Visual storytelling in films

Visual storytelling in films Literature Review Introduction In this preface section, more than a few factors that shape the art of relating visuals and stories in films will be listed down. These factors will be the root of the research in order to perform the methodology analysis of the thesis, in addition to answering the research questions as well as analyzing the obtained results from the research. Visual Storytelling in Films: What is it? The exact description of visual storytelling is hard to pin down succinctly as there are various schools of thought regarding the matter. All the same, The International Film School of Paris (EICAR) had defined it frankly as â€Å"Communicating visually in forms that can be read or looked upon. In cinema a story is most visual when ideas and emotions are expressed through performance and aesthetics as opposed to dialogue.† Based on that characterization it is not hard to understand why Monaco (2000) claims that a film is a language for it ‘communicates’ to an audience. It is not a language in the sense of English, French or Mathematic is, for there is no such thing as grammar or vocabulary that needed learning. Campsall (2002) is in agreement as he elaborated that the language of film expresses the way a film would ‘speak’ to its audiences and spectators which is why directors, producers and editors work to produce meaning from the moving still images of film, video and television. The viewers in the end are responsible in decoding these meanings in a not dissimilar way to interpreting spoken and written language. When watching a film; everyone from various age groups is able to comprehend the visuals they see. Monaco (2000) states further that there are two conclusions, that everyone can perceive and identify a visual image which leads to the above statement. Another is that even the simplest visual images are interpreted differently in by people with different backgrounds. This is because, as human beings, we don’t simply read what we see but we bring to our interpretation of moving images, a range of pre-existing expectations, information and mutual experiences that f orm the significance we take from what we see (Campsall, 2002). An essential facet of film language is its gripping temperament and its manifestation of realism also known as verisimilitude. As Campsall (2002) wrote, it is not only as if the audiences are watching a bona fide ‘window on the world’, it’s a window that they would desire to remain on watching. Through these means, films are not only capable of being entertaining, enlightening and informing to its viewers, but also enabling them to perceive the world in a particular means. Moreover this makes the film language very much recognized as semiotic what with the usage of signs, codes and conventions. Those who could understand the language are able to see the methods or conventions used for visual storytelling. Throughout this research, there were many books and articles that voiced out their opinions on methods of reading a film; each film jargons have their specific symbolism and usage depending on what the direction of the story. When one is able to properly read a film by means of identifying and understanding the conventions, one would be capable of visual storytelling (Sijll, 2005). Below is the list of the accumulated conventions used in today’s visual storytelling. Visual Storytelling: Space Space in film refers to the spatial dynamics inherent in the frame of a film. One would say that a film frame is akin to a static snapshot thus part of a moving picture. Like a painting, the static image of the frame presents inherent storytelling opportunities. Because a movie is a motion picture, the composition of the frame continuously changes. This added characteristics affords two important story elements – that of screen direction and comparison. Screen direction can suggest antagonism, individualism, and conflict, for example. A moving frame might be used to represent change, similarity or it’s opposite, stasis. Visual Storytelling: Framing a Composition The eye responds differently to various visual stimuli. Among the most important elements that have been discerned are: brightness, colour, size, shape, motion, speed, and direction. Through careful manipulations these elements can be used to guide the audience’s attention and emotional response. As always, content, juxtaposition with bordering frames, and the intersection of other elements will contribute to the viewer’s