Ishmael Bernal and Religious Interpretations Essay Example for Free

Ishmael Bernal and Religious Interpretations EssayIshmael Bernals characterizations have received countless acknowledgements through tell apart on the years because of his unique style of working out patterns of symbolic details (Lumbera 25). And through these patterns, Bernal was able to portray his views on things as an auteur. This paper examines his interpretations of faith and religious activities through his films. But this all includes three of his flora Manila by night (1980), Himala (1982), and Hinugot sa Langit (1985). These three films devotional approaches are analyzed by both their mise-en- snap and fabula. On that note, religion as tackled in this paper only pertains to the Filipino religion of Christianity/Catholicism, since Bernals films appear to be only on the Catholics view. How did Bernal attack Catholicism? Why did he represent the terra firmas most widespread religion in that manner? What are the implications of his works on the era during such film s were distri only ifed? How do these films affect the contemporary clipping? And what do these films impose on the society and on the religion majority of it believes in?Hence, this paper has these films examined through the eyes of a spectator, and relates that analogy to Bernals make philosophies as an auteur. Religion in Mise-En-Scene and Iconographies Through the apparatus theory, Bernals religious interpretations in his works can be examined. Ponsfords Film Theory and manner of speaking from media. edusites. co. uk says apparatus theory suggests that film is created to illustrate different ideas and that everything has meaning even starting from the camerawork up to the editing.Manila by Night is a drama film do by Bernal in 1980. It is a multiple-charactered film where the characters existences in the city were unveiled as they live by the ruthlessness of drugs, poverty, adultery, and lust. In Manila by Night, Bernal constantly utilize iconographies and effigies of divin e entities in several sex scenes through elaborate camerawork and editing. An example is a scene where a couple (Adelina, played by Moreno and Pebrero, played by Ojeda) who routinely cheated on each other(a) make love while religious icons peered over them (Santos 21).There is another sex scene where instead of figures, Bernal focused a shot on a chaplet necklace worn by the indolent college guy (Alex, played by Martinez) for a a few(prenominal) seconds incisively before he had premarital sex with his daughterfriend (Vanessa, played by Alajar). Bernal not only used these icons in sex scenes. In ane scene where the neurotic mother of Alex, Virgie (Solis), trashed their home when she found out he was doing drugs, multiple shots of religious statues were shown simultaneously with the scene of flying plates and broken furniture in the screen.Hinugot sa Langit to a fault has a remarkable mise-en-scene in terms of religious interpretations. It is a film roughly infidelity, unwanted pregnancy, and abortion. In the scene where Carmen (Soriano) was rushed to the hospital afterward attempting to commit suicide, the disparity between the two conflicting characters of Aling Juling (Solis) and Stella (Austria) was inducely depicted. Aling Juling, cosmos the sanctimonious that she was, gave the feeble Carmen her Holy Bible, hoping that it helps Carmen as it did to her.Seconds after Aling Juling left the room, Stella put a bag of apples on top of the bible as she jokingly referred to it as holy mansanas (apples) which may be interpreted as the apple Eve took from the punic snake in the Garden of Eden. The style Bernal had in Manila by Night was unbosom used in Hinugot sa Langit. There was the scene of Mang Davids (Ventura) kids wake where an image of Christ hung over Carmen and Mang Davids backs as they talked to the highest degree the latters debts from Aling Juling.Theres still that style but other sightings of the religious icons and statues were not shown i n that ambiguous manner anymore instead they were shown conspicuously to prove a point like every while Aling Juling conducted prayer meetings and worship time. The irony in showing religious images and sinful acts simultaneously is an apparent symbolism of the societal hypocrisy towards faith and Christianity. Morality Issues on Manila by Night, Himala, and Hinugot sa Langit These three films are all packed with morality issues and what are morality issues if there is no religion?Morality, I believe, is bound by the norms and rules of whatever religion an individual believes in. Therefore, people do what for them is right because the religion they keep their faith in tells them to do so. Himala is a story of a girl named Elsa (Aunor) who claims to have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary on the top of the very hill where she was found by her non-biological mother years ago when she was still a baby. Since then Elsa started to heal people through the use of the power that was allegedly b estowed upon her by the Virgin Mary.She was situated in a small town called Cupang where the body politic was ever so dry because of a curse from long time ago. Since then people came flocking to Elsas house to seek treatment from her miracles. She had her own followers and a bunch of detractors. In the end, when she faced piles of troublesfrom not being able to heal anymore to being raped along with her best friend who later on on committed suicideshe came clean and announced that there is no miracle, that it is the people who create their own miracles.She was shot dead at that same moment. The morality issues in this film is particularly apparent during the time when documentarist Orly (Manikan) battles with himself whether to have Elsa and Chayongs (Centeno) rape video shown to the public. In the end he seeks help from the priest, which only made it clear that his decisions still depended largely on the Catholic opinion even though he was a self-proclaimed atheist right from t he start. Manila by Night touches more morality issues than Himala.Since it is a film using a multiple-character format, the struggles each persona faces vary. There was a cheating guy (Pebrero), a liar aggrieve (Adelina), a hypocritical ex-prostitute (Virgie), a happy-go-lucky gay (Manay Sharon), a dope-pusher lesbian (Kano), a device whore (Bea), a college dropout (Alex), and his girlfriend (Vanessa). Their characters differ from each other but whats uncanny about it was that their lives intertwine one way or another.Set in the city during a time when peoples freedom was being suppressed, these characters faced the question of what to do in times like that. Whether they hold on to their principles and strive to live for the good or just continue their dishonest lives to be able to endure everything and coexist. In a country where Catholicism is dominant, what Bernal showed in Manila by Night questions the values the religion upholds for its followers.The ending of the film where after all the mayhem that happened in the city during the past night seemed to be forgotten and the characters are portrayed as dull citizens living their routinely-charged lives is a strong point for proving how people trapped in the confusion of whats good or evil can act as two-faced individuals who eventually become victims of the system. Hinugot sa Langit, on the other hand, tackles a more brazen topic thats related to religion abortion.When Carmen found out she was having Jerrys (Tantay) child, she was faced with only two preferences one is to keep it and the other is to abort. The problem the film earlier gave was that Jerry was already married with someone else and he made it clear right from the start that he didnt want anything to do with the child Carmen was carrying. This, on top of the incessant urging of her straightforward cousin Stella, pushed Carmen to the edge of option number two. But her landlady, Aling Juling, insisted otherwisesaying abortion is a sin to God .As Carmens pregnancy became relatively closer to three months (which is the point when a mere embryo becomes human according to the abortionist) she began thinking about the issue of whether abortion is already an act of get the better ofing or not. But eventually, she chose to have abortion. good the end of the film where she pounded on Mang David for stabbing Aling Juling to death, Bernal used a brilliant camera shift from Mang Davids staring face to Carmens while she was yelling, Wala kang karapatang pumatay ng tao You have no right to murder anyone ), as if giving the former a reason to say that she did not have any right to kill her child either. As Oggs Cruz put it in his blog, Hinugot sa Langit may be branded as preachy and anti-abortion but in reality, the film has side stories that suggest a more pressing issue societal hypocrisy. This is not only apparent in the abortion issue but to a fault in Aling Julings actions. Its just that, as Cruz again puts it, abortion is th e most telling of issues.The Philippines being a prominently Catholic nation declares abortion as criminally and virtuously wrong yet funnily, the practice is unwrittenly accepted among women who are time-pressed with a decision. Elsa and Aling Juling While Manila by Nights interpretations of religion banks largely on its mise-en-scene, what Bernal created in Himala and Hinugot sa Langit were characters who seemed to embody the divine and through them, Bernal showed how false devotions and idolatry can be misleading.Elsas alleged involvement with the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary made her just as acred as the holy mother of Christ in the peoples eyes. She became, in an obvious way, the peoples source of blind faith that led them to their own pits of darkness as shown in the last part of the film where healthy and sick people alike experienced a stampede that caused them physical pain. This false faith is overly ostensible in Aling Julings character in Hinugot sa Langit. Ev en from the start of the film, her character already be to be a hypocrite. She dressed conservatively, regularly attended prayer and worship meetings, firmly discouraged Carmen to do an abortion, and constantly spoke about the Divine.But she also wanted to have the informal settlers removed from her land at any cost just to be able to build a chapel, claiming it is for the greater good. Aling Juling prove to be the perfect devotee, but failed to act as a true child of God for the other people and there lies the biggest fallacy built in her persona. There was also one scene where Carmen and Aling Juling went into a brief screaming match about how should the former handle her problems.In the one line of Carmen saying, Ano pa bang gusto Niya (pertaining to God), ano pa bang gusto mo? What else does He want, what else do you want? ), the character of Aling Juling seemed to be a symbolism of the god Carmen had come to believe in. Instead of the all-powerful, all-knowing One, because of her problems, Carmen landed on believing Aling Julings preaching as that of Gods. Elsa and Aling Juling both died at the end, and both by being brutally attacked. What I see in this phenomenon is the attempt to kill off the wrong and misrepresentative beliefs brought about by these two characters, and probably the only way Bernal suggests to do that is through a vicious, one-time manner.Bernal as Auteur This paper is not about Bernal but about the works of Bernal. But since he is an auteur, understanding his background is essential in understanding the concepts behind his works. The auteur theory proposes that the director is the author of the film and that the director is the primary creative source, therefore the films produced express the directors distinctive pot of the world (Pramaggiore and Wallis 398).Therefore, his politics mirror his representation of religion, thus making his films a reflection of his own beliefs. According to Bayani Santos Bernal as Auteur, Ishmael appr eciated the values of Gregorio Aglipay and Catholicism. He also admired the disciplines of Iglesia Ni Cristo but criticized it for its exploitation of religion in politics. It was also said that he respected Catholicism as faith, but always qualified it with a historical reminder of its political and economic crimes against the nation (Santos 19).It was also said in the same article that Bernals view of shoal Catholicism among Filipinos as facts of Philippine life