Business Research Methodologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Research Methodologies - Essay Example Businesses are working together in procurement, outsourcing, and consultancy to ensure sustainable growth and competitive advantage in the market (WÃ ¶lfl, 2005). The trend is set to continue because of the emergence of innovative technologies and the growth of national economies. Technology has opened up the various organizational operations. According to WÃ ¶lfl (2005), the growth of B2B and e-commerce in particular has also been promoted by the growth in the service sector. In the OECD economies, services are now accounting for over sixty percent of the aggregate employment and production. The service sector is made up of some of the largest global corporations who have grown to become among the major users and buyers of innovative technologies. The global entities are also active innovators whose activities have led to the growth in number of firms in almost all the sectors. Throughout the world, service firms have become the major stimulant for productivity as wells as efficiency in the business to business arena. They do so through e-commerce and in the long run accelerate the changes in the economy. According to Fill & Fill (2005) the B2B services have witnessed the fasted grown in the last ten years. In the United States and the United Kingdom, the sector accounts for about 50 percent of all employment opportunities (Achrol & Stern, 2008). In the academia, the B2B topic is well established. Scholars have investigated the issue in terms of the scope and the nature of business markets, employee and organizational behaviour, business strictures, management strategies and the critical success factors. Despite this being the case, there are only a few studies that have examined the critical B2B issues which come out of the service concept. Scholars have not widely studied the experiential, interactive and the process dependent aspects of B2B services. Minimal work has been done on B2B with

Developing New Philosophies in Art

Developing New Philosophies in Art Introduction In the context of western art, many artists from the modern art movements shape their artistic approaches through the avant-garde ideals they are convinced of. These ideals are the beliefs that behave like doctrines in their practice against the political background where both war world one and two took place. The modern art period gave birth to artworks of revolutionary value [a] produced in rebellion against traditional art practices, models, methods consequently altering the long established perception on functions of art. [b]The change in artistic perceptions are considered being more suitable for the environment where the social, economic, and intellectual conditions have changed. [c] This research is propelled from the queries that arise in my practice as a visual artist where my interest revolves around questioning the identities of everyday objects. I question the reality of their existence, the absoluteness in their definitions and forms presented by the everyday conventional reality. Abstraction in the context of this writing refers to the absurd attempts of redefining existing accepted definitions framed by everyday conventional reality. As Theodor Adorno agrued modern art is as abstract as the real relations among men [f] (Adorno, Aesthetic Theory, 45) Therefore this writing takes the approach of looking at the radical efforts of selected artists from the modern art period who have demonstrated in their practice, added new dimensions to their investigated subjects. These artists that are selected in this study strive to provide alternate perspectives to the existing mundane definitions in each of their artistic domains. The definitions borne of the conventional reality taken into their investigation include the ideas on object, form, colour, time and space. Such subjects are continuously reinterpreted and given new definitions by the artists of this period. Research questions The research questions in this writing aims to contemplate and justify the practice of the selected artists who are unsatisfied with mundane representations of the conventional reality against the background of their political situation. What are the trajectories taken in their practise of these pursuits? How are their artistic beliefs justified in their practise? What are the truths in the definitions of these subjects defined by conventional reality if reinterpretations could be justified? What is the impact of these reinterpretations in the scene of visual arts during the modern art period? How are the Singapore contemporary artists influenced by these ideals? These redefinitions in and of visual arts lead to main research question in this paper; what constitutes and substantiates the meaning of real in conventional reality? Can these be a projection of psychological reality [g] as positioned by Erin G. Carlston of modern Methodology Proclamations of the artists beliefs in different aspects executed through diverse methodologies are imprinted in manifestos and documented in writings of artists and art critics. Artists with similar aims come together amongst others, which resulted in different and possibly co-related art movements. Within some of these selected co-related art movements is the sign of migration of the artists whose beliefs change or are said to echo more closely the credo of later movements. The momentum of this writing look into modernity as a continuity of movements (from late nineteenth century to 1970) through the study of interconnected artists. While artists have their subjective interpretations of what the subject matter could be, the core of my research is an attempt to rationalise the array of artistic definitions and trace the evolution of these new reinterpretations across the radar of different modern art movements to the present contemporary art scene. It will also be strived for in this research to compare the conventional and the artistically portrayed definitions of the studied subjects. Hence, this seeks to build the tempo to the main research question. However, it is not the purpose of this research to embrace or establish any reinterpretations as the epitomised explanation in the field of visual arts. Artist with similar research subjects will be compared and categorized together across modernity with their artistic journeys examined under an umbrella. Ideally, the conclusion to this research will be to piece and compare particles of similar reinterpretations across the selected different modern art in western art history in order to derive a relatively holistic depiction of each investigated subject. Therefore critical studies will be made on the artists thinking, works, style, writings, manifestos and critics responses. How does each artist re-define and justify their subjects in their art works? How do these reinterpretations affect the way we currently look at these investigated subjects? How are these ideas translated in contemporary art? Ultimately, what could be the main doubt behind all these reinterpretations; that the conventional reality is illusive? In the latter part of the writing, two cases studies of Singapore artists influenced by the modern art ideals in this writing will be included. As the study of this research will be carried out in the investigation of per-art-movement approach, I intend for this work to be documented and presented in the form of a journal (running account) where the recordings of critical findings and personal interpretations are written in a formal yet time-sensitive format. This approach is analogous to the chronological art movements that have taken place, such as a piece of time-based artwork. Modern art movements The majority of modern art artists selected for study in this research adopt new philosophies and ways of seeing. They were interested in promoting better fitting ideologies for the changing Western society during the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, where ideas on traditional forms of art amongst others, were deemed obsolete. It was then artists established an unofficial pledge of individualism in their practice. [d] Many modern art manifestos retort towards older conventional dogmas making modernism an era inherent of revolutionary responses especially towards what was aesthetically, morally or politically accepted.[e] Here, art movements where traditional ideologies were initiated from the art movements that took place before the early nineteenth century encompass Medieval Art, Renaissance, Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Although most of the artists are stylised according to the art movements where they are branded under, each of them practise according to their individual beliefs; where self consciousness remains a signatory feature of many modern art artists. Hence, discussions on what art encompasses includes the process of art making, discussion on the physicality of the materials used from the traditional viewpoint to the resultant work itself. Functions of art are largely debated and revamped during this timeframe. Although modernism does not support thoughts on enlightenment, it does however, reflects the questioning of the axioms in the practice of its artists. Discourse on abstraction in forms is often a response penetrating into this area of research. Majority of the artists included in this writing either produces abstract works or sort out solutions to their practice in an abstract and unconventional manner as opposed to abstraction per se. Areas of research: Reasons behind the selection of major modern art movements (arranged chronologically, in terms of association) Include artists and their ideals Cubism The ideas that rejected traditional perspective of stemmed strongly from the Cubism movement spearheaded by Pablo Picasso and George Braque. This movement brought about an avant garde positioning of the European paintings and sculptures by redefining the one-viewpoint perspective in these genres. First of its kind in creating multiple viewpoints on one surface of the canvas and assembly of sculptural forms, this movement reinvented what the view of an image could be from a traditional standpoint. The conceptual concerns also involve the elements of space and time. Der Blaue Reiter This art movement started because of the rejection of Wassily Kandinskys painting from an exhibition and naturally revolves around his artistic beliefs since there is no record of a core artistic manifesto. This group believed in expressing spiritual truths though their abstract works, in contrast to conveying the existence of spiritual truths by figurative depiction of biblical scenes.A study drawing the parallels and differences between Kandinsky and Paul Klee will be included. Futurism With the adoption of Cubism, Furturism developed its style of broken colours and divided short brush strokes that emphasised on the connection of movements, technology and speed amongst other elements contributing to industrialisation. Breaking away from the conventional idea of capturing a freezed moment on canvas or in sculptural form, this movement dwelled at the portrayal of moving motions in objects. This is universal dynamism was being read as the connection between objects and their surroundings, where none was a standalone element. Artists with distinctive styles include Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla. Supermatism The originator of this movement is Kasimir Malevich who had been inspired by Cubism and Der Blaue Reiter. He wrote a book The Non-objective World which relates the interest of this movement, focusing on basic geometric forms especially the square and the circle. Introducing the idea of replacing regular images with geometric forms or coloured masses, Suprematism also integrated the spirit of Futurism into its philosophy with non-euclidian geometry where forms are imagined to be in movement. Another important thinking infused in the movement was the idea of the fourth dimension by P.D. Ouspensky. De Stijl This movement advocated the ideal of utopia. It pushed the spirit of Suprematism to new heights by its attempt to communicate the ideas of spiritual harmony and order through the manipulation of only primary colours including black and white, geometric forms of only the square and the rectangle, with straight horizontal and vertical lines. The underlying philosophy in its artistic direction was known as neoplasticism or the new plastic art, a new term and improvised methodology in the history of western modern art. Piet Mondrian, an important figure in art history, invented the term neoplasticism for his abstract paintings wrote in his essay Neo-Plasticism in Pictorial Art that As a pure representation of the human mind, art will express itself in an aesthetically purified, that is to say, abstract form []The new plastic idea cannot therefore, take the form of a natural or concrete representation []1 Dada The legacy that Dada has left and impacted on the contemporary art world of today, lies in its embrace of extraordinary materials, methods and strategies2 unthought-of in the history of art movements prior to it.Although Dada started out to assume a very definite political identity2 due to the war, it evolved to adopt the character of undermining expectations and shocking the viewer into questioning blindly accepted, fundamentally repressive conventions and structures of all kinds 4 in cities further from the catalyst of the Great War. Marcel Duchamp and Constantine Brancusi participated in the Dada movement. Both friends created works that transcend the conventional representation of reality where the meaning of form is reinterpreted in their practice. Fluxus is a 1960s attitude that is highly associated to Dadaism. It gained many insights from Marcel Duchamp and therefore their art performances are associated with the idea of perceived connection of the everyday objects. It is know that artworks produced under the influence of Fluxus are simple, handmade, humorous and small. Yoko Ono and Joseph Bueys are renowned artists linked to this style. Surrealism: Metaphysical art movement is the catalyst for the development for both Dada and Surrealism. Metaphysical art promoted illogical reality where objects are placed out of their explanatory context in conventional reality in paintings, to explore their inner conscious of being. This spirit is being continued in Surrealism where Andre Breton first became the leader of. He also supports Sigmund Freuds psychoanalytic methods and went on to develop automatism and explore the real function of thought. The group believed it was a better method to call for societal change compared to Dadas aggressive opposition on existing values. Abstract Expressionism: Spirituality This movement originated from America and this terms applied to the new abstract art of the 1940s and 50s. With similar aims from Surrealism, the movement believed in that art should come from the unconscious mind and also involving the spiritual, took steps to further refine this re-interpretation of art. There are two groupings in Abstract Expressionism; action painters and colour field painters. In action painting, artist like Jackson Pollock realised the process of making work is as vital as the work itself. The discussion on the physicality of the work and the journey in the gestural making of the work as the artwork itself was hence debated by the art critics then. On the other hand, Paul Klee and Barnett Newman experimented with the psychological use of form and colour, keeping their objectives to only the basics. Minimalism Often being put across as a movement in opposition to Abstract Expressionism in terms of their philosophies and discourse, Minimalism took an extreme reductive approach in the creation of works. Contrary to the complex surfaces of works under Abstract Expressionism, it was argued that the basics could represent the state of sublimation better, an attempt to re-decipher the spirit in art. These works are at their most fundamental essential, geometric forms, a feature analogous to works produced under De Stijil. Artists like Donald Judd, Sol Lewitt, and Tony Smith integrated these ideologies and took their works to the maximum with seemingly minimal complications. Robert Morris wrote in defining the framework of Minimalism to be very much about the idea of the gestalt hence re-defining the edge in visual arts. Consequently, Minimalism became a bridge to postmodern art practices. Op Art: forms and illusions Op Art is also known as optical art which is a painting method that gives the eyes optical illusions. It sets off perceptual experiences that stem from the interplay of the figure-ground relationship, patterns and colours. Although this form of art received positive responses from the public, art critics thought of it merely as trickery to the eyes. Optical art is also about seeing and understanding the seen. In Bridget Rileys works, one could experience movement with the changing patterns and colours. This is the perception illusion has given by a still object, and in this case a painting sparks off the thought of the illusions that arise from objects in the conventional reality. How does one define the real and unreal in conventional reality? Postmodern art and Contemporary art Although art works produced after World War II are considered as contemporary works in some literature texts, works produced after the 1970s to the present are considered as contemporary study. Postmodern artworks were created in response and some say in rejection to modern art movements. However, museums like Tate treated postmodern works to be a continuation of modern artworks. Ideals rejected by the modern art movements are re-established during postmodernism. Therefore utopian ideals are carefully scrutinised and examined to provide relatively up-to-date views on the investigated subjects. Exhibition component (non-theoretical/practical module) I am interested in the re-interpretation of objects in my practice. Works will be made to address similar research questions in this proposal to complement the theoretical component of the course. NOTES Neo-Plasticism. 2009. Tate. 04 Dec. 2009. . Leah Dickerman et al., Dada: Zurich, Berlin, Hannover, Cologne, New York, Paris. (Washington, D.C: National Gallery of Art, and New York, 2005) ix. Richard Huelsenbeck, En Avant Dada: A History of Dadaism, 1920. Theories of Modern Art: A Source Book by Artists and Critics. Eds. Herschel B. Chipp, Peter Selz and Joshua C. Taylor. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968) 378. Sarah Ganz Blythe and Edward D. Powers, Looking at Dada (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2006) 3. Art in theory, 1900-2000: an anthology of changing ideas By Charles Harrison, Paul Wood Page 360 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/387137/modern-art http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/387137/modern-art http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=rsZ-fGso3gICpg=PA1dq=modern+artclient=firefox-acd=5#v=onepageq=f=false Modern art: a very short introduction By David Cottington pg 10 http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=rsZ-fGso3gICpg=PA1dq=modern+artclient=firefox-acd=5#v=onepageq=f=false Modern art: a very short introduction By David Cottington pg 6 theodor Adorno , aesthetic theory, p45) Extracted from:The Problems of modernity: Adorno and Benjamin By Andrew E. Benjamin Thinking Fascism: Sapphic Modernism and Fascist Modernity By Erin G. Carlston

