Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Sexual Autobiography Essay - 1792 Words

Sexual Autobiography Shaping my sexual behavior was generally influenced by my mom. I learned to be dependent on men and use safe sex through media. Gender sex roles also placed me to be secretive with my sex life and nurturing. My body image makes me insecure when it comes to intimacy. There were no specific sexual guidelines that my family made me follow. I was raised in a family where I was able to explore and have my own opinions about sexual situations. Not having guidelines or a path made me lost and confused once I obtained sexual behaviors. My experiences from friends, my mom, religion, and media influenced the development of my sexuality. My mom never really educated me about sex or contraceptives. She would just tell me to†¦show more content†¦It made me think that the good guys were actually bad. I never was exposed to a healthy relationship making it hard for me to be in one. My mom’s relationship made a difference on how I look at sex and sexual relations hips. Since my mother didn’t talk to me about sex, my primary source of learning about sex and sexuality was from friends and boyfriends at the time. I never took a sex education class and never discussed sex my sisters. So I took what my friends and boyfriends said to be true. I then found out that most of the information learned about sex was inaccurate through experience. Since I was told inaccurate information and had a lack of knowledge, I got a sexually transmitted disease at the age of 16. Luckily, I got it cured before it got worse. Through that experience I learned to always wear condoms to prevent other STDs. I was once told that I couldn’t get pregnant if I was on my menstrual cycle. I later found out that it was false from the internet. My secondary source was the internet. I would Google everything, since I didn’t know who to talk to. That was again another inaccurate source because there is plenty of false information on the internet. I began to lo ok for answers to my sexual questions at the age of seven or eight. My childhood sexual behavior started and my sexual curiosities were high. I would enact in heterosexual marriage scripts with my younger sisterShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Article Of Margery Kempe 1216 Words   |  5 Pagesperson as identified with their body, or body parts† (feminist perspectives on objectification), can be seen throughout Medieval England and Margery Kempe’s autobiography. The female body especially, has undergone immense scrutiny for simply existing, genitelia often referred to as â€Å"shamefuls†(Allen 191). Margery’s disinterest in being sexual is based on the idea that God will love her more if she were to refrain from sex, just as a virgin might. 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Things like her marrying a man whom she did not want to have sexual contact with and trying to get other wives away from their husbands in the name of Jesus show Margery Kempe had a lot more going on than what the face value ofRead MorePersonal Statement On Sexual Orientation922 Words   |  4 Pages In taking answering the questions to the Personal Autobiography on Sexual Orientation, I was able to reflect upon my life up to now as being a gay male from the Midwest. My first memories about really being exposed to sexual orientation would have to have been back in elementary school where sexual orientation was introduced by peers more or less as a name calling, playground name calling sort of thing—I was introduced to sexual orientation in a negative way. 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Graves’ autobiography is actually a testament to the subtler forms of bigotry. Within the Charterhouse community, Graves provides examples of his reactions to homophobia, as well as the later culmination of that internalized bigotry. As a queer person, he strugglesRead MoreKamala Das3523 Words   |  15 Pagesin her poetry. The ideas, which she has expressed in her poems and in her autobiography, My Story, appear to be similar. She ha s written a great deal of inward - looking or ‘confessional poetry’. Her poetry is confessional because therein she has revealed her secret thoughts and feelings. Whatever she has disclosed about herself does not carry any sense of guilt or shame. Disclosure makes her feel easy. In her autobiography, My Story, she says, â€Å"I wanted to empty myself of all the secrets† (Das, KamalaRead MoreThe Diversity Of Human Population2190 Words   |  9 PagesThe diversity of human population increases every day. With freedom, people have the will to express themselves in different aspects of a region, beliefs, or sexual orientation. Most recently, there has been an increase in cases of gay people in America, and the world over. Debate rages whether being gay is caused by hormones, genes, social and environmental factors or a combination of all these factors. Regardless of the cause, the general population is gradually accepting the gay community in theRead MorePaul Monett es Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir Essay691 Words   |  3 PagesPaul Monette in his autobiography, â€Å"Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir† wants to make the younger generation aware of all the mistakes, suffering and deaths his generation went through fighting with AIDS, as he is convinced that it might help the new generation survive. He wrote his life story in 1988, soon after he was diagnosed with HIV and two years after his partner and close friend Roger Horwitz died of AIDS. Disease split his time into the life before and the life now and it will inevitably take

Monday, December 16, 2019

Arts and Politics in Fifth Century Athens Free Essays

The 5th century proved to be the height of cultural and intellectual progression in Athens. Athens, during the 5th century, is an emerging powerful city-state whose military and organized political system is recognized by the world. At the pinnacle of democratic government within Athens there has been an undergoing active exchange of intellectual activities hailing from the philosophers and the artists which includes poets, tragedians, sculptors, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Arts and Politics in Fifth Century Athens or any similar topic only for you Order Now The cultural and intellectual achievements that happened in Athens are equated with its political institution – democracy (Join Association of Classical Teachers, 2003, p. 284). This struggle is an apparent purpose of influencing the masses through public participation whether in debates, tragedies, or any form of rhetoric to be able to persuade people. Philosophers and poets alike became involved in a politically active environment aimed for political power through intellectual influence. Intellectuals such as Aristotle, Sophocles, Plato, and Socrates became successful in propagating their respective wisdom in different medium such as tragedies or impromptu debates. The latter is most commonly used by Socrates in which he initiated questions about morality, truth, and freedom to a common man. When most thinkers used rhetoric to get political power and influence, Socrates concentrated on the ethical and morality within debates and critical-thinking. In Plato’s Crito, Socrates has criticized the way intellectuals have run the political unit of Athens. He emphasized that is the men who ruled and implemented the laws who are wrong and not the law itself. From this perspective, the intellectuals who run Athens under corrupt ways can be the reason why Socrates did not participate in the politics of Athens. Instead he reached to the ordinary men to ignite debates and makes them realize how it is to be a good citizen behaving under the laws of morality and the laws of the state. This intellectual struggle between the philosophers and the poets might have been the glamorous side of Athens, but it also became the cause of its downfall, as intellectual men clouded by self-interests interpreted the Athenian laws in their own hands, thus, even bringing down their wisest thinker of all time. Reference Joint Association of Classical Teachers. (2003). The World of Athens. UK: Cambridge University Press. How to cite Arts and Politics in Fifth Century Athens, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Smartwatch and Wearables Research

