Science Versus Superstition in Dracula and Victoria England Essays

Science Versus Superstition in Dracula and Victoria England Essays Science Versus Superstition in Dracula and Victoria England Paper Science Versus Superstition in Dracula and Victoria England Paper Essay Topic: Dracula Literature During the Victorian Era in Britain, British citizens began to explore the east and became fascinated with it. There was a great interest in the orient and the objects and culture that came from it. Although the people were mystified by the superstitious nature of the orient learned from their eastern excursions, they were afraid of the east being able to travel to the west. Although the British consumed eastern culture, they were still afraid of too much infiltration by the east. They didnt want their pure British culture to be tainted. Because of this, they used science to explain, classify, and control the unknown superstitious nature of the orient. This push of science onto the eastern world is seen in several scenes throughout the novel Dracula, which was written by Bram Stoker during the Victorian Era in Britain. The proper British characters are constantly trying to overcome Dracula with science. British Imperialism and the British Empires attitude towards the east are shown through the relationship through science and superstition in Dracula. While traveling east, the British encountered a lot of new and previously unknown commodities, cultures, and people. These eastern cultures were seen as backwards to the British people. They had a sort of superstitious quality about them and were thought to be improper because of it. Britain didnt want their proper society contaminated by the superstitious cultures of the orient. There existed a fear that the east would begin to travel west and come back to Britain. The unknown societies and practices were so foreign to them. Britain feared the unknown and so took control by using science to try to understand and classify the cultures. By using proper science, the British were also showing their sense of superiority and elitism. It was believed that the Eastern notion of honor was skewed. It was driven by superstition, which resulted in easterners having flawed notions of what honorable behavior is1. This chaos and backwardness justified a need for a forced British order. Attempting to classify everything around them lead to the comfort that there was nothing they couldnt handle and that they had gained control over everything. There was nothing to be afraid of because the world was under proper Britain and their elitist science. This is similar to how proper Britain in the novel Dracula did not want to be tainted by the superstitious ways of Dracula from the east. From the very beginning of the novel, orientalism is prevalent in the comparisons made between the east and west. There is a sense of us versus them that Jonathan Harker has before he even arrives in Transylvania and meets Dracula. He speaks of leaving the west and entering the east. Steve Patterson describes how the British at the time represented progress, enlightenment, and modernity while the east represented chaos, superstition, and backwardness2. Jonathan is aware that the trains are getting later and later. He states, It seems to [him] that the further East you go the more unpunctual are the trains3. He associates lateness and chaos with the east, which was a common assumption at the time. The British thought the opposite of their proper order, was superstitious chaos. And since east is the opposite of west, the east must be chaotic and uncivilized. He goes on to describe the unfamiliar gar of the people he sees. He speaks of barbarian people wearing high boots and having heavy moustaches and long black hair. The mere comparison between himself and the Slavic people show Jonathans racist oriental views of the east. He is validating his clean cut British appearance by comparing it to barbaric people. Although the British were afraid of the orient and found the people to be backwards, they were also enthralled with it at the same time. When travelers came back form the east and came home to the west, they brought with them commodities and most importantly culture. British homes were filled with oriental rugs, vases, even hookahs. Teas, spices, and sugar became a part of everyday life. Even the most proper of gentlemen had their heirlooms and smoked their hookah pipes. Exotic animals were brought back along with exotic garb, plants, and customs. Oriental culture became intertwined with British culture. The two became inseparable. For a people who were so scared of letting eastern culture tarnish their proper ways, they sure welcomes the consumption of it with open arms. Although there was a large consumption of Eastern culture, the British still remained weary of their properness. They wanted their foreign treasures to be exotic, but still fit into the conservative structure of British society. There was a push and pull of oriental culture. The British were fascinated by the newness and wanted to immerse themselves, but still keep it distant enough to retain their Victorian pureness. In the same way that the British were interested in eastern culture, the characters in Dracula were unwillingly drawn to the mystery of the oriental Dracula. The power that Dracula had over the characters is reminiscent of the way that eastern culture had a powerful draw for the Victorian British. The characters are afraid of Dracula and his unknown superstitions, yet cannot shake their unexplained attraction to his eastern mysteriousness. When Jonathan is in the castle and encounters the three voluptuous women, he senses that they have an eastern animalistic evil about them, yet is drawn to them. He says there was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear. 4 He is drawn to them even though he knows they are so completely opposite of proper Victorian Britain. There is an appeal to what is taboo in the strict Victorian society. Regardless that Dracula is Fiction, this speaks volumes about the Victorian British at the time and how they were so drawn to the superstitious culture of the east, even though they knew they should be upholding the conventional values that British society hold so highly. Just as the British in the Victorian era feared the east and tried to find comfort in science, the