Comparing the Orpheus Myth and Conrads The Secret Sharer :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Parallels in the Orpheus Myth and Conrad's The Secret Sharer The myth of Orpheus and his descent into the underworld is paralleled in Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer," revealing a common theme, the narrator's self-fulfillment through the conclusion of his symbolic and inward quest. This parallel, which may be called archetypal, serves to increase the reader's sense of identification with Conrad's narrator, and it lends an otherworldly tone to the work as a whole. Likewise, these echoes of Orphic material lead the reader through three stages. These are a modern and secular rendition of the descent into the unknown, followed by a symbolic rebirth or rejoining of the fractured portions of the complete self, and finally the parting with the previous 'self' that ostensibly existed in the initial state. The reader finds an initial parallel between the myth and story through Conrad's 'sea,' as compared to Orpheus' 'underworld,' along with the surface of the quest motif. The ship in "The Secret Share" is described as "at the starting point of a long journey" (Conrad 273), and as being "very still in an immense stillness.... [where] nothing moved, [and] nothing lived" (273). I read the stillness of the sea and the absence of life is an allusion to the stillness of death, which is the realm Orpheus takes his journey to, before turning homeward. Moreover, the stars are described in this opening scene, but do not reappear in the story until after the departure of 'the secret sharer'; the narrator's Euridice or hidden self (this hidden self aspect closely reflects the 'double' nature of the 'sharer' as well). Between these two appearances of the stars, which could only visible in an 'overworld,' the ship and its crew as consumed by "the tide of darkness" (273) that encompasses the vessel, much as Orpheus leaves behind the stars when he descends into the realm of death in Hades. On a symbolic level, both the Orpheus myth and "The Secret Sharer" use the journey as a rite of passage, or a rebirth into a greater state of self-knowledge. Orpheus comes to know the reality of death and the limitations of his powers, while Conrad's narrator makes a transition from "being a stranger to the ship..., untried as yet by a position of the fullest responsibility" (273) such that "the comfort of quiet communion... was gone for good" (273), to "the perfect communion of a sea with his first command" (113; italics mine).

Compare Contrast: Hitler and Roosevelt

Compare/Contrast Hitler and Roosevelt The World War II era brought out many leaders, but two that were commonly acknowledged were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler. Both men were very popular and were known throughout the world for their choices. The men had differed personalities but some traits were the same in both of them. The similarities and differences when comparing the two men are extremely noticeable. Hitler and Franklin are similar in the way of both being leaders of a powerful nation. Hitler led Germany while Roosevelt led the United States.These men both had a stubborn trait, which could be used good or bad. They both used the media as a way to convey their messages and to convince the public that their argument was better. Both men were also considered to be very headstrong in their ideas and opinions. In addition to their similarities, these men also have numerous differences. Roosevelt was well known for his kind demeanor and his ability to lead the United States during depression and war. Hitler was known for being a dictator and a mass murderer.Roosevelt felt sympathy for the people and his choices in politics reflected this. Hitler was arrogant and racist against various groups of people. The World War II era was a difficult time for the world to overcome. There were many disputes and feuds. Franklin and Roosevelt both contributed to World War II although not always in a positive way. Roosevelt was admired by the public,while Hitler was despised by a majority of the people. The similarities and differences between the two mens personalities and strategies is interesting to learn.Compare/Contrast Works Cited â€Å"Franklin D. Roosevelt. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 June 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2012.