response. Visual Storytelling: Shape within the Frame Depending on use and context, shapes can be used to suggest ideas and emotions. Traditionally there are three fundamental shapes: the circle, the square and the triangle. Out of these three, many forms can be derived out of them: the half circle, the rectangle, and many others. For each shapes there are certain traditional association made of them. Block (2008) listed in â€Å"The Visual Story† some of the shape meanings. Rounded Shapes are associated with indirectness, passive, romantic, pertaining to nature, soft organic, childlike, safe and flexible. Squares however are direct, industrial, ordered, linear, unnatural, adult, and rigidness. Triangles are for aggressiveness and dynamics. Block cautions that these are not rules for new associations can always be made depending on the need of the story. Shape is merely one element in the frame. Visual Storytelling: Editing Editing is a way of constricting time and space or producing the outcome of a dream sequence or flashback. The results of editing are more often than not seamless and natural that the audiences tend not to be aware of it. In theory, editing is the constriction of scenes through assembly of shots. Different choices of editing could guide the audience’s emotional response. Pudovkin (1926) had set down five editing techniques that remain the foundation of the modern day cutting: contrast, parallelism, symbolism, simultaneity, Leit-Motif. Visual Storytelling: Time A film is a dramatic representation of life. It is made up of scenes ordered to represent the passage of film time through the assembly of edited shots. Film time is rarely paced the same as real life. With the exception of mise-en-scene, most edited sequences manipulate real time. From one cut to another, an opportunity of altering experiences of real time can be made. The reason filmmakers alter time is because they are creating a dramatic story. Only those moments that contribute to its advancement are included, all else is left out. Visual Storytelling: Sound and Music Outside of the musical score, movies rely on three kinds of sound to tell their stories: Dialogues, voiceover and sound effects. While voiceover and dialog are well understood to be writer’s tools, few screenwriters approach sound effects with the same certainty. Yet sound effects are as much the purview of the writer as are visual metaphor, sound effects can also suggest an extended aural metaphor. They can add layers of meaning to a film that are hard to achieve in other ways. Sound effects can be obvious or subtle. They can intentionally draw attention, or manipulate with stealth. They can expose, disguise, suggest establish or reveal. They can also be associated to specific events or characters. Lyrics of music can act as the voice of a character. They can reveal the inner thoughts in a way that can be more interesting than a simple dialogue scene. Lyrics can also act as the voice of the narrator. They add another delivery system with which to parcel out character and thematic information. In other times, music is symbolically used as a story element. Visual Storytelling: Transitions The movement between the end of one scene and the beginning of another is called a transition. Each transition presents an opportunity to convey story information by virtue of how the scenes are cut together. The scene can simply be cut with no intentional reference or constructed to add a story element. A matching transition is one way to exploit this opportunity and can be achieved in an infinite number of ways. Visual Storytelling: Lenses, Positions and Motions of the Camera The camera presents a scene – subjects, actions, settings – in a series of shots that render images on a screen. Instead of just placing the camera where an audience can watch the action, the camera is able to provide the audience with engaging visual experiences. Variety is important for if a scene is simply rendered by a continue series of wide shots, the eye will soon tires of repetitions. A good shot will usually contain a variety of camera framings, and angles. For example by exploiting the depth of field of the lenses, each character on scene can inhabit their own horizontal plan. In this way characters can be staged in-depth. This allows the audience to see each character reacting to one event simultaneously and in real time. Different positions also play a part. The closer the camera is to a character, the more likely audiences will sympathise with the