A Geographical Study of Sydney

Population growth in Sydney is mostly due to natural increase (more births than deaths). The rest of Sydney's growth comes from immigration. Sydney has a population of 4.1 million people and is expected to grow by 40,000 people a year for the next 25-30 years. People & Housing In Sydney, the average household is becoming smaller. This means more dwellings are needed to house the same number of people. This is becoming a problem and in the future, we will need around 23,500 new homes every year. These dwellings will be flats, units and villas. Age Profile The population in Sydney is aging as people are living longer. The number of people aged over 65 will double in the next 25 years. p.11 I believe that these issues are good reflections of the problems in Sydney. From my experience, urban growth – high demand for growth, housing – a lack of space and smaller dwellings, ageing communities – a lack of facilities that care for the elderly, the protection of Sydney's natural environments – little park areas in the city, a lack of infrastructure, poor transport systems, and the time needed to travel outer Sydney are all issues that I have noticed. TASK 4 The Government expresses a desire to be sustainable. Is this a realistic goal given the extent of the key issues facing Sydney? What do you think we should do? The government expresses a desire to be sustainable, but is this a realistic goal? I believe so, however, a lot of changes have to be made to achieve this ambition of sustainability. Before it can be fully decided whether this statement is realistic and whether anything can be done about it there has to be an analysis of the problems. Sydney's natural environment makes it a beautiful and outgoing place to live. However, it won't stay like this forever. Cars are still a major contributor to poor metropolitan air quality. The city is facing many challenges in sustainably managing its natural and cultural resources to ensure they meet the needs of current and future residents of the region. It is getting harder and harder for Sydney to fund infrastructure which must be taken into consideration. The population is increasing due to higher birth rates and net migration, this increasing population means households are becoming smaller. Sydney also needs to provide quality jobs as it is a global city that attracts international investments and careers. We need to manage our use of natural resources more wisely. As a big city we consume large amounts of resources and dispose of large amounts of waste to landfill. The costs of building and maintaining infrastructure to supply water and energy to meet increasing consumption and population growth are extremely high. Apart from these major sustainability problems of natural resources, employment, transport, housing, urban growth, infrastructure and natural environment, there are other issues relating to lack of public space, ethnicity, crime, affordability, demographics and much, much more. As a team working community, Sydney may be able to change the forecasts and find sustainable ways with which to manage its issues. It needs to value the land that surrounds it so that trade-offs are clear. It could create balance between roads and public transport provision and use. It could build more facilities for walking and cycling. It needs to make the most of public transport, energy, water and waste facilities, school and hospitals before new infrastructure is built. Well located land for industry, supported by transport and communications infrastructure, is also needed. A special challenge is to increase the number of quality jobs in western Sydney. New land development on Sydney's fringe will need to more elf-sustaining by providing services locally including a good range of jobs, as well as access to transport, parks and community services, including schools and hospitals. If we link with the regions close by and try these sustainability problems there is a good chance that Sydney could become sustainable in the future. If we look after our environment, support a competitive economy and create better places to live and work Sydney can reach sustainability. It is about improving the quality of life without leaving a burden on future generations.

