Experts Guide to the AP Literature Exam

Expert's Guide to the AP Literature Exam SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're planning to take theAP English Literature and Composition exam, you'll need to get familiar with what to expect from the test. Whether the 2019 test date ofWednesday, May 8 is near or far,I’m here to help you get serious about preparing for the exam. In this guide I’ll go over the test's format and question types, howit's graded, best practices for preparation, and test day tips. You’ll be on your way to AP English Lit success in no time! AP English Literature: Exam Format and Question Types The AP Literature Exam is a three-hour exam that contains two sections. First is an hour-long, 55-question multiple choice section, and then a two hour, three question free-response section. The exam tests your ability to analyze works and excerpts of literature and also cogently communicate that analysis in essay form. Read on for a breakdown of the two different sections and their question types. Multiple Choice Section The multiple-choice section, or Section I of the exam, is 60 minutes long and has 55 questions. You can expect to see 4-5 excerpts of prose and poetry. You will, in general, not be given an author, date, or title for these works, although occasionally the title of a poem is given. Unusual words are also sometimes defined for you. The date ranges of works could fall from the 16th to the 21st century. Most works will be originally written in English, although you may occasionally see a passage in translation. There are, generally speaking, eight kinds of questions you can expect to see on the AP English Literature and Composition test. I’ll break each of themdown here and give you tips on how to identify and approach them. "Tiny books carried by ladies" is not one of the question types. The 8 Multiple-Choice Question Types on the AP Literature Exam Without further ado, here are the eight question types you can expect to see on the AP lit exam. All questions are taken from the sample questions on the â€Å"AP Course and Exam Description.† Reading Comprehension These are questions that test your ability to understand what the passage is saying on a pretty basic level. They don’t require you to do a lot of interpretation- you just need to know what is actually going on. You can identify these from words and phrases like â€Å"according to,† â€Å"asserting,† â€Å"mentioned,† and so on. Basically, words that point to a fairly concrete register of meaning. You can succeed on these questions by careful reading of the text. You may have to go back and re-read parts to make sure you understand what the passage is saying. Example: Inference These questions ask you to infer something- a character or narrator’s opinion, an author’s intention, and so forth- based on what is said in the passage. It will be something that isn’t stated directly or concretely, but that you can assume based on what is stated clearly in the passage. You can identify these questions from words like â€Å"infer,† and â€Å"imply.† The key to these questions is to not be tripped up by the fact that you are making an inference- there will be a best answer, and it will be the choice that is best supported by what is actually found in the passage. In many ways, inference questions are like second-level reading comprehension questions- you need to know not just what a passage says, but what it means. Example: Identifying and Interpreting Figurative Language These are questions in which you have to either identify what word or phrase is figurative language or provide the meaning of a figurative phrase. You can identify these as they will either explicitly mention figurative language (or a figurative device like simile or metaphor) or will include a figurative language phrase in the question itself. The meaning of figurative language phrases can normally be determined by the phrase’s context in the passage- what is said around it? What is the phrase referring to? Example 1: Identifying Example 2: Interpreting Literary Technique These questions involve identifying why an author does what they do: from using a particular phrase to repeating certain words. Basically, what techniques is the author using to construct the passage/poem and to what effect? You can identify these questions bywordslike â€Å"serves chiefly to,† â€Å"effect,† â€Å"evoke,† and â€Å"in order to.† A good way to approach these questions is to ask yourself, so what? Why did the author use these particular words or this particular structure? Example: Character Analysis These questions will ask you to describe something about a character. You can spot them because they will refer directly to characters’ attitudes, opinions, beliefs, or relationships with other characters. This is, in many ways, a special kind of inference question since you are inferring the broader personality of the character based on the evidence in a passage. Also, these crop up much more commonly for prose passages than poetry ones. Example: Overall Passage Questions Some questions will ask you to identify or describe something about the passage/poem as a whole: its purpose, tone, genre, etc. You can identify these byphrases like â€Å"in the passage,† and â€Å"as a whole.† To answer these questions, you need to think about the excerpt with a bird’s-eye view. What is the overall picture created by all the tiny details? Example: Structure Some questions will ask you about specific structural elements of the passage- a shift in tone, a digression, the specific form of a poem, etc.Often these questions will specify a part of the passage/poem and ask you to identify what that part is accomplishing. Being able to identify and understand the significance of any shifts- structural, tonal, in genre, etc- will be of key importance for these questions. Example: Grammar/Nuts Bolts Very occasionally you will be asked a specific grammar question, such as what word an adjective is modifying. I would also include in this category very specific questions like the meter of a poem (i.e. iambic pentameter). These questions are less about the literary artistry and more about the fairly dry technique involved in having a fluent command of the English language. Example: That covers the 8 question types! Keep track of these. The AP Literature Free-Response Section Section II of the exam is two hours long and involves three free-response essay questions- so you'll have roughly 40 minutes per essay. Note, though, that no one will prompt you to move from essay to essay, so you can theoretically divide up the time how you want (but be sure to leave enough time for each essay). The first two essays are literary analysis essays of specific passages, with one poem and one prose excerpt- and the final is an analysis of a given theme in a work selected by you, the student. Essays One and Two - Literary Passage Analysis For the first two essays, you’ll be presented with an excerpt and directed to analyze the excerpt for a given theme, device, or development.One of the passages will be poetry, and one will be prose.You will be provided with the author of the work, the approximate date, and some orienting information (i.e. the plot context of an excerpt fromanovel). Sample Questions (from 20 Free Response Questions) Poetry: Prose: Essay Three - Thematic Analysis For the third and final essay, you’ll be asked to discuss a particular theme in a work that you select.You will be provided with a list of notable works that address the given theme below the prompt, but you can also choose to discuss any â€Å"work of literary merit.† So you DO have the power to choose which work you wish to write an essay about, but the key word here is â€Å"literary merit.† So no genre fiction! Stick to safe bets like authors in the list on pages 10- of the Course and Exam Description. (I know, I know- lots of ‘genre’ fiction works DO have literary merit, and Shakespeare actually began as low culture, and so on and so forth. You may well find academic designations of â€Å"literary merit† elitist and problematic, but the time to rage against the literary establishment is not your AP lit test.) Here’s a sample question (from 20): As you can see, the list of works provided spans many different time periods and countries:there are ancient Greek plays (Antigone), modern literary works (like Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin or Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible), Shakespeare plays (The Merchant of Venice), 19th-century Russian lit (Crime and Punishment), and so on. You might even see something by this guy. How Is the AP Literature Test Graded? The multiple-choice section of the exam comprises 45% of your exam score. The three essays comprise the other 55%. Each essay, then, is worth about 18%. As on other AP exams, your raw score will be converted to a score from 1-5. You don’t have to get every point possible to get a 5 by any means- but the AP English Literature test does have one of the lowest 5 rates of all APs, with only 5.6% of students receiving 5s in 2018. But how do you get raw scores at all? Multiple-Choice Scoring For the multiple-choice section, you receive a point for each question you answer correctly. There is no guessing penalty, so you should answer every question- but guess only after eliminating any answer that you know is wrong to up your chances of choosingthe correct one. Free-Response Scoring Scoring for multiple choice is pretty straightforward. However, essay scoring is a little more complicated. Each of your essays will receive a score from 0-9 based on the College Board rubric. You can actually find question-specific rubrics for all of the released free-response questions for AP English lit (see â€Å"scoring guidelines†). While all of the rubrics are broadly similar, there are some minor differences between each of them. I’ll go over the rubrics now- both what they say and what they mean for you. Poetry Passage Analysis Rubric Score What the College Board Says What it Means 9-8 These essays persuasively address the assigned task. These essays offer a range of interpretations; they provide a convincing reading and analysis of the poem. They demonstrate consistent and effective control over the elements of composition appropriate to the analysis of poetry. Their textual references are apt and specific. Though they may not be error-free, these essays are perceptive in their analysis and demonstrate writing that is clear and sophisticated, and in the case of a 9 essay, especially persuasive. Your argument is convincing and it addresses all elements of the prompt. You interpret the language of the poem in a variety of ways (i.e. your analysis of the poem is thorough). Your essay is particularly well-written and well-organized. You appropriately reference specific moments in the poem to support your argument. A 9 essay is particularly persuasive. 