How does Bennett reveal to us the character of Lesley; and how do we respond to her?

The character Lesley has been cleverly crafted by Bennett so that the audience can find humour in her inability to read people and situations, yet still pity her desperation for her big chance. By writing the play in monologue form the audience has access to Lesley's intimate feelings as the camera acts in a similar way to that of a confessional. This ensures that the audience can form their own opinion of Lesley. Bennett's Her big chance started in his series of six monologues called ‘Talking Heads'. The monologue form suits Lesley's character because if there were other visible characters, Lesley would find herself being terribly humiliated whereas as it is Lesley can manipulate what the audience are subjected to, through the monologue form. This subsequently means Lesley is not a very reliable narrator; the audience has to infer negative aspects of her character by reading between the lines. Likewise, a monologue only showcases one point of view so the playwright has to use great skill to incorporate other character's feelings through the main character, in this case, Lesley. In Lesley's monologue, the added opinions of others give the audience a better overview of Lesley's character. When Lesley â€Å"said to Scott, ‘I know why, they knew I had ideas about the part† and â€Å"he said, ‘They knew you had a 38-inch bust† the viewers are able to see that Lesley has no talent and is only good for the ‘fun loving' parts. Lesley then goes on to say Scott's ‘mother's confined to a wheelchair, he's got a lot on his plate', this proves Lesley's failure to interpret other's opinions of her, leaving her isolated as a result. On the other hand, Lesley could be more capable than the audience give her credit for and therefore she was just be dismissing Scott's blunt comment to save her from the harsh reality. All of Bennett's characters from ‘Talking Heads' are isolated and alone due to their particularity. Lesley has many idiosyncrasies which cause people to distance themselves from her. She is always trying to upgrade her small extra parts – ‘where you may have seen me, Simon, is in Tess. Roman Polanski. I played Chloe'. No one would have known who she was talking about because ‘Chloe was the one on the back of a farm cart wearing a shawl.' Basically she was only an extra but Lesley insists on describing her part by name as if everyone remembers that part because she, herself, gave such a memorable performance. Although she has never had a serious part, Lesley still persists in calling herself ‘professional to' her ‘fingertips' and fails to realise that the parts she does play are not so different from her, ‘fun-loving girls who take life as it comes' even if that means sleeping around to get a part. Invariably, Lesley takes pride in telling pe ople how to do their job, thinking that her contribution is important. Her inputs are always annoying little comments which doubt the capability of whom she is talking to like, â€Å"if it's a migraine rather than a headache Travis probably wouldn't be able to speak,' and Gunther said, ‘Whatever you say.† Not only does she interfere with the director's work but she then tells the audience that ‘it's wonderful, that moment, when you feel a director first begin to trust you and you really start to build.' Here she misreads the situation as Gunther probably didn't want her to talk because she is no good at acting and she only needed to look good anyway. Another thing Lesley hadn't realised was that with all her interfering over the making of the movie Gunther had probably figured by now out how to get what he wanted out of Lesley. An alternative example of this is going back to Lesley's audition where she couldn't help but make a suggestion, â€Å"reading generally indicates a studious temperament and I'm a very convincing reader†¦ because it's something I frequently do in real life.' I could tell he was impressed.† She then carries on just because Simon was acting impressed out politeness. Even when he was showing her out she didn't get the picture and suggested putting â€Å"Travis in a bikini and give her a briefcase.† Not only are these terrible ideas but she could have easily blown her audition if they based it on talent. The audience are able to see how others view her when Lesley had another thought and had to pop back. â€Å"He was on the phone. ‘You won't believe this,' he was saying.† Lesley saw this comment as a positive one as though her audition was incredible; the audience however are able to infer that Simon saw her audition as beyond belief and shocking. Lesley's constant use of jargon like ‘lower echelons', ‘p.o.v water-skis' and ‘we wrapped at about six (that's film parlance for packed up)' is arrogant and patronising it also implies Lesley is trying too hard to fit into a higher class of society as only people who aren't content with themselves feel the need to demean others. Additionally, Lesley uses â€Å"Ciao† and â€Å"that's interesting† excessively, it's as though she is trying to be more cultured or more ‘interesting', when in fact in just makes her seem unintelligent due to her lack of varied vocabulary. Bennett's humour is usually at the expense of others, similarly at Lesley's ignorance. At one point in the play Nigel mentions that the director Gunther is pleased with their progress because they are finally ‘cooking with gas', Lesley misreads this and says ‘does that mean its good†¦ because I prefer electricity.' This is a classic ‘bimbo' moment, created by Bennett, which the audience can use help them discover the true character of Lesley. Being vulnerable and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve quite often leads Lesley to waking up in many strange rooms. It is pitiful that Lesley is so desperate and has no belief in herself that she feels she has to sleep with whoever it takes to get a part. This originates from her isolation, she possibly feels lonely and consequently the only way she feels wanted is if she constantly has one night stands. At the end of the play Lesley is back where she started, in her small desolate flat. This reveals to the audience despite having just performed in a movie she has gotten nowhere as a result. In a way, Lesley can also see this unkind truth as she ends by saying that she would like to ‘acquire another skill' like ‘selling valuable oil paintings' or ‘canoeing.' As she feels that the more you have to give the better you are as an actress. This in her case is true because she doesn't have much talent to give and is also a bad actress; it is also similar to her habit of sleeping with people. She gives them what they want and sometimes she'll get a part. She rounds off by saying ‘acting is really just giving.' This line sums up her career, which is quite a sad thought, but she only ever gets used and nothing really comes out of it, because she is left in her tiny flat again on her own. On the surface Bennett develops Lesley's character so the audience can only abhorred her and her traits, but underlying the viewers could quite possibly feel sympathetic towards her as despite all she went through she still didn't get her big chance.

