Media Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Media Relations - Assignment Example Regarding Zimmerman’s case, Sanford police office and city authorities would have initiated possibility measures intended to encourage proficient reaction to such circumstances. For this situation, media relations officials for the police power ought to have reacted to journalists’ inquiries in a steady and persuading manner2. Significant media respondents would have permitted ideal arrangement of starter presumptions of Martin’s demise. Such opportune and persuading reaction assists with building open help; thus initiating a positive general conclusion for the organizations. Present day government and state foundations over the US embrace considerable utilization of web in their procedure of circulating data. On account of Martin’s demise, Sanford police division benefited constrained data through the city website3. Inside the utilization of web media, there is a critical development of prominence in blogging from areas of participatory news coverage and even from the standard open. Blogging uses innovative advances utilized in HTML and FLP. When associations distribute articles in their site, the innovation permits perusers to leave remarks beneath the articles. This innovation fills in as a fitting stage where media work force and the open individuals take part in intuitive discussions concerning a subject under contemplations. Online journals, being a unique media innovation, presents both positive and negative repercussions. Positive remarks can upgrade improvement of a productive communications; consequently building up a trustworthy point of view on the article’s content4. Then again, absence of opportune and solid data in site articles like on account of Martin’s passing flashes general society to leave negative remarks that turns popular assessment on an

Philippine Literature Essay

Comprised of early Filipino writing went down orally; oral pieces have a shared creation †it was hard to follow the first writer of the piece since oral writing didn't concentrate on proprietorship or copyright, rather on the demonstration of narrating itself; †Many oral pieces got lost in the influx of the new scholarly impact realized by the Spanish colonization; be that as it may, as indicated by the Philippine Literature: A History and Anthology, English Edition (Lumbera, B. and Lumbera C. ), the pre-pilgrim time of Philippine writing is considered the longest in the country’s history; †Literature in this period depends on custom, reflecting day by day life exercises, for example, housework, cultivating, angling, chasing, and dealing with the kids also; †Oral pieces recounted stories which clarified legends and their experiences; they endeavored to clarify certain regular marvels, and, simultaneously, filled in as diversion purposes; †Pre-frontier writing indicated certain components that connected the Filipino culture to other Southeast Asian nations (e. g. oral pieces which were performed through an inborn move have certain similitudes to the Malay move); †This period in Philippine writing history spoke to the ethos of the individuals before the appearance of an immense social impact †writing as a social convention, than a type of craftsmanship that had a specific arrangement of decency.  · Early Forms of Philippine Literature: o Bugtong (puzzles; a bugtong contains an allegory called,Talinghaga), Salawikain (axiom); o Pre-pioneer verse †Tanaga (communicates a view or an estimation of the world), Ambahan (tunes about adolescence, human connections, cordiality; sung by the Mangyan), Duplo (verbal jousts/games), Bayok (musings about affection), Balagtasan (performed in front of an audience); o Epic verse †sentimental saints and champions that are an impression of the world as saw by the early Filipinos.  · Notable Works of the Pre-frontier Period: o Tuwaang, Lam-ang, Hinilawod, Bantugan II. Spanish Colonial Period (Mid-sixteenth †late nineteenth century) †The Spanish culture, as reflected in progress of this writing period, demonstrated a conflict with the pre-pioneer Filipino writing before all else. In any case, because of the length of remain of the colonizers, the Spanish culture was in the end instilled in the Filipino writing of the period; †Religion turned into a significant subject that had impacted the early Filipino compositions which had the nearness of agnosticism †â€Å"Christian Folk-Tale†; †moreover, the impact of religion, other than on the day by day life of the locals, was lead by the monk/teacher/area minister who were designated by the Spanish government; †Despite the objective of the Spanish government to transform the nation into an undeniable European province, the Spanish impact unexpectedly enlivened a reconstruction from the locals, which in the long run transformed into an unrest; †Yet paying little heed to the contentions that tormented the connection between the Spaniards and the Filipinos, a feeling of patriotism was shaped among the mistreated, and had made them ascend to a nationalistic reason; †The article type was perceived in the midst of the area of publication fight †Jose Rizal and Plaridel (Marcelo H. Del Pilar) were among the individuals who pick in utilizing the pen in voicing out the people’s cry rather than the blade; †Introduction of the roman letters in order that bit by bit supplanted the ‘alibata’; †The Filipino writing of this period turned into the ancestor of a lot progressively scholarly attempts to come in the ages, wherein the topic of patriotism and the right to speak freely of discourse would be apparent.  · Philippine Literature and Art during the Spanish Period: o Pasyon and Sinakulo (strict dramatizations performed during the Holy Week); o Narrative Poems †Awit; Corrido; o Komedya †a showy presentation which caught the perfect European way of life as depicted by medieval characters  · Notable Works of the Spanish Period: o Doctrina Christiana (1593) †the principal book at any point distributed in the Philippines; printed by the Dominican Press; o May Bagyo Mat’ May Rilim †as indicated by abstract history specialist, Bienvenido Lumbera, is the primary printed scholarly work in Tagalog; o Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong P. Natin na Tola (1704) †in the end alluded to as â€Å"Pasyon,† was composed by Gaspar Aquino de Belen; a case of Christian society epic where the energy of Jesus Christ was written in connection with the predicament of the Filipino individuals who were mistreated by the colonizers, just as the estimations of a Filipino; o Ninay (1885) †first Filipino epic composed; Pedro Paterno; o Florante at Laura †Francisco â€Å"Balagtas† Baltazar; however there are images and subjects which direct the dissent of the Filipino against the Spanish system, it is questionable regarding whether Balagtas had planned the issue †which was inconspicuously gotten from his work †since he left no notes or extra pieces that may confirm the end; o Noli Me Tangere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891) †Jose Rizal; works which made an effect on the national cognizance and love for one’s nation against the damaging legislature of the Spaniards; o La Solidaridad â₠¬ Propagandist paper. III. American Colonial Period (Late nineteenth †Mid-twentieth century) †The steady decrease of the Philippine writing written in Spanish; †The English language in the long run turned into the mechanism of composing and guidance in schools; †As the Spanish colonizers left the nation as per the Treaty of Paris, the soul of patriotism and the craving to be recognized of autonomy didn't vanish presently. Rather, these joining powers equipped into rebelling against the new colonizers; †During the American colonization time frame, Philippine writing mirrored the ethos of its kin under another job. Be that as it may, these everyday encounters under another remote impact, just as notions, were communicated through the English language; †The Spanish ‘sarsuwela’ was in the long run supplanted by the ‘drama’; †One significant impact of the American occupation on the Filipino writing is its refining with regards to the substance and the structure. Moreover, due to this expanded information on the field of writing through the training gave by the American government, Philippine writing has gotten in excess of a convention framed by culture. It has become a craftsmanship which succeeding artists, fictionists, and dramatists keep on expanding upon and advance in each age; †Beginning with Rizal’s utilization of social authenticity as one of the significant subjects for his two significant books, the writing during the American colonization likewise turned into an association, not simply mirroring the Filipino experience †a fortified feeling of patriotism profoundly established in the Filipino pride and culture; †Unlike in the Spanish colonization time frame wherein female essayists (e. g. Gregoria de Jesus) were dominated by their increasingly predominant, male peers †because of the instruction just being given to a chose and advantaged not many †during the American occupation, ladies have had their chance to improve their ability by being taught on the art. What's more, the developing fame of works composed by Filipina essayists is the consequence of the developing crowd acknowledging writi ng by females.  · Philippine Literature and Art during the American Period: o Short Story o Poetry in English o Free Verse in Poetry o Drama  · Notable Works of the American Period: o Mga Agos sa Disyerto (1964) †Efren R. Abueg, Edgardo M. Reyes, Eduardo Bautista Reyes, Rogelio L. Ordonez and Rogelio R. Sikat; this short story treasury carried fiction into the time of innovation; o Ako ang Daigdig (1940) †Alejandro G. Abadilla; free refrain sonnet; o Sa Dakong Silangan †Jose Corazon de Jesus; a sonnet written in the vernacular http://lourdesbraceros. weebly. com/a-brief-history-of-philippine-writing in-english. html

Properties and Its Role in Architecture and Construction - 550 Words

Silicon Chemical Properties and Its Role in Architecture and Construction (Essay Sample) Content: Silicon Chemical Properties and Its Role in Architecture and ConstructionFirst Last NameName of InstitutionSilicon and its Role in Architecture and ConstructionSilicon [Si] is a group IV element with electronic configuration 1s2 2s2 2p63s2 3p2. It is a metalloid since it possesses both properties of metals and those of non-metals. The metalloid property of silicon depends on the element to which it is bonded. As a metal, silicon is used in electronics while, as a non-metal, it is used in glass. In nature, silicon occurs as silicon dioxide that is also known as silica found in sand and quartz. When silicon atom is attached to atoms of other elements, it forms tetrahedral structures, resulting in compounds called silanes. Silanes are used in architecture and construction for consolidation, conservation and enhancement of durability in the modern building structures.Silanes used in architecture and construction act as consolidating materials. They contain one or two orga nic radicals that are covalently bonded to silicon atom hence introducing consolidating and hydrophilic properties in the building materials. The remaining unbounded positions of silicon are occupied by methoxide (CH3O) or ethoxy groups (C2H5O) (Martin Daneil, 2014). The resulting compound Si-O-Si-O-Si-O- has inorganic silicon backbone. The bond has higher bond energy; it is longer and flatter as compared to Carbon Oxygen bond (C-O). More so, Si-O bond has a lower barrier to rotation than C-O bond.Hence, it has higher free volume. These properties of Si-O bond deduce silicon sealants consolidating mechanical properties that are vital in strongly binding building and construction materials.[According to Martin Daniel (2014), The Silicon-Oxygen backbone is an inorganic material while polyurethane is an organic material. Polyurethane hardens and cracks over time a disadvantage. Silicone therefore plays a more sustainable role in architecture and construction.] The salts and esters of silicic acid are used in architectural conservations. The interest of conservation is based on the fact that besides working as consolidants of hydrophilic materials, silanes also introduce some hydrophobic features into the treated building material. Joinleader Company, leading global sealants and adhesive producer conducted research on conservation properties of silane in extreme environmental conditions. The company established skyscrapers projects in Zhoushan Island Eastern China. The location is less than 2 kilometers from the ocean, and it often experiences strong typhoons. Once their project was finished in 2011, Zhoushan Island was hit by Plum Blossom Typhoon with the center speed of 35 meters per second. The structural sealant used in the construction of the facade protected the skyscrapers as the typhoon worked its way (Martin Daneil, 2014). Their project served as a good prove that silicon sealant application in building and construction is reasonable, stable and sust ainable.In architecture and construction, silicone sealants, coating, and adhesives make building materials work better and durable. Silicone materials make strong bonds with almost all building and construction materials such as concrete, steel, granite, glass, and plastics. Sealants also ensure that structures remain stable and firm because they absorb the stress that may result from wind or earthquake (American Chemistry Council, 2015). Furthermore, they have added an advantage in architecture and construction as they protect the joints and building materials from corrosion, ultraviolet radiation, heat, moisture, and pollution. Research conducted on the durability of silicon joints shows that silicon joints last for more than 20 years whereas other joints such as those of polyurethane last between 5-10 years (Martin Daneil, 2014).[According to American Chemistry Council (2015), Silicones are high performance materials formed by reacting silicon with methyl chloride and further r eact...