7-6 These essays reasonably address the assigned task. They are less thorough or less precise in the way they address the task, and their analysis is less convincing. These essays demonstrate an ability to express ideas clearly, making references to the text, although they do not exhibit the same level of effective writing as the 9-8 papers. Essays scored a 7 present better-developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a 6. You address all elements of the prompt, but your analysis is not as complete or convincing as a 9-8 essay. You do make specific references to the poem and your writing is clear and effective, but not necessarily masterful. 5 These essays respond plausibly to the assigned task, but they tend to be superficial in their analysis. They often rely on paraphrase, which may contain some analysis, implicit or explicit. Their analysis may be vague, formulaic, or minimally supported by references to the text. There may be minor misinterpretations of the poem. These essays demonstrate some control of language, but they may be marred by surface errors. These essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as 7-6 essays. You answer the prompt in a way that is not implausible or unreasonable, but your analysis of the poem is surface-level. You may paraphrase the poem instead of making specific references to its language. You may not adequately support your analysis of the poem, or you may misinterpret it slightly. Your essay is not a total mess, but not necessarily particularly well-organized or argued. 4-3 These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of the poem. The analysis may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant, or ignore part of the assigned task. Evidence from the poem may be slight or misconstrued, or the essays may rely on paraphrase only. The essays often demonstrate a lack of control over the conventions of composition: inadequate development of ideas, accumulation of errors, or a focus that is unclear, inconsistent, or repetitive. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading, demonstrate inept writing, or do both. You do not adequately address the prompt. Your analysis of the poem is incomplete or incorrect, or you do not reference any specific language of the poem. Your essay is undeveloped, unclear, or poorly organized. A 3 essay either significantly misinterprets the poem or is particularly poorly written. 2-1 These essays compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4–3 range. Although some attempt has been made to respond to the prompt, the student’s assertions are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the poem. These essays may contain serious errors in grammar and mechanics. They may offer a complete misreading or be unacceptably brief. Essays scored a 1 contain little coherent discussion of the poem. Only minimal attempt is made to respond to the prompt. Essay is disorganized or not supported by evidence from the poem. May contain numerous grammar and mechanics errors. May completely misinterpret the poem or be too short. A 1 essay barely mentions the poem. 0 These essays give a response that is completely off topic or inadequate; there may be some mark or a drawing or a brief reference to the task. No real attempt is made to respond to the prompt. - These essays are entirely blank You didn’t write anything! Prose Passage Analysis Rubric Score What the College Board Says What it Means 9-8 These essays persuasively address the assigned task. These essays make a strong case for the student’s interpretation. They may consider a variety of literary devices, and they engage the text through apt and specific references. Although these essays may not be error-free, their perceptive analysis is apparent in writing that is clear and effectively organized. Essays scored a 9 reveal more sophisticated analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored an 8. Your argument is convincing and addresses all parts of the prompt. You discuss a number of literary devices in your analysis and use specific and appropriate excerpts from the text as evidence in your argument. Your writing is clear, focused, and well-organized. A 9 essay has a particularly well-developed interpretation of the text and is better-written than an 8. 7-6 These essays reasonably address the task at hand. The writers provide a sustained, competent reading of the passage, with attention to a variety of literary devices. Although these essays may not be error-free and are less perceptive or less convincing than 9–8 essays, they present ideas with clarity and control and refer to the text for support. Essays scored a 7 present better developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a 6. You address all elements of the prompt. Your interpretation is coherent and you reference multiple literary devices in your analysis. You do reference specific moments in the text for support. Your essay is adequately organized and focused. However, your argument may be less convincing or insightful (i.e. more obvious) than a 9-8 essay. 5 These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading of the passage but tend to be superficial or thin. While containing some analysis of the passage, implicit or explicit, the way the assigned task is addressed may be slight, and support from the passage may tend toward summary or paraphrase. While these essays demonstrate adequate control of language, they may be marred by surface errors. These essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as 7–6 essays. You address the prompt, but your argument may be surface-level. You rely too much on summary or paraphrase of the text in your argument instead of using specific moments in the text. Your essay does have some elements of organization and focus but has some distracting errors. 4-3 These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of the passage. The analysis may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant; the writers may ignore part of the assigned task. These essays may be characterized by an unfocused or repetitive presentation of ideas, an absence of textual support, or an accumulation of errors. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading, demonstrate inept writing, or do both. You do not adequately address the prompt, whether because your argument is partly unrelated to the task at hand or simply ignores elements of the prompt. Your essay is poorly focused and/or repetitive and has little textual support. A 3 essay significantly misinterprets the passage and/or is very poorly written. 2-1 These essays compound the weaknesses of the essays in the 4–3 score range. They may feature persistent misreading of the passage or be unacceptably brief. They may contain pervasive errors that interfere with understanding. Although some attempt has been made to respond to the prompt, the student’s ideas are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the passage. Essays scored a 1 contain little coherent discussion of the passage. Essay does not adequately address the assigned task. It may be very short or repeatedly misinterpret the passage. May be poorly written enough that it is hard to understand. These essays may be unfocused, unclear, or disorganized. 0 These essays give a response that is completely off topic or inadequate; there may be some mark or a drawing or a brief reference to the task. No real attempt is made to respond to the prompt. - These essays are entirely blank You didn’t write anything! Student Choice Rubric Score What the College Board Says What it Means 9-8 These essays offer a well-focused and persuasive analysis of the assigned theme and how it relates to the work as a whole. Using apt and specific textual support, these essays address all parts of the prompt. Although these essays may not be error-free, they make a strong case for their interpretation and discuss the literary work with significant insight and understanding. Essays scored a 9 reveal more sophisticated analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored 8. Your essay convincingly addresses the task in a way that is clear and focused. You reference many specific moments in the text in support of your argument. You build a strong case- with lots of evidence- in support of your interpretation of the text. Your argument shows a deep understanding of the text. A 9 essay has more complex analysis and is better-written than an 8. 7-6 These essays offer a reasonable analysis of the work of the assigned theme and how it relates to the work as a whole. These essays address all parts of the prompt. While these essays show insight and understanding, their analysis is less thorough, less perceptive, and/or less specific in supporting detail than that of the 9–8 essays. Essays scored a 7 present better developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a 6. Your essay addresses the task adequately. Your interpretation of the text is apt and shows that you generally understood it, although your analysis may be more conventional or include less specific textual evidence than a 9-8 essay. 5 These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading, but they tend to be superficial or thinly developed in analysis. They often rely upon plot summary that contains some analysis, implicit or explicit. Although these essays display an attempt to address the prompt, they may demonstrate a rather simplistic understanding and support from the text may be too general. While these essays demonstrate adequate control of language, they may be marred by surface errors. These essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as 7–6 essays. Your essay addresses the prompt, but your argument may be very basic and/or rely too much on plot summary instead of true analysis of the text. Your essay may reveal that you do not thoroughly understand the text. Your essay may have some grammar/linguistic errors. Your essay is not especially well-organized or focused. 