Sunday, September 29, 2019
Is the film version of ââ¬ËOf Mice and Menââ¬â¢ inferior to the original novel Essay
ââ¬ËOf Mice and Menââ¬â¢ was written in 1937 during the great depression, by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck was born in 1902 in California; some of his other novels are The Red Pony, Cup of Gold, To a God Unknown, In Dubious Battle, Canary Row, Sweet Thursday and various others. After months of ill health, John Steinbeck died of heart failure in December 1968 and is buried in Salinas, California. The film was directed by Gary Sinise, and runs for approximately 115 minutes and was made in the USA. Of Mice and Men is suitable for adaptation as the plot line is not too complicated and the scenes will be relatively easy to make, on the other hand there are several problems, a various amount of the scenes in the book cannot be adapted for the film, such as when Lennie hallucinates by the river. The opening sequence opens with George and Lennieââ¬â¢s escape from Weed, this is set in a big open field, with vibrant colours this will get the audiences attention as vibrant colours give the impression of danger. The camera starts of in a long shot, this is important as it shows the audience her ripped dress, then the camera zooms in to a close up to show the tears and fear on her face. The opening in the film is much more dramatic to the one of the novel, the director choose the include this section because it gives a contrast from George being in a combined place on the train, to having dramatic colours and wide open space, this makes the film more dramatic and exciting for the audience. In the novel Curleyââ¬â¢s wife and Curley are never seen together, they are always looking for each other, the incident with Crooks is not included. In the film Curleyââ¬â¢s wife does not have red mules, and is not heavily made up, she is wearing white and pink this gives her the look of femininity and innocence, which will give a different portrayal of the character to the novel. She is always seen in doorways, for example when she sees George, the camera uses a mid shot so the audience can see both their reactions, Curleys wife is looking outside like she is looking out for Curley, she is giving him no eye contact this shows us that she is not trying to lead him on. George is giving her eye contact, this might be making her feel nervous as she starts the fiddle with her dress. In the novel she is shown as being a dangerous, flirty character whereas in the film she is made to be totally different, the director has chosen to portray her sympathetically this is because this will enforce more of a reaction when she dies, this makes the audience feel sympathy for her. George and Lennie are presented with more sympathy in the film than the novel, the novel is less extreme. When Lennie has the fight with Curley the camera is in mid shot and Lennie is sitting down, this makes him look more vulnerable. The director uses a strong use of sound in the scenes of the fight, the punches are made to sound loud, this can make the audience relate to Lennie. A close up is then on Georges face to show his concern for Lennie, then a extreme close up of Lennie is used, this is very dramatic way of showing a characters emotions, the audience can see Lennieââ¬â¢s angry eyes and almost makes the audience feel scared as he has blood on his face when he is breaking Curleyââ¬â¢s hand, this makes the film superior the reading the novel as the camera shots and sound can make more of an effect on the audience and makes Lennie and George more three dimensional, whereas the novel makes them seem more one dimensional. The beginning of the novel is very different as Steinbeck sets the scene in clear detail, he creates a peaceful atmosphere by using nature ââ¬Ëthe leaves lie so deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among themââ¬â¢. Unlike the novel the film shows an exciting and tense atmosphere. At the beginning of the film the director chooses to show George on a train, this scene is not included in the book because it would only work in a film, the director uses a haunting shilling melody lingering in the background, the camera shot focuses on a lonely figure crouched in the corner. By using this scene at the beginning it grabs the audienceââ¬â¢s attention and a spirited mood is set in the audience, he sets a stark contrast between that scene and the one that follows. This scene shows George sitting in the dark, which shows more about him than in the novel it shows that George is in the dark. The film relates to Steinbeck descriptive prose well, but some scenes could have been presented more like the book. In my opinion the film does do the film justice, but some characters could have been presented more like the characters in the book, for example Curleyââ¬â¢s wife, she is presented to be a flirty and dangerous character in the book and presented as a feminine vulnerable character in the film. The scenes are set in different ways but are successful in giving the audience the same amount of emotion as in the novel. The scenes that are in the novel that are not included in the film are not important and they are replaced with scene of the same importance that are easier to make. Overall the film is a good adaptation of the novel.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
The Influence of the 9/11 Tragedy On the Marketplace
