Media Role In Mitigating The Philippine Population Problem Politics Essay

Media Role In Mitigating The Philippine Population Problem Politics Essay In a country where the Catholic Churchs position is taken as a major factor in policy decision making, population control legislation has progressed ever so slowly. Progress that managed to be made, suffer from public acceptance and its proponents in government widely seen as practically committing political suicide. But there is a silent majority that sees the myriad of problems that this unabated rise in population brings: poverty, unemployment, lack of education, crime realities they are already experiencing in their daily lives, a reality that they hope the government would address through effective population control policies. If the Churchs position cannot be swayed, is media doing its role in educating and information dissemination? Is it being an agenda setter or acting as an effective check and balance, or is it also being caught in countrys intricate web of politics and power relations? In order for me to begin to analyze this problem, I found it necessary to acknowledge and establish that there is first and foremost, a population problem in the Philippines. I also need to establish that although there are possible solutions to this situation, the Catholic Churchs position on the use of artificial family planning methods is what makes the national government seemingly impotent in implementing an effective population control policy. To open my analysis, I refer to the studies made by Alejandro Herrin and Ernesto Pernia which states that the Philippines current levels of fertility and population growth stunts the countrys economy. I chose to rely on their findings and figures as their intensive study on this issue is fairly recent (being published in 2003), and from that period up to the present, no major change has occurred as far the countrys population control policies are concerned. In fact, the issue of population control is currently being deliberated in Philipp ine Congress, with the Philippine legislature currently trying to pass the Reproductive Health Care and Population Development Bill (Senate Bill 3122 and House Bill 5043), its proponents hoping that this would address the countrys population woes. As expected, the proposed bill is currently facing stiff opposition from the Catholic Church  [1]  as well as from various pro-life groups.  [2]   Alejandro Herrin and Ernesto Pernia in the aforementioned 2003 study concluded that feeble economic growth and transformation, exacerbated by rapid population growth, have been responsible for the Philippines poor performance in human resource development and employment over the past two to three decades.  [3]  The authors argue that the countrys slow economic growth has generated only meager resources for investment in health, nutrition and education, and that these are not enough to meet the demands brought about by high fertility.  [4]  The countrys slow economic growth for example, results in limited job opportunities, and this, coupled with a steadily growing labor force feeds into the countrys growing problem of unemployment and income inequality, which in turn, coupled with the rise in population density in urban areas, worsen problems of crime  [5]  as well as becoming a factor that contribute to the cultivation of a culture of corruption.  [6]  Corruption, in turn, worsens the already weighty problem of poverty  [7]  and inequality, completing the vicious cycle that seemingly keeps the country in a destitute trap. Herrin and Pernia further stress that not only is there a need to seriously address the population problem, but that there is also a need to address this problem while attending to the structural weakness in the economy at the same time. They recommend that in order to remedy this situation, a strong population policy must be made an integral part of the countrys development strategy,  [8]  and proposes a policy framework based on decomposition of future population growth in terms of its main sources namely unwanted fertility, the preference for a large family size and population momentum.  [9]   It should therefore be noted that although Herrin and Pernia acknowledges the population problem, the current rates of population growth and fertility are not the problems per se; it is seen more as a factor that compounds the current economic situation which, in turn, keeps the national government from taking advantage of the possible dividends that the maturation of this population could bring. This level of population growth and fertility might be advantageous for a country that is in a stage of development where it has the necessary resources to harness this demographic dividend, but in the Philippine setting, these growths are seen more as a liability than an asset. We do add to the labor force annually, but because of limited resources, there are not enough employment opportunities locally to accommodate most of these new entrants in the labor force, and this keeps unemployment and underemployment rates high.  [10]  The fact that a substantial percentage of employed workers in the country are laborers or unskilled workers is also a cause of concern.  [11]  Parts of the labor force that do manage to find employment outside the country on the other hand, settle for blue-collar work, or accept high-risk jobs.  [12]  One might argue that the country is in fact already reaping some form of demographic dividend through labor-migration, but looking at the countrys most recent population pyramids (1990-2005)  [13]  , one could also argue that the possible economic gains from labor-migration only went into the acquisition of resources for the care of the bigger population of children health care, daily needs (food etc.), education, chil d care (nannies). Cost of caring for the elderly and debt repayment incurred before going abroad,eats up into this supposed economic gain as well. Not much goes into investment or savings that can be translated into capital that could fuel much needed growth.  [14]   The Catholic Church Opposition Simply looking at one study alone (Herrin and Pernia), one can easily see that the Philippines indeed has a population problem, or at least a realization that unabated growth in population rate and fertility rates may be linked to various societal dilemmas the country is currently experiencing, such as: rising poverty, inequality, unemployment and slow economic growth. So why is it that there is this opposition by the Catholic Church to mitigate this problem, and concomitantly, why is it that the Catholic Churchs position on this issue is regarded with such weight? The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, with around 80% of its population being Catholics. The Filipinos values, morals, much of the norms and beliefs in the Philippines have been shaped by more than 300 years of being subject to Christian indoctrination under Spanish rule. Just like any other religion in the world, the Catholic Church upholds particular values and mores that are not subject to change or even reconsideration values based on sex and marriage are one of those. Sex before marriage and living together before marriage are deemed morally wrong; sex within marriage on the other hand is considered a gift, that is meant to unite the couple and presupposes the creation of life.  [15]  The Church has always stood firm on their stand with regards to artificial methods of contraception for married couples, stressing that controlling ones sexual urges is a personal responsibility, and that the couple has the right to choose and decide their family size again gui ded by their responsibility, as parents, to provide for their children; abortion is especially frowned upon. Just how strong is religion in upholding these beliefs? If the study done by Evelyn Lehrer entitled Religious Affiliation and its Relation to the Economic and Demographic Decisions People Make, were to be our basis for analysis, we would infer that religion indeed have a huge influence on the people that practice them. Lehrer states that people tend to take into account religion in whatever interrelated decisions they make over their life cycle (emphasis added), further stressing that for behaviors that pertain to married couple households as opposed to individuals, religion matters because it is a complimentary trait within marriage, affecting many activities that husband and wife engage in together.  [16]   Herrin practically echoes Lehrers argument in his assessment of the Philippine setting by stating that perhaps the single most important factor influencing population policy making [in the Philippines] since its formulation in 1969, and may partly explain its ever shifting focus, is the persistent and consistent opposition of the Catholic Church hierarchy to the government population policy of reducing population growth as well as its promotion of artificial family planning methods.  [17]  Historically speaking, it is alleged that it was the Marcos administrations intention to promote family planning in the country that actually stimulated Philippine Catholicism to strengthen the commitment of the faithful to the Catholic hierarchys view on the subject.  [18]  From that period on, the Catholic Church in the Philippines has continued to adapt a hard stance on these issues, even if other predominantly Catholic countries around the world (and even some of the predominantly Musli m countries in Southeast Asia who tend to have stricter religious beliefs) have long accepted artificial contraception as well as their governments population control policies. The Catholic Church in fact was instrumental in deleting a provision on population control in the Philippine Constitution when it was amended in 1987, following the ouster of then President Ferdinand Marcos; I dont believe they will change their position any time soon and put back something in the Philippine Constitution that they fought hard to take out. If any institution wants to change the current accepted beliefs with regard to starting a family, deciding to have or not to have a child, and how many children to have, one should always take into consideration the Catholic Churchs position (in fact, Catholic values in general), and work through the Catholic way of thinking and belief systems. This is exactly what former Department of Health Secretary Juan Flavier did in the mid 90s. Flavier, being a devout Catholic himself (though he did advocate artificial birth control methods), did not go on record as claiming to be against the Churchs position, but just went on and did his job as Health Secretary and pushed for an effective family planning campaign,  [19]  which was having substantial results until his success as Department Secretary propelled him to the Philippine senate where he served two terms. This then leaves us with the second part of the question; why is it that the Catholic Churchs position on this issue is regarded with such weight? I believe McQuillan has given us an idea of why this is the situation in the Philippines, when he stated that religious values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are likely to play a critical role in shaping demographic behavior à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦when churches are able to build a network of religious institutions that play a formative role in the lives of members and to exercise influence over civil institutions in society as well (emphasis added).  [20]  Lehrer further adds that this is not only true on the issue of fertility as McQuillan argues, but that it also extends to other demographic and economic outcomes.  [21]  I believe both Lehrer and McQuillan are on spot, at least in the case of the Philippines, as history does back up this argument. Aside from the fact that the Catholic Chuch do play a huge role in shaping Filipino beliefs through educat ion (Catholic schools) and through regular sermons delivered during mass (weekly Church service), the Catholic Church also holds sway (at least morally as spiritual advisors) over the countrys leaders who happen to be predominantly Catholics  [22]  . The Catholic Church also plays an active role in politics as watchdog and critic the Catholic Church was at the forefront of the two People Power revolutions, the first toppled the Marcos dictatorship, and the second removed Erap Estrada in office on charges of corruption and for moral grounds.  [23]  Another political role of the Church is as kingmaker. Proof to this is the number of visitors the Cardinal gets during election period, all hoping to get the Catholic Churchs highly regarded endorsement. In fact, this vote-courting practice even extends to other Christian denominations in the country that have similar; if not more rigid; position on abortion, birth control and family planning. Any actor in Philippine politics woul d definitely think twice about advocating these population control measures and going against the strongly held beliefs of the Church,  [24]  as doing so would be tantamount to committing political suicide. Government Action and Inaction Aniceto Orbeta in an ADB discussion paper points out that the Philippines has been credited as one of the earliest adopters of a strong population program in Asia, [yet] today it still has not resolved the population problem, while her late adopting neighbors have successfully addressed the problem and [have since] turned to face other problems.  [25]  Given the above mentioned constraints presented by the Catholic Church, and a society that largely adheres to Catholic values, what has government managed to accomplish as regards family planning and population control? Then President Ferdinand Marcos was one of the 17 heads of states that signed the UN Declaration of Population on December 1967. The UN declaration in essence emphasized that the population problem must be recognized as a principal element in long-range national planning if governments are to achieve their economic goals and fulfill the aspirations of their people.  [26]  With this idea in mind, the government then embarked on studies in order to come up with policies and programs to address concerns about the negative implication of rapid population growth on the attainment of social and economic objectives.  [27]  Studies at that time point out that free exercise of fertility decisions of couples is not consistent with the common good, government therefore saw the need to intervene in fertility decisions as a matter of policy family planning was deemed the necessary intervention.  [28]   The Catholic Church would have been outraged at that time, but policy statements during that period reassured the Church that whatever population program would be adopted, government would see to it that the religious beliefs and values of individuals would be respected.  [29]  The Catholic Church was apparently lulled into a false sense of security, trusting government to keep its word only to find out that it has been working to legalize contraceptive sterilization, which the Church was strongly opposed to. In a 1973 pastoral letter, the Church allayed fears that the government is following the patterns of adoption of artificial contraceptive methods from less radical methods to more radical sterilization and even abortion.  [30]   Marcos, in the early years of his dictatorship embarked on massive infrastructure and development programs; that period also saw rapid industrialization and urbanization. Because of this and because of concerns that high population growth rate would undermine the governments economic development efforts; population control policies; as evidenced by various studies, policies, decrees and executive orders at that time; became a major area of concern. Testament to this was the fact that the role of the government in population would even be enshrined in the 1973 Constitution. It shall be the responsibility of the State to achieve and maintain population levels conducive to the national welfare. (Article XV, Section 10).  [31]   Looking at the list of population control and family planning policies of the Marcos regime in Herrins paper,  [32]  I cannot help but notice that at that period, the government was only looking at the negative aspects of population and fertility growths,  [33]  and consequently was only focused on curbing these unwanted growths to achieve their envisioned positive economic gains. Policies aimed at developing and harnessing positive consequence of population growth (demographic dividend), such as populations positive effect on production, technical progress and innovation  [34]  were apparently not taken into consideration (at least not in the policy documents highlighted in Herrins work). Had the government considered the positive aspects of population growth back then, who knows what programs and policies might have been instituted and pursued to take advantage of this demographic dividend. Again, I point to how government at that time approached the problem of growing unemployment after the late 70s oil crisis, where the government as a response to the problem decided to pursue overseas migration as a temporary stop-gap measure labor-migration have since become an institution in Philippine society, and is now viewed as probably one of the major sectors that is keeping Philippine economy afloat.  [35]   Whether population growth decline in the early 80s was due to the governments adoption and implementation of an effective family planning program; or if it was mainly an effect of progress, moving from an agricultural to industrialized modes of production; or of urbanization; or possibly because more women started to enter the workforce, translating into smaller and smaller family size;  [36]  or whether it is an effect of all these factors working in unison, I have yet to see a study on. But assuming that the decline did results from a conglomeration of these factors, it would be safe to say that the governments policy responses to the problem of growing population and fertility rates were effective and timely. But now, we can only speculate what the effects of those programs would have been to Philippine society and economy had those population control policies not been discontinued. In 1986, Ferdinand Marcos was ousted through the EDSA People Power Revolution (a movement which I pointed out earlier as having the backing of the Catholic Church), and since that time, the countrys population control program went to a screeching halt. A year after Marcos was ousted, the provision on governments role in population control in the 1973 Philippine Constitution was scrapped, and the Constitution (1987 Constitution) that replaced it now carries the Catholic Churchs pro-life, pro-choice position.  [37]  Herrin emphasized this fact when he stated that while there was a strong fertility reduction objective during the Marcos era, there was none during the Aquino administration (emphasis added).  [38]  Family planning, from being seen as an effective means to reduce fertility and population growth became a mere health intervention, one with possible fertility consequences. The administrations after that tried to come up with proposals to curb population growth and high fertility rates but they have always encountered stiff opposition from the Church and from pro-life organizations.  [39]  The Fidel Ramos administration tried to revive fertility reduction policies through the family planning program by incorporating it under the umbrella of Reproductive Health  [40]  under the Department of Health. Despite scrutiny by the Catholic Church, it was able to progress, until its main proponent, charismatic Health Secretary Juan Flavier, won a seat in the Philippine senate. Then President Joseph Estrada also called for an aggressive family planning program to reduce fertility in its PPMP Directional Plan 2001-2004  [41]  , but this program never saw fruition, as Estrada was ousted in another Catholic Church-backed People Power Revolution. Finally, we have the current administrations, policy statement (or non-statement) on family planning  [42]  and Herrin tells us that in essence it says that family planning is primarily a health intervention and as a means to help couples achieve their fertility preference, a statement that does not imply a goal of reducing fertility and population growth rates.  [43]  The current proposed bills from the Senate and the House of Representatives seem to show promise but these bills are currently being opposed by the Catholic Church and Church-backed pro-life and pro-choice groups.  [44]   Government if it has the will, can always implement population control or population management policies if it wanted to (even with Church opposition as evidenced with the Flavier program), but there is also this problem of the length of time leaders stay in office, and since the department heads are coterminous with the President that appointed them, family planning and population control policies tend to have short life spans as well there just doesnt seem to be any way to achieve a continuous program for population control in the Philippines. Currently, the countrys population growth rate  [45]  and fertility rate  [46]  are declining despite the lack of a solid government family planning or population control program.  [47]  This decline could primarily be a direct result of the factors outlined by Debraj Ray in his book:  [48]  urbanization  [49]  , the rise in share of womens share in the labor force  [50]  and information being more and more accessible to people even in the rural areas through media,  [51]  through formal education channels and through NGOs who are working to uplift the lives of people in the countryside. But policy makers in the country still insist on the adoption of a comprehensive population control and management program that would further reduce these rates to levels that are at least similar to those of the Philippines Asian neighbors; levels that they believe would be more conducive to the attainment of the countrys MDGs.  [52]   I argue that though legislation may indeed contribute a whole lot as far as institution of radical measures to meet the desired levels of fertility and population growth, the mechanism to institute such change even without legislation is already in existence and simply needs to be tapped. I believe that the key to this problem lies in making the necessary information  [53]  available to society in order to effect the necessary changes. Herrin and Pernia for example point us to problems that had to do with misconceptions about contraceptives that are available to the public. Such mis-information includes supposed side effects and other health-related issues that artificial contraceptives might have  [54]  . Sex education is also one aspect of family planning and population control that doesnt need to wait for passing of the current legislation on debate to be implemented and is one area where the Catholic Church is not opposed to.  [55]   The effective utilization of natural birth control methods only require information dissemination  [56]  in order to be practiced by the families that need them to abate unwanted fertility or to achieve their desired family size. A society that is more informed about current and future economic prospects; a society that is informed about the various choices and options they have as far as security in old age welfare, job opportunities and health care would intuitively make more rational decisions as far as fertility is concerned. But I also believe that people tend to be irrational as well, and a lot of that irrationality has something to do with culture, values and beliefs that are deeply ingrained in them again, to change that, information would be the key.  [57]   Medias Overlooked Role in Population Control I want to stress the need to take into consideration the role of information here, as I believe that this is an area that has not been given proper attention in all these debates regarding population control and family planning issues. It may be true that the Catholic Church have some moral sway as far as decisions in forming a family are concerned. The National government believes that to be able to effectively implement population control programs, it needs legislation that would effectively render Catholic Church opposition to contraception and population control moot and academic, but I believe that this not be the case. Through all these, the national government has failed to consider one institution that might be as powerful (or even more powerful) as the Catholic Church in shaping individual decisions that has to do with fertility and size of family mass media. This neglect could be because of the national governments limited perception of media and its possible roles in the implementation of population control programs. Yes, the media has been used before. The Marcos government has used print, radio and television to advance their population control campaign  [58]  , so did former Health Secretary Juan Flavier, all of whom claim to have had positive results.  [59]  But the thing is that these campaigns blatantly urged families to advocate not just the natural family planning methods but the artificial methods as well, which did not sit well with the Catholic Church. Advertising campaigns also require funding as they need to buy much needed airtime (in the

The Concept of Bartering as Adapted by the Film In Time

