LEGAL TECHNOLOGY ISSUES Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 16250 words

LEGAL TECHNOLOGY ISSUES - Dissertation Example v City and Hackney HA [1997] 4 All ER 771 British Chiropractic Association (BCA) v Singh [2010] EWCA Civ. 350 Director of Public Prosecution v David Lennon [2006] EWHC 1201 Ellis v DPP [2001] EWHC Admin Gregg v Scott [2005] 2 AC 176 Hubbard v Vosper [1999] 1 W.L.R. 605 Loveday v Renton (No 2) [1992] 3 All ER 184. 15 [1995] 2 All ER 155. 16 Mahfouz & Ors v Ehrenfeld & Anor [2005] EWHC 1156 (QB) Pro Sieben Media AG v Carlton UK Televisions Ltd [1999] 1 W.L.R. 605 R v George F Cole & Stanislaw Frankowski R v Cambridge Health Authority ex p [1995] 6 MLR 250 R v Bedworth, Unreported - 18 March 1993 R v Cropp [1991] 7 CLSR 168 R v Delamare (Ian) [2003] EWCA R v Gold & Schifreen [1987] 1 QB 1116 (CA), aff'd [1988] AC 1063 (HL) 26 R v Vallor (2004) 1 Cr App R (S) 54 Re B [2002] 2 Re ML (Use of Skype Technology) [2013] EWHC 2091 (Fam) Sayre v Moore (1795) 1 East's 361 Bibliography - Books - Andrew Murray, Information Technology Law: The Law and the Society (Oxford University Press 2010) Avery G, Law and Ethics in Nursing and Healthcare (Sage 2012) Bently L, Suthersaenen U & Torremans P, Global Copyright: Three Hundred Years since the Statute of Anne (Edward Elgard Publishing 2010) BMA Medical Ethics Department, Everyday Medical Ethics and Law (John Wiley & Sons 2013) Brayne H & Carr H, Law for Social Workers (Oxford University Press 2012) Bureau of National Affairs, The United States Patents Quarterly (The University of California, 2011) Burton F, Family Law (Routledge 2012) Clough J, Principles of Cybercrime (Cambridge University Press 2010) Cole G F & Frankowski S, Abortion and Protection of the Human Fetus (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers 1987) Colston C & Galloway J, Modern Intellectual Property Law (Third edition, Routledge 2010) Cretney S M, Family Law in the Twentieth Century (Oxford University Press 2003) Deazley R, Rethinking Copyright: History, Theory and Language (Edward Elgard Publishing 2006) Dr. K.Jaishankar and Halder, D, Cyber Crime and the Victimisation of Women: Laws, Rights and Regulations (Idea Group Incorporation 2011) Dr Lily Srivastava, Law and Medicine (First edition, Universal Law of Publishing 2010) Duguenoy P, Jones S& Blundell B G, Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Computing (Cengage Learning EMEA 2008) Fadia A, An Unofficial Guide to Ethical Hacking (Second edition, Macmillan 2006) Fafinski S, Computer Misuse: Response, Regulation and the Law (Routledge 2013) Ghosh S & Tumini, E, Cybercrimes: A Multidisciplinary Analysis (Springer 2010) Gillies A, The Clinicians Guide to Surviving IT (Radcliffe Publishing 2006) Hare, I & Weinstein J, Extreme Speech and Democracy (Oxford University Press 2010) Harley D, Slade R & Gattiker U E., Computer Viruses Revealed (10th Edition, Dreamtech Press 2002) Helen C, Jennifer & Dawn (2008) New Perspectives on Bullying (Open University Press 2008) Jones R, Oxford Text Book of Primary Medical Care (Second edition, Oxford University Press 2005) Khan M & Robson M, Clinical Negligence (Cav endish Publishing 2001) Lloyd, I J., Information Technology Law (Oxford University Press 2011) Lloyd, L J, Introduction to Policing and Police Powers (Psychology Press 2005) Murray A, Information Technology Law (Oxford University Press 2013) O’Grady J, Dobbs-Smith I, Walsh L& Spencer M, Medicines, Medical Devises and the Law (Cambridge Univer

Trade Unionism in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Trade Unionism in the United Kingdom - Essay Example This paper looks into the status of trade unionism in the United Kingdom from a cross-section of reports of trade unionists themselves who are also authorities on the subject, with some inputs of a unionist from a neighbouring union. All of them accept trade unionism in UK is declining but each qualifies what he means by "decline." Monks 6, however, is more of being non-committal about declination. Much categorical about UK unionism declination are Hyman7 and Gall,8 with the first at least hopeful for unions reclaiming a positive climb, and the latter more or less seeing a dim future for the unions. Finally, this paper looks into the possible role of UK trade unionism in employee relations. Decline of UK Trade unionism is perceived from many angles. If it were on terminal decline it would mean it is tapering off, concluding, finishing, and ending. Therefore, memberships in unions are expected to fall. As a manifestation of its terminal declination, unions would have no power at all, for example, in collective bargaining. With employers, they would have no political teeth to negotiate for better management practices. As presented from several reports on UK trade unionism, however, the end is not yet for the British unions although decline is more or less accepted as discussed in the following - Richard Hyman (2004).9 Hyman is professor of Industrial Relations at the London School of Economics. His main research interests are trade unions and industrial conflict. The author of many books on trade unionism, Hyman locates decline in the trade unions in strength and militancy. Among the sources mentioned here, it is Hyman who strongly states that the trade unions have indeed declined. Yet, hopeful as he is, he declares that unions can recapture misplaced identification of the worker with new world and new futures back to the union by being knowledgeable in the battle for ideas. He then proposes concepts which he declares are the strength of contemporary personnel managers that trade unions should begin to exploit. Gregor Gall (2005).10 Gall, a member of the Scottish Socialist Party and Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Hertfordshire says the contemporary decline of trade unionism in Britain is in the membership, bargaining power and political influence. Going beyond Hyman11 who sets his statements with a question mark, he is one authority who describes declination quantitatively. According to Gall, trade union density in 2004 was 28.8%, having previously been 55% in 1979. He asks, if social democracy is revived, could it provide a new source of politically inspired union activists Gall puts weight on the role of the activist who's energy has waned and ebbed and refuses to fight. According to him, the activist is the spirit behind unionism. Without the activist, unionism dies. Since the activist today has found his concerns in other things, unionism has weakened. As proof, he said, the Labour Representation Committee was launched a few years ago, but judged by the poor attendance at its annual conferences, and the number of affiliated organizations and local groups, revival does not seem to be making much headway. However,

Sustainment of The Mini Cases of the Industry Essay Example for Free

