ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Communication and media are facing the need to say or do something different in a new way. This simplifies the efforts by communication channels to be unique in their presentations so that they can attract large audiences. New ideas, new topics of research and advanced students have made this area not only innovative but also controversial (Hartley 2011). This research sets the pace for other academic and extensive research on this topic. Danesi defines media as any productions, for instance, TV programs, radio shows, newspaper columns or advertisements (2009, p. 194). Producers use contemporary media texts to convey meaning to the audience. It is not certain, however, that the audience will receive this message as intended because the text could be misinterpreted or misunderstood. Contemporary media channels (for example TV) use communicative codes that need decoding (Hartley 2011, p. 3). TV communicators know that their message could not be decoded the same way by all their audiences. Therefore, research is vital to establish how the message sent can reach the target audience, and what to do to ensure proper decoding takes place. According to Hartley, textual (semiotics) and audience (sociological) analysis should be done to know how to use the media to reach a mass audience. What challenges do satirists face in their fight against political impunity? Satire is dramatic, literary, or visual art created to review folly or abuse. Even though it uses humor and wit, satire intends to shade light on the wrong deeds present in both the social and political circles. Parody, on the hand, is a stylist imitation serving to call attention to and ridicule original style (Boler & Turpin 2008, p. 401). Irony is among the styles used in satire. In this case, a person says one thing but means a different thing. It brings out the shared cultural meanings in satire in order to create the jokes. There are stages where irony could be used, for instance, when issuing statements about news media, parody characters and performances at events. In this study, I will focus on satire as a tool for fighting political impunity, and the challenges that the satirists face. Many countries experience political issues in one way or the other. These issues range from bribery and corruption, nepotism, ethnic divisions, misappropriation of public funds, racial discrimination e.t.c. When a producer creates a comedy show, their intention is always to entertain as well as educate the audiences. Satirists have also used music to pass across their messages by composing songs that rebuke corruption in the government. Negus states that we corporate machines should not attempt to control creativity in the popular music just to satisfy their greed (McIntyre 2011). Both musicians and satirists should be left to express themselves through their talents. According to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, comedy shows are not news since they do not have partisan agendas, they just entertain their audiences. The Daily Show is a late nig
The aspect of traditional Hollywood entertainment is presented in the beginning of the sequence. People are dancing, laughing, and drinking, a familiar environment depicted in so many films. There is a sense of Utopianism in the way the party is shown – it has more energy and more abundance in character if compared to the day-to-day reality 1 . In the scene, the camera follows Gilda, who dances with a stranger, and when Johnny alerted her that the “husband was showing,” flirts with the stranger, gives him her phone number, and leaves swiftly. The camera leads her and Johnny to the table, where Ballin Mundson waited for his wife. In the scene where the three of them are sitting behind the table, the camera shifts its gaze to focus on different participants of the conversation. According to Maltby, the shifting gaze allows viewers “not only to explore the space but also understand its meanings through identifications of and with characters” 2 . This cinematic method is beneficial for letting viewers into the space of the characters and participate in the action that they are experiencing. In the scene where Gilda is lying on her bed, and her husband Ballin comes in and sits next to her, there is a distinct focus of the camera on the woman’s emotions. As Gilda lays her head on her husband’s lap, the frame is fixed on her face and expressions that she makes. In the nonchalant banter, her face is relaxed, eyes looking down. The “good-bad” girl is exposed in this short sequence. When she realizes that her husband knows about her knowing Johnny before, her facial expression changes, eyes wide open, glancing in different directions. When she gets up, Gilda looks straight into Ballin’s eyes but proceeds to lie. Her character has distinct features of the method used in American cinema to use the goodness and the badness in women to make them more appealing 3 . Playing on her vulnerability, Gilda then falls face down on her plush pillows. As her husband proceeds talking, the camera focuses on Gilda who is riddled by her own feelings In the casino scene, the movements of the camera translate the erratic behavior and the confusion Gilda experienced. She leaves the casino table after a snarky remark made by a man, and goes on to have a smoke. At the same time, viewers see a short man with a moustache entering, also with a worried expression on his face. Both Gilda and the man are worried and lost in the chaos of the casino, which provokes sympathy among viewers. This aligns with the appeal of Hollywood movies, that along with aesthetic unity and the diversity of characters make audiences live through different emotions 4 . The sense of confusion follows Gilda and the man. While he is refused from making low bets at the table, she encounters a cleaner who sees her distressed expression and makes and calls her lonely and frustrated. The sequence then shows an angry conversation between Ballin and the man with the moustache. They argue