The Concept of Bartering as Adapted by the Film In Time, and Its Implications. HAS 2013 Prices, Values, and Money Contents 1 Introduction of the characteristics of the genres thriller, action, and drama, making it fairly complex and capable of providing several different perspectives as well as various points of analysis, from the general plot to the greater cultural backgrounds. The film centers on the concept of time being utilized as the primary currency in a modernized world which is set a century ahead of the present.Due to intentional genetic engineering money is no longer available in the material form used in today's society, but has been replaced by time, which can be exchanged for other goods or forms of labor. The actual value of this new type of currency is undeniably not purely symbolic as is the case with today's form of money, but it is innately linked to the length of one's own lifetime. Precisely this linkage is what relates this financial concept to that of barterin g, and the adaptation of which will be the main topic – alongside with its societal implications – of this paper.Generally speaking the aim of this paper is to study a different conceptualization of exchange – regardless of its unrealistic possibility of enforceability – through an analysis of the concept of time being used as a substitute for money as presented in the film In Time, comparing it with the Aristotelian concept of bartering in an attempt to categorize and define the principles of this alternative form of exchange and its effect on the economy.Following this topic the paper will draw on Aristotle concept of liberality, which is also of importance within the film, inflation as such, and a short analysis of the social class system created by a fictional society run by time. These points should provide further understanding of today's system of exchange, hills enforcing a more creative and practical approach, ultimately highlighting negative and positive aspects of the current system. Time as Currency The film's concept of time runs as follows: from the age of 25 years onwards every individual is granted a lifetime of one further year, which begins to count down on their 25th birthday. From then on, the amount of time one has left to live depends on the acquisition of further time, or the expenditure which will inevitably thus ensue in Odder to purchase food and other necessary goods, such as clothes, housing, and electricity; time has become the universal currency.When a person's clock reaches O, that person dies immediately. The presence of sickness or other natural causes of death are not elaborated on within In Time. The currency of time as used in the film demands an exchange of a certain amount of time for other goods – and can even be exchanged for time itself at the bank in the form of a loan.Labor and services are paved for with time, and the wages allocated to different types of labor may be relationally c omparable to those used in today's society with regard to low-wage Jobs which require little to no education and gig-wage Jobs which usually require at least some sort of education and/or a certain degree of power, such as the Jobs of managers, professors, pilots, and doctors. Daily life and routines seem very much similar to today's system, with the exception of a higher death rate, however, even casinos and banks are shown in the film and seemingly fulfill the same function they do today.One's time status – which is comparable to the bank balance of today – is constantly on display in the individual scenes, making it easy for by-passers to inform themselves of one another's wealth, lest he or she should wear long sleeves or another type of clothing capable of hiding the numbers from view. For example, in the scene in which Will Salsa and Sylvia Weiss swim in the dark the watch presents the only source of light along with the lighting from the mansion, which in itself shares an innate connection with time through its immense worth (see figure 1).The only three obvious differences between the way time is used and the way money is used today lies in the following: firstly, the country has been manually divided into ‘time zones', the crossing of which itself costs time – travel today only raises costs in question of transportation. Secondly, the fact that time is constantly being spent by an individual – somewhat unintentionally – Just by being alive, whereas money on the other hand retains its value and can only be spent intentionally, and thirdly, that there seems to be no form of taxation or even individual fortune tracking.The government is, however, keen on surveillance, which becomes evident through the large amount of cameras which are situated seemingly everywhere, and through monitors which convey the proportional distribution of time – therefore wealth – throughout the United States; the main purpo se of this is to ensure that wealth continues to follow the geographical pattern which was dictated by the government, so that the very wealthy time zones continue to harbor the largest proportion of the country's wealth, while the poorer areas share very little wealth between them.The film focuses on two specific time zones: the very wealthy New Greenwich – home of the Weiss family, and the poorer Dayton – home of the Salsa family, which illustrates the extreme social discrepancies achieved through differences in wealth. Bartering The concept of bartering is constantly being revised and today means a form of exchange where a good or certain form of labor is exchanged for another good or certain form of labor, whereby both of the goods or the labor in question are separable from their possessors and carry palpable value – usually in terms of their use and quality – as in, for example, the exchange of berries for milk and vice versa; both of these goods ar e subject to intrinsic value, the primary one being the function of satiating and sustaining a human being.According to Aristotle, however, the concept of bartering carries a slightly different meaning. Firstly, Aristotle differentiates between types of property according to how hose are acquired, for example through hunting, or agricultural processes.These acquisitions demand time, which may be reduced by level of skill, therefore it is only logical that individuals should first and foremost pursue tasks for which they possess the required skills, basic required goods, or geographical advantages – for example a hunter living near a forest with a large quantity of game, or a wheat farmer with a sufficient amount of land available to him – and then exchange the in – excess acquired – good for a good which is more difficult or more important for the man in question to obtain.The value of each good is measured individually by each of the partners or group of individuals with the same interest partaking in the exchange, Shoes may be exchanged for a house, cattle for horses, eggs for wood, harvest labor for bread, and so on and so forth. Essentially the value of each good is constantly being revised, there is no one form of currency, money in today's form does not exist, a central market is not existent, and the government – should there be some sort of government present – has no impact on bartering as such. 4 Time as Currency in Association with BarteringAs mentioned above, the currency of time within the film In Time carries an intrinsic value – that of being capable of influencing the length of one's life. Money in the material form used today does not have as acute an influence on the length of one's life apart from its use in acquiring medicine or