Investigation into Roles and Contracts of the Music Industry Essay Example for Free

Investigation into Roles and Contracts of the Music Industry Essay Scenario Your local paper has assigned you with a task to present them with information about the roles and contracts in the Music industry. Carry out an investigation that describes/explains/comments critically on the roles and contracts of one area of the Music Industry and deliver your results as a presentation to the class. Task 1: Using Publisher/ Word, you need to research, write and describe the contracts associated with an area of the Music Industry (Live Performance: e.g. artist’s responsibilities with a label, or a manager/agency’s responsibilities with an artist/performer) (P3) In order to gain a MERIT grade, in addition to the requirements of the PASS criteria, you will need to describe and explain the above by providing examples. (P1, P2, M1, M2) In order to gain a DISTINCTION grade, in addition to the PASS and MERIT criteria, you will need to describe, explain and comment critically the above by giving examples, drawing conclusions from experience and/or research (P1, P2, M1, M2, D1, D2) 2 Know the professional roles within a chosen area of the music industry Live performance: eg performer/artist, DJ, agent, promoter, venues and stage management, crew/ technicians, security, merchandise Record companies: eg AR, promotion, distribution and retail, merchandising Music publishing companies: eg publishing, copyright, sales, composer and artist development  Artist management: eg artists, songwriter/composer, manager Assessment Method: Class presentation. To include referencing

Using Enterprise Gamification For Improving Business Essay

Using Enterprise Gamification For Improving Business Essay Gamification is the concept of applying game-design thinking to non-game applications to make them more fun and engaging. (Gamification Wiki, 2012) Though a relatively new field, gamification has been used in a variety of applications albeit in a simpler manner, from driving customer loyalty through loyalty points to improving employee engagement within the workforce using titles such as Employee of the Month The latter is an example of enterprise gamification wherein enterprises use gamified systems to bring about internal change. However most such systems are currently heavily simplified and extrinsically focused, only looking to reward employees with badges, which leads to the danger of reducing the employees intrinsic motivations. Also, many of the enterprise gamification platforms have only been designed for use in the developed world and hence the need to explore how these might differ for an Indian audience with its different set of motivations and appeal to them. Taking these into account, this paper looks to explore how gamification works and what are the underlying psychological factors and how Indian enterprises can use it in their employee development process. The findings would lead to a proposed enterprise gamified framework for improving workplace motivations and the performance appraisal process currently being practiced in Indian organizations. Lastly we look at the possible limitations of having such a system in place at the enterprise level and explore areas of further development for future research. Introduction A common definition of gamification is the application of game elements in non game contexts (Deterding, 2011) At the heart of gamification is the objective of getting the desired behavioral response by appealing to the players motivations. A repeatedly used approach is to use the scoring elements used in video games and use them in a different context. Though the term is relatively new, this concept has been in application for centuries in the form of frequent flyer loyalty programs for customers, enterprise leader boards in the sales and customer care divisions. However, in recent years the concept has gradually seen an increasing no. of applications within the enterprise. Some of the examples are listed below Intranet The SAP community network is an internally used community network (intranet) where leader boards for domain experts in every domain is maintained Productivity Enhancement Call centers are using gamification techniques to improve representative performance by making use of leaderboards, levels, virtual badges and immediate feedback. The danger could be that it could be used as a tool to constantly monitor and pressurizing them. Efficiency Enhancement Efficiency enhancement is about improving general skill level of employees and not just the work related to their job. Helping employees deal with their emails is an example. Companies use gamification elements such as progress bars, virtual points and feedback on time spent for emails to help them deal with this. Seriosity is another company that has created a virtual currency around the emails. This helps employees decide which mails to deal with first and decide the urgency of the emails they are sending out to other employees. Knowledge Management Application called WhoWhatWhere is an enterprise collaboration system where consultants are encouraged to share information about what they are working on thereby making it easier for consultants working on similar projects to get in touch with them and seek help Innovation The UK Dept of Works Pension created the Ideastreet, essentially seen as a trading platform for ideas. Employees put forward ideas which have a inherent stock listed price associated with them. Other employees have the option of buying or selling these stocks so that a few of the ideas have a much higher market cap than the others. This has proved to be a well performing solution, with the no. of new ideas being implemented increasing by the tune of 54%. Recruiting and Onboarding Gamification is also being used for recruitment for certain managerial positions using online simulation games that depict real life scenarios and test the decision making skills of the players. This competition leads to a pool of best players who are then considered as potential candidates for the company. All the above mentioned examples of enterprise gamification and gamified systems in general, can be broadly classified according to what user motivations they cater to, which could be intrinsic or extrinsic motivations. The concern with gamified systems that are heavily extrinsically focused such as the one currently employed in call centers, is the long term negative impact that most organizations are not aware of. This is something that shall be addressed in detail in subsequent sections in this paper. Organisations that offer gamification platforms for employee engagement are growing in developed countries. Bunchball is currently one of the biggest which offers Nitro as a plugin gamification application to Salesforce. The Indian enterprise market however, is currently largely untapped and presents huge opportunities for the same. Most Indian employees find the current performance appraisal systems in most organizations highly inefficient and unsatisfactory. The current efforts of the HR professionals to improve employee seem to fall short with workplace morale and productivity running lower than desired. Taking these factors into consideration, this paper looks to propose an enterprise gamification model for improving intrinsic workplace motivations and the performance appraisal systems currently in place in Indian organizations. Theoretical Background What are Games? A formal broad definition applicable to all forms of games proposed by Zimmermann Salen, 2003 says that A game is a system in which players engage in artificial conflict, defined by rules, which result in a quantifiable outcome. However, what this definition lacks is the notion of a feedback system. The feedback system can take the form of points, levels, progress bars and serves to quantify the progress made by the user, how close/far the user is from the goal and provides motivation to keep on playing. In addition to this is the concept of voluntary participation. Be it indoor games such as monopoly, social games, alternate reality games to the most popular sports played today, voluntary participation requires that each one plays the game willingly, accepting the rules and goals of the system with the freedom to enter and leave the game whenever desired. This ensures that the artificially created challenging