Question: Discuss about the Smartwatch and Wearables Research. Answer: Introduction Apple Watch is a smartwatch series by Apple Inc. The market for smartwatch brands is burgeoning. Forecasts suggest a two-fold increase in consumer adoption. It is also fuelled by the pressures of modern lifestyles. Pre-mature illnesses and sedentary lifestyles dictate a change in routine. Rising expendable incomes have assured that technological fitness solutions have a market. So consumers are ready to spend money to safeguard their fitness goals. Smartwatch technology integrates several layers of personal lifestyle functional monitors. This helps users to monitor and track their progress. The smartwatch market is predicted to grow at a rate of 18% annually (Beaver, 2016). By 2021, the number of units sold could touch 70 million units. Apples focus will be to establish its existing presence and foray into new markets. The effort will be to garner more market share in saturated markets through better product offerings. While the lines between a smartphone and smartwatch are delineating, there is equal emphasis on form as much as function on smartwatches. Unlike smartphones, smartwatches can be reliably fastened over the wrist. The risks of a smartwatch falling down and breaking are low, unlike a smartphone that requires constant care. There are requirements for a special pouch and a slew of connectors for a smartphone that makes for cumbersome logistical issues. Smartwatches are the next wave of smart technological solutions that could soon become ubiquitous. Apple has foreseen this trend and will have to work on a long-term decade-long product innovation and marketing strategy. Apple is one of the worlds largest companies in terms of revenue. Based in Cupertino, California, this multinational technological behemoth is known for its flagship iOS operating system. Apple has transformed from a PC manufacturing firm to a company that manufactures high quality consumer electronics. The company is also renowned for its software, hardware, firmware and online products and services. From the Safari web browser to the Apple TV digital device to the iPad tablet; Apples products attract a massive user-base. At the heart of Apple Watch is Apples integrated approach of combining its native OS with hardware, software and connected services. This product wins hands-down on the form factor. The company has publicized the SDK to give software programmers the leverage to build apps for the smartwatch. The core strategy of Apple is to enable users to use Apples iOS apps (Bajarin, 2014). The smartwatchs seamless connectivity ensures that apps such as the HomeKit can allow users to use the power of Bluetooth and NFC to control home devices. The most important strategy for this product is related to personal fitness and welfare. There are intelligent sensors on the watch that keep track of physical activity of the wearer. The surmounting pressure on modern humans to maintain an active lifestyle could be the propellant to purchase such smartwatch products. While Apples strategies are clear, it is unclear if a needs-analysis supplements the companys strategies. Consumerism is often dictated by prevailing market conditions, economic conditions, socio-political statuses and micro-economics. Product and / or Location The Apple Watch has always been positioned as an expensive personal efficiency enhancement product cum connected device. Being a convenience gadget, this iOS integrated and iPhone compatible device comes in scores of flavors (Swider Beavis, 2016). This means customers can interchange watch bands with new ones, or choose from a variety of case materials with different hues and sizes. The demand for the smartwatch product is high. At its peak demand, the product reaches $17000 in price. This means that the smartwatch has thousands of customers waiting to be early adopters. But as of 2016, the sales of this product have dipped by more than 50% (Baptiste, 2016). Worldwide, the smartwatch market is witnessing a year on year sales dip in double digit percentages. Although the Apple Watch commands the largest market share as per the International Data Corporation, shipments have largely decreased. In 2015, the number of units shipped was in excess of 3 million. But in 2016, it is a mere 1.6 million. Apple Inc. adopted a knee-jerk reaction to prop up sales. It cut prices of its sports model by $50. Consumers were adopting a wait and watch approach in anticipation of a newer release with more apps and a discounted price of the smartwatch. They were ready to wait for even a year. It indicates that the company is releasing its product versions too early. There are some pertinent implicit consumer demands such as an improved battery to support WiFi, GPS and video camera usage. There is also a need to offer better waterproof capabilities. These issues were not addressed in subsequent releases. So a new version of the Apple Watch generated low interest and anticipation. The consumers for smartwatches have different criteria based on their geographical location. As indicated in the following figure, the China market smartwatch consumerism is dictated by accuracy. In Germany, the purchasing criteria are dictated by price and functionality. In South Korea, there is also the parameter of ease of use that affects purchasing decisions. Apples vision for the smartwatch as a luxury watch or a replacement for a luxury watch is unclear. A majority of luxury watch consumers prefer luxury watches over this smartwatch only about 27% of them preferred the smartwatch (John, 2015). Staunch luxury watch loyalists considered craftsmanship and timeless appeal of the luxury watch products as the main parameters. So it is clear that customers understand the difference between luxury watches and smartwatches. Therefore, Apple cannot market the Apple Watch as a luxury watch. From an investment standpoint, luxury watches have low depreciation compared to smartwatches. They also command a higher appreciation and are considered as collectibles. So the Apple Watchs price caters to that segment of buyers who are able to afford a high-end smartphone or a luxury watch. Apples product proposition should be strong to persuade buyers in this category to adopt a smartwatch solution for their daily needs. Therefore, consumers of the Apple Smartwatch are driven by motivation to buy the watch. The motivation comes from a strong reason for personal efficiency enhancement. Another personal consumer influence is consumer personality. A sporty and challenging personality defines consumer behavior towards adoption of personal productivity products. Discussion and Analysis It is clear that customer motivation is one of the driving forces to purchase the Apple Smartwatch product. The premium nature of this product ensures that it is on a higher stratum to a bare necessity product. The people who purchase this product are generally highly motivated individuals who seek to redefine their personal style, productivity, efficiency and social status. Therefore, Apple should design customer strategies that apply theories and practices of consumer motivation. Customer motivation falls under the psychological paradigm of consumer behavior models (Jisana, 2014). At the basic level, motivation is driven by a hierarchical pyramid of needs. Maslows hierarchy of needs is a well-known Theory of Motivation that explains the needs of people at different phases in their lives. Applying this model on consumer motivation for purchasing the Apple Smartwatch indicates that people who are in the second last level will purchase this product. This means that those seeking Esteem, Self Esteem, Confidence and Achievement will opt for this product. There could be a small overlap between this level and the last level of this pyramid though. Although this product is not explicitly termed as a luxury brand, it falls in the price range of luxury brands. Often the purchasing motivation over price in this price range is the same for a luxury brand as for the Apple Watch. A luxury item is defined as a necessity that starts where necessity begins (Knag, 2012). This smartwatch product could fulfill a persons need for pleasure and comfort. It could also enable them to make a statement to the outside world by procuring something expensive. In the digital era, a technologically expensive device, software or hardware, when owned is also regarded as a status symbol. Consumer decision making based on motivation Consumers who might buy a luxury brand might also buy an Apple Watch. There could be consumers who could buy this Watch even without having a personal preference for luxury brands. For Apple the company, its brand recall is immense. A category of customers it could cater to is brand loyalists. Another interesting fact is that men above the age of 65 preferred Apple products, so they could prefer Apple Watches too. The following figure clearly indicates this preference. Statistics indicate that the Apple Watch commands sales in the age group of 35 to 44. But there could be cases where older customers buy this product as gift items. Motivation is often