Category: Uncategorized

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Thirteen

Addiction is a complicated issue to deal with, both for the addict and those around them such as family and friends. Many teenage children are exposed to drugs and alcohol due to peer pressure even before they realize the harm that the substances will cause them. They are just eager to fit in and will do anything to please their friends. This is aptly depicted in the movie ‘Thirteen’ that follows the lives of teenagers and the start of their journey with drugs, sex, and alcohol.

The movie ‘Thirteen’ revolves around the life of a thirteen-year-old girl known as Tracy Freeland. She begins her year in middle school as a well-behaved girl in Los Angeles. Her mother Melanie is divorced and has many problems including alcoholism. She can barely make ends meet to support Tracy and her brother. Melanie has a boyfriend who is a recovering addict. Tracy feels out of place at her school because she is teased for her clothes. She gets her mother to buy her new outfits, and this gets her noticed by one of the popular girls in school, Evie.

Evie exposes Tracy to a life of shoplifting, sex, drugs, and alcohol. Evie also cuts herself when she is under stress to deal with the problems in her life. She is a bad influence on Tracy’s life, and this escalates when Evie moves into Tracy’s house to when her guardian is out of town. Melanie is concerned at the person that Tracy is turning into and decides that Evie has to leave. Evie does not want to go, and Melanie contacts Evie’s father, Brooke. Brooke is reluctant to respond, and Evie asks Melanie to adopt her. Melanie refuses. Brooke eventually shows up, but to everyone’s shock, Brooke blames Tracy for being a bad influence on Evie while the opposite is true (Olivier 101).

In the movie, several of the characters have problems such as substance abuse, aggression, and even self-harm. Melanie’s mother, as well as her boyfriend, are both recovering alcoholics. Evie is a shoplifter and uses drugs as well as alcohol. She also cuts herself as a coping strategy when things get hard. She introduces Tracy to all these habits and Tracy follows her lead as she would like to be as popular as Evie is in school. It is easy to dismiss Evie’s habits as bad behavior, but in essence, she is suffering from addiction. She requires treatment to help her deal with the problems in her life.

Watching the film ‘Thirteen,’ the characters are shown to have real challenges in their lives most of which revolve around an addiction to drugs and alcohol. This is the situation for many people in real life situations. The film is thus an accurate portrayal of the issue of substance abuse and crime especially among teenagers and adolescents in society. However, the media can do more in terms of not just showing the root of the problem but also the fact that recovery is possible with treatments such as counseling, rehabilitation among many others. Such a media experience such as watching this film shows the dangers of addiction and might dissuade others from the same path (Raymond 11).

I would begin treatment of Evie’s substance abuse by using one of the questionnaires by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The program is called the Brief Screener for Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs (BSTAD). This screening option asks the user about how frequently they have used the substances in the past year. Respondents are grouped into three, those who have no reported use, low risk, and high-risk users. Evie can be termed as a high-risk user due to her frequent use. She is at a high stage of dependence on drugs and other substances. Without proper treatment, she is unable to stop abusing drugs and other substances.

Evie is a danger to herself. The fact that she keeps cutting herself to deal with stress shows that in the future she might attempt more severe measures to cope. She should, therefore, be kept under close watch to avert any further incidences. To deal with the issue of self-harm, it is vital to discover the underlying cause. Evie explained that her guardian’s boyfriend is physically abusive and this shows that she lives in a toxic environment that motivates her self-harm. She should be put in a healthier environment.

The ASAM criteria are used to determine the best care that will yield desired results and outcomes for both adults and adolescents. It ensures a complete biopsychosocial assessment of the patient for a comprehensive and suitable treatment plan for the patient. There are six dimensions to the ASAM criteria. The first is acute intoxications and the potential for withdrawal. The second dimension explores biomedical conditions and the third looks at the patient’s emotional and behavioral states. The fourth dimension is about the individual’s readiness to change (Herron, & Brennan). The fifth looks at the potential for relapse and the sixth dimension explore the living environment during their recovery.

A DSM diagnosis is also essential in dealing with the matter of substance abuse. Some of the DSM-V criteria include taking the substance in excessive quantities for a longer time than required; having the desire to stop but being unable to, a lot of time spent consuming and recovering from consuming the substance and severe cravings for the substance in question. The fifth criterion is the disruption of tasks at home, work and school due to substance abuse, the sixth is continued use despite problems in relationships, and the seventh is giving up daily activities (O’brien 866). The eighth is continued substance use despite the danger, the ninth is continued use despite physical problems, the tenth is a high tolerance for the substance, and the final criterion is withdrawal symptoms alleviated by taking more of the substance.

In developing a treatment plan, spirituality is a fundamental point. Spirituality does not necessarily refer to religion. It is more about discovering our purpose in life and enables one to develop a connection with other things and people. Addiction takes away the addicts spirituality by destroying relationships, and the ability to be in control of one’s life as the addict is wholly dependent on the drugs. The journey towards recovering from addiction, therefore, demands that the addict gets in touch with their spirituality in a 12 step program.