fictitious characters in Dracula attempted to defeat Eastern Dracula with science. Van Helsing explains that to save Lucy from Draculas induced illness he must perform several blood transfusions. He plans to use the blood from her initial three suitors to refill her body after Dracula has sucked most of it out. Van Helsing tries to use Victorian science and reason to overcome Draculas evil from the east. Even before Jonathan returns to England, he uses reason to overcome his fear in Draculas castle. While writing to Mina about he saw Dracula crawling down the side of the castle, he begins his entry by saying, Let me begin with facts-bare, meager facts, verified by books and figures, and of which there can be no doubt. While immersed in Draculas eastern castle surrounded by superstitions, the thing that comforts Jonathan and reminds him of his home in England, he uses the science and reason that England relies on so heavily to stay grounded while classifying the unknowns of the east. However, just as the British could not contain the superstitious east and stop it form penetrating their proper society, the characters in Dracula could not restrain Dracula with science alone. T he transfusions ultimately failed and Dracula continued to keep draining Lucy of her blood. When the transfusions fail and Van Helsing resorts to superstitious garlic. He is aware of the limitation of modern science6. The others in the group are confused by Van Helsings use of superstition. Dr. Seward exclaims to Van Helsing, Well Professor, I know you always have a reason for what you do, but this certainly puzzles me. 7 The others realize he is straying from science and moving on to superstition and are a bit uneasy about it, but they trust Van Helsing because they have faith in his scientific past. Just as the British peoples use of science and reason failed to keep the east out and they had to succumb to the permeation of eastern culture and accept it into their culture, the characters in Dracula have to accept the superstition into their lives and trust that it will be more beneficial than the previous use of science and reason. The oriental culture had made its way into British culture, seeped in, and shaken up proper Victorian society. Much like the failure to keep away Dracula, no matter how hard the British tried to keep oriental culture out, the ways of the east breached Englands shores. The order in British society was mimicked in the order of their science. Trying to solve eastern superstitions with science is similar to trying to impose order on the world to retain the comfortable, pure order of proper Britain. The characters in Stokers Dracula are constantly trying to control Dracula with science and constantly failing. They eventually have to resort to superstition. This mirrors the effect of eastern culture on British society. As much as Britain tried to contain the orient with science, the orient penetrated proper Britain and seeped into British culture, where it still remains today.

Choose a set of military images or objects and consider how they have Essay

Choose a set of military images or objects and consider how they have mobilized popular opinion in support of war - Essay Example Thesis statement: pictures especially of military objects mobilized popular opinion in support of war. This paper will discuss the role played by pictures in the outbreak and spread of the World War 1 and the Vietnam War. Experts believe that propaganda spread by the media then played a big role in the outbreak of the war (Dowling, 2006). The mass media played a great role in spreading pictures that were emotions and aggressive thus convincing the neutral nations that their sovereignty and peace was at risk (Allan, 2003). Many countries relied on propaganda pictures in scaring their enemies and demonstrating their military power. Cartoonists drew sarcastic pictures of their rivals thus contributing to anger among the citizens and agitations for the support of the War (Dowling, 2006). A majority of the pictures contained ill motive messages such as killing of women and children thus implying the intention to contravene the universal human rights of the civilians that were safeguarded by the international law. The agitated interest groups and emotional civilians could not withstand the provocative messages contained in the pictures and hence urged the governments to join the War in order to ensure national security (Allan, 2003). Pictures of women being raped by soldiers during war prompted feminist groups to urge the nation to join in the war while those containing images of burning property prompted the humanitarian groups to join urge the national governments to take military action against countries that breached civilian rights (Dowling, 2006). This was the height of propaganda since pictures portrayed the negativity of the war leading some countries to join the War in order to safeguard the innocent civilians (Allan, 2003). Accordingly, some pictures and images depicted an ongoing arms race since several countries were involved in military strengthening and manufacture of sophisticated weaponry. Countries like German and Britain were engaged in manufacturin g advanced war ships and battle tanks that could easily overpower the enemy (Dowling, 2006). The mass media fueled the popular opinion on War through showing the pictures of enemy weapons and analyzing how such weapons posed a great threat to their stability and security. Military weapons pictures contributed to War since several countries wanted to demonstrate their superiority and military strength through putting the advanced weapons in to action during the War (Dowling, 2006). The increased fear among the citizens led to agitation for surprise attacks on the enemies (Allan, 2003). The humanitarian crisis images and pictures taken in Vietnam also created a popular opinion towards the War since pictures showed images of crushing trains, burning airplanes, starving children. The pictures of death American soldiers and crushing planes made Americans believe that extreme military offensive through air strikes, naval strikes and additional soldiers was needed in Vietnam. The effects o f these devastating images prompted the entry of other states in order to end the costly War (Dowling, 2006). Recruiting Poster, World War I Pictured above was part of the posters used to urge nations to join in the First World War in the wake of its outbreak (Dowling, 2006). The picture shows a gorilla with fangs and a scary spiked Prussian helmet carrying off an American woman. The club has a label of â€Å"kultur†