was not just mocking jibes against superficial religiosity but rather accurate descriptions, as synecdochical of Philippine reality and having the satirical impact arrive after a realization by the audience that, indeed, the descriptions are us (21). Bayani continued on to saying that Bernals politics are deeply buried in many of his works (31). His politics involve not only his aforementioned views on Philippine religion but also his involvement in communism.This notion is perceivable in the three films being analyzed by this paper. In Manila by Night, Bernal took jibes on Martial rectitude more than anything. In Hinugot sa Langit, he showed the desperate situation of the poor in a script that scrupulously avoided overt political gossip (31). In Himala he managed to speculate a Marxist view of religion as an opiate when Elsas death became a dismaying reversion to push-down list cult and fanaticism (31). Bernals Films then and now These three films were produced during the second golden age of the Philippine celluloid, during the years that mark off the end of the Marcos Martial Law regime.Bernals films were acclaimed during those times because both the films and timing were apt to belong to the cinema that recognizes the struggle as the most gigantic cultural, scientific, and artistic manifestation our time, the third cinema (Solanas and Gettino 47). This is what makes Bernals films timeless. The impact these films made during those times were huge. Bernal revealed how the Marcos regime exploi ted the Filipinos. This is overtly seen in Manila by Night, where his depiction of the supposed city to signify the unfermented Society is the exact opposite of it.The term New Society claimed that the dictatorship had eradicated corruption and transformed Philippine society (Lumbera 359). This same New Society was also exploited, although for good reasons, by Bernal in his film Himala. According to Lumbera, Himala criticized the manipulative religiosity of this society which drew the peoples attention away from the realities of poverty, violence, and moral dilapidate (359). This, however, is still manifested in the present time. There is this one scene in Himala that is applicable to both the past and present times.When people started coming to Cupang for Elsa and Elsas apostles used the water Elsa blessed for profit, it was a hypocritical move on the side of Elsa and her followers to lure people into giving them money when all they were meant to do in the first place was to offe r treatment for everyone who asked for it. The past screams about the pretentious New Society and the present stages the scene in real life whenever such religious items or services that are supposed to help them are still sold for amounts to the people. (e. . a priests service fees, blessed rosaries, mass guides) Another thing that might have helped in the success of Himala is the fact that superstar Nora Aunor played the lead role. In the Noranian Imaginary, it is said that Himala is as much about the popular hysteria mediated by the idol Nora Aunor as it is about the mass hysteria endemic to Catholicism as held by many (Tadiar). mickle saw Elsa in Nora and Nora in Elsathe same poor, unfortunate protagonist who strive against all odds to defend herself and achieve goals.In these times, Nora may not be that same girl many Filipinos used to idolized, but the imprint she left on Elsas character is so known to almost every Filipino as that girl who everyone admired. Elsas death at t he end of the film may be read as liberation from such faith, since she made confessions about the inexistence of miracles prior to his death. But the peoples continuous idolatry in her after she passed away seems to be a symbol of the people of todaythose who still continue hang on to false hope and devotion even after such devotion proves to be wrong.As Patrick Flores puts it in Himala Fall of Grace, Himala is against the miracle and it is against the cinema. Hinugot sa Langit, lastly, also speaks of a timeless issue in Catholicism abortion. The values the film imbibes a great impact on the beliefs of the majority of the Filipino citizen. The question of whether abortion is or is not an act of murder is still being debated upon until today. Bernals films speak of ageless and timely issues concerning the Filipino people and thats what makes his films succeed not only in the era during which it was manufactured, but also in the present time.

A Wallet Full of Money and a Life Full of Nothing Essay Example for Free

A Wallet Full of M hotshoty and a Life Full of nothing EssayIn Citizen Kane, Orson surface shows the attestator how an adults action can be tormented by their divested childishness. In his movie, Welles portrays Kane to be a man with the world in his hands yet he possesses nothing of sen mntal value. Not being able to appreciate the people who surround him the way that they appreciate him, Kane turns to money and force to fulfill the love and spirit he didnt receive as a child. Welles portrays Kanes robbed childhood, his vanity, and his hunger for power as the cause to Kanes failed relationships and his lonely death. Shortly after the beginning of the movie, Welles uses symbolism to expose how Kanes childhood innocence and purity had been taken from him at an early age. In this scene, Kane is out playing in the pure and white degree Celsius, which can be interpreted as Kane enjoying his innocent years in the essence of purity that comes with childhood. When his parents, along with Thatcher, go outside to specify him about his trip, Kane uses his sled as a defensive tool against Thatcher. This can be a reflection on why Kane neer accepted Thatchers attempts at discipline and guidelines.Kane saw Thatcher as the person who deprived him of his childhood and took him away from his most prized possession, which was Rosebud, his sled. Towards the end of the scene, the sled is left out in the snow for years as the snow begins to pile up on it this could be seen as a metaphorical correlation to Kane leaving his innocence and the purity of his childhood to become a man with a polluted soul who is ruled by money and power. As Kane grows up to become a man of riches and power, many of his personality issues can be traced back to his childhood upbringing. The viewers are given an insight to the controlling and manipulative person Kane is when they come crosswise the scene where Kane walks into the querier and tells the editor-in-chief that he is literally go ing to live in his office. Because he couldnt control his unsatisfactory childhood upbringing, Kane grew up to be an rottenly controlling man. His controlling personality then led him to publish subjects that would besides bring him attention. As a child who was taken away from his parents at except eight years old, he wanted allthe attention possible, hence the deceptive subjects he would publish. Kanes childhood lacked the essentials of parental love and attention, which later transform him into an egocentric, power-hungry monster.Possessing both money and power, Kane became obsessed with himself the more than power he obtained, the more he felt in need of it. At the age of twenty-five, Kane buys the New York Inquirer without even the slightest clue on how to run a newspaper business. One can thus determine that Kane would use his money to help him gain a phonate. Kane never cared about his money, or the spending of, because he had plenty of it. What Kane really wanted was to affect the people. His original plan, when taking over the Inquirer, was to help and become the voice of the poor and underprivileged, but he quickly forgot about his promises, as he continually grew more and more corrupt by printing stories that would solo quiver him attention. His hunger for power became bigger than him when he ran for Governor of New York and would print insulting cartoons of his opponent. Kane started out with a plan that would affect the people in a positive way but consequently became a highly unlikeable man who would only think about the power his money could bring to him. Not only was Kane a man who wished for more power but also he was a man who was also ruled by vanity.Throughout the movie, Welles interprets Kanes vanity by showing the viewer how Kane would use his controlling personality to fix sure all his surroundings were nothing but perfect. A good example of this is when Leland writes a newspaper article about Susans mediocre singing skills and K ane reads it. After he reads Lelands notice, he is determined to make Susan a better singer so he forces her to train and perform in numerous cities. Because of his vanity, Kane is concerned with the publics opinion of his married woman. He does not want to be known as the man who married a singer with amateur singing skills. Welles also does a magnificent conjecture in portraying Kanes vanity in the scene where Susan leaves him and all Kane is truly worried about is all the guests in Xanadu who might witness her departure. How he appears to the public is much more important to him than the fact that his own wife is leaving him. As a man who was drunk on his own power and ruled by his vanity, Kane failed to see how much he would hurt the people who were closest to him, especially his second wife, Susan. Ever since he met her, the first sign of his mingled personality was shown when he demanded her to sing for him. In that scene,the viewer could foresee the kind of controlling and demanding spouse Kane would be.Throughout their relationship, one could notice how he would treat Susan more as an object than his wife. By forcing her to perform and become a better singer, he was treating her as one of his statues. His statues were beautifully sculpted and that is what he wanted Susan to be. A beautiful woman who lacked a beautiful voice was not an option for the wife of Charles Foster Kane. As Susan grew tired of Kane being absent most of the time and being forced to live in their home as one of his many statues, she decided to leave him. Kane always treated people as if they were his seat and Susan was no exception. When she informed Kane of her intention to abandon him, he said to her, you cant leave me which goes to show how he thought of Susan as one of his statues. Kanes statues would literally and physically never leave him, which is why he was shocked by Susans decision. When she does leave and Kane cant do anything about it, he becomes full of anger and destroys Susans room. For a man who was just left by his wife, his anger towards her is also a big sign to the viewer that Kane only saw her as his property. Because of so many failed relationships throughout his life, a man of endless wealth and power ends up in his deathbed alone with no one to care for him.Throughout the movie, as Thompson goes on a search to figure out the meaning behind Kanes last words before his death, the viewer is exposed to the many reasons why Kane died a lonely man. His relationship with Thatcher never developed further because Kane always saw him as the person who robbed him from sharing his childhood years with his family. The friendship he had with his closest friend ended when he fired him because of a simple statement that offended his vanity. The relationship with his first wife not only ended because of his infidelity but also because of his need for more power. Kane would spend more time at the Inquirer than with Emily, which made the relationshi p bound to terminate. Last but not least, his relationship with Emily was a complete failure because he saw her as an object as opposed to his wife. each person who would get emotionally close to Kane would eventually end up leaving him. As a result of his big ego, Kane never managed to develop relationships with those who adjoin him therefore, the only company he had while lying in his deathbed was a snow globe and his childhood memories.As one can conclude, because of his miserable childhood, Kane grew up to lead a lifefull of luxury and riches but he lacked the true meaning of life- to live. Money only bought him objects and power but never bought him true love of any kind. His last words were in reference to an object that he owned as a child and that goes to show that his only happy memories were back when he lacked the fortune he now had. Kanes robbed childhood, vanity, and his hunger for power were the reasons why Kane lived such a lonely and unfulfilled life up until the d ay he died.