Healthy People are a nationwide program set by the United...

Healthy People are a nationwide program set by the United States Department of Health and Human Services with the objectives to promote health and prevent disease. The Healthy People program was first initiated in 1979, followed by Healthy People 1990, 2000 and 2010 with the same goals and objectives to promote health and prevent diseases. Due to the accomplishments that has been achieved in the previous years under this program, the Healthy People 2020 expanded or rather broadened their goals and objectives beyond disease prevention, health promotion and reducing health disparities, but to also eliminate healthcare disparities that has plagued this nation by the year 2020. The governing body, the United States Department of Health and†¦show more content†¦Nurses should therefore advocate for their clients, continue the dialogue to address these so called determinant factors until there is change in all levels, the gaps that have existed for very long are closed, and quality health care delivered equitably among the citizens. †¢ Creating social and physical environment that promote good health is another goal set by Healthy People 2020 that is designed to create and promote a healthy physical as well as social environment by the year 2020. Everyone deserves to have the equal opportunity to make healthy decisions that will promote good and healthy lifestyle. For this to be achieved, health care advances and improvements need to be made. Community integration and planning, social factors such as quality education, community based resources, social support system, hazard free environment all have significant impact on people’s health. With the challenges we face, nurses can promote a safe and healthy environment through nursing education and wellness programs, disease control programs, immunization programs and many more to alleviate and or eliminate burdens, reduce untimely deaths, and create safe environment that promotes a healthy lifestyle for all. †¢ Promoting quality of life, healthy development and healthy behavior across life stages is another goal directed towards individuals in making healthy choices, have healthy development without anyShow MoreRelatedInfant Health And Human Services1694 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services works tirelessly in order to improve the conditions for newborn infants. Their goal is to provide essential human services, as well as protect the health for all Americans. Specifically, the area of infant health focuses on the period of rapid development from birth to one year age. The factors that contribute to infant health is not only attributed to the child, but also extends to the health of the mother and their family supportRead MoreThe Benefits Of The Prevention And Public Health Fund1710 Words   |  7 PagesPublic Health The Prevention and Public Health Fund was formed to improve health care quality and improve the investment in public health by the Affordable Care Act. Funding is distributed to many great Agencies to support research and programs to improve health care in our communities. A few agencies receiving funding that caught my eye were the Alzheimer’s disease Prevention Education and Outreach, Fall Prevention, and Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding. Taking a deeper look at these programs we willRead MorePresident Lyndon B. Johnson Declared A War On Poverty1219 Words   |  5 PagesHistory In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a war on poverty in his State of the Union address. 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In addition to thisRead MoreSexual Education And Sex Education1358 Words   |  6 Pagesin a plot when they were approached by a stranger (â€Å"Teaching children in schools†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Sexual education teaches students about sexual health, abstinence, and information such as contraception, condoms, unplanned pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases (â€Å"Sex Education Programs†). Comprehensive sexual education provides student s with tools they use to make healthy choices (â€Å"Comprehensive Sex Education†). Sexual education should be made mandatory in schools because it teaches a wide variety of sexualRead MoreAffordable Care Act Improving Healthcare1939 Words   |  8 PagesAct improving Healthcare Jaclyn Parker UCF Health Promotions NGR5638 Dr. Marchina Jones November 15, 2014 Abstract Americans have been faced with a new health care reform act known as Affordable Care Act initiated in 2010. Why was it so important for this nation to reform is health care system? How are we sure the ACA is improving our system for the American people? For many years, the health care industry has left many Americans uninsured. With health care costs on the rise and very few able toRead MoreMental Health and Mental Illness: Measuring the Depth Within1877 Words   |  7 PagesRunning Head: MEASURING THE DEPTH WITHIN Mental Health Mental Illness Definitions Mental health is defined as the state of satisfactory use of mental function, which results in productive activities, interactions, adjustment to change and coping with challenges (Healthy People 2020, 2012). It is fundamental to ones personal well-being, his interpersonal relationships, and fruitful participation in, and contribution to, society in general. Mental illness or mental disorder refers as a

Senate Meetings Between The Republican And Democrat Party...

While watching the committee meetings between the Republican and Democrat party committee I noticed many things that were the same while also observing many things that were different. Every four years, the Democratic Party puts together our party platform, the ideas and beliefs that govern our party as a whole. Not only does each party take certain stances on specific issues , they also have a different guidelines and atmospheres surrounding them that affects their decisions. Republicans are normally more conservative, their primary focus is directed more towards a limited influence on government and a dominant foreign policy. They are also for religion, anti-beauracracy , and pro-military. As to where Democrats are considered to be more liberal and adhere to more improving the quality of people lives to achieve equality. Although there were a handful of things to pick from that were different with each party they were similar in how they incorporated their policy s and laws. They both voted by raise of hands and saying yay or neigh to the topic. The first committee video I decided to watch was the Republican committee, which was a short video compared to democratic video. During the video they spoke about the first amendment, and asked delegate Wilson to present his ideas. they presented the amendment on the screen and spoke about what should be changed. The amendment spoke about how he felt that children should be raised in an intact biological family household.Show MoreRelatedBill Legislation, Appropriation Bills, And Entitlement Legislation1349 Words   |  6 PagesCongress introduces a bill. After discussion of a bill, the bill is introduced to the House who is then assigned a H.R number and then the bill is introduced to Senate and the receive a S number. When a bill is introduced it is different then when a bill is enacted into law. Next there is the committees system or the congressional committee which is the workhorses of Congress. 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Marketing Research of Tata Motors Zest Sedan - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theMarketing Research of Tata Motors Zest Seda for Jaguar. Answer: Introduction Tata Motors has been known for launching huge range of cars from premium rage cars to low range cars. It had come up with few luxury range cars such as the Jaguar, Land Rover that targeted the premium customers. However, the company has experienced a loss in its market share in the past few years to the other motor companies like Hyundai Motor and Maruti Suzuki. This made the company to launch a car that can suit the needs to middle class customers as well. Thus, the company came up with a new car in the name of Zest Sedan that it wanted to target the middle-income customers (Businesstoday 2017). The paper discusses about the alterative target market for Tata Motors and defines an alternative population for the company. Further, it focuses on the sampling frame and sampling approach for the new target market for Tata Motors. Alternative targeting market for Zest Sedan Targeting is one of the important activities of any firm before launching a new product. Before launching a product, the company first plans the target market that it wants for its product and accordingly strategizes its marketing plan and prices. The target market comprises of the customers that the company wants to sell its product. Thus targeting the customers for the product is essential before developing the marketing plan for the new product. Tata Motors has also planned to launch a new product for which it has targeted the middle-income customers as the targeted market. This is because the car is introduced as a compact and small car that is cheaper ad fuel-efficient. According to the company, this range of car will be of great demand as most of the population consists of middle class and the new car will fulfill their need and budget (Wirtz and Lovelock 2017). However, ever though the car is aimed to serve the middle-income customers the alternative target market can be high- end premium customers to some extent. This is because there are few premium customers that need small and compact cars for their home or other activities. Moreover, the tax and other price addition increase the price range above the desired amount for the middle-income customers. further most of the customers holds sedans as luxury cars and thus it can be accepted by the premium customers. This is the alternative targeting market for the company. The interior of the car is also said to have a premium feel suited to high-end customers. Alternative target market is known as one of the cheapest way the company can target a specific market or neighborhood (The Economic Times 2017). The company according to the age group, community, literacy rate and others can target various types of alternative market. The alternative target market for Tata Motors for its new Zest Sedan range is the high-income customers as they also buy low range cars for regular uses. There are also various advantage s attached to the broad target market with alternative targeting strategy such as more number of target customers, high revenue, more safety and better media approach. By alternative targeting, the company will target larger market such as both the low and high range customers (Barton 2015). Increase in customer size automatically