the incentives to think, act and choose. A motivated person makes purchasing decisions that align with their reasons and sources of motivation. There is also proof that motivation enables speedy decisions. A well-motivated customer makes a purchase faster, than a skeptical customer, who would look for alternatives. If the customer motivation for buying the Watch are personal productivity, social appeal, personal efficiency, luxury brand alternatives or Apple product loyalist tendencies; then this Watch could be an automatic buy. If the customer motivation for purchasing is price parity, cost effectiveness, necessity over luxury, budget device and non-Brand consciousness, then this Watch could be a skeptical buy. Therefore, it is important for marketers to understand these aspects. Individual influence for product consumption: Consumer personality Customer personality is a spoke in the wheel when deciding to purchase an Apple Watch. A customers personality is a combination of internal, external, social, psychological and environment influences (Sarker 2013). It could also be the sum total of their hereditary influences, cultural backgrounds and sometimes ethnicities. Some of the prevailing theories of personality are: Socio psychoanalytic concept Neo-Freudian Theory Gestalt Theory Cognitive Theory Trait Theory Stimulus Response Theory The Neo-Freudian theory is based on the premise that social relationships define personality. Trait theory postulates that predisposed personal, physical and psychological attributes define a persons personality. Given that personality is a proven constituent for customer purchasing decisions, it is important to measure personality in order to align marketing objectives. Based on the Neo-Freudian and Trait theories some personality types to consider are Detached, Aggressive, Dogmatic, Ethnocentric, Compulsive, Unique, Innovative and Social. Personality traits of a target consumer group often become the basis to converge brand propositions that fulfill the target consumer groups personality needs. The traits of a brand personality intentionally coincide with that of the target customer group or groups. The personality effects of a brand can be measured in as a simple instance as a clearance sale. There is an anthropomorphizing of brands done by customers by according brands their personal personality traits. Marketers should take cognizance of these aspects and reinforce such beliefs. It could lead to new loyalty marketing programs. It could lead to better interventions of Internet-based marketing communications, interactive strategies and many other innovative channels of marketing (Rajagopal, 2008). Consumer decision making process based on consumer personality The consumer decision making process for Apple Watch is based largely on consumer personality types. Often personality and personal factors coincide to create the need to purchase. The following figure demonstrates this. As indicated in the figure, personality co-exists with other personal traits of a consumer such as age, lifecycle stage, occupation, economic condition and lifecycle. Recommendations Apples current brand architecture is monolithic. All products maintain their brand identity with the master brand. From the Apple logo to the design, there is a similarity in design, styling, ergonomics and function across all products. While most products have the i prefix, in 2014 the company moved away from this prefix for its Apple Watch and Apple Pay products. This was an attempt to move these products closer to the Apple brand name. The proposed marketing mix for Apple Watch based on the 4 Ps of marketing are: Although the Apple Watch is a flawless product, there are recorded glitches. Bluetooth connectivity is inconsistent. The device has poor battery life. When connected to the iPhone, it is reported that the Watch drains the iPhone smartphones battery fast. This products closest competitor is Fitbit in the fitness smartwatches category. A gap analysis reveals that the Apple Watch can increase its fitness apps. This allows for providing a variety of fitness apps catered to different types of customers. Price has always been the contentious issue for Apple Watch aspirants. Although Apple announces discounts, it is not frequent and could be limited to certain geographies. Apple can increase its product churn by giving discounts and participating in exchange offers. Although Apple may not be able to decrease price of this product due to its niche nature and the fact that the company does not rely on volume sales, there are other ways to increase sales. Some novel pricing methods could benefit churn (Munnukka, 2004). Complementary servicing This type of servicing could be free of charge or at a nominal rate. It could affect the overall perception of price. Bundle pricing Pricing of services offered by the Watch as a lump-sum. Usage charging The company could adopt a product-lease approach that lets consumers use the product on a leased basis. The current promotional mix is restricted to advertising, personal selling, sales promotions and public relations. Apple can leverage the power of social media marketing in a more emphatic direction. It can adopt go-to-customer strategies much like its go-to-customer strategies. There could be an increased focus on Big Data Analytics to leverage content and context based marketing strategies. Place/Distribution Apple undertakes a holistic approach to marketing and promotion of its products (Greenspan, 2015). Using a variety of distribution channels, the company takes advantage of the economics of cost advantage. But selective association with a distribution channel creates exclusivity and lack of market access. In the companys distribution chain, products are retailed or distributed at Apple Stores, e-commerce outlets, online Apple e-commerce stores, authorized company retailers and dealers and fulfillment stores services. Currently, the companys products are highly visible. To enhance customer appeal of its Watch product line, the company can showcase this product on a higher priority via its various distribution channels. Conclusion Apple cannot market the Apple Watch as a luxury product. However it can market this product as a hybrid sports and personal convenience product. Apple can target customers in this market segment by addressing their motivational and personality needs. By integrating identification factors that fall in the sphere of brand identity with personal and motivational identification factors of target consumer groups, Apple can create perceived value. The company can augment its pricing strategies with more discounts, free services and bundled service offerings. Apples distribution network is robust. Its proposed distribution can be modified to enhance the visibility of Apple Watch. The companys promotional strategies can include Big Data Analytics to deliver content based marketing. More emphasis should be given to social media marketing. There could be several event-based marketing campaigns too that could increase brand visibility and association. References Beaver, L. (2016). Smartwatch and wearables research forecasts trends market cases. Retrieved 26 January 2017, from https://www.businessinsider.com/smartwatch-and-wearables-research-forecasts-trends-market-use- cases-2016-9?IR=T Bajarin, T. (2014). Understanding Apples Watch Strategy. Retrieved 26 January 2017, from https://in.pcmag.com/wearable-tech/50161/opinion/understanding-apples-watch-strategy Swider, M Beavis, G. (2016). Apple Watch. Retrieved 26 January 2017, from https://www.in.techradar.com/reviews/wearables/Apple-Watch/articleshow/47122887.cms Su, B. J. (2016). Apple Watch Sales Plunge 55% As Samsung Doubles Market Share: Report. Retrieved 26 January 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanbaptiste/2016/07/22/apple-watch-sales-plunge-55-as-samsung-doubles-market-share/#6319754b6790 eMarketer. (2014). Does the Apple Watch Have What Consumers Want. Retrieved 26 January 2017, from https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Apple-Watch-Have-What-Consumers-Want/1011199 2014 John, D. (2015). Is the Apple Watch a Luxury Watch. Retrieved 26 January 2017, from https://themarketmogul.com/is-the-apple-watch-a-luxury-watch/ Jisana, K. (2014). CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR MODELS: AN OVERVIEW. Sai Om Journal of Commerce Management. Volume 1, Issue 5. Pp: 1-10. Doi: 10.1.1.916.4415 Knag, M. S. (2012). Luxury Brands, A Study of Consumers Motivation to Purchase Luxury Brands. Retrieved 26 January 2017 from https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/169929/knag2012.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y King, H. (2015). Who is buying Apple products?. Retrieved 26 January 2017, from https://money.cnn.com/2015/10/29/technology/apple-customers/. Sarker, S. et al. (2013). Influence of personality in buying consumer goods-a comparative study between neo-Freudian theories and trait theory based on Khulna region. International Journal of Business and Economics Research. 2013; 2(3): 41-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijber.20130203.12 Rajagopal. (2008). Interdependence of personality traits and brand identity in measuring brand performance. Retrieved 26 January 2017 from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/6929283.pdf. Guru Nanak Institute of Management. (2014). Apple Consumer Behavior. Retrieved 26 January 2017 from https://www.slideshare.net/siddharthabbi/apple-consumer-behaviour Marketing Minds. (2016). Apples Branding Strategy. Retrieved 26 January 2017 from https://www.marketingminds.com.au/apple_branding_strategy.html Greenspan, R. (2015). Apple Incs Marketing Mix (4Ps). Retrieved 26 January 2017 from https://panmore.com/apple-inc-marketing-mix-4ps ROBERTA GREENSPAN 2015 Munnukka, J. (2004). Perception Based Pricing Strategies for Mobile Services in Customer Marketing Context. Retrieved 26 January 2017 from https://jyx.jyu.fi/dspace/bitstream/handle/123456789/13195/9513917886.pdf Juha Munnukka 2004