Alexander Hamilton’s Financial Program

Alexander Hamilton was to say in 1792, â€Å"Most of the important measures of every government are connected with the Treasury†. This simple yet profound axiom he had come to as a result of his reflections on the nature of statecraft and the obligations of government. Installed in office, he had accepted this as his guiding principle. The basic nature of public finance to assure stability and promote welfare has been alluded to in these observations again and again.A government that keeps its own house in order both attracts and creates confidence: to the financing of its own obligations and for the support of those business ventures, or enterprises, without which a society cannot create employment and wealth. The Treasury at once became the largest and the leading office of the government. Its interests ramified into the whole economic life of the nation. It was intimately associated with commerce and shipping; with the commercial banks of the nation; with a large part of th e country's farming community.It bought the army's supplies, it sold the nation's public lands, it negotiated with foreign governments. This was not usurpation: for Congress, in establishing the Treasury Department, had given it wide powers independent of the Executive. Hamilton was simply utilizing his opportunities. All this did not fail to create unease and then dissent. Madison, originally the Administration's spokesman in the House of Representatives, left Hamilton's side in the battle over the assumption of the state debts.Jefferson, who at the start had expressed his satisfaction with the Constitution and Hamilton's funding proposals, more and more saw their differences in terms of power: an energetic government could become an irresponsible, and therefore a dangerous, one. By the spring of 1792, there was an organized opposition to the Administration with Hamilton the chief focus of distrust. The charges against Hamilton ran the whole gamut from truth to falsity.It was being said, he was consistently the friend of a speculative interest, he unduly favored commerce and finance at the expense of agriculture, he himself was personally involved in questionable practices. He was subverting democracy; he was preparing the way for a monarchy. These charges were both unkind and untrue. Hamilton was indignant at accusations directed against his personal rectitude; and he had every right to be. If there was a public servant in all of America's annals who conducted himself with exact propriety, it was he.From the vast operations in the public funds, neither he nor his family ever benefited; and he quit his post after more than five years in office a poor man. In one of his letters to Washington, he cried out against his detractors: â€Å"I have not fortitude enough always to hear with calmness calumnies which necessarily include me. . . . I trust I shall always be able to bear, as I ought, imputations of errors of judgment; but I acknowledge that I cannot be ent irely patient under charges which impeach the integrity of my public motives or conduct. â€Å"As for seeking to undermine democracy, it again must be noted that Hamilton was distrustful of democracy only in its equalitarian sense. He was not convinced of the equality of talents among men; he was realistic concerning their motives and knew how quickly they could be encouraged to yield to passion and enmity. He believed in government by the people, but on the representative principle, and he was prepared to accept the guidance of leaders as long as they regarded office as a public trust. The charge that he was a monarchist was a political one designed to embarrass him; it never had any foundation in fact.Hamilton was against any kind of discrimination; the debt was to be purchased from those now in possession at full value. In the handling of a problem like this, Hamilton was at his best: he knew how to marshal arguments tellingly and present them simply. The carrying out of the det ails of a plan based on discrimination would be immense, the difficulties insurmountable. Further, discrimination was unconstitutional; it ran counter to the position of Congress, expressed as early as 1783. Most important of all:The impolicy of a discrimination results from two considerations: one, that it proceeds upon a principle destructive of that quality of the public debt, or the stock of the nation, which is essential to its capacity for answering the purposes of money – that is, the security of transfer; the other, that, as well on this account as because it includes a breach of faith, it renders property in the funds less valuable, consequently it induces lenders to demand a higher premium for what they lend, and produces every other inconvenience of a bad state of public credit.Hamilton then went into great detail on a number of technical matters: how the state debts were to be assumed; the different methods of funding; what sources of revenue could be tapped for i nterest payments and debt service. In connection with the last, he proposed to set aside receipts from duties on imports and tonnage, and impose new taxes on wines, spirits (including those distilled within the United States), teas and coffee. Wise politicians, he had noted in one of his earliest memoranda, ought to â€Å"march at the head of affairs,† and â€Å"produce the event†.How then produce the event? He had, if possible, to contrive measures which should be immediately and strikingly effective, and at the same time provide a basis for permanent development. The exigencies of the moment, however, were decisive. To restore the public credit was the first step toward buttressing the national government. The measures Hamilton adopted, all directed to this one purpose. In his Report on Public Credit (1790) he advocated full payment of public debts, including those incurred by the States â€Å"as the sacred price of liberty.† He would thus â€Å"cement the Un ion† by establishing the national credit, and by enlisting the support of all holders of public securities. In his Report on a National Bank (1790) he revived, in new form, the project of his Letter to Morris of 1781. He remembered how an English government, after a revolution, had chartered the Bank of England, in order to solve its financial difficulties, and at the same time to solidify the Whig mercantile interest in its support. By incorporating a similar syndicate he could accomplish the same purposes.He must of course draw upon the â€Å"implied powers†; he had long since seen that only thus was it possible to meet the needs of government. In his famous Report on Manufactures ( 1791) he proposed government aid to â€Å"infant industries,† in order to assure in war a â€Å"national supply,† to establish economic along with political independence, and in general to develop the national resources. Contemplating a wise central management of the whole Am erican estate, he foresaw local swallowed up by national interests in a country self-contained and self-sufficient.In a letter written near the end of his career Hamilton struck an unusual note of despondency. â€Å"Mine,† he says, â€Å"is an odd destiny. Perhaps no man in the United States has sacrificed or done more for the present Constitution than myself; and contrary to all my anticipations of its fate, as you know from the very beginning, I am still laboring to prop the frail and worthless fabric†¦. Every day proves to me more and more that this American world was not made for me†¦. The time may ere long arrive,† he adds, â€Å"when the minds of men will be prepared to make an effort to recover the Constitution, but†¦we must wait a while†. Hamilton was clearly undervaluing his own labors. If he seemed to fail, it was because he had gone too fast and had neglected elements of the problem which to the country seemed essential. Hamilton's idea l conception of government was never realized, but it has perhaps made some contribution to the general theory of politics. By a recent writer it has been identified with that of Hobbes – the â€Å"leviathan state†. With this indeed it has something in common – in its outlook, even in its principles.Hamilton believed in an undivided and indefeasible sovereignty, and in the subject's duty of disciplined obedience. He believed it the duty of the sovereign jealously to protect its own sovereignty, and to provide for the subject's welfare by well considered and strictly enforced laws. He believed in a wise and benevolent paternal government. Not, however, in an absolute one. Taking over the conception of the strong state as he found it in Hobbes and elsewhere, he modified it to suit his own purposes, by adapting it to American conditions, by attempting to make it at once strong and responsible.He clearly added to it a new element in combining it with universal manho od suffrage. He took care to introduce also other principles of representation and carefully devised safeguards on the popular will. Thus he sought to make his state not only powerful and permanent, but balanced and responsible – indeed the more permanent because balanced and responsible. He attempted to reconcile apparently conflicting, but, as he thought, essential principles by turning the leviathan state into a republic.Though not in its fulness realized, his conception has influenced the political thought not only of America but of Europe. Confidence had been destroyed under the Congress and the Confederation; and to its restoration Hamilton set to work at once. In less than three years, as the Secretary of the Treasury, as the result of a series of masterly reports all but one of which ended in legislation, Hamilton laid the basis of the financial integrity of the United States. His brilliant mind ranged over every aspect of the government's needs.He concerned himself w ith the debt – its assumption, consolidation, funding, and management and redemption; he watched the revenue inflow – recommending and obtaining new sources when government outlays increased; he pressed for and obtained the creation of a national bank – to act as a government depository and lender and to safeguard the money supply of the nation; he established a mint – thereby fixing the gold-silver ratio and assuring a bimetallic standard for the United States; he worked ceaselessly to attract foreign capital into the United States – to provide the funds for private banking institutions, public works projects, even manufacturing.

