation of responsible government in the 19th century, there were only marginal changes in practices and procedures of politics (Bellamy, Pammett, Rowat, 1976: 10-11). First settlers were immigrants who came directly from Britain Yorkshire, Ireland and Highland Scotland. The prize of relocating was worthy of a risk, the Maritimes offered something that Europe, settled and overpopulated, could not free land. Politically, Maritimes resembled their American neighbours rather than those back in Britain as the entire region remained under the firm sphere of influence of the New England. Despite that fact, Tory ideology in the region was strong before and after the American Revolution up until the third wave of immigration, when it was influenced greatly by the British liberals the same wave that brought Sir John A. Macdonald to Canada. Civil War in the United States had forced the Maritimes to re-think the idea of Confederation as it offered security and economic stability (Dunn, 2006: 17-18). Nova Scotia is the most advanced of all Atlantic provinces in respect to social, economic and political development. Halifax, Nova Scotias largest urban centre, has a higher rate of industrialization than other areas in the region. When it comes to staffing the bureaucracy there is less usage of patronage and the decisions are made solely on the principle of merit (Bellamy, Pammett, Rowat, 1976: 11). Religion comes as an integral part of the Maritimes political culture. There are four political parties in the PEI Conservative, Liberal, Catholic and Protestant. For years, it has been considered to be a tough task to predict which party would take the upper hand during the elections. One thing was for certain though fixed numbers of Catholics and Protestants would be elected every time regardless of which party would win the election (Dunn, 2006: 18-19). The Maritimes political culture is partially frozen in the 19th century. Today, just like two centuries ago, the government is considered as a negative force in the economy and society something that is not to be trusted. To confirm this, professor S.D. Clark has noted that â€Å"the fisherman of Nova Scotia were simple folk who had little understanding of the complexities of the economic, political and social world around them. Their problems seemed simple enough, made difficult only by the interferences of the government far removed and beyond their reach.† (Bellamy, Pammett, Rowat, 1976: 16). Newfoundland Newfoundland is a province that stands out from all the others. The province suffers from the old scars in its history and competing visions from the previous governments and up until today it tries to find a balance between integration and self-reliance. Rejecting the Confederation at first in 1867, which was a popular decision as home rule was favoured over industrial capitalism, the province accepted it in 1949 (Tomblin, 1995: 67-68). Escaping the bankruptcy in the 1930s, Newfoundland asked for a direct British rule by surrendering its self-governing dominion status gained previously by the Statute of Westminster. Unlike Canada, Newfoundland found itself automatically involved in World War II alongside Britain (Dunn, 2006: 16). Post war era, however, brought political change not only to Europe but to Canada as well. Weakened by the war, Britain was in decline and could no longer support Newfoundland financially, as Valerie Summers noted â€Å"In the post-World War II period of p olitical adjustments and British dollar shortages, the interests of the British government in eliminating the cost of maintenance of Newfoundlands administration led to Newfoundlands movement out of the British domain into Canadian jurisdiction† (Tomblin, 1995: 68). Newfoundland is quite distinct from the other provinces in its economic, social and cultural development. Being isolated from Canada and the rest of North America for many years it was greatly influenced in its traditions by the United Kingdom. Newfoundlanders were oriented toward the non-materialistic values of West Country England and Ireland their parent communities (Bellamy, Pammett, Rowat, 1976: 3-4). For centuries Newfoundlands economy was centered on cod fishing. The provinces population was mostly rural composed of enclaves which were called outports. The majority of outporters lived in a semi-feudal relationship with the fish merchants called the â€Å"truck† system. To put it in a few words, the â€Å"truck† system was a barter system of economic relationship, which has eliminated the concept of money from the outports completely. Since the confederation, the government began the program that encouraged vacation of the outports and moving their inhabitants to bigger cities (Ibid. p.4). Another distinct feature of Newfoundland is its extreme nationalism and cultural duality. While Irish Catholic immigrants flocked to St. Johns and Avalon Peninsula, the English Protestants preferred north of the island and the outports (Dunn, 2006: 15). This has created one of the most serious cleavages in the province split between the Irish and the English population. Newfoundland could be considered as â€Å"rurally fundamental† and only partially secularized society where religion still plays an important role