4-3 These lower-half essays fail to adequately address the assigned task. The analysis may be partial, unsupported, or irrelevant, and the essays may reflect an incomplete or oversimplified understanding of how a given theme functions in the text, or they may rely on plot summary alone. These essays may be characterized by an unfocused or repetitive presentation of ideas, an absence of textual support, or an accumulation of errors; they may lack control over the elements of college-level composition. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading and/or demonstrate inept writing. Your essay does not address the prompt. Your analysis shows that you either do not understand how to address the prompt, cannot build support for your interpretation, or do not understand the text. Your essay may be poorly organized, poorly written and/or repetitive. A 3 essay significantly misinterprets the chosen work and/or is very poorly written. 2-1 Although these essays make some attempt to respond to the prompt, they compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4–3 score range. Often, they are unacceptably brief or incoherent in presenting their ideas. They may be poorly written on several counts and contain distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Remarks may be presented with little clarity, organization, or supporting evidence. Essays scored a 1 contain little coherent discussion of the text. Your essay does not address the prompt. It may be too short or make little sense. These essays may be unfocused, poorly organized, completely unsupported, and/or riddled with grammatical errors 0 These essays give a response that is completely off topic or inadequate; there may be some mark or a drawing or a brief reference to the task. No real attempt is made to respond to the prompt. - These essays are entirely blank You didn’t write anything! As you can see, the rubric for the poetry essay is focused more on poetic devices, and the rubric for the prose essay is focused more on literary devices and techniques. Both of those essays are very specifically focused on the analysis of the poem/prose excerpt. By contrast, the student choice essay is focused onhow your analysis fits into the work as a whole. To get a high-scoring essay in the 9-8 range, you need to not only come up with an original and intriguing argument that you thoroughly support with textual evidence, your essay needs to be focused, organized, clear, and well-written. And all in 40 minutes peressay! If getting a high score sounds like a tall order, that’s because it is. The mean scores on each of the essays last year was around a 4 out of 9. That means, most essays were scored lower than a 5. So even getting a 7 on these essays is an accomplishment. If you write it down, it must be true! Skill-Building for Success on the AP Literature Exam There are several things you can do to hone your skills and best prepare for the AP Litexam. Read Some Books, Maybe More Than Once One of the most important things you can do to prepare yourself for the AP Literature and Composition exam is to read a lot, and read well. You’ll be reading a wide variety of notable literary works in your AP English Literature course, but additional reading will help you further develop your analytical reading skills. You might check out the College Board’s list of â€Å"notable authors† on pages 10- of the â€Å"Course and Exam Description.† In addition to reading broadly, you’ll want to become especially familiar with the details of 4-5 books with different themes so that you’ll be sure to be prepared to write a strong student choice essay. You should know the plot, themes, characters, and structural details of these 4-5 books inside and out. See my AP English Literature Reading List for more guidance. Read (and Interpret) Poetry One thing students may not do very much on their own time, but that will help a lot with exam prep, is to read poetry. Try to read poems from a lot of eras and authors to get familiar with the language. When you think you have a grip on basic comprehension, move on to close-reading (see below). Hone Your Close Reading and Analysis Skills Your AP class will likely focus heavily on close reading and analysis of prose and poetry, but extra practice won’t hurt you. Close-reading is the ability to identify which techniques the author is using and why they are using them. You’ll need to be able to do this both to gather evidence for original arguments on the free-response questions and to answer analytical multiple-choice questions. Here are some helpful close-reading resources for prose: The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s writing center has a guide to close-reading. You can also check out this close-reading guide from the Harvard College Writing Center. The Purdue OWL has an article on steering clear of close-reading â€Å"pitfalls.† And here are some for poetry: The University of Wisconsin-Madison also has a poetry-reading guide. There’s also an excellent guide to reading poetry at Poets.org, complete with two poetry close-readings. Learn Literary and Poetic Devices You’ll want to be familiar with literary terms so that any questions that ask about them will make sense to you. Again, you’ll probably learn most of these in class, but it doesn’t hurt to brush up on them. Here are some comprehensive lists of literary terms with definitions: About.com Literary Glossary Literary-Devices.Com list, which even has examples! Practice Writing Essays The majority of your grade on the AP English Lit exam comes from essays, so it’s critical that you practice your timed essay-writing skills. You of course should use the College Board’s released free-response questions to practice writing complete timed essays of each type, but you can also practice quickly outlining thorough essays that are well-supported with textual evidence. Take Practice Tests Taking practice tests is a great way to prepare for the exam. It will help you get familiar with the exam format and experience. You can get sample questions from the Course and Exam Description, there are released College Board exams here, and we have a complete article on AP English Lit practice test resources. Be aware that the released exams don’t have complete slates of free-response questions, so you may need to supplement with released free-response questions (see link in above section). Since there are two complete released exams, you can take one towards the beginning of your prep time to get familiar with the exam and set a benchmark, and one towards the end to make sure the experience is fresh in your mind and to check your progress. Don't wander like a lonely cloud through your AP lit prep. AP Literature Test Day Tips Here are my top six tips for taking the exam: #1: On the multiple-choice section, it’s to your advantage to answer every question. If you eliminate all of the answers you know are wrong before guessing, you’ll up your chances of guessing the correct one. #2: Don’t rely on your memory of the passage when answering multiple-choice questions (or for writing essays, for that matter). Look back at the passage! #3: Interact with the text- circle, mark, underline, make notes, whatever floats your boat. This will help you retain information and actively engage with the passage. #4: This was mentioned above, but it’s critical that you know 4-5 books well for the student choice essay. You’ll want to know all the characters, the plot, the themes, and any major devices or motifs the author uses throughout. #5: Be sure to plan out your essays! Organization and focus are critical for high-scoring AP Literature essays. #6: Manage your time on essays closely. One strategy is to start with the essay you think will be the easiest to answer. This way you’ll be able to get through it while thinking about the other essays. And don't forget to eat breakfast! Apron optional. Key Takeaways The AP Literature exam is a three-hour exam: It includes one 55-question, hour-long multiple-choice section based on four-five prose and poetry passages, and a two hour free-response section with three essays- one analyzing a poetry passage, one analyzing a prose passage, and one analyzing a work chosen by the student. The multiple-choice section is worth 45% of your total score and the free-response section is worth 55%. Essays are scored on a rubric from 0-9. Raw scores are converted to a score from 1-5. Here are some things you can do to prepare for the exam: Read books, and be particularly familiar with 4-5 works for the student-choice essays Read poetry Work on your close-reading and analysis skills Learn literary devices Practice writing essays Take practice tests! On test day, be sure to really look closely at all of the passages and closely interact with them by marking the text in a way that makes sense to you. This will help on multiple-choice questions and the free-response essays. Be sure also to outline your essays before you write them! With all this mind, you’re well on your way to AP Lit success! What's Next? If you're taking other AP exams this year, you may be interested in our other AP resources: from the Ultimate Guide to the US History Exam,to the Best 2016 Review Guide for AP Chemistry, to the Best AP Psychology Study Guide, we have articles on tons of AP courses and exams. Looking for practice exams? Here are some tips on how to find the best AP practice tests. We also have comprehensive lists of practice tests for AP Psychology, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP US History. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