Night: Elie Wiesel, Literary Analsis Essay

The story is a sad one; one filled with despair around every corner and past every page. We begin to look on the characters that helped to create and personify the horror of the Holocaust. From Elie, to his father, Shlomo, or to the woman on the bus, and Moishe the Beadle; how does the character of Elie Wiesel, Change throughout the story – because he does. As we attempt to pick the brain of our author we begin to see the mastermind behind the novel, and maybe even understand some of the horror inked into the pages. First of all, let’s note the differences between our main character and the author. Noting the change between these two is essential, it will help better understand the change of Elie in the story. They are the same person but as it is hard to write about and relive the events of the holocaust for our author, he changes a lot of the minor details to create a line between Elie and himself. Examples of this can be found in the book; while Wiesel writes that Elie injures his foot in the concentration camp, the reality is that Wiesel injures his knee. (Editoral) This book was not written to be a documentary, but an emotional journal, a purging of experience onto the pages of the book. To, in a way, offer some insight and knowledge, in an attempt to try and erase some of the ignorance surrounding the holocaust. Elie’s most fundamental beliefs are tested in these happenings, his faith most of all. His faith in God, the judicial system, and in human beings in general is tested like never before. We look at Elie Wiesel, our author and narrator who is a young boy that is forced through a lot of torment. As a boy he was fond of his father, would do anything to protect him, his whole family for that matter, they were closely knit. Moishe came to Shlomo and his family and tried to warn them of the imminent danger. To try and help them flee before it was too late, but it was all in vain. The Hungarian Police invade the small home town of Sighet and, by force, remove the Jews from their homes. The revulsions of the Concentration camp named Auschwitz’s Block 17 turn him into a battered man faster than he could have imagined. â€Å"Everybody out! Leave everything inside. Hurry up† they were forced to leave the place they called home with such speed and abrupt force; he really didn’t have time to adjust. Block 17 did the adjusting for him. Elie grew up well off and didn’t have enough experience to know that food was not something that one should take for granted. He refused his first ration of food in the concentration camp, still silently holding off hope that this would all be over soon. He was thinking that soon he would be able to go home, to be back to doing what he was used to. Little did he know, the same bowl of soup he passed up would one day get one of his Jewish colleagues shot and killed. Elie says; â€Å"I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name. † Stripped of his name, age, hair, clothing, dignity, personality, and life, he continued to live as a number in the Nazi Concentration camp. Furthermore we consider the character of Eli’s father, Shlomo, and the role he played in the transformation of Elie. His character remains pretty much unchanged throughout the whole story. We don’t hear much about how Shlomo feels about the Holocaust; all that we hear is how his father being in the holocaust affects Elie. We often hear Elie say that he wish he had done something about all the torture he had to endure. The reason Auschwitz’s was so bad for Elie, was mostly because he knew his dad was there going through the same things that he was. This hurt Elie, and broke him almost to the bone. His dad is the only reason that he doesn’t break, however; Elie feels like he has to stay strong for Shlomo. Elie is changed from the young wealthy boy with the perfect life to the prison hardened young man with nothing to look forward to. He is forced to watch his father suffer through torture. He is more than the average protagonist; the antagonist in this story is the whole rest of the world. He is limited by his religion and the forces surrounding him to be something that he is not. He loved his father would do anything for him; he makes unthinkable decisions that will protect them in the end. Elie survives the worst of conditions, the harshest of attitudes, and the most unthinkable predicaments. He is indeed a warrior; and a worthy survivor of the Holocaust.

Ch.5 and 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ch.5 and 6 - Essay Example Ethos is another type of appeal that presents the good character of the speaker as proof of the point being made. â€Å"My faith in the Constitution is whole†¦and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, subversion, destruction of the Constitution†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jordan puts herself forth as an example of a good American citizen. Mythos is an appeal founded on cultural values. She stresses the contrast between â€Å"a president grown tyrannical† versus the â€Å"preservation of the independence of the executive† as one of the time-honored distinctions made by the democratic American. The first is the proposition of fact, which deals with alleged facts which are debatable or inconclusive. An example of this is the allegation that: â€Å"The police power of stop and search is used by police officers to discriminate against members of the black race.† The second is the proposition of value, which treats on the morality, rightness, merit or worth of an idea or an action. This is illustrated by the statement: â€Å"Abortion is the taking of human life and is thus a crime.† The third is the proposition of policy, which encourages an audience to agree with an idea or to take an action. It goes beyond making a categorical statement and espouses the adoption of a policy or the pursuit of a course of action. An example of this type of proposition is: â€Å"Millionaires who lost their jobs in the recent recession should not be allowed to claim welfare.† There are six steps to building an argument. The first step is to develop a proposition. The proposition is that central idea that you would wish to convince your audience of, and it is best stated in a clear, declarative statement. Second, lay out a variety of compelling and coherent evidence. The evidence must be directly supportive of the proposition, not only tangentially related to it. Also, the evidence must have a clear connection in the mind of the audience,