food from another human being, however, time too must pay for these goods nit the film. Following the traditional concept of bartering, man-made products or labor are exchanged for other man-made products or labor, however, time, as such, can be classed as neither f the two.Time is universally granted and – although man cannot alter time itself, he can – in this specific setting – gain more of it, or lose some or all of it, thereby ‘bartering' with his own life. At this point it may also be relevant to acknowledge the circumstance of time being an infinite concept in terms of gaining, and yet, it is certainly possible to be deprived of any time at all – by society, by oneself, or by the greater powers of the universe, leading to immediate death.The fact that time is, however, the only globally accepted currency – currency eyeing a theoretic opposition to the concept of bartering, is somewhat of a negation of the possibility of seeing this system as a form of bartering. In bartering the changeability of a good or of labor is subject to the interest another has in it, and whether or not the individual †“ or group of individuals – is capable of exchanging this for a good or for labor of their own which is of interest to the partner of exchange.In a typical bartering society there would be no primary or main good available for transfer, and certainly none by which value could be measured in any form, as time r the dollar can. Goods would be dependent on the separate circumstances of each individual, and their values would be subject to constant revisal. Currency as such is defined as being a system of money in general use in a particular country (Oxford English Dictionary, 2013).Aristotle intense occupation with the concept of slavery amongst men can, however, not be analyzed via the film, as slavery in its original form does not play a role, because modern human rights forbid inequality among mankind. The population of Dayton is indeed, to a certain extent, enslaved to the government, as he government regulates inflation and thereby death rates, and due to governmental â⠂¬Ëœtime keepers' – comparable to rope-men in contemporary societies – who are empowered to relieve individuals of time should they be accused of having acquired it without sufficient rights, or in case of other criminal allegations.Prisons are naturally impossible institutions in poorer societies run by time, as inmates would not be capable of earning enough time to keep themselves alive during their stay without further work, which instead leads them to inevitable death. Aristotle coins the term ‘liberality' in regard to money, describing a liberal man as one who is neither â€Å"acquisitive nor retentive of money, but is ready to part with it, and does not value it for himself, but only with a view to giving† (Aristotle. The Ethics of Aristotle. Trans. J. Thomson. England: Penguin Books, 1953. Print. ).In Time portrays protagonist Will Salsa as becoming somewhat of a liberal man. Toward the end of the film's development, he and Sylvia Weiss – dau ghter of one of the richest men in the world at the time – abide by the Robin Hood principle, which souses on the redistribution of wealth in order to reduce economic inequality. The most fascinating aspect here, is that the ‘wealth' in question is far more life-giving, than money in the standard form, which certainly buys food, however, the human being is capable of living for far longer without food than without ‘time' as portrayed in the film itself.Strictly speaking this means that an extreme form of liberality is achieved through the disregard Salsa and Weiss show in relation to the value of their own retention of time, and the selflessness they are capable of embodying, even at such high costs. The film's opening scene introduces Salsa as being confined state by – as is later revealed – the constant need to find more and more time in order to prolong his life, putting him in a metaphorical ongoing fight for life.The scene shows Salsa from a med ium close-up, standing behind a barred window and looking outside (see figure 2), before switching to a medium longest inside the room, which is almost completely dark save for the backlogging coming in through the window, again emphasizing the confinement Salsa must endure while wistfully looking out of the window in yearning for freedom (see figure 3). Freedom is, however, of course not available to Salsa. He is physically free to leave his apartment at any given time, but he will never be able to overcome the hold that the financial system has on him – at least not legally, but this he has yet to discover. Inflation The ability – and strongly pronounced desire – to acquire more and more time inevitably leads to higher life expectancies, and therefore also overpopulation. The government has come up with a solution to this problem: inflation. Through inflation individuals with little time on them are subject to a higher mortality risk, and this is owe the popul ation is regulated, so as to avoid an increase in societal problems, such as a heightened crime rate, lack of food, water, or medicine, sanitary issues, etc.The effects of inflation in poverty stricken areas are illustrated in one of the scenes at the very beginning, during which the mother of the protagonist dies on her way home because she does not have enough time available to her to pay for the inflated bus fares. It is, however, important to note that, although inflation takes place in the same way it does in today's society, the currency itself, I. E. Mime, is not affected by inflation as such: physically an hour of time remains the same amount of a person's lifetime, the only change in worth comes from the good being acquired by time, which then costs more.At the same time this circumstance underlines the lack of individualizing existent within the film, the effect of which is achieved by the apparent stereotypical disrespect which the lower classes are confronted with and de aths which occur on the streets of the poorer time zones, people being so used to seeing these corpses that they no longer pay heed to their presence and have mingle accepted the irrelevance of their lives in the social system.Inflation is not possible in standard bartering as conceptualized by Aristotle. A commodity's value is determined by its degree of desirability, and so in times of famine edible goods are naturally more highly valued than, for example, in times of good harvest. This point further distances the concept of time as currency from being a form of bartering as it is made clear that inflation of time prices is very much determined and arranged