For Evie’s case, her addiction is at an acute level, and the best course of treatment would be inpatient treatment at a rehabilitation facility. This will give her an excellent environment to get better away from the availability of drugs and the toxic environment at home as well as negative peer influence. Recovery is a journey that involves not only the addict but requires the support of parents, friends, family, schoolmates, teachers and the community as a whole. It is crucial therefore that even after treatment, those around the addict do not stigmatize them but instead accept them back so that they can reintegrate into society.

Works Cited

Herron, Abigail, and Timothy K. Brennan. The ASAM essentials of addiction medicine. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2019.

O’brien, Charles. “Addiction and dependence in DSM‐V.” Addiction 106.5 (2011): 866-867.

Olivier, Bert. “Passive’nihilism in Clark’s Kids and Hardwicke’s Thirteen.” South African Journal of Art History 19 (2004): 98-109.

Raymond, Courtney M. “Non-suicidal self-injury: The movie industry’s influence on its stigma.” McNair Scholars Research Journal 5.1 (2012): 11.

Case Study Investigation:

Mates by Austin Macfarlane (QLD) Drama (2019)

Name

Institution

Case Study Investigation:

Mates by Austin Macfarlane (QLD) Drama (2019)

Introduction

This case study endeavours to appraise and analyze a short film called Mates (2019) by Austin Macfarlane, the Overall Winner 2019 Bond University Film and Television Awards (BUFTA) competition that was held on 23rd November (Bond University, 2019). Precisely, this study will analyze the cinematography of the film by focusing on how Macfarlane handles the film’s genre using different symbolic and technical choices. Besides, it will elaborate on Macfarlane’s story-telling and artistry skills by illuminating on specific aspects including technical skills, visual style and creativity.     

Context

Senior high school learners from various parts of Australia usually participate in a highly-respected and valued film competition called BUFTA. Specifically, students would showcase their unique and competent skills and capabilities with regards to film making during BUFTA competitions. Accordingly, successful competitors could win priceless scholarships to pursue undergraduate degrees at Bond University. Since its establishment in 1996, several students have benefited from the BUFTA competition. Likewise, Macfarlane would study Bachelor of Film and Television at the university after winning a full scholarship.

Moreover, Macfarlane from the Anglican Church Grammar School (Queensland) used his filmmaking prowess to develop and execute the wonderful drama. Each student who aspire to secure sponsorship and pursue a course in the field and would strive to be among the best because BUFTA encourages creativity and use of acquired skills and knowledge to present a learners capabilities on matters regarding film-making. Fortunately, Bond University is dedicated to fair judgment and selection of the most qualified and passionate students to advanced their studies (Bond University – FSD, 2018). Macfarlane’s Mates emerged as the best in the drama category during the gala competition that comprises varied types of performances, including music video, animation, experimental film, documentary, and comedy.

Analysis

Macfarlane’s short film relies on appropriate cinematography to present the intended message. Specifically, Macfarlane uses the right types of lighting to communicate on various aspects effectively. For instance, the use of dark shadows at the beginning and the end of the film correspond well with the unfortunate event of murder that transpires in the video. Besides, the producer uses suitable sounds to reinforce visual presentations. For example, certain sounds that could be related to death and undesired occurrences play as Pete follows blood drops to where a lady is found dead. Besides, the film relies on different types of sounds due to the varying events. Moreover, clear cuts exist as different types of sounds are introduced.

As a drama film, Mate presents some interesting yet highly informative events. Macfarlane demonstrates lots of creativity in determining the most appropriate ways of presenting his ultimate message using only three characters. Besides, creative cinematography facilitates proper presentation of different aspects, including the use of dark shades to signify night time.

Moreover, the characters in the film act in an impressive way, as evidenced by the change in tones and behaviours while communicating. As a result, target audiences would realize the emotional influences that make the film more engaging. For example, Pete talks with lots of guilt after discovering the death of his mate’s companion (Atom, 2020). Hence, what transpires in the film could adequately correspond with what happens in real-life situations.

Additionally, the film ends in suspense, thus encouraging the audiences to contemplate on what could have transpired thereafter. Suspense acts as one of the most effective ways of encouraging viewer attention and engagement (Tan & Diteweg, 2013). Still, Macfarlane relies on a servile person to present the theme of murder in an excellent way. Although Pete appears to be innocent with the murder, he assists his friend with the burial of the dead companion without questioning him. Thus, the film producer effectively elaborates on the extent to which servile persons can try and please their harsh friends.  

Further, the film relies on excellent editing to ensure the provision of an error-free presentation. Editing serves as one of the most crucial practices in film making because it results in refinement of the video (Rabiger & Hurbis-Cherrier, 2013). For instance, are no instances of repeated or unclear words or scenes, thus making the video interesting while encouraging smooth flow from the onset to the end. In brief, virtually everything about the film is perfect, thanks to the editor’s efforts.

Appraisal

 Mates is a wonderful short film that relies mainly on irony to elaborate on how persons that pretend to be friends could hurt and even kill their colleagues. Precisely, the film effectively demonstrates how a malicious male person abuses and his “friend” and kills his companion. Although the film’s title suggests that it is about partners (mates), it appears to mean the opposite following the murder of the female companion. Therefore, Macfarlane seems to be well-acquainted with the use of irony to present some hidden information effectively.