Content management system

electrical capacity concern g everywherening bodyAbstractThis assignment is aimed to introduce students to how a project is to be managed and developed. This project is about planning for the project prudence of the move of a large corporate electronic ne twainrksite from static hypertext mark-up language version to a data goaded governing body base on a electronic network Content Management System. To plan for the project an military rating for three options has to be made between Joomla, Drupal and SharePoint. As the project plan is to be for a 9 month period the while scheduling have to be made within this period. Also have to do Gantt chart and re kickoff utilization in Microsoft project Microsoft pass by and unclutter lesion learned report. dispatch Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholders needs and expectations from a project. dispatch focusing is the discipline of organi zing and managing resources in such(prenominal)(prenominal) a way that the project is completed within defined scope, quality, time and cost constraints.Executive compendIntroductionThis document serves as a course requirement of ITPQM assignment given by Greenwich University. It supersedes the previous HTML version to a data driven trunk for Web Content Management System (WCMS). Key parts of this report will be the choice of the capacity management system and the evaluation of M.S Excel and M.S project. A business criterion has to be selected regarding the chosen WCMS, which would be chosen after evaluating it in MS Excel. This assignment helps us to understand whether MS Excel and MS Project have features and functions that would embolden in a Project management.Re lookup On Web Content Management System (CMS)CMS stands for Content Management System, a software application used for the creation, storage, and management of web meaning in many formats.A Web Content Management S ystem (WCM, WCMS or Web CMS) is meaning management system (CMS) software, employ as a Web application, for creating and managing HTML case. It is used to manage and control a large, dynamic collection of Web material (HTML documents and their associated images). A WCMS facilitates content creation, content control, editing, and essential Web maintenance functions. The software declare oneselfs authoring (and early(a)) tools jut outed to allow users with little knowledge of programming languages or markup languages to create and manage content with relative ease.Most systems use a database to store content, metadata, or artifacts that might be needed by the system. Content is frequently, besides not universally, stored as XML, to facilitate, reuse, and enable flexible presentation options.Administration is done through browser-based larboards, but some systems require the use of a fat client.A presentation layer displays the content to Web-site visitors based on a set of tem plates. The templates are sometimes XSLT files.Most systems use server side caching boosting performance. This works surmount when the WCMS is not changed often but visits happen on a regular basis.Un exchangeable Web-site builders, a WCMS allows non-technical users to make changes to a website with little training. A WCMS typically requires an experienced coder to set up and add features, but is primarily a Web-site maintenance tool for non-technical administrators.This means users will not need to hire a web design company every time they want to update the site or add content.Benefits of WCMS Upon completion of this project plan WCMS derives following benefitsCustomizable pages and gateway elements (banners, colors, etc.) that can be tailored globally or targeted individuallyTargeted announcements based on Banner criteriaWeb-based tools to manage user and group profiles, announcements, content and layout, and performance and impostA portal interface to control channel and cont ent deliveryAn integration suite to share data between third-party applications, and databasesIncreased capacity to emergence any organization.Project ScopeScopeThe objectives of WCMS scopeProcure and insert the selected web content management systemPlan, running play and deploy initial development architecture framework and update, document or leverage from existingTemplatesWorkflows for known sitesRoles and responsibilitiesContent guidelinesSupport and training materialsServices to be providedSystem schematic rational and physical designPlan, test and executeScope ElementsSeveral elements lack sufficient clarity without further analysis to determine whether they are in or out of scopeNumber and scope of site migration the number of Humanities departments that can be accommodated within the project is unknown. The scope of the University Relations migration is not in to the full defined.Use of authoritative course information is currently available using the template syste m and some academic departments expect this functionality. Whether it is in scope for anatomy II is dependent upon analysis of complexities involved.Fully redundant off-site disaster recovery of editing and publishing functionality may prove too complex and costly. proscribed of ScopeOther deliverables that are out of scope for the WCMS Project includeCreation of strategic and implementation plans for corporate response to web security and policy/regulatory compliance beyond Design Review Board process.Web standards work for development and integration (with the exception of standards and release policy for code passed via system to web layer.)Full or extensive evaluation and mitigation for compliance and accessibility issuesExtensive service definition of the rude(a) web services to be deployedRetirement/repurpose of existing web content delivery infrastructuresDesign/revision of new campus template Look and FeelResolution of funding source for hiring of in operation(p) staff. Project DependenciesThe dependencies below introduce risk that essential be mitigated and, thitherfore, are included in the Risk Management Plan.Other Web computer program ComponentsWeb Function and Design Project template design and information architecture deliverables have many functional and schedule-related interdependencies.Web Service Definition Project will derive information fromWCMS as a result of practical migration experience and the WCMS project will require the Service Definition project to provide direction.Web GovernanceThe WCMS project will rely upon Web Governance to develop policy where needed for implementation or operations.Description of Joomla, Drupal SharePointDrupalDrupal is a innocent software package that allows an individual or a community of users to easily publish, manage and organize a wide variety of content on a website. Tens of thousands of plurality and organizations are using Drupal to power scores of different web sites, includingCommunity w eb portalsDiscussion sites bodily web sitesIntranet applicationsPersonal web sites or blogsAficionado sitesE-commerce applicationsResource directoriesSocial Networking sitesThe built-in functionality, combined with dozens of freely available add-on modules, will enable features such asElectronic commerceBlogs cooperative authoring environmentsForumsPeer-to-peer networkingNewslettersPodcastingPicture galleriesFile uploads and downloadsGeneral featuresCollaborative Book- collaborative book feature lets one setup a book and then authorize other individuals to stomach content.Friendly URLs- Drupal uses Apaches mod_rewrite to enable customizable URLs that are both user and search engine friendly.Modules- The Drupal community hascontributed many moduleswhich provide functionality that extend Drupal core.Online help- Have built a husky online help system built into the core help text.Open source- The source code of Drupal is freely available under the terms of the GNU General human bein gs License 2 (GPL). Unlike proprietary blogging or content management systems, Drupals feature set is fully available to extend or customize as needed.Personalization- A robust personalization environment is at the core of Drupal. Both the content and the presentation can be individualized based on user-defined preferences.Role based permission system- Drupal administrators dont have to tediously setup permissions for each user. Instead, they assign permissions to roles and then group like users into a role group.Searching- All content in Drupal is fully indexed and searchable at all times if one take advantage of the built in search module.Content managementPolls- Drupal comes with a poll module which enables admins and/or users to create polls and show them on various pages.Templating- Drupals theme system separates content from presentation allowing you to control the look and feel of your Drupal site. Templates are created from standard HTML and PHP coding meaning that you dont have to learn a proprietary templating language.Threaded comments- Drupal provides a powerful threaded comment sit around for enabling discussion on published content. Comments are hierarchical as in a newsgroup or forum.Version control- Drupals version control system tracks the details of content updates including who changed it, what was changed, the date and time of changes made to your content and more(prenominal). Version control features provide an option to keep a comment log and enables you to roll-back content to an earlier version.JoomlaJoomla is an award-winning content management system (CMS), which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online applications. Many aspects, including its ease-of-use and extensibility, have made Joomla the most popular Web site software available. Best of all, Joomla is an open source solution that is freely available to everyone.Joomla is used all over the world to power Web sites of all shapes and sizes. For exampleCorporate Web si tes or portalsCorporate intranets and extranetsOnline magazines, newspapers, and publicationsE-commerce and online reservationsGovernment applicationsSmall business Web sitesNon-profit and organizational Web sitesCommunity-based portalsSchool and church Web sitesPersonal or family homepagesJoomla is designed to be easy to install and set up. Many Web hosting services offer a single-click install, getting your new site up and running in just a a few(prenominal) minutes. Since Joomla is so easy to use, as a Web designer or developer, we can quickly build sites for your clients. Then, with a minimal amount of instruction, we can induct our clients to easily manage their sites themselves.SharePointSharePoint is a collection of products and software elements that includes, among a growing selection of components, web browser based collaboration functions, process management modules, search modules and a SharePoint can be used to host web sites that access shared workspaces, information stores and documents, as well(p) as host defined applications such as wikis and blogs. All users can manipulate proprietary controls called web parts or interact with pieces of content such as lists and document libraries.Some Features of SharePoint team up Collaboration, Review