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Basic Roles of a Music Publisher free essay sample

The role of the music publisher has evolved over the years, for many music companies, it has become nothing more than a banking operation, and for some, this is at the cost of innovation and passion. But what is the role of a music publisher today? We shall discover†¦ What is the music publisher’s role? In Ann Harrison’s Music: The Business, she explains that a music publisher’s role can be split into three simple steps: 1. To issue licenses to people who want to use music. 2. To actively look for ways to use music (i. e. putting it in an advert/film soundtrack). 3. To collect the income from those licenses and uses. Before elaborating on these three steps, we must first acquaint ourselves with the basic terminology that comes with dealing with a music publisher: The first thing everyone in the circle must understand is the meaning of copyright: * COPYRIGHT is a protection that covers published and unpublished works. We will write a custom essay sample on The Basic Roles of a Music Publisher or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It exists at the point of creation, arising automatically. The copyright work, however, must exist in material form, for example, that of a recording or sheet music. * Helen Gammons, The Art of Music Publishing. Copyright subsists throughout original music, artistic, literary and dramatic works; it also subsists in sound recordings, cable programs, broadcasts, film and typographical arrangements of published editions. A copyright in a musical or literary work lasts for 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the author/writer dies. If it is a co-written work, then the copyright is in effect until the previous terms are met by the last surviving copyright owner. In a publishing deal/contract, there are six main commercial terms to look out for. They are as follows: * TERRITORY focuses on what countries the deal covers (although most deals are worldwide). * TERM refers to the duration of the deal. If it is an exclusive deal (see below), then all compositions created during the term are within the conditions of the deal. * MINIMUM COMMITMENT underlines the amount of work/songs written, for the writer to meet the deal’s minimum requirements. An example would be (for a non-artist songwriter) – â€Å"five 100% controlled songs (or an ultimate percentage equivalent) released on an approved UK label in each contract period†. This means that a writer could co-write, having 50% ownership of the song, but if this is the case, the writer would have to accumulate the lost 50% on another song. * ADVANCES are the pre-payment of your share of gross income from your songs. This is not a loan, and will not need to be repaid if you leave the deal. The size of the advance will depend on previous earnings/success, the potential earnings, competition, and how much control you have over the album. ROYALTIES are the earnings of the exploitations of your songs from which your advance will be deducted. A typical split in an exclusive deal would be 25% publisher, 75% songwriter. A typical split from a record deal can be around 15%/85% to 20%/80% (record company/songwriter). * RETENTION PERIOD is the length of time after which the writer deal (term) has expired, that the copyrights now spend with the music publisher for them to recoup their advance and make money for the writer. This period can be as short as three years, t o as long as ‘life of copyright’. Step 1 is normally done in conjunction with the collection societies, which is a non-profit organization that represent the interests of publishers, record companies, authors and performers, but the one for music publishers and songwriters (UK) is called the PRS (Performing Right Society). This collection society is specifically for composers, songwriters and music publishers and bears the responsibility of administering the public performance and broadcasting rights of music and lyrics. The PRS is a UK company, and it represents over a million foreign music copyright owners via its affiliation with other collection societies overseas. When you join with the PRS, there is a small joining fee (of which, is constantly changing) and you basically assign your performing rights to the PRS. There is a small criteria to fulfill in order to join the PRS and that is that you have your music either being broadcast on the radio/TV, or it is being performed live. The music publisher will be esponsible for registering your (and now, their) material with the PRS (and collection societies all around the world – this may just require the songwriter to fill in a form and file it with the society, and sometimes it requires a recording and a written copy of the music and lyrics aka. ‘lead sheet’). Step 2 involves the publisher finding uses for the songwriter’s music. The most typical way (if the writer is not an artist) is to find an artist to perform, record and release the song, this works significantly well if a high rolling artist expresses an interest – it could be life-changing. Another brilliant method of getting your music heard is through music synchronisaton or ‘syncing’ – this is when a piece of music is laid over a piece of video to enhance the viewing experience. When songs are ‘synced’, it is a win-win – the video production company benefit from having a professional composition on their video, and the writer and publisher benefit from their music being heard. For example: if you write a contemporary ballad, it might be their prerogative to look into music synchronization in a television drama (e. g. he close of a Grey’s Anatomy episode), or an easy listening acoustic folk song for an advert aimed at the younger audience. Syncing can span across all different kinds of media such as film, radio and video-gaming too. Step 3 of the publisher’s role is to claim his and the writer’s earnings from aforementioned endeavors from the collection societies (briefly touched upon in step 1). If the musi c publisher is on a grander scale, then it is likely that he/she will have companies in many major countries internationally, along with only a few independent music publishers (such as PeerMusic) with a similar system. Smaller music publishers will not have adequate resources to fund such an elaborate scheme, so they appoint local publishers to represent their interests there (sub-publishing; see below). There are four basic types of publishing deals, these are listed below: * ADMINISTRATION DEAL – If you are a songwriter with a vast collection of songs that could potentially earn a viable amount of money, but you don’t have the time or the wherewithal to self-publish by registering with collection societies and managing the role of royalty tracking yourself. Under this agreement, the publisher possesses the right/license to administer said composition/s, but this is not the same as copyright. They can permit/license the use of said songs within different realms of media such as recordings, tapes/CD’s, television (series/adverts), film/DVD etc. , and collect royalties from all music users. This is usually for a specified period of time (term), more often than not around the span of three to five years, and in return for this service, the publisher will negotiate an ‘administration fee’ ranging (usually) between 10% 15% of the gross income earned during the negotiated ‘term’. Certain advantages of this deal are more control over