in day-to-day activities. It remains more â€Å"British† than any other province in Canada (Bellamy, Pammett, Rowat, 1976: 7-8). Quebec The settlements in Canadas New France were emerging slowly in the early days of colonization; however, immigrants began to move in higher numbers once the fur trade became one of the most important staples in the region. After the treaty of Utrecht, all French North American lands were transferred under the control of the British. French-speaking population resented such a change thinking that it would threaten their ways of life, their culture and language (Croats, 2002: 18-19). Losing its North American lands, France remained far away in Europe, preoccupied with wars and matters in its remaining colonies Quebec appeared to be cut off from its parent country. The Catholic Church has served as a guardian of Quebecs values at that time and the Catholic clergy were seen as a New Frances societal leaders. Even though the British were officially in charge they guaranteed the continuation of Quebecs culture and traditions in return for loyalty to the Crown (Dunn, 2006: 20). This partnership lasted for many generations up until 1960s, when the rise of unprecedented nationalism in Quebec resulted due to collision of English liberal ideas and conservative views of the French. With receding conservatism and rising liberal ideas in Quebec in 1960s, the province began its quest for national self-determination in a spark of worldwide decolonization. Fair to say, it was rather a chain reaction to events that were happening in a number of former French colonies at a time, particularly in Africa (Ibid. p. 22). The passing of Bill 101 in 1977 by the Quebecs National Assembly has been seen as a sign of relief to the French; The Bill was the first solid document to ensure the permanence of their culture and language. The authors of the Bill sought to make French dominant in the province and to reverse the demographic trends which seemed to be working against them. Such a drastic change has affected the English-speaking population of Quebec negatively; even though there has been much resistance to the new laws by public services, mass media and labour movements the institutional discrimination in Quebec is still present at large (Clift and McLeod Arnopoulos, 1984: 186, 201-2). Quebecs conservatism, liberalism and radicalism have been shaped by its unique nationalist context which, in a way, explains why its links with its English-Canadian counterparts has always been weak and unstable. Culturally descending from the New France, Quebec is simply ideologically different than any other province in Canada (Dunn, 2006: 23). The presence of cultural pluralism is painful for both English and French Canadians in the province, which is exactly why the French community is not likely to take any fundamental steps which would worsen the situation even further (Clift and McLeod Arnopoulos, 1984: 201). Ontario Ontario differs from the other provinces in two major ways. First of all, with the population of almost twelve million people no other province comes close to it in terms of number of residents, diversity and size of its economy, accumulated wealth, its financial, corporate and media power concentrated in provinces large urban centres. Secondly, there are also significant differences in political culture due to Ontarios historical experiences, its economic interests, and evolution of its cultural, social and political institutions (White, 1997: 49). Political culture of such an old and multilayered society as Ontario is far from being a uniform construct. When small Ontario [rural] communities are taken as an example, it is hard to find an ‘Old Ontarian political pattern in perfect coexistence with others more of recent origin due to result of suburbanization, economic change and media influence. There are also distinct regional differences, most strikingly in Northern Ontario, and countless fissures of group rivalries and conflicting economic interests (Ibid, p.51). Ontarios founders were American counter-revolutionists, conservative liberals and Crown loyalists the supporters of strong executive government. Rejecting extreme liberalism, popular in the United States, refusing to separate religion and the state [as it was done in the US], Ontarios fathers wanted a province that would not resemble their southern neighbour in any way. Interestingly enough, it was in fact American liberalism that influenced Ontarios political culture greater than others. Provinces policymaking officials have followed the examples of their American counterparts whether it was concerning education or structure of the government (Dunn, 2006: 22). Ontario, situated intimately close to Quebec, has been more sympathetic to its ambitions than any province located to the West; furthermore, along with Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, Ontarios legislature recognized Quebecs ‘distinct character in the resolution passed on the day of Quebecs referendum of 1995. Unlike Eastern, Western legislatures were not as eager to continue this trend (White, 1997: 437). . Surprisingly, Ontarians, so diverse and fractioned, have always had a clear appreciation of their common interests