environment is not found threatening and can be experienced as a playful, safe and enjoyable activity. All these characteristics of the definition of a game are important and are modelled by Dignan in the figure below (Dignan, 2011): A definition of a game (Dignan, 2011) What makes Games so Engaging? Before we delve further, it is important to explore what is it about games that is so engaging and why it seems to be the answer to current workplace engagement and productivity issues according to us. An important research conducted by McGonigal to explore how playing games leads to human happiness has answers to this question. According to McGonigal (2011) studies have actually shown that people are at their happiest when doing hard work at the borders of their skill level. Only when people are continuously challenged according to their skill levels and continuously receive feedback on their work will they have a sustained engagement, otherwise they will end up getting bored.C:UsersmicaDesktopFlow.png This is also explained well by a central model for the appeal for video games the concept of flow. According to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, people feel best when they are neither underchallenged nor overchallenged but at the right level of skills. And as people learn with time and repetition, challenges have to increase to keep up with growing skills. The research goes on to say that most of the traditionally considered relaxing activities such as watching TV, are actually mildly depressing. She argues that this is because companies often fail to continuously challenge employees at the right level in a structured way without giving them frequent feedback. In short, it goes on to proclaim that The Opposite of Work is not Play, it is Depression. Empirical studies also show how the responses that games elicit are very similar to real life emotions, if not the same. Even if the reward might be growing more crops in Farm Ville, the reward though purely fictitious elicits an emotional state that happens to be no different from a real life scenario. To summarize there are multiple dimensions to games that cater to different needs of the players and have been segregated as follows When it comes to the workplace, at a fundamental level we could conclude that the work in itself not the demotivating factor for workers in an organization. It is more so the lack of one or more of the above needs that results in a decrease in their morale over time. For example a rigid company structure could end up stifling the workers need for independence or autonomy. More so, the absence of a continuous challenge that gives employees an opportunity to master their skills and a more regular, robust feedback system that helps them figure where they stand is currently missing. A gamified system would serve the solution for this through continuous feedback on their current skill set and quantifying their scope of improvement. A choice provided to the user at various stages to set their own goals would mean that their need for autonomy is also served to. Throughout this paper, we would henceforth look at building a framework considering these factors. Using Games as a Form of Behavioural Change Dr. BJ Fogg of Stanford University developed a behavioural model which described three elements Motivation, Ability and Trigger that are necessary for behavioural change to occur. In essence, the greater the user motivation, more the probability of hard to do abilities being performed. Similarly if the motivation for the user is very low, the ability demanded to perform the task must be also very low ie easy to do. C:UsersmicaDesktopFogg.png Even when both motivation and ability are sufficiently high to reach the threshold, a trigger becomes necessary to be able to change the user behaviour. The model is intended to help designers identify what stops people from performing the intended behaviour. Game elements go a long way in incorporating this model to change user behavior in the following manner 1. Game dynamics use positive feedbacks in the form of points, scores, progress, social status etc which help in improving user motivation. 2. Through training and master of skills, they increase the perceived ability of users by making difficult jobs simpler and more manageable. 3. Game dynamics place triggers in the path of motivated users at the optimal level of user ability to trigger a behavioural change. Gamification for Motivational Design At the core of the gamification system is tapping into the right motivational factors that drive users. Since the motivators vary for different people, game systems needs to be customized accordingly. Broadly speaking, motivators can be divided into extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Extrinsic motivators are driven by external rewards such as the desire for power and status. Intrinsic motivators are driven by the inherent joy of doing the task itself instead of using any external reward mechanisms. Such motivators at the workplace might include autonomy, mastery, curiosity and feeling connected to the overall cause of the company. Traditionally, most enterprises have essentially made use of extrinsic motivators to motivate employees and enhance productivity. But studies show that excessive focus on external rewards results in users losing their intrinsic motivation to perform the task that previously existed, which is not in the best interests of the user itself. If the organization starts using gamification based upon external rewards and then stops the rewards program, it will be worse off than when it started as users will be less likely to return to the behavior without the external reward (Deci, Koestner Ryan, 2001). Good gamification practise however emphasizes on intrinsic motivators to help them succeed in work life. Hence the concept of meaningful gamification takes it a level further through gamified designs, with the user at its centre, appealing to his/her intrinsic motivations and with a focus on providing user benefits without any adverse effects in the long run. Reiss Sixteen Motivators (2001) Despite the many theories in the field, few are based on actual scientific research. One of them was Steven Reiss who in his book Who am I comes up with 16 categories of motivators which are collected in a statistical manner using which he tries to explain human behaviour. Among the 16 we found only 11 categories to be relevant to the workplace as the rest were found to be related to basic physical needs such as consuming eating which is outside our scope. The 11 categories are presented below with a brief description of their desire profile and segregated into intrinsic and extrinsic motivators accordingly: The dominant motivators among this list would be different for the various profile segments, hence research would be necessary to figure out the most important motivators at work for Indian employees which will form the core of the gamification framework to be designed. Research Methodology A quantitative approach was adopted by means of a survey to capture the relative importance of the 11 Reiss motivators found to influence human behavior in a workplace environment. The sample size for the survey was 36 individuals working in different organizations across India. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of the motivators for them on a Likert Scale. After their responses were captured, a regression was run to establish a relationship between the respondents levels of motivation in a workplace and the various motivators. The relative importance of the motivators was then established by comparing their standardized coefficients. The process then led us to the motivators that were considered most important by Indian employees in the context of a workplace environment. C:UsersmicaDesktopTempg.png Research Methodology Process Leading to the Gamified Framework These dominant workplace motivators and barriers to adoption insights would then be used to design the appropriate game mechanics and come up with the final gamified system as shown in the figure above. Findings Analyzing the results of the survey showed us that Indian Employees are motivated by factors such as curiosity, independence,social contact status and not factors such as competition or power. This implies that the gamification structure that is created needs to have game layers that focuses on group tasks and freedom of players involved in the game. The game layers also need to emphasize on increasing ability since curiosityis an important motivator for Indian employees. On the basis of the results obtained we make the approach to design a gamified framework. Since there currently does not exist a fixed method of developing a gamified system we have given our recommendations based on these results and the theoretical construct described above. Choosing the Right Game Mechanics The biggest problem with todays workplace is the absence of any structured goals that provide an optimal challenge, real time feedback of ones own performance and how the contribution has an impact at an organizational level. In this context game mechanics serve the purpose of increasing either ability or motivation to accomplish the desired behaviour for the employees through real time feedback in the form of points, progress bars etc and other components. Since the major motivators in the Indian workplace context have been found to be curiosity, social contact status and independence/autonomy, care must be taken to see that different game mechanics are in place to cater to these motivations. Hence the following proposition consisting of three different features that serve a different purpose, appropriate mechanisms would be used 1. Personal Efficiency Model For Curiosity Autonomy Motivators To-do lists and progress bar map to track the employees personal goals such as time management, emails cleared, level of project completed etc both to increase ability and motivation. This is done by assigning progress to create incentives for players to complete goals they set for themselves. A sample diagram depicting the same is as given below C:UsersmicaDesktopPicture1.png Sample Visual Map of Individually Set Goals and Status of Completion To cater to the employees motivation for curiosity, a set of interactive quizzes and challenges of different levels testing his/her knowledge in the domain would be necessary. The levels would be of adaptable difficulty (such as in GMAT exams), based on the performance of the worker in the previous level. Customisation components to choose personal goals in different competency areas. This provides workers with a feeling of independence and autonomy. 2. Online Stock Market Model For Status and Social Contact Idea Resource A game where individuals come up with innovative ideas in their domain which are listed on the virtual stock exchange. Employees can now buy/sell these ideas using in game currency so that each idea now has a market cap too. Resource Management using in-game currency as extrinsic rewards for good idea suggestions 3. Peer Recognition and Social Features For Social Contact and Status Community features to encourage unexpected positive feedback from peers and improve motivation when individual contribution levels have reached. A similar interface to elicit positive peer feedback on a software called Rypple is shown in the figure. Social Badges to cater to the players need for appreciation from colleagues and flaunt their status C:UsersmicaDesktopwork.jpg Social Recognition Feature Employed on Rypple.com Designing a Gamification Framework There are three major frameworks and models included in this paper for the purpose of coming up with a gamification framework. There are Dignans Game Frame which describes all the necessary components of a behavioural game (Dignan, 2011), Dr. Reiss Sixteen motivators which describes what motivates the player (Reiss, 2001) and lastly Dr. Foggs Behaviour model which examines how a new behaviour is realised (Fogg, 2011). Dignan describes a behavioural game as made up by ten components which together design the framework Game Frame (Dignan, 2011). The Game Frame allows the designer to look at any behavioural game from the top down, understand its essential parts and see how they together make up a game. In this paper, Dignans Game Frame is used as a structure to describe the situation. This structure needs to be filled with information based on our research. However, to design how the game is played and the available tools for the players, one needs to know what kind of behaviour that is intended (outcome). Before designing how it is played, what currently inhibits the intended behaviour (the obstacles) were investigated from the survey results. The characteristics of these obstacles are then categorised in terms of lack of ability or motivation with Dr. Foggs behavioural model to investigate what kinds of mechanics that will be most efficient to promote the new behaviour. We now take each element of the Dignans frame to explain the overall gamification framework for our system. The Objective and Activity The objectives of this recommended gamified framework will be to encourage employee innovation at the workplace, improve the intrinsic motivation of the employee in alignment with the organizational objectives and to put in place a more robust performance feedback system. Reinforce good habits and real-time recognition and rewards. Recognize achievement publicly or give real rewards in the discount coupons. The main activities of the game will involve entering logs, giving feedback to peers and/or submitting ideas apart from setting custom goals. The Player Profile Based on the results that we obtained using our research, an attempt was made to create a profile for players involved in the system i.e. Indian employees. Since curiosity, status, Independence and social contact proved to be the most important indicators, certain inferences were drawn about the behavior of Indian Employees: Peer recognition and appreciation by fellow employees were significant Learning and development of new skills acts as a powerful motivator Employees remain driven if given the freedom to decide their own goals and pace to achieve those goals Team activities or tasks that involved the organization as a whole generates a lot of interest . Outcomes The last frame in Dignans game frame is the outcomes that are generated along the way of the game. The short-term outcomes should primarily be to get individual feedback on everyday activities at work. The long-term outcomes are to get a clearer picture of the career progress, improve employee morale through feedback. The outcomes of the game are to receive immediate individual feedback about the organizational impact of their contributions and to visualize the career progress. Defining the Feedback Cycle A significant feedback would be in the form of the community-like feature where employees can give feedback on each others personal goal statuses. The motivational factor will be increased by community-driven feedback and intangible rewards. These rewards should be in terms of in-game currency, and badges for reaching a certain personal achievement. One important part of the competence model is that the employees estimate their own performance. In terms of the feedback, this means that the employees need to estimate the value of their own performances in this system as well. Hence, when logging an activity, the employee needs to estimate how valuable that particular action is. Defining Resources and Skills Resources are the drivers of game using which a player moves forward within a game. The resources in the stock based platform for ideas is the virtual currency that players are allotted to buy/sell. Since the currency allotted to players is limited, players must ensure that they allocate it judiciously for ideas that they think will work best. In case of the Gamified feedback system, resources are the badges and points that act as motivators and used to display appreciation for ones efforts. Skills are specialized abilities one that puts to use in a behavioral game and can be categorized as physical, mental and social. Our gamified set up requires players to use their mental skills for generation of ideas and continuous learning and social skills that help individuals get their ideas to be popular and well traded. Triggers Certain activities work very well as triggers. For example simple activities like sending notifications to employees that tell him of his weekly performance in a domain vis-Ã  -vis another employee who is working in a similar domain could act a trigger for the employee .Notifications could also tell the employee of his weekly performance over his/her last weeks performance .The direct comparison is such cases could help