Japanese animation and how its been influenced by American culture in the 20th century

Japanese animation and how its been influenced by American culture in the 20th century Introduction In this essay I shall investigate to what extent twentieth century American culture has influenced Japanese animation. I shall examine the history of Japanese film, paying close attention to the rise of animation as an independent art form; determine what facets of American culture have appeared and influenced Japanese animation, including language, pop culture and consumerism; present two case studies of Japanese animated productions that adhere to the American influence; and draw conclusions from my findings. For my research I shall be referencing literature on Japanese animation, American culture and film history. The case studies shall consist of films by Osamu Tezuka and Mamoru Oshii. History of Japanese Animation The Japanese film industry was born out of the fascination with Edisons Kinetoscope. The Kinetoscope had been first shown in New York in 1894, and two years later the Japanese imported several to their cities. This was a period of celebration and novelty as the Sino-Japanese war had been won in 1895 with Japan forcing the Chinese invasion out of Korea; proving that Japan could adjust to the modern civilization [sic] which less than fifty years earlier had arrived knocking at the closed gates of the country in the person of Commodore Perry. It was the reign of Emperor Meiji, spanning 44 years from 1868 to 1912, which welcomed an era of rapid commercial expansion. In 1897, the Lumià ¨re brothers Cinà ©matographe arrived with a mixed bill of films including Baignade en Mer and LArrivà ©e dun Train en Gare. This was followed by the Edison Vitascope and its films The Death of Mary Queen of Scots and Feeding Pigeons. These innovative projectors were extremely popular with the Japanese, including the future Emperor Taisho. The public were arriving in their thousands to watch these films and continued to do so for another twenty years. Throughout this period the Japanese were importing films from Europe and the United States. It was only in 1912 that Japan founded its first production company; Nikkatsu Motion Picture Company. Established as an independent company under the title Japan Cinematograph Company, Nikkatsu started mass distribution and production of films in the 1920s. This meant that Japan was still dependant on films produced in the West to exhibit in its cinemas in the 1910s. During the First World War (1914-1918) European films were unavailable and to fill the void Japan began to heavily import films from Hollywood. One particular film that was to change the way the Japanese read film narrative was D.W. Griffiths 1916 feature, Intolerance. Perhaps the director nost influenced by Griffith in this early period of Japanese film was Norimasa Kaeriyama. Kaeriyama introduced advanced film technique into Japan and helped establish the Film Record, the countrys first motion picture magazine. His films were heavily inspired by the Hollywood narrative structure and were dedicated to: the introduction of long-, medium-, and close-shots, together with editing principles; the conversion to realistic acting; and the use of actresses in womens roles instead of oyama (oyama impersonators were previously used instead of actresses for female roles). After the death of Emperor Taisho in 1926 Japans new Emperor, Showa (Hirohito), began to reject the liberal attitudes towards Western influence of his predecessor. There was more emphasis on creating greater armies and a more powerful navy than building diplomatic relations. Before the Great Depression rocked the United States and Europe, Japan had already suffered; this was accelerated by the population boom across the country. Japan now put emphasis into its manufacturing and exportation of goods. Japans foreign policy had become one of aggressive expansion; they had seized control of the railways in Shandong, China, but were forced to withdraw after China boycotted Japanese exports. There was unrest in the country as labour unions were growing and dissatisfaction bred. Strikes and boycotts were rife, and this was reflected in the films of the time. Period drama films afforded the public the luxury of escapism while, on the other end of the scale, left-wing tendency films that soug ht to encourage, or fight against, a given social tendency played to the nation. This period of filmmaking in Japan proved that the industry had grown up from its humble origins and was establishing its own themes. The influx of the talkies from Hollywood finally pushed Japanese filmmakers to produce their own sound filmes. In the early 1930s sound became the norm for Japanese productions and therefore pushed the boundaries of the industry; allowing directors such as Teinosuke Kinugasa to create lavish dramas that were adored by the public. Suddenly the door was open for filmmakers to adapt historic tales dramatically. These dramas were singled out by the Emperor who saw them as an important tool to boost the nations morale, showing the masses how important history was; and how important it was to actually make their own history. The second Sino-Japanese war was not unexpected. The film industry had to develop the skills to produce the war genre. The first Japanese war movie was Tomotaka Tasakas 1938 feature, Five Scouts (Gonin no Sekkohei). It is interesting to note that this film does not include the pride, nationalism or propaganda that was being released in the United States, Britain or Ger many. The story dealt with the lives of five soldiers caught up in a battle that they know they must fight. This narrative development of character over plot is still used in modern cinema, most recently in Sam Mendes Jarhead (2005). After the destruction of the Second World War, Japan was forced to rebuild as a nation. The Emperor saw the need to keep the cinemas open (at least those that still remained). Production continued, some unfinished films were abandoned due to their military narrative, and projects that had been discarded before the outbreak of war were completed. The occupying Allied interim government announced a list of prohibited subjects, these included militarism, revenge, nationalism, religious or racial discrimination, feudal loyalty, suicide, cruelty, exploitation of children and opposition to the occupation. Editorial power had been taken away from the filmmakers and left with a foreign military presence. Out of this period two important directors were to emerge; Kurosawa and Kinoshita.In 1950, Akira Kurosawas Rashomon was released. The film introduced new ideas to Japanese, and world, cinema. It was the first film to use flashbacks that disagreed with the action they were flashing back to. I t supplied first-person eyewitness accounts that differed radically; one of which came from beyond the grave. The final scene saw no Hollywood resolution with three self-confessed killers and no explanation. His later films included Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) (1954), The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi-toride no san-akunin) (1958) and Yojimbo (1961). Keisuke Kinoshita directed Japans first colour film in 1951 with Carmen Comes Home (Karumen kokyo ni kaeru). Kinoshitas work is much lighter than that of Kurosawa and his influences seem to come from French comedies; most notably in the two Carmen movies featuring the stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold Carmen. Both these and other films explore the need for a character to leave the countryside and head to the new cities. This was echoed in Japans successful attempts to join the United Nations in 1956. In 1958 the first cartoon feature from Japan was released from the Toei studios. Panda and the Magic Serpent (Hakuja den) was directed by Kazuhiko Okabe and Taiji Yabushita and tells of two lovers in ancient China who must battle evil to find happiness. The film combines bizarre supernatural sequences, psychedelic montages and instantly likeable songs. Even though it can be argued that this is the Japanese interpretation of Disneys 1940 classic Fantasia, Panda and the Magic Serpent heralds the beginning of the Japanese animation industry (anime). Anime is the term used to describe Japanese animation. Since the 1950s Japan has been at the forefront of not only producing animation but is a world-leader in comic book art, or Manga. It is best described by Gilles Poitras: Anime (pronounced ah-nee-may), as defined by common non-Japanese fan usage, is any animation made in Japan. In Japan, the word simply means animation. While anime is sometimes erroneously referred to as a genre, it is in reality an art form that includes all the genres found in cinema or literature, from heroic epics and romances to science fiction and comedy. Whereas anime is what people would refer to as cartoons, Manga is the illustrated storyboards that the reader animates in his or her head. The fact that Manga is read by a whole cross-section of society is notable because it is; simply too fascinating, colorful [sic], and rich a literary medium to be left solely to children. The 1960s saw a host of anime films released. In The Enchanted Monkey (Saiyu-ki), directed by Daisaku Shirakawa, Taiji Yabushita and Osamu Tezuka in 1960, the story is a retelling of part of the epic Chinese classic, The Journey to the West, written by Wu Cheng-En in the sixteenth century. This technique of updating early stories was a popular theme in anime and is still used today. However, it was not only the cinema that was releasing anime productions. Japanese television aired Mighty Atom (Tetsuwan Atomu) from 1963 to 1966. Mighty Atom was the creation of Dr Osamu Tezuka, an influential figure in the early development of Manga. It was the first animated series produced by Tezukas television and film production company, Mushi Studios. The initial episode was shown as a television special on New Years Eve (one of the most widely viewed evenings on Japanese television) and became an instant success. When the series was shown in the United States the characters name was changed to As troboy due to DC Comics already owning a character called The Mighty Atom. The series proved to be extremely popular with children, and sparked controversy amongst parents who, even though the translation was greatly softened and sometimes edited for juvenile audiences, complained that the often dark subject matter was not suitable for impressionable young minds. Some episodes exhibited increasingly dreamlike and surreal imagery. This argument still persists today with the debate on whether graphic violence in cartoons (or anime) can prove detrimental to a young audience. The 1970s was a time of consolidation for the animation studios. The worldwide popularity of anime had afforded hundreds of studios to be set up to produce a plethora of films and television series. The moon landing in 1969 fired the imagination of the world with more emphasis on science fiction; and that is what the audience wanted. Fans of anime, or otaku, from around the world demanded new productions from these studios, and in turn the studios delivered new and advanced films. Otaku derives from the Chinese character for house and the honorific prefix o-. This translates as your honourable house. It is an extremely polite way of saying you when addressing another person in conversation; the writer Akio Nakamori proposed that the term be applied to the fans themselves. Another interpretation, as used by the Japanese media, is that of extreme fixation, which is probably closer to the truth. Either way it is the fans of anime that have been the driving force behind its success. In 1971 an animator directed 24 episodes of an anime series called Lupin III (Rupan sansei). It was the start of a very important career for perhaps the most important animator to come out of Japan. This man was Hayao Miyazaki. The