Sustainment of The Mini Cases of the Industry Essay Introduction We live in an environment which changes often. In the business world, what is in demand today for an organization may not be a requirement for tomorrow. Smart managers know that organizations that succeed do so because they adjust to keep up with the changes that are taking place (Harmon, 2007). Change in business comes in many forms and affects companies in every industry. Business today is one of the dominant institutions in society. Businesses are established with the sole purpose to provide a product or service to a customer with the intent to make a profit. Once established, every company wants to improve the way it does business to produce things more efficiently and to make a greater profit. Every manager understands that achieving these goals are part of his or her job. For the business they must create a strategic vision for long term sustainability. By adopting sustainable practices, companies can gain a competitive edge, increase their market share, and boost shareholder value. This paper will identify as points of discussion the value chain and competitive forces in Porter’s model based on ‘The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations article and cases; and the affects did Information Technology have on the sustainability on those five organizations. Case Background 1. Identify the value chain and competitive forces in Porter’s model. Based on â€Å"The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations† article and cases. 2. What effect did IT have on the value chain and competitive forces of those organizations? 3. What are some of the changes to the value chain and competitive forces when an organization responds to sustainability? Value Chain Analysis Early as 1979, Michael Eugene Porter introduced the concept of the value chain analysis. A value chain analysis allows a firm to understand the parts of its operations that create value and those that do not (Ketchen Hult, 2007). Understanding these issues is very important because the firm earns above average returns only when the value it creates is greater than the costs incurred to create that value (Porter, 1985). The value chain is a template that a firm uses to understand their cost position and to identify the multiple means that might be used to facilitate implementation of a chosen business-level strategy (Alcancer, 2006). The value chain shows how a product moves from the raw material stage to the final customer. A firm value chain is segmented into primary and support activities. Primary activities involves with a product’s physical creation, its sale and distribution to buyers, and its service after the sale. The primary activities include five generic categories which are comprise in competition in any industry covering inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and services (Porter, 1985). Support activities provide the assistance necessary for the primary activities to take place, which are firm infrastructure, human resource management, technology development, and procurement (Porter, 1985). Competitive Advantage Concept From the activities done in a business or in its supply chain, a firm has a competitive advantage when it implements a strategy competitors are unable to duplicate or find too costly to try to imitate (Barney Clark, 2007). As Michael Porter comments, â€Å"Strategic fit among many activities is fundamental not only to competitive advantage but also to the sustainability of that advantage. It is harder for a rival to match an array of interlocked activities than it is merely to imitate a particular sale-force approach, match a process technology, or replicate a set of product features. Positions built on systems of activities are far more sustainable than those built on individual activities† (Porter, 1996). An organization can be confident that its strategy has resulted in one or more useful competitive advantages only after competitors’ efforts to duplicate its strategy have ceased or failed. Mr. Porter makes the essential point that competitive advantages and the dif ferences they create in firm performance are often strongly related to the resources firms hold and how they are managed. Resources are the foundation for strategy, and unique bundles of resources generate competitive advantages that lead to wealth creation (Bush, Greene, Hart, 2001). Better Place Founded by Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi in 2007, Better Place developed a system where electric-car owners could drive their vehicles into a network of stations around Israel and replace the cars battery with a new one in about the same amount of time it takes to fill a gasoline tank on a regular car. The quick drop system was supposed to remove one of the main obstacles to the adoption of electric vehicles, namely the several hours it takes to recharge a flat battery (Pearson Stub, 2013). Better Place use information technology in the value chain model by outsourcing to companies that have integrated the electric car into its policies. Better Places business model was based on car owners paying a fee according to the number of miles they drive. The competitive force that influenced the Better Place Company was the demand for the electric car filling stations. It has also positioned itself to be the first to reap the benefits when battery pack recharging facilities and infrastruc ture are more universally accepted by having proof-of-concept in hand in leading-edge nations. Nike Senior managers of Nike understanding that disposing of waste in an environmentally-friendly manner is crucial to business sustainment implemented a zero waste policy. While looking into manufacturing, they found it took three shoes worth of material to produce just two- one pair of shoes (Berns, M., Townsend, A., Khajat, Z., Bagopal, B., Reeves, M., et al. (2009). Previous statistics exhibited that the company was spending over $700 million a year on waste management. The organization could not sustain productivity and made waste management a main priority. From these actions evolved strategic long term goals to eliminate zero toxic materials, closing loop systems, and to sustain growth and stability. In order to deliver a value product and service to its customers and employees, Nike realizes that survival depended on creating a supply chain with several big companies like Dow, BSAF, and DuPont. The value of intangible resources, including knowledge allowed Nike to create capabilit ies to gain a competitive  advantage. Outsourcing played a major role in Nike competitive force. Nike understood that engaging in effective outsourcing increased their flexibility, mitigated risks, and reduce their capital investments. Outsourcing proved to be effective because Dow, BASF, and DuPont possessed the resources and capabilities required for Nike to achieve competitive superiority in all primary and support activities. Under the new design and productions methods, product waste was reduced by up to 67 percent, energy use was cut by 37 percent, and solvent use was slashed by 80 percent (Berns, M., Townsend, A., Khajat, Z., Bagopal, B., Reeves, M., et al. (2009). Research suggest that few companies can afford to develop internally all the technologies that might lead to competitive advantage. By nurturing a smaller number of capabilities, a firm increases the probability of developing a competitive advantage because it does not become overextended and can fully concentrat e on those areas in which it can create value (Linder, 2003). Rio Tinto Rio Tinto a mining company with a large area of operation obtained what it calls a â€Å"social license to operate† which supported the organization’s plan to protect the environment and create economic opportunities. The local community was not acceptance of another project that will affect the environment. Over half of the island had already been demolished from farming; grazing and charcoal production. (Berns, M., Townsend, A., Khajat, Z., Bagopal, B., Reeves, M., et al. (2009). After a decade of operation and a sense of urgency, the company decided to transform in the mining area. In order to gain acceptance of the community, management created a strategy to protect the environment and generate financial opportunities for the employees. The strategy served as a competitive force by building a positive relationship within the community by providing training, employment, protection of raw materials, financial resources, and establishing global polices. General Electric With energy, water usage, wastes, and carbon emission on the decline within most companies, General Electric realized that the growth in population would affect the companies’ sustainability. They say an opportunity to engage and help other companies create goals for sustainment. This was  chance for the company to utilize the value chain by providing their assistance and also making a profit. General Electric partnered up with other businesses to make the best decisions about which operation to support and which product to purchase for the future. They jump on the idea of energy conservation first within the company and its employees. Within the company, General Electric began engaging employees to see where energy savings could be found. That might be turning off the lights when a factory was idle, or even installing a switch so that lights could be turned off. They also created projects which involved installing LED lights on a factory floor, recycling water at a nuclear facility, and offering combined heat and power generation units at a plant in Australia (Berns, M., Townsend, A., Khajat, Z., Bagopal, B., Reeves, M., et al. (2009). These efforts prove to be beneficial for sustainability by saving the company over $100 million dollars. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart, one of the top producing merchant in the world have been trying to progress in zero waste and producing products that will not harm the environment. The technology to concentrate liquid detergent has been available for more than a decade, but was little used due to lack of interest in commercialization. Partnering closely with its suppliers, Wal-Mart made the decision to offer only concentrated detergent, and leading manufacturers began transforming their facilities to accommodate this request, leaving less capacity for old-fashioned detergents with high water content. This encouraged other retailers to move toward selling only the concentrated version of liquid detergents. In 2005, Wal-Mart initiated a partnership with Unilever to dramatically reduce the packaging of its â€Å"all ®Ã¢â‚¬  detergent. Wal-Mart helped bring the product to market by promising equal or greater shelf space despite the smaller product size (Wal-Mart, 2007). This business decision enabled the companies to produce a more powerful detergent, reduce waste and in return use less plastic, cardboard and water. There was a positive impact on Wal-Mart for reducing waste which also affected the landfills (Berns, M., Townsend, A., Khajat, Z., Bagopal, B., Reeves, M., et al. (2009). As this became the standard for manufacturing companies, Wal-Mart set the bar for their competitive manufactures. The competitive force gave Wal-Mart the leading edge to ensure customer  acceptance, promoting the benefits of concentrated detergent and adding value by its their environmental benefits. Conclusion Some researchers believe that by moving toward ecological sustainability, business firms gain a competitive advantage. The five organizations listed in the article ‘The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations article and cases† have embraced the idea of being proactive through partnership can confer a competitive advantage by saving money, attracting green customers, promoting innovation, and developing skills. While these organizations implemented strategies for sustainability, information technology affected the value chain and competitive forces by motivating firms to form partnerships as a way to effectively cope with the changes occurring in the market. Through information technology firms gain access to their partners’ other partners. Having access to multiple collaborations increases the likelihood that additional competitive advantages will be formed as the set of shared resources and capabilities expands (Olhager Rudberg, 2003). In turn, being able to develop new capabilities further stimulates product innovations that are so critical to strategic competitiveness in the global economy (Klienschmidt, Brentani, Salomo, 2007). Reference Alcancer, J. (2006), Location choices across the value chain: How activity and capability influence co-location, Management Science, 52, 1457-1471 Barney, J.B., and Clark, D.N. (2007) Resource based theory: Creating and sustaining competitive advantage, New York Oxford University Press Berns, M., Townsend, A., Khajat, Z., Bagopal, B., Reeves, M., et al. (2009). The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations. The Magazine MIT Sloan Management Review Special Report. Retrieved from http://files.meetup.com/1325336/MITSloan%20Mgmt%20Review%20The%20Biz%20of%20Sustainability.pdf Brush, C.G., Greene, P.G., Hart, M.M. (2001) From initial idea to unique advantage: The entrepreneurial challenge of constructing a resource base, Academy of Management Executive, 15(1) 64-78 Harmon, P. (2007) Business Process Change: A Guide for Business and BPM and Six Sigma Professional (2nd Ed) pg 31 Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.trident.edu:2048/lib/tourou/docDetail.action?docID=10201856lpg=31 Ketchen Jr., D.J. Hult, G. T. M. (2007) Bridging organization theory and supply chain management: The case of best value supply chains, Journal of Operations Management, 25: 573-580 Kleinschmidt, E.J., Brentani, U., Salomo, S. (2007), Programs: A resource-able base view, Journal of Production Innovation Management, 24; 419-441 Linder, J.C., Jarvenpaa, S., and Davenport, T.H. (2003) toward an innovation sourcing strategy, MIT Sloan Management Review, 44(4); 43-49 Olhager, J. Rudberg, M. (2003), Manufacturing Network and Supply Chains: An operations strategy perspective, Omega 31(1); 29-31 Pearson, D. Stub S. T. (2013) Wall Street Journal: Electric-Battery Venture Better Place to Liquidate Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.trident.edu:2048/docview/1355407057 Porter, M.E. (1985) Competitive Advantage, New York Free Press 33-61 Porter, M. E. (1996). What Is Strategy? Harvard Business Review, 74(6), 61-78. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.trident.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=00ac6aff-4ae2-4658-a728-7ae17d8211a7%40sessionmgr4001vid=1hid=4101 Wal-Mart Archive (2007): Wal-Mart To Sell Only Concentrated Products In Liquid Laundry Detergent Category By May 2008 Retrieved from http://news.walmart.com/news-archive/2007/09/26/wal-mart-to-sell-only-concentrated-products-in-liquid-laundry-detergent-category-by-may-2008

Nightmares. The moment of terror Essay Example for Free

Nightmares. The moment of terror Essay The moment of terror you feel when being chased by a masked killer, running for your life through a dark alley. You cry out and scream for help but no one can hear you. You fall, and before you know it, the masked killer is standing right in front of you. He pulls out an axe and you wake up drenched in sweat, realizing it was all just a nightmare. We all have experienced this moment, maybe more than once. Nightmares can be very disturbing because it is hard to understand what produces it and why it acts a certain way. Nightmare is defined as a dream during the rapid eye movement, which provokes intense negative feeling, such as panic, fear, terror, or anxiety. Everyone has experienced a nightmare one time or another in his or her lifetime. But what happens when nightmares start occurring constantly? The fact is more children experience nightmares more frequently than adults. It is estimated that 50 % of the population does not experience nightmares, according to research done by Tucker Shaw. Approximately 5 to 10% of the population only remembers nightmares once a month, but only small percentage of the population remember nightmares that are disturbing enough effect their lives. According to Freud, the first psychologist who paid much attention to dreams, stated that nightmares occur based on painful experiences of the past, to startling events that occurred in childhood and even birth itself. These alarming memories of the past left behind psychic problems that an helpless infant could not solve in that given time period. In fact, any grieving experience may leave a nightmare sufferer in angst and guilt. In this perspective, built is associated with the energy used for repetition of undesirable thoughts occurring in both real life and dreams. A person constantly dreams about â€Å"unfinished† situation until that person is able to work through their guilt