increases the revenue of the firm and the company is safe from losing the market share from other competitors. This is because their number of sales volume will increase for the company with these alternative target markets. Further Tata Motors will gain a lot in future as well with the alternative target market while launching other ranges of cars. This is because most of the customers will know the brand and the company will also be able to know the mindset of the customers while setting the price and promotional strategy of the product. Tata Motors too will gain a lot from the alternative strategy suggested for its new range of Zest sedan (Gengler and M ulvey 2017). Alternative ways of defining population Population in research is considered the large number of people in a region that the company targets for its products. The population is he customers that buy the product that the company is offering. Population in market research is considered as customers. The population comes under wide umbrella compared to the sample population. This is because a population is divided under a huge range that the company will sell it product. The population type is used by a brand to survey the customer before launching its products in the market (Mook et al. 2016). However, it is difficult to survey the whole population at one go because of its huge size. For this reasons companies first divide the whole population into various alternatives and from those alternatives, it further selects some sample for the survey. Tata Motors too needs to divide its market population into wide groups to survey on it. This is because survey helps to give the company a valuable insight about the about their future line of growth. Further, it will also help them to know the growth and acceptability rate they will achieve for their new product launch. The alternative ways by which Tata Motors can divide the population among various umbrellas for its new Zest Sedan are the card lovers, the high and middle-income customers and customer having less space for car parking. These are the three alternative ways the brand can divide their population of customers that will help them survey the right customers and gain back its market share (Levy and Lemeshow 2013). The first way of defining population for Tata Motors Zest Sedan launch is by car lovers. They are the first people that any car company targets for any of its products. This is because these customers have a passion for cars and love to buy new range of cars launched in the market. Thus, Tata Motors should aim these customers first to capture the market share. The next division of population will be the middle and high-income customers (Goet z et al. 2016). They are the revenue givers for the company and depending on these customers; the company decides the price of its new car launch. Lastly, the car can also be offered to the customers having less space for parking. Focusing on this part of population the company has made the car compact and suitable for these customers (Tata Motors Limited 2017). Sampling Frame Sample frame is the material from which the sample is drawn for the research. It consists of those people from the targeted population with the help of which the survey can be done. It is through a good sampling method the company can achieve its right target market. It is the prerequisite required by the company to carry out effective research on the topic they want. Population is considered to be the huge space whereas the sample is the compact version of the population that is easily studied for a conclusion. The sample frame formed for the research purpose of Tata Motors new car launch focuses on various traits as the population has been defined into three groups (Chao et al. 2014). Thus from the three division of population each sample is selected for carrying out the survey for each of them. As in this research it is about a new launch that is being brought about by Tata Motors through a new compact car, it is necessary for the company to know the traits of the three division o f population. As it is said that the car is an entry-level car therefore the price of the car is kept at the medium range. However, the incline of the price is towards the high-end customers because of the style, the features that the brand is offering are of high range. Thus, even though the targeted market are the middle income customers looking for low range cars yet the design and class of the car in a compact way make it acceptable by rich customers as well. This makes Sedan to fulfill the desire for high-income customers as well. Further, the price of the car also increases due to addition of taxes and other additions, which makes the price of the car higher for the average income customers. On the other hand, it is seen that the entry level Zest Sedan is a fuel-efficient low maintenance car and is targeted to small families as well. Thus, the company will find its sample for doing survey for future growth under these frames. Sampling Approach Sampling is one of the most important activities for a firm while conducting a research on future growth. It is by forming a small group of sample the company will be able to interview the potential buyers of the new car. This is because surveying a large population is impossible as it time consuming as well as confusing. Thus, Tata Motors needs to divide the population in various ways as stated above and from each of the population segment the company needs to find a sample that will best define their purpose. Thus sampling also helps is researching various segmented portion of a market that is selected by the company. Sampling is essential, as it will initiate the research to be taken by the company and help them to reach a conclusion about the market segment they want to target the most. Further, sampling guide, this consists of all data that is required for further survey. There are some basics for further survey with the help of a sample such as sample should be appropriate to m atch the required research, sample should be valid and up-to-date, sample should be accurately selected from the population and research should be done accurately. Further, it should be focused that the sample should not be a biased one and it should cover all required points of the chosen population (Wood 2014). The researcher also should have a clear idea about the research it wants to pursue with the sample and should reach an unbiased result with the survey. Another feature of a sample is that it should be dependable sample and should help in explaining the survey in a better way. In this research the sample that Tata Motor choose from the three division of population should be used by the company accurately and end with a helpful unbiased result. The result of the research thus depends upon the sample approach and on the size of the sample being used for the result depending on the population used. This is because any research that depends on a niche item gives a lower inferenc e than others do. For example, if the company is researching eighty people from all the types of population then there are great chances that around 20 percent of the sample will not respond back. Thus, the researcher for analysis and conclusion of a result will use the rest 80 percent. Sampling is thus stated to be an essential part of the research if a large number of populations are being used for the research. Tata Motors can also make their launch a successful one if they carry out extensive research on alternative target market and population. This will also help them reduce the inaccuracy that the company was going to make by targeting only a single group of market (Wells et al. 2015). Conclusion From the above discussion and analysis, it can be concluded that Tata Motors Zest Sedan has a lot of alternative target market and population in the market. The suggested alternative targeting for the company is the above average income level customers as the car has a class in its style and feature that is loved by the premium customers as well. Further, the population can be divided into three groups such as car lovers, average and above average customers and those having small parking space. For the research purpose and adequate result sampling method is chosen with a sampling approach that will make it easier for the company to research a huge population. This is because it has been stated that sampling is the best way a research can be conducted that includes huge population to be surveyed. References Barton, L., 2015. Active Positioning: The Importance of Relevancy.Journal of Marketing Perspectives,1, p.48. Businesstoday.in. 2017.Tata Motors unveils sedan Zest, hatchback Bolt- Business News. [online] Available at: https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/auto/tata-motors-new-sedan-zest-hatchback-bolt-unveiled-auto-expo/story/202919.html [Accessed 26 Sep. 2017]. Chao, A., Gotelli, N.J., Hsieh, T.C., Sander, E.L., Ma, K.H., Colwell, R.K. and Ellison, A.M., 2014. Rarefaction and extrapolation with Hill numbers: a framework for sampling and estimation in species diversity studies.Ecological Monographs,84(1), pp.45-67. Gengler, C.E. and Mulvey, M.S., 2017. Planning pre-launch positioning: Segmentation via willingness-to-pay and means-end brand differentiators.Journal of Brand Management,24(3), pp.230-249. Goetz, T., Sticca, F., Pekrun, R., Murayama, K. and Elliot, A.J., 2016. Intraindividual relations between achievement goals and discrete achievement emotions: an experience sampling approach.Learning and Instruction,41, pp.115-125. Levy, P.S. and Lemeshow, S., 2013.Sampling of populations: methods and applications. John Wiley Sons. Mook, P., Kanagarajah, S., Maguire, H., Adak, G.K., Dabrera, G., Waldram, A., Freeman, R., Charlett, A. and Oliver, I., 2016. Selection of population controls for a Salmonella case-control study in the UK using a market research panel and web-survey provides time and resource savings.Epidemiology Infection,144(6), pp.1220-1230. Tata Motors Limited. 2017.Tata Motors unveils the All-New ZEST and the BOLT. [online] Available at: https://www.tatamotors.com/press/tata-motors-unveils-the-all-new-zest-and-the-bolt/ [Accessed 26 Sep. 2017]. The Economic Times. 2017.Tata Motors unveils Zest sedan premium hatchback Bolt. [online] Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/news/passenger-vehicle/cars/tata-motors-unveils-zest-sedan-premium-hatchback-bolt/articleshow/29815060.cms [Accessed 26 Sep. 2017]. Wells, J.D., Lecheta, M.C., Moura, M.O. and LaMotte, L.R., 2015. An evaluation of sampling methods used to produce insect growth models for postmortem interval estimation.International journal of legal medicine,129(2), pp.405-410. Wirtz, J. and Lovelock, C., 2017.Positioning Services in Competitive Markets. World Scientific. Wood, M.B., 2014.The marketing plan handbook. Pearson.