employees set the pace for the rest of the week. Transparency Should an employees performance be revealed to other employees? It is a question that needs serious consideration. Often employees do not like the comparison that comes with the sharing of another employees progress and such comparisons could prove to be fatal. An example would be a gamification system based on leader boards employed by Disney for its laundry workers. The real time sharing of information about a workers performance and the continuous comparisons hampered employee performance and created a sense of nervousness amongst employees. On the other hand sharing information is an integral part of the feedback mechanism that allows one to comment and receive feedback on ones progress.A possible solution to the problem would be to let the employee decide by giving him the choice to reveal his/her personal information to whomsoever they want. System Limitations The suggested gamification system has its own strengths and weaknesses. One of the most obvious thing that needs to be ensured is long term engagement. Gamified setups are designed to achieve both short term and long term objectives and therefore needs to be continuously developed and maintained to ensure that players dont get bored. Emphasis must lie on increasing ability of the players and changing the motivational elements within the structure which involves bringing in new game elements and tweaking existing game mechanics Another limitation of a stock market like setup for Ideas is that there comes a time when stocks might be traded due to their association with people and not with ideas. There is an inherent danger of the system becoming a personality driven platform rather than a platform being idea driven. The other danger which has already been mentioned is that of a player getting too involved in the game and restricting his concerns to achieving a higher stock price for the ideas selected by him/her and not the ones that can bring a change. Finally there is the question of participation. Games require voluntary participation from all its players. A platform meant merely for ideas that does not fall within the purview of an employees personal responsibility may not encourage players to voluntarily participate. Employees may however be encouraged by their superiors to part of such a set up but this runs the risk of an employee engaging in the system with not much interest. Any social game requires participation and lack of interest to participate can prove detrimental to the setup. Ideas of System Future Potential and Further Development Even if the suggested game layer attempts to promote each activity by adding motivational elements, a big focus on increased ability has permeated the selection and design of the game mechanics. To achieve a greater impact, organizational elements at the workplace need to be included in the system so that in-game rewards have a clear connection to the consultants career. One step in that direction would be to incorporate projects as part of the game layer. That would allow log entries to be linked to specific project entities and the connection between the system and what the consultant actually do will be clearer (instituting a more relevant feedback loop). It would also create a good way for project leaders and management to give feedback. The down side, and the main reason that it is not proposed, is that it would bring an additional dimension, raising the commitment and time needed to use the system. There is also great potential in adding team based mechanics into the system. These could be project based teams or made up teams. There are many examples showing that the social component in team-based activities is a powerful way of affecting behavior. Dedication takes time but enables more ways to create relevant feedback loops, awards more strongly connected to the consultants professional situation, in-game currency that can be spent in various ways, team-based structure and challenges etc. It is all a question how deep the gamification system is allowed to permeate through the organisation. Another important aspect that needs to be considered before the implementation of a gamified system is to identify how it will impact the skill level of employees. Employee skills can be classified into -a) Core skills i.e. those skills that all employees in the organization are expected to have, b)Unique skills i.e. skills that are unique to an individual and c)Future skills i.e. skills that an employee would like to have in the future. A gamified set up works best in situations where employees can put to use their core skills to be part of a team-based activity for the greater organizational good or in situations where individuals can develop future skills as part of their personal responsibility. While it is imperative that organizations look closely towards data, employee behavior and organizational culture to create a gamification structure that can best support its objectives; it must take steps to ensure that an employee remains motivated to fulfill his responsibilities and does not get lost in the game.

Walt Whitman and Dostoyevsky: The human identity

Walt Whitman and Dostoyevsky: The human identity The portrayal of the human identity in the poems of Walt Whitman and Dostoyevsky: Literature plays an important role in the society that is not only related to the level of entertainment. Through the various genres of literature, we can represent ideas to the society through the specific thematic issues raised within the fabric of the texts. Poetry serves the same purpose in the society. Through the use of beauty in the language such as the symbolic sound give the genre an entertaining perspective. Aside from the entertainment, the ideas of the poet about the society are equally presented. The opinions of the writer about a specific subject such as the personal identity and its implication in a society are possible views that can be intertwined in the themes texts. The poems of Walt Whitman and the novella by Dostoyevsky are no exceptions. It is possible that the authors' use of the thematic issues is a portrayal of their opinions about the society. Here, I examine the possible difference or similarity in the portrayal of human identity in the works by the tw o authors. Specifically the works that are selected for this analysis are the poems A noiseless patient spider, the song of myself and A Sight in Camp all by Walt Whitman. Notes from the underground are the work by Dostoyevsky that will be looked at here. Thesis: Non-conformity and independence are used as the major formulators of personal identity in the works of Walt Whitman and Dostoyevsky. Non-conformity is taken in this paper to mean the lack of respect or appreciation for societal expectations. It means that the social obligations and the desire to be free from societal expectation will make a person have the propensity to be independent. This independence is the key factor that will shape the identity of persons in a society. When a child asks the persona about grass in the poem song of myself, the persona could not give an answer about the same question. This sends him wondering in thought in a journey that takes him through the continent of America (Whitman, 56). His epic journey in thought makes him fall in love with nature and he does believe that there is nothing bad that will not contribute to a positive outcome in the system that is nature. Transcendental philosophy and the freedom of thought, in this case, is what informs the persona's identity. The persona develops an opinion of the world through the examination of the different aspects of the society in thought. the cause this is that it is easier to construct the possibilities of the society through the mind. In notes from the underground, the author's intent is to show that through the use of conscious thinking, the personality of an individual can be formed. The narrator, in this case, informs us that the ability to take revenge is in fact not a possibility to him. This is driven by his ability to construct and analyse the possibilities of the action. He believes that the consequences of his actions could lead to other disasters that can be of even more consequences. As a result, the persona opts to do simply nothing but imagine things in the society. This makes him unable to confront his colleagues despite the fact that they