Himalayans Cat

Student Number _____________ RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT Himalayans Cat Felis Catus Abstract When you think of a warm, loving, and sensationally beautiful cat with crystal blue eyes to die for the first cat that should come to mind is the prestigious Himalayan Cat. The Himalayan Cat is a lovable cat breed and is a favorite choice amongst cat lovers. This domestic breed of felines are a popular pick in Hollywood and are famous for playing cat characters in movies such as â€Å"Meet the Parents,† â€Å"Meet the Flockers,† â€Å"Date Movie,† â€Å"Homeward Bound,† and on the â€Å"Martha Stewart show† (Petinsurance, 2012, Para. ). The Himalayan cat is unlike any other for it has a unique history. The Himalayan cat is derived from the Genus/Species Felis catus and is a result of the breeding of two very prestigious breeds of cats: the Persian and the Siamese cat. As a result of this unique breeding the Himalayan cat was created and has since been a symbol of el egance due to there â€Å"very unique body characteristic that distinguishes them from any other member of the feline family† (Helgreen, 2011, Para. 5).The Himalayan Cat is a domestic cat or Felis catus, which is â€Å"a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal† (Wikipedia, 2012, Para 1). It is more commonly referred to as the â€Å"house cat†. Its taxonomic classification group is â€Å"animalia chordata mammalia carnivora felidae felis catus† (Ramel, 2012, Para 1). According to Ramel (2012) archaeological evidence suggests that modern cats lineage, recognizably similar to our present day species, began to emerge about 25 MYA and during the last 12 million years the eight separate lineages of modern cats have emerged.The domestic cats are apart of that lineage known as the Felis genius, which makes them in direct relation to the cougar, lion, and tigers with the exception of the obvious differences of size and domestication (Wikipedia, 2012 ). The Felis catus are strong, active, round headed, small-bodied, social natured, intelligent animals. â€Å"Felis, typically weigh between eight and eleven pounds, but some breeds can exceed to twenty-five pounds† (Wikipedia, 2012, Para. 7).Domestic cats still have many of their wild instincts for instance; they are constantly climbing, jumping, running, and/or extending their claws in hunting or self-defense (Ramel, 2012). Their sharp retractable claws and strong sharp teeth are their defense mechanism against predators. Domestic cats have great sense of smell, excellent night vision, and a variety of â€Å"vocalization methods of communication (purring, hissing, meowing, and growling), and exceptional hearing† (Wikipedia, 2012, Para 10). According to Wikipedia (2012) they can hear higher-pitched sounds than either dogs or humans, detecting frequencies from 55Hz up to 79 kHz.The life expectancy for a domestic cat is between 12-16 years but some may live longer. Dome stic cats â€Å"reach sexual maturity anywhere between the ages of 7 to 9 months† and usually have an average of 3-5 kitten per liter† (Ramel, 2012, Para. 3) Domestic cats have a â€Å"mutualistic relationship† with human beings and are great companions for people of all ages (Wikipedia, 2012). One of the most devoted people loving breeds of domestic cats is the Himalayan Cat breed. Himalayan Cats are extremely affectionate (Anderson, 2012).Schapmann (2012) states according to Animal Planet’s rating of Himalayan cat characteristics, Himalayans rank high in affection toward their owners, need for attention, and compatibility with children and other pets. This breed of domestic cats are very calm natured but playful. â€Å"The males are more outgoing than their female counter partners, who are more shy and reserved† (Anderson, 2012, Para. 3). Himalayans Cats are a result of a crossbreeding of the Persian cat with the Siamese cat. â€Å"The Himalayan cat was the creation of scientist, Dr. Clyde Keeler and cat breeder, Virginia Cobb.The two teamed up to blend a Persian cat and a Siamese cat† (Petinsurance, 2012, Para. 2) McDonald (1999) states that although, for decades, breeders attempted to breed these two cats but were unsuccessful. It wasn’t until Marguerita Goforth successfully created this breed in 1950s and by the 1960s, it was accepted as a breed by cat authorities (McDonald, 1999). The Himalayan Cat has a remarkable appearance, which makes them so popular. They are short with long thick white hair, which is a featured they adopted from the Persian Cat and have strong colourpoint markings, which is a featured they adopted from the Siamese Cat Petinsurance, 2012). The colourpoint markings are on their ears, legs, tail, and facemask and vary in color (Helgreen, 2011). â€Å"There is a definite contrast between point and body color† (Helgreen, 2011, Para. 4). Most Himalayan Cats range from either white to beige and their colourpoint markings can be â€Å"chocolate, seal, lilac, blue, red, cream tortile, blue-cream, chocolate-torte, lilac cream, seal lynx, blue lynx, red lynx, cream lynx, torte lynx, blue-cream lynx, chocolate lynx, lilac lynx, chocolate-torte lynx, and lilac-cream lynx†(Helgreen, 2011, Para. ) Aside from their distinctive color patterns, the Himalayans are also recognized for their piercing blue eyes and strong flat faces (American Cat Fanciers Association, 2012). There are two facial types: the Extreme/Peke (Ultra face) and the Traditional known as the â€Å"Doll face†(Helgreen, 2011, Para. 4). The major difference between these two is that Extreme faced Himalayan has an extremely flatten face. â€Å"The nose is as nearly as high as the eyes† (McDonald, 1999, pg. 5). This flattened face feature causes this breed to experience problems with their eyes tearing, teeth crowding, and difficulties breathing (Petinsurance, 2012, Para 5).According to C hancellor (2012) Himalayans are subjected to the same types of diseases as Persian Cats due to their linage. These health issues include: â€Å"Tear Duct Overflow, Skin fold dermatitis, Polycystic Kidney Disease, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, and Urinary tract stones† (Chancellor, 2012, Para, 1). Despite the possible health issues, Himalayan Cats have a lifespan of 14-15 years and have no problems with breeding (McDonald, 1999). The female Himalayan Cats may be ready for breeding as early as five months and will begin calling for the her male counter partner to assist in the reproduction process (McDonald, 1999).According to Helgreen (2011) Himalayan cats normally birth 3-4 kittens however; they can produce liters of eight kittens. Himalayan Cats have a very lovable, docile, and playful personality (Schapman, 2012). â€Å"The amazing pet behaviors observed in this cat are commendable the high level of affection intelligence and tolerance are not qualities that are seen in ord inary domestic cats†(Petinsurance, 2012, Para. 6). According to Schapman (2012) this breed of domestic cats has a strong need for attention and companionship from its human owner.This may range anywhere from daily grooming to reassurance and security from its owner. â€Å"They are very dependent on their owners but also have an air of independence, calmness, and self-assuredness† (Schapman, 2012, Para 4). The Himalayan Cat breed is a very unique breed aside from all its unique physical and behavioral characteristics. The American Cat Fanciers Association recognizes this uniqueness and is the only association that recognizes this breed as a separate breed from all other varieties of Persian and Siamese cats (American Cat Fanciers Association, 2012).Despite their ancestral linage to the Persian and Siamese Cat, the Himalayan Cat breed is in a league of its own. References American Cat Fanciers Association. (2012) Himalayians. Retrieved from http://www. acfacat. com/breed_ standard. htm Anderson, C. (2012). Personality differences for male and female himalayan cats. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/info_8087211_personality-male-female-himalayan-cats. html Chancellor, T. L. (2012). Himalayan cat diseases. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/about_5436085_himalayan-cat-diseases. html#ixzz2C8PXRtDf. Helgreen, J. A. 2011). Himalayan cats. Telmark Productions. McDonald, C. (1999). Guide to owning a himalayan cat. Facts On File, Incorporated. Petinsurance. (2012). Himalayan cats; blue-eyed wonder. Retrieved from http://www. petinsurance. com/healthzone/pet-articles/pet-breeds/himalayan-cats. aspx Ramel, G. (2012). Cats. Retrieved from http://www. earthlife. net/mammals/cats. html Schapman, S. (2012). Himalayan cat personality. Retrieved from http://suite101. com/article/the-himalayan-cat-personality-a70239 Wikipedia. (2012). Domestic cats. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cat. Himalayans Cat Student Number _____________ RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT Himalayans Cat Felis Catus Abstract When you think of a warm, loving, and sensationally beautiful cat with crystal blue eyes to die for the first cat that should come to mind is the prestigious Himalayan Cat. The Himalayan Cat is a lovable cat breed and is a favorite choice amongst cat lovers. This domestic breed of felines are a popular pick in Hollywood and are famous for playing cat characters in movies such as â€Å"Meet the Parents,† â€Å"Meet the Flockers,† â€Å"Date Movie,† â€Å"Homeward Bound,† and on the â€Å"Martha Stewart show† (Petinsurance, 2012, Para. ). The Himalayan cat is unlike any other for it has a unique history. The Himalayan cat is derived from the Genus/Species Felis catus and is a result of the breeding of two very prestigious breeds of cats: the Persian and the Siamese cat. As a result of this unique breeding the Himalayan cat was created and has since been a symbol of el egance due to there â€Å"very unique body characteristic that distinguishes them from any other member of the feline family† (Helgreen, 2011, Para. 5).The Himalayan Cat is a domestic cat or Felis catus, which is â€Å"a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal† (Wikipedia, 2012, Para 1). It is more commonly referred to as the â€Å"house cat†. Its taxonomic classification group is â€Å"animalia chordata mammalia carnivora felidae felis catus† (Ramel, 2012, Para 1). According to Ramel (2012) archaeological evidence suggests that modern cats lineage, recognizably similar to our present day species, began to emerge about 25 MYA and during the last 12 million years the eight separate lineages of modern cats have emerged.The domestic cats are apart of that lineage known as the Felis genius, which makes them in direct relation to the cougar, lion, and tigers with the exception of the obvious differences of size and domestication (Wikipedia, 2012 ). The Felis catus are strong, active, round headed, small-bodied, social natured, intelligent animals. â€Å"Felis, typically weigh between eight and eleven pounds, but some breeds can exceed to twenty-five pounds† (Wikipedia, 2012, Para. 7).Domestic cats still have many of their wild instincts for instance; they are constantly climbing, jumping, running, and/or extending their claws in hunting or self-defense (Ramel, 2012). Their sharp retractable claws and strong sharp teeth are their defense mechanism against predators. Domestic cats have great sense of smell, excellent night vision, and a variety of â€Å"vocalization methods of communication (purring, hissing, meowing, and growling), and exceptional hearing† (Wikipedia, 2012, Para 10). According to Wikipedia (2012) they can hear higher-pitched sounds than either dogs or humans, detecting frequencies from 55Hz up to 79 kHz.The life expectancy for a domestic cat is between 12-16 years but some may live longer. Dome stic cats â€Å"reach sexual maturity anywhere between the ages of 7 to 9 months† and usually have an average of 3-5 kitten per liter† (Ramel, 2012, Para. 3) Domestic cats have a â€Å"mutualistic relationship† with human beings and are great companions for people of all ages (Wikipedia, 2012). One of the most devoted people loving breeds of domestic cats is the Himalayan Cat breed. Himalayan Cats are extremely affectionate (Anderson, 2012).Schapmann (2012) states according to Animal Planet’s rating of Himalayan cat characteristics, Himalayans rank high in affection toward their owners, need for attention, and compatibility with children and other pets. This breed of domestic cats are very calm natured but playful. â€Å"The males are more outgoing than their female counter partners, who are more shy and reserved† (Anderson, 2012, Para. 3). Himalayans Cats are a result of a crossbreeding of the Persian cat with the Siamese cat. â€Å"The Himalayan cat was the creation of scientist, Dr. Clyde Keeler and cat breeder, Virginia Cobb.The two teamed up to blend a Persian cat and a Siamese cat† (Petinsurance, 2012, Para. 2) McDonald (1999) states that although, for decades, breeders attempted to breed these two cats but were unsuccessful. It wasn’t until Marguerita Goforth successfully created this breed in 1950s and by the 1960s, it was accepted as a breed by cat authorities (McDonald, 1999). The Himalayan Cat has a remarkable appearance, which makes them so popular. They are short with long thick white hair, which is a featured they adopted from the Persian Cat and have strong colourpoint markings, which is a featured they adopted from the Siamese Cat Petinsurance, 2012). The colourpoint markings are on their ears, legs, tail, and facemask and vary in color (Helgreen, 2011). â€Å"There is a definite contrast between point and body color† (Helgreen, 2011, Para. 4). Most Himalayan Cats range from either white to beige and their colourpoint markings can be â€Å"chocolate, seal, lilac, blue, red, cream tortile, blue-cream, chocolate-torte, lilac cream, seal lynx, blue lynx, red lynx, cream lynx, torte lynx, blue-cream lynx, chocolate lynx, lilac lynx, chocolate-torte lynx, and lilac-cream lynx†(Helgreen, 2011, Para. ) Aside from their distinctive color patterns, the Himalayans are also recognized for their piercing blue eyes and strong flat faces (American Cat Fanciers Association, 2012). There are two facial types: the Extreme/Peke (Ultra face) and the Traditional known as the â€Å"Doll face†(Helgreen, 2011, Para. 4). The major difference between these two is that Extreme faced Himalayan has an extremely flatten face. â€Å"The nose is as nearly as high as the eyes† (McDonald, 1999, pg. 5). This flattened face feature causes this breed to experience problems with their eyes tearing, teeth crowding, and difficulties breathing (Petinsurance, 2012, Para 5).According to C hancellor (2012) Himalayans are subjected to the same types of diseases as Persian Cats due to their linage. These health issues include: â€Å"Tear Duct Overflow, Skin fold dermatitis, Polycystic Kidney Disease, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, and Urinary tract stones† (Chancellor, 2012, Para, 1). Despite the possible health issues, Himalayan Cats have a lifespan of 14-15 years and have no problems with breeding (McDonald, 1999). The female Himalayan Cats may be ready for breeding as early as five months and will begin calling for the her male counter partner to assist in the reproduction process (McDonald, 1999).According to Helgreen (2011) Himalayan cats normally birth 3-4 kittens however; they can produce liters of eight kittens. Himalayan Cats have a very lovable, docile, and playful personality (Schapman, 2012). â€Å"The amazing pet behaviors observed in this cat are commendable the high level of affection intelligence and tolerance are not qualities that are seen in ord inary domestic cats†(Petinsurance, 2012, Para. 6). According to Schapman (2012) this breed of domestic cats has a strong need for attention and companionship from its human owner.This may range anywhere from daily grooming to reassurance and security from its owner. â€Å"They are very dependent on their owners but also have an air of independence, calmness, and self-assuredness† (Schapman, 2012, Para 4). The Himalayan Cat breed is a very unique breed aside from all its unique physical and behavioral characteristics. The American Cat Fanciers Association recognizes this uniqueness and is the only association that recognizes this breed as a separate breed from all other varieties of Persian and Siamese cats (American Cat Fanciers Association, 2012).Despite their ancestral linage to the Persian and Siamese Cat, the Himalayan Cat breed is in a league of its own. References American Cat Fanciers Association. (2012) Himalayians. Retrieved from http://www. acfacat. com/breed_ standard. htm Anderson, C. (2012). Personality differences for male and female himalayan cats. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/info_8087211_personality-male-female-himalayan-cats. html Chancellor, T. L. (2012). Himalayan cat diseases. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/about_5436085_himalayan-cat-diseases. html#ixzz2C8PXRtDf. Helgreen, J. A. 2011). Himalayan cats. Telmark Productions. McDonald, C. (1999). Guide to owning a himalayan cat. Facts On File, Incorporated. Petinsurance. (2012). Himalayan cats; blue-eyed wonder. Retrieved from http://www. petinsurance. com/healthzone/pet-articles/pet-breeds/himalayan-cats. aspx Ramel, G. (2012). Cats. Retrieved from http://www. earthlife. net/mammals/cats. html Schapman, S. (2012). Himalayan cat personality. Retrieved from http://suite101. com/article/the-himalayan-cat-personality-a70239 Wikipedia. (2012). Domestic cats. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cat.