Even in the 21 st century women are still discriminated against in the workplace leading to glass ceiling. Glass ceiling means the condition or situation in which women find themselves in the workplace not in a position to ascend the managerial positions and acquire top posts in the company management. Wal-Mart is the largest employer in the world; however, the company has been accused of gender discrimination in the workplace thus leading to the glass ceiling. The barriers reported in Wal-Mart stores are man-made and caused by man. However, one of the guiding principles of Wal-Mart is to ensure that discrimination is not practiced in the workplace (Wal-Mart, 2008). It also advocates for diversification in the workforce. Contrary, to the advocacy for workforce diversification claims by Wal-Mart, the company has been facing lawsuits based discrimination that has hindered the promotion of women in the workplace. In my opinion there are barriers in Wal-Mart that have resulted to the low number of women in the managerial posts. For example, women are discriminated against in Wal-Mart thus preventing them from ascending the managerial posts. This can be supported by a lawsuit that was filed by women in demand for more managerial posts. For instance, in Indiana the Wal-Mart stores have only 35% of managers in different stores compared to 57% of women managers in other stores (Siekman, 2011). Although there are 13 stores in Indiana with 300 employees each only 35% of the women employees have been employed as store managers. This means that the rest which is 65% are men. The affirmative action requires equal opportunities for employees as supported by equal opportunities Act. Therefore, Wal-Mart operates with the aim of satisfying it needs rather than satisfying the needs of the majority people. In a law suit presented to the district Attorney in California, the women claimed that they were being discriminated because of their gender (Martin, 2011). The lawsuit filed on 24 October, 2011, was based on job pay and promotion of women in their different chains and stores. Although the case was dismissed on the grounds that the case was based on group outcry rather than individual grounds, but it emerged that women are discriminated. For instance, one of the claims by a vice president in California Wal-Mart stores claimed that women do not get managerial posts since they are committed to the family (Martin, 2011). Logically, women have become liberalized and they are no longer subdued to the old thoughts and perceptions of being housekeepers. It is not appropriate to deny women managerial posts on that ground. Denying women promotions violates their basic labour right as accorded by the ILO conventions. Women like men have the right to enjoy the right of work as well as choice of profession (SRI World Group, 2000). This also violates the Glass Ceiling Act of 1991 which advocates for the employment of women in manageri
Economic analysts and auditors analyze the accuracy and validity of a company’s financial statements using audit testing. The audit test tool collates sufficient materials for performance analysis. However, a negative response from the analysis means a misstatement in the organization’s financial statement ( Learning Zone , 2013). Factors that influence financial error include inaccurate analysis, system error, and the auditor’s inefficiency. However, the auditor can eliminate the anomaly by changing the system error and re-validating the audit test. Thus, the SOFP generates additional evidence for the audit test. Audit test can be classified into the inquiry group, inspection, observation, and recalculation group. The inquiry group documents the company’s pay channels and weak links ( Learning Zone , 2013). The inspection group tests payment references made by the accountant. Consequently, the observation group documents operational figures and payments. The re-performance or recalculation group collects additional data from the audit test. The analytical performance of the organization based on data collection is called the substantive test. The features of the substantive test include Analytical procedures, Test of controls, and Test of details (Mills, 2014). As a result, the organization’s value can be computed using receivables, income, and payment figures. The components of the Test of details include observation, tracing, inspection, confirmation, and recalculation. The auditor collects operational reports for payments and liabilities. Consequently, the operational results are analyzed and tested to ensure accuracy. Thus, substantive test combines four analytical techniques to produce a valid financial statement. The analytical techniques include inquiry, inspection, observation and recalculation. The substantive test results show the wellness of the company’s financial statement. The auditor’s recommendations are based on the audit procedures, sample data, variables for analysis, and time. Definition of terms   * PADO: Tests for Presentation and Disclosure   * BRAO: Test of the Details of Balances   * TRAO: Test of Controls   * GAAS: Generally Accepted Auditing Standard   * PCAOB: Public Company Accounting Oversight Board GAAS and PCAOB standards The Securities and Exchange Commission regulates audit reporting for the dealers, auditors, and brokers. The GAAS enables audit quality and evaluation objectives. However