or angst. Freud called this situation a repetition compulsion. This pattern was also portrayed in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. When Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to kill the kind, first she does not feel any guilt for committing such a sin. But her guilt occurs itself in a nightmare, which makes her go insane. A physical illness can also cause nightmares, but it is not yet proven whether it is the illness or the stress that causes it. Neurological disorder can also be the cause associated with the occurrence of nightmares such as epilepsy and postencephalitic Parkinsonism. Stressful events in a person’s life such as time of midterms/finals, jobs, moves, or the loss of a significant, can all produce nightmares. One proven generalization of nightmares is that it always leaves a person feeling helpless. In frequent nightmares that involve getting chased by masked killer, or falling off a cliff, generally leaves the dreamer in distress and feeling powerless. A decrease in nightmares usually occurs as a dreamer becomes more confident, and more mature. There are some myths about nightmares that are associated with demons or evil spirits that can be the cause of these unpleasant dreams. Some people believe that a person feels an anxiety attack when a demon is pressing up against a dreamer’s chest during their sleep. These anxiety attacks occurring during sleep were considered a form of black magic, or even affiliated with possession. Some people also believe that eating something distasteful before going to sleep maybe also be the cause of it, but there isn’t any solid evidence for these myths. In psychology, there are different perspectives to nightmares. Some scholars believe that nightmares have no actual function. However, others believe that nightmares reflect the actual fears and attitudes of the dreamer. In this study, a nightmare appears as a process of events that occurred during the day. Latest study proves that dreams do have an important function. â€Å"Evidence suggests that dreaming, like most other physiologic events, is important for learning and memory processing, gives cognitive feedback about a person’s mental functioning and helps a person adapt to emotional and physical stress† (Moffitt, 1993, p. 118). The themes of nightmares seem to be quite universal. These nightmares have symbolic interpretation and show the part of personality where a problem most likely exits in real life. It seems as if nightmares have complex function. References Nightmares. 123HelpMe.com. 30 Sep 2013 . Time life books. Dreams and Dreaming. 1990 Time life Books Inc. Tucker, Shaw. Dreams. New York: 17th Street, 2000.

The Use Of Semiotics In The Theatre Film Studies Essay

The Use Of Semiotics In The Theatre Film Studies Essay For the French postmodern theorist, Lacan, each sign in a language is given a meaning by other signs in the language there is no essential meaning to signs, only in chains of significance. For example, Robert Wilson often uses colour to create symbolic meaning in performance through its use, while the Theatre du Complicite may transform objects into signifiers of meaning separate from their every day meaning (i.e. in Mnemonic a chair becomes the Iceman). Address in this essay, how contemporary theatre practitioners use this understanding of the signifier/signified to push the boundaries of the theatre. Through an examination of at least TWO theatre companies, or practitioners either from the reading, or from your own experience, show how they use signifiers in their work and to what purpose. The reason for creating and presenting theatre is to communicate meanings. Understanding how meanings are communicated to and assembled by spectators can be of enormous help to the director as he works to translate his individual vision of the theatre production into a living, three-dimensional work of arts The late twentieth century saw a great of interest in semiotics, the science of the signs. The semiotics in theatre is composed of a representative actions implemented in a certain moment with the emphasis on things and objects to be observed. This sign system has important characteristics which are the relation between signs and themselves as well as the multifunctional and mobility of the signs in the theatrical context. Some theatre artists find out that the spoken word does not need to be the central force of the performance. Therefore they developed performance through experimentation with objects, visual images, sound, improvisation, or pieces of disjointed language or information (Whitemore, 1994). In this essay I will explore and examine the importance of using Semiotics in the work of two important post-modern theatre directors which are Richard Foreman and Robert Wilson as well as I will address how these contemporary theatre practitioners uses the signifier/signified in particular the visual semiotics such as the setting, costumes, lighting, colours and properties to push the boundaries of the theatre and to what purpose. We can begin to explore the sign system of the contemporary theatre by looking at the work of Richard Foreman and Robert Wilson who are considered examples of western directors, Both Their work contributed to the development of the postmodern theatre through their experimentation with theatre and its various communication systems. Foremans work is almost about his life and a reflex on himself and his thoughts; his theatrical wok always commenting on itself which makes the spectators alert and aware while seeing it. The deficiency to communicate with language is one of the main elements that Foremans theatrical pieces focus on. He developed theatrical techniques that relied on visual images. In his works he uses a number of repeated theatrical devices such as using recorded or live voice to comment on the stage action, using exaggerated physical and vocal techniques as well as other visual elements. The use of visual images has become one of his unique theatrical contributions that differentiate his theatre from other contemporary theatres (Hugo, 2009). Also, Robert Wilson has been altering the way of seeing language, staging, lighting, colour, set design, dance and direction. Robert Wilson has been considered as being one of the most significant visionary artists of the 20th century. His work, often called a theatre of visuals or theatre of images presents an artistic field of theatre where precise choreographed gestures, movements, shapes of objects, textures of sound, and lighting aim to create a heightened experience for the viewer. Robert Wilson is known for his creations of extremely big and long epic productions which focus on the theatrical images and are frequently accompanied by music. His productions cut across the boundaries that traditionally have defined theatre, dance, opera and the visual arts to create a total work of art. Wilson began his exploration of slow motion and visual theatre in workshops he ran for autistic and brain-damaged children. In his work, he used essential non-linguistic montage and displaces any univocal signification. He is also a landscape artist who believes that the pioneering of the theatre depend on visual images (Holmberg 1996). Semiotics can best be defined as a science dedicated to the study of the production of meaning in society. As such it is equally concerned with processes of signification and with those of communication, i.e. the means whereby meanings are both generated and exchanged. Its objects are thus at once the different sign-systems and codes at work in society and the actual messages and texts produced thereby. According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, semiotics is the methodical study of signs, more precisely; it is the production of meanings from linguistic or non linguistic sign systems. Semiotics began to become a major approach to cultural studies in the late 1960s. The modern theory