Race Class and Gender in a Television Crime Show an Example of the Topic Government and Law Essays by

Race Class and Gender in a Television Crime Show Media productions present a picture of the world to viewers as concocted by the writers, director and producers of the show. The former serves as institutions that are powerful forces in the socialization and acculturation of society. One may always say that the goal of media is to entertain, but the power that it wields over America cannot be denied. Need essay sample on "Race Class and Gender in a Television Crime Show" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The medias power lies in its popularity and the palatability of what it presents to the audience. Btu even sometimes, though the material of the production is not palatable or even acceptable to the greater society, it is somehow transformed into a spectacle, something to marvel at, be disgusted with, or use to shape the peoples opinion on a certain matter. University Students Usually Tell Us:How much do I have to pay someone to make my paper today?Essay writer professionals advise: If You Think About Someone To Write Your Paper - Essaylab The Right Place!Write My Essay Online Write My Paper For Me Reviews Written Essays For Sale Cheap Reliable Essay Writing Service Indeed, the media has been used to manipulate information for various purposes. Included in these purposes is to entertain viewers and perhaps help the latter escpe from the problems and hardships faced in real life for the brief time of the show, or to inform viewers of situations and conditions wholly different than their own, to spark interest in a certain issue that may lead people into action such as the poor condition of their house may lead them to buy products that would assist them in cleaning. Darker purposes may be to manipulate viewers to action or inaction in civil society, using information that is true or false to guide them in their decision for action and inaction. Media as an institution is one of the taken-for-granted realities that people experience every single day. People do not realize that media is an institution because it is referred to so many times, that it is a primary source of information for decision-making and that it is also shaped by people and culture and realities that are mere constructions of other peoples minds. It is important, therefore, to analyze media and media productions in terms of the themes and content of their portrayal of life, especially those with social relevance. Shows that claim to present a form of realism are those that need to be analyzed the most, because of the messages it sends out as to what is real and what is not. It is possible that these productions are successful at portraying real-life situations and following procedures that are present in the real world, but the implications of their presentations must be analyzed within the context of media as an institution based on social constructions that may oppress, exploit, discriminate and unjustly label other groups of people. The power of television shows on the general public must not be discredited or downplayed as for most people, it is their primary source of information and could be their only guide in making decisions about themselves, their lives and the personas of other people around them. Law and Order Special Victims Unit (LOSVU) in this writers opinion seeks to portray the procedure at which special cases with sexual undertones and implication are handled by the police and justice system. Not unlike its predecessor, Law and Order (LO), LOSVU presents the real process a rape or abuse victim would go through after a report or complaint has been filed. The difference of this show with LO is that the viewers are able to glimpse the psyche of the victims, the abuser or perpetrator and even the prosecutors and detectives working on a certain case. The show portrays the special kind of stigma and trauma that rape and abuse victims may experience and also the horror and burnout that detectives experience after working heinous sex cries day in and day out, and how it takes its toll on them eventually. One could say that detectives in LOSVU are presented as more feeling human beings and less investigating detectives on a case. The material or episode for discussion in this essay is LOSVUs epsisode entitled Informed. The episode is introduced with a scene from an emergency room where a woman is demanding medical attention for a minor injury. The nurse pointedly asks her to wait her turn but the woman insists she be treated immediately. A small white figure in a hooded sweatshirt comes forward next and rebukes the woman while taking off the hood. The figure reveals a crudely-shaven head with clumps of blond hair falling in rags about a Caucasian girls battered face, her skull bleeding from several places. The woman with the minor injury is chastised by the mere sight of the girls injury, while the latter continues to bleed in a large, caved-in gash at the top of her skull. The girl is unable to meet the nurses eyes and simply asks for wound treatment, the morning-after pill and antibiotics. The nurse, aware of the signs of physical trauma that may allude to rape or abuse, calls the in-house social worker to assist the girl in her case. The girl is cleaned up and her wound is stitched but she refuses to submit to a rape kit to properly document her rape and perhaps seek justice through the legal system. She is vehement in her denial and quick to leave the hospital and find another one just so someone can give her the morning after pill. The social worker insists that she will be asked to submit to a rape kit whichever hospital she goes to which causes the girl to get and leave. On the way outside she meets Olivia Benson, one of the shows main characters, a detective from the special victims unit who does not stop in finding out the circumstances of the girls rape, even collecting evidence from the girls home without permission. Thus the victim is introduced with unclear facts and circumstances as to why, when or how she was raped. The audience is taken through Olivias quest to help the uncooperative girl, who turns out to be named Haley. Through the process, she meets Dana Star, an FBI agent who tells her that Haley is an informant for the Bureau operating within the ranks of domestic eco-terrorist cells. The two women set out to find Haley who has then disappeared for different reasons, one to resolve the matter of her rape and the other to resolve the matter of a terrorist case. The story reveals later on that Haley had been an informant before and that her rapist may be found in the police system as a previous offender. But due to the nature of the case as to having terrorist implications, SVU and prosecutors are hesitant to touch or even know information about Haleys rapist. But as the urgency of the matter escalates because of implications that a large-scale action is planned by the environmental terrorists, SVU continues to conduct its investigation with Star and the FBI. Information barriers are often encountered while it is highlighted that Olivia is solely concerned for Haleys safety and the safety of the eco-terrorist groups possible victims. As the conflict escalates, more terrorists are arrested, but Haleys rapist is found to be a man from her past whom she betrayed as an earlier informant. Haley refused to submit to the standard procedure of the system and took the law into her own hands by executing her rapist. She is almost arrestd when she returns to Star as an informant but claims that she can foil the terrorist groups next plot. With the help of Olivia as an undercover agent in a sting operation, they succeed in locating various terrorists and uncovering a plot to bomb the office of a CEO of a large pharmaceutical company that tests its products on animals. Here, Haley suddenly turns on Olivia and betrays the sting operation by disarming Olivia and arming a bomb made out of gasoline and fertilizer herself in the CEOs office. The climax resolves when Star shoots Haley because the latter would not desist from arming the bomb. Olivia is then arrested along with other suspected terrorists and put up to be interrogated and questioned. The episode resolves with Olivia disappearing from SVU because of her successful infiltration, with the ending highlighting the secrecy surrounding her sudden departure from SVU, much to the chagrin and ownder of her partner, Elliot. The most apparent social construction presented in this episode is that of class and the struggle for issues that concern the environment and animals. Class here as depicted in the terrorists social status and the power wielded by the large pharmaceuticl corporation involves the production constantly alluding to violent actions both by the company and the terrorist group. Gender is highlighted through the detectives working Haleys case, where Benson and Star are found to be women who understand Haleys experience. What the two did not realize in the beginning of the episode is that Haleys involvement in the terrorist group had already transcended gender and her own rights as a woman were not as important as the goal of the terrorist group. Several social groups are described in this episode. The group of most relevance to this writer is the group of the eco-terrorist. Here, they are portrayed as paranoid fanatics that resort to violence to achieve their goals without thought for toher peoples lives and safety. They are portrayed as belonging to the lower-middle or lower class of society, constantly in battle with rich pharmaceutical companies. This illustrates a social construction presented and perpetuated by media. It portrays radical environmentalists as violent individuals who put animal rights above the basic human right to life. Because of the companys cruel treatment of animals, these people seek to exact vengeance and hope to prevent these practices through fear and violence. An underlying theme of class struggle may be seen as the lower-middle class people promote organic fruits and vegetabes as part of their livelihood in the presence of genetically-modified produce that companies foist upon consumers who are uninformed and unaware of the dynamics that surround the cultivation of these foods. The convention of lunatic social group is projected in the shows treatment of the terrorist group, who have deviated from the norms of society, seeing the world as a place unfit for egalitarian conditions and natural order. Gender roles within the terrorist group are somehow downplayed as it is highlighted in the show that the cause is the main focus of all members of the terrorist cells, and whether you are a woman or a man merely depends on how usable one can be for their covert operations. The detectives here are portrayed to be sympathetic for rape victims, especially Benson, who uses her womanhood to try to convince Haley to submit to a rape kit and the judicial process. She is not the standard lone wolf detective of television crime shows, but rather a sympathetic and overly dedicated woman who uses her work and education as a detective to uphold and seek justice for victims. The show uses her gender and her history of being a child born from rape to show the viewers perhaps that detectives are shaped not by procedure and the law but by her inherent worth and dignity as a woman and her identity as a child born from rape. For the writer, Benson uses the judicial system mainly as a tool to fulfill her goal of helping women like her mother who was raped. The show highlights two conflicts and two women who are on different levels of awareness about their own gender and rights as females. The first conflict and more obvious of the two is between transnational companies and environmentalists. Though the show took this conflict a step higher by making the environmentalists into extremists and violent in their course of actions, it may be seen that the courses of actions left to these environmentalists could have easily resolved to attacks. This paints a prejudice for the viewer that environmentalists are not beyond killing other people or destroying property as long as the earth is safe. The second conflict is that between Benson and Haley who show different levels of gender awareness and valuation. Benson is sympathetic towards Haley and constantly seeks to help her based on her experience that has violated her rights as a woman and the position she puts herself in as a woman within an environmentalist group. The two conflicts however m ay be juxtaposed as being resolved only by violence, with the attempted bombing of the CEO office and Haley being shot dead by Star. Thus LOSVU portrays class and gender as concerns for some subgroup of society and of others. It paints a different picture of detectives in the persona of Olivia Benson who is sympathetic towards victims and that of Haley who has disregarder her gender and rights as a woman to further the cause of violent-labeled group. The two women represent alternative forms of social construction to be considered by audiences, who may see a different kind of cop in Benson and a different kind of woman in Haley. References: International Movie Database. (1990). Law and Order Special Victims Unit: Informed (2006). Retrieved February 29, 2008, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0860060/