songs, no pressure to deliver a specific amount of material, you keep your copyrights (unless there is good reason for you not to), you can request to be consulted on any controversial use of your material, whether it be associated with violence or simply inappropriate. Disadvantages of this deal would be no advances. * SUB-PUBLISHING DEAL – The sub-publishing deal is for the artist that does not wish to assign all copyright, but does wish the publisher to find new ways of making an income off of their material (songs). This deal consists of transferring ownership of copyright, but there is no general statistic, deals/decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. An advance isn’t out of the question, but it would be contingent on how much of the rights are being handed over to the publisher; that being said, any advance would be small as the reduced assignment of rights means the publisher will not be earning as much compared to an exclusive deal, for example. A sub-publishing deal is an appealing choice for smaller publishers who wish to operate abroad, and they can do this without having to set up a company overseas; instead, they use an overseas company to execute the right to use some or all of the rights in the specified country. * SINGLE SONG ASSIGNMENT – This deal is restricted to a single song, with which the publisher will be assigned the rights of the song and find as many uses for the song as possible. Because it’s a small deal, it is easier to estimate and exploit it’s earning potential, and depending on that, a small advance will be distributed and all the usual accounting and licensing will be carried out. The term of rights can be negotiated; you can either assign the rights for life, or you can arrange a ‘rights period’. Your control over the song’s exploitation may be small – to prevent the publisher being hindered in making money from the song – but you will have an acceptable level of control in terms of lyric changes and commercial usage. EXCLUSIVE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT – This is probably the most important deal, as for every songwriter, this stage in their career is a definitive one. As Ann Harrison explains in Music: The Business, getting an established publisher behind them in this circumstance means that they have arrived, that someone else has faith in their work and is prepared to put money and commitment behind t hat conviction. Under this agreement, the songwriter agrees to assign the rights of all compositions (songs) written during a certain time-frame (aka. Term agreed upon with the publisher). An example of a usual term is two years from a specified date or one year (with four conditional options). You are guaranteed a percentage share of the income earned on songs during, and usually a proviso for weekly or monthly payments (contingent on the scale of which your agreement is drafted). The weekly/monthly payments made to the writer are treated as ‘advances’ , which will ultimately, be recouped from the songwriter’s future royalties. These royalties will be made from record sales, downloads, sheet music, music synchronization, television, film, video-gaming etc. he advantages of this sort of deal is that of stability – the writer is guaranteed a more reliable and steady income as opposed to some previous deals, as the advances help financially while the royalties (which take six months to one year to reach the writer after they have been transacted) are processing. In addition to these deals, newly-founded ‘music companies’ have scour ed the planes looking for other innovative ways to grasp the sources of revenue made by their recording artists. Such deals like the ‘360-degree’ deal or the ‘multiple rights’ agreements, are such methods labels have taken to using, to recover from the losses in the record industry. * THE 360 ° CONCEPT – In The Music Management Bible, Nicola Riches explains that the record company’s rights would traditionally be restricted to the artist’s recordings and (in order to facilitate the exploitation of those recordings) the ancillary rights described above. In recent years, record companies have shown a predatory interest in other areas of their artists’ activities. This trend has been driven by the concern with breaking in new artists; when traditionally, upon signing a new artist, the record company will bear the financial brunt of the investment that is required. Obviously, this works well for the record company if there is an acceptable level of return from record sales, but in this day and age, record says are declining in favour of digital downloads and the invasion of music piracy. This means that the record companies need to recuperate this loss via other means, as the investment is no longer justified when considering the anticipated return. This means that if the record companies are to make a similar investment in artists, they must find some way to increase the return in compensation of this shortcoming. Due to this shift, many artists doubt that they can ever expect to recoup/make enough/much money from record sales, but they need the drive and exposure of the machine that is an established record company to effectively promote their record, concert tickets and/or merchandise. In response to this, record companies have presented the idea that if they are to invest in a record, then it wants a ‘cut’ out of the income of the artist’s related activites. â€Å"In it’s ‘pure’ form the 360 ° concept involves the record company gaining an entitlement to all of the artist’s services in the music business; this would extend to live performance, songwriting, merchandising, sponsorship and so on. † – Nicola Riches, The Music Management Bible Just as with recording deals, music publishing is too suffering changes in the way it is viewed/perceived by smaller operators. Many managers and smaller record labels have expressed an interest in handling publishing rights due to the current changes in the way artists are utilizing music, and the way people are experiencing music. Since the emergence of the ‘digital era’, many shifts in the music industry seemed necessary, one specific change would be the economic repositioning of record labels and music publishers; when before, record labels would develop and promote artists through financing the creations and distributing artists’ recordings, while the music publishers’ roles were to exploit the rights in and to musical compositions. When something as revolutionary as the digital market changes the way the consumer experiences music, it also changes the way the industry’s cogs tick. This is where the seas part between the label and the publisher, because unlike labels, music publishers are not so tightly beholden to the sale of prerecorded music and they are more prepared to adapt to the changing ways in which consumers can obtain and listen to music. Many of the sources from which publishers can collect revenue are: * Public performance Synchronisation of songs (in connection with audiovisual works) * So-called ‘print rights’ (sheet music copyright) * Mechanical reproduction of songs on CD’s/digital downloads When a typical income stream for music publishers is mechanical royalties, and when those mechanical royalties are declining due to the piracy movement, publishers find themselves too, looking for other innovative ways to make this loss back somehow, alongside becoming more effici ent at collecting these royalties and running their companies. Music publishers have begun to take on some of the roles originally only executed by record companies, such as providing studio time for their budding artists to record demos, and some even go as far as to provide financial support to artists when out on tour, or even for basic promotion or press coverage. The reason for this is to give the artist a boost northwards and to help in ways that might be shortcoming of a record label these days. A new method of copyright was issued in recent years when EMI (Electric and Musical Industries) were one of the first publishers to implement song lyrics onto merchandise such as T-shirts, key-rings, mugs, etc. the importance of licensing songs in video has increased too, with many publishers improving/strengthening their synchronization departments. With the existence of independent publishing companies like Kobalt, which have revolutionized the way publishers operate, publishers are striving to become more efficient, and to handle things such as royalties more effectively and systemically.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The economic policy of Germany in 1933-1941 Essays