SWOT analysis of Apple Computers, Inc Research Paper

SWOT analysis of Apple Computers, Inc - Research Paper Example Apple Computers Inc is a Cupertino, California based company which has brought about a whole change in the history of computers. It has history relating to the 1970s as it came into being in the 1976. It has brought major changes in the design of the computers and since then made their way to success. The company made some major changes in the field of computers by introducing Macintosh (Williams, 2007). Till now it has developed some major features in the field of computers and these features are supposedly taken as granted by the consumers. Graphical User Interface is one important feature in the computers designed by Apple Computers Inc. The company has even saw downfalls in the 90s when it did not license it technology and the shares of the company fell to as low as 2%. However after a certain period of time Apple Computers Inc has began to rise and has made several products so as to bring a revolution in the computer world. This essay would further present a SWOT analysis of the multinational and would figure out possible recommendations for my own company to play a larger role in the field of computers today (Scott, 2008). -The wide variety of products designed by Apple has given them greater market variety over other competitors. It has not only entered the arena of computers but also of digital music and a music player known as Ipod designed by them has increased their profits by a greater share (Levy, 2006). And as they have developed a likeness for their brand their Macintosh computers are also sold excessively throughout the world. The variety of notebooks is also a plus feature for Apple inc as because of brand likeness the notebooks are also sold excessively throughout. The variety of Apple in terms of products gives them a particular edge of strength over other competitors (Williams, 2007). -Brand Loyalty to the brand has also increased as they have entered a set of new features in this world. Many of the customers trust the product designed by the brand and this boosts the increase in the sales of the brand. Brand Loyalty helps Apple to not only recruit the customers but also make them come back in future for products. These customers are then offered new products and this boosts the overall cycle of sales (Williams, 2007). -The state of art products designed by Apple Inc even attracts new customers towards its brand. The art of having stylish designs makes Apple have an edge over other competitors. The design qualities can also be counted in the strengths of the organization as most of the products launched by Apple are stylish. The design of the Apple products helps it to attract more customers towards the brand (Apple Computer Corporation) -Apple Inc has successfully invested in research and development schemes which enter the local market and find out what exactly the people are in need of. This helps them to develop a product which is the need of the market. The demand of the people is strictly met by the organization of Apple when launching new products. This can be counted as a major strength too as research and development department play important role in improving the image of a certain company. It helps them to develop a product of such sort that it is liked by everyone (Apple Computer Corporation). -The marketing scheme of Apple is widely applauded as it is

Chinese Tea Company Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Chinese Tea Company - Coursework Example Hence, Zhejiang has decided to enter in new market on this chance by setting up as more as its branch as the first step of counter attack to the competitors. The external situation of Zhejiang can be divided into two categories. Macro environment are point toward financial system, socio cultural factors, political-legal factors, natural environment and novel song factor. And the industry environments are point to the market impression, competitive overview, customer impression and supply. Zhejiang internal situation is summarized from management, merchandise, skill, distribution channel, environment and surroundings support. The strengths should be maintained while the weaknesses improved. The total sales enlargement of Zhejiang is estimated at 15% annually. It sounds hard but Zhejiang has enough self-assurance by using the product, place, people, endorsement, physical assets, procedure management, and price strategies. Furthermore, there are four market segments which are including Music Lover, Student and Teenager, Working People and Festival Celebration will be targeting at. In this case, Zhejiang has listed out the strategy planning for the achievement of the market segmentation. Zhejiang has given out detailed marketing expenditure and procedures that will involve in the improvement of its business. The expenses budget is suggested to remain at about 3% of the sale forecast. Besides, there are some of the actions will be taking place and the action teams have been established in order to implement the marketing plan efficiently. In case of emergency, Zhejiang has built up its own strategy to prevent itself from the contingency issues, especially, the economic recession. Halo caf has to ensure that it has enough financial support

To what extent have OTC derivatives been a major factor in the global Dissertation

To what extent have OTC derivatives been a major factor in the global financial crisis - Dissertation Example (In  his 2002 Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BK) letter to shareholders, company chairman and CEO Warren Buffet) This dissertation paper attempts to explore the extent to which derivatives can be considered to be one of the major factors that have led to the current problems in the global financial sector and looks at what steps can be taken to prevent a crisis on this scale happening again. This shall be on the basis of a review of the available literature. OTC Derivatives and the Global Financial Crisis Table of Contents Abstract Page 2 Table of Contents Page 3 Chapter 1 Introduction Page 4 Chapter 2 Literature Review Page 6 Chapter 3 Research Methods Page 32 Chapter 4 Analysis and discussion of research findings Page 33 Chapter 5 Conclusions and recommendations Page 42 Chapter 1: Introduction Outline the project Aims and objectives Reason for choosing this The research methodology Any limitations of the research The main findings The onset of the Great Recession of 2008 was preceded by a slump in the housing market and a credit crunch that affected the entire economy of the United States. The ensuing financial crisis acquired global dimensions though at first it seemed that the US would be the hardest hit due to the crisis. Even though the US Congress passed the TARP or the Troubled Asset Relief Program to provide assistance to the banks worst hit by the crisis, the recession continued unabated. Further, the crisis itself was thought to have been brought about by a combination of factors that included poor regulatory oversight over the derivatives side of the banking business, predatory lending and the ill effects of well intentioned efforts to spread the risk associated with sub-prime lending across the financial system. This paper looks at the role of derivative instruments and derivative securitization specifically in terms of the effect that they had on the financial system and how unchecked â€Å"gambling† by the banks led to â€Å"casino capitalis m† and the resultant financial crisis that engulfed the entire economy and even other parts of the world. Since the focus of this paper is mainly on the United States and derivatives in particular, the available literature would be surveyed on these aspects. The emphasis throughout the paper would be on a critical analysis of the literature with a questioning attitude that goes beyond a normal review. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the role played by OTC Derivatives in causing the global financial crisis and the continuing aftermath of the crisis. The last part of the sentence above is significant as the derivatives having played a part in exacerbating the crisis have continued to torment the regulators and the investors alike who are yet to tackle the â€Å"volcano of derivatives† which are sitting on top of the financial system. Further, this dissertation also discusses the attempts at regulating the derivatives by the various regulatory agencies involved and the way ahead to avoid a repeat of the crisis that we saw in the winter of 2008. The dissertation is divided into different sections with the literature review and the research findings being the ones with the most emphasis. In addition to these two sections, the research methodology and the conclusions are given due weightage according to the marking criteria for the dissertation. Chapter 2: Literature Review 1.1 Background The global financia

Vocabulary Game for English Language Learners (ELL students) Essay

Vocabulary Game for English Language Learners (ELL students) - Essay Example The game in this presentation is one that focuses on the use of prepositions and adjectives. This experience can be related to what I have learned about ELL and how they interact with material as well as the benefits of face to face interaction. It also relates to things like the development of literacy. â€Å"There is a growing concern over the ability of the educational system to meet the needs of the increasingly diverse multiethnic, multilingual classroom. Prominent among these needs is the acquisition of literacy skills. In recent years, researchers have begun to challenge simplistic notions about the development of English as a Second Language (ESL)1 literacy skills† (Geva, 2000). The game is basically a variation of tic-tac-toe. Most students, even those from other countries, are familiar with tic-tac-toe, and if they are not, it does not take long for the teacher to explain it, and for them to catch on during play. The game begins with the teacher using a whiteboard and marker to draw the tic-tac-toe grid. In each square of the grid, a preposition and adjective are placed, with the â€Å"to be† verb added where necessary. For example, in the first round, the grid may be â€Å"be afraid of,† â€Å"vote for,† â€Å"be confident in,† â€Å"be married to,† â€Å"take from,† â€Å"fight for,† â€Å"dream about,† etc., with one phrase in each square. The students then pair into twos. One student is X; the other is O. The students take turns using the preposition and adjective in their own example, to get the square. When the game is over, the winning student can play the next student up, in a round robin, if necessary. If there is no winner in the tic-tac-toe game, the teacher should move on to another group of two students. Overall, this is a more effective game to play in classes of ten or fewer students, because this still