series ran from 1971 to 1972 and was so successful that a number of sequels were made as well as theatrical releases. Lupin III describes the life of gang members in 1970s society. The action targeted the adult audience with its violence, sex, dark humour and contemporary soundtrack. Eight years later Miyazaki went on to direct The Castle of Cagliostro (Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro). The film is a continuation of the Lupin franchise that started with the television series in 1971. The emphasis is on the characters rather than the plot; a trait that Miyazaki develops over the course of his career. Even though the film is far from being one of the best examples of anime from the 1970s, the pace, comedy and willingness to show anti-heroes captures the f eeling of the decade. Another example of an anime series that became global was Gatchaman Science Ninjas (Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman). This series originally ran from 1972 to 1974 in Japan before being renamed Battle of the Planets when it aired in the United States in 1978. Yet again the re-dubbed, re-edited version was toned down for the Western audience, so much so that the series was moved from Earth to outer space; sequences with a robot (7-Zark-7) were added to patch the safer storylines together, make up for the lost (edited) footage and jump on the Star Wars R2-D2 bandwagon; exploding planes and ships were always robot-controlled and Spectra forces constantly ejected. The original Gatchaman series introduced characters that had feelings and motivation; there was character development and ongoing sub-plots. They sought revenge, felt jealousy and fear, had relationships, and got hurt. The villains were unabashedly evil, not misguided. The heroes didnt always win, at least not completely.It was as if the West was still not ready to embrace anime and Manga as an art form that was acceptable for adults to enjoy. Anime was still widely seen as cartoons for children in the 1970s. The Japanese animation industry went from strength to strength in the 1980s. It was the decade that saw the Western world finally succumb to the power of anime. This was a two-pronged attack; a Manga pincer movement. For those that still believed animation was for children there was the extraordinary global phenomenon that was Transformers, and for those that were looking for an alternative cult classic there was Akira. In 1984, American toy manufacturer Hasbro bought the rights to produce transforming robots from Japanese company Takara. To bolster the sales of their new line Hasbro decided to use anime as the frontline attack on the target audience (children). The result was the extremely successful Transformer series. This series led to the production of the 1986 feature film, Transformers: The Movie. This was the first real evidence of American culture, in its consumer form, influencing Japanese animation. In stark contrast of the animation-as-advert, Katsuhiro Ôtomo directed the 1988 classic Akira. The film was soon to become a benchmark for anime in Japan, and across the world. This was a film that was aimed at adults with dark, subversive themes. The futuristic settings of Neo-Tokyo were apocalyptic and tinged with doom. After Akira it was widely accepted that anime was not just for children. The 1990s saw anime reach mass appeal as the release of such films as Patlabor (Kidà ´ keisatsu patorebà ¢) (1990), Patlabor II (Kidà ´ keisatsu patorebà ¢ 2) (1993) and Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995) by Mamoru Oshii found an international audience; Hideaki Anno and Kazuya Tsurumakis 1997 feature End of Evangelion (Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijà ´-ban: Air) followed on where the original Japanese television series left off; and of course Hayao Miyazakis Crimson Pig (Kurenai no buta) (1992) and Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997). The American influence was still rife as the toy industry, in particular the computer and video game market, provided the plotlines to a number of films and television series including Street Fighter II: The Movie (1994), Battle Arena Toshinden (1997) and the original series of the next big thing, Pokà ©mon (1998 onwards). In 1999, Michael Haigney and Kunihiko Yuyama directed the feature length version of the popular Pokà ©mon ser ies; Pokà ©mon: The First Movie. Whereas the 1980s saw Transformers flood the childrens market, the beginning of the new millennium saw the Japanese revenge. Pokà ©mon originally began as a video game, on the Nintendo Gameboy: The Pokà ©mon game was the platform for the Pokà ©mon brand to kick-start what would become the worlds largest success story in the game-licensing card-collecting business. The video game gave the characters identities, the collection cards gave them powers, the movie added life to the brand, and word-of-mouth spread the news. The Pokà ©mon invasion is still evident nearly ten years later as the television series is still in production, with two feature film sequels having followed the original cinematic release. The consumerism powers of America had truly influenced anime. American Cultural Invasion The cultural invasion from the West began in earnest at the turn of the twentieth century. Japans industrial revolution had been slow to start but quickly gathered momentum. By 1890 there were two hundred large steam factories where twenty years earlier there had been none; steamship tonnage increased from 15,000 to over 1,500,000 tons in the period between 1893 and 1905; and by 1896 things Western were in full fashion derbies or straw boaters were worn with formal kimono, the big gold pocket-watch was tucked into the obi, and spectacles, whether needed or not, were esteemed as a sign of learning. Ironically, the period when Japan found itself bowing down to the pressure of American influence was directly after fighting a war against it. When the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki it was not just the radiation that remained in Japan. Any country that has been invaded will always have traces of the invaders culture embedded into the normal life of its habitants. The All ied (most notably the American) control of Japan directly after the war was to allow Western influences to develop into the Japanese way of life. This influence was both highly visual as well as subliminal. America saw the clandestine operations there were not only as part of an effort to defeat Japan but also as the opening wedge for post-war Southeast Asia. The Japanese were suspicious of the Western approach to education and the governing of their homeland. The Occupation, they thought, had destroyed traditional Japanese virtues and unleashed a wave of selfishness and egotism. In an interview with the elderly president of a real estate company in Oita City, author Jeffrey Broadbent discovered the feelings of the former owbers of the land: Due to American influence, the heart of our people has been lost our way of thinking that, if its good for the progress of the whole, its good to sacrifice yourself The Japanese strength from group unity has been lost. The other side of the coi n is the very noticeable, consumer-led American cultural assault on Japan.The way in which American culture has seeped into the Japanese way of life is what Koichi Iwabuchi writes as: strategies that incorporate the viewpoint of the dominated, who long ago learned to negotiate Western culture in their consumption of media products imported fro the West. Depending on the viewpoint of the individual, culture and life in Japan, and especially that in the densely populated areas, are influenced by the same commercial culture that defines the American way of life today. Japanese streets are now littered with the flashing neon signs that are found (admittedly all over the world) adorning the pavements of any American town or city. Western branding has left its mark on Japan. The American phenomenon of the fast-food culture such as McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Baskin-Robbins, and other outlets dominate the Japanese urbanscape more than in America. As a mat ter of fact the first Disneyland outside the United States was built in Japan. Even when taking into consideration the immense popularity of Japanese culture (for example, the growth of Yo! Sushi restaurants in the UK) and the Wests embracing of Eastern philosophies (in this case Shinto and Buddhism), it is safe to say that Japanese culture has been more extensively shaped by its American counterpart than vice versa. If it is indeed true that Japans exports of products and manufactured goods far outweighs its imports, then it is also true that Japan imports vastly more information about or from the United States than the other way round. Japan is today regarded as one of the leading powers in the world especially in the representation of its national media; the Japanese population of more than 120 million people and its economic wealth make the Japanese audiovisual market, along with that of the United States, one of the only two self-sufficient markets in the world. However, this does not mean that foreign popular culture is no longer consumed in Japan; American popular culture has continued to strongly influence and saturate Japan. Japan is one of the biggest buyers of Hollywood movie and many Japanese television formats and concepts are also deeply influenced by and borrowed from American programmes; yet the format is quite often changed to make it more suitable to a Japanese audience: What was marked as foreign and exotic yesterday can become familiar today and traditionally Japanese tomorrow. Kosaku Yoshino writes that although Japan has developed a relative maturity of its cultural industries, it still hasnt fo und itself fully expanding on the exportation of its television programming and films to other regions of the world. This unexportability of Japanese media can be explained by the term cultural discount: A particular programme rooted in one culture and thus attractive in that environment will have a diminished appeal elsewhere as viewers find it difficult to identify with the style, values, beliefs, institutions and behavioural patterns of the material in question. Included in the cultural discount are reductions in appreciation due to dubbing or subtitling. The biggest media products that the Japanese have managed to export, despite cultural discount, is Manga and anime; but is this due to American cultural influences shaping the genre into a more Western-friendly medium? Case Study 1 Alakazam the Great (Saiyu-ki) The first example of a Japanese animation that has been influenced by American culture is the 1960 feature, The Enchanted Monkey (Saiyu-ki), directed by Daisaku Shirakawa, Taiji Yabushita and Osamu Tezuka for Toei Studios. It was released in America as Alakazam the Great in an attempt to win a bigger audience by moving away from the emphasis of the ancient Eastern tale, the story is a retelling of part of the epic Chinese classic The Journey to the West (Xiyouji), written by Wu Cheng-En in the sixteenth century. The title name-change and the subsequent character name-changes point to the influence that America held over Japanese culture at the time. The original story chronicles the many encounters of Sanzo, a monk who travels from China to India to obtain a copy of the original Buddhist scriptures to bring back to his country and teach the purity of Siddhartas original messages. In Osamu Tezukas film the star of the show is not Sanzo but Son Goku, the monkey king. Son Guko is a tale nted but arrogant warrior that is sent on a journey by Buddha to learn the virtues of humility and compassion. However, when re-dubbed and released in the United States the characters changed. Sanzo became Prince Amat and turns out to be the son of Buddha. Buddha in turn is named King Amo, Sir Quigley (Pigze), Lulipopo (Sandy), and Son Goku is renamed the titular