Female Subjectivity and Shoujo (Girls) Manga

Female Subjectivity and Shoujo (Girls) Manga (Japanese Comics): Shoujo in Ladies’ Comics and Young Ladies’ Comics Fusami Ogi I. Sexist Reality and Ladies’ Comics: Women’s Lives and Experiences Shoujo manga experienced a turning point in the 1970s when more women began to choose different lives from those the traditional gender role system expected them to take. Although the Japanese social system supports women as housewives, the number of women who work outside the house has been increasing. In this article, I am going to survey the situation of women in Japan when ladies’ comics was born in the 1980s and consider how ladies’ comics could convey those women’s voices. The ? rst publication of the genre ladies’ comics is Be Love published by Kodansha in 1980. Its target reader is an adult female approximately 25 to 30 years old. Generally, the target readers of ladies comics are adult women or shoujo who are almost adult. Ladies comics seem to have performed two roles as a new kind of writing for women: the ? st is to present women’s desires when they are no longer girls; and the second is to offer alternate role models to adult women. In these respects, ladies’ comics is a genre which ? rst requires identi? cation with the category ‘‘woman,’’ rather than a genre which gives readers an objective point of view de? ned by the category ‘‘woman. ’’ The number of ladies’ comics magazines increased as if re? ecting women’s increased concern with their own lives. There were only two ladies’ comics in 1980, but the number went up to 8 in 1984, 19 in 1985, and 48 in 1991 (Shuppan 1996: 201; 1999: 226). The 1980s, when ladies’ comics became quite popular, was a time in which working women disrupted sexist myths which presented working women as unattractive and sexually frustrated (Buckley 1989: 107). It is signi? cant that after 1985 the number of ladies’ comics increased dramatically, because in 780 Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 781 1985 Kikai kintou hou [The Equal Employment Opportunity Law] was passed in the Diet, which guarantees equal employment opportunities to both men and women. However, the law was not strict and there was no punishment stipulated if companies did not follow the law. Since the law just encouraged companies to arrange equal opportunities for both men and women, most women had to continue their ? ght against the discrimination triggered by being women (Shiota 2000; Ueno 1995; Ueno 1990: 303; Sougou 1993: 268; Bornoff 1991: 452). Although the law barred sexual discrimination in the workplace, jobs and career expectations were still gender coded. The law was passed on May 17 in 1985, and by April 1 in 1986 when the law became effective, companies managed to invent two new categories to classify full-time jobs: sougou shoku [managerial career track] and ippan shoku [regular service]. According to Ueno Chizuko,1 in 1986, 99 % of male employees of new graduates were employed as sougou shoku, which includes business trips and transfers to other sections or branches in the future, and 99% of female employees recruited from among new graduates were employed as ippan shoku, which does not include the possibility of such transfer (Ueno 1990: 303). A woman in an ippan shoku position is generally called an ‘‘O. L. ,’’ or ‘‘of? ce lady. ’’ This position never allows the possibility of promotion. It is a position that re? ects the traditional feminine role as a housewife in a household. To cite Yuko Ogasawara: Most of? ce ladies are not entrusted with work that fully exercises their abilities, but are instead assigned simple, routine clerical jobs. They have little prospect of promotion, and their individuality is seldom respected, as evidenced by the fact that they are often referred to as ‘‘gifts. ’’ (1998: 155) Of? ce work that included preparing and serving tea to male workers was mostly reserved for the of? ce ladies (Allison 1994: 93). Ogasawara claims that ‘‘[I]ndeed, men in Japanese companies are dependent on women for their loyal and reliable assistance’’ (1998: 156). According to the data in 1996, women workers occupy 8. 2% of all managerial posts in Japan, while in the US, 42. 7% of the managerial posts are held by women (Inoue 1999: 115). The position of of? ce ladies only creates a glass ceiling. 782 A Journal of Popular Culture The law was not a happy avenue to equality between men and women. It was based on gender segregation. It forced female workers to work as late hours and at as physical and demanding jobs as men, and raised the number of female parttime workers (Sougou 1993: 268; Ueno 1995: 702). According to Shiota Sakiko, in 1987, 48. 2% of wives of employees had a job, and more than 40% of the wives with a job were part-time workers (Shiota 2000: 152). In fact, the Equal Employment Opportunity Law was not a law that encouraged women to pursue long-term careers. Rather, it was a law that aimed at protecting women who were also engaged in housework. Protecting the position of housewives, the Japanese government has maintained women as a low cost, secondary labor force (Shiota 2000: 175; Ueno 1995: 700). Shiota declares that in the 1990s the easiest lifestyle for a woman is still to choose the traditional female role, where a woman is economically supported by her husband (Shiota 2000: 165). Women who pursue careers have to choose either of two courses: to give up housework or to ? nd a substitute in the home for herself (Shiota 2000: 87). In fact, it seems dif? cult for most women to give up housework. Therefore, according to Shiota, if she cannot ? nd a substitute in the home for herself, she has to do with both housework and outside employment. However, the number of women who are pursuing careers has been increasing. The Equal Employment Opportunity Law opened opportunities for some women. The number of women whose work is not secondary is increasing (Konno 2000: 218-19). Moreover, the traditional form of marriage, in which men go out to work and women stay at home, is becoming obsolete. Anne E. Imamura remarks: [In the 1990s] The cost of living pushed women into the labor force, but the sluggish domestic economy cut into women’s gains in the job market. Women’s age at ? rst marriage rose to twenty-six, crossing the magic number of twenty-? ve, when womenFlike Christmas cakesF were supposed to become stale. Women were in no hurry to marry, and once married had fewer children. (1996: 4) Despite the reality of the current Japanese society, in which the birth rate (Inoue 1999: 5)2 is decreasing, according to Shiota, most women who work outside the house regard child raising as a part of their future happiness (2000: 84). According to Shiota, Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 783 n Japanese society, which values housework only in relation to housewives, women need different role models for their current lives from that of the conventional lifestyle for women, because more and more women do not conform to the conventional role models the society endorses. Ladies’ comics may provide women with such models and possible ideas for their futures. This genre may help women to generate a space where they can amuse themselves a s women and also consider their dif? culties in reality in the process of pursuing a more satisfying, ful? lling way of life. The increase in ladies’ comics magazines seems to re? ect ` women’s consciousness-raising vis a vis their position both within and outside the house. As we have seen, the Japanese social system has been more supportive of the position of housewife, which resulted in the increase in the number of housewives who also worked outside the home as part-time workers. The position as a part-time worker imposed a double bind on a woman: housework has continued being regarded as a woman’s duty and the woman’s labor force outside the house has been kept as secondary. However, the number of housewives who are engaged only in housework is decreasing and more women are participating in work outside the home. The Employment Equal Opportunity Law did not bring many bene? ts to working women, but as Ueno points out, the law permitted companies to require women to work outside the home as hard as men (Ueno 1995: 702). This meant that women had to be like men to work outside, but it also gave both men and women an opportunity to reconsider existing gender roles. That is to say, the law ironically exposed the fact that women were not the only ones that had suffered from traditional gender roles. Shoujo in Ladies’ Comics Ladies’ comics has become a genre which re? ects the contemporary dif? culties of women’s lives and their pleasures. In order to present ‘‘women,’’ the women writers each pursue the image in their own manner. As I pointed out before, the following two roles are crucial to examining ladies’ comics as writing for women: the ? st is to present women’s desires when they are no longer girls; and the second is to offer role models to adult women. In this section, I would like to explore 784 A Journal of Popular Culture these two points in turn, considering how ladies’ comics, as intended explicitly for a woman who is no longer a shoujo, is independent of shoujo manga, if they still share some aspects, I would like to examine how they rework the concept of gender and how the social background has been re? ected in those aspects. 1. A Woman as Sexual Subject The most crucial reason for the popularity of ladies’ comics in the 1980s, according to critics (Matsuzawa 1999: 29; Ishida 1992: 76), is the introduction of the theme of sexuality. Because shoujo is a common word in Japanese meaning a teen-aged female before marriage, it was very dif? cult to deal with the theme of sexuality in shoujo manga, in spite of its being a genre for women, by women, and about women. As a result, in the 1970s shoujo manga created a special way to use the male body in order to introduce the theme of sexuality. Ladies’ comics visualizes the theme of sexuality using adult women’s bodies. Ladies’ comics offered the theme of sexuality to both women writers and readers in a more suitable way for their age (Yonezawa 1988: 168) and the issues positively represent sexuality, showing women who frankly enjoy their sexual affairs (Fujimoto 1999b: 84). Employing women’s own bodies, ladies’ comics provided women, who were not allowed to be in a subject position for their sexuality and pleasure, with a space in which they can acknowledge and accept their sexuality. However at this point, we have a problem with ladies’ comics in that the texts represent women’s roles only from women’s points of view. For example, explicit sexual encounters from a female protagonist’s point of view are often depicted in ladies’ comics, which seem to challenge the pornographic discourse of maleoriented publishers. This may heighten woman’s consciousness, suggesting that women can also gain a subject position from which they can ‘‘look’’ at and objectify males. But we cannot say that the texts do not reinscribe the man/woman power relationship because they are written for female readers alone and thus do not affect male readers in any way. As long as these texts explore ‘‘women’’ only from the point of view of heterosexual women, the use of women by women is not much different from men’s use of women for purposes of sexual titillation (Pollock 1977: 142), which Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 785 retains the hierarchical power relationship; they remain mere image-promoters rather than image-makers. This limitation of ladies’ comics is re? ected in the fact that ladies’ comics present marriage as a natural goal for a woman. As Arimitsu Mamiko remarks, ladies’ comics mainly functioned as a reinscription of patriarchal values and a female version of pornography (Arimitsu 1991: 154). As long as the characters in ladies’ comics question whether they can get married or continue their marriage safely, they never question the system itself. To envision a woman’s future position as a ‘‘happy’’ housewife and mother might even enhance the myth of motherhood as a natural result of marriage. Here women objectify themselves according to patriarchal codes, reinforcing heterosexual gender roles and preserving a ? xed ideology. Considering that the genre ladies’ comics does not abandon the traditional view of ‘‘women’’ but perpetuates it, we cannot help but see the genre reinscribing the existing value of gender. However, considering the turning point in shoujo manga in terms of sexuality in the 1970s, it is crucial to note that ladies’ comics provided women with a space in which they could confront and acknowledge their own bodies. Although most ladies’ comics might