Class Stratification and Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Class Stratification and Work - Essay Example The agonies of J.D.S. were caused by the negligence of the Department of Children and Family Affairs. So, as its successor, the Agency for Person’s with Disabilities should be held responsible for the negligence. As a concerned citizen, I am committed to the protection of the rights of the disabled in the society. Therefore, I support this bill because it will make a big contribution towards the protection of the rights of the disabled who have not been treated with the dignity they deserve. Meaning, it will be useful in enforcing clause 393.13 of the Florida Statute and the Bill of Rights of Persons with Developmental Disability. These will help in preventing the disabled from being denied right to privacy, dignity. It will also grant them freedom from neglect, sexual abuse and exploitation. At the same time, it will put Agency for Person’s with Disabilities to be responsible and actively involved in monitoring the activities of home cares. Those who oppose this bill argue that it is not a good one at this point of time. They argue that it is illogical to blame Agency for Person’s with Disabilities f the actions of Philip Strong. They are convinced that J.D.S’s case should not be special because it is just like any other rape. Therefore, no such attention should be given to it. However, I disagree with them because I feel that the disabled need protection1. This is supported by Reed who, in ‘The Rome I Regulation and Reapprochement of Anglo-American Choice of Law in Contract: A Heralded Triumph of Pragmatism over Theory,’ argues that indeed, the disabled are much vulnerable individuals who need special attention2. Similar sentiments are echoed by Mirrow who, in the article ‘The Social-Obligation Norm of Property: Duguit, Hayem, and Others,’ holds the view that clause 393.13 of the Florida Statute is under threat and needs to be salvaged through stringent

How does someone learn to be racist or prejudiced Essay

How does someone learn to be racist or prejudiced - Essay Example They begin to believe that they have a right to feel as they do. The most common way that a person learns racism and prejudice is through their parents or other close relatives. When a child grows up in a household that openly promotes being racist or prejudice, that child usually grows up to become racist or prejudiced. They are subjected to these ideas from a young age and they grow up thinking that these thoughts, ideas, and behaviors are right. Children are easily influenced by their parents and other authoritative figures in their lives and they end up taking on a lot of their personality traits. If a child’s parents raise that child into thinking that a certain race is bad or lower than their own, that child will hold onto that concept throughout the childhood and into adulthood. Sometimes the passing on of racist views is unintended, but, more often than not, a child raised in a situation like this is not corrected when they begin to display some of the same ideals. In many cases, some children are even praised when they first make it known that they have prejudice views towards someone else simply because of their skin color, religion, or sexual orientation.

Human Nature in studies of philosophers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Nature in studies of philosophers - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present the issue of human nature using studies of different philosophers. Distinguished Chinese philosopher of ancient era Mencius (372-289 BCE) strongly believes in the innate goodness of human nature, which humans inherit from their ancestors. It is therefore he vehemently advocates in favor of following the life patterns of the ancestors in order to achieve perfection in their character and personality ultimately. Moreover, according to him, if humans are provided with adequate education and training, their qualities could further be polished and improved. However, Hsà ¼n Tzu (298-238 BCE) does not find righteousness in human nature. On the contrary, he is of t.he view that human nature is evil and can be improved through socialization. Another eminent philosopher of ancient times, named Kao Tzu (420-350 BCE), aptly acknowledged to be one of the most talented thinkers in the history of China, refutes both the above-mentioned doctrines, and decl ares human nature as clean slate, which studies and follows only what it observes being practiced by others in its social and natural environment. Thus, human nature is neither good nor bad altogether, according to Kao Tzu, and follows the same which is taught to it. Eminent 19th century German philosopher Georg Hegel (1770—1831) has also made a comparative analysis of the doctrines presented by Hsun Tzu and Mencius while elucidating the concepts of innate evil and innate goodness respectively. Somehow, Hegel seeks further wisdom in both these theses, where both these doctrines serve as thesis and antithesis to each other. Hegel declares goodness and evil as occasional in nature and scope due to the very reality that absolute righteousness or complete wrong-doings do not prevail in any part of the globe. In other words, no one can be stated as completely sublime and righteous or absolutely monstrous and obnoxious. For instance, a robber could be harmful and destructive for so ciety, though would be a kind and benevolent person in his domestic life, and may treat his children with great love and affection. Similarly, a pious person may commit genocide out of sheer feelings of revenge or abhorrence for his opponent or rival. Moreover, Otto von Bismarck (1815--1898) is regarded as a great German nationalist, though his name brings displeasure on the countenances of the French public at large. Since absolute goodness and evil do not exist in any part of the globe, declaring anyone as the representative of good or evil does not carry weight in the eyes of the philosophers, thinkers and intellectuals. Hegel alludes to the gallant deeds displayed by the soldiers while saving the boundaries of their country. (Austin, 624-25) Since they are also