The Influence of the 9/11 Tragedy On the Marketplace The Fundamentals of the Market In post 9/11 America, identity regarding gender, race, and class flipped completely, causing many members in contemporary American society to question themselves and their worth in the United States. In the novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid, readers are able to track the influence of the 9/11 tragedy into the marketplace, corporate America, and living life in general in America through his main character, Changez. Changez is a hardworking individual that experiences racial discrimination while participating in corporate Americas market fundamentals a tragic mix of being destined to fail, and racial inequality for those working in the field. The dehumanizing nature of post 9/11 America sends influential shivers down the spine of corporate America and bleeds into the work place for minorities through the way Changez interacts with his coworkers, regular citizens, and the market in general. When Changez reflects on what makes Underwood Samson so different and reveals American ideals and culture, he recalls a conversation with Sherman It was a testament to the systematic pragmatism call it professionalism that underpins your countrys success in so many fields (Hamid 36). While Changez understands the old adage of business is business, he still finds it hard to believe the stark differnce between Underwood Samson and when he was a student at Princeton, at Princeton, learning was imbued with an aura of creativity; at Underwood Samson, creativity was not excised it was still present and valued but it ceded its primacy to efficiency (Hamid 37). This instance of reflection by Changez reveals several things about Underwood Samson, not only the fact that it promotes a lifeless atmosphere and hires people who do not encompass a team attitude, but it is open about this. While they boast this hard knocks theory of working, they do so to devalue the life of Changez, and get a leg up against him. This establishes the mantra of corporate America even if you can help in some way, it is not about what you know, but who you know. Hamid writes, through the trials of Changez, this dehumanization of a minority in a post 9/11 setting. Hamid communicates these ideals through the way he is handled in the work place, with several interactions that are cringe worthy and generally unfortunate. In Peter Moreys article, The rules of he game have changed: Mohsin Hamids The Reluctant Fundamentalist and post-9/11 fiction, Morey recognizes the intent of Hamid while also appreciating and informing his own readers about what literature framed in this time period does not only for the sake of the novels plot, but for the community at large, and how writing about these injustices helps reconfigure the main tropes of corporate America. While Morey understands that the initial reaction for many of Hamids readers is to have an immense sense of nationalism when reacting to the tragedy of 9/11, he identifies this book as something that challenges that nationalism by exposing what really happens when speaking about minorities participating in corporate America. Morey also claims that the novel defamiliarizes our relation to literary projects of national identification (Morey 136), a tactic that allows Hamids readers to exit their comfort zone in order to feel what someone from the outside might feel. Hamids unreliable narrator also aids this literary strategy because it reaches out to Hamids main audience people living in America in this post 9/11 world. It makes it more understandable to view the re-institution of learning these fundamentals through the eyes of someone who does not approve of them, and is incredibly suspicious of them at the same time. Just as Changez is ready and willing to break down the American system of doing things, he certainly also is not afraid to speak up about it. Hamid adjusts his readers lens at the end of the novel to see Changez as someone to trusts, as opposed to the unreliable, ever-changing narrator we grew to know him as. Changez reflects later in the novel about his distrust with the American way, specifically referring to Americans and America using the word you (Hamid 168). This word choice sticks out because it is used to describe a nation that has theoretically given Changez so much, but in reality, it has chewed him up thoroughly and spat him out. This reflection from Changez addresses what he truly feels about the manifestation of corporate America into the modern society which he has had so much trouble with living, believing, and trusting it. He belittles America and labels America acting out the beliefs which he understands as myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority (Hamid 168) by claiming Americans threw a tantrum for the rest of the world to clean up. Essentially, the way America handles change and indifference makes them less superior, and framing this theory through the lens of the work place allows readers to understand exactly what Changez sees about America. While his ideas are justified, he sees the corporate world, and almost exclusively the parts of American culture that exhibit the dire competitive nature of how America functions. In the environment he experiences, he obviously expects competition, but never to the point of public humiliation and dehumanization that comes to physical confrontation. One instance of Changez experiencing this