History 158 Mid-term Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History 158 Mid-term Exam - Essay Example President William McKinley was known not to have taste for war, but the public opinion and the press proved to be a force that changed his mind and drove him onward. The violent aggression and conflicts in Cuba caused so much political and economic instability in the region. This was a cause to worry and it caught the attention of the United States which had long-held interest in managing the Western Hemisphere. The tensions between Spain and the United States had been gradually mounting for months. With the mysterious sinking of the battleship Maine in Havana harbor that killed 259 sailors and injuring 80, military intervention by the United States in Cuba became very likely. On the 11th of April 1898, President William asked for the authorization from the Congress to end the conflicts in Cuba between Spanish forces and the rebels. The United States wanted peace, tranquility and security of its citizens and the Cubans living on the island and the way to do it was to establish a stab le government which would oversee law and order maintained. McKinley was authorized by the Congress to use whatever military force deemed necessary to ensure Cuba’s Independence. ... On the 2nd of April 1917, President Wilson requested the joint session of Congress to declare war on Germany. His request for war was based upon Germany’s involvement in submarine warfare in the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic, and several attempts to get Mexico into an alliance with them against the United States. The U.S senate voted unanimously in support of war on Germany, Austria and Hungary on the 7th of December 1917 (Davis 68). Germany’s involvement in submarine attack on merchant and passenger ships was the primary driving force behind president Woodrow’s decision that led the US into World War One. President Woodrow had to balance issues regarding German’s submarines attacks as well as their numerous attempts to pull Mexico into an alliance against the United States. On the 19th of January 1917, the British intelligence had decrypted an intercepted telegram that had been sent by the German Foreign Minister Zimmerman. The telegram was sent to the Ambassador in Mexico and in it was the promise by German Government to help Mexico regain the territories it had surrendered to the US after the Mexican-American War. All that the German government wanted were the full support of Mexico in the war against the United States and its allies. Initially, the Britons had not shared the telegram news with United States officials mainly because they wanted to keep secret their ability to break the German’s code. Germany’s resumption of submarine warfare could not hold the secret back and the Britons decided to use the telegram to help sway public opinion and American officials to join the World War (Davis 73). Despite the shocking telegram’s news, President Wilson hesitated on

Solar Energy Essay Example for Free

Solar Energy Essay |The increasing cost of energy and the reality of almost-depleted oil resources have driven man to discover alternative sources. And now, the human race has turned to the basic elements of nature by harnessing energy from wind, water, and the sun. Solar energy is a renewable form of energy and has been a major focus as an alternative source.   It offers promising potentials as a clean renewable form of energy but it also has its limitations. Sun, as our closest star, is practically an indirect and direct source of available energy here on Earth.    But it was only until recently that the potentials of solar energy appealed to society as it has been greatly improved through research and study. The sun’s energy originates from the nuclear reactions at its core where temperature reaches 15 millions  °C.   It reaches the Earth’s surface in form of light and heat and can be gained at 1Kw/ m2 under optimal conditions.   In order to use solar radiation there has to be a way to capture the energy.   Solar panels are invented to collect the sun’s energy and can de converted directly or indirectly  ¦to other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity.   Applications of solar energy can be for heating/cooling, electricity production, and chemical processes such as in solar detoxification technologies for cleaning water and air. There are many advantages of solar energy over other conventional forms.     As a renewable form of energy, the primary benefit of this is that it will never run out.   The sun provides unlimited supply of solar energy, and is virtually free after the user recovers the initial cost of installation.   The use of solar panels in homes does not need fuels and produces no waste or pollution.   The Clean Energy Ideas website further presented on the advantages of solar power that the only pollution that could be associated with this is may be during the production of the cell and transportation to ones home.   But by the time that it is installed, this solar power system has the total lack of pollution given off. Solar energy also has the ability to harness power in remote locations.   It has an advantage to bring electricity in the remote places on earth as long as the sun contains enough energy in that location. Mountain communities, for example, could benefit a lot from the electricity powered by solar energy as constructing conventional power lines in these places will be very difficult or near impossible due to expensive cost it would incur. Solar energy power system can be stand alone structures that do not require connection to power or natural gas grid. A major limitation of solar energy is its ability to collect and store energy so there is a constant power supply.   Since it cannot function at night when the sun’s power is not available or in places where the sun is not able to provide enough energy for the amount of energy needed for use, there are times that back up energy source is needed.   The irregular and variable manner that solar energy arrives on earth limits the use of this form of energy.   