character. Visual Storytelling: Lighting and Colour Film interprets subjects and scenes as images of light and shade. Lighting is one of the few aspects in film that has the ability to create a certain reality to the audience. There are a number of different styles of lighting, each designated as a style geared to the theme and mood, as well as its genre. Lightings can also be used to weaken subject matter. Colour on the other hand tends to be a subconscious element in film. It’s strongly emotional in its appeal, expressive atmospheric. In short, colour helps to suggest moods. Visual Storytelling: Props, Wardrobes, and Locations Props provide a dramatic way to express a characters inner world. Props speak visually, are mobile, and can be returned to throughout the movie. By purposely selecting and exploiting props, a film’s scene can be given an added layer of meaning. Wardrobes are the same as props; the decision to include wardrobe elements depends on whether it adds sufficient dramatic value be it to a character, to show character transformation or the passage of time. Another way to externalize the inner thoughts of character is to manipulate the locations. It also offers a huge storytelling potential, for a certain location can heighten drama, suggest parallels and contrast besides defining a character. All three can also serve the purpose of bringing a sense of metaphor to the film. References Arnheim, R. 1969. Film as art. Berkeley: University of California Press. Bellantoni, P. 2005. If its purple, someones gonna die. Amsterdam: Focal Press. Bordwell, D. 1985. Narration in the fiction film. Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press. Bordwell, D.; Thompson, K. (2006). Film Art: An Introduction (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Block, B. (2008). The Visual Story (2nd ed.). Burlington: Focal Press Campsall, S. (2002). Analysing Moving Image Texts: â€Å"Film Language† [Online]. Available: http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/downloads/filmanalysis.pdf [2011, January 7]. CustomFlix. (Studio). (2006). Visual Culture: Visual Storytelling [DVD]. (Available from Amazon.com) Douglass, J.; Harnden, G. (1996). The Art of Technique: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production. Boston: Allyn Bacon Dirks, T. (No date). History of Film: The Pre-1920s [Online]. Available: http://www.filmsite.org/pre20sintro.html [2011, February 25]. Duguid, M. (No date). Hitchcock’s Style [Online]. Available: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tours/hitch/tour1.html [2011, February 25]. Ebert, R. (2008). How to read a movie. Roger Ebert’s Journal [Online], 14paragraphs. Available: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/08/how_to_read_a_movie.html [2008, August 30]. Freeman, D. (No date). Visual Storytelling in Batman Begins [Online]. Available: http://www2.beyondstructure.com/article_batman.php [2011, February 25]. Gelmis, J. (1970). The Film Director As Superstar. New York: Doubleday Company. Giannetti, L. (2001). Understanding Movies (9th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall Green, D. E. 2003. The proper use of cinematic storytelling in biblical preaching. Hallahan, K. 1999. Seven models of framing: Implications for public relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 11 (3), pp. 205242. Martz, M. and Hallahan, K. 2009. Filmmakers as Social Advocates—A New Challenge for Issues Management: Claims-making and Framing in Four Social Issue Documentaries. Pedagogical Posters _ 156, p. 119. Metz, C. (1990). Film Language: A Semiotics of the Cinema. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. Monaco, J. and Lindroth, D. 2009. How to read a film. New York: Oxford University Press. Playboy (1968, September). What did Kubrick have to say about what 2001 means? Playboy Magazine, 10 paragraphs. Available: http://www.krusch.com/kubrick/Q12.html [2010, 12, December] Pimenta, S. and Poovaiah, R. 2010. On defining visual narratives. IDC Design Research Journal, 3 pp. 2546. Pudovkin, V. (1926). Film technique and Film Acting. New York: Grove Press Rosenbaum, J. 2010. Goodbye cinema, hello cinephilia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Sijll, J.V. (2005). Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know. California: Michael Wiese Ward, P. (2003). Picture Composition for Film and Television (2nd ed.). Burlington: Focal Press Zettl, H. 1973. Sight, sound, motion; applied media aesthetics. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co.