Workflows, reward Web, Slide Library (splits a PPT presentation into individually viewable slides on the site without breaking the PPT file open), Premium Web Application, Premium Root Site, Management Library, Global Web Parts, Enhanced Search, Base Web Application, Spell Checking, Signatures Workflow ,Reporting, Premium Site, Publishing Web, Base Web, Base Site, Basic Search, displacement reaction Workflow workflow for sending a document through rounds of translation into three-fold languages, Expiration Workflow, Excel Server, Search Web Parts, Publishing Site supply Tracking Workflow .EVALUATION ON DRUPAL, JOOMLA SHAREPOINTJoomlaJoomla is designed in a way that it can work perfectly in a shared h osting environment.It is a package that is least expensive and most common to all users.Its installation feature is simple and just like any other descktop software.It can embody several extensions, add-on and plug in.Joomla is written in PHP with general purpose scripting language and best suitable for web development.Joomla is integrated with CiviCRM and other common packages like GetActive or DemocracyInAction.DrupalDrupal can work just like Joomla in shared hosting environments.It has powerful content editing tools for common users and for web developers for creating websites without bothering about codes.Drupal is a arcsecond diffuclt in installation procedure than that of Joomla.Drupal is also developed in PHP and offers common functionalies of Joomla or perhaps more sophisticated ones, which would be difficult for non technical persons to ascertain it than that of Joomla.It contains non-profit centric add-ons like event registration, online donation, email newsletter etc.E venthough drupal has plugins they are less powerful than that of Joomla.SharePointSharepoint uses application server as IIS.Net where as Joomla and Drupal uses , CGI and Apache.Applicatin cost is $4000 compared to the other two which are free to use.Security feature is more of a plus point in SharePoint than that of Joomla And Drupal.Ease of use, performance and management are more easy and manageable compared to both Drupal and Joomla.But SharePoint supports ASP.net programming language, if the site which was built using PHP then it will be difficult to use SharePoint to establish the corresponding site online.KEY FUNCTIONALITIES OF A WCMSContent management systems manage content creation, review and approval processes for web site content. Content management system provides content version control, collaboration utilities, and user or document take security.Some of the functions of CMS areContent Authoring it is the ability to create content through a content editor, import of content, capability to deploy, present the content and appeal of items.Content acquisition it is the ability to gather content through import or metadata. Content aggregation process of gathering information from different sources into one overall structure.Output and content presentation Presenting content through different ways such as HTML or XMLWorkflow management the process of managing to create flows of sequential and parallel tasks that must be accomplished.Version control and management lets three-fold users make simultaneous changes to content and keep track of them.Security management Access to the content are controlled through authentication, role and directory management, access control settings and passwords.Product applied science and support defines the technical architecture of the product, the techno consistent environment in which the product can successfully run. Such as product and application architecture, software usability and administration, plan and da tabase support, application standards support, communications and protocol support and integration capabilities.Project Goals and ObjectivesThe objectives of WCMS with the original scopeProcure and install the selected web content management systemPlan, test and deploy initial information architecture framework and update, document or leverage from existingTemplatesWorkflows for known sitesRoles and responsibilitiesContent guidelinesSupport and training materialsServices to be providedSystem schematic logical and physical designPlan, test and executeWSM criteria of WCMSCriteria to which alternative to choose for Web Content Management System (WCMS)CorefunctionalityWhen most people return of content management, they are thinking of the creation, deletion, editing and organizing of pages. They assume all content management systems do this and so take the functionality for granted. However that is not inevitably the case. There is also no guarantee that it is done in an intuitive fa shion.Not all blogging platforms for example allow the owner to manage and organize pages into a tree hierarchy. Instead the individual posts are automatically organized by criteria such as date or category. In some situations this is perfectly adequate. In fact this limitation in functionality keeps the interface simple and easy to understand. However, in other circumstances the absence of this functionality can be frustrating.TheeditorThe majority of content management systems have a WYSIWYG editor. Strangely this editor is often ill considered, despite the fact that it is the most used feature within the system.The editor is the interface through which content is added and amended. Traditionally, it has also allowed the content provider to apply basic formatting such as the selection of fonts and color. However more recently there has been a move away from this type of editor to something that reflects the principles of best practice.The danger of traditional WYSIWYG editors is t wofold. First, they give the content provider too much design control. They are able to customize the appearance of a page to such an extent that it could undermine the consistence of design and branding. Second, in order to achieve this train of design control the CMS mixes design and content.The new generation of editors takes a different approach. The content provider uses the editor to markup headings, lists, links and other elements without dictating how they should appear. Ensure your list of requirements includes an editor that uses this approach and does not give content providers control over appearance. At the very least look for content management systems that allow the editor to be replaced with a more appropriate solution.The editor should also be able to handle external assets including images and downloads. That brings us on to the management of these assets.ManagingassetsManaging images and files are badly handled by some CMS packages. Issues of accessibility and ea se of use can cause frustration with badly designed systems. Images in particular can cause problems. Ensure that the content management system you select forces content provider to add alt attributes to imagery. You may also want a CMS that provides basic image editing tools such as crop resize and rotate. However, finding such a CMS can be a challenge.Also consider how the content management system deals with uploading and attaching PDFs, battle cry documents and other similar files. How are they then displayed to users? What descriptions can be attached to the files and is the search capable of indexing them.Search is an valuable aspect of any site. around half of users will start with search when looking for content. However, often the search functionality available in content management systems is inadequate.UserinteractionIf you intend to gather user feedback, your CMS must provide that functionality or allow third party plug-in to do so. Equally, if you want a community on your site then you will require functionality such as chat, forums, comments and ratings.As a minimum you will require the ability to post forms and collect the responses. How easy does the CMS make this process? Can you customize the field or does that require technical expertise? What about the results? Can you specify who they are emailed to? Can they be written to a database or outputted as an excel document? Consider the type of functionality that you will require and look for a CMS that supports that.RolesandpermissionsAs the number of content providers increase, you will want more control over who can edit what. For example, personnel should be able to post job advertisements but not add content to the homepage. This requires a content management system that supports permissions. Although implementation can vary, permissions normally allow you to specify whether users to edit specific pages or even entire sections of the site. As the number of contributors grows still furthe r you may require one individual to review the content being posted to ensure accuracy and consistent tone. Alternatively content might be inputted by a junior member of staff who requires the approval of somebody more senior before making that content live.In both cases this requires a cms that supports multiple roles. This can be as simple as editors and approver, or complex allowing customized roles with different permissions.Finally, enterprise level content management systems support entire workflows where a page update has to go through a series of checkpoints before being allowed to go live. These complex scenarios require the ability to roll back pages to a pervious version.Being able to revert to a previous version of a page allows you to quickly recover if something is posted by accident.Some content management systems have complex versioning that allow you to rollback to a specific date. However, in most cases this is overkill. The most common use of versioning is simply to return to the conclusion saved state.Although this sounds like an indispensable feature, in my experience it is rarely used expect in complex workflow situations. That said, although versioning was once a enterprise level tool it is increasingly becoming available in most content management systems. This is also true of multi-site support.MultiplesitesupportWith more content management systems allowing you to run multiple websites from the same installation, I would recommend that this is a must-have feature.Although you may not currently need to manage more than a single site, that could change. You may decide to tack a new site targeting a different audience.Alternatively with the growth of the prompt web, you may create a separate site designed for mobile devices. Whatever the reason, having the flexibility to run multiple websites is important.MultilingualsupportIt is easy to dismiss the need to support multiple languages. Your site may be targeted specifically at the mun icipal market or you may sell a language specific product. However think twice before dismissing this requirement.Even if your product is language specific, that could change. It is important that your cms can grow with your business and changing requirements.Also just because you are targeting the domestic market does not mean you can ignore language. We live in a multicultural society where numerous languages are spoken. Being able to accommodate these differences provides a significant edge on