of semiotics was founded and developed by two important philosophers, Charles Sanders Peirce who defined semiotics as the relationship among sign, an object and a meaning as the sign represents the object or referent in the mind of the interpreter. The system Pierce devised allows for a simple technique for reading and understanding signs through three categories: symbol, index and icon. A symbol has an arbitrary relationship to the audience. As by adding a vocalisation or gesture such as pointing, the meaning is easily understood by an audience. In pointing we have added a depth to the word, given it meaning, and thereby forced an interpretation onto the audience. Indexes are easier si gn systems to read. They take the form of pictures/illustrations. We understand an icon as the resemblance of something it is a representation and not a reality. And the second, Ferdinand de Saussure who proposed that linguistics would form one part of a more general science of signs: semiology. His definition was that semiotics is a science capable of understanding all possible systems of signs, from language to music and, of course, the visual arts. Semiology therefore aims to take in any system of signs, whatever their substance and limits; images, gestures, musical sounds, objects, and the complex associations of all these, which form the content of ritual, convention or public entertainment: these constitute, if not languages, at least systems of signification. (Chandler, 2007) Semiotics is concerned and focuses on the interrelationships between signs themselves. The semiotic approach to literary works stresses the production of literary meanings from shared conventions and codes; but the scope of semiotics goes beyond spoken or written language to other kinds of communicative systems such as cinema, advertising, gesture and others. In other words, semiotics is the study of signs and symbols of all kinds, what they mean, and how they relate to the things or ideas they refer to. It is concerned with the process of signification and communication. Semiotics is well known for calling attention to the formal structures of significance and meanings in the culture. Semiotics can be seen as an important factor that points to structural differences found in each system of signification as well as it is seen as a unifying approach to sign systems in the theatrical performance. A sign is usually represented by different type of physical image, object or person, which is then placed within some specific setting or social framework. Due to this framework, this physical image, person or object becomes representative of the social signs system and the audience become responsible of determining whether or not the sign being placed before them is genuine (Leaman, 2007). Moreover, it can be visualized as an approach to a wide variety of systems of signification and communication or it can be visualized as a description of those various systems focusing on their mutual differences or their specific structural properties such as the transformation from verbal language to gestures or from visual images to body positions. It can investigate those various systems either at the elementary level of their sequential units such as words, colour spots, sounds or at the more complex level of the texts which is, narrative structures or figures of speech (Eco, 1977). Semiotics is important because it can help us not to take reality for granted as something having a purely objective existence which is independent of human interpretation. It teaches us that reality is a system of signs. Art historian Keith Mosley comments that: Semiotics makes us aware that the cultural values with which we make sense of the world are a tissue of conventions that have been handed down from generation to generation by the members of the culture of which we are a part. It reminds us that there is nothing natural about our values; they are social constructs that not only vary enormously in the course of time but differ radically from culture to culture(Schroeder, 1998). Studying semiotics can assist us to become more aware of reality as a construction and of the roles played by ourselves and others in constructing it. To decline such a study is to leave to others the control of the world of meanings which we inhabit. Signifier/signified Signifier and signified together, they constitute a sign, the basic object studied by the science of semiotics. The signifier is any material thing that signifies. It may be a meaningful sound, a facial expression, a picture, or a more complex unit such as a word or phrase. The signified is the concept that a signifier refers to. Each sign thus gains its value by being placed in the context of other signs. The relationship between signifier and signified is traditional, there is no existence of similarities or physical connection. (Dor, 2005). According to Erika Fischer-lichte- theatre professor- (1992) Theatre does not make use of these signs in their original function, i.e., does not put them to the purpose for which they are/were generated by the respective cultural systems. Rather, it deploys them as signs of the signs produced by the cultural systems. Consequently, theatrical sign must, at least at the level of the system they form, be classified exclusively as iconic signs  ¹ . We make meanings through our creation and interpretation of signs. As according to Peirce we think only in signs (Peirce, 1931). Signs take the form of words, images, sounds, acts or objects, but such things have no essential meaning and become signs only when we invest them with meaning. Nothing is a sign unless it is interpreted as a sign (Peirce, 1931). We interpret things as signs by relating them to familiar systems that we understand and agreed on. A sign is a recognizable combination of a signifier with a particular signified. You cannot have a totally meaningless signifier or a completely formless signified (Saussure, 1983). The same signifier could stand for a different signified and thus be a different sign (Chandler, 2007).  ¹ Signs where the signifier resembles the signified Elaine Aston and George Savona (1991) argue that Everything which is presented to the spectator within the theatrical frame is a sign as the Prague school  ² were the first to recogniseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The process of signification is directed and controlled even is something has arbitrarily entered into the frame it is read as significant. Several semioticians have recognised the role of the systems of signs that are used during a theatrical performance as it to communicate with an audience as was mention before everything that is presented to an audience in a theatrical context is consider to be a sign. The value of semiotics for the theatre practitioners is that it can provide a framework for structuring experimentation during the preparation, and rehearsal stage of creating the production. Theatre directors coordinates signifiers and make thousands of choice; they select individual signs and blend them into sequences of signs which lead to large pattern of signs which eventually produce a performance. They also highlighting and emphasizing on different signs to bring the spectators attention to the most important signifiers at a specific moment in the performance (Whitemore, 1994). According to Tadeusz Kowzan (1968) -who is Theatre and literature historian- classification of sign systems, there are two main signs systems, the auditive signs which include the spoken text as words, tones and the inarticulate sounds as music and sound effects and the visual signs which include the expression of the actors body as gesture, movement and actors external appearance as the makeup, costumes and the appearance of the stage as the props, setting, lighting.  ² It was an influential group of literary critics and linguists in Prague. Its proponents developed methods of structuralism literary analysis during the years 1928-1939. It has had significant continuing influence on linguistics and semiotics. After World War II, the circle was disbanded but the Prague School continued as a major force in linguistic functionalism. Contemporary theatre practitioners push the boundaries of the theatre Semiotics in theatre formulated from a complex relationship between images and their meanings to the theatre practitioners and the spectators. The contemporary theatre practitioners find semiotics to be an important science as it considers being an aid of communication between the director or the scene designer and the audience, this communication relies on understanding the image and its context in order to bring out meanings. Then by emphasising on any element of this image the sign will be created and that will lead to the creation of new meanings, All this helped the theatre practitioners to find new ways to open up new prospects of representation through work on the theatres systems of signification such as the representations in acting style, costumes, properties, music, lights, visual design and other elements which is treated as a signifying elements (Finter I983). Emphasis is defined as the subject of audience interest at any given moment of the performance. In other words, the element of the theatrical scene that receives the attention of the audience is the one that is emphasis on. Theatre directors pay close attention to the use of emphasise in the theatre in order to focus the attention of the audience on selected characters, places, or effect (Whitemore, 1994). According to Elaine Aston and George Savona (1991) The director nowadays has control over the theatrical shape and is faced with the task of organising the signifying system of theatre at her/his disposal (lighting, scenery, props and so on) into a codified process appropriate to the production of a text. If the director fails in this task, then the performance will not make scenes to the spectator. Visual sign systems are used by theatre directors in a wide range of configuration to produce signification and meanings. And may be the most remarkable feature of postmodernist directing is the concentrated use of visual signification as pivotal signifier (Aston E G Savona, 1991). Richard Foreman Visual aspects are considering an essential aspect in Richard Foreman theatre. His theatrical ideas created from the influence of images conception as well as the visual elements. With the help of those visual elements, he tried to frame and break up space. His use of lines and objects has a role as important in his theatrical space as the role of the performers. Such objects are reflections of Foremans consciousness as well as reflections of the structure of thought. In the traditional theatre, the impact of the visual elements on performers is different than its impact in performances that filled with different visual elements and objects. Foreman focuses in his work on building multiple layers in the performance. He used visual images that represented the writers view while, in the same time the performers and objects expressed another level of this view (Lee, 2001). The uses of setting and props in Foremans theatre The important aspect in Richard Foremans theatre is how he uses properties as signifiers. His sets are littered on his stage without clear explanation as well as he always uses a variety of props of all sizes, styles, and shapes. For example, in some of Foreman performances, he has placed television monitors onstage to provide multiple images. He also uses projected images for the text of the performance as a way to use written words with spoken words in order to contradicting, questioning, or strengthen other visual or aural signifiers (Whitemore, 1994). Foreman designed his stage with the use of vertical and horizontal lines. The use of ropes and strings stretched across the stage to create special effects that frame his performance to help him to provide multiple visual paths that allow each spectator to achieve a unique perception of the stage. Because of the strings, each member of the audience is able to perceive varying degrees of stage depth (Lee, 2001). The uses of strings functioned to increase an awareness of the reverberation chamber aspect of the stage space, to create a certain amount of ambiguity through suggested superimposition, and to remind you of the limits of the geometric space. I was using the strings to contradict a unitary reading of the stage space (Foreman, 1992) Another important aspect of his stage objects comes from his usual attempt to distort the shapes of the objects. By using distorted stage objects, Foreman creates new phenomena out of once familiar objects (Lee, 2001). Foreman exaggerates his theatrical objects in various scales. His designs to many of the objects is to be either smaller or larger than life-size for example, the big rock in his performance Hotel China and the 6-foot-tall potatoes in Rhoda in Potato land. Moreover, he uses stage objects to lead him through the development of the dramatic action of the performances text. Foreman said that with Hotel China I began to write plays by imagining intricate, strange objects that would suggest ways that desire, working through the performer, might cause them to be manipulated. I stopped working from outlines, and instead let the complicated physical objects that I imagined lead me in whatever direction they suggested. Properties and objects take on such a strong focus for Foreman that he even uses them as a starting point for creating the written text for his performances. How Richard Foreman used costumes and colours in his performances In his early years Richard Foreman chose to let chance dictate costuming as a sign system. In Foremans performances, the uses of costumes as a signifier is not a habit, he worked on creating visual dissonance and psychological tension in his performances which led him to contrast the setting and the text of his performances with the simplest costume in the world which is- from his perspective- nudity.Foremans individual costume choices become part of rich grid of signifiers (Whitemore, 1994). In his performance, Rhoda in Potato land he used a tangle setting, bright lights, performers in clothing, and a nude woman lying down on the floor. In spite of the conflicting signifiers in this theatrical scene, but it led to a formation of a connected unit of signifiers for the audience The use of colours is very important in Foreman performances. As Whitemore (1994) argues, Colours are dynamic signifiers; when chosen carefully they bring coded messages to the spectators for their individual interpretation. Foreman uses simple lines and basic colours such as black, gray and white in order to create abstract images. He feels that simple and basic colours creating the unfocused kind of attention and promoting meditation which he is aiming for (Davy, 1981). In his theatre, he sense that individual objects will become isolated by individual colours rather than be seen as aesthetically unified (Whitemore, 1994). In summary, Richard Foreman treats his stage objects as live performers. Part of the performers role in his performances has been shifted to the stage objects. Instead of the performers actions, visual images became signifiers which rose by these stage objects dominate the stage space. Foremans visual imagery is considering a principal element directly affecting the audiences attention. He extracts images from actors and from theatrical objects in his work by using different techniques such as, his uses of different size and shapes of objects as well as his uses of ropes and strings in performances in order to break the familiar concepts and provide multiple visual paths that allow each spectator to achieve a unique perception of performance, his uses of nudity costumes as a way to demolish and build new signifiers also the uses of monochrome