Girls of Riyadh

Discuss in what ways Girls of Riyadh demystified or confirmed your gender perceptions of the quintessential Muslim society that Saudi Arabia is meant to represent. Girls of Riyadh is the poignant delineation of Saudi Arabia’s secluded society where young women who silently cherish westernized aspirations are weaved within the strict conventional web of the Arab law.Alsanea challenges the dictatorial and Islamist regimes of Saudi Arabia by contentiously incorporating prohibited issues such as homosexuality, the quest of love, sexuality and subjugation of the women in her work. She generally attempts to demonstrate â€Å"that a Western code of life in an Arab society is more preferable and suitable than the Islamic one† (Mubarak, 2011). Subsequently, she reiterates, between Muslims and the West, the existing chasm which is grounded on the latter’s perception of Islam as an obstruction to the Arab woman and her struggle for independence.This paper accordingly elucid ates the various ways this novel demystifies gender perceptions in the typical Muslim society that Saudi Arabia is meant to represent. The characterization of the four protagonists namely Gamrah, Sadeem, Michelle and Lamees condemns Islamist fundamentalism as misogynist and calls for autonomous and secular political legal frameworks. The text simultaneously divulges the prevailing inconsistency between the opposite sexes in the Saudi society.While Doumato (1992) articulates in her work that Arab women are prohibited to travel without their ‘mahram’ or male guardian, Abdulla (1981) further exposes the prevailing sex segregation in Arab countries where the Muslim girl is anticipated to learn how to become an ideal housewife to her husband and a successful mother to her children instead of looking forward to join competitive fields such as geology, meteorology and so on which are explicitly for the men.Alsanea, by applying western tints to her novel, defies the conservativ e Arab society with the emergence of her four female characters who confront the political culture of Saudi Arabia as a social force. With the proliferation of technology in the 21st century, Alsanea uses the Internet as a medium to communicate to her readers. By so doing, she connects both male and female readers in a country where â€Å"integration of the sexes, at least in public, is still non-existent† and where â€Å"veiling is enforced† (Bahry, 1982).The virtual interaction between Lamees and the other masculine cyber users remarkably contradicts the Arab society where such crossing point is out of question. The internet, â€Å"the narrative topological main figure† (Ghadeer, 2006), becomes also a space where the narrator and her virtual female characters (â€Å"I’ve decided to change all the names of the people I will write about†) interact with the youth culture anonymously to expose the horrendous principles of the Arab society. It additio nally acts as a prominent tool in shaping the feminine’s individualism.Lamees, for instance, teaches Gamrah how to make use of the internet which helps her to isolate herself from the bitter memories of Rashid’s betrayal: â€Å"With the help of Lamees, Gamrah got to know the world of chatting†. Alsanea provokes the conventional Saudi community as Lamees plunges in the virtual world to such an extent that she can even figure out the dissimilarities between men in Riyadh and those of the eastern and western provinces: â€Å"guys from Riyadh are a little different than the eastern province boys, and they’re different from the western province and so it goes†.Virtual communication hence reconstructs the existence of the wired Saudi girl beneath her abaya into an inquisitive connection of primitive culture and technology. Digital technology appropriates the reality of the Arab feminine personality as it enables her to show that she also has a voice. As such, this Arab feminine struggle broadens democratic space in the society as a whole (Esfandiari, 2004). At the same time as the author connects orality with the internet, she deliberately underlines the real and the fictional.According to Ghadeer, this new mode of writing does not signify that Alsanea is discarding the â€Å"old form of narration or suggesting its loss† but she uses this writing style to unveil the undeniable social taboos. This is evidenced as cyberspace readers respond to the prohibited subjects brought forward by Alsanea. The taboo issues as such become overtly discussed concerns. Um Nuwayyir, for example, is thunderstruck when she is informed that her son is â€Å"defining his sexual identity† because unlike in the West to be homosexual in the Arab countries signals â€Å"an utter calamity, an illness worse than cancer. The author dismantles the hypocritical attitudes toward homosexuality which she attests is a normal behaviour that should be ac cepted in any society and by so doing her work becomes a driving force against the traditional Arab community (Mubarak, 2011). In this way Alsanea thoroughly condemns the Islamic Arab communities and distinguishes them with Western civilization. Michelle, as evidence, perpetually laments about Riyadh for not