have clearly shown that they despised him. The norm in any society is that if anything is wrong, the obligation is on the people living in this society to make changes to the same effect. The use of imagination and the resultant utopia created by the imaginations can also be seen as shaping the identity of the persona in notes from the underground. The persona believes that he could escape from the overall boredom created by work and interpersonal relation through the use of a mental process or imagination on the same. This position can be taken from the fact that the main desire of the persona is to be independent of any external forces that shape the relationships that he had in society. In the poetic works of Whitman especially the A Noiseless Patient Spider, the persona envisions his soul wandering in a vast open space of the ocean while he stands on a promontory (Whitman, 405). The idea that is being projected in the text here is the independence and the lack of influence of any other societal factors like interpersonal relationships. In reality, the possibility of the existence of no factors to influence the thinking or the actions of an individual is a societal impossibility. The author, therefore, uses a level of lack of conformity and adherence to societal norms in these works. The only possibility of the lack of any interference in the society is if there is no individual living with the persona in the same society. A Sight in Camp is also a poem that is used by Whitman to further the ideal of wishful thinking and independence from the social norms. In this poem, the author knows that it is possible for members of different ages and sex to experience suffering occasioned by disease. Still, the author deliberately talks of a faceless perfection and lack of suffering even in a medical camp (Whitman 276). The author's intent is to make us imagine that there is a society in which all the suffering is not present and that people do not recognise each other from a physical perspective. The assumption that the author is also driving here is that there is a possibility of achieving the level of equity that appreciates all beings as perfectly similar regardless of age and social standings. In notes from the underground, the author takes a different approach to dealing with the society, suffering and utopia. The author opines that it is possible that the level of suffering brought about by the different factors in a society could be the norm. However, the use of science and the rationality is a major cause for the deviation of the norm. The persona argues that through suffering, it is possible to have an individual to receive honour or ennoblement. This ennoblement or honour could be what the normal individual would want for themselves and identity. The deviation from this normal point and the lessening of suffering by scientists and rationalists is the cause of a strive towards a utopian society. The argument that the author proposes here is also related to the independence of choice. In a society that the realists and the scientists are constantly working towards making life better, the common man is left with no other choice. The desire to experience anything in life like work and social life is constantly challenged by the idea that are floated by the members of these bodies. The result is that everyone is whipped away from what they so desire and instead moved towards what other people think is ideal. The result is that their personal identity is changed through conforming to these norms but their independence to choose is denied. In conclusion, the main area of discussion in this article concerned the use of non-conformity to societal norms and the level of effect of independence in the creation of personal identity. A review of the works by the two authors reveals a level of similarity in approaches given to the subject of identity in the texts. In all the works, transcendental philosophy underpins the formation of the identity of the persona of the work. According to Dostoyevsky, the use of imagination or conscious thinking has led the persona not to act in any way to change the situation that is prevailing. Despite him realising that it could be wrong or the situation is not right, the consequences of the action hold the persona back. It also affects the level of independence that the author has regarding the ability to make choices on the actual desires like escaping from boredom. Whitman also uses the same philosophy in determining the identity of the persona in most of the works. According to the author , the epic mental journey that is provoked by a Childs question about grass (Whitman 56) has led to a lot of discoveries. The nature of the personal self is among the things that the persona has discovered in the process. Much of the idea that, therefore, shapes the identity of the persona are therefore brought out in a transcendent way. The only difference is in the way the authors handle the concept of the ideal society and the independence to choose a personal identity. In notes from the underground, the persona opines that the choice of the members of the society is not independent. It argues that the choice is as a result of the scientific view of a utopian society. Whitman in contrast feels that it is highly necessary to have a utopian society where everyone is equal, there is no suffering. This idea is explicitly projected in A noiseless patient spider (Whitman 405). It is, therefore, important to conclude that both the authors employ the use of non-conformity and independence as the major formulators of the identity of individuals. Works cited Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the Underground. Broadview Press, 2014. Whitman, Walt. The Complete Poems of Walt Whitman. Wordsworth Editions, 1995.

Music and Murder :: essays research papers

Documentaries serve to draw a response through the use of literary techniques in order to present a particular point of view. Michael Cordell’s Music and Murder subscribes to this principle, the documentary focuses on three men serving prison sentences for taking a life and how music has changed and shaped their outlook on their own lives. Music, structure, verbal language and selection of detail all work on the viewers emotions which serve to draw a positive response towards rehabilitation in prisons. Music and Murder follows Vernon Kronk who killed an infant because it wet the bed, Geoffrey Websdale who shot dead two people and injured one and Daniel Miles who stabbed his girlfriend. All three prisoners are serving sentences in prison for their crimes and all three with the help of the prison teachers have found an interest in music. Music and Murder as a title for this documentary is very peculiar in that it hints that the two themes go together, many would see such a title as a paradox and that if rehabilitation was the only issue Music after Murder would be a more suitable title, however the emotional maturing through music is important in the documentary. Music recorded by the prisoners is played throughout the documentary, this attempts to give the viewer insight into the emotions felt by the musicians. The music is described by one of the prisons music teachers as â€Å"coming from the heart†, because we have not discovered the crimes that the prisoners have committed the music attempts to draw on feelings of sympathy from the viewer for the men. Much of the documentary is left to periods of the men’s music; these periods are an expression of emotion by which the notion of humanity and a second chance is put forward. The structure, the order parts of the documentary are presented determine how prisoners are constructed by the viewer. In Music and Murder Vernon, Geoffrey and Daniel are all constructed in the same way and overall the documentary works to construct the prisoners as people deserving of the viewers trust. In the beginning of the documentary the prison is described and shown as concrete and metal and there are close-ups of the metal bars, locks and razor-wire. This use of montage re-establishes the viewers previous idea of prison as punishment. After this the music is introduced by the respected teachers as not leisure but a constructive way to use their time in prison, having the punishment aspect of prison introduced before the music gives the viewer a positive on the idea as music as rehabilitation and not just as leisure.