The economic policy of Germany in 1933-1941 Essays The economic policy of Germany in 1933-1941 Paper The economic policy of Germany in 1933-1941 Paper Essay Topic: Claim of Policy Cited in Mein Kampf and Zweites Buch are Hitlers four main aims concerning economic policy. First, Hitler aimed to create an autarkic system, which would enable Germany to sustain broader hegemony within Europe. Secondly, he intended to target above all the lands in the east. Third, since the latter inevitably involved expansion- and therefore conflict- the economic infrastructure would have to accommodate a considerable increase in military expenditure. But, fourth, he needed the support of the German people and could not therefore risk severely depressing their living standards in any quest for military supremacy. Thus the fundamental question is, did Hitler prioritise any of his aims? The incentive of this is essay is to analyse the Guns v butter debate over the priority of rearmament or the consumer- both expanded, but from 1936 onwards guns were the priority. Hitler came to power after the worst of the Depression. The 1929 Wall Street Crash affected German industry resulting in recession. Six million became unemployed where the employed suffered due to reduced hours and low earnings. Consumer demand fell, as a result of which there was a decline in small shops. Businesses and banks were heavily bankrupt and the Middle class had to rely on soup kitchens as welfare favoured factory workers. In addition they could not purchase overseas-the depressed economy had all the effects of a social catastrophe! To remedy the situation, Chancellor Bruning (1929-32) had introduced a series of deflationary measures, which were intended to promote early recovery even at the expense of accelerating short-term economic decline. There is evidence that his policies were beginning to work: unemployment was already on the downturn and Hitler was able to claim credit for recovery. The period 1933-6 was dominated by the Economics Minister, Hjalmar Schacht, whose New Plan of 1934 was intended to promote Germanys exports, reduce imports, strengthen the currency and establish a series of bilateral trade agreements with those less developed countries which were rich in raw materials. Additionally Germany refused to pay reparations, they directed scarce raw materials to key industries and more critically the control by government of all aspects of trade and currency exchange (growing role of state). For a while therefore there was economic equilibrium. Between 1935 to 1936, however, an economic crisis forced Hitler to make a decision about future priorities. He therefore introduced in 1936 the Four Year Plan, the intention of which was to develop substitutes for essential raw materials, which Germany lacked and to move to a war footing the result was an increase in the rate of rearmament. Military expenditure increased from 1. 9 billion marks in 1933 to 5. 8 billion at the start of the Four Year Plan, rising to 18. 4 billion in 1938 and 32. 3 billion in 1939. The overall aim of the Four Year Plan was to make the armed forces and the economy ready for war within four years. In addition there were another three priorities- one; increase in agricultural production, two; retraining of key sectors of the labour force and three; government regulation of imports and exports. Accompanying rearmament was a series of measures to create a more disciplined workforce. In place of the trade unions, the workforce had to accept membership of organisation such as Strength through Joy (KdF) and Beauty of Labour (SDA) while, at the same time, coming to terms with falling living standards. Two key issues arise from the above outline. One is Hitlers overall economic strategy, more precisely his schemes for territorial expansion and hence the pursuit for restored prestige. The second is the way in which this affected the German people in terms of economic stability and living standards. Historians have often debated the fact that Hitler via economic policy merely wanted to restore the prestige of Germany. Indeed this is true in that Hitler wanted to restore Germanys power to the former Bismarckian success of 1862-90. More crucially Hitler had to detach Germany from the terms of the embarrassing Treaty of Versailles. The Versailles Treaty had robbed Germany of the prestige it maintained in Europe before the First World War. The Treaty was a major setback for Germany, as it resulted in severe population loss and economic loss, primarily in the loss of Alsace and Lorraine and huge reparation payments. Other land lost was Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium, the controversial Polish Corridor and Poznania, Eastern Upper Silesia, Memel and Lithuania. The Rhineland was demilitarised and additional clauses of the treaty included disarmament and the humiliating War Guilt Clause. The overall effects on Germany were: loss of 13% of its territory, 12% of its population or figuratively 6. 5 million German people. The loss of 48% of its iron ore, 16% of its coal and 15% of its agricultural production. Hitler looked at these figures and realised that the Allied forces had ravaged Germany. Additionally he felt Bismarcks successes had been undermined, especially in the loss of Alsace and Lorraine to the French. Thus it was his duty to retrieve what Germany had lost, it was a personal fervent belief on Hitlers behalf to restore the devastated Germany to its former glory. Subsequently Hitler set out to quash the terms of the treaty through rearmament, autarky and pursuit of Lebensraum. All three aims were geared towards inevitable war in the east. Hence the economy needed to be concentrated on war and restoration of kudos rather than living conditions. In Zweite Buch he argued that Germany should abandon its former pursuit of economic power through colonies or attempts to dominate Western Europe and, instead, should be turning our eyes towards the land in the east. In this way Lebensraum could be fulfilled, large peasant communities would eventually be established in the future in Poland and Russia on land carved out of these countries by the German army. German domination would also ensure self-sufficiency in all raw materials and food as well as guaranteed outlets for manufactured goods. Autarky would underpin the future economy; Lebensraum would give autarky geographical cohesion; and rearmament would provide the means of achieving Lebensraum. Accordingly in 1934, Schacht introduced the New Plan promoting and heightening autarky. The Four Year Plan was aimed at making the armed forces and economy ready for war in four years. Hitler made this intention clear in the Hossbach Memorandum, as a result of which Goering, at the Four Year Plan Office, was instructed to place the German economy on a war footing by promoting autarky and developing substitutes for any essential materials which Germany had to import. From 1936 to 1939 rearmament dominated economic growth, exports fell and standards of living were held as growth in the economy was devoted to military spending. From 1936 to 39 two thirds of Germanys industrial investment was devoted to production of steel, iron ore and tools. The production of steel was three times greater than that in Britain and the production of coal was two times greater. From 1939 the German air force increased and was five times greater, including a vast battle fleet and army. Standards of living declined even though Hitler denied this. And by 1939 danger of the economy overheating due to labour/ raw material shortages and the rise in some prices rendered the economy unstable. Previous to 1939 Hitler realised that there just was not enough resources, this conflict with reality led the Nazis to assume a policy of expansionism into the east. Here Hitler was also fulfilling his ideological goal of Lebensraum. After invading Austria and Czechoslovakia Hitler received growing hostility from the elites, army and businessmen as invasion posed a grave risk to the economy. Germany was not ready for until the mid 1940s. However Hitlers miscalculations over the Polish crisis led to Britain and France declaring war on Germany before her plans were complete. Despite the fact that the economy was overheating Hitler achieved success with the Blitzkrieg 1939-1941. It was the only way in which Germany could grow from limited mobilisation by steadily expanding its economic base through a series of rapid and specifically targeted conquests. Blitzkrieg was as much an economic strategy as a military device. By 1941 Blitzkrieg seemed to have produced the required momentum for the achievement of the early stages of Lebensraum. Germany had gained military and economic control over Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Ukraine and a sizeable area of European Russia, as well as direct influence over Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. With