being a city like the West where â€Å"Everyone was minding his own business. However as Nuwwayir ultimately identifies his masculinity the author unconsciously emphasizes that homosexuality has no place in a country like Riyadh where gender representation remains constantly stereotyped. It is likewise outrageous as Alsanea depicts the persistence of constraints on the binary interaction between the two sexes in Riyadh even when they are out of country. To escape from her grief Sadeem leaves for London where she becomes acquainted to Firas to whom she has to prove continuously that she is not of loose character since she does not wear the abaya and interacts openly with men.Als anea henceforth demonstrates that the severe conservative Arab rules exceed geography as well. To some extent the Saudi girl is not really liberated even if she is far from her native land. This feminine narration consequently stirs the whole media as it overtly discusses how the girls impersonate the opposite sex by travelling without any male guardian and flourish sexual desires instead of confining â€Å"their bodies to foggy corridors of old traditions and patriarchal taboos† (Ghadeer).In short, it does not completely share the view that â€Å"woman is to man as butter is to sun. † The novel also highlights issues which the society rejects and alleges that both sexes are prejudiced, thus protesting that Saudi Arabia â€Å"is a fruit cocktail of social classes where no class ever mixes with another. † Michelle, the half-American and half-Saudi girl, besides, cannot marry the man of her life as Faisal’s mother, who declares this relationship fruitless, rejects her. Similarly Rashid is forced by his family to marry a Saudi girl instead of his Japanese girlfriend.Nevertheless by leaving the former for his girlfriend suggests a courageous move on the part of Rashid since unlike Faisal he draws criticism in a nation whereby people are not authorized to date until married. Lamee likewise has to split her friendship with Fatimah simply because the Arab society does not favour Sunni-Shi’a interaction. The character of Um Nuwwayir in view of that is used as a pawn to the liberation of the young lovers. Her house becomes a space where the â€Å"hapless lovers† transcends the regulation denying the mixing of unmarried people: â€Å"Um Nuwayyir’s place was the safe haven par excellence for sweethearts. It is noteworthy that, until the subject of marriage crops up, the respective relationship of Michelle-Faisal and Lamees-Firas remains secured. In other words, the author portrays wedding as a theme, which communicates th e message that practically behind every matrimony, lies the trend of incomplete lost love. As a result, at the end of the novel Sadeem marries her cousin Tariq not because she loves him but to avenge the two previous men who almost devastated her. Faisal as well marries out of compulsion while Michelle and Gamrah remain single and the experiences of her friends guide Lamees to make the right choice in her life.Among the four girls she is the apparently the only one whose married life blossoms. As a matter of fact, as Clark in the work of Fiske (2005) explicates, the woman cannot fit choices to herself and the only option left to her is agreement, hence enunciating her conforming nature. Gamrah, divorced and left with a child, has to face the hurdles of her society, â€Å"shrinking, secretly and silently† since the norms of the society does not permit her a second marriage. Clark hence stipulates, â€Å"like the kitten †¦ her eye cannot help but follow the kaleidoscopic movement of the objects surrounding her. Like all the Saudi girls, the female characters must content themselves with their culture’s contradictory stances. Girls of Riyadh moreover reinforces the Orientalist stereotypes of the Arab women, either as the overtly eroticized, just like Sadeem whose erotic conduct is apparent as she â€Å"strewed across the sofa, the candles placed here and there †¦ the black nightgown that revealed more of her body than it concealed †, or as intensely subjugated women in the male dominated world, like Gamrah who has to live under the patriarchal rules.As the novel unravels, Alsanea nonetheless obliterates this orientalist perspective as she stresses that the Riyadh woman is not â€Å"a sexual symbol† or â€Å"closeted in the palace’s women’s quarters†(Mubarak). This is demystified as Michelle confronts Faisal by attending his wedding which depicts she is strong enough to resist his betrayal and is not in n eed of his ‘manly’ support. Similarly, Lamees weds someone of her own academic position which again delineates that she is not the ‘Other’.Ultimately this proves that the hetero image of the women perceived by Orientalism is falsified as Fanon (1965) clarifies, â€Å"It was the colonialist’s frenzy †¦ his gamble †¦ to bring this woman within his re ach, to make her a possible object of possession. † Throughout this essay, it is significant that the rules the Arab law transmits do not utterly correspond to the Islamic teachings which, Shands (2008) makes clear, have been misinterpreted as â€Å"media generally tend to judge Islam in