Capital Punishment Essay - It’s Time to Turn the Other Cheek :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Capital Punishment – It’s Time to Turn the Other Cheek If... he has committed murder, he must die. In this case, there is no substitute that will satisfy the legal requirements of legal justice.There is no sameness of kind between death and remaining alive even under the most miserable conditions, and consequently there is no equality between crime and the retribution unless the criminal is judicially condemned and put to death." Immanuel Kant. About 2000 men, women, and teenagers currently wait on America's "Death Row." Their time grows shorter as federal and state courts increasingly ratify death penalty laws, allowing executions to proceed at an accelerated rate. It's unlikely that any of these executions will make the front page, having become more and more a matter of routine in the last decade. Indeed, recent public opinion polls show a wide margin of support for the death penalty. But human rights advocates continue to decry the immorality of state-sanctioned killing in the U.S., the only western industrialized country that continues to use the death penalty. Is capital punishment moral? Capital punishment is often defended on the grounds by the government, that society has a moral obligation to protect the safety and the welfare of its citizens. Murderers threaten this safety and welfare. Only by putting murderers to death can society ensure that convicted killers do not kill again. Second, those favoring capital punishment contend that society should support those practices that will bring about the greatest balance of good over evil, and capital punishment is one such practice. Capital punishment benefits society because it may deter violent crime. While it is difficult to produce direct evidence to support this claim since, by definition, those who are deterred by the death penalty do not commit murders, common sense tells us that they will die if they perform a certain act, they will be unwilling to perform that act. If the threat of death stays in the hand of a would-be murder, and we abolish the death penalty, we will sacrifice the lives of many innocent victims whose murders could have been deterred. But if, in fact, the death penalty does not deter, and we continue to impose it, we have only sacrificed the lives of convicted murderers. Surely it is better for society to take a gamble that the death penalty deters in order to protect the lives of innocent people than to take a gamble that it doesn't deter and thereby protect the lives of murderers, while risking the lives of the innocents. Finally, defenders of capital punishment argue that justice demands that

Communication and Learners Essay

Much of my research was carried out online and I have included my written research notes and sources. Teacher net (2010) says â€Å"Adopting an approach to your teaching which draws on research and evidence should help you in reviewing and developing your practice†. With this in mind I considered Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs motivational model which we often refer to in teaching, although the original model was designed as a business motivational tool. Maslow claims that needs 1-4 are deficiency motivators and are generally satisfied in order when the previous need is fully or partially satisfied (Businessballs, 2010). If the lower level needs of the model are met then I can begin to help the learner gain the top level and realise their own potential however, in order to help others reach this level I must first achieve this myself, by researching I am furthering my own knowledge and developing myself on an ongoing basis. 1a – Negotiating With Learners – 753 words Gravells and Simpson state that â€Å"Initial assessment of you learner’s skills, knowledge and preferred learning styles should take place before you begin teaching the programme content.† (Gravells & Simpson, 2010, P17). Here they are saying ‘before the program content’, so an initial assessment is valid even if it is at the beginning of the session itself. I do however slightly disagree with the necessity to always know the learners preferred learning style from the outset. If we accept that learners are different then we must accept that we will be teaching learners during each session with differing learning styles, and must therefore accommodate those differing styles. I usually do not get chance to assess my learners for learning styles before a session so I must compensate using a progressive style of assessment, this enables me to adjust my teaching methods and styles to suit and include my learners. It is therefore not so important to know what th e learning style of an individual from the initial assessment but, it can assessed as the teaching progresses. Learners enter the learning environment with varying needs and expectations; it is my responsibility as the teacher/tutor, through processes such as initial assessment, to ensure that the learner is on the correct path/course or at the right level. Failing this then I should be able to help the learner choose a more appropriate path. According to Walklin â€Å"It is important to assess all people seeking access to education and training opportunities, the purpose being to help them to plan their future education and training programme. Initial assessment helps the provider and the learner sort out what it is they wish to achieve†, (Walklin, 1993, p.290). The initial assessment is a way of evaluating what the learner will need to achieve the goals set and indeed a way of setting future goals with the learner. I have recently experienced this myself when an experienced teacher found that I was in fact following an unsuitable path, he was then able to change the course I had appl ied for, to a more suitable and achievable course. Having an understanding of a learners previous experience is also beneficial to the teacher, I myself train professional drivers who often have many years experience within the industry. Using a short pre-session initial assessment which consists of an informal one to one chat and note taking, and group introductory sessions allows me to make a connection with these more experienced learners, who often feel disgruntled by the process of having to train within an industry they feel they already know. It is important then to be aware that experience will affect learning and that it may have a positive or negative influence. After an initial assessment I can ascertain what the learners knowledge and skills will be to date and a learning action plan can be completed, this plan is specific to each individual leaner to ensure their needs as a learner are met. A tutor should spend time with each individual learner and agree learning goals and further actions. Further actions may include additional help that may be needed, for a student with learning disabilities for example. Once the learners needs have been identified and agreed the trainer would focus on the teacher/training cycle, Kolb (1984) which is made up of the following 5 points, keeping in mind that this is an ongoing cycle. * Identify needs and planning * Designing * Facilitating/deliver * Assessing * Evaluating Further actions that should be agreed prior to the course commencing is the establishment of ground rules. Ground rules are commonly referred to as, â€Å"the minimum necessary conditions for getting learning work done in the class.† (Atherton, J S 2009). I agree with Atherton here and would add that, establishing ground rules in a learning group can also be negotiated between the learners and the teacher. WestOne (2010) discusses various strategies for negotiating with learners, it suggests that It can often be effective to give learners some responsibility for rules, such as what time breaks and dinner is taken, these small items of negotiation will give learners a sense of control within the environment and encourage them to take part in the learning process as they will begin to have shared ownership of it. I would say though that to give too much away to learners may lead to a loss of control for the teacher, one must always consider the fine balance here. I looked at a company called Novadata, they provide training similar to mine but also have a larger portfolio of courses. Their main initial assessment is carried out over the telephone or via an online internet form. While I will consider the option of the online form in the future I do think it may be a little impersonal and I would have doubts about getting the right quality of information, telephone based initial assessment is however a possibility that would allow me to connect with learners better. 