buy custom The Black Plague essay

buy custom The Black Plague essay In this journal, two theses forms the structure: that, the black death resulted as a bubonic form of a rodent disease that was spread by fleas, and that the black plague on its first strike in Europe it killed 60% of the population. In order to sustain these theses the author divides the journal to parts charting the spread of plague country by country, including places where few if any, sources survive. But in those places where Black Death was not reported, Benedictow asserts that the plague struck. Benedictow on the argument that plague was as a result of fleas, he depends more on the reports of Indian Plague Research Commission. But he employs selective reading of these reports. For example, he argues that during the years of 1345, 1353 as well as 20th century black rat was responsible cause for the plague, but many dead black rats as brown rats were found dead in the dwellings where the infection was active by the Indian plague researchers. In other regions like the Northern Africa, scientists come up with a conclusion that black rat was not an important plague spreader unlike the brown rat. He claims that plague arrived with the people who carried without their knowledge infective rat fleas in their luggage or clothing. Studies conducted in the luggages and clothing of people migrating from plague stricken areas, plague commissioners concluded that Y;pestis not at all transmitted that way. Benedictow maintains that Y;pestis and Black Plague were all as a result of the househ old in mortality terms i.e if a party of the household contracted plague , definitely other parties of household become infected. These were found out to be the opposite by the plague commissioners. Benedictow sticks by the argument that populations living in a well built stone-housing were not prone to the black plague because the rats could not enter the dwellings. That was disapproved by the plague commission by the fact that rats, rats penetrated bricks and stone built housing even those which had cemented floors, causing even greater rates of deaths. Benedictow farther claims that, at the season of both plagues hospital workers were more susceptible than others. Whereas, plagues commissioners study by study depicts that, the safest avenue to be during the plague outbreak is the plague ward. During one of the experience of the black plague, Y.pestis was hardly contagious even in its pneumonic form. Historians discovered that, the Y;pestis and the Black Death travelled at a very different speeds. The twentieth century plague even with the steamship and railway, due to its reliance on the homebound rat, spread through the land at the speeds of about 8miles per year, while the speeds of spread of the Black Death almost equaled that per day. Benedictow, still tries to bring both the timeframes together. He to some extend devotes more space considerably to the slowing of the Black Death. Benedictow refutes any speed of disease spread which was faster that his likes: He defends these by saying that, the Black Death made metastatic leaps. His outcomes still depicts the medieval plague having a rate 30 times as fast as the modern one-he does not explain neither admits to this discrepancy. When data fails to cooperate, he questions or rejects them. For example, the mallorca statistics highlights mortality rates of only 23%, Benedictow denies them, and instead claims that they are infested with a great problems of sociology, demography and source criticism with the respect to the level of total mortality In conclusion the author has not presented his information in a biased and unsystematic manner, to the point of his work getting controversial away from practical sense. Connah in his work in African civilization, surveys the pre-colonial history of tropical Africa with seven region chapters. Unlike the title, he despises the attempts top define the worked civilization, but instead he decides to employ more sensible phenomenon of urbanization, the state formation as well as the social complexity. He employs a very peculiar combination broader perspectives and archaeological specifics, bearing in mind the engulfing whirlpool of the disconnected detail together with the devouring monster of the unproved/ unchecked theory. That for any one concerned with the pre-colonial Africa, African civilization will remain real treat. The seven coverage areas on his study the middle Nile and Nubia (about 500years: Meroe, Karma, Napata and the Islamic and Christian eras), The west African savannah (Northern Nigeria, south west-Chad, Senegal And the Inland Niger Delta), the Ethiopian highlands, the West Africa forest and fringes, the East African coast and islands, Great Zimbabwe and the related sites (Zimbabwe plateau), the Interlacustrine Region and the Upemba Depression. In his approach a brief introduction is followed by a view of environmental factors and the geographical location, in coverage of barriers to movement, soils, climate, ecology and diseases. Each chapter consists of core| sources of information basically about twenty pages long. They describe historical of one or two pages, followed by in depth surveys of archaeological records. Connah at this point tabulates detailed information of key sites and excavation, comprising a very nice selection of halftones of artifacts, chronologies, maps and site plans. Connahs approach is governed by the modern trend with respect to the settlement studies much more than the narrower traditional orientation to the monuments and sites. Six sections of the Connahs approach views the major themes of population pressure, social system, subsistence economy, technology, external trade, and the ideology focusing on the major roles played by these factors towards the state formation as well as the urbanization. The author basically describes others theories rather than his own, accordingly his conclusions are almost qualified and tentative. On his chapter about the West African forest he quotes There is.....good reason to suspect there would have been growth in functional specialization, it looks as if by the early second millennium AD the very subsistence economy of the rain forest was able to offer a surplus it is most likely that the localized population pressure was amongst the major factors which brought about the greatest elaboration of social hierarchies. His whole approach seems like Connah seemingly does not fit one theoretical framework across the different areas. The whole of the introduction mentions theories of states, that of the Haas, and the six pages conclusion views the common denominators, but as well focuses on the Africans environment diversity and also resulting development of formation of states and cities. Black plague according to Herlihy kept the European culture from getting stale, despite having caused devastating effects on everything in European society. Herlihy views death as force of liberation, propelling the European society forward, contributing to its destruction, but at the ssame time nurturing possibilities and growth as well as transforming it. This is in contrast to how historians originally viewed the great plague, as a disaster which shook Europe and lagged it back by 100years.His thesis is simple, but very much revolutionary: that black plague resulted to labor saving devices as the population narrowed, which in turn pushed the European society forward. In contrast to the historians perspective: political and military perspectives, Herlihy views the social effects of the plague on society in general, women, art and concludes that, during the long run the plague was a necessary happening for Europe. The work is divided in to three main sections. The first section handles the ideology that, plague might not have been the bubonic plague, which holds to be the standard to date historical theory. He argues that, middle ages and late antiquity Medical writers, recognized only one kind of epidemic disease noted by a single symptom, buboes in the area of groin, boils or inflammations. Herlihy denies the notion of the plague being moved through Europe by infected rats. He says that the disease which might have ravaged Europe was not likely anthrax. Anthrax can produce the characteristic swellings which might be mistaken for buboes The second and third chapters of the book reflect on the economic impact on the European society, and how Europe rebounded from the plague. In support to his arguments he relies on the church sources from Italy, envisioning on death and marriage records. Concentration on the Italian data contributes to his major weakness. It does not take in to account the black plague in several other European countries, France and England. The book concludes with endnotes obtained from Herlihy`s incomplete notes, expanded by Cohn. This point serves as the bibliography. Herlihy overly achieved if only he could have presented a theory, which asked the question, whether the Black Death good event, or a bad event for European society? Author in this context provides a detailed study of the plague in the Middle East during the medieval times. Most famed of all pandemics, the Black Death. In this historical setting, the geographical distribution and the chronology of the Black Death is set out. A modern knowledge synopsis concerning the pathology and origin of the plague is highlighted, which is of great importance to non medical reader, who needs the knowledge and the history of the disease. The document further considers the medieval Muslim interpretation of the plague, on the grounds of the disease origin, prevention means as well as methods of treatment. Religious views are considered, while the inconsistencies between conflicting religious and medical interpretations are well brought out. At another level magical practices and beliefs are dealt with at some length. The demographic effects i.e the rural and urban depopulation in Egypt and Syria is highlighted. A commendable significance of this is the concern with which the author lays out the social and political context with which they occurred. They pose a matter of unusual concern, which calls for further research and discussion. That is the account of animal infection other than, horses, camels, cats, dogs, wild geese, crows, ostriches and kites. This is not a book for a casual reader. It is for those who are interested with the epidemics which have afflicted man in history, it fills a considerable gap, and broadens ones knowledge concerning the Black Death and its impacts, which has in most cases, been looked at the European aspects only. Buy custom "The Black Plague" essay

A Thematic Analysis of Hope and Other Urban Tales by Laura Hird