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Consultation For Leaders In Management. Consultation For Leaders In ManagementOrganizations the world over are encouraging a shift from a management perspective to a leadership perspective instilled through team building so as to solve inflexibility and quicken decision-making. In this essay therefore, empowerment, whereby people are encouraged to make autonomous decisions and feel in control to the resultant outcomes, has been proposed as a means of allowing dissent, encouraging teamwork and innovation. Leaders should distribute authority rather than a hands-on control approach. This is implemented by changing the manager’s perspective by: influencing through context, creating a culture whereby all employees feel included, distributing authority without reclaiming, provision of logistical and moral support to employees, setting out a clear mandate and equipping the team for anticipated success. In order to influence through context, whereby trust is laid in a higher principle, belief and guiding force, the leader must aptly define the context and desired standards by giving team members the freedom to act and innovate thereby enhancing leadership, creating a competitive edge and nurturing proactive employees. Secondly, the leader should also nurture and empower a culture of inclusion whereby the leader should ensure that every team member’s voice is heard despite their position. This atmosphere should encourage dissent as a foundation of objectivity and innovation whic h enables new ideas to be generated superior to those developed by the exercise of positional power. Thirdly, the leader should surrender positional authority and responsibilities without attempting to reclaim it so as to create pro-active employees. There is a transitory phase where the managers feel out of control and that things have gone awry and they are tempted to tighten control. This should be highly resisted. Leaders should further support the employee empowerment strategies put into place since empowerment involves giving responsibility and the freedom of choice so as to move from position of boss to coach. Also, the leaders should clearly articulate the common goal which the team is aiming at. Clarity of vision and roles played by various members should be enhanced so as to ensure accountability for specific goals and stay inbounds. Finally, equip the team members for success through training, resource allocation and information provision at all levels. This highly boosts the chances of success. (Lencioni) Management is distinct from leadership. Management employs a hands-on control whereas leadership allows responsibility allocation and freedom of choice. Management is characterized by managers having subordinates who are structured according to levels of formal authority. Management encompasses an authoritarian, transactional style whereby subordinates act on orders. It is transactional in the sense that employees are delegated duties in exchange for a salary or monetary reward. Further, management’s focus is on work and is distinct in that managers are paid to work under time and money constraints. The work focus is naturally passed to their subordinates.   Finally, a recent study shows that managers seek comfort and prefer to avoid conflict through engaging in relatively risk-averse activities since they have been observed to come from upper-middle incomes and rich families. On the other hand, leaders do not have subordinates but rather have followers. When managers are le ading, they have to give up formal authority to encourage a following since this is usually voluntary. This style encompasses a charismatic and transformational style in that leaders have to appeal to team members in order to attract a following in risky and dangerous situations. They promise transformational awards not only through extrinsic rewards but also through value addition. Leadership focuses on people’s personalities rather than their work. Leaders do not necessarily have a loud personality or friendly attitude but rather maintain an aloof attitude and a degree of separation. They are achievement driven, but, instead of solely focusing on work, they enthuse others to work towards their goals. Finally, leaders seek risk and are risk takers rather than risk averse. They envision hurdles and problems and their respective solutions. They view risks as potential opportunities which have been attributed to the fact that most of them come from handicapped families in chall enging backgrounds. (Marcus Buckingham, 2008). The managers, by resisting empowerment through encouraging responsibility and allowing a freedom of choice, signify an attempt to manage rather than lead. The CEO is in essence, trying to break from a tradition of pure management and encompass skills in leadership by employing a consultant to chart on appropriate techniques to be employed.   There are several arguments in favor of leadership rather than management. First, managers should provide an inspiring vision and a strategic alignment in a team rather just control. The leader should envision the future and passionately believe on the aspired goals. Secondly, leadership is an influence relationship whereas management is an authority relationship which deters the team spirit. Leadership further defines direction through establishing a vision. This vision can easily be communicated and aligned into the team member’s spirit and energy. In a team, there is a need to energize and inspire team members in order to overcome any obstacles rather than delegating duties and authority as is the case for management. Effective leadership brings about positive, much needed change and opens up channels for innovation. (Avolio, 2003) As a consultant, there are various steps that I propose that a manager should take to change from a management style to a leadership style. Managers should first clarify and codify their convictions. The manager should evaluate his values, beliefs and ethics, how they can be demonstrated, their link to the overall organization’s goals and how the manager can change to fit within the team. Any additional assistance needed to enhance personal and organizational success should be obtained. The managers should constantly re-evaluate these steps to serve as a reality check. People cannot be forced into a following; hence, the manager should then accord the organization time to change towards their convictions. The next step is for the manager to align his or her behavior according to the convictions so as to build a collaborative culture based on the direction desired. Identify individual team player’s needs and their dreams in the workplace. Further, the manager should inte rview suppliers and customers on their specific needs in order to promote chance of success. Consultants further encourage managers to engage in conversation and communication. Listening is highly insisted upon so as to detect trends, themes and various possibilities. (Nahavandi, 2006) Empowerment has various outcomes. Key among them is decentralization whereby decision-making is as close to the action as possible hence quickening decision-making. This shall also lead to sharing of information n the organization’s goals and mission. The need to hoard and withhold information and knowledge in order to maintain control is surpassed by an openly shared information system that encourages operation on the basis of facts. Contingent rewards are also used so as to motivate team members who significantly contribute to the organization. Failure should not be automatically punished for this inhibits empowerment. Teams created ensure employees are not only responsible for their individual success but also their team members. This therefore serves to unify the employees. Alignment in an organization is compulsory so as to maintain coherence and direction by sharing common goals and vision. There are various recommendations on what the CEO should strive to attain. The CEO should ensure that: all team member participate in the formulation of a strategic plan and line of action; ensure effective communication through meetings, trainings, electronic bulletin boards, e-mails and oral channels such as the phones so as to ensure healthy team dynamics; ensure a team charter is put in place in which the project’s goals are clearly stated; ensure regular meetings are held between team members in order to brainstorm on topical issues through forms such as retreats; organize training and simulation exercises in the team by subdividing the team into subgroups that simulate healthy rivalry such as tug-of-war and ice breaking; delegate tasks so as to encourage trust in the team; promote collective responsibility in the team for mistakes committed by individual team members rather than apportioning blame for failure or inefficiency; establish appropriate conflict resolution tec hniques; carry out continuous appraisal and review on   individuals so as to curb inefficiency; introduce awards for significant achievements; keep the team focused so as to overcome any obstacles and finally, recognize the performing stage the team is currently in such as the peak period so as o maintain a consistent focus.(Argyris, 1976) References Argyris, C. (1976). Increasing Leadership Effectiveness. New York: Wiley. Avolio, B. J. (2003). Leadership Models, methods and Applications. John Wiley Sons Inc.. Lencioni, P. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A leadership Fable. J-B Lencioni. Marcus Buckingham, C. C. (2008). First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. Nahavandi, A. (2006). The art and science of leadership.

World Trade Organization and tariffs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World Trade Organization and tariffs - Assignment Example Tariffs also have been used in providing additional revenue for the government and to domestic producers at the expenses of foreign producers and customers (Alexander and Andenà ¦s, 38). This is used as one of the tools to shape policies of trade. Types of barriers imposed by Saudi Arabia for exports and importsThere are different trade barriers that are used in Saudi Arabia. The first strategy that has been used is tariffs. Saudi Arabia implies the GCC common external tariffs of five percent of most of the products used in the nation with limited number of expectation. Saudi Arabia implies twelve percent on the local products in some cases to protect the industries of the nations. Textile products are among the products that implies the 12 per cent import tariffs. Higher rates of the tariffs implies to smaller group. There is also implication of 15 per cent for other products such as aluminum and furniture. Majority of food products are subjected to five percent import duty. The le vel of imports duties ties to the level of local production of similar goods. Import prohibitions and licensing either is used in Saudi Arabia where the importation of certain articles is the prohibition of some goods or require approval from other appropriate authority. In the country, there is prohibition of goods such as pork products, used clothing, firearms, and automobiles (Alexander and Andenà ¦s, 33). Importation of some products requires special approval such as agricultural feeds, books, visual or audio media and religious materials.