and highly developed ability for social cohesion; undeniably complex, Ontarios political culture has been consistently sustained for over two hundred years (Ibid. p.51). The Prairies Just over a century ago the prairies were archaic with little trace of habitation (Francis and Palmer, 1992: 27). It was not until the 1890s when the prairie west realized that capitalism, individualism and private property were the part of the environment, like the river valleys and the plains (Friesen, 1987: 242). With millions of square kilometres of land and millions of inhabitants the west represented enormous economic and political interest to ‘Old Canada. It was planned to create a ‘new investment frontier and all hopes lied on the pioneer-farmer who would relocate to the West and initiate an economic take off. To encourage settlement Canadian government promised to build a transcontinental railway system to unite Canada form coast to coast (Ibid. p.162). Manitoba, the most sensitive to Quebec of all prairies, entered Confederation as a bicultural and bilingual province. Ontario has been the most influential of eastern provinces to affect Manitobas policymaking. Urban socialism and agrarian liberalism outweighed toryism on the new frontier. However, due to the number of Ontarios settlers who moved into province, Manitobas toryism has been considered as on of the strongest in the west. The fourth immigrant wave brought in English labour-socialists and land-hungry Eastern Europeans who avoided the east and headed to relatively empty prairies (Dunn, 2006: 26-27). After the 1940s Manitoba was able to achieve a significant economic diversification. Provincial political life was stable up until 1969s elections when NDP was able to win popular support and overwhelm their Liberal rivals (Friesen, 1987: 219, 221). Saskatchewan is often depicted as a Western Canadian Britain. While majority of English immigrants passed Saskatchewan and headed for bigger cities, the provinces rural farm community grew rapidly it had more farmers than all other prairie provinces combined. These conservatively liberal Britons were mobilized enough to create a strong farmers union of the land Saskatchewans Farmers Union. Similarly to other prairie farmer movements, those of Manitoba and Alberta, it had one idea in mind, which was to create a socialist farm organization based on equity. However, when Farmer-Labour party emerged out of Saskatchewans ILP and united farmers the economic and thus political interest was shifted to cities rather than farms. Since that time socialist became steadily dependant on larger towns rather than rural communities. Two political parties have been competing for power in the recent decades, Saskatchewans social democrats and conservatives (Dunn, 2006: 28-29). Just like Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Alberta was a land of opportunity for new settlers. Since the 1940s Alberta has been considered as Canadas Cinderella. No other place has seen the growth more rapid, the accumulation of wealth so inevitable and the confidence so obvious. The discovery of oil in 1947 was a significant event as the province entered a new phase in its development. One of direct consequences of the oil boom was its impact on provinces population increase Alberta became the most populous in the prairie west (Friesen, 1987: 427). Alberta imitated the politics of the Great Plains state and tied itself closer to the US than any other prairie province. Due to a high volume of immigrants from the south in the early 1900s, there has been a higher number of American-born Albertans than those whose parents descended from Britain. American ideas have also dominated Albertas politics as more and more Americans settled in the provinces rural areas where radical liberalism have been espoused. Great Depression and discrepancies between prairies farmer unions led to the creation of Social Credit which was particularly strong in Alberta. This has further divided Saskatchewan and Alberta ideologically one was pro-socialist and another thought of a socialism as its enemy (Dunn, 2006: 30-31). British Columbia The completion of trans-Canada railway has been a paramount condition of British Columbias entrance into Confederation. It has been a major plan of the federal government to unite both east and west coasts by a key transportation route (Carty, 1996: 33). BCs resource-based economy was highly dependent on transportation and the opening of Panama Canal, in addition to Canadian Pacific railway, have significantly boosted provinces economy. Resembling Australia and its politics, BCs settlements inherited ideology of labour-socialism. The well organised political force was structured around major mining, lumbering and fishing industries of the remote one-industry towns. BCs agriculture has been quite fragmented, isolated and diverse, that is why the creation of United Farmers of BC as a political body has not been perceived seriously (Dunn, 2006: 31-32). Just like in Alberta, the CCF appeared in the 1930s depression years and quickly gained popular support. 