The ideological model of literacy[1] (Street, 2000) will underline the analysis of the book, and direct the way in which it is read. Analysis Hope and Other Urban Tales focusses mainly on the darker side of the human experience. In Hird’s own words, her work is centred on â€Å"nasty stories about dysfunctional people† (Taylor, 2009).[2] With key themes involving escapism; social change, manipulation, depression and sexuality, the book offers a detailed glimpse into 21st Century Scottish culture primarily through each narrators’ introspective qualities. This essay however, will concentrate on the main under-lying theme of escapism in the text, as well as Hird’s syntactical and lexical choices, and what effect they culminate to. The author’s tone and style will be the first literary aspect to be considered, with reference to the ideological model of literacy as proposed by Brian Street in his paper Literacy and Development. One of the most important literary aspects that achieves Hird’s sense of an empathetic, self-aware and socially observant author is Hope’s narrative tone and style. Since most of the stories are written through first-person perspectives, the narrator is able to connect at a very personal level to the reader as though the happenings of the story are real. Each narrator’s feelings and emotions are captured through their own descriptions of them; allowing the reader to better understand their experiences. We are also subject to a large amount of narratorial interference (which at times, is arguably quite stifling) that serves to remind the reader of what the narrator is feeling at any exact moment. This ties in well to Hird’s stream-of-consciousness style of writing, in which thoughts and actions are described in real time. Present-tense also intensifies this reaction from the reader, as we are lead to know as much or as little as the protagonists do.  œ (Pg. 1 – 10, Hope’s best example of psychological realism) Present tense is used in many of the short stories in this collection (Hope, The Happening, Destination Anywhere, and Meat). Hird puts this device in place not only in order to allow the reader to live the events of the story at the same time the characters are; (there by making them more ‘alive’) but to compliment her inter-personal, nonchalant style of writing. For example, in Hope, the narrator explains: â€Å"We seem to become embroiled in this intense conversation as soon as we sit down. There’s none of that ridiculous small talk that Edinburgh people usually use to keep people at a distance till they’ve decided what to dislike about them. Hope appears to have angles on everything that I’d never even contemplated before†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hope, Chp. 2, pg.14)[3] This quote also implies a deep-seeded basis of empathy that is present within the narrator’s tone. It is with lines like â€Å"none of that ridiculous small talk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that shows a wanting for personal connection between the characters and indeed, the rest of the world around him. Past the confines of Hope’s apartment, this speaks volumes about the state of 21st Century Scottish culture. The previous passage is particularly interesting because of its implications towards contemporary Scottish culture. Here the subtext dictates that ordinary Scottish citizens are closed-off, reserved and un-involved with each other to the point of even disliking one another’s company. Whilst the narrative choice of first-person means that everything in the story is somewhat biased to an extent, the reader can see beyond that; and look into the real-life writer’s feelings about her surroundings. Such a blunt observation coupled with judgement (â€Å"what to dislike†) allows the confidence and self-assuredness of the writing to materialise plainly in the reader’s mind. Further to this, it can be said that although Hope is a product of the mid-2000s, it pays noticeable homage to mid-90s Scottish literature. For instance, Hird’s work has been said to be caught in a â€Å"Trainspotting hangover† [4] (Briscoe, 2006) – a nod to Scottish author Irvine Welsh. Hird herself has confessed also that she is a great admirer of Ian McEwan, author of Enduring Love[5], where her methodical approach to de-familiarization was born. The ideological model of literacy dictates that literature should be judged as social practice and not merely â€Å"technical and neutral skill†[6] (Street, 2000). It also describes a more culturally sensitive approach towards literacy than its counter – the autonomous model. This effectively directs the way that the book should be read; with more allusion towards a social commentary. Hird wrote this collection as a product of her own inherent knowledge and understanding of the working world. Her state of ‘being’ attaches itself to the stories, the characters and her choice of words throughout the entire book and results in enabling the reader to see her most-inner workings and the effects of the defensive, emotionally stale culture of Scotland in the 21st Century. Furthermore, the ideological model also commands the way in which the reader reads. Each reader’s conception of themselves and their identity becomes the root of their understanding of the text. Hope and Other Urban Tales then becomes a mix of both the author’s perceptions of being and the reader’s. Allowing the two perspectives to inter-twine as such culminates to a very personal response that elicits an extension of the reader’s set of prior beliefs. Whilst the 90’s have clearly influenced Hird and her attitudes to her art, the period has not distracted her from contemporary 21st Century culture with reference to the writer’s loyalty to her idols, such as Welsh[7] (Morace, 2001). Hird adheres to the stream-of-consciousness writing style popular in the mid-90s, as well as psychological realism[8] (Cuddon, 1999). This means that Hird’s characters are not content to merely explain the events of a story; they have to explain their motives and thoughts aswell. Interior monologues are therefore a staple technique employed in the collection, as well as narratorial interference, which is consistently present throughout every story involving first-person narration. These modernist techniques result in a slightly fragmented style of story-telling, in which the narrator’s character is arguably the most important aspect of the story, as not only do they tell the story, they act in it as well. The writer’s attitudes are most notably introduced in the title’s novella, Hope. Here we are subject to Martin’s (the story’s narrator) account of Scottish people, society and culture. Hird’s choice of syntax, her sentence structures and passages of time demonstrate a noticeable disassociation from the novella’s universe; it’s ‘real world’. This disassociation carries well into the collection’s escapist theme; which has been said to be the common link between every character in Hope and Other Urban Tales[9] (Alapi, 2006). Escape is mentioned in almost every story and implies an escape from the morally deprived society of the 21st Century. Whether this ‘escape’ is physical or metaphoric, it denotes the action of leaving a life behind, and it inhabits every story: In Hope: â€Å"I’ve got to get out of here. Go somewhere hot.† (Pg.2) In The Happening: â€Å"Annual leave is precious.† (Pg. 69) In Reanimation: â€Å"We need to get out. If we don’t go out now I’m afraid we’re never going to escape.† (Pg. 97) In Victims: â€Å"Would you leave them for meNever see them again?† (Pg. 166) In Destination Anywhere: â€Å"I’ve found, by experience, that running away is usually the answer. I have been running away since I was a kid.† (Pg. 203) In Meat: â€Å"Atleast it feels like I’m escaping for a little while.† (Pg. 217) (Most obvious examples) This escapist attitude stems from an inherent disassociation in every character. They could even be argued to be tragic heroes; who pave the way for their own downfalls through poorly guided actions. If each character maintained their innocence and their naivety, then they would be more comfortable and engaged with the world around them. As Hird clearly demonstrates through her incredibly observant narrations, these characters describe events and other people as if they are, on the most part, static and blind to real understanding (with the exception of Hope’s character in Hope: Pg. 1 – 69). There is therefore a feeling of superiority that parallels this and which results in a cynical, pessimistic writing style that implies dissatisfaction with the novel’s universe. Because the story is based upon the element of realism, this denotes dissatisfaction with the real world as well. The culture of the time is obviously a closed, harsh and faceless one. One that is controlled by television, rat-race artistic types as symbolically shown in Destination Anywhere by ‘the artist’, who remains nameless throughout, and money (Pg. 182). This theme of escape is symbolised effectively in Meat by a few different aspects. The initial death of the lamb being the most notable (Pg. 223 – 230). What reinforces this theme is how the father reacts to its death: â€Å"You know how much these things are worth?†[10] The father thinks only of the saving he will make if he brings the lamb home to be eaten, instead of deliberating on the tragedy to any kind of extent at all. He uses the death of the lamb as an escape from his son’s confession (Pg. 221). Instead of confronting his son about being homosexual, he â€Å"pushes [his son] away† (Pg. 222). The narrator’s father does not acknowledge his son whilst he is â€Å"clearing up†. These semiotics exhibit the â€Å"clearing up† of the relationship between father and son – the â€Å"dismantling† of his involvement with the situation. This metaphor leads to a physical symbol of escape: when the boy says in his interior monologue how he’s â€Å"not sure where we’re heading† (Pg. 222). The father takes country roads back from the fishing trip and drives through thick fog and darkness on the way. Fog traditionally symbolises foreboding, or the clouding of emotions. In this case, it symbolises the growth of the father’s anger and disappointment at his son because he is not addressing it. Instead he runs in both an emotional and physical sense – adding that he â€Å"doesn’t bloody know† why they are going the way they are (Pg. 223). Desperation to escape is therefore effectively symbolised here, as anywhere is better than being alone on that boat with his son. (Pgs. 221 – 230 are discussed h ere). To intensify the author’s allusion to characters that wish to escape their respective realities, we are permitted to see how it has affected Hope itself (or herself, as the case is); she does not own a television, and claims she â€Å"can’t stand it. The real opium of the masses. I can’t tell you how many good friends I’ve seen wither to death in front of the box. It’s worse than cancer† (Pg. 16). Here the author’s pessimism for the modern age again appears. Not even hope is un-tainted by it. Television is the most practical semiotic of the contemporary age, and here it is regarded as being a kind of poison that is transporting people away from reality. Hope seeks to stop the modern age entering his dwelling so she can remain in her own version of reality – thereby escaping the shared experience of â€Å"the masses†. (Pgs. 16 – 18 cover this issue). Escape is also demonstrated in the story Destination Anywhere, where we witness the result of contemporary TV culture on the youth. In this story, a thirteen-year-old girl appears at first to be genuinely interested in the narrator’s line of work (photography), and is the only one at the gallery party that will pay him any attention. Whilst this seems hopeful, the culture of drinking and drugs is once again introduced into the fabric of the text, and the girl transforms after her initial attempts at persuading the narrator to take photographs of her. Behind the closed doors of the narrator’s apartment, the reader witnesses her manipulative personality that she adopts in order to â€Å"become famous†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"proper famous† (Pg. 192). Hird makes this aspect even more disturbing by choosing a young girl to portray it – Thereby saying that the â€Å"innocent† young are far past being innocent. (Destination Anywhere begins on Pg. 181 and ends on Pg. 211). â€Å"She doesn’t have a hope in hell. I despise people like her. Jesus, even the youth don’t have any substance left any more. It depresses me.