How does Alexis De Tocqueville fail to see that the unequal Essay

How does Alexis De Tocqueville fail to see that the unequal accumulation of wealth resulting from Capitalism cannot be fully con - Essay Example He was from egalitarian society not the newly formed capitalist society, so this could justify why he had a blind spot concerning capitalism and could not redress the challenges of industrial commercial system on the democratic system that strives towards the equalization of social conditions. Discussion Tocqueville ideas have had extensive impacts on the concept of penance and crime, equality and democracy. His historical background immensely influenced his democracy theories. Equality of conditions is the main point of focus of Alexis Tocqueville theories. He suggests that parity is fundamental to democracy, and absence of parity caused crime. His opponents use this dependence on the concept of equality as the central weakness. For instance, Tocqueville failed to recognize that unequal wealth accumulation resulting from capitalism could not be controlled in a democracy, which meant to have socially equalizing tendencies. The equality of situations denotes a social state where one p erson’s influence over another –based on the aristocratic regime- is substituted with the egalitarian notion of individual consent. In these conditions, the act of each has two main reasonable basis, public will and personal will. The triumph of consent over the impact and the advancement of human autonomy closely connected to it have critical, political and social impacts, leaving little as it was1. Alexis Tocqueville felt religious terror, when he examined the inspiring power of this historical transformation, which he observed as providential and in agreement with humanity, therefore, his examination of the democratic world somehow is an attempt to explore his fear. Tocqueville argues that, â€Å"intellectual life would be changed by democracy, just like the passion of men† p 230. In addition, under pressure from autonomy of individuals, views would be generalized, mores softened. Therefore, public view translates to the central, influential voice. Whereas in dividual rights controls, men’s live, the ends of man heeds into neglect. Similarly, the moral life’s content is emptied from the vessel of democracy. The desire for equality, essential to democracy, overwhelms all other concerns, and starts its powerful battle to eradicate the inherent inequalities of people. It is possible to recognize the modern society in Tocqueville’s views. What critics stress in Alexis works is the tragic, and, in fact, paradoxical, recognition that democracy is extremely natural to human beings and, if not controlled, detrimental to human nature. Allowed free dominance, this desire for equality- an egalitarian instinct- restricts democracy itself, in various ways. For instance, it limits democracy by paradoxically rebuilding a natural state, originally elaborated by critical thinkers such as Plato, Marx and Hobbes as the pre-civilized situation at the centre of democratic civilization. In addition, its spreads envy, destructive of any sy stem; and finally, by gathering the natural autonomies of virtue and reason. Even though, Tocqueville recognized the aristocratic rule to be unfair, as it was anchored on an unnatural principle of familial autonomy, its hierarchical order still preserved room for principles transcending the individual will. The

Directing Juliets Long Soliloquy Essay -- Drama

How would you direct Juliet's long soliloquy in Act 4 Scene 3 on a Shakespearean stage, conveying Juliet's nightmarish terror and indecisiveness? My staging of Act 4 Scene 3 will emphasise the major themes which are continued in the play as a whole; love, fate and violence. Both Romeo and Juliet are sometimes portrayed as 'pawns of fate' unable to escape their destiny, yet in this scene as I wish to stage it, I want to show that Juliet, following the Friar's plan, takes a step towards changing that destiny. She does this out of love for Romeo and to escape the despair brought on by what she thinks will be a loveless marriage to Paris. Juliet is in the grip of very strong emotions and in this scene her morbid fantasies about tombs and spectres take a violent turn, showing the violence of her feelings and state of mind. It seems strange that most modern productions omit this scene, giving only the first and last lines. The last line too is given in various versions. Do the directors think that this "death bed soliloquy" - for that is what it turns out to be - from the heroine, is too wordy and that modern audiences cannot interpret the violent images she talks about without the images themselves before their eyes? Or do they think that such violent emotions are uncharacteristic of Juliet and are out of place? In my production I intend to combine the powerful words of the distraught Juliet with the inclusion of visual images to produce maximum impact. In order to help the Shakespearean audience visualise Juliet's words, I will place actors as ghosts and spectres acting out her fantasies in the gallery as she speaks the lines. On a Shakespearean stage the scenery was minimal, as were the props, so the contemporary audience relied on the words, clothing and the actor a lot more than we would normally do now. As the director, I would ask the young actor playing Juliet to be wearing a yellow aristocratic night gown of the era. This would indicate to the audience that in the play it is currently night time and that Juliet is in her chambers (because a respectable girl would not be outside in her night clothes). The Shakespearean audience was very superstitious, so Juliet wearing a night gown that is yellow would also portray to them ideas of optimism. Also, along the ideas of superstition, I would want the vial to be red, ... ...loor of the gallery, where he has been waiting. Tybalt should look extremely menacing and threatening towards the crowd. As soon as Juliet says "O look!" I want the actor playing Romeo to appear on the gallery, next to Tybalt. While Juliet is speaking the next lines they should fight with rapiers. At the precise moment that Juliet says the second "stay!", I want Tybalt to stab Romeo, and then for all the actors on the upper stage to collapse to floor so they are not seen. I believe that in the staging of this scene, with actors acting out Juliet's fantasies as she says them, I have exploited the full potential of the Elizabethan stage. Since their access to props and lighting was limited, words had to convey the idea of action, but by combining verbal and visual I wanted to maximise the impact of the words. Juliet's highly emotional state is shown by her restless movements over the stage and her imaginings are portrayed in the gallery above. The violence shown throughout the play is mirrored here in Juliet's words. Her love for Romeo is the cause of the scene but the audience knows that in the end it is all futile since Juliet and Romeo are "star-crossed lovers".