1940s were characterized as continuation of cleavage between BCs working and privileged classes. Social Credit took control during the 1950s and like in Alberta was extremely anti-socialist (Ibid. p.32). British Columbia has always been seen as a ‘spoilt child of the Canadian Federation and its relations with the central government has always been called ‘touchy; as Norman Ruff observed in the early 1990s, â€Å"Ottawa-Victoria relations †¦ have long been characterized by misunderstanding and bemusement, by suspicion and anger and, worst of all, by periods of mutual indifference and detachment† (Carty, 1996: 32-33). Conclusion If to compare political culture to a number it would not be constant but rather a variable that changes over a period of time, keeping some attributes and gaining some new ones. Throughout its history, Canada remained uniquely united politically, despite fragmentation, severe regionalism and separatist threats. Canadians today do not think the way their predecessors thought a century ago, as their values and beliefs, though slowly, but changed over time. Canadians became less ‘British, more liberal [in terms of worldview], favouring individualism rather than collectivism, fighting for equality of rights, generally accepting multiculturalism and diversity (Brooks, 2008: 1, 5, 30-31). Works cited Bellamy, David J., Pammett, Jon H., Rowat, Donald Cameron. 1976.The Provincial political systems: comparative essays. Agincourt, Ontario: Methuen Publications Brooks, Stephen. 2008. Canadian Political Culture. Department of Political Science, University of Windsor, November 29, 2009 Carty, Kenneth R. 1996. Politics, policy, and government in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press Clift, Dominique, McLeod Arnopoulos, Sheila. 1984. The English fact in Quebec. Canada: McGill-Queens University Press Croats, Rennay. 2002. Quebec. Calgary: Weigl Education Publishers Ltd., Dunn, Christopher. 2006. Provinces: Canadian Provincial Politics. 2nd ed. Toronto: Higher Education University of Toronto Press Easterbrook, William Thomas, Aitken, Hugh G. J. 1988. Canadian economic history. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Francis, R. Douglas, Palmer, Howard. 1992. The Prairie West: historical readings. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press Friesen, Gerald .1987. The Canadian prairies: a history. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Marchak, M. Patricia. 1983. Green gold: the forest industry in British Columbia. BC, Canada: University of British Columbia Tomblin, Stephen G. 1995. Ottawa and the outer provinces: the challenge of regional integration in Canada. Toronto: James Lorimer Co. Ltd., Publishers White, Graham.1997.The government and politics of Ontario. 5th ed.Toronto: University of Toronto Press

Impact of Computers on Education :: Technology Technological Papers

Impact of Computers on Education Computers have had a large impact in education. There are many things that are done differently in schools now and that goes for all age groups. Computers can really help a teacher in many positive ways. If it were not for computers, there would be many helpful things that would not be in school, for example if it were not for computers we would not have calculators, we also would not have electronic overheads. Schools would not have been really updated what so ever if it were not for computers. Computers help children in many different ways. They can increase motivation and self esteem, they can help with technical skills, they can help complete more complex tasks, and they can help with many other great things. Computers are what make students of 2002’s education different from the education of students of 1955. We learn all that they learned but more thanks to computers. We are allowed to dig deeper into the source and find more information on what we are learning because of the internet. Computers are changing lives of students more and more everyday, and this will keep happening until the end of time. Computers have changed the roles of teachers and also the roles of students. When students use computers to communicate with others, they are in an active roll rather then the receiver of information of the teacher, or a textbook. The student is always making a choice of how to make or obtain information. Computer use allows students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and carry out skills, than what is usually said in teacher-led lessons. The teachers roll also changes. The teacher is no longer the center of attention. They may just play the roll of the launch pad, meaning they provide project goals, and give guidelines and resources. Because of the teachers new role it really makes the students have to think more, and become a little more independent. Computers are a great impact for the roles of teachers and students. Computers not only change the way the classroom is taught in education. Computers also can increase motivation and self esteem. The most common and nearly worldwide reported effect on students was motivation. The kids that don't necessarily star can become the stars. Impact of Computers on Education :: Technology Technological Papers Impact of Computers on Education Computers have had a large impact in education. There are many things that are done differently in schools now and that goes for all age groups. Computers