† (Pg. 192) Here we see how the narrator has developed a strong hatred for contemporary culture of all kinds, especially the new generation. This becomes intensified when he flees his own apartment after the child makes her manipulative intentions clear. He is forced to escape his private space, even, and enter society for a brief period of time. The narrator also details how â€Å"the sense that I may have just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life is tempered slightly by the feeling of relief at being away from her.† (Pg. 198). Escape becomes the thing that he desires most, regardless of the cost. Hird’s character comes across as dysfunctional and borderline weak-spirited in this regard, as all he seemingly wishes to do is run away from any situation. The reader’s expectations of her character are mis-informed, and the archetype is thoroughly mutated and transformed into something devoid of any soul or empathy. Characterisation here is truly impressive as a result, as we are made to share in the narrator’s hatred and frustration of the girl, after feeling like the narrator truly has the upper hand at the party: â€Å"Her face brightens as I walk towards her again. It’s almost a shame.† (Pg. 186). The reader wants to like the girl in the first part of the story, as she is a symbol of innocence; a symbol of hope. This is however juxtaposed by her comment â€Å"I’ll love you forever†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pg. 195). The quote is also important as it demonstrates how the modern age will even sell love and the immaterial in order for media exposure. Nothing is sacred in the new age’s eyes. Hird sees this. Structurally, the book is fairly one-sided; as if the prose is primarily constructed around â€Å"off-the-cuff one-liners†[11] (Taylor, 2009) that have spawned from the writer’s real-life observations. Not only does this make the prose hyper-real, but it adds to the chatty, micro-literate feel of the book aswell. Chapters often begin with very short statements that try to hook in the reader’s attention: â€Å"Time passes quickly.† (Pg. 23. Dependant clause). â€Å"The other day I killed a wasp.† (Pg. 93). â€Å"Ken. Perfect name for the bastard.† (Pg. 79). Hird recognises reader psychology in the sense that she knows shorter flashes of imagery will capture the attention of people quickly; set a scene for them or throw them into the physical action of a plotline. She also uses the same technique to conclude stories or chapters: â€Å"I can make myself like anyone.† (Pg. 10). Techniques like this serve to increase the deliverance of the prose, and enable easier-reading of the text. In conclusion, the main theme of Hope and Other Urban Tales surrounds the more deceptive, malicious personality traits of human beings on the fringes of a society-gone-wrong. Whilst these characters are documented as such, their behaviours culminate to real, balanced individuals with hidden pockets of tenderness underneath their hardened exteriors. The shared feeling of wishing to escape their respective realities is found in all the protagonists in question, yet the ways that these wishes materialise differ substantially as they all possess a realistic duality in their natures. The ideological model of literacy governs this reading of the prose and proves that culture, society and the writer’s own understanding of them has a deep all-around effect on the creation of such psychological texts. References Adams, J. (2003). Interview with Laura Hird. Available: http://www.barcelonareview.com/35/e_int_lh.htm. Last accessed 19/08/2013 Alapi, Z. (2006). The New Review. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/newreview/hopeandotherurbantales.html. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Blake, W. (1970). Songs of Innocence and Experience; Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. Oxford Paperbacks. ISBN-10: 0192810898. The Lamb, Pg. 1. Briscoe, J. (2006). Hope Springs Infernal. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/nov/11/featuresreviews.guardianreview21. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Caesar, M. (1999). Umberto Eco: Philosophy, Semiotics and the Work of Fiction. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 9780745608501. Pg. 55. Cuddon, J.A. (1999). The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, UK, Penguin Books, ISBN-10: 0140513639. Fairclough, N. (2001) Language and Power, UK, Longman, ISBN-10: 0582414830. Goodman, K. Goodman, Y. (1979) Theory and Practice of Early Reading, U.S., Routledge, ISBN-10: 0898590035. Learning to Read is Natural, pg. 137 – 54. Hird, L. (2009). Interview by Trev Taylor. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Hird, L. (2006). Hope and Other Urban Tales, Scotland, Canongate Books, ISBN-10: 1841955736. McEwan, I. (1998). Enduring Love, UK, Vintage, ISBN-10: 0099276585. Morace, R. (2001). Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting: A Reader’s Guide, UK, Continuum International Publishing Group, ISBN 0-8264-5237-X. Randell, Stevenson. (1992). Modernist Fiction: An Introduction, The University of Kentucky, ISBN-10: 0813108144. The Scotsman. (2006). Hope Heralds a New Dawn. Available: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/hope-heralds-a-new-dawn-1-1416335. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Street, B. (2000). Literacy and Development: Ethnographic Perspectives, Introduction, London, Routledge, ISBN-10: 0415234514. Pg. 7 -8. Welsh, I. (1994). Trainspotting, UK, Vintage, ISBN-10: 0099465892. A Thematic Analysis of Hope and Other Urban Tales by Laura Hird The ideological model of literacy[1] (Street, 2000) will underline the analysis of the book, and direct the way in which it is read. Analysis Hope and Other Urban Tales focusses mainly on the darker side of the human experience. In Hird’s own words, her work is centred on â€Å"nasty stories about dysfunctional people† (Taylor, 2009).[2] With key themes involving escapism; social change, manipulation, depression and sexuality, the book offers a detailed glimpse into 21st Century Scottish culture primarily through each narrators’ introspective qualities. This essay however, will concentrate on the main under-lying theme of escapism in the text, as well as Hird’s syntactical and lexical choices, and what effect they culminate to. The author’s tone and style will be the first literary aspect to be considered, with reference to the ideological model of literacy as proposed by Brian Street in his paper Literacy and Development. One of the most important literary aspects that achieves Hird’s sense of an empathetic, self-aware and socially observant author is Hope’s narrative tone and style. Since most of the stories are written through first-person perspectives, the narrator is able to connect at a very personal level to the reader as though the happenings of the story are real. Each narrator’s feelings and emotions are captured through their own descriptions of them; allowing the reader to better understand their experiences. We are also subject to a large amount of narratorial interference (which at times, is arguably quite stifling) that serves to remind the reader of what the narrator is feeling at any exact moment. This ties in well to Hird’s stream-of-consciousness style of writing, in which thoughts and actions are described in real time. Present-tense also intensifies this reaction from the reader, as we are lead to know as much or as little as the protagonists do.  œ (Pg. 1 – 10, Hope’s best example of psychological realism) Present tense is used in many of the short stories in this collection (Hope, The Happening, Destination Anywhere, and Meat). Hird puts this device in place not only in order to allow the reader to live the events of the story at the same time the characters are; (there by making them more ‘alive’) but to compliment her inter-personal, nonchalant style of writing. For example, in Hope, the narrator explains: â€Å"We seem to become embroiled in this intense conversation as soon as we sit down. There’s none of that ridiculous small talk that Edinburgh people usually use to keep people at a distance till they’ve decided what to dislike about them. Hope appears to have angles on everything that I’d never even contemplated before†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hope, Chp. 2, pg.14)[3] This quote also implies a deep-seeded basis of empathy that is present within the narrator’s tone. It is with lines like â€Å"none of that ridiculous small talk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that shows a wanting for personal connection between the characters and indeed, the rest of the world around him. Past the confines of Hope’s apartment, this speaks volumes about the state of 21st Century Scottish culture. The previous passage is particularly interesting because of its implications towards contemporary Scottish culture. Here the subtext dictates that ordinary Scottish citizens are closed-off, reserved and un-involved with each other to the point of even disliking one another’s company. Whilst the narrative choice of first-person means that everything in the story is somewhat biased to an extent, the reader can see beyond that; and look into the real-life writer’s feelings about her surroundings. Such a blunt observation coupled with judgement (â€Å"what to dislike†) allows the confidence and self-assuredness of the writing to materialise plainly in the reader’s mind. Further to this, it can be said that although Hope is a product of the mid-2000s, it pays noticeable homage to mid-90s Scottish literature. For instance, Hird’s work has been said to be caught in a â€Å"Trainspotting hangover† [4] (Briscoe, 2006) – a nod to Scottish author Irvine Welsh. Hird herself has confessed also that she is a great admirer of Ian McEwan, author of Enduring Love[5], where her methodical approach to de-familiarization was born. The ideological model of literacy dictates that literature should be judged as social practice and not merely â€Å"technical and neutral skill†[6] (Street, 2000). It also describes a more culturally sensitive approach towards literacy than its counter – the autonomous model. This effectively directs the way that the book should be read; with more allusion towards a social commentary. Hird wrote this collection as a product of her own inherent knowledge and understanding of the working world. Her state of ‘being’ attaches itself to the stories, the characters and her choice of words throughout the entire book and results in enabling the reader to see her most-inner workings and the effects of the defensive, emotionally stale culture of Scotland in the 21st Century. Furthermore, the ideological model also commands the way in which the reader reads. Each reader’s conception of themselves and their identity becomes the root of their understanding of the text. Hope and Other Urban Tales then becomes a mix of both the author’s perceptions of being and the reader’s. Allowing the two perspectives to inter-twine as such culminates to a very personal response that elicits an extension of the reader’s set of prior beliefs. Whilst the 90’s have clearly influenced Hird and her attitudes to her art, the period has not distracted her from contemporary 21st Century culture with reference to the writer’s loyalty to her idols, such as Welsh[7] (Morace, 2001). Hird adheres to the stream-of-consciousness writing style popular in the mid-90s, as well as psychological realism[8] (Cuddon, 1999). This means that Hird’s characters are not content to merely explain the events of a story; they have to explain their motives and thoughts aswell. Interior monologues are therefore a staple technique employed in the collection, as well as narratorial interference, which is consistently present throughout every story involving first-person narration. These modernist techniques result in a slightly fragmented style of story-telling, in which the narrator’s character is arguably the most important aspect of the story, as not only do they tell the story, they act in it as well. The writer’s attitudes are most notably introduced in the title’s novella, Hope. Here we are subject to Martin’s (the story’s narrator) account of Scottish people, society and culture. Hird’s choice of syntax, her sentence structures and passages of time demonstrate a noticeable disassociation from the novella’s universe; it’s ‘real world’. This disassociation carries well into the collection’s escapist theme; which has been said to be the common link between every character in Hope and Other Urban Tales[9] (Alapi, 2006). Escape is mentioned in almost every story and implies an escape from the morally deprived society of the 21st Century. Whether this ‘escape’ is physical or metaphoric, it denotes the action of leaving a life behind, and it inhabits every story: In Hope: â€Å"I’ve got to get out of here. Go somewhere hot.