1b – Inclusive Learning – 748 words Gravels & Simpson discuss inclusive learning and suggest that â€Å"inclusive learning is about recognising that each of your learners is different from other learners in many ways†, and â€Å"you should plan your teaching and learning sessions to enable all of your learners to take part†. (Gravells & Simpson, 2010, P25). There are various methods to ensure this, we can for instance use different teaching methods to appeal to the different learning styles, for instance VAK or VARK(Visual, aural, reader and kinaesthetic), kinaesthetic learners prefer to touch whilst visual learners will prefer to see demonstrations and, aural learners will be more attuned to a discussion while readers prefer the written word. In all of these cases it should be noted that any given learner may have a preference for learning but will to differing degrees have traits of all styles. I use this as the basis for any planning but keep myself aware that it is just that, a basis or starting point for a flexible plan. It is once we begin to understand that learners are individuals with varying needs that we realise that relying on the VAK descriptions alone is inadequate in order to be inclusive. Inclusion UWE states â€Å"The aim is not for students to simply take part in further education but to be actively included and fully engaged in their learning† (2008). It may be that a particular learner is a kinaesthetic learner but for one reason or another cannot take part in an exercise. In order to agree with the UWE statement I had to recently change the way I carried out a practical exercise as one of my learners could not look at a small computer screen for very long, by pairing him with another learner and allowing them to use a projector connected to the computer they were able to complete the exercise together thus ensuring inclusivity. But inclusivity goes further than just planning sessions and resources. Huddleston and Unwin discuss how teachers must no longer be concerned with their own subject and transmitting knowledge but, â€Å"as managers of learning, teachers will need to seek the help and support of other professionals in their college, including non-teaching staff.† (Huddleston and Unwin,1997, P117). While I do agree in principle with what they are saying, for example, a student with problems of childcare can easily be helped by being pointed toward crà ¨che facilities within the learning establishment, I would also have to point out that it is important to facilitate a solution rather than be the solution. I think a teacher must maintain a certain distance from the student, so it is better to offer information on transport subsidies than to offer a lift. Another example of how we can be flexible to promote inclusion recently happened to me, When I arrived at a site to carry out training many of the delegates found that in order to start for their working shift the following day, they would have to finish 45 minutes early, as the requirements for the training to be completed meant they had to carry out a full 7 hours of training I could not legally cut the course short. We then came to an arrangement whereby tea breaks would be taken as we carried out practical exercises thus allowing for the full session to take place. By making this small adjustment I was able to cater to the individual needs of a few of the learners which again placed them in a position where they did not have to worry about working the following day and, could continue the learning process. Preparing to Teach Inclusively states â€Å"There are many issues to consider when identifying a student’s needs, but it is important to remember that they may fluctuate from day to day. As the course progresses, try to review with students whether you are meeting their needs.† (2006). Students needs do change constantly, it may be that a bus service is delayed and a number of students will be late by 10 minutes or another may have employment difficulties, while it is not the job of the teacher to fix these problems, it is the responsibility of the teacher to make provision for them and to suggest agencies or information that can help. A solution can be as simple as asking another learner to take extra copies of handouts and pass them on, whatever the action, the aim is always to enable the student to return to a successful learning environment. 1c – Integrating Functional Skills – 557 words QCDA says that â€Å"Functional skills are practical skills in English, information and communication technology (ICT) and mathematics. They allow individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in life† (2010). Functional Skills are often given different names such as â€Å"Key Skills† or â€Å"Minimum Core†, but they all amount to the same thing, the basic integration of Maths, English and Information & Communication Technology. Petty states â€Å"The alternative to integrating key skills is to teach them separately. The problem with this approach is that students tend to see them as an irksome irrelevance to their main course of study†.(G Petty, 2009, P538) Whilst I agree with his point and I agree with the methods and reasons for teaching Functional Skills in this way, I also believe that this statement pays little attention to those of us who would thrive in a situation where those key skills are taught separately, people such as myself, I trained as a chef when I was young, attached to this course I did a C&G in communicating and in computer programming. I enjoyed having a separate learning session for this and was able to gain another certificate to be proud of; in conclusion I would say that this is again an area where we can see how people differ in so many ways. Gravells and Simpson state that â€Å"As a teacher, you should be able to demonstrate your own competence in the areas of literacy, language, numeracy and ICT.† (Gravells & Simpson, 2010, P59). As a teacher I believe it is important to have a good understanding of Functional skills, spelling and maths mistakes within a handout or presentation will be transferred to learners, why should they not believe you if you are the teacher. To this end it is important as a teacher to continually give consideration to improving my own Functional skill on an ongoing basis. The embedding of these skills within a teaching session is not difficult but should be given careful consideration at all times, for instance, I recently had a learner who was dyslexic, I try where possible to provide printed material on different coloured papers as this can often help people with this condition. It turned out that this was the first time this particular learner had come across this aid to reading, so instead of just ignoring the reading exercise he became interested enough to ask about further help. I was able to give him a contact at Learndirect. This particular learner now has the confidence to learn to read and write at higher standards than he thought possible. It is this gaining of confidence and belief in oneself that will cause the attitude change that is conducive to learning. In order to integrate Functional Skills into any given session you could consider exercises such as multiple choice quizzes for reading, discussion sessions for language skills. By adding in maths questions to a PowerPoint presentation you can elicit answers from learners, by watching the reaction of other learners it is often possible to see if anyone is struggling with these concepts thus allowing you to go over the question in more detail until you are sure the learner has grasped it. ICT can be integrated in just as many ways, for instance asking learners to find and print a particular style of picture for the next session. 1d – Communication – 677 words Just out of interest I typed into a leading search engine â€Å"verbal non-verbal communication†, within the first five listings I found the following (MinorityCareerNet, 2010): â€Å"Nonverbal Communication According to A. Barbour, author of Louder Than Words: Nonverbal Communication, the total impact of a message breaks down like this: 7 percent verbal (words)   38 percent vocal (volume, pitch, rhythm, etc) 55 percent body movements (mostly facial expressions)† This is a misquote that can be found time after time in books, on websites, and more worryingly within training courses. In fact, this statement is based on the work of Professor Albert Mehrabian in the mid to late 1900’s. The research actually concentrated on the communication of feelings and attitudes, it has since been misquoted to define all types of communication. It is somewhat ironic that his message has been so misused and misunderstood. I raise the point of this because I am guilty of using it in the incorrect context, assuming that because those that have taught me use it, then it must be so. It really does not matter how I contort my face wave my arms in front of learners, unless I explain verbally or with written instructions very few of them will understand what I am trying to communicate. Different people respond to different forms of communication, when we teach we give consideration to the varying types of learners, Visual, Aural, Readers, Kinaesthetic (VARK), we try to design our lessons to include all of the styles. I asked myself the question, â€Å"Why do people learn in these different ways?