Alakazam. Considering the fact that the storyline was centuries old there is more than a passing resemblance between the character of Alakazam (Son Guko) and the way in which Japan was seen by the rest of the world. In the tale the protagonist is king of his surroundings (Japan in the late 1930s and early 1940s) before he discovers the existence of a people that are more powerful than him. In an attempt to beat them he sneaks into their world and begins a pre-emptive strike against them (Pearl Harbour attack). He is then disciplined by a greater being (America) before being allowed to continue his journey under the agreement that he learns from his mistakes (the Occupation and the subsequent acceptance into the United Nations). I believe the fact that Tezuka decided to use the story to create this, the third Japanese feature length animation, demonstrates an understanding of the ever present American dominance over Japan. The aesthetics of the production borrow from the American animations of the time. In the post-war period it was evident that the biggest influence on the explosion of Manga style artwork came from the imports of European and American comic books and animation. The most famous being the work from the studios of Walt Disney. Osamu Tezuka was originally a Manga artist before he became involved with anime. His style and technique was heavily influenced by Disney (he admitted to watching Bambi 80 times and Snow White 50 times). The studio that he worked for, Toei, strived for that same cross-cultural, cross-generational appeal of Disney, albeit using more Asian scenarios. Considering that he had studied Disneys Bambi to the point of obsession it is not surprising to learn that Tezuka noted how Bambis childish attributes, such as his big eyes and large head, were an ideal way of conveying complex emotions. The influence of the West is truly evident in this film, and many that followed it. Case Study 2 Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995) The second film I am looking at in detail is Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995), directed by Mamoru Oshii. It is widely accepted that anime has been inspired by a number of different factors that draws simultaneously on medieval Japanese traditions, on American cyberpunk styles, and on an imagery of ethnic and cultural mixture (of the sort envisioned in Blade Runner) that never quite evokes any specific human society, but that in various ways hints of the American dream of a multicultural society and suggests the extent to which the American science fiction film has become a key narrative type for much of contemporary culture. This cyberpunk culture has been lapped up by the Japanese and features heavily in Manga and anime. Perhaps the most famous writers and contributors to this particular genre are William Gibson, author of the cult Neuromancer and Philip K. Dick, author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the novel that was the basis of the 1982 classic Blade Ru nner. Both these writers provided a futuristic world that could be further advanced by the medium of animation. The plot of Ghost in the Shell parallels Neuromancer very closely, except that rather than an artificial intelligence seeking to be free by merging with its better half, an artificial life form (the Puppet Master) seeks to free itself by merging with the protagonist (cyborg Major Motoko Kusangi). Developing similar themes to Gibson and Dick, Oshiis interest in mankinds over-reliance on technology is brought to a logical conclusion in Ghost in the Shell, which foregrounds fundamental questions about what it is to be human in an increasingly computerised cyberworld, where a computer programme gains sentience and also questions its own function in the acquisition of power, autonomy and longevity. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and later Blade Runner the plot and characterisation are centred on the struggle to determine what is human and what is machine. It can be argued that Neuromancer borrows from modern Eastern culture as the locale is set in Japan, however, it is the significance of the characters rather than the setting that has cemented it as a science-fiction classic. In Dicks novel, the opening image of the book, comparing nature to technology, sets the tone of this narrative. The protagonist, Case is a combination of man and machine; a now common trait amongst Cyberpunk literature and animation.It is this imagery that Oshii has borrowed from the West that has provided the background to his work; Blade Runner has been labelled as one of the finest examples of post-noir with its anti-heroes, atmospheric lighting and dark storylines, and Oshii replicates this in his film. He uses sound, and in particular the score written by Kenji Kawais to achieve an emotional response from the viewer that is a million miles from any Disney cartoon. He presents Ghost in the Shell with the feeling of a bona fide film noir that just happens to be an anime production. As such Oshii has admittedly borrowed American ideas, themes and culture but he has formed his own creative style out of it. He uses the medium not only to entertain but to put forward questions of morality to an audience that are not treated like children: Oshii develops the form by refusing innocence and indifference, insisting upon only the maturity of the medium. Indeed, while in an accessible, orthodox model, it only advances the case further that all animation is in some sense experimental, even within populist forms. Conclusion From my research I have drawn the conclusion that Japanese animation has indeed been influenced by twentieth century American culture. This has happened side by side with the country as a whole accepting elements of Western popular culture. As early as the beginning of the century under the leadership of Emperor Meiji Japan began to embrace the West after years of being an insular island race. It was immediately after the end of the Second World War, when Japan was occupied by the Americans under General MacArthur from 1945 to 1951, that the floodgates opened. American control influenced education, culture and general living. Whereas the older generation saw this as Japan losing its heart the younger generation thought of it as a fresh start. This is evident in Japans rise to power in the 1960s onwards. The Feudal system of Japan that had reigned until 1868 had been disregarded; the way of the samurai had been supplanted by the power of the microchip. The nation had taken on board Am erican culture and adjusted it for their own purpose. This ability to progress with outside influences paved the way for animators such as Kazuhiko Okabe, Taiji Yabushita, Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Ôtomo and Mamoru Oshii. It is worthy of note that it has not completely been one-way traffic. The Japanese animators have been influenced by American culture (Disney, comic books, Cyberpunk, etc.) but in turn the Americans, and the West, have imported attributes specifically found in Manga and anime. The creative team behind The Matrix trilogy, Andy and Larry Wachowski, are Japanese anime fans and were the driving force behind the 2003 animated film The Animatrix. Advertising agencies in the United States have also picked up on the popularity of anime with the Coca Cola group producing the Obey Your Thirst Voltron campaign, combining anime and hip-hop to sell Sprite.Sales of Manga comics and picture novels in North America grew over 40 per cent to $140 million in 2004. This trend was also boosted when director Hayao Miyazaki won the Oscar for Best A

Strategic Development Study of Caterpillar Inc

Strategic Development Study of Caterpillar Inc INTRODUCTION This report presents the Strategic Development Study of Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar Inc. founded on 15th April, 1925 in California, United Stated. Caterpillar is involved in designing, manufacturing, marketing and selling heavy equipments, machinery and engines and it is also involved in selling financial services to the customers all over the world. Caterpillar is the worlds largest manufacturer of manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. The organization is serving worldwide and is providing employment to around 104,490 employees. Its products includes Bulldozer, Excavator, Wheel Loader, Haul Truck, Diesel Engine etc. and its services includes Financing, Insurance, Maintenance and Training. The developmental strategies used in the past, present strategies and the strategic planning for the future development of the Caterpillar, are discussed further in this report. Strategic Planning is about the finding the best solution for future problems to be faced by the organizations that not only solves the problems but should also proves to be beneficial to the organization. Caterpillar value statement is We have the people, processes, tools and investments to deliver the quality, reliability and durability customers expect from Caterpillar in each new product introduction. This strategic planning report focuses on three major tasks: Describe the strategies deployed by the organization in the past and their resulting outcomes i.e. the strategic development history of the company. Undertake the evaluation and appraisal of the companys current strategic situation with reference to the companys strategic macro industry and competitive environment and companys endowment of its resources and capabilities. Explore, evaluate and access the strategic choices available and recommend the best strategic plan available for the organization. STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT HISTORY OF CATERPILLAR It has been more than 85 years that Caterpillar is serving its customers and hence ranked worlds number one in its own industry. The company has been developing every year and has maintained its position into the market. In 1980s, Caterpillar came very close to bankruptcy but still it manages to come back as a high tech globally competitive growth company. The company has now proved itself as the worlds largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. Companys Establishment In April 1925, the financially strong C. L. Best merged with the market leader Holt Caterpillar to form Caterpillar Tractor Co. Caterpillar is involved in manufacturing of heavy equipments used in construction and mining that are recognizable with CAT logo. Because of the intensive competition over the market share, in 1963, Caterpillar forms the joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. which is ranked 2nd in Japan for manufacturing construction and mining equipments. Caterpillar agreement with Shanghai Diesel in China was helpful in improving the market share of Caterpillar as it was a technology sharing alliance. Come back of Caterpillar from Recession In the year 1981, Caterpillar faced huge economy downtown and was very close to bankruptcy. For 3 consecutive years, the recession costs around $1 million a day to the company which further forces the company to reduce the employment. There were three reasons for this crisis i.e. global recession, strikes and unfavorable currency exchange rates. Company faced many competitors that time including Komatsu Ltd. as the prime competitor. To overcome this recession, the company CEOs introduced various strategic measures like cutting costs, employee reduction, out sourcing of machinery, parts and their components, introduction of modernization, diversification of product line and reorganization of companys structure. These measures were very important that time to save the organization to become bankrupt. Later on the organization worked really well and managed to generate the highest revenues. George Schaefers encouraged the executives to respond to recession. Caterpillar outsources 80% of its parts and components and further they used their brand names for selling the outsourced products keeping the quality