† (Pg.2) In The Happening: â€Å"Annual leave is precious.† (Pg. 69) In Reanimation: â€Å"We need to get out. If we don’t go out now I’m afraid we’re never going to escape.† (Pg. 97) In Victims: â€Å"Would you leave them for meNever see them again?† (Pg. 166) In Destination Anywhere: â€Å"I’ve found, by experience, that running away is usually the answer. I have been running away since I was a kid.† (Pg. 203) In Meat: â€Å"Atleast it feels like I’m escaping for a little while.† (Pg. 217) (Most obvious examples) This escapist attitude stems from an inherent disassociation in every character. They could even be argued to be tragic heroes; who pave the way for their own downfalls through poorly guided actions. If each character maintained their innocence and their naivety, then they would be more comfortable and engaged with the world around them. As Hird clearly demonstrates through her incredibly observant narrations, these characters describe events and other people as if they are, on the most part, static and blind to real understanding (with the exception of Hope’s character in Hope: Pg. 1 – 69). There is therefore a feeling of superiority that parallels this and which results in a cynical, pessimistic writing style that implies dissatisfaction with the novel’s universe. Because the story is based upon the element of realism, this denotes dissatisfaction with the real world as well. The culture of the time is obviously a closed, harsh and faceless one. One that is controlled by television, rat-race artistic types as symbolically shown in Destination Anywhere by ‘the artist’, who remains nameless throughout, and money (Pg. 182). This theme of escape is symbolised effectively in Meat by a few different aspects. The initial death of the lamb being the most notable (Pg. 223 – 230). What reinforces this theme is how the father reacts to its death: â€Å"You know how much these things are worth?†[10] The father thinks only of the saving he will make if he brings the lamb home to be eaten, instead of deliberating on the tragedy to any kind of extent at all. He uses the death of the lamb as an escape from his son’s confession (Pg. 221). Instead of confronting his son about being homosexual, he â€Å"pushes [his son] away† (Pg. 222). The narrator’s father does not acknowledge his son whilst he is â€Å"clearing up†. These semiotics exhibit the â€Å"clearing up† of the relationship between father and son – the â€Å"dismantling† of his involvement with the situation. This metaphor leads to a physical symbol of escape: when the boy says in his interior monologue how he’s â€Å"not sure where we’re heading† (Pg. 222). The father takes country roads back from the fishing trip and drives through thick fog and darkness on the way. Fog traditionally symbolises foreboding, or the clouding of emotions. In this case, it symbolises the growth of the father’s anger and disappointment at his son because he is not addressing it. Instead he runs in both an emotional and physical sense – adding that he â€Å"doesn’t bloody know† why they are going the way they are (Pg. 223). Desperation to escape is therefore effectively symbolised here, as anywhere is better than being alone on that boat with his son. (Pgs. 221 – 230 are discussed h ere). To intensify the author’s allusion to characters that wish to escape their respective realities, we are permitted to see how it has affected Hope itself (or herself, as the case is); she does not own a television, and claims she â€Å"can’t stand it. The real opium of the masses. I can’t tell you how many good friends I’ve seen wither to death in front of the box. It’s worse than cancer† (Pg. 16). Here the author’s pessimism for the modern age again appears. Not even hope is un-tainted by it. Television is the most practical semiotic of the contemporary age, and here it is regarded as being a kind of poison that is transporting people away from reality. Hope seeks to stop the modern age entering his dwelling so she can remain in her own version of reality – thereby escaping the shared experience of â€Å"the masses†. (Pgs. 16 – 18 cover this issue). Escape is also demonstrated in the story Destination Anywhere, where we witness the result of contemporary TV culture on the youth. In this story, a thirteen-year-old girl appears at first to be genuinely interested in the narrator’s line of work (photography), and is the only one at the gallery party that will pay him any attention. Whilst this seems hopeful, the culture of drinking and drugs is once again introduced into the fabric of the text, and the girl transforms after her initial attempts at persuading the narrator to take photographs of her. Behind the closed doors of the narrator’s apartment, the reader witnesses her manipulative personality that she adopts in order to â€Å"become famous†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"proper famous† (Pg. 192). Hird makes this aspect even more disturbing by choosing a young girl to portray it – Thereby saying that the â€Å"innocent† young are far past being innocent. (Destination Anywhere begins on Pg. 181 and ends on Pg. 211). â€Å"She doesn’t have a hope in hell. I despise people like her. Jesus, even the youth don’t have any substance left any more. It depresses me.† (Pg. 192) Here we see how the narrator has developed a strong hatred for contemporary culture of all kinds, especially the new generation. This becomes intensified when he flees his own apartment after the child makes her manipulative intentions clear. He is forced to escape his private space, even, and enter society for a brief period of time. The narrator also details how â€Å"the sense that I may have just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life is tempered slightly by the feeling of relief at being away from her.† (Pg. 198). Escape becomes the thing that he desires most, regardless of the cost. Hird’s character comes across as dysfunctional and borderline weak-spirited in this regard, as all he seemingly wishes to do is run away from any situation. The reader’s expectations of her character are mis-informed, and the archetype is thoroughly mutated and transformed into something devoid of any soul or empathy. Characterisation here is truly impressive as a result, as we are made to share in the narrator’s hatred and frustration of the girl, after feeling like the narrator truly has the upper hand at the party: â€Å"Her face brightens as I walk towards her again. It’s almost a shame.† (Pg. 186). The reader wants to like the girl in the first part of the story, as she is a symbol of innocence; a symbol of hope. This is however juxtaposed by her comment â€Å"I’ll love you forever†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pg. 195). The quote is also important as it demonstrates how the modern age will even sell love and the immaterial in order for media exposure. Nothing is sacred in the new age’s eyes. Hird sees this. Structurally, the book is fairly one-sided; as if the prose is primarily constructed around â€Å"off-the-cuff one-liners†[11] (Taylor, 2009) that have spawned from the writer’s real-life observations. Not only does this make the prose hyper-real, but it adds to the chatty, micro-literate feel of the book aswell. Chapters often begin with very short statements that try to hook in the reader’s attention: â€Å"Time passes quickly.† (Pg. 23. Dependant clause). â€Å"The other day I killed a wasp.† (Pg. 93). â€Å"Ken. Perfect name for the bastard.† (Pg. 79). Hird recognises reader psychology in the sense that she knows shorter flashes of imagery will capture the attention of people quickly; set a scene for them or throw them into the physical action of a plotline. She also uses the same technique to conclude stories or chapters: â€Å"I can make myself like anyone.† (Pg. 10). Techniques like this serve to increase the deliverance of the prose, and enable easier-reading of the text. In conclusion, the main theme of Hope and Other Urban Tales surrounds the more deceptive, malicious personality traits of human beings on the fringes of a society-gone-wrong. Whilst these characters are documented as such, their behaviours culminate to real, balanced individuals with hidden pockets of tenderness underneath their hardened exteriors. The shared feeling of wishing to escape their respective realities is found in all the protagonists in question, yet the ways that these wishes materialise differ substantially as they all possess a realistic duality in their natures. The ideological model of literacy governs this reading of the prose and proves that culture, society and the writer’s own understanding of them has a deep all-around effect on the creation of such psychological texts. References Adams, J. (2003). Interview with Laura Hird. Available: http://www.barcelonareview.com/35/e_int_lh.htm. Last accessed 19/08/2013 Alapi, Z. (2006). The New Review. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/newreview/hopeandotherurbantales.html. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Blake, W. (1970). Songs of Innocence and Experience; Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. Oxford Paperbacks. ISBN-10: 0192810898. The Lamb, Pg. 1. Briscoe, J. (2006). Hope Springs Infernal. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/nov/11/featuresreviews.guardianreview21. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Caesar, M. (1999). Umberto Eco: Philosophy, Semiotics and the Work of Fiction. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 9780745608501. Pg. 55. Cuddon, J.A. (1999). The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, UK, Penguin Books, ISBN-10: 0140513639. Fairclough, N. (2001) Language and Power, UK, Longman, ISBN-10: 0582414830. Goodman, K. Goodman, Y. (1979) Theory and Practice of Early Reading, U.S., Routledge, ISBN-10: 0898590035. Learning to Read is Natural, pg. 137 – 54. Hird, L. (2009). Interview by Trev Taylor. Available: http://www.laurahird.com/. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Hird, L. (2006). Hope and Other Urban Tales, Scotland, Canongate Books, ISBN-10: 1841955736. McEwan, I. (1998). Enduring Love, UK, Vintage, ISBN-10: 0099276585. Morace, R. (2001). Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting: A Reader’s Guide, UK, Continuum International Publishing Group, ISBN 0-8264-5237-X. Randell, Stevenson. (1992). Modernist Fiction: An Introduction, The University of Kentucky, ISBN-10: 0813108144. The Scotsman. (2006). Hope Heralds a New Dawn. Available: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/hope-heralds-a-new-dawn-1-1416335. Last accessed 19/08/2013. Street, B. (2000). Literacy and Development: Ethnographic Perspectives, Introduction, London, Routledge, ISBN-10: 0415234514. Pg. 7 -8. Welsh, I. (1994). Trainspotting, UK, Vintage, ISBN-10: 0099465892.