can really help a teacher in many positive ways. If it were not for computers, there would be many helpful things that would not be in school, for example if it were not for computers we would not have calculators, we also would not have electronic overheads. Schools would not have been really updated what so ever if it were not for computers. Computers help children in many different ways. They can increase motivation and self esteem, they can help with technical skills, they can help complete more complex tasks, and they can help with many other great things. Computers are what make students of 2002’s education different from the education of students of 1955. We learn all that they learned but more thanks to computers. We are allowed to dig deeper into the source and find more information on what we are learning because of the internet. Computers are changing lives of students more and more everyday, and this will keep happening until the end of time. Computers have changed the roles of teachers and also the roles of students. When students use computers to communicate with others, they are in an active roll rather then the receiver of information of the teacher, or a textbook. The student is always making a choice of how to make or obtain information. Computer use allows students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and carry out skills, than what is usually said in teacher-led lessons. The teachers roll also changes. The teacher is no longer the center of attention. They may just play the roll of the launch pad, meaning they provide project goals, and give guidelines and resources. Because of the teachers new role it really makes the students have to think more, and become a little more independent. Computers are a great impact for the roles of teachers and students. Computers not only change the way the classroom is taught in education. Computers also can increase motivation and self esteem. The most common and nearly worldwide reported effect on students was motivation. The kids that don't necessarily star can become the stars.

Is a College Education Necessary to Succeed in Life Essay

Education is the key that opens the door to all life has to offer. The benefits of a good education, enhanced vision, increased motivation, and improved performance is crucial to being successful in life. Success belongs to those who acquire a good education. Enhanced vision. Getting a good education can help you gain a better view of what you are capable of doing. Education gives a person an enhanced sense of personal control (Schieman and Plickert, 2008). Sound theoretical and empirical research has established that educational attainment is the critical first step in improving communication skills, improving relationship skills and improving your life (Schieman and Plickert, 2008). The most important thing to remember about education is education is the most important element that can help you increase your personal control in life. Increased motivation. Acquiring a good education can also help you improve your station in life. Abraham Maslow believed that what motivates people is a hierarchy of needs beginning at the most basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing and ending in self actualization (Wilson and Madsen, 2008). Maslow believed individuals have the ability through education to become whatever they want to become because the individual has an ability to learn (Wilson and Madsen, 2008). Through using this ability to learn and acquiring education you can find success and you can find the power to change your life. Increased performance Improving your education will improve your chance for success. Getting a good education has a tendency to make you feel good about yourself. When you begin to feel good your life takes on a new meaning and you are able to cast off the garments of a meaningless life and put on the garments of a meaningful life (The humanist, 1992). This change is accomplished through the renewal of your dreams. When you start dreaming again you will begin to learn through structured programs of learning, from friends and family, from daily experiences, and from self reflection (Teare, 1997). Learning will become a fun thing to do. Finally, education equips you with the critical career and life skills that lead to a successful life (Hays, 2008). When you learn through education to listen, have empathy, start caring about life, become persuasive, become aware of the world in which you live, develop foresight or vision, start seeing the big picture, become committed to your growth as a person, become concerned about doing the right thing, and realize that you are a small part of a greater whole (Hays, 2008) then you will be well on your way to being successful in life and will have proved that people really do need education to succeed. References Hays, J. M. (2008). Teacher as servant: Applications of Greenleaf’s servant leadership in higher education. Journal of Global Business Issues, 2(1), 113. Retrieved form ABI/INFORM Global database. Schieman, S. and Plickert, G. (2008). How knowledge is power: Education and the sense of control. Social Forces, 87(1), 153. Retrieved March 31, 2009, from ProQuest Multiple databases.