only represent the traditional power relationship between men and women, the space of women in manga for women has been changing, generating different forms. The history of shoujo manga as women’s space has existed for only a few decades and has offered various ways to challenge the existing gender roles. After the turning point in the 1970s, in which shoujo manga introduced the subversive theme of sexuality, shoujo as a female body has been secured by employing a boy’s body to explore the theme of sexuality. In terms of the theme of sexuality, ladies’ comics is one of the ‘‘failures’’ of shoujo manga. adies’ comics is a genre which can deal with explicit sexuality that shoujo manga could not handle. As a gendered category for women, ladies’ comics is a younger sister of shoujo manga. But ladies’ comics is not a genre which takes over the characteristics of shoujo manga regar ding sexuality. Instead, dealing with a taboo subject for shoujo’s sexuality, ladies’ comics is a genre for a woman who fails to be a shoujo. Shoujo manga has interpellated readers and writers in terms of gender, while portraying taboo subjects in the form of the absence of the shoujo. The category ladies’ comics as a women’s genre would also tell women how to perform as 786 A Journal of Popular Culture ‘‘women’’ and signal writers and readers that they are reading what has been written for adult ‘‘women,’’ while portraying what shoujo cannot be or do. Here, the existence of ladies’ comics, which promises women’s sexual pleasure, seemingly performs what adult women want, and reinscribes the existing power relationship between man and woman merely by replacing male gazes with female gazes. However, as a ‘‘failure’’ of the category shoujo manga, it also disturbs a woman when she sees her sexuality in a traditional way. As a supposedly sexual ‘‘subject’’ in pornographic representations for women in ladies’ comics, a female reader may enjoy her sexual desire, but may also see her sexual desire of an adult woman as a ‘‘failure’’ of a shoujo or what is not shoujo. The female sexual subject of ladies’ comics destabilizes the idea of shoujo, which does not contain female sexuality of women and does not present women’s bodies. Ladies’ comics, as a category for women, reinscribes the traditional values of women, but at the same time, as a ‘‘failure’’ of shoujo manga, promising to introduce what shoujo or a future woman should not have, stimulates the world of comics for ‘‘women. ’’ This characteristic of ladies’ comics, which presents what shoujo manga cannot contain, might emphasize and develop ladies’ comics as pornographic representations of women’s bodies, which could not directly be represented in shoujo manga and needed to be transformed into other bodies. In this sense, pornographic representations of ladies’ comics are part of the concept of shoujo and its absence, rather than a result of a mere reversal of a male and female power relationship which merely looks at a woman’s body as a sexual object. 2. Role Models to Women Another function of ladies’ comics has been to present various images of women’s lifestyles as role models for other women. Mainly dealing with themes which closely report women’s daily lives such as love, marriage, and work (Yonezawa 2000: 1009), the purpose of the genre has been to describe ‘‘real’’ women’s lives (cf. Fujimoto 1990: 193-94). A shoujo manga writer, Shouji Masako, who is currently writing ladies’ comics, comments that writing shoujo manga is easier than writing ladies’ comics, because in shoujo manga you can Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 787 pursue dreams and readers would not recognize them as lies (Shouji Masako 1983: 110). A realist perspective on women’s lives is one difference between shoujo manga and ladies’ comics. Since the 1970s, one of the crucial reasons for shoujo manga to be treated as serious ? ction has been its use of fantastic illusions in addition to realistic concepts. As Fujimoto Yukari remarks, in the world of shoujo manga, most of the working women’s occupations are special ones such as designers, pianists, actresses, or models, where talent and originality matter; ladies’ comics, however, even in the late 1980s, depict common women’s daily lives (Fujimoto 1994). Offering various familiar lifestyles and their problems, ladies’ comics becomes a sphere in which women can see their own lives as women. However, ladies’ comics, as well as shoujo manga, does not always encourage women to be independent (Matsuzawa 1999: 29) and to ? ht traditional, patriarchal values, which compel women to stay within a subsidiary position. For example, Waru [A Bad Girl], a long-run ladies’ comic from 1988 to 1997 in Be Love, presents the success story of a woman who continuously overcomes the dif? culties of her lower status as an of? ce lady and at the same time never gives up her love. Some readers regard Waru as an example of ladies’ comics with a feminist point of view which encourages women readers to be independent (Sakamoto 1999: 27). At the same time, this work has been criticized in that the heroine is totally passive and merely lucky (Erino 1991: 177). Erino Miya claims that the heroine does not do anything to further her career. The protagonist only accepts other people’s advice, and never doubts it, and she is asked to do things which seem to have no relation to her career, such as to remember a sweeper’s name. This work only regards a woman as a person who cannot do anything without help and never discovers her life by herself, but always thinks about love. Although some ladies’ comics depict the severe and unequal reality which women may face at the of? ce, most stories end with a happy marriage to a nice husband. Yet according to Murakami Tomohiko, since the 1990s, ladies’ comics began to be regarded as a genre which also deals with social issues. Until then, ladies’ comics had drawn attention only to its pornographic and radically sexual scenes (Murakami 2000: 1006). As a genre which deals with women’s 788 A Journal of Popular Culture eality, ladies’ comics began to focus on more social and political issues, such as domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment, and so on, presenting how the woman character tackles the problems, suffers, and sometimes makes mistakes, rather than clearly suggesting which solution she should take. Ladies’ comics draws both women’s reality and their fantasies in a more serious way than shoujo manga, in that shoujo are at an age when they can still enjoy illu sions of gender, while the reality faced by readers of ladies’ comics requires them to consider marriage as if it were a social obligation. The theme of marriage in ladies’ comics begins to appear as one social and political issue, while shoujo manga deals only with a process to marriage. Moreover, differently from shoujo manga, ladies’ comics can present issues after marriage, including divorce as a principal theme. For example, Amane Kazumi, one of the most productive ladies’ comics writers, deals with current women’s issues in a serious way. Shelter, one of her ladies’ comics, depicts a woman who is beaten by her husband (see Figure 1). They had two daughters. The younger daughter was very smart and her father’s favorite. After she died in an accident on her way home with her mother, the father’s violence toward his family erupts. His violence unveils his male-centered values and contempt toward his wife. The wife and their elder daughter escape from the husband and go to a shelter for battered women. Shelter depicts how the female protagonist overcomes her problem, recovers her con? dence, and regains an independent life, which she once had as a lawyer. Presenting other women who share the same problem, this work considers different cases of domestic violence. As we see in this manga, ladies’ comics as a genre about women living in reality as adults, seems to show more concern about the process of how the heroine and other women change their lives, rather than about a solution leading to a happy ending. This work not only reveals male dominance within society, but also portrays each woman’s ? aws and how she easily spoils her partner and their relationship without knowing it, for example, by only being concerned about her ? nancial status and being supported by her husband although she does not love her husband any more. In this work, each story ends when a woman decides to change her life in a positive way, which leaves an impression of a happy ending. Yet in fact, it is not simply a happy ending. It is a new beginning for her life, Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 789 Figure 1. Amane Kazumi. Shelter. Tokyo: Hakusensha, 2001. 26-27. r 2000 Kazumi Amane/Hakusenha. which is not guaranteed to be a better life than before. However, some reference to the actual law related to women’s status and reliable comments by the heroine as a lawyer may suggest to readers that this manga could help and encourage women who are in reality suffering from a problem. Thus, ladies’ comics develops as a genre for female readers and their issues, which shoujo manga could not take up. Nevertheless, ladies’ comics seems still to contain a conventional sense of femininity, which shoujo manga also displays as a genre. The following two points especially emphasize the traditional concept of femininity in ladies’ comics. First, as I suggested before, ladies’ comics presents many women who depend upon their husbands or partners and are waiting for someone who would lead them and love them. Second, ladies’ comics rarely present elderly or middle-aged female protagonists, although the genre was generated from women’s need to ‘‘grow up. ’’ 790 A Journal of Popular Culture The ? rst point supports a passive femininity like that of Cinderella which can be seen in shoujo manga. As we have examined, it also re? ects the current status of Japanese women, in which, as Shiota and other critics remark, the traditional woman’s life as a housewife totally supported by her husband has been the easiest, most traditional, and socially acceptable life for women to choose. This may explain why ladies’ comics are more concerned with marriage, than with women living independently of marriage. However, as we have seen in Shelter, the treatment of marriage has been changing and ladies’ comics is becoming a genre which shows the problems of current social issues about women who can be part of an unhappy marriage. The second point also re? ects traditional femininity. That is to say, in the world of ladies’ comics, the concept of youth seems still effective as a key concept of ideal femininity, just like in the world of shoujo. In comparison with men’s comics which presents many middle-aged male main characters, ladies’ comics, which rarely show older females as main characters, seem a part of shoujo manga, rather than an independent genre. One of the characteristics of the genre for adults might lie in its treatment of various types of characters in part de? ned by age. In this respect, ladies’ comics as a genre for women could have focused on widely aged female characters and have even expanded a sense of femininity regarding age. However, middle-aged women, as Susan Napier points out, have been excluded from the world of manga: ‘‘It is also interesting to note that there seem to be relatively few manga concerning middleaged women or mothers in contemporary Japan’’ (Napier 1998: 105). Nevertheless, in comparison to other genres, we ? nd more middle-aged and older women characters in ladies’ comics as subcharacters. Their problems are depicted from the younger heroines’ point of view, and in that sense, ladies’ comics at least do not ignore elder women, but include them. Thus, ladies’ comics still maintains the traditional sense of femininity, which shoujo manga also holds as part of its conventional sense of shoujo. In this respect, ladies’ comics has not made a genre of manga for women in a general sense yet. Rather, ladies’ comics is a genre which presents what shoujo manga cannot do. In other words, dealing with both tradition and subversion to the existing notion of shoujo and making a dissonance between them to destabilize the existing system must be a way which ladies’ comics takes over from shoujo manga. Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 791 Promising to show women who are not shoujo any more, ladies’ comics stimulates readers’ existing notion about women who still recognize imaginary shoujo in themselves. However these days, we see the term josei manga, which means manga for women, and which tries to replace the term ladies’ comics. Although it has not emerged yet, in a strict sense that there are no manga for women of different ages, this genre is gradually moving away from shoujo manga to a women’s genre. Performing what cannot be shoujo and promising the emergence of a genre of manga for women, the genre adies’ comics may also continuously urge women not to depend on the division anymore between shoujo manga for shoujo and ladies’ comics for women who are not shoujo, which divides women into only two types that supposedly never merge. Writing Women and Shoujo Manga The number of ladies comics magazines increased from two in 1980 to 48 in 1991, and to 57 in 1993, as I noted ea rlier. By 1998 the number had shrunk somewhat to 54. They still have a large readership, although their publication was reduced in the late 1990s. The total publication including special issues of ladies’ comics in 1998 was 103,820,000, which comprises 7% of all manga publication; the highest total publication of ladies’ comics was 133,520,000 in 1991 (Shuppan 1999: 226). However, the concept of ladies’ comics has gradually changed. As we have seen, the contents of ladies’ comics have experienced some change in that ladies’ comics also became a genre of political and social issues. Further, another genre of manga for women emerged from ladies’ comics and shoujo manga. In the late 1980s and 1990s, a different type of commercial magazine of manga for women came out: Young You in 1987, Young Rose in 1990, and Feel Young in 1991. While some data count these magazines as ladies’ comics, they have been regarded by critics and readers as another genre (Ishida 1992: 76; Fujimoto 1999a: 28). Since these early magazines share the word ‘‘young’’ in their titles, the new genre has been called ‘‘Young ladies’ comics. ’’3 Their target readers range from girls in their late teens to women under thirty. Yet the genre seems to cover a wider range of readers, since there are characters over thirty and readers’ pages often show letters from middle-aged 792 A Journal of Popular Culture women. Although we manage to distinguish these three genres, the actual boundaries regarding contents, readers, and writers among shoujo manga, young ladies’ comics, and ladies’ comics are somewhat vague, perhaps except for shoujo manga for lower teens and the special interest of ladies’ comics in pornography, horror comics, mothering, and so on (Yonezawa 2000: 1009). Besides, some young ladies’ comics magazines call themselves shoujo manga. For example, a phrase of the copy for Chorus, one of the popular young ladies’ comics magazines, signi? es the status of young ladies’ comics: shoujo manga mo otona ni naru [shoujo manga also grows up]. Young ladies’ comics is a contradictory genre which at once contains sexuality, shoujo, and adult women. How mi ght we explain the contradictory impulses at work in the new genre, which has both characteristics of shoujo manga and ladies’ comics, and at the same time, is different from the existing two genres in terms of women’s lives? I will explore what enables this alternative perspective, which can share and separate the two genres at the same time, considering how the genre young ladies’ comics can open a different perspective in the world of manga for women, and how the term shoujo, which these three genres share, functions upon this genre to create a new writing. Since the genre contains shoujo, young ladies’ comics can be regarded as a part of shoujo manga, but it also contains adult women and their issues and has characteristics of ladies’ comics. In this sense, young ladies’ comics is a genre between shoujo manga and ladies’ comics. As Fujimoto remarks, the concept of marriage seems to play an important role to distinguish these three genres. shoujo manga represents women before marriage and ladies’ comics deals with women after marriage, while young ladies’ comics represents both women’s lives before and after marriage. Fujimoto’s idea of the division between shoujo manga and ladies’ comics, i. e. , marriage, suggests that both shoujo manga and ladies’ comics are patriarchal products. Ishida Saeko also sees young ladies’ comics as a product between shoujo manga and ladies’ comics. Yet Ishida regards young ladies’ comics as manga closer to shoujo manga. According to Ishida, although it contains sexuality, the genre takes over the world of shoujo manga, which is more concerned with shoujo’s inner mind and cannot escape the narrow and personal world of ‘‘herself. ’’ In this respect, young ladies’ comics is not a totally new genre. That is because shoujo manga as the ? rst genre of Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 793 manga for women has heavily affected other genres of manga in terms of women, especially this genre which employs shoujo as main characters. Yet simultaneously, we may also ? nd some signi? cant characteristics in young ladies’ comics, in its treatment of the same term shoujo. These three genres share the concept of shoujo, but their modes of representation are different. Shoujo manga has shoujo, ladies’ comics has a taboo concept for shoujo in the form of sexuality, and young ladies’ comics has shoujo, although it deals with sexuality. They are all manga, for women, by women, of women, but make use of the concept of women in terms of shoujo differently . The characteristic of young ladies’ comics appears in its treatment of shoujo and reality, which distinguishes this new genre from shoujo manga and ladies’ comics. On the one hand, shoujo manga visualizes the concept of shoujo and, as I suggested, even if it introduces taboo concepts like displacement into male bodies to shoujo, readers would notice their existence in the form of the absence of shoujo. On the other hand, ladies’ comics deals with what is taboo to shoujo as a counter category to shoujo manga and tries to depict adult women’s real lives and issues which shoujo manga cannot imagine. Young ladies’ comics maintains a shoujo’s point of view, but it also inherits a characteristic from ladies’ comics, which surveys reality rather than fantasy and tries to present shoujo’s life and issues as part of the reality surrounding them, just like ladies’ comics tries to deal with women’s issues and lives from their own perspective as women. Reading works published as young ladies’ comics, we would never think at least at the ? rst glance that they are presenting ‘‘reality. ’ Many elements remind readers of shoujo manga: their cute characters with big eyes, their concern for love and inner feelings, and special situations or happenings which would rarely occur to ‘‘actual girls. ’’ Yet their concern for reality makes young ladies’ comics unique and different from shoujo manga. For example, let us examine Onna tachi no miyako [Women’s Utopia] (1992-1994) by Matsunae Akemi , one of the most productive and popular shoujo manga writers who also writes for young ladies’ comics. In the late 1980s, an early series of this manga was published as shoujo manga. From 1988 to 1990, Katorea na onna tachi [Women Like Cattleya], which employs the same characters, was published in LaLa, and from 1992 to 1994, Onna tachi no miyako was published in Bouquet. 794 A Journal of Popular Culture LaLa and Bouquet are both shoujo manga magazines. In 1993, the series was also published in a new magazine Chorus, which has been one of the popular young ladies’ magazines. This work experienced a transition from shoujo manga to young ladies’ comics. It is about three women characters running a nursing home for elderly people. At ? rst glance, this work may seem to present typical cute shoujo characters. Then immediately, we notice that this manga uses the term shoujo in a double sense. One is shoujo in their teens and the other is shoujo in an ideological sense, which signi? es women who have either shoujo’s mind and feelings or appearance despite their age, even if they are in their seventies. In Figure 2, an interviewer mistakenly asks them a question for girls. The interviewer immediately runs away after she notices that she made a mistake, but the ‘‘aged’’ girls complain why the interviewer does not de? ne a girl’s age up to 74, instead of 24. Using aged protagonists, this manga unveils how the term shoujo is ? ated on the notion of youth. Simultaneously, this manga portrays issues of old age and sometimes depicts aged characters’ pasts, Figure 2. Matsunae Akemi. Onna tachi no miyako. Vol. 1. Tokyo: Shueisha, 1994. 7-8. r 1994 Matsunae Akemi/SHUEISHA, Inc. Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 795 in which they were physically â₠¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬Ëœshoujo. ’’ Not seriously, but comically, this work depicts how they had to suffer as shoujo in a traditional world under the patriarchal society before the war, suggesting a contrast with the current meaning of shoujo, which appears totally liberal in the story. This disruption of the notion of age in the world of shoujo manga, which later moved into the category young ladies’ comics, might tell us how the term shoujo began to become a sign which can ? oat free from the body of shoujo. The characters insist that they are still shoujo. Yet their existence as shoujo might subvert our notion of the existing shoujo and the traditional shoujo image. In this work, shoujo is not a body anymore, but is an ideological concept that suggests that everyone can be shoujo if they want. Young ladies’ comics is a genre which visually uses shoujo manga’s technique and presents cute girls. Like ladies’ comics, the genre centers on female characters and their issues, but its representation offers ? exible images of shoujo, which does not always show the properly aged shoujo. The notion of shoujo can be applied to any body beyond its physical sense of being a teenaged female before marriage. A con? ict between the notion of shoujo and what is actually presented as shoujo subjects gives a twist to the world of shoujo. Young ladies’ comics is about shoujo, and does not always show a taboo concept to the category shoujo, as ladies’ comics tries to show. This aspect of young ladies’ comics, once again, refers to the fact that shoujo can be a signi? er which freely moves from the existing bodies of shoujo, emphasizing itself as an ideological notion, from which readers may take and get out whatever they want. Furthermore, such different treatments of reality among these three genres will appear in their different endings. A typical shoujo manga has been regarded as the story, of a prince and a princess with a happy ending to a love story such as Cinderella, in which a lower-status girl gains a higher-status husband through magic. Ladies’ comics present their works as part of real lives and expect the ending to provide readers with an actual solution which they would also have in their lives. Young ladies’ comics also concerns reality and many women writers for this genre claim that they want to write manga which does not end but continues in the same way as the real life that they are having now continues. In general, they regard shoujo manga as a limited genre which does not allow them to write what they are writing currently. The concept of the ‘‘real’’ 796 A Journal of Popular Culture ppears as if it were a common key word among them regarding their comments on the limit of shoujo manga. However, the concept of the ‘‘real,’’ which young ladies’ comics deals with, also seems to have a unique message, because young ladies comics does not abandon shoujo’s point of view, which also allows readers to see dreams. Despite its concern about real lives of women, the concept of shoujo still remains in young ladies’ comics. Yet, the difference between shoujo manga and young ladies comics can be found in their treatment of this shoujo. Basically, shoujo manga shows the world of a girl before the age of social duty. Young ladies’ comics seemingly present a similar world in which a character can appear as shoujo without any social obligations. However, young ladies’ comics also emphasize some aspects of the protagonist, which stress that she has also been living in a ‘‘real’’ life. In reality, ‘‘she’’ gets hurt, gets old, or gets changed in some way. She also witnesses somebody experiencing a change. A shoujo protagonist in young ladies’ comics appears not as a momentary existence which will ? nish once the story ends, but as an actual existence, just like the readers who are living and continue their lives after the story ends. This perspective, which sees shoujo’s life as one that will continue after the story ends, is common among popular authors in the ? eld of young ladies’ comics. For example, a wellreceived young ladies’ comics, Happy-Mania, by Anno Moyoko, which started in 1995 and ended in July 2001, presents a unique shoujo character, who easily makes love but cannot ? nd a boy whom she can trust. Unlike the existing type of shoujo, this heroine uses her body as her ? rst step to love. Anno says that she now writes a ‘‘real’’ love story with sexual scenes which Anno herself could have experienced but shoujo manga discourages (Anno 1999: 160). For example, in Figure 3, the protagonist is excited about her new love, while her friend, who is drawn as a smaller ? gure, asks her if they used a condom or not. Tracing this protagonist, who is easily blinded by her love, this story continues to show various cases of love affairs which young women might experience. Figure 4 shows a moment when she ? nds out that her boyfriend has another girlfriend. That does not end her love, and the story continues showing her pursuing her boyfriend until she becomes something like a stalker and ? nally notices what she is doing for a worthless male; she decides to ? d another lover. And then, another story Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 797 Figure 3. Anno Moyoko. Happy-Mania. Vol. 1. Tokyo: Shodensha, 1996. 