colours in his work as a mean of creating unfocused attention and promoting meditation. Robert Wilson My purpose in this method of working is to emphasize the importance of each separate element. In many of my pieces, what you see and what you hear do not go together. The video and the audio are meant to stand on their own. If you closed your eyes you would still be able to appreciate the program, and the same would be true if you turned off the sound and just looked. What I am trying to do is give individual lives to both sound and picture. Robert Wilson One of the most salient aspects of Wilsons work is the broad and disparate range of material visual and verbal he weaves together. He scavenges from innumerable centers of culture: canonical literary texts; newspapers; opera; pop songs; advertisements; stock market reports; cinema; dance; historical documents; autistic poetry; paintings by old masters and new; architecture; industrial design; the drawings and body language of a deaf-mute boy; sculpture; postcards; and the banal conversations he overhears on the street. Leafing through one of the black notebooks in which Wilson sticks anything that tickles his fancy is to confront a higgledy-piggledy mass of incongruous images. For example, much of the language and many of the images in Einstein on the Beach are pillaged from the debris of mass culture. All of these heterogeneous materials create a centrifugal energy, but Wilson controls them through his monumental architectural sense of visual structure (Holmberg 1996). The uses of props and objects in Robert Wilsons theatre Robert Wilson usually selects and designs properties with large-scale settings and with the uses of huge space to suit his characteristics of a highly selective method of visual communication. He not only designs the props himself but often takes part in their construction as well. Whether it is a piece of furniture or an object such as a giant crocodile, a large black crow sitting on a womans arm, long thin ladders reach high into the fly tower and many others (Holmberg 1996). He used different shapes, size, colours and style while designing his props and objects. He used the exaggeration technique in some of these objects as well as the realistic and abstract style and many other techniques. But when combined these objects with all the other visual elements of Wilsons productions it present a unified network of dynamic optical that dazzled the audience (Whitemore, 1994). The importance of costume Costume for Robert Wilson is considered to be one of the significant aspects in his theatre. He uses costumes for every kind of signification possible. Wilson constantly chose every costume for his performances very carefully in order to fulfil its visual impact. Many of the costumes he uses in his performances are realistic and many are satirical. For example, his epic performance, Death Destruction and Detroit II, are groups of costumes from unrelated periods with different styles, sizes, shapes, lines and colours. The audience see large dinosaurs, an huge round man in a white suit and a woman in a magical lights dress. In his other performances he used different kind of animals such as a giant cat that is so large that only his legs can be seen walking across the stage, dancing ostriches, a child in a diaper, a man in an oversized, padded-shouldered trench coat, soldiers in various uniforms, and many other costumes (Whitemore, 1994). The costumes are made to reveal movement and style and to signify every kind of information: period, mood, style, and emotional state of the character. He always chooses his costumes, the sizes, shapes, colours, and styles almost randomly and instinctively but with taking into account the unification the total performances signifiers. The costume signifiers are mixed, compatible and contradictory at the same time as black and white, giant and tiny, rough and smooth but at the same time, when it all combined with the set, properties and lighting they present global signifiers of epic and spiritual consequence for the spectators to gather into meanings (Whitemore, 1994). The uses of lighting According to Wilson, the most important part of theatre is light as well as the light is the most important actor on stage (Holmberg 1996). He is also recognized by some as the greatest theatre lighting artist of our time. Wilson found a way to use light as the central signifier, replacing the performer, as in one of the scenes in Einstein on the beach when the light displaced the actor and became the action for nearly half an hour. Wilson is very concerned with how images are defined onstage, and this has practically everything to do with the light that is placed on a given object. He feels that the lighting design can really bring the production to life. Tom Kamm, The set designer for Wilsons Civil Wars performance said a set for Wilson is canvases for the light to hit like paint (Holmberg 1996). This attention to detail certainly proves his devotion to the importance of lighting, In Death Destruction and Detroit, Wilson used light as a defining signifier of the theatrical scene. T hrough a constantly shifting black and white, shadow and bright this shifting served as a dominant unifying and controlling agent (Whitemore, 1994). In summary, Robert Wilson has a massive contribution in the contemporary theatre practice. He is considering one of the most important directors and designer in the contemporary theatre. Wilson revolutionized the stage by making visual communication more important than words. His productions cut across the boundaries that traditionally have defined theatre, dance, opera and the visual arts to create a total work of art. Wilsons performances concern not only for trespassing the boundaries that define artistic genres but also for erasing the distinction between high art and popular culture, forcing the audience to examine the assumptions behind these categories (Holmberg 1996). Robert Wilsons productions have decisively shaped the look of theatre. Through his use of light, costumes, props and setting as well as his exploration into the structure of his scenic and furniture design he was able to achieve his goal in changing the concepts and perceptions that related to the fixed culture. Wilson always uses the power and originality of his vision in order to create new meanings and perceptions for his theatre. Conclusion In summary, the theatrical system of signs consists of representative actions implemented in a situation with an emphasised function of objects to be observed. The power of sign systems depend on their role in generating and maintaining shared expectations as well as shared interpretive frameworks. Signs do not force us to have certain interpretations as much as they create the context for other peoples interpretations of us, and even more importantly, our own expectations of what others think. Contemporary theatre practitioners, in particular the two important directors Richard Foreman and Robert Wilson, emphasise on visual images and focus on size, shape, colour, costumes, light and other visual elements in order to create and develop a way to affect the audiences way of seeing, thinking and understanding of actions and events. Using semiotics in theatre helped the directors to see the various cultural and historical traditions as a vast source of signs. Representations in acting style, costumes, production design, music and other elements are taken from different contexts.  Also it helped them to understand how performances communicate meanings by examining the signifiers that are decoded by each member of the audience. Semiotics gives the directors a frame work for making choices about which sign system should dominate the performance, how signifiers can create meaning which the spectators interpret differently. They are asked to read the visual diminutions of performance as a key language of the theatrical discourse.