your competition.That said do think through the ramifications of this requirement. Just because you have the ability to add multiple languages doesnt mean you have the content. Too many of my clients have insisted on multilingual support and that have never used it. They have failed to consider where they are going to get the content translated and how they intend to pay for it.Success CriteriaA central WCMS is implemented and accepted by primary stakeholders including academic and academi c support web siteClear roles and responsibilities are established for content creation, maintenance, and the support of the technologyIn-scope web sites are to the content management systemStakeholders are kept informed of developments and are provided with opportunities to comment and participateAfter Evaluation of WSM criteria I have created this WSM model which can help me to choose best CMS system for WCMS. Work Breakdown StructureProject Name Web Content Management SystemProject planning/feasibility study (requirements stage)Study on the project issuesDevelop the project planSystem analysisAnalysis of its requirements pre analysisselecting a supplierHow many servers will be required, procuring hardware etc.Procuring hardware and softwareSystem designDevelop system designContext diagram/ system boundaryDFDERDFinal databaseThe final solution mapDevelop content management activities.Develop content management activitiesCMS objectsCMS emailsFind relevant contents touching content s from old website to the new one.Archiving mechanismsOperating environment made readyimplementation/codingCreating basic pages with different logged areas fulfill menu structureImplement site authenticationImplement site modulesweb editors trained for use of CMSintegration and testingDeveloped module for testingTest modulesTest full siteTest in the working environmentAcceptanceCheck developed module and suggests changesClient testingAcceptance by the sponsors for the launch of new systeminstallationMove site from developers server to live serverChanges madeSystem installed in the real environment.Deployment (training)Train IT support staff conception training scheduleGive training for use of the CMS systemVerify user readinessGive editor course after 6 months of deployment. carrying out PlanThe high-level timeline follows for implementation. A key weakness in estimating dates is the current unknown availability date of the vendor. Here we assume availability to develop SOW as soon as the contract is finalized.Assumptions for the following timeline includeContract negotiations are successfulActual award is not delayed after successful negotiations trafficker can engage as soon as contract negotiations are completeTwo weeks off over winter break and one week over Thanksgiving breakAvailability of other team resources as specified belowTwenty percent reduction in capacity imputable to furloughs and staff lossImplementation StrategyThe strategy to implement the new centrally supported WCMS site process includes the following work elements.Procurement carry off a contract with the vendor and complete the purchase of the application.System Design and Installation design and installation of hardware, software, and process components supporting the application environmentRequirements, Configuration, and discipline requirements elicitation, contour and development of the application to meet user requirementsDeployment Management create a deployment plan for re lease of infrastructure, sorts, development projects, and assure release readiness.Documentation and communicating collect and organize documentation and project communication.Implementation Work Package DescriptionProcurementProcurement and Business Contracts will procure software, consultation time, and three-year support contract from the selected vendor.System design and installationThe technical aspects of the system implementation will be conducted by a core technical team including two ITS team leads, PM, and rotating technical experts depending upon work products (programming, security, server admin, network, architects, IDM manager, etc.) Disaster recovery is a deliverable of this workgroup. Requirements will be gathered, options reviewed, and feasible option implemented. Because no precedent at UCSC for off-site disaster recovery is available, the options will be researched and analyzed for feasibility. The lack of precedent will be verified. Specific deliverables are li sted in section 4.2. in operation(p) Requirements, Configurations DevelopmentLogical configuration of the application to meet business needs will include developing knowledge of the application function as well as the partner business requirements. Also key will be engagement with the vendor to understand best practices.Unlike technical configuration, functional configuration includes definition of business requirements related elements such as users/roles/groups, workflows, and user interface configurations. Hannon Hill Cascade Server has components that combine templates, configuration settings, and user groups together. A logical analysis of the best configuration is critical to maintaining scalability and functionality.This configuration team will engage and include technical team members and migration team members in developing requirements and specifications for configuration and development. To the extent required to meet project deliverables, the team will gather business r equirements, create specifications, and develop scripts, API interfaces, and external application integration. Specific deliverables are listed in section 4.2.Deployment ManagementA core team including team leads will be responsible for deployment planning, will develop a checklist of activities and tests that must be performed forward to deployment, and will be accountable for their successful completion prior to deployment.Documentation and CommunicationThis team will be responsible for assuring that documentation to be handed off to the service team is created by the appropriate sub-teams and is stored/ organized in the appropriate place prior to project close. This includes proficient documentationTechnical training materialsApplication configurationUser training materialsRequirements

Uk British Muslim Identity Sociology Essay

Uk British Muslim Identity Sociology EssayThe purpose of this essay is to focus on the historical and coeval readyion of British-Muslim identicalness in U.K. and analyse its sense experienced race with radicalism. The first slice of the essay will shed light on the problem of this comprehensive term British-Muslim by highlighting the extent to which the religious identicalness of Muslims in Britain is beyond ethnic and national identities. In addition to this, this section will dispute whether putting a label of British-Muslim identity is legitimate, in terms of structure, meaning and a body of people who subscribe to the label. The next part of the essay examines why and how the British-Muslim identity has come to be associated with radical extremism. This section will include debates of integration and assimilation and discuss why just about Muslims in the UK fail to compass a sense of croaking in Britain and thus consequently turn to radical extremist organisations. I n the end pertinent conclusions will be wasted establish on the preceding arguments.Contemporary estimates suggest that the total creation of British Muslims in the UK is approximately 2 million, or around 3.3% of the national creation. This population is comprised of people from approximately 56 national backgrounds speaking around 70 languages including groups originating from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, North-Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, Iran and more recently Somalia, Iraq, Nigeria and Afghanistan as well as an increase number of European Muslims including English converts.1Within these national backgrounds atomic number 18 a host of further ethnic divisions. For example, indoors the British Pakistani Muslim population in that location are Kashmiris, Punjabis, Sindhis and Pathans (Dahya, 2004 77). Even further, many a(prenominal) differentiate themselves based on Biraderi or clan, so that within the British Paksitani-Kashmiri Muslim population, there are C haudaries, Rajputs, Kumars, Mistries and others. such divisions based on Biraderi can heavily inform day to day relationships, marital and business partnerships as well as political all(prenominal)egiances (Shaw, 2000 137). Within the wider affair model of the British Muslim population there are strong denominational differences. There are the more widely kn cause differences surrounded by Sunni and Shia Islam and the classical differences between the Hanafi, Shafii, Maliki and Hanbali Sunni schools of law. Then there are relatively recent denominational sects such as the Wahabi, the Deobandi, the Barelwi, the Ahl-e-Hadith as well as various Sufi brands of Islam (Raza 1993). Amongst British Muslims there are newly arrived immigrants, second and third generation immigrants whose parents and grandparents were born in the UK as well as indigenous converts to Islam whose ancestors came to the UK hundreds of years ago. On top of all these wide ranging attributes we must include the f ull spectrum of practicing and non-practicing Muslims, beginning with the very practicing for whom Islam is a complete way of life that informs every decision he/she makes, and ending with those for whom Islam is a mere relic of an ancient heritage, no longer important in contemporary life. In addition, socio-economic status can play a decisive role in the formation of identity within Muslim communities. Ansari notes that middle and upper-middle class Jordanians, Lebanese, Palestinians and Syrians appear to possess more multiplex relations with each other than with their own working-class compatriots (Ansari, 2004 3). With all of these multifaceted differences it is clear that the term British-Muslim is one that is extremely complex and any accurate picture of the typical British-Muslim must be indifferent of colour, ethni city, nationality, socio-economic status, political or denominational affiliation. However, one may then wonder, that despite such disparate and potentially conf licting sub-identities, how this term British-Muslim he come to be used so commonly among amicable scientists, academics, policy makers and the mass media. The next part of the essay discusses how, to a significant degree, many Muslims in the UK have sweep over these internal differences and increasingly represent themselves as a united group of British-Muslims.Over the past few decades there has been heightened awareness and a greater take of self-representation of a British-Muslim identity among all sectors of Muslims in Britain. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, despite the vast array of varying cultures from which Muslims in the UK descend, Islam as a piety has inculcated a high degree of cultural uniformity crossways all regions in which it has spread. In the Development of Muslim Ritual, nineteen authors explore different aspects of Moslem ritual that are observed and performed through with(predicate) the Islamic world including the ritual performance of pray er 5 times a day, pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.2Many Muslims learn Arabic as a common language, share common names, use the same form of greeting and have the same dietary prohibitions. In recent years, the wearing of the Islamic headscarf has been adopted by females from a diverse range of ethnic and national backgrounds as a powerful and expressive form of Muslim identity. In Why the French Dont like Headscarves, Bowen argues that for many Muslim women, the wearing of the Islamic headscarf is a assured and deliberate display of Muslim identity that promotes social solidarity and biotic union consciousness amongst the Muslim population. Thus, despite wide variances in the way Muslims from different backgrounds dress, there are numerous outward markers of Islamic identity that bind together disparate groups, whether they be in the performance of Islamic rituals or the wearing of Islamic clothing.Secondly, there has been a consi stent drive from leaders amongst Muslims in the UK to form organisations representing Muslims at a national and international level. Mandaville (2003) argues that the media plays a key role in the discipline of British-Muslim identity, catering to second and third generation Muslims in the UK creating a popular space in which issues relating to citizenship and belonging can be discussed. In Imagined Communities, Anderson argues that the invention of the make press and the subsequent production of literature in vernacular languages across different regions of Europe helped to solidify nationalist sentiments by creating a sense of imagined community amongst those of the same linguistic background. Similarly, the growing British-Muslim media industry promotes a greater consciousness of Muslims from different backgrounds within the UK. The satellite TV channels named above cut across cultural, national and ethnic boundaries and serve as a unifying platform of dialogue, news coverage and religious transmission heightening a sense of imagined community amongst Muslims in the UK. ADD STUFF FROM MANDAVILLE and CESSARIThirdly, despite the differences between the range of backgrounds from which Muslims in the UK originate, there are certain common interests which have brought together disparate groups of Muslims to tap the government at a local and national level. For example, in 1994, Muslims in the UK launched the Halal Food Authority, an organisation to monitor and authenticate the halal meat and poultry trade in the UK, a service pushed for by Muslims from all backgrounds. Several arbitration tribunals, such as the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, have been set up around to return Muslims in the UK with legally binding dispute resolution mechanisms based on Islamic Sharia principles on family matters, inheritance and various moneymaking(prenominal) and debt disputes. During the outbreak of the Iraq War in 2003, much of the frustration felt by Muslims in the UK to wards the government was channelled through peaceful protest facilitated by organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain and Muslims of all backgrounds galvanised to speak with a louder and more unified Muslim voice. such initiatives have required cross-cultural co-operation to achieve common aspirations amongst Muslims in the UK.Furthermore, Muslims in the UK have rallied together to show solidarity against perceived threats towards their community both nationally and worldwide. Samad (1996) and Saeed (1999) view the mobilisation of a British-Muslim identity as a response to the public devaluation and disparagement of Muslims that has lead to increased in-group solidarity. concord to Ansari, the consequence of the Satanic Verses (1988) and the first Gulf-War (1991) meant Muslims, more than ever, came to be imagined as outsiders, excluded from the essential notions of Britishness which, steeped in nostalgia, continued to be perceived as homogenous, Christian, white and roo ted in past centuries (Ansari, 2004 1). Such feelings of exclusion strengthened during the conflict in Boznia-Herzegovina (1993-1996), the War on Afghanistan (2001 to present), the War on Iraq (2003 to present), the publication of the cartoons depicted the prophet Mohammed (2005), EU immigration, asylum, race and security polices, including the Terrorism acquit 2006, which target Europes Muslim communities (Fekete 2009), the continuous demonization of Muslims in the media (Poole 2002, Gottschalk 2007) as well as Islamaphobia on a street level, which have all contributed towards a defensiveness among Muslims in the UK and a sense of common hardship. Ballard (1996) argues that that the increasing self-identification of second and third generation Pakistanis as Muslim is a reaction to their external rejection by the White majority and it is religion rather than ethnicity that takes prominence because it is the Muslim aspect of their identity which they feel is low attack. Thus, the i ncreased ascendency of the Muslim aspect of a highly complex individual identity among close to Muslims in the UK can be partly explained as a defensive reaction to perceived external threats.Moreover, bowman (2001) and Hopkins (2006) have argued that the transcendence of a British-Muslim identity above an ethnic or national based identity among young Muslims in the UK can be partly explained through an analysis of gender stereotypes and the performance of masculinity and femininity. Archer (2001) argues that young men construct a strong Muslim identity to counteract stereotypes of a weaker passive Pakistani or Bangladeshi identity and that talk of violence, action and hardness through religious idealism and martyrdom, drawing inspiration from ancient tales of Islamic conquest and bravery, can be seen as evoking a particular form of Muslim masculinity. Further, Archer argues that Islam provides a channel, whether scripturally legitimate or not, for men to discuss and define femal e behaviours as un-Islamic and thus an Islamic identity is expedient for the control and domination of women. Conversely, Akram-Nadwi demonstrates in Al-Muhaddithat The Women Scholars in Islam, that Islam has for many generations, provided an avenue for female mandate as an escape from the culture-bound patriarchy.3In Women and Islam Images and Realities, Moghissi (ed.) expound upon the highly complex multifaceted realities of Islam, gender and female empowerment, bring out how both women and men selectively appropriate elements of Islamic doctrine in order to maximise their own empowerment within the scope of their circumstances. The politics of gender has made at least some contribution to the ascendency of a Muslim identity above ethnic or national identity for the UKs Muslim population.Finally, Muslim identity is used as an act of empowerment and to promote sense of belonging to an international body of people. Glynns information of Bengali Muslims in capital of the United Ki ngdom (2002) shows that Islam provides young Muslims a positive alternative to the drug-culture to which they are exposed to within inner-cities. He writes the growing polarity between the drug culture and Islam is often remarked on. Islamic brotherhood is a potent antidote to alienation Islam is something to be proud of, with a great history and international presence as well as religious promises of future glory, which can all transport its followers from the grey confines of the inner city (Glynn, 2002 975). Through Islam, many Muslims obtain a sense of purpose, direction, history and belonging to a community broader than the narrowly restricted confines of their own neighbourhoods. Islam has also been used as a tool for empowerment within the family context. Macey (1999) suggests that Islamic prohibition on forced marriage is used by young Pakistanis in the UK to gainsay parental pressures. Further, Islam is used to justify inter-racial marital relationships and to challenge th e emphasis placed on colour, caste and ethnicity found in many cultural practices. Through Islam, many young Muslims in the UK find internal empowerment and tools to challenge parents and communities. For all of these reasons, a British-Muslim identity has emerged to unite disparate groups of people from a wide range of ethnic and national backgrounds. That there are Muslims in the UK is a fact, but the idea of a strong British-Muslim identity has only relatively recently come in to fruition and begun to assert itself. However, while many Muslims in the UK increasingly subscribe to this identity, it is not yet clear what it means to be a British-Muslim. We are now entering into the period in which the definitional boundaries of the British-Muslim identity are being constructed. In this period, competing forces, both internal and external to the British Muslim population, are actively contesting the details of the identity, pushing forward varying images of what a British-Muslim is s upposed to be. A key arena in which this contest is taking place is in relation to radical extremism. In light of these discussions, the next part of the essay will focus on radical extremism and the British-Muslim identity. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York and the 7/7 bombardment in London, much work has gone in to identifying the root causes of how a Muslim, born and raised in the UK, could be brought to take his own life and the lives of others with the fix aim of creating maximum devastation within his home country. Rather than limiting seek to the exploration of the potential psychopathic tendencies of those individuals responsible for the terror atrocities, much interrogation has suggested that the terror attacks were symptoms of deep rooted nation-wide problems with British-Muslim identity as a whole. It is alleged that such problems are responsible for the creation of radical extremist mentalities, broadly regarded as mentalities that foster violen t hostility towards aspects of the British state. It is within this context that efforts by the UK organization to prevent violent extremism operate. In order to better understand this context, it is undeniable to explore how the perceived problems with British-Muslim identity have come to be associated with radical extremism.In Radical Islam Rising Muslim Extremism in the West, Wiktorowicz provides a detailed study of Al-Muhajiroun, a UK based organisation aspiring towards the re-establishment of an Islamic Caliphate through both non-violent and violent means.4Al-Muhajiroun are a banned organisations in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2006 for glorification of terrorism. Wiktorowicz argues that Muslims in the UK who join this group are initially inspired by a cognitive hypothesis which provides individuals with a willingness to expose them to the ethos of the organisation. This cognitive opening takes the form of an internal identity crisis that causes the individual to question what it means to be a Muslim in a