by the government as is perspective's needed, not as is natural. Influence on Social Class The lower classes tend to have little more than a few hours on their clocks, which means that affected individuals must move fast, are far more susceptible to crime due to the instinctive incessant need to survive, are prone to resorting to the vulgar sport of ‘fighting' each other for time in front of an audience, and are subject to more casualties than the higher classes with more time on them are.Social mobility is fairly limited, especially in the poorer time zones, as the search for more time plays an acute role in the search for a partner, however limited this time may be through he constant need to work more. Aristotle describes slaves as being strong enough to absolve the menial duties life presents mankind with, while the freemen are useless for physical labor, but useful for many other purposes of civic life.This can easily be related to the correlation between the upper and lower classes in the film, where the lower classes work in factories or on the streets doing manual labor and producing goods for the upper classes which they can hardly afford themselves, while the upper classes either busy themselves with tasks – if at all – which demand brain power of a stable financial Asia, all the while exploiting the lower classes. Sylvia view on the clock and time as the sole form of exchange available is as follows: â€Å"The clock does no one any good.The poor die and the rich don't really know how to live. We can live forever if we don't do anything stupid. Doesn't that scare you? † (In Time. Dir. Andrew Niccole. Twentieth Century Fox. 2012. Film. ) This describes two of the main issues with which society is presented: the fear and thus ensuing motivation of sudden death, as well as the lack of motivation one may encounter on owning a large amount of time, for there is then of course no longer a need to work ND yet these individuals have so much time that they no longer know how they may occupy themselves. Film Analysis In Time incorporates a combination of many different types of scenes, ranging from dark to light, hectic to slow, extreme close ups to extreme longest, all of which work together to help emphasize the extremity of using time as currency, as we ll as traumatizing and detailing its effects on society.As mentioned above, the clock displayed on the forearm of each and every individual within the movie is often used keeping the audience's perspective constant and attentive to the ‘bigger picture', which the film conveys, as is the case in the swimming scene with Salsa and Well, where the viewer is reminded not to lose himself in the comparatively rather banal romantics, but to stay alert and capable of interpretation on a larger level. The lack of individualism in this type of society is also illustrated.From the first scene onwards – in which Salsa is shown looking outside through the bars of a window – the clammy and fearful atmosphere driven by survival instinct alone without any visually explained causes is constantly reinforced, for example in the scene in which Will Salsa' mother dies in the middle of an empty road from no hysterical cause, or the moment in which the man who gives Salsa over a hundred years simply seems to fall off a bridge filmed from an extreme longest, making the viewer feel all the more helpless and emotionally affected. Conclusion Time is not merely a medium of exchange in the way money is, it is a good or service, which can be directly exchanged for other goods. Therefore, it is essentially distantly related to Aristotle concept of bartering, consequentially combining the traditional concept of exchange with the less modern and, in today's society, rarely enforced concept of bartering.However, one distinct difference lies in the fact that the society Aristotle focused on was to force individuals to be responsible for acquiring their goods individually, whereas in the modern society presented by the film organized work and an advanced market are the predominant themes in which individuals are far from producing their own goods directly. The use of time as the only legally recognized currency ultimately intertwines the length of one's life with the material quality of life itself – what can man physically acquire and how much of it?This adds the component of natural survival instinct to the motivation for finding and keeping work, and has the distinct effect of eliminating unemployment in cases of poverty. The effect this has on crime rates is most likely ambiguous, as the sanctions which a criminal would face are almost certainly life threatening, and yet, if one's life is in danger due to lack of time, he or she is far more likely to commit an illegal act in order to acquire more time than otherwise.These points make this financial system far more interesting on a societal level than anthropometry systems, as society's thinking is deeply affected by a more acute occupation with life itself and the inevitable death, the proximity of which is by far more dependent on one's way of life – how much time is spent working, where and as what, with whom one chooses to spend time, etc.Status seems to play a rather large role in t he upper classes, even more so than in today's society, as it seems that lack of status is greeted with disrespect, as is demonstrated by the waitress at the hotel in which Will Salsa has breakfast, by her comment on the speed at which he moves. Naturally, if one has a very large amount of time there is less of a need to move fast – quite on the contrary, moving slowly is somewhat of a prerequisite to avoid having too little to do with so much time.An analysis of this concept allows for the realization that the current financial concept of money can be comparatively seen as lacking in certain fields. Firstly, the to the fact that the motivation to work is not as high as it is in the film – sanctions would be needed in order to increase the motivation. Secondly, the film highlights the extreme differences in between different social classes, which promotes inequality where it should not – a reevaluation of proportional taxation a integrated living areas could pro vide possible improvements.Thirdly, liberality is naturally a more common phenomenon in the current society than in the film's society, as there is less at stake, and inflation is mainly influenced by governmental regulations and has far less to do with the availability of a good or service. Through the replacement of money with time a new form of financial system is introduced, which is loosely related to the concept of bartering.