Moreover, Macfarlane seems to be well-informed about the use of varied cinematographic details to the sufficiently present crime genre. Accordingly, the filmmaker establishes suitable mise-en-scenes that significantly improve the plot of the story (Kathiravelu, 2018). For example, the presence of a dark hiding place makes it possible for Pete to hide upon discovering the death of his friend’s partner. Moreover, Macfarlane uses proper visual styles to tell the story effectively. As a filmmaker, visual aspects are some of the most vital elements that could facilitate or discourage the proper presentation of the story. Therefore, Macfarlane appears to possess an advanced understanding of the cinematographic details.

Likewise, Macfarlane exhibits the use of advanced technical skills to present the applicable themes effectively. The use of appropriate sounds enhanced the dramatic events and set the needed moods for every scene. Besides, the producer relies on mid shots and close-ups to adequately present crime scenes and victims, hence, creating more bond and engagement with the audience (Mead, 2016). Luckily, Macfarlane appears to be well-informed about the need to ensure that the target audiences remain attentive and engaged, thus rendering the film lively.

Also, Macfarlane depends largely on suspends to encourage more engagement of the audience. Like most other crime films, audiences the use of suspense would trigger useful contemplations on what could have transpired. For instance, the film leaves target audiences wondering about what could have happened to the slain lady. As such, Macfarlane seems to be much concerned with the need to establish and maintain connections with the audiences. However, Macfarlane could have embraced the use of other tools such as a slow-motion to encourage more connections with the viewers.

Conclusion

Mate is an interesting short film that relies on excellent cinematography, creativity and story-telling skills to present the theme of murder adequately. Accordingly, the high school filmmaker, Macfarlane, secured the highly-contested scholarship to study a bachelor’s degree in Film and Television at Bond University after emerging as the Overall Winner in 2091 at the gala BUFTA awards. Precisely, Macfarlane uses appropriate visual elements as well as mise-en-scenes to communicate effectively with the viewer. Besides, the film producer exhibits lots of understandings with regards to the use of technical skills to facilitate a better presentation of the story. Specifically, Macfarlane uses apt sounds to enhance different dramatic events and establish desired moods. Similarly, the filmmaker depends on close-ups and mid shots to clearly capture crime scenes, thus encouraging more connection with the viewer. Moreover, Macfarlane demonstrates sufficient concern with the need to build and maintain links with the target audiences to ensure that the film remains lively and interesting. Overall, the producer presents a thrilling film that clearly communicates the intended message.        

References

Bond University – FSD. (2018, December 19). BUFTA 2018 BEST OVERALL FILMMAKER [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/307194032Kathiravelu, L. (2018). A Yellow Bird [film]. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 19(1), 100-102.

Mates – The 2020 ATOM Awards. (2020). Retrieved 9 March 2020, from http://atomawards.org/2019-student-entry/mates/?fbclid=IwAR3nVcKJFcQG1Pjv4fYCnO3x2OV2PuNIT0oQLxsLCOuYf6f1R6QETd6583gMead, B. (2016). Getting Away With Murder: The Film Noir World of Woody Allen. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies (IJHCS)​ ISSN 2356-5926, 1(3), 257-265.

Queensland student takes home top prize at BUFTA 2019. (2019). Retrieved 9 March 2020, from https://bond.edu.au/intl/news/63447/queensland-student-takes-home-top-prize-bufta-2019Rabiger, M., & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2013). Directing: Film techniques and aesthetics. Taylor & Francis.

Tan, E., & Diteweg, G. (2013). Suspense, predictive inference, and emotion in film viewing. In Suspense (pp. 159-198). Routledge.

Case Study on Case 14.1 Can This Virtual Team Work

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course

Date

To save the teamwork that he leads, Jim has to come up with solutions to solve all the underlying problems. The team lacks sharing of knowledge and skills, collaborative climate, poor passing of information (communication system) and imbalanced work in the tea thus existence of overload amongst workers. The team lacks proper planning, as many projects exist at the same time.

The intervention level should be internal since the challenges originate from the situations existing within the teamwork and its operation. For instance, the problems such as overloading of workers, uncontrolled project works and frequent travelling of the team members. The internal actions would greatly bring changes in the state of the team and thus improved efficiency. Since the leader has to deal with the challenges within the teamwork, he has to employ internal based intervention. The actions are to be task, as he must introduce more employees to prevent overloading of workers. He must also put in place methods of handling message transmission. However, he must also use relational actions to improve the relationship between the members and thus encourage joint works in projects for higher productivity (Teo et al., 2017).

Jim needs to take an immediate action to save the team’s goal and mission. Through a proper planning, Jim will see the need of having specific travel officers to ease the work of current employees. He should specify the employs’ duties for increased productivity. Furthermore, the team leader should get views from the team members on the possible ways of reducing the overloading that currently exists and the, inability to get off the ground. The team leader will tackle the latter through key steps made by the team leader for instance, keeping an eye on and communicating the vision, and keeping every day under control as he tries to achieve the main goal. He should foster unity through face-to-face meetings and having joint projects. The employees need motivation to enhance and improve their workability.

References

Teo, W. L., Lee, M., & Lim, W. S. (2017). The relational activation of resilience model: How leadership activates resilience in an organizational crisis. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 25(3), 136-147.