97. r 1996 Anno Moyoko/Shodensha. 798 A Journal of Popular Culture Figure 4. Anno Moyoko. Happy-Mania. Vol 1. Tokyo: Shodensha, 1996. 112. r 1996 Anno Moyoko/Shodensha. Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 799 about this protagonis t begins. Although readers of shoujo manga may expect a happy ending, the readers here do not necessarily expect one (Anno 1999: 164). Moreover, Minami Qta, one of the popular young ladies’ comics writers, denies the concept of ending itself. Her work is quite different from typical shounen (boys) and shoujo manga which offer a clear ending. According to her (Minami 1997: 196), typical shounen and shoujo manga are stories about gaining something. Shounen manga deal with the pursuit of power, money, or a position, while shoujo manga aims at attracting a handsome boy. Yet, to her, ‘‘reality’’ does not cease the moment something has been attained. Makimura Satoru, a popular and renowned shoujo manga writer who has written for shoujo manga since the 1970s, refers to how she felt when she began writing for young ladies’ comics (Makimura 1999). She thought that she could not write any more dream-like works for manga. She wished to write ‘‘reality,’’ in which as long as she lived, she would face more uncomfortable facts. At the same time, she did not totally abandon shoujo manga. Yet she composed her works in a different way, using some aspects of shoujo manga. She began research outside the world of shoujo manga. Researching readers by herself, she found how deceitful and ? ctitious what she had written as shoujo manga was. Here, what she notes as the importance in the category genre of young ladies’ comics is to present ‘‘reality. ’ These young ladies’ comics writers ? nd shoujo manga full of deceits which tell only comforting myths to entertain shoujo with dreamlike ideas; young ladies’ comics allow them to write something other than fantasy. In fact, many popular young ladies’ comics writers share this wish for the ‘‘real. ’â€⠄¢ Onozuka Kahori, another popular young ladies’ comics writer, also makes similar comments that she is writing a life, not a story, with upheavals, which might even hurt you. They wish to show how shoujo will be if she continues her life. Even after the story ends, their characters’ lives would continue. Onozuka suggests that she would like to send a message to readers, which suggests that even if they can be hurt, they will be ? ne, and such experience will give them power to continue their lives (Onozuka 1999: 30). However, in speaking about the ‘‘real’’ that shoujo manga cannot present, we should note that these young ladies’ comics 800 A Journal of Popular Culture writers point out facts. On the one hand, they have shoujo, and on the other hand, they want the shoujo to grow up, move, and change. Can shoujo grow up? The term shoujo is a category for girls during a special period in which they are neither children nor adults. Yet some heroines in young ladies’ comics seem to already have grown up because they deal with the theme of sexuality. Considering the ideological function of the category shoujo, which has used even her absence as her substance, we note a similar function of the category shoujo in young ladies’ comics, which uses shoujo’s absence, rather than showing a heroine who is shoujo. By offering a heroine who grows up enough to deal with sexuality, but has not found a way to settle down herself in accordance with the social codes which her gender requires, such as marriage, young ladies’ comics make use of the concept of shoujo. This heroine, who already has a sexual body of a woman, offers shoujo’s absence, rather than her existence. The absence of shoujo functions here again as a key to perceiving the connection of the manga with a ‘‘real’’ life, which shoujo does not have; young ladies’ comics resists idealization which portrays only one piece of her life as if it were the best moment. The genre of ladies’ comics, which employs the theme of sexuality and women’s bodies and their issues, has been a practice of how to develop what shoujo manga has treated in the form of the absence of shoujo to describe women’s sexuality and their adult lives. Ladies’ comics enabled what shoujo manga could not contain. Then young ladies’ comics was born and dealt with what ladies’ comics could not contain. Showing both what ladies’ comics cannot contain and what shoujo manga cannot contain, the new genre, temporarily called young ladies’ comics, seems to occupy a place in between shoujo manga and ladies’ comics, but it is more than that, rooted in the term shoujo. Showing the body of shoujo, it alters the meaning of shoujo into that of a future adult woman, who is still in the process of changing and considering her life in reality. In 1999, the Kikai kintou hou [The Equal Employment Opportunity Law] of 1985 was amended. A clause concerning sexual harassment was added and the law became stricter. The older version of the law only encouraged companies not to discriminate against women, but the revised law bans discrimination in promotion, education, and so on. It becomes a company’s duty not to discriminate against employees in terms Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 801 of gender. However, there are still many points which need to be amended. For example, the new clause concerning sexual harassment does not ban sexual harassment. According to the new version of the law, it is a company’s duty to take sexual harassment into consideration. Under such circumstances, women’s struggle at work will continue. The category shoujo functions as an ideological apparatus for women to be free from social obligations such as marriage. Women’s world of manga began with the term of shoujo. Even a new genre for adult women has been formed out of shoujo manga and seems to be still part of shoujo, which could escape from the reality and social obligation. houjo still functions as an important aspect of comics for women. When will women in Japan escape the world of shoujo? The Japanese society imposes many problems on women although women are trying to get out of the category shoujo, which they claim ignores ‘‘reality. ’’ However, women continue to question the disconnection between the category shoujo and themselves as adult women, allowing them both to think of their actual lives from the point of view of a shoujo who has not been involved in social obligations yet, and to imagine themselves as shoujo. In that sense, the category shoujo still gives female readers a performative power by promising to show another perspective which is the reality in which they live, in a process of their search for their own way of living. Notes Japanese names appear in the same order as they appear in their articles or books. 2 Number of children to whom one woman shall give birth when she is between the ages of 15 and 49 years old. In 1997, the birth rate in Japan was 1. 39. 3 Mediaworks. /http://www. mediaworks. co. jp/alt/000/text/ya. htmlS. 4 Yonezawa remarks that ladies’ comics magazines have three kinds of target readers: ‘‘young Mrs. ’ for housewives, ‘‘ladies’’ for working women, and ‘‘young adult’’ for younger women around twenty. Ladies’ comics by major publishers employ many manga writers who were once engaged as shoujo manga writers. According to Yonezawa, the main stream of current ladies’ comics has been closer to shoujo manga. 1 802 A Journal of Popular Culture Works Cited Allison, Anne. Nightwork: Sexuality, Pleasure, and Corporate Masculinity in a Tokyo Hostess Club. Chicago: The U of Chicago P, 1994. Amane, Kazumi. Shelter. Tokyo: Hakusensha, 2001. Anno, Moyoko. Happy Mania. 11 Vols. Tokyo: Shodensha, 1996-2001. Anno, Moyoko, Fushimi Noriaki, and Saito Ayako. ‘‘Renai no real wo kakukoto. ’’ Eureka 29. 4 (1997): 154-64. Arimitsu, Mamiko. ‘‘Yokubou surukoto eno yokubou. ’’ imago 2. 10 (1991): 152-61. Bornoff, Nicholas. Pink Samurai: Love, Marriage & Sex in Contemporary Japan. New York: Pocket Books, 1991. Buckley, Sandra. ‘‘The Case of the Disappearing Subject: A Japanese Pornographic Tale. ’’ Discours social/Social Discourse 1/2 (Spring/ Summer 1989): 93-109. Erino, Miya. ‘‘ ‘Shiawase’ no dou dou meguri. ’’ imago 2. 10 (1991): 175-81. Fujimoto, Yukari. ‘‘Onnano ryoseiguyu, otokono haninyou. ’ Gendaino esupuri 277 (1990): 177-209. FFF. ‘‘Oshigoto! ’’ New Feminism Review 5. Tokyo: Gakuyoshobo, 1994. 130-51. FFF. ‘‘Shoujo manga ga mederu otoko no karada. ’’ Queer Japan. Vol. 1. Tokyo: Keisoshobo, 1999a. 24-8. F FF. Kairaku denryuu. Tokyo: Kawaideshobo shinsha, 1999b. Fukami, Jun. Waru. Vol. 1. Tokyo: Kodansya, 1989. Imamura, Anne E. , ed. Introduction. Re-Imaging Japanese Women. Berkeley: U of California P, 1996. 1-11. Inoue, Teruko, and Yumiko Ehara, eds. Women’s Data Book. 3rd ed. Tokyo: Yuhikaku, 1999. Ishida, Saeko. ‘‘Shoujo manga no buntai to sono hougensei. ’ Comic Media: Media Co-Mix. Tokyo: NTT, 1992, 54-89. Konno, Minako. OL no souzou. Tokyo: Keisoshobo, 2000. Makimura, Satoru. ‘‘KaisetsuFShoujo manga karano rihabili. ’’ Renai wa shoujo manga de osowatta. Tokyo: Shueisha, 1999. 246-53. Matsunae, Akemi. Onna tachi no miyako. 3 Vols. Tokyo: Shueisha, 1994. Mediaworks. /http://www. mediaworks. co. jp/alt/000/text/ya. htmlS. Minami, Qta. ‘‘Minna ai wo shira nai. ’’ Eureka 29. 4. (1997): 191-201. Murakami, Tomohiko. ‘‘Manga. ’’ Chiezou 2000: The Asahi Encyclopedia of Current Terms. T okyo: Asahi Shimbun sha, 2000. 1006-07. Female Subjectivity and Shoujo Manga A 803 Napier, Susan. ‘‘Vampires, Psychic Girls, Flying Women and Sailor Scouts: Four faces of the young female in Japanese popular culture. ’’ The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture: Gender, Shifting Boundaries and Global Cultures. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1998. 91-109. Ogasawara, Yuko. Of? ce ladies and Salaried Men: Power, Gender, and Work in Japanese Companies. Berkeley: U of California P, 1998. Onozuka, Kahori. ‘‘Onozuka Kahori Interview. ’’ Talking Heads 14: Tokyo Cuties (1999): 24-35. Pollock, Griselda. ‘‘What’s Wrong with ‘Images of Woman? ’’ The Sexual Subject: A Screen Reader in Sexuality. London: Routledge, 1992. 135-45. Sakamoto, Mimei, and Matsuzawa Kureichi. ‘‘Ladies’ Comics. ’’ Pop Culture. Tokyo: Mainichi shinbun sha, 1999. 24-9. Shiota, Sakiko. Nihon no shakai seisaku to gender. Tokyo: Nihon hyouron sha, 2000. Shouji, Masako. ‘‘Mangaka ha kudari no escalator wo nobotte yukuyounamono. ’’ Pafu 9. 5 (1983): 109-21. Shuppan Shihyou [An Index of Publication: An Annual Report]. Ed. Kurihara Kouji. Tokyo: Zenkoku shuppan kyoukai, Shuppan kagaku kenkyuujyo [The National Publishing League and Publishing Science Institute], 1996. Shuppan Shihyou [An Index of Publication: An Annual Report]. Ed. Kurihara Kouji. Tokyo: Zenkoku shuppan kyoukai, Shuppan kagaku kenkyuujyo [The National Publishing League and Publishing Science Institute], 1999. Sougou jyosei shi keikyuu kai. Nihon jyosei no rekishi: onna no hataraki. Tokyo: Kadokawa shoten, 1993. Ueno, Chizuko. ‘‘ ‘Roudou’ gainen no gender ka. ’’ Gender no nihonshi. Vol. 2. Tokyo: Tokyo UP, 1995. 679-710. FFF. Kafuchousei to shihonsei. Tokyo: Iwanami shoten, 1990. Yonezawa, Yoshihiro. Speech Baloon Parade. Tokyo: Kawaideshobo shinsha, 1988. FFF. ‘Manga bunka. ’’ Gendai Yougo no Kisochishiki: Encyclopedia of Comtemporary Words. Tokyo: Jiyuu kokuminsha, 2000. 1007-11. Fusami Ogi is associate professor at Chikushi Jogakuen University, Fukuoka, Japan, and has a PhD in comparative literature from SUNY Stone Brook. Copyright of Journal of Popular Culture is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not b e copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