Disability as a Social Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Disability as a Social Issue - Essay Example As the report declares the social model of disability is one of incredible importance and significance, particularly so now, when the war in Iraq is still taking place, as the issue of disability has never before been put so much into the spotlight. The media, not only in Britain but across the world as well, has truly pulled the matter of disability into being a major one in the media universally, and thus this explains why the term disability as well as the social model of disability itself is presently in so much question and controversy. This social model of disability sees the issue in general as being mainly and primarily as being a result of a socially created problem, and basically thus as well a matter of the full integration of individuals into society. â€Å"Disability is not an attribute of an individual, but rather a complex collection of conditions, many of which are created by the social environment. According to the discussion findings the social model of disability basically distinguishes between the matters of impairment and disability, impairment referring to the concrete mental or physical state, and disability referring to the socio-cultural construct. This goes to say then that impairments are in fact not considered as being inherently disabling, but rather that disability is caused by a society which fails to provide for those people who do have impairments, and that there are obstacles which are unnecessarily and wrongly put in their way. The ways in which disability is viewed socially is not only incredibly significant in itself as an issue but as well has

Critical issue in global health ( water and sanitation in poor Essay

Critical issue in global health ( water and sanitation in poor countries ) - Essay Example With this financial situation, poor people can barely sustain three meals a day, hence, food on the table remains the priority and all other concerns fade in the background. The same problem persists throughout the world because governments of poor countries lack the resources to build infrastructure and implement programs that would finally address the dilemma. When one looks at the figures such as the case in India, the water and sanitation problem is approaching the scale of a humanitarian crisis. This is particularly true in case of urban centers such as Mumbay. Half of its population lives in the slums and shanties, which are typified by severely limited supply of water, bad sewage disposal, unclean public spaces, aggravated and are further aggravated by severe population density (Digby et al., 2000, p. 273). According to Dash (2000), there is one water tap for every 381 slum dwellers, only 30 percent of these communities have community latrine to the point that people are forced to defecate in the open, while less than that percentage have some semblance of garbage collection system (p. 256). The situation is also true in many parts of Africa. As a matter of fact, the problems were responsible for devastating illnesses such as typhoid and dysentery (Offiong, p. 60). For countries living in abject poverty, the priority is food security. It appears to be the most immediate and critical concern because hungry people means restive population. In India, for example, food security remains the top concern of public policy because that is what matters to the electorate. Politicians promise to focus on it as people are more at risk of dying from hunger than from disease due to poor sanitation or from unclean water. Indeed, human development reports confirmed that access to clean water and most especially sanitation receive less attention because it is a low-priority in national policy-making and that the responsibility is

Brain Drain in Louisiana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brain Drain in Louisiana - Essay Example Of grave concern, then, was the emigration of those with scarce professional skills, like Doctors, Nurses, Engineers etc, who had been trained at considerable expense, in most cases, by means of highly subsidized tertiary educations or Government grants. (Cohen 1). The mere fact of the weak and poor society losing skilled people is a terrible occurrence. It plunge the society into a far deeper economic situation. The implications for the poor sending communities, is therefore, stark. (Dhananjayan 2). The factor driving brain drain emigration are not far fetched. The human nature always tend towards a better and more secured living conditions. Wherever such condition is not obtainable in a community, there is bound to be movement outwards, in search of a better environment. It is obvious, therefore, that inequalities in opportunities available to different societies or nations, is one primary factor at the root of brain drain emigration. Several decades back, 'brain drain' was a name reserved for citizens of poor developing nations moving into America and Europe. A US presidential candidate, Ross Perot, even once talked about a "giant sucking sound" made as American jobs went out to emigrants (Dhananjayan 2), but America seems to be having her own share of the phenomenon within its shores. According to a story on CBS News, Williams Frey, a demographer at the University of Michigan, studied population migration in Louisiana, long before Hurricane Katrina. He concluded that Louisiana has basically been a poster child for brain drain, especially among whites with college degrees (Katrina Accelerates). Brain drain has been seen as a growing trend in New Orleans and Louisiana over several decades now. It is observed that the opposite of the growth trends seen elsewhere in the New South is the case at Louisiana. The loss of skilled labor power began decades back, in the late 1980s, when, probably due to dwindling image outside, Louisiana keep failing to attract new residents. Basically, the Louisiana problem could be said to be due to a failing economy, unhealthy image and the resultant failure to attract in-migration of new residents (Katrina Accelerates). The economy of the city is already on a downward turn and its image battered, losing several of her best educated residents could lead to a vicious cycle. It definitely would further damage the 'sick' economy, tear the city's social fabric apart, and thus further creating a better excuse for the few, staying back, to emigrate and keeping new residents at bay. Brain drain sure does have a resounding effect, it takes away the good ones from a society, cutting out ideas and growth from the few ones left. Hurricane Katrina has further added to this scourge. According to experts, the health care industry was one of the very few industries experiencing growth in Louisiana and also the number one employer in the city. But, Hurricane Katrina almost obliterated the hospital, nursing homes, mental health systems and other health care institutions in the whole of New Orleans. These institutions employ thousands of people and many of them are already migrating for better opportunities. In the wake of Katrina, several competitors have been perfecting their strategies to better attract the numerous nurses, doctors and other health care workers stranded in the city. For instances, it is reported that, Joe Ann Clark, Executive Director of the

UAE Fashion History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

UAE Fashion History - Research Paper Example This essay analyzes the fashion industry of the United Arabs Emirates, that is a country reach with several resources and is located on the Arabian Peninsula. The country is made up of seven states that combined to form UAE. Its history is rich in trade dating back when the Islam was involved in trade with people from other nations. Its location between Europe, India and China makes it a good market for international trade. In the 19th century, the British signed several treaties with individuals from UAE that made it get the name â€Å"The Trucial States.† The agreement was that the UAE was not to dispose of to any other country other than the UAE and in return, the UK would protect their coasts from any invading danger. In the 19th century, the pearling industry was the main source of employment for the people of the UAE. However, the Japanese invention and economic depression of 1920 led to the closure of the pearl industry. The country relies greatly on oil that was first drilled in 1930. Economic growth in the country has also been attributed to the fact that the fashion industry has tremendously grown over the years. People in the UAE appreciate fashion, and this has led different designs cropping in the market. The fashion industry in the UAE aims at being the best today. In so doing, it aims at broadening its market to other countries far from the Middle East. The industry has experienced a lot of growth over the years and will experience more growth if it continues delivering such impressive and artistic designs.