Reality Tv Shows

What Reality TV Tells Us about American Culture Reality TV (RTV) and tabloid journalism have often been compared to each other. (Hill 80) Are both bringing out the worst in American culture or and they merely an example of what American culture is all about, holding a mirror up to the audience? Western culture in general and American culture in particular has always been fascinated by two things in regards to what fascinates and intrigues their interests and holds their attention, love and war. It is no different when it comes to reality TV.These polar opposites are almost always found together in life, as well as in reality TV. In Robin L. Nabi’s research presented in the journal article, â€Å"Determining Dimensions of Reality: A Concept Mapping of the Reality TV Landscape,† he draws the following conclusions from the data gathered, â€Å"The MDS [Minimum Data Set] results from both sets of data suggest that the two characteristics most salient to audiences when thin king about reality-based programming are romance and competition. † (371) These can come under many names; sex and violence, drama and action, and so on.But first we need a definition of reality TV in order to limit the scope of this analysis. Dr. Nabi and associates found that the authorities in Television production companies have not set a particular definition in regards to what is and what is not reality TV. Dr. Nabi offers us the following parameters: [There are] several key elements that characterize such programs: (a) people portraying themselves, (b) filmed at least in part in their living or working environment rather than on a set, (c) without a script, (d) with events placed in a narrative context, (e) for the primary purpose of viewer entertainment.In essence, reality programs are marked by ordinary people engaged in unscripted action and interaction. (Nabi 371) While this guideline certainly makes a good rule of thumb, one other thing must be remembered when deal ing with the genre. Unlike real life, reality TV is heavily edited by its producers to synthesize and often even contrive and misconstrue events to make them look more powerful than they were in real life. Most frequently the time frame is condensed from a week of production into twenty or so minutes of RTV.This condensation eliminates some of the nuances of real life, but often makes it more exciting. Also, editing after the fact has certain advantages as evinced by this analysis of the popular RTV show, â€Å"Cops:† [The] narrator provides viewers with information about the suspects that may not be known by the officer at the time of the chase, stop, or initial interview. The audience†¦ may be told at the beginning of the anecdote that the driver of a fleeing car has an outstanding warrant or is intoxicated. The pursuing officers may only know this information after the suspect is apprehended.Nonetheless, according to the programs, the officer is clearly making the app ropriate choice by following his or her hunch. Viewers are provided the illusion that they are watching real events unfold but with knowledge based on hindsight (a product of editing), which the officers do not have. (Prosise & Johnson 73) This poses to the audience that the arresting officers are clear in their duty and response, but in the reality of the scene, they may have not had such clear cut motives in stopping the suspect.One of the most prevalent problems associated with this type of programming and across the nations police force, is the dilemma of racial profiling that can be exacerbated by such justifications. (Prosise & Johnson) There is also a paradoxical twist to the predilection of Americans watching RTV. We, as well as many other technically proficient nations, are a culture that is inundated with news, twenty four hours a day seven days a week. There is news even when there is no news to tell. Broadcasters begin to focus on the mundane events of people with the ug liest dogs in the world, or rehash old news events for weeks or months at a time.However, Americans in droves are focusing on RTV as a seeming balm to this over information. (Javors 35; Papacharissi & Mendelson 358) Perhaps the one difference that RTV has when compared to reality news is that there is always a resolution that seems understandable. This is often not the case in real life. Sometimes missing millionaires lost in flight over the desert are never found, a young girl missing, presumed dead, in Aruba whose body is never located, all this leaves us wanting closure, perhaps RTV gives us that closure.The knowledge that at the end of the series there is always gong to be a winner is a very safe way to be satisfied. The Cops always get their man or woman as the case may be. On an individual basis, what is RTV telling us about us? Papacharissi & Mendelson in their article, â€Å"An Exploratory Study of Reality Appeal: Uses and Gratifications of Reality TV Shows,† feel tha t, â€Å"The premise of reality TV requires that individuals place themselves on public display, thus forfeiting all claims to personal privacy for the sake of transient fame and the possibility of monetary compensation. (355) So for the possibility of Warhol’s fifteen minutes of fame and the glory of the prize, a modeling contract, a million dollars, or the idol of millions, we are willing to embarrass and expose ourselves to ridicule, if the price is right. This harkens back to early TV and game shows as well as the popular series Candid Camera. Although the reality at the end of Candid Camera was the surprise that you were actually being filmed. There was no payoff other than being on TV and most participants were willing to sign their names on the release forms. This brings us back to our original associate with RTV and tabloid journalism:A core feature of popular factual television is that it presents information in an entertaining manner. The origins of reality program ming point towards a close association with tabloid news†¦ Although the tabloid news connection is often used as evidence of the ‘dumbing down' of factual television, the connection can also be used as evidence of the way reality TV attempts to present information to audiences who want to be entertained and informed at the same time. (Hill 80) In Annette Hill’s book, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television, she presents RTV as factual context in an entertainment venue.A fan of RTV, Ms. Hill fells that it is often the target of cultural profiling in associating it with the less savory aspects of reportage and the lowest common denominator (LCD) of tabloid journalism. Many would argue with her conclusion as she goes on to compare watchers of RTV with fans of horror or violent action movies. To say that fans of violent movies will exhibit violent behavior, she contends, is a gross generalization. The same gross generalization that RTV has fallen prey to i s to assume those watchers are simply â€Å"voyeurs† with no real life of their own. (Hill 83)However, psychologist and therapist are viewing RTV with a skeptical eye. They feel that there is an aching psyche in the American culture that is using RTV as a cure, much in the way the Marx referred to religion as being the opiate of the people, or as one writer updates it: Is reality TV the crack cocaine of what critic Marie Winn calls the â€Å"plug-in drug? † My answer is yes, when addicts' distorted views of reality make it impossible for them to function in the world outside the tube. Why meet the neighbors when we have the Osbournes? Why take that trip out West? Survivor is on at 9:00. Breyer 100) Some therapists further see this as the desensitizing of American culture. RTV coupled with the massive bombardment of news, mostly bad, from around the nation and the world is numbing us to any emotional ties to reality. Dr. Irene Javors compares RTV shows to the quick fix junk food restaurants and calls them â€Å"fast food programs† and states they are as bad for our minds as a constant diet of Double Whoppers with cheese and Chocolate Milk shakes would be to our bodies. She states that, â€Å"As a result, we are numbing ourselves to very real life challenges. (35) This makes us more and more unable to respond to life in any real or meaningful way and as technology reduces many interactions to words on a screen, this is not so unbelievable. In a world of justification RTV is not without them. Many proponents argue that RTV shows like American Idol, America’s Next Top Model, etc, have about them the lure of the lottery. If the person I am watching become Donald Trump’s new apprentice can do that, maybe I can become manager of the Burger King I am working for. A dollar and a dream is the mentality of the masses faced with this existential angst. (Hill 83; Javors 35) We are not alone in this.In China, often accused of attempting t o mimic Western culture, the producers of an RTV show â€Å"Ying Zai Zhongguo,† or translated somehow as â€Å"Win† in English draw a similar conclusion: †¦their hope that the program would encourage more people in China to start their own businesses. Song Wenming †¦hoped the show would introduce the â€Å"positive power† of entrepreneurship. Ms. Zhou said she hoped potential entrepreneurs would learn the importance of both perseverance and passion. There was much more in the same vein. (Fallows) Perhaps there is some altruism at the end of the tunnel when considering the cultural benefit of RTV.But the preponderance of the evidence seems to suggest that there is something deeply missing in the American psyche that needs to be healed. Is RTV the cure or part of the problem? This is the conundrum that researchers face. Although nothing new, since The Iliad and the Odyssey and before, circled around campfires and telling stories human beings have had som e desire for adventure, love, and battles. It is part of our nature, perhaps being suppressed, that RTV touches upon. Is it exploitation or vicarious therapy? This still remains the