non-Muslim society. Wiktorowicz suggests that one of the key triggers to this type of identity crisis is an individuals perception that Muslims are not accepted by British society. It would follow therefore that perceptions of discrimination would precipitate feelings of not belonging to British society and get by an individual vulnerable to the message and ideology of organisations such as Al-Muhajiroun. Maxwells study of the 2003 Home Office Citizenship Survey revealed that according to the survey, there was no significant relationship between an individuals socio-economic well being and their perceptions of being discriminated against on the whole. However, the analysis showed that young university students were more likely than others to perceive that they were being discriminated against, despite being socially and economically better off than those who either could not afford or were otherwise unable to attend university. Wiktorowicz writes t he experience of both racial and religious discrimination has prompted some young Muslims to think about their identity and how they fit into British society. This is particularly true of young university students who suffer from a sense of blocked social mobility (Wiktorowicz, 2005 56). According to this theory, it is frustration at being unable to accomplish what the individual perceives as being rightfully theirs that results in a heightened sense of alienation. This alienation provides some individuals with the cognitive opening necessary for joining organisations such as Al-Muhajiroun. An alternative theory suggests that young university students are more likely to perceive greater levels of discrimination referable to knowledge acquired within the university environment. Taji-Fourakis work on Hizb-at-Tahrir (1996), another organisation aiming towards the establishment of an Islamic caliphate, suggests that the main appeal of Hizb-at-Tahrir for young university students is the organisations intellectual sophistication. University environments provide young Muslims the tools to research and debate issues relating to injustices of European colonisation and the partitions of the current Islamic world, giving some individuals the impetus to question their own place within the wider framework of international political identities. Fouraki suggests that Hizb-at-Tahrir are able to capitalise on such thought processes and provide an avenue for such individuals to channel their grievances in a way that provides them with an opportunity to be a part of the supposed re-assertion of superiority of the Islamic world. According to these analyses, issues of identity play in to some individuals feelings of inferiority and rejection by the dominant host society. Such feelings provoke hostility, particularly among young highly educated Muslims, and lead to individuals wanting to become part of a greater force capable of retaliation towards the UK Government and institutio ns.Herriots (2007) work on social identity theory suggests that people join groups and internalise the groups identity for two main reasons. The first reason is to fulfil the compassionate need for self-esteem. Herriot suggests that many of those attracted to organisations such as Al-Muhajiroun and Hizb-at-Tahrir are those potentially lacking in a sense of dignity, acceptance or approval from the wider society. As such, some individuals substitute a divine power in place of society as the source of their self-esteem, finding dignity and validation in the performance of that which is mum to be gods will. The second reason is to fulfil the human need for certainty. Again, such organisations provide members with defined beliefs, values and norms, with the weight and authority of ancient and sacred texts that provide clear guidelines on what should and should not be done. Further, Herriot argues that the process of internalising a groups identity leads to the loss of an individual sen se of self in favour of acting in accordance with the definition of identity provided by the category to which they belong. He writes individuals then behave as group members. Their actions are those of, for example, a radical Muslim or a born-again Christian. They are no longer those of Mohammed Atta or Howard Ahmanson as unique individuals with personal identities, but rather those same persons as members of categories to which they perceive themselves to belong (Herriot, 2007 30). The individual is then less concerned about the elevation of the ego and more concerned about the advancement of the organisation as a whole. From this perspective, it is possibly easier to understand why the actions of some members belonging to such organisations may seem self-deprecating or counterproductive to the individuals status or security, or even, as was the geek with the 7/7 bombers, suicidal.Such explanations of the processes by which individuals join radical extremist organisations attrib ute blame to problems associated with British-Muslim identity. It is suggested that many Muslims in the UK struggle to find a social identity among the mainstream population in which they feel a sense of dignity, self-esteem and belonging and therefore resort to a competing identity which defines itself in opposition to the mainstream. It is within this context that the UK Governments policy directive towards preventing violent extremism finds justification for direct intervention in to the construction of British-Muslim identity. The rationale of such intervention supposes that violent extremism is caused by ingrained issues with the way in which Muslims in the UK conceptualise their belonging to British society. As such, the prevention of violent extremism requires intervention to neutralise such complications and promote a greater sense of belonging to British values, beliefs and practices among British Muslims. The manifestation of the UK Governments decision to intervene in th e construction of British-Muslim identity is the PVE Fund.Chapter One analysed the construction of a British-Muslim identity, identifying the process by which a hugely diverse range of people from different backgrounds increasingly subscribe to this identity. The perceived problems associated with this identity provided a pretext for government intervention in to the British-Muslim identity through the PVE Fund and related measures to prevent violent extremism

World War Ii In Southeast Asia History Essay

World warfare Ii In Southeast Asia History Essay Nipponese occupation in Indochina. The lacquerese Invasion of french Indochina, as well as known as the Vietnam Expedition, was a move of lacquerese Empire in kinfolk 1940, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, to prevent China from importing arms and fuel with French Indochina, especially by means of Sino-Vietnam border. With the outbreak of World War II, France was durability to withdraw its best troops from Indochina in order to help their force in the war in Europe. Thus, it was a wide open opportunity to the Japanese. Japan saw that French Indochina would need to be protected so that other unknown powers couldnt seek to take advantage of Frances plight. Earlier, Japan demanded the French compound to close the Hanoi-Kunming railway in order to abandon the shipments of war-related goods from Vietnam to China. Later, the Japanese sought to gain mesh over the Haiphong-Yunnan railroad so that it could attack the main supply ba sed of Chiang Kai-shek. After the fall of France during World War II, that the Japanese seized power from French and set-aside(p) the entire Indochina. However, the colony was still administered by Vichy France, but was under the Japanese supervision until a brief period of complete Japanese control between March and August 1945.In Cambodia and Laos, in the short term at least, despite the fact that the French go on to administer these states and to support the traditional rulers, so that on that point was a limited growth of nationalist feeling compared to other states in the country.In Cambodia, politicization just began during World War II. By the 1940s, Khmer intellectuals had begun to form triad institutions including the scholar Buddhist Institute, Cambodias sole French-language high school, and Khmer newspaper Nagara Varta (Angkor Wat). Cambodian feelings were outraged in 1940 after getting back some territories of the north-western provinces from Thailand under the Japa nese support. However, the flag-waving(a) movements in Cambodia were slickly under French control. The French and Japanese hold to let French continued to occupy the Indochina, but Japanese forces could move freely in Indochina. French role was variegated in the growth of Cambodian nationalism. In order to reduce Japanese popular fascination in the realm, French began to provide a quasi-nationalist movement to young Cambodians. Simultaneously, French glorified Khmers past and its future in partnership with France. Moreover, French also promoted the status and salary of Cambodians in the government service. Unconsciously, in 1943 they pushed the strong nationalism feelings further by launching a program to replace Khmer traditional writing with a roman alphabet. The Buddhist sangha and intellectuals protested against this program because they considered that this was an attack on Khmer traditional learning and cultural heritage. The feeling of anti-French continued until the Japan ese seized control of government in March 1945, and the Romanization was cancelled. In April 1945, the Japanese provide independent to Cambodia, but after the surrender of Japan in August 1945, there was no next step for Cambodia independent. Furthermore, there was still no anti-colonial movement in Cambodia such as national movements emerged in Vietnam and Indonesia in 1945.In June 1940, after the Fall of France, Laos was controlled by the Axis-puppet Vichy France government which was under the supervision of the Japanese. well-nigh of Laos stayed under the control of French supervision until March 1945. Before March 1945, French had brought significant changes to Laos. A National renovation movement was assembled schools and other comforts were built Lao music, dance and literature were promoted. Moreover, First Lao newspaper was also emerged at that time. The nationalistic movement arose as well, especially in the Lao lowlanders. On 9 March, 1945, Japanese occupied Laos, so Lao s stayed under the administration of French along with Japanese supervision. During the Japanese occupation of Laos, enormous amount of French officials were imprisoned. At the same time, King Sisavang Vong, who tried to declare independence of Laos and accepted Laos under the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity sphere, were put into the prison as well. Japan continued to rule Laos despite constant civil unrest against it until it was force to withdraw from Indochina after the Japanese surrender in August 1945.The Japanese occupied Vietnam from September 1940 until the end of World War II. Japan came to Vietnam with the policy Asia for Asians and Japanese forces took only a week to control