control of the products. They doubled their product line in just 4 years from 150 to 300 equipments with an introduction of small and light weighted products along with the customer diversification as well. Caterpillar also focused on repairing its relationship with the labour as they experienced many strikes because of the cost cutting the company successfully achieved the target of an healthy employee and employer relationship. Also employee involvement program was launched by Schaefer in 1986 that involves employee satisfaction, quality improvement and increasing efficiency level. This program was termed as Employee satisfaction Progress i.e. EPS. EPS helps in reducing the rate of absenteeism, decline in labour grievances, saving in costs of upto $10 million and increases employees loyalty. Plant with the future (PWTF) is launched a s a modernization program. Shift from batch production to flexible work cells proved to be good for the organization. The technological improvements and PWTF program resulted in high quality of products, increased efficiency level and high productivity. As a result of all these efforts put by the organization, the Caterpillars 30 worldwide plants managed to cut the inventory level by 50% and manufacturing space by 21% in just 3 years. Also Caterpillars world market share goes up to 50% and its revenues increased by 66% from the year 1985 to 1990. Caterpillar beat the Komatsu by having total sales of over $11 billion in the year 1989, which were nearly twice the sales of Komatsu. The company takes the advantage of the growth in global demand for heavy construction industry at a steady rate of 4.5% in the 1990s and was successful in making its way towards the top most position. Schaefer proves to be the best manager of any manufacturing company of heavy construction equipments. After five year tenure of Schaefer as CEO, Donald Fites becomes the next CEO of Caterpillar Inc. Donald brought leadership style to the organization. He further focuses on reorganization plan that involves the customer needs on priority basis. Research and Development In 1904, Benjamin Holt solved the problem of driving tractors smoothly in moist soil faced by farmers in California by manufacturing a tractor with gasoline engine instead of steam engines that are much lighter in weight and that tractor was nicknamed as Caterpillar. By 1915, the Holt tractors were sold in around 20 countries. Further they formed a company named Caterpillar by merging with best company in tractors. Caterpillar was the first company that introduces diesel engines on a moving vehicle. In 1931, the company created separate engine sales group for the marketing of diesel engines to other equipment manufacturers and they further replaced it with sales and marketing division for serving better range of customers. The company was highly involved in manufacturing replacement parts as well because it generates over a quarter of the total revenue because of two main reasons i.e. sale of replacement parts is more profitable than the whole machines and the replacement parts marke t was less cyclical than that of original equipment. After World War 2, the demand for Caterpillar products increased to reconstruct the disaster happened in Europe because of the 2nd world war. Finally in 1960s, Caterpillar becomes the leader of the heavy construction equipment industry. Further in 1965, Caterpillar expanded its operations to Britain, Canada, France, Brazil, Australia, India and Japan. In 1983, the company starts providing financial services as well. There has been huge diversification in the product line to overcome the recession in the year 1985 to more than 300 products. As the company was developing and diversifying in its operations, it changes its name to Caterpillar Inc. In 2001, Caterpillar was the first company that launches 6 Sigma that helps the organization in improving its quality to the best level. Caterpillar starts sustainable development in the year 2005 as it responded to the Asian tsunami disaster and earthquakes in South Asia. CURRENT STRATEGIES OF CATERPILLAR Caterpillar Inc. is the worlds number one manufacturer of construction and mining equipments, diesel and gas engines and natural gas turbines. The organization is developing day by day and continuously expanding their business. Its market is not only limited to Europe but Caterpillar is selling its products all over the world like China, India, America, Russia etc. Caterpillar serves its customers with the highest quality product at a very reasonable price and also involved in good customer relations. Caterpillar is manufacturing its products at 110 plants worldwide and is selling its products in nearly 200 countries. Caterpillar made its sales through independent dealers that contribute around 66% of the total sales. Caterpillar uses many business strategies for its development and to compete effectively with its competitors. For the evaluation and appraisal of companys current strategies, various strategic tools are used like PESTEL Analysis for analyzing the macro environment, SWOT Analysis for analyzing the capabilities efficiency of resources as well and Porters Five Force Analysis is used to analyze the market, customers, competitors, suppliers etc. PESTEL Analysis For evaluating and analyzing the macro environment of the organization, the PESTEL Analysis tool is used. There are various macro environmental factors that affect the workings of an organization like Political factors, Economical factors, Social factors, Technological factors, Environmental factors and Legal factors. Let us now discuss in detail that how these factors affect the working of Caterpillar Inc. Political Factors Political factors are one of the main factors that affect the operations of the organization. Every country has its own governments with different laws and legislations, rules and regulations, import and export policies etc. As Caterpillar is operating and serving the customers worldwide, it should be aware of the political factors. Economical Factors The economic factors includes the recession, inflation, growth in GDP, growth in population etc. In 1980s, the recession hits Caterpillar badly as it was very close to bankruptcy but somehow it manages to overcome that economic downtown. The rise in the prices of raw material, diesel, petrol, import and export costs etc. is big problems for the organizations. A rise in raw material prices increases the manufacturing costs in Caterpillar and to maintain a balance, the organization has to increase its prices. Social Factors Caterpillar is operating in many diversified countries. Hence it becomes essential to consider the social factors while framing the business strategies. Each and every country has different societies with different values, culture, religions, attitudes etc. the company has to maintain a balance to avoid any kind of discrimination into the organization. Technological Factors A manufacturing organization like Caterpillar needs ongoing technological advancements. It should be updated with all the latest technologies to compete in a better way and maintain its position into the market. Caterpillar is always using the best technologies for manufacturing its construction equipments. Moreover it has invented many new products with the best quality and price range among the whole market. Environmental factors The Caterpillar has moved towards the sustainable development i.e. they are focusing on new technologies and innovations to increase the efficiency and productivity of the organization by not impacting the environment and also providing guidelines to the customers for doing the same. Their mission is to enable economic growth through infrastructure and energy development, and to provide solutions that protect people and preserve the planet. Legal Factors The various laws and legislations of the country in which the company is operating cannot be ignored. The laws related to import and export, employment laws, labour laws, should be taken care of. A lawful and legal organization can effectively survives in long run. SWOT Analysis The SWOT Analysis shows the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats available with the organization and provides an opportunity to the organization to use its Strengths and Opportunities for the betterment of the organization and keep the organization safe from its weaknesses and outside threats. Let us discuss the SWOT Analysis of Caterpillar. Strengths The main strength of Caterpillar is that it is a global leader in its own industry as it is worlds largest manufacturer the construction and mining equipment, diesel and gas engines and natural gas turbines. It is ranked as number 44 among all the organization in 2009 by Fortune 500. It has the highest revenue generation and highest share value in the market as well. It has a strong financial condition as it can grab the worldwide opportunities available. Caterpillar has 110 plants worldwide and is serving around 200 countries which show its huge customer diversification. It has a strong dealers worldwide network which contains over 200 full line dealers that helps the organization in capturing about 60% of the market. Weaknesses In recent years the company has faced many downtowns. The sales volume of the company is decreasing since 2003 which results in less revenue. Also the long term debts of the company have been increasing. The company does most of its sales through its independent dealers. Dealers show a very less confidence towards the Caterpillars new forecasting system. Opportunities Caterpillar has good opportunities of growth in developing countries like India and China. These countries demand lot of construction equipments and engines as well. Again the growth in the population demands more construction. Entering into joint ventures and acquisitions provides good opportunities for the companys development. In 2004, the company formed Caterpillar Power Generation Systems in association with Solar Turbines Incorporates to market the products of both the companies which further reduces the manufacturing costs of the firm and makes the organization more competitive. Threats The outside threats cannot be ignored as they affect the organization adversely. The recent threats faced by Caterpillar include the rise in the prices of raw material especially metal prices. This increases the manufacturing cost and further decrease the organizations profits. The demand of the mining equipments depends on the population growth and Gross Domestic Product growth which is very uncertain. The deal between Caterpillar and United Auto Workers finishes in 2004 which enable strikes and disruptions in work. Hence such contract expuration are great threat to the organizations. Porters Five Forces Porters Five Forces is a business strategy that is formed by Michael E. Porter. He points out the five forces available in the macro environment that affects the abilities and capabilities of an organization. These five forces are threat of new entrants, intensity of competitive rivalry, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of customers and finally bargaining power of suppliers. This helps an organization to be aware of the outside environment and make their business strategies accordingly. The further discussion on Caterpillars Porters Five Forces is as follows: Threat of New Entrants The threat of the new entrants in very low for Caterpillar. Caterpillar is into manufacturing the construction equipments which requires a huge capital and resources. It is difficult for any new entrant to invest that much into this industry when it knows that there are already highly competitive firms available. Caterpillar should compete continuously with its competitors to maintain its position into the market. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry Caterpillar faces a high competition into the market and the other competitors can overcome Caterpillar anytime if they lose focus or using bad business strategy. Caterpillar has around 50 competitors worldwide that controls around 80% of the market. Threat of Substitutes There is nearly no threat of substitutes for Caterpillar as it is involved into the manufacturing of such unique construction and mining equipments. Bargaining Power of Customers The customers have a moderate bargaining power as most of the sales are done through independent dealers and pricing is done according to the markets. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Again the suppliers also have a moderate bargaining power. For manufacturing construction equipments, there is a need of steel or other heavy raw materials which are difficult to transport and also costs very high. Hence an increase in the prices of raw material is a big issue for the organization. FUTURE STRATEGIC PLANNING OF CATERPILLAR Caterpillar has set various targets for future and is seriously involved into the achievement of those targets. The organization has set its strategy as Vision 2020. This strategy sets the stage for the next phase of the companys leadership and growth in the global industries it serves. The visions and missions set by Caterpillar are very practical and will provide further development to the organization. In the past 80 years, Caterpillar has proved itself to be a well established business with effective management and business strategies that helps the organization to maintain its profits and position into the market even at the time of recession. The organization knows the ways of beating the recession and wins back its position into the market. Caterpillars future strategic visions are like becoming a recognized leader in its own industry everywhere, the products, services and solutions provided will helps the customers to succeed, making use of the organizations distributions system as their competitive advantage, maintaining good labour relations and acquiring highly talented people. The organization has set various targets for its next five years i.e. providing the best return to its shareholders, hiring and maintaining the best talented people into the organization and becoming a global leader everywhere they do business. These targets are already achieved by Caterpillar to great extent. The 100% achievement of these targets needs more efforts. Caterpillar is now focusing towards more sustainable development i.e. making the efficient and effective use of the resources available without impacting the environment and also works for the society as a whole. Caterpillar has named as one of the top 10 industrial supply chains in 2010 on Gartners Inc. top 10 list. Also the Caterpillars Chairman and CEO, Doug Oberhelman named into the top 50 people in business according to Fortunes 2010. Hence Caterpillar is actively involved in the development of its business and competing at its best into the environment. Future Recommendations Caterpillar should be opening new markets all over the world as an expansion of its business mostly into the developing countries as around 80% of the population lives there and they demand for such construction equipments on high basis. Also the diversification into the product line and customers is important for further growth. Lack of diversification reduces the sale which has already suffered by the organization. The diversification of the products done by the organization in the past proved to be very profitable. Marketing has become an essential part of any organization. Successful marketing plays an important role in gaining competitive advantage. A wide spread distribution service network is important is essential in competing with heavy construction equipment industry. Joint ventures are important to expand the new markets and diversify into new products. This is important for the growth and development of the organization and to cover a large number of customers. Recently the global economy downturn decreases 25% of the Caterpillar sales. The ability to rebound the economy plays a significant role in the profitability maintenance of the organization. The other critical issues for the organization like changes in the prices of raw material, changes in the government monetary and fiscal policies, the credit risk involves into the financial services provided by Caterpillar etc. should be given special attention as their affect on the organization can proven to be the worst. Continuous growth and development initiatives are important for the maintenance of the topmost position into the market. Like entering into the new markets, diversification of products and services, customer diversification, sustainable development, new distribution channels etc. The full usage of its Strengths like companys strong reputation, dominating among the industry, good financial condition for upto date technology and beating any competition and diversified business competencies, will provide a competitive advantage to the organization.

Nuclear Weapons Essay -- Threats To World Peace

Nuclear Weapons A Nuclear weapon is any weapon that gets its destructive power from the transformation of matter in atoms into energy. They include missiles, bombs, artillery shells, mines and torpedoes. Another name for nuclear weapons are Atomic bombs or Hydrogen bombs. The United States was the first country to ever use a Nuclear weapon in battle against Japan. The major arguments for a test ban was first proposed in the 1950Õs. Today, however, the stopping of radioactive fallout and the superpower arms race are still in negotiation. Nations have sought to limit the testing of nuclear weapons to protect people and the environment from nuclear radiation and to slow the development of nuclear weapons. In 1963, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States negotiated the first test limitation treaty, the Limited Test Ban Treaty. The TreatyÕs signers agreed not to test nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, in outer space, or underwater. The only testing that was allowed was underground testing. Attempts to control the number of nuclear weapons in the world began about 1970. The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks(SALT) was a convention held by the United States and the Soviet Union to limit the numbers in nuclear weapons. In 1982, the United States and the Soviet Union began the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks(START). Unlike the SALT talks, these were aimed at the number of nuclear weapons each country could obtain. Then there was another treaty signed in 1987 which was called the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces(INF). This treaty called for the dismantling of ground-launched nuclear missiles. A major obstacle to controlling nuclear weapons has been a lack of trust between the two principal powers; the United States and the Soviet Union. The relationship has improved though in the late 1980Õs after President Gorbachev introduced the principles of glasnost and perestroika to the Soviet Political System. In 1989 and 1990, democratic reforms spread spread across Eastern Europe. These reforms have greatly reduced tensions. The country of China still wants to test their nuclear explosions for mining and for some construction. For two years China has successfully held up the 38-na... ...s are considered necessary. In conclusion, Nuclear Weapons arenÕt safe for any country no matter their stability amongst others. Testing Nuclear weapons destroys the well being of our Earth. So many treaties have been passed but it still seems that the likes of a Nuclear war is still stagable. The United States has the most known nuclear tests having a record of 1,030 tests. The closest country next to us is Russia with 715 tests. As you can clearly see it will take a lot more than treaties to negotiate. LetÕs just hope this will all end before that ozone layer breaks down on us!!!! BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Budanski, Stephen. "Ban the bomb? Not quite." U.S. News and World Report 17 June 1996: 30 2. Cohen, James. Nuclear arms. Pittsburgh 1979. 3. Mitchell, Alison. "Clinton and Yeltsin Accentuate the positive at Summit Meeting." Newsweek 22 May 1990 A7 Column 1 4. Von Hippel, Frank. "Bombs Away." Discover April 1992: 32-35 5. Zimmerman, Tim. "Nuclear Fiction." U.S. News and World Report 24 August 1996: 20

Pygmalions Obsession with the Statue of Cyprus Essay -- Bernard Shaw

Pygmalion's Obsession with the Statue of Cyprus Pygmalion decided to portray women as he searched for the most perfect being and he hadn't found any in Cyprus. He placed all his love and wishfulness in his statues and so the most beautiful of his creations was sculpted. Pygmalion, being a man, and having 'animal' urges, must have wanted a partner to share his emotions and get frisky with, so this was the perfect idea for him. What could be better, a woman with beautiful looks, and never talks back or argues with you? Bliss. Since no one came up to his expectations, it became an obsession that he wanted the perfect wife. Or maybe he wanted to show off to his mates that he had the perfect woman in Cyprus, even though it was ivory. Does anything in the earlier part of the story help to explain Pygmalion's behaviour? Pygmalion's behaviour gets a lot more elaborate and somewhat more perverted with each line. As the story progresses, his obsession and passionate love for the statue gets stronger and stronger, until it reaches the climax of what a man can do with a statue, sleep with it. Nonetheless it is possible to retrace the reason for his perversion. It is explained at the very beginning of the text. Ovid writes that the women around Pygmalion spent their time in wickedness, and that he (Pygmalion), was disgusted by their very many vices, which nature gave to women's minds: "quas quia Pygmalion aevum per crimen agentes viderat, offensus vitiis, quae plurima menti feminae natura dedit." It was from this fact that Pygmalion's troubles started. Ever since Aphrodite had turned the women of Cyprus into whores, Pygmalion was never able to be satisfied by the real women on his island. This is what had originally turned his thoughts into creating something female, which was perfect in every way for him. His solution to this was creating a sculpture of a woman. He made this out of white ivory, and it seemed so real that people thought that it could move, and was alive: "quam vivere credas et, si non obstet reverentia, velle moveri". This perfection made Pygmalion fall in love with it, because it was an ideal woman in every way. From this point on Pygmalion's behaviour became more strange; he did many odd things to the statue, for example he gave her presents, kissed it and felt it. Basically Pygmalion became so desperate that... ...wers of a thousand colours, lilies and painted balls of crystal or amber. He adorned her body with clothes and decorations such as jewels for her fingers, long necklaces for her neck, rings of light pearl hanging from her ears and pendants over her breasts. At this point in the story there is a turning point. He comes more normal and real, in that he decides to ask Venus to turn her into a real person. He seems to realise that he can't continue like this and that it would be in his best interests if he had a real person instead of a statue as his 'wife'. It seems at this point as though he is a real person and has completely shrugged off his former madness, by actually having a normal woman and not having anything else peculiar about him. There is however one final moment of madness. When he returns home, he doesn't at first believe that she is real and, although he realises that she is warm, he does not dare to celebrate lest he is proved wrong. Throughout the story he behaves very unlike a normal person and acts very irrationally. However, the very last few lines show that he did manage to overcome it and he did end up being a normal and conventional person.