Large areas are also needed to collect it at a useful rate. In the United Kingdom, for example, where the country experiences not a very sunny climate, solar power is use only for low power application.   Jesse Ausebel of the of the Rockefeller University in New York in his article for the Indersciences International Journal of Nuclear Governance, Economy and Ecology, claims that renewable energy is not always green (Inderscience, 2007). He criticized solar power since a â€Å"photovoltaic solar cell plant would require painting black about than 150 square kilometers plus land for storage and retrieval to equal a 1000 MWe nuclear plant†. Since this form of   renewable energy involves vast infrastructure, such as concrete, steel, and access roads, Ausebel further added that As a Green, one of my credos is no new structures but renewables all involve ten times or more stuff per kilowatt as natural gas or nuclear, (Inderscience, 2007). The initial cost of installation of solar panels or building solar power stations can be very expensive, discouraging some of the could-be users of solar energy.   It has appealed mostly to the affluent members of society and environment advocates because buying and installing solar power equipment can cost $15,000 for an average-size home before any current starts to flow a John Greenwald wrote in his article for Time magazine (Greenwald, 1993). Advance studies and research, however, are trying to lower the cost of installation so that this could be accessible to more people.   The technology in harnessing the potentials of solar energy is getting better and cheaper with the passing years.   The price of photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight to electricity has fallen from $500 a watt in the 1960s to about $4 in the 1990s and companies are still finding ways to reduce the cost for residential use (Greenwald, 1993). As the technology is getting better, support from the federal government are also coming in.   Jimmy Carter earlier created tax breaks to spur solar development but this was later scrapped by Ronald Reagan who viewed this as meddling in the energy business, which impeded the development of renewable energy for about 10 years (Greenwald, 1993). With the current situation of our environment, however, the government and the society in general recognizes the need and benefit from developing and improving solar energy. The use of solar energy for electricity is not a farfetched idea as the technology has gone through vast improvements.   Researchers believe that solar energy is soon going to play a major role in electricity generation for the masses.   Production of this on a larger scale are being studied and improved. Budget allocations for these research and studies are being increased in countries around the world signifying that people are finally recognizing the advantages of this renewable form of energy. Energy is needed to spur human activities.   Solar energy indeed poses promising potentials in a society where conventional sources of energy are near depletion.   Undeniably, the solar energy has its limitations, but these are slowly and surely overcome with technological advances and it will not be for long when this energy form will be produced in a larger scale and cheaper rate accessible for homes around the globe. WORKS CITED:    Clean Energy Ideas. http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/solar_panels.html Greenwald, John. Here Comes the Sun. 18 October 1993. Time magazine. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,979413-3,00.html A Brief Introduction to Solar Energy. My Solar Power at Home. http://www.mysolarenergyathome.com/ Natural Resources Canada. Renewable Energy. http://canren.gc.ca/tech_appl/index.asp?CaId=5PgId=121 Renewable Energy Wrecks Environment, According To Researcher. Inderscience Publishers. 25 July 2007 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070724160209.htm

The American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman :: Death of a Salesman

The American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Death of a Salesman is centered around one man trying to reach the American dream and taking his family along for the ride. The Loman's lives from beginning to end is a troubling story based on trying to become successful, or at least happy. Throughout their lives they encounter many problems and the end result is a tragic death caused by stupidity and the need to succeed. During his life Willy Loman caused his wife great pain by living a life not realizing what he could and couldn't do. Linda lived sad and pathetic days supporting Willy's unreachable goals. Being brought up in this world caused his children to lose their identity and put their futures in jeopardy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy lived everyday of his life trying to become successful, well-off salesman. His self-image that he portrayed to others was a lie and he was even able to deceive himself with it. He traveled around the country selling his merchandise and maybe when he was younger, he was able to sell a lot and everyone like him, but Willy was still stuck with this image in his head and it was the image he let everyone else know about. In truth, Willy was a senile salesman who was no longer able to work doing what he's done for a lifetime. When he reaches the point where he can no longer handle working, he doesn't realize it, he puts his life in danger as well a others just because he's pig-headed and doesn't understand that he has to give up on his dream. He complains about a lot of things that occur in everyday life, and usually he's the cause of the problems. When he has to pay for the repair bills on the fridge, he bitches a lot and bad mouths Charl ey for buying the one he should of bought. The car having to be repaired is only because he crashes it because he doesn't pay attention and/or is trying to commit suicide. Willy should have settled with what he had and made the best of things. He shouldn't have tied to compete with everyone and just made the best decision for him using intelligence and practicality. Many of Willy's problems were self-inflicted, the reason they were self-inflicted was because he wanted to live the American dream. If he had changed his standards or just have been content with his life, his life problems would have been limited in amount and proportion.