Rolls Royce Essay Example for Free

Rolls Royce Essay a) Company Information. Rolls Royce PLC is the second largest multinational organisation that produces power integrated systems after GE Aviation. Rolls Royce operates in four different types of economic markets which are the civil and defence aerospace market as well as the marine and energy markets. The company makes engines for jets, helicopters, and turboprop aircraft not only do they produce engines but they also install these systems. Rolls Royce PLC has 50,000 engines in service with 500 major airlines. Rolls Royce PLC is a global company that is known in over 50 countries, the name Rolls Royce comes from the last names of its founders, Henry Royce and Charles rolls. The company was initially formed in 1904 to produce cars and car engines. In 1914 it also produced its first aircraft engine, as the company expanded in 1971 it became a PLC, the company was then split into two and sold to a BMW company that is now known as Rolls Royce motor cars LTD. Rolls Royce PLC retained the right of its trademarks so it can use it to operate in the markets it does. Rolls Royce has invested a sufficient amount of money into research n development of its products and technology it uses to produce them. It also invests somewhat  £300 million a year on capital projects. In recent events Rolls Royce was awarded a contract by the ministry of defence to supply those engines for their aircrafts for the next five years, they also secured more than $1 billion worth of orders from an recent air show. b) Information required to aid managers. Managers need to plan ahead they require important information to enable them to run the day to day and future operations of the company. Depending on where your company stands in the economic market and its needs at that particular time it wants to be able to sift through information selecting what is relevant and applying it to the company. Rolls Royce understands how important it is for management data as this coupled with their knowledge and expertise helps them to maximise their operational expertise. Rolls Royce needs information such as income, expenditure and capital employed to be able to plan and prepare budgets for the future this information is very important to Rolls Royce as for example it can help them to work out any repair costs to engines being produced and how many extra components that maybe needed. Forecast is very important for Rolls Royce, as it can help them predict how many contracts they may receive and what companies to target in certain circumstances for example wars are predicted, this means the demand for military aircrafts will increase this will aid Rolls Royce to keep up with changing economic environments. Information such as pricing is also very important to Rolls Royce as they are the second largest company supplying engines to the aviation market they need to be able to set prices ahead of their competitors so they can win large contracts to stay in the game. Feedback from customers is very important not just from the customers Rolls Royce provides to but even to the extent of feedback from the public for example; emirates airlines customers expected more leg room in their planes, not only this the airline through research predicted more first class passengers if there planes where designed with more room and better bathroom facilities for the high class passengers. All this information could help Rolls Royce design and produce larger planes which require larger more complicated engines not only this it could set a new trend of better travel. 2. Management accounting techniques are necessary to run a business effectively. These techniques primarily affect costs and prices within the corporation. I. Budgeting A budget is developed to plan for the future. A company as big as Rolls Royce needs a master budget to predict costs and revenues for the year. Budgets can also be used to control stock levels, predict the amount of staff required on particular projects and how many hours they are required to work. These budgets can be compared with financial statements at the year end to see how consistent they have been in maintaining the budget and targets. Finally, budgets should include funds for investment opportunities, so when these opportunities arise Rolls Royce can take swift action for example Rolls Royce receives an order of 100 engines from an airline to be able to carry out such an order budgeting can help predict how much it may cost to produce these engines not only this but the number of new staff required. II. Benefits As I mentioned budgets can provide objectives and goals. These can motivate people to perform effectively, especially if the workforce was asked to contribute when the budget was set. Budgets can also force managers to make accurate use of Rolls Royces capital. Ultimately, Rolls Royce can organise the organisation because the budget affects all departments not just one due to business activities existing throughout the company. III. Limitation Budgets can reduce motivation in the workforce at Rolls Royce because staff will be under pressure to maintain targets of the budgets. Effects such as these result in stressful staff which may lead to them taking sick leave. Therefore, Rolls Royce will be short staffed in certain situations. A major issue that may arise due to budgets is that of conflict. Conflict can be good and bad in a workforce. In the case of Rolls Royce there might be departments arguing about unfair resources allocation, which is bad conflict. Therefore, if targets are not met, departments will blame each other and this will result in more conflict and a poor organisational culture. Budgets can encourage managers to overestimate costs so that they are not blamed if there is any overspending. Rolls Royce could lose out on lucrative deals if they do not budget for investment opportunities. b: I. Standard Costing Standard costing sets levels of costs and revenues which ought to be achievable when reasonable levels of performance are used, together with efficient working practices, to manufacture a product†. (Harrison, 1998:228) This management technique is very useful for Rolls Royce because they produce their own Engines. This costing method compares predetermined costs of products with actual costs incurred. Rolls Royce can calculate many variances, such as material, labour and overheads. The materials variance will show Rolls Royce how well they use their materials and how cheap they are purchasing materials. E.g. Rolls Royce budget to purchase 10,000kg of materials at  £2.00 per kg totalling to  £20,000, but really purchase 10,000kg at  £1.50 per kg totalling to  £15,000, there is a  £5000 favourable variance. This means that the purchase price of the materials was cheaper than expected. The labour variance will show the rate being paid to workers, and how efficiently the employees have been working. Finally, the overhead variances will show Rolls Royce the difference between overhead rates charged and budgeted on production. II. Benefits By setting standards Rolls Royce can identify weaknesses in the manufacturing system. This will allow them to rectify problems and produce effectively. Setting standards will also motivate people to maintain targets. If targets are not being met managers will be encouraged to review methods to reduce costs. This method represents the correct cost of a product and can inspire managers and employees to improve from year to year on saving costs. III. Limitations To have a well maintained system it will be costly for Rolls Royce but will be worthwhile. Due to prices changing frequently because of inflation, the system will need to be updated frequently which can be time consuming and therefore distracts managers/employees from production. If targets are not achieved, employees can lose motivation and this could affect the performance of the workforce. c) I. Pricing One of the most crucial decisions a company must make is the price of a product. Two main features that must be considered when setting a price on a product is the cost and revenue maximisation. There are three pricing methods; cost based pricing, going rate, and pricing policies. There are various methods of applying cost based pricing, but the most relevant for Rolls Royce is considering total costs. This method covers a profit margin and the cost of the product. This is very important to Rolls Royce as they are not the first largest company providing power systems to the aviation market by setting a price which is lower than GE Aviation its competitor they may be able to attract more contracts for example if GE Aviation Sold 20 engines at $20million Rolls Royce could sell the same amount of engines for $19.5 Million helping them achieve more sales and attract more customers. II. Benefits. Rolls Royce can benefit from cost plus pricing by many ways. Firstly, managers can set a mark up to their desire, there is no fixed limit on mark up but it must be reasonable and competitive. Baxter and Oxenfeldt (1961) state, cost plus pricing â€Å"offer a means by which plausible prices can be found with ease and speed, no matter how many products the firm handles†. (Drury, 2004:432) Finally, if all firms in the market have similar mark up and cost structures to Rolls Royce, there will be price stability, which is good for customers. Rolls Royce can benefit from the going rate because customers will buy from them due to their reputation as they operate in four different markets providing power system even though competitors will have the same price. Loss leader pricing is useful for Rolls Royce because when customers are attracted by a low price of aircraft or engine, it is almost certain that consumers will purchase a higher quantity of these systems. This compensates for the low mark up as more items are sold. III. Limitations. The main limitation of cost plus pricing is that the demand for the product is not taken into account. The going rate on products can be difficult to compare with competitors because; some companies might have lower production costs than others. Using a loss leader strategy to sell items can cause problems if you dont sell all the stock. If this occurs, prices can only be reduced further to clear out remaining stock, which subsequently leads to further losses. d) I. Long Term Decisions (Investment Appraisal) Rolls Royce will need to use investment appraisal techniques to decide whether certain investments will be worthwhile, e.g. supplying 20 Airbus A330 jets to air china. The most convenient method for these examples would be ‘payback. Payback is, â€Å"The time required for the cash inflows from a capital investment project to equal the cash outflows†. (Lucey, 2002:352) E.g. supplying air china 20 airbus A330 jets will cost  £500 million, and the turnover is  £100 million per year, therefore the payback period is 5 years. This method can also be used to decide between two investments, e.g. supplying Air China 20 Airbus A330 or supplying Singapore airlines 30 airbus A330. Depending on the payback period resulting from projected inflows and outflows, the company can decide which airline to supply too. The best choice will be the one that has the quickest payback period. II. Benefits. Payback is the most simple investment appraisal technique to calculate. This will be good for Rolls Royce when swift decisions are required. This method will be easy to understand at all levels of the company. Another benefit of this method is that it will prevent cash flow problems because money is recovered as soon as possible. III. Limitations. The major limitation of payback is that once the initial investment has been recovered, all future cash flows are ignored. This method also assumes that if the payback period is long the investment will not be successful. Hence, if Rolls Royce decides to supply engines to air china instead of Singapore airlines there will be a gradual payback period, does that mean the investment will not be successful? Finally, this method does not account for time value of money. Therefore, an investment now could be worth more in ten years. Read more: http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/accounting/rolls-royce-plc.php#ixzz2LvPZSk6S