the light of the behaviour and actions of some Muslims. Likewise while the Riyadh society surrounds the woman in its suffocating grip, Islam conversely advocates the protection of woman on men’s part. Esfandiari, in regard to this, articulates that the Islam practised in Nigeria or Saudi Arabia may not necessarily reciprocate to the Islam in Indonesia. Significantly the roles and privileges of women in any nation â€Å"are the product of its particularly history, culture, and political character. † As illustration, despite being literate the Riyadh woman is not supposed to sign: â€Å"The sheikh says fingerprint, not signature.The men are the only ones who sign their names. † This does not however means the same in other Arab countries like Egypt. This paper demonstrates that although Riyadh is compacted with severe regulations concerning the women, Alsanea overtly fights against them to reveal that her girls have the potential to enrich the society. Subsequently after confronting much obstacles the female characters identify their own individuality which push them to construct their advancement. They become the channel through which any Saudi girl can modify the cultural and social circumstances of any woman.In addition, the author reveals that the misrepresent ation of the Arab woman is due to the failure of the Western literature to comprehend her. Literature should henceforth be adopted as a means to approach â€Å"different cultures through the similarities and not differences† (Shaheen, 2001). Bibliography Alsanea, Rajaa. (2007). Girls of Riyadh. New York: The Penguin Press Cooke, Miriam. (2001). Women Claim Islam. New York: Routledge Fiske, John. (2005). Cultural Studies. New York: Routledge Fanon, Franz. (1965). A Dying Colonialism. United States of America: Grove Press Mubarak, A. 2001). Twenty-First Century Arab Feminism: a movement from Islamic to the Secular. An International Journal in English, pp 1-9 Sabbagh, Suha. (1996). Arab Women: Between Defiance and Restrain. Canada: Olive Branch Press Said, Edward. (1995). Orientalism. New York: Penguin Shands, Kerstin. (2008). Neither East Nor West. Sweden: Elanders Shaheen, J. (2001). Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People. New York: New Olive Press Electronic Sources Bahry, L. (1982). The New Saudi Woman: Modernizing an Islamic Framework. Middle East Journal. Available From: http://www. jstor. rg/discover/10. 2307/4326467? uid=3738640&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101393752451 [Last Accessed on: 15. 11. 12] Booth, Marylin. (2010). The Muslim Woman as Celebrity Author and the Politics of Translating Arabic: The Girls of Riyadh Go on the Road. Indiana University Press. Available From: http://www. jstor. org/discover/10. 2979/MEW. 2010. 6. 3. 149? uid=3738640&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101393752451 [Last Accessed on: 15. 11. 12] Doumato, E. (1992). Gender, Monarchy, and National Identity in Saudi Arabia. Taylor&Francis Ltd. Available From: http://www. jstor. rg/discover/10. 2307/195431? uid=3738640&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101394015801 [Last Accessed on: 15. 11. 12] Esfandiari, H. (2004). The Woman Question. Wilson Quarterly. Available From: http://www. jstor. org/discover/10. 2307/40261249? uid=3738640&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101393752451 [Last Accessed on: 15. 11. 12] Ghadeer, M. (2006). Girls of Riyadh: A New Technology or Chick Lit Defiance Girls of Riyadh. BRILL. Available From: http://www. jstor. org/discover/10. 2307/4183570? uid=3738640&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101393752451 [Last Accessed on: 15. 11. 12]

Anthropology and Sociology Study Essay

1. The sociological perspective, as a way of thinking about the world, includes the sociological imagination from C. Wright Mills, the beginner’s mind from Bernard McGrane, and the idea of culture shock from anthropology. Explain what all three of these concepts have in common. Response: All three of these concepts have in common are the idea of breaking down social barriers to gain a different perspective on culture people and behaviors. When a person is in a new area where the culture is different it is betters to break down walls and keep an open mind they all deal with society and the differences they may have compared to the one a person is accustomed to. 2. Sociologists often have to decide if they are going to adopt a microsociological or a macrosociological approach in any given project. Explain how these perspectives differ, paying special attention to the different assumptions about how society works that are contained within each perspective. In other words, considering the starting point of each perspective, what do they seek to reveal? Response: the way in Macrosociology and microsociology differ are that they deal with different societal issues for example Macrosociology deals with issues of bigger groups that affect effect the whole such as health care, war, and the economy and microsociology is looking more at the small everyday interactions with individuals or smaller groups. For examples family or schools and other small interactions 3. Compare and contrast conflict theory with structural functionalism. Pay special attention to the way each theory treats the origin of social change. Response: Conflict theory and structural functionalism are similar in a sense where everyone can agree that someone or group has more money or power in a society. They are similar in ideas of a structured society. Where they are different is where is stems from the problem of inequality conflict theory is the notion of when people feel that a certain group has to much power and the resources aren’t distributed properly. Structural functionalism feels  that because of this imbalance in power and money (social class, heirarchey,) there is balance and order in society. 4. Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level approach to sociology. It sees face-to-face interactions as the building blocks of larger social institutions. Describe how individuals interacting with each other produce larger social institutions. Pick an example and describe how specific social acts can, when repeated by many people, produce large-scale social structures. Response: Symbolic interactionism is the process of a micro scale situation that deals with action, meaning, and, change. For example if I received a new puppy and decide to take her on a walk so becomes familiar with her environment, and another person congrats me for exercising the dog. That meaning affects change because it now gives me another reason to take my dog out for a walk. My initial reason for taking my dog out was so she can become familiar with her area if gets lost but because of that interaction with another person it gave me another reason or meaning to take her out. 5. Symbolic interactionism focuses on communication and meaning. According to symbolic interactionism, describe how meaningful reality is created. Respone: Meaning ful reality is not inherent it is not something that is innate or given meaningful reality is created through interaction between two or more people. 6. Structural functionalism attempts to explain the social world through the functions of social structures. Describe the types of functions that social structures can fulfill. Response: structural functionalism can be compared to that of the human body you need all individual parts working together to function properly. For example the food industry. The food industry is a system that allows people to buy fresh produce this system is needed because in a society where there is no access to farming and growing their own food. 7. According to Karl Marx, what is the relationship between the economy and other parts of society, including intellectual, religious, and political life? Karl Marx believes that a capitalistic society separates the rich from the poor. corporations that holds the money hold the power to dictate whether certain fucntions of society. 8. Describe the main features of postmodern social theory, and explain both positive and negative reactions to these features. Response: The main features of postmodern social theory is that it is diverse pluralistic and contingent. The positives reactions towards this theory cognitive relativism which can be summed up to the that conventional truth is illusory and that culture and language create valid and subjective realities. The negatives of postmodernism is that everything is fragmented there is no order claims to truth and stability. 9. If you were feeling very generous to shoe manufacturers, you might argue that the manifest function of the production of newer and more expensive athletic shoes is to increase athletic performance. For a moment, let’s not be generous. Explain another manifest function of the appearance of new athletic shoes, as well as at least two latent functions. Response: another purpose of the manifest function could be to showcase the increased comfort of the shoe by having extra footing on the bottom of the shoe one of the latent functions. Two unintended latent functions could be the stitching and the quality of materials on the shoe and also the design and how the color work cohesively together. 10. Identify and describe the most pessimistic elements of the theories of the classical sociological thinkers—Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Which presents the most pessimistic vision of modernity? Response: Marx, Durkheim and, Weber all had pessimistic views. Marx believed that most of the power and wealth went to corporations and other groups in power. While Weber believed that â€Å"contemporary life was filled with disenchantment.† Weber Want society to move more towards an  Industrial society . he was concerned with the work ethic and, productivity of human society. Durkheims Veiw was that no matter what city or place that you are from t people create bonds. Those bonds maybe different because of the area, or cultures but nonetheless bonds are always created he also felt that in a more industrial are bonds were created by the work they were performing. 