Design and Construction of The Titanic Essay -- essays research papers

11:35 p.m. the deadly iceberg was spotted. Margaret Brown was sitting is her bunk indulged in a book, when she was thrown across the room, off of her bed from the impact of the crash. The engine stopped at once but nothing dangerous had occurred, yet. At 12:00 a.m. there was serious flooding in the crew?s quarters. Many demanded lifesavers and there was much uproar. Putting on layers of clothing along with stuffing money into her pockets, Margaret Brown would be prepared. Margaret headed towards the lifeboats. Now the commotion was at an all time high. To keep the people calm, there was a band playing in the background. First class passengers had left money and jewels in the purser?s office, but it was locked due to the predicament. Some of the first class passengers threatened to sue the White Star Line because of the inconvenience. Margaret helped many people to their lifeboats and attempted to comfort some of the distressed passengers. The Titanic was almost submerged, Margaret he lped to load people and was seated on boat 6. Margaret remembers, ?Suddenly there was a rift in the water, the sea opened up and the surface foamed like giant arms that spread around the ship? (Landau 15). Suddenly the ocean liner Carpathia came to their rescue. Only about 31% of the passengers on the Titanic survived including the brave heroine, Margaret Brown. The doomed fates of the Titanic have motivated much discussion concerning why it was a disaster. The Titanic boasted unsinkable status and its demise will affect the way we build ships today and how we boast them. A passenger of the Titanic states, ?The design and construction skills of the yard were outstanding, and the captain E.J. Smith and workforce took great pride (Adams 10). The .. ...hers only felt a light bump. Titanic survivor Violet Jessop recalls, ?I lay lazily reflecting on many things, comfortable and drowsy. Crash! ? Then a low, rending, crunching, ripping sound, as Titanic shivered a trifle and the sound of her engines gently ceased? (Graham 126). In conclusion, the tremendous loss of life stirred a discussion to the cause of the failed sail. The 50,000-ton ship will be forever peaceful at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The brave heroines of the Titanic, both alive and dead will be remembered. Cruise Line ships today have put in much more precaution concerning safety. Luxury was put before safety in the Titanic. Today, ships have many more lifeboats and they are careful of the weather. The Titanic unsinkable status may have caused an ironic demise to the sail. The failure will affect how we build ships today and how we boast them.

The Discovery Essay

‘The Discovery’, by J. C Squire describes a historical event: Christopher Columbus’s ‘discovery’ of the New World on his 1942 expedition across the Atlantic Ocean which initiated the process of Spanish colonisation. The poem has gone by several names including ‘The Caravels, ‘Sonnet’ and ‘There was an Indian’. John Collings Squire (J. C Squire) (1884-1958) was a British poet, writer, historian, influential literary critic and editor of the post WW1 period. He was also a leading poet of the Georgian period. The poem is a simple sonnet; made up of two quatrains and a sestet. The rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efegfg. The rhyme creates a steady, forward-moving motion similar to the movement of the waves and the inevitability of the oncoming Spanish vessels reaching the shore. The poet uses simple language and imagery which mirror the uncomplicated life of the Indian from whose perspective this historical event is retold. The discovery of the New World is often related from the perspective of the Spanish colonisers of the 15th and 16th centuries. Squire also reminds us that this was a two-fold discovery as the indigenous Americans discovered a new world of their own. The phrase, ‘an Indian’, in the first stanza lends a sense of anonymity to the identity of the Indian who witnesses the arrival of Columbus. The indefinite article (an) allows us to believe that this Indian represents all Native Americans. The opening line is reminiscent of a folktale. This style suggests a mythologizing of this historical event, infusing it with an element of magic. One might also believe it to be an example of the oral tradition of legends told among Native Americans. Like other Indians, the Indian in the poem ‘had known no change’. His life consisted of gathering shells; a simple way of life that belonged to an old civilisation for which this discovery was sure to be a shock. The alliteration of ‘s/sh’ in the line ‘†¦ along a sunlit beach. Gathering shells’ depicts the calm, serene and uninterrupted life of the natives. He ‘strayed content’ almost aimlessly, along a ‘sunlit beach’, in no rush to go about his simple life. The presence of dawn symbolises the dawn of a new era in the life of the Indian. We are reminded that historical records show that the event occurred at dawn. Light also symbolises knowledge and discovery for both the Spanish and the Indians. The caesura in the third line ‘He heard a sudden, strange commingled noise’ effectively draws our attention to the abrupt change in this tranquil picture. The caesura evokes a sense of confusion in the atmosphere which was once silent but is now filled with an unfamiliar noise. This is created through the use of alliteration and hard consonants. The Indian’s reaction in the last line of the first stanza ‘looked up: and gasped for speech’ indicates how amazed and speechless he was. The caesura in line four ‘Commingled noise: looked up; and gasped for speech’, also denotes the abrupt actions and reactions of the Indian man. The second stanza is linked to the first stanza by means of a further explanation for the sudden change in the first quatrain. The poet evokes the Indian’s tone of amazement and wonder at the appearance of the ‘huge canoes’ that appear ‘by magic’. The idea of magic evokes a contrast between the two civilisations; the superstitious, tribal beliefs of the natives versus the more advanced scientific beliefs of the Spanish. The poet also evokes the serene, tranquil and undefiled setting and one of confusion which is emphasised by the impressive image of these unnatural and unfamiliar sea vessels on the water. The Indian is unfamiliar with these large ships. In fact, he can only describe them in terms of what he already knows, for eg. ‘huge canoes’ and ‘not one oar’. The Indian’s tone of awe is audible even though the poet does not give him a voice. Perhaps, this is to further emphasise the domination and oppression of the Spanish colonisation of the Native Americans stamping out their voice, culture and traditions. The images used in the stanza are simple yet vivid as can be seen through the image of the ‘Bellying cloths’ and ‘Fluttering coloured signs. The second quatrain is stylistically interesting because the poet is conscious of the different perspectives: that of the Indian man who tries to describe these unfamiliar objects by adapting them to those he is familiar with, and that of the reader who has a knowledge of history and immediately recognises the Indian’s attempt to describe the billowing sails, fluttering flags and ‘clambering crews’. The alliteration of the letter ‘k’ sound in the last line of the second stanza ‘And fluttering coloured signs and clambering crews’, reminds us of the confusion and cacophony created by the sailors as they prepare to land. The third stanza, the ‘sestet’, begins with the conjunction ‘And’, linking it to the previous stanzas. There is now a Volta as the focus shifts to the Indian’s reaction to the caravels. There is an even greater use of caesura which creates an abrupt and staccato rhythm which might reflect the fear that has overcome the Indian, maybe his accelerated heartbeat too. The Volta between the second and third stanzas is also evident in the rhyme scheme which suggests the inevitable, impending conclusion to this sighting as the caravels ‘Slant to the shore, and all their seamen land’. The final stanza draws a clear contrast between the native, who is ‘naked’ and ‘alone’ and the numerous sailors disembarking ‘Columbus’ doom-burdened caravels’. The Indian’s nakedness suggests his primitive lifestyle and his defencelessness. The Indian reacts ‘in fear’ and drops his shells. This symbolises the fall of the native civilisation; his face turns white and he also kneels behind a stone. He stares at this monstrous sight and ‘did not understand’ the full impact of what was unfolding before his eyes. The poet’s intention is to make the contrast between the Spanish and the Indian evidently clear and simple to the reader, in order to draw our attention to the other side of the story which is rarely told in history books. This is emphasised by the choice of perspective for the poem. The image of ‘Columbus’ doom-burdened caravels’ is a powerful one, suggesting a grimly mocking or cynical tone because these caravels symbolise the beginning of the corruption of old civilisations. The final image of the sailors landing on shore is ominous, adding to the heaviness that weighs upon the reader’s knowledge of what will inevitably follow. The poem ends abruptly as the poet does not need to tell us anything else due to the readers’ knowledge of what happens next which has been documented in the history books.