Vietnam. However, Japan still left the French colonial government there, because Japan could not provide enough men to occupy the entire of Vietnam. Japan left the French in charge and developed Vietnam as its client state. The French continued to colonize Indochina, but ultimate political and militar y power was not in their hands. Japanese demanded for resources and had priority over French policies. Thus, Japanese troops could freely access to Vietnams roads, rail network and ports, so that the Japanese could conquer Thailand and Burma easily. During the Japanese occupation, the Vietnamese were told that the Japanese were not conquerors, but liberators Japan would drive away the white imperialists out of Asia. Simultaneously, Japanese language course were introduced Japanese films, literature and poetry were translate into local language as well. However, Vietminh considered Japanese as number one enemy. It was notable that the Vietnamese Communists rose up in the 1930s, before the arrival of Japanese. However, the arrival of Japan made Vietnamese Communists entangle that there was no hope for them to demand for getting any power. Their numbers remained small and the French was trying to eliminate the political force that was considered as a threat to their role in Vietnam a s well. As the war advanced and the altered of the political environment, it was an opportunity for the Vietnamese Communist-Nationalists. The Vietnamese was trying to develop its force in order to seize the power at the end of the war. By June 1945, Ho Chi Minh felt strong enough to create a Viet Minh-controlled field of force in north-western Vietnam. By August, Viet Minh forces seized the control of Japanese-held villages and towns. In early August, the Japanese forces prepared to leave after the Japanese surrender in World War II. indoors days, Vietminh forces took control of most of northern and central Vietnam and declared Vietnams independence On 2 September 1945 in Hanoi.Exceptional case ThailandThailand was the most interesting country among Southeast Asian nations during the colonial period as well as the period of World War II because it was the only state in the region that was not under the foreign colonization. At the beginning of World War II, Thailand was under the control of an authoritarian government which was led by Prime see Phibun. In that regime, the government supported the restoration of the territories in Cambodia and Laos, and they rose up anti-French sentiment in the country as well. Phibun was trying to keep closer dealing with Japan in order to seek support against France. In October 1940, a conflict between Thai and French forces broke out along Thailands easterly border. Then, it was a good opportunity for Japan to intervene to mediate the conflict. Japan used its influence with the Vichy regime in France to gain subsidisations for Thailand. As a result, France agreed to give away western part of Laos and most of Cambodian Battambang province to Thailand. The restoration of Thai lost territory increased Phibuns reputation in Thailand. However, Japan wanted to maintain the relationship with Vichy, so that Thailand was forced to get only a quarter of its demanded land. In addition, they had to pay six millions piasters as a c oncession to the French. Relations between Japan and Thailand became tense then Phibun turned to courting the British and Americans instead. In December 1941, Japan moved its troops into Thailand and demanded the rights to access through Thailand to invade British Burma and Malaya. Thai troops resisted but later the Phibuns government called for ceasefire. After that, a mutual offensive-defensive alliance pact between Thailand and Japan was write and Thai entered a military alliance with Japan. Japanese troops were allowed to move freely in Thailand however, Thailand still controlled its own armed forces as well as internal affairs. In January 1942, Thais declared war on Britain and the United States because of the Japan pressure. Meanwhile, Japan had put its troops in Thailand and built the infamous Death line by using many Asian labour forces as well as allied prisoners of war. According to M. Walsh (2005), the Japanese engineers predicted that Death Railway would be ideal in f ive years. However, the Japanese army forced the prisoners to finish this railway in only sixteen months. The causalities in the construction were very high there were about 12,400 deaths among the total 61, 700 labour forces. In 1943, there was tense situation between Japan and Thailand, and many Thai people began to against Japan. Because of the war, Thailand had experienced the economic breakage as well. In July 1944, Phibun resigned from office and left Thailand with the problem of preparing Thailand for an Allied victory. Thai politicians were under the controlled of Japanese until August 1945 Japanese surrender in World War II.

Disneys Medievalesque Sleeping Beauty Essay -- Essays Papers

Disneys Medievalesque quiescence Beauty It was not once upon a while, but in a certain time in history, before anyone knew what was happening, Walt Disney cast a spell on the fairy tale. He did not use a magic wand or deuced powers. On the contrary, Disney employed the most up-to-date technological means and used his own American grit and ingenuity to appropriate European fairy tales. His skillful skills and ideological proclivities were so consummate that his signature obfuscated the names of Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Collodi. If children or adults think of the great classical fairy tales today, be it Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Cinderella, they will think Walt Disney. --Jack Zipes, Breaking the Disney Spell (72) Zipes, one of the foremost scholars on the fairy tale has published numerous commentaries on Disneys cinematic versions of fairy tales and critiques Disney for apply them to perpetuate what Zipes sees as cultural ills. In the same essay he writes, The manner in which he copied the musical films and plays of his time, and his close adaptation of fairy tales with antique codes indicate that all the technical experiments would not be used to foster social change in America, but to keep power in the pass on of individuals like himself, who felt empowered to design and create new worlds (Zipes 93). Zipes ultimately sees Disneys egotism as guilty of failing to utilize the opportunity afforded within a medium such as the animated fairy tale to acknowledge and foster change within the social order. Zipes, along with other scholars such as Eleanor Byrne and Martin McQuillan, authors of the book Deconstructing Disney, explore and catalogue the various ways in which Walt Disney-the man-and Disney-the corporation that is his legacy-perpetuate social figurations of race, gender and ethnocentrism through they films they produce. They furthermore critique Disney for reducing fairy tales to over-simplified, ove r-sanitized and over-sentimentalized banalities designed solely as a profit-generating products. Such analyses prove to be truly important work, as the socio-cultural ideas propagated by Disney, as well as the means by it executed such propagation prove key in unlocking the messages that are sent through seemingly harmless entertainment. As Zipes keenly omen out, Yet, amus... ...Cited Byrne, Eleanor and Martin McQuillan. Deconstructing Disney. Great Britain Pluto Press, 1999. Dorfman, Ariel and Armand Mattelart. How to Read Donald Duck Imperialist Ideology in the Disney Comic. Trans. David Kunzle. New York International General 1984. Lefebvre, Henri. Work and Leisure in perfunctory Life. Everyday Life Reader. Ed. Ben Highmore. Great Britain Routledge, 2002. 225-36. Marx, Karl. Contribution to the Critique of Hegels Philosophy of Right Introduction. 1844. The Marx-Engels Reader. Ed. Robert C. Tucker. 2nd ed. USA Norton, 1978. 53-65. Once Upon a Dream The Making of Slee ping Beauty. Documentary. Disney, Inc., c. 1959. Perrault, Charles. The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood. 1697. Perraults Complete Fairy levels. Trans. A.E. Johnson. USA Dodd, Mead & Company, Inc. 1961. 1-15. Sleeping Beauty. Dir. Wilfred Jackson. Walt Disney Studios, 1959. Sleeping Beauty Commemorative Booklet. Disney Inc. c. 1997. Willis, Paul. Symbolic Creativity. Everyday Life Reader. Ed. Ben Highmore. Great Britain Routledge, 2002. 282-294. Zipes, Jack. Fairy Tale as Myth. USA University Press of Kentucky, 1994.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Ladies, gentlemen, parents, friends, family, staff, fellow students Instead of taking up more time and reading my speech, it is available to you at http//www.olens_speech.com. Thank you. No, estimable kidding. But seriously folks... Today we are gathered here to celebrate our graduation from 12 long years of schooling. The education granted to us has been a privilege. One so graciously given to us by the citizens of our state, by our community, and by our parents. Today would not be possible without them. So far this even we have adverted back over the many past memories of our school years, remembering the good times and the bad, talk of the town about the fun times, and so on. Now I would like to bring your focus to the present, and make a challenge for us for the future. The ceremony tonight is a very old and traditional one. In past, such a graduation meant not only the completion of a school career, but also a step into adulthood, into society, into the world. With this came many duties and responsibilities. This still applies to today. Im sure many of you have heard the going into the real world speech as often quoted at high school graduations. You know, the one outlining the responsibilities of alimentation on your own cooking your own meals, balancing a checkbook, doing your own laundry, etc. Those are all well and good, but Im talking about something a little different responsibilities which go beyond those the duties and rights of citizenship. Most of you are 18 already, or will be very soon, this is the age at which we can vote. As full citizens, it is now our right, and one which we should not let pass by. Our country is founded upon a democracy, and all democracies have one integral affair power b... ...hould in the future suffer what they did to save freedom by bloodshed. We owe it to them to prevent wars, and to know, to understand, to teach, and to learn from our neighbors around the world, so that we might learn to pass in peace. I am saying all of this tonight as a challenge to us as we venture forth this day. It is tempting for us as graduating seniors to treat this moment as one of reveling in our independence from high school. But this night is not just for the moment it is also for our futures to look back to. Lets celebrate the new privilege and responsibility which will be given to us as the class of the new millenary to make it better than the past. For we should all be concerned with the future, because that is where we will all spend the rest of our lives. Thank you, everyone. And the best of luck to the future of the Class of 2006