Film Analysis of Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore Essay -- Micha

Film Analysis of Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore 'Bowling for Columbine', directed by Michael Moore, deals with the problems of gun crime in America. The main purpose of this film is to persuade American people to change their ideas about guns and gun laws. Moore constantly refers to other countries such as Canada and their gun policies to back up his arguments for increased gun regulation. He is successfully able to counter argue any reason given by pro gun supporters as to the reason why America has the highest gun related crimes and death, even though other countries have similar attitudes towards violence. The scenes that have been selected focus on different aspects of the film, which present Moore's ability to persuade his audience into his way of viewing gun crime. Michael Moore has used a variety of techniques in the ?A wonderful World? scene to influence the audience into siding with his views and to portray America as a destructive force to other countries. The sequencing of the scene ?A Wonderful World? is very effective. The scene before the clip is very ironic as it shows the Lockheed Martin, which is the largest weapons producer in America. The Lockheed Martin spokesman is standing in front of A missile and is talking about America as a protector of the world. Yet, immediately after this, the man claims that America is not an aggressor, the film is launched into the scenes which entirely contradict his claims. This is a successful use of persuasive technique as the audience will now trust what Moore has to say rather tha... ... either that the NRA and the Klan were parallel groups or that when the Klan was outlawed its members formed the NRA. Both are completely wrong however this is effective as it illustrates that since the KKK was evil, that the NRA is also evil as it is made up of the same members or that both groups have the same belief. Moore is able to use a number of persuasive techniques in the three scenes from Bowling for Columbine to express his views on gun laws. The moods of these three scenes vary considerably, from humour, to serious to sarcasm and irony. By appealing to different types of emotions, the audience is able to connect with Moore effectively. As well as this, by feeling humorous or sad when Moore intends the audience to be, the viewers immediately, whether intentionally or unintentionally side with Moore?s view.

Stages of Group Development

The Forming – Storming – Norming – Performing is a model of group development, first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, who maintained that these phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to deliver results. Forming In the first stages of team building, the forming of the team takes place. The individual's behavior is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict. Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines, such as team organization, who does what, when to meet, etc. But individuals are also gathering information and impressions – about each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but the avoidance of conflict and threat means that not much actually gets done. Group members learn about each other and the task at hand. Indicators of this stage might include: Unclear objectives, Uninvolvement, Uncommitted members, Confusion, Low morale, Hidden feelings, Poor listening, etc. The team meets and learns about the opportunities and challenges, and then agrees on goals and begins to tackle the tasks. Team members tend to behave quite independently. They may be motivated but are usually relatively uninformed of the issues and objectives of the team. Team members are usually on their best behavior but very focused on themselves. Mature team members begin to model appropriate behavior even at this early phase. Sharing the knowledge of the concept of â€Å"Teams – Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing† is extremely helpful to the team. Supervisors of the team tend to need to be directive during this phase. The forming stage of any team is important because, in this stage, the members of the team get to know one another, exchange some personal information, and make new friends. This is also a good opportunity to see how each member of the team works as an individual and how they respond to pressure. Storming Every group will then enter the storming stage in which different ideas compete for consideration. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model they will accept. Team members open up to each other and confront each other's ideas and perspectives. In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade real issues. The storming stage is necessary to the growth of the team. It can be contentious, unpleasant and even painful to members of the team who are averse to conflict. Tolerance of each team member and their differences needs to be emphasized. Without tolerance and patience the team will fail. This phase can become destructive to the team and will lower motivation if allowed to get out of control. As group members continue to work, they will engage each other in arguments about the structure of the group which often are significantly emotional and illustrate a struggle for status in the group. These activities mark the storming phase: Lack of cohesion, Subjectivity, Hidden agendas, Conflicts, Confrontation, Volatility, Resentment, anger, Inconsistency, Failure. Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible but tend to still need to be directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behavior. The groups will therefore resolve their differences and group members will be able to participate with one another more comfortably and they won't feel that they are being judged in any way and will therefore share their own opinions and views†¦ Norming The team manages to have a one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage. Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make the team work. In this stage, all the team members takes the responsibility and have the ambition to work for the success of the goals of the team. Group members establish implicit or explicit rules about how they will achieve their goal. They address the types of communication that will or will not help with the task. Indicators include: Questioning performance, Reviewing/clarify objective, Changing/confirming roles, Opening risky issues, Assertiveness, Listening, Testing new ground, Identifying strengths and weaknesses. Performing Some teams will reach the performing stage. These high-performing teams are able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict or the need for external supervision. Team members have become interdependent. By this time they are motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Dissent is expected and allowed as long as it is channeled through means acceptable to the team. Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. The team will make most of the necessary decisions. Even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in certain circumstances. Many long-standing teams will go through these cycles many times as they react to changing circumstances. For example, a change in leadership may cause the team to revert to storming as the new people challenge the existing norms and dynamics of the team. Groups reach a conclusion and implement the solution to their issue. Indicators include: Creativity, Initiative, Flexibility, Open relationships, Pride, Concern for people, Learning, Confidence, High morale, Success, etc. Adjourning Tuckman later added a fifth phase, adjourning, that involves completing the task and breaking up the team. Others call it the phase for mourning. A team that lasts may transcend to a transforming phase of achievement. Transformational management can produce major changes in performance through synergy and is considered to be more far-reaching than transactional management.

The Effect of Racism in Toronto - 1274 Words

Essay Proposal I decided to pursue the Governmentality, Democracy and Citizenship approach to address the issue I chose to work on, how racism in Toronto affects its education and economy. It is of no surprise to anyone that a person’s life and achievements may depend strictly on his/her skin color. In the following paragraphs, I discuss how racial discrimination has changed over the past fifty-four years, and how the different coloured populations have reacted to these changes. The overall attainments of the adult population in Toronto have been gradually changing over the last fifty-four years. Starting from 1960’s, each decade has had a higher percentage of college graduates and high school graduates than the previous one, and at the same time, a lower percentage of people who have not finished high school. So the results imply that people sought for more education with time, but not all four groups show the same elevation. The two groups of blacks show more a rapid growth, moreover, the results of group of black females show a more stable growth than results of black males. But on the whole, results of these two groups are more or less the same and they show that blacks attained more education as time went by. Results of the two white groups also show growth, but this growth is not so obvious as compared to the blacks. Plus the over-all results of the whites contain higher percentage than ones of blacks, and results of white males differ from the results of females,Show MoreRelatedThe Canadian Criminal Justice System1370 Words   |  6 Pagesin the millennia past, the course of human history prevents all races from reverting back to that common kind. It is further believed that the racism that subsists in today’s society does not exist in the same manner within Canada. 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