was when he was when he finally decides he has had enough of Underwood Samson, and he decides to quit. As Changez leaves Jims office for the final time, he writes that almost non of the fellow employees even bother to look up from their work and see him out. He confesses that even Wainwright, the man he considered to be looking out for him, does not bother to show any real affection or love towards him. In fact, Changez feels violated even in his parting, thinking the others, if they bothered to look at me at all, did so with evident unease and, in some cases, a fear which would not have been ina ppropriate had I been convicted of plotting to kill them rather than of abandoning my post in mid-assignment (Hamid 160). This was the last straw for Changez, and the irony lies in these actions from his co-workers because while they put on a facade throughout the entirety of his employment at Underwood Samson, they pretend to be a team. They speak like they are working together for a common goal, however in reality, they break Changez down consistently throughout the novel both mentally and physically. While most of post 9/11 America, was busy mourning the loss of many lives in the tragic incidents, many people were preaching the importance of staying close together. The president at the time, George Bush, told people to remain close, and to remember what America consisted of brave, powerful, and strong people that cared deeply about their country and who belonged to it. However, as reflected by the actions of Underwood Samson, unity in a post 9/11 America is selective. Those whom you choose to unite with should be looking out for you, essentially, but besides the core people, there is no room for charity when it comes to corporate America. Unity, to the members of Underwood Samson, should only be used for your own benefit, instead of following the actual definition of the word, being inclusive. These fundamentals that have been unfortunately framed by 9/11 and the culture of America post 9/11 are designed to be inclusive, yet are incredibly discriminatory. The execution, as shown by the actions of the American characters in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, are fairly poor while exhibiting the Americans fatal flaw of caring too much about other people and their impending business. The interaction that Changez shares with his former co-workers is then also highlighted by the way he is forced to leave. The guards did not leave me until I was outside the building, and it was only then that I allowed myself to rub my eyes with the back of my hand, for they had been watering slightly (Hamid 160). Up until this point in the novel, explicit emotion responding to this American aggression has been difficult to capture from Changez. While we see his physical and mental response, readers have not seen him cry tears of frustration, disappointment, and pure anger. Here, readers are allowed into the world of our narrator, Changez, and how even at the end of his time at Underwood Samson, he identifies that his hunches he once had, especially at the beginning of the novel, turned out to be true. Michael Kimmel, author of the essay Masculine Entitlement and the Future of Terrorism, displays the white perception of 9/11 and how anybody of a different color or origin will automatically be seen as an outsider who is stealing their place at the table (Kimmel 617). While Kimmel does not directly relate his argument to The Reluctant Fundamentalist, his argument does explain a lot of the possible motives and motivations that some of the other characters might feel towards Changez. While it is inexcusable, Kimmel sheds a little light on why they might do what they do. This aching fear of losing a job, or being ousted by an outsider that is displayed in physical aggression and attempted mental breakdowns from the other characters stems directly from Americas post 9/11 culture. In Changezs struggles to adapt to American culture, he is met with another difficulty that places him under a deep spell of confusion. He is confronted by many people at Underwood Samson about the fact that he allows his beard to grow out, I was subjected to verbal abuse by complete strangers, and at Underwood Samson I seemed to become overnight a subject of whispers and stares (Hamid 130). Not only does this puzzle him deeply as to why anyone would care about how he wore his hair, but he is deeply concerned that the one other minority at his company, Wainwright, insults his culture and heritage by making a rude and demeaning comment about his beard, saying They are common where I come from, I told him. Jerk chicken is common where I come from, he replied, but I dont go sme ar it all over my face. You need to be careful. This whole corporate collegiality veneer only goes so deep' (Hamid 130-31). This dialogue between Wainwright and Changez tells readers how little his coworkers care for him, and even more surprisingly, the ones who supposedly do care for him really do not. While Wainwright sounds like he is protecting him by telling him to shave his beard, he cannot allow himself to give Changez any advice without giving him his own personal insult. Part of the reason Wainwright expresses himself in such a way is the divide between not knowing exactly what to say to help Changez and the trouble with American society. On some level, he wants to help Changez, but on another, he wants to stay