Reality TV a Poblem Essay

The Pop Culture phenomenon that is reality television has been expanding since its arrival in the early 1990’s. Reality TV is the newest television genre but not the weakest by far. After MTV launched the hit show Real World it was clear that realty TV is here to stay. Today reality television is bigger than ever any time of the day you can be sure that some sort of reality program is being aired on a network. Reality television has become so big that it has created whole television networks based around reality programing, networks such as Tru TV and E! Entertainment which is the mother network for hit shows such as Keeping up with the Kardashians and Girls Next Door. Despite the fact reality TV is very popular it can have negative effects on its viewers. Many media analysts believe although reality programing is entertaining it holds almost no redeeming social value whatsoever. When it comes to values of reality TV programs the only values that it seems to give people are su perficial or for profit. Reality TV’s foundation is their sense of vanity, even in shows like duck dynasty which is about a incredibly rich rural family living on a farm. Even though the show is about a red neck life style it doesn’t fail to show the wealth possessed by the family. Reality TV can often make an average person feel un average. When that average Joe tunes in to see three men in ugly beards (Duck Dynasty) spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on useless comities it can make him or her feel like their life isn’t good enough and that they too should be living like the people depicted on television. In the article Is reality T.V. so bad it’s good or just plain bad? By Sabrina Giancioppi she states â€Å"At face value, reality television is easily a reflection of everything that is wrong with society. The only thing worse than the housewives, bachelors, idols, kids from the shore, teen moms and toddlers, might just be those who tune in to watch these shows every week, fuelling our society’s great appetite for idiotism and humiliation (Giancioppi)† this shows that the possible reason for American’s over  indulgent us as Americans are so blinded by material objects and vanity that we often fail to acknowledge the great things our country has such has freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Many American’s have a mentality that is never satisfied we as a country seem to have a universal belief that nothing is ever good enough and reality television can be somewhat to blame. On reality TV we see rich house wives living a life of luxury and viewers think that if they are not doing these fabulous things like flying in private jets or going shopping for Bentley’s than we are not truly successful when success is based on one’s own perception n ot the perception of pop culture. Reality TV’s big demographic that it reaches out to is the teenager, because they are the ones usually watching the most television in the home ergo they are the best to appeal to. When a young mind of a teenager is exposed to unreal reality and scenarios depicted on reality programs such as Jersey Shore where a household of seven adults spend a summer on the New Jersey beach. The Show consists of drinking, partying, and copulation and was aired for over four years. Shows like Jersey Shore are bad for an older demographic let alone teens. When teens see shows like Jersey Shore it leaves an impression in their mind that this is what it is like to be an adult and they usually believe that because it is the only example they have seen. The problem with so many teenagers being engaged in reality TV programming is that it give false sense of life. When teens watch reality TV it more often than not makes them feel like they have a dull life. The show Laguna Beach: the real Orange County on MTV is about a local high school girl named Lauren Conrad and her clique of wealthy teen friends that live in Laguna Hills. In the show these kids have more problems and things going on than most adults. This is a prime example of how reality television can make a teens life seem awfully dull compared to the people’s on TV like Lauren Conrad who is constantly going to extravagant place and driving a sports car provided by her wealthy parents. Shows like Laguna Beach that are blatantly aimed to a younger audience should be showing kids and teens a role model and teach lessons that will help them in real scenarios rather than showing them a teenager and her friends alluring life filled with glamour that show lack of positive messages and no role models. Although reality shows can be  bad examples for kids and teens James Poniewozik of Time Magazine writes in his article titled â€Å"Why I