† My research results led me to investigate a condition known as synaesthesia, in which one sensory input produces unexpected results for example, a synaesthete may see the colour red when they see the number 2 and blue if they see number 3, in some cases sound caused a visual effect for the synaesthete. It occurred to me that this may go some way to explain why one person responds better when information is given in a verbal format, another responds better if it is visual and so on. The connections between these different sensory areas of the brain mean that we all have our own unique way of perceiving what is being taught or communicated (please refer to my micro teach for more information). For me the advantage of this seemingly odd line of research had the effect of allowing me to empathise with learners of different styles and gave me meaningful reason to consider how I communicate to learners with differing learning styles. â€Å"Communication is the art of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience. The important word is ‘successfully’, which implied that a desired behaviour change results when the receiver takes the message† (Walklin, 1993, p.164). I think what Walklin is trying to tell us is that it is not enough to communicate the instructions, it is also important to deliver praise or constructive criticism in order to encourage and guide the learner into new discovery, if you ask the learner to complete a task a feeling of accomplishment will encourage behaviour conducive to further learning. This is important to me when teaching as my own learners can often be hostile to the learning process, feeling it has been imposed upon them. It is also important to listen to the students, if you set tasks that are above the student’s current abilities then you are likely to create a barrier to communication whereby the student will close in on themselves not wishing to admit they cannot continue and the learning process will cease. Achieving two way communications with our students is not straightforward. Barriers can often present themselves. It is crucial that a teacher can identify barriers and help students overcome them. Petty (2009) suggests that inappropriate level of work, jargon, vocabulary and other use of language, environmental factors, fear of failure and an inapproachable teacher can be barriers to students learning experience. Whilst I agree in principle to this, I also believe that introducing new vocabulary and language usage is essential to the student’s further development. ATHERTON J S (2010) Learning and Teaching; Ground rules for the class (Online) Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/ground_rules.htm (Accessed: 03 January 2011) Anne Gravells and Susan Simpson (2010) Planning and Enabling Learning (2nd Edition), Learning Matters Businessballs (2011) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, (Online), Available: http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm , (Accessed: 15 February 2011) Inclusion Further Education (2008)(Online) Available: http://inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/tmlnsn.htm (Accessed: 10 January 2011). Minority Career Network Inc. (2011) Non Verbal Communication, (Online), Available: http://www.minoritycareernet.com/newsltrs/95q3nonver.html , (Accessed: 15 February 2011) Open University (2006) Preparing to Teach Inclusively (Online), Available: http://www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/pages/inclusive-teaching/preparing-to-teach-inclusively.php (Accessed: 20th January 2011) Prue Huddleston and Lorna Unwin (1997) Teaching and Learning in Further Education (2nd Edition), Routledge Farmer. Petty G (2009) Teaching Today (4th Edition), Nelson Thornes. QCDA (2010) Introduction to Functional Skills (Online), Available: http://www.qcda.gov.uk/qualifications/30.aspx, (Accessed: 11 January 2011). Teachernet (2010) (online), Available:http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/research/Learning_about_research/ (Accessed December 15 2010), (Note-now removed) Walklin, A. (1993) Teaching and Learning in Further and Adult Education. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes (publishers) Ltd. West One (2010) How to negotiate learning (Online) Available: http://www.westone.wa.gov.au/toolbox8/taa/elearn/toolbox/resources/e_space/e_sources/quickguides/interaction/negotiating/howto.htm (Accessed 03 January 2010)

France and the Dreyfus Affair

Monica Moroyoqui History 1B Dreyfus Paper France and the Dreyfus Affair: A documentary by Michael Burns The author, Michael Burns is a historian, actor and professor. He holds a Ph. D. and has written a handful of books, all revolving around wars. His book entitled France and the Dreyfus Affair: A documentary history was written in 1998 and is about Alfred Dreyfus during one of Europe’s most significant political scandals. The theme of the book was anti-Semitism, socialism, militant nationalism and the separation of church and state.Dreyfus was a French citizen and a Jewish army officer. During 1894, he was wrongly convicted in Europe, the charges were of treason. Burns studied his subject well enough to create a character around him. The book presented the events in a chronological order. The arrest started off the book where they had taken Dreyfus away for charges of treason. He was put on trial and then sentenced to Devil’s Island. The case was later reopened, and t hen pardoned after a while. A number of authors have given their own versions of the story. This is because the events that followed this case were very interesting.The people were torn apart by the scandal, which made it one of the most significant cases a lot of people have argued weather Dreyfus was a victim of discrimination because he was a Jew. The first piece of evidence given to the court through the Embassy in Paris was already stated as â€Å"proof† of Dreyfus’s treason. It makes you wonder how they used to run court during the time. There was a time where Dreyfus was unabashedly told that Jews had no place as a General. During this time, Europe was already transforming into the divided nations that the world saw during the time of the Nazis.Alfred Dreyfus was openly Jewish and he was admitted to very selective military schools. During this time, not a lot of Jewish boys had been admitted to such schools, let along placed in a position that was very sensitive . His rank was the subject of a lot of talk, this rarely happened in Europe, especially in France. This Affair definitely split the country in to two. Talks of radicalization and the Catholic Church were involved. Burns has another book about the holocaust. He seems to have an interest for the times of war and mostly the Jews.There is no evidence that he is a Jew himself, yet he seems to empathize with them. His books about the Jewish soldier and the Holocaust might even be a dedication to the people. Burns seems captivated by the times, and is more familiar with the 19th century than his own. This allowed him to write the book on Dreyfus with ease. It does not seem misplaced or out of its own time. The book is very fascinating and interesting. It involves a lot of bits of history, which makes it much easier to read. Burns, being a historian himself, probably enjoys reliving characters from the past.It had a number of private correspondences from both sides which added to the suspen se of the book. However, it was, at the same time frustrating to read. It was written as an account of Dreyfus, the infamous soldier. These made the evidences mentioned in the book seem quite biased. The goal of the book is probably to break down all myths, legends and other things surrounding the event. Yet, it somehow became more seemingly fiction than historic. The point of the author in writing the book was to show evidences in regards to the Dreyfus Affair.A number of issues that were highlighted in the case were included which made the case so much more interesting to read. You will get drawn to the book, wanting to know a real conclusion. As the country was divided in to two parts at the time, so will your mind. You can see the lack of moral ambiguity, which is one of the rare instances in history. The biases seen in the book were in favor of Dreyfus. However, there were hints of doubt in the character throughout the beginning, Burns stuck by Dreyfus. The way the book was wri tten, was very noir.This event was very significant since it divided France during the 1890s. It is one of the most known political and judicial scandals in Europe. There were a number of things to examine within the book. Burns wrote it in a way that was of the time. Though the story was about historic incidences, it was mixed in with modern elements that made the read very light. Many might argue that the evidences presented in the book were one sided and would typically lead the reader to believe on side, rather than deciding on his own. Burns shows that a number of officers in the army are anti-Semitic.They were quick to point fingers and Judge Dreyfus without really looking at other proof of his treason. Dreyfus’s conviction was premature and they did not so much as explore other alternatives for his indictment. There were other themes present in the book, though the anti-Semitism was most relevant. The book was very interesting and showed a handful of evidences. It clea rly explained the sensitivity of the issue. Someone who would not have known the background of Europe and events to follow might not have understood why it was such a big issue for a Jewish mad to take such a position in the military.The process of the court and judicial system during the time also was an issue to look into. Burns did well in covering these areas, it was easy to follow and understand. The mood and themes in the book were relevant and you will be able to sympathize with the characters. The events to follow the Dreyfus Affair are said to be very significant. The divide of the nation during this time was extreme. It was hardly easy to believe that such a small case turned a whole nation upside down. Before reading the book, you have to understand the sensitivity of the matters that lead Dreyfus to the accusations. ?