MediaCorp’s “Police and Thief” Essay

1. Short summary of my understanding of the question and my thesis statement 2. State some obvious similarities and differences between the 2 case studies. 3. Dissect each case study with the following categories in mind: a. Narratives b. Genres c. Representation d. Ideology e. Scenes 4. Conclusion 5. Some other things to think about: a. Give concrete examples. b. Aspects of styles. These two shows are very Singaporean. By this I mean that they contain many elements which are unique to my country, elements which only within the paradigm of our society will resonate with local viewers. Homerun, an Asian remake of the internationally acclaimed Iranian movie Children of Heaven is a movie directed by Jack Neo, who is a local celebrity best known for his comedic prowess and the many comedy shows under his name. Police and Thief is a relatively new weekly half-hour sitcom shown on Channel 5 which has yet to set a foothold in the heart of local audiences. These locally produced shows use, essentially different techniques in many areas to present the story to us while making use of our experiences as Singaporeans to help us understand and appreciate the shows from their story/plot to the surprises and nuances contained within. I will proceed to show you how the techniques used are also more different than similar. A distinction between the two shows is the element of narration. Cause and effect is employed to effectively present the story or stories in the shows. It is not uncommon to find secondary stories in an episode of a situation comedy or sitcom. These are often inserted into the plot and often come together in conclusion at the end of the episode. In Police and Thief, the show starts off on this episode with Lee Tok Kong the main character of the show wanting to get under the blanket with his wife and due to common reasons of tiredness and falling asleep quickly, has his pleas ignored. This scene is related to how Tok Kong later reacts to the wiles of a less than archetypical femme fatale. There is another story inserted in between, which shows how the neighbour’s sons, Rudy and Rafi having an unspoken conflict over a common love interest. This plot development has no explicit and implicit impact on the main story mentioned earlier. It almost feels like tokenism has taken place, either to fill up the half hour of screen time or to give emphasis to the other characters in the sitcom. In Homerun, it is quickly established that poverty leads to a lack of options and hence with the losing of shoes early into the movie, we see the main ’cause’ in the show that explains later effects. The show revolves around how the main characters are thwarted at every attempt to obtain a new pair of shoes or retrieve the old pair. We do not see scenes that have no relation to any other. In fact the entire narration of Homerun is about a search for a cause-shoes. Both the shows have different range of stories. There is less suspense buildup in Police and Thief and this is probably due to restricted narration where both the audience and the characters in the show know the same information at relatively equal times. The only example of unrestricted narration in the recent episode was when Rudy cheated on his promise to his brother Rafi behind his back to get a chance to go out with the girl, Cecilia, they both like. Rafi only found it out in another scene when Cecilia whom similarly does not know of the conflict called their home. In this case, we know more than several characters in the show at a particular time. In Homerun, during the opening sequence of Chew Kiat Kun running errands for his family, it is quickly established that a rag-and-bone man had taken away the pair of shoes which Kiat Kun had put down. Kiat Kun has no idea how the shoes had mysteriously disappeared and hence his sister Seow Fang too. In this scene alone, a beautiful play on camera angle suffices to keep us in suspense till much later in the show. This seemingly passing top down close up scene of the gnarled hands removing the shoes helps to tug hard at our heart strings when we later realize the rag-and-bone man is blind. The above is a good example of how both restricted and unrestricted narration can be developed from one scene. We know who had taken away the shoes (unrestricted narration) but like the characters in the show we have no idea he was blind (restricted narration). These two shows belong to the 2 commonest genres in Singapore. Police and