Watch Reality TV With My Kids† he believes it is good to watch reality television with children and teens because it is the last type of family programming there is. In the article Poniewozik states â€Å"It’s no accident that many of the series I’ve mentioned are competition shows: like sports, it’s a genre that can appeal to kid and adult interests without denying either one. Most of these series are made for adults without any particular goal of being all-ages entertainment. But on their own terms, they reflect things that kids are interested in: competition, creation, performance. Maybe more important, they’re also a kind of structured introduction to the grownup world (Poniewozik)† the claim made by James reveals that there can be positive effects for kids and teens from watching reality shows if they choose to watch a particular show and watch it with their family, but this is not often the case. Usually the child or teen who is watching reality shows are watching with no parental guidance and choose to watch programs that are outrageous or most â€Å"grown up† show, they are not looking for the shows with least values not with the most. Being a teen that has gotten to see reality programming evolve to what it is now has shown me firsthand the lack of value the shows contain. In the Journal of Advertising Research authors Anthony Patino, Veltichka D. Kaltcheva and, Michael F. Smith write about the appeal of reality TV towards teenagers and preteens in the passage the authors state â€Å"With the number of hours spent in front of the television set increasing 6 percent annually (Nielsen Media Research, 2009) and the reality programming genre steadily growing, preteens and teens are more likely to be viewing reality programs. More important, there is evidence that young people emulate the behavior of reality stars (Patino, Kaltcheva, and Smith)†. This statement shows that teenagers are spending more time watching television and reality shows more and more. With the rise of teenage viewers in reality television it no wonder on why our youth seems to be growing up faster and faster. Now a days teenagers no longer want to stay kids for long they see these people on reality TV living an exciting life and they too want their life to be extravagant and exciting and they accomplish this by holding a semblance that depicts that of a reality TV star and doing things like holding  themselves to a higher caliber socially or do things they wouldn’t usually take part of like drinking or smoking but because they see these reality TV stars doing these things and thriving they too want that fame and success. Kids now a days are exposed to so much more grown up content mainly due to all the reality television that is going around. When my sister was younger probably in middle school she couldn’t get enough of MTV and VH1 reality shows from Jersey Shore to VH1’s competition shows like Flavor of Love and Bret Michaels Rock of Love. These type of shows were truly the definition of â€Å"Trash TV†; the shows consisted of a roller coaster of problems t hat at the times seemed enthralling. Shows like the ones my sister would watch made me feel like I was losing brain cells just by watching them, the shows had no plot, no good ideas, no good actors, no nothing. Now I don’t often watch reality television for multiple reasons the biggest simply being there is much better content on television. I would rather watch a such as Breaking Bad or Boardwalk Empire which contains a deep plot that calls for an engaged viewer and shows artistic traits such as cinematography, scoring and set design. Programs with a sense of meaning or artistic value seem more attractive than watching a group of people argue and stress over irrelevant situations. No matter who is watching reality TV or who isn’t they continue rise in popularity and spring out of nowhere by the masses. What makes these shows so attractive to all these viewers? Maybe it’s the enjoyment of seeing a stranger’s life play out in front of your eyes, or the convince of always being able to tune in and watch whether or not one saw last week’s episode. The best way to find out why audiences of reality TV get so enthralled with the programming is to interview with a fan of reality television shows. A super fan of reality shows that I know of is my sister Desirae Duran she is twenty-two years old, a junior in college, and has been watching reality television for as long as she can remember. The first questioned asked to Desirae was why do you like reality programs? Desirae said what she enjoys about reality shows is how they involve little effort from the viewer, when she watches reality shows she can be texting or on the internet on the same time and still