What You Should Do to Find Out About Film Essay Topics Before Youre Left Behind

What You Should Do to Find Out About Film Essay Topics Before You're Left Behind The best way to success requires a lot of time and energy. By the way, you ought to be aware and understand all basic terms and concepts associated with the film market. The movie business is a fantastic industry that chronicles human society. Furthermore, it helps them become conscious of the complicated processes and technology involved in producing a movie. Because of the Internet you are now able to locate a whole lot of great topics for your paper and achieve an outstanding outcome. You are likely to gather details about a particular subject, subject, product etc.. Select something you're interested in. A very simple program Google Earth helps someone find his native residence, when he doesn't remember his address. It will produce the history essay writing process faster and easier, and you won't need to devote a good deal of time doing research. However good your writing skills are, you can't possibly devise a top-notch sociology essay within a night. The writing process is going to be a pleasure, and your reader will delight in reading your bit of academic writing. Your teacher has probably already given some instructions, so make sure to test them out, particularly if you don't know just how to write a vital evaluation essay. Recent argumentative essay topics that are related to society is going to do. It is all about arguing and debating on a topic, which is debatable. An argumentative essay requires you to choose a topic and have a position on it. Though writing an evaluation essay is a difficult task, you ought not give up on account of the obstacles on your way. Picking the proper essay topic can at times be rather tricky. Subsequently, it has been defined in a variety of ways. Take into consideration this issue of the history essay you've already written before. If you would like to compose a superior history essay you'd better select a topic that is familiar to you. In order to reach success in your academic sphere, all you need to do is buy geography essay or any other type of assignment from us and receive an exemplary result right when you require argumentative film essay topics. Whether there are only two books that have any connection to your topic, it could be too narrow. Some men and women live their lives based on their religion even though others don't think you should factor that into decision making in regards to determining rules for everybody. The issue is that everybody's interpretation of what makes a great society differs. You will probably locate a different and amazing topic you will love to write about. Just take a peek at our list of flawless sociology essay topics and elect for the one which you locate the most exciting. Argumentative essay topics are so important since they are debatableand it's vital to at all times be critically considering the world around us. There are many essay topics that you may choose from. Being assigned a film analysis essay could just be the absolute most exciting assignment you've ever had! You can rest assured that the film studies essay example we deliver to our will be in accordance with the demands of your teacher. You won't be able to crank out a 4,000-word essay in a week and receive an A. An evaluation essay can help you find out about the caliber of an object you want to know more about. Students ought to be permitted to pray in school. As such, they may be motivated to write about what they see on the screen. Another reason is to observe how well students argue on unique views and demonstrate understanding of the studied subject. Students often discover that nearly all of their work on those essays is done before they even begin writing.

Comparative Analysis of Shall I compare thee to a...

Comparative Analysis of Shall I compare thee to a summers day? by William Shakespeare and The Flea by John Donne Shall I compare thee by Shakespeare focuses on romantic love, whereas Donnes poem, The Flea is all about seduction and sexual love. The situations in the two poems are very different. In Shall I compare thee, the poet is shown as a lover who is addressing his lady. His tone is gentle and romantic. He starts with a rhetorical question to which he must answer and therefore he does not put demand upon the lady. The poem gives the impression that it is set perhaps in his room, where he is composing his poem. One thing is for sure and that is that the woman he is addressing is†¦show more content†¦Both poets use a three part argument although Shakespeares is in the form of a sonnet whilst Donnes is a three stanza poem. Shakespeares poem is a sonnet and consists of three quatrains and a rhyming couplet. The first two quatrains start with the rhetorical question Shall I compare theeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and the rest of this section answers this question. However, this question has an obvious answer of no because the next line says, Thou art more temperate and beautiful. The poet thinks she is perfect, unlike a summers day. He says that the summers day is sometime to hot and has rough windes, but she is more lovely. He uses personification in the line, And often is his gold complexion dimd. He uses this technique to show that the sun has a face, which glows, but not always and therefore shows that summer is not perfect, but she is. He describes her as being temperate which means that she is moderate compared to the temperamental weather of an English summer. This is one of the things he says to compliment her. The third quatrane starts with the word but, which signals a change to a different thought. In this quatrane, Shakespeare uses exaggerated claims to show how perfect she is. He says, Thy eternal Sommer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that faire thou owst. Here, he is explaining how much better than a summersShow MoreRelatedA Comparative Analysis of Shakespeares Shall I Compare Thee and Donnes The Flea1144 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparative Analysis of Shakespeares Shall I Compare Thee and Donnes The Flea In shall I Compare Thee Shakespeare is addressing a woman, although it is not clear who, the most likely person is his dark lady. Shakespeare addresses this woman directly in a charming way. The poem is not said to of been set in a particular place but I believe it is more then likely to of have been set in a garden because the things he compares the woman with are found outside. The poem