Public Policy Rulings

Public Policy Rulings The US amended its constitution in 1965 to include everybody in national voting process. The law outlawed discriminations based on ethnic and racial qualities that had been practiced since independence. In this regard, Africans had been disenfranchised because they could not elect leaders of their choice.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Public Policy Rulings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Act followed the 15th amendment, which prohibited states from imposing any electoral merits or pre-requisites to candidates. Such conditions were viewed as direct violation of voting rights. The act eliminated the rule stating that a voter could only vote after passing a literacy test. The rule was widely used during slavery to bar Africans from electing their preferred leaders. The American Civil War played a bigger role in eliminating unfavorable laws that were based on racial and tribal lines. The head of state appended his signature to the rule making it a national law in 1965. The act provided extensive federal supervision of elections. It stated that regions with repressive voting practices could not execute any change that would affect voting without seeking approval from the state authority in charge of elections. The process was termed as preclearance, meaning that a universal body could control elections. The law affected many states in the south because they had a system that discriminated blacks. The congress has amended the Act several times, the recent being the 2006 alteration that was signed into law by George Bush. Even though the Act was lauded as a landmark to civil rights legislation, critics have established many weaknesses. As noted earlier, the bill has been reviewed four times. The law was evaluated in 1970, 1975, 1982 and 2006. The 1982 review made section two of the act permanent. The paper will therefore look at the differences and some similarities between the original act of 1965 and the amended article of 2006. It should be noted that there are many similarities between the two articles. The two articles aim at providing the rights of voters and keeping off repressive rules and regulations. The main similarity is that both articles still demand that states, which practiced repression and discrimination, must seek permission from the Department of Justice before introducing new changes to their electoral laws. This has raised controversies because the states could have abolished the repressive rules long ago but they are still required to comply with the new law.Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The states in the south such as Arizona, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas suffer from stigmatization because they practiced discrimination before the law was introduced in 1965. Critics argue that the law should either be extended to all states or be eliminated. In 2006, the law applied to the case involving Northwest Austin Municipality Utility District No. 1 v. Holder. The council intended to amend its policies in order to move voting from a private home to a public school. The judges claimed that the officials of the council had to follow the due procedure dictated by the 1965 act. In 2010, Florida intended to amend its constitution in order to prevent gerrymandering in future. The governor requested for permission from the Department of Justice. The same procedures were followed as provided in the 1965 and 2006 acts. The 2006 act is a bit different because it appreciates the difficulties that Africans go through during presidential voting. The law was adjusted after examining the difficulties experienced by blacks in the states of Ohio and Florida. Blacks were perpetually subjugated and state authorities violated their rights. The states provided few voting machines forcing Africans to queue for long. This could mean t hat some blacks did not participate in voting due to unnecessary queues. The 2006 law provides that states must avail enough voting machines in all voting centers. In case of difficulties, the Department of Justice would intervene to restore normalcy. The 2006 act is different from the 1965 act because it addresses the problem of representation. The congress aimed at strengthening the provisions of section two that were designed in 1982. Blacks had been experiencing hardships as regards to office holding. Leaders were adamant to accept blacks and other races because of racism and ethnicity. The 1982 amendment forced the south states to drop electoral rules that barred Africans from accessing governmental power and authority. In Arizona for example, electoral laws prevented Latinos from contesting equally with their white counterparts. The 2006 law aims at ensuring equality and equal privileges during campaigns and elections.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Public Policy Rulings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This means that other races in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas and some parts of New York could be provided with adequate security during elections. This is aimed at protecting blacks and other races from intimidation caused by whites during elections. The 2006 act identified the new form of discrimination that resurfaced within other organs of government. The law establishes that racism and ethnicity surface when there is a close contest meaning that judges rule in favor of the white race. The 2006 law provides that judges must be impartial in their rulings. The law provides some mechanisms that could be used to guarantee fairness within the judiciary.

Environmental Factors Video Gaming Technologies

Environmental Factors Video Gaming Technologies Free Online Research Papers Video Gaming Technologies (VGT) was established in 91’, the business was after the gambling market. With the development of the Treasure Quest and Black Jack Machine the company flourished. By 96’ The Tennessee based company had a new location in South Carolina where the bulk of the machines were built, tested and sold. As the company grew VGT started outsourcing the production of the machines to a company in Ohio, which were then sent to South Carolina for testing and the computer system to be installed. By 99’ the laws in South Carolina changed forcing the company to restructure the way machines were manufactured and sold. Locations in Oklahoma and Ohio soon opened but the quick decision has some problems the Ohio location was not ideal for VGT due to laws and cultures. The company now still has the Oklahoma location and the main office in Tennessee. The South Carolina and Ohio locations were closed. The Main operations located in South Carolina was forced out mainly due to the location of the bible belt, the bible belt is the area known for Southern Baptist, Southern Baptist are voice full in their convections and religious beliefs. Their Beliefs against Gambling ended with VGT moving their operations to a new location and the closing of the South Carolina place. Ethics and Morals are two different items; Morals are personal where ethics are an understanding for business practices. The issue is, that ethics are generally driven by morals, Morals get the ethics a start are placed in general practices. Where the Bible belt is concerned the Baptist pushes their moral beliefs because they believe they will help the community head in the right direction. Not everyone believes as the Baptist, but the hearts are in the right place. Ethics is a global issue, Ethics and laws tend to go hand in hand. Several laws are a reflection of ethics, in the business world; the thing is with a global economy business have to research the ethics and laws of more than just their home based country. Doing business in another country calls for the knowledge of that countries laws, ethics, morals, and culture differences. In the early ‘90s ethics became a booming business, ethics plays a large part in decision for potential and existing employees, a company with good ethics is more desirable(Seglin J. 2002). Trade agreements play a major role in the business world, the international and national trade agreements monitor, control and govern the buying and selling of any product service over boundaries between countries, states, and borders. Trade agreements like NAFTA opened the door way to trade for the countries on the North American continent (Canada, America, and Mexico). The USTF with Australia has opened even more lines of communication for the US; overall the agreements made between countries have allowed the economy to compete with the global world. When it comes to in country agreements are governed by the federal government and states laws. The political systems in each country however, people may feel about them are the ones that promote and negotiate the trade and cultural relationships between countries. For trade to be free and welcomed there has to be a relationship with the other countries, political systems help to establish this relationship by learning the other countries culture, ethics, morals, needs, wants, and possible business agreements. International relationships can be difficult, the thing is that nothing worth doing is easy, the harder something is the greater the rewards, international relationships fall into this category, to have a strong relationship it takes work. Culture’s are different, it’s what makes the world an interesting place, taking this into account for marketing has its own issues, a business may market to different cultures, to do so they would have different strategies for each, look at a car dealer, they focus on child friendly aspects for families and focus on speed and looks for singles. Cultures can be tricky if not careful the risk of insulting a culture can be high, and no hope for the marketing or the sale of the product. The different culture views can delay a project, as Sony discovered the workers were not doing as they were told, turns out their culture has a huge amount of machismo and to say a project is not going well is humiliating(Dutton G. 2007). Different cultures can be found in a small area or across continents, Demographics and geography are huge aspects in the different cultures. Demographics are a major part in the target market for the past. According to today’s society not as much the demographics are becoming less and less useful with the new mixed races and ethical behavior (Penttila C. 2005). Demographics still play a major role choosing the wrong demographic can crush the plan, and research into the cultures and demographics is a major key in marketing. Would marketing a new high cost car to the average or below average class income people be wise? No, if so the car would not have the same impact or sales as a higher income class of people. Technology is a wonderful thing although it can make or break a company. Technology changes in the blink of an eye, what one has today can be obsolete tomorrow. In business and marketing this is a critical key in the process. Keeping up with the completion can depend on the technology used and needed. A fall back to technology is that one a new item is released, no guarantee that no bugs exist or if it will have all the components needed. So the decision to upgrade or use the technology is on the business, they need to understand if the new technology will help them, if compatibility is there for previous versions or items will the benefits out way the cost? VGT is no different from any other business; they are affected by laws, ethics, morals, cultures, and demographics, to be influence just as another business would be. Business has several aspects to consider, especially in a global market. Considering all the aspects and factors that can influence a business and their decisions requires some major research and planning, VGT has survived by keeping up with the technologies, researching the competition, different cultures. They restructured when needed to refocus the product. VGT will continue to grow and prosper as long as the associates are willing to do a little work and research. ? Reference list Button G. 2007 Say? Entrepreneur Magazine. entrepreneur.com/magazine /entrepreneur/2007/November/185738.htm Pettily C. 2005 What Lies beneath? entrepreneur.com/magazine/ entrepreneur/2005/may/77152.html Seglin J. 2002 Good for Goodness sake. cfo.com/article.cfm/3006546 Research Papers on Environmental Factors Video Gaming TechnologiesNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaGenetic EngineeringRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andTwilight of the UAW19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