Theories of Crime | Introduction

Theories of Crime | Introduction There are many theories of crime which fit into four different models each explaining crime through varied approaches, in this essay I will be discussing the weakest of these theoretical explanations of crime and the strongest. The weakest theory of crime is Biological Positivism which is part of the Predestined Actor Model which is a positivist model explaining criminal behaviour based on scientific factors beyond a persons control. Biological positivism has been heavily criticised by many criminologists due to their explanations that the internal factors of a person is what causes crime, this will be explored further and proven to be the weakest theory throughout the essay. The strongest theory of crime is Left Realism, which is an integrated explanation. This theory takes into account elements of other approaches and realises that there are multiple causes of crime therefore making it one of the strongest theoretical explanations, this will be elaborated on in the body of the essa y and will be further proven why it is the strongest of all the theories. Throughout the essay I will be addressing the main points, the key thinkers, their explanations of crime and why it was chosen for each theory, which will then conclude in support of my claim of the weakest and strongest theories. Lombroso was the founding father of biological positivism and his theory suggested that people were born criminal; this explanation was influence by Darwins work on evolution and atavism. Although he was a biological positivist his work gradually turned towards environmental factors therefore suggesting that biological factors as the cause of criminality was not enough of an explanation and poverty for example also became influential. Lombroso was interested in criminal behaviour and categorized criminals as born criminals, insane criminals, occasional criminals and criminals of passions. He set the scene for all positivist work and other biological positivists based their work on Lombrosos findings. However Lombrosos work has been criticised, as it used outdated methodology which was very basic therefore he was unable to create any meaningful conclusions. Furthermore he did not consider female offenders, any criminal acts which were carried out by women he disregarded and stated tha t the men were responsible for the female involvement, therefore lacking in validity (Burke, 2009). Matza in 1964 went on to say that a criminal is a specific type of person, that is different to those that are not criminals and that crime occurs due to factors outside of their control. However, this then ignores the aspect that humans have free will to commit crimes therefore disagreeing with theories in the rational actor model like Classical theory, which states that people choose to commit crimes. There are many theories in biological positivism which all state that individuals are compelled to commit crime as it is part of their biological make-up, such as physical factors, theories related to the body, chromosomal anomalies, etc. however these have be criticised as you will see below. Physical type theories were the first to come out and this was based on the idea that criminals stand out based on of their appearance. Lombroso did research on atavism as mentioned above, that criminals are born criminal and show signs of criminal throwbacks for example long ears and sloping foreheads. As a result of this, people speculated that those with physical atavistic characteristics were criminals and used it as a prevention tactic. However this only related to a small amount of criminals and therefore is not very reliable and many with these characteristics could be wrongly accused of criminality. In todays society Lombrosos work is considered outdated and discredited due to the theory that a persons physical appearance increases the likelihood of them being a criminal, this is seen as absurd and meaningless, hence perceived as a weak theory. Phrenology, which is the study of skulls was also used to explain crime, Gall stated that by looking at the shape and bums of a skull can indicate a persons character and specified that the area above the right ear determines how violent that person is. This theory has been criticised immensely along with physiognomy, which tells a persons character through facial featured, due to its lack of credibility. There is not enough substantial evidence to prove this theory amongst a vast population because people are individuals with an individual biological make-up (Maguire, 1997). Sheldon has done some similar work on linking body shape to behaviour, (his theory of somatypes) and identified three forms of body types which relate to certain personalities. He established that offending behaviour and crime is linked with mesomorphs, who are muscular and athletic with an aggressive personality. However it does not consider that these types of people may be targeted by the police more than the other two body types therefore is supporting his theory as those athletic built individuals are getting caught, where as other body types are not. These physical theories are very weak as they are ignoring different aspects of the interaction between the physical characteristics of the person and their social circumstances. (Burke, 2009:74) People from poor families and areas may have a poor diet therefore causing them to be small, while young people working manual jobs are more likely to be muscular. These people are over-represented with criminals, which could be explained by socio-cultures not via biological factors (Burke, 2009). Furthermore, to support the statement that biological positivism is a weak theory, Sheldons work was follow up by a Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development and found there was no physical difference between offenders and non offenders, therefore suggesting there is no reliability due to the inconsistency. Further criticisms of this theory are based on its methodology, as the sample of offenders and non offenders are not representative to society as mentioned above it does not account for those who do not get caught, it ignored the sifting process in the criminal justice system. It also disregards interaction with the environment, as those individuals with physical stigmas may retaliate against their social environment and labels given to them therefore living up to the expectation leading to a self fulfilling prophecy (Taylor, Walton, Young, 1973). Chromosomal Anomalies is another category of biological theory criminologists have used to explain crime, it looks at the link between abnormal chromosomes and criminal behaviour. A normal female complement is XX and male is XY, an abnormal complement is when there are chromosomes missing or there are too many for example the XYY. Brown in 1962 found that those with sex chromosome abnormalities had higher rates of delinquency than his other patients. Casey et al (1966) followed on from his work and did the first major studies at a secure hospital and found supporting results for men with an extra Y chromosome as well as them being taller and having low intelligence (Taylor, Walton, Young, 1973). The limitations for this theory are similar to that of the body type category, for example those with an extra Y chromosome may be taller and well built therefore targeted and treated harsher by agents of the criminal justice system like the police and judges. Further limitations which makes this theory the weakest, is that there are many individuals that are normal and do not behave criminally in society that have extra chromosomes, therefore suggesting that others factors have to be involved. In addition this theory also ignored the fact that those young men with an extra Y chromosome came from a working class background, therefore the cause of criminality could be due to their exploitation from the ruling class not because of chromosomes. Marxist theory would agree that the cause of criminality was a result of capitalist society and not chromosomes that are not identifiable and unable to predict criminal behaviour. Biological positivists also explained criminality as genetically inherited; they suggested that a criminal gene can be passed on through the family just like physical characteristics. To test this theory they used three sources of data, studies of criminal families, studies of twins and studies of adopted persons. All three sources claimed that criminal behaviour was inherited rather than environmental, however family studies did not considered the effect of an absent parent lending to criminality. In twin studies they could not identify whether criminality was influenced more by environmental or biological factors however did mention that biological theory on its own to explain crime is not enough, therefore is a weak theory to base criminal explanations on. This was also reiterated in adoption studies emphasising that environmental factors play a role and add to the reliability of the theory, therefore showing the weaknesses of the biological theory when it is used to explain crime on its own (Wiley, 1996). There are many weaknesses in the categories within biological theory, from the methods used by criminologists to their shortcomings in ignoring certain aspects including the three data sources that explained inherited criminal characteristics. The main limitations in biological positivism occur throughout all the categories even biochemical explanations such as hormone imbalances and substance abuse which has not been discussed in detail. The reason this theory was chosen as the weakest is due to it many limitations; criminologist largely discredit this approach as it is nowadays seen as outdated and not relevant, therefore there are many better explanation to crime that can be proven. Biological theory only looks at criminality from one approach which is seen as a very over determined view of human actions and a more integrated approach would explain crime better for example the more recent socio-biological explanation of crime. It only explains criminal behaviour effectively in a m inority of offenders and has considerably more limitations as mentioned above. This weakest theory also cannot explain the variation in crime rates and offers no explanation to why and how laws arise. A further reason it was chosen as the worst, was due to the unethical and harsh treatments to prevent crime which in the USA, even results in death, genetic selection and sterilisation. The strongest theoretical explanation of crime is left realism. This theory is chosen as the strongest because unlike biological positivism it does consider other factors and is an integrated model which recognises that there are many causes of crime and contains essential parts from all three models of crime. Jock Young had a major turnaround which altered criminological thinking to the emergence of left realism; when crime rates were meant to decrease due to economic restructuring and improved conditions and instead actually increased, with the increased awareness of victims of crimes and crimes that were previously invisible, and finally a growing public demand and disapproval in efficiency of public service (Newburn, 2007). This new criminology from the left political view, with criminologists such as Young, Lea and Matthews believed crime is a real issue and not socially constructed therefore it needs to be addressed. Left realism is the strongest theory as it takes into account the immediate fears that people have and seek to deal with them (Burke, 2009:264), such as street crimes in high offending areas as those living there are caught right in the middle of it. As mentioned above this theory is seen as theoretically strong as it recognises various causes of crime that are credited. The relationship individuals have with the police could be a cause of crime, if the police are harassing people therefore causing them to retaliate or feel helpless; this will drives them to offend. This theory is supported by labelling theory which makes it stronger because instead of theories disagreeing with the causes it agrees therefore creating validity. The police can also cause moral panics in society which can lead to further criminal behaviour; this could be a distraction by capitalist so that the working class are not aware of the real issues that they should be concerned about, this strength allows the individual to be aware of the capitalist system and the exploitation by the ruling class therefore can avoid crime. A key element of left realism is relative deprivation as a cause of crime. People measure their situation for example what they have got, (money and jobs) against the expectation that society creates. When individuals are unable to reach that expectation they may turn to crime in order to achieve it, this is the theory of anomie suggested by Merton. This explanation adds to the strength of this theory as it highlights economic and social factors of crime. Another key element is subculture, Lea and Youngs subcultural model explains how subcultures are used as a response to problems. Those who are unable to adapt to middle class values create subcultures that include people that share their norms and values so they are no longer frustrated. This therefore can be a response to the problem for the working class individuals; however this subculture may create norms and values to suit the group which may include criminal acts as a way of rebellion against the system (Lea, 2002). The final key element is marginalisation, as certain groups lived on the margins of society and are not accepted by others, consequently turning to crime. All these explanations of crime are some of the best from other theories and now under one theory therefore this is the strongest theoretical explanation of crime. An additional reason this is chosen as the strongest theory is because it provides a solution to crime and not just the causes, this is shown with the square of crime. Left realists state that crime is a gathering of the following four factors and the relationships between the four factors determine the effectiveness of that relationship to preventing crime. The first of the four factor, is the state; where the agents of the system label individuals as offenders which is a major factor of recidivism, the second is the victim; who may encourage criminal behaviour due to lack of defence or through repeated lifestyle (routine activity theory), the third is society; where formal and informal social controls occur and the fourth is the offender; how often they commit crimes and the type of offences, etc. (Burke, 2009). To prevent crime, you have to interfere at each point of the square. For example, in the state the police should have more effective policing and the courts should not make preconceptions. The victim should be more responsible for their protection and maybe change their daily routines regularly. The public (society) to ensure that the required socialisation is taking place in primary years and finally the offenders should exercise their free will and decide not to offend. A criticism of left realism, is that the theory is mainly based on previous approaches. However this can be considered as a positive factor, as the theory is hard to criticise due to the fact it has elements from all modules therefore accounts for many explanations and was chosen as the strongest theory. Further advantages includes how it seeks realistic policies to tackle crime problems and how left realism is about prevention not control, therefore left realists believe that if you punish it will lead to marginalisation, so consequently prevention is better.