11. As far back as Auguste Comte, the theorist who coined the term â€Å"sociology,† it has been assumed by many sociologists that objectivity is important in studying society. Describe the assumptions surrounding the role objectivity plays in sociology. Response: reductionism, testability, measurement,reproducibility 12. Every discipline that does research on humans needs a code of ethics in order to protect its research subjects. While it’s easy to see that medical research could harm people if not carried out ethically, the risks associated with sociological research may seem more subtle. Describe these risks. Response: the risk of research could stem from the fact that the structure of society may be mislead with wrong information to diagnose something or a certain situation with the worng information could be detrimental on the function of society. 13. In physics, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that to measure something is also to change it. Sociologists have observed a similar phenomenon—reactivity. Describe the classic example of reactivity, observed and explained by Elton Mayo at the Western Electric Hawthorne Plant between 1927 and1932. Response: the classic example of the reactivity method is when research changes the behavior of the participant which can change the productivity of the person or group of people 14. In recent years, ethnography has expanded beyond academic and scientific disciplines and is now often used for commercial purposes. Explain how  ethnographic methods can help advertisers. Response: Ethnographic methods can help advertisers because if they can study and research their targeted customers and see what the consumers like and don’t like they alter their methods on how to advertise their product to improve business. 15. Social researchers, especially ethnographers, sometimes find themselves faced with complicated moral dilemmas. Chapter 2 describes the case of the ethnographer John Van Maanen, who was subpoenaed to testify about the actions of police officers he had been studying. What did Van Maanen feel was his most important moral obligation? Why? Response: he felt that the police were starting to abuse their power instead of assisting people, they started to become the bully’s he feels we need to watch out for them because they are becoming more aggressive their motives have changed from become a community service to more of an US versus them mentality. 16. Describe the series of steps that the scientific method or approach argues will allow researchers to acquire and verify empirical knowledge. Response: ask a question,do background research,construct a hypothesis,test the hypothesis,analyze your data,communicate your results

The Development Of Education During The Uk Since 1994

Module 6.2 Changes and Development in Education Task 1 An overview of the development of education in the UK since 1994 Education has changed drastically over time. â€Å"Children with special educational needs were seen as ‘imbeciles’ and the behaviour within the classroom was controlled by corporal punishment†; as cited in Changes in Education, 1994. Inclusion is about all children, not just children who have an SEN or an AEN need, which has stemmed from the 1970’s and 1980’s. Ofsted (2001) said inclusion is about ensuring that all children are included regardless of their SEN or AEN need, but also ethnicity, race, gender or religion. Analysis of both past and recent acts and legislations has shown the change within education and how SEN learners have had a greater impact on shaping education over time. The overview of Education discussed in this assignment will explain the development of education using the PESTLE framework (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004). The 1944 Education Act, also known as the Butler Act proposed a new structure for the post-war British education system to address pupil’s personal and academic development, Digby and Searby (1981). The Education Act 1944 brought about the divide between Primary and Secondary children and raising the school leaving age to 15+, (Kelly, 2004). It gave all children a free education, but there were three different free types of schooling; Grammar, Secondary modern and Technical. The three types of schooling gave no option forShow MoreRelatedThe Human Development Index Is a Better Measure of Economic Performance Than GDP Per Capita624 Words   |  3 PagesI will advance the thesis that the Human Development Index (HDI) is a better measure of economic performance than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. 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Many of these farmersRead MoreHuman Development : The Persepectives Of An Individual Narrative Can Provide An Overwhelming Sense Essay1544 Words   |  7 PagesAnylysing human development throguht the persepectives of an Individual narrative can provide an overwhelming sense During the prenatal stage my mother remained healthy throghout the summer pregnancy. I was born at an average birth weight of 8.0 pound with no complacations through assisted vaginal birth, even with the increased risk of being the second child. My healthy birthweight reflected my mothers diligince in healthy eating, avoidance of tetragens, and staying active throughout the pregnancy