these victories, the economic dimension of Lebensraum became clearer. Then came total war, which wrecked the new economic order. Total war is often projected as the logical final step: the total mobilisation of the economy to enable it to achieve the final stage. Actually, it was a response to failure to achieve a rapid victory through Blitzkrieg. It was an admission that the previous delicate balance between consumer and military needs could no longer be maintained. Above all, it was a struggle for survival as, from 1942 onwards; the tide began to turn with the military recovery of the Soviet Union and the entry of the United States into the war. Despite the best efforts of Armaments Minister, Albert Speer, the German economy proved far less adaptable to total war than those of its three main rivals. It was massively out produced in terms of war material by the United States and the Soviet Union, while even Britain, with a smaller, economic base, managed to maintain a larger output of aircraft and artillery. It seems the total war was a desperate attempt to cling on to the Lebensraum already achieved rather than its logical completion. There is an open debate about the relationship between Blitzkrieg and total war. Either the Blitzkrieg economy was the initially successful step towards Lebensraum, which was then reversed by the disasters of total war. Or the drive for Lebensraum through total war was impeded by the intrusion of Blitzkrieg. Thus far, it seems from the analysis that Hitler was trying to restore prestige by retrieving lands lost due to the Versailles Treaty. He was also determined to achieve autarky and massive rearmament to assist the war effort. War itself was a means to restore Germany to the glorious days of the Bismarckian era, when there was unmitigated German hegemony. It was also fundamental to Hitlers belief concerning struggle, All nature is one great struggle between strength and weakness, an eternal victory of the strong over the weak The nation which would violate this elementary law would rot away. Hence, Hitlers economic policy was an attempt to create a war economy that fulfilled ideological beliefs and key foreign policy endeavours. Now, the question remains- during the years 1933 to 41, were the German people better off as a result of Hitlers economic policies? There seemed to be much to support the view that Germany was experiencing a return to prosperity after the trauma of the Depression- the time of recovery. For one thing, unemployment was in rapid decline. The figure had stood at 4. million in 1933, dropping thereafter to 2. 7 million in 1934, 2. 2 million in 1935, 1. 6 million in 1936, 0. 9 million in 1937, 0. 4 million in 1938 and a mere 0. 1 million by 1939. This was far more rapid than in the reduction of unemployment in comparable economies such as the United States and France, while Britain still had 1. 8 million on the dole in 1938. Corresponding with the decline in unemployment was an increase in wages. Falling to a low in 1933 of 70 per cent of their 1928 level, these had recovered to 75 per cent by 1934, 80 per cent by 1936 and 85 per cent by 1938. Thus by a decisive factor more and more people became better off during the six years after 1933. They were also part of a general increase in prosperity represented by a steady growth of Germanys national income from 44 billion marks in 1933 to 80 billion in 1938. This was particularly impressive since the 1938 figure was actually greater than the 72 billion of 1928, despite the fall in the value of the mark in the meantime. The workforce benefited at certain key outlets within the economy as the production of some consumer goods seemed to take off. Germans, for example, became the worlds largest owners of radio sets, while progress was also made in developing the comparatively cheap Volkswagen car. Added to these benefits was the vast range of activities provided in Strength through Joy: these included concerts, operas, theatres, cabaret, films, guided tours, sporting events and gymnastics, cruises and hikes. Meanwhile Beauty of Labour did much to improve working conditions, reduce problems such as noise levels and increase cooperation and solidarity in the workplace. Certainly the workforce as a whole was far better off than that in the Soviet Union. It was not, generally, in constant dread of being denounced to the Gestapo or being forced to reach unrealistic targets by being driven to breaking point. Overall it is easy to see why contemporaries should have seen Nazi Germany as a country undergoing a transformation in its economy to the ultimate benefit of its people. There are, however, fundamental problems with this line of reasoning. Its underlying assumption is that any improvements after 1933 were due directly and solely to Hitlers policies. But this flawed, on two accounts. First, there is more continuity between the early polices of the Third Reich and the later policies of the Weimar Republic than is often realised. Secondly, the policy of Bruning created a dynamic, which was of double benefit to Hitler. In ruthlessly taking control of the economy, Bruning intended to deal forcefully with the problems as quickly as possible in order to enable Germany to come through the other side of the economic crisis more quickly than any of the other leading industrial powers. This benefited Hitlers reputation by creating a huge peak of unemployment, which Hitler could not help but alleviate. And, by the time that Hitler had come to power, the worse was over as Brunings policies were beginning to have an admittedly belated impact. Hitler inherited a disastrous situation, which was just about on the mend. There was also reduced attention to consumer needs. Workers were producing proportionately more in terms of heavy industrial goods and armaments than they consumed. It can also be deduced from import and export figures that the general flow of trade was not in the consumers interest. The consumer suffered in two ways the imposition of tight import controls by Schacht and the huge drop in consumer goods from abroad. As to the new employee organisations, these may have had certain benefits and attractions, but they were very much in line with the aims of a totalitarian regime. The workforce was strictly regulated even down to its use of free time. This was done partly to break any desire to revive consumer habits, which would draw off resources from rearmament, and partly to keep open the channels of propaganda and indoctrination. The KdF and SDA were therefore no substitute for the trade unionism, which had been banned by Hitler in 1933. It has been discovered that the employment figures under the Nazi regime are artificial. Jews, some married women, political prisoners in concentration camps and so on- disappeared from the unemployment registers for ideological reasons. The Nazis claimed to have eliminated unemployment, but only because they had created a distorted economic system. Additionally workers had to pay their dues new employee organisations, and the organisations greatest scam, the Volkswagen, brought in tens of millions of marks- and not one car was delivered! In reality, the German workforce was putting in longer hours for a fractional notional increase in wages. In real terms wages were in decline compared to the increase in the standard of living. The input that workers had put into the economy was substantial but largely one-way: it fed into rearmament but received few consumables in exchange. Returning to the initial question the German people were not much better off and it seems that the standard of living was falling, not rising! Conclusively, it would seem from my analysis that the restoration of prestige was more important than the achievement of economic stability or the raising of the standard of living, in relation to economic policy of Germany in 1933-41. Indeed, Hitler forced the economy to execute his ideological beliefs, in particular, the quest for Lebensraum by means of conflict. To achieve his aspirations he had to discount the welfare of his workers- after all, Lebensraum would be the German nations long-term economic salvation. Hence, guns were more significant than butter. However, it would be ludicrous to claim that the German people did not benefit from the regime at all. If anything, success in foreign policy gave them hope of a better and united future, devoid of chaos.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Spain and the New Laws of 1542