Authenticity For Investigating The Theory Of Musical Cultures Media Essay

Authenticity For Investigating The Theory Of Musical Cultures Media Essay For years authenticity has been an intriguing issue for journalists and academics investigating the theory of musical cultures. The early investigations concerned the comparison between the integral, honest and authentic folk music deriving from traditional culture against artificial, manufactured and inauthentic products of mass mediated and marketed business (Gardner, 2005). Alongside the popularisation of mass culture and the industries behind it, music fans developed the perception on traditional music, reflecting lives, practices and folklore of people by means that pop music was not. In order to differentiate themselves from the masses, people started to look for authenticity in music as identification with their culture, experiences, feelings and views (Moore, 2002). Also the ways in which the textual content has been delivered, as well as the means of instrumental expression were significantly related to the culture of music listeners (Wiseman-Trowse, 2008). With the technological progress new instruments (for example synthesisers) were introduced by the increasing number of music performers, who at first were rejected as inauthentic, not associated with traditional artists craft. However, technology soon started to form new musical cultures, effectively mixing with the existing, long-established ones (Moore, 2002). Not only the instruments were subject to technical changes; the ways of documentation of artists performances also transformed over the years, supporting better quality recordings as well as more advanced and precise techniques of producing and editing recorded music (Persson, 2006). The use of digital music production has become more popular in recent years, allowing fixes and changes to the recorded performance. This study shall examine the relationship between authenticity of an artists craft and digital music production techniques. Background of the problem Many artists, even those who derive from the cultures they claim to represent, tend to work on improving their studio recordings to the point of even mechanical perfection. This can be the pitch excellence of every note played or sung, as well as beats and bars precision. Also the musical arrangements offer broader opportunities that can be acquired much easier than by traditional means, for example with digital synthesiser imitating the sound of violin or brass (Wiseman-Trowse, 2008). Such an attitude stands in opposition to the traditional meaning of craft as a profession based on particular set of skills. Thus, by denying the conventions of honesty, truth and genuineness, being authentic as an artist can be rejected by some of the fans. By identifying the correlation between such operations and perception on the artists craft in terms of its authenticity, another field in the music culture theory shall be acknowledged. In other words, understanding how the creation of recordings influence authenticity will update the subject data by one of the most recent issues. Statement of the problem By increasing ease of access to digital sound recording and editing tools, a number of music fans become more aware of how music is being made. This has influence on perceiving artists authenticity, especially referring to their craft, which can lead to interpreting them as well as producers as inauthentic manufacturers of music, whose main factor is no longer self-expression, but commercial success only. Statement of purpose The value terms of authenticity, honesty, integrity and realness are probably the most loaded (Moore, 2002). In an effort to identify possible correlations between those related to an artists craft and digital studio production techniques, the study will examine the perception on recorded music and how contemporary technologies can change it. In doing so, the study will uncover the key determinants of such changes. Rationale Digital recording and editing of music is relatively new subject. Therefore, the availability of academic articles on its impact on authenticity of an artists skills is very limited. Most of the bibliographic sources pertinent to the concept of authenticity, dating back to the late 1960s, investigate the subject area from different angles (Wiseman-Trowse, 2008). Although the majority of research has been conducted since the early 1990s, which is the time when Digital Audio Workstations were gaining popularity, very little of the studies focused on the relationship between authenticity and digital studio production techniques. A number of studies investigated authenticity as an ideological notion motivated culturally and industrially, included mostly in lyrics, interviews and artists image itself (Wiseman-Trowse, 2008). Drawing from the fields of history and music cultures evolvement, several studies looked at areas such as development of folk music, which primarily celebrated provincial culture, as well as rock genre, originally belonging to the entertainment music domain (Moore, 2002). Even more recent research does not cover the music production angle of the problem, only mentioning it occasionally in different sources. This study is guided by the rationale of exploring these determinants. Aims and objectives of the study The aim of the study is to identify the relationship between modern music production techniques and the craft of an artist. As influenced by the aim of the study, the primary objective of this dissertation is to examine and analyse the impact that digital retuning, elastic audio and general fixing of recorded sound and the impact of these changes on authenticity of an artists profession. In this context the main objectives of the research study could be stated as: To identify the correlation between contemporary music production techniques and the craft of an artist To evaluate the influence that digital changes, made to the recorded sound, have on authenticity of the artists profession Research question Is applying any digital changes or fixes to recorded sound influence authenticity of an artists craft? Definitions of terms The following definitions are supplied to guarantee a common understanding of the primary terms used in this study. Mass culture is the whole of the culture shared by all, except for infrequent individuals who still appreciate the traditional high culture, which stands to the opposite to the term. It is argued that the mass, meaning the people, enthusiastically accepts whatever manipulative elites provide it with (DiMaggio, 2004). Craft is any object or output that is the development of practical and aesthetic skills and of the vision through the formation and creation of personal work, sold for profit (Houghton, 2005). Although it must have high degree of hand-made input, it does not have to consist of traditional materials or ways of production. The design of craft may be culturally set in the geographical place of creation (McAuley and Fillis, 2005). Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is a digitally based platform that is designed mainly for recording and editing sound. It replaces the traditional tape-based recording techniques, which were complex and time consuming, with fast, precise and convenient digital ones, providing wider choice of tools to process recorded sound (Dye, 2008). Research method The study was both desk-based and ethnographic. Books and articles on authenticity and different angles of defining the concept, as well as on modern audio production techniques were reviewed. In addition, primary data on perceiving authenticity by artists, producers and fans of music was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The study also examined transformations in interpreting authenticity of an artists skill in relation to changes applied to the sound. Assumptions and limitations This study was affected by several assumptions and limitations. First, it used a multiple choice survey, which means that the respondents were not entirely free to specify their views on the questions. This could imply some of the answers not to be accurately representative in terms of the respondents point of view, but only closely related to it. The second limitation of this study is the sample size, which was small and limited to the High Wycombe based population and online respondents only. In fact, there is no indication that the sample in this study is representative of the broader population. The third limitation of this research is the fact that the collection of data took place at particular period of time. Thus, there is no guarantee that the received responses would be indicative of responses requested and given at other time. There is also a possibility that other issues, remaining outside of the researchers control (time of day, recent conflicts, setting, or tiredness of the respondents) might influence the answers (Laurel, 2003). Description of thesis organisation The research consists of five chapters. The first one shapes the area of interest and delineates the examined problem. The research questions are introduced, the studys limitations are characterised and the selected methodology is generally and briefly discussed. The second chapter reviews literature on authenticity and modern music production techniques, particularly relating to those basing on digital sound changing. The third chapter discusses the studys methodology, the strategies used for collection of primary and secondary data, as well as concludes with a rationalization of the defined selections, recognising some inherent boundaries. The fourth chapter presents the studys discoveries as updated by the primary and secondary data collection and answers the research questions described in the first chapter. Responses to the research questions evaluated in the first chapter and an investigation on the accuracy of the research assumptions are presented in the findings. The fifth chapter concluded the research and defines the studys recommendations. Conclusion As described in this chapter, the studys subject shall be the relationship between digitally based music production techniques and authenticity of an artists craft. The next chapter presents the literature reviewed for this study. CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 2.1 Introduction This chapter reviews the literature on authenticity and contemporary music production techniques. Although there is a wealth of literature on the subject of authenticity, very few focuses on the process of the formation of recorded music, while none exploits the correlation between an artists craft authenticity and modern audio production. Instead, and as will be seen throughout this review, the majority of studies consider the socio-cultural aspect of perceiving artists authenticity by fans and theorists of music, as well as the historical one. 2.2 Authenticity in the history of popular music The early theorists of popular music warned against the expanding mass consuming culture that offered artificial art, considered to be inauthentic. For example, Walter Benjamin stated his predictions concerning the world of art and music as uniformed by mass production and with no perspectives for any heterogeneity (1935). Before the growth of the culture oriented industry, musical styles and practices were less influenced by what is considered entertaining and instead they were developing independently, aiming for pure expression of the art. Then, the rise of the business, led to the standardisation of popular culture, which was influenced by its modernisation and industrialisation (Adorno, 1991). In other words, the industry started to apply fixed formulas to the music, considering them to make it more entertaining and therefore more likely to be consumed by more people. Such an approach from the industrys side, led the fans to start missing more honest and integral cultural expressions, and thus, to seek for more genuine, traditional alternative. This was often found in folk music, as by the specifications of it, folk has been developed traditionally as an expression of peoples lives and experiences in different manner than popular culture (Gardner, 2005). Because people were searching for identity and integrity, that would distinguish themselves from the masses, the industry started to adopt different genres, marketing them as more soulful and real options (Sloop and Herman, 1998). It was not only the industry standards that influenced perceiving music as inauthentic. Together with the technological development, people started using amplified electric guitars or electronic instruments, such as synthesisers, which led to a division of music listeners (Moore, 2002). This was quickly adopted by the industry, which appeared to separate music clubs between traditional and contemporary ones. The situation was as serious as the traditionally oriented venues tended to refuse to accept a performer who used modern technology as part of the performance (Boyes, 1993). 2.3 What is authenticity Although the concept of authenticity is explained differently in variety of sources, most of them present similar view that the definition if very subjective. Allan Moore for example, presents a set of value terms that are identified with authenticity: real, honest, truthful, with integrity, actual, genuine, essential and sincere (2002). Also Gilbert and Pearson specify the requirements of authentic rock of the 1980s, wherein the fundamental role of artists was to represent the culture from which they come, speaking the truth of their situations and using particular type of instrumentation (1999). In other words, these theorists claim that authenticity is not any fixed combination of musical sounds or set of lyrical content, but it refers to the artist or the whole of their performance as a matter of interpretation, which should be made from cultural and therefore historical position (Rubidge, 1996). Thus, it is not the integral part of a performance, but something that can be assign ed to one, meaning that the choice whether it is authentic or not, depends on who the one is. Moore considers the rock discourse to be the one frequently referring to authenticity in the textual and musical spheres. He argued that it is the style of writing and performing that made the audience decide of its authenticity, and that it particularly referred to the singer (2002). What also should be noted is the attributes of an artists intimacy and immediacy, that indicate authenticity, meaning that one should uncover their feelings and experiences in unmediated shape and with the purity of sound production (Moore, 2002). Grossberg goes further by stating that the difference between the authentic and the inauthentic lies within the purpose that an artist has in the musical expression. Whether it is the art itself, the public or the income driven by this, defines the authentic as the opposite of commercial (1992). Thus, in order to classify the integrate, the performers realism and lack of pretence have to be examined (Moore, 2002). 