Adapting Marketing and Sales Messages for Social Media

Social media has taken over the world of advertising with a storm. All businesses that hope to attract customers have turned to social media. However, Haisat (2013) argues that just because a business or company is using social media to market their product does not mean that they all get positive results. This is because using social media for marketing requires sophisticated skills that the traditional advertisers may not possess. Social networking sites that are common for

marketing include LinkedIn, blogs, google +, among others with Facebook and Twitter being the number one contenders. As a result, marketers using social media should adapt certain strategies so that their messages and advertising strategies on these platforms could result into recognizable sales results.

First, marketers need to develop a relationship with the target customers. Traditionally, executives would try to push sales of their product with every opportunity they received. Haisat (2013) claims that the first inclination was to make aggressive sales contact to every individual’s address received. However, this does not work for the social media platforms. People today love to buy but hate nagging. It is therefore advisable to invest in making the people on social media feel comfortable by posting funny pictures or videos to give the product an edge and make the product relevant.

Posting creative messages will position your product as a creative brand (Petrič, Petrovčič, and Vehovar, 2011). Since there are millions of messages posted on the social media daily, creativity will ensure that the posted messages are noticed among the millions.

Another relevant strategy that might help executives adapt in creating marketing messages for social media is engaging in social media regularly. Though social media is free, Petrič, Petrovčič, and Vehovar(2011) argue that time needs to be invested for a business to generate a devoted following. This will help the business remain relevant to the customers if they always see the company’s post on the social media sites. Silence in a social media account gives the target client the impression that the company hardly responds. Regardless of the number of the messagesa company posts in a day, it is key to always remember to remain relevant and interesting (Cheung2011). A simple strategy of remaining relevant is keeping up with trends while at the same time avoiding controversial subjects.

Marketers also need to keep in check the tone that they use on social media(Petrič, Petrovčič, and Vehovar, 2011). Social media should be regarded as a casual Friday in online business. Just because people go to work wearing jeans and casual shirts on Friday does not mean that they discuss about beer and football all day long. They have to work as any other day of the week. Likewise, just because someone has a cheesy profile picture does not mean that the company-marketing representative should respond to him or her using profanity. Messages on social media need to represent professionalism while profanity, bad spelling, racial and religious insults do not represent it.

Finally, Haisat (2013) states that the marketer needs to be useful to attract a larger following. Being useful could be measured in different dimensions. First, the marketing representative could provide useful information on how the product operates. They could also give advice on issues related to the product. In addition, coupons or limited promotions like 50% off on sales on a certain day would instantaneously convert to increased sales because everyone loves a good bargain. However, this messages need to be believable. The social accounts should also avoid get rich quick schemes because they create mistrust chasing customers away(Cheung 2011).

We know that not all visitors of a certain account are potential customers. However, building a thorough relationship with the social media following will portraya companywith a solid brand image,which might be passed on through word of mouth. The idea is not to list the company’s product like on a sales page, but to foster a relationship that develops interest in what the company has to offer getting. This will aid in attracting more people into your sales web eventually giving the company a recognizable footprint on social thus increasingthe sales in large numbers.

466725723900References

Haisat, S. (2013). How to increase sales with social media. Retrieved from:

http://www.tintup.com/blog/how

–

toincrease-

sales-

with-

social-

media/

Petrič, G., Petrovčič, A., & Vehovar, V. (2011). Social uses of interpersonal communication

technologies in a

complex media environment. European Journal Of Communication,

116

26(2)

,

–

132.

Cheung, M. (2011). Factors Affecting the Des

ign of Electronic Direct Mail Messages:

Implications for Professional

Communicators.

IEEE Transactions On Professional

Communication, 54(3), 279

–

298.

00References

Haisat, S. (2013). How to increase sales with social media. Retrieved from:

http://www.tintup.com/blog/how

–

toincrease-

sales-

with-

social-

media/

Petrič, G., Petrovčič, A., & Vehovar, V. (2011). Social uses of interpersonal communication

technologies in a

complex media environment. European Journal Of Communication,

116

26(2)

,

–

132.

Cheung, M. (2011). Factors Affecting the Des

ign of Electronic Direct Mail Messages:

Implications for Professional

Communicators.

IEEE Transactions On Professional

Communication, 54(3), 279

–

298.

Moving Headquarters Overseas

Name

Institution Affiliation

Course

Name

1. What are the drawbacks and benefits associated with moving business unit and corporate

HQ to another country?

The benefits

One of the merits of undertaking a movement of a business unit of Shifting the HQ is that is organizations gains global recognition. Secondly, this helps the organization to be close to its shareholders as well as main stakeholders and a result the firm will increase its flexibility as well as build its communication. Thirdly, the firms also benefits from the commitment derived from the host’s country laws and policies. Lastly this builds the companies political commitment and motivation.

Drawbacks

The prominent drawback of such moves is that there are heavy financial constrains faced by MNE’s during the move. The second is that the company may face cultural dilution or challenges since different countries have different business culture.