Spain and the New Laws of 1542 The â€Å"New Laws† of 1542 were a series of laws and regulations approved by the King of Spain in November of 1542 to regulate the Spaniards who were enslaving the natives in the Americas, particularly in Peru. The laws were extremely unpopular in the New World and directly led to a civil war in Peru. The furor was so great that eventually King Charles, fearing that he would lose his new colonies entirely, was forced to suspend many of the more unpopular aspects of the new legislation. Conquest of the New World The Americas had been discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus: a papal bull in 1493 divided the newly-discovered lands between Spain and Portugal. Settlers, explorers, and conquistadors of all sorts immediately began heading to the colonies, where they tortured and killed the natives by the thousands to take their lands and wealth. In 1519, Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico: about fifteen years later Francisco Pizarro defeated the Inca Empire in Peru. These native empires had much gold and silver and the men who participated became very wealthy. This, in turn, inspired more and more adventurers to come to the Americas in the hopes of joining the next expedition that would conquer and loot a native kingdom. The Encomienda System With the major native empires in Mexico and Peru in ruins, the Spanish had to put a new system of government in place. The successful conquistadors and colonial officials used the encomienda system. Under the system, an individual or family was given lands, which generally had natives living on them already. A sort of deal was implied: the new owner was responsible for the natives: he would see to their instruction in Christianity, their education and their safety. In return, the natives would supply food, gold, minerals, wood or whatever valuable commodity could be extracted from the land. The encomienda lands would pass from one generation to the next, allowing the families of the conquistadors to set themselves up like local nobility. In reality, the encomienda system was little more than slavery by another name: the natives were forced to work in fields and mines, often until they literally dropped dead. Las Casas and the Reformers Some opposed the ghastly abuses of the native population. As early as 1511 in Santo Domingo, a friar named Antonio de Montesinos asked the Spanish by what right had they invaded, enslaved, raped and robbed a people who had done them no harm. Bartolomà © de Las Casas, a Dominican priest, began asking the same questions. Las Casas, an influential man, had the ear of the king, and he told of the needless deaths of millions of Indians- who were, after all, Spanish subjects. Las Casas was quite persuasive and King Charles of Spain finally decided to do something about the murders and torture being carried out in his name. The New Laws The â€Å"New Laws,† as the legislation came to be known, provided for sweeping changes in Spain’s colonies. The natives were to be considered free, and the owners of the encomiendas could no longer demand free labor or services from them. They did need to pay a certain amount of tribute, but any extra work was to be paid for. Natives were to be treated fairly and given expanded rights. Encomiendas granted to members of the colonial bureaucracy or the clergy were to be returned to the crown immediately. The clauses of the New Laws most disturbing to the Spanish colonists were the ones that declared forfeiture of encomiendas or native laborers by those who had participated in civil wars (which was nearly all of the Spaniards in Peru) and a provision that made encomiendas not hereditary: all encomiendas would revert to the crown upon the death of the current holder. Revolt and Repeal Reaction to the New Laws was swift and drastic: all over the Spanish Americas, conquistadors and settlers were enraged. Blasco Nuà ±ez Vela, the Spanish Viceroy, arrived in the New World in early 1544 and announced that he intended to enforce the New Laws. In Peru, where the former conquistadors had the most to lose, the settlers rallied behind Gonzalo Pizarro, last of the Pizarro brothers (Hernando Pizarro was still alive but in prison in Spain). Pizarro raised an army, declaring that he would defend the rights that he and so many others had fought so hard for. At the battle of Aà ±aquito in January of 1546, Pizarro defeated Viceroy Nà ºÃƒ ±ez Vela, who died in battle. Later, an army under Pedro de la Gasca defeated Pizarro in April of 1548: Pizarro was executed. Pizarro’s revolution was put down, but the revolt had shown the King of Spain that the Spaniards in the New World (and Peru in particular) were serious about protecting their interests. Although the king felt that morally, the New Laws were the right thing to do, he feared that Peru would declare itself an independent kingdom (many of Pizarro’s followers had urged him to do just that). Charles listened to his advisors, who told him that he had better seriously tone down the New Laws or he risked losing parts of his new empire. The New Laws were suspended and a watered-down version was passed in 1552. Legacy The Spanish had a mixed record in the Americas as a colonial power. The most horrendous abuses occurred in the colonies: natives were enslaved, murdered, tortured and raped in the conquest and early part of the colonial period and later they were disenfranchised and excluded from power. Individual acts of cruelty are too numerous and dreadful to list here. Conquistadors like Pedro de Alvarado and Ambrosius Ehinger reached levels of cruelty that are nearly inconceivable to modern sentiments. As horrible as the Spanish were, there were a few enlightened souls among them, such as Bartolomà © de Las Casas and Antonio de Montesinos. These men fought diligently for native rights in Spain. Las Casas produced books on the subjects of Spanish abuses and was not shy about denouncing powerful men in the colonies. King Charles I of Spain, like Ferdinand and Isabela before him and Philip II after him, had his heart in the right place: all of these Spanish rulers demanded that the natives be treated fairly. In practice, however, the goodwill of the king was difficult to enforce. There was also an inherent conflict: the King wanted his native subjects to be happy, but the Spanish crown grew ever more dependent on the steady flow of gold and silver from the colonies, much of which was produced by slave labor in the mines. As for the New Laws, they marked an important shift in Spanish policy. The age of conquest was over: bureaucrats, not conquistadors, would hold power in the Americas. Stripping the conquistadors of their encomiendas meant nipping the burgeoning noble class in the bud. Although King Charles suspended the New Laws, he had other means of weakening the powerful New World elite and within a generation or two most of the encomiendas had reverted to the crown anyway.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Analyzing Messages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyzing Messages - Essay Example With this, she invites Spencer to visit them when he gets the time. The email correspondence reveals two important aspects of written communication. First, the kind of language people use in written business correspondence depends on the relationship between them. Second, factors like gender and technology also come into play. Specifically, the language of the email is formal, similar to other business letters. The relationship between the two as service provider and client effects the formality of the correspondence. If the situation is reversed and Spencer will be the one to email Megan, thinking that Spencer is the service provider, the language could be more esteeming and polite as what can be seen in the second letter. Gender could have also played an important part in Megan’s writing. Being a woman, she did not want to be misinterpreted, thus kept the language formal. Also, her email is brief and no sense of closeness or endearment may be felt. The last line that says, â€Å"Do visit us when you have time† is a cordial invitation normal between a client and service provider. There are no terms used to signify personal closeness. Megan’s position in the company also plays a part in the construction of her email. Being the HR Manager, she is in the position to invite Spencer over to their office. Nevertheless, considering that Spencer is the Operations Manager in Cunninghams, she also included the clause â€Å"when you have time† to acknowledge how busy Spencer could be. As Steinberg (2007) notes, the style of communication is important in interpersonal communication. In this particular example, the use of technology as a communication style is very appropriate. The purpose and formality of the subject matter called for formality and such was achieved through emails. I hope this email finds you well. I am very glad to announce that Cunninghams, Inc. has just established a branch office in San Francisco, California as part of its