2.3.1 First person authenticity The fundamental form of authenticity that was introduced by Charles Taylor (1997) as an expression that can be outlined in an initiatory instance, which Moore later describes as immediacy of expression (2002). This concept has also been reviewed by Bohlman, who identifies the authentic as the constant demonstration of the stylistic genesis, which means the purity of practice (1988). In other words, he presents his idea of an authentic artist as the one whose musical style remains loyal to the origins of the genre. On the other hand, Grossberg (1992) indicates the honesty of experience as the main determinant of authenticity, meaning the lyrical content of the song expressing real experiences of an artist. Both Bohlmans and Grossbergs views are supported by Redhead, who claims that real instruments (referring to the purity of practice) should go along real feelings; the artistic transparency and loyalty to the roots of music in conjunction with a genuine message (1990). Walser argues that even technological mediation, for example use of signal modifiers or amplification, is synonymous to pretence, pointing at artificiality and thus inauthenticity of an act (1993). Such an approach is related to Taylors authenticity of positionality, which describes the authenticity of musicians who reject to get influenced by the commercial music, for example by implementing the style of Western musicians by non-Western ones (1997). Wiseman-Trowse underlines another aspect of the immediate performance, which is the stage one, where an artist has actual opportunity to engage the audience, as opposed to the recorded performance (2008). On stage it is possible for a listener to compare both recorded and live ones, as well as for an artist to convert the listeners perception on authenticity of the performance. On this basis one can decide whether it is the genuine artistic skill that is present on a recording, or rather a result of the work of a skilful producer (Auslander, 1999). As Moore underlines the concept of the first person authenticity, all of the above understandings of the term are connected by the direction towards they lead. This entails the perception on authenticity that is implemented by the personal interpretation made by an entity being a part of the audience (2002). In other words, the first person authenticity occurs when a performer is received by an individual as an integral one who expresses their art in an unmediated way. 2.3.2 Third person authenticity Fornà ¤s distinguishes three types of authenticity: social, subjective and meta ones. They differ with regard to the act of judgement: first is made by a particular community, second depends on the individual, while the last one is evidenced by the consideration of the performer or the author of lyrics (1995). Although meta-authenticity is described as an act of validation made by the author, this side of the subject is also present in the other two types. According to Grossberg, the authentic performer needs to express their own feelings, which are simultaneously shared with the public (1992). This type of authenticity is pictured by adopting the original blues music style, deriving from the economically poor Mississippi delta, to the 1960s movement represented by artists like Cream. The band used to play a cover song of Robert Johnson, Crossroads. Even though Cream did not grow neither over the Mississippi area, nor in the 1930s, they found themselves identifying with the song (Coleman, 1994). This allowed them to express themselves through reproducing Johnsons art and remaining authentic (at least in their own opinion). The third person authenticity is supported by Vaughan Williams, who claims that the artist can never create from the state of entire independence, without any influence of earlier musical acts. Thus, the musician needs predecessors in order to base the artistic experience on them (1987). Thus, the third person authenticity occurs if a performing artist successfully represents the ideas, experiences and feelings of another. 2.3.3 Second person authenticity Grossberg specifies another type of authenticity that, as opposed to the first and third person ones, is being justified by the artists capability to successfully express the experiences of the listeners (1992). Thus, it is the audience that recognises the authentic by basing on their own feelings and thoughts that are presented by an artist. Moore exemplifies this approach by mentioning the 1980s rock scene, which was dominated by synthesisers. The dedication to traditional rock was therefore exposed by the focus on the guitar based instrumentation used by the bands like U2, Big Country, Simple Minds, The Alarm or Bruce Springsteen, who derive from socially disadvantaged areas. By using the guitar, that was easily reachable, they tried to metaphorically escape from their reality (2002). This means, that it is culturally constructed process of artists authentication made by the audience that seeks for the validation of their own experiences in art. 2.3.4 Authenticity as a renewable resource Richard Peterson (1997) introduced the concept of authenticity as a renewable resource, claiming that it is renovated with every era and expansion of popular music with its production. He states that the shifting conditions are reflected by the meaning of authenticity, which is defined by a collective argumentation of fans, performers and producers. It is argued that authenticity is not inseparable in the recording, or a performance, which intend to be authentic by design. In popular culture, the particulars of the words meaning are not controlled by specialists and authorities; it aims to be credible qualified to a explicit model and simultaneously remain original. In other words, it has to fit within fixed framework, not being an imitation of it at the same time. Thus, what is authentic, varies continuously renewing all the time and never remaining static. However, Robert Gardner (2005) disagrees with the generalisation of authenticity as renewable resource. He points out that even the genre on which Peterson has based his research, should not be considered authentic in the contemporary state of it, having been deprived of its integral roots, which displays for example on ABCs Monday Night Football, which uses Hank Williams Jrs theme song. 2.4 Digital audio Todays recording systems, like Pro Tools, Cuebase or Logic, are using the digital way of sound capturing. It is then saved as samples, which are small bits that recorded sound consists of. Frank D. Cook describes sound samples as analogical to pixels in digitally saved images (2009). In order to understand digital audio, it is important to present what sound essentially is. When a human ear hears a sound, it in fact experiences variations of the air pressure around it. These are result of vibrations of objects, that are moving in cycles. If the object is vibrating at a frequency that falls within the range of human hearing, we perceive it as a sound (Cook, 2009, p 21). The actual character of the sound depends on the waveform, frequency and the vibrations amplitude. 2.4.1 Waveform The waveform is the very thing that creates the humans perception on the shape of the sound. This means that one can find out what is the source of the sound, as every object vibrates differently, giving the waveform the distinctive nature and tone (Cook, 2009). 2.4.2 Frequency Human hearing has the range of approximately 20 and 20000 cycles (the whole back-and-forth vibrations) per second, measured in Hertz (Hz). This determines the pitch of the sound, where lower frequencies generate lower sounds; while higher frequencies produce higher pitches (Cook, 2009). For example, the frequency of 130 Hz is assigned to the musical note C3, whereas the semitone lower B2 names the frequency of 123 Hz. 2.4.3 Amplitude The loudness perceived by the human ear depends on the pressure or intensity of the sound variations and is measured in decibels (dB). Thus, the sound becomes louder as the amplitude of vibrations increases. For example, the loudness of a regular conversation is 60 dB. In order to double the loudness, the amplitude would have to be increased to 70 dB (Cook, 2009). 2.5 Modern studio production techniques Dan Daley suggests that listening to the recorded vocals on the radio nowadays brings to mind the increasing popularity of guitar effects in the 1970s, when fuzz, distortion, flanging and wah-wah processors overwhelmed traditional sounding guitars (2003). As it was argued then, whether the non-purist approach is inauthentic or rather an artistic expression of modernity, it is arguable if changing recorded vocals or instruments digitally can be perceived as genuine representation of art (Daley, 2003). The turning point of pitch correction technique came along Chers single Believe in 1998, on which digital vocal processing has been not only used, but made very noticeable. Since then, the number of artists using these features is continuously increasing, as well as there are more and more ways of using them, even to the point of intentional distortion of recorded sound (Daley, 2003). 2.5.1 Pitch correction The pitch correction feature, available by both DAW plug-ins as well as standalone programs allows automatic or manual change of recorded sounds pitch. The most common use of pitch correction is fixing a vocal performance; if a singer sings a false note, the digital technology allows the producer to fix it quickly, without another take. There are two ways of correcting pitch. Automatic mode usually lets the user to choose a musical scale according to which both flat and sharp notes should be corrected. Manual mode provides a graph of the notes that allows the producer to change the pitch of separate sounds manually, by moving the graphical representation of them up and down (Bartlett and Bartlett, 2009). 2.5.2 Elastic audio Huber and Runstein point out another feature that provided by digital technology. Elastic audio allows the change of the timing of recorded sound (2009), for example fixing a guitarists performance, who might have recorded a solo slower than the actual song and then speed it up. This tool does not only generate a change of a tracks speed, but also each sound can be stretched or shrunk separately and manually by the producer (Huber and Runstein, 2009). Such a tool can repair a poor performance that is out of time and make it sound technically perfect. 2.6 Contemporary production techniques and authenticity An American singer and songwriter, Neko Case, expressed her views on auto-tune in the interview for Pitchfork. She claims that singing is not important anymore, as instead bad singing is fixed by the producer (2006). Case also argues that an artist who uses shift correction on vocals cannot be taken seriously, losing all the integrity. Moreover, the singer clearly points out that an artists craft needs more work and thus, those who do not spend this extra hour in the studio trying to hit the note are not valid (Case, 2006). Allison Moore, a singer from Nashville, goes one step further in her proclaiming about using modern production tools on records. She put a sticker on the front cover of her LP release, Miss Fortune, which states Absolutely no vocal tuning or pitch-correction was used in the making of this record (2002). She is a keen supporter of the view that albums should be recorded and mixed in the old way, that is becoming progressively rare (Daley, 2003). On the other hand, the guitarist of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, Jack White argues that pop artists, like Britney Spears can be more authentic than Tom Waits or Bob Dylan (2009). His rationale for such a controversial opinion was that he finds more authentic an artist whose musical expression is made the way they best know and feel. In other words, White points out that in the modern music world somebody who has grown listening mainly to pop (thus commercial, manufactured and by definition inauthentic) music, knows it as their primary way of articulating feelings and experiences and therefore is not pretentious, which leads to perceiving them as authentic (2009). Some genres can be more focused on the authentic side of studio recording. An example of such an approach is Pearl Jam, representing grunge music. The bands drummer, Matt Cameron called their album Riot Act is an anti-Pro Tools record: Its more interesting hearing musicians in a room playing hard, with the tempo fluctuating slightly as the band heats up. Perfection is boring (2009). He pointed out a significant thing about the modern technology by recalling one of the most popular DAWs as a synonym of commercial and unreal music. Josh Binder argues that the features of pitch/timing of a recorded track does not have to be used only as a tool for fixing a bad performance. This young producer, who has been learning his profession in the world that has already accepted the existence of digital retuning, claims that he uses Auto-Tune (one of the leading digital tools used for pitch correction) to enrich the vocal sound of even a perfectly sung track (2009). An engineer, Michael Brauer, applies no limitations in terms of using available technologies to make a good-sounding record. He states that he is employed for the purpose of helping to make songs that can be sold, regardless of the artists abilities (2009). Nevertheless, he still believes that one needs talent to be an artist and if they cannot sing or play at all, no technology can help them (2009). 2.7 Conclusion The subject of authenticity alone has generated vast amount of theoretical angles of consideration. This has been motivated by the very nature of it, assuming that perception of what is honest, genuine or integral depends on the actual perceiver. Moreover, three basic ways of interpreting the authentic have been specified, which determined further research direction. Furthermore, the digital music production techniques have been described, clarifying how recorded sound can be changed or fixed by contemporary recording and mixing tools. The chapter also presented different perceptions on the relationship between digital production techniques and authenticity of an artists craft. Chapter III describes the methodology used for this study. A review of the studys purpose and investigated questions was presented. This is followed by an outline of the research design and the survey instrument used for it, along with the procedures for data collection and analysis. CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction This chapter reflects the studys selected research methodology. As will be seen, the methodology is the subject of the purpose of this study and is supported by the evaluation of the most beneficial approach responding to the research questions. As such, this chapter presents the purpose of the study, the research questions and hypothesis, as well as discusses the data collection and data analysis procedures and the limitations of the research. 3.1 Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to examine the concept of authenticity with specific focus on its perception as influenced by applying digital studio production techniques. The reason for doing so is determining what impact changing the recorded sound has on authenticity of an artists craft. To fulfil this purpose, it was significant to review literature on authenticity, as well as on contemporary music production techniques. This necessitated an exploration of the nature of perceiving authenticity by music fans, producers (record manufacturers), as well as artists themselves. At the same time it was important to explore the ways in which recorded sound, being the performance can be edited, fixed and generally changed. All of this was done in order to fulfil the primary purpose of the study, which was the identification of the influence modern production practices can have on authenticity of an artists skill. As it can be presumed from the above, the current research has an explanatory purpose. According to Silverman, the aim for explanatory research is needed to define an occurrence or make a complex subject comprehensible (2006). This can be done by clarifying the correlations between variables. The purpose of the study aims to explain th