Introduction In order to remain afloat in the competitive market, marketers have to study the behaviour of their existing and potential customers keenly in order to make a critical decision on the appropriate marketing strategy. Consumers are found to remain loyal to a product over some period of time if the quality of the product is maintained or keeps improving, thus creating a positive attitude towards the product. Consumers need to get their desired results when they consume a product, if they fail to do this, they get an alternative way to satisfy their needs. In marketing therefore, the marketers need to understand their consumers and know what appeals them as well as what their needs are (Lehmann, 2009, p 1). Customer behaviour determines the success of a marketing strategy greatly. In this respect, consumer behaviour is modelled as loyal, psychological, social or linear ODE model. Loyalty Some consumers tend to use a product over a very long period of time due to perceived superiority of the product over other products. Marketers of such products use this perception to generate positive attitude towards the brand. An example is the shoe polish Kiwi brand. This is usually advertised to have been around for the longest time since 1906. Some of its adverts have remained alive since the early 1990’s. This product has never been rebranded and continues to penetrate the market while retaining the already existing brand. Another brand which has exploited the loyalty model to create positive attitude is the BIC ball pen. It has continued to give superior writing pens which are up to speed with the changing market demands. It has continued to widen the variety of its products while retaining its brand name. This has enabled it to retain and expand its customer base. The retail shop chain, Nakumatt, in Kenya is another example of a company which uses this model as a marketing strategy. They have the first retail supermarket chain to introduce a loyalty program where loyal customers are issued with smart cards which they use to earn smart points every time they shop at any branch of the supermarket chain. These points are redeemed from various cash prizes, shopping vouchers or even school fees vouchers. This has really created a positive attitude towards the supermarket and has worked well as a marketing strategy. Psychology This model suggests that the customer behaviour is influenced by the products in the shelves. The display would make the customer buy a particular product amongst many available options. How a product is displayed on the shelves actually determines the customers’ attitude towards the product. Therefore, marketers employ attractive displays to crate a positive attitude of customers towards their products. A good example is the electronic company Sony. This company employs attractive packaging and display of its T.V. sets and music systems to create a positive attitude of customers towards their products (Donovan, 20
Introduction The CNN Working-Class Whites Poll (conducted between August 9 and September 5, 2016) defined the “working class” as individuals with less than a four-year college degree (Hamel, Sugarman, & Brodie, 2016). The poll included a total of 701 working-class whites; to capture the experiences and thoughts of the white population, researchers included the representatives of other respondents such as Hispanics and blacks that acted as the oversample. Socio-Economic Status In contrast to the majority of misconceptions about the group of white working-class Americans; the poll found that the respondents were predominantly happy with their lives and satisfied with their financial situation (Agiesta, 2016). For instance, in answers to the question “Please tell me if each of the following describes how you feel about how things are going in your own life,” 76% of white working-class respondents stated that they were optimistic, and 79% agreed that they were happy, with only 18 respondents saying that they were angry. On the other hand, the white working-class was concerned about the economy of the country. The majority of those interviewed (53%) were very dissatisfied with the economic situation, while 84% said that their views and opinions were not represented well in Washington. The troubling statistics were also associated with the concerns about the future of the next generation: 50% of respondents indicated that the next generation would have a lower standard of living (Agiesta, 2016). As to the socio-economic characteristics of the American white working class, respondents indicated that it was getting much harder (62%) to get by financially, find good jobs (67%), afford health care (64%), get a good education (48%), own their home (54%), and have a secure retirement (69%) (Hamel et al., 2016). It is important to mention that the income of the white working-class families was under $40,000 (42% of respondents), $40,000-$90,000 (32% of those surveyed), and $90,000+ (17% of respondents) (Hamel et al., 2016). Overall, the group of white working-class voters experiences tremendous challenges regarding their social and economic status, although they are happy about their lives. Political Preferences Regarding the political choices, Donald Trump was the most popular among white middle-class respondents: 60% indicated that would vote for Trump; however, as to other groups, for instance, only 3% of black working-class stated that they would consider this candidate (Agiesta, 201