The Effects of Violent Computer Games on Children :: Essays Papers

The Effects of Violent Computer Games on Children Children are spending an increasing amount of time playing games. Research shows that as much as 92% of children between 4 and 17 years of age play video games (Zvezdan, 1). Most of these video games are violent and cause physical and mental problems in children. Computer games that are played excessively can damage a person’s health. They can cause epilepsy, damage to a child’s posture, and damage to joints, skin irritation and sight deterioration. Flashing of lights and the radiant energy of the images from the screen can trigger seizures (Randall, 1). Seizures can lead an individual to develop epilepsy. Epilepsy causes a kind of electrical storm in the brain. The most common type of epilepsy is called grand mal (â€Å"Epilepsy,† 194). It causes a sudden loss of consciousness and wild jerking of arms, legs and other parts of the body. Another adverse effect of playing computer games is crooked posture. Crooked posture is one of the most common medical problems connected to playing video games. In fact there is a huge number of children in junior high and high schools that have a crooked posture as a result of playing computer games (Zvezdan, 1). Having a crooked posture can lead to permanent spinal damage. D amage to joints or tendonitis is just another factor that comes with playing computer games excessively. The constant repetition of the same movements to hands induces damage to joints and skin irritation (Zvezdan, 1). Another effect of playing computer games is deterioration of eyesight. Hours staring at the screen, which displays rapidly flashing pictures, can impair sight. Some other physical problems caused by computer games are lack of exercise and psychomotor disorders (Setzer, 3). With lack of exercise, the buildup of fat increases causing a person to become obese. Recent news articles claim, â€Å"some children addicted to electronic games spoke too fast with limited sense, feeling or contents in their speech.†(Setzer, 3) Unable to speak properly would hold children back from excelling in their studies. The mental effects of playing violent games are just as numerous as the physical effects. Excessively playing violent computer games over along period of time can contribute to â€Å"obsessive, addictive behavior,† the player will be dehumanized, and feelings will be desensitized (Setzer, 1). The Effects of Violent Computer Games on Children :: Essays Papers The Effects of Violent Computer Games on Children Children are spending an increasing amount of time playing games. Research shows that as much as 92% of children between 4 and 17 years of age play video games (Zvezdan, 1). Most of these video games are violent and cause physical and mental problems in children. Computer games that are played excessively can damage a person’s health. They can cause epilepsy, damage to a child’s posture, and damage to joints, skin irritation and sight deterioration. Flashing of lights and the radiant energy of the images from the screen can trigger seizures (Randall, 1). Seizures can lead an individual to develop epilepsy. Epilepsy causes a kind of electrical storm in the brain. The most common type of epilepsy is called grand mal (â€Å"Epilepsy,† 194). It causes a sudden loss of consciousness and wild jerking of arms, legs and other parts of the body. Another adverse effect of playing computer games is crooked posture. Crooked posture is one of the most common medical problems connected to playing video games. In fact there is a huge number of children in junior high and high schools that have a crooked posture as a result of playing computer games (Zvezdan, 1). Having a crooked posture can lead to permanent spinal damage. D amage to joints or tendonitis is just another factor that comes with playing computer games excessively. The constant repetition of the same movements to hands induces damage to joints and skin irritation (Zvezdan, 1). Another effect of playing computer games is deterioration of eyesight. Hours staring at the screen, which displays rapidly flashing pictures, can impair sight. Some other physical problems caused by computer games are lack of exercise and psychomotor disorders (Setzer, 3). With lack of exercise, the buildup of fat increases causing a person to become obese. Recent news articles claim, â€Å"some children addicted to electronic games spoke too fast with limited sense, feeling or contents in their speech.†(Setzer, 3) Unable to speak properly would hold children back from excelling in their studies. The mental effects of playing violent games are just as numerous as the physical effects. Excessively playing violent computer games over along period of time can contribute to â€Å"obsessive, addictive behavior,† the player will be dehumanized, and feelings will be desensitized (Setzer, 1).

Baroque music Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

The Music of the Baroque Era The style of polyphonic music containing elaborate ornamentation and contrasting elements, that is how Baroque music is defined. The Baroque era was a kind of transitional era in art and music. The Renaissance means rebirth and is typically regarded as such. The Baroque era in music is not a set style in music but many diverse styles which may be broken down into at least three distinct periods. A renewed interest in art and music was experienced throughout the Renaissance which then led to the Baroque era which was more of a transitional stage leading up to the maturity of classical music in the Classical era which began as Baroque ended. (Howard n. pag.) The origins of the word Baroque itself is as obscure as the melodies contained in its music. Many people believe that the word baroque came from two different places. Some believe that it came from the word barocco, which is Italian and means bizarre or strange. Others believe that it is Portuguese and it came from the word barroco meaning distorted or irregularly shaped pearl. The barroco was considered more beautiful because of its uniqueness. Either way the name stuck. The era began in 1600 and ended with Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) death in 1750. Bach is likely the best known and most widely appreciated composer of the era, although Antonio Vivaldi and George Fridiric Handel were certainly very important composers of the time as well. The music of the Baroque itself is very colorfu...