Thief can be classified as belonging to the â€Å"HDB† genre. In fact this plot of this particular sitcom revolves around the conflict faced by two men who live in close proximity. It has an appeal particular to local viewers who are able to appreciate the familiar settings. One example which we can relate to is the scene of Lily, Tok Kong’s wife who repeats a punch line in a scene where her face is framed in the center of our common older HDB window panes. It is common to see neighbours walking and talking from the same angle for those who have lived in HDB flats. Homerun is a social commentary and even as it is based in 1965, the year Singapore became independent, it reflects on socio-political situations which were prevalent during the time of filming i.e. the water issue between Malaysia and Singapore. Another genre which is mixed into both these shows is the coffee shop genre, featuring many scenes of meeting and interactions at local coffee shops. We see this in Police and Thief where Tok Kong was being interviewed by a lady near the beginning of the show and in Homerun, Kiat Kun helps out his teacher from school who is close to collapsing from shortness of breath at a roadside coffee shop. There is obvious stereotyping in Police and Thief. Tok Kong is your typical gangster or â€Å"Ah Beng† in colloquial terms. He has wild, pointy gelled hair and wears colourful clothing, even for sleeping attire (Opening scenes). His heavily accented Singapore Colloquial English (SCE) (â€Å"Don’t play with my heart†) and his love for techno music scream â€Å"Ah Beng†. He is put in direct contrast with his neighbour and antagonist in the show Sergeant Dollah who is a policeman. Dollah is characterized with short hair, very neat and righteous. These stereotypes alone set the premise for tension and conflict as neighbours. It is akin to Phua Chu Kang versus his sister-in-law Margaret. The stereotypes in Homerun broadly differentiate the rich and the poor. A simple comparison can be made between Beng Soon and Kiat Kun, friends of opposite ends of the economic spectrum whose relationship sours then mends in the course of the show. Beng Soon is cast in shirts, clean with well-gelled hair (in school) and stands at a good head taller than Kiat Kun. His friend however is almost always dirty, with smudges on his singlet and/or face. Even during a game of soccer, Beng Soon provides the soccer boots and he is the only one on the field with soccer socks. Tok Kong as the gangster also becomes an icon easily associated with local shows of similar genres. There is no obvious icon in Homerun. It uses a motif rather, to play out the story. There were multiple scenes of close ups of your ‘Bata’ white or dirty shoes (in the shops or in the background with Seow Fang’s face in the focus). Many scenes of tension started because of shoes e.g. the shoes slipping off and into a canal full of rushing water and even in the scene where Seow Fang’s teacher paces as the children are exercising). These scenes feature changes in music, close ups with dialogue in the background, all to draw attention to the motif in the show. During the scene at the well with the confrontation between the two groups of boys, we see wealth being equated with power, that Beng Soon who was the rich one could actually decide who got to use the well. This is perhaps the director’s ideology portraying the way Malaysia hordes over us in the water issue. The premise of Homerun revolved around three things: shoes, intelligence and power being associated with wealth. Jack Neo parodies the socio-political situation between Singapore and Malaysia using the three elements with shoes being the water, Singapore being the more intelligent country and power that Malaysia holds over us due to their superior water resource. The two shows end differently too. The end of the sitcom is close without answered questions while the cryptic ending of Homerun leaves us pondering what the director would have us think as we leave the cinema. There is no element of suspense left in Police and Thief to entice the audience to look out for the next episode, unlike a soap opera. Even as both shows make use of our experience to enhance our appreciation and understanding of the shows, they obviously use several different techniques and some similar ones to bring forth the essence of each individual story. These different methods highlight certain elements essential to the plot of the stories and ultimately help us to enjoy the shows as Singaporeans.