Biography of Rudolf Diesel, Inventor of the Diesel Engine

Biography of Rudolf Diesel, Inventor of the Diesel Engine The engine that bears his name set off a new chapter in the Industrial Revolution, but German engineer Rudolf Diesel (1858–1913), who grew up in France, initially thought his invention would help small businesses and artisans, not industrialists.  In truth, diesel engines are commonplace in vehicles of all types, especially those that have to pull heavy loads (trucks or trains) or do a lot of work, such as on a farm or in a power plant. For this one improvement to an engine, his impact on the world is clear today. But his death more than a century ago remains a mystery. Fast Facts: Rudolf Diesel Occupation: EngineerKnown For:  Inventor of the Diesel engineBorn:  March 18, 1858, in Paris, FranceParents:  Theodor Diesel and Elise StrobelDied:  September 29 or 30, 1913, in the English ChannelEducation:  Technische Hochschule (Technical High School), Munich, Germany; Industrial School of Augsburg, Royal Bavarian Polytechnic of Munich (Polytechnic Institute)Published Works:  Theorie und Konstruktion eines rationellen Wremotors  (Theory and Construction of a Rational Heat Motor), 1893Spouse:  Martha Flasche (m. 1883)Children:  Rudolf Jr. (b. 1883), Heddy (b. 1885), and Eugen (b. 1889)Notable Quote:  I am firmly convinced that the automobile engine will come, and then I consider my life’s work complete. Early Life Rudolf Diesel was born in Paris, France, in 1858. His parents were Bavarian immigrants. At the outbreak of the Franco-German War, the family was deported to England in 1870. From there, Diesel went to Germany to study at the Munich Polytechnic Institute, where he excelled in engineering. After graduation he was employed as a refrigerator engineer in Paris, at Linde Ice Machine Company, beginning in 1880.  He had studied thermodynamics under Carl von Linde, head of the company, in Munich. His true love lay in engine design, however, and over the next few years he began exploring a number of ideas. One concerned finding a way to help small businesses compete with big industries, which had the money to harness the power of steam engines. Another was how to use the laws of thermodynamics to create a more efficient engine. In his mind, building a better engine would help the little guy, the independent artisans, and entrepreneurs. In 1890 he took a job heading the engineering department of the same refrigeration firm in its Berlin location, and during his off time (to keep his patents) would experiment with his engine designs. He was aided in the development of his designs by Maschinenfabrik Augsburg, which is now MAN Diesel, and Friedrich Krupp AG, which is now ThyssenKrupp. The Diesel Engine Print Collector/Getty Images Rudolf Diesel designed many heat engines, including a solar-powered air engine. In 1892 he applied for a patent and received a development patent for his diesel engine. In 1893 he published a paper describing an engine with combustion within a cylinder, the internal combustion engine. In Augsburg, Germany, on August 10, 1893, Rudolf Diesels prime model, a single 10-foot iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, ran on its own power for the first time. He received a patent there for the engine that same year and a patent for an improvement. Diesel spent two more years making improvements and in 1896 demonstrated another model with the theoretical efficiency of 75 percent, in contrast to the 10 percent efficiency of the steam engine or other early internal combustion engines. Work continued on developing a production model. In 1898 Rudolf Diesel was granted U.S. patent #608,845 for an internal combustion engine.   His Legacy Rudolf Diesels inventions have three points in common: They relate to heat transference by natural physical processes or laws, they involve markedly creative mechanical design, and they were initially motivated by the inventors concept of sociological needs- by finding a way to enable independent craftsmen and artisans to compete with large industry. That last goal didn’t exactly pan out as Diesel expected. His invention could be used by small businesses, but the industrialists embraced it eagerly as well. His engine took off immediately, with applications far and wide that spurred the Industrial Revolutions rapid development. Following his death, diesel engines became common in automobiles, trucks (starting in the 1920s), ships (after World War II), trains (starting in the 1930s), and more- and they still are. The diesel engines of today are refined and improved versions of Rudolf Diesels original concept. His engines have been used to power pipelines, electric and water plants, automobiles and trucks, and marine craft, and soon after were used in mines, oil fields, factories, and transoceanic shipping. More efficient, more powerful engines allowed boats to be bigger and more goods to be sold overseas. Diesel became a millionaire by the end of the 19th century, but bad investments left him in a lot of debt at the end of his life. His Death In 1913, Rudolf Diesel disappeared en route to London while on an ocean steamer coming back from Belgium to attend the groundbreaking of a new diesel-engine plant- and to meet with the British navy about installing his engine on their submarines, the History Channel says.  He is assumed to have drowned in the English Channel. Its suspected by some that he committed suicide over heavy debts, due to bad investments and poor health, information that didnt come out until after his death. However, theories immediately began that he was helped overboard. A newspaper at the time speculated, Inventor Thrown Into the Sea to Stop Sale of Patents to British Government, the BBC noted. World War I was at hand, and Diesels engines made it into Allied submarines and ships- though the latter were primarily for World War II. Diesel was a proponent of vegetable oil as fuel, putting him at odds with the ever-growing petroleum industry and leading, the BBC says, to the theory that Diesel was Murdered by Agents From Big Oil Trusts. Or it could have been coal magnates, yet others speculated, because steam engines ran on tons and tons of it. Theories kept his name in the papers for years and even included an assassination attempt by German spies to prevent his sharing details about the development of the U-boat. Sources Daimler. Rudolf Diesel and His Invention. Daimler.com.Harford, Tim. How Rudolf Diesels Engine Changed the World. BBC News, 19 December 2016.History.com Editors. Inventor Rudolf Diesel Vanishes. History.com.Lemelson-MIT. Rudolf Diesel. Lemelson-MIT Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Lewis, Danny. When the Inventor of the Diesel Engine Disappeared. Smithsonian Magazine. 29 September 2016.

ENGLISH JOURNAL ANALYSIS Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENGLISH JOURNAL ANALYSIS - Coursework Example It redefined the minima of theatrical certainty.   It was simple as that. He got away. He won by twenty-eight lengths, and he’d done it with so little—and I mean that as an enormous compliment. There they all were, busting a gut with great monologues and fireworks, and this extraordinary genius just put this play together with enormous refinement, and then with two completely unprecedented and unique bursts of architecture in the middle—terrible metaphor—and there it was, theatre. Though scholars and enthusiasts have speculated on the form and structure of the play, not many have managed to grasp the influence of the play over the linguistic characteristics of theatre. Contrary to the earlier attempts to construct a play using carefully chosen dialogues, Beckett liberated dramatic speech from the clutches of rhetoric and replaced it with his unique choice of words which contradict the foundations of conventional grammar. Most importantly, he strips words of their literal or contextual interpretations in an attempt to prove it being ineffective of trying to find sense inherent in the universe.

Evaluate the argument that global crime has grown significantly over Essay

Evaluate the argument that global crime has grown significantly over the last two decades, and outline any impact of globalisation process - Essay Example These include drugs such cocaine which is harvested in the jungles of Columbia before it makes its way to the cities of London, New York and Paris. In Afghanistan, the poppies of this country are harvested, sent to heroin processing plants in Eastern Europe before they find their home in the veins of Western Europeans and North Americans. In addition to the globalisation of drugs and the internationalisation of narcotics, globalisation has increased the incidents of piracy, counterfeit goods and organ trafficking. Perhaps most insidiously, globalisation has paved the way for an international traffic in people which involves the smuggling of refugees in addition to the international traffic of women. While some women are trafficked to work as domestic servants or as migrant laborers, the majority are sold into sexual slavery and exist as 21st century slaves. While international piracy, the spread of international counterfeit goods and organ trafficking are all interesting subjects the study from a sociological perspective in light of the internationalisation of crime, due to the limited scope of this analysis the following will focus upon the international traffic of women as well as the internationalization of drugs. Since the global traffic of women for sexual servitude is perhaps one of the most insidious byproducts of the globalisation movement, the following will begin with an overview of this exploitative trade. The transnationalisation of crime has increased in the 21st century. Complex economic interdependence has increased the avenues for criminals seeking to exploit the international economic system and create networks for their criminal endeavors. To say that the transnationalisation of crime exists today is not to say that it did not exist previously. Many of the crimes which are being carried out each and every day existed a century ago in Western Europe and the wealthy countries in