Obesity and How the Media and Society Play a Major Role Research Paper

Obesity and How the Media and Society Play a Major Role - Research Paper Example The best measure for defining obesity is using the body mass index. With the help of a person’s height and weight, BMI is calculated. Often people think that obesity is a cosmetic consideration. It is not just a cosmetic consideration, but there is more to it. It is a chronic disease which often leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, gallstones and various other chronic diseases. It is not easy to treat because the relapse rate of obesity is very high. Within a span of five years, 95 percent of people who lose the weight regain it. The treatment of obesity is not short termed even though medications and diets can be helpful. It has to be a lifelong process with a commitment to proper diet habits, increased physical activity and regular exercise. One should always concentrate on living a healthier lifestyle, rather than focusing on having an ideal weight (Balentine 2012). In this paper we will extensively talk about obesity in the children how does media and soc iety contributes to it. Increasing trends among obesity in children represents an unprecedented burden on their health. the medical complications which are commonly found in overweight children includes hypertension, type 2 diabetes, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problem, troubles in sleeping and depression. According to research, there is a variety of unrelated media factors, which contribute to obesity among children. These may include a reduction in physical education classes, after-school athletic programs have reduced, public schools have started supplying sodas and snacks. We can also see the increasing number of fast food restaurants, the concept of ‘super sizing’ of food portions and the increasing number of high calorie and high fat grocery products which are easily available. The potential costs that are associated with childhood obesity is considered to be as surprising by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The other potential contributor in the rising ra tes of childhood obesity is media. There has been an explosion in the media channels and shows which targets to children during the same period in which trends of increasing childhood obesity are observed. In addition to this, there has been an increase in videos, specialized cable networks, video games, internet websites and other computer activities. An average of five and a half hours are spent by children today on media. This time spent is equivalent to a full time job. This time spent is more than an average person spends on anything apart from sleeping. Same is the case with the pre-school children. They spend more time with screen media: which includes TV, video games and computer games, than playing outside. Much of the media that targets the children is laden with elaborate advertising campaigns, which mostly promotes candy, soda and snacks. Studies show that on an average, a child watches 40,000 ads a year on TV alone. According to the theory of experts, pediatricians and media researchers, media contributes largely to childhood obesity. Firstly, the time which a child spends using media displaces the time which they could spend on physical activities. Secondly, the advertisements, which are related to food, influences a child in making unhealthy food choices. Moreover, the food products are made more attractive when some famous TV character or a cartoon character is the ambassador of that product. This encourages children to buy and eat

Critical Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical Evaluation - Essay Example McCullin, Don, "Don McCullin in Syria, December 2012" Don McCullin, internationally known British photojournalist, is majorly renowned and known for his war photography and post-war coverage especially for his visit to Syria at the age of 77. His work features 134 exceptionally taken photographs that cover world's most dangerous and conflicted images. For the first time, the work of a British photojournalist is being exhibited in the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) till April 14, 2013. Major newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Observer have also printed his works. McCullin has always depicted the unemployed, the impoverished and the downtrodden. NGC director and CEO Marc Mayer reported to have said, "McCullin's photographs belong in an art gallery because they consistently bring clarity and compositional grace to their compelling subject matter. These pictures are both hard to look at and hard not to" (Mallet, 2013). However, his recent e ncounter of Syria has not been displayed in the gallery, as Sobey Curatorial Assistant Katherine Stauble writes, "Likely (these images) were not meant to hang on a gallery wall, but rather, to communicate information, to reveal truths and to mobilize action. Now that McCullin has escaped the battlefield and for the past twenty years has been focusing his lens on landscape and still life, one might expect the artist moniker to sit more comfortably with him" (as cited in Mallet, 2013). The following attached files are few of pictures of his last war with Anthony Loyd: Figure 1: Anthony Loyd  and Don McCullin  Atmeh, on the Syria-Turkey border. According to McCullin, "Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures" (Mallet, 2013). This is what has been the most predominant feature of McCullin's photography as shown in Figure. 1. There has been embedded in his pictures "the feelings of people" rather than focusing on the other artistic values (figure 1). He, through his images, has tried to get the sympathetic feelings for the affected people. By capturing a child's picture, he is making use of emotions and feelings of people to get attention. As Susan Sontag writes in her book, Regarding the Pain of Others (2003), that sufferings and emotions sell more than any other factors (Sontag, 2003). Figure 2: Don McCullin for The Times. The most effective and credible advantage of McCullin's work (as shown in Figure. 2) would be his unbiased reporting. He not only showed images of the public dying and their sorrows, but he also showed the sorrows of the free Syrian army (Figure 2). "I'm just a carrier pigeon that brings the message back home" (Archer, 2013), says McCullin. Thus, effectively, his images do not downplay the role of one opposing army to another nor do they cast blame on any side. His images can nev er prove to be the barriers against peace-making between the conflicted armies (Greenslade, 2013). The images represent war in a way that they do not exploit people nor do they express problematic ideas that would exacerbate the situation and/or the relationship between photographer and his subject (figure 2). Figure 3: McCullin in Syria McCullin's photography explicitly points out at the major weakness of his images which was the portrayal of sufferings of the evicted people as shown in

Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

Ernest Hemingway Essay Ernest Hemingway is a writer known for his characterizations of men and women. His men tend to be very macho and involved in using women for their own personal gain. His women tend to be somewhat naive and overwhelmed with the idea of being with men. As with many of Hemingway’s female characters, Liz in â€Å"Up in Michigan† has mistakenly taken infatuation for love. Liz is actually somewhat obsessed with Jim right from the beginning. Hemingway writes, â€Å"She liked it about how his teeth were when he smiled,†¦that his hair was black on his arms and how white they were above the tanned line when he washed up in the washbasin outside the house. Liking that made her feel funny. † Clearly, sentences like this demonstrate the girlish nature of Liz. She notices all the little things that women notice in infatuation with men. There is no mention of his character, of what kind of man he is, only of his physical characteristics. She feels â€Å"funny† inside thinking about his white skin where it disappears into his clothes. This is the equivalent of the pounding heartbeat of infatuation. In fact, â€Å"All the time Liz was thinking about Jim Gilmore. He didn’t seem to notice her much† (Hemingway 82). Clearly, the feelings are one-sided here. It is impossible for Liz to love him if he takes no notice of her. Real love is about reciprocity. As the story goes on, Jim goes away on a hunting trip. â€Å"She couldn’t sleep well from thinking about him but she discovered it was fun to think about him too† (Hemingway 82). She is thinking about him in the ways of a girl, fascinated with every move he makes. She knows nothing of substance about him. Clearly, he is not thinking of her at all. She even goes so far as to think that â€Å"everything would be all right when he came home† (Hemingway 83). Again, she is pinning her entire identity on this one man who doesn’t even give her the time of day. She has no understanding of real love and is actually setting herself up for someone like Jim to use her by being so needy. She has fallen into the female trap of believing in that fairy tale, romantic love that doesn’t exist in reality. She believes he will notice her and realize they were meant to be together. When Jim returns from hunting, he sits and drinks with the boys. Liz tells the reader that â€Å"She didn’t want to go to bed yet because she knew Jim would be coming out and she wanted to see him as he went out so she could take the way he looked up to bed with her† (Hemingway 84). Again, as a little girl, she wants to take his image to bed and fantasize about it. She needs one last glimpse of him to make her feel complete. Jim does come out and immediately makes advances toward her in his drunken state. She is scared but feels as though he is finally noticing her. She doesn’t want to ruin her chance. As he seduces her, there are phrases like, â€Å"it was cold but Liz was hot all over from being with Jim. † She tells him no but doesn’t really mean it, and he basically takes advantage of her. Afterwards, she is â€Å"cold and miserable† and tells the reader that â€Å"everything felt gone† (Hemingway 85). The story ends with her covering Jim and kissing his cheek as well as trying to talk to him, but realizing on the dock that â€Å"a cold mist is coming† (Hemingway 85). On the dock, with the â€Å"cold mist coming† (Hemingway 85), Liz has realized that like the barges that disappear earlier in the story, her idea of infatuation is gone. She understands that Jim was simply fulfilling his own physical need and that he has no feelings for her. She understands a basic truth that many men see love and sex completely differently than women do. She has, in effect, grown up. The cold mist coming is the way her life will change now that the illusion of romantic, fairy tale love is gone. Jim has not noticed her, and she has paid an extremely high price for misunderstanding his intentions. She will either learn to value herself more and not be â€Å"available† for every man she likes or she will attach herself to another man like Jim who will take advantage of her and treat her badly, but this time she will be realistic in the fact that that is what he will do. She will not wait for the happy ending anymore. Her illusions about infatuation (love) have been shattered, and in a world such as this, she may never learn what real love, mutual trust and respect, is.