understand what is happening in the episode unlike when she watches shows like CSI or Game of Thrones that require h er full attention. I then asked Desirae if she thinks reality  television has redeeming value in society. Her response to my question was rather surprising, she said that reality shows provide entertainment to people, that alone is enough for something to have redeeming value. Desirae then made a comparison to Game of Thrones and The Bachelor saying they both entertain her and fill her crave for good television. What my sister said about how entertainment is valuable is obvious and something I failed to realize and account for. I then asked Desirae a last question on why she thinks other people are so fascinated by reality TV and she gave me a short answer she said â€Å"people want what they can’t have and reality shows give them a taste of what they can’t have† This may be a key reason of why so many people enjoy watching shows about the rich and famous or maybe people just enjoy the entertainment aspect of the shows whatever it may be that attracts a viewers to reality televis ion the networks have no problem with it. It seems as if the only value that comes from reality television is the profit it provides television networks. One of the reasons why cable is flooded with reality programs is because they are so cheap for studios to make. If there is one thing television networks like ABC or NBC love more than a hit show it’s a hit show for the fraction of the price. In an article about the cost of reality television versus scripted television author Laura Jerpi of South University pulls information about reality programming from Scott Manville founder and president of TV Writers Vault in the article it states â€Å"An episode for a scripted series can be anywhere between a half-million and millions of dollars depending on the network and content involved,† in the article Manville also writes â€Å"budgets for reality shows can range from $100,000 to more than $500,000 per episode [depending on the network and content]†. With the amount of money being saved per episode it is no wonder why television is infested with reality shows. The dramatic drop in production cost in reality shows is due to an array of reasons. Reality TV often consist of one to no production sets, mediocre writers, a less than satisfactory director probably fresh out of film school and actors that work for less than an employee at Starbucks. Because of the low cost that goes into producing a reality show and the high profitability rate networks don’t mind having a surplus of them. The Failure of a reality has  far less risk than a failure of a Sit-com or prime time Drama because of the small cost and the large amount programs available so this lets studios and networks experiment with bizarre idea’s and unorthodox content. Reality TV is often called â€Å"Trash TV† mainly because of the lack of values it provides to the general audience. Reality shows fill a viewer’s head up with garbage content. Now a days when one channel surfs the overwhelming wave is the reality wave, reality programs have seemed to have gone to the point of no return. Shows like Jersey Shore and Laguna Beach will continue to thrive as long as people tune in to be passive and not active. It seems as if there are not enough hours in the day for reality television. Television use to be informative and artistic now all of those types of programs are being taken out to make room for reality shows aka â€Å"Trash TV†. If entertainment is considered a valuable commodity then I guess opium is John D Rockefeller. Work Cited Web articles -Giancioppi, Sabrina. â€Å"Pros and Cons: Reality Television | The Concordian.† The Concordian RSS. N.p., 09 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. . -Jerpi, Laura. â€Å"Reality TV – Low Cost Programming That Produces High Ratings.† Reality TV – Low Cost Programming That Produces High Ratings. South University, Jan. 2013. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. Television shows – â€Å"A Black & White affair† Laguna Beach. MTV. KBXV. Orange County. 28 Sep. 2004. Television -â€Å"A New Family† Jersey Shore. MTV.KBXV. New Jersey. 03 Dec. 2009. Television Interview -Duran, Desirae. Personal interview. 2 December. 2013. Magazine article -Poniewozik, James. â€Å"Why I Watch Reality TV With My Kids.† Time 181.23 (2013): 54. Business Source Elite. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Academic Journal -PATINO, ANTHONY, VELITCHKA D. KALTCHEVA, and MICHAEL F. SMITH. â€Å"The Appeal Of Reality Television For Teen And Pre-Teen Audiences.† Journal Of Advertising Research 51.1 (2011): 288-297. Business Source Elite. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.