secure in his own skin, and to fit in with all the other corporate clones that they both work with. Besides the verbal abuse that Changez receives from everyone, the mental intimidation factor is incredibly high, especially in a high-pressured office such as Underwood Samson. In addition to Wainwright showing his true colors, many of the people that surround Changez show themselves to him shamelessly with their dehumanization. This is done on a strangerly, face-to-face basis through aggressive discourse that is not only offensive to Changez, but several other cultures that misinformed Americans often confuse together, especially after the events of 9/11. In the parking lot after leaving work, Changez is confronted by a man who begins to make noises at him, mocking the way he looks, and evidently labeling him as a fucking Arab' (Hamid 117). This exchange is wildly harmful because as Changez greets the man mocking him, he thinks he might be mad, or drunk; I thought also that he might be a mugger, and I prepared to defend myself to strike (Hamid 117). However, as the man began to approach Changez, he slowly realizes that the man does not want anything from Changez, he comes to recognize that this man is merely racist. Changez can see that this man does not want to harm him physically, just to pass along hateful discourse for his own enjoyment. It is with a confused and angry response that Changez questions this idea of working as a team, and Americas ideals in general. After a few murderous seconds (Hamid 118), Changez and his attacker chose to not physically confront each other, which was most likely in the best interest of the attac ker. However, this does not absolve any part of the conflict for either party. Changez walks away shaken, not knowing what to do, and questioning the morals of the American citizens he is supposed to be respecting and striving to be like. Mahmood Mamdani, author of the essay Good Muslim, Bad Muslim works to approach American readers on how not to talk about Islam and politics two very controversial and fragile topics of discussion among common Americans. I found this essay interesting because it connects some of the similar topics Mohsin Hamid attempts to bridge in his novel. In the essay, Mamdani writes about George Bushs public flirtation with the idea of an anti-Muslim crusade, (Mamdani 24), something that sounds slightly outrageous to a more modern audience, but was tragically true. In this post 9/11 warzone of America, Bush would continuously preach to Americans about distinguishing good Muslims from bad Muslims' (Mamdani 24). While Bush did this, many people saw this proclamation as an opportunity to implement this into their workplace rituals and everyday routines, something we see prime examples of in the characters in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. After 9/11, many Americans, similar to those we see directly in the novel, decided to make this assumed religion, meaning anyone who was suspected to practice Islam, was a political problem. If someone appeared, to a white American, to be Muslim, they should be placed in the good or bad category, and should be dealt with accordingly. The good vs. bad culture that was raised in the United States produced toxic mindsets that evidently leaked into the way people lived their lives, which is what Hamid tries to teach his readers in his novel. The politicization of culture appears to be a direct result of the Bush administration, and although not every single American thought/thinks like this, there are the select groups that really believe in this Us vs. Them discourse that continues, to the dismay of many, to this day in the United States of America, the supposed greatest country on Earth. Studying this odd dichotomy between those who have reserved their seat at the table of corporate America and those who are begging for the scraps brings about many interesting arguments and analyses. Mohsin Hamid, through the dialogue, plot, and interesting and powerful character dynamics pioneers his way through the epicenter of writing literature through the scope of post 9/11 America. Hamid trains his readers not to trust his narrator, just as the narrator should never trust those he deals with, to put his readers in a similar seat as Changez. This novel, just like many novels similar to it, is meant to make readers uncomfortable, yet it is also used to instruct, teach, and challenge the readers connotations of America, specifically after 9/11, and how we, as a nation, deal with problems on a large and small scale. These fundamentals that we have discussed throughout the study of this novel are not something Changez wants to subscribe to. In his efforts to become like the people he hates, he realizes the toxicity and the hardships that he must endure to do something he does not exactly want to do with the same people that falsely supported him throughout his journey. On a large scale, this is an inverse coming of age novel, one in which the protagonist realizes that coming of age is not exactly what he is meant to do, especially not in America. Hamid paints these lessons well and continues to write with a purpose throughout the entire novel, not once letting up his grip on telling the story of a man whose ambition was stolen by the crooked setup of the American corporate realm, the government, and the society in general.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Analysis of Dulzara Poem by Sandra Cisneros Essay - 5