How Photographic Depictions of Children have Changed

How Photographic Depictions of Children have Changed Jade Leslie With reference to the work of Higonnet and Holland, show how photographic depictions of children have changed over the last century. What are the strengths of photography as a medium for capturing the essence of childhood? Intro Photographic images provide us with a snapshot of the past and present, they hold past moment’s static for us to view even though they no longer exist. They provide us with visions of places and people we may never meet and fantasies, they are powerful for their seeming reality. Photography offers both reality and illusion. Photographs brings visual delight â€Å"†¦about the dream of childhood and its persistent nightmare† (Holland, 1992: 8). According to Higonnet (1998; 7) â€Å"pictures of children are†¦. the most sacred and the most controversial images of our time†. While they protect the ideal of childhood innocence images can also potential damage this ideal. Imagery is a vital part of social meaning they continuously provide viewers to new versions on subjects such as childhood (Holland, 2004). In this essay I will look at how imagery of children have changed in the last century, focusing on the debates of how innocence and sexuality and the changes and sim Image 1 Millais Cherry Ripe (1879) Julia Margaret Cameron Image 2 ‘I wait’ (1872) http://media.kunst-fuer-alle.de/img/36/g/36_67418~_sir-john-everett-millais_cherry-ripe,-1879.jpg http://thevictorianist.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/julia-margaret-cameron.html All visual images of childhood innocence was invented and refined by paintings and illustrations from the 18th century to the early 20th century (Higonnet, 1998; 78). They were then transferred into photography. Paintings and illustrations of children allow us to really see perfect innocence, however photographs does this more convincingly (Higonnet, 1998; 86). The notion of the romantic childhood spread into popular painting such as Image 1 by Sir Everett Millais which has since been reprinted and used in advertisements of soap, during the time of production this was associated with cleanliness and purity (Holland, 2004). I included this image as I feel it is important to see how elements of earlier paintings are used in contemporary images of children. In Cherry Ripe the young girl is dressed in typical romantic children’s clothing which has been related to innocence (Higonnet, 1998; 51). All romantic children wear costumes and have connections with nature just like we see i n Cherry Ripe where the painting is set outdoors surrounding by nature and fruit. Julia Margaret Cameron ‘I wait’ displays angelic innocence depicted in early photography. Childhood innocence was viewed as sacred, pure and children are dressed in costumes of angels or cherubs to visualise this notion. Anne Geddes Image 3Image 4Image 5 http://villagewitchblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/68079-anne-geddes-baby-wallpapers-prints-desktop-wallpaper.jpg http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/calendar/betsy-cameron-angels/13600025/ We see a continuation of these themes in photographs by Anne Geddes. Her images represent a modern take of today’s idea of childhood innocence (image 3, 4 and 5). These images are what we commonly see on calendars and greeting cards. In these images the children are dressed in costumes, wearing angel wings, dressed in white and have connections with nature. They represent childhood as being pure, vulnerable, close to nature and precious to be nurtured and loved. Just as we see in images 1 and 2 they represent the idyllic childhood and unspoiled innocence. According to Higonnet (1998; 78) â€Å"†¦Geddes make children’s bodies unreal and belong to an unreal world†. Digital photography and new technology has allowed this and images now have no limitations. The children in Geddes images have a magical feel the children seem unreal without making them enticing or available. Higonnet (1998; 78) states that successful commercial images like this make the children s eem there and yet not there. Geddes photographs draw on childhood innocence just as earlier depictions of childhood by Julia Margaret Cameron (image 2) and paintings by Millais’s Cherry Ripe (1879 image 1) as they have similar themes in representing children as sacred in white clothing or dressed as angels and having connections with nature. Many of today’s commercial photographs of children have the same characteristics of those from the 19th century where children are dressed up or are angels, cherubs, fairies and miniature adults They remain similar with their â€Å"†¦romantic precedents†, centred on making children’s bodies look innocent (Higonnet, 1998; 76). They all conform to visual expectations of childhood. â€Å"They show us what we want childhood to be† (Higonnet, 1998; 86), if images go against this idealised romantic notion of children being fragile, innocence and pure it causes discomfort to viewer’s convention of childhood and causes controversy. The early 19th century photographs of cherub and angelic children continues to carry a powerful visual reference as the quintessence of childhood (Holland, 2004; 9). During the late 1980’s Sally Mann began to challenge the earlier ideas of the romantic childhood. Mann used her own children to represent her version of childhood. She captured their most vulnerable and natural moments, many of these photos contained them in the nude or semi-nude. Mann’s pictures displayed childhood in a natural form not the idealised versions from early images. Image 6 â€Å"Candy Cigarette† Sally Mann (1989)Image 7 â€Å"Jessie at five† Sally Mann (1987) http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/art-or-abuse-a-lament-for-lost-innocence-2078397.html http://lamblegs.