The novella “A Rose for Emily”, written by the famous American author, William Faulkner, tells the story of a lonely woman, Emily Grierson, who lives in seclusion and has virtually no contacts with other people. She has always been restricted by her father, who believed that his daughter was the most beautiful woman in the neighborhood and no man could be a suitable match for her. When he dies, Emily is unable to find a substitution for him because she has always viewed her father as the embodiment of all virtues. The only person, who takes interest in her, is Homer Baron. Yet, he does not intend to marry Emily, because she is just a plaything for him. Having learned that, the main character murders Homer, and his dead body remains in her house for many years, this horrible secret is disclosed only when Emily dies. In this short story, William Faulkner explores such highly complicated issues as the attitude towards an individual. The author shows how people can take pleasure in the misfortunes and miseries of another person. The narrator says, “So when she got to be thirty and was still single, we were not pleased exactly, but vindicated” (Faulkner, 14). This novella is a deep psychological analysis of relationships between individuality and community. “The Handsomest Man Drowned in the World” is a short story by a prominent Latin American writer Gabriel Garcia Marques. At the very beginning, people living in a coastal village find the body of a man that has been cast ashore. Initially, it seems to them that this is just some see animal or even whale though later they understand that this is the body of a human being. As the story progresses, villagers begin to worship this corpse, they even name it, Sebastian. Women, living in the village believe that this is the embodiment of male beauty. Nevertheless, they have to bury him. These people can never forget him because Sebastian has become an inseparable part of their community. This story can be interpreted from different standpoints. It seems the author illustrate
Introduction Hegemony is a concept that is well known. It entails a kind of imperial dominance that is somehow indirect in nature. In this form of governance, the leader state also known as the hegemon governs subsidiary states through implied means of power as opposed to the use of direct military force. Hegemony has been taken to imply various things at different times depending on how it was applied. For instance, it could denote the predominance of one nation among others. In the field of political science particularly in the 20th century, hegemony was a central concept with respect to cultural hegemony which entails the manner in which a single social class dominates other social classes of a society through manipulation of the value system in a society. There has been debate on whether the US hegemony in the 20 th century was inevitable or not with various factors being raised for and against the motion (Black 56). This piece of work gives a critical discussion of the concept of the US hegemony in the 20 th century and the issues that surrounded it. Much emphasis will however be given on whether it was inevitable or not based on sound arguments and facts. US Hegemony in the 20th Century The US hegemony of the 20 th century is a critical issue in the American history. Hegemony was a concept that was sought by many countries even before the 20 th century. Some of the countries that sought regional and global hegemony include Nazi Germany, between 1933 and 1945, the USSR between 1922 and 1991 as well as the United States of America from year 1945 to present. The desire to have regional and global hegemony was too much that the countries went extra miles just to achieve it. For instance, Nazi Germany went as far as launching the World War II in 1939-1945 in an effort to acquire geographical dominance of Africa as well as Eurasia. It was after this that the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) embarked on the Cold War in 1945-1991. This followed the destruction of the old European empires for instance Holland, France and Britain, by the World War II. In the mid 20 th century, the hegemony concept was extremely vigorous and with regard to the United States of America, it hasted the US- Vietnam War of 1965-1975. This was achieved through its participation in the Vietnamese Civil War between 1955 and 1965. The war involved the Republic of Vietnam which is a client state of the United States of America and the National Liberation Front (Gill 174). As earlier noted the US hegemony is not a concept of the past but rather an issue that is still ongoing. In the event of exercising hegemony, the main focus has been given to factors such as the promotion of international financial and monetary stability, allowing for security of prope