Poverty And Its Effects On African Nation - 1353 Words

Poverty in Africa has strike the people living there extremely horrible. Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It holds about 1.1 million people, which is 15% of the world’s population. Poverty is about have not enough money to meet basic needs of living which includes food, clothing, and shelter. Being that Africa has a lack of the materials for a humans needs to have a role in society. Although over about 500 billion dollars is sent directly aid the African nation the money is being misused. A large percentage of the money that is sent is used to invest in weapons. This is caused by totalitarian regimes. Having large debts result in little to no money being used for social service, such as education, pensions or medical care. The African nation is pushing for debt relief, because they are unable to maintain payments. This problem does not affect other nations as much like Nigeria but it does take a toll on the smaller nations and the large debtor nations. Ther e are large amounts money being used in Africa for developments of mega projects. Ghana is the richest country in Africa, it obtained it independent after a few years later they had no foreign reserve. And which turned out to be a big waste. Africa has cheap labor available which has encourage inefficient agriculture and industrial practice that left the impoverished. The Republic of Nigeria population is more than 160 million, which is the largest in Africa and also a fast growingShow MoreRelatedThe University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin Essay1002 Words   |  5 Pages Global Poverty Naraly Rodriguez Dr. Davor Jedlicka Introduction to Sociology Fall B 2016 The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Essay Topic #3: Global Poverty â€Æ' Being poor can mean something to one individual compared to another. Whether it is not having clean water to drink or not being able to afford a new laptop. Poverty is very broad, without a single definition. Africa has the majority of the poorest countries in the world. With that being said, the overall African income levelsRead MoreHow Hiv / Aids Impacted A Nation1559 Words   |  7 Pagesburdened with health costs, and the overall demographic and future of Africa is changing as the youth are either contracting the virus or not able to attend school, hampering their employment options in the future. A nation specific micro level example of how HIV/AIDS impacts a nation was a study that was conducted in South Africa that determined the factual negative impact on their economy. They found these conclusions due to the HIV/AIDS disease: a lower labour force, lower productivity, a costRead More Poverty in Africa Essay example1470 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican nations regularly fall to the bottom of any list measuring economic activity, such as per capita income or per capita GDP, despite a wealth of natural resources. The bottom 25 spots of the United Nations (UN) quality of life index ar e regularly filled by African nations. In 2006, 34 of the 50 nations on the UN list of least developed countries are in Africa. In many nations, the per capita income is often less than $200 U.S. per year, with the vast majority of the population living on muchRead MoreDecline Of World Cotton Prices On Poverty1041 Words   |  5 Pagesworld cotton prices effects on poverty in West African cotton exporting countries rural poverty. Introduction Over 2001-2002, world cotton prices fell by almost 40% as a response to government subsidies in market-dominators Europe, China and the United States, a trend towards using synthetic fibres, and economic downturn decreasing the demand for garments. This paper will explain the price transmission between world cotton prices to the domestic prices in the West African ‘Cotton Four’ (‘C4’)Read MoreThe Need for Development in the African Continent Essay1550 Words   |  7 Pagescolonial era, the African continent has experienced numerous hardships on the pathway to economic and human development. High levels of poverty, disease, and inequality coupled with low levels of human development, education, and infrastructure has long gripped the continent and has stifled growth efforts (Gorton). An example of this extreme poverty lies in the African country of Uganda, where nearly 80% of its citizens could not afford food in 2012 (â€Å"Many in Developing Nations Struggle to AffordRead MoreTaking a Look at the China-Africa Relation1563 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many views on the importance of internal and external factors on economic development. From these conflicting views emerge theories on the effect of aid, investment and trade on economic growth––which, in current literature, suggests an ambiguous result. On the issue of aid, Pronk (2001) pointed out that aid can be seen as a catalyst rather than a primer mover, in the sense that aid is not a cause of development but a push or support to development. In the China-Africa relation, the roleRead MoreTourism in East Africa681 Words   |  3 Pagesbound as a community through a political treaty that came into effect on the 7th of July 2000 which ratified the establishment of the East African Community (Eac.int, 2014). Tourism receipts in developing countries can amount to more than 20 percent of the total value of exports which makes it a very significant pillar for these economies (Ondicho,2000,pp-49-70). Like all developing countries, the East African Community (EAC) member nations are dependent on the export of primary commodities whose pricesRead MoreThe Downfall Of The Black Experience1559 Words   |  7 Pagesto the suffering of the African American experience from the internal problems in African Americans communities; however, they neglect the external social constraints that African Americans have faces in America. African Americans have suffered oppression through social institution through factors such as Segregation, Racial Crimination, and Mass incarnation. The constraint of segregation was a way of social, political, and economical control over African Americans. African Americans are usually aRead MoreAfric The Cradle Of Mankind1571 Words   |  7 Pagesunderdeveloped, insubstanti al governance, and poor human progression which negatively affects continental growth and poverty reduction. These issues that Africa face cripples growth, political prosperity and economic independence. AFRICOM represents a fresh start for African nations to trade globally and provides military protection for these nations. In conclusion, Africa is a crippled nation unable to live independently and ineffective with foreign aid. Historically, Africa was called the CradleRead MoreWhy Is The Perception Of Africa Limited For Violence And Poverty?1490 Words   |  6 Pages A land tarnished by misfortune and poverty seems to be a general consensus of how Africa is depicted as a continent. Today, I challenge you to disregard all that you have been told about Africa and understand that it s rich culture and resources have been in place far before most civilizations in the Western Hemisphere. Most citizens in developed countries see starving children who suffer in Africa, pleading for donations, and associate the images they see with helplessness and draw an assumption