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/sally-manns-immediate-family/ Image 6 and 7 captures how the children innocently play using simple props such as jewellery and candy cigarettes. On first glance this appears to be innocent however, they can also be a threat to the children in the form of potential sexuality. In image 6 Mann’s daughter balances a candy cigarette in her hand and resembles how an adult would hold it. Her facial expression, posture and the way her hair is parted on the side makes her look older than her years. The background of the photo is dark making Jessie stand out drawing you to focus directly at her. This picture has caused controversy due to the children mimicking adults and smoking. Children do mimic adults in their play. She is not smoking a real cigarette she is pretending. I feel this image displays how children are losing their innocence why also being innocent young girls enjoy trying out adult roles in their play scenarios (Holland, 2004) and are influenced by what they see in their daily lives. This image reflect the reality of how society affects children, they are copying actions what they see through media and their daily lives and are applying it to their play. In image 7 Jessie at five the central girl snakes outwards highlighting her naked torso, her pose has a sexual tone, she lures at the viewer, her shoulders are placed in an inviting way to show off her bare chest as if she is inviting you to go to her. She wears a pearl necklace, is made up with lipstick this makes her look like she is in her teens, or modelling for a fashion magazine. This conveys â€Å"†¦ conflicting messages of childhood innocence and adult sexuality† (Higonnet, 1998; 195), if you were unable to see her pre-pubescent body people could be easily confused to thinking she was older. Due to the posture and lack of clothing of Jessie, it suggests it could be sexually intended rather than children simply playing dress up. Jessie contrasts the two other girls pictured dressed in traditional clothing of childhood innocence. I feel that Mann’s work displays more realistic images of childhood than earlier images, children are not always angels and pure as suggest in the 19th century. Children enjoy experimenting playing adult roles and these images capture children doing precisely this. Mann’s work remains a subject of controversy due to the nude and provocative images of her children which aroused great critical debate as it challenged the romanticised essence of childhood (Scally, 2012). It has also been suggested that Mann is sexualising her own children putting them at risk of sexual exploitation. According to Zurbriggen et al (2003) Mann’s images make young children vulnerable. Savage (2011; 109) argues that Mann’s images has â€Å"†¦the ability to unnerve, to represent without apology, and to suggest the sensuality on childhood play and, perhaps inadvertently shatter the myth of innocence†. Supporter of Mann’s work argue that any sexual thoughts that arise from these images are a â€Å"†¦result of less-than-innocent readings† (Savage, 2011; 107). Mann has defended herself, stating that her work is natural through the eyes of a mother, since she has seen her children in every state: happy, sad, playful, sick, bloodied, angry and even naked. (Independent, 2010). According to Higonnet (1998; 203) Mann’s pictures upset cherished conventions of idyllic childhood. These images do not conform to the idealistic view of childhood they create discomfort as the go against social norms and unsettle traditional representations of childhood (Miller, 2005). In my opinion these two images. Something about child abuse. During the 1980’s childhood was under attack and was being pushed into adulthood by the mass media (Elkind, 1981; Postman, 1982). Many academics note that this was a time when childhood as we once knew it was lost. Postman (1983) argues that television and the use of children in advertising of clothing and adult products has influenced the disappearance of childhood as there has been a tendency to advertise children wearing clothing which resemble adult fashion, this is seen in image ? and ? Reference in hendrick chapter 2. Young girls have been increasing targeted by advertisements and it has been suggested it encouraged young girls to grow up too quickly and become sexually promiscuous (Linn, 2004; Schol, 2004). Boulton (2007) states that advertisements depict the child model as a ‘nascent adult’ Images ? and ? display the current culture of childhood depictions which have become increasing more sexualised. Popular images of little girls as alluring and seductive at once innocent and highly erotic are contained in the most respectable and mundane of locations, broadsheets, women’s magazines and television adverts. http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.co.uk/2011_01_01_archive.html http://live.drjays.com/index.php/2011/01/06/has-french-vogue-taken-child-models-too-far/ Images ? is from a French edition of Vogue magazine. The young model is photographed high heels, lots of jewellery and heavy makeup. She is placed upon leopard skin. She is dressed in adults clothes her pose is confident and serious she is not smiling. According to Boulton (2007) this is a sign of dominance, when children mimic this powerful look they convey a sense of adult-like self- awareness often associated with precocious sexuality. The most worrying part of this image in the title â€Å"Cadeaux† which is the French word for gifts, suggesting the model is a gift. Images like this with suggestive words have dangerous potential to exploit childhood by introducing adult sexuality into childhood innocence (Walkerdine, 1996; 326). What is seen as a fantasy for a young girl playing dress up can easily been transformed into a different fantasy for predatory adult men (Holland, 2004; 188). Children are increasingly subjected to social and economic forces that exploit them throug h the dynamics of sexualisation, commodification and commercialisation (Giroux, 2000; 44). Their innocence can often mask the sexualisation. The image of childhood innocence is now in jeopardy not just because it is being violated but because it was seriously flawed all along. The ideal of the child as object of adoration has turned too easily into the concept of the child as object and then into the marketing of the child as commodity (Direct quote, Hig, pg 194). Innocence feeds into enticing images of childlike purity as it simultaneously sexualises and markets such images (g, 60). Conclusion The image of childhood which was created in the 18th century has changed and has been replaced with new ideas and ways to picture childhood (Higonnet, 1998). Photographs have the ability to provide visual realism to a The notion of the disappearing child and the myth of childhood innocence often mirror and support each other. Within the myth of innocence children are often portrayed as inhabiting a world that is untainted, magical and utterly protected from the harshness of adult life (Giroux, 2000; 39). Innocence in this instance makes children invisible except as projections of adult fantasies (40). Bib Holland, P (1992) What is a Child? Popular Images of Childhood, London: Virago Press Miller, Andrea. Portrait of Family Values: Transgressions and Controversy in the Work of Sally Mann. Scally, P. (2012). In Context. Ethics and Visual Representation http://fir.ferris.edu:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/2323/2498/Phil_Scally_Ethics_2012.pdf?sequence=1 (accessed 15/04/14) Art or abuse?: A lament for lost innocence http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/art-or-abuse-a-lament-for-lost-innocence-2078397.html Tuesday 14 September 2010