Analysis of Dulzara Poem by Sandra Cisneros - Essay Example She wants to soothe him with her love and affection. She wants to sing the night song for him when they are together expressing her true affection for him. The poem follows a natural and conversational style. In this poem, the writer is talking to her lover in a simple tone and asks him to show his emotions in her favorite language. The use of two different languages i.e. English and Spanish shows her wide range of ideas and thoughts incorporated into her words. In the next few lines, the writer expresses her love for her lover. It is natural that boys express their love first followed by the girls. So the first lines inquired the lover to show his love, and now the female part of the couple is coming out of her shell to show her warmth of love. She desires him to stay in her heart forever. ââ¬Å"Mouth of my Heartâ⬠is a beautiful phrase that emphasizes that staying in the heart is a broad term, and specifying the exact portion of heart carries a deep meaning. As mouth carries special significance for our body, hence ââ¬Å"Mouth of my Heartâ⬠may be considered as the main portion of the heart that contains the imaginary tongue to express the feelings of love and affection. In the next stanza, Sandra continues to show her love for her lover that she wants him to be encompassed in her hands forever. She doesnââ¬â¢t want to leave him at any cost. He carries great value in her eyes thatââ¬â¢s why it is very difficult for her to leave him. She gives the resemblance of the meat of the wrist to the sweetness of the mango. She wears the gold ornaments and jewelry that dangles time and again from her ears and neck as she meets him. In the last few lines, the writer demands her lover to call her name with love and affection. Her name should be called with true emotions and love. The way it deserves to be said means that the lover should call her with names like darling, cutie pie, dear etc.Ã
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Changing Women status Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Changing Women status - Essay Example The conservatives as usual took a pro-patriarchy position which aims at chaining the women to the clutches of family and patriarchy. They also highlight the role of gender hierarchy in shaping the wider Korean culture. It is also an open argument for preserving the structures which keep the Korean women subordinate to their male counterparts. The pro-women groups have always maintained that the essence of democracy lies in gender equality. Extension of Korean democracy is by definition linked to widening of democracy to transform the existing gender relations. The Women Sub-species and the Gendered Nation The very lack of discussion on issues affecting women was one of the defining features of the Korean political system. For instance, the issue sex workers in Korea who mainly live by the surrounding areas of American military bases were never discussed by the civil society as they were seen as the ââ¬Å"comfort womenâ⬠. Choi is of the view that ââ¬Å"what should be shocking i s that the chongsindae issue has never been debated in Korea or elsewhereâ⬠(98). The general invisibility of the women and marginalization of womenââ¬â¢s issues in particular had been at the center of protecting patriarchy in Korea. According to Moon, the mainstream nationalist discourse in Korea presupposes that ââ¬Å"while men are the founders of the nation with heavenly origins, righteous warriors or patriotic soldiers, and heads of households, women have sub-human origins and are the bearers of sons who will inherit the nation and defend itâ⬠(57). It means that men are consider to be the original citizens by the so-called Korean democracy and women degraded to the status of modern serfs. It has been pointed out that, especially by Choi, ââ¬Å"long before World War II, the Japanese colonial exploitation left poor women with little choice but to perform hard labor in Japan. It was part of the way the Japanese exploited women in general to speed industrializationâ ⬠(99). Therefore, one could easily argue that womenââ¬â¢s empowerment is very much a question of decolonization in general as colonialism always consider the subjugation of women as a structural need. It is also important to look at the overlapping between colonialism, neo-colonialism and capitalism in womenââ¬â¢s oppression in Korea. Choi points out that, as argued by the socialist feminists in Korea that ââ¬Å"patriarchy is an essential instrument of capitalism and the never ending process of capitalist accumulation is not possible without an asymmetrical male-female relationship that enables domination and exploitation of women and thus maximizes the surplus value, the profit gained by holding down production costs, particularly wagesâ⬠(115). As more women are working with multinational companies, the exploitation women is being enhanced. As a primary step for achieving greater gender equality, the old family laws must be totally eradicated. In Korea, the debate on nation-building is essentially linked to the question what role women must play in both family and the society in general. This standpoint is fortunately part of both the pro-feminist and anti-women discourses. In the colonial period, the family laws were considered as inherently part of the Korean tradition.