The Impact of Wach Tv Children

Title: -The Impact of watchingTelevision for Children The Case of Children watching Television in Ethiopia Chapter One 1. Introduction 1. 1 Back Ground Television (TV) has its good side. It can be entertaining and educational, and can open up new worlds for kids, giving them a chance to travel the globe, learn about different cultures, and gain exposure to ideas they may never encounter in their own community. Shows with a prosaically message can have a positive effect on kids' behavior; programs with positive role models can influence viewers to make positive lifestyle changes.However, the reverse can also be true:   Kids are likely to learn things from TV that parents don't want them to learn. TV can affect kids' health, behavior and family life in negative ways. Whether good or bad, television has found its way into the lives of people all over the world and it an important part of life for many. Some consider it to be a great invention while others say that it harms people and society. Here is a summary of those thoughts. Television is often the main or only source of information about current events and biased or inadequate reporting can deliver inaccurate or misleading information and opinion.Ethiopian Television was established in 1964 with assistance from the British firm, Thomson. It was created to highlight the Organization of African Unity (OAU) meeting that took place in Addis Ababa that same year. Color television broadcast began in 1982 in commemoration of the founding of Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE). The current structure and goals of ETV were established 1987 with Proclamation This research may see general and specific area of in Addis Ababa, children see television that its impact.The television and channel clients are increasing every day around the city so, we need to the advantage and disadvantages in the children see tv. 1. 2 Statement of the Problem In recent years, TV, video and DVD programs have come on the market—and now ev en a cable channel for children. We don't know yet what effect TV-viewing by children may have on their development. We do know that time spent watching TV replaces time spent interacting with caregivers and other children. Social interaction is critical to a child's healthy affected.A great deal is known about children and television, because there have been thousands of studies on the subject. Research has studied how TV affects kids' sleep, weight, grades, behavior, and more. Spending time watching TV can take time away from healthy activities like active play outside with friends, eating dinner together as a family, or reading. TV time also takes away from participating in sports, music, art or other activities that require practice to become skillful. Children can be exposed to programming that is not appropriate for their age.Adult themes of sex and violence are far too easily accessed and they destroy the innocence of children. Adults frequently spend many hours each day watc hing television to the detriment of work or family life. 1. 3 Objectives This research goal to show the impact of watching TV children among the cultural, society and school life in Addis Ababa. To show the problem and recommend the way of protecting and minimizing the problem through awareness of the research. How big a presence is TV in kids' lives? * TV viewing among kids is at an eight-year high.On average, children ages 2-5 spend 32 hours a week in front of a TV—watching television, DVDs, DVR and videos, and using a game console. Kids ages 6-11 spend about 28 hours a week in front of the TV. The vast majority of this viewing (97%) is of live TV [1]. * 71% of 8- to 18-year-olds have a TV in their bedroom [1a]; 54% have a DVD/VCR player, 37% have cable/satellite TV, and 20% have premium channels [2]. * Media technology now offers more ways to access TV content, such as on the Internet, cell phones and iPods.This has led to an increase in time spent viewing TV, even as TV-s et viewing has declined. 41% of TV-viewing is now online, time-shifted, DVD or mobile [2a]. * In about two-thirds of households, the TV is â€Å"usually† on during meals [3]. * In 53% of households of 7th- to 12th-graders, there are no rules about TV watching [4]. * In 51% of households, the TV is on â€Å"most† of the time [5]. * Kids with a TV in their bedroom spend an average of almost 1. 5 hours more per day watching TV than kids without a TV in the bedroom. * Many parents encourage their toddlers to watch television. Find out more about TV in the lives of children ages zero to six. * Find out more about media in the lives of 8- to 18-year olds. As you can see, if your child is typical, TV is playing a very big role in their life. Here are some key research findings to keep in mind as you decide what kind of role you want TV to play in your family: * TV viewing is probably replacing activities in your child' s life that you would rather have them do (things like pl aying with friends [6] , being physically active, getting fresh air, reading, playing imaginatively, doing homework [7], doing chores). Kids who spend more time watching TV (both with and without parents and siblings present) spend less time interacting with family members. [8] * Excessive TV viewing can contribute to poor grades [8a], sleep problems, behavior problems, obesity, and risky behavior. * Most children’s programming does not teach what parents say they want their children to learn; many shows are filled with stereotypes, violent solutions to problems, and mean behavior. * Advertisers target kids, and on average, children see tens of thousands of TV commercials each year [9]. This includes many ads for unhealthy snack foods and drinks.Children and youth see, on average, about 2,000 beer and wine ads on TV each year [10]. * Kids see favorite characters smoking, drinking, and involved in sexual situations and other risky behaviors in the shows and movies they watch o n TV. * More on how television viewing affects children. * For more detailed information on these and other issues, read on. Does TV affect children's brain development? With television programs—and even a cable channel—designed and marketed specifically for babies, whether kids under two years of age should be watching becomes an important question.While we are learning more all the time about early brain development, we do not yet have a clear idea how television may affect it. Some studies link early TV viewing with later attention problems, such as ADHD. However, other experts disagree with these results. One study found that TV viewing before age three slightly hurt several measures of later cognitive development, but that between ages three and five it slightly helped reading scores [11]. The American Academy of Pediatrics takes a â€Å"better-safe-than-sorry† stance on TV for young children [12]. It may be tempting to put your infant or toddler in front o f the television, especially to watch shows created just for children under age two. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says: Don't do it! These early years are crucial in a child's development. The Academy is concerned about the impact of television programming intended for children younger than age two and how it could affect your child's development. Pediatricians strongly oppose targeted programming, especially when it's used to market toys, games, dolls, unhealthy food and other products to toddlers.Any positive effect of television on infants and toddlers is still open to question, but the benefits of parent-child interactions are proven. Under age two, talking, singing, reading, listening to music or playing are far more important to a child's development than any TV show. † In addition, TV can discourage and replace reading. Reading requires much more thinking than television, and we know that reading fosters young people's healthy brain development. Kids from fami lies that have the TV on a lot spend less time reading and being read to, and are less likely to be able to read [13].What about TV and aggressive or violent behavior? Literally thousands of studies since the 1950s have asked whether there is a link between exposure to media violence and violent behavior. All but 18 have answered, â€Å"Yes. †Ã‚  Ã‚   The evidence from the research is overwhelming. According to the AAP, â€Å"Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed. † [14]   Watching violent shows is also linked with having less empathy toward others [14a]. An average American child will see 200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders on TV by age 18 [15]. * Two-thirds of all programming contains violence [16]. * Programs designed for children more often contain violence than adult TV [17]. * Most violent acts go unpunished on TV and are often accomp anied by humor. The consequences of human suffering and loss are rarely depicted. * Many shows glamorize violence. TV often promotes violent acts as a fun and effective way to get what you want, without consequences [18]. Even in G-rated, animated movies and DVDs, violence is common—often as a way for the good characters to solve their problems. Every single U. S. animated feature film produced between 1937  and 1999 contained violence, and the amount of violence with intent to injure has increased over the years [19]. * Even â€Å"good guys† beating up â€Å"bad guys† gives a message that violence is normal and okay. Many children will try to be like their â€Å"good guy† heroes in their play. * Children imitate the violence they see on TV.Children under age eight cannot tell the difference between reality and fantasy, making them more vulnerable to learning from and adopting as reality the violence they see on TV [20]. * Repeated exposure to TV violen ce makes children less sensitive toward its effects on victims and the human suffering it causes. * A University of Michigan researcher demonstrated that watching violent media can affect willingness to help others in need [20a]. Read about the study here: Comfortably Numb: Desensitizing Effects of Violent Media on Helping Others. Viewing TV violence reduces inhibitions and leads to more aggressive behavior. * Watching television violence can have long-term effects:   * A 15-year-long study by University of Michigan researchers found that the link between childhood TV-violence viewing and aggressive and violent behavior persists into adulthood [21]. * A 17-year-long study found that teenaged boys who grew up watching more TV each day are more likely to commit acts of violence than those who watched less [22]. * Even having the TV on in the home is linked to more aggressive behavior in 3-year-olds.This was regardless of the type of programming and regardless of whether the child wa s actually watching the TV [23]. What parents can do: * According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, media education can help kids become less susceptible to the bad effects of watching violent TV. Some studies have shown that kids who received media education had less violent behavior after watching violent programs. Teach your kids to be media savvy. Find out more about media literacy. * Watch with your kids, so if the programming turns violent, you can discuss what happened to put it in a context you want your kids to learn. Know what your kids are watching. Decide what programs are appropriate for their age and personality, and stick to your rules. * To minimize peer pressure to watch violent shows, you may want to talk to the parents of your child's friends and agree to similar rules. * Visit YourChild:   Managing Television:   Tips for Your Family for more ideas. For more on TV violence and kids: * Key Facts: TV Violence—a report from the Kaiser Family Foundatio n. * A 1993 summary of some of the research on TV violence and behavior. * Television Violence:   Content, Context, and Consequences. The National Television Violence Study (NTVS). * Television Violence:   A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages—a 1995 70-page report and review of the literature. * Violence in the Media–Psychologists Help Protect Children from Harmful Effects: Decades of psychological research confirms that media violence can increase aggression. * Comfortably Numb: Desensitizing Effects of Violent Media on Helping Others—This study by a University of Michigan researcher demonstrates that watching violent media can affect willingness to help others in need. Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children:   Congressional Public Health Summit—a statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American. Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, American Psychological Association, American Medical Asso ciation, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Psychiatric Association. Can TV scare or traumatize kids? Children can come to view the world as a mean and scary place when they take violence and other disturbing themes on TV to be accurate in real life. Symptoms of being frightened or upset by TV stories can include bad dreams, anxious feelings, being afraid of being alone, withdrawing from friends, and missing school. * Fears caused by TV can cause sleep problems in children [24]. * Scary-looking things like grotesque monsters especially frighten children aged two to seven. Telling them that the images aren't real does not help because kids under age eight can't always tell the difference between fantasy and reality. * Many children exposed to scary movies regret that they watched because of the intensity of their fright reactions. Children ages 8-12 years who view violence are often frightened that they may be a victim of violence or a natural disaster. * Violent threats shown on TV can cause school-aged kids (8-12) to feel fright and worry. When the threat is shown as news it creates stronger fears than when it is shown as fictional [25]. How does watching television affect performance in school? * TV viewing may replace activities that we know help with school performance, such as reading, doing homework, pursuing hobbies, and getting enough sleep. * One research study found that TV's effects on education were long term.The study found that watching TV as a child affected educational achievement at age 26. Watching more TV in childhood increased chances of dropping out of school and decreased chances of getting a college degree, even after controlling for confounding factors [26]. * Watching TV at age four was one factor found to be associated with bullying in grade school [27]. Can TV influence children's attitudes toward themselves and others? Let's take a look at what kids see on TV, and how it can affect their beliefs about race and gender: * Children learn to accept the stereotypes represented on television.After all, they see them over and over. * When non-whites are shown on TV, they tend to be stereotyped. * A review of the research on gender bias shows that the gender-biased and gender-stereotyped behaviors and attitudes that kids see on television do affect how they see male and female roles in our society. * Television and movies do not often show Asians or Asian Americans, and when they do, they fail to show the diversity in Asian American culture [28]. * Thin women are disproportionately represented on TV.The heavier a female character, the more negative comments were made about her [29]. * In 1990's commercials, white men more often were depicted as strong, while white women were shown as sex objects. African American men more often were portrayed as aggressive and African American women, as inconsequential [30]. * Ads for household items, like cleaning products, usually feature women [31]. * G-rated movies ar e commonly viewed by younger children—often over and over on DVD, and perceived by parents as safe for little kids.However, in these movies, whether live action or animated, males are shown more than females, by three to one, they are not often shown in relationships, and do not solve problems peacefully [32]. * In G-movies, characters of color are under-represented, and are usually shown as sidekicks, comic relief, or bad guys. Male characters of color are more aggressive and isolated [33]. * Music videos over-represent black males as aggressors, and white females as victims, compared to actual demographic data [34]. To learn more, visit the Center for Media Literacy's page on Stereotyping and Representation How are children portrayed on TV? A study by a group called Children NOW of how children are shown on local TV news, found that [35]: * Almost half of all stories about children focus on crime (45%). * Children account for over a quarter of the U. S. population but only 10% of all local news stories. * African American children account for more than half of all stories (61%) involving children of color, followed by Latino children (32%).Asian Pacific American and Native American children are virtually invisible on local news. * African American boys are more likely than any other group to be portrayed as perpetrators of crime and violence whereas Caucasian girls are most likely to be shown as victims. Can TV affect my child's health? Yes, TV is a public health issue in several different ways. First of all, kids get lots of information about health from TV, much of it from ads. Ads do not generally give true or balanced information about healthy lifestyles and food choices.The majority of children who watch health-related commercials believe what the ads say. Second, watching lots of television can lead to childhood obesity and overweight. Finally, TV can promote risky behavior, such as trying dangerous stunts, substance use and abuse, and irrespons ible sexual behavior. Children who watch more TV are more likely to be overweight * University of Michigan researchers found that just being awake and in the room with the TV on more than two hours a day was a risk factor for being overweight at ages three and four-and-a-half. [34]   * The effects can carry on into adult weight problems.Weekend TV viewing in early childhood affects body mass index (BMI), or overweight in adulthood. [35] * University of Michigan researchers and their colleagues who investigated whether diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior or television viewing predicted body mass index (BMI) among 3- to 7-year-old children, found that physical activity and TV viewing are most associated with overweight risk. TV was a bigger factor than diet. Inactivity and TV became stronger predictors as the children aged [36]. * Children who watch TV are more likely to be inactive and tend to snack while watching TV. Many TV ads encourage unhealthy eating habits. Two-third s of the 20,000 TV ads an average child sees each year are for food and most are for high-sugar foods. After-school TV ads target children with ads for unhealthy foods and beverages, like fast food and sugary drinks [37, 38]. * All television shows, even educational non-commercial shows, replace physical activity in your child's life. * While watching TV, the metabolic rate seems to go even lower than during rest [39]. This means that a person would burn fewer calories while watching TV than when just sitting quietly, doing nothing. The food and beverage industry targets children with their television marketing, which may include commercials, product placement, and character licensing. Most of the products pushed on kids are high in total calories, sugars, salt, and fat, and low in nutrients [40]. * Children watching Spanish-language TV after school and in the evening see lots of ads for food and drink. Much of it targets kids and most of the ads are for unhealthy foods like sugared drinks and fast food. This advertising may play a role in the high risk of overweight in Latino kids [40a]. Results from recent studies have reported success in reducing excess weight gain in preadolescents by restricting TV viewing [41]. Childhood TV habits are a risk factor for many adult health problems * One study looked at adults at age 26, and how much TV they had watched as children. Researchers found that â€Å"17% of overweight, 15% of raised serum cholesterol, 17% of smoking, and 15% of poor fitness can be attributed to watching television for more than 2 hours a day during childhood and adolescence. †Ã‚   This was after controlling for confounding variables [42]. Children may attempt to mimic stunts seen on TV Injuries are the leading cause of death in children, and watching unsafe behavior on TV may increase children's risk-taking behavior. * Kids have been injured trying to repeat dangerous stunts they have seen on television shows. * Many kids watch TV sporting events. Researchers surveyed TV sports event ads to assess what kids might be seeing. Almost half of all commercial breaks during sporting events contained at least one ad that showed unsafe behavior or violence [43]. Watching TV can cause sleep problems * Television viewing is associated with altered sleep patterns and sleep disorders among children and adolescents. Regular sleep schedules are an important part of healthy sleep. A recent study found that infants and toddlers who watch TV have more irregular sleep schedules. More research is needed to find out whether the TV viewing is the cause [44]. * Those sleep disturbances may persist. Teens who watched three or more hours of TV per day had higher risk of sleep problems by early adulthood [45]. * Find out more in this research brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation: Children’s Media Use and Sleep Problems: Issues and Unanswered Questions. TV viewing may promote alcohol use The presence of alcohol on TV runs the gamut f rom drinking or talking about drinking on prime-time shows, to beer ads, to logos displayed at sporting events. * Many studies have shown that alcoholic drinks are the most common beverage portrayed on TV, and that they are almost never shown in a negative light. * Recent studies have shown that exposure to drinking in movies increases the likelihood that viewers themselves will have positive thoughts about drinking [45a]. * Alcohol has damaging effects on young people’s developing brains—and the damage can be permanent.TV ads are a major factor in normalizing alcohol use in the minds of children, adolescents and college students [46]. * Ads for alcohol portray people as being happier, sexier, and more successful when they drink. Alcohol advertising, including TV ads, contributes to an increase in drinking among youth [47]. * Television ads for alcohol, such as â€Å"alcopop,† which combine the sweet taste of soda pop in a liquor-branded malt beverage, may targe t youth, especially girls and Hispanic and African American kids [47a]. The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University found that in 2003, the top 15 prime time programs most popular with teens all had alcohol ads [48]. * Alcohol is increasingly advertised during programs that young people are more likely to watch than people of legal drinking age [49]. Kids who watch TV are more likely to smoke * Even though tobacco ads are banned on TV, young people still see people smoking on programs and movies shown on television. The tobacco industry uses product placement in films.Smoking in movies increased throughout the 1990s [50] . * Internal tobacco industry documents show that the tobacco industry purposefully markets their product to youth. The industry uses subtle strategies like logos at sporting events, product placement, and celebrities smoking to get around the ban on TV advertising for their products [51] . * Kids who watch more TV start smoking at an e arlier age. The relationship between television viewing and age of starting smoking was stronger than that of peer smoking, parental smoking, and gender [52]. Recent research has shown that exposure to smoking in movie characters increases the likelihood that viewers will associate themselves with smoking [52a]. * Find out more about kids and tobacco. Kids get lots of information about sexuality from television * Most parents don't talk to their kids about sex and relationships, birth control and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Most schools do not offer complete sex education programs. So kids get much of their information about sex from TV. * Kids are probably not learning what their parents would like them to learn about sex from TV. * Sexual content is a real presence on TV.Soap operas, music videos, prime time shows and advertisements all contain lots of sexual content, but usually nothing about contraception or safer sex. * The number of sex scenes on TV has nearly double d since 1998, with 70% of the top 20 most-watched shows by teens including sexual content [53]. Fifteen percent of scenes with sexual intercourse depict characters that have just met having sex. Of the shows with sexual content, an average of five scenes per hour involves sex. * Watching sex on TV increases the chances a teen will have sex, and may cause teens to start having sex at younger ages.Even viewing shows with characters talking about sex increases the likelihood of sexual initiation [54]. (Read more about this study. ) * Watching sexual content on TV is linked to becoming pregnant or being responsible for a pregnancy. Researchers found that even after controlling for other risk factors, the chance of teen pregnancy went up with more exposure to sex on television [55]. * On the flip side, TV has the potential to both educate teens, and foster discussion with parents. Watch with your kids, and use the sexual content on TV as a jumping-off point to talk with your teen about s ex, responsible behavior and safety. To find out more, read: * The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Parent Page on Sex, the Media and Your Child * The AAP' s policy statement on Sexuality, Contraception and the Media How can I find out more about kids and TV? Here are some websites with helpful information: * The Smart Parent's Guide to Kid's TV—from the AAP. * Guia para Ver la Television en Familia, a Spanish publication from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). * Guidelines for Rating Children’s Television, a guideline from PBS Ready To Learn. * Pautas para la evaluacion de los programas de television para ninos, the above guideline, in Spanish. Special issues for young children (2-11 years) and Special issues for teens address some developmental issues. * Talking with kids about the news—10 tips for parents. * The Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) page on children's educational TV. Visit these related topics on YourChild: * Managin g Television: Tips for Your Family * Media and Media Literacy * Video Games * The Internet * Obesity * Sleep Problems * Reading What are some organizations that work on issues around kids and TV? * The Center for Media Literacy believes in empowerment through education—that kids need to learn how to think critically about TV and other media. Media Awareness Network is a Canadian group with a wealth of information for parents. * The Center for Screentime Awareness sponsors National TV Turn-Off Week each year. Future TV Turn-Off Weeks are in Spring and Fall: April 19-25, 2010 & September 19-25, 2010. TV-Turnoff Week is supported by over 70 national organizations including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Education Association, and President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. References Written and compiled by Kyla Boyse, RN. Reviewed by Brad Bushman, PhD