2. If you were a CEO or a business unit head, under what conditions would you consider moving HQ?

There are various conditions that would prompt me as the CEO of an organization to move the HQ. Some of the reasons are:

If the host country laws are not conducive to the business. Examples of such a laws are those that hinder business expansions (Berger, Choi & Kim, 2011).

If the current host country has heavy taxes as compared to the moving country of nation

The last condition is if the target market is varied hence profit maximization

3. If you were a government official in the MNE’s home country, what can you do to discourage such moves of multinational HQ out of the country?

The movement of such MNE’s HQ to other countries may cost the host country, therefore as a government official I would:

Amend the laws that ought to be changed in order to favor such companies or firms.

To offer the MNE’s reliable business environment like that of the target country (Peng, 2013).

References

Berger, R., Choi, C. J., & Kim, J. B. (2011). Responsible leadership for multinational enterprises in bottom of pyramid countries: The knowledge of local managers. Journal of business ethics, 101(4), 553-561.

Peng, M. (2013). Global business. Cengage learning.

Name of Student

Course

Name of Professor

Date

Introduction

Moral reasoning is the process that requires an individual to choose between what is right or wrong in a certain situation. In this position essay, I was supposed to choose between buying a dream phone and providing subsistence income for four families. I already have a cheap phone with a plan but was thinking to buy dream phone (galaxy S5) because there was a 50% deduction offer in the cost of the phone. The $400 which is the cost of the phone can provide subsistence income for four families in poor countries. My position, in this case, is providing subsistence income for four poor families instead of purchasing Galaxy S5, which is a luxury phone. My arguments rotate around the fact that people should change their way of thinking and their perception of morality so that they can provide help to the needy people. My first argument is that suffering and death are bad whether brought about by hunger, inadequate housing or poor medical care. My second argument is that if a person is in a position of preventing a morally bad thing without sacrificing a something of almost equal moral importance, one should do it. I will describe these two arguments in this essay putting in mind the moral reasoning so that I can justify my decision of providing subsistence income for four families with the $400.

First Argument

My first argument is that suffering and death are bad whether brought about by hunger, inadequate housing or poor medical care. Whether one should help those people who are needy does not depend on how one is close to them because the fact that they are far away from you does not lessen their suffering (Greene 360). It also follows that one cannot fail to help the needy because others capable of helping are not doing so as this still does not lessen their suffering. From the moral principle of justice, one is supposed to treat other people fairly and equally (Singer 334). In this situation, we have people who are suffering because they cannot even afford the three basic needs namely food, clothing and shelter. I would be going against this moral principle if I can decide to buy a luxury phone instead of helping them to at least meet their basic needs (Greene 367). Helping is a virtual even in the Bible. People are encouraged to assist those people in need if they are in a position to assist. People should understand that no one chooses to be born into a poor family or country, and this should provide enough motivation for them to help those in need.

Second Argument

My second argument is that if a person is in a position of preventing a morally bad thing without sacrificing something of almost equal moral importance, one should do it. In this case, I am sacrificing purchasing a luxury phone (Galaxy S5) which is of lower moral importance as compared to providing subsistence income for four families from poor countries (Singer 340). Even from the principle of utilitarianism, actions are right to the extent that they bring a lot of benefits to the largest number of people. Classical utilitarianism justifies the altruistic principle of self-sacrifice so that you can benefit other people. In this principle, some members of the society must sacrifice their personal interests in order to benefit others without benefiting personally (Greene 363). So, in my case I would sacrifice my personal interest in buying Galaxy S 5 smartphone so that I can benefit the suffering and dying people from poor countries. The principle of beneficence states that one should help himself as he help others. Honoring this principle means I should help people who are needy by donating money to them instead of buying a luxury phone while I already possess one. A good example to justify this argument is in a case where one is required to help a drowning child in a pond. One should rescue the child even it means dirtying his or her clothes (Singer 347). This argument is justified because, dirtying one’s clothes is not a substantial moral cost than the death of a child. Hence, helping needy people is a more significant moral act than buying a luxury Galaxy S5 phone.

First Objection

The first objection is that if people donate their money to the needy will deny them the moral principle of autonomy. My response to this objection is that donating money to the needy people in the society does not deny one the right to pursue his or her personal interests. People believe that according to the principle of autonomy, they have moral rights to commit one’s money and time to activities that don’t have a direct impact in helping needy people ties (Greene 364). In this case, if I decided to buy a luxury phone, I would have fulfilled my personal interests instead of assisting people who are suffering because of hunger that is not morally correct. Pursuing personal interests such as intellectual activities is very ok as it leads to personal developments and also to the development of the society as these people contribute positively to nation building. But this does not have the meaning that people are morally permitted to pursue any interest especially while such interests have been shown to have no significance social benefits. It also does not mean that people are morally permitted not to contribute towards helping needy people (Singer 336). There exist a big difference between pursuing one’s interests and being free to waste one’s money and time on luxury things such as buying a smartphone while you already have a phone. Buying luxury items should not be counted as legitimate ways of pursuing one’s interests. According to the principle utilitarianism, a good action is one that produces the greatest benefits for the greatest number of people (Singer 339). So, deciding to provide subsistence income for four families from poor countries has the greatest benefits to many people than buying a luxury Galaxy S5 phone.