Financial relief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Financial relief - Essay Example These factors include the ages of Megan and Hugh and the duration of their marriage, contributions made by Megan through her income, looking after their home and children, the familyââ¬â¢s needs, assets and earning capabilities of Hugh and Megan, the age, mental, physical and emotional well being of both Megan and Hugh, their standard of living before separation, and whether being the custodian of the children will limit Megan from earning a substantial income. Hughââ¬â¢s adultery, which is said to have begun since their first born was born, will not be considered in determining whether to award spousal maintenance to Megan. According to Rossini, alimony ââ¬Å"is separate and apart from monies paid for financially dependent children as child support. In some jurisdictions under certain conditions, alimony may be taxable income for the recipient (and deductible for the payor).â⬠2 It is possible for the court to assess Meganââ¬â¢s needs and decide on whether to award he r compensatory maintenance to enable her to save and ease her transition on the fact that had she not gotten married and given up her well paying job to look after the kids, her career just like Hughââ¬â¢s would have progressed. The Ages of Megan and Hugh and the Duration of their Marriage Determination of Meganââ¬â¢s eligibility for spousal maintenance is a vital consideration by the court. The ages of Megan and Hugh are important in determining how easily each of them can make a fresh start, which has a profound impact on their resources and expenditure in future. The length of their marriage is also important in determining how they ought to share assets and Hughââ¬â¢s income. In the United Kingdom, a marriage of four years is considered as a short one, while a marriage of twenty five years is considered as a long one.3 Megan and Hugh have been married for more than four years making their marriage a long one. They are both however not too old to remarry making it easy f or both of them to start their married lives afresh with other spouses in future. This is especially true from the fact that their first born is fifteen years old and their youngest son is below ten years of age. The fact that Megan and Hugh have been married for a considerable length of time makes Megan eligible for spousal support. Contributions Made by Megan through Her Income, Looking After Their Home, and Children Financial contributions made by a spouse as well as other contributions in the home are a necessary consideration in determination for spousal maintenance. In Meganââ¬â¢s case, she has definitely made financial contributions in the home, especially at the time when she had a well paying job. Although it is not clear whether she contributed in buying the property at Hertford, she has made financial contributions in the joint building society savings. She also left a well paying job to be the primary homemaker and take care of the children. According to Boele-Woelki et al., ââ¬Å"
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
An Analysis of the Impact of Internet on Consumer Buying Behaviour Dissertation
An Analysis of the Impact of Internet on Consumer Buying Behaviour - Dissertation Example The consumer buying process is a complex process and one of the important areas of investigation for researchers. A number of studies have been conducted to study the consumer buying behaviour. The increasing complexity of consumer buying behaviour is also brought by the online shopping. All theoretical models describing the behaviour of traditional consumers have gone outdated. Marketers have become more interested in studying the behaviour of consumers under the influence of internet. The 4Ps of marketing mix are the major controllable tools to affect the buying behaviour of consumers whereas the elements experienced by the consumer during virtual interaction are the controllable factors in the case of web consumers thereby, indicating that traditional and online marketers use different tools to influence the buying behaviour of consumers. Although a significant work has been done to study the factors which influence the consumer buying behaviour however, most of these studies give more focus on the factors that influence the behaviour rather than studying the impact of the factors on buying behaviour. The product information, the time they spent on internet and the number of daily emails, are the top factors influencing the consumer buying behaviour on the internet.... The product information, the time they spent on internet and the number of daily emails, are the top factors influencing the consumer buying behaviour on the internet (Bellman, Lohse & Johnson, 1999). On the other hand, some studies have ended up with the findings that web consumers and traditional consumers are becoming