question. Reality Tv Shows What Reality TV Tells Us about American Culture Reality TV (RTV) and tabloid journalism have often been compared to each other. (Hill 80) Are both bringing out the worst in American culture or and they merely an example of what American culture is all about, holding a mirror up to the audience? Western culture in general and American culture in particular has always been fascinated by two things in regards to what fascinates and intrigues their interests and holds their attention, love and war. It is no different when it comes to reality TV.These polar opposites are almost always found together in life, as well as in reality TV. In Robin L. Nabi’s research presented in the journal article, â€Å"Determining Dimensions of Reality: A Concept Mapping of the Reality TV Landscape,† he draws the following conclusions from the data gathered, â€Å"The MDS [Minimum Data Set] results from both sets of data suggest that the two characteristics most salient to audiences when thin king about reality-based programming are romance and competition. † (371) These can come under many names; sex and violence, drama and action, and so on.But first we need a definition of reality TV in order to limit the scope of this analysis. Dr. Nabi and associates found that the authorities in Television production companies have not set a particular definition in regards to what is and what is not reality TV. Dr. Nabi offers us the following parameters: [There are] several key elements that characterize such programs: (a) people portraying themselves, (b) filmed at least in part in their living or working environment rather than on a set, (c) without a script, (d) with events placed in a narrative context, (e) for the primary purpose of viewer entertainment.In essence, reality programs are marked by ordinary people engaged in unscripted action and interaction. (Nabi 371) While this guideline certainly makes a good rule of thumb, one other thing must be remembered when deal ing with the genre. Unlike real life, reality TV is heavily edited by its producers to synthesize and often even contrive and misconstrue events to make them look more powerful than they were in real life. Most frequently the time frame is condensed from a week of production into twenty or so minutes of RTV.This condensation eliminates some of the nuances of real life, but often makes it more exciting. Also, editing after the fact has certain advantages as evinced by this analysis of the popular RTV show, â€Å"Cops:† [The] narrator provides viewers with information about the suspects that may not be known by the officer at the time of the chase, stop, or initial interview. The audience†¦ may be told at the beginning of the anecdote that the driver of a fleeing car has an outstanding warrant or is intoxicated. The pursuing officers may only know this information after the suspect is apprehended.Nonetheless, according to the programs, the officer is clearly making the app ropriate choice by following his or her hunch. Viewers are provided the illusion that they are watching real events unfold but with knowledge based on hindsight (a product of editing), which the officers do not have. (Prosise & Johnson 73) This poses to the audience that the arresting officers are clear in their duty and response, but in the reality of the scene, they may have not had such clear cut motives in stopping the suspect.One of the most prevalent problems associated with this type of programming and across the nations police force, is the dilemma of racial profiling that can be exacerbated by such justifications. (Prosise & Johnson) There is also a paradoxical twist to the predilection of Americans watching RTV. We, as well as many other technically proficient nations, are a culture that is inundated with news, twenty four hours a day seven days a week. There is news even when there is no news to tell. Broadcasters begin to focus on the mundane events of people with the ug liest dogs in the world, or rehash old news events for weeks or months at a time.However, Americans in droves are focusing on RTV as a seeming balm to this over information. (Javors 35; Papacharissi & Mendelson 358) Perhaps the one difference that RTV has when compared to reality news is that there is always a resolution that seems understandable. This is often not the case in real life. Sometimes missing millionaires lost in flight over the desert are never found, a young girl missing, presumed dead, in Aruba whose body is never located, all this leaves us wanting closure, perhaps RTV gives us that closure.The knowledge that at the end of the series there is always gong to be a winner is a very safe way to be satisfied. The Cops always get their man or woman as the case may be. On an individual basis, what is RTV telling us about us? Papacharissi & Mendelson in their article, â€Å"An Exploratory Study of Reality Appeal: Uses and Gratifications of Reality TV Shows,† feel tha t, â€Å"The premise of reality TV requires that individuals place themselves on public display, thus forfeiting all claims to personal privacy for the sake of transient fame and the possibility of monetary compensation. (355) So for the possibility of Warhol’s fifteen minutes of fame and the glory of the prize, a modeling contract, a million dollars, or the idol of millions, we are willing to embarrass and expose ourselves to ridicule, if the price is right. This harkens back to early TV and game shows as well as the popular series Candid Camera. Although the reality at the end of Candid Camera was the surprise that you were actually being filmed. There was no payoff other than being on TV and most participants were willing to sign their names on the release forms. This brings us back to our original associate with RTV and tabloid journalism:A core feature of popular factual television is that it presents information in an entertaining manner. The origins of reality program ming point towards a close association with tabloid news†¦ Although the tabloid news connection is often used as evidence of the ‘dumbing down' of factual television, the connection can also be used as evidence of the way reality TV attempts to present information to audiences who want to be entertained and informed at the same time. (Hill 80) In Annette Hill’s book, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television, she presents RTV as factual context in an entertainment venue.A fan of RTV, Ms. Hill fells that it is often the target of cultural profiling in associating it with the less savory aspects of reportage and the lowest common denominator (LCD) of tabloid journalism. Many would argue with her conclusion as she goes on to compare watchers of RTV with fans of horror or violent action movies. To say that fans of violent movies will exhibit violent behavior, she contends, is a gross generalization. The same gross generalization that RTV has fallen prey to i s to assume those watchers are simply â€Å"voyeurs† with no real life of their own. (Hill 83)However, psychologist and therapist are viewing RTV with a skeptical eye. They feel that there is an aching psyche in the American culture that is using RTV as a cure, much in the way the Marx referred to religion as being the opiate of the people, or as one writer updates it: Is reality TV the crack cocaine of what critic Marie Winn calls the â€Å"plug-in drug? † My answer is yes, when addicts' distorted views of reality make it impossible for them to function in the world outside the tube. Why meet the neighbors when we have the Osbournes? Why take that trip out West? Survivor is on at 9:00. Breyer 100) Some therapists further see this as the desensitizing of American culture. RTV coupled with the massive bombardment of news, mostly bad, from around the nation and the world is numbing us to any emotional ties to reality. Dr. Irene Javors compares RTV shows to the quick fix junk food restaurants and calls them â€Å"fast food programs† and states they are as bad for our minds as a constant diet of Double Whoppers with cheese and Chocolate Milk shakes would be to our bodies. She states that, â€Å"As a result, we are numbing ourselves to very real life challenges. (35) This makes us more and more unable to respond to life in any real or meaningful way and as technology reduces many interactions to words on a screen, this is not so unbelievable. In a world of justification RTV is not without them. Many proponents argue that RTV shows like American Idol, America’s Next Top Model, etc, have about them the lure of the lottery. If the person I am watching become Donald Trump’s new apprentice can do that, maybe I can become manager of the Burger King I am working for. A dollar and a dream is the mentality of the masses faced with this existential angst. (Hill 83; Javors 35) We are not alone in this.In China, often accused of attempting t o mimic Western culture, the producers of an RTV show â€Å"Ying Zai Zhongguo,† or translated somehow as â€Å"Win† in English draw a similar conclusion: †¦their hope that the program would encourage more people in China to start their own businesses. Song Wenming †¦hoped the show would introduce the â€Å"positive power† of entrepreneurship. Ms. Zhou said she hoped potential entrepreneurs would learn the importance of both perseverance and passion. There was much more in the same vein. (Fallows) Perhaps there is some altruism at the end of the tunnel when considering the cultural benefit of RTV.But the preponderance of the evidence seems to suggest that there is something deeply missing in the American psyche that needs to be healed. Is RTV the cure or part of the problem? This is the conundrum that researchers face. Although nothing new, since The Iliad and the Odyssey and before, circled around campfires and telling stories human beings have had som e desire for adventure, love, and battles. It is part of our nature, perhaps being suppressed, that RTV touches upon. Is it exploitation or vicarious therapy? This still remains the question.