Second Objection

My second objection was that people should have the right to contribute whatever they want to charity, whether they choose not to contribute at all or contribute any amount they wish. My response to this objection was that it was wrong to contribute nothing to charity or whatever amount you wish. The money that people spend on luxuries should be contributed to the needy people because they need that money to survive (Greene 368). Donating your money towards helping the needy is not simply good but it is obligatory. The distinction between what is good and obligatory may exist, but this does not apply in the case where people spend money on luxuries instead of helping the poor. People should respect the moral principle of beneficence which states that one should help himself and also other people (Singer 346). This principle explains that one should be benevolence to others who are less fortunate by providing them with goods and money. So, there is no justification for buying luxuries instead of helping the needy.

Conclusion

My first argument that suffering and death are bad whether brought about by hunger, inadequate housing or poor medical care is justified. People have a moral obligation of helping the needy because it produces the greatest benefits for the greatest number of people. My second argument stating that if a person is in a position of preventing a morally bad thing without sacrificing something of almost equal moral importance, one should do it is also justified. People should understand that providing income for four families from poor families has a more moral importance than buying a luxury phone. In conclusion, it is of more moral significance providing a subsistence income for four families than purchasing a dream phone.

References

Greene, Joshua D. “The secret joke of Kant’s soul.” Moral Psychology: Historical and Contemporary Readings (2007): 359-372.

Singer, Peter. “Ethics and intuitions.” The Journal of Ethics 9.3-4 (2005): 331-352.

Moral Theories

Student’s Name

Institution of Affiliation

Date

Question 1:

According to utilitarianism, an action is considered morally right if it brings the greatest pleasure to the greatest number of people. Based on the situation, killing the family will only result in pleasure to the Nazi captain, which means that the action will be morally wrong (Eggleston, 2020). Therefore, based on utilitarianism, the captain should deny transporting any Jews in his boat as this will satisfy the Nazi captain and leave the boat captain and the Jewish family alone. By doing this, the boat captain will have done the right thing according to utilitarianism as all parties will have to live, which is the greatest pleasure for the family and the captain. However, Kantian ethics states that do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, which means that the captain should say ‘yes’ as it is true he is smuggling some jews. The reason behind this is because if he denies smuggling any jews and the Nazi captain decides to search the board and kills the jews; the deaths would be his fault for not telling the truth. If I were in that situation, I would deny smuggling Jews in the boat to preserve the Jews’ lives (Korsgaard, 2020).

Question 2:

Tracy Latimer’s death was a relief to the family due to her condition. She was not going to have a normal life, and this means that she would have still be a burden to her family even later in her old age. According to Mrs. Latimer, she was relieved to find her daughter dead and stated that she did not have the courage to do it herself, which means that given a chance, she could have done it. Based on utilitarianism, Mr. Latimer’s actions were morally justified as his actions resulted in the greatest pleasure to the family and reduced suffering from Tracy (Eggleston, 2020). Based on this, I do agree with the judge’s sentence to a one-year sentence in that even if he murdered her daughter, it was considered second-degree murder, and since Tracy’s death was satisfactory to the family, it could have inflicted more pain than pleasure to the family. It was also the right thing for the judge to do. However, I don’t agree with the Supreme Court’s decision in that Tracy was a burden to the family, as she could never have a normal life. As a result, imposing the mandatory sentence that had previously been rejected by a judge resulted in more pain than pleasure, which is against the concept of utilitarianism.

References

Eggleston, B. (2020). Consequentialism and Respect: Two Strategies for Justifying Act Utilitarianism. Utilitas, 32(1), 1-18.

Korsgaard, C. (2020). Kant’s analysis of obligation: The argument of Groundwork I. In Immanuel Kant: Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals in focus (pp. 121-153). Routledge.

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Movie Review

The film Benvenuti al sud can be defined as a comedy Italian style because Italian comedies often involve sharp social criticism instead of the normal acceptable humor in art. The Italian comedy involves conflicting values that expels traditional norms like prejudice and bias among others. The film Benvenuti al sud adopts the theme of fighting prejudice that the south had towards the north. Alberto a post master is transferred to a simple village in the north against his will since he viewed it as insignificant, but after staying for a few days he comes to love the place and its people. Italian comedy also includes dramatic themes that are supplemented with humorous acts. Alberto pretends to be disabled which shows a violation of human emotions, but he presents the scene in a comic manner (Hooper).

The films I am not Scared and Life is Beautiful are similar in that, both focus of childhood innocence. Ebert (332) cites that, I am not Scared features Michele a young boy who finds a kidnapped boy called Filippo and begins to help him even without knowing the circumstances that led him to stay in a cave. Piper (78) describes Life is Beautiful with Joshua living in concentration camp with his father without knowing the horrors that surround him. The two films also center on theme of sacrifice as Guido in Life is Beautiful offers his life and devolution to his son Joshua to protect him from uncovering the terrors of the holocaust. In I am not Scared, Michele risks disobeying his parents and fighting with his friends to protect Filippo from befalling any harm (Ebert 332).