similar in their buying behaviour. The web consumers are becoming more like the traditional consumers, at least in the United States therefore, companies should create web designs for an audience that is less educated, less web know-how, less technology know-how and earning less (Lohse & Johnson, 1999). A few studies have identified some important factors that can be evaluated to study the impact of internet on consumer buying behaviour. The black box model of Kotler in consumer buying behaviour describes that the external factors including the marketing mix and demographics, economic, situational, social and lifestyle factors and buyerââ¬â¢s mind such as his beli efs, values and decision making process are the determinants of purchase decision (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010, pp. 161). Actually Kotler has provided two set of factors including the external factors and the internal factors which may influence the buyer behaviour. This model gives an idea that knowing the characteristics of vendors and buyers are important to study the consumer purchase decision for example, product information and pricing are the controllable factors of vendors and personal nature of buyer like his/her beliefs, social nature etc are the controllable factors of buyers. The perceived dependability of the online vendors and less uncertainty involved in online buying increase the likelihood of online purchase (Teo & Yu, 2005). The level of trust and
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Why white-collar crimes are committed (criminology theory) Essay
Why white-collar crimes are committed (criminology theory) - Essay Example Edwin H. Sutherland coined the term "white-collar crime" in 1940 and his theory states that white-collar crime occurs because of exposure to other white-collar criminals, called the Differential Association Theory. This holds true today, although theories of criminology have been broadened and made more complex due to the advent of new technologies that enable new kinds of white-collar crime. Still, Sutherland's theory seems to make the most sense in terms of why white-collar crime has become so prevalent. The simple pain vs. pleasure theory also applies, to a point. White-collar crime is often committed through a systematic deployment of certain transactions, either personal or electronic, that shifts assets from one place to another (the white-collar criminal's hands). If we look at the more common views of white collar crime that have come to public attention in recent years, we can start with Ford Motors in the 1970's; three young women were killed in an accident involving a Ford Pinto; it was found that the gas tank feeder tube in the trunk was in a vulnerable position and prone to explode upon impact in a rear-end collision. Ford saw that re-fitting the tubes would increase the production cost of each car by about eleven dollars, so the company refrained from making any changes for seven years; finally, Ford was forced to recall the cars (W. Sue Feinstein, 1996). This would be one profile of white-collar crime: negligence with the motivation to retain profits. In this case, the victims were the 500 or so people who died as a result of the defective gas feed tubes. In addition to the Differential Association theory is the Self Control Theory Of Delinquency, also applied to white-collar criminals. Defined as "acts of force or fraud undertaken in pursuit of self interest" (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990, p. 15), one can see where the Ford crime fit within this theory, the corporation being the "self" in self-interest. A look at the famed S&L scandal in the 1980's is an example of how white-collar crime affects the economy. The basic chronology of events began when deregulation enabled S&L corporations to lend money to themselves. In 1980, the FDIC insurance was raised from $40,000 to $100,000. While there were several factors that doomed the S&L industry, such as fixed interest rates on home loans and sudden inflation. The most notorious white-collar criminal involved in the S&L failures was Charles Keating of Lincoln Savings in Irvine, California. He allegedly duped customers into buying "junk bonds" and extracted $1 million from Lincoln Savings in anticipation of the company's collapse, which happened weeks later (Wikipedia). All convictions were later overturned through plea-bargaining and other legal maneuvers, and Keating maintained that the blame for the downfall of Lincoln Savings was with the government regulators and not his actions. This act of white-collar crime fits the bill for both theories named above; Keating was acting in self-interest without regard for the well being of Lincoln or its customers. Of course, we cannot overlook Enron. The story is complex and frightening with the implications for the
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