Who Caused Financial Crisis Investment Bankers Or Government Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1831 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? The aim of this essay is to try to examine who was responsible for the financial crisis of the recent years, which hit the whole worlds economy. It is reasonable to blame both the government and the banks, which together contributed to create a speculative financial system, but also the mortgage holders, who asked for loans they were not able to pay. The government lacked enough control and regulation, while the banks focused on making the biggest short-term profits they could, taking excessive risks and keeping it hidden from the investors. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Who Caused Financial Crisis Investment Bankers Or Government Finance Essay" essay for you Create order The other main characters of the financial system-Mathematicians, Central Banks, Regulators and Rating Agencies-contributed to the crisis too, directly or indirectly, but to a smaller extent. Many words will be spent especially on the subprime crisis of 2007, which started in the US, the first of a series of successive and related crises throughout the world, which all together culminated in the so called Credit Crunch. Each country worldwide tried to find a solution to the problems created by the crisis, sustaining the economy, in order to avoid recession. A particular focus will be on the United Kingdom, one of the countries which suffered most the bad consequences of the crisis. This recently pushed the British government to introduce a package of austerity, one of the most severe plans of the last 30 years. The role of Government, Regulators and mortgage holders Most people around the world have lost their trust in bankers, and they are considered guilty by the majority. People should also think about what the governments did and what the governments did not do, during that period. US government lost control over the regulation of the banking system, trying to stimulate the economy and the overall consumption. During the boom of the housing market it focused on liquidity rather than on risk. It encouraged bankers to grant loans to almost everyone, even to people with low income and poor credit, without any security for banks to regain the money. The government prolonged the crisis by increasing the interest rate on borrowing, due to the increasing inflation of 2007. People who were finishing their introductory period of mortgage faced an even higher interest rate, being unable to pay their debt towards the bankers. It made the situation worse by providing support to certain financial institutions and their creditors but not for others in a n ad hoc fashion, acting too late, without a clear framework. This increased uncertainty and panic in the market. Furthermore government permitted financial firms to pick their preferred regulators in what became a race to the weakest supervisor. Regulators had ample power in many arenas and they chose not to use it. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for instance could have required more capital and stopped risky practices at the big investment banks, but it did not. In case after case after case, regulators continued to rate the institutions as safe even in the face of troubles, often downgrading them just before their collapse. Even households played their role: they borrowed excessively, leaving them vulnerable to financial distress or ruin if the value of their investments declined even modestly. From 2001 to 2007, US national mortgage debt almost doubled, and the amount of mortgage debt per household rose more than 63% from $91,500 to $149,500, even while wages were essentially stagnant. It is this combination of structural conditions that investment bankers were able to exploit. The role of Bankers and Rating Agencies On their side, bankers tried to make the biggest profit they could from the boom of the housing market. They were also encouraged by the government to lend money as much as they could, apparently without limits. This lack of control pushed bankers to give mortgages even if they were too expensive and with a high chance of default. In order to be able to sell more mortgages, mortgage companies bundled the debt into consolidation packages and sold the debt on to other finance companies, like banks. In practice they borrowed money to be able in turn to lend mortgages. Bankers sold these mortgage debts to financial intermediaries, in order to spread the risk; as a consequence rating agencies gave these mortgages a low risk rating, being unable to really understand the level of risk they carried, since the bundles passed from lenders to lenders. To make it worse, many mortgages had an introductory period of one or two years of very low interest rates, at the end of which, interest rates increased a lot. People, who were initially able to pay, found themselves no more able to, defaulting. The 2007 economic scenario was not helpful at all: inflation was increasing and the government had to persuade the bankers to increase the interest rates because of it. Householders faced lower income because of rising health care costs, rising oil prices and rising food prices. As a consequence there was a rise in mortgage defaults, since many householders could not afford to pay. This situation signalled the end of the housing boom in the US and house prices started to fall; the increasing number of defaults caused many US mortgage companies to go bankrupt. Also many banks in Europe and UK lost billions of pounds in the bad mortgage debt they had bought off US mortgage companies. Banks wrote off large losses and this made them reluctant to make further lending available. As a result it became very difficult to raise funds and borrow money worldwide; the cost of interbank lending increased a lot and the market dried up. The situation was slightly different in the UK. The mortgage lending had more controls than in the US, but the crisis hit a lot of English banks. The reason is that many banks, like Northern Rock which was the first to go bankrupt, had a high percentage of loans financed through reselling in the capital markets; when the subprime crisis hit the economy, they were unable to raise funds from it. In addition, many UK banks bought the bundles of the bad mortgages debt from US companies, directly or indirectly. Therefore when US mortgage defaults rose, many UK banks lost money. Many banks were left with a shortfall and had to ask the Bank of England for emergency funds, causing customers to worry and start withdrawing their savings. Banks tried to write off bad debts improving their balance sheets by lending less and encouraging customers to save more. As a result even UK mortgages became more expensive and lots of them, especially the riskiest, were removed from the market. At the same time, world stock markets continued to fall in value; investors rushed to sell so-called toxic assets, moving their money into safe areas such as commodities and bonds. This contributed to make the credit less easily available and more expensive; as a result consumer spending declined further, resulting in increasing unemployment as companies became unable to sustain their payrolls. Consequences and future tasks What started as a problem of private-sector debt has become a problem of public-sector debt; we have to look at the financial conditions that preceded the crisis, which is a result of the credit-driven growth: abundance and excess of cheap money that was being lent without regards to borrowers ability to repay. The banks have since become more conservative; in order to get a loan you need proof of your income and you need to have a deposit. Politicians are now attacking the banks for not lending enough: the custodians of capital are much more careful about where they use their money, and this is going to be very awkward for the economy. Looking in particular to the British governments reaction, the measures it is going to take have few precedents in the latter half of the last century: a budget which focuses on cutting 82 billion pounds in this legislature possibly before 2015. The fear is to fall in the same situation Greece and Ireland are experiencing, but many economists worry that this excessive austerity could lead to recession. The governments plan is to cut on an average of 19% the public expenditure. The outlook is a reduction of 500,000 jobs in the public sector, the rise of the pensionable age, the trim of credit allowances for well-off families, the incentive for the unemployed to find a job. The effect of this will downsize the British welfare, which would be intolerable to sustain. As a consequence many economists think that, since many families are going to experience a reduction in their income, these will bear on the consumption. Data from September 2010 show that British people have drastically reduced their spending, aware that they will need to save more. New banking regulations are being introduced at different speeds in the main economies. UK is among the quickest countries introducing bank levy, while crucial changes are being demanded by international banking regulators (based in Basle), which require banks to hold more capital in orde r to prevent losses, increase transparency and defer bonuses. Nowadays two key issues remain to be addressed: first the structure of banking-especially investment banking-and secondly international cooperation: the 2007-2008 crisis was an international one. Even those European banks which did not have any direct exposure to the US sub-prime mortgage crisis were caught-up in its effects on the global financing market; there is a need to coordinate policy, both macro and regulatory. Conclusion To sum up, both the government and the bankers contributed to create a speculative financial system which worked as a framework for the crisis. This was the result of human action and inaction: lack of control, regulation and severe parameters to follow ended up creating a bubble that burst as the overall system allowed it to happen. On one hand the government insisted on pervasive permissiveness, inducing banks to give loans to everyone, in order to make the economy work well; on the other bankers wanted to get the highest possible profits, hiding the bundles of debt and contributing for instance to confusing rating agencies. Firms and investors blindly relied on them as their arbiters of risk. As a consequence these agencies helped the market soar and then fall down. Without their active partecipation, the market for mortgages could not have been what it became. Bankers also ignored and failed to question, manage and understand the evolving risks in the system. There were warning signs of the crisis, despite many people said that it was unpredictable, but they were ignored and discounted: financial institutions made, bought, and sold mortgage securities they never did care to examine, or knew to be defective. Last but not least, ordinary people played their crucial role, integral to the consumer society. Since we love to own all the products we like, which make our life easier and give us satisfaction, many investors borrowed money without a clear limit in mind, consciousness about not being able to pay back the whole loan, or part of it; in this way we contributed to the spread of the risk and to the worsening of the situation.