Italian comedy is characterized by simple themes tied to the popular culture of the Italian people. It involves a tangle of stories with features that include satire, bourgeois background, and also bittersweet approach of narrating events. The films involve dramatic and sometimes tragic themes that focus on destroying traditional stereotypes, prejudices and bias against other members of the society. The comedies focused on light subjects that occasionally engage social reality that seems abandoned like sexuality. Additionally, the comedy takes up sharp irony and even bitter endings that reflects how life evolves (Hooper).

The male and female roles in Italian movies differ, as women take inferior roles compared to their male counterparts. In essence, in most cases women have always taken the traditional roles of social duties as mothers and wives. Women also appear underrepresented in many movies or their roles are used to highlight the male protagonist in the story. However, today the films have increased women responsibilities as protagonists and leaders unlike in the past. The male role in many Italian films features masculinity and strength. Many men act in parts as leaders, guardians and protectors of the family. Men occupy bigger and more roles than women in most films making their responsibilities essential for the development of the society (Hooper).

Italians are courageous with moral strength and perseverance to withstand tough circumstances. For example in the film Life is Beautiful, Guido showed courage as he shielded his son Joshua from the horrors of the concentration camps and went to look for his wife Dora even in the face of the enemy (Piper 78). Italians are caring because they show kindness and also concern for others. For instance, Michele from the film I am not Scared portrayed kindness dealing with Filippo a boy who had been kidnapped. Filippo had no one to support or protect him from the world, and Michele even being a child himself, showed great concern and offered his assistance (Ebert 332). They are also thankful as the films show that Italians express gratitude and appreciation. In the movie Benvenuti al sud, Alberto and his family realized that their prejudice against the north was unwarranted and showed gratitude to the people there before leaving (Hooper).

I think Italians are optimistic people who see the positive and favorable side of life. They hold unto hope and expect the best possible result of things in their life. For example, in the film Life is Beautiful, Guido held out hope that even though Dora was set to marry a rich government official, he would be able to conquer her heart. He also held hope that he and his son would be safe in the concentration camps even though they were being terrorized and others killed each day (Piper 78).

Works Cited

Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Movie Yearbook 2007. Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2013. Print.

Hooper, John. “Hit film gives Italy chance to close north-south divide.” theguardian. 15 October 2010. Web. 10 June 2014. < http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/oct/15/film-italy-north-south-divide>

Piper, Kerrie. Life is Beautiful. Glebe, Sydney: Pascal Press, 2003. Print.

Case Study Form

Your Name: 

Title of this paper: Challenges faced by high school students

Theory or concept you used for analysis: Fiedler’s contingency theory

1) Source of information (APA style):

Fiedler, F. (1958). Fiedler’s contingency theory. Leader Attitudes and Group Effectiveness.ZeroHedge Janitor. (2019). San Ysidro High Valedictorian Slams “Alcoholic” teacher, school staff [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeSjkVFtb9k

2) Case description (more than 300 words) – You have to add the number of the word count (such as 456 words) at the end of this section to indicate how many words you wrote for this section. 

In this case, it is a school setting and some students are complaining about their teachers not being available for them. The students however continue to pursue without the presence of their teachers and it is time for them to graduate. Nataly Buhr is a valedictorian and she addresses the whole graduating audience, visitors, and teachers. Here is where her leadership qualities are displayed as she uses the opportunity she gets to address the main issues which are very deep within herself and which as displayed from the video are also a reflection of what the students felt. One of her qualities is that she is bold enough to tell the teachers that they were never available for the students and only showed up towards graduation time. This serves as a very volatile period whereby the students got confused at such scathing truth about their teachers just being exposed. However, they gain courage as she continues to give her speech and with time they can support her and prove that what she was saying is true.

Even though this is stated as unfounded by many people she still moves on and continues to speak her mind out. She talks of how the teachers expressed their joy in knowing she was a valedictorian even though they never contributed to her success. She also talks of how the school staff made her unable to apply for several scholarships because of their unwillingness to help her whereby they never told her of available scholarships and even if they told her they said it at the last minute towards the deadline which meant that she had to miss out on the scholarships most of the times. She also talks of how the school teacher always insisted that the students should not be involved in drug use even though he was escorted from the school by police which is sarcasm.

(Word count: 315 words)

3) Theoretical analysis (more than 300 words) – Why is this case a case of leadership communication? How can the theory or concept you have chosen be applicable for or relevant to the case you selected? Add a word count at the end of this section. 

According to Fred Fiedler leadership has to be based on different and specific times of the leader expressing them clearly and in a unique manner. This is because the ability to excel in a leader depends on various factors and one of them is the current situation. Therefore a person can be a very good leader given a specific and a certain situation. In this line, we see that Nataly Buhr uses her situation as the valedictorian to become a leader and express the ills that afflict the school. Even though it is very possible for a lot of people to disagree that she displayed leadership it is also true that she at this period displayed good leadership given the situation and the circumstances. First of all the situation at hand was wanting and she addressed the issues one by one in a very clear manner without any voice of contradiction.

What makes her speech a leadership example and icon is that the situations are important and favor her. It acts as a way for the teachers and the staff to change their behavior. This is because in most instances if she had talked to them in the face and told them that what they were doing then they could question her who gave her the responsibility to question them. However, she uses the platform she has as a valedictorian to address the issues. Through this, there is expected change because she is not only open but also specific to the people whose traits and behavior need to change for the betterment of the school. Therefore this speech is a very powerful tool of her leadership to make sure that everything goes on right in the school after she has left. It is also a leaving mark which will always hold that she helped the teachers and the school staff be better and be more willing to help the students.

(Word count: 320 words)

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Ad Critiques Project

Commercials are required to be persuasive and make the audience consider buying the product. However, the technique to this form of persuasion is not direct and use art forms to ensure engagement. It is not something that would appear as if there is a negotiation between the audience and the seller or that kind of persuasion. Taglines are used to convey a crucial message and create an influential association with the advertised brand. A clear and concise line matches with the overall message and elevator pitch.

The Super Bowl is a special event that attracts more than 300 million people who are actually willing to watch commercials. Although the Super Bowl is recording fewer viewers each year, Super Bowl commercials are attracting more views (Clevver News). The value that is generated despite the huge cost of running an ad on the platform is very significant, almost twice the cost, which is about $5 million for 30 seconds and lasts very long after the game. Budweiser has always been developing exceptional Super Bowl ads for years. The one that particularly stood up was a Super Bowl commercial that aired in 2015 that targeted Americans 21 years and older according to drinking laws. However, the brand potentially targeted an audience from the age of 16 who, in 5 years, would be a paying customer, so associating them with the brand early will yield for years to come. Not stereotyping, but the person in the commercial represents a certain demographic that is known to enjoy beer. His appearance says Budweiser is for hard workers, its for cowboys, etc.

The puppy being introduced evokes emotions that the ad continues to develop. The curiosity of the little puppy takes him to the horse that gives him this a little sound that appears to indicate a relationship between the animals (Lewis). The curious little puppy gets lost, and the use of pathos is pushed further. He is distressed, sad, homeless, and by the 23 seconds on the commercial, everybody is attached to the puppy, his owner, and the horse. The horse and the man are distressed, and the emotion of the animals introduces ethos because their emotion is legitimate. Somehow the puppy finds his way home, but before she gets there, a predator is introduced, but the horse hears him in distress and goes out and saves him. The message is that friendship is the most important thing and can be natured through sharing Budweiser, thus the reason for their use of the hashtag #BestBuds.

One interesting print advertisement was run by Lirandzo Mozambique for their condoms, whose description calling customers to avoid unprotected sex, especially in Halloween lest they made scary children (Addictive). The ad does ease the problem of addressing a topic as tricky as the importance of safe sex by introducing humor. The print ad featured famous horror film characters such as the creepy twins from the shinning and Samara, the little girl that induces goosebumps. The ad has a very clear call to action, and that is protecting yourself from children who can be really scary. The ad understands that the message needs to be passed across faster using the short time that the reader has for the ad.

The ad design of this condom campaign is one that stops a person on their tracks first because of the figures used. It plays on the fears of the target audience and makes them question whether whatever they are doing is right or how much they have prepared. The proposition on the ad is also somehow attractive to potential consumers. It is not something that directly asks for purchase, but every time the image of the grotesque kids will pop up, especially in the minds of people that are not ready to have children. From the beginning, the ad plays on the fears of responsibility that children bring, which has led to people referring to them as little monsters because of how much energy they require to manage them. There is also possibly the feeling that Lirandzo Mozambique may be the only product that will ensure that the little monsters do not creep into one’s life. So when a customer walks to a store inspired by the fear evoked by the ad, they will most likely ask for the brand.

The Pepsi “Live for Now’ ad mostly has negatives because of the backlash it received, forcing the company to apologize and remove it from popular sites (Tillman). One negative thing is that the ad had an improper execution of the message. For one, the introduction of Kendell Jenner who walks to a cop and hands him a can of Pepsi is very awkward considering the protests they were mimic in real life were against police officers. The casting of Jenner was also misguided because the ad pertained to the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition, the fact that the ad took advantage of such a sensitive issue to drive sales was problematic. The backlash and criticism meant the audience did not watch the message. Although the ad raked millions of views, there is a high chance they came from the controversy, and nobody cared for what Pepsi was trying to do.

The lessons learned from critiquing these adverts include one the importance of emotions to create a bond between the brand and the customers. Budweiser illustrates this in their 2015 Super Bowl ad discussed in this paper. It is also important to include an element that stops the audience for a few seconds to see what is said, just like the grotesque figures in the Lirandzo Mozambique print ad. In the same spirit, the call to action is short, not predictable like buy now but still clear.

Works Cited

Addictive. “Lirandzo Condoms – Scary Children – The Ring.” Addictive, 31 June 2019, adaddictive.com/lirandzo-condoms-scary-children-the-ring/.

Clevver News. “Budweiser “Lost Dog” Superbowl 2015 Commercial THE FEELS.” YouTube, 29 Jan. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWeKtqWc2EA.

Lewis, H. “Super Bowl: Watch Budweiser’s “Lost Dog” Commercial.” The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2015, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/super-bowl-2015-budweiser-lost-767873.

Tillman, L. “Case Study: PepsiCo & Kendall